B

Farah was sitting in the kitchen going over the party list with her mother. The exams were over and Farah wanted to invite her friends for a party.

“Farah, aren’t you going to invite Hafsa?” her mother asked. Hafsa had been her best friend since childhood.

“Mother, you know I am now  a part of Purple Girls Club and we have some rules about people we can be friends with,” Farah answered.

“Really? And what are the rules?” her mother asked.

“Well. Only very pretty girls can be part of our group. And Hafsa is so… you know… dark.”

“I can’t believe it,” her mother said angrily.

As Farah left the kitchen, her father called her from the living room.

Farah went to her father and paled when she saw the exam report in his hands. “Farah, what has happened to your grades? You have failed in Mathematics,” her father said.

Farah had no answer. The truth was that the activities of Purple Girls Club left her with very little time for studies.

“Farah, it says that you can take part in supplementary exams(补考). If your grades don’t improve then, I’ll cancel(取消) your trip to Spain.”

Farah went to her room and called Gina, the leader of Purple Girls Club, “Gina, can you help me to complete my notes before the exams?”

Gina laughed. “Exams? Who cares about exams?”

One by one, she called her friends in the club but no one seemed to care or wanted to help.

Farah knew Hafsa would help her.Farah also knew Hafsa had been hurt by her, but Hafsa said, “If you need any help, just let me know. We can study together till your exams.”

Next Monday, as two friends entered the school together, Gina called out.

“Farah, you know our rules. You cannot be friends with those who do not belong to our club.”

“Gina, I have a new rule about friendship,” Farah replied.

25. After Farah became a member of Purple Girls Club, she chose a friend according to a person’s________.

A. looks   B. usual activities   C. grades   D. favorite colors.

26. Farah became pale after going to her father because ________.

A. he didn’t allow her to go to Spain

B. she didn’t do well in her exams

C. she had to leave Purple Girl Club

D. he asked her to improve her grades

27. Which word can best describe Hafsa?

A. Silly.   B. Beautiful.   C. Rude.   D. Kind.

28. What lesson can we learn from the passage?

A. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

B. A perfect friend will never be found.

C. Be slow in choosing a friend.

D. Friendship can be developed easily.

C

As you are students of English, it’s very possible that you’ll be interested in England. That’s where the language was first spoken. But England is often called by other names. This often confuses people and I wonder if you know what these names mean. So, now I would like to tell you about this matter of names. I believe that you have heard people use the names--- England, Britain or Great Britain. Let’s see what each of these names means.

If you look at a map of Europe, you’ll see a group of islands--- one larger island off the northwest coast, one smaller and many tiny ones. These make up what is called the British Isles. The largest island of the British Isles is Britain. It is also called Great Britain. The smaller island is Ireland.

Britain is divided into three parts: Scotland, Wales and England. But sometimes the world “England” is used instead of “Britain.” Why so?

In ancient times, what is Britain now used to be three different countries. People in these different countries spoke different languages. Over many years the three countries became one. England is the largest and richest of the three and it has the most people. So the English people take it for granted that their own name stands for the whole island.

There’s another thing that confuses people: sometimes you may hear people say “the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”. That is the official name of the country. Northern Ireland is only one sixth of the island of Ireland. The rest of the island is an independent state, called the Republic of Ireland. So we have the names of “Britain”, “Great Britain”, and “the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland”. Now do you know what each of them means?

29. English was first spoken in __________.

A. Britain   B. England     C. Great Britain     D. Ireland

30. According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

A. Wales is the richest of the three.

B. Scotland is the largest of the three.

C. Sometimes England is used instead of Britain.

D. Britain is the only name of the largest island of British Isles.

31. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is ________.

A. part of Britain

B. part of British Isles

C. the official name of the whole country

D. the largest country of all mentioned in the passage

32. Which of the following is the best title?

A. Students of English

B. Different Names of England

C. Different Languages Spoken in England

D. The Republic of Ireland

D

Let’s face it. Business trips aren’t the easiest. You are away from friends and family and must make meetings with partners the best you can. They can be stressful(令人紧张的) from the car ride to the airport all the way to the security check(安检) on the way out. One way to save yourself some of that stress is to pack light and right!

1. Prepare yourself

2. Make a plan

3. Make a list and check twice

(1) If possible, try and pack a single carry-on(手提的)bag, so you quickly leave the airport and move about without heavy bags.

(2) The best thing to do is put all the clothes you “think” you need out on a bed so that you can see them all before you pack them. Then choose what you really need.

(3) Roll your shirts and skirts, even ties. White dress shirts should not go on the bottom of your bag.

(4) Fill your shoes with socks to save room.

33. The passage is perhaps the most useful for ________.

A. businessmen on the go

B. students studying in foreign countries

C. workers working in factories

D. tourists all over the world

34. Information like “roll your trousers up” might be found in _________.

A. the first paragraph

B. Prepare yourself

C. Make a plan

D. Make a list and check it twice

35. Which of the following might appear in “Prepare yourself”?

A. Shirts and ties.

B. A big bag.

C. Shoes and socks.

D. Telephone numbers.