Vancouver’s Chinatown—Canada’s largest Chinatown

Vancouver’s Chinatown is North America’s second biggest Chinatown, after San Francisco’s. Mandarin(普通话)and Cantonese are the mother tongues in 30% of Vancouver homes, which makes Chinese the largest “minority” ethnic group(少数民族).

Vancouver’s Chinatown is the place to visit for a taste of Chinese culture.

In Chinatown, there are a lot of traditional products and buildings, such as the stone lions which represent for the prestige(名声;声望),many red lanterns which stands for the happiness. What’s more interesting, in Chinatown, a typical Suzhou garden can be found. Chinatown not only expresses the culture of China to the other cultures, but also one part shows that Vancouver is the multicultural society. Chinatown which carries many Chinese cultures is built by Chinese in Vancouver. In the beginning, Chinatown was the community only for Chinese people, but nowadays, more and more other people from different countries are willing to know the Chinatown. It is the part of the Vancouver’s society, and Chinatown is also changing gradually in order to adjust to Vancouver.

There are lots of interesting markets with many varieties of fresh and dried seafood and mushrooms in the Chinatown. You’ll also find cheap and fine house ware and traditional Chinese medicine. During the summer, on weekend evenings, Keefer and Pender Streets become a busy open-air night market. If you have enough time for a meal, try at one of the many small restaurants. It is not an expensive, multi-course culinary(烹调的)adventure. Relax in the peaceful Dr. Sun Yat-Sen（孙中山）Classical Chinese Garden, or just steps on Pender Street. Visit the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum, or participate in one of its many activities.

21. In Vancouver’s Chinatown you can see all the things EXCEPT　　　. 

A. a typical Suzhou garden         B. the stone lions

C. the Chinese History Museum     D. red lanterns

22. From the third paragraph, we can infer that 　　　. 

A. Canadians helped to build Vancouver’s Chinatown

B. only the Chinese people live in Vancouver’s Chinatown

C. in Vancouver’s Chinatown you can appreciate the culture of Vancouver

D. an increasing number of people come to Vancouver’s Chinatown

23. If you are tired you should have a rest in 　　　. 

A. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden

B. the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum

C. an interesting market on the Pender Street

D. one of the many small restaurants

The sun is shining when I get on No. 151 bus. We passengers sit jammed together in heavy clothes. No one speaks. That’s one of the unwritten rules of Chicago commuting. Although we see the same faces every day, we prefer to hide behind our newspapers. The phenomenon is striking: people who sit so close together are using those thin sheets of newsprint to keep their distance.

As the bus approaches the Magnificent Mile, a voice suddenly rings out: “Attention! Attention!” Papers rattle (发出细小声). Necks crane (伸长). “This is your driver speaking.”

We look at the back of the driver’s head. His voice has authority.

“All of you put your papers down.”

The papers come down, an inch at a time. The driver waits. The papers are folded and placed on our laps.

“Now, turn and face the person next to you. Go ahead.”

Amazingly, we all do it. Still, no one smiles.

I face an older woman, her head wrapped tightly in a red scarf. I see her nearly every day. Our eyes meet. We wait, unblinking, for the next order from the driver.

“Now, repeat after me…” It is a command, delivered in the tones of a drill sergeant (教官). “Good morning, neighbor!”

Our voices are weak and timid. For many of us, these are the first words we have spoken today. But we say them at the same time, like schoolchildren, to the strangers beside us.

We smile and can’t help it. We have said it; the barrier has been broken. Good morning, neighbor. It is not so hard after all. Some of us repeat it. Others shake hands. Many laugh.

The bus driver says nothing more. He doesn’t need to. Not a single newspaper goes back up. I hear laughter, a warm sound I have never heard before on bus No. 151. This day is starting off better than most.

24. On hearing the sudden utterance of “Attention!”, the passengers ___________.

 A. stopped reading and put down their newspapers immediately

 B. looked up from the newspapers to see who was speaking

C. sat still without response                

D. were frightened

25. The underlined word “commuting” in Paragraph 1 most probably means ___________.

 A. daily traveling between home and work        B. long-distance ride

 C. communication technology                  D. behavior patterns

26. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

   A. The passengers on the crowded bus were so absorbed in reading their newspapers that no one spoke.

   B. The passengers were physically close together but mentally they kept each other at a terrible distance.

 C. The passengers didn’t follow the driver’s instruction at first.

   D. When the bus driver said nothing more, the passengers picked up and read their newspapers again.

27. What would be the best title for the text?

   A. The Warmth of Communication        B. The Exchange of Information

   C. The Power of Observation             D. The Attitude to Loneliness

How hard we have all prayed(祈祷) to grow up quickly, and looked forward to the happy days of being a grown-up and enjoying the many interests that a youth should have.

At last, you have grown up. At least you are no longer a child. They call you “young lady”. You then enjoy the pleasure of being a young lady. You are proud of being a grown-up teenager. People welcome you-this young lady-heartily. You are glad that your prayer has been answered.

But there is always something that troubles you a lot. You say; “Papa and Mama, give me some money please. My pocket money is all gone already.”

“No”, they say, “your age is a dangerous age. If you have too much money to spend, it won’t do you any good.” Then you have to stay at home because you dare not go out with an empty pocket.

Another time you tell your grandma, “Grandma, see, I am a grown-up now.”

“Good, now, you can sit here and knit (编织) this for me while I go and have a rest.” To show that you are no more a child, you have to sit there the whole afternoon doing the work, which only a grown-up can do. After an hour, you find it hard to do, and give the knitting basket back to your grandma. Your grandma criticizes your work. You hear what she says, “Such a big girl can’t do such easy work.” You wish then you were a child again.

But the fact is, you are growing up, and you can’t help it. That’s the way it goes!

28．The passage is told about _______ problems.

A. a growing-up boy’s       B. an old woman’s

C. a teenage girl’s             D. a grown-up’s

29．How does she know her prayer has been answered?

A. She is no longer a kid.

B. People begin to call her teenager.

C. She can join women in all kinds of activities.

D. People treat her as a young lady.

30．From what her parents say, we know _________.

A. they still regard her as a child

B. they don’t want her to spend money

C. it’s dangerous for a girl to spend money

D. they love her more than before

31．Having heard her grandma’s criticism(批评), _________.

A. she has to lie in bed, doing nothing

B. she wishes she were not growing up

C. she knows she has already worked the whole afternoon

D. she finds it isn’t her turn to do knitting

Do you find getting up in the morning so difficult that it’s painful? This might be called laziness, but Dr. Kleitman has a new explanation. He has proved that everyone has a daily energy cycle.

During the hours when you labor through your work you may say that you’re “hot”. That’s true. The time of day when you feel the most energetic is when your cycle of body temperature is at its peak. For some people the peak comes during the forenoon. For others it comes in the afternoon or evening. No one has discovered why this is so, but it leads to such familiar monologues (自言自语) as John talks to himself: “Get up, John! You’ll be late for work again!” The possible explanation for the trouble is that John is at his temperature-and-energy peak in the evening. Much family quarrelling ends when husbands and wives realize what these energy cycles mean, and which cycle each member of the family has.

You can’t change your energy cycle, but you can learn to make your life fit it better. Habit can help, Dr. Kleitman believes. Maybe you’re sleepy in the evening but feel you must stay up late anyway. Adjust your cycle to some extent by staying up later than you want to. If your energy is low in the morning but you have an important job to do early in the day, rise before your usual hour. This won’t change your cycle, but you’ll get up steam (打起精神) and work better at your low point.

Begin with a slow start which saves your energy. Get up with a slow yawn and stretch. Sit on the edge of the bed a minute before putting your feet on the floor. Avoid the troublesome search for clean clothes by laying them out the night before. Whenever possible, do usual work in the afternoon and spend time doing important work for your high peak hours.

32. According to Dr. Kleitman if you don’t want to get up in the morning ____________.

   A. you must be a lazy person         B. you must catch a cold

   C. your energy cycle must be low     D. you should stay in bed

33. Which of the following may lead to family quarrels according to the passage?

   A. A change in a family member’s energy cycle. 

B. Familiar monologues.

C. Unawareness of energy cycles.

D. Attempts to control the energy cycle of other family members.

34. If one wants to work better at his low point in the morning, he should ____________.

   A. change his energy cycle           B. go to bed earlier

   C. overcome his laziness             D. get up earlier than usual

35. You are advised to rise with a yawn and stretch because it will _________________.

   A. help you to control your temper early in the day

   B. help to keep your energy for the day’s work

   C. enable you to concentrate on your routine work

   D. keep your energy cycle under control all day

Easy Ways to Improve Your Writing Skills

    For better or for worse, school is filled with writing homework. Good writing is important for getting a good grade.  36  Luckily, anyone can improve his or her writing with the right guidance and a little practice. Here are four easy tips to help you improve your writing skills:

1. Organize your thoughts first.

Good writers outline their thoughts before starting putting their pens to paper or hands to a keyboard. Firstly, write out each main topic. Next, list subtopics(小标题) beneath much main topic. Lastly, put the topics and subtopics into a logical(符合逻辑的) order.   37  

2. Take a standpoint.

    Most writing homework asks you to take a position on what you're writing about. 38       Your thesis(论点) should determine the content of your writing homework. The stronger your thesis is, and the better you back up your thesis with related information, the stronger your writing will be overall.

3. Don't copy others' homework.

  39   Most teachers use detective software to catch copycats in the act. Students found copying are usually punished and what's worse, even dismissed(开除).

4.  40   

    Some students finish writing a passage and then give it to their teachers without checking it. This is a huge mistake. It's likely that there are mistakes that need to be corrected. Additionally, one's work can always be bettered and improved.

Happy writing!

A. Look over and correct.

B. Keep a dictionary handy.

C. This main idea is called a “thesis”.

D. However, it’s still a skill many students struggle with.

E. Use this outline to give shape to your writing homework.

F. And all good writing is organized with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

G. Trying to use others’ ideas as your own can get you into serious trouble.