Joanne had planned to leave work early this afternoon, at three o’clock. But when she finally came out of her office, all the other conductors (售票員）had already left. Now she was caught in a heavy traffic in central Birmingham at 5:30, and at 6:30 she was expected to be at a meeting.

At last, she arrived at her home. As she opened the door, she noticed something unusual about Sheba, a large dog. She could see easily Sheba was feeling bad and could hardly breathe. Joanne knew she would have to take her dog to the vet at once.

“It looks like there’s something in her throat (喉呢)，” said Dr. Stem, “It shouldn’t take me too long to get it out.”

Being in a hurry, Joanne left the doctor with the dog and rushed back home. As she once again entered the house, the phone rang. Dr. Stem’s loud and worried voice was heard, “I want you to get right out of that house at once. The police will be there any time now. Wait outside for us.” Joanne was surprised and afraid. She quickly ran into the street.

At that moment, a police car stopped outside the house. Two policemen got out and ran into the house through the still open door. Then the doctor arrived. Just then the two policemen came out of the house, half-carrying a white-faced man, who, it seemed, could hardly walk. There was blood all over him.

“I think he must be a thief (竊城），” said the doctor. “I knew he was there because when I finally cleared what was in Sheba’s throat, and found it was three human fingers.”

(    )    6.    Where does Joanne probably work?

A. At a bus or train station.    B. In an animal hospital.

C. In a police station.    D. It isn’t mentioned (提及).

(    )    7.    When Joanne arrived home, she found that_.

A. the door was open    B. something was wrong with the dog

C. the dog couldn’t walk    D. there was something in the dog’s throat

(    )8.    Why did the doctor ask her to get out of the house?

A. Because he wanted to meet her outside.

B. Because a thief would break into her house.

C. Because the police were coming to her house.

D. He thought there was a thief in her house.

(    )    9.    The thief looked very sick because_

A. the dog had hurt him badly    B. he was caught by the police

C. he caught a disease from the dog    D. he didn’t find anything worthy to steal

(    )10.    Which of the following do you think is NOT right according    to the passage?

A. The police arrived soon after the vet called them.

B. Joanne didn’t know there was a thief in her house.

C. It took Joanne over three hours to drive home from work.

D. The doctor was not only a good vet but also a clever man.

　　Joanne had planned to leave work early this afternoon, at three o'clock. But when she finally came out of her office, all the other conductors had already left. Now she was caught in a heavy traffic in central Birmingham at 5:30, and at 6:30 she was expected to be at a meeting．

　　At last, she arrived at her home．As she opened the door, she noticed something unusual about Sheba, a large dog．She could see easily Sheba was feeling bad and could hardly breathe（呼吸）. Joanne knew she would have to take her dog to the vet immediately.

　　“It looks like there's something in her throat（喉嚨）,”said Dr. Stem, “It shouldn't take me too long to get it out.”

　　Being in a hurry, Joanne left the doctor with the dog and rushed back home．As she once more entered the house, the phone rang．Dr. Stern's loud and worried voice was heard, “I want you to get right out of that house immediately. The police will be there any time now. Wait outside for us. ”Joanne was surprised and afraid．She quickly ran in to the street.

　　At that moment, a police car stopped outside the house．Two policemen got out and ran into the house through the still open door. Then the doctor arrived．Just then the two policemen reappeared from the house, half-carrying a white-faced man, who, it seemed, could hardly walk. There was blood（血）all over him.

　　“I think he must be a thief, ” said the doctor. “I knew he was there because when I finally removed what was in Sheba's throat, and found it was three human fingers.”

[　　]

[　　]

A．the door was open

B．something was wrong with the dog

C．the dog couldn't walk

D．there was something in the dog's throat

[　　]

A．He wanted to meet her outside.

B．A thief would break into her house.

C．The police were coming to her house.

D．He thought there was at thief in her house.

[　　]

A．the dog had hurt him badly

B．he was caught by the police

C．he caught a disease from the dog

D．he didn't find anything worthy to steal

[　　]

A．The police arrived soon after the vet called them.

B．Joanne didn't known there was a thief in her house.

C．It took Joanne over three hours to drive home from work.

D．The doctor was not only a good vet but also a clever man.

Tom lives and works in Birmingham. He works   1   from Monday to Friday. On Smurday he does not go to   2   . Sometimes he goos shopping. Sometimes he goes to see his   3  . This week he is going to London   4   his good friend Mike. They are going to see their good friends   5  . This is what they are going to do.

They are going to take the 2:40 train   6   Friday afternoon. In London, Tom's friend Jack is going to   7   them home in his car. Tom and Mike are all going to   8 _ with Jack for the weekend.

On Saturday morning, Jack is going to take them to a middle school. Mike's friend, MR. White, is a   9   there. On Sunday Jack is going to take them to some nice parks in London. They are going to take the 6:00 train   10   to Birmingham.

(     ) 1. A. very            B. hard            C. well            D. good

(     ) 2. A. work           B. works           C. Birmingham     D. here

(     ) 3. A. cat             B. doll             C. daughter        D. friends

(     ) 4. A. for            B. and            C. with           D. of

(     ) 5. A. at home        B. there            C. way             D. in a farm

(     ) 6. A. on            B. at              C. in             D. from

(     ) 7. A. carry          B. look after       C. meet           D. take

(     ) 8. A. live           B. talk            C. stay            D. ride

(     ) 9. A. student         B. teacher          C. Young Pioneer D. Mr.

(     )10. A. back          B. off              C. drive            D. go

     Super-fast double-decker (雙層) trains will be taking passengers from London to six big cities in the UK by 2033. The first phase (階段) linking London to the West Midlands with a connection to HS1 is expected to open in 2026,and the second phase to Manchester and Leeds in 2032.

   The government set out a plan for the high-speed rail network in 2012. When the project is finished,it will take less time to get to London from major cities like Birmingham,Manchester and Leeds. Travelling at a speed of up to 250 mph,passengers will be able to come and go from Birmingham to London in 49 minutes,reducing the journey time by almost half from one hour and 24 minutes.

A journey from Birmingham to Leeds will be reduced from two hours to 57 minutes and a journey from Manchester to London will be reduced from two hours and 8 minutes to one hour and 8 minutes.

    ‘‘ HS2 is an important part of transport's low- carbon fliture ,” Transport Secretary Justine Greening said. “Some people aren’t happy about the plan,though. HS2 will cost around £ 33 billion. It will also be built near some towns and villages,disturbing the people that live there. ”

    But the Chancellor of the Exchequer (財政大臣) George Osborne thinks it will help build the future for Britain. “It's a long-term decision,” he said. “HS2 is designed for everything around the needs of the passenger. It will provide a new and exciting travel experience. There will be plenty of room,intelligent ticketing,a good service and high quality comfort and access to trains. This is a transport network for the new century and beyond. ”

51. What's the UK’s plan according to the passage?

   A. To buy some double-decker trains.

   B. To take passengers to Manchester from London.

   C. To build a high-speed train network.

   D. To collect £ 33 billion for the high-speed train network.

52. How many phases will the plan conclude?

   A. Two. B. Three. C. Four. D. One.

53. How long does it usually take you to travel from Birmingham to London by the ordinary train?

   A. 49 minutes.

   B. One hour and 24 minutes.

   C. 57 minutes.

   D. Two hours and eight minutes.

54. What can not be inferred from what Justine Greening and George Osborne said?

   A. HS2 is more important than HS1.

   B. Not all British people are happy about the plan.

   C. The British will benefit from the project in the future.

   D. The £ 33 billion will not be enough for the plan-

55. The passage is most probably taken from.

   A. a novel         B. a geography book

   C. a personal diary   D. a newspaper

Superfast double-decker (雙層) trains will be taking passengers from London to six big cities in the UK by 2033. The first phase (階段) linking London to the West Midlands with a connection to HS1 is expected to open in 2026, and the second phase to Manchester and Leeds in 2032.

The government set out a plan for the high-speed rail network in 2012. When the project is finished, it will take less time to get to London from major cities like Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. Traveling at a speed of up to 250 mph, passengers will be able to come and go from Birmingham to London in 49 minutes, reducing the journey time by almost half from one hour and 24 minutes.

A journey from Birmingham to Leeds will be reduced from two hours to 57 minutes and a journey from Manchester to London will be reduced from two hours and 8 minutes to one hour and 8 minutes.

“HS2 is an important part of transport's low-carbon future,” Transport Secretary Justine Greening said. Some people aren't happy about the plan, though. HS2 will cost around ￡33 billion. It will also be built near some towns and villages, disturbing the people that live there.

But the Chancellor of the Exchequer (財政大臣) George Osborne thinks it will help build the future for Britain. “It's a long-term decision，” he said.

HS2 is designed for everything around the needs of the passengers. It will provide a new and exciting travel experience. There will be plenty of room, intelligent ticketing, a good service and high quality comfort and access to trains. This is a transport network for the new century and beyond.

1.What's the UK's plan according to the passage?

A. To buy some double-decker trains.

B. To take passengers to Manchester from London.

C. To build a high-speed train network.

D. To collect ￡33 billion for the high-speed train network.

2.How long does it usually take you to travel from Birmingham to London by the ordinary train?

A. 49 minutes.B. One hour and 24 minutes.

C. 57 minutes.D. Two hours and eight minutes.

3.What can NOT be inferred from what Justine Greening and George Osborne said?

A. HS2 is more important than HS1.

B. Not all British people are happy about the plan.

C. The British will benefit from the project in the future.

D. The ￡33 billion will not be enough for the plan.

4.The passage is most probably taken from ________.

A. a novel B. a geography book

C. a personal diary D. a newspaper

Item 1: JK Rowling, the Harry Potter author, has signed a publishing deal with Little Brown, to release her first ever novel for adults. The deal means that Rowling’s long-standing relationship with Bloomsbury, the London-based publisher that launched the Harry Potter books, has come to an end, at least in terms of new works by the author. Rowling, who is worth an estimated ￡530 million, said that the new novel will be nothing like the Harry Potter series, which sold over 30 million copies in the UK alone. She said that with the move from children’s to adult fiction, a move to a new publisher seemed like a logical step. [More]

Item 2: China's hurdler Liu Xiang was disqualified Thursday at the Stockholm indoor athletics tournament due to false start, giving his rival Dayron Robles of Cuba an easy win of 7.66 seconds. Liu was not willing to explain the reason of his false start, but he told Xinhua that it was not related to his foot injury. Another Cuban Orlando Ortega followed in 7.68 seconds and Balazs Baji of Hungary stood third in 7.70 seconds. Last Saturday, Liu won the men's 60m hurdle final in 7.41 seconds at the Birmingham indoor tournament, setting a new Asian record. He said Wednesday that he hoped to have an even better performance than he did in Birmingham at the Stockholm indoor tournament. [More]　　　　 Item 3: Former NBA star and current Bobcats owner Michael Jordan filed suit in a Chinese court against Qiaodan Sports Company Limited, a sportswear and footwear manufacturer, for the use of his name without permission. Jordan says "This complaint is not about money, it's about principle and protecting my name." The Chinese company has registered and uses the name "Qiaodan". Jordan has been known in China since he gained widespread popularity in the mid-1980s. [More]

Item 4: A commuter train crashed at a busy central station in Buenos Aires on Wednesday, killing 49 passengers and injuring more than 600 people, the deadliest in a series of train accidents in Argentina over the past years. The train crashed at about 8:30 a.m. at its final stop at the Once Station, not far from downtown Buenos Aires. The train was carrying more than 800 passengers and traveling at an estimated 16 miles per hour when it entered the station, slamming into the barrier of the platform, destroying the engine. [More]　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

66. What is the publisher of Rowling’s new book for adult?

　　 A. The London –based publisher　 B. Bloomsbury　　

　　 C. Little Brown　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. We don’t know

67. What is the final result of Liu Xiang’s Stockholm indoor athletics tournament?

　　 A.7.41 　　　B. 7.66　　 C. 7. 68　　 D. no result

68. Which of the statement is true according to the passage?

　 A. It is said that JK Rowling is worth about ￡530 billion.

　 B. Liu Xiang’s false start is because of his foot injury.

　 C. Jordan complains not only about money but protecting his name.

　 D. The train’ speed is about 16 miles per hour when it entered the station.

69. What can we infer from the passage?

　 A. Harry Potter books are very popular in the UK..

　 B. Liu Xiang won the men's 60m hurdle final at the Birmingham tournament.

　 C. Michael Jordan is the owner of Qiaodan Sports Company Limited.

　 D. There about 800 passengers injured on the crashed train.

70. Where can we see the passage?

　　 A. Textbook　　 B. Guidebook　　 C. Magazine　　 D. Website

Great Britain

“Great Britain” has several different names. Some people say “Britain”, or “the United Kingdom”, or just “UK”. There are four different countries in the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Everyone from Britain is British, but only people from England are English. People from Scotland are Scottish, people from Wales are Welsh, and people from Northern Ireland are Irish. Don't call a Scottish or Welsh person English. He won’t like it!
Altogether more than 56 million people live in Britain, many of them in big industrial cities like London, Liverpool and Manchester, but people are often surprised by how much of Britain is open country, with lovely hills and woods, quiet rivers, lakes and farmlands.
Everyone in Britain speaks English. But in some parts of Scotland and Wales people speak an older language as well. The Welsh are especially proud of their language, and you can see road signs in Welsh all over Wales.
Everyone speaks English, but they do not all speak it in the same way. A Scottish person has to listen carefully if he wants to understand a Londoner. And when a Welsh person speaks, everyone knows at once where he comes from!
Many people think that the weather is cold and wet in Britain all the year round. But it isn't! True, it sometimes rains and even snows for days and days, but every year there are weeks of beautiful sunny weather when the British put on their bikinis and go out to sunbathe.
Britain is only a small country, but every part is different. Scotland is a land of mountains, lakes and romantic castles. The winters are cold, with plenty of snow, but the summers are often warm and sunny. Most farmers keep sheep, and there are many small factories which make fine sweaters from their wool. In some parts of Scotland, there are very few people. Deer live in the hills, and the rivers are full of fish. But Glasgow and Edinburgh are both large and busy, with all that is good (and bad) in modern cities.
Northern Ireland has its problems, but it has beauty too. In the warm, wet climate, the grass grows a brilliant green, and much of the land is farming country. Belfast is a large industrial city with many fine buildings and a big port from which ships come and go to Scotland and England. But Belfast has had many difficult years, and it is not the busy place it once was.
In the north of England there are many old industrial towns. Now, a great number of factories have closed and thousands of people have no work. Some have moved to the new towns, built in the 1960s and 1970s, where the industries are more modern. Outside the towns, much of this part of England is beautiful countryside, with green hills, lakes and sandy beaches. Fishing is an important industry in the North East, and every night (except Sunday) the fishing boats go out to sea.
The centre of England (the “Midlands”) is also an important industrial area, especially near the huge cities of Coventry and Birmingham, the centre of the car industry. But everywhere, even in the heart of a modern city, there are buildings from an older Britain — cathedrals, castles, and houses built hundreds of years ago.
Wales is a special place, a country of high mountains and pretty valleys. But Wales has plenty of industry too, with many factories and coal mines. The people of Wales are very musical. Every year they have a festival of Welsh music and poetry called an “Eisteddfod”.
The west of England is rich farming country. It produces milk, cream, butter, cheese and apples, which go to make cider, a popular drink. In the villages, country people often grow their own fruit, vegetables and flowers.
Some areas of Britain are very crowded. Around Manchester, in northwest England, and Glasgow, in Scotland, are large city areas of houses and factories. The southeast of England, too, has many towns and cities, including London, the giant capital. But quite near London there are still some quiet villages and peaceful farms.
Britain is an island, of course, and you are never far from the sea. Some of the coast, especially in the west, is wild and rocky, with small, sandy beaches, and romantic old harbours. Other parts are industrial. The east coast of Scotland, for example, is busy with oilrigs and fishing boats. The most popular beaches are near the many holiday towns on the south coast, where the weather is usually warmer. It is here that Londoners come to relax.
London London has been a capital city for nearly a thousand years, and many of its ancient buildings still stand. The most famous of these are the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral, but most visitors also want to see the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace (the Queen's London home) and the many magnificent museums.
Once, London was a small Roman town on the north bank of the Thames, but slowly it grew into one of the world's major cities with more than nine million people. Fewer people live in the centre now, but the suburbs are still growing.
Places now in the heart of London, like Westminster, once stood in the middle of green fields. Many small villages, like Hampstead, Chelsea and Mayfair, became part of London, but they still keep some of their old atmosphere. Different areas of London seem like different cities. The West End is a rich man's world of shops, offices and theatres. The East End is the old working people's district, where there are many small flats and houses, some old, some new.
London is always changing. New buildings go up and old ones come down. Poorer areas become fashionable and people with more money move into them.
A hundred years ago, the river was crowded with ships, leaving for Java and Japan, New Zealand and New York, but now the port is nearly empty. People travel by air, and London's main airport, Heathrow, is one of the busiest in the world.
Like all big cities, London has streets and concrete buildings, but it also has many big parks, full of trees, flowers and grass. Sit on the grass (you're allowed to!) in the middle of Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens, and you will think that you are in the country miles away.
Many people live outside the centre of London in the suburbs, and they travel to work by train, bus or underground. Every day, nearly half a million office workers travel into the “City”, the business centre of London, a small area full of banks and offices. Some people come from far out of London, even from the coast, and spend up to four hours travelling every day.
Working hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. From 8 until 10 every morning, and 4.30 to 6.30 every evening, the trains are crowded with people, and after the morning “rush hour” the shoppers come.
By day the whole of London is busy. At night, the City is quiet and empty, but the West End stays alive, because this is where Londoners come to enjoy themselves. There are two opera houses here, several concert halls and many theatres, as well as cinemas, and the pubs, restaurants and night clubs are busy half the night.
Many people think that London is all grey, but in fact red is London's favorite colour. The buses are red, the letter boxes are red, and the mail vans are all bright, bright red. London is at its best when people are celebrating. Then the flags, the soldiers' uniforms, the cheering crowds and the carriages and horses all sparkle in the sunshine —if it's not raining, of course! 
Edinburgh Edinburgh is Scotland's capital, and one of the most beautiful cities in Britain. The heart of Edinburgh is the thousand-year-old castle, where the kings of Scotland lived for centuries.
From Edinburgh castle you can see for miles, north over the beautiful old streets, an arm of the sea that pushes inland. Far away are the mountains of central Scotland, often covered with snow.
Edinburgh has a busy cultural life. Every year, in September the International Festival takes place. Musicians, actors and singers come from all over the world and thousands of visitors fill the city. In the evening, the opera house, the theatres and the concert halls are full. In cafes and pubs, small groups sing, act and read poetry.
The castle is at its best in festival time. Every night there is a magnificent military “Tattoo”. Highland soldiers wearing “kilts” play the bagpipes, and march to the music.
Tartans, the patterns of the kilts, have an interesting history. Since the fifteenth century, each Scottish family has worn its own tartan as a kind of badge. It was a useful way of recognizing people, especially in times of war. Many tartans date only from the nineteenth century, but some of the old patterns still exist. “Dress” tartans, worn on special occasions, have light, bright colours. ”Hunting” tartans are usually green, blue or brown.
Oxford What is so special about Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest universities in England? Why do so many students want to study there?
Both of these university towns are very beautiful. They have some of the finest architecture in Britain. Some of their colleges and libraries are three, four and even five hundred years old, and are full of valuable books and precious paintings. Both towns have many lovely gardens, where the students can read and relax in the summer months.
Oxford is the older university of the two. The first of its colleges was founded in 1249. The university now has thirty-four colleges and about twelve thousand students, many of them from other countries. There were no women students at Oxford until 1878, when the first women's college, Lady Margaret Hall, opened. Now, women study at most colleges.
Oxford is, of course, famous for its first class education as well as its beautiful buildings. Some of the most intelligent men and women in the country live and work here. Oxford gives them what they need: a quiet atmosphere, friendly colleagues, and the four-hundred-year-old Bodleian library, which has about five million books.
It is not easy to get a place at Oxford University to study for a degree. But outside the university there are many smaller private colleges which offer less difficult courses and where it is easy to enroll. Most students in these private schools take business, secretarial or English language courses.
【小題1】Providing that you want to visit a most beautiful city and see “kilts” worn by men, you are supposed to go to ________.

Great Britain

“Great Britain” has several different names. Some people say “Britain”, or “the United Kingdom”, or just “UK”. There are four different countries in the United Kingdom: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Everyone from Britain is British, but only people from England are English. People from Scotland are Scottish, people from Wales are Welsh, and people from Northern Ireland are Irish. Don't call a Scottish or Welsh person English. He won’t like it!
Altogether more than 56 million people live in Britain, many of them in big industrial cities like London, Liverpool and Manchester, but people are often surprised by how much of Britain is open country, with lovely hills and woods, quiet rivers, lakes and farmlands.
Everyone in Britain speaks English. But in some parts of Scotland and Wales people speak an older language as well. The Welsh are especially proud of their language, and you can see road signs in Welsh all over Wales.
Everyone speaks English, but they do not all speak it in the same way. A Scottish person has to listen carefully if he wants to understand a Londoner. And when a Welsh person speaks, everyone knows at once where he comes from!
Many people think that the weather is cold and wet in Britain all the year round. But it isn't! True, it sometimes rains and even snows for days and days, but every year there are weeks of beautiful sunny weather when the British put on their bikinis and go out to sunbathe.
Britain is only a small country, but every part is different. Scotland is a land of mountains, lakes and romantic castles. The winters are cold, with plenty of snow, but the summers are often warm and sunny. Most farmers keep sheep, and there are many small factories which make fine sweaters from their wool. In some parts of Scotland, there are very few people. Deer live in the hills, and the rivers are full of fish. But Glasgow and Edinburgh are both large and busy, with all that is good (and bad) in modern cities.
Northern Ireland has its problems, but it has beauty too. In the warm, wet climate, the grass grows a brilliant green, and much of the land is farming country. Belfast is a large industrial city with many fine buildings and a big port from which ships come and go to Scotland and England. But Belfast has had many difficult years, and it is not the busy place it once was.
In the north of England there are many old industrial towns. Now, a great number of factories have closed and thousands of people have no work. Some have moved to the new towns, built in the 1960s and 1970s, where the industries are more modern. Outside the towns, much of this part of England is beautiful countryside, with green hills, lakes and sandy beaches. Fishing is an important industry in the North East, and every night (except Sunday) the fishing boats go out to sea.
The centre of England (the “Midlands”) is also an important industrial area, especially near the huge cities of Coventry and Birmingham, the centre of the car industry. But everywhere, even in the heart of a modern city, there are buildings from an older Britain — cathedrals, castles, and houses built hundreds of years ago.
Wales is a special place, a country of high mountains and pretty valleys. But Wales has plenty of industry too, with many factories and coal mines. The people of Wales are very musical. Every year they have a festival of Welsh music and poetry called an “Eisteddfod”.
The west of England is rich farming country. It produces milk, cream, butter, cheese and apples, which go to make cider, a popular drink. In the villages, country people often grow their own fruit, vegetables and flowers.
Some areas of Britain are very crowded. Around Manchester, in northwest England, and Glasgow, in Scotland, are large city areas of houses and factories. The southeast of England, too, has many towns and cities, including London, the giant capital. But quite near London there are still some quiet villages and peaceful farms.
Britain is an island, of course, and you are never far from the sea. Some of the coast, especially in the west, is wild and rocky, with small, sandy beaches, and romantic old harbours. Other parts are industrial. The east coast of Scotland, for example, is busy with oilrigs and fishing boats. The most popular beaches are near the many holiday towns on the south coast, where the weather is usually warmer. It is here that Londoners come to relax.
London London has been a capital city for nearly a thousand years, and many of its ancient buildings still stand. The most famous of these are the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral, but most visitors also want to see the Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace (the Queen's London home) and the many magnificent museums.
Once, London was a small Roman town on the north bank of the Thames, but slowly it grew into one of the world's major cities with more than nine million people. Fewer people live in the centre now, but the suburbs are still growing.
Places now in the heart of London, like Westminster, once stood in the middle of green fields. Many small villages, like Hampstead, Chelsea and Mayfair, became part of London, but they still keep some of their old atmosphere. Different areas of London seem like different cities. The West End is a rich man's world of shops, offices and theatres. The East End is the old working people's district, where there are many small flats and houses, some old, some new.
London is always changing. New buildings go up and old ones come down. Poorer areas become fashionable and people with more money move into them.
A hundred years ago, the river was crowded with ships, leaving for Java and Japan, New Zealand and New York, but now the port is nearly empty. People travel by air, and London's main airport, Heathrow, is one of the busiest in the world.
Like all big cities, London has streets and concrete buildings, but it also has many big parks, full of trees, flowers and grass. Sit on the grass (you're allowed to!) in the middle of Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens, and you will think that you are in the country miles away.
Many people live outside the centre of London in the suburbs, and they travel to work by train, bus or underground. Every day, nearly half a million office workers travel into the “City”, the business centre of London, a small area full of banks and offices. Some people come from far out of London, even from the coast, and spend up to four hours travelling every day.
Working hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. From 8 until 10 every morning, and 4.30 to 6.30 every evening, the trains are crowded with people, and after the morning “rush hour” the shoppers come.
By day the whole of London is busy. At night, the City is quiet and empty, but the West End stays alive, because this is where Londoners come to enjoy themselves. There are two opera houses here, several concert halls and many theatres, as well as cinemas, and the pubs, restaurants and night clubs are busy half the night.
Many people think that London is all grey, but in fact red is London's favorite colour. The buses are red, the letter boxes are red, and the mail vans are all bright, bright red. London is at its best when people are celebrating. Then the flags, the soldiers' uniforms, the cheering crowds and the carriages and horses all sparkle in the sunshine —if it's not raining, of course! 
Edinburgh Edinburgh is Scotland's capital, and one of the most beautiful cities in Britain. The heart of Edinburgh is the thousand-year-old castle, where the kings of Scotland lived for centuries.
From Edinburgh castle you can see for miles, north over the beautiful old streets, an arm of the sea that pushes inland. Far away are the mountains of central Scotland, often covered with snow.
Edinburgh has a busy cultural life. Every year, in September the International Festival takes place. Musicians, actors and singers come from all over the world and thousands of visitors fill the city. In the evening, the opera house, the theatres and the concert halls are full. In cafes and pubs, small groups sing, act and read poetry.
The castle is at its best in festival time. Every night there is a magnificent military “Tattoo”. Highland soldiers wearing “kilts” play the bagpipes, and march to the music.
Tartans, the patterns of the kilts, have an interesting history. Since the fifteenth century, each Scottish family has worn its own tartan as a kind of badge. It was a useful way of recognizing people, especially in times of war. Many tartans date only from the nineteenth century, but some of the old patterns still exist. “Dress” tartans, worn on special occasions, have light, bright colours. ”Hunting” tartans are usually green, blue or brown.
Oxford What is so special about Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest universities in England? Why do so many students want to study there?
Both of these university towns are very beautiful. They have some of the finest architecture in Britain. Some of their colleges and libraries are three, four and even five hundred years old, and are full of valuable books and precious paintings. Both towns have many lovely gardens, where the students can read and relax in the summer months.
Oxford is the older university of the two. The first of its colleges was founded in 1249. The university now has thirty-four colleges and about twelve thousand students, many of them from other countries. There were no women students at Oxford until 1878, when the first women's college, Lady Margaret Hall, opened. Now, women study at most colleges.
Oxford is, of course, famous for its first class education as well as its beautiful buildings. Some of the most intelligent men and women in the country live and work here. Oxford gives them what they need: a quiet atmosphere, friendly colleagues, and the four-hundred-year-old Bodleian library, which has about five million books.
It is not easy to get a place at Oxford University to study for a degree. But outside the university there are many smaller private colleges which offer less difficult courses and where it is easy to enroll. Most students in these private schools take business, secretarial or English language courses

1. 1.

   Providing that you want to visit a most beautiful city and see “kilts” worn by men, you are supposed to go to ________

   1. A.
      Edinburgh
   2. B.
      London
   3. C.
      Manchester
   4. D.
      Birmingham
2. 2.

   Oxford is one of the oldest universities in Britain, which is special because ________

   1. A.
      it has a big and modern library
   2. B.
      it has a quiet and friendly atmosphere
   3. C.
      tremendous of the most intelligent people in the country live and work there
   4. D.
      all of the above