Sydney is a young city. Its history goes back just over 200 years. But in Australia, it is the oldest city. It is also the country’s largest city. Sydney is the capital of New South Wales and the most populous（人口稠密的）city of Australia.
The climate of Sydney is very good. It’s not too cold during winter and not too hot during  summer. The sky is blue, the air is fresh, birds sing in the garden. People who live in Sydney seem to have an easy life style. They will tell you, “Don’t worry .”
Many people think that Sydney is one of the most attractive cities in the world. It has many tall and modern buildings. Among them, Centrepoint Tower is the tallest. Standing on the 305- meter tower, you will have a great view of the city.
Sydney is famous for its deep harbor(港口).The harbor has many bays(灣) and beautiful surf beaches. Among them, Bondi beach is the most popular. Sydney Harbor is not only beautiful, it also serves as a large port. Ships carry wool, wheat and meat from Sydney to other countries.
People living in Sydney like to call themselves Sydneysiders. They are mostly friendly and easygoing. When they are not working, they love to have a good time at the beach.
【小題1】判斷正誤(T表示正確，F(xiàn)表示錯誤)；
Sydney is the youngest and largest city in Australia.              [      ]
【小題2】為填空題； Sydney is an attractive city with many__________________________ buildings.
【小題3】簡略回答問題；
How old is Sydney ?
_______________________________________________________________
【小題4】What is Sydney famous for ?
_______________________________________________________________
【小題5】將畫線句子翻譯成漢語。 _______________________________________________________________

According to the traditional Chinese lunar calendar, we officially welcome the Year of the Horse better than others.
The horse has played an important role throughout human history all over the world. Horses were used for thousands of years as a means of transportation, a weapon of war and a plougher of fields(犁地農(nóng)具), but “the horse was more than just a vehicle – it had more character than a car, a tank or a tractor,” Clare Balding wrote for The Telegraph.
In the Middle Ages in Western societies, the horse was a symbol of chivalry (騎士精神) and nobility(貴族). In fact, the word “chivalry” comes from “cheval” in Old French, which meant horse. The idea of chivalry helped to fashion the 19th-century “gentleman”, which was about good manners, courage and honesty to friends.
Nowadays, because of economic(經(jīng)濟) development, people in Western societies are less likely to see or ride horses. People living in cities, in particular, hardly ever experience horses except through movies, paintings or  books. But horse racing, and betting money on horse races, is still popular. The Kentucky Derby is one of the most popular sporting events every year in the US.
In the UK, the royal police still go around the city on horseback and the Queen rides in a traditional horse-drawn carriage on “ceremonial occasions (正式場合)”.
Some sayings about horses are still used in English today. For example, people still say “hold your horses” to mean “slow down”. If someone seems too proud, people might tell him or her to “get off his or her high horse”. And since horses are strong and energetic, there are expressions such as “as strong as a horse”, “workhorse” and “horsing around”.
Interestingly, the horse also appears in many Chinese sayings, such as Qianlima, which means a talented person. Other Chinese horse sayings include Madaochenggong (instant success) and Baimawangzi (prince charming).
Besides their physical strengths, horses are smart and have “excellent memories”, according to Discovery News. Maybe that’s why Chinese people say, “An old horse never gets lost”.
Since the horse is honored as a symbol of many great qualities, people born in the Year of the Horse are said to share them.

【小題1】 According to Chinese tradition, which year is welcomed best officially?

    Happy New Year, everyone!
The year of 2014 is the Year of the Horse in the Chinese lunar calendar(農(nóng)歷). It begins on January 31, 2014, and ends on February 18, 2015. People say 2014 is the Year of Wood Horse. Wood is something about trees or green, so it is also called Year of Green Horse. 2014 is the ji?w? (甲午) year.
Horses are our good friends for a long time. In the past, horses helped people carry heavy things and travel far. Today many people ride horses for fun.
Horses are hard-working and loyal animals. So are the people born in the Year of Horse. They are true to others. If you have some friends like that, be nice to them. They could be your friends forever.

【小題1】The year of 2014 is the Year of the ____________.

Naturally ,American schoolchildren love holidays .And they get a lot of them each year .Besides having national holidays such as Thanksgiving and Presidents; Day off from school ,students get longer breaks in the US only go to school for about 180 days a year.To students ,holidays are perfect .However ,parents think there are advantages and disadvantages .
On the one hand ,school holidays allow families to spend time together .Many American parents take time off from work during June,July or august to travel with their children on vacations either in the US or in a foreign country .On the other hand ,schoolchildren get much more time off school than parents get vacation for an time.This means that parents with young children may have to pay more in the babysitting or day care coats.As well ,the long summer holidays mean that students sometimes get bored.
Besides going on trips with their parents ,American students enjoy taking part in different kind s of activities during the holidays .For example ,some kids enjoy summer camps and outdoor adventure holidays .Such trips are great  adventurous students .They  also have a lot to offer students who aren’t usually interested in traditional PE activities .ou can do courses in survival skills ,for example .Students learn how to make a camp in the forest ,which wild food they can eat and how to find their way to make a camp in the forest,which wild food they can eat and how to find their way back to the center.
Students who are not excited about summer camps and outdoor adventure may take part in courses in computer game design ,film making and photography  during the holidays .Finally ,the traditional school trip to foreign countries is always popular .Students can practice their foreign language skills and experience every day life in a different culture.
【小題1】How long are kids in the US at school every year?
About 180 days     B.About 280 days
C.About 200 days   D.About 300 days
【小題2】What does the underlined “they “refer to in the third paragraph?

If the rose can be said to be a special flower, then the apple can be said to be a special fruit. It is very important in American culture. American stories speak of Johnny Appleseed, who went throughout America collecting apple seeds and planting apple trees. He had a great love for nature and went through fields and farms adding richness and beauty to the country.

One of the first sayings taught to school children is, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” This short saying encourages children to eat fresh fruit to keep healthy. If someone always says good words to a person, people will call him an “apple polisher”. This, however, is not a good name. If someone is very dear to us, we say that he or she is the “apple of our eye”.
Most people believe that the fruit which Eve gave to Adam was an apple, even though the Bible(圣經(jīng)) never says so. The apple, therefore, is a deep part of the language and stories of America.
An apple is also delicious. Apples can be cooked in many ways, used as a dessert, and made into sweet juice.
In many parts of the country during the harvest season, a popular activity is to go into an apple garden to pick apples. Washington, D. C. and New York are both famous for their apples.
Finally, when it’s time to take a vacation to American cities, one can always visit New York, which is “the biggest apple” of all the American cities.
【小題1】What does the underlined phrase “apple polisher” mean?

In most languages, a greeting is usually followed by "small talk". Small talk means the little things we talk about at the start of a conversation. In English-speaking countries people often make small talk about the weather: "Nice day, isn't it?" "Terrible weather, isn't it?" But there is something special about small talk. It must be about something which both people have the same opinion about. The purpose of small. talk is to let both people agree on something. This makes meeting people easier and more comfortable. People usually agree about the weather, so it is a safe topic for small talk. But people often disagree about religion or politics so these are not suitable topics for small talk in English. The topics for small talk also depend on where the conversation is taking place. At football matches, people make small talk about the game they are watching: "Great game, isn't it?" At bus-stops, people may comment about the transport system: "The bus service is terrible, isn't it?"
Greetings and small talk are an important part of conversation in any language. The way people greet each other and the things they talk about, however, may be different from one language to another. This shows that there is much more to learn when we learn a language than just the vocabulary and the grammar of the language. We also have to learn the social behavior of the people who speak it.
【小題1】The passage suggests that when we learn a language______.

It can be hard to meet people from another culture. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal (信號). Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.
Different cultures emphasize（強調(diào)）the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in “small talk”, usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries—like the UK or France—people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafes rather than at the office.
Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion; instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.
Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values; however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.
People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural（多元文化）environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.
【小題1】In some countries, eating together at restaurants may make it easier for people to ______.