HK’s Family Affair
　The 32nd Hong Kong Art Festival, to be held early next year, will be based on the theme of “family”.
　The art festival, considered to be Asia’s best, began in 1973.
　“We hope that people from Beijing and from all over the world will go to Hong Kong to enjoy the multiple performances in our art festival,”Douglas Gautier, the festival’s management director, said in a press conference in the capital.
　In the 29 days of the festival, which runs from February 8 to March 7, 2004, the audience can choose from 111 performances of 51 programmes staged by 700 foreign performers, 450 local artists and 160 actors from the mainland.
　Programmes vary from classical music, jazz, world music, Western and Peking opera, drama and dance to outdoor spectaculars.
　The programmes include Beethoven’s only opera Fidelio, Shakespeare’s drama Rromeo and Juliet, the ballet Mozartina and African dances, to name just a few.
　The lineup（陣容）includes the English Touring Theatre, Prague Chamber Orchestra, Zurich Ballet, The Spanish National Dance Troupe, as well as Europe Galante, the Petersen Quartet, pianists Angela Hewitt and Marc-Andre Hamelin, and saxophonist Jan Garbarek.
　In an effort to increase attendance, hotels and airlines are offering discount packages along with art festival ticket sales, most of which are at 20% and 30% discounts.
　　For more information, please check:
　　www. hk. artsfestival. org
【小題1】The press conference must have been held ________.

第三部分閱讀理解(共15小題，每小題2分，滿分30分)
A
Our first winter in Canada was the happiest we have ever experienced. We were living in the countryside then and had just arrived from Hong Kong that autumn. One evening in mid December snow began to fall. When we looked out of the window and saw that it was snowing, we all cheered. It was the first snow we had ever seen and we were excited. We could hardly wait  for the snow to stop so that we could go out lo play. Next morning when we woke up,it was still snowing. We switched on the radio and learned that more than ten inches of snow had fallen during the night and that since the roads were blocked, there would he no school that day. We jumped up and down for joy and beg mother to let us go outside to play in the snow, She said we could go out after breakfast if we dressed warmly and promised to come back as soon as we felt cold. When we went out, the snow had almost stopped. The roads, paths, gardens, and playgrounds were all hidden under a white blanket of soft snow. It was the most beautiful sight we had ever seen. Just then we saw some neighbours, children coming out to play. We ran over to join them. Together we built a snowman and a snow house. After that, we took turns sliding down a hill on a large piece of carboard. We were having so much fun when supper time came. Mother almost had to force us to go in and eat.
56. The children in the story had come from Hong Kong______ before the event described in the story happened
A. a year       B. the summer     C. a few weeks   D. the winter
57. The children were jumping with joy when they saw the snow because        .
A. they would go to school the following day
B. it was the first time they had seen snow
C. their mother would buy them warm clothes
D. they liked cold winter
58. When the children asked their mother lo let them go out to play, she ____.
A. asked them to go to school          B. refused to let them go outside
C. told them to switch on the radio .     D. told them to wait until after breakfast

Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday. The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its 111-year history. Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared”.

Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan — a pen name for Guan Moye, grew up in Gaomi, Shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing.

He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the same year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country’s unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a productive writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages.

The awarding ceremony has been held on December 10. The winner has won a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $1 million.

1.How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?

A. Excited and proud.                                   B. Worried and cautious

C. Uncertain and shocked.                            D. Happy and surprised

2.One of Mo Yan’s characteristics of writing is that he ________.

A. focuses on social problems in the country

B. writes about topics he is familiar with

C. describes his characters in a unique way

D. explains difficult matters in simple words

3.What’s the best title for this passage?    

A. Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature

B. An Introduction to Nobel Prize

C. How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize

D. A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan

Mo Yan, the winner of this year’s Nobel Prize for Literature, said he is not sure about whether he is happy after winning the prize.

In an interview with China Central Television broadcast on Sunday night, Mo said “I don't know,” when a reporter asked if he was happy.“Happiness means a healthy body and a total absence of mental burdens, but now I’m under high pressure and bothered by worries. Can I say that I'm happy?” he said. “But if I say I'm not happy, people will consider that I'm striking a pose. How could you be unhappy after winning the Nobel Prize?”

Mo, born into a farmer’s family in East China’s Shandong province, As a 12-year-old during the Cultural Revolution he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the People’s Liberation Army and during this time began to study literature and write. His first short story was published in a literary journal in 1981.

“In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth. This is apparent in his novel Hong gaoliang jiazu (1987, in English Red Sorghum 1993),” said the academy in a statement of Mo’s biography. Red Sorghum was successfully filmed in 1987, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou.

Mo won the Nobel Prize for Literature, which is worth $1.2 million, on Oct 11 for his “hallucinatory realism” which merges “folk tales, history and the contemporary”. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French and Japanese and many other languages.

He is the first Chinese citizen to win the prize.The award sparked strong interest about contemporary Chinese literature among the public, and his books have been flying off the shelves in many bookstores across the country.

1.The followings are TRUE except_____________.

A．He has won about 8 million yuan.

B．His works are all about farmers.

C．He has a big influence on Chinese contemporary literature.

D．Reporters have interviewed him about his winning.

2.From the passage we can know__________.

A．He won the prize because of his story Red Sorghum.

B．He wanted to become a writer when he was very young.

C．Mo Yan’s works have been translated into Russian.

D．Mo Yan was born in a farmer family.

3.What is Paragraph Three mainly about ?

A．His different work.                      B．His early life.

C．He switched over to literature.             D．His family and hometown.

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A．Mo Yan is very happy to win the Nobel Prize.

B．More and more readers are buying Mo’s books to read in China.

C．Winning the Nobel Prize is not easy.

D．Mo Yan won the prize with the help of Zhang Yimou.

A

Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday．The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its Ⅲ-year history．Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared"．

Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan－a pen name for Guan Moye，grew up in Gaomi in Shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing．

He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the same year, directed by famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country's unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a prolific（多產(chǎn)的）writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages．

The awarding ceremony will be held on December 10．The winner will win a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $l  million．

1.How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?

A．Excited and proud．                     B． Happy and surprised．

C．Worried and cautious                    D． Uncertain and shocked．

2.Mo Yan developed his ability for writing when he was      ．

A．on a farm         B．in a factory        C．in a school         D．in the army

3.One of Mo Yan's characteristics of writing is that he

A．writes about topics he is familiar with        B．focuses on social problems in the country

C．describes his characters in a unique way      D．explains difficult matters in simple words

4.What's the best title for this passage? 

A．How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize              B．An Introduction to Nobel Prize

C．Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature        D．A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan