◆It marks the （2）______ of the Spring Festival celebrations. Reasons People celebrate the declining darkness of （3）______ by lighting the lanterns. ◆There are many lanterns in any （4）______ and shapes. ◆Riddles are made on the lanterns to make the celebration more （5）______. ◆Sky lanterns are also （6）______ Kongming lanterns. ◆A Kongming lantern is a small hot air balloon made of （7）______ at the bottom where there is a small fire source. ◆Sky lanterns or river lights are released by people to bless family members and Activities （8）______ wishes. paper, with an ◆In old time, young kids were not allowed to go out very often except during （9）______ festivals. ◆It’s a （10 ）______ for young people to meet meet each other in old times when watching lanterns.

【主旨大意】本文是一篇说明文。文中主要讲述了中国的传统节日——元宵节，分别对元宵节的时间、人们庆祝元宵节的原因以及从古至今人们在节日期间的活动三个方面进行了详细的说明。

(1) falls【解析】根据第一段第二句“The best time to do this is during the Lantern Festival, which falls on the 15th day of the first lunar month. ”可知答案。故填 falls。

(2) end【解析】根据第一段最后一句“It marks the end of the Spring Festival celebrations.”。可知答案。故填 end。

(3) winter【解析】根据第二段最后一句“One legend says that people light lanterns to celebrate the declining（消退） darkness of winter. ”可知答案。故填 winter。

(4) called【解析】根据第四段第一句“In some places, people like releasing sky lanterns, which are called Kongming lanterns.”可知答案。故填 called。

(5) sizes【解析】根据第三段第二句“You see lanterns in any sizes and shapes, from animals to plants.”可知答案。故填 sizes。

(6) fun【解析】根据第三段第三句“To make this activity more fun, people stick riddles on the lanterns.”可知答案。故填 fun。

— 9 —

(7) opening【解析】根据第四段第二句“A sky lantern is a small hot air balloon made of paper, with an opening at the bottom where there is a small fire source.”可知答案。故填 opening。 (8) wishes【解析】根据第四段第三句“When the bright lights fly high in the sky, people bless family members and make wishes.”可知答案。故填 wishes。

(9) certain【解析】根据最后一段第二句“At that time, young kids were not allowed to go out very often except during certain festivals.”可知答案。故填 certain。

(10) chance【解析】根据最后一段第三句“”Therefore, looking at lanterns gave young people a chance to meet each other.可知答案。故填 chance。

Passage 5

William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in England. He was famous for his excellent plays. He wrote about two plays a year while living in London. He never published the plays, but some of them were performed at theaters in London. Two actors saw that his plays were printed when he died in 1616. A collection called the First Folio came out seven years after his death.

Shakespeare was a wonderful storyteller. His plays were well loved by people. Most people

spend their time watching his plays just for fun, much as we think of the movies today.

Shakespeare was also a great thinker. He created many true-to-life characters in his plays. These characters seemed real because Shakespeare presented their opinions so well. The richness of his language was amazing. He even invented many words and phrases that are now common, including lonely and watchdog.

Shakespeare’s plays tell people something about human life. He wrote funny comedies, such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream and As You Like It. He wrote these plays about kings of England that teach history in an enjoyable way. Unlike his comedies, his great tragedies show flaws( 缺陷 ) in human nature by telling sad stories in a more serious way. These plays include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello and Macbeth. In his spare time, he wrote poetry. His 154 sonnets( 十四行诗 ) are among the most famous love poems of all time.

— 10 —

Shakespeare

◆ William Shakespeare was （1）______ in 1564 in England. ◆ He was （2）______ for his excellent plays. He wrote about two plays a year Brief while living in London. introduction ◆ He died in 1616 when his plays were （3）______. As a storyteller ◆His plays were well loved by people and most people （4）______ their time watching his plays just for fun. ◆ He created many true-to-life characters in his plays. His career As a great ◆ The richness of his （6）______ was amazing. （5） ◆ He even invented many （7）______ and phrases that are now ______ common, including lonely and watchdog. ◆ A Midsummer Night’s Dream and As You Like It are one of his funny comedies for example. comedies ◆ He wrote these plays about kings of England （8）______ teach history in an enjoyable way. ◆ They show flaws in human nature by （9）______ sad stories in a more serious way. tragedies His plays ◆ These plays include Hamlet, Romeo and Juliet, Othello and Macbeth. poetry ◆His 154 sonnets are（10）______ the most famous love poems of all time. 【主旨大意】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了著名的英国作家——莎士比亚以及他的事业和作品。

— 11 —

(1) born【解析】根据第一段第一句“William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in England.”可知 答案。故填 born。

(2) famous【解析】根据第一段第二句“He was famous for his excellent plays. ”可知答案。故 填 famous。

(3) printed【解析】根据第一段倒数第二句“Two actors saw that his plays were printed when he died in 1616.”可知答案。故填 printed。

(4) spend【解析】根据第二段最后一句“Most people spend their time watching his plays just for fun, much as we think of the movies today.”可知答案。故填 spend。

(5) thinker【解析】根据第三段第一句“Shakespeare was also a great thinker.”可知答案。故填 thinker。

(6) language【解析】根据第三段倒数第二句“The richness of his language was amazing.”可知 答案。故填 language。

(7) words【解析】根据第三段最后一句“He even invented many words and phrases that are now common, including lonely and watchdog.”可知答案。故填 words。

(8) that【解析】根据第四段第三句“He wrote these plays about kings of England that teach history in an enjoyable way.”可知答案。故填 that。

(9) telling【解析】根据第四段第四句“”Unlike his comedies, his great tragedies show flaws(缺 陷) in human nature by telling sad stories in a more serious way.可知答案。故填 telling。 (10) among【解析】根据第四段最后一句“In his spare time, he wrote poetry. His 154 sonnets(十

四行诗) are among the most famous love poems of all time. ”可知答案。故填 among。

Passage 6

Claude Monet’s paintings were quite different from the art styles that were popular in the 1870s

France. Traditional artists always did their artwork in a studio and their paintings were

realistic—they looked exactly like the real world. Claude Monet was part of a group of painters who

were called Impressionists(印象派画家). Their paintings were light and a bit fuzzy—they gave an

impression of what the real world looked like. Sometimes Impressionists worked outside, which was

a very unusual thought in their time. Impressionism received its name from an early painting by

Claude Monet titled Impression, Sunrise.

Knowing that trains were interesting subjects and represented modern progress, Claude Monet

created a series of Impressionist paintings of trains from January to March of 1877.

He worked on

— 12 —