Practice 1: Read the following announcement and answer the question.

This week’s dance has been cancelled. We are sorry to everyone that has been looking forward to it. It was supposed to be on Friday night, but we were notified that because of circumstances beyond their control the band can’t play that day.

After the band’s cancellation, we tried to get a DJ but it was too late. All of the local ***** were playing somewhere else. Don’t worry — we are rescheduling for next Friday, June 20. This time we will have DJ Morry Morris.

For those of you who have already bought tickets, you may use them to enter the dance on the rescheduled date. If you want a refund, you can bring your ticket to the student council office next week. Again, we are sorry and thank you for your understanding.

Why is “the band’s cancellation” mentioned in the announcement?

A. To point out why the dance is cancelled

B. To inform the students the dance was cancelled

C. To tell the students the new DJ cancelled the dance

D. To explain why they couldn’t get any DJ for the dance

Practice 2:

The Hudson River is one of the most significant rivers in America, though it is not the largest. It was named after Henry Hudson, an English explorer who charted the river for the Dutch East India Company. The Hudson goes for 315 miles, starting in the Adirondack Mountains in New York State. It enters the ocean around New York City.

Washington Irving, an American writer, was one of the first to write about the Hudson River. He lived in the Hudson River Valley and wrote about the unique characteristics of this area. He developed the first kind of American folklore and told a story of a man named Rip Van Winkle. Rip Van Winkle fell asleep one day while climbing the mountains around the Hudson River. He did not wake up for twenty years. When he finally woke up, America had become a free country.

The river has not only been written about by famous writers, but has had practical purposes as well. It was an important means of transportation as America developed. The Eric Canal was built to connect the river to Lake Erie, one of the nation’s great lakes. This canal allowed the many cities on the Great Lakes to get goods from Europe. The Hudson River Valley area was also good for building railroads. All in all, the Hudson River is an important river in America.

1. What would be the best title for this passage?

A. Washington Irving’s River C. A River of American Importance

B. The Biggest River in America D. Why Americans Built the Erie Canal

2. Why does the author mention “Washington Irving*’ in paragraph 2?

A. To give an example of an American writer C. To explain why Rip Van Winkle did not wake up

B. To prove that many writers live in New York D. To show that writers wrote about the Hudson River

3. Why does the author talk about “the Erie Canal” in paragraph 3?

A. To point out the need to build a railroad C. To prove that Americans were good builders

B. To explain why writers liked the Hudson D. To show how transportation was used on the river

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following question.

The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth–century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self–taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school–the most representative school of American art in any genre–had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school.

The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire.

What does the passage mainly discuss?

A. The National Academy of Design

B. The training of American artists in European academies

C. Paintings that featured the Hudson River 

D. North American landscape paintings

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following question. 

The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth–century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self–taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school–the most representative school of American art in any genre–had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school. 

The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire.

The word "monopolized" in paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to _______. 

A. repelled

B. dominate

C. alarmed

D. pursued

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following question. 

The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth–century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self–taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school–the most representative school of American art in any genre–had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school. 

The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire.

According to the passage, what was the function of the National Academy of Design for the painters born before 1835?

A. It determined which subjects were appropriate

B. It supported their growth and development

C. It supervised the incorporation of new artistic techniques

D. It mediated conflicts between artists

the amazon river in the south america is an amazing and important for the planet. the amazon river carries more water than any other rivers in the world . in fact the amazon river is responsble for twenty percent of fresh water that flows inti the world's oceans. hte amazon river is the second longest river in the world ( the nile river in africa is the longest) and about 6,400 km long . it has the largest area of land that flows into the river and more tributaries than any other rives in the world - morre than 200 tributaries

a . answer the quesition

where is the amazon river ?

is the amazon river the first longest river in the world ?

how many tributaries does it have ?

b fill a missing word in each blank

The amazon river is amazing and ......................................... for the planet

the amazon river is the world's ...............................................longest river

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following question.

The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth–century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self–taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school–the most representative school of American art in any genre–had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school.

The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. 

Before 1870, what was considered the most representative kind of American painting?

A. Historical painting

B. Figural painting

C. Landscape painting

D. Impressionistic painting

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct answer to each of the following question. 

The term "Hudson River school" was applied to the foremost representatives of nineteenth–century North American landscape painting. Apparently unknown during the golden days of the American landscape movement, which began around 1850 and lasted until the late 1860's, the Hudson River school seems to have emerged in the 1870's as a direct result of the struggle between the old and the new generations of artists, each to assert its own style as the representative American art. The older painters, most of whom were born before 1835, practiced in a mode often self–taught and monopolized by landscape subject matter and were securely established in and fostered by the reigning American art organization, the National Academy of Design. The younger painters returning home from training in Europe worked more with figural subject matter and in a bold and impressionistic technique; their prospects for patronage in their own country were uncertain, and they sought to attract it by attaining academic recognition in New York. One of the results of the conflict between the two factions was that what in previous years had been referred to as the "American", "native", or, occasionally, "New York" school–the most representative school of American art in any genre–had by 1890 become firmly established in the minds of critics and public alike as the Hudson River school. 

The sobriquet was first applied around 1879. While it was not intended as flattering, it was hardly inappropriate. The Academicians at whom it was aimed had worked and socialized in New York, the Hudson's port city, and had painted the river and its shores with varying frequency. Most important, perhaps, was that they had all maintained with a certain fidelity a manner of technique and composition consistent with those of America's first popular landscape artist, Thomas Cole, who built a career painting the Catskill Mountain scenery bordering the Hudson River. A possible implication in the term applied to the group of landscapists was that many of them had, like Cole, lived on or near the banks of the Hudson. Further, the river had long served as the principal route to other sketching grounds favored by the Academicians, particularly the Adirondacks and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire.

The word "it" in paragraph 1 refers to _______.

A. country

B. patronage

C. technique

D. matter

Chiang Mai, also sometimes weitten as " Chiengmai", is the largest and most cultural significant city in Northern Thailand, and the capital of Chiang Mai Province. It is 800 kilometers north of Bangkok, among some of the highest mountains in the country The city stands on the Ping River, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya River. In recent years, Chiang Mai has become an increasingly modern city, althought is lacks the cosmopolitan gloss of Bangkok. It has many attractions for the thousands of foreign visitors who come to the city each year. Chiang Mai's historic strength derived from its important strategic location near a southern branch of ancient Silk Road, and long before the modern influx of foreign visitors the city served as an important centre for handcrafted goods, umbrellas, jewelry particular silver, and woodcarving.

*Questions:

1. Where is Chiang Mai?

a. in the east of Thailand

b. in the south of Thailand

c. in the north of Thailand

d. in the centre of Thailand

2. Which the following sentences is NOT true about Chiang Mai?

a. It is the largest city in Thailand

b. It is the capital of Chiang Mai Province

c. It is nearly one thousand kilometers from the capital of Thailand

d. It is surrounded by high mountains

3. Chiang Mai is now ___________________________?

a. an ancient city

b. famous for its vehicles

c. a quickly developing city

d. near the Silk Road

4. Which jewelry is Chiang Mai most famous for?

a. umbrellas

b. silver

c. woodcarving

d silks

5. The word "significant" in line 2 means ___________________.

a. ancient

b. large

c. important

d. developed

River are on of the world's most important natural resources . Many cities are on the large rivers , and .....evry country has a least one river that....an imprtant part in the lives of its people. Besides transportation , river .....water for crops , water to drink , and recreation for people who live along their.....And in......to get water for crops , engineer sometimes build a dam.....a river and let water for crops , water to drink , and recreation for water not .....to irrigate fields but also to make electricity for homes and industries. .....the water often becomes polluted when cities on river bank grow up and the number of industries increases. We are learning that it is necessary to......rivers clean if we want to enjoy the benefit of the natural resources