College English (1st Semester of the Academic Year 2010-2011)Mid-term Exam Part I Writing (30 minutes) (15%)注意：此部分试题在答题卡1上。Part II Reading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning) (15 minutes)（10%） Directions: In this part, you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1.For questions 1-7, choose the best answer from the four choices marked A), B), C) and D).For questions 8-10, complete the sentences with the information given in the passage. Something About LondonPiccadilly Circus It is difficult to say what is the real center of London, but many people would choose Piccadilly Circus (皮卡迪利广场). This is because it is not only located central but also the heart of Londons entertainment world. Within a few hundred yards we find most of Londons best-known theaters and cinemas, the most famous restaurants and the best night clubs.Many of the buildings around the Circus have bright, multicolored signs, advertising goods and entertainment. Piccadilly Circus at night enjoys a beautiful sight.Underneath Piccadilly Circus there is an important tube station with escalators (自动扶梯) leading down to two different lines. There are entrances from all the main streets that meet at the Circus. It is particularly in the evening that Piccadilly Circus is crowded with people going to the theatre or the cinema, or perhaps to a restaurant. Many others have come for a relaxed evening walk; they will probably have a cup of coffee or a glass of beer before they go home. The crowd is composed of people from many different countries. The peoples of the British Commonwealth (英联邦) are well represented, as there are many Indians, Pakistanis, West Indians and Africans in London; they are either working or studying here. Some of them wear their national dress. Many foreign visitors walk among the crowd; some come from the Continent, while some others from more distant places. It is interesting to try to identify people of different countries by their style and type of clothing. This is no longer as easy as it used to be. Also, one can hear a great variety of languages around.Lunch in TownMost people who work in London get a break of about an hour for lunch. As they mostly live too far from home to go back for lunch, they are obliged to make other plans for their midday meal.Many large firms have a place to eat for their employees. In such a place, the food served is plain but good enough. And although there is some variety of choice, the number of dishes is usually small. The employees themselves fetch their dishes from a counter at which they are served. A meal in these places is cheap and may consist of soup, fish or meat and vegetables, with fruit or maybe even ice cream.As there are so many people at work in London, there are numerous cafes and restaurants. A meal may cost anything from a modest sum to quite a few pounds, depending on the restaurant and the food chosen. Moreover, one can generally get a meal in a pub. In many of these cafes there is self-service there are no waiters or waitresses. Instead, the customers help themselves and pay at a cash-desk before going to their tables. In recent years there has also been a large increase in the number of “takeaway” food shops of all kinds. Many employees do not bother to go out for lunch. They bring their own sandwiches, and perhaps an apple or some bread with which they have a cup of tea, probably made in the office. This method has the advantages of being cheap and saving time over getting to a restaurant and lining up there. In summer, many people go out and sit on a bench in a park or at a public square, and eat their sandwiches there. They may also enjoy the lunch-time concerts and plays.The Big StoresIn London there are a number of big stores, most of which are to be found in or near the West End. They are vast buildings. In them you may buy almost anything you want, from a box of matches to furniture. Most of these stores are very modern, and have well-planned lighting and heating. You can spend hours wandering around these stores, and you will probably lose your way while you are doing so, in spite of the notices pointing towards the way to the lifts and entrances. If you have been in the store so long that you feel hungre, you will not need ot leave the building, for nearly all the big stores have cafes or restaurants.Although shops usually close at 5:30 or 6 p.m., on Thursday the West End stores and most other shops there stay open as late as 8 oclock. As it is early closing day in many London suburbs, a number of people come into town on Thursday for a special shopping. Because of the number of cars on the road, Thursday evening in the West End is probably the worst of the week for driving.Another quality of Londons shopping life is the chain store, in which prices are low and a wide variety of goods is offered chiefly food, household