C

Pingyao, in the center of Shanxi Province, is a famous historic cultural city of China and a world cultural heritage site (世界文化遗址). It’s 90 kilometers south of Taiyuan on the Fen River.

People lived in Pingyao during the New Stone Age. Its long period as a country government seat has left Pingyao with lots of historic buildings and sites, with a 2,700-year history. Ninety-nine of them are under government protection, including Zhengguo Temple, Shuanglin Temple and Pingyao Ancient City.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, businessmen organized commercial (商业的) groups that did business nationwide. Shanxi Province had some of the most important ones and Pingyao was their center. In 1823, a store, known as Rishengchang(Sunrise Prosperity), traded in bank checks rather than in silver or gold coins. It was the beginning of modern Chinese banking. Branch banks were soon set up in major cities in China and other parts of Asia, leading to great development in Pingyao. Its Lacquer ware (漆器) became well known.

In Pingyao Ancient City are many traditional houses and commercial buildings, 3,797 of which are protected and more than 400 of which are in good condition. Not only do the houses in Pingyao show Shanxi’s history and culture, but this large number is valuable for studying its history, customs, and ancient buildings and art. Most of these houses are still used as homes and shops of local people.

In 1997, Ancient Pingyao City was listed in World Heritage List as “World Culture Heritage Site”.

64. What does the underlined word “them” (in the 2nd paragraph) refer to?

A. Historic buildings and sites B. The three temples

C. The country government seats D. The 2,700-year history

65. Which of the following about Pingyao is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A. Its location B. Its tourism

C. Its business D. Its history

66. During the Ming and Qing dynasties, Pingyao was a leading center in __________.

A. agriculture B. raising cattle

C. commercial trade D. making gold coins

67. If you want to know about the history of banking in China, you’ll visit __________.

A. Sunrise Prosperity B. Zhengguo Temple

C. A lacquer ware store D. A commercial house

D

A peer is a person who is about the same age as you. Peers affect your life, whether you know it or not, just by spending time with you.

Peers can have a good effect on one another. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in solar system. Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book and now everyone’s reading it.

However, sometimes peers affect one another in another way. For example, one kid in school might try to get another to cut class with him, your soccer friend might try to persuade you to be mean to another player and never pass her the ball, or a kid in the neighborhood might want you to shoplift with him. Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other kids may make fun of them if they don’t go along with the group. Others may go along because they are curious to try something new that others are doing. The idea that “everyone’s doing it” may influence some kids to leave their better judgments or their common senses behind.

Peer pressure can be extremely strong and hard to get rid of. Experiments have shown how peer pressure can influence someone to change her/ his mind from what she/ he knows for sure is a correct answer to the incorrect answer-just because everyone else gives the incorrect answer! That holds true for people of any age in peer pressure situations.

It can be hard to walk away from peer pressure, but it can be done. Paying attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do. Inner strength and self-confidence can help you stand firm, walk away and resist doing something when you know better.

68. What is the best title for this passage?

A. Peers have a good effect B. Children give in to peer pressure

C. Peer pressure is hard to resist D. Peer pressure

69. The underlined word “shoplift” in Paragraph 3 probably means “________”.

A. do some shopping B. carry goods for shops

C. steal in shops D. take the lift upstairs in shops

70. The writer will NOT agree that ________.

A. only children change their correct answers to incorrect ones because of peer pressure

B. peers have an effect on one another

C. peer pressure can be got rid of

D. peers will believe in themselves if there are other peers who agree with them

71. By writing the passage the writer intends to ________.

A. tell people to follow other’s opinions

B. warn people to stay away from their peers

C. tell it is hard to walk away from pressure

D. persuade people to do the right thing regardless of peer pressure