The word "centerpiece" in the 3rd paragraph means ______.A．the most important partB．the mi

How long does the carnival last?

A．Six days

B．A whole week

C．Eight days

D．The whole of February

Dancing in the Streets

If there is one thing certain to get Brazilians on their feet, it is the Rio Carnival (狂欢节). Held in Rio de Janeiro, the country's biggest city, the carnival began on February 20 when the mayor gave key of the city to Rei Momo—the Lord of Misrule (无序之皇).

On his orders, each year people turn the city into a paradise of dance and music. The following six days are so fun of parades, street dancing, fantastic clothes and partying (聚会) that many people forget about eating and sleeping.

"It was the passion of the carnival that attracted me to Brazil and made me settle down in Rio. " said Bob Nadkami, a British man who has lived in the city for several years. For many Brazilians, the centerpiece of the carnival is samba (桑巴舞), a typical Brazilian dance. Every year, tens of thousands of visitors and locals show off their passion and energy in the streets, following the beat (节拍) of the Latin music.

The climax to this street party is the float (彩车) parade, in which floats decorated with tons of fresh flowers by various samba schools and local communities move through the city. On the top of each float stands the candidate for the Drum Queen, who is chosen at the end of the party.

While most people are free to enjoy the celebrations, Rio's police officers have to keep a clear head. Following the murder of three officers in a gunfight early last week, the Brazilian Government has tightened security in Rio. The street fighting, robbery and sex crimes that accompany the carnival are very difficult to police.

Carnivals began in ancient Rome as a celebration at which people fed wild wolves, in honor of the city's founder who was said to have been raised by a she-wolf. Brazil gave new life to this tradition and so despite the troubles, the carnival will remain a symbol of the country's culture.

According to the passage, during the Carnival people in Rio did all of the following EXCEPT ______.

A．dancing in the streets

B．putting on colorful clothes

C．eating a lot of food

D．holding exciting parades

Women developed a sense of space out of the need ______.

A．to go fishing

B．to go hunting

C．to learn well-used paths

D．to go swimming

Which of the following is NOT a landmark?

A．Along river

B．A high mountain

C．A magnificent church

D．A path in your head

Which works better, the route method or the survey method?

A．The survey method

B．The route method

C．Either

D．Neither

Women are more likely to use ______.

A．the survey method

B．the traditional method

C．the route method

D．the fight method

Two People, Two Paths

You must be familiar with the situation: dad's driving, mum's telling him where to go. He's sure that they need to turn left. But she says it's not for another two blocks. Who has the better sense of direction.'? Men or women?

They both do, a new study says, but in different ways.

Men and women, Canadian researchers have found, have different methods of finding their way. Men look quickly at landmarks (地标) and head off in what they think is the right direction. Women, however, try to picture the whole route in detail and then follow the path in their head.

"Women tend to be more detailed. "said Edward Cornell, who led the study "While men tend to be a little bit faster and a little bit more intuitive(直觉感知的). "

In fact, said Cornell, "sense of direction" isn't one skill but two. The first is the "survey method". This is when you see an area from above, such as a printed map. You can see, for example, where the hospital is, where the church is and that the supermarket is on its right. The second skill is the "route method". This is when you use a series of directions. Yon start from the hospital, then turn left, turn right, go uphill, and then you see the supermarket. Men are more likely to use the survey method while women are more likely to use one route and follow directions. Both work and neither is better.

Some scientists insist that these different skills have a long history. They argue it is because of the difference in traditional roles. In ancient times, young men often went far away with the older men to fish or hunt. The trip took hours or days and covered unfamiliar places. The only way to know where you were was to use the survey method to remember landmarks—the mountains, the lakes and so on.

The women, on the other hand, took young girls out to find fruits and plants. These activities were much closer to home but required learning well-used paths. So, women's sense of space was based on learning certain routes.

When finding his way Dad tends to rely on ______.

A．his intuitive knowledge

B．his book knowledge

C．Mum's assistance

D．the police's assistance

You should take books with you when you go out with your child.

A．Right

B．Wrong

C．Not mentioned

You can ask your child to tell stories based on pictures.

A．Right

B．Wrong

C．Not mentioned

The purpose of the rhyming games is to make preparations for children to write poems.

A．Right

B．Wrong

C．Not mentioned