1 . Cities usually have a good reason for being where they are, like a nearby port or river. People settle in these places because they are easy to get to and naturally suited to communications and trade. New York City, for example, is near a large harbour at the mouth of the Hudson River. Over 300 years its population grew gradually from 800 people to 8 million. But not all cities develop slowly over a long period of time. Boom towns grow from nothing almost overnight. In 1896, Dawson, Canada, was unmapped wilderness(荒野). But gold was discovered there in 1897, and two years later, it was one of the largest cities in the West, with a population of 30,000.
Dawson did not have any of the natural conveniences of cities like London or Paris. People went there for gold. They travelled over snow-covered mountains and sailed hundreds of miles up icy rivers. The path to Dawson was covered with thirty feet of wet snow that could fall without warming. An avalanche(雪崩) once closed the path, killing 63 people. For many who made it to Dawson, however, the rewards were worth the difficult trip. Of the first 20,000 people who dug for gold, 4,000 got rich. About 100 of these stayed rich men for the rest of their lives.
But no matter how rich they were, Dawson was never comfortable. Necessities like food and wood were very expensive. But soon, the gold that Dawson depended on had all been found. The city was crowded with disappointed people with no interest in settling down, and when they heard there were new gold discoveries in Alaska, they left Dawson City as quickly as they had come. Today, people still come and go — to see where the Canadian gold rush happened. Tourism is now the chief industry of Dawson City — its present population is 762.
1. What attracted the early settlers to New York City?| A．Its business culture. |
| B．Its small population. |
| C．Its geographical position. |
| D．Its favourable climate. |
| A．Two-thirds of them stayed there. |
| B．One out of five people got rich. |
| C．Almost everyone gave up. |
| D．Half of them died. |
| A．They found the city too crowded. |
| B．They wanted to try their luck elsewhere. |
| C．They were unable to stand the winter. |
| D．They were short of food. |
| A．The rise and fall of a city. |
| B．The gold rush in Canada. |
| C．Journeys into the wilderness. |
| D．Tourism in Dawson. |
2 . Switzerland is surrounded by three of Europe’s major—and most populous—countries: France, Germany and Italy. For thousands of years, the region has been a busy trade
Switzerland is a popular place to do business, a center of education and a favorite travel destination. At the heart of this success story lies a stable political system. The county has not gone through any major political changes since the foundation of the federal state inn 1848. This has created space for economic, social and artistic development. Federalism, the successful integration of different cultures, and the mechanisms of direct democracy are all means to increase the
Political stability is also
Stability, a well-developed sense of service and discretion, and a strong currency have turned Switzerland into a leading financial center. From a historical
In terms of income, assets and per capita gross national product. Switzerland ranks among the top in the world.
The
All these factors make Switzerland a safe country with a low crime rate. The Swiss
| A．business | B．partner | C．route | D．channel |
| A．boasts | B．brags | C．occupies | D．claims |
| A．networks | B．links | C．planes | D．tourBys |
| A．welfare | B．consciousness | C．participation | D．obligation |
| A．complication | B．diversity | C．liberation | D．simplicity |
| A．manageable | B．negligible | C．expandable | D．exhaustible |
| A．undermined | B．eliminated | C．underrated | D．expressed |
| A．Crimes | B．Strikes | C．Accidents | D．Appeals |
| A．Thanks to | B．Contrary to | C．In combination with | D．In case of |
| A．argument | B．perspective | C．attitude | D．stance |
| A．few | B．boundless | C．abundant | D．nonexistent |
| A．exceeding | B．variable | C．resulting | D．unbelievable |
| A．By contrast | B．To sum up | C．As a rule | D．Put differently |
| A．value | B．deny | C．consider | D．suspect |
| A．Tie | B．Contribute | C．Add | D．Adjust |
3 . The most welcome sight on a cold, wet winter night in London is the familiar shape of a London taxi cab approaching with its yellow “for hire” sign shining brightly. That shows it is ready to pick you up. Travelling by taxi in London is not just a way of going from one place to another. It is an experience to be enjoyed and remembered.
The main reason for this is the drivers, who are called "cabbies." Many of them are true Cockneys. This means they were born in the heart of London and speak their own special dialect(方言) of English. All of them know every street and famous building in the city, and all of them love to talk. A simple twenty-minute Journey across town can become very interesting. You may have a discussion about the government and its leaders or a friendly talk about the driver’s Aunty Nellie! One thing is for sure, it will never be boring. Cabbies know all the latest news about film stars, the Royal Family, government leaders, and popular singers or actors and actresses.
They also know the best places to eat, shop and relax. And they can take you straight to any large hotel, department store, theatre or museum. They know the shortest way possible without even looking at a map, because everyone who wants to become a taxi driver must pass a very difficult examination in order to get a license to drive a taxi. The exam is called “The Knowledge.” It is a written test, and in it drivers are asked the shortest way from one place to another. They must take into account the time of day—in rush hour, a longer route(路线) may be quicker—and describe the best way. Moreover they must never forget the one-way streets!
1. From what can we tell that someone is a Cockney?| A．Their interest. | B．Their manners. | C．Their speech. | D．Their appearance. |
| A．Passengers are full of curiosity. |
| B．Cabbies’ topics are wide-ranging. |
| C．Aunty Nellie is popular in London. |
| D．Londoners are friendly to each other. |
| A．To qualify one to drive a taxi. | B．To assess one’s driving skills. |
| C．To test drivers’ ability to write. | D．To check taxi drivers memory. |
My motherland, China,
5 . England
England is the biggest of the four countries in the United Kingdom. Over 50 million people live in England, which is around 80% of the total UK population.
The English people love music.
The most popular sports in England are football, rugby and cricket. Most towns have a football, rugby and cricket ground where teams can play.
England is a multicultural country.
| A．The official language of England is English. |
| B．This has a big influence on the food people eat. |
| C．The lion is the symbol of many English sports teams. |
| D．It is a fact that English is accepted as an international language. |
| E．In the summer you can go to music festivals all over the country. |
| F．This is why there are many French words and expressions in English. |
| G．English football teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are world-famous. |
1.欢迎来访；
2.取得的成就(生活、住宅、交通等)。
注意:
1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节, 以使行文连贯；
3. 演讲稿的开头已为你写好。
Dear guests,
Welcome to our school!
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In recent years, more Russians are learning Chinese. The number of Mandarin learners in Russia has grown from 17,000 in 2007 to 56,000 in 2017, according to Sputnik News.
"There are 170 universities teaching Chinese,
Another way
"Our countries have very close relations. The more Chinese know Russian and the more Russians know Chinese, the
8 . The most unforgettable thing during my long summer holiday last year, of course was my trip
There were quite a lot of interesting places in England,
I went to Shakespeare’s Birthplace. It was the house
I really enjoyed this nice trip to England,
| A．at | B．for | C．from | D．to |
| A．excited | B．appointed | C．stubborn | D．determined |
| A．for example | B．such as | C．as such | D．for instance |
| A．both | B．either | C．neither | D．each |
| A．views | B．scenes | C．sites | D．interests |
| A．also | B．too | C．still | D．yet |
| A．that | B．which | C．who | D．where |
| A．novels | B．records | C．films | D．songs |
| A．Other | B．Every | C．Each | D．Another |
| A．deep | B．deeply | C．high | D．highly |
| A．thought about | B．heard about | C．listened to | D．dreamed about |
| A．hometown | B．office | C．play | D．theatre |
| A．speak | B．say | C．talk | D．see |
| A．Shakespeare | B．Oxford | C．England | D．Harry Potter |
| A．who | B．that | C．when | D．where |
| A．paid | B．spent | C．cost | D．took |
| A．It’s | B．Its | C．It had | D．It was |
| A．style | B．site | C．shape | D．shade |
| A．for which | B．which | C．from which | D．in which |
| A．place | B．town | C．country | D．summer |
9 . A young Jewish girl begins a diary just as World War II is about to break out in Europe. She records the details of her daily life. Eventually, the diary comes to a heartbreaking end with the girl shot to death by the Nazis. However, it’s not the story of Anne Frank. This is Renia’s Diary, a journal that spent decades stored away in a safe box. Now it’s coming off the press with the help of Renia’s niece and sister.
For a long time, Elizabeth Bellak didn’t even know that her older sister Renia had kept a diary as a teenager in Poland. She was totally stunned that one day in her 50s, someone brought the diary to her. She began to read, but couldn’t get very far —the task proved too painful. Therefore, she just put it in the basement and didn’t think about it.
Alexandra Renia Bellak, Elizabeth’s daughter, who was named after her aunt, grew up knowing about the locked diary. As getting older, she became more interested in it. “If I could read this diary, maybe I’ll unearth (揭露) some things from the past,” she thought.
Finally, Alexandra got the diary from its hiding place. She turned shocked after reading the first few pages. “It’s the description of a wonderful, intelligent girl who showed great courage in dire circumstances. My aunt’s world comes to life as the diary shifts between the daily concerns of a teenage girl and the war.”
Elizabeth and Alexandra are thrilled that Renia’s diary has been published. “It is a story that needs to be heard now more than ever. We should never repeat the same types of racism (种族主义) and prejudice and hate that lead to active violence,” Alexandra says.
1. Why was Renia’s Diary unknown to the world for so many years?| A．Alexandra was too afraid to read it. |
| B．It was lost in the war and no one found it. |
| C．The story is not as famous as Anne Frank’s. |
| D．Elizabeth was emotionally stricken and hid the diary. |
| A．Certain. | B．Serious. |
| C．Mysterious. | D．Crucial. |
| A．She was quite interested in World War II. |
| B．She wanted to comfort her sorrowful mother. |
| C．She wondered what had happened to her aunt. |
| D．She planned to publish her aunt’s dairy in the future. |
| A．Renia’s Diary coming off the press. | B．Renia’s miserable life and her diary. |
| C．A girl fighting against the racism and hate. | D．The story of a Jewish family in World War II. |
10 . This Is How Scandinavia Got Great
Almost everybody admires the Nordic model. Countries like Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland have high economic productivity, high social equality, high social trust and high levels of personal happiness.
Nordic nations were ethnically homogeneous(同质的) in 1800, when they were dirt poor. Their economic growth took off just after 1870, way before their welfare states were established.
The 19th-century Nordic elites did something we haven’t been able to do in our country recently. They realized that if their countries were to prosper they had to create truly successful “folk schools” for the least educated among them. They realized that they were going to have to make lifelong learning a part of the natural fabric of society.
Today, Americans often think of schooling as the transmission of specialized skill sets — the student can read, do math and recite the facts of biology.
The Nordic educators worked hard to cultivate each student’s sense of connection to the nation. Before the 19th century, most Europeans identified themselves in local and not national terms.
That educational push seems to have had a lasting influence on the culture. Whether in Stockholm or Minneapolis, Scandinavians have a tendency to joke about the way their sense of responsibility is always nagging at them. They have the lowest rates of corruption in the world. They have a distinctive sense of the relationship between personal freedom and communal responsibility.
| A．Bildung is the way that the individual matures and takes upon him or herself ever bigger academic responsibility. |
| B．What really launched the Nordic nations was generations of phenomenal educational policy. |
| C．Bildung is designed to change the way students see the world. |
| D．But the Nordic curriculum conveyed to students a pride in, say, their Danish history, folklore and heritage. |
| E．They look at education differently than we do. |
| F．The Nordic educators also worked hard to develop the student’s internal awareness. |
