3 . People have painted pictures for at least 30,000 years.

The earliest pictures were painted by people who hunted animals. They used to paint pictures of the animals they wanted to catch and kill. Pictures of this kind have been found on the walls of caves in France and Spain. No one knows exactly why they were painted there.     1     About 5,000 years ago, the Egyptians and other people in the Near East began to use pictures as a kind of writing.     2     And also they represented the sounds of their language. The signs these people used became a kind of alphabet (字母表).

    3     When an important person died, scenes and stories from his life were painted and carved on the walls of the place where he was buried. Some of these pictures are like modern comic strip stories.     4     But, for the Egyptians, pictures still had magic power. So they did not try to make their way of writing simple. The ordinary people could not understand it.

A．The old have difficulty understanding some of them.

B．So it is said that Egypt is the home of the comic strip.

C．They drew simple pictures or signs to represent things and ideas.

D．Perhaps the painters thought that their pictures would help them to catch these animals.

E．The Egyptians used to record information and to tell stories by putting writing and pictures together.

4 . 阅读下面短文，从短文后所给的A—E选项中选出能补全短文的最佳选项。

The Silk Road went from China to Eastern Europe. It went along the north of China, India, and Persia and ended up in Eastern Europe near today’s Turkey and the Mediterranean Sea.

It was called Silk Road because one of the major products (产品) traded was silk cloth from China. Chinese silk was soft and of high quality. So people all over the Asia and Europe loved it very much.     1     Even the Romans called China the “land of silk”.

Besides silk, the Chinese also sold tea, salt, sugar and porcelain (陶瓷) .     2     This was because it was a long trip and traders didn’t have a lot of room for goods.

Traders travelled in large caravan (旅行队). They would have many guards with them.     3     Most of the road was through dry land. So camels were popular animals for transport.

Although there was some trade between China and the rest of the world for some time, the silk trade developed quickly during the Han Dynasty which ruled from 206 BC to 220 AD.     4     During this time the Mongols (蒙古) controlled most of the trade road, and Chinese traders travel safely. Also, traders had a higher social position during the Mongol rule.

    5     It not only helped to develop trade between different countries, but also helped for ideas, culture and inventions to spread across the world.

A．The Silk Road was important.

B．Most of the goods were expensive.

C．The Chinese sold silk for thousands of years.

D．The Silk Road was full of wealth as well as danger.

E．Traveling in a big group like a caravan helped in protecting themselves.

F．Later, under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty, trade China along the Silk Road was fully developed.

5 . After the Trojan War, one of the soldiers inside the wooden horse told his story to his family.

We tried to capture Troy for ten years, but did not succeed. Then we thought of a trick.

We built a huge wooden horse and left it outside the main gates. During the night, our army disappeared, but they didn’t go far away. In the morning, the Trojans saw the horse. He was inside the horse with another five soldiers, but the Trojans did not know.

The Trojans opened the gates and pulled the horse into the city. That night, they celebrated. They song and danced, and they made jokes about us. Then they locked all the gates and went to sleep.

When they were asleep, we climbed out of the horse. We opened the main gates and our army entered the city.

Then we went to the captain’s room. We caught him.

1. Where was the wooden horse left?

A．Outside the gate.	B．Far away from the city.
C．Inside the city.	D．Near the captain’s room.

2. How many soldiers were there in the wooden horse?

A．5.

B．6.

C．7.

D．8.

3. How did the Trojans celebrate their success?

A．By thinking of a trick.

B．By disappearing suddenly.

C．By singing and dancing.

D．By locking all the gates.

4. In which picture can you see the soldier telling his story to his family?

A．

B．

C．

D．

6 . The Silk Road was an ancient trade route (古代贸易路线) that connected (连接) the East and the West together. It is more than six thousand miles from Asia to Europe. The Silk Road got its name from the silk.

Few traders went along the Silk Road. The route was too long. There were also difficulties along the way. In some places, people along the road didn’t think the traders were right. Some countries would not let traders from other countries go through their countries.

Traders thought of an idea. They made staging points (中转站) on the Silk Road. They put their goods (货物) at one point. Then they traveled to another point. There, they would give the goods to the next group of drivers.

Traders from the East brought silk, gold and other useful things to the West. People wanted to have treasures from far-off lands very much.

More goods were moved along the Silk Road. Ideas from other lands were moved, too. They heard new languages. Knowledge about science was passed along.

1. It is more than ________ from Asia to Europe.

A．5,000 miles

B．6,000 miles

C．6,000 kilometers

D．5,000 kilometers

2. Why did few traders finish going along the Silk Road?

A．Because the road was too long and there were many difficulties.

B．Because they didn’t know how long it was.

C．Because it was ended in Europe.

D．Because people along the road thought they were wrong.

3. What does the underlined word “They” refer to?

A．The Asian.

B．The European.

C．The traders.

D．The countries.

4. From the passage, we can infer (推断) that__________.

A．many countries were kind to traders	B．some traders worked in the staging points
C．clothes were brought from the West to the East	D．people wanted to have silk and gold from Europe

5. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Traders had many difficulties along the Silk Road.

B．Goods were moved along the Silk Road.

C．Knowledge were passed along the Silk Road.

D．The Silk Road connected the East and the West.

7 . The Great Sphinx of Giza (吉萨狮身人面像) is one of the most famous places of interest in the world. Most scientists believe it was built around 2,500 B.C. (公元前). But John Anthony West, a writer and film-maker, says that it’s much older. If he’s right, everything that we have learned about ancient civilizations (文明) would have to be completely revised.

West began to study ancient history after studying the work of a French researcher. The researcher said Egyptian (埃及的) civilization could have developed as early as 30,000 years ago rather than 4,500 years ago, as most experts believe.

West joined a scientist to do research together. Their research suggested that the Sphinx had been worn out (磨损) over the years by water rather than by sand and wind.

Wait a minute? Water? The Sphinx is in the Sahara Desert, which has been dry for 12,000 years! However, it was very green before that time. If it’s true that water wore down the Sphinx, then West thinks that it must have been built centuries earlier.

Whether West is right or wrong, it’s important to challenge accepted ideas. That’s how science progresses. West gave some advice to kids: If you are interested in a topic, read everything that you can find on it. Do your own research. Don’t always believe everything. Ask lots of questions, and find your own answers.

根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
1. When was the Great Sphinx of Giza built according to most scientists?

A．About 2,500 B.C.

B．About 4,500 years ago.

C．About 30,000 years ago.

2. What does the underlined word “revised” mean in Chinese?

A．联系

B．创造

C．修改

3. From West’s research, what wore down the Sphinx?

A．The sand.

B．The water.

C．The wind.

4. What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about?

A．The place where West did his research.

B．The reason why West holds his opinions.

C．The technology which was used to build the Sphinx.

5. Which of the following may the writer agree with?

A．Science progress is made by giving different opinions.

B．Egyptian civilization is more important than the others.

C．Kids should believe what their teachers say at any time.

8 . Hundreds of years ago, a Roman army came north from England to make war on Scotland. The Scots, a brave people, loved their country very much. They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland, but there were too many of the Romans. It looked as if the Romans would win.

One night, the leader of Scots marched his soldiers to the top of a hill. “We will rest here tonight, my men,” he said ,“Tomorrow we will fight one more battle. We must win or we will die.”

They were all very tired, so they ate their supper quickly and fell asleep. There were four guards on duty, but they too, were very tired ,and one by one, also fell asleep.

The Romans were not asleep. Quickly they gathered at the foot of the hill. Slowly they climbed up the hillside, taking care not to make a sound. Closer and closer they came to the sleeping Scots. They were almost at the top. A few minutes more, the war would be over. Suddenly, one of them put his foot on a thistle (蓟). He cried out and his sudden cry woke the Scots. In a moment, they were on their feet and ready for battle. The fighting was hard but it did not last long. The Scots wiped out the Romans and saved their country.

The thistle is not a beautiful plant. It has sharp needles all over it. Few people like it. But the people of Scotland liked it so much that they made it their national flower.

1. Hundreds of years ago there was a war between________.

A．Roman army and North England

B．Roman army and the Scots

C．England and Scots

D．A brave people and the Scots

2. At first it looked as if the Romans would win because________.

A．the Scots were not brave

B．the Roman army was so strong

C．the Romans had the support from the Scottish

D．they are lazy

3. “We must win or we will die.” What the leader of the Scots said means ________.

A．they were sure to win	B．they couldn’t escape from death
C．they would win and then they would die	D．they must try hard to win, otherwise they would die

4. The people of Scotland made thistle their national flower, because________.

A．it is a beautiful plant

B．it is fresh and lovely

C．it had so many sharp needles all over it

D．it was the thistle that helped the Scots to win the battle

9 . What’s the Silk Road? In history, it was an important international trade route（商路） between China and the Mediterranean（地中海）. The Silk Road began in the Western Han Dynasty and has a history of more than 2000 years.

In the past, the road started in Chang’an （now Xi’an） and ended in Eastern Europe near the Mediterranean. It was about 6500 kilometers long and went across 1/4 of the world.

The Silk Road got its name in the 19th century because Chinese silk was famous, and the traders also carried China’s porcelain（瓷器） and other things to the West. And glass, gems and food like carrots from the West came to China.

The Silk Road was very important to both China and the rest of the world. It was more than an international trade route. Lots of arts and science of other countries came to China through the Silk Road. In this way, languages and culture influenced each other. Today, China is trying to make the dream of the Belt and Road come true.

1. When did the Silk Road begin?

A．In the 18th century.	B．In the 19th century.
C．In the Eastern Han Dynasty.	D．In the Western Han Dynasty.

2. How long was the Silk Road in the past?

A．It was about 6500 meters long.	B．It went across 1/3 of the world.
C．It went across 1/4 of the world.	D．It was about 5000 kilometers long.

3. Traders carried China’s ________ to the West.
①silk
②glass
③porcelain

A．①②

B．①③

C．②③

D．①②③

4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?

A．The Silk Road was only an international trade route in the past.

B．China is trying to sell everything to other countries through the road now.

C．The Silk Road got its name because traders carried silk along this road.

D．Through the Silk Road, traders only brought the food of other countries to China.

5. Where can we most probably find this passage?

A．In a history book.	B．In an art magazine.
C．In a health book.	D．In a PE magazine.

10 . The British Museum is one of the biggest museums in the world. Inside, you feel smaller than usual. There are many things to see.

The story of the British Museum dates back three hundred years or so to one unusual man, Sir Hans Sloane, a doctor of King George II. The doctor collected books, drawings, clothes, money, animals, and flowers from all over the world. The doctor wanted everything to stay together before he died, so that people could come and have a look. The British Museum began. King George II gave away his library, and the museum started to grow.

The British Museum opened in 1759, six years after Sir Hans Sloane died. At first, the museum was only open three days a week and only ten people could enter in an hour. There wasn’t much time to see things. Visitors had to run through the rooms.

By about 1800, things began to get better. Wonderful statues, three thousand years old, arrived from Egypt. King George IV sold all his books to the museum secretly. A hundred years ago not only old books but also new ones arrived at the museum, and more people came to read them. Since then many famous men have written and studied there. And the library is growing faster and faster. There are four kilometers of new shelves every year and there are about six million visitors each year.

1. When you go inside the British Museum, you feel smaller than usual because ________.

A．the museum is empty	B．the museum is very big
C．there are too many things in it	D．you are too small

2. Sir Hans Sloane die in ________.

A．1753

B．1759

C．1765

D．1800

3. Why does the writer mention King George IV?

A．Because he was the first king to support the British Museum.

B．Because he gave away all his books to the British Museum.

C．Because he sold all his books to the British Museum.

D．Because he made the British Museum famous in the world.

4. Which of the following is NOT true?

A．At first the museum was only open three days a week.

B．There weren’t many people visiting the museum every day at first.

C．There are about six million visitors every year to the museum now.

D．The second paragraph is about why King George II loved the British Museum.

5. The passage is mainly about ________.

A．the things in the museum	B．the history of the British Museum
C．some famous museums in the world	D．British kings and their museums