1 . The Silk Road is the name of different roads that long ago connected Europe, Africa and Asia. People reached these different places along these roads. Scientists believe people began to travel the Silk Road about 3, 000 years ago. By the time the Chinese silk trade became important in the world, the Silk Road covered almost 6,500 kilometers. It spread from Rome to China, which is from the West to the Far East.
Traders traveling along the Silk Road carried silk of course. They also carried and traded spices (香料), cloth, valuable stones and gold.
There is a famous old story along the old road. It is said that Roman soldiers (士兵) traveled through central Asia. They started to live somewhere near the ancient Chinese village of Liqian. Some of these Romans married local Chinese women and the story of blue-eyed villages of China was started.
During its busiest period, the Silk Road allowed people from many different cultures and countries to meet each other and mix. The Silk Road allowed the sharing of valuable goods and new ideas. These included people and trading goods from the Mediterranean, Persian, Magyar, Armenian, Baetrian, Indian and Chinese areas. All these people traveled the Silk Road, and they shared goods, stories, languages and culture.
In modern times, the old Silk Road routes(路线) are still used, but now they are crossed by trains instead of camels and horses. There is even a Silk Route Museum in Jiuquan in China. It has over 35,000 objects from all along the Silk Road. In this way, China protects the history of many countries and peoples.
1. Traders carried all kinds of goods along the Silk Road. Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?| A．Silk | B．Cloth | C．Gold | D．Tea |
| A．Asian soldiers | B．European soldiers |
| C．African soldiers | D．American soldiers |
| A．Valuable things could not be sold along the Silk Road. |
| B．The Silk Road allowed people from different countries to mix. |
| C．Ancient Chinese along the Silk Road may be able to speak different languages. |
| D．The objects in the museum in Jiuquan in China are from all along the Silk Road. |
| A．History and geography | B．Sports world |
| C．Man and animals | D．Popular science |
Nearly 500 years before Christopher Columbus, brave Viking seamen crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Vikings were the first Europeans to reach North America. They lived in a par of Northern Europe called Scandinavia. Most Vikings were peaceful farmers, traders, and talented workmen. But they were also excellent shipbuilders.
Viking ships were smartly and creatively designed. They were well-built with common wood and strong enough to sail hundreds of miles on the open sea. They were light enough to be carried over land. When there was no wind, the seamen could row the ships with oars（船桨）.
Vikings traveled far in search of goods such as silk, glass, and silver. Some Vikings sailed west and lived on the islands of Iceland and Greenland from then on. Between 997 and 1003 A.D., a Viking named Leif Eriksson landed in what is now Canada. The Vikings probably stayed for less than ten years, though they traded with Native（当地的）Americans for much longer. A bit of their culture can still be found on American calendar. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are named for Viking gods!
1. Where did the Vikings mainly live at the beginning?| A．Canada. | B．Scandinavia. |
| C．Iceland and Greenland. | D．The Atlantic Ocean. |
| A．They were large enough to hold many people. |
| B．They were light enough to be carried over land. |
| C．They had very colorful sails and strong oars. |
| D．They were made from special and expensive wood. |
| A．Some days of the week have Viking names. |
| B．Vikings left ships in North America. |
| C．Vikings were known for talented workmen. |
| D．Americans started using Viking ship designs. |
3 . In 2013, President Xi Jinping initiated (首倡) the Maritime Silk Road. In ancient times, China also had the Silk Road, which was very important. It connected Europe with Asia. The Silk Road got its name because businessmen
The Chinese learned to make silk t
The ancient Romans were the
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4 . Study a calendar. It looks simple and orderly. But a calendar is more of a mathematical puzzle than you might guess. The calendar we use today has gone through centuries of changes.
For millennia, people watched the seasons, sun, moon, and stars to help them keep track of time passing. Ancient people did not know that Earth orbits (沿轨道运行) the sun about every 365.25 days. They tried to track the year by counting the full moons. Each year had 12 full moons. Twelve moons, or months, made one lunar year.
Calendars in Babylon used a lunar year. Twelve months added up to only 354 days. That made the lunar year 11 days too short. As years went by, the months and the seasons no longer matched up.
People in ancient Egypt came up with a solar calendar of 365 days. They observed that Sirius, the Dog Star, appeared near the rising sun every 365 days. Soon after that, the Nile River would rise. They looked forward to the flooding of the Nile, because it brought good things. The rich soil left by floodwaters was good for planting.
The ancient Romans used a calendar of 10 months. Because a Roman year was only 304 days, it seemed to always be out of step with the seasons. Holidays showed up at the wrong time of year.
A Roman ruler named Julius Caesar ordered a change. He created a calendar with 12 months, each 30 or 31 days long. He added an extra day every four years to keep things on track. This calendar was used for more than a millennium. But by the end of the 16th century, it was ten days out of step.
Pope Gregory XIII created today’s calendar in 1582. He set new mathematical rules for keeping the calendar in step with the seasons. Today, the Gregorian calendar is used almost everywhere in the world.
1. How long does the Earth orbit the sun?2. Why did people in ancient Egypt look forward to the flooding of the Nile?
3. Who created a calendar with 12 months in ancient Romans?
4. When was today’s calendar created?
5. What is the passage mainly about?
5 . In 1834, the clock tower in London was burned down. People planned to build a new clock which would be the biggest and best in the world. The clock had to be big and keep very good time. The big clock was made in two years. Five more years later the tower was finished. Then people put the big clock in the tower, and made it ring out for the first time on July 11,1859.
In order to give the big clock a good name, people held a meeting. Someone wanted to call it the Queen of Bells, and someone thought Victoria was good. At last, a man named Benjamin Hall stood up. He was a big man. Before he started to speak, someone shouted, "Why not call it Big Ben?". Everybody laughed and agreed with him.
From then on, Big Ben became its name. And it also became a famous building of London. People all over the world write to Big Ben. They even send birthday presents, bottles of oil to help keep Big Ben running. Big Ben is not only a clock but also a dear friend of people.
1. Big Ben's birthday is ________.| A．July 11, 1854 | B．July 11, 1834 |
| C．July 11, 1859 | D．July 11, 1852 |
| A．The king gave it the name. |
| B．Victoria gave it the name. |
| C．Big Ben got its name because of Benjamin Hall. |
| D．Big Ben got its name from the Queen of the UK. |
| A．have a good time | B．show people the correct time |
| C．keep running | D．be made in time |
| A．People think Big Ben will reply their letters. |
| B．People all over the world even send oil to Big Ben. |
| C．People all over the world look upon Big Ben as their friend. |
| D．People think Big Ben is the biggest and best clock in the world. |
| A．a man who built Big Ben |
| B．a man who was always very funny |
| C．the man who burnt down the old clock |
| D．a man who attended the meeting |
6 . September 22 every year is World Car Free Day. Many people across the world ride bikes to have fun, exercise or as a way to get from one place to another. In fact, 65.人们200多年前就习惯在日常生活中骑单车。Although bikes have changed a lot over the years, one thing stays the same: two wheels and a lot of fun. As an invention of great importance, just like the smart phone today, it’s worth remembering how the development of the bicycle in the late 19th century changed societies.
66 .In the 1890s the bicycle was a must-have for people, so they could go anywhere they wanted. For the first time m the history, people were able to come and go as they pleased. There is no more need for expensive horses and carriages (马车). By 1898 cycling had become such a popular activity in the United States.
67. It is believed that the Englishman. John Starley, was the inventor of the modern bicycle. His uncle had developed the penny-farthing, an early type of bicycle that had a very large front wheel (轮子) and a small back wheel, in 1870s. However, many people were afraid to ride such a high wheel bicycle then. So in 1885 Starley changed the bicycle in 885 with the “Rover Safety Bicycle” the bike looked like the bikes we ride today. 68 It had two wheels of the same size and a low seat between them, which made the bike safer and easier to ride.
69. 各种各样的有创意的单车被生产 because people have new ideas and needs for bicycles every year. The design of bikes keeps changing in interesting ways. Who knows what bikes will look like in the future?
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Throughout history, most masks are made to change identity. Medical masks, on the other hand, are meant to protect. Here is a brief history of their evolution.
17th century
Doctors wore a uniform that included a headdress with a long, pointed beak filled with aromatics(芳香料) to stop bad smell and fight against contagion(传染) carried by bad air. The historical mask is on show in a museum in Berlin.
19th century
In an article in Scientific American in 1878, A. J. Jessup, a New York physician, recommended cotton masks to limit contagion during epidemics (widespread of a disease). However, his idea did not catch on.
Early 20th century
Researchers published the first study encouraging the use of medical masks in 1897, but they were uncommon at the turn of the century.
In 1905, Chicago physician Alice Hamilton published an article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. "A student in a large medical college in Chicago told me that when the doctor talked to others during an operation, he could see a spray of saliva(唾液) coming from the mouth of the doctor," Alice Hamilton wrote, "so masks should be worn by doctors and nurses in every operation."
During the 1918 global flu, medical workers usually wore masks to protect themselves, and many cities required masks in public. In Seattle, streetcars required all riders to have masks.
In the 1920s, masks became standard in operating rooms. Over the next century, medical researchers went on with experiment on designs and materials of masks.
Post-World WarⅡ
Because of the heavy air pollution, Britons had to wear "smog masks". As developed countries cleaned up their pollution, smog and smog masks moved to developing countries. Mask models such as N95 and KN90 became highly popular.
As we can see, masks have been helping mankind for centuries. Wearing medical masks is widely believed to be an easy but effective method to protect oneself from different kinds of harmful things.
1. Is the historical mask on show in a museum in Berlin?______________________________________________________________
2. What kind of masks did A. J. Jessup recommend?
______________________________________________________________
3. When did masks become standard in operating rooms?
______________________________________________________________
4. Why did Britons have to wear "smog masks"?
______________________________________________________________
5. What is the passage mainly about?
______________________________________________________________
 | In the Warring States Period, the State of Qin had a fight with the State of Zhao, Zhao needed some talented people to ask for help from Chu. Then Mao Sui—the man who believed he was the right person for this task came and recommended (推荐) himself. And he made the king of Chu send the army to help successfully. Zhao was safe. From then on, Mao Sui became a well-known hero of the state. |
 | One day, Shang Yang put a thin wooden stick near the south gate of the capital of Qin. He promised to pay 10 gold pieces to anyone who could move it to the north gate. It was such a simple job that all the people thought Shang was joking. Then he added 40 more gold pieces. A man moved it and he really got 50 gold pieces. After that, the people of Qin believed Shang was a man of his word. So they all followed Shang's new laws later. |
 | Wang Xizhi was one of the most famous calligraphers（书法家）during the Eastern Jin Dynasty of China. When he was very young, he practiced his art every day and never stopped. One day, Wang Xizhi wrote in wood for an engraver（雕刻师）to cut. Then the engraver found the ink had penetrated （渗透） one centimeter into the wood. Now "Ru Mu San Fen" is often used to describe sharp ideas or useful views. |
 | Yu Boya was good at playing the qin (琴). One day , when he was playing the music that described green mountains and clear water, a man called Zhong Ziqi said, “I seem to see high mountains and running water while I was listening to your music.” Boya knew he found a good friend who really understood him. Unluckily, Boya couldn't meet Ziqi anymore after that because he had died of an illness. He was so sad that he broke the qin and never played it again. |
1. The state of ________ saved Zhao out of trouble finally.
| A．Qin | B．Han | C．Yan | D．Chu |
| A．protect his state | B．have new friends |
| C．get people’s trust | D．make more money |
| A．Mao Sui recommended himself | B．High mountains and running water |
| C．Build trust by using a wooden pole | D．Zhuang Zhou dreamed of a butterfly |
| A．A man of his word. | B．Sharp ideas or useful views. |
| C．A well-known hero of the state. | D．A famous calligrapher. |
| A．Ma Sui | B．Shang Yang | C．Zhong Ziqi | D．Yu Boya |
Pliny the Elder (老普林尼) wrote the first encyclopaedia with the help of his nephew. This work was made up of 37 books and had many subjects such as anthropology(人类学) and painting. Through the following few centuries, encyclopaedias were connected to religion (宗教). The first Christian edition appeared in 560 AD, and the first Muslim volume came to light soon after.
One of the longest encyclopaedias ever was produced in 1403 when The Yongle Encyclopaedia《永乐大典》appeared in China. It had 11,095 volumes. Most of the original work has been lost. Through the centuries, and people can see less than 400 volumes today. The word “encyclopaedia” coming from Greek means “a general knowledge”. It has been in use for at least 500 years.
In the 20th century, the Encyclopaedia Britannica became the most well known western work of this type. At the same time, topical encyclopaedias became the most popular, covering different topics. At the end of the century, many publishers began to publish them in digital formats such as Compact Discs (CDs) and Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs).
1. How many books did the first encyclopaedia have?
| A．Thirty-seven. | B．Twenty-seven. | C．Thirty-eight. | D．Seventeen. |
| A．In 37 AD | B．In 560 AD | C．Before 37 AD | D．Before 560 AD |
| A．Chinese. | B．English. | C．German. | D．Greek. |
| A．The Yongle Encyclopaedia. | B．Topical encyclopaedias. |
| C．The Encyclopaedia Britannica. | D．The first Christian edition. |
| A．the history of encyclopaedias |
| B．the kinds of encyclopaedias |
| C．one of the longest encyclopaedias |
| D．the most popular encyclopaedia |
10 . Although people around the world seem to enjoy drinking coffee, they don’t all have the same coffee culture. In Europe, coffee shops are common places for people to meet friends and to talk while drinking coffee. Instead, people in North America liked to drink coffee in their homes with friends. The coffee culture in the USA changed when Starbucks coffee shops spread across the country.
The first Starbucks coffee shop opened in 1971 in Seattle, Washington, in the USA. It was a small coffee shop that cooked its own coffee beans. The coffee shop’s business did well, and by 1981 there were three Starbucks stores in Seattle.
Things began to change for the company in 1981. That year, Howard Schultz met the three men who ran Starbucks. Schultz worked in New York for a company that made kitchen equipment. He noticed that Starbucks ordered a large number of special coffee makers, which caused his great interest. Schultz went to Seattle to see what Starbucks did. In 1982, the original Starbucks owners hired(雇佣) Schultz as the company’s head of marketing(市场营销).
In 1983, Schultz traveled to Italy. The special environment of the espresso(浓咖啡) bars there caught his eyes. Back in the USA, Schultz created an environment for Starbucks coffee shops that was comfortable and casual, and customers everywhere seemed to like it. Starbucks began opening more stores across the USA. Then the company opened coffee shops in other countries as well. Today, there are more than 16,000 Starbucks coffee shops all over the world.
However, that does not mean Starbucks has not had problems. In fact, many Starbucks stores have closed over the past few years. On the one hand, this is because there were too many coffee shops competing for business in one small area. On the other hand, stores in some countries closed because the coffee culture there did not match with the “feel the same everywhere” environment offered by Starbucks.
1. What is the passage mainly about?| A．What kind of coffee people like. | B．What can be added to coffee. |
| C．How a company has grown. | D．How good coffee can be made. |
| A．It opened only three stores. | B．Its head of marketing worked in New York. |
| C．It was run by Howard Schultz. | D．Its coffee beans were from Italy. |
| A．Starbucks closed most of its US shops. |
| B．Schultz opened a Starbucks shop in Italy in 1983. |
| C．Starbucks offer a comfortable and casual environment. |
| D．There are over 16,000 Starbucks in the US. |
| A．Because all of the coffee tasted the same. |
| B．Because the coffee in these places was too expensive. |
| C．Because the people had no coffee culture in these countries. |
| D．Because there were too many coffee shops in one place. |
