1 .

In the 1880s, gold was discovered in Alaska, the USA. Many people came to the area hoping to get_______. New towns were built and grew quickly. One such town called Iditarod grew so quickly during 1909 that it became the largest city in Alaska. In the summer months, basic supplies (日用品) could be taken to those towns by_______. but in the winter the rivers and the ocean frozen and there was no way to get to them. So, in 1910, a winter track (小道) was built which would be used by teams of dogs pulling sleds (雪橇).

The track became known as the Iditarod Trail. It took a team of dogs about three weeks to travel_______Alaska. They stopped at "roadhouses" where the drivers could get a_______bed for the night and something to eat for both themselves and their dogs. The trail was used every_______until the 1920s when planes replaced boats and dog teams.

However, in 1925, a disease called diphtheria_______the city of Nome. The disease could be cured, but, sadly, the nearest medicine that could be found was in Anchorage, right on the other side of Alaska. Planes were still quite new, so no one knew if they could fly in such cold weather. So it was_______that the medicine would be carried using teams of dogs instead.

The trip was over 1,000 kilometres, most of it along the Iditarod Trail. It took twenty teams just six days to_______the journey. Leonhard travelled the first 400 of those kilometres. He had to trust his dog Togo's ability to find the way in the blinding snow. The last part of the journey was done by Gunnar. His lead dog was Balto. At one point Balto_______to go any further and saved the team from falling into icy water. The disease was stopped and Balto became a hero.

Nowadays a dog sled race is held every year from Anchorage to Nome,________the route of that famous journey in 1925. It is called the Iditarod and has become known as "The Last Great Race on Earth".

1.

A．free

B．famous

C．rich

D．safe

2.

A．truck

B．boat

C．air

D．railway

3.

A．among

B．along

C．around

D．across

4.

A．warm

B．free

C．soft

D．clean

5.

A．spring

B．summer

C．autumn

D．winter

6.

A．dropped

B．passed

C．hit

D．controlled

7.

A．agreed

B．felt

C．proved

D．insisted

8.

A．start

B．make

C．continue

D．cover

9.

A．regretted

B．refused

C．managed

D．expected

10.

A．following

B．planning

C．choosing

D．sharing

2 . The umbrella is a very common object. It keeps the________and the sun off the people. Most umbrellas can be folded up（折叠）so it is________to carry them.

However, the umbrella was not always as________as it is now. In the past, it was a symbol of importance. Some African countries still use umbrellas in this________. Someone carries an umbrella and walks behind the king or the important person.

Umbrellas have a long history. People in different parts of the world began to________umbrellas at different times. The Chinese had them more than 3,000 years ago. From there umbrellas________to India and Egypt. In Greece and Rome, ________wouldn't use them. They believed umbrellas were only for women.

England was________the first country in Europe where common people used umbrellas against rain. The weather there is very________and umbrellas are very useful.

Everybody uses umbrellas today. The next time you________one, thinking that for centuries only great men and women used them, you'll feel you are the important person, too.

1.

A．cloud

B．coin

C．rain

D．cotton

2.

A．helpful

B．local

C．easy

D．daily

3.

A．light

B．heavy

C．common

D．historical

4.

A．way

B．size

C．reason

D．trade

5.

A．discover

B．use

C．examine

D．circle

6.

A．walked

B．travelled

C．rode

D．reflect

7.

A．children

B．parents

C．men

D．granddaughter

8.

A．probably

B．already

C．suddenly

D．still

9.

A．sunny

B．rainy

C．snowy

D．cloudy

10.

A．carry

B．return

C．borrow

D．knock

3 . The word “plastic” comes from the Greek word “Platicos” and is used to describe something that can be easily shaped.

The history of plastics is longer than you might___________ . In fact the first man-made plastic ever to appear on the market was made over a hundred years ago. It was called “celluloid（赛璐璐）”. It was discovered by ___________an English man and an American in the same year.___________ it was the Americans who first produced it on a large scale（规模）during the year 1860. Everybody was ___________by this new material which could be moulded（用模子做）into shapes and was so cheap to buy.

Poor young men working in cities with lots of smoke and dirt were ___________ to buy white celluloid collars （领子）. The collars were hard and uncomfortable but they did not have to be sent to wash. The poor young men could rub them clean every evening with soap and water! Poor mothers, who had not been able to afford toys for their children, were now able to buy them toys___________ of celluloid.

But celluloid had one very serious fault. It caught fire very easily. In fact it burned even more quickly than wood or cloth. There were many terrible accidents, particularly___________ children. For years scientists worked hard to find a better plastic material than celluloid. They had _________ success. Then in 1932 an American scientist called Baekeland produced a hard plastic material which did not burn. It became known as bakelite（酚醛塑料）. Other plastic materials like bakelite were also produced. They were used to make electrical fittings （配件）and plates and cups. Poor people liked them because they were both cheap and___________, but rich people disliked them because they were cheap, and because they could only be made ___________dark colors.

1.

A．wish

B．think

C．want

D．hope

2.

A．both

B．neither

C．either

D．between

3.

A．So

B．But

C．And

D．As

4.

A．surprised

B．excited

C．told

D．frightened

5.

A．worried

B．sure

C．afraid

D．able

6.

A．done

B．produced

C．worked

D．made

7.

A．between

B．on

C．among

D．about

8.

A．much

B．great

C．never

D．little

9.

A．hard

B．soft

C．safe

D．dangerous

10.

A．in

B．by

C．from

D．of

4 . _________ is a much-loved and active sport, and more than 100 million people play in over 200 countries. In China, sometimes you can see people playing basketball in parks, _________ and even in factories.

Basketball was _________ by a Canadian doctor named James Naismith, who was born in 1861. When _________ was at college, his teacher asked the class to think of a game that can be played in the winter. Dr. Naismith created a game to be played inside on a hard floor. Dr. Naismith divided the men in his class _________ two teams and taught them to play his new game. The purpose of the game _________ for players to get a ball into the “basket”. _________ on the same team must work together to help each other get the ball in the other team’s basket. At the same time, they need to stop the competing team from _________ the ball into their own basket.

It is believed that on December 21, 1891, the first basketball game in history was played. Then in 1936 in Berlin, it _______ an event at the Olympics. Today, the popularity of basketball has risen around the world, with many young people dreaming of becoming famous players. Basketball has not only become a popular sport to play, it has also become __________ more popular sport to watch.

1.

A．Football

B．Basketball

C．Volleyball

D．Table tennis

2.

A．schools

B．school

C．farm

D．zoo

3.

A．invent

B．invents

C．inventing

D．invented

4.

A．He

B．he

C．she

D．Jack

5.

A．for

B．at

C．into

D．by

6.

A．is

B．am

C．are

D．be

7.

A．Boys

B．Girls

C．Player

D．Players

8.

A．geting

B．getting

C．gets

D．get

9.

A．become

B．has become

C．became

D．becoming

10.

A．the

B．an

C．a

D．/

5 . Time capsules（胶囊）are small collections of things or information that are stored（存储）somewhere safe.They can_______by people in many years and give future people a view of life in the past.They may have newspaper articles,popular music recordings and photos.Historians can use time capsules to _______more about people that lived in the past. One of _______time capsules was the Detroit Century Box.On December 31,1900,the city put several photos and letters in a box.The box wasn't opened _______people took it out on December 31,2000.The things inside the capsule _______us a look at Detroit in the past.There _______ photos of people and places,as well as letters written by local people.Some of them even made_______for the future.For example,one person predicted that Detroit would have a population of 4 million by 2000.But _______,the population of the city was 951,000 that year,according to history Detroit.com.Humans have _______   sent time capsules into space! The US sent two capsules into space on the Voyager spacecraft （航天器）in 1977.They're called the Voyager Golden Records.They contain （包含）sounds and pictures that show human life and culture.For example, they have__________ by classical musician Beethoven and pictures of plants,insects and landscapes （风景）. The Voyager spacecraft has traveled far away from our solar system （太阳系）.It is hoped that aliens might find the time capsules some day and learn about humans.1.

A．open

B．opened

C．be opened

D．be open

2.

A．change

B．learn

C．take

D．worry

3.

A．earliest

B．the earliest

C．the early

D．the earlier

4.

A．until

B．when

C．after

D．since

5.

A．thought

B．made

C．caught

D．gave

6.

A．was

B．are

C．were

D．will be

7.

A．questions

B．inventions

C．predictions

D．suggestions

8.

A．in fact

B．at first

C．in total

D．at last

9.

A．never

B．even

C．hardly

D．seldom

10.

A．sports

B．paintings

C．rock

D．music

6 . Chewing gum (口香糖) may be one of your favorite sweets. But did you know how it was ____?

The sweet was invented by American scientist Thomas Adams. However, he invented it completely __ .

It was 1869. Earlier that year, one of Adams' friends showed him an interesting kind of sap (树汁). His friend told him_____ people in Central America liked to chew (咀嚼) on it for fun. Hundreds of years passed, people didn't do that any longer. But Adams was interested in the sap. He wanted to use it to create some new ____ .

Adams, however, ________ to create the products he wanted. He felt bored and________ and happened to chew on the sap. _______ , the sap tasted great. Adams then added something else to the sap and started selling it. Later in 1869, he opened a factory to produce this delicious _______ .

In 1888, Adams gave a ________ to the invention: "chewing gum." The sweet can be got from selling machines at underground stations all over New York City. Over the years, new kinds have been _______ . Now, chewing gum is popular among many people. However, few people know this was all started by an American scientist from a mistake.

1.

A．eaten

B．polluted

C．sold

D．invented

2.

A．in public

B．by mistake

C．in person

D．by hand

3.

A．ancient

B．single

C．famous

D．sick

4.

A．products

B．records

C．crops

D．fruits

5.

A．agreed

B．preferred

C．failed

D．afforded

6.

A．angry

B．nervous

C．lucky

D．satisfied

7.

A．Usually

B．Surprisingly

C．Slowly

D．Clearly

8.

A．dish

B．meal

C．drink

D．treat

9.

A．method

B．name

C．prize

D．menu

10.

A．divided

B．stored

C．developed

D．repeated

7 . Choose the words. or expressions and complete the passage（选择最恰当的单词或词组完成短文）

When Levi Strauss arrived in the United States from Bavaria, he was only seventeen, poor and knew very _______ English. Like most immigrants（移民）, he was looking for a better life. So, he went to California to _______gold in 1849. _______ he planned to open a shop in San Francisco, he took many goods with him, included a large _______of canvas（大量帆布）. He hoped to sell it. However, business was not _______ he had expected. One day, when he sat in cafe in a small town, he had an idea. He saw a man with a hole in the leg of his trousers and suddenly realized, what Californians needed for the hard and rough work they were doing-good, _______ trousers.

1.

A．little

B．some

C．few

D．easy

2.

A．find

B．look

C．discover

D．seek

3.

A．Though

B．Unless

C．If

D．Because

4.

A．quantity

B．amounts

C．number

D．numbers

5.

A．as far as

B．as well

C．as good as

D．as soon as

6.

A．thin

B．strong

C．black

D．big

8 . Beautiful pictures of mountains and forests, clear skies, flying birds, wild animals, silly faces—you can find them all in one place. Where? On a postcard! Have people always ______ postcards? No! Before postcards, people ______ sealed（密封的）letters.

The idea for the first decorated postcard   ______ to John P. Charlton in 1861. He thought a simple card ______ a border would be a great way to send a note. Then in the late 1800s, postcards which had pictures on them appeared. By law, people had to write their note on the front-on the picture! The back was only for the address. Several years later, England allowed divided-back（背面隔开的）postcard. Then people could write their ______ on the back left side. And they put the address on the right. During the early 1900s, the golden age of postcards, people around the world were more and more interested in picture postcards. In 1908, Americans alone mailed over 677 million postcards.

Today, postcards are the third most popular ______ in the world after stamps and coins. You can always see or get a lot of newly-designed postcards, especially on New Year's Day.

1.

A．sold

B．sent

C．bought

D．made

2.

A．liked

B．hated

C．found

D．lost

3.

A．turned

B．seen

C．given

D．came

4.

A．above

B．with

C．under

D．for

5.

A．note

B．word

C．address

D．letter

6.

A．legend

B．miracle

C．favourite

D．collection

9 . ______ Americans think that ice-cream is ______ American as baseball and apple pie. But ice-cream was known _______ America was discovered. The Roman emperor Nero may _______ made a kind of ice-cream. He asked _______ men to bring snow and ice from the mountains. He used it to make cold drinks. Traveler Marco polo brought back recipes for chilled and frozen milk from China.

Today ice-cream is known _______.Americans alone eat more than two billion quarts (夸脱) a year.

1.

A．None

B．Some

C．Most

D．All

2.

A．as

B．like

C．more

D．so

3.

A．long after

B．long before

C．before long

D．after long

4.

A．have

B．has

C．had

D．having

5.

A．one hundred of

B．all of

C．hundreds of

D．one

6.

A．in the world

B．out of the world

C．by the world

D．throughout the world

10 . Just like Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty is a famous cartoon character. You can see her on many ______ of things, like bags, clothes, food and books. People all over the world love the ______ Hello Kitty.

44 years ago, a Japanese company Sanrio made Hello Kitty. It first ______ on a wallet. To people’s ______, in the artist’s design, Hello Kitty is a ______! That’s why people always see her ______ with two feet.

Hello Kitty is in the third ______ in her school. Her favorite ______ is apple pie. She lives with her parents and twin sister ______ London. It is quiet there. And her grandpa and grandma live far away in a forest. On weekends, her father often drives his ______ to take them to visit her ______. It’s ______ that Hello Kitty even has a pet cat like herself.

The artist said 44 years ago, many Japanese worked and ______ in Britain, so she made Hello Kitty a(n) ______ person. Hello Kitty has a very______ life now. She’s the symbol of all the good things.

1.

A．shapes

B．kinds

C．colors

D．prices

2.

A．cute

B．careless

C．angry

D．possible

3.

A．wrote

B．brought

C．appeared

D．turned

4.

A．hope

B．surprise

C．answer

D．dream

5.

A．girl

B．boy

C．cat

D．dog

6.

A．laughing

B．talking

C．standing

D．eating

7.

A．floor

B．grade

C．name

D．place

8.

A．drink

B．person

C．restaurant

D．food

9.

A．inside

B．from

C．near

D．far

10.

A．bike

B．car

C．horse

D．bus

11.

A．friends

B．teachers

C．grandparents

D．classmates

12.

A．interesting

B．important

C．different

D．normal

13.

A．played

B．lived

C．solves

D．invited

14.

A．Australia

B．British

C．Chinese

D．American

15.

A．difficult

B．meaningless

C．happy

D．unlucky