1 . 阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

People came to the area that's now New Mexico more than 12,000 years ago. Experts think they migrated from    1    is now Russia across a land bridge    2    (call) the Bering Strait during the last Ice Age. Thousands of years    3     (late), native American tribes including the Apache, Zuni, Navajo and Pueblos lived on the land.

In 1540, a Spanish    4    (explore), Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, came to the area in search of cities made of gold     5    were rumored (谣传) to exist in the America. He didn't discover treasure, but over the next century the Spanish colonized the land. Then in 1821, Mexico declared its independence    6    Spain, and the area became part of Mexico. But after the United States won the Mexican- American War in 1848, New Mexico became an American territory. In 1912, it    7    (declare) the 47th state.

When the Spanish set out to explore the region, they hoped to find land as    8    (value)as what they had found earlier in Mexico. So they    9    (name) the area Nueva Mexico.(“Nueva” means “new” in Spanish.) As for the word" Mexico”, some experts think it's a version of a name that the Aztecs (a cultural group from Mexico) had for one of their gods.

The state has beautiful scenery from    10     ( mountain) to forests and deserts. This earns it the nickname the Land of Enchantment.

2 . Have you ever been into a cave? If not, please follow us and explore some of the most beautiful caves from around the world!

Marble Caves

Located in the center of Lake General Carrera, the Marble Caves in Chico, Chile, are only accessible by boat. The surrounding crystal clear waters allow visitors to see the rock formations beneath them while the rock ceilings above change color(depending on the writer levels and the season). The best time to visit: during sunrise and sunset, when the sun’s rays light up the cave walls, making it an experience to remember.

Reed Flute Cave

Reed F1ute Cave known as “the Palace of Natural Arts” is located in the northwest of Guilin in southern China.The limestone cave offers a grand fairyland of stalactites(钟乳石), stone pillars, stone curtains, birds, plants and animals in fantastic shapes and colors.

Fingal’s Cave

This incredible sea cave is located on the uninhabited island of Staffa in Scotland. The cave’s size, shape, and naturally—arched(拱形的) roof combine with the waves to create strange sounds that enhance its cathedral—like atmosphere.

The Blue Grotto

The Blue Grotto is the symbol of Capri. It is a sea cave found on the coast of the island and is a well-known spot to all who visit the area. This cave is unique for its brilliant blue light which comes from two sources: the entrance to the cave and a bigger hole beneath the entrance. When viewed from inside the cave, the entrance appears as a brilliant white light just above the waterline, while the underwater hole, which is the larger source of light, provides a blue light.

1. Why is sunset the best time to visit Marble Caves?

A．Because it has enough light in it.

B．Because it has the most beautiful scenery.

C．Because it is surrounded by clear waters.

D．Because boats are only available at sunset.

2. Which cave will you go to if you want to enjoy the strange sound?

A．Reed F1ute Cave.	B．Marble Caves.
C．The Blue Grotto.	D．Fingal’s Cave.

3. What is special about the Blue Grotto?

A．C1ear waters.	B．Various birds and animals.
C．Bright blue light.	D．Strange shapes.

3 . Theaters of the Past

The Greek Theater

Theaters developed in many parts of Greece. Ancient Greek theaters were built in natural open air sites on conveniently shaped hills. This allowed a great mass of people to enjoy a show at a time. Due to this, actors placed emphasis on exaggerated (夸张的) action and speech. And, colorful symbolic masks and costumes were used.

The Medieval Theater

The Medieval theater started in churches. That’s why medieval plays were about Bible stories. At first, it became a custom for priests (牧师) to act out brief scenes during Christmas and Easter. These acts attracted large crowds. Finally the church refused to allow priests to participate in any such events again, so ordinary people began these performances outside. Performances were set in the town square, with several stage settings around it.

The Elizabethan Theater

The England’s theater developed rapidly in the years following the defeat of the Spanish Navy. The dominant feature of Elizabethan theater was the stage, It has three parts: The fore stage for outside scenes ;the inner stage for scenes inside a building; an upper stage or balcony for various purposes. The reason for this design is that there were no scene changes, or breaks during the play. Very little scenery was used, so the actors had to create a scene through their voices and dialogues. This led to a more poetic script , and poets became the main source of script writing.

The Restoration Theater

Some of the plays told sad stories, but the majority of the plays were really funny. Many specialized machines were used to create the scene. The stage was a very clever idea , in that on the sides of the stage large back shutters (百叶窗) were painted with the scene.

1. Why were ancient Greek theaters built on hills?

A．To hold a large audience.

B．To build a big and strong stage.

C．To have a better sound effect.

D．To emphasize exaggerated performances.

2. In which theater could actors’ voices and speech help create scenes?

A．The Greek Theater.

B．The Medieval Theater,

C．The Elizabethan Theater,

D．The Restoration Theater.

3. What is special about the Restoration Theater?

A．Colorful masks were used.

B．The stage was smartly designed.

C．Most of its plays were sorrowful.

D．Ordinary people were the performers.