1 . For six hundred years, the Tower of London’s most exotic (异域风情的) prisoners were animals.

The Menagerie (动物园) began as a result of kings exchanging rare and strange animals as gifts. In 1235, Henry III was delighted to be presented with three wildcats by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. These inspired him to start a zoo at the Tower. Henry’s ‘wildcats’, although described as leopards, were probably lions. These are the ancestors of the three lions that still appear on the England football team’s shirts today.

In 1252 the lions were joined by a white bear probably a polar bear — given by the King of Norway. In 1255, the King of France sent the first elephant ever seen in England and people flocked together to see the novel (新奇的) sight. Sadly, the elephant died two years later.

Poor treatment and cramped conditions meant many of the animals did not survive for long. But the Menagerie continued to grow. Edward I created a permanent new home for the Menagerie at the western entrance to the Tower in what became known as the Lion Tower. The terrifying sounds and smells of wild animals must have both impressed and scared visitors.

By 1622, the collection had been extended to include three eagles, two pumas, a tiger and a jackal, as well as lions and leopards, who were the main attractions.

However, the end of the Menagerie came in the 1830s. Campaigners had begun to raise concerns, and the animals were expensive, occasionally dangerous and a nuisance to the guardsmen. The Duke of Wellington sent 150 of the beasts to a new zoo in Regent’s Park, today’s London Zoo.

Despite Alfred Cops’s best efforts to carry on, several further incidents including an escaped wolf and a monkey that bit a guardsman’s leg convinced King William IV to shut down the Menagerie for good in 1835. The remaining animals were sold to zoos and travelling shows and the Lion Tower was later pulled down.

1. What do we know about the elephant presented in 1255?

A．It caused big trouble.	B．It received much attention.
C．It lived painfully in the Lion Tower.	D．It died before the polar bear came in.

2. How many types of animals at the Menagerie are mentioned in the text?

A．Eight.

B．Nine.

C．Ten.

D．Eleven.

3. For what reason was the Menagerie closed at last?

A．Security concerns.	B．The decline of tourism.
C．Pressure from campaigners.	D．Financial burden to raise the animals.

4. Which is the best title for the text?

A．The Royal Menagerie	B．Gifts Presented to the King
C．Tourist Attractions in London	D．Miserable Life in the Lion Tower

2 . 假定你是学生李华, 你去参加英语夏令营，老师要求每个学生介绍自己的家乡。请你写一篇演讲稿介绍你的家乡。要点如下:
1. 地理位置。
2. 人口历史。
3. 其他情况。
注意:
1. 写作词数应为80左右；
2. 请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Dear friends,

I would like to introduce my hometown to you.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Thank you and welcome to my hometown!

3 . The Malaysian night market is based on a concept of open-air shopping where streel vendors (小贩) take over a designated street to set up stalls (货摊). The night market is the place where you can hang around the stalls, enjoy the smell of local foods and maybe pick up some items.

Each night market comprises a different combination of stalls.     1    There is always something new and exciting to look forward to at each visit.

The night markets are typically from 5 p.m. till 10:30 p.m. You can get anything from night markets, be it groceries, clothing, good local food, hot snacks, household items, fresh produce, and even the latest styles. By around 6 p.m., the market is in full swing as the first groups of people sweep in. For those who cook, there is stall upon stall selling fresh seafood, meat products, and a limitless variety of vegetables.    2    .

It is no secret that all-night markets share a common treasure — tasty street cuisine.    3     The ever-popular soybean drink and sugarcane juice are a permanent feature here.

    4    Therefore, it is not a place for the faint-hearted or the gentle. To many, they are fun and thrilling places to explore. You can even be addicted to discoveries of the antique kind which can be found in some night markets.

Some places are 24-hour markets, which are livelier at night when traders set up numerous stalls selling unusual local food, exotic tropical (热带的) fruits, cheap clothes, second-hand goods as well as fresh produce. The night market is truly an exciting experience and a feast for the eyes on a tropical night out. The atmosphere is almost festive.    5    .

A．Your curiosity will be satisfied here.

B．There is so much to see, buy and eat.

C．People would complain about the noises here.

D．Noisy crowds are the hallmark of the night market.

E．It would be a regret not to try on mouth-watering local dishes.

F．New items are constantly being added on in line with current trends and market demand.

G．Dried and preserved items such as dried beef and salted eggs are easily available here too.

4 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. Whose birthday was celebrated last Sunday?

A．Anna’s.

B．Jason’s.

C．The waiter’s.

2. What kind of food did Anna choose?

A．Italian food.

B．French food.

C．Japanese food.

3. What was the environment like at the restaurant?

A．Relaxing.

B．Terrible.

C．Noisy.

4. What does the speaker think of the meal?

A．Unfresh.

B．Great.

C．Tasteless.

5 . You know by now that dirt is good for lots of things: growing plants, feeding worms, even the occasional mud bath. But building houses? Absolutely.

People build houses with dirt because it is plentiful, really cheap, and fireproof. Thick dirt walls keep you warm in winter and cool in summer. And you can build a whole house with few tools other than your own two hands.

In fact, dirt is so good for building things that half the people in the world live in houses made of mud. Maybe even you!

Mud works best for building where it’s dry for most of the year. If there’s too much rain, the walls of your mud house could melt like ice cream on a warm day.But in places that don’t see many storm clouds, mud bricks (砖块),which are baked hard in the sun or in a hot oven, can be as strong and durable as stone. In Africa, some mud­brick buildings have been standing for thousands of years.

In the southwestern United States, American Indians built four­story apartment buildings from mud bricks called adobe (土坯). And on the Great Plains, the first white settlers saw an ocean of grass as tall as oxen, but few trees for building houses. So they made their houses out of sod, dirt held together by the thick, tangled roots of prairie grass.

Most sod houses became worm food years ago, but many of the buildings you see every day are pure dirt.The bricks that may make up the walls of your house or school are made of clay that’s been baked in a fiery kiln (炉). So the next time someone says a building is made of bricks, correct them. You know it’s really made of plain old dirt.

1. What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?

A．The way to build houses of dirt.	B．The best time to build houses of dirt.
C．The reasons to build houses of dirt.	D．The places to build houses of dirt.

2. Which of the following is the best place to build such houses in?

A．Places where it rains most of the year.

B．Places where there are many storm clouds.

C．Places where there is little rain all the year around.

D．Places where it is cold in winter and hot in summer.

3. The first white settlers built houses with sods because        .

A．the grass was as tall as oxen	B．they were as strong as stones
C．they could make a garden on the roof	D．they were lack of wood

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Sod houses could be destroyed by worms.	B．Sod houses could last as long as stone ones.
C．Sod bricks are baked in the oven.	D．Sod bricks are really made of pure dirt.

6 . 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。

For Greek photographer George Doupas, Beijing is home now. During the past decade, he has been photographing the city, capturing its beauty     1     sharing these photos online and in exhibitions.

“This     2     (true) represents Beijing — the old and the new, nicely mixing together,” Doupas said while showing his photograph of the Zhihua Temple, a delicate Ming Dynasty building. It     3     (locate) in front of a modern office building, Galaxy SOHO, which features weaving bridges and interlocking passageways.

With rich historical heritage, Beijing     4     (be) an important center of traditional Chinese culture since the Ming Dynasty. Doupas often gets     5     (lose) in the city’s splendid ancient architecture. Meanwhile, he is also amazed by the modern city     6    (combine) high-end businesses and various industries. “It is fascinating to see a rapidly-developing city that invests so much effort in preserving its past, which is     7     I decided to pursue my career here,” he said.

Doupas is determined to continue with his career in China, hoping to serve as     8     bridge between China and the West. The     9     (display) that show his photos about Beijing have attracted a large audience in Greece and the Czech Republic.

“I call Beijing my home now,” he said, “I’ll keep sharing photos of China     10     the rest of the world.”

7 . Four Historic American Theatres

Today, theatres remain a key part of a city’s lifeblood. The following are four historic theatres in America.

Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis, MN

The Pantages Theatre, which now seats 1,014, opened in 1916 as part of Alexander Pantages’s well-known group of theatres. It was designed by the local firm Kees and Colburn. In 1922, the theatres was rebuilt by Scottish theatres architect Benjamin Marcus Priteca. After going through several owners, in 1984, it was closed and remained unopened until 1996. Some theatre supporters had it repaired and improved, resulting in its reopening in 2002.

Saenger Theatre, New Orleans, LA

New Orleans’s Saenger Theatre was built two years before the Great Depression, in 1927, and cost a then unheard-of $ 2.5 million. It was designed by Emile Weil, featuring a 15th-century Florentine courtyard and gardens, and Greek and Roman statues. Although the theatre was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, after a $ 53 million renovation (修葺), it reopened in 2013.

Thalian Hall, Wilmington, NC

Thalian Hall has been in almost continuous use since its opening in 1858. It is the only surviving theatre designed by John Montague Trimble, one of America’s foremost 19th-century theatre architects, and originally housed the town government, a library, as well as an “Opera House”, seating 1, 000 people. Some repairs in 1909 led to the removal of the side balconies and the installation of electric stage lights.

Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI

It was originally opened as a movie palace in 1928, and the silent movies it showed were accompanied by a $ 90, 000 Robert Morton organ. After several decades, the theatre suffered from the increased popularity of television, as well as damage by two hurricanes. Over the past decade and a half, it has undergone extensive renovations and modernization.

1. What can we know about the Pantages Theatre?

A．It has a seating capacity of 1, 916.	B．It will be turned into a movie house.
C．It was designed by Alexander Pantages.	D．It was once shut down for over a decade.

2. Of the following theatres, which is the oldest?

A．Pantages Theatre.

B．Saenger Theatre.

C．Thalian Hall.

D．Providence Performing Arts Center

3. What do the listed theatres have in common?

A．They went through major renovations.

B．They were hit by terrible natural disasters.

C．They were built by American theatre architects.

D．They belong o Alexander Pantages’s group of theatres.

8 . Libraries are the temple for book lovers, the main source of knowledge and wisdom. Here are the biggest libraries in the world.

The Library of Congress

The Library of Congress in the US is the biggest library in the world, whose collections are from all around the world. The library has a collection of 32 million cataloged books. It receives 22,000 copies per day from the publication produced in the US. Some of the major works stored in the library are Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence, the world’s most famous architectural designs and so on.

The British Library

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom. It is the second biggest library in the world. It holds 150 million items from different countries. It receives 8,000 copies per day from the publication produced in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Its collection includes 14 million books. Every year over 3 million items are added to the library. The major highlights of the library collection are Diamond Sutra and Alice’s Adventures under Ground.

Library and Archives (档案馆) Canada (LAC)

Canada has the third biggest library in the world. The library holds 20 million books, 24 million photographs and a lot of digital works. Its collection includes The Proclamation of the Canadian Constitution Act, the British North America Act and many more precious works.

The New York Public Library (NYPL)

It is the fourth largest library in the world. It is the public library having 87 branches. The library has a collection of 53 million items. It also has four research libraries which are open to the general public. You can ask and discover about anything on the official website of NYPL.

1. Which of the following works is stored in the Library of Congress?

A．The British North America Act.

B．Alice’s Adventures under Ground.

C．Rough Draft of the Declaration of Independence.

D．The Proclamation of the Canadian Constitution Act.

2. How many new items does the British Library receive every year?

A．About 22,000.	B．More than 8,000.
C．About 14 million.	D．More than 3 million.

3. Which library owns an official website where you can search for all information?

A．Library and Archives Canada.	B．The Library of Congress.
C．The New York Public Library.	D．The British Library.

9 . Travel has become increasingly inconvenient and sometimes impossible over the last couple of years. However, museums around the world are digitizing their collections, enabling people to tour the museums from afar.

The British Museum, London

The British Museum contains objects from around the world, including the Rosetta Stone, with three versions of a text that helped researchers learn to read ancient Egyptian. The Great Court’s ceiling, in the middle of the museum, is composed of 3212 pieces of glass, none of which are alike. The virtual tour of the museum offers a 360-degree view of the room, allowing visitors to look at every piece.

MASP, S ão Paulo

The first modern museum in Brazil, the Museu de Arte de São Paulo includes art from the 14th to the 20th centuries. The paintings, which are placed on glass panels, appear to be floating in mid-air. This setup, included in the virtual tour shows, makes the art appear almost magical.

National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea

This Korean museum includes four branches in different cities and features works of art from Korea and around the world. The art includes a variety of media such as print, sculpture and photography. There are also online exhibitions such as “Artists in Their Times” which traces trends in Korean art since the late 1970s.

The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles County

This museum, with locations in two different places, features art going back to The Neolithic Period. Its virtual tour, accessible through Google Arts & Culture, offers views of more recent works, including some by van Gogh and Renoir. Another platform, Xplorlt, also features views of some of the museum’s outdoor spaces.

1. What can we learn about The British Museum?

A．It is best known for the Rosetta Stone.	B．It tells the changes of ancient Egyptian.
C．It is made up of several pieces of glass.	D．It houses exhibits from different countries.

2. Which museum may suit visitors interested in van Gogh’s works?

A．The British Museum.	B．MASP, São Paulo.
C．National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art.	D．The J. Paul Getty Museum.

3. What do the listed museums have in common?

A．They have several branches.	B．They display their paintings in mid-air.
C．They can be visited in your own home.	D．They are accessible on Google Arts & Culture.

10 . 4 Largest Art Museums in the World

Art museums offer the space to display a wide range of art, from sculptures to paintings. They are located all over the world. This article takes a look at the largest art museums by area.

The Louvre

The Louvre, located in Paris, is the largest art museum in the world. It is considered a historic monument. This building first served as a castle before becoming a royal residence. Under King Louis XIV, it was used to house two art academies. The Louvre Museum was opened with 537 paintings. Today, it is home to around 38, 000 pieces.

State Hermitage Museum

The State Hermitage Museum, located in St. Petersburg, Russia, is the second largest art museum in the world. It has a total area of 719, 480 square feet. This museum, one of the oldest in the world, is home to a collection of over 3, million pieces, including the largest painting collection in the world.

National Museum Of China

The third largest museum is the National Museum of China. Located along Tiananmen Square in Beijing, it covers an area of 700, 000 square feet. Its chief objective is to educate the public and promote the history and arts of China. The National Museum of China houses 1. 05 million pieces in its collection, including the heaviest piece of bronze ware—the 1, 836-pound Simuwu Ding.

Metropolitan Museum Of Art

The fourth largest museum in the world is the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, which covers an area of 633, 100 square feet. Today, this museum is in a building that is 20 times larger than the original and located on the border of Central Park. It is home to more than 2 million pieces. Additionally, it is known for its large collection of musical instruments.

1. What can we know about The Louvre?

A．It was once a military base.

B．It has the largest collection of paintings.

C．Members of the royal family once lived there.

D．Students majoring in art can receive education there now.

2. Which museum has the largest collection of art pieces?

A．Louvre.	B．State Hermitage Museum.
C．National Museum Of China.	D．Metropolitan Museum Of Art.

3. What is Metropolitan Museum Of Art famous for?

A．It is the oldest museum in the world.	B．It receives visitors most in the world.
C．It has the heaviest piece of bronze-ware.	D．It has a large collection of musical instruments.