1 . Look at the keyboard of any standard typewriter or computer. “Q” “W” “E” “R” “T” and “Y” are the first six letters. Who decided on this arrangement of the letters? And why?
People tried for centuries to invent the typewriter. In 1714 in England, Henry Mill filed a patent for a machine called An Artificial Machine Or Method for the Impressing or Transcribing of Letters, Singly or Progressively one after another, as in Writing, drawing upon this way all Writing may be absorbed in Paper so Neat and Exact as not to be distinguished from Print. That machine probably didn’t sell because no one could remember its name!
The first practical typewriter was patented in the United States in 1868 by Christopher Latham Sholes. His machine was known as the type-writer. It had a movable carriage, a lever for turning paper from line to line, and a keyboard on which the letters were arranged in alphabetical order.
But Sholes had a problem. On his first model, his “ABC” key arrangement caused the keys to jam when the typist worked quickly. Sholes didn’t know how to keep the keys from sticking, so his solution was to keep the typist from typing too fast. Sholes asked his brother-in-law to rearrange the keyboard so that the commonest letters were not so close together and the type bars would come from opposite directions. Thus they would not clash together and jam the machine. The new arrangement was the QWERTY arrangement typists use today. Of course. Sholes claimed that the new arrangement was scientific and would add speed and efficiency. The only efficiency it added was to slow the typist down, since almost any word in the English language required the typist’s fingers to cover more distance on the keyboard.
The advantages of the typewriter outweighed the disadvantages of the keyboard. Typists memorized the crazy letter arrangement, and the typewriter became a huge success. By the time typists had memorized the new arrangement of letters and built their speed, typewriter technology had improved, and the keys didn’t stick as badly as they had at first.
1. We know from the passage that the inventor of the first practical typewriter is_________.| A．Henry Mill | B．Christopher Latham Sholes |
| C．Sholes’ brother-in-law | D．Albert Einstein |
| A．it was difficult for people to accept new things |
| B．there were great disadvantages of the key board |
| C．the name of the machine was too long |
| D．the machine could not be distinguished from print |
| A．solve the problem of the keys jamming |
| B．arrange the letters in alphabetical order |
| C．cause the keys to jam when the typist worked quickly |
| D．compete with “ABC” key arrangement |
| A．is the most scientific arrangement |
| B．adds speed and efficiency of typists |
| C．is easy for typists to memorize |
| D．keeps the typist from typing too fast |
| A．The Story of Christopher Latham Sholes |
| B．How to Invent the Typewriter |
| C．The First Practical Typewriter |
| D．The Arrangement of the Letters on Keyboard |
2 . Mona Lisa, the famous picture
Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always
| A．written | B．praised | C．bought | D．painted |
| A．less | B．more | C．worse | D．better |
| A．changes | B．expressions | C．kisses | D．gloves |
| A．see | B．visit | C．greet | D．examine |
| A．laughing | B．smiling | C．crying | D．shouting |
| A．says | B．sits | C．stands | D．stops |
| A．Therefore | B．Otherwise | C．However | D．Instead |
| A．carried | B．hid | C．kept | D．buried |
| A．actually | B．finally | C．really | D．hopefully |
| A．taken | B．destroyed | C．broken | D．stolen |
| A．school | B．museum | C．house | D．factory |
| A．give | B．send | C．take | D．return |
| A．France | B．Germany | C．Italy | D．England |
| A．kept | B．hid | C．put | D．grew |
| A．feet | B．clothes | C．hands | D．hats |
3 . London has already hosted the Olympics twice before and the 2021 Olympics will make it the first city in history to have held three Olympic games.
The first London Olympics in 1908
These games were going to be held in Rome but, because of a volcano, Rome wasn’t ready. London agreed to stage the games and the White City Olympic Stadium was built in just 10 months. What was new at these Olympics was the opening ceremony where athletes paraded (列队行进) with their teams behind their national flags. Only 22 countries took part and the profits were just over ￡21,000!
The second London Olympics
Because of the Second World War, the 1944 Olympics were cancelled. Four years later the war was over and London was able to hold the Games in 1948.Things were very different in London during these Olympic Games and many years of war had left the UK poor and hungry. People called them the “Austerity Games”. But there were still some great sports and some exciting events!
59 countries took part, more than at any other Olympics before and the USA won the most medals with 84. For the first time, cameras filmed the games and broadcast them on television so that people could watch them in their own homes.
The third London Olympics in 2021
The Games this year are going to be bigger, better and more exciting than ever before. There will be more than 10,000 athletes from 204 countries taking part!
London wants to make sure that the benefits of the Olympics don’t just last for a few weeks in summer but go on much longer. The buildings have been designed and constructed so that they can be used for different things when the Games are over.
1. The text is mainly about _____.| A．London will host the Olympics again | B．London’s Olympic history |
| C．London’s Olympics will last much longer | D．London is ready for the Olympics |
| A．London could build a stadium in 10 months | B．only 22 countries took part |
| C．there was a volcano eruption in Rome | D．London could make more profits than Rome |
| A．the UK were poor and hungry then | B．there were some great sports |
| C．the previous Olympic Games was cancelled | D．about 59 countries took part |
| A．the 59 countries | B．the 84 gold medals |
| C．all the athletes | D．the games |
| A．the benefits of the Olympics used to last for months afterwards |
| B．the 2nd London Olympics attracted more countries than any other Olympics |
| C．the buildings for the 3rd London Olympics have more functions for future use |
| D．the 2nd London Olympics were cancelled because of the Second World War |
4 . During the annual political meetings, environmental protection was definitely among the biggest concerns. Actually, it was also an issue that ancient Chinese paid great attention to. In fact, the world’s earliest environmental protection concept, ministry and laws were all born in China. So, what did the ancient Chinese do to protect the environment?
In early ancient China, environmental protection was promoted to the political level. Xunzi, a famous thinker in Warring States Period, brought up the concept of managing state affairs through environmental protection. He stated in his book that vegetation (植被) should not be damaged at will. Guan Zhong, an official 400 years ahead of Xunzi, was also an environmental protection expert. During his term of office, he claimed that “a King who cannot protect his vegetation is not qualified to be a king”.
According to a record in Qing dynasty, the environmental protection ministry in early ancient China was called “Yu”, standing both for the institution and the official title. Although most functions were similar to such ministries today, the administration range of it was much larger, including the mountains, forests, rivers, lakes and so on.
The nine ministries established by Shun, an ancient Chinese king, already included “Yu”, the environmental protection ministry. The first “Yu” official was a man called Boyi, who was indeed an environmental protection expert. He was a capable assistant to Dayu, an ancient Chinese water-control expert. He invented wells, protecting people’s drinking water from pollution. He knew a lot about animals and also called for animal protection.
Environmental protection laws dated back to the ruling period of Dayu, which was more than 4,000 years ago. During his rule, he issued a ban, forbidding people to cut down wood in March or catch fish in June, the time when they were supposed to boom.
In Spring and Autumn and Warring States Period almost 3,000 years ago, “environmental protection laws” appeared in its true sense in Qin, which was recorded in Law of Fields and regarded as China’s earliest environmental protection laws.
1. Which statement would Xunzi probably agree with?| A．Vegetation shouldn’t be damaged at all. |
| B．Much attention should be paid to people’s drinking water. |
| C．The king who failed to protect the environment should be removed. |
| D．Running a country and environmental protection should be combined. |
| A．The Qing dynasty. | B．The ministry of Yu. |
| C．The official title. | D．The modern ministry. |
| A．Fish didn’t taste delicious in June. |
| B．It was too hot to catch fish in June. |
| C．Fish had a period of rapid growth in June. |
| D．Fish-catching time had already passed in June. |
| A．Shun. | B．Boyi. | C．Xunzi. | D．Guan Zhong. |
| A．How the Ancient Chinese Protect the Environment |
| B．Famous Environmental Protection Experts in Ancient China |
| C．Dayu — a Great Environmental Protector |
| D．Measures of the World’s Earliest Environmental Protection |
Marco Polo came from a wealthy family and received a good education. He was only six years old when his father and uncle left for a journey to China or Cathay, as it was called at that time. At the age of 17, Marco followed his father and uncle on their second journey to Asia.
The Polos traveled through many countries, over mountains and along the Silk Road, the main travel route for traders. Marco would keep detailed journals and record his findings. The Polos also stopped for a year in the Mongol region. There they learnt about the lives and culture of the people. This was useful as Marco was able to share what he had learnt with the Emperor of China, Kublai Khab. The Emperor was impressed with him. The Polos traveled 9,000 kilometres in more than three and a half years before reaching China. There Marco was most surprised to find the stones that burnt like logs. The Chinese had found a source of fuel that nobody in Europe could have imagined. It was called coal.
In 1298, Marco wrote a book called The Travels of Marco Polo which was a record of his travels in Asia. The book enabled the Europeans to understand and carry out trading activities more easily with Asians.
1. What was China also called in the past? (1 word)2. What was the Silk Road mainly used as in ancient times? (no more than 10 words)
3. What did the Polos do during their stay in the Mongol region? (no more than 12 words)
4. Why was Marco impressed with the stones? (no more than 6 words)
5. What is the main idea of the last paragraph? (no more than 10 words)
6 . I'm Victor Bobra from Belarus. When I was three years old, a nuclear explosion (核爆炸) blew up in Chernobyl, Ukraine. At the time, I was living on the border with Ukraine.When the explosion happened, my dad, was looking after the trucks at the station. When he heard about the disaster, he took us to Brest on the truck. After that, my family moved to Minsk.
Many years have passed since the explosion. Different places were affected differently. If you live in an area like Minsk, it's not as polluted as other areas. Kids there were born normally. Maybe they were underweight or something, but this was because of the problems of the economic situation. If kids were born around the Brest area, they were, born almost perfectly, because it's the cleanest area in Belarus. But if kids were born around the area to the east of Belarus,most of the kids were born deformed (畸形的).
I don't know much about how it has affected my health. But what happened was that everybody had a medical check-up after the disaster. The doctors found that I had got some protein inside me: So they thought there was something wrong with me, and suggested I should be treated.
My mum set up 'a charity, Chernobyl Children Lifeline, which raised some money for me. I've stayed here for treatment since then. The reason I can't go to Belarus is because of the radiation (辐射). If I go back, I might get radiation and get ill. Certainly there isn't any medical care, because the country is very poor. At the moment I can't even see my parents for a holiday. My parents probably miss me. I think the fault (过失) that Chernobyl blew up is the government's.
1. What can we learn from the second paragraph?| A．People in Minsk were rich before the disaster. |
| B．Victor Bobra lived in the cleanest area in Belarus. |
| C．The east of Belarus was seriously affected by the disaster. |
| D．Kids born in Minsk were underweight because of the disaster. |
| A．provide home for the homeless |
| B．collect money for his treatment |
| C．raise money for deformed kids |
| D．help those suffering from radiation |
| A．The author's father didn't survive the disaster. |
| B．The author lived in Minsk when the disaster happened. |
| C．The author was given good treatment with the help of the government. |
| D．The author thought the government should take responsibility for the disaster. |
| A．everybody had a medical examination after the nuclear explosion |
| B．the doctors did not think it necessary to have the author treated |
| C．the author's country can afford to provide medical care |
| D．the author is living with his parents now |
| A．To prove the great force of the nuclear explosion. |
| B．To tell readers the nuclear explosion in Chernobyl. |
| C．To show the bad effects of the nuclear explosion. |
| D．To find out the truth of the nuclear explosion. |
7 . During World War II, a young nurse, Irena Sendler, risked her life to save over 2,500 children. Back in 2008, she was
Irena was only 29 when the war began, and at the time, she was
In the 1940s, the Nazis
When Irena heard that, she decided to
To get the kids out, Irena and her team would
The Gestapo(盖世太保)
The Gestapo
Irena received plenty of
| A．found | B．combined | C．compared | D．reunited |
| A．thank | B．pay | C．encourage | D．congratulate |
| A．performing | B．studying | C．working | D．struggling |
| A．right | B．opportunity | C．excuse | D．tool |
| A．followed | B．introduced | C．welcome | D．sent |
| A．free | B．separate | C．protect | D．attract |
| A．common | B．different | C．challenging | D．terrible |
| A．look for | B．fight for | C．live with | D．write about |
| A．directions | B．tickets | C．permission | D．Inspiration |
| A．managed | B．promised | C．expected | D．pretended |
| A．raising | B．accepting | C．saving | D．influencing |
| A．hide | B．search | C．lock | D．replace |
| A．journalists | B．experts | C．learners | D．activists |
| A．believed | B．noticed | C．wondered | D．predicted |
| A．depending on | B．waiting for | C．competing with | D．coming for |
| A．burned | B．threw | C．buried | D．shared |
| A．Unfortunately | B．Doubtfully | C．Unsuccessfully | D．Surprisingly |
| A．also | B．even | C．never | D．nearly |
| A．joined | B．caught | C．prevented | D．remembered |
| A．help | B．attention | C．questions | D．honors |
8 . A perfectly preserved wreck (沉船) that has lain unnoticed in the icy Baltic Sea for over 500 years has finally been confirmed. The European ship was first observed in 2009, when a sonar(声呐) exploration by the Swedish Maritime Administration (SMA) indicated a large object in the area. However, it was not until early 2019 that researchers from Soton and MMT found evidence of the sunken ship using underwater robotic cameras.
When the team observed the pictures of the 60-foot-long shipwreck, they were surprised to discover it was 99 percent complete. The scientists considered that the wreck's good condition is due to its place in the Baltic Seabed, where the oxygen levels are low. Oxygen is key to most ocean life's survival. Therefore, such an environment where the shipwreck stays reduces or completely removes the creatures that feed on rotting wood.
So although this ship is contemporary to the times of Christopher Columbus, it shows a remarkable level of preservation after 500 years at the bottom of the sea. Dr. Pacheco-Ruiz, who led the MMT effort, said,“It's almost like it sank yesterday. It's a truly astonishing sight."
The scientists are unsure what let the ship sink. However, the ship's guns, which are in their"ready to fire" positions, indicate it may have been the victim of a naval battle. Since the ship dates back to the early 16th century, historians predict it may have sunk during Sweden's three year independence war with its Danish rulers between 1521 and 1523. Alternatively, it could also have been involved in the border dispute (争端) between Russia and Sweden from 1554 to 1557.
The ship is by far the best-preserved shipwreck ever found from the Age of Exploration, when Europeans explored the world by sea.
What's more exciting is that the ship is similar to the Pinta and La Nina, which Comlubus famously sailed toward North America. The scientists, who continue to observe the shipwreck hope the boat's design will expose some of the technologies available to the Italian explorer during his 1492 voyage of discovery.
1. What scientific achievement did Soton 's and MMT' s researchers make?| A．Discovering a wreck using sonar. |
| B．Getting the wreck out or icy water. |
| C．Identifying the object found by SMA. |
| D．Making the ancient wreck well preserved. |
| A．It is generally unfit for creatures to live in. | B．It is tough for scientists to do research. |
| C．It contains too many harmful gases. | D．It is filled with rotting wood. |
| A．his curiosity about the time when the ship sank |
| B．his amazement at the ship's previous grandness |
| C．his surprise at the wreck's well-preserved condition |
| D．his shock at the sinking of the great European ship |
| A．The damage to the ship. | B．The causes of the ship's sinking. |
| C．The construction of the ship. | D．The possible function of the ship. |
| A．Recovering the ancient ships, the Pinta and La Nina. |
| B．Finding every aspect of life in the Age of Exploration. |
| C．Exploring the role the ship played in Columbus' exploration. |
| D．Leaning about Columbus' voyage according to the ship's design. |
9 . China is a country of many resources. Among its resources are many great rivers, which provide useful transport routes. Water transport is an efficient way to carry heavy loads, such as grain. In ancient times, a waterway was needed between China’s rich farmlands and the capital city. This need inspired engineers to build a canal. According to writings by the ancient thinker Confucius, work on a canal linking the Yangze River with the city of Huai-in began about 486 B.C. For many centuries afterward, Chinese emperors worked on extending this ancient canal.
This canal is now known as China’s Grand Canal. One thousand years after the original canal was begun, it was in extreme need of repair. This was in the year 607, during the Sui Dynasty. By 610 the emperor had had the canal extended. The Grand Canal formed a northeast-southwest link between the Yellow River in the north and the Huai River in the south. The canal remained the main waterway in this part of China for the next five hundred years.
In the thirteenth century, the Mongols had conquered China. The Yuan Dynasty established Beijing as the capital. The city’s growing population needed food, so a new canal was built to extend shipping. Building this part of the Grand Canal required enormous effort and cost. Neither the first attempt nor the second one was successful, so the builders chose another route. Finally this link in the Grand Canal was finished.
By the time of the Ming Dynasty, the Grand Canal had six sections. These were busy with goods until the nineteenth century. Then a series of severe floods struck China. Parts of the Grand Canal were badly damaged. By 1868 it had been largely abandoned as a means of northern route.
The Grand Canal was mostly restored in the twentieth century. It was widened and deepened, and a new section was constructed. Today the canal, which is about 1,200 miles in length, has new locks(运河的水闸). It is busy with ships and barges(驳船) carrying goods to and from cities along its banks.
1. The Grand Canal was first built in ancient times to provide .| A．water for agriculture. |
| B．water transport between farmlands and the capital. |
| C．efficient transportation for the emperor’s army. |
| D．a convenient way for the emperor’s recreation. |
| A．worked with limited knowledge and skills. |
| B．were given a great deal of money for their achievement. |
| C．found a brilliant and lasting solution to their transportation problem. |
| D．were inspired by the ancient thinker Confucius. |
| A．486 B.C. | B． 607 A.D. | C．the Yuan Dynasty | D．the Ming Dynasty |
| A．be extended to further north China. |
| B．change from a shipping route to a recreation area. |
| C．need to be repaired and rebuilt. |
| D．be abandoned in favor of air transport and highways. |
The next great invasion of Britain was done by Vikings about 1, 100 years ago. Many English words used today come from these ancient Vikings.
The next invasion of Britain took place more than 900 years ago, in 1066. History experts call this invasion the Norman Conquest. The Normans were a French-speaking people from Normandy in the north of France. These new rulers(统治者) spoke only French for several hundred years. It was the most important language in the world at that time. It was the language of educated people. But the common people of Britain still spoke old English.
Old English took many words from the Norman French. Some of these include “damage”, “prison”, and “marriage”. The French language used by the Norman rulers greatly changed the way English was spoken 800 years ago. English became what language experts call Middle English. Middle English sounds like Modern English. But it is difficult to understand now. The history of the English language continues as Middle English becomes Modern English, which is spoken today.
1. Who was the first invaders(入侵者) of Britain?
| A．The Angles. | B．The Saxons. |
| C．The Jutes. | D．The Normans. |
| A．Three. | B．Four. |
| C．Five. | D．Six. |
| A．It sounds like Old English. |
| B．It’s quite different from Modern English. |
| C．Few people understand it now. |
| D．It stopped developing. |
| A．races (种族) | B．social positions |
| C．ability | D．names |
| A．The historical invasions of Britain. |
| B．Other languages that have influenced English. |
| C．The origin (起源) and development of English. |
| D．Old English and Modern English. |
