1 . Richard Dermer is a pizza shop owner. But he is better known for his hobby. As a extraordinary kite collector, people are impressed by kites covering the walls from all over the world when they walk into his pizza shop.

Dermer worked at Hideaway. He bought the pizza shop in 1960. Then, in 1970, his game-partner and manager at Hideaway was the first to market the Japanese version of the game Go in the United States. It was this game that led Dermer to kites, and from there he took off—eventually becoming president of the American Kiefliers Association.

Dermer now has a huge kite collection. He told Collectors Weekly, “Initially, I was a novice, but I enjoyed learning, trying to acquire more about kites. And the more I got into kite festivals and collecting kites, the more I discovered and the deeper the subject became.”

What Dermer’s collection and hobby brings to the United States is an international perspective and history on kite flying. In India, for example, kite flying is a fierce, sometimes violent sport, while in Thailand, kite battles reflect the war of the sexes between men and women. Kites were used in World War II, to distract German planes and for target practice.

When Dermer started stunt kite (特技风筝), it was pretty new. All the kites were triangular, and they all looked the same. But soon with his efforts, that changed. People could see kites of all shapes, sizes and colors flying in the sky. During the 1980s and 1990s kites went through quite a developmental stage where they were getting better and better as new lighter, stronger materials were being developed. Dermer even set up the new rules for judging these stunt kite competitions, which take into account how much control the flier has, and the difficulty of the moves.

1. What is Richard Dermer’s occupation?

A．A plane pilot.	B．A food businessman.
C．A kite seller.	D．A sales manager.

2. What does the underlined word “novice” in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Advanced person.	B．Learned person.
C．Inexperienced person.	D．Well-known person.

3. What can we learn about the kites from paragraph 4?

A．Kites are not popular in the USA.	B．Flying kites is illegal in Thailand.
C．Kites played a part in World War II.	D．Flying kites is an interesting sport in India.

4. With the efforts of Richard Dermer, kites became ________.

A．portable

B．diverse

C．available

D．delicate

2 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. How did the servants deal with their earnings in Victorian times?

A．They paid for the housing.

B．They bought food and clothes.

C．They sent them to their families.

2. What was a nurse’s main duty?

A．Cooking meals.

B．Looking after children.

C．Educating children.

3. How did the Victorian upper class parents treat their children actually?

A．Cruelly.

B．Kindly.

C．Strictly.

4. What will the speaker talk about next?

A．Lower class families.

B．Upper class children’s situation.

C．Comparisons between upper and lower classes.

3 . Can we humans avoid war? Can war be prevented ?

    1    . Throughout the ages, from the Stone Age to the Atomic Age, men     have been fighting, first with swords and shields, then with pins and cannous, and now,hydrogen bombs and missiles are used for military purpose. But, in spite of all these. it is still belief that war can prevented and prace can be won, but it requires the effort of every one of us.

    2    If it ever happens, two - thirds of the world and much of the civilization which men have gained   through time,patience and effort will be destroyed.Will then the remaining one - third of the world be able to   survive on its own?

Our task now is not to blame the past，but to plan for the future.

If there is peace in the world, men can use their rockets to explore the mystery of space,their submarines to explore the depth of the sea,their missiles to deliver to mails and their fine equipment to penetrate(穿透）jungles of Africa ,instead of using them military.

Governments can use their money to build more schools,so that more children can be educated to be useful citizens.    3    , They can also design new machines to increase the production of goods and thus improve the way of the people.

    4    It requires,in my opinion,the understanding and friendship be-tween all people from all nations.Let no one suffer discrimination by reason of color,race,reli-gion,or national origin.Let the rich support the poor and the strong help the weak.

We know that neither peace nor such a dream world can come true in a day or month.    5    .But let us plan and begin now.

A．How can a peaceful world be achieved?

B．The process may even take decades or centuries.

C．Peace can be won through the efforts of all human beings.

D．Things for military use can be transformed to peaceful use.

E．Scientists can use atomic energy to power steamships and planes.

F．I am sure that we would not like to experience another world war,

G．History tells that there were wars, great or small，in every century, in every decade.

4 . “Belittle” was first used by Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States.

Many years ago, Buffon, a French naturalist, wrote some books about natural history. The books were a great success even though some critics did not like them. Some critics said, “Buffon is more of a poet than a scientist.”

Thomas Jefferson did not like what Buffon had said about the natural wonders of the New World. It seemed to Jefferson that Buffon had spoken of natural wonders in America as if they were unimportant.

This troubled Thomas Jefferson. He was a naturalist, as well as a farmer, inventor, historian, writer and politician. He had seen the natural wonders of Europe. To him, they were no more important than those of the New World.

In 1788, Thomas Jefferson wrote about his home state, Virginia. While writing, he thought of its natural beauty and then of the words of Buffon. At that moment, Jefferson created a new word-belittle. He said. “Buffon believes that nature belittles her productions on this side of the Atlantic.”

Noah Webster, the American word expert, liked this word. He put it in his English language dictionary in 1806, “Belittle-to make somebody or something small, unimportant.”

Americans had already accepted Jefferson’s word and started to use it. In 1797, the Independent Chronicle newspaper used the word to describe a politician the paper supported. “He is an honorable man,” the paper wrote, “so let the opposition try to belittle him as much as they please.”

In 1872, a famous American word expert decided that the time had come to kill this word. He said, “‘Belittle’ has no chance of becoming English. And as more critical writers of America, like those of Britain, feel no need of it, the sooner it is forgotten, the better.” This expert failed to kill the word. Today, “belittle” is used where the English language is spoken.

1. What was the reason for Jefferson’s creating the new word?

A．He was a naturalist and writer.

B．Lots of critics disliked Buffon’s books.

C．Lots of critics thought Buffon wasn't a real naturalist.

D．He disagreed with Buffon’s views on natural wonders in America.

2. What do we know about Buffon according to the text?

A．Some of his poems were known to Jefferson.

B．Some of his books were welcome by readers.

C．He made some wrong comments on Jefferson.

D．He made great contributions to the creation of “belittle”.

3. What does the underlined word “those” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．The critical writers.	B．The English words.
C．The word experts.	D．The English-speaking countries.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．The comment on the New World	B．The creation of Thomas Jefferson
C．The history of the word “belittle”	D．The argument about the new word

5 . Compared to the history of China, the history of the United States is quite short.     1     In 1776, 13 colonies（殖民地）located on the eastern coast of North America declared independence and fought a revolution against the British. In 1783 the colonists won the revolution and gained their independence.

After the revolution, the United States bought a large section of country from Napoleon of France. This purchase doubled（加倍）the size of the United States.     2     If he hadn’t needed that money, the United States might have stayed a small country. Texas and most of what is now the southwestern part of the United States belonged to Mexico. The people of Texas fought a revolution against Mexico.     3     Later, the United States and Mexico went to war. If Mexico had defeated the United States in that war, California and New Mexico would have been part of Mexico today.

The British and the Americans both claimed the northwestern part of the country. They settled their differences with a compromise. South of the 49th parallel was the United States. North of the 49th parallel was Canada. In 1861 one half of the United States did go to war with the other half.     4     President Lincoln wanted to free slaves. He was supported by the North but opposed by the South. The South wanted to separate from the rest of the country and become independent.     5    

Following the Civil War, the United States bought Alaska from Russia. Today it is the largest state in the country and a very important one, too.

A．This was the Civil War.

B．It was controlled by England then.

C．It began little more than 200 years ago.

D．After 4 years of war, the South was defeated.

E．Napoleon needed money for his European wars.

F．They became independent and joined the United States.

G．At that time many people didn’t think Alaska was important.

6 . California is the third     1    (large) state in the USA and it is the most multicultural state. About 15,000 years ago, the first     2    (settle) crossed the Bering Strait and arrived in California. The Native Americans suffered     3    (great) after the arrival of the Europeans in the 16th century. In the 18th century, California     4    (rule) by Spain until 1821 when the people of Mexico gained their independence     5    Spain. California then became part of Mexico. But after the American-Mexican war in 1846, California was given to the USA.

In 1848, gold was discovered in California,    6    attracted people from all over the world to arrive there     7    (achieve) their dreams of becoming rich. In 1850, California became     8     31st state of the USA as a multicultural society.    9     (attract) by the climate and lifestyle, more and more people from different parts of the world have been immigrating to California,    10    (include) Asians, Africans and Europeans.

7 . Hua Mulan was a brave girl in the Northern Wei dynasty. She disguised (假扮)    1     (her) as a man, and joined the army in place of her father. Mulan’s father, once     2     soldier, taught his daughter military (军事的) skills,     3     (include)horse riding and how to fight. Hua Mulan also read her father’s books     4     military science.
    5     (drive) away the Rouran nomads (游牧民族), the     6     (rule) of Northern Wei ordered that every family should send a man off to war against them. Mulan’s old father, as well as her young brother, was not able to go and fight. So Mulan     7     (decide) to join the army instead of her father. Mulan fought for 12 years     8     (successful) without her true identity being discovered.   Mulan became a hero,     9     bravery moved people greatly, and she     10     (offer) a high position, but she refused it.
Even though her story might be no more than a legend, Hua Mulan has been respected as a filial (孝顺的) daughter by Chinese people for hundreds of years.

8 . On Tuesday, scientists announced that they have discovered the bones of four settlers in Jamestown, Virginia. Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in what become the United States. The bones were unearthed under the floor of a Jamestown church which was discovered in 2010 and is considered as America’s first Protestant church.

The Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation at Historic Jamestowne and the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History announced that the settlers held high leadership positions. The men, Rev.Robert Hunt,Capt. Gabriel Archer,Sir Ferdinando Wainman,and Capt. William West, all played a role in the Jamestown settlement. After being lost to history for more than 400 years, the discovery of their remains provides new clues about their life and the importance of religion in the 1600s.

“This is a very important discovery,” Jamestown Rediscovery Foundation President James Horn said in a statement. “These men were among the first founders of English America."

About 100 people settled along the James River in what would become the first English settlement m 1607. During that time, settlers in Jamestown were faced with famine and disease. The colony was nearly wiped out due to conflict with Native Americans in the area and with other English settlers.

“They lived and died at a hard time in the history of the settlement , when Jamestown almost ended in  failure,” Horn said. “The bones of these men help fill in the stories of their lives ”

The Smithsonian and the Rediscovery Foundation found the remains in November of 2013. Scientists used 3-D technology to locate the exact gravesites of the men. The team wanted to identify its findings before announcing the discovery. They identified the men using historical records and studied the chemicals of the bones to learn what the men ate and where they came from.

Findings from the burials will go on display within weeks at Historic Jamestowne. The site also plans to honor the men and will keep their bones in a safe place for future study.

1. The bones found in a Jamestown church_____________.

A．were first discovered in 2010

B．have been buried for over four centuries

C．have proved to be a family of four

D．are complete and easy to recognize

2. The underlined phrase “wiped out” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______________.

A．supported fully	B．developed rapidly
C．destroyed completely	D．protected successfully

3. What can we learn from Paragraph 6 ?

A．How scientists keep the bones in good shape.

B．Why the four leaders were buried in Jamestown.

C．Why the four leaders chose to settle in Jamestown.

D．How scientists identified the four leaders.

4. This text is most probably__________________.

A．a history paper	B．a research paper
C．a newspaper report	D．a warning message

9 . Michael Herr, who has died aged 76, was the author of Dispatches (1977), the best book about the Vietnam War. It took Herr eight years to write Dispatches, in part because he went home from Saigon with a bad case of stress disorder. He had gone to Vietnam as a journalist for Esquire magazine. An American general asked him whether he was there to write about military fashion and humor. No. He wrote little for Esquire, but took advantage of the US government’s decision to allow journalists extraordinary access to go to war with the soldiers. He shared their discomforts and their fears, witnessed their death and recorded their language.

His own language, a stream of consciousness pulsing with energy, but masterfully controlled, captured the fear and the horror, but also the excitement, of the war in the jungle and paddy fields. He recorded with a connoisseur’s expertise (行家专长) such details as the many ways in which soldiers would wish each other good luck, and the degrees of madness that were considered acceptable.

The power of the book, perhaps, comes from Herr’s insistence on describing the war, or more precisely his own responses to it, rather than protesting against it. It also comes from the ceaseless accompaniment of two elements, drugs and music — more particularly rock music, and especially the music of Jimi Hendrix. Herr himself spent drug-fuelled weekends in a flat in Saigon, staring at an ancient French map of Indochina. He met soldiers with a left pocket full of Dexedrine, the “upper” (兴奋剂) officially administered by the army to get them into battle, and a right pocket full of “downers” (镇定剂) to get them through it.

Dispatches did not come out until 1977, when the country was beginning to have its mind on other problems, but it did more, perhaps, than any other book to freeze an image of despair and a sense of waste about the war, rather as the trench poets of 1914 —1918 did in Britain.

Herr also made vital contributions to two of the most influential Vietnam films Apocalypse Now and Full Metal Jacket. His work, in the book and the two films, has been seen as part of the process whereby the US came to see itself and its history no longer merely through traditional literature, but in sounds and images.

1. Why did Michael Herr go to Vietnam during the war years?

A．To join the soldiers in military actions.

B．To report military actions and advances.

C．To give an authentic account of the war.

D．To write about military fashion and humor.

2. Which of the following about Dispatches is true?

A．It truly reflects Herr’s responses to the war.

B．Music and drugs give the author inspiration.

C．Its language is casually selected and organized.

D．It fully describes Herr’s protest against the war.

3. US soldiers brought drugs with them during the war most probably because            .

A．they suffered stress disorder

B．they were addicted to drugs

C．they used them to cure the wounds

D．they exchanged them for music records

4. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Herr directed two influential Vietnam films.

B．Herr’s work played a positive role in traditional literature.

C．Herr stopped writing after the book Dispatches was published.

D．Herr’s work offered Americans more ways to know themselves.

10 . Early Native American groups lived in different cultural areas. Their environments had _______ resources. Each group made particular products or developed certain skills, besed on their own _______ As they perfected their skills, _______exciting began to happen. For the first time in their history, they had more things than they________.

They wouldn’t let their products go to _______, of course. When Native American groups began to communicate with each other, they began to_______ things they wanted or needed. The _______they traded goods and services without using any form of money was called bartering. Thanks to bartering, people began to enjoy a better _______of life. To barter with others meant that work became much _______ No one group had to work as hard to make or find everything they needed for survival.

Native American groups would often travel long distances for the chance to ________with each other. In between trading times, they would ________ or collect extra products. They kept them especially for the purpose of bartering with other native groups at their trade meetings.

Another ________ of trading between cultural areas was that people could enjoy products that were________ to make with the resources in their own ________ . For example, people from the Desert Southwest area ________ tools made from whalebone (鲸须). There was no whalebone available in the ________ However they could get it from the natives living in the Pacific Northwest area.

Some people ________ use bartering today to get things the need. You might ________ to do the dishes for your brother if he will take you to the movies. Especially in hard economic ________ people return to this ________ way of getting things they need.

1.

A．strange

B．ordinary

C．similar

D．different

2.

A．skills

B．interests

C．resources

D．customs

3.

A．everything

B．something

C．anything

D．nothing

4.

A．found

B．collected

C．needed

D．sold

5.

A．market

B．town

C．waste

D．charity

6.

A．buy

B．share

C．produce

D．save

7.

A．way

B．idea

C．plan

D．study

8.

A．variety

B．habit

C．quantity

D．quality

9.

A．harder

B．dirtier

C．easier

D．nicer

10.

A．greet

B．trade

C．work

D．play

11.

A．use

B．create

C．send

D．advertise

12.

A．choice

B．trouble

C．benefit

D．pleasure

13.

A．illegal

B．necessary

C．impossible

D．natural

14.

A．desert

B．trade

C．group

D．area

15.

A．designed

B．wanted

C．discovered

D．invented

16.

A．water

B．sea

C．desert

D．land

17.

A．yet

B．still

C．even

D．never

18.

A．fear

B．earn

C．offer

D．refuse

19.

A．development

B．generation

C．disadvantage

D．times

20.

A．age-old

B．world-famous

C．new-born

D．ready-made