1 . When Howard Carter opened King Tut’s tomb (墓穴), it was full of gold and other valuables. When he and his team then attempted to remove King Tut’s mummy (木乃伊), they did a great deal of damage to the mummy while removing it.

Decades later, in 1968, experts conducted an examination of King Tut’s mummy using simple X-ray technology. Three important discoveries led to various theories about his death. First, the X-rays showed that bones in Tut’s chest were missing. Some guessed the damage was caused by a war injury or an accident. Plus, there was a small hole in the back of the skull (头骨), and pieces of bone inside it, causing many to believe that Tut was killed by a blow to the back of the head. Was he murdered by people wanting to take control of Egypt? Finally, a serious broken bone was discovered on Tut’s left leg. Tut was hurt a few hours before his death. This could have been the result of an accident. Could an infection from the injury have killed Tut?

In 2005, scientists under the direction of Zahi Hawass used new X-ray technology to study the mummy. They discovered that the damage to Tut’s chest was caused by Howard Carter, and the hole in Tut’s skull was made when the body was gotten ready for burial. While this ruled out the theory of murder, it still doesn’t tell us exactly how he died.

Then, in 2008, when Hawass and his team analyzed the DNA of the mummies and other tombs nearby, they made some shocking discoveries. They found Tut’s father and mother, who had similar DNA, were actually brother and sister. The DNA they passed on to Tut may have made it easy for him to catch a disease. Did an infection that started in his broken leg cause his death? No one knows for sure. But Hawass and his team hope they will someday have an answer to this age-old mystery.

1. Why was the examination of King Tut’s mummy conducted in 1968?

A．To determine the cause of Tut’s death.	B．To assess the condition of Tut’s coffin.
C．To discover the identity of Tut’s parents.	D．To study the treasures found in Tut’s tomb.

2. What do we know about the damage to Tut’s skull?

A．It was caused by an accident.	B．It was caused by a blow to kill.
C．It was caused by Howard Carter’s team.	D．It was caused during burial preparation.

3. The discovery of Tut’s parents implies that ______.

A．Tut’s broken leg had little to do with his DNA.

B．Tut’s DNA features might have been common.

C．Tut’s death was closely connected to their DNA.

D．Tut’s health was probably affected by their shared DNA.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．To analyze the cultural significance of King Tut’s tomb.

B．To entertain readers with tales of ancient Egyptian royalty.

C．To inform readers about the discoveries surrounding King Tut’s death.

D．To persuade readers to follow further research into King Tut’s life and death.

2 . The history of the school bus can date back to 1886 when the Wayne Works company made horse-drawn carriages (四轮马车) known as “ school wagons” or “kid hacks” in Indiana.     1    

In the early 1900s, the car industry was beginning to develop fast.    2     The company managed to make its carriages powered by engines. But the design remained mostly the same as that of the previous ones, with students sitting along the walls of the bus while facing inside.

In 1927, a man built the first bus that primarily used steel. Before long, Wayne Works introduced the first all-steel school bus body with safety glass windows.     3     This led to a turning point in the history of the school bus in 1939, when a conference was organised at Manhattan College to develop school bus standards.

Many new national standards were created, determining everything from seating designs to the famous yellow color that school buses still sport today. The reason why the color was chosen was simple.     4    The color is especially easy to see in the early morning and evening light when school buses usually operate.

    5     For example, a variety of changes have been made to enable the school bus to not only be safer but also have better fuel (燃料) economy, be easier to drive, etc. The most creative approach among all of these is probably a kind of stop signal arm that warns traffic of a stop in progress, which states began to require in the early 1950s.

A．Horses were easy to control.

B．Not all chose to paint their buses yellow.

C．Yellow is quite eye-catching to human beings.

D．Before then, many children simply walked to school.

E．Now, school buses have had many more improvements.

F．Still, parents were increasingly concerned for children’s safety.

G．This gave Wayne Works a great opportunity to improve its carriages.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入一个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In China, 2024 is the Year of the Dragon, or “loong,” as is known in Chinese. This creature appears on many cultural artifacts     1     (pass) down through Chinese history.

Unlike Western dragons,     2     are often depicted as aggressive, fire-breathing, flying lizards, Chinese loongs     3     (traditional) symbolize strong and favourable powers. In Chinese mythology ( 神 话 ), the loong is credited with ensuring a good harvest. The unique appearance of the Chinese loong distinguishes it    4     its Western counterparts.

For thousands of years, the Chinese have respected the loong,     5     (believe) that they can bring harmony and prosperity. According to Chinese mythology, the Yan Emperor’s mother had seen a loong just before she was pregnant and soon the Yan Emperor       6       (bear). So the Chinese regard the Yan Emperor as their forefather, and they sometimes refer to     7       (they) as “descendants of the loong (龙的传人).”

At a historical site in Liaoning Province, a stone sculpture of a loong was discovered in 1994.       8       (measure) 19.70 meters in length, the sculpture       9       (date) back to more than 7,600 years ago. The idiom “龙年大吉” means “good luck in the year of the loong.” We wish all of us       10       happy and lucky Chinese New Year!

4 . 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。

Paper-making is a reflection of ancient Chinese wisdom,     1     (regard) as one of the Four Great Inventions of China. Among various types of paper in China, Xuan paper, traditionally handmade in Xuancheng, Anhui province, is famous for its close association    2    Chinese calligraphy and ink paintings.

The     3    (early) mention of Xuan paper is in On Famous Paintings Through History, a book by a scholar from the Tang Dynasty. It listed many characteristics of Xuan paper, like its stability, its durability and its    4    (resist) to insects. Yet     5    positioned it as an ideal medium for calligraphy and painting is its capacity to display various ink shades. Such are the features of the Xuan paper    6    it has gained favor among artists and calligraphers across generations.

With the growing popularity of Xuan paper in recent years, the industry has expanded     7    (dramatic) in Anhui. Last year, large quantities of Xuan paper, to be precise, about 500 metric tons,     8    (produce) in Xuancheng,     9     engaged more than 30, 000 local people in the industry. Currently, the local government is building a Xuan paper cultural park and a Xuan paper town    10     (develop) cultural tourism.

7 . 阅读下面短文， 在空白处填入1个适当单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The first folding fans were made around 1000 A. D. in China, and were brought to Europe by Portuguese traders in the early 1500s.

One type of folding fans     1     (compose) of sticks of identical length held together at the bottom with a curved leaf of paper, silk, lace or other materials glued to the sticks.     2     type of folding fan is the brisé fan,     3     (consist) only of decorative sticks with no pleased (起褶的) leaf.

The brisé fan was popular in the 17th and early 18th centuries, but was never as widespread as the folding fan with a painted and pleated leaf. However, in the late 18th and early 19th century     4     (small) fans had come into fashion, perhaps due to the narrower, high-waisted dresses that could no longer accommodate large pockets beneath,     5     one could put a large fan. The smaller fan, often     6     (call) “opera” size, could have     7     (easy) slipped into a handbag. Whatever the reason, smaller fans saw     8     increase in popularity during this period. The     9     (carve) of the brisé fan is so delicate that it can set some fashionable ladies apart     10     others in a party. They carried brisé fans to make their simplicity echo the general simplicity of dress.

8 . 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。

Archaeological (考古的)     1    (discover) of Changsha wares (陶器) have occurred randomly over the decades, and key findings of kiln (窑) ruins     2    (make) particularly since 2010. There were not only Tang Dynasty Changsha wares     3    (unearth), but also some celadons (青瓷) from an even     4    (early) period.

They’re key witnesses     5     the Silk Road on the sea and Sino-foreign exchanges of material culture. Archaeological findings show that Changsha wares were exported to about 30 countries,     6    (range) from East and Southeast Asian neighbors to North Africa. Craftsmen and workshop owners in Changsha participated in a wave of globalization     7     actively explored overseas markets.

    8    (consequent), shapes of Changsha wares were also influenced by foreign elements. Seeing the antiques, we can also understand     9     public aesthetics (审美) of their time. They tell     10     was viewed as traditional Chinese beauty.

9 . Thatbyinnyu (达宾纽佛塔) is the tallest pagoda in Bagan, with seven storeys and a history of over 800 years. Over the course of hundreds of years, it has been _________ by time. Despite the constant prayers, the pagoda must still face the _________ of time. In 2016, a(n) _________ occurred in central Myanmar (缅甸) and hundreds of pagodas and Buddha statues were damaged. Thatbyinnyu was among the most seriously affected.

A team of _________ professionals from China are busily working with their Myanmar counterparts shortly after the earthquake. They must complete the reinforcement of the pagodas before the _________ season arrives. In Bagan, craftsmen hold on to the techniques passed down from generation to generation when _________ pagodas. Original local materials are used and all work is done by _________. All materials must be transported manually to the third storey of the pagoda. In order to avoid friction (摩擦) of the supporting steel pipes against the ground or the walls of the pagoda, the construction team must lay wooden boards on the third and fourth storeys. Moving a piece of board is a test of _________ and care.

The rainy season is approaching. Two days ago, the roof of the pagoda began to _________ after heavy rain. The construction team must identify the most suitable material quickly to __________ the external cracks on the roof of the pagoda to prevent new leakage. The restoration team carried out experiments using lime, sand, and Bagan’s __________ red brick powder in different proportions. In the end, they found the combination with the best overall __________ in terms of water absorption and strength. After more than a month of non-stop work, the team of Chinese and Myanmar professionals finally completes the emergency reinforcement of the Thatbyinnyu __________ the arrival of the rainy season.

Once the rainy season is over, China’s __________ to Myanmar to fully repair the Thatbyinnyu Pagoda will __________ start. This project may last for nine years.

1.

A．protected

B．restored

C．weathered

D．recognized

2.

A．damage

B．length

C．abuse

D．facilitation

3.

A．flood

B．drought

C．eruption

D．earthquake

4.

A．revision

B．restoration

C．review

D．redesign

5.

A．rainy

B．windy

C．snowy

D．dry

6.

A．painting

B．stimulating

C．repairing

D．composing

7.

A．machine

B．crane

C．equipment

D．hand

8.

A．passion

B．patience

C．inspiration

D．refreshment

9.

A．leak

B．crack

C．collapse

D．break

10.

A．copy

B．seal

C．narrow

D．examine

11.

A．big

B．tiny

C．cheap

D．local

12.

A．shape

B．formation

C．performance

D．design

13.

A．beyond

B．before

C．behind

D．after

14.

A．application

B．appreciation

C．assistance

D．appointment

15.

A．informally

B．initially

C．primarily

D．officially

10 . 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。

A pottery toilet used by ancient Chinese people during the Qin Dynasty has been discovered at the Yueyang City Ruins,     1       ancient Chinese palace archaeological site in Shaanxi province. The discovery is the first “flush toilet”    2     has been discovered by archaeology (考古).

The discovery was made by experts     3     (dig) the No.3 Ancient Building at the Yueyang City Ruins. The ancient relic    4    (consist) of two parts, an indoor toilet on a platform and a   pipe   system   below   directing   used   water   and   waste    5     (substance)   outside.     6       (unfortunate) the upper half of the flush toilet was not found during the excavation. Hence, experts cannot confirm whether    7     (it) users sat on it or squatted over it.

The toilet might have been used by Qin Xiaogong (381-338BC) or his father Qin Xian’gong (424-362BC) of the Qin Kingdom during the Warring States Period (475-221BC), or by Liu Bang, the first emperor of the Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220).     8       (figure) it out, experts still have a lot of work to do.

“The flush toilet is concrete    9     (prove)   of the important attachment ancient Chinese people have    10     sanitation (卫生),” said Liu Rui from the Institute of Archaeology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.