1 . Paper is one of the most important products ever invented by man. Wide spread use of written language would not have been possible without some cheap and practical material to write on. The invention of paper meant that more people could be educated because more books could be printed and distributed. Together with the printing press, paper provided an extremely important way to communicate knowledge.
How much paper do you use every year? Probably you cannot answer that question quickly. In 1900 the world's use of paper was about one kilogram for each person a year. Now some countries use as much as 50 kilograms of paper for each person a year. Countries like the United States, England and Sweden use more paper than other countries.
Paper, like many other things that we use today, was first made in China. In Egypt and the West, paper was not very commonly used before the year 1400. The Egyptians wrote on a kind of material made of a water plant. Europeans used parchment for many hundreds of years. Parchment was very strong; it was made from the skin of certain young animals. We have learnt of the most important facts of European history from records that were kept on parchment.
1. What's the meaning for the word 'parchment'? ________| A．The skin of young animals. |
| B．A kind of paper made from the skin of certain young animals. |
| C．The paper used by European countries. |
| D．The paper of Egypt. |
| A．More jobs could be provided than before. |
| B．More people could be educated than before. |
| C．More books could be printed and distributed. |
| D．More ways could be used to exchange knowledge. |
| A．Around 1400. | B．Around 1900. | C．Around 400. | D．Around 900. |
| A．China. | B．Sweden. | C．Egypt | D．Japan. |
In Asia, especially the so-called “rice bowl” cultures of China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam, food is usually eaten with
Chopsticks are usually two long, thin pieces of wood or bamboo. They can also
Five thousand years ago, Chinese people probably cooked their food in large pots,
Some people think that the great Chinese scholar Confucius, who lived
Chopsticks are not used everywhere in Asia. In India, most people traditionally eat
Ball games are a big source of modern amusement. But they're nothing new. For instance, consider a 4,500-year-old ball
So far, researchers
＂We are quite sure they were used in some sort of bat-and-ball game."Patrick Wertmann is an expert at the University of Zurich
As for how this ancient ball-and-stick game
Since we don't have any textural evidence and we don't have any sticks from the same period, we don't really know
4 . Canada is a bilingual country with "co-official" languages. English and French enjoy equal status as the official languages of the country. This means that the public has the right to communicate with and receive services from federal(联邦的)government institutions in either English or French. Federal government employees have the right to work in the official language of their choice in bilingual regions.
Like the United States, Canada started as a colony. Beginning in the 1500s, it was part of New France but later became a British colony after the Seven Years' War. As a result, the Canadian government officially recognized the languages of both colonizers: France and England. The Constitution(宪法)Act of 1867 legally accepts the use of both languages in federal courts. Years later, Canada strengthened its commitment to bilingualism when it passed the Official Languages Act of 1969, which restated the constitutional origins of its co-official languages and set out the protections afforded by its dual-language status.
Recognition of both English and French protects the rights of all Canadians. Among other benefits, the 1969 Act recognized that Canadian citizens should be able to access federal laws and government documents, whether their native language was French or English. The general law also requires that consumer products feature bilingual packaging throughout the country.
The Canadian federal government is committed to advancing the equality of status and use of the English and French languages, within Canadian society. However, the reality is that some Canadians speak English, and of course, some Canadians speak the other language entirely.
Although the federal government theoretically guarantees bilingual services in all areas, there are many regions of Canada where English is the clear majority language, so the local government does not always seek services in French in those regions. Canadians use the phrase "where numbers warrant" to determine whether a local population's language usage requires bilingual services from the federal government.
While many Canadians are bilingual, they are not only speaking English or French. Statistics Canada finds that more than 200 languages that were not English or French, were reported as a language spoken by its people. About two-thirds of the respondents who spoke one of these languages also spoke either English or French.
1. The acceptance of two official languages in Canada is due to______________.| A．the language-using tradition caused by Canada's colonial history |
| B．the convenience for business dealings by using two languages in the country |
| C．the welcome attitude toward immigrates from all over the world. |
| D．the mastery of two languages of Canadians because of school education |
| A．the legal order from the federal government |
| B．the popularity of the language in the world |
| C．the number of schools teaching the language |
| D．the number of local people using the language |
| A．English has gained superior legal position to French because of bigger number of users in Canada. |
| B．The legal court usage of French and English was established in Canada in 1969. |
| C．Both French and English should be used on products in Canada according to federal law. |
| D．Canadian people speak either French or English in social communication. |
| A．The advantages of using multiple languages in Canada. |
| B．The history and current situation of two languages used in Canada. |
| C．The disadvantaged status of the French language used in Canada. |
| D．Canadians' advancement in balancing two languages in business world. |
5 . Architectural history can take you through the evolution of those structures that served as a mark to remote civilizations, like the Egyptians and their architecture, reflected in pyramids, tombs, and many other ancient buildings along the Nile River．
In fact, the first big architectural design recorded in history was the work of Imhotep, Egyptian high priest（主教）, who designed and built the complex（综合建筑群） that took the name of his king, between the years 2630 to 2611 BC．
Ruins of the most varied architecture speak for themselves about the most varied civilizations, traditions, and beliefs around the world．Without architecture, the history of mankind would be incomplete．
Many surviving buildings of the ancient world are examples of the great things that architecture can do for the world．Among them, we can name the Great Pyramid, listed as one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and the great Wall of China, built between the years 221 to 206 BC．
As time passed, all buildings and designs began to take special characteristics, becoming symbols of different eras identified as architectural styles．In ancient Greece, where buildings seemed to always be the same, there were three types of columns to identify each period of time．
The Romans inherited from the Greeks most of their traditions, beliefs, and customs, including architecture, but they also developed their own．
Architectural history was influenced by artistic, economic, politic, and socio-cultural events throughout the centuries, and Europe became the cradle（摇篮） of many well-known architects in the years following the fall of the Roman Empire．
As time passes, the actual architecture differs in shape, materials, construction methods, and designing goals, but the work of the architects will continue for generations to come．
1. Who made the first big architectural design recorded in history?| A．Chinese | B．Indians | C．Egyptians | D．British |
| A．They give tourists chances to visit them． |
| B．They help to satisfy the needs of houses． |
| C．They can bring in a great deal of money for the local people． |
| D．They represent different cultivations, traditions, and beliefs there and then． |
| A．To show its strength | B．To tell us its importance |
| C．To show its special style | D．To prove the function of architecture |
| A．Architectural history was only influenced by economic and politic events． |
| B．The Roman Empire was the cradle of famous architects earlier than Europe． |
| C．The actual architecture remains the same in shape, material and designing goals． |
| D．Europe was the cradle of famous architects earlier than the Roman Empire． |
6 . Magic (魔术) is believed to have begun with the Egyptians, in 1700 BC. A magician named Dedi of Dedsnefu was reported to have performed for the pharaoh (法老), or the king. He was also known to have entertained (使娱乐) the slaves who built the pyramids. The “Cups and Balls” trick that he was particularly good at is still performed by magicians all over the world today.
The ancient Greeks and Romans were also fascinated by the idea of magic. Actually, one of their main interests was the art of deception (欺骗). This explains why at that time the priests even built magic devices into their temples. These devices made it possible for doors to open by themselves and wine to flow magically out of statues’ mouths. This was done mainly to make people believe that the priests had unusual power.
Magic however, was not well accepted before the 1800s. Magicians were thought to be freaks(怪物) and, were only allowed to perform in a circus. It was in the 19th century that the magician Robert Houdin came along and changed people’s views and attitudes about magic. It was because of Robert Houdin that many magicians were able to add Dr. or MD to their names. Today magicians try hard to find new ways to show their practiced skills. Magic is now entertainment for families all over the world.
1. What is the best title for the passage?| A．Magical Tricks | B．A Great Magician |
| C．Magic as Entertainment | D．The History of Magic |
| A．amused | B．encouraged | C．attracted | D．moved |
| A．They performed magical tricks to entertain people. |
| B．They made the statues in the temples drink wine as they wished. |
| C．They treated the people with wine flowing down from statues’ mouths. |
| D．They built magic devices in the temples to make doors open by themselves. |
| A．Magic should be used only in temples. |
| B．Magic could only be performed in a circus. |
| C．Magic was performed by freaks and doctors. |
| D．Magic was the major daily activity for the pharaohs. |
| A．Magic began about 3,700 years ago. |
| B．Dedi of Dedsnefu performed magic for kings only. |
| C．Robert Houdin was the first magician to perform magic. |
| D．The “Cups and Balls” trick has been performed for about 1,700 years. |
