1 . 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。

The Silk Road was a network of ancient trade routes,     1     joined East Asia to the Mediterranean. The most important network is the Chang’an- Tianshan Corridor,which     2     (stretch) over a distance of around 5,000 kilometres     3     covers a total of 8,700 kilometres of trade routes. The starting point of the corridor and the entire Silk Road network is Chang’an (present-day Xi’an), in Shaanxi Province of north-west China. It was famous as the capital of the Han and Tang Dynasties. The Silk Road was beginning     4     (develop) in the 2nd century BCE.     5     (assign ) by the emperor,the ambassador Zhang Qian journeyed from Chang’an to Central Asia and     6     (seek) to build bridges between the Han Dynasty and the Western Regions.     7     the initial stage of the Silk Road development, silk was the main item in the trade list thanks to its light weight and high value. In addition to trade exchange, the network served as     8     bridge for cultural exchange. All of these     9     (activity) contributed to a great age of     10     (expand) as trade and cultural exchanges gave people access to new goods, knowledge and ideas.

2 . 下列文段直接来自所学课文。请根据课文内容，填入符合课文含义的词，使文段意思完整。

In ancient times, silk from China found its way overland to India, the Middle East and Rome, along what became known as the Silk Road. A trading route across the sea was also     1     along the coasts of the Indian Ocean centred around Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Here, merchants from China and many other places met to     2     trade deals, which also led to more     3     of each other’s cultures. Over the centuries, further trading allowed more exploration of the regions to the west of China, as     4     in Du Huan’s Record of My Travels in the eighth century.

Later, the Ming Dynasty further     5     relations with these regions. Between 1405 and1433, seven large fleets sailed west on voyages of trade and exploration. These fleets were a sight to behold and were in a league of their own at that time. Under the     6     of Zheng He, they set sail from the South China Sea across the Indian Ocean to the mouth of the Red Sea, and then to the east coast of Africa. African     7     families sent gifts such as giraffes as gestures of friendship in     8     for gold, silk, and spices. Although China     9     from further expeditions after 1433, these land and sea routes remained     10     channels between other cultures for centuries.

5 . The United Kingdom, Great Britain, Britain, England-many people are confused by what these different names mean. So what is the difference between them, if any? Getting to know a little bit about British history will help you solve this puzzle.

In the 16th century, the nearby country of Wales was joined to the Kingdom of England. Later, in the 18th century, the country Scotland was joined to create the Kingdom of Great Britain. In the 19th century, the Kingdom of Ireland was added to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Finally, in the 20th century, the southern part of Ireland broke away from the UK, which resulted in the full name we have today: “the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Most people just use the shortened name: “the United Kingdom” or “the UK”. People from the UK are called “British”, which means the UK is also often referred to as Britain or Great Britain.

The four countries that belong to the United Kingdom work together in some areas. They use the same flag, known as the Union Jack, as well as share the same currency and military defence. However, they also have some differences. For example, England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland all have different education systems and legal systems. They also have their own traditions, like their own national days and national dishes. And they even have their own football teams for competitions like the World Cup!

The United Kingdom has a long and interesting history to explore, which can help you understand much more about the country and its traditions. Almost everywhere you go in the UK, you will be surrounded by evidence of four different groups of people who took over at different times throughout history. The first group, the Romans, came in the first century. Some of their great achievements included building towns and roads. Next, the Anglo-Saxons arrived in the fifth century. They introduced the beginnings of the English language, and changed the way people built houses. The Vikings came in the eighth century, left behind lots of new vocabulary, and also the names of many locations across the UK. The last group were the Normans. They conquered England after the well-known Battle of Hastings in the 11th century. They had castles built all around England, and made changes to the legal system. The Normans were French, so many French words slowly entered into the English language.

1. What can help us find out the difference between some different names of the UK?

A．British languages.	B．British history.
C．British location.	D．British education.

2. Which country is the first to be joined to the Kingdom of England?

A．Britain.

B．Scotland.

C．Wales.

D．Ireland.

3. What is different for the four countries of the UK?

A．The flag.	B．The currency.
C．The military defence.	D．The education system.

4. Which of the following is the achievement of the Normans?

A．Building towns and roads.

B．Changing the way of building houses.

C．Leaving behind many new vocabulary.

D．Changing the legal system.

6 . 根据课文内容，在空白处填入所缺的单词。

The United Kingdom has a long and interesting history to explore, which can help you understand much more about the country and its traditions. Almost everywhere you go in the UK, you will be surrounded by     1     of four different groups of people who took     2     at different times throughout history. The first group, the Romans, came in the first century. Some of their great     3     included building towns and roads. …The Vikings came in the eighth century, left behind lots of new vocabulary, and also the names of many     4     across the UK.

7 . Remote controls are one of the most common symbols of our modern technologies. In fact, remote controls are an invention born in the 1800s. Famous inventor Nikola Tesla created one of the world’s first wireless remote controls, which he exhibited in public at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 1898.

Tesla called his system a “teleautomaton”, which could be used to control a mechanical device. For his demonstration, Tesla employed a minitype boat, which had a metal air wire that could receive exactly one radio frequency. He showed how his remote-controlled boat worked and whole process attracted many people. However, financially, Tesla’s remote-controlled boat was a failure. His intended client, the U.S. Navy, thought the technology was too easily damaged during use. But the concept of remote control caught on and quickly spread to many other types of equipment.

In the 1930s and 1940s, a new consumer electronics, such as garage door openers and model airplanes, arrived with remote controls. In the mid-1950s, Zenith engineer Eugene Polley designed his Flashmatic TV remote control, which used directional flashes of light to control the television. In 1956, Polley’s colleague, Robert Adler, created the Space Command control, which employed high-frequency, ultrasonic (超声的) sounds instead of light. This style of remote control increased the price of a new TV by a third, but that didn’t stop people from buying in mass quantities. Remote controls kept evolving, too. Ultrasonic sound remote controls were the standard for TVs until the 1980s, when remote controls began using the infrared (红外线) light signals that are very common today.

These days, you can find remote control capability built into a huge array of products such as toy cars and helicopters, video game consoles (控制台), ceiling fans, etc. There’s a good chance you can find a version that’s controlled by remote control. You can even buy a remote-controlled toilet.

Remote controls have allowed humans to perform many tasks that would be difficult, if not impossible. And although remote controls have a long history, they are anything but over. As we continue to introduce technology to every aspect of our lives, it’s very likely that we’ll need remote controls to keep things under control.

1. What made the U.S. Navy think poorly of Tesla’s remote-controlled boat?

A．Its high cost.

B．Its unsatisfactory quality.

C．Its damage to people’s health.

D．Its inaccuracy in sending signals.

2. What did Robert Alder use in his remote control?

A．Directional flashes of light.	B．Infrared light signals.
C．Various metal air wires.	D．High-frequency, ultrasonic sounds.

3. Why did the author mention those products in Paragraph 4?

A．To advertise some modern inventions.

B．To prove the rapid evolution of kids’ toy.

C．To show the wide application of remote controls.

D．To show the principle of some high-tech products.

4. What can we infer from the last paragraph?

A．Human are too dependent on technology.

B．Remote controls are necessary in our life

C．Humans are trying to keep everything under control.

D．Remote controls will probably fade away in the future.

5. What does the author mainly tell us in this text?

A．The history of remote controls.

B．The developments of our modern technologies.

C．The achievements of some great inventors.

D．The popularity of remote controls in our daily life.