1 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个恰当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The Silk Road is in fact a relatively recent term. These ancient roads had no particular name until in the mid-nineteenth century, Baron Ferdinand von Richthofen    1    (name) the trade and communication network the Silk Road. Since then the term     2    (accept) globally.

In the nineteenth century, a new type of travelers stepped onto the Silk Road: archaeologists and geographers, enthusiastic explorers who were eager     3     (look) for adventure. Researchers who came from many countries traveled through the Taklamakan Desert,    4     is now in Xinjiang, to explore ancient sites along the Silk Road,     5     (lead) to many discoveries and studies, and most of all, a renewed interest     6    the history of these routes.

Today, many historic     7     (build) and monuments still stand, marking the passage of the Silk Road through hotels, ports and cities. What’s more, the long-standing legacy(遗产) of this remarkable network is reflected in    8       large number of cultures, languages, customs and religions that have developed for many years along these routes. The passage of merchants and travelers of many    9     (difference) nationalities resulted not only in commercial exchange, but in a widespread and continual process of cultural interaction.     10     (obvious), it has become a driving force in the formation(形式) of diverse societies.

2 . The Leaning Tower of Pisa was straight like a pole when the construction began in 1173. It started to shift direction soon after construction because of poor foundation in addition to the loose layer of subsoil(底土). At the beginning, it leaned to the southeast before the shaky foundation started to shift leaning towards the southwest. After the period of structural strengthening at the beginning of the 21^st century, now the Leaning Tower of Pisa leans at an angle of 3.97 degrees.
In 1178, the shift in direction was observed for the first time when the construction had progressed further to the third floor. The tower was heavy for the three-meter foundation that was built on a weak area of land.
For compensating(补偿) the leaning position, the builders started to construct the upper floors with one side higher than the other one. This caused the tower to lean in the other direction. This unusual structure led to the tower being actually curved. In spite of these efforts, the tower kept on leaning.
The government of Italy started to plan prevention of the complete collapse of the tower in 1964. However, a request was put forward by the authorities to keep the leaning position because of the tourism industry of the region.
After nearly two decades of careful planning by engineers, historians and mathematicians, the stabilization efforts for the Leaning Tower of Pisa started in 1990. The tower was closed for the general public and the people living nearby moved away. For reducing the total weight of the tower, its seven bells which represented the seven musical notes were removed. The tower was reopened for the general public on December 15, 2001.
In May 2008, after removing another 70 metric tons of earth, the engineers announced that the tower had been finally stabilized and it would remain stable for at least 200 years.
1. The Leaning Tower of Pisa began to lean probably because ________.

A．it was too high like a pole

B．its foundation shook badly

C．the work of repair was delayed

D．the soil of its foundation was too weak

2. People noticed the Leaning Tower of Pisa shift its direction ________.

A．as soon as it was constructed

B．during the construction

C．at the end of the construction

D．as soon as it was completed

3. Who preferred not to change the leaning position of the Leaning Tower of Pisa?

A．The authorities.

B．The government.

C．The engineers.

D．The historians.

4. Which of the following is the right order according to this passage?
a. People noticed the tower began to shift its direction.
b. The repair work was carried out last time.
c. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was repaired for the first time.
d. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was built.
e. The tower was opened to the visitors again.
f. The government started to make a plan for the tower.

A．c,d,a,f,b,e	B．f,e,a,d,c,b
C．d,a,f,c,e,b	D．d,e,b,f,c,a

3 . A paperclip，made of steel wire bent into a looped (环形的)shape，is an instrument used to hold sheets of paper together.This common device is a wonder of simplicity and function.But where did this simple，cheap，and practical invention come from?

In the late 19th century，the most common way to hold papers together was by using a pin.Although the pin was an inexpensive tool and was easily removable，it would leave holes in the paper. Later，as steel wire became more common，inventors began to notice its elastic(有弹性的)feature. With this feature，it could be stretched and twisted into various clip—like objects.In the years just before 1900，quite a few paperclip designs appeared.The name most frequently associated with the paperclip invention is Johan Vaaler，a Norwegian inventor. However, Vaaler’s clips were not the same as the paperclips currently in use.Specifically，they did not have the inside loop we see today.The familiar looped design was invented by Gem Manufacturing Ltd.in England.This clip is therefore sometimes known as the Gem clip.

Because of Vaaler，the paperclip played an important historical role in Norway.During World War II，Norway was occupied by the Nazis.Norwegians were prohibited from wearing any symbol of their national unity(团结)，such as buttons with the initials of their king.Thus，in protest，they started wearing paperclips to show their unity.The reason for doing this was simple：Paperclips were a Norwegian invention whose original function was to bind together.After the war，a giant paperclip statue was put up in Oslo to honour Vaaler—even though his design was never actually produced.

1. According to the first paragraph，the paperclip is________.

A．made of paper

B．shaped like a pin

C．inexpensive and useful

D．for holding clothes together

2. One way the paperclip is better than the pin is that_________

A．it is cheaper

B．it is simpler

C．it can be removed more easily

D．it doesn’t damage the paper

3. Which of the following best shows what the Gem clip looks like?

A．

B．

C．

D．

4. The last paragraph is mainly about_________.

A．how Vaaler’s clip became a national symbol

B．how widely used Vaaler’s clip is

C．how the Nazis ruled the Norwegian people

D．why Norwegians had the initials of their king on their buttons

4 . Buckingham Palace is where the Queen lives. It is the Queen’s official and main royal London home.Buckingham Palace was originally a splendid house built by the Duke(公爵) of Buckingham for his wife. George IV began changing it into a palace in 1826. It has been the official London home of Britain’s royal family since 1837. Buckingham Palace is also an office and used for the administrative work of the royal family.
When the Queen is at home you can see her royal flag (the Royal Standard) flying from the flag pole on top of Buckingham Palace.
The flag is divided into four equal parts. The first and fourth parts represent England and contain three gold lions waking on a red field; the second part represents Scotland and contains a red lion standing on a gold field; the third part represents Ireland and contains the gold coat of arms of Ireland on a blue field.
In flag protocol (礼仪), the Royal Standard which must only be flown from buildings where the Queen is present is supreme (至高无上的). It flies above the British Union Flag (the Union Jack ), and other British flags. It never flies at half mast.
The guards of the Palace wear red jackets and tall, furry hats. When the first guards come on duty, there is a ceremony called the Changing of the Guard. A familiar sight at Buckingham Palace is the Changing of the Guard ceremony that takes place in the open space in front of it each morning.
The Palace has around 750 rooms, including 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 78 bathrooms, 92 offices, a cinema and a swimming pool. It also has its own post office and police station. About 400 people work at the Palace, including servants, chefs, footmen, cleaners, gardeners, electricians, and so on. More than 50,000 people come to the Palace each year as guests to dinners, receptions and Royal Garden Parties.
1. For whom was the original Buckingham Palace built?

A．The Duke of Buckingham.

B．George IV.

C．The Duke of Buckingham’s wife.

D．George IV’s wife.

2. According to the text, the Royal Standard_________.

A．is flown at Buckingham Palace every morning

B．represents the four countries of the UK

C．flies at half mast only on a few occasions

D．flies higher than the British Union Flag

3. When can a visitor see the Changing of the Guard ceremony?

A．Every morning and evening.

B．Every morning.

C．When the Queen’s flag is flying.

D．When a flag is flying at the Palace.

4. What is the last paragraph about?

A．What you can see inside Buckingham Palace.

B．The royal parties at Buckingham Palace.

C．The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.

D．People living and working at Buckingham Palace.

5 .     1    People use money to buy food, furniture, books, bicycles and hundreds of other things they need or want. When they work, they usually get paid in money.

Most of the money today is made of metal or paper.    2    One of the first kinds of money was shells.

Shells were not the only things used as money. In China, cloth and knives were used. In the Philippine Islands, rice was used as money for a long time. Elephant tusks, monkey tails and salt were used as money in parts of Africa.

The first metal coins were made in China. They were round and had a square hole in the centre.    3    

Different countries have used different metals and designs for their money.    4    Sweden and Russia used copper (铜) to make their money. Later some countries began to make coins of gold and silver.

But even gold and silver were inconvenient if you had to buy something expensive. Again the Chinese thought of a way to improve money.    5    The first paper money looked more like a note from one person to another than the paper money used today.

Money has had an interesting history from the days of shell money until today.

A．The first coins in England were made of tin (锡).

B．But people used to use all kinds of things as money.

C．No one knows for certain when people began to use money.

D．People strung (串连) them together and carried them from place to place.

E．Money, as we know, is all made of paper.

F．They began to use paper money.

G．Today anyone will accept money in exchange for goods and services.