3 . Imagine this: You’re digging a well, and instead of hitting water, you unearth a headless human body made of pottery. This actually happened to farmers in Shanxi province in central China in 1974. Local archaeologists heard of the find and biked over to investigate. They realized that the figure had come from a tomb built over 2,000 years ago for China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuang. Archaeologists finally discovered three separate pits (穴) filled with 8,000 life-sized statues, all made from terracotta — a type of fired clay.

About a mile away from these pits, there’s a large mound (山丘). Archaeologists know that this is the main part of Qin Shihuang’s tomb, but they have never looked inside. They have left it alone out of respect for the first emperor and to protect the tomb as it is.

“Many people wish to see the treasures and mysteries inside, but we cannot,” says Xiuzhen Li, an archaeologist. Opening the tomb could damage its contents. Someday, Li hopes, we’ll have technology that will let us see inside the main part of the tomb without opening and disturbing it.

“Probably in the near future we’ll have some new technology that can see inside like an x-ray,” she says. Scientists are working on techniques that make it possible to see underground. Another idea is that a tiny robot could enter through a small hole and capture videos of what it sees. Even if this robotic exploration is done very carefully, however, it would still damage the tomb. For now, the Chinese government prefers to wait to do anything until they have even better technology.

1. What’s the suitable description of the figure from the tomb?

A．A copy of real soldiers.	B．A model of emperors.
C．In ruins.	D．In colors.

2. Why can’t archaeologists go inside the tomb?

A．It might be ruined.

B．It is very dangerous.

C．The robot is not clever enough.

D．The government doesn’t allow it.

3. What’s Xiuzhen Li’s attitude to seeing inside the tomb in the future?

A．Unconcerned.	B．Doubtful.
C．Hopeful.	D．Objective.

4. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．An encyclopedia.	B．A history textbook.
C．A newspaper.	D．A travel guide.

4 . Sometimes shipwrecks（沉船）contain sunken treasure, loads of gold or jewelry. Other shipwrecks are themselves the treasure—the stories of their ill-fated voyages creating a legend that makes them sparkle far more than any gold or precious stones.

The wreck of HMS Endurance, which has finally been located deep beneath the icy seas of Antarctica after being lost 107 years ago, was arguably the most valuable shipwreck ever sought. That’s because its discovery adds another thrilling new chapter to an already fascinating tale of perseverance and survival that has echoed down the decades and still inspires today.

Incredibly well preserved at a depth of almost two miles, the ship is little changed from the day in November 1914 when it finally sank beneath the ice. Endurance became embedded in ice while crossing Antarctica’s Weddell Sea. The video shot by underwater search vehicles shows painted timbers, an undamaged guardrail（护栏）and the name “Endurance” written above the five-pointed symbol of a polar star.

“I tell you, you would have to be made of stone not to feel a bit soft at the sight of that star and the name above,” Mensun Bound, the mission’s marine archaeologist, told the BBC. “You can see a porthole（舷窗）that is in Shackleton’s cabin. At that moment, you really do feel the breath of the great man upon the back of your neck.” Shackleton’s leadership was crucial to getting his men out alive. The reason why Shackleton is still applauded as a great man becomes obvious when you consider what he achieved in the face of disasters and hardships during his 1914-16 expedition. The practicality and humanity he showed in the face of severe situations was arguably praised.

1. What makes Endurance the most valuable shipwreck?

A．The treasure aboard.	B．Its inspiring stories.
C．Its undamaged guardrail.	D．The symbol of a polar star.

2. What can we infer from Mensun Bound’s words?

A．The floating ice is as hard as stones.

B．The well-preserved shipwreck is amazing.

C．The heroic deeds of Shackleton are touching.

D．The discovery of Endurance is challenging.

3. What is the text type of the passage?

A．A book review.	B．A news report.
C．A biography.	D．A travel journal.

7 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

China’s tea culture can be traced as far back to before 2000 BC. The Shennong Emperor discovered tea when a leaf fell into boiled water he was drinking, beginning a tradition that still     1     (exist) nowadays.

During the Tang dynasty(618-907) in China, the culture of tea underwent a remarkable development. When Emperor Lu Yu     2     (author) the highly regarded Classic of Tea (茶经), he set off on a journey that would play a critical role in establishing tea’s cultural     3     (significant) in China. Lu Yu, a monk who later earned fame     4     the’Sage of Tea’ (茶圣), had an enormous impact on the spread of tea drinking and linked     5     to Buddhist ideas, including the harmony and mysteries of the universe. The Classic of Tea is the oldest     6     (know) guide to tea drinking and culture. It covers all aspects of tea culture, from growing to harvesting, producing as well as techniques for farmers and craftsmen     7     (produce) the finest teas.

Throughout the Tang dynasty,     8     culture of tea drinking spread quickly among scholars. Inspired by Lu Yu’s ideas, they added medicinal qualities to tea, praised for     9     (sharpen) the mind. At the same time, wine was falling out of favour for their alcoholic properties, paving a path for tea to spread throughout society     10     to be used in religious occasions and offerings.

8 . These days, Fred’s huge skeleton (骨架) was exhibited in the Indiana State Museum. His tusks (长牙) were recently the subject of a research study tracing the life 13,000 years ago of mastodons, distant relatives of modern elephants.

By analyzing the chemicals in Fred’s tusks, a team of researchers was able to construct a detailed account of his seasonal migration patterns. Josh Miller, a paleoecologist (古生态学家) at the University of Cincinnati, is one of the researchers studying Fred. “He has beautifully preserved bones and tusks, which provides a great opportunity for our research,” Miller said.

Mastodons’ tusks generally grow in distinct layers, similar to the tree rings. As a result, the nutrients that build the layers of their tusks can tell us a lot about what they experienced. The team particularly focused their analysis on the variations in two elements in the layers: strontium (锶) and oxygen. The former is the key to understanding where Fred spent his life, while the latter tells us the season he was in any particular region. Then, with some statistical modeling, Miller and his team gained insight into the daily record of Fred’s behavior over ten thousand years ago.

The result indicated that when Fred was young, he would have grown a lot. But there’s a year when his growth is reduced — that’s when Miller’s analysis starts. “Probably like the modern male elephant, a male mastodon is just really obnoxious when growing up to be a bother and often arouses family members’ anger. At that point, the mom and aunts will essentially kick him out of the family”, Miller predicted.

After Fred set off to attend to himself, his tusks reflected where he traveled around. Based on analysis, every summer, Fred would return to mate in Northeastern Indiana, because around this time, his tusks started to show signs of injuries. When competing for mates, mastodons got into huge battles with their own natural weapons, sharp tusks. And that was exactly what brought the story of Fred to an untimely end.

1. What does Miller’s study mainly focus on?

A．Inner structure of Fred’s skeleton.	B．Possible tracks of Fred’s migration.
C．Research value of mastodon fossils.	D．Effective ways of tusk preservation.

2. How did researchers learn a mastodon’s behavior in ancient age?

A．By modeling data of special chemical elements.	B．By comparing his layers of tusks with rings of trees.
C．By conducting field researches in various regions.	D．By reviewing statistical records of previous studies.

3. What does the underlined word “obnoxious” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Mature.

B．Greedy.

C．Ambitious.

D．Annoying.

4. What can be inferred about Fred in the last paragraph?

A．He failed to live independently.	B．He reunited with his family later.
C．He got killed by opponents’ tusks.	D．He survived some natural disasters.

10 . The Eiffel Tower is one of the most famous buildings in the world. It was named after Alexandre Eiffel whose team of engineers designed it. It cost £260,000 to build in 1889 with most of the money being provided by Eiffel himself and the French state. The Eiffel Tower rises to a height of 985 feet and for over forty years it was the highest building in the world. The tower is largely composed of triangulated(三角形的)sections and this allowed the engineers to build the tower so high.

Originally looked upon as a short-lived building, the Tower was built for the 1889 World’s Fair. It was the entrance gate to the World’s Fair and one of a number of designs entered as part of a competition. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel’s company won the competition, so the tower became known as the Eiffel Tower. However, it was Morris Koechlin, an employee of Eiffel, who designed the thousand - foot tower. And he also designed the structure(结构)for the Statue of Liberty.

The original idea was for the tower to be dismantled after a twenty-year period. However, it was so well built and engineered that it was decided to leave it in position. The various parts were so well engineered that not even one had to be returned to workshops.

After the first year of opening so much money had been raised from people visiting the tower that the cost of construction was covered. After that, Alexandre Eiffel became rich. Later on, he conducted experiments on the tower such as using it as an instrument for measuring air resistance and atmospheric pressure. In 1898 it was discovered that the tower could also be used as a great radio tower. Thus, the Eiffel Tower was saved.

1. What makes the high tower possible?

A．Its structure.

B．Its position.

C．Its materials.

D．Its cost.

2. Why was the tower originally built?

A．To stand in Paris as a landmark.	B．To work as a great radio tower.
C．To compare with the Statue of Liberty.	D．To serve as the gate of the World’s Fair.

3. Which of the following can replace the underlined word in Paragraph 3?

A．Set up.

B．Burnt down.

C．Taken apart.

D．Passed down.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Eiffel Tower’s history.	B．Eiffel Tower’s designer.
C．Alexandre Eiffel’s team.	D．Alexandre Eiffel’s success.