1 . The Golden Gate Bridge is a well-recognized landmark in the United States. It spans (横跨) the Golden Gate Strait — a mile-wide stretch of water that connects the San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean. The Golden Gate Bridge is one of the most beautiful bridges in the world. It is also one of the tallest.
The idea for a bridge across the strait had been around for many years, because San Francisco suffered from its isolated location. Planning for the Golden Gate Bridge began in 1916, but the design underwent many changes before construction finally started in 1933.
Joseph Strauss was the chief engineer in charge of the bridge project. However, he had little experience with the construction of suspension bridges (吊桥). For this reason, other engineers, architects, and designers made great contributions to the design and construction of the bridge. For example, the bridge owes its art deco (装饰派艺术) style and distinctive orange color to the architects Irving and Gertrude Morrow. Charles Alton Ellis did much of the technical work necessary to build the bridge.
It was not easy to get the project started. Financing had to be found, and there was much opposition to the very idea of a bridge. The US Navy, for example, feared, that a bridge would block ship traffic. The Southern Pacific Railroad, which ran the ferry fleets (轮渡船队), feared competition from the bridge. Many experts did not believe that it would be possible to build such a long bridge under such difficult circumstances. There are strong currents and heavy winds on the bridge site, which made construction dangerous.
The construction of the bridge finally began in 1933. The construction work set new standards for safety — workers were among the first required to wear hard hats, and a safety net saved the lives of nineteen men while the bridge was built. The Golden Gate Bridge was completed in 1937, when the bridge was opened to pedestrians (行人). It was opened to cars one year later. The bridge was finished ahead of schedule and cost much less than originally budgeted.
Because the Golden Gate Bridge is the first sight for many people arriving in the United States by ship, it is sometimes called the “Statue of Liberty” for the West Coast.
1. According to the text, the Golden Gate Bridge .| A．is the best-known symbol of America | B．crosses the Golden Gate Strait |
| C．crosses the San Francisco Bay | D．is about a mile wide. |
| A．To give the West Coast a new tourist attraction. |
| B．To connect San Francisco to the Pacific Ocean. |
| C．To set up a well-known landmark. |
| D．To compete with the ferry fleets. |
| A．was first suggested in 1916 |
| B．was first put forth by Joseph Strauss |
| C．was perfected by Gertrude Morrow in 1933 |
| D．was put forward long before construction started |
| A．It was finished under budget. |
| B．It was delayed for one year. |
| C．It was opened to the vehicles in 1937. |
| D．It was the first to set safety standards. |
1. What is the conversation mainly about?
| A．A picture. | B．A designer. | C．A building. |
| A．Math. | B．Music. | C．History. |
1. What do we know about Beowulf?
| A．Its writer is unknown. | B．It is a famous novel. | C．It is easy to understand. |
| A．Between about AD 800 and AD 1066. |
| B．Between about AD 1066 and AD 1150. |
| C．Between about AD 1150 and AD 1500.. |
| A．An English historian. | B．A Middle English poet | C．A modern English writer. |
| A．Modern English. | B．Middle English. | C．Old English. |
4 . Up to one quarter of the world’s population use chopsticks as their main eating tool. Called kuaizi in Chinese, chopsticks were developed in China about 5,000 years ago. Often made of wood, chopsticks allow users to pickup pieces of food by holding together and releasing (松开) the sticks with the thumb (拇指) and first three fingers.
Before the invention of chopsticks, the Chinese used only their hands to eat. One reason why chopsticks were invented is that eating with one’s hands allowed some people to take more food than others. This was considered rude, so using chopsticks, which limited the amount of food that could be taken at one time, was thought to be a more polite practice. Another one was about the great Chinese philosopher Confucius, who was a vegetarian. He objected to the use of knives at the table, feeling that they reminded eaters of the slaughterhouse (屠宰场), so he preferred chopsticks.
At first, chopsticks were used only by nobles (贵族). Later on, during the Western Han Dynasty, which began in 202 BC, commoners (平民) began to use chopsticks as well. At that time, people used chopsticks only to eat side dishes; spoons were used for rice and for soups. During the Northern Song Dynasty, which lasted from AD 960 to 1127, noodles became a popular dish. It is very diffcult to eat noodles with a spoon, so chopsticks were used more often. Today, chopsticks are the main eating tool in China, Japan, and Vietnam; and people from countries all over the world commonly use this tool while eating Asian dishes.
1. What is the second paragraph mainly about?| A．The popularity of chopsticks. |
| B．The process of making chopsticks. |
| C．The method of using chopsticks. |
| D．The reasons for inventing chopsticks. |
| A．Led to. | B．Went against. |
| C．Believed in. | D．Agreed with. |
| A．Philosophers. | B．Common people. |
| C．Nobles. | D．Vegetarians. |
| A．After noodles became popular. | B．Just before forks came into use. |
| C．During the Weatern Han Dynasty. | D．Before the Northern Song Dynasty. |
5 . The symbol of Thanksgiving in the United States is its traditional food, a large bird we call the “turkey”. But the turkey is certainly not from Turkey. In fact, its English name is based on one big mistake. We could say it is a case of mistaken identity.
The word “Turkey” has meant “the land of the Turks” since ancient times. The word “turkey” which refers to the bird first appeared in the English language in the mid-1500s.
The misunderstanding over the word happened because of two similar-looking kinds of birds. There is an African bird called the guinea fowl. Portuguese traders brought the guinea fowl to Europe through North Africa.
This foreign bird came to Europe through Turkish lands. So, the English thought of the bird as a “Turkish chicken”. When Europeans came to North America, they saw a bird that looked like the guinea fowl. This bird was native to the North American continent.
Orin Hargraves is a lexicographer, someone who writes dictionaries. Hargraves elucidates what happened. “Some Europeans saw an American turkey, thought that it was the guinea fowl, which at that time was called the ‘turkey cock’, and so gave it the same name.”
Hundreds of years later, we continue to call this North American bird “turkey”, even though it has no connection at all with the country Turkey, or even with Europe. But English is not the only language with interesting — and even questionable — names for this North American bird.
The Turkish, for their part, call the turkey “hindi”, the Turkish name for India. The mention to India probably comes from the old, wrong idea that the New World was in Eastern Asia. The French call it “dinde”, a name that also connects the bird to India. “D’ Inde” means “from India” in the French language. “Turkey” has similar names in several other languages. So, what do they call this North American bird in India? Well, in the Hindi language, “turkey” is “tarki”.
1. How did the Thanksgiving “turkey” get its name?| A．It was mistaken for another bird. | B．It got its name from the Indians. |
| C．It came from the country Turkey. | D．It was named after an African bird. |
| A．Their habits. | B．Their food. | C．Their looks. | D．Their value. |
| A．Doubts. | B．Remembers. | C．Proves. | D．Explains. |
| A．The countries that turkeys live in. |
| B．The development of the turkey’s names. |
| C．Turkey’spopularity in different countries. |
| D．The turkey’s different names in different languages. |
1. Who designed the White House?
| A．George Washington. | B．John Adams. | C．James Hoban. |
| A．John Adams and his wife. |
| B．George Washington and his wife. |
| C．The third president of the US and his wife. |
| A．132. | B．232. | C．123. |
| A．The structure of the White House. |
| B．The history of the White House. |
| C．Some presidents who have lived in the White House. |
The term Xuan paper was first introduced in the book On Famous Paintings through the Ages by Tang Dynasty (618-907) scholar Zhang Yanyuan. In his book, Zhang described Xuan paper as an ideal
The traditional craft of making Xuan paper is
The flow of ink, both guided and resisted by water, determines the output of Chinese art, and Xuan paper stands out with its exceptional ability
Xuan paper
The opening of a new exhibition building at the Sanxingdui Museum, in Guanghan, Sichuan province, made the place
For those who can not go to Guanghan, an immersive (沉浸式的) exhibition
The exhibition journey begins
1. What was the man doing when he found the statue?
| A．He was fishing. | B．He was swimming. | C．He was hunting. |
| A．In the 1300s. | B．In the 1600s. | C．In the 1800s. |
| A．He’ll keep it to himself. |
| B．He’ll give it to a museum. |
| C．He’ll make money from it. |
Qing Ming is
Believing that he could force Jie out by burning the mountain, the lord ordered his men to set fire to the forest. To his disappointment, Jie chose to remain where he was and was burnt to death.
The “cold food” festival occurs on the eve of Qing Ming and
