1 . A national park is an area set aside by a government for the preservation of the natural environment. The national parks in the United States and Canada center on the protection of both land and wildlife.
It is widely thought that the idea of a park or nature reserve under state ownership started in the United States in 1870.
Partly following the American example, movements supporting national parks sprang up in many other countries.
But interest in parks came later in Asia and Latin America than it did in the Anglo-American countries and Europe.
| A．These movements began in Canada. |
| B．George Catlin offered the idea during the 1830s. |
| C．Visitors are allowed to enter for different purposes. |
| D．Those in the United Kingdom center mainly on the land. |
| E．Japan and Mexico established their first national parks in the 1930s. |
| F．By the early 21st century the NPS managed more than 400 separate areas. |
| G．It is also thought that the world’s first such park was Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming. |
As early as a thousand years ago in Kaifeng, China, there were a group of people presenting art and beauty in a delicate manner. Such craft is known
The Silk Road was a passage for the transportation of silk in ancient times. Lots of relics on the road can still
The Silk Road is a long route,
If you are an
Along the Silk Road route, Xi’an and Gansu are suitable to visit all year round. The best time
4 . Four Historic American Theatres
Today, theatres remain a key part of a city’s lifeblood. The following are four historic theatres in America.
Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
The Pantages Theatre, which now seats 1,014, opened in 1916 as part of Alexander Pantages’s well-known group of theatres. It was designed by the local firm Kees and Colburn. In 1922, the theatres was rebuilt by Scottish theatres architect Benjamin Marcus Priteca. After going through several owners, in 1984, it was closed and remained unopened until 1996. Some theatre supporters had it repaired and improved, resulting in its reopening in 2002.
Saenger Theatre, New Orleans, LA
New Orleans’s Saenger Theatre was built two years before the Great Depression, in 1927, and cost a then unheard-of $ 2.5 million. It was designed by Emile Weil, featuring a 15th-century Florentine courtyard and gardens, and Greek and Roman statues. Although the theatre was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, after a $ 53 million renovation (修葺), it reopened in 2013.
Thalian Hall, Wilmington, NC
Thalian Hall has been in almost continuous use since its opening in 1858. It is the only surviving theatre designed by John Montague Trimble, one of America’s foremost 19th-century theatre architects, and originally housed the town government, a library, as well as an “Opera House”, seating 1, 000 people. Some repairs in 1909 led to the removal of the side balconies and the installation of electric stage lights.
Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI
It was originally opened as a movie palace in 1928, and the silent movies it showed were accompanied by a $ 90, 000 Robert Morton organ. After several decades, the theatre suffered from the increased popularity of television, as well as damage by two hurricanes. Over the past decade and a half, it has undergone extensive renovations and modernization.
1. What can we know about the Pantages Theatre?| A．It has a seating capacity of 1, 916. | B．It will be turned into a movie house. |
| C．It was designed by Alexander Pantages. | D．It was once shut down for over a decade. |
| A．Pantages Theatre. | B．Saenger Theatre. | C．Thalian Hall. | D．Providence Performing Arts Center |
| A．They went through major renovations. |
| B．They were hit by terrible natural disasters. |
| C．They were built by American theatre architects. |
| D．They belong o Alexander Pantages’s group of theatres. |
5 . Doubling as educational centers and conservation centers, museums play an important role in the protection of
Today, many museums are among the most visited
The word museum
Earliest museums were private collections and were only accessible to a narrow circle of people. They displayed
In 1683, an Englishman named Elias Ashmole donated the contents of his wonder room to Oxford University, forming the
Today, the importance of public institutions is stronger than ever before.
| A．tourism | B．architecture | C．religion | D．culture |
| A．form | B．vary | C．respond | D．improve |
| A．sites | B．states | C．palaces | D．entrances |
| A．critically | B．roughly | C．barely | D．slightly |
| A．escapes | B．benefits | C．originates | D．differs |
| A．newly-built | B．knowledge-based | C．carefully-chosen | D．theory-guided |
| A．common | B．familiar | C．similar | D．rare |
| A．cared about | B．served as | C．referred to | D．relied on |
| A．basis | B．structure | C．destination | D．position |
| A．raise | B．train | C．admire | D．educate |
| A．special | B．scientific | C．private | D．regular |
| A．featured | B．indicated | C．celebrated | D．inspired |
| A．Opposite to | B．Instead of | C．In addition to | D．Thanks to |
| A．digitize | B．industrialize | C．organize | D．localize |
| A．introduce | B．engage | C．identify | D．select |
6 . A valuable sketch (素描) from World WarⅠhas turned up in a garage sale in Perth. It’s a sketch of soldiers playing soccer with a tin can during an unofficial truce (停战) between German and Allied soldiers on the Western Front in 1914. The artwork was drawn by an unnamed German soldier during the war on the Western Front.
The artwork was given to Private Jack Shelley, a British soldier, when he was defending the town of Frelinghien, France. The sketch is an important historical document, as it provides evidence that the tales of enemy soldiers socializing together are true. But for Private Shelley’s descendants(后代) it has even greater value, since it was his prized possession. Jessie Shelley, Jack’s great-granddaughter, has fond memories of the old man sharing stories about his experiences in the war when he came to live permanently in Australia in 1930. the family lost track of the artwork after Jack’s possessions were moved during the sale of his house when he died in 1984.
‘Great-grandpa had a tobacco tin with a dozen or so buttons from the uniforms of men from both sides. He told us all the details of every one of those buttons. To Great-grandpa they represented real people he had known, some of whom hadn’t come home from the war. He had at least two buttons from German uniforms that he told us were exchanged between the men involved in the Christmas Day Truce.’
On Christmas Day of 1914, the soldiers came out of their trenches(战壕) into no-man’s-land and shared food, drinks and cigarettes. Some even exchanged small gifts. The men even played football games together. Later, this spirit of cooperation continued in unofficial agreements between the sides to stop shooting at mealtimes and even at times when soldiers were working in the open.
This fascinating image of peace and humanity during the war has continued through the years. The sketch is a symbol of the potential for humanity, hope and kindness to exist in even the most violent circumstances.
1. In what situation was the sketch done?| A．It was done in a garage |
| B．It was done on the front line. |
| C．It was done during a formal soccer match. |
| D．It was done by a soldier fighting in Germany. |
| A．It explains the specific reason for the war. |
| B．It shows the war on the Western Front came to an end. |
| C．It proves enemy soldiers could live in peace sometimes. |
| D．It is evidence that soldiers could adapt quickly to society. |
| A．They were from German uniforms. |
| B．Some of them represented his honor. |
| C．Some of their owners didn’t survive the war. |
| D．They were collected during Christmas Day in 1914. |
| A．It brought about more truces. |
| B．It started wide information exchanges. |
| C．It led to no agreement between the sides. |
| D．It resulted in more celebrations between the sides. |
7 . To an outsider，any culture can seem confusing.And the UK's got a thing or two that raises a few eyebrows.However，understand the why and things might be less puzzling.
In a world where 61％of nations drive on the right，Brits drive on the left.Why? Most people think it goes back to Medieval，maybe even Roman times.
Visitors to the UK that have just washed their hands in an old-fashioned sink might be wondering why one tap is only for hot water，the other cold.
Millions of people drink tea worldwide，but the odd Brits put milk in theirs.Why? This mysterious practice relates to the quality of china cup used in the 18th century when tea was first imposed.For the majority of Brits，the cups available couldn’t stand the heat of the boiling water and would break，so milk was added first.
| A．This makes it difficult to improve |
| B．There is a method to the madness |
| C．This unusual behavior makes sense |
| D．You can know the origins of the practices |
| E．Either can make washing very uncomfortable |
| F．This cooled the cup enough to resist the boiling water |
| G．Here are the reasons for three of Britain’s more puzzling practices |
The Silk Road was a passage for the transportation of silk in ancient times. Lots of relics on the road can still
The Silk Road is a long route,
If you are an experienced traveler
Along the Silk Road route, Xi'an and Gansu province are suitable to visit all-year round. The best time
9 .
Most of the money today is made of metal or paper.
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.
Different countries have used different metals and designs for their money.
But even gold and silver were inconvenient if you had to buy something expensive. Again the Chinese thought of a way to improve money.
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. |
