1 . Archaeologists in Egypt have unearthed a Sphinx statue (狮身人面像) with a smiley face near the Hathor Temple, one of the country’s best preserved ancient sites. The smiling Sphinx is much smaller than the famous Sphinx in Giza, which is 20 metres high. The stone work of art, believed to be a stylized representation of an ancient Roman emperor, was found inside a two-level tomb near the temple in southern Egypt.
Next to the beautifully and accurately carved Sphinx, researchers had found a Roman stone written in hieroglyph (象形文字). Once fully translated, the stone may unveil the identity of the sculpted ruler, who could be Emperor Claudius.
The smiling Sphinx is among a series of discoveries announced over the past few months. The country has uncovered major archaeological discoveries in recent months, primarily in the Saqqara cemetery (墓地) south of Cairo as well as in Giza, home to the only surviving structure of the seven wonders of the ancient world. Recently, Egypt announced the discovery of a hidden nine-metre passage inside the Great Pyramid of Giza, which may lead to the actual burial room of pharaoh (法老) Khufu, or Cheops. Further south, in Luxor, archaeologists had discovered a 1,800-year-old complete residential city from the Roman times.
Hathor Temple, about 500 kilometres south of the capital Cairo, was home to the Dendera Zodiac, a heavenly map which has been displayed at the Louvre in Paris for more than a century. Since Frenchman Sebastien Louis Saulnier took it out of the temple in 1922, Egypt has been attempting to get it back.
Some experts see such announcements as having more political and economic weight than scientific, as Egypt is counting on tourism to revive its vital tourism industry in a severe economic crisis. The government aims to draw in 30 million tourists a year by 2028.
1. What do we know about the smiling Sphinx?| A．Its owner was confirmed as an ancient Roman ruler. |
| B．It has been the best-preserved Sphinx till now. |
| C．It is as high as 20 metres like the Sphinx of Giza. |
| D．It was discovered close to the Hathor Temple. |
| A．Reveal. |
| B．Seek. |
| C．Deny. |
| D．Maintain. |
| A．The diversity of cultural relics in Egypt. |
| B．The discoveries made recently in Egypt. |
| C．The status of the Great Pyramid of Giza. |
| D．The new discovery about pharaoh Khufu. |
| A．Scientific progress. |
| B．Political position. |
| C．Economic advance. |
| D．Cultural exchange. |
In ancient times, all roads
Surrounded by mountains, Sichuan, called Shu in ancient times, was known for its inaccessibility. That became widely known partly due to a line from Chinese poet Li Bai,
When builders approached the Mingyue Gorge in Guangyuan, they found
The Sword Gate Pass, a towering V-shaped mountain pass—the one that gave rise
3 . The Masai(马赛人) are continually trying to keep their own ways in an increasingly modern world. They live along the border of Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa, moving their homes from time to time to follow their cattle, the source of their livelihood. They rely on their cattle in many parts of their life. They like drinking the cows’ milk.
They don’t kill their cattle for food. But if a cow is killed, the parts of its body are used to make containers, shoes, clothin, ropes, bed coverings and so on. Not all of the men have cows. The more cattle a man owns, the richer he is considered to be. A man who owns 50 or fewer cattle is considered poor. Rich men have a thousand or more. The cattle, though owned by the man, are considered to belong to the man’s entire family. The family names the cattle and can recognize each animal’s special voice.
The Masai men have become known as warriors(勇士), protecting their cattle against other wild animals. They wear their red long hair. Most women often take care of their children, cook food, clean clothes and make clothing at home. They also make necklaces dresses and headdresses. A few women can also become authorities once they are powerful enough. They speak a language called Maa.
The houses of Masai made from sticks and grass, which are held together with a mixture of mud, are not very firm or safe. These plain houses with some basic supplies are built in a circle and make up a Masai village. They are not meant to last long since the migration(迁徙) of the cow population means that the Masai move as well. In the meantime, in order to prevent animals from entering, they also form a wall of branches. The whole setup is to protect the cattle, which sleep at night in the middle of the village. They seem to live a natural and self-sufficient life but lack modern civilisation.
1. What do we know about the Masai?| A．They don’t move in their lives. |
| B．They each have their own cows. |
| C．They don’t kill their cattle at all. |
| D．They are heavily dependent on cattle. |
| A．Designers. | B．Authorities. |
| C．Housewives. | D．Warriors. |
| A．Modern. | B．Lasting | C．Simple. | D．Safe. |
| A．Africans: Living a Moving life |
| B．Africans: Brave People in the World |
| C．The Masai: Rich People in East Africa |
| D．The Masai: Maintaining a Traditional Lifestyle |
4 . Even today, kites are fun for the young and the old. Elderly Chinese
Later in Chinese history, kites were used for more serious
| A．fly | B．sell | C．keep | D．start |
| A．treasure | B．travel | C．fun | D．sight |
| A．appeared | B．lived | C．owned | D．changed |
| A．done | B．created | C．found | D．made |
| A．equipped | B．admired | C．improved | D．thought |
| A．as soon as | B．as long as | C．as much as | D．as far as |
| A．purposes | B．holiday | C．advantages | D．incidents |
| A．special | B．popular | C．ordinary | D．normal |
| A．developed | B．given | C．fixed | D．observed |
| A．passed | B．offered | C．sent | D．attached |
5 . Marco Polo’s tales inspired European explorers to search for sea routes (路线) from west to east. However, businessmen and explorers from the East set sail from east to west many years before Columbus first did.
In ancient times, silk from China found its way over land to India, the Middle East, and Rome, along what became known as the Silk Road. But another trading route across the sea was also formed along the coasts of the Indian Ocean, centered around Ceylon. Here, businessmen from China and many other places met to exchange goods.
Later, the Ming Dynasty further developed relations with these regions. Between 1405 and 1433, seven large fleets (舰队) sailed west on voyages of trade and exploration. Under the command 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 royal families sent gifts such as giraffes as gestures of friendship in return for silk, and spices. Although China stopped further expeditions (远征) after 1433, these land and sea routes remained active for centuries.
To reach out across the sea remains a strong desire today. The ancient sea routes travelled by Zheng He are being revisited with the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, which is part of the Belt and Road Initiative (一带一路倡议). The aim of this initiative is to encourage cooperation and trade across the historic Silk Road areas, and strengthen the relations between China and the rest of the world. China has poured billions of money in systems and services along these routes, which will help to greatly develop the whole area for the benefit of future trade and cultural exchange.
China has also joined its friends across the sea on other important projects. In recent years, China has joined other nations on several expeditions to explore the Arctic. From a scientific point of view, there is an urgent need to study the Arctic in order to understand climate change and its effects.
1. What do we know about the ancient sea routes?| A．The Silk Road existed longer than the sea routes. |
| B．It was Columbus who first explored the sea routes. |
| C．Businessmen travelled along the sea route for their king. |
| D．The sea route was extended along the Indian Ocean coasts. |
| A．They were stopped for economic reasons. |
| B．They were considered to be a waste of money. |
| C．They also had an influence on the world trade. |
| D．Seven large fleets set sail from the East China Sea. |
| A．To satisfy people’s strong desire and need. |
| B．To promote trade and develop friendships. |
| C．To understand the climate change and its effects. |
| D．To improve the system and service along the routes. |
| A．The Belt and Road Initiative. | B．The history of Silk Road. |
| C．Brave businessmen and explorers. | D．China’s exploration across the sea. |
6 . When people think of Beijing, the hutong style always comes to mind. It is no exaggeration (夸张) to say within hutong lives the city’s history.
The word “hutong” referred to a place where people live, which was borrowed from the Mongolian word to mean “water well” about 700 years ago. Hutong we see today are made up of small paths formed by walls of siheyuan. They were built during the Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties.
When the People’s Republic of China was founded in 1949, there were more than 3,000 hutong. Most of the city’s population lived in this traditional housing. But with the modernization of the city in the 1980s and early 1990s, many hutong were pulled down to build roads, skyscrapers and modern houses.
The government has recognized the importance of hutong to Chinese cultural heritage. In 2002, Beijing listed 40 protected historical zones and increased its efforts to rebuild some key relics and older streets in the city. Nearly 500 hutong have survived.
Hutong that still exist are like oases (绿洲) of calm in the noisy city. Walking through them, it’s common to see groups of elderly people sitting together playing cards, mahjong (麻将) or Chinese chess. In the early mornings and evenings, they gather to practice traditional forms of exercise such as Taijiquan as well as dancing and singing folk songs or Peking Opera. Hutong have become a museum of Beijing’s folk customs and history.
1. What is the purpose of paragraph 2?| A．To add background information of hutong. | B．To bring in the topic of the context. |
| C．To stress the importance of hutong. | D．To introduce the benefits of hutong. |
| A．More hutong were built. |
| B．Lots of hutong disappeared. |
| C．Most hutong became historical zones. |
| D．Some hutong were placed under protection. |
| A．The future of hutong. | B．The change of hutong. |
| C．The beauty of hutong life. | D．The history of hutong life. |
| A．Negative. | B．Unclear. | C．Supportive. | D．Doubtful. |
As a costume drama A Dream of Splendor
It is well known that China is not only the home of most of the world’s tea,
Since the Southern Song Dynasty, loose leaf green tea
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意:1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Since the digging of No.3 to No.8 sites begin in October last year, about 500 pieces of relics (文物) have been found at Sanxingdui Ruins in southwest China Sichuan Province. The relics, discovered at six new sites, include the golden masks. Many of them are unique shaped. The new finds have brought the total amount of the relics discovered at the ruins to nearly 2,000. The discoveries has shown that ancient China is far more developed we have expected.
Sanxingdui was discovered in the early twenty century. It has been considering as one of the greatest archaeological (考古的) wonder in the world.
9 . If you travel to nearly any Chinese city in the summertime, you will see people, mostly men wearing T-shirts, sitting out on the sidewalks on low chairs in the shade, playing a game with large round disks of wood.
And, though it may look quite a bit different than Western chess, Xiangqi is actually quite similar in what the pieces can do and how the game is played. Like Western chess, the object of the game is to capture the other player’s “king”.
Unlike Western chess, instead of placing the pieces in squares, the pieces are placed on the intersections of lines. Another big difference between Western chess and Xiangqi is that there is a large empty space in the middle of the board, which the elephants cannot cross.
| A．Actually, in Xiangqi he is just a general. |
| B．During the Qing Dynasty its popularity grew. |
| C．It is called “the Chu River and the Han Boundary”. |
| D．The game is called Xiangqi, a game of ordinary people. |
| E．There are many differences between Xiangqi and Western chess. |
| F．An intense battle is about to take place on this small chessboard. |
| G．Several sayings related to Xiangqi are in common use in China today. |
增加:在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧),并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除:把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。
修改:在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均只限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
On September 1939, Britain declared war on Germany after Germany invades Poland. The war, that lasted until 1945, is knowing as the Second World War. During the war, Germany occupied much countries, including France. The most important battles of the war in Europe was Operation Overland, the military operation in 1944 to invade France.
Operation Overland started when boats full with of soldiers landed on the beaches of Normandy in France, known as D-Day landings. More than 5,000 ships crossed the English Channel, carry 130,000 troops to the French coast.
The situation was so bad. However, the soldiers eventually made breakthrough and the D-Day landings were successfully.
