1 . The Union Jack is the national flag of the United Kingdom. It is so called because it combines the emblems (象征) of three countries—England, Scotland and Ireland (although since 1921 only Northern Ireland has been part of the United Kingdom).
The term “Union Jack” possibly dates from Queen Anne’s time, but its origin is uncertain. It may come from the “Jacket” of the English or Scottish soldiers; or from the name of James Ⅰ who originated the first union in 1603, in either its Latin or French form “Jacobus” or “Jacques”; or, as “jack” once meant small, the name may come from a royal proclamation (声明) issued by Charles Ⅱ that the flag should be flown only by ships of the Royal Navy as a jack, a small flag at the bowsprit (船首).
The Union Jack was originally a royal flag (when the present design was made official in 1801, it was ordered to be flown on all the King’s forts and castles, but not elsewhere); it is today flown above Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle when the Queen is not in residence. On news of a royal death, the Union Jack will be flown at halfmast (下半旗).
The flying of the Union Jack on public buildings is decided by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport at the Queen’s command. The Union Jack is flown on government buildings on days marking the birthdays of members of the royal family, such as the Queen’s official birthday, and on the days of the State Opening and prorogation (休会) of Parliament; it is also flown on St David’s Day, St George’s Day, St Andrew’s Day, and St Patrick’s Day.
Although the Union Jack originated as a royal flag, it is now also flown by many people and organizations elsewhere in the United Kingdom. Its use as an emblem has extended beyond the form of a flag and the Union Jack is frequently shown on other objects.
1. The reason why the national flag of the United Kingdom is called the Union Jack is that ________.| A．the flag is made of jacket |
| B．the flag combines the emblems of three countries |
| C．the flag shows the symbol of unity |
| D．the flag originated from the existence of the United Kingdom |
| A．the origin of the national flag |
| B．the history of the national flag |
| C．the reason why the Union Jack has become the national flag |
| D．the way how the Union Jack has become the national flag |
| A．Once the Union Jack was not flown elsewhere except royal places. |
| B．The Union Jack will be flown at halfmast if a member of the royal family dies. |
| C．Many people and organizations can flow the Union Jack in the world. |
| D．The Union Jack can be flown in many places and on many days in the United Kingdom. |
| A．The Union Jack Everywhere | B．The Union Jack at Anytime |
| C．National Flag, the Union Jack | D．The History of the Union Jack |
2 . 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 |
3 . If you’ve ever eaten a free doughnut (甜甜圈) on the first Friday in June, you’ve celebrated the Doughnut Lassies — whether you realized it or not. National Doughnut Day was established to honor the Salvation Army volunteers who fried sugary snacks for World War I soldiers on the front line.
When the US entered World War I in 1917, the Salvation Army, a charity organization, sent about 250 volunteers (who were mostly women) to France, where the American army was stationed. The plan was to bring treats and supplies as close to the front line as possible. But the closer the volunteers got to the action, the fewer resources they could access.
Margaret Sheldon and Helen Purviance were credited with bringing doughnuts to the Wester Front. They had a handful of ingredients, including flour, sugar, animal fats, baking powder and canned milk. Doughnuts were one of the few sweet foods they could make without an oven, and once they had a fire hot enough to heat the oil, they could fry them up fast. The women had the pan to cook them in, but for other parts, they had to get creative. For example, grape juice bottles became rolling pins (擀面杖) when necessary.
Sheldon and Purviance’s pan could fit seven doughnuts at a time, and on day one, they made just 150 doughnuts for the group of 800 men. The soldiers even fought over a doughnut. Then they made some changes to their operation, and eventually made 5,000 doughnuts a day. The snacks were so popular that the volunteers earned the nickname “Doughnut Lassies”, while the soldiers they served were nicknamed “Doughboys”.
The Doughnut Lassies’ impact didn’t end with World War Ⅰ. The American soldiers’ experiences overseas made doughnuts a commonly eaten food for them back home.
1. What is the purpose of the Salvation Army in sending the volunteers?| A．To learn about life on the front line. | B．To provide French soldiers with food. |
| C．To bring food and supplies to the front line. | D．To increase the number of soldiers on the front line. |
| A．Soldiers preferred doughnuts. | B．They were best at making doughnuts. |
| C．Doughnuts allowed them to be creative. | D．Doughnuts were their best choice then. |
| A．They felt hopeless. | B．They were confused. |
| C．They were encouraged. | D．They became a bit angry. |
| A．Doughnuts were more popular out of the US. |
| B．The American soldiers got tired of doughnuts. |
| C．The Doughnut Lassies’ impact didn’t last long. |
| D．Doughnuts became popular in the US after the war. |
4 . King Tut, Egypt’s famous boy king, was buried with many valuable objects. A dagger (匕首)discovered in his tomb has recently attracted extra attention. Researchers have concluded that the dagger was probably made from a special material.
King Tut was only about nine years old when he became ruler of Egypt more than 3, 300 years ago. The young king died when he was just 19, His body was buried in a tomb filled with objects that people believed he would need in the afterlife.
In 1922, Howard Carter discovered Tut’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings in Egypt. Up to now, it was the best preserved ancient Egyptian tomb ever found. In 1925, Carter found the dagger which has a gold handle and an iron blade (刀片).The blade had confused experts because iron was hardly used at that time in ancient Egypt. In fact, it was so rare that it was considered more valuable than gold. Where did the iron for the blade come from?
Around the time of King Tut, ancient Egyptians started using a new word for iron that translates as “iron from the sky”. This led some experts to believe that the iron for the blade came from a meteorite (陨石).But studies of the dagger carried out in the 1970s and 1990s didn’t support that idea.
That’s where modern technology comes in. Researchers used a new technique to examine the blade. They discovered that it was made up of iron and other materials found in meteorites. After comparing it to several meteorites, they even found its possible match — a meteorite that landed in northern Egypt thousands of years ago.
Scientists hope the new study will lead to more discoveries about other ancient Egyptian relics, “It would be very interesting to analyze more Pre-iron Age objects and we could gain precious discoveries.” Daniela Comelli, who is a professor, said.
1. What do we know about Tut’s tomb?| A．It was perfectly kept when discovered. | B．It was built when he was 9. |
| C．It has a lot of iron objects in it. | D．It was the first tomb to be found. |
| A．it is King Tut’s favorite object | B．its blade is made of iron |
| C．it was more valuable than gold | D．it leads to more discoveries |
| A．The iron. | B．The material. | C．A meteorite. | D．The blade. |
| A．more valuable objects are hidden in the tombs |
| B．iron is widely used in ancient Egypt |
| C．Tut’s dagger was likely made from a meteorite |
| D．ancient Egyptian objects are excellent |
5 . Fossils are well preserved remains, impressions, or traces (痕迹) of animals and plants that lived long ago. Paleontologists (古生物学家) divide fossils into two main groups. Some fossils, called body fossils, show the structure of the plant or the animal. They form directly from the remains of plants and animals. Other fossils, called trace fossils. They record signs of animal or plant activities, such as walking, feeding, scratching, or even resting.
Most animals and plants don’t become fossils after they die. They break down into little bits or may be eaten by other animals. But some remains get buried too fast, avoiding those things happening. An animal might die near a body of water and sink to the bottom, where its remains get covered in sediment (沉积物). As sediment builds up, mineral-rich water seeps into the remains, leaving minerals in the tiny spaces of the bones and even replacing the original bones. The new minerals react with those in the animal’s remains and then harden into fossils.
Most fossils are buried deep in the Earth. As the Earth’s surface changes, scientists can dig up new fossils and learn more about past life and the Earth’s history. In rock that formed before a certain time, roughly 2.8 million years ago, scientists will not find human fossils.
Fossils are our keys to understanding prehistoric life and the Earth’s history. By studying fossils, we learn about a great variety of plants and animals that lived in the past. We can know what they looked like, how and where they moved and what they ate. By comparing fossils from different time periods, we can track the evolution of a species, see how it adapted to changes in its environment, and understand more about the climate and environment where the fossils were buried.
1. What can we learn from paragraph 1?| A．Fossils are remains of plants and animals. |
| B．Trace fossils only tell us the activities of animals. |
| C．Trace fossils form directly from the remains of creatures. |
| D．Body fossils show almost the original structure of creatures. |
| A．Where we can find fossils. | B．How animals and plants become fossils. |
| C．Different fossils have different features. | D．Which methods are used to study fossils. |
| A．Engages in. | B．Succeeds in. | C．Delights in. | D．Sinks in. |
| A．Ridiculous. | B．Complex. | C．Significant. | D．Inspiring. |
6 . One of the most common beliefs among researchers is that humans first arrived in North America 16,000 years ago. According to a recent fossil discovery, that might not be true. The new finding suggests that humans might have arrived in North America far earlier.
In 2013, a damaged mammoth (猛犸象) skull and other bones that looked “deliberately broken” were found. The damage to the bones suggested that humans were the ones who caused it to make tools. Carbon- dating analysis suggested the pieces are roughly 37 ,000 years old. This discovery could shift our understanding of humans ‘earliest existence in North America. These fossils suggest humans killed animals in the area much earlier than 16, 000 years ago.
Previous research led scientists to believe the first humans that settled in North America belonged to the Clovis culture. This was a group of people who left behind carefully made tools 16,000 years ago. However, carbon-dating analysis of the mammoth bones indicates that the site is around 36, 250 to 38, 900 years old. That means it’s the oldest known site left behind by ancient humans in North America.
“That’s not the only interesting thing about the discovery,” said Timothy Rowe, a professor at the University of Texas. “The similar findings supporting an earlier date for human arrival have been mostly ignored. This is because they have contradicted previous research.”
Now, however, he thinks there’s a good chance that researchers will find evidence of humans farther back in time.
The early humans shaped bones into sharp blades, which were used to take apart animals’ remains, according to Rowe. There are also signs that they cooked the animal bones over a fire to melt off the fat. “The real evidence that we have has to do with the breakage patterns, and how thorough they are. They must have used rocks or hammer stones to bust the skeleton apart... These people would use whatever they could,” Rowe told USA Today.
1. What can be learnt about the earliest humans in North America?| A．They arrived there 16,000 years ago. | B．They caused mammoth to disappear. |
| C．They belonged to the Clovis culture. | D．They could make tools with bones. |
| A．They lack a good chance. | B．They fail to draw attention. |
| C．They disagree with earlier research. | D．They aren’t studied scientifically. |
| A．Inspiring. | B．Annoying. | C．Puzzling. | D．Embarrassing. |
| A．The Earliest Humans’ Settling in North America |
| B．Evidence of Earlier Humans’ Arrival in North America |
| C．The Earliest Tool Makers in North America |
| D．Research on Mammoths in North America |
7 . Throughout history, great cities have risen and fallen. Some of them are seemingly lost in time — until artifacts (古物) are discovered that bring them back to life.
Teotihuacán
Located outside of Mexico City, Teotihuacán is thought to have been settled around 400 BC. By 400 AD, it was the most influential, powerful city in its region. Teotihuacán’s real treasure is its massive step pyramids. Much of the city’s history is still a mystery, but some believe that its decline came from changing climate conditions like long-term droughts.
Petra
This ancient city in southern Jordan flourished from the 4th century BC to 106 AD. It was an important place for spice and silk trade routes. It also had a complicatedly-designed water management system. Petra was occupied by Rome in 106 AD, and the trade routes soon shifted. Hundreds of years later, earthquakes damaged the water system and Petra was abandoned.
Pompeii
Endless tales have been told about the tragedy of Pompeii, which occurred on August 24, in the year 79 AD, when the volcano Vesuvius erupted. The entire town was swiftly covered in ash and soil. Everything was frozen in time. The site was unearthed in the 18th century, and the evidence found provided a great detail of insight into daily living in this ancient Italian city.
Ctesiphon
Located about 20 miles outside of Baghdad, Ctesiphon was one of the greatest cities in Western Asia in the 6th century. It was conquered (征服) by Rome, and then by the Byzantine Empire. In 637 AD, it was captured by the Muslims. Many believe that the ancient city was the inspiration for the city of Isbanir mentioned in the Thousand and One Nights folk tales.
1. What do we know about Teotihuacán?| A．Its history needs further exploration. |
| B．It was the most powerful city of its time. |
| C．It took about 400 years to reach its peak. |
| D．Its pyramids were ruined by climate change. |
| A．Teotihuacán. | B．Petra. | C．Pompeii. | D．Ctesiphon. |
| A．They were sources for folk tales. | B．They declined due to natural disasters. |
| C．They were once defeated by Rome. | D．They were towns on the ancient silk road. |
8 . We are all busy talking about and using the Internet, but how many of us know the history of the Internet?
Many people are surprised when they find that the Internet was set up in the 1960s. At that time, computers were large and expensive. Computer networks didn’t work well. If one computer in the network broke down, then the whole network stopped. So a new network system had to be set up. It should be good enough to be used by many different computers. If part of the network was not working, information could be sent through another part. In this way, computer network system would keep on working all the time.
At first the Internet was only used by the government, but in the early 1970s, universities, hospitals and banks were allowed to use it, too. However, computers were still very expensive and the Internet was difficult to use. By the start of the 1990s, computers had become cheaper and easier to use. Scientists had also developed software that made “surfing” the Internet more convenient.
Today it is easy to get online and it is said that millions of people use the Internet every day. Sending email is more and more popular among students.
The Internet has now become one of the most important parts of people’s life．
1. The Internet has a history of around ________ years until the year of 2020.| A．ten | B．twenty | C．sixty | D．seventy |
| A．break down the whole network | B．make itself keep on working all the time |
| C．make computers cheaper | D．make computers large and expensive |
| A．Scientists | B．the government |
| C．schools | D．hospitals and banks |
| A．Software | B．Scientists | C．Information | D．Computers |
9 . Birthday card history is said to be over a hundred years old. There is no record to tell us who sent or received the first birthday card but it is said that the tradition of sending birthday cards began in England a century ago. In those times people used to personally greet a person on a birthday, but when a well-wisher was unable to do so he sent a birthday card. Thus birthday cards were more like an apology at that time.
History of greeting cards can be traced back to the ancient Chinese who are said to have started the tradition of sending goodwill messages on New Year Day. Early Egyptians too are believed to have made used papyrus scrolls（纸莎草纸画卷）to send greetings to dear ones. During early 1400 the tradition of exchanging handmade paper greeting cards developed in Europe while Germans at that time were known to have printed New Year's greetings from woodcuts. The advancement in printing technology in 1850s helped to make greeting cards more affordable. No wonder, they soon became popular means of personal communication. During the 1980s non-event cards or the cards not made for any particular occasion became popular and helped card industry reach a new high.
Greeting cards have taken a new form in this present age of Internet technology. Today, they are being increasingly exchanged as electronic or e-greeting cards. Advancement in technology that began in the 1990s has led to a further growth in card industry. People find it easier to send e-cards as a means of exchanging greetings.
Greeting cards are an important means of communicating good wishes and love to a person. They carry a personal touch that makes them lovable and very special.
1. What is the function of the birthday card in England a century ago?| A．To send good wishes. |
| B．To present a personal greeting. |
| C．To make an apology. |
| D．To work as a birthday present. |
| A．the British | B．the Chinese |
| C．the Egyptians | D．the Germans |
| A．The tradition of sending goodwill messages. |
| B．The invention of handmade paper. |
| C．The advancement in printing technology. |
| D．The development in Internet technology. |
| A．The History of Greeting Cards |
| B．The Importance of Birthday Cards |
| C．The Function of Birthday Cards |
| D．The Tradition of Sending Greeting Cards |
10 . We all love bank holidays. In the UK, we only get eight bank holidays in one year, and atleast five of those occur around Christmas time and Easter time! A bank holiday is a British English term. This is an official day that is decided by the government, when banks, shops and offices close for the day even though it’s a weekday — usually a M onday, and a lot of people have a day off work.
Bank holidays are different in Colombia — firstly, they are called “festivos”. There are twenty festivos for the whole country in one year ! In Britain, people get more holiday allowance (津贴) than Colombians but fewer bank holidays. There can be even more festivos in Colombia, depending on which region of Colombia you live in. This is because different regions have their own holidays. For example, some regions have a patron saint (守护神) in their region, so they have an extra festivo to celebrate that saint.
However, there are some days that are national holidays for historical reasons. There is an Independence Day celebration on July 20 every year. This is just like Bastille Day in France on July 14, or Independence Day in the United States on July 4. Other important festivos in Colombia are： Labor Day, on May 1, and Columbus Day on October 12. Columbus Day is a historical bank holiday that almost every country on the continent of A merica celebrates. This includes Colombia, Chile, Peru, Argentina, Mexico and the United States. It is a memorialization of the day that the Italian sailor, Christopher Columbus, first reached land on the continent in the year 1492. Many people criticize this day and say it is not something to celebrate because of the way Columbus and his teams treated the people that were already living there.
1. What is a “bank holiday” according to the text?| A．A holiday only for the bank staff. |
| B．A British traditional religion festival. |
| C．A celebration for Christmas and Easter. |
| D．An official nationwide rest day. |
| A．Colombia and Britain have the same number of festivos. |
| B．All Colombians have the same number of festivos. |
| C．Colombians have more bank holidays than the British. |
| D．Different regions in Colombia have different patron saits to celebrate. |
| A．Because Columbus wasn’t an American at all. |
| B．Because Columbus once treated the locals badly. |
| C．Because it wasn’t Columbus that found America first. |
| D．Because Columbus didn’t live in the continent of America. |
| A．Bank Holidays in Western World |
| B．How to Celebrate Bank Holidays |
| C．Celebrations of National Holidays |
| D．Why People Celebrate National Holidays |
