1 . Happy, angry, amazed—these are some of the emotions we like to express these days when we’re sending a message on our smartphones! That’s why many of us now add little pictures to our texts to brighten up someone’s mobile screen but we’re also using them as a quick way of telling someone how we’re feeling. Yes, emojis (表情符号) have become a popular tool for communication.
The emoji was first invented in Japan in the late 1990s and the word “emoji” comes from the Japanese words for “picture” and “character”. The number of different images has greatly increased since then and now we have a picture for nearly every mood or situation.
Why are emojis widely used today? Professor Vyv Evans says, “Increasingly, what we’re finding is that digital communication is replacing face-to-face talk in some ways. One of the reasons why emojis are so interesting is that they really do enable us to express our emotional selves much more effectively.”
Another advantage of emojis is that they are an international language—they don’t use words but tell a message with pictures so they can be easily understood whatever your native language is.
But as linguist (语言学家) Neil Cohn says, “To many, emojis are an exciting evolution (进化) of the way we communicate; but to others, they are linguistic Armageddon.” It does show by using emojis, there is a lot more to our communication than words alone, but does this also mean that the traditional writing will die out one day?
1. What is implied(暗示) in Paragraph 2?| A．The emoji was first invented in Japan. |
| B．The word “emoji” only means “picture” and “character”. |
| C．More and more pictures are used to express our mood today. |
| D．The number of emoji images will increase rapidly in the future. |
| A．Emojis can never be misunderstood. |
| B．Emojis are similar to some native languages. |
| C．Emojis make us communicate more effectively. |
| D．Emojis can replace face-to-face communication. |
| A．The power of languages. |
| B．The beauty of languages. |
| C．The development of languages. |
| D．The disappearance of languages. |
A． | B． |
C． | D． |
2 . There are two ways of driving in the world—if the driver’s seat is on the left and cars travel on the right side of the road, it is called “left-hand driving”, as it is in China, while the other way of driving is called “right-hand driving”, as it is in Britain. Nowadays, around 65% of the world’s population drives on the right of the road, while the rest is used to driving on the left.
Though no one knows the exact reasons, it seems likely that people in ancient times travelled on the left. Roman coins show pictures of horsemen passing on each other’s right. And right-hand people generally got on a horse from the animal’s left. Obviously, it’s safer to do this at the left side of the road, and it makes sense for the horse to be ridden on the left.
A change happened in the late 1700s. When Napoleon conquered nations, he forced them to travel on the right side of the road, which spread left-hand driving throughout Europe. However, Britain still stuck with the right-hand driving rule and countries which were part of the British Empire were made to follow. This is why India, Australia and the former British colonies in Africa continue to drive on the left. One exception is Egypt, as that country was defeated by Napoleon before becoming part of the British Empire.
Some countries changed sides until modern times. Sweden only moved to driving on the right in 1967 and Iceland changed the following year. Ghana changed sides in 1974. On September 7, 2009, Samoa became the third country ever to change from left-to-right-hand driving for the reason that it made it easier to import cheap cars from right-hand driving Japan, Australia and New Zealand.
So if you want to travel to another country or go on business, make sure you know whether it is left-hand or right-hand driving to avoid unnecessary troubles.
1. Which picture shows the correct driving in Britain?A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．travelled on the right | B．behaved as they liked |
| C．got on the horses from the right | D．rode past each other’s right |
| A．Egypt | B．Australia | C．Sweden | D．China |
| A．To explain the advantages of the two ways of driving. |
| B．To compare the differences of the two ways of driving. |
| C．To complain about the change of the two ways of driving. |
| D．To introduce the development of the two ways of driving. |
3 . Lost cities that have been found
The White City
In 2015, a team of explorers to Honduras in search of"the Lost City of the Monke God"led to the discovery of the White City. They found the ruins in the Mosquitia region of the Central American country which is known for poisonous snakes, vicious jaguars and deadly insects. It is believed that local people hid here when the Spanish conquerors(征服者) occupied their homeland in the16th century.
Canopus and Heracleion
Modern researchers were teased by the ancient writings about the Egyptian cities Canopus and Heracleion- where Queen Cleopatra often visited. But the cities weren’t found until 1992, when a search in Alexandria waters found that the two cities had been flooded for centuries. Artifacts(史前器物) showed that the cities once highly developed as a trade network, which helped researchers piece together more about the last queen of Egypt.
Machu Picchu
A Yale professor discovered "the Lost City in the Clouds"in 1911. A combination of palaces, plazas, temples and homes, Machu Picchu displays the Inca Empire at the height of its rule. The city, which was abandoned in the 16th century for unknown reasons,was hidden by the local people from the Spanish conquerors for centuries keeping it so well preserved.
Troy
The ancient city of Troy in homer's The Iliad was considered a fictional setting for his characters to run wild. But in 1871, explorations in northwestern Turkey exposed nine ancient cities layered (层叠) on top of each other, the earliest dating back to about 5,000 years before. It was later determined that the sixth or seventh layer contained the lost city of Troy and that it was actually destroyed by an earthquake, not a wooden horse.
1. Why did people hide in the White City in the 16th century?| A．To survive the war |
| B．To search for a lost city. |
| C．To protect their country. |
| D．To avoid dangerous animals |
| A．The White City |
| B．Canopus and Heracleion |
| C．Machu Picchu |
| D．Troy |
| A．It was built by Homer. |
| B．It consisted of nine cities |
| C．It had a history of 5,000 years |
| D．It was ruined by a natural disaster. |
4 . November 11 is Veterans Day in the United States. A "veteran" is anyone who has served in the armed forces. The term "veteran" is not just for those who have served in wars. It describes anyone who has ever been in the army.
On November11, people hold ceremonies(仪式) and parades(游行) to mark Veterans Day. Public officials take part in the events. Army bands play. And soldiers fire guns into the air to remember those who died in service to their country.
The history of Veterans Day relates to World War I. Many people at the time called it "the war to end all wars." The United States entered the fighting in Europe in 1917. Over 13 million men and women were reported for duty in the army. World War I ended at 11 o'clock in the morning on November 11, 1918. The following year, President Woodrow Wilson signed an official statement to celebrate November 11th as Armistice Day in the United States. It would be a day to honor the men and women who had served in the U.S. armed forces during the war. In 1926, Congress made Armistice Day a national holiday.
But new problems were on the way. Soon, everyone knew that World War I would not be the war to end all wars. In all, more than 4,000,000 Americans served in the armed forces during the first World War. And 16 million would serve during the second one.
Armistice Day in 1945 was a special day in the United States. Germany had surrendered in May 1945 and Japan in August. Most men and women who had served in the war were home. So, instead of honoring just veterans of World War I, Americans also honored veterans of World War II. In 1954, Congress decided to change the name of Armistice Day. The holiday became Veterans Day.
1. Who does Veterans Day honour?| A．Those who lost their lives in wars. |
| B．Those who served in the wars. |
| C．Those who served in the army. |
| D．Those who served in the army in World War I. |
| A．Because World War I ended at 11: 00 on November 11. |
| B．Because Woodrow Wilson signed a statement to celebrate it. |
| C．Because the USA entered the war on November 11. |
| D．Because November 11 was once called Armistice Day. |
| A．Women were not included in the army in the wars. |
| B．Armistice Day was not a national holiday until 1954. |
| C．Armistice Day was at first to honor those who died in the war. |
| D．More people from the USA served in World War II than in World War I. |
| A．Celebrations on Veterans Day |
| B．Meaning of Veterans Day |
| C．Veterans Day---a Day for the Army |
| D．Veterans Day in the U.S. |
5 . Americans have always been interested in their Presidents’ wives. Many First Ladies have been remembered because of the ways they have influenced their husbands. Other First Ladies have made the history books on their own.
At least two First Ladies, Bess Truman and Lady Bird Johnson, made it their business to send signals during their husbands speeches. When Lady Bird Johnson thought her husband was talking too long, she wrote a note and sent it up to the platform. It read, "It's time to stop! " And he did. Once Bess Truman didn’t like what her husband was saying on television, so she phoned him and said, "If you can't talk more politely than that in public, you come right home. "
It was First Lady Helen Taft's idea to plant the famous cherry trees in Washington, D. C. Each spring these blossoming trees attract thousands of visitors to the nation's capital. Mrs. Taft also influenced the male members of her family and the White House staff in a strange way: she persuaded them to shave off their beards(胡须) !
Shortly after President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke (中风), Edith Wilson unofficially took over most of the duties of the Presidency until the end of her husband’s term. Earlier, during World War I, Mrs. Wilson had sheep brought onto the White House lawn to eat the grass. The sheep not only kept the lawn cut, but provided wool for an auction(拍卖) held by the First Lady. Almost $100,000 was raised for the Red Cross.
One of the most famous First Ladies was Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She was active in political and social causes throughout her husband’s term in office. After his death, she became famous for her humanitarian(人道主义的) work in the United Nations. She made life better for thousands of needy people around the world.
1. Why have First Ladies been remembered?| A．They are the wives of the presidents. |
| B．They are made up of history books. |
| C．Americans are interested in them. |
| D．They have an effect on their husbands. |
| A．the two wives did business without their husbands |
| B．the two wives influenced the presidents’ speeches |
| C．the two wives didn’t like their husbands to make speeches |
| D．the presidents’ speeches were often interrupted by their wives. |
| A．Lady Bird Johnson. |
| B．Bess Truman. |
| C．Eleanor Roosevelt. |
| D．Helen Taft. |
| A．3 | B．4 | C．5 | D．6. |
6 . When you think of a typical American, who do you picture? A pretty blond white American like Taylor Swift? Or a handsome black American like basketball star Kobe Bryant? In fact, there was a time when the average American looked like neither of these people.
Back in the year 1500, the average American was a brown-skinned hunter-gatherer who probably rode a horse and wore clothing made from animal skins. Today, these people－who usually identify themselves based on their individual tribes such as Iriquois, Apache and Navajo－are broadly referred to as “Native Americans”, “American Indians” or simply “Indians”.
There’s a chance that you’ve never even heard of American Indians. That‟s because there aren’t very many left. When the European settlement of North America began, there were fierce conflicts between the settlers from overseas and these native peoples. After the British government and military were expelled (驱逐) in the Revolutionary War, conflicts with natives continued as the states were created that would later make up the US. In these conflicts, millions of natives were killed.
In 1830, president Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act. This act required all Indians to migrate to the west of the Mississippi River to allow for the expansion of the US. American Indians were treated as a military “enemy” until 1924, when the few Indians still alive at that point were granted （准予）US citizenship. That was the first time that the US government formally recognized the rights of Indians.
While the story of the American Indians has been a sad one, these peoples’ legacies (遗产) are still felt every day in the US. Many US geographical names come from Indian languages, such as Ohio, Topeka, Kansas, and the Potomac River. At the same time, there are numerous successful academics and other important US leaders who are descended（是……的后裔）from Indians. And nowadays, more and more history classes in US public schools are educating students about how Indians suffered during the settlement of the US.
Although what happened cannot be undone, we can learn at least one thing from the sad history of the Indians: If we want a better future, we must look carefully and honestly at the past.
1. What is the article mainly about?| A．The history of the settement of the US. |
| B．What a typical American is like. |
| C．The sad story of American Indians. |
| D．American Indians‟ economic impact on the US. |
| A．were driven from the US by the British government |
| B．were regarded as a military “enemy” of the US |
| C．were finally granted US citizenship |
| D．were required to live along the Mississippi River. |
| A．There are few influential American Indians in US history. |
| B．Some of their languages are still used today. |
| C．The majority of them lived in the states of Ohio and Kansas. |
| D．American youths are becoming more informed of the suffering of the Indians. |
| A．It’s miserable to be reminded of it. |
| B．It’s important to learn from it. |
| C．He doesn’t have much interest in it. |
| D．Every school should teach classes about it. |
7 . Have you ever wondered why people drive on a different side of the road? It might seem bizarre that U. K. Drivers stay on the left, but they’re not the only ones. Around 35 percent of the world population do the same, including people in Ireland, Japan, and some Caribbean islands.
Originally, almost everybody traveled on the left side of the road. However their way of transport was quite different from today: Think about four legs instead of four wheels. For Medieval swordsmen on horseback, it made sense to keep to the left to have their right arms closer to their enemies. Getting on or off was also easier from the left side of the horse, and safer done by the side of the road than in the center.
So why did people stop traveling on the left? Things changed in the late 1700s when large wagons (货车) pulled by several pairs of horses were used to transport farm products in France and the United States. The wagon driver sat behind the left horse, with his right arm free to use his whip to keep the horses moving. Since he was sitting on the left position, he wanted other wagons to pass on his left, so he kept to the right side of the road.
The British Government refused to give up their left-hand driving ways, and in 1773 introduced the General Highways Act, which encouraged driving on the left. This was later made law thanks to The Highway Act of 1835.
When Henry Ford showed his Model T in 1908, the driver’s seat was on the left, meaning that cars would have to drive on the right hand side of the road to allow front and back passengers to exit the car onto the roadside. However, British drivers remain on the left, and this is highly unlikely to change.
1. What does the underlined word “bizarre” in Paragraph 1 mean?| A．Funny. | B．Strange. |
| C．Wrong. | D．Difficult |
| A．It was safer to keep on the left |
| B．It was easier to carry goods. |
| C．It was easier for them to fight. |
| D．It was necessary to control the horse. |
| A．Their sitting position. |
| B．The road conditions. |
| C．The number of horses. |
| D．The products in the wagons. |
| A．UK Drivers Still Go On The Left |
| B．Why People Like Sitting On The Left Side |
| C．The History Of Transportation Means |
| D．The Reasons For Different Driving Sides |
8 . Baron Pierre de Coubertin was a Frenchman. At his time sports were not taught in French schools. De Coubertin believed that sports should go hand in hand with studies. He had an idea. His idea was to begin the Olympics all over again.
Sports teachers of other countries liked de Coubertion’s ideas. So in 1896, the modern Olympic Games were held in Athens（雅典）, Greece. Since then the Olympics have been held once every four years, except three times, when there were wars.
Before the start of the Olympic Games, runners carry lighted torch（火炬）through many nations towards the stadium（运动场）where the games will be held. These sportsmen are from different countries. Yet they work together to carry the Olympic torch. It is passed from runner to runner. When the last runner enters the stadium, he or she places the torch in a special（专门的）basin filled with oil. It catches fire. It is then, only then, that the Olympic Games can begin.
The Olympic flame（火焰）burns throughout the games. It is the flame of peace.
1. Before 1896 French schools didn’t teach_____ .| A．maths | B．history |
| C．sports | D．physics |
| A．was the first man to start the Olympic Games |
| B．helped start the modern Olympic Games |
| C．believed that sports were less important than studies |
| D．failed to begin the modern Olympic Games |
| A．1915 | B．1924 |
| C．1896 | D．1904 |
| A．a foot race | B．a jumping contest（比赛） |
| C．field sports | D．a boxing（拳击）match |
The Committee to Protect Journalists(CPJ) has reported that Syria was the most dangerous place for journalists in 2015. 13 reporters were killed in a state that has been suffering from civil war. Sudan, Bangladesh and Brazil are among other countries in which journalists were killed. Many of them were sent to cover civil wars, corruption and human rights issues.
In addition, several journalists were kidnapped(绑架) and are still being held in prison. The most typical is a Washington Post journalist who has been imprisoned in Iran for over one and a half years On Wednesday he will spend his 527th day in prison, taken away not only freedom but also justice. At the end of 2015, 199 journalists were held in prison in 28 countries around the world, including Egypt and Turkey.
Media experts believe that criminals and militant(激进的) organizations are becoming more and more threatening towards journalists. In the past vehicles that were marked with a PRESS sign got more protection and were not targeted. Although western countries are strongly against it when something happens to journalists, there is often nothing they can do about it. Warring sides sometimes use kidnapped journalists to get media attention.
1. How many journalists died during the attack on Charlie Hebdo?
| A．8. | B．13. | C．69. | D．119. |
| A．Most journalists were killed in Sudan. |
| B．A committee has been found to protect journalists. |
| C．The Washington Post journalist was kidnapped three years ago. |
| D．Western countries work well in protecting journalists. |
| A．To be better protected. | B．To draw media attention. |
| C．To show their anger. | D．To call for help. |
| A．Fighting for Terrorist Groups | B．Keeping off the Killings |
| C．A Dangerous Year for Journalists | D．Dangerous Places for Journalists |
Some historians believe that he is based on a real person, Samuel Wilson. During the War of 1812, Wilson sold meat to American troops. Wilson labeled the meat barrels (桶) US. This meant that it was for the army. At that time, US was not used to mean “United States”. An officer asked what the US on the barrels meant. A soldier replied, “United States”, meaning Samuel Wilson.
The Uncle Sam image (形象) today shows a man with a beard, a stars and stripes (星条旗) top hat, and a suit. Thomas Nast created this image in about 1838. It represented the government in Nast’s political cartoons. Some people believe that Nast based his image on Dan Rice, a popular entertainer. Rice performed while wearing a top hat and suit.
Others think it was James M. Flagg that drew the most famous image of Uncle Sam in 1917, during World War I. It shows a serious man pointing a finger at the viewer and says “United States”. Flagg drew this enduring image to encourage Americans to join the U.S. Army. It has been used for this purpose ever since.
Today, Uncle Sam is a symbol of the United States that is recognized around the world.
1. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Uncle Sam was a character created by the government of the United States. |
| B．Samuel Wilson, a businessman, sold meat to American troops during the War of 1812. |
| C．Uncle Sam was based on an entertainer to show Americans were popular people. |
| D．The image of Uncle Sam has been used to urge Americans to join the army since 1838. |
| A．long-lasting | B．short-lived |
| C．painful | D．scary |
| A．Uncle Sam is an officer from the American army |
| B．Uncle Sam’s top hat and suit reflect the American flag |
| C．Tile Uncle Sam symbol is the best of all American symbols |
| D．Opinions differ about how Uncle Sam became a national symbol |
| A．The name Uncle Sam was invented during the War of 1821. |
| B．There are many symbols of the United States, including Uncle Sam. |
| C．Over time, the image of Uncle Sam came to represent the United States. |
| D．Uncle Sam is a national symbol that is recognized around the United States. |
