1 . The city of Pompeii is a partially buried Roman towncity near modern Naples in the Italian region of Campania. Along with Herculaneum, Pompeii was partially destroyed and buried under 4 m to 6 m of ash in the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
By the 1st century AD, Pompeii was one of a number of towns located near the base of the volcano, Mount Vesuvius. The area had a large population which grew prosperous(繁荣的) from the region’s agricultural fertility(丰产). Many of Pompeii’s neighboring communities also suffered damage or destruction during the 79 AD eruption. The eruption occurred on August 24.
A study of the eruption products and victims indicated that at Vesuvius and surrounding towns heat was the main cause of death of people, previously believed to have died by ash suffocation(窒息). The results of the study, published in 2010, show that exposure to at least 250 ℃ hot surges at a distance of 10 kilometres from the vent(出口) was sufficient to cause instant death, even if people were sheltered within buildings.
In 1748, a farmer called Andre and his brother dug a cupboard made of metal. To their surprise, there are a lot of dissolved jewelry and ancient money in it.
This news took air. The farmers were thinking of the legend of disappeared Pompeii that ancestors told them. So, many archaeologists, historians, and even treasure hunters swarmed(蜂拥) there. In 1876, Italy government agreed with experts to dig the Pompeii out. Through a hundred years’ working, they dug the Pompeii out completely.
The historian Vanya said, “What a horrifying scene! Many people died when they are dormant(休眠的), and some people died behind the door of home. They were raising their hands and breathing ...”
Compared with nature, human seems small and weak. We don’t have enough power to compete with nature, so we should respect nature and protect the environment to lessen disasters.
1. What did the people of Pompeii depend on for a living?| A．Industry. | B．Agriculture. |
| C．Hunting. | D．Business. |
| A．Ash suffocation. | B．Lack of shelters. |
| C．Extreme heat. | D．Starvation. |
| A．Spread. | B．Disappeared. |
| C．Increased. | D．Reduced. |
| A．To compete with nature. | B．To fight against disasters. |
| C．To protect our surroundings. | D．To research on nature. |
2 . There are many universities that have been in existence for a long time and are still very popular for their quality education. The following are three of them.
University of Oxford, England
Founded in: 1096
The foundation year of this university is around 1096. There is evidence of teaching being undertaken then. It gained a lot of popularity in the early 1167, as Henry II put a ban on English students from entering the University of Paris. It is regarded as one of the best places to get a higher education today, and it consists of 38 different colleges specializing in various fields of study.
University of Salamanca, Spain
Founded in: 1218
This is the oldest university in Spain, and is located in the town of Salamanca, west of Madrid. It is the third oldest university in Europe that has been in continuous operation since it was founded. Today, it is the most important institution in the world for studying humanities and languages, Christopher Columbus is said to have consulted with its scholars when he was seeking a route to India.
University of Padua, Italy
Founded in: 1222
This is the chief university of Italy. It was started as a law school. It is said to be founded in
1222 by a group of students and professors. Theology (神学) and law were the first subjects taught here. The fields of botany, history, and theater are the most well-known and pursued courses here, and it has established its greatness in the educated world. In 2015, it was ranked as the best university among all Italian educational institutions for higher education.
1. How did the University of Oxford become quite popular？| A．It received a lot of financial support from Henry II |
| B．It decided to run more courses to educate more students. |
| C．Henry II allowed the university to accept foreign students. |
| D．Henry II forbade English students to attend the University of Paris. |
| A．Scholars in the University of Salamanca are knowledgeable |
| B．Columbus graduated from the University of Salamanca |
| C．Columbus was grateful for the help provided by the university |
| D．Some of his friends in the university held a farewell party for him |
| A．It is located in the west of Madrid |
| B．It is the third oldest university in Europe |
| C．Theology and law were the first subjects taught there |
| D．It is the premier institution in the world for studying humanities |
3 . The Canadian red and white maple leaf (枫叶) flag is officially called the National Flag of Canada. The Canadian flag shows a stylized red maple leaf with 11 points on a white background, with red borders down each side. The Canadian flag is twice as long as it is wide. The white square containing the red maple leaf is the same width as the flag.
The red and the white used in the National Flag of Canada were proclaimed the official colors of Canada in 1921 by King George Ⅴ. Although the maple leaf did not have its official status as a symbol of Canada until the announcement (宣告) of the national flag in 1965, it had historically been used as a Canadian symbol, and was used in 1860 in decorations for the visit of the Prince of Wales to Canada. The 11 points on the maple leaf have no special significance.
In the early days, the Royal Union Flag, or the Union Jack, was still flown in British North America. In 1925 and again in 1946, the Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King tried to get a national flag of Canada adopted, but failed. In 1964, Prime Minister Lester Pearson appointed a 15-member, all-party committee to come up with a design for a new flag. The committee was given six weeks to complete its task.
The committee studied 2,000 submitted (提交的) designs as well as 3,900 that had been gathered as a result of the 1946 committee’s study. Those designs with a chance of being accepted were given to the full committee for further study.
The suggestion of a red and white single maple leaf design for the Canadian flag came from George Stanley, a professor at the Royal Military College. After a heated discussion, they finally decided on his suggestion.
1. How many colors are there in the National Flag of Canada?| A．One. | B．Two. |
| C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．In 1921. | B．In 1860. |
| C．In 1964. | D．In 1965. |
| A．The officials of the government. |
| B．The professors from the Royal Military College. |
| C．The members of the 1946 committee. |
| D．The members of the 1964 committee. |
| A．the designer of the National Flag of Canada |
| B．the history of the National Flag of Canada |
| C．the meaning of the National Flag of Canada |
| D．why the red and white single maple leaf was chosen as the design for the National Flag of Canada |
The Chinese kept their secret of how to make paper until a war with Muslims in the ninth century. The art of papermaking soon spread throughout the Muslim world.
The Mayan Indians in Central America and Pacific Islanders also discovered how to make paper, but their knowledge never spread to the rest of the world.
For centuries, all paper was made by hand. Rags were the main material. Then a French scientist discovered that people could make paper from wood, too. Finally, in the eighteenth century. a Frenchman invented a machine to make paper from wood.
1. Who discovered how to make paper?
| A．The Chinese. | B．The Pacific Islanders. |
| C．The Mayan Indians. | D．All of the above. |
| A．About 1 ,800 years ago. |
| B．About 1, 900 years ago. |
| C．About 2, 000 years ago. |
| D．About 2, 100 years ago. |
| A．Through wars. |
| B．Through the Muslims. |
| C．Through the Mayan Indians. |
| D．Through the Pacific Islanders. |
| A．The Invention of Paper. |
| B．The History of Papermaking. |
| C．Different Ways of Making Paper. |
| D．The Invention of a Papermaking Machine. |
5 . Few things have helped create the look of the English countryside more than hedges（树篱）. Hedges have been used for a long time in England, yet for all their ancientness, much of the familiar checkerboard pattern they help create is of very recent age.
Hedges have been used as field boundaries in England since the times of the Romans. Archaeological discovery at Farmoor(Oxon) shows Roman hedges were made of thorn（荆棘）. The Anglo-Saxons also used hedges widely, and many that were used as estate boundaries still exist. Although these early hedges were used as field enclosures（圈地）or to mark the boundaries of one person’s possessions, there was no systematic planting of hedges in England until the first enclosure movement of the 13th century.
The pressures of population expansion led to a widespread clearing of land for agriculture, and the new fields needed to be marked clearly. Later, farming expansion in the 15th century led to more widespread hedge planting, but the greatest use of hedges came in the Enclosure Movement of the 18th and 19th centuries. The Enclosure Movement is a fancy term that historians use to describe the habit of wealthy landowners enclosing common fields for their own use, usually for the purpose of raising sheep.
Hedges are used as field boundaries in the lowland of England. In the highlands, such as the Yorkshire Dales, dry stone walls are commonly used. So great was the need for hedges during the Enclosures that a whole new industry sprang up supplying hawthorn（山楂）plants to be used in planting new hedges.
In the process of enclosure many rural labourers lost their livelihood and had to move to the new industrial urban centres. So the next time you sigh over the timeless quality of the English hedge-shaped countryside, spare a thought for the pain and hardship caused by the expansion of hedged fields to much of England’s rural population.
1. What were hedges originally used for in England?| A．Enclosing common lands. |
| B．Marking the limits of fields. |
| C．Protecting agricultural crops. |
| D．Protecting sheep from the wolves. |
| A．Immigration. | B．Conflicts. |
| C．Agriculture. | D．Tourism. |
| A．Roman times. | B．The 13th century. |
| C．The 15th century. | D．The 18th century. |
| A．They made good hedges. |
| B．They produced nice fruits. |
| C．They had beautiful shapes. |
| D．They were suitable food for sheep. |
6 . The Winter Olympics are also called the White Olympics. At this time, many colourful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamps marking the opening came out on January 25, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule.
During the 4th Winter Olympic Games, a group of stamps were published in Germany in November, 1936. The five rings of Olympics were drawn on the front of the sportswear. It was the first time that the rings appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics.
In the 1950’s, the stamps of this kind became more colourful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries as well as the non-host countries published stamps to mark those Games. China also published four stamps in February 1980, when the Chinese sportsmen began to take part in the White Olympics. Japan is the only Asian country that has ever held the White Olympics. Altogether 14,500 million stamps were sold to raise money for this sports meet.
Different kinds of sports were drawn on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of some sportsmen.
1. The White Olympics is _______________.| A．the Games whose color is white. |
| B．the Olympic Games that is held in winter. |
| C．the winter when the stamps are published. |
| D．the Games held in turn by each country. |
| A．In 1932 | B．In 1950 | C．In 1936 | D．In 1980 |
| A．Stamps are published only to mark the Winter Olympics during the Games. |
| B．Only host countries publish stamps. |
| C．Japan is the only one of the countries in Asia published stamps to mark the Games. |
| D．China hasn’t hosted the White Olympics so far. |
| A．the Winter Olympic Games | B．Stamps for the White Olympics |
| C．Olympic Countries | D．the History of the Stamps |
7 . Today about 70 countries use Daylight Saving Time (DST). Daylight Saving was first introduced during World War I in Australia. During the world wars, DST was used for the late summers beginning January 1917 and 1942, and the full summers beginning September 1942 and 1943.
In 1967, Tasmania experienced a drought. The State Government introduced one hour of daylight saving that summer as a way of saving power and water. Tasmanians liked the idea of daylight saving and the Tasmanian Government has declared daylight saving each summer since 1968. Persuaded by the Tasmanian Government, all states except two passed a law in 1971, for a test use of daylight saving. In 1972, New South Wales, South Australia and Victoria joined Tasmania for regular daylight saving, but Queensland did not do so until 1989.
Tasmania, Queensland and South Australia have had irregular plans, often changing their dates due to politics or festivals. For example, in 1992, Tasmania extended daylight saving by an extra month while South Australia began extending daylight saving by two weeks for the Adelaide Festival. Special daylight saving plans were made during the sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
The differences in daylight saving in Australia continue to cause serious problems in transport and many other social activities. It also reduces the number of hours in the working day that are common to all centers in the country. In particular, time differences along the east coast cause major difficulties, especially for the broadcasters of national radio and television.
1. Daylight Saving Time was introduced in Tasmania ________.| A．to save water and electricity | B．to support government officials |
| C．to pass a special law in the state | D．to stop the drought in 1967 |
| A．Victoria. | B．Queensland. |
| C．South Australia. | D．New South Wales. |
| A．It lasts for two weeks. | B．It is not used in festivals. |
| C．Its plan was changed in 2000. | D．It doesn't have fixed dates. |
| A．There exist some undesirable effects. |
| B．It helps little to save energy. |
| C．It brings about longer working days. |
| D．Radio and TV programs become different. |
Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre (卢浮宫) in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries.
The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a fort (要塞)with high walls and a round tower. It had a moat (护城河) to keep out the enemies. Over the years, the number of buildings around the fort grew. By 1350,the fort was no longer needed and became a palace home for French kings and queens.
During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During times of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings were damaged(毁损).
When Francis I became King of France in the year of 1515,he brought in artists from many countries, and one of them was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy, whose Mona Lisa is the best-known painting in the museum today.
In 1793, the Louvre became a public museum, just as it is now. It is a place where art treasures have been saved for everyone to enjoy.
1. The above passage is about
| A．the world-famous painting Mona Lisa |
| B．a king of France by the name of Francis I |
| C．a grand art museum in the capital of France |
| D．an artist named Leonardo da Vinci |
| A．only in this way will they not be stolen |
| B．it gives everyone a chance to enjoy them |
| C．it helps people to remember the life of French kings and queens |
| D．it tells people what meaningful work the French kings did in the past |
| A．in the year of 1350 |
| B．in 1515 when Francis I became King of France |
| C．in the seventeenth century |
| D．in the nineties of the eighteenth century |
| A．lots of people pay visits to the Louvre |
| B．Leonardo da Vinci was once the keeper of the museum |
| C．the Louvre was only open to the artists from other countries |
| D．the Louvre became a public museum at the beginning of the last century |
May 5,1884
Isaac Murphy , son of a slave and perhaps the greatest horse rider in American history , rides Buchanan to win his first Kentucky Derby . He becomes the first rider ever to win the race three times .
May 9 , 1754
Benjamin Franklin’s Pennsylvania Gazette produces perhaps the first American political cartoon （漫画）, showing a snake cut in pieces, with the words “ Join or Die” printed under the picture.
May 11,1934
The first great dust storm of the Great Plains Dust Bowl , the result of years of drought，blows topsoil all the way to New York City and Washington , D.C. .
May 19, 1994
Jacqueline Lee Bouvier Kennedy Onassis , former first lady and one of the most famous people of the 1960s , died of cancer in New York City at the age of 64 .
May 24, 1844
Samuel F.B. Morsr taps out the first message , “ What Hath God Wrought ,” over the experimental long-distance telegraph line which runs from Washington, D.C. , to Baltimeore , Md .
1. We know from the text that Buchanan is_____________.
| A．Isaac”s father |
| B．a winning horse |
| C．a slave taking care if horses |
| D．the first racing horse in Kentucky |
| A．Join or Die | B．Pennsylvania Gazette |
| C．What Hath God Wrought | D．Kentucky Derby |
| A．1934 | B．1960 |
| C．1964 | D．1994 |
| A．Washington , D. C. | B．New York City |
| C．Kentucky. | D．Pennsylvania |
