1 . A small group of paleontologists (古生物学家) recently discovered 10 species of ancient mammals previously unknown to science with the help of an enormous number of helpers at their dig site: ants.
The study of ancient mammals throws new light on the diversity of mammals that existed in North America around 33 million to 35 million years ago, when the climate was changing dramatically. It also pays attention to the harvester ants, with which researchers have long had a love-hate relationship. “The ants are not fantastic when they’re biting you,” said Samantha Hopkins, a professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Oregon. “But I’ve got to appreciate them because they make my job a whole lot easier.”
Most species of harvester ants live in subterranean caves that sit beneath a small hill of dirt. They strengthen the dirt by covering it with bits of rock and other tough materials. The ants have been known to travel over a hundred feet from their caves and to dig six feet deep in pursuit of materials that help secure their caves. The materials include fossils. Harvester ants can carry materials 10 times to 50 times the weight of their body, although they do not weigh very much, so the heaviest fossil they can collect weighs less than the average pill.
Given the size, harvester ant hills are hot spots for what scientists call microvertebrate (微型脊椎动物) fossils, which are animal fossils too small to see without a microscope. For over a century, scientists like Dr. Hopkins have found sediment (沉积物) off the sides of harvester ant hills in search of these fossils, making it easier to find large numbers of fossilized mammal teeth without spending hours in the field sifting through sand and dirt.
1. What is the purpose of the passage?| A．To compare two different species. |
| B．To provide evidence for discoveries. |
| C．To promote awareness of mammal protection. |
| D．To introduce a kind of ant serving as a helper. |
| A．Ant numbers. | B．Climate. | C．Cave materials. | D．Dirt locations. |
| A．Coastal. | B．Underground. | C．Urban. | D．Mountainous. |
| A．Their caves are miles deep. |
| B．They can carry pills around. |
| C．Fossils may be found around their hills. |
| D．Materials with fossils are their food. |
2 . We live surrounded by advanced technology.
Actually, all of our modern things are based on older technologies. Ancient people didn't necessarily have steel or wheels or, electronic communication. Yet, they built monument (纪念碑) even bigger than Stonehenge.
At first, scientists long believed that the ancients who lived 80,000 years ago were the first to throw spears with stone tips. Then came the discovery of 279,000-year-old stone spear tips in Ethiopia These pushed the date back.
Scientists have been trying to figure out how ancient people developed their tools and build their cities and monuments.
| A．Ancient people were really clever |
| B．Not all of these technologies are useful |
| C．For example, there are skyscrapers and spaceships |
| D．They also raised huge stone heads on Easter Island |
| E．They use modern technologies to explore the ancient places |
| F．Not all of advanced technologies were limited to modern people |
| G．And it has been suggested that even prehuman species hunted with spears |
3 . How did football become the most popular sport?
There’s no question that football is the global sport. Basketball, tennis, cricket, and other sports are popular too, but nothing comes close to football.
The global fame of teams such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Barcelona, or Real Madrid and competitions such as the Champions League have ensured that football never dies.
Modern football originally appeared in Britain in the XIX century. Folk football matches have been played before in many cities and towns, but never on a professional level.
The Rules Development
The rules were dictated by each school, and this difference made it difficult for players to look at it in any other way than a leisure game. It all changed in 1849 at the University of Cambridge that invented a set of standard rules known as the Cambridge rules of football.
By the early XX century, football has spread all across Europe. Internal organization came in 1904, when FIFA was found by representatives of many international football associations.
England’s international success boosted the popularity of the sport in the country. The Premier League as it is now was established in 1992, but it was still present in another format before it. From the 1990s onward, it became a truly impressive piece of football machinery, becoming the world’s top football league in the process.
| A．The first official football rules were printed in 1863 |
| B．It is impossible for any other sport to take its place |
| C．Being played in every country in the world, football provides dozens of superstars |
| D．Urbanization and industrialization undermined the game’s status in the XIX century |
| E．With up to 6 clubs fighting for the title, the PL is surely the best football league in Europe |
| F．Major TV deals and player branded products have contributed to football’s status around the world |
| G．It became the governing body for numerous associations in Europe, giving birth to modern football |
4 . The United States is a country of immigrants. It is a place where people from all over the world come to build a better life. Some immigrants bring their families. Some bring a few of their favorite things. Others come alone with nothing but determination. One thing that every immigrant brings with them is their culture.
American immigration began in 1607 with the colony of Jamestown. In 1620, another group of people left England to build a settlement in America. They wanted to go to a place where they could practice their religion freely. Then many more people left their homes in Europe to build a better life in America. Many also came to America from Africa. By 1770, more than two million people had moved to America. Later on, more people came to the United States than ever before.
In cities all over America, you can see different cultures that formed this country. Many things that you may think of as being “American” are actually from a foreign culture. Some of the best examples of this are the foods people eat. Pizza and spaghetti are foods that all Americans know and love. But both of them are from Italy. Baseball is an all-American sport. But the hot dogs that people eat during the game are a type of food that was brought to America by German immigrants.
Over time, pizza and hot dogs have become a part of what is considered to be American food. In the same way, different groups of people have come together to define what an American is. An American can be a person of any background. An American can be of any faith . An American can be of any skin color. They can speak English clearly. They can speak English with an accent. Each new immigrant adds something new to American culture. It will keep changing as more people come to this country.
1. Why do many foreigners move to America ?| A．To achieve individual dreams |
| B．To avoid political punishment |
| C．To improve the life quality |
| D．To reunite with the beloved ones |
| A．the history of American immigration |
| B．why people chose to move to America |
| C．the rapid growth of the population of America |
| D．what immigrants have brought to America |
| A．they have a long history in America |
| B．they are very popular with Americans |
| C．America is a country full of tasty foods |
| D．America is made up of different cultures |
| A．simple | B．strange |
| C．diverse | D．advanced |
| A．Immigrants and their American dreams |
| B．America: a melting pot of cultures |
| C．America: a land of opportunity |
| D．Life in the US: culture shock |
5 . The first men and women came to Britain over two and a half million years ago.
3,000 years after Britain became an island, new tribes who came by boat from the mainland introduced farming.
Later on, people learned to build stone monuments. The most amazing is Stonehenge, a circle of huge stones begun about 4,500 years ago. Stonehenge is the world's most famous prehistoric monument.
3,000 years ago the climate in Britain became colder and wetter than before.
What we know about the first people in Britain has been worked out by archaeologists from the remains they left behind them. Pytheas, a Greek, was the first person who could read and write to come to Britain. His visit was in about 330 BC, over 2, 000 years after Stonehenge was begun. Unfortunately, what Pytheas wrote has been lost, so we don't have any written record of Britain until the Romans came.
| A．That was almost 300 years after he did! |
| B．As a result, people had to move down from high ground. |
| C．Because of the climate change, much of the ice has melted. |
| D．Many archaeologists believe that Britain was once covered by ice. |
| E．These tribes built earthworks for protection and as tombs for their dead bodies. |
| F．They were hunters and gatherers of food, who used stone tools and weapons. |
| G．We don't know what it was used for, though many different suggestions have been made. |
6 . How Did the Ancient Chinese Keep Food Warm in Winter?
Facilities like electric rice cookers, microwaves, and electric kettles, make it easy for people to keep food warm and enjoy a comfortable winter. So how did Chinese people in ancient times keep food warm in winter without these? In fact, ancient Chinese people used their own methods of heat preservation as early as the Shang and Zhou Dynasties.
☆ “Wen Ding”, ancient rice cooker
One of the major functions of an electric rice cooker is to keep food warm. The “Wen Ding”, an ancient cooking container, served the same purpose, but instead of using electric energy, the ancient cooking container preserved heat by burning fuels like charcoal.
The “Wen Ding” unearthed in Nanjing in 1989 is thought to be the oldest of its kind discovered in China, dating back to the Stone Age. The craftsmanship of making the “Wen Ding” was developed in the Bronze Age. The bronze Ding from the Shang and Zhou Dynasties took on different shapes and structures.
☆ “Ran Lu”, ancient small hot pot
The “Ran Lu” is a small size cooking vessel (器皿) made of bronze, which can be divided into three parts. A charcoal stove forms the main structure, with a bottom tray to hold charcoal ashes, and a movable cup at the top. Some experts have concluded that the vessel’s structure suggests it may have been used as a small hot pot and that these vessels became popular in the Warring States Period (475—221 B.C.).
☆ Bronze You, ancient kettle
The Bronze You was one of the most common wine containers during the Shang and Zhou Dynasties. The Bronze You can also be used to warm wine. For example, the Bronze You with beast mask design, unearthed in Jiangxi Province, has an opening where charcoal could be placed. Just as people today can’t do without an electric kettle, the Bronze You allowed people to enjoy a hot drink.
☆ Bronze Yan, ancient steamer
Although the “Wen Ding” was effective at keeping food warm, the ancient Chinese people later found that its burning process produced pollution. As a result, the Bronze Yan made with a two-tier structure and used to steam rice and other grains. After the Eastern Han Dynasty (25A.D.-220A.D.), further improvements to the Bronze Yan led to the modern-day steamer.
1. When did the “Ran Lu” become popular?| A．In the Zhou Dynasty. | B．In the Eastern Han Dynasty. |
| C．In the Warring States Period. | D．In the Stone Age. |
| A．place charcoal | B．store wine |
| C．pour water | D．hold charcoal ashes |
| A．It is warm. | B．It is convenient. |
| C．It is useful. | D．It is environment-friendly. |
7 . The “Chong Yang Festival” is celebrated on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, which is also known as the Double Ninth Festival.
Climbing Mountains
People like to climb mountains on this festival, so Double Ninth Festival is also called “Mountain-climbing Festival”.
The 9th lunar month, with clear autumn sky and bracing air, is a good time for sightseeing.
Climbing mounting also indicates “climbing to a higher position”. Another reason why climbing mountains are valued by people, especially by the elderly is that it has a meaning of “climbing to ligneous life”. Climbing mountains on Double Ninth Festival was already popular in the Tang Dynasty.
Drinking Chrysanthemum Flower(菊花) Wine
The chrysanthemum flower wine is unique in brewing. In ancient times, people usually picked fresh chrysanthemum flowers and leaves on the 9th of the 9th lunar month, and brewed the mixture of them and grains into the wine.
The Double Ninth cake is also known as “flower cake”. It dates back to the Zhou Dynasty. It is said that the cake was originally prepared after autumn harvests for farmers to have a taste of what was just in season, and it gradually grew into the present cake for people to eat on the Double Ninth Day.
| A．Eating Double Ninth Cake |
| B．Making “flower cake” with friends |
| C．A lot of poems were devoted to this custom |
| D．So people love to go sightseeing this month |
| E．It would not be drunk until the same day next year |
| F．Here are some traditional customs of the Double Ninth Festival |
| G．But few Chinese people are aware of the importance of the festival |
In 1178, the shift in direction was observed for the first time when the construction had progressed further to the third floor. The tower was heavy for the three-meter foundation that was built on a weak area of land.
For compensating(补偿) the leaning position, the builders started to construct the upper floors with one side higher than the other one. This caused the tower to lean in the other direction. This unusual structure led to the tower being actually curved. In spite of these efforts, the tower kept on leaning.
The government of Italy started to plan prevention of the complete collapse of the tower in 1964. However, a request was put forward by the authorities to keep the leaning position because of the tourism industry of the region.
After nearly two decades of careful planning by engineers, historians and mathematicians, the stabilization efforts for the Leaning Tower of Pisa started in 1990. The tower was closed for the general public and the people living nearby moved away. For reducing the total weight of the tower, its seven bells which represented the seven musical notes were removed. The tower was reopened for the general public on December 15, 2001.
In May 2008, after removing another 70 metric tons of earth, the engineers announced that the tower had been finally stabilized and it would remain stable for at least 200 years.
1. The Leaning Tower of Pisa began to lean probably because ________.
| A．it was too high like a pole |
| B．its foundation shook badly |
| C．the work of repair was delayed |
| D．the soil of its foundation was too weak |
| A．as soon as it was constructed |
| B．during the construction |
| C．at the end of the construction |
| D．as soon as it was completed |
| A．The authorities. |
| B．The government. |
| C．The engineers. |
| D．The historians. |
a. People noticed the tower began to shift its direction.
b. The repair work was carried out last time.
c. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was repaired for the first time.
d. The Leaning Tower of Pisa was built.
e. The tower was opened to the visitors again.
f. The government started to make a plan for the tower.
| A．c,d,a,f,b,e | B．f,e,a,d,c,b |
| C．d,a,f,c,e,b | D．d,e,b,f,c,a |
The Canal runs from Beijing in the north to Zhejiang Province in the south. Constructed in sections from the 5th century BC onwards, it was designed as a means of communication in the 7th century AD. The Canal is the world’s greatest civil engineering project before the Industrial Revolution.
The Grand Canal reached a peak in the 13th century, providing an inland navigation(航行) network consisting of more than 2,000 kilometers of artificial waterways, linking five of the most important river basins in China, including the Yellow River and the Yangtze. It entered a bid as a UNESCO(联合国教科文组织) cultural heritage site in 2008.
The Grand Canal cultural square is located in Beijing’s Tongzhou district. Ever since the Yuan dynasty 800 years ago, the Tongzhou section of the Grand Canal has been the life blood of Beijing. Grain and building materials were all transported to meet the endless demands of the big cities. Even today, the Grand Canal plays a major role in the lives of its citizens.
"I grew up near the Grand Canal. In the past the waterway was a lot narrower, but now it’s nice and wide and bridges are built over it. I think if the bid for world heritage status succeeds, it will greatly make Tongzhou more famous in the world, especially with Tongzhou aiming to be a sub-center of the capital Beijing," a citizen said.
The result of the bid is set to be released next week, and no doubt it will certainly make it into the history books if the Canal is listed as a world heritage site.
1. It can be concluded from the passage that .
| A．The bid’s result of the Canal will be announced soon |
| B．the Canal is the UNESCO’s newest world heritage site |
| C．the Canal is to connect Tongzhou with Zhejiang Province |
| D．the Canal will be a bid for a UNESCO cultural heritage site |
| A．when it was aimed as a means of communication |
| B．when it crossed the Yellow River and the Yangtze |
| C．when it was born about six hundred years later |
| D．when it was designed as an artificial waterway |
| A．Tongzhou used to be the capital of the Yuan dynasty. |
| B．Most citizens living in Tongzhou depend on the Canal. |
| C．Tongzhou will benefit if the Canal is made a heritage site. |
| D．Some citizens think the Canal not to be a cultural heritage item. |
10 . A paperclip，made of steel wire bent into a looped (环形的)shape，is an instrument used to hold sheets of paper together.This common device is a wonder of simplicity and function.But where did this simple，cheap，and practical invention come from?
In the late 19th century，the most common way to hold papers together was by using a pin.Although the pin was an inexpensive tool and was easily removable，it would leave holes in the paper. Later，as steel wire became more common，inventors began to notice its elastic(有弹性的)feature. With this feature，it could be stretched and twisted into various clip—like objects.In the years just before 1900，quite a few paperclip designs appeared.The name most frequently associated with the paperclip invention is Johan Vaaler，a Norwegian inventor. However, Vaaler’s clips were not the same as the paperclips currently in use.Specifically，they did not have the inside loop we see today.The familiar looped design was invented by Gem Manufacturing Ltd.in England.This clip is therefore sometimes known as the Gem clip.
Because of Vaaler，the paperclip played an important historical role in Norway.During World War II，Norway was occupied by the Nazis.Norwegians were prohibited from wearing any symbol of their national unity(团结)，such as buttons with the initials of their king.Thus，in protest，they started wearing paperclips to show their unity.The reason for doing this was simple：Paperclips were a Norwegian invention whose original function was to bind together.After the war，a giant paperclip statue was put up in Oslo to honour Vaaler—even though his design was never actually produced.
1. According to the first paragraph，the paperclip is________.| A．made of paper |
| B．shaped like a pin |
| C．inexpensive and useful |
| D．for holding clothes together |
| A．it is cheaper |
| B．it is simpler |
| C．it can be removed more easily |
| D．it doesn’t damage the paper |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．how Vaaler’s clip became a national symbol |
| B．how widely used Vaaler’s clip is |
| C．how the Nazis ruled the Norwegian people |
| D．why Norwegians had the initials of their king on their buttons |
