1 . 语法填空

In early November in 2023, a diver, swimming off the coast of Sardinia,     1     (notice) pieces of metal on the ocean floor. He called the authorities and more divers were sent to look. The pieces turned out to be ancient Roman coins. The coins mostly lay     2     (bury) in sand and seagrass not far from the coast. It is said that more than 30, 000 coins have been found,     3     are close to 2, 000 years old. Experts call this a major historical discovery.

2 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

2024 is the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese calendar and it is the first time that the Oxford English Dictionary (OED)    1     (include) the term “Chinese dragon” in its dictionary. The Chinese dragon has two definitions in the OED, with the first one about its physical image and the second one on its figurative and allusive (典故的) nature.

Emperors in ancient dynasties were dressed in a Dragon Robe, a traditional silk-woven costume with dragon designs,     2     (symbolize) imperial power and authority. Jade Seals (玉玺), often     3     (carve) with dragons, also symbolize the authority of the emperor.

Contrary     4     the Western dragon, the image of the Chinese dragon, despite undergoing constant changes, has represented various’ positive     5     (quality) including prosperity, authority, strength and good fortune.

In ancient Chinese belief, dragons     6     (associate) with the control of the weather, particularly rain. The dragon’s ability to bring rain was seen as crucial for agriculture, which made it     7     positive symbol for the fertility of the land.

With the rising China Chic trend and the country’s booming cultural creative industry, the Chinese dragon in folktale is now     8     (common) seen in creative products such as tear-off calendars, dolls, dragon-themed jewelry as well as the “dragon blind boxes”     9     appeal to young consumers.

Whether it is through the hands of a national-level intangible (非物质) cultural heritage inheritor     10     the hands of a Generation Z “blind box” designer, the Chinese dragon carries forward the Chinese cultural spirit.

3 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

China celebrates the Chinese National Day on October 1st every year. The celebration marks the founding of the People’s Republic of China.

For centuries, a succession of different dynasties ruled China,     1     (follow) by the short-lived Republic of China (1912—1949). After a lengthy civil war, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) proclaimed China’s     2     (independent) and established the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

On October 1st, 1949,    3     official victory ceremony was organized in Tian’anmen Square,     4     Mao Zedong, the leader of the CCP, raised China’s first Communist national flag. On October 2nd, 1949, the day of foundation of China was officially declared    5     (be) National Day.

Since 1950, October 1st     6     (celebrate) as a great national festival in China every year and various    7    (activity) and events are organized annually to mark this day.

    8    (present), China’s National Day is celebrated over a one-week period. The 7-day holiday begins from October 1st and runs until the 7th, and this period is called “Golden Week” in China. China National Day holiday is the     9    (busy) travel period in China. Tourist attractions are crowded     10    hotels are fully booked.

4 . 语法填空

Jia Sixie, author of China's first agricultural encyclopedia, was one of the leading agronomists (农学家) in Chinese history. In the late years of the Northern Wei Dynasty, he wrote Qimin Yaoshu, the     1     (early) and most complete agricultural encyclopedia still in existence in China.

Jia Sixie was born in Yidu County in Shandong Province. During his childhood, Jia's family wasn't wealthy, but had     2     rich collection of books. This provided the young Jia with an opportunity: to read ancient Chinese literature     3     (wide) on agriculture. He completed Qimin Yaoshu during the wars,     4     he saw the sufferings of the poor farmers.     5     he firmly believed was that the development of agriculture could help those farmers out.

The book, which has 92 chapters in 10 volumes and nearly 120,000 characters,     6     (cover) a wide range of topics and records on production experiences and methods. It includes advice on farming, fishery and sideline occupations. In the book, he emphasized the importance of seed breeding in order to cultivate better     7     (variety).

Qimin Yaoshu was first distributed mainly among common people. In the late Tang Dynasty, the book was introduced to Japan. So far, the book     8     (translate) into several languages. Qimin Yaoshu is considered     9     an important summary of farming knowledge. At present, it is still studied by Chinese farmers and students     10     (major) in agriculture.

5 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

No discussion about Chinese culture is complete without mentioning of the Great Wall. It is one of the most amazing     1    (structure) in the entire world. Through more than 2,000 years from the     2    (seven) century BC to the 16th century AD, 19 Dynasties built parts of the Great Wall,     3    (add) up to over 100,000 kilometers. It prevented northern people on horseback     4     attacking people in the south.

The hardships involved in building the Great Wall are beyond     5    (imagine). A Chinese idiom     6    (vivid) expresses the Great Wall, “Efforts joined by many can build the Great Wall.”

Over the centuries, the Great Wall    7    (become) a symbol of strength for the Chinese people. For example, the national anthem, composed by Nie Er,     8    (call) on the people to “build our new Great Wall with our flesh and blood.”

The well-preserved sections we see today were mainly built during the Ming Dynasty (1368

—1644), among    9    the most popular are around Beijing, including Badaling, Mutianyu, Juyongguan, and Simatai. A day tour or     10     long hike along the Great Wall allows you to travel back in time to feel the thousands of years’ changes and the ethos (精神风貌) of the ancient Kingdom of China.

6 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

The Antonine Plague (瘟疫)

The year was 166 C.E., and the Roman Empire was in its prime. The triumphant Roman troops, under the command of Emperor Lucius Verrus, returned to Rome victorious after     1     (defeat) their Parthian enemies. As they marched west toward Rome, they carried with them more than the spoils of plundered Parthian temples; they also carried an epidemic that     2     (ruin) the Roman Empire over the course of the next two decades.

The Antonine Plague,     3     was known later, would reach every corner of the empire and is     4     most likely claimed the life of Lucius Verrus himself in 169 — and possibly that of his co-emperor Marcus Aurelius in 180.   

The effect of the epidemic on Rome’s armies was apparently devastating. Closeness to sick fellow soldiers and less-than-optimal living conditions made it possible for the outbreak to spread rapidly throughout the troops, such as those     5     (base) along the northern frontier at Aquileia. Troops elsewhere in the empire were similarly stricken.     6     (reverse) their shrinking soldiers, they sent the sons of soldiers to troops. Army discharge certificates from the Balkan region suggest that there was a significant decrease in the number of soldiers who were allowed to retire from military service during the period of the plague.

The effect on the civilian population was evidently by no means     7     (severe). In his letter to Athens in 174, Marcus Aurelius loosened the requirements for membership to the ruling council of Athens,     8     there were now too few surviving upper-class Athenians who met the requirements he had introduced prior to the outbreak.

It has been estimated that the death rate over the 23-year period of the Antonine Plague was 7—10 percent of the population.     9     the practical consequences of the outbreak, such as the destabilization of the Roman military and economy, the psychological impact on the populations could by no means be ignored. It is easy to imagine the sense of fear and helplessness ancient Romans     10     have felt in the face of such a ruthless, painful, disfiguring and frequently fatal disease.

7 . 阅读下面短文，根据短文内容填空。在未给提示词的空白处仅填写1个适当的单词，在给出提示词的空白处用括号内所给词的正确形式填空。

The 16^th to 18^th centuries witnessed the peak time of Suzhou classical gardens, featuring around 250 gardens. A survey from 2015 to 2018 showed that Suzhou is home     1     108 classical gardens, 57 of     2     are in the historical neighborhood of Gusu District. The gardens reflect the importance of natural beauty in Chinese culture. Great Wave Pavilion, which     3     ( build ) in the 11th century, is the oldest existing garden in Suzhou.

8 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

With a fascinating past and more than four hundred years of history, St. Augustine is one of the nation’s oldest cities and a     1     (nation) treasure. Located on Florida’s Atlantic coast, it is home to many fine examples of European architecture and wild scenic views.

In 1513, an explorer found this land,     2     he called La Florida. Then, in 1565, a Spanish conqueror(征服者) built a settlement there, and named it St. Augustine.

Apart     3     a 20-year period of English rule, Florida remained ruled by Spanish     4       (govern) until the United States took control in 1821. In the years after     5     (it) founding, St. Augustine was attacked by     6     range of people, the French, the English and the natives. They are said to     7     (shoot) flaming arrows at the city’s defensive building,     8     (set) it on fire. More recently, nature has stricken the city with two hurricanes. Still, St. Augustine     9     (exist)   now.

After the city recovers, visitors shouldn't overlook it. It has suffered much in history. Hopefully, visitors will come and perhaps support the coast recovery while discovering Florida’s     10     (century) of history and miles of coastal beauty.