1 . The name England comes from the words “Angle land”. The Angles were people who came from northern Germany in the 5th and 6th centuries, after the Romans had left. The French name for England is Angleterre, which also means “Angle land”. There were also invasions (侵略) of southern England by Saxons and Jutes (people from another part of northern Germany). English people are sometimes called Anglo-Saxons. The Celts who used to live in this area were forced to move back into Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall and into Western France (the area known as Brittany).
England at first became a series of kingdoms, the strongest of which was Wessex (the name comes from West-Saxon). The names of many of the areas in England come from this period—for example, the name Sussex comes from South-Saxon, Essex from East-Saxon, and East Anglia from East-Angle. The Vikings then came from Denmark, and later the Normans invaded from France. Eventually England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland were united, forming the United Kingdom.
The English language is the main language spoken throughout England, although there are many different accents. It can be difficult to know how to spell or to pronounce some English words, because the language has been influenced by Latin and Greek (languages used at the time of the Romans, and used in religion and education until recent times), German (the language of the Angles, Saxons and Jutes), French(the language of the Normans), Gaelic/Scots (Celtic languages) and Danish (the language of the Vikings).
There are now many people throughout the United Kingdom who speak a foreign language either as their first or second language, mainly due to immigration (移民) from Europe or the Commonwealth (countries which used to be part of the British Empire).
1. What's the first paragraph mainly about?A.The origin of the name England. |
B.The Celts used to live in England but left for some reason. |
C.Southern England once was attacked by Saxons and Jutes. |
D.Angles and Saxons came from different parts of northern Germany. |
A.Sussex | B.Wessex |
C.Essex | D.East Anglia |
A.English words are hard to spell and to pronounce. |
B.England had been invaded by most of the countries of Europe. |
C.The English language was influenced by several foreign languages. |
D.It's hard for people who have different English accents to communicate. |
A.Because they are required to learn a foreign language at school. |
B.Because they plan to live outside the UK in the future. |
C.Because they have moved from other countries. |
D.Because they have worked in other countries. |
Kite flying dated from China and became popular around the country. With a long history, it is considered as the
In the past, people fastened bamboo-made whistles onto a kite. While
In the 7th century, kite
Around the Qingming Festival, usually on early April, many people fly kites in public squares. The sky is dotted with kites of different designs, such as dancing butterflies, bounding dragons, and swimming fish. When people look at those kites, they feel as if they were flying away with the kites
The traditional Chinese kite expresses
China is widely known
At the beginning,
Today, the Chinese writing system is still
4 . Golden Gate Bridge
Located in San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge started in the year 1933 to connect the San Francisco Peninsula with Marin County. It was finally thrown open to public traffic in 1937. It cost $25.7 million in the construction. Till the year 1957, the Golden Gate Bridge, at a length of 2,737 meters, was the longest suspension bridge in the world.
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is located in Brooklyn. It is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States, having been opened in the year 1883. The length of the bridge is 1,843 meters. The bridge has been featured in several Hollywood movies.
George Washington Bridge
Also known as the Hudson River Bridge and the Columbus Bridge, the George Washington Bridge which connects Fort Lee to Manhattan came into use in 1931 after a construction period of almost 4 years. It is a two level suspension bridge that cost about $52 million to build.
Mackinac Bridge
This is the third biggest suspension bridge in the world at a length of 8,038 meters. The architect of this bridge was Dr. David B. Steinman, who directed the construction of the bridge which started in the year 1954 and opened to the public in 1958. People using this bridge are charged a certain amount of money.
Navajo Bridge
Located in Arizona, this bridge crosses the Colorado River and is almost 250 meters long. The construction of this bridge started in the year 1927, ending two years later, costing $390,000. In the 1990s, a second bridge was built which was opened to the public in 1994. The first bridge is now used only by pedestrians.
1. What do we know about the Golden Gate Bridge?A.It consists of two bridges. |
B.It costs the least of the five bridges. |
C.It is the longest suspension bridge in the world. |
D.It takes about 4 years to complete the construction. |
A.Golden Gate Bridge. |
B.Brooklyn Bridge. |
C.George Washington Bridge. |
D.Navajo Bridge. |
A.Have to pay some money. |
B.Use the second bridge. |
C.Cover nearly 250 meters. |
D.See the statue of Dr. David B. Steinman. |
5 . Last year, Donald Trump made history when he took the oath(宣誓)of office as the 45th president of the United States. At 70 years old, he became the oldest elected president. Before Trump, Ronald Reagan was the oldest person to take office. He was 69 years old when he became president in 1981.
As the first billionaire president, Trump also replaced John F. Kennedy, the 35th president, as the richest president. Kennedy still holds the record for the youngest person to be elected president. He was 43 when he took office(就职). Kennedy is also the youngest president to die in office. He was assassinated(暗杀)) in 1963 in Dallas, Texas. He was only 46 years old.
Another president assassination actually made a young person hold office as the youngest president. In 1901, Theodore Roosevelt, then the vice president, became president at the age of 42. He took office after William McKinley, the 25th president, was shot and killed in Buffalo, New York.
The first president to die in office, though, was William Henry Harrison. The country's 9th president only served for 32 days, the shortest time of any president. Another Roosevelt holds the record for the longest time in office. Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the 32nd president, held office for 4,422 days. After his death, the 22nd amendment(修正案)was passed. It limited a person to two four-year terms(任期)as the president.
The two Roosevelts were not the first relatives to both serve as the president. That title belongs to the Adams. John Adams was America!s second president. His son, John Quincy Adams was elected as the nation's 6th president. The Bushes are the other father-son presidential pair. George Herbert Walker Bush was elected as the 41st president. His son, George W. Bush, was the country's 43rd president.
1. According to the passage, Ronald Reagan was_______ .A.the richest man to be elected president | B.the youngest man to take office |
C.the second oldest person to take office | D.the oldest president to die in office |
A.John Quincy Adams. | B.Franklin Delano Roosevelt. |
C.John F. Kennedy. | D.George Herbert Walker Bush. |
A.His father also took office in the White House. |
B.He was another billionaire president. |
C.He became president at the age of 42. |
D.He followed Franklin Delano Roosevelt to take office. |
A.Entertainment. | B.Health. |
C.Fashion. | D.History. |
The "One Belt One Road" strategy(策略) proposed by President Xi Jinping has drawn public attention to
China was the first country in the world to breed silkworms and produce silk fabric.This craft skill reached a
It was 270 B.C. when St. Valentine stood up for love, after Roman Emperor Claudius II forbade Roman soldiers to get engaged or married, believing that married men would rather stay at home than go to war. The priest named Valentine, in defiance (对抗) of Claudius’ orders, secretly married young couples, and on Feb. 14, was punished for his “crime”, thereby becoming the patron saint (守护神) of lovers.
Besides this story, there are some old beliefs about this day:
During the Middle Ages, Europeans believed that birds chose their mates each year on Feb. 14.
Some people used to believe that if a woman saw a robin fly overhead on Valentine’s Day, it meant she would marry a sailor; if she saw a sparrow, she’d marry a millionaire.
If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will know how many children you will have.
And some charming Valentine’s Day Customs.
In Wales, wooden love spoons were carved and given as gifts on Feb. 14.
Heart, keys and keyholes were favorite decorations, which meant “you unlock my heart!”
In the Middle Ages, young men and women drew names from a bowl to see who their valentines would be. They’d wear these names on their sleeves for one week—hence the term “to wear your heart on your sleeve”.
1. According to the story, Valentine was originally the name of a ________.
A.lover | B.priest |
C.ruler | D.feast |
A.married soldiers are not loyal to the country |
B.married soldiers are less willing to fight |
C.there was no time for soldiers to get married |
D.marriage is a crime |
A.He didn’t join the army. |
B.He helped people escape from being sent to the battle field. |
C.He married couples despite the prohibition from the ruler. |
D.He openly defied the ruler’s order to end his marriage. |
A.Feb. 14 and 15 were originally a time for keeping wolves. |
B.People used to believe that birds chose mates on Valentine’s Day. |
C.People believed that the birds they saw on Valentine’s Day predicted what kind of person they would marry. |
D.The Welsh used to give out wooden spoons on Feb.14. |
A.openly express your feelings or emotions to others. |
B.hardly take your feelings or emotions very seriously. |
C.officially announce that you have been married |
D.proudly show your choice of sleeve pattern |