2 . The first drawings on walls appeared in caves thousands of years ago. Later the Ancient Romans and Greeks wrote their names and other things on buildings. Modern graffiti (涂鸦) seems to have appeared in Philadelphia in the early 1960s, and by the late sixties it had reached New York. The new art form really took off in the 1970s, when people began writing their names on buildings all over the city. In the mid seventies it was sometimes hard to see out of a subway car window, because the trains were completely covered in paintings known as masterpieces.

Art galleries in New York began buying graffiti in the early seventies. But at the same time, John Lindsay, the then mayor (市长) of New York, declared (宣布) the first war on graffiti. By 1980s it became much harder to write on subway trains without being caught, and instead many of the graffiti artists began using roofs of buildings or cloth.

The debate over whether graffiti is art or vandalism (故意破坏公共财物罪) is still going on. Peter Vallone, New York city councilor (市议员), thinks that graffiti done with permission can be art, but if it is on someone else’s buildings it becomes a crime. On the other hand, Felix, a member of the Berlin-based group Reclaim Your City, says that artists are getting cities for the public back from advertisers, and that graffiti stands for freedom and makes cities livelier.

For years graffiti has help a few people gain international fame. Jean-Michel Basquiat began writing graffiti on the street in the 1970s before becoming a famous artist in the 1980s. Works by the British artist Banksy have been sold for over £100,000. Graffiti is now sometimes big business.

1. What can be learned about graffiti in the 1970s?

A．It went through a hard time.	B．It first reached New York.
C．Modern graffiti first appeared.	D．Modern graffiti became really popular.

2. How did things change after the first war on graffiti?

A．Graffiti was considered illegal on subway trains.

B．Graffiti disappeared from subway trains.

C．New York looked a lot cleaner.

D．Graffiti was accepted as an art form.

3. What is Peter Vallone’s opinion about graffiti?

A．Graffiti protects the streets from advertisements.

B．Graffiti can be beautiful if it is done by a skilled artist.

C．Graffiti is a crime if it is done without permission.

D．Graffiti can be useful for cities if it expresses good messages.

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。

Most of us have recently experienced quarantine (隔离) to minimize the risk of meeting somebody who may be carrying the virus. It is certain    1    being under quarantine is no fun. However, with our access to food,    2     (deliver) services and the entertainment    3     (offer) by the internet, we’re actually very lucky. Let’s take a quick look at the history of quarantines.

The idea of quarantining sick people dates    4    ancient times.    5    the word “quarantine” first came into use in the 14th century Europe during the Black Death. People were dropping like flies from the mysterious disease, and as the death toll climbed into the millions—killing approximately half of the European population, cities began to take    6    (measure) to protect their citizens. The port city of Venice, Italy, was an important trading center with ships    7    (come) from all corners of the Earth every day. If a ship    8     (suspect) to be harboring the plague (瘟疫), it was sent to an offshore quarantine and ordered to wait there for 40 days when those abroad either recovered, or    9    (likely), died. The waiting period gave rise to    10    term quarantinario, from the Italian word for 40.

4 . From early times, man has been interested in art. People have often worked together to collect and save the world’s art treasures.

Fine art treasures from many countries are kept in an art museum called the Louvre in Paris, France. The works of art have been collected by the people of France over many centuries. It is the biggest art museum in the world.

The Louvre has not always been a museum. The first building was a castle. In 1190, it was the king’s castle with high wails and a round tower. It had a river to keep out the enemies.

Over the years, the number of the buildings around the castle grew. By 1350, the castle no longer needed to be extended. The Louvre became a palace home for French kings and queens.

During times of peace, new treasures were brought in. During the days of war, many treasures were stolen, and the buildings, were damaged.

When Francis I became king of France in 1515, he brought in many artists from other countries. One of the artists was Leonardo da Vinci from Italy. Da Vinci’s “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 are kept for everyone to enjoy, every year millions of people from all over the world come to the Louvre to see the masterpieces.

1. How long has the Louvre been a public museum?

A．For over 800 years.

B．Since 1350.

C．Since 1515.

D．For over 200 years.

2. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．Da Vinci once stayed in France.

B．“Mona Lisa” is kept in the Louvre.

C．The Louvre was once a church as well as a palace.

D．The Louvre is a place of interest to different people from all over the world.

3. We know from the passage that ______.

A．French kings and queens ordered people to build another buildings as their palace home in 1350

B．many treasures were brought into the Louvre in 1190

C．Francis I came into power in 1515 and damaged some buildings

D．Some works of art in the museum have been collected from many countries

4. The passage is mainly about ______.

A．an art museum called the Louvre	B．an Italian artist named Leonardo da Vinci
C．a king of France named Francis I	D．the best-known painting in the Louvre

5 . Look to many of history’s cultural symbols, and there you’ll find an ancestor of Frost, the snowman in the movie Frozen. It appeared on some of the first postcards, starred in some of the earliest silent movies, and was the subject of a couple of the earliest photos, dating all the way back to the 1800s. I discovered even more about one of humanity’s earliest forms of folk art during several years of research around the world.

For example, snowmen were a phenomenon in the Middle Ages, built with great skill and thought. At a time of limited means of expression, snow was like free art supplies dropped from the sky. It was a popular activity for couples to leisurely walkthrough town to view the temporary works of chilly art. Some were created by famous artists, including a 19-year-old Michelangelo, who in 1494 was appointed by the ruler of Florence to build a snowman in his mansion’s courtyard.

The Miracle of 1511 took place during six freezing weeks called the Winter of Death. The city of Brussels was covered in snowmen—an impressive scene that told stories on every street corner. Snowmen were a reflection of people’s imagination. For the people of Brussels, this was a defining moment of artistic freedom.

If you fear the heyday of the snowman has passed, don’t worry: I’ve learned that some explosive snowman history is still being made today. Every year since 1818, the people of Zurich celebrate the beginning of spring by blowing up a snowman. On the third Monday of April, the holiday is kicked off when a cotton snowman called the Boogg is stuffed with explosive and paraded (巡游) through town. The parade ends with the Boogg being placed on firewood. After the bells of the Church of St. Peter have rung six times, representing the passing of winter, the firewood is lit. When the snowman explodes, winter is considered officially over—the quicker it is burnt down, the longer summer is said to be.

1. Why did snowmen become a phenomenon in the Middle Ages?

A．People longed to see masterpieces made of snow.

B．People thought of snow as rare and valuable art supplies.

C．Snowman-building helped develop young people’s artistic skills.

D．Snowman-building provided an easy means of artistic expression.

2. “The heyday of the snowman” in Paragraph 4 refers to the time when snowmen          .

A．were symbols of power	B．enjoyed great popularity
C．were made mainly by artists	D．were a focus of family activities

3. What does the blowing up of the Boogg in Zurich symbolize?

A．The end of spring.	B．The passing of winter.
C．The arrival of summer.	D．The start of the celebration.

4. What can be concluded about snowmen from the passage?

A．They have lost their value.	B．They vary in shape and size.
C．They were related to movies.	D．They were appreciated through history.

6 . 根据课文内容，在空白处填入所缺的单词。

China is widely known for its     1     civilization which has continued all the way through into     2     times, despite the many ups and downs in its history. There are many reasons why this has been     3    , but one of the main 86 has been the Chinese writing system.

7 . 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。

The five interlocked Olympic rings have become fairly familiar at this point. But do you know what they mean and the story behind their    1    (create)?

The 1912 Olympic Games, held in Sweden, were the first to include athletes from    2    were then considered the five continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and America.    3     (inspire) by what had become a    4    (true) global event, Coubertin designed the symbol of the Games: the Olympic rings. Since 1920, the Olympic rings    5    (use) in every summer and winter Games.

Given what we know about colors and their many symbolic    6    (mean), it seems like it’d be safe to assume that each color featured in the Olympic rings would stand     7    something specific, like a continent.    8    in reality, that’s not the case at all. Coubertin    9    (choose) the six official Olympic colors——blue, yellow, black, green, red and white (featured in the background)——because when he introduced the symbol in 1913, every single flag of the nations     10    (participate) in the games could be reproduced using the colors in the Olympic symbol. Or, in his own words: “The six colors thus combined reproduce those of all nations without exception.”

8 . 课文填空

China is w    1     known for its ancient c    2     which has continued all the way through into modern t    3    , despite the many ups and downs in its history. There are many reasons why this has been possible, but one of the main f    4     has been, the Chinese w    5     system.

At the b    6    , written Chinese was a picture-based l    7     . It d    8     back several thousand years to the use of longgu-animal bones and shells on which s    9     were c    10     by ancient Chinese people. Some of the ancient symbols can still be seen in today’s hanzi.

10 . 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。

The Tower Bridge is one of the twenty-seven bridges over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from     1    the Tower Bridge got its name. It is a symbol of London.

It is recorded that the Tower Bridge     2    (build) in 1894 and now it is one of the     3    (famous) bridges in the world. It’s interesting that its middle part can be raised     4    (let) big ships pass. It used to be raised about 50 times a day,     5    now it is raised only 4 to 5 times a week. If you are lucky enough to see the bridge with its two arms open high in the air, you’ll never forget it.

People often think the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge are of     6    same age. But in fact, the Tower was constructed 1000 years ago, while the Bridge only     7    (have) a history of over 100 years.

The Tower Bridge was first painted chocolate brown. Later, it was painted red, white and blue. Its picture also appeared in the opening of the Summer Olympic Games     8    (hold) in London in 2012. So come to visit the famous bridge. You’ll     9    (sure) have a wonderful experience and it’ll leave you a lasting     10    (impress).