1 . Some of the World’s Most Famous Libraries

Libraries are storehouses of information and resources, organized systematically, and maintained by an individual, a group, or an institution, for public use. They were initially known as archives, as they also maintained a record of unpublished books. Some of the famous libraries are listed below:

Russian State Library—44. 4 million items

The Russian State Library houses 17 million books as well as 13 million journals, 150, 000 maps, and thousands of musical records and scores. The Russian State Library is located in the capital city of the country, Moscow and is freely accessible to the public of the country. It was founded on July lst, 1862.

Library and Archives, Canada—54 million items

The Library and Archives of Canada is maintained directly by the federal government of the country. The current collection includes nearly 20 million books, 24 million photographs, private and government archives, aboriginal magazines, non-fiction and fiction films, Canadian periodicals, and more. The Library and Archives of Canada was formed in 2004 by the amalgamation (融合) of the functions performed by the National Library of Canada and the National Archives of Canada and reports directly to the Parliament of the country.

New York Public Library—55 million items

The system of libraries in New York, the New York Public Library, is world-famous for its extensive collection of 55 million items including books, periodicals, musical records and other publications and albums. It was established in 1895. The main branch of the library is located on Fifth Avenue in New York at the intersection with 42nd Streel. In 1965, it was designed as a National Historic Landmark. Today, the New York Public Library has 4 research libraries, branch libraries in Bronx, State Island and Manhattan and several smaller libraries affiliated (附属的) to it.

British Library—150 million items

The British Library can proudly boast of its collection of 150 million books, manuscripts, magazines, music recordings and scores, patents, databases and much more. The library is the national library of the United Kingdom and is located in the capital of England, between the Euston and St. Pacras railway stations in London.

        The library was established by the British Library Act in 1972 as an independent entity on July lst, 1973.
1. What can you consult in Library and Archives, Canada?

A．Musical scores.	B．Aboriginal magazines.
C．Musical records.	D．The Diamond Sutra.

2. What’s special about New York Public Library?

A．It was established in the 1800s.	B．It includes some other libraries.
C．It was established as an independent entity.	D．It is located in the capital city of the country.

3. Which of the following has the longest history?

A．Russian State Library.	B．Library and Archives, Canada.
C．New York Public Library.	D．British Library.

2 . One of the most common beliefs among researchers is that humans first arrived in North America 16,000 years ago. According to a recent fossil discovery, that might not be true. The new finding suggests that humans might have arrived in North America far earlier.

In 2013, a damaged mammoth (猛犸象) skull and other bones that looked “deliberately broken” were found. The damage to the bones suggested that humans were the ones who caused it to make tools. Carbon- dating analysis suggested the pieces are roughly 37 ,000 years old. This discovery could shift our understanding of humans ‘earliest existence in North America. These fossils suggest humans killed animals in the area much earlier than 16, 000 years ago.

Previous research led scientists to believe the first humans that settled in North America belonged to the Clovis culture. This was a group of people who left behind carefully made tools 16,000 years ago. However, carbon-dating analysis of the mammoth bones indicates that the site is around 36, 250 to 38, 900 years old. That means it’s the oldest known site left behind by ancient humans in North America.

“That’s not the only interesting thing about the discovery,” said Timothy Rowe, a professor at the University of Texas. “The similar findings supporting an earlier date for human arrival have been mostly ignored. This is because they have contradicted previous research.”

Now, however, he thinks there’s a good chance that researchers will find evidence of humans farther back in time.

The early humans shaped bones into sharp blades, which were used to take apart animals’ remains, according to Rowe. There are also signs that they cooked the animal bones over a fire to melt off the fat. “The real evidence that we have has to do with the breakage patterns, and how thorough they are. They must have used rocks or hammer stones to bust the skeleton apart... These people would use whatever they could,” Rowe told USA Today.

1. What can be learnt about the earliest humans in North America?

A．They arrived there 16,000 years ago.	B．They caused mammoth to disappear.
C．They belonged to the Clovis culture.	D．They could make tools with bones.

2. Why are the findings similar to the new one ignored?

A．They lack a good chance.	B．They fail to draw attention.
C．They disagree with earlier research.	D．They aren’t studied scientifically.

3. How does Rowe find the new discovery?

A．Inspiring.

B．Annoying.

C．Puzzling.

D．Embarrassing.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．The Earliest Humans’ Settling in North America

B．Evidence of Earlier Humans’ Arrival in North America

C．The Earliest Tool Makers in North America

D．Research on Mammoths in North America

5 . 阅读下面材料, 在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。

Jia Pu, also known as Zu Pu in China, which     1     (mean) “the family tree”, is about clans (宗族) and the tracing of their lineage (家系) and history. It tracks the growth of the clan members by     2     (record) their political, military or academic achievements. It also praises the clan’s ancestors and encourages future generations to pursue worthy cases.

What was the first piece of Jia Pu like? Before the     3     (invent) of writing, Chinese family information was recorded by tying knots on ropes. Objects such as arrows, shoes, and bronze coins     4     (tie) to the knots to show the number of generations     5     members in a family. This information was orally passed on to later generations. Such were the earliest     6     (form) of Chinese family-tree records.

The oldest     7     (write) piece of Jia Pu, Ni’s Family Tree, dates back to the Spring and Autumn Period. Before the Qin dynasty, there were already several recorded pieces spread     8     (wide) throughout the country. During the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern dynasties, keeping a piece of Jia Pu became increasingly popular     9     people. After the Tang dynasty, editing Jia Pu was considered a major event among people of     10     same surname.

6 . 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。

Located at the     1     (enter) of the Qutang Gorge on the northern bank of the Yangtze River, and only a 20 - minute ride from Fengjie, Baidi Town was the birthplace of the ancient Ba and Shu     2     ( state) over 2, 000 years ago. According to a local folk tale, when construction of the town began, a stream of white steam     3     (rise) up from a well, like a white dragon     4     (fly) up to the sky. The town was therefore named Baidi, meaning Heavenly White Dragon.

During the Three Kingdoms Period (220-280), Emperor Liu Bei of the Shu Kingdom was disastrously defeated by the Wu Kingdom and retreated to Baidi. After     5     series of bloody defense battles, they stationed there. He fell     6     (serious) ill and just before his death he confided his state affairs to his son Liu Shan, the future emperor of the Shu, and to his prime minister, Zhuge Liang. This incident later became     7     (know) as “Entrusting the orphan to Zhuge Liang at Baidi”.

Baidi Town is now a group of temple like courtyard buildings, surrounded by beautiful scenery,       8     makes it hard for people to connect the place with bloody wars. To modern military theory the terrain is no longer as important     9     before. But in the age of cold steel, the Three Gorges served as a     10     (defend) barrier which enemies had to take.

7 . 阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(1个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

Thanks to smartphones and watches, it’s never difficult to find out what the time is nowadays. However, in ancient times, people weren’t able to figure out the time of day so     1     (easy).

In classic Chinese martial arts novels, we might see the phrase “the time it takes to burn an incense (香) stick”     2     (use) to describe the deadline for a contest (比武). Indeed, this method was used by monks (和尚) as     3     way to keep track of time during meditation.

However, you may wonder how long     4     takes to burn an incense stick. Of course, it depends on many factors, such as the air temperature and wind speed. Generally, however, the phrase “to burn an incense stick”     5     (suggest) one hour.

There are also other similar phrases, such as “the time it takes to drink a cup of tea”,     6     means time for hot tea to cool down before one can drink it. It is about 10 to 15 minutes.

But as the     7     (year) have gone by, people     8     (change) the definitions of these ancient time-telling methods. In ancient China, “the time it takes to eat a meal”     9     (be) about an hour. These days, with our fast-paced lifestyles,     10     (eat) a meal usually takes around half that time.