1 . 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 United Kingdom has several names and many people     1     (confuse) by them. In the 16th century, the nearby country of Wales was joined to the Kingdom of England. Later, the country Scotland and the Kingdom of Ireland joined the country     2     (form) the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.     3     (final), in the 20th century, the southern part of Ireland broke away from the United Kingdom,     4     resulted in the full name today.

The four countries     5     (belong) to the United Kingdom work together in some areas. They use the same flag,     6     (know) as the Union Jack, as well as share the same currency and military defence. However, there are some     7     (different) between them. Wherever you go in the UK, you are surrounded     8     evidence of four different groups of people who took over at different times throughout history.

The first group, the Romans, came in     9     first century. Next, the Anglo-Saxons arrived in the fifth century. The Vikings came in the eighth century. The last group were the Normans. They had castles     10     (build) all around England.

3 . With a continuous 1,300 kilometer-long coastline and beautiful beaches, Wales is a popular holiday destination in the United Kingdom. Most Welsh people live in south Wales in the capital city, Cardiff, and two other big cities: Swansea and Newport.

Language

The official languages of Wales are English and Welsh, and “Wenglish" is a Welsh-English dialect. Everyone speaks English, but if you go to school in Wales you have to learn Welsh until you are 16. Street signs are written in Welsh and English, and villages, towns and cities have an English name and a Welsh name. The Welsh language is one of the oldest languages in Europe and around 20 percent of people in Wales speak Welsh.

Sports

The Welsh enjoy watching and playing sports, especially rugby and football. The modern Millennium Stadium in Cardiff can hold 74,500 people and is where you go if you want to watch a football or rugby match or a concert.

Water sports are popular in Wales. You can go surfing or wakeboarding. If you like unusual sports, visit the small town of Llanwrtyd Wells. Every year in this town there is a man versus horse marathon and a bog snorkeling competition.

Food

There are lots of sheep in Wales, so people eat a lot of lamb. Typical Welsh dishes include “cawl”, which is lamb stew, sausages and “rarebit”, which is a type of cheese on toast. There are also Welsh cakes, which are small, sweet, round cakes with dried raisins inside.

Symbols

If you ever go to Wales, you will see dragons everywhere; red dragons are a symbol of Wales. Other symbols include the leek (a long, green vegetable) and the daffodil.

1. What are the official languages of Wales?

A．English.

B．English and Wenglish.

C．English and Welsh.

D．Welsh.

2. Where can you go if you want to watch a rugby or football match?

A．Swansea.

B．Millennium Stadium.

C．Newport.

D．Llanwrtyd Wells.

3. The following statements are true EXCEPT _________.

A．The Welsh language is one of the oldest languages in the world.

B．Red dragons are a symbol of Wales.

C．A man versus horse marathon and a bog snorkeling competition are held annually in Llan-wrtyd Wells.

D．People eat a lot of lamb because people raise lots of sheep in Wales.

4 . England

England is the biggest of the four countries in the United Kingdom. Over 50 million people live in England, which is around 80% of the total UK population.

    1     It is spoken today by billions of people all over the world. Many students go to England from other countries to study the language and learn about the culture. Although everyone speaks English, there are many different accents around the country. French was the official language in England between 1066 and 1362.       2    

The English people love music.       3     Glastonbury is a five-day festival of music, dance, comedy, and theatre and around 175,000 people go there. Many people stay at the festivals for a few days and they camp in tents. People listen to all types of music, especially pop and rock. England has produced many international groups and singers.

The most popular sports in England are football, rugby and cricket. Most towns have a football, rugby and cricket ground where teams can play.       4           Womenˈs football is also popular. Cricket is a traditional sport played with a bat and a ball. People like to watch all these sports on TⅤ．

England is a multicultural country.       5       Indian, Chinese and Italian foods are popular. Traditional English food includes fish and chips, roast beef, sausages and mashed potatoes. Many English people drink several cups of tea every day, usually with milk. However, different types of coffee are also popular.

A．The official language of England is English.

B．This has a big influence on the food people eat.

C．The lion is the symbol of many English sports teams.

D．It is a fact that English is accepted as an international language.

E．In the summer you can go to music festivals all over the country.

F．This is why there are many French words and expressions in English.

G．English football teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are world-famous.

5 . If you’re looking for European culture, there are few better places to visit than Switzerland. Known as the melting pot of Europe, it combines the cultures of Europe with astonishing beauty and fantastic food.

Switzerland’s culture is a combination of neighboring states: France, Germany, and Italy. The result is a multilingual (多语言的) country, as eastern Switzerland speaks French, the southern part speaks Italian and the rest speaks German.

Like the language, the cuisine is also quite different by region. If you visit cities like Geneva, you’ll find traditional French dishes like fondue and raclette, melted Swiss cheese served over bread or potatoes. Meanwhile, in German-speaking regions, like Zurich, you’ll find Rosti, a typical side dish made from fried potatoes.

However, if there’s one thing that unites the Swiss and the rest of the world, it’s their love of chocolate. Swiss chocolate factories are “the most luxurious in the world”, US travel blogger Sarah Schmalbruch wrote on Business Insider. Famous brands, like Lindt, are based in the country. Visitors to Switzerland can enjoy chocolate tasting sessions, and even take classes from master chocolate makers.

Aside from the wide variety of food on offer, Switzerland also offers thrills. The Swiss Alps offer year-round skiing and mountain climbing with local experts. Besides, you can visit the beautiful Matterhorn, known for its distinctive pyramid shape and snow-capped peak. Standing at a height of more than 4, 400 meters, it is the most pictured mountain in the world, according to Smithsonian magazine.

But if city culture is more your thing, you’ll find a wide range of museums and art galleries, not to mention the world’s largest teddy bear museum in Basel.

Even the largest Swiss cities tend to be laid back (悠闲自在的), but with many adrenaline- pumping (肾上腺素激增的) activities and cultural sites, Switzerland is perfect for every taste. After all, where else in Europe offers you the culture of four different countries?

1. The author presents Switzerland as a multi-cultural country by introducing its _________.

A．languages and food	B．architecture and food
C．festivals and architecture	D．costumes and festivals

2. Why are Sarah Schmalbruch’s words quoted?

A．To show the history of Swiss chocolates.

B．To prove Swiss chocolates are difficult to make.

C．To show how delicious Swiss chocolates are.

D．To stress the popularity of Swiss chocolates.

3. What can you find in Switzerland?

A．The safest skiing location.	B．The most pictured mountain.
C．The largest art gallery.	D．The oldest teddy bear museum.

4. Where can we most probably read this text?

A．In a geography textbook.	B．In a science report.
C．In a travel magazine.	D．In a personal diary.

6 . I was born and raised in England in a culture where privacy and “keeping yourself to yourself” were valued traditions. Speaking to strangers was not encouraged. People were most hospitable and friendly.

However, I have been lucky enough to spend some time in both Italy and the US, where I found traditions of hospitality and politeness to be very different.

I experienced Italian hospitality firsthand. On a crowded railway carriage travelling, one afternoon, from Genoa to Florence, sinking gratefully into an empty seat, I was scolded in rapid Italian by a gentleman who was returning to this seat ---- it had not been “spare” after all. I apologized in English, and got up to allow him back into the seat. The gentleman obviously had no understanding of the English language, but he, too, realized my genuine (真诚的) mistake. He smiled and gestured for me to remain in the seat, and he himself remained standing in the corridor for the remainder of the journey. The other occupants of the carriage smiled and nodded at me and made me feel quite welcome amongst them. I feel that if this had been in England, a foreigner who made a mistake would not always be so kindly treated.

Transport also featured in the differences I noticed between English and American culture. I flew to New York on a plane with mainly English passengers. We sat together in near silence. Nobody spoke to me nor, as I expected, to anyone else they did not know. They felt it was not polite to interrupt someone else’s privacy. However, when I travelled across the United States, whether by plane or bus, I was never short of conversation. Conversation was going on all around me and whoever sat next to me was happy to introduce themselves and ask me about myself. They obviously felt it would have been rude not to speak to another person, whether they were strangers or not.

1. What do we know about the occupants when the author was travelling in Italy?

A．They were all on the side of the gentleman.

B．They all laughed at the author for his mistake.

C．They would not bear a mistake like the author’s in public

D．They all showed their understanding of the author’s mistake.

2. How does the author finally believe the Italian people are?

A．Cold.

B．Rude

C．Helpful.

D．Hospitable.

3. Why did English passengers sit in near silence according to the last paragraph?

A．They were too tired to speak to anyone.

B．They were all strangers to each other.

C．Privacy was a valued tradition in England.

D．Everybody was deeply lost in though.

4. What can be the best title for the text?

A．Different Ways of Hospitality and Politeness

B．Co-understanding Each Other

C．My Unforgettable Travelling Experience Abroad

D．The Importance of Privacy

7 . When it comes to the greatest inventions of the world, China’s name is sure to be mentioned several times. There are hundreds of things which were invented by the Chinese.

Alcohol

Shocked? I was because when they said alcohol I thought about either the US or the UK. China had never crossed my mind. In China, alcohol was made by two legendary persons named Yi Di and Du Kang who belonged to the Xia Dynasty. This period was about 2000 BC - 1600 BC. Research says that in ancient China, beer with 4% alcoholic content was widely consumed by people.

Tea

China is the proud inventor of tea which was first drunk by Shen Nong, a Chinese emperor around 2737 BC. Tea production was rapidly developed, making tea a popular drink during the Tang and Song Dynasties.

The Mechanical Clock

Have you ever wondered what on earth we would be doing without any idea of time? A clock really is an invention without which things were incomplete. The credit of making the first mechanical clock goes to ancient China. The first mechanical clock was invented by Yi Xing in the Tang Dynasty. This was during 618 and 907.

Silk Fabric

Silk, the favorite fabric of many girls out there, is also a Chinese invention. Although we all know that silk is made by silkworms, it was Chinese people who first invented a way to harvest the silk and then use it to make clothes. The oldest silk which has been found so far is in Henan Province and dates back to 3630 BC.

1. We can learn from Paragraph 2 that ________.

A．people in the US like alcohol

B．beer was popular in the Xia Dynasty

C．Yi Di and Du Kang invented alcohol by accident

D．the author didn’t know alcohol is a Chinese invention

2. The author asks the question in Paragraph 4 to show ________.

A．ancient Chinese inventors were wiser

B．many things in our lives are incomplete

C．ancient Chinese people never wasted time

D．the invention of the mechanical clock is important

3. Which of the following invention has a longer history?

A．Tea.	B．Alcohol.
C．Silk fabric.	D．The mechanical clock.

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。

The national college entrance exam in Russia，Unified State Exam，will include Chinese as       1       elective foreign language starting from 2019．Chinese will become the fifth elective test item for the Unified State Exam     2       (follow)English，German，French and Spanish．

The number of Chinese learners in Russia       3     (grow)quickly in the past decade，according to a survey     4     (conduct)by a linguistic research center in Russia．

Approaches to learning Chinese vary from person to person，    5     more and more people choosing university courses in Russia．

The three-hour-long Chinese test will quiz students on     6     (they)listening，reading，and writing abilities and a fourth section will examine students on grammar，vocabulary and Chinese     7     (character)．Some parts in the exam are even a little bit difficult for native Chinese speakers．

According to the Office of Chinese Language Council International(Hanban)7 as of 2017， some 100 million people，excluding native speakers，use Chinese     8     (global)．

The United Nations(UN)in 2010 suggested a Chinese Language Day     9     falls on April 20 each year       10     (celebrate)cultural diversity as well as to promote the equal use of a11 official languages．

9 . One of the biggest social issues in Japan is the increasingly low marriage rate among young people and the small birth rate, which led to an aging and eventually shrinking（萎缩） population. Most young Japanese women simply don’t seem interested in having many children.

Now what began in Japan is happening globally. As David Brooks wrote, birth rate is becoming smaller in much of the world, from Iran — 1.7 births rate per woman — to Russian, where low birth rates connected with high death rates mean the population is already shrinking. And this includes US, which has long had higher birth rates than most developed nations. Aging countries will face the burden of caring for large elderly populations without a larger resource of young workers.

It’s true that global aging is going to present some major challenges. Who will take care of the elderly? Will an older world be less active and slower to change and adapt? It’s all true. Sometimes I worry about a coming generational war over resources, just as I worry about how I will take care of my own parents in their old age, just as I worry about who might take care of me.

But here’s the thing: an older world may have less pressure on the environment. As we all know, the environment is the real victim of overpopulation.

So maybe a world that grows slower and grows older will put less pressure on the environment, and buy us a few more years to ensure our energy use, along with our birthrates, reaches a sustainable（可持续的）level. After all, we’re supposed to get smarter as we got older. Hopefully that holds true for the planet as well.

1. The population issue in Japan was mentioned to ________.

A．show young people’s preference to marriage

B．introduce the topic of global birth rate becoming smaller

C．indicate the deeper cause of Japan’s depression

D．emphasize the revolution of Japanese women

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to David Brook?

A．The birth rates all over the world are becoming smaller.

B．The most developed countries have higher death rates.

C．America is the only developed country with higher birth rate.

D．Birth rate’s becoming smaller means a great risk to aging countries.

3. Which will be caused by low birth rates according to the passage?

A．Aging society.	B．Environmental problems.
C．High death rates.	D．Low employment rates.

4. What’s the author’s attitude to the worldwide birth rates becoming smaller?

A．Anxious.	B．Disappointed.
C．Hopeful.	D．Doubtful.

10 . The 90-minute documentary, Amazing China, which is co-produced by China Central Television and China Film Corp, opened in theaters nationwide on Friday.

The film focuses on the major achievements the country has made since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012 under Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era（时代）.

The documentary focuses on key Chinese infrastructure（基础设施）projects in aerospace, high-speed rail, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the world’s largest single-dish telescope FAST.

The documentary also informs viewers that seven of the world’s 10 biggest sea ports are now in China. And that the country now has the longest high-speed rail network in the world.

Speaking of the significance of the new documentary for the Chinese, La Peikang, the head of China Film Corp, says: “It’s not only about showing the achievements, but presenting the status quo of China.

“The film will help people to know our country better. The moving stories behind the Chinese miracles reflect the people’s endeavors and spirit.”

A good documentary is usually a vivid portrayal（描绘）of individual stories rather than slogans, and Amazing China is no exception.

One of the most touching moments in the film is probably footage from an interview of Nan Rendong, often called the “father of FAST”.

Amazing China also focuses on common people.

In the film, you see a young Tibetan woman volunteering in rural areas to help people poverty.

The movie shows that their work is not easy, but their spirit and unwavering belief make it possible to achieve their targets. And, they are just representative of the many Chinese who work as hard.

China is the world’s second-largest economy. But the country still faces “the contradiction between unbalanced and inadequate development and the people’s ever-growing needs for a better life”, as stated in the CPC’s 19th National Congress in November. However, as this cinematic production proves, the documentary is a good way for country to boost self-confidence and to aspire for a brighter future.

1. The underlined words “the status quo” most probably mean ________.

A．the cultural differences	B．the existing state
C．the national strengths	D．the economic development

2. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A．The documentary is to be filmed in the near future.

B．The documentary is intended for foreigners.

C．The documentary focuses on common people more.

D．The documentary unfolds through presenting individual stories.

3. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．A story of common people	B．Remarkable Achievements
C．A New Era of China	D．A powerful Country

4. Where can you possibly read this passage?

A．A government report.	B．A brochure.
C．An academic journal	D．Newspaper.