1 . A lot of people think Scotland is a part of England, but, as any Scotsman will tell you, it certainly is not. In fact, until the eighteenth century, Scotland was an independent country, with a parliament of its own. The English had tried many times over many centuries to bring Scotland under their rule. They succeeded at last in 1707, and some Scots have never forgiven them.

Scotland is now governed from London, but in some ways it is still a separate nation. It has its own capital city (Edinburgh), its own law, and its own stamps, it even has a language of its own, spoken now by only a few people in the islands.

In some ways Southern Scotland is like England, with his good farmland and low green hills. Central and Northern (the Highlands) have high mountains and deep valleys, fast rivers and cold lakes. These days, of course, there are good roads and railways all through Scotland. Aberdeen, the northeast city where the oil from the North Sea comes to land, is especially easy to reach. But it can still be quite different to travel in the winter when the hills are covered with snow. It always takes a long time to visit the beautiful but far-off islands on the west coast. One reason why Scotland has stayed so different from England is the wildness of the land. It has always been difficult to get around there.

1. From the history of the Great Britain we can know Scotland_____________.

A．had been an independent country by the 19th century

B．had been a dependent country by the 18th century

C．was a separate country before the 18th century

D．was a dependent country before 18th century

2. The first paragraph tells us ______________.

A．the Scots used to fight against the rules from England many times

B．the Scots defeated the English at all the battles

C．the Scots never defeated the English at all the battles

D．it was quite easy for the English to occupy Scotland

3. Scotland has a language of its own, ______________.

A．which is spoken by all the Scots	B．which not many people speak now
C．which is almost the same as English language	D．which the English prevent from being spoken

4. From the third paragraph we can infer ______________.

A．there are no good roads in Scotland because of high mountains

B．there are no railways in Scotland because of deep valleys

C．England has not any rivers and lakes in the center and the north

D．England has good farmland and low green hills

2 . Hundreds of years before the founding of Rome, the Maori people had sailed across seas in small boats. Their rich knowledge of the starry dark sky helped them _______ the seas without the help of compasses (指南针).

“Our ancestors sailed across the seas for different _______,” says Rangi Matamua, one of the Maori experts who are leading the way to raise awareness of the cultural _______ of dark sky in New Zealand. “They were on the seas to fish or ______ new continents for settlements.” The dark sky was more than just a sailing ______ for the Maori people. They formed a sense of familiarity with the stars.

“They didn’t feel ______ on the oceans since they had all the ______ accompanying them in the sky,” adds Rangi Matamua. “To some degree, our beliefs come out of their ______ of the starry dark sky.”

The dark sky is not just important for the Maori people. Looking at the sky and ______ to it sits at the heart of humanity. It’s one of the earliest activities every ______ on the planet did, and the dark sky is ______ connected to who we are as humans.

When we start to ______ that bond because of light pollution, we change who we are as apeople. We’re changing the way we ______ our world and the things that are important to us. ______, we need to try and put together better ways of using lights and ______ our starry dark sky.

1.

A．discover

B．expand

C．dry

D．cross

2.

A．challenges

B．purposes

C．crops

D．religions

3.

A．importance

B．ceremony

C．protection

D．attraction

4.

A．create

B．save

C．explore

D．measure

5.

A．aid

B．boat

C．competition

D．game

6.

A．happy

B．lonely

C．excited

D．hungry

7.

A．seabirds

B．clouds

C．friends

D．coaches

8.

A．lack

B．control

C．dislike

D．observations

9.

A．moving

B．preferring

C．connecting

D．belonging

10.

A．scientist

B．culture

C．animal

D．leader

11.

A．tightly

B．hardly

C．accidentally

D．carefully

12.

A．build

B．sell

C．see

D．cut

13.

A．destroy

B．preserve

C．understand

D．beautify

14.

A．Therefore

B．However

C．Besides

D．Nevertheless

15.

A．finding out

B．focusing on

C．depending upon

D．caring for

3 . Scotland is a country in Great Britain, to the north of England. Scotland has nearly 800 islands, but people only live on some of them. About five million people live in Scotland, which is 8.5% of the UK population. Most people live in the south of the country, in and around the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Dundee.

Language

In Scotland, most people speak English and Scots and a minority speak Scottish Gaelic, an old Celtic language which is very different from English. Scots is spoken by young and old people and sometimes people mix Scots and English. Some words in Scots are the same as in English and some are different.

Sport

The most popular sport in Scotland is football and famous teams include Celtic and Rangers, from Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city. Another popular game, golf, was invented in Scotland in the Middle Ages. You can go skiing in winter at Scotland’s five mountain ski fields and any time of the year at snow sports centers around the country.

Food

When people think of Scottish food, they often think of haggis, a type of sausage made from parts of a sheep. However, Scotland is also known for its variety of seafood and beef.

Symbols

Blue is a colour which is often connected with Scotland. The Scottish flag is blue with a white X-shaped cross called the Saint Andrew’s cross. St Andrew is the Patron Saint(守护神) of Scotland. Everywhere you go in Scotland, you will see tartan(苏格兰格子呢), kilts and bagpipes. Also, look out for the national animal, the unicorn, and the thistle, the national flower of Scotland.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．The Scottish live separately on 800 islands.

B．Most of the Scottish live in big cities.

C．8.5% of the UK population live in Scotland.

D．Scotland lies to the north of Great Britain.

2. How many languages are there in Scotland?

A．Two.

B．Three.

C．Four.

D．Five.

3. Which of the following is True according to the passage?

A．Scotland is the birthplace of golf.

B．Celtic and Rangers are famous golf clubs.

C．The special Scottish food is its seafood.

D．The Scottish flag is white with a blue cross.

4 . Africa is often called the cradle(摇篮)of civilization. The first human beings appeared on the continent about 2 million years ago. Old civilizations grew along the banks of the Nile River. Thousands of years ago ancient Egypt became a powerful empire, to the south Nubia emerged(出现)in today’s Sudan. After 1000 AD, great empires emerged in Ghana and other areas in western Africa. City-states, including Mogadishu and Zanzibar, grew into powerful trading centers in East Africa. Towards the end of the Middle Ages the first Europeans came to Africa. From the early 1500s on, they made money by bringing slaves to North America. The British, Dutch and Portuguese set up trading posts along the western African coast where they searched for gold and ivory. In the 17th century, the Dutch set up a trading post at the Cape of Good Hope. It grew into a Dutch colony(殖民地)until the 19th century, when the British took over. At the end of the 19th century, Europeans ruled most of Africa. They saw the continent as a major source of raw materials that they could bring back to Europe for their emerging industries. As a result, the Industrial Revolution did not take place in Africa. Throughout the colonial period, European countries fought for influence and control in Africa. In the “Scramble(争夺)for Africa”, they divided the continent into areas of interest. Native Africans often resisted colonial governments and in many areas, they were killed in uprisings(起义).

One of the last countries to gain independence was Rhodesia, today’s Zimbabwe, where blacks fought for over a decade against the British. In South Africa, white Europeans gave up control of the country after Apartheid(种族隔离)ended in the 1990s.

Many African countries did not know how to deal with their newly gained independence, largely because they had no experience in administrating and governing a nation. As a result, civil wars, tribal(部落的)conflicts and power struggles broke out. They resulted in dozens of wars in Africa since the 1960s.

1. What can be inferred from Paragraph 1?

A．Nubia was then part of ancient Egypt.

B．Sudan was founded earlier than Egypt.

C．Africans were the earliest people on earth.

D．Areas along the Nile River greatly developed.

2. What’s the worst things the first Europeans to Africa did?

A．They sold low-quality items to the natives.

B．They treated the local Africans as goods.

C．They hurt and murdered the local people.

D．They seized local people’s fortune by force.

3. Why was Africa divided into many parts by Europeans?

A．To fight against the local people’s resistance.

B．To make parts of Africa into their control.

C．To develop the economy of the limited parts.

D．To prevent local people getting into other countries.

4. Why do so many countries get into fights after gaining independence?

A．They lack managing abilities.	B．They are short of resources
C．They want more free land.	D．They still have no civil rights.

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。

Located in the southwest Pacific, New Zealand which is made up of two main islands and     1     number of small islands, is famous for its     2     (amaze) natural beauty and scenic attractions.

New Zealand is about the same size as the United Kingdom. The two main islands are 1600km     3     length, but only 5〜450km wide and separated by the Cook Strait. Over 75 percent of New Zealand is at least 200m above sea level with Mount Cook being the     4     (high) point. The Chatham Islands, 800km east of Christchurch, are the first lands on earth     5     (see) the sun.

Much of New Zealand culture is from Britain, including some cultures from America, Australia and Maori, along with other European cultures and Asian cultures. Large festivals in     6     (celebrate) of Diwali and Chinese New Year     7     (hold) in several large cities. The music and food of New Zealand are similar to those of Britain and the United States, although they have some     8     (extreme) special New Zealand and Pacific qualities.

Queenstown,     9     is the main center for snow sports in New Zealand, attracts people from all over the world to ski at the four mountain ski fields every year. In recent years, Queenstown’s hotels     10     (become) popular destinations for tourists from all over the world.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空格处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

In March, Finland was named as     1     (happy) country in the world in the United Nations World Happiness Report. This is the     2     (four) year in a row for the European country to win the title.

According to CNN, mutual (相互的) trust is one of the main reasons. In 2020, the whole world     3     (feel) the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. But people in Finland didn’t show a decline in well-being according to a survey of the population.

“One possible     4     (explain) is that people see COVID-19 as a common, outside threat affecting everybody and     5     this has generated a greater sense of solidarity (团结) and fellow- feeling,” said John, who contributed to the report.

Finland’s natural environment also plays     6     important role. Seventy-five percent of the country     7     (cover) by forests. People can reconnect with nature easily. For example, they can sit quietly on a bench next to a peaceful lake to appreciate life.

“Finnish happiness isn’t skin deep and immediately     8     (vision)—it has deeply rooted in our being. Sustainable happiness is our superpower, and it means we tend     9     (take) life as it comes—a trait (特点) that is helping us     10     these challenging times,” said Heli, senior director of international marketing at Business Finland.

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What is the speaker talking about?

A．The development of transport.

B．Different countries around the world.

C．Transport systems in different countries.

2. What contributes most to the development of Colombia’s air transport?

A．Its tourism demand.

B．Its commercial development.

C．Its geographical conditions.

3. What do we know about Colombia’s railway system?

A．It is out of date.

B．It increases the foreign trade.

C．It has a network of about 48,000 km.

4. How many airports are there in the UK?

A．About 90.

B．About 150.

C．About 400.