1 . A huge fire broke out on 2 September 1666 in London. The fire, known as the Great Fire of London, was the worst fire in the history of London. It burned down more than three quarters of the old city.
The fire started in the very early hours of Sunday morning in the house of the king’s baker. A strong wind blew the fire from the baker’s house into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
At that time, most of the buildings in London were made of wood, so it was easy for the fire to spread quickly. By eight o’clock, three hundred houses were on fire. By Monday, nearly a kilometre of the city was burning along the Thames River. On Tuesday, which was considered the worst day, the fire destroyed many well-known buildings, including the old St Paul’s Cathedral.
The fire burned until finally hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire were destroyed to create a firebreak. The fire then died out eventually with nothing left to burn.
1. Why is the fire of 1666 called the Great Fire of London?| A．The fire broke out in the capital of England. |
| B．The fire was the worst fire in the history of London. |
| C．People in England will never forget the fire. |
| D．The fire spread fast into Thames Street. |
| A．In the house of the king’s baker. |
| B．In Thames Street. |
| C．In the house of the baker’s neighbour. |
| D．In St Paul’s Cathedral. |
| A．It started in a baker’s house. |
| B．It broke out on a Sunday morning. |
| C．A hotel was next to the baker’s house. |
| D．Most of the buildings in London were wooden. |
| A．The old St Paul’s Cathedral. |
| B．Hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. |
| C．Hundreds of wooden houses. |
| D．All of the above. |
2 . When gold was discovered in Coloma, California in 1848, news travelled fast and many went there to find their fortune. Before 1849, California was a place focusing mainly on agriculture. As word of the gold discovery spread, many people left their fields to seek their fortune. With more and more travellers arriving, restaurants and hotels were built to feed and accommodate (提供住宿) them.
On the mining sites, men were often forced to cook for themselves since few gold diggers were women. In the early days, both food and riches were plentiful and miners could uncover $2,000 worth of gold in just one day. When it came to food, there were plenty of wild animals to be hunted, and meat, beans and coffee could be purchased at a reasonable price. Times appeared to be good.
Over time, because the majority of food in California had to be imported, it became very expensive. Simple foods like eggs and bread were sold for one dollar a piece in 1849. Besides, fruit and vegetables were scarce (缺乏的). Therefore, many gold diggers couldn't get enough food, and some even had no food at all at last. But the gold diggers also hated to tear themselves away from their search for gold and turned to quick and simple meals that could be cooked over hot ashes.
During the Gold Rush, San Francisco's famous sourdough (酸面团) bread became a main type of food. Miners would often buy a piece in the morning that would be eaten slowly throughout the day. The Boudin family, who came from France, was partly responsible for putting San Francisco sourdough on the map. The Boudin bakery has used the same sourdough, a piece of socalled mother dough since 1849. And when the 1906 earthquake hit, Louise Boudin managed to save some sourdough, ensuring that each piece of bread that came from the bakery would be linked throughout history. So far the Boudin bakery has remained in California, using the sourdough that is the same as the one in 1849.
1. What change took place in California after 1849?| A．The environment got damaged by gold diggers. |
| B．Gold diggers from outside became its main population. |
| C．The gold industry pushed each other forward. |
| D．Business of eating and living developed due to the Gold Rush. |
| A．Many sadly left without any gold. |
| B．Many had to bring food from home. |
| C．Many likely ended up with poor health. |
| D．Many probably turned to unique ingredients. |
| A．Helping discover lots of gold there. |
| B．Rescuing many people from the earthquake. |
| C．Creating a type of tasty bread for Califormans. |
| D．Passing down some food culture in the Gold Rush. |
| A．The Origin of San Francisco Sourdough |
| B．The Historical Changes of California |
| C．The Tough Life of Early Gold Diggers |
| D．The Rise and Fall of the Gold Rush |
3 . A newly discovered ancient Chinese map may prove that it was a Chinese navigator who first discovered America. He may have made the discovery seventy years before Columbus discovered the New World.
The map, which has gone on display in Beijing, is said to be a copy made in 1763 of a much older map dating back to 1418. It clearly describes Africa, Europe and the Americas. If it’s proven to be believable, the map would provide strong evidence to suggest that the famous Ming Dynasty sailor, Zheng He, beat Christopher Columbus, who arrived in America in 1492, to the discovery of the New World.
Liu Gang, a Chinese lawyer and map collector, bought the map in an antique store in Shanghai in 2001 for about 500 U.S. dollars. Liu Gang thinks the map supports the thesis of British author, Gavin Menzies, who in his 2003 book argued Zheng He was the first person to circumnavigate (环航) the globe and discover America sometime between 1421 and 1423. “In principle the British author Gavin is right. Before Columbus, Zheng He discovered America and the whole world. But in detail, not exactly... three years difference. I don’t think that’s a big deal.” Liu said.
Zheng He commanded a group of ships, which sailed between 1405 and 1433 at the order of the emperor during China’s Ming Dynasty. His aim was to spread the glory (光荣) of China to the world and establish trade.
1. We learn from Paragraph 1 that .| A．the writer was proud of an ancient map |
| B．both the Chinese navigator and Columbus were heroes |
| C．the ancient map made by a Chinese navigator was just found |
| D．the Chinese navigator may be the first man who discovered America |
| A．The ancient map on display in Beijing is said to be made in 1418. |
| B．The ancient map, which is said to be made in 1763, has been on display in Beijing. |
| C．The ancient map was bought by Liu Gang, a Chinese navigator in 2001. |
| D．The ancient map was introduced to be listed in Gavin’ book by Liu Gang to support his idea. |
| A．The first person who discovered America may be Zheng He. |
| B．The first person to circumnavigate the globe is not worth discussing. |
| C．The year when Zheng He discovered America may be between 1421 and 1423. |
| D．The year when Christopher Columbus discovered America was ahead of 1423. |
| A．Ancient Map and Mu Clang. |
| B．Zheng He, Liu Gang and British Author. |
| C．Zheng He Spreads the Glory of China to the World. |
| D．Ancient Map Suggests Chinese Discovered America |
4 . Today there are policemen everywhere, but in 1700, London had no policemen at all. A few old men used to protect the city streets at night and they were not paid.
About 300 years ago, London was starting to get bigger and more and more people began to live there. The city was very dirty and many people were poor. There were so many thieves who stole money in the streets that people stayed in their homes as much as possible.
In 1750,Henry Fielding started to pay a group of people to stop thieves. They were like policemen and were called “Bow Street Runners” because they worked near Bow Street.
Fifty years later, there were 120 “Bow Street Runners”, but London had become very big and needed more policemen. So in 1829 , the first Metropolitan(or London)Police Force was started with 3,000 officers. Most of the men worked on foot, but a few rode horses. Until 1920 all the police in London were men.
Today, London police are quite well paid and for the few police officers who still ride horses, the pay is even better than for the others.
1. In 1700, the men who protected the streets were paid __________ .| A．a few | B．nothing |
| C．a little | D．a lot |
| A．wanted to leave London | B．had big houses in London |
| C．became policemen | D．came to live in London |
| A．they had no money | B．they were afraid of losing money |
| C．the city was not clean | D．they liked homes |
Napoleon, as a character in Tolstoy’sWar and Peace, is more than once described as having “fat little hands.’’ Nor does he “sit well or firmly on the horse.’’ He is said to be “undersized.’’ with“short legs’’ and a “round stomach”. The issue here is not the accuracy of Tolstoy’s description--it seems not that far off from historical accounts but his choice of facts：other things that could be said of the man are not said. We are meant to understand the difference of a warring commander in the body of a fat little Frenchman. Tolstoy’s Napoleon could be any man wandering in the streets and putting a little of powdered tobacco up his nose—and that is the point.
It is a way the novelist uses to show the moral nature of a character. And it turns out that, as Tolstoy has it, Napoleon is a crazy man. In a scene in Book Three ofWar and Peace, the wars having reached the critical year of 1812,Napoleon receives a representative from the Tsar(沙皇), who has come with peace terms. Napoleon is very angry：doesn’t he have more army? He, not the Tsar, is the one to make the terms. He will destroy all of Europe if his army is stopped. “That is what you will have gained by engaging me in the war!” he shouts. And then, Tolstoy writes, Napoleon “walked silently several times up and down the room, his fat shoulders moving quickly.’’
Still later, after reviewing his army amid cheering crowds, Napoleon invites the shaken Russian to dinner. “He raised his hand to the Russian’s…face,” Tolstoy writes, and “taking him by the ear pulled it gently….” To have one’s ear pulled by the Emperor was considered the greatest honor and mark of favor at the French court. “Well, well, why don’t you say anything?’’ said he, as if it was ridiculous in his presence to respect any one but himself, Napoleon.
Tolstoy did his research, but the composition is his own.
1. Tolstoy’s description of Napoleon in War and Peaceis _________.
| A．far from the historical facts | B．based on the Russian history |
| C．based on his selection of facts | D．not related to historical details |
| A．he thought he should be the one to make the peace terms |
| B．the Tsar's peace terms were hard to accept |
| C．the Russians stopped his military movement |
| D．he didn’t have any more army to fight with |
| A．To walk out of the room in anger. | B．To show agreement with him. |
| C．To say something about the Tsar. | D．To express his admiration. |
| A．ill-mannered in dealing with foreign guests | B．fond of showing off his iron will |
| C．determined in destroying all of Europe | D．crazy for power and respect |
| A．A writer doesn’t have to be faithful to his findings. |
| B．A writer may write about a hero in his own way. |
| C．A writer may not be responsible for what he writes. |
| D．A writer has hardly any freedom to show his feelings. |
