1 . In the fall of 1915, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton’s ship Endurance (耐力号) sank off the coast of Antarctica. While all of the expedition’s 28 crew eventually were rescued, the ship’s final resting place has remained a much-discussed maritime mystery. That is, until today. A team of researchers has announced they’ve located the wreck at the bottom of the Weddell Sea, almost the northernmost part of Antarctica.

Endurance was backed by the British government and private donors and supported by Winston Churchill to deliver a group of explorers to the coast of Antarctica and then travel overland across the continent via the South Pole.

It set out from South Georgia on December 5, 1914, shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. But the enemy that Shackleton and his men faced was of a different sort. The Weddell Sea, covering an area of more than a million square miles, is one of the most remote and unforgiving environments in the world, littered with icebergs and roiled by strong surface winds. Shackleton called it “the worst sea in the world.”

The expedition made good progress at first, but as the Antarctic winter of 1915 closed in, the men found themselves trapped in the sea ice on Tuesday, October 26. The next day, the men removed tools, instruments, and provisions and set up camp on the ice floe. Endurance finally sank on November 27. Shackleton famously said, “What the ice gets, the ice keeps.” . But Endurance’s story did not end with the ship’s sinking.

In 2019, the Falklands Heritage Maritime Trust began its first expedition to find the ship but had been unable to locate the wreck. This winter, they tried again, organizing and funding Endurance22.

One of the toughest problems, besides the sea ice, was establishing the ship’s location. After Endurance was initially trapped in the ice, it continued to drift as the floes moved with the current. Due to poor visibility on the day the men abandoned the ship, however, the captain had been unable to take proper measurements that would help calculate the direction and speed of the floes.

1. Which can show the positions of Weddell Sea and Antarctica?

A．	B．
C．	D．

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Endurance hasn’t been found since the fall of 1915.

B．Endurance was only supported by Winston Churchill.

C．Ernest Shackleton died and sank off the coast of Antarctica in the fall of 1915.

D．Ernest Shackleton’s goal was to travel across the Antarctica via the South Pole.

3. What is the fundamental cause of the disaster according to the passage?

A．The sea ice.

B．The Antarctic winter.

C．The things they carried.

D．The captain’s unreasonable command.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．The way how to establish the ship’s location.

B．The reason why locating the ship is difficult.

C．The measurements that the captain took to locate the ship.

D．The time when Endurance22 was organized and funded.

2 . Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need. (1’*7=7’)

A. executive B. substantially C. borders D. minority E. fiercely F. unrest G. efficient H. move

Ukraine, a nation whose history has experienced long periods of occupation from other countries, today wrestles(摔跤，全力应付)between war and peace, as well as between corruption and reform. The nation     1    the Black and Azov seas to the south and lies next to several Eastern European nations, including Russia.

Ukraine declared independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991. Its president is directly elected by voters. The prime minister is the head of the central government, which is separated along     2    , legislative and judicial branches.

The country’s post-Soviet political life has been controversial, disturbed by persistent charges of government corruption and fraud. Large-scale protests at the end of 2013 turned violent in 2014, leading to the ouster(罢免)of the government and     3    in the heavily ethnic Russian eastern regions of Ukraine. Russia annexed(抢占)the Crimea region of Ukraine in early 2014, a     4    by Moscow that has been widely criticized by the international community.

Ukraine joined into a free trade area at the beginning of 2016, and the World Bank noted that the country’s economy did begin to show signs of a weak recovery. A broader recovery has been held back, the World Bank says, by continuing conflict in the east and the need for reforms.

Ukraine entered a long-awaited agreement with the European Union in September 2017, a move that brings the country a step closer to the goal of joining the European Union and NATO.

Services, industry and agriculture are Ukraine’s three largest economic sectors. The nation     5    relies on natural gas imports from Russia to meet its energy needs. Agricultural production and energy consumption can be made more     6    , and in doing so Ukraine could play an important role in global food security, according to the World Bank. Culturally, Ukraine is influenced by Western and Central Europe, Russia to the east and by religion— the predominant faith in the country is Eastern Orthodoxy. The country has a rich history in literature, music, architecture and folk art, including “pysanky”, Ukrainian Easter eggs. Ethnic Ukrainians form the overwhelming majority of the country’s population, with ethnic Russians serving as the largest     7    group.

Ukraine is a member of major international and regional organizations, including the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

3 . The Chicago Fire of 1871 was the worst disaster of the 19th century.

The fire is said to have started one evening in Mrs. O’Leary’s barn (牲口棚) on the West Side of Chicago. Several hours after she milked her cow, it kicked over an oil lamp, and the cow started the fire. We do not know if the story is true, but we do know that the fire began in a barn on the West Side.

The fire spread quickly because of the wooden buildings, a strong wind, and a dry season. The fire lasted 27 hours and spread to all parts of the city. Other cities sent 25 fire companies to help put out the fire. Federal troops (联邦军队) were also used to help fight the fire and keep order, too. At last rain put out the fire.

There was a lot of damage. 90,000 people were homeless, and 18,000 buildings were destroyed. Property damage (财产损失) was almost 200 million dollars. In addition, about 300 people died.

People from all over the world helped Chicago by sending food and clothing. Within a month, 4,000 cottages (小屋) with two rooms had been built. In a few years, Chicago was completely rebuilt.

1. Which parts of the city were hurt by the fire?

A．The West Side.	B．The South Side and the East Side.
C．The North Side.	D．All sides.

2. How many people lost their lives in the fire?

A．90,000.

B．18,000.

C．almost 200.

D．about 300.

3. People who stayed in Chicago after the fire showed__________ .

A．courage

B．fear

C．weakness

D．laziness

4. What helped to spread and to end the fire?

A．A cow.

B．Firemen.

C．The weather.

D．Carelessness.

5 . 下列文段直接来自所学的课文。请根据英文首字母提示，填入符合课文含义的词，使到文段意思完整，通顺，符合课文原意。

Trade and c    1     have often f    2     the foundation of mankind’s greatest a    3    . To c    4     the great map of the world was a strong p    5     for the people of early civilisations. Marco Polo’s t    6     inspired European explorers to s    7     for sea r    8     from west to east. H    9    , merchants and explorers from the East set s    10     from east to west many years before Columbus first did.