1 . On 15^th June 1996, a huge bomb in Manchester, in the north-west of England, destroyed the city centre, causing nearly a billion pounds’ worth of damage. The bomb, which had been planted by a terrorist group called the IRA, injured over 200 people but remarkably killed no one as police had evacuated the area following a warning from the IRA.

Manchester had already undergone some changes as it recovered from the economic depression of the early 1990s that had destroyed much of its industry and created large-scale unemployment. It had won the right to host the Commonwealth Games (a large sporting event) and redeveloped some deserted areas through the building of the National Velodrome, an exhibition centre and an award-winning concert hall. However, at the time of the bombing, the city centre was still badly neglected — dominated by the Arndale Shopping Centre (once described as looking like an enormous public toilet) and squares that were run-down and affected by drug addiction. So, dreadful though the bombing was, it actually provided an opportunity to start again that might not have happened otherwise.

Within weeks of the explosion, the government had set up a public-private company to manage the recovery and launched an international competition to design the redevelopment. The winning plan involved restoring the historic buildings that had been damaged, tearing down and rebuilding some of the ugly buildings, creating new public spaces and improving life for pedestrians. Alongside this, the government reduced traffic in the centre by changing the direction of some main roads and developed an integrated public transport system, making access to the centre easier. Since these improvements, the city has attempted to boost tourism by using some of the city’s historical sites for major public events and by creating the Urbis building, which now houses the National Museum of Football. In turn, these changes have been key in attracting new investors, such as the Qatari royal family who own Manchester City Football Club.

Since 1996, the Manchester economy has grown in all areas. However, there are some concerns that inequality has also increased. Nor are all the new spaces appreciated. One new garden square designed by an international architect was rated as the worst attraction in the city. Others argue that in changing market stalls and industry for luxury consumption and glass buildings, the city has lost some of its soul.

1. What does the word “evacuate” (paragraph 1)most probably mean?

A．Looking for something in a place.	B．Estimate the losses in a ruined place.
C．Remove people from a place of danger.	D．Determine a numerical value of a place.

2. What does the writer say about the 1996 IRA bombing?

A．It presented an unexpected opportunity for Manchester.

B．It destroyed the city centre that used to be busy and crowded.

C．It resulted in a lot of people getting hurt or killed in Manchester.

D．It cost Manchester its chance to host the Commonwealth Games.

3. What did Manchester do for its recovery?

A．It set up Manchester City Football Club.

B．It organised an international competition to attract new investors.

C．It tore down some historical sites to make room for public events.

D．It developed a public traffic system to make the city center more accessible.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Damage Manchester suffered due to the IRA bombing.

B．The IRA bombing in Manchester and its consequences.

C．Challenges related to the redevelopment of Manchester.

D．The long-term effects of the changes made in Manchester.

2 . 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。

After 1028 days of detention (拘押)，Meng Wanzhou, the CFO (首席财务官) of Huawei Technology Company, finally returned to China.

    1     the evening of Sept 25, Meng, arrived in Shenzhen airport,     2     (greet) by cheers and applause from a crowd who held a banner (横幅)     3     (read) “Welcome home, Ms Meng Wanzhou!”

On Dec 1, 2018, Meng was detained by the Canadian police at the request of the US, accused of violating US sanctions (制裁) against Iran.

According to a statement issued by one of the lawyers     4     represents Meng, the US side has withdrawn its extradition (引渡) request. Meng pleaded not guilty (不认罪) to all the charges against     5     (she) and didn’t pay any fines.

The news of Meng’s release has aroused a strong reaction among Chinese internet     6    (user). Her return, made possible after the Chinese government’s unremitting (不懈的) efforts, was celebrated     7     a major victory achieved by the Chinese people, noted Xinhua.

“As an ordinary Chinese citizen who     8     (suffer) this difficult situation and been stranded (滞留) overseas for three years, there was never     9     moment when I didn’t feel the care and warmth of the Party, the motherland and the people.” Meng said upon her     10     (arrive) at Shenzhen. “The motherland provides us the strongest backing.”

4 . This is a story about two wise men in ancient China - Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu.

One day, Zhou Yu gave Zhuge Liang     1     impossible task--to make 100,000 arrows within ten days. “No problem,” Zhuge Liang said     2     (confident). He promised     3     (bring) Zhou Yu 100,000 arrows within 3 days.

Zhuge Liang asked his soldiers to fill 20 large boats     4     many straw men(稻草人). In the early morning of the     5     (three) day, Zhuge Liang’s soldiers sailed the boats towards the camps of Cao Cao’s army on the other side of the river. The soldiers shouted and beat their     6     (drum) loudly. When Cao Cao’s soldiers heard the sounds, they thought they were under attack.     7    , the fog is so thick on the river     8    they could not see through. Cao Cao ordered his soldiers to shoot towards the sounds. Zhuge Liang’s boats were soon full of arrows. Zhuge Liang’s soldiers then turned the boats around and shouted，“Thank you for your arrows, Cao Cao.” Zhuge Liang took all these arrows back. Zhou Yu was very amazed by     9     (he) wisdom.

Since then, Chinese people     10     (tell) the story to their children for many many years.

5 . 听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1. What happened to boats and ships in the Bermuda Triangle?

A．They caught fire without reason.

B．They crashed into each other.

C．They disappeared.

2. Who mentioned the Bermuda Triangle for the first time?

A．A famous explorer.

B．A popular writer.

C．A well-known reporter.

3. When did the Bermuda Triangle become a popular story?

A．In the 15th century.

B．In the 20th century.

C．In the 17th century.

4. What does the speaker say about the Bermuda Triangle?

A．All of the reports on it are untrue.

B．It is a dangerous area in the ocean.

C．It is completely safe at the moment.

6 . TOKYO-Japan marked the 78th anniversary of the atomic bombing in its western city of Hiroshima (广岛) on August 6th amid growing calls for Tokyo to reflect on crimes the Japanese army committed during World War II. At a memorial ceremony held at the Peace Memorial Park, Hiroshima Mayor Kazumi Matsui delivered the Peace Declaration,urging world leaders to stop believing in the theory that nuclear weapons can prevent war.

“They must immediately take concrete steps to lead us from the dangerous present toward our ideal world,” said Matsui, who also urged policymakers to “move toward a security system based on trust through dialogue in pursuit of civil society ideals”. “Mistrust and division are on the rise,” warned United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in his message readout at the ceremony.

A moment of silence was observed at 8:15 am local time, the exact moment when an atomic bomb dropped from a US bomber and exploded over the city on Aug.6, 1945, killing around 140,000 people by the end of that year.

At the event which about 50,000 people attended, Matsui placed in a monument a list of the names of 339,227 victims, including 5,320 deaths confirmed last year. “Japan must immediately sign the Treaty (条约) on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,” Matsui noted in the Peace Declaration, further urging the government to heed the wishes of survivors from the bombing and the peace-loving Japanese people.

The number of survivors of the two atomic bombings including Nagasaki with an average age of over 85, has dropped by 5,346 from a year earlier to 113,649 as of March, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida spoke at the ceremony, saying an atomic bomb made more than 100,000 lose their lives without mentioning whether Japan would sign the treaty, let alone (更不用说) the historical background of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.

The prime minister was criticized for hosting the Group of Seven leaders' summit in Hiroshima in May.

While Japan inwardly looks at the tragedies it experienced at the end of WWII, historians and political minds of the international community have encouraged Japan to come to see itself not only as a victim of the atomic bombings but also as the criminal (罪犯) who was involved in these tragic incidents in the first place.

1. Why was the moment of silence was observed at 8:15 am local time?

A．It was the time when the atomic bombing happened in Hiroshima.

B．It was the time when the atomic bombing happened in Nagasaki.

C．It was the time when the US bomber reached Japan.

D．It was the time when the US bomber took off.

2. What is the possible meaning of the underlined word “heed” in paragraph 4?

A．Make fun of.

B．Put up with.

C．Take delight in.

D．Pay attention to.

3. What did Japanese Prime Minister mention in his speech?

A．Japan's signing the treaty.

B．The result of the atomic bombing.

C．America should make up for the loss.

D．The background of the atomic bombing.

4. What can be the best title for the news report?

A．Number of survivors of two atomic bombings drops in Japan

B．Japan — a victim of atomic bombings that kill so many people

C．Japan marks 78th anniversary of atomic bombing of Hiroshima

D．Hiroshima Mayor expresses nuclear weapons can't prevent war

7 . On June 6, World War II veterans (老兵) and other visitors gathered in Normandy for the 78th D-Day anniversary (周年纪念日) in memory of soldiers who gave up their lives to bring peace and freedom to French people. Several thousand people joined a ceremony at the American Cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach in the French town of Colleville-sur-Mer.

US Air Force planes flew over the American Cemetery during the ceremony, in the presence of Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. It is the final resting place of 9,386 soldiers who died fighting on D-Day and in the operations that followed.

Ray Wallace, then 97, a former paratrooper, was among the World War II veterans attending the ceremony in the French town of Colleville-sur-Mer. According to him, on D-Day, his plane was hit and caught fire forcing him to jump earlier than expected. He landed 20 miles away from the town of Sainte-Mère-Église, the first French village to be liberated from Nazi occupation. Less than a month later, he was caught by the Germans. He was finally liberated after 10 months and returned to the U. S. Still, Wallace thought he was “lucky”. “I remember the good friends that I lost there. So, it’s a little emotional,” he said, with tears in his eyes. “I guess you can say I’m proud of what I did but I didn’t do that much.”

On D-Day, a large number of soldiers landed on the beaches, carried by 7,000 boats. On that single day, 4,414 soldiers lost their lives, 2,501 of whom were Americans. More than 5,000 were wounded. On the German side, several thousand were killed or wounded.

Wallace, who was using a wheelchair, was among about 20 World War II veterans who opened the parade (游行) of military vehicles on the eve of the D-Day anniversary in Sainte-Mère-Église with cheers from thousands of people, in a joyful atmosphere. He did not hide his pleasure, happily waving to the crowd as parents explained the stories of World War II heroes to their children. Many history lovers, wearing military clothes from the period, also came to the stage and celebrated the event.

1. What is the purpose of the D-Day anniversary ceremony in Colleville-sur-Mer?

A．To call on people to treasure their lives.

B．To remind people about the hard time.

C．To connect peace lovers worldwide.

D．To honor the dead soldiers on D-Day.

2. What did Ray Wallace probably want to express by mentioning his wartime experience?

A．His sadness at losing partners in war.

B．His doubt about the result of the war.

C．His pride in defeating the enemies.

D．His fear of losing his life in war.

3. Which words can best describe the atmosphere of the parade before the D-Day anniversary?

A．Peaceful and quiet.	B．Serious and stressful.
C．Warm and inspiring.	D．Surprising and amusing.

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Veterans’ stories took people closer to D-Day.

B．People in France celebrated the success of D-Day.

C．People worldwide held activities to remember D-Day.

D．Veterans returned to mark the 78th anniversary of D-Day.

9 . 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。

Abraham Lincoln’s position on slavery is one of    1    most discussed aspects of his life.     2    (start)in 1831, a growing group of abolitionists(废奴主义者) called for total, immediate abolition of slavery.

Lincoln never called for this, and focused instead     3    the less politically challenging goal of preventing the    4    (create)of new slave states. Lincoln’s activism on that issue started in reaction io the 1854 Kansas-Nebraska Act    5    (design) by his great rival(对手) Stephen A. Douglas. The act allowed the settlers    6    (decide) on slavery in their territory.

Lincoln, with partial compensation to owners, did end slavery in the District of Columbia in l862. During 186l-1862 Lincoln tried unsuccessfully to get Kentucky and Maryland to do likewise. He     7    (repeated) stated that his goal was the preservation of the Union, not ending slavery in the states    8    it existed. In 1862, Lincoln used his role as commander-in-chief to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. It made all     9    (slave)in Confederate areas forever free under the U.S. law as soon as the U.S. army reached and controlled them and it controlled all of them by 1865. Final abolition in the border states     10    (achieve) later that year.

10 . 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.