1 . When the cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris (巴黎圣母院) was on fire, it seemed as if the nation had lost a piece of its soul. A similar tragedy took place in 19th century Russia. And the rebuilding effort of the Russians might offer some inspiration for the French.

Standing in the heart of the Russian capital, with 60,000 square meters of floor space and 1,500 rooms, the Winter Palace was among the world’s grandest building. On Dec. 17, 1837, a fire broke out at the Winter Palace. By the morning of Dec.19, only the structure’s framework remained.

For the czar (沙皇) , the fire presented a political challenge. Fearing that Russia's enemies would cast the fire as a blow to the czarist orders, the czar’s supporters quickly worked together to shape the description of the fire in Russia and abroad. They wanted the country to appear united. And they certainly didn't want despair to become the story.

The first full account of the fire was written in French by the poet Petr Viazemskii. A Russian translation appeared two months later. That text and others painted a highly idealized picture of the response to the tragedy. The accounts noted that the czar forcefully directed the fire’s containment. Soldiers were selfless to save the palace. The Russian people felt the loss just as deeply as the czar.

To erase the shame of the fire, the czar set a nearly impossible goal: rebuild the palace within 15 months, and he ordered that rebuilt palace look exactly as it had before.Thousands of workers labored on the construction site. They made rapid progress. On Match 25, 1839, the czar celebrated the rebirth of the Winter Palace.

Outwardly identical to the old version, the new palace featured more iron and brick in its structures---and less wood. It was far less fire-prone than the original.

Notre Dame hasn’t experienced the same level of destruction as the Winter Palace, if the Russian phoenix of 1839 is any indication, there is hope that a renewed Notre Dame will once again grace the banks of the Seine.

1. What do we know about the fire in the Winter Palace?

A．It burnt down 60,000 rooms

B．It lasted more than 24 hours

C．It was set by Russia’s enemies

D．It completely destroyed the palace

2. Why did the czar decide to rebuild the palace in a short time?

A．To secure his power

B．To challenge his enemies

C．To unite French people

D．To celebrate his birthday

3. What did Viazemskii and others stress in their accounts?

A．The scene of the fire

B．The selflessness of the czar

C．The Russians’ joint effort to fight the fire

D．The ideal result achieved by the Russians.

4. What’s the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To describe a fire at the Winter Palace

B．To praise the renewal of the Winter Palace

C．We express sympathy for the Notre Dame

D．To inspire confidence in rebuilding the Notre Dame.

2 . 2015 was an extremely dangerous year for journalists. 69 media representatives lost their lives around the world. 28 of them were killed by Islamic terrorist groups close to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State. 8 journalists were killed in January, when the office of the magazine Charlie Hebdo was attacked in Paris.
       The Committee to Protect Journalists(CPJ) has reported that Syria was the most dangerous place for journalists in 2015. 13 reporters were killed in a state that has been suffering from civil war. Sudan, Bangladesh and Brazil are among other countries in which journalists were killed. Many of them were sent to cover civil wars, corruption and human rights issues.
       In addition, several journalists were kidnapped(绑架) and are still being held in prison. The most typical is a Washington Post journalist who has been imprisoned in Iran for over one and a half years On Wednesday he will spend his 527th day in prison, taken away not only freedom but also justice. At the end of 2015, 199 journalists were held in prison in 28 countries around the world, including Egypt and Turkey.
       Media experts believe that criminals and militant(激进的) organizations are becoming more and more threatening towards journalists. In the past vehicles that were marked with a PRESS sign got more protection and were not targeted. Although western countries are strongly against it when something happens to journalists, there is often nothing they can do about it. Warring sides sometimes use kidnapped journalists to get media attention.
1. How many journalists died during the attack on Charlie Hebdo?

A．8.

B．13.

C．69.

D．119.

2. Which of the following is True according to the text?

A．Most journalists were killed in Sudan.

B．A committee has been found to protect journalists.

C．The Washington Post journalist was kidnapped three years ago.

D．Western countries work well in protecting journalists.

3. Why did people mark a PRESS sign on their cars?

A．To be better protected.	B．To draw media attention.
C．To show their anger.	D．To call for help.

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

A．Fighting for Terrorist Groups	B．Keeping off the Killings
C．A Dangerous Year for Journalists	D．Dangerous Places for Journalists