2 . 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

4 . Hell comes to Pearl Harbor

It was Sunday, December 7,1941. As usual, the wake­up call came at 5:45 a.m. The men aboard the warship USS Arizona stretched and rubbed their eyes. Seaman Russell Warriner was awakened by Quartermaster Louis Conter. Russell made his bed and helped clean the huge, shared room. The men went to the washroom, dressed in their uniforms and sat down to breakfast. It looked like it would be a normal day on board the ship.

But nobody ate their breakfast: at that moment, there was a huge crashing sound from above. The ship shook violently and the men looked at each other in horror. Above their heads, hundreds of Japanese planes circled like eagles. They were diving down to drop bombs on Pearl Harbor. The scream of their engines was deafening. As bombs thundered all around, clouds of black smoke rose into the sky and hung over the sea. Russell felt his blood freeze, but he quickly came to himself and rushed up to the deck. Moments later, a bomb hit the USS Arizona and Russell was thrown more than 100 meters across the ship. He suffered serious burns on his hands, arms and legs, and watched many of his friends die.

Louis, meanwhile, also standing on the deck, was lucky not to be thrown into the sea. With only minor injuries, he was able to help others who were severely burnt and in terrible pain. After receiving the order to abandon ship, Louis saved more men from the water, dragging them into the lifeboat. In the chaos and confusion after the attack, the US Navy sent a message to his family that Louis had been killed in the attack. Luckily, he was able to get in touch with them before the message arrived. Despite his remarkable actions, Louis did not think that he was a hero. “The heroes are the ones that gave their lives that day,” he said.

Russell was saved from the water, but he was badly burnt, bleeding heavily. Fortunately, he was taken to hospital and survived. For many years, Russell refused to talk about what happened that morning, describing it simply as “hell”. His wife Elsa said, “When he opened up later on, he always mentioned the horror of it.”

Louis and Russell would never forget the terrible scene of the attack, but they were fortunate enough to be among the few survivors from the Arizona. Nobody had expected the bombing. Japan had hatched a plot to launch a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, so the attack began without warning and without declaring war on the United States. The attack destroyed nearly 20 American ships and over 180 airplanes. In total, more than 2,000 American people were killed and over 1,000 others were wounded that day. More than 1,000 people aboard the Arizona lost their lives. Out of 37 sets of brothers, Russell and his brother were the only full pair to survive the attack．

The surprise attack came as a great shock to the whole nation. The next day, President Roosevelt delivered his famous Pearl Harbor Speech, in which he described December 7 as “a date which will live in infamy” and asked that the US Congress declare war on Japan. In response to the attack and the president’s address, the United States joined the Second World War.

Today, the USS Arizona lies where it sank: in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Its location is marked with a memorial shaped like a bridge, which crosses the ship’s sunken remains . Each year, more than two million people visit the memorial. They come to see the shadow of the ship at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, to learn about the attack, to show respect for those who had lost their lives in the attack and to pray for world peace. Although about eight decades has passed, the attack on Pearl Harbor, one of the darkest episodes in American history, will never be forgotten.

1. When did Japanese planes attack Pearl Harbor?

A．In the morning.	B．At noon.
C．In the afternoon.	D．At midnight.

2. What can we know about Russell and Louis from the passage?

A．Russell lost his hands, arms and legs in the attack.

B．Russell was seriously burned in the attack.

C．Louis’s family were sad to hear that he was killed.

D．Louis was proud of his remarkable actions.

3. Which of the following words can best describe Louis?

A．Kind and skilled.

B．Helpful and clever.

C．Brave and clever.

D．Brave and modest.

4. Which of the following statements is NOT true according to Paragraph 5?

A．Many American ships and airplanes were destroyed in the attack.

B．More than 1,000 people aboard the Arizona were killed.

C．2,000 Americans were killed and 1,000 others were wounded in the war.

D．Both Russell and his brother survived the attack.

5 . 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.

7 . Mention the terms Italian culture and Renaissance art and one is immediately reminded of the mysterious smile of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

The Renaissance had a deep effect on the development of European culture. Having its beginnings in Italy, by the 16th century, it had spread to the rest of Europe. Its influence was felt in different fields such as philosophy, literature, religion, science, politics, and, of course, art. The scholars of the Renaissance period applied the humanistic method to every field of study, and wanted to have human emotion and realism in art.

Renaissance scholars studied the ancient Latin and Greek texts, searching the libraries of Europe for works of ancient times that had become obscure, in their hunt for reforming and perfecting their worldly knowledge. However, that does not mean that they refused religion. In fact, many of the greatest works of the Renaissance period were devoted to it, with the church supporting a lot of the works of Renaissance art. However, there were slight changes in the manner in which the scholars began to treat religion, which affected the cultural life of society, which in turn influenced the artists of that period and therefore was reflected in their art.

In Raphael’s The School of Athens, for example, some well-known people were described as classical scholars with Leonardo da Vinci given as much importance as Plato in his time. Giotto di Bondone, 1266-1337, a Florentine, who is regarded as the greatest Italian painter just earlier than the Renaissance period, is thought to be the first artist who treated a painting as a window into space.

However, it was only after the writings of Filippo Brunelleschi, 1377-1446, who is considered the first great builder of the Italian Renaissance, that perspective (透视法) was formally accepted as an artistic technique.

1. What makes Italy stand out in a way in world history?

A．Its artists during the Renaissance were numerous.	B．It was the center of the European countries.
C．It had many famous inventors in different fields.	D．It was home to the Renaissance.

2. The underlined word “obscure” in Paragraph 3 most probably means ________.

A．meaningless and hard to recognize	B．clear and meaningful to guiding people
C．unclear and difficult to understand or see	D．easy to understand but having little meaning

3. When was perspective officially accepted during the Renaissance?

A．After the completion of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.

B．After Leonardo da Vinci’s being compared to Plato.

C．After Giotto di Bondone’s paintings were respected.

D．After Filippo Brunelleschi’s completing his writings.

4. The passage aims to tell us ________.

A．Italy’s Renaissance art and artists	B．the famous artists in Italy’s history
C．Italy’s influence on the world in culture	D．the hardships during the Renaissance in Italy

8 . After seemingly endless waiting, news finally reached President Abraham Lincoln. The North had won at Gettysburg. The citizens of Pennsylvania created a national cemetery（公墓）for the soldiers who lay dead at Gettysburg. A ceremony was planned. Lincoln received an invitation to attend. He was not asked to give the major speech of the day. That honor was given to a New England statesman and professional speaker named Edward Everett. The president was asked instead to say “a few words”.

As the day approached, Lincoln’s wife asked him to reconsider. Their son, Tad, had fallen ill. Mary Lincoln was near crazy. On the morning of the day, Tad was so sick that he could not eat. Lincoln felt unwell himself, but he decided to go anyway.

On Thursday, November 19, for two hours, Everett held the audience spellbound with his rich voice and inspiring words. Then Lincoln rose to speak. “Four score and seven years ago,” he began in his high pitched（声调高的）voice. He spoke for barely three minutes.

As Lincoln sat down, some eyewitnesses recalled little applause（掌声）. Others heard “not a word, not a cheer, not a shout”. A person taking notes asked Lincoln, “Is that all?” Embarrassed, Lincoln replied, “Yes--for the present.” A photographer in the crowd had not even had time to take a picture.

Lincoln thought his speech was a failure. Some newspapers considered it as “silly” and “boring”. But Everett correctly predicted that the Gettysburg Address would “live among the history of man”. A few days after both of them had spoken at Gettysburg, he wrote to Lincoln, saying that he wished he had come “as close to the central idea of the occasion, in two hours, as you did in two minutes”. Lincoln replied, telling Everett how pleased he was that “the little I did say was not entirely a failure.”

Indeed it was not. It gave the North new hope and purpose as to why it was fighting the war. Today, Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is remembered as one of the greatest speeches of all time.

1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A．Lincoln was asked to give a mini speech.

B．Lincoln was elected President on the victory of Gettysburg.

C．Lincoln’s speech was given to celebrate the end of the War.

D．Lincoln ordered the construction of a cemetery in Gettysburg.

2. Why does the writer mention the person taking notes?

A．To show the disappointment of the audience.

B．To show the greatness of Lincoln’s speech.

C．To laugh at Lincoln for his unsuccessful speech.

D．To tell us that Lincoln was very sad about his speech.

3. What did Everett intend to express about Lincoln’s speech in the 5th paragraph?

A．Sympathy.	B．Criticism.
C．Appreciation.	D．Embarrassment.

4. Why did Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address become famous?

A．Because it was distinctively well constructed.

B．Because it was concise and delivered in a rich voice.

C．Because Everett, a great speaker, sang high praise for it.

D．Because people got hope and a sense of purpose from it.

10 . Each year, 150,000 people hike Scotland’s Ben Nevis — Britain’s highest mountain. Many choose to take the so-called tourist trail, the rocky path which winds its way to the peak. Few realise that this path was initially carved out in 1883 for a very unique scientific expedition.

In the late 19th century, a key question of science was how depressions, storms and other severe climatic events form in the atmosphere. By 1875 mountain observatories were being established across the US, Mexico, India, France, Germany and Russia. Keen to gather similar data for Britain, the Scottish Meteorological Society decided to build a weather station at the top of Ben Nevis.

And so began a remarkable experiment. From 1883 to 1904, a few hardy individuals lived year-round in a small stone hut, surviving on tinned food and making hourly recordings of everything from atmospheric temperature to humidity (湿度), wind speed to rainfall. In total they made almost 1.5 million observations.

“They were living in very severe weather conditions: 100mph winds were not uncommon, and the temperature would drop to -15°C at times. The main danger they faced was that they were very close to the edge of the cliff (悬崖). If you weren’t careful, you would disappear off the cliff completely,” says Ed Hawkins, professor of climate science at the University of Reading.

However, by 1904, the Scottish Meteorological Society could no longer afford the observatory’s running costs. It was closed down and the data largely has remained hidden in the dusty pages of archives (档案馆) ever since.

Today, plans are underfoot to build a new modern observatory on the ruins on the former site — with automatic measuring devices rather than human data collectors. “We haven’t had any long-term observations up there for a long time now, and this would give us information straight away on how the climate at the top of the mountain has changed,” Hawkins says. “We think that the high altitude regions are some of the places where we’ve seen the largest changes in temperature. This could tell us a lot.”

1. Why was the weather station at the top of Ben Nevis built?

A．To attract visitors to Ben Nevis.

B．To study the formation of extreme weather events.

C．To provide weather forecasts for the whole Britain.

D．To compete with weather stations in other countries.

2. What do Hawkins’ words in Paragraph 4 mainly focus on?

A．The geographical features of Ben Nevis.

B．The extreme climate on top of Ben Nevis.

C．The achievements made by the weather station.

D．The bad working conditions of the station workers.

3. What does Hawkins say about the new observatory?

A．It will take a long time to build.

B．It will need many human data collectors.

C．It will have archives for the old weather station.

D．It will detect climate change at Ben Nevis’ peak quickly.

4. Why does the author write the text?

A．To argue.	B．To inform.
C．To advertise.	D．To appeal.