The flag, the most common symbol of a nation in the modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning, the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark buildings, ships and other vehicles related to a country.
The national flag as we know it today is in no way a primitive artifact. It is, rather, the product of thousands of years’ development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the earlier served to show wind direction.
Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers. People’s food supplies were similarly vulnerable. Even after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind, which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.
Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems (图腾) before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.
These flags developed very slowly into modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked: The king of China around 1,000 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe, where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag. The underlined word “ vulnerable” in paragraph 3 means _______.
| A．easy to damage | B．likely to be protected |
| C．impossible to make sure of | D．difficult to find |
The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because they _______.
| A．could tell wind direction | B．could bring good luck to fighters |
| C．were believed to stand for natural forces | D．were handed down by the ancestors |
What does the author know of the first national flag?
| A．He knows when it was sent to Europe. | B．He doubts where it started. |
| C．He thinks it came from China. | D．He believes it was made in Egypt. |
What will the author most probably talk about next?
| A．The role of China in the spread of the national flag. |
| B．The importance of modern flags. |
| C．The use of modern flags in Europe. |
| D．The second ancestor of the national flag. |
Drunken driving — sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of murder — has become a national epidemic (流行病). Every hour of every day about three Americans on avera
ge are killed by drunken drivers, adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years. A drunken driver is usually referred to as one with 0.10-blood alcohol content or roughly three beer glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk within two hours. Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the American manly image and judges were lenient in most courts, but the drunken killing has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies, especially concerning young children, that public opinion is no longer so tolerant.
Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21, reversing a trend in the 1960s to reduce it to 18. After New Jersey lowered it to 18, the number of people killed by 18-20 years old drivers more than doubled, so the state recently upped it back to 21.
Reformers, however, fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop “responsible attitudes” about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink.
Though new laws have led to increased arrests and tests in many areas already, to a marked decline in accidents, some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks. A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who was “obviously drunk” and later drove off the road, killing a 9-year-old boy.
As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state, some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years national prohibition of alcohol that began in 1919, which President Hoover called the “noble experiment”. They forgot that legal prohibition didn’t stop drinking, but encouraged political corruption（腐败) and organized crime. As with the booming drug trade generally, there is no easy solution. What can be inferred from the fact of the traffic accidents in New Jersey?
| A．many drivers were not of legal age. |
| B．young drivers were often bad drivers. |
| C．Drivers should not be allowed to drink. |
| D．the legal drinking age should be raised. |
The underlined word “lenient” in the first paragraph mea
ns “_________”.
| A．serious | B．cruel | C．merciful | D．determined |
In America, public opinion about drunken driving has changed because __________.
| A．judges are giving more severe sentences |
| B．new laws are introduced in some states |
| C．the news media have highlighted the problem |
| D．drivers are more conscious of their image |
Why is the problem of drinking and driving difficult to solve？
| A．Because alcohol is easily obtained. |
| B．Because drinking is linked to organized crime. |
| C．Because legal prohibition has already failed. |
| D．Because making laws alone is not sufficient. |
A long weekend is a great opportunity to do something a little different. Many people use a long weekend for a getaway, a short trip to leave the stress of their everyday lives behind and explore, learn, or relax.
Hotel Romance
Many hotels and resorts feature something special to start the getaway, such as champagne, flowers, or a fruit basket in the room on arrival. Getaway packages usually include a room with something special, a heart shaped bed, for example. Additional benefits could be room service meals or other private dining, plus tickets or discounts for local attractions.
Visit a Spa
Spa getaways can take place at a location that focuses only on spa services or at a hotel that offers a spa as one of its features. Some spas emphasize treatments fit for their geographic area or a local attraction. A spa in a grape growing region might provide grape juice masks, or a hotel near a hot spring could offer mineral baths. Most spas offer a range of ma
ssage, health and beauty treatments, so a spa getaway can be relaxing with other benefits.
Learn a Skill
A long weekend may not be enough time to become an expert at something new, but it provides a way for people to begin their explorations. Some organizations offer intensive courses that last two or three days. People with special interests can get away from their routines while learning such things as how to make beer, speak a new language, or take better photos.
Help Others
Some organizations cooperate with businesses to have accommodations (住宿) and activities for short-term volunteers. Most volunteer vacations involve ecology friendly or charity activities. A volunteer getaway is a way to relieve stress and help others at the same time.
Stay in a National Park
For those who want to relax in a rural environment, a national park fits the bill. Most national parks provide camping areas for tents and trailers. Several have cabins (小屋) within the parks available to rent. A getaway to a national park provides privacy, stress relief, and the time to get to know some important natural resources.The underlined word getaway in this passage most probably means.
| A．exploration | B．location | C．vacation | D．activity |
It can be learned from the text that.
| A．spas are offered in the tourist attractions all over the country |
| B．intensive courses of some organizations help people get away from home |
| C．helping others at weekend makes people feel free and relaxed |
| D．people may get close to nature in a national park |
Which of the following can be rented in a national park?
| A．Cabins. | B．Trailers. | C．Camping area. | D．Privacy. |
The best title of the passage can be.
| A．Away from Our Busy Work | B．Good Ways to Relieve Stress |
| C．Enjoy Life and Help Others | D．Long Weekend Getaway Ideas |
When I was growing up, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never yelled at us for playing in his yard. I remember him as someone who was a lot nicer than most of the adults in our community.
When Dr. Gibbs wasn’t saving lives, he was planting trees. His house sat on ten acres, and his life’s goal was to make it a forest.
The good doctor had some interesting theories concerning plant care and growth. He never watered his new trees, which flew in the face of conventional wisdom. Once I asked why. He said that watering plants spoiled them so that each successive tree generation would grow weaker and weaker. So you have to make things rough for them and weed out(淘汰) the weaker trees early on.
He talked abo
ut how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in search of moisture. I took him to mean that deep roots were to be treasured.
So he never watered his trees. He planted an oak and, instead of watering it every morning, he’d beat it with a rolled-up newspaper. Smack! Slap! Pow! I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.
Dr. Gibbs passed away a couple of years after I left home. Every now and again, I walked by his house and looked at the trees that I’d watched him plant some twenty-five years ago. They’re extremely tall, big and robust since they have deep roots now. However, the trees in
my garden trembled in a cold wind although I had watered them for several years.
It seems that adversity(逆境) and suffering benefit these trees in ways comfort and ease never could. I stood there deep in thought.
Every night before I go to bed, I check on my two sons. I stand over them and watch their little bodies, the rising and falling of life within. I often pray for them. Mostly I pray that their lives will be easy. But I think it’s time to change my prayer(祷词) because now I know my children are going to encounter hardship..According to Dr. Gibbs’ theories, trees will become weaker if they______
| A．are lack of care | B．are watered | C．are weeded out | D．are beaten |
.According to Para.3 and Pare.4, we can infer that Dr. Gibbs’moto（座右铭）may be_____
| A．“seeing is believing” | B．“Put everything in proper use” |
| C．”Practice makes perfect” | D．“No pains, no gains” |
.The underlined word robust in Para.5 most probably means______
| A．strong | B．strange | C．deep | D．old |
Which of the following may be the author’s best prayer for his two sons now ?
| A．I wish them strong wings, with which they can fly higher and touch the sky. |
| B．I wish them nice fortune so that they can meet people like Dr. Gibbs in the future. |
| C．I wish them deep roots into the earth since the rains fall and the winds blow often. |
| D．I wish them great shades under the tree since the sunlight is always sharp and bitter. |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．A Nice Doctor | B．The Deep Roots |
| C．Adversity and Suffering | D．My Childhood Memory |
A man was on the side of the road hitchhiking（搭便车）on a very dark night in the middle of a terrible rainstorm, with no cars on the road．The storm was so strong that the man could hardly see a few feet ahead of him．Suddenly, he saw a car come towards him and stop．The man, without thinking about it, got in the car and closed the door and only then did he realize that there was nobody behind the steering wheel（方向盘）!
The car started to move very slowly．The man looked at the road and saw a curve （拐弯处）coming his way．Terrified, he started to pray, begging for his life．He had not come out of shock when, just before the car hit the curve, a hand suddenly appeared through the window and moved the wheel．The man, paralyzed with fear, watched how the hand appeared every time the car was drawing near a curve．Finally, although terrified, the man managed to open the door and jump out of the spooky car．Without looking back, the man ran through the storm all the way to the nearest town．In a state of complete horror, the man walked into a nearby bar and asked for two glasses of Scotch whisky．
Then, still shaking with fright, he started telling everybody in the bar about the horrible experience he just went through in the spooky car．Everyone in the bar listened in silence and became frightened, with hair standing on end, when they realized the man was telling the truth because he was crying and he was certainly not drunk!
About half an hour later, two other young men walked into the same bar and one said to the other, “Hey, there’s a stupid man who jumped into the car while we were pushing it!”When the car was first drawing near a curve, the man ________．
| A．felt very curious | B．was extremely frightened |
| C．cried for help | D．remained as calm as possible |
According to the passage, what made the man’s experience believable?
| A．His reasonable behavior． | B．His vivid description． |
| C．His plain appearance． | D．His honest attitude． |
We can infer from the passage that ________．
| A．it is unsafe for people to take a free ride |
| B．the man was telling a lie to his listeners |
| C．the car probably broke down on the way |
| D．the two young men were familiar with the man |
Dolphins and sharks are showing up in surprisingly shallow water just off the Florida coast．Mullets，crabs，rays and small fish gather by the thousands off an Alabama pier．Birds covered in oil are crawling（爬）deep into marshes（沼泽），never to be seen again．
Marine scientists studying the effects of the BP disaster（英国石油公司漏油事件）are seeing some strange phenomena．Fish and other wildlife seem to be fleeing the oil out in the Gulf and gathering in cleaner waters along the coast in a trend that some researchers see as a potentially troubling sign．The animals.presence close to shore means their usual habitat is badly polluted，and the crowding could result in mass die-offs as fish run out of oxygen．Also，the animals could easily be captured by their enemies．
The nearly two-month-old spill（漏油）has created an environmental disaster in US history as tens of millions of gallons have flown into the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem．Scienfists are seeing some unusual things as they try to understand the effects on thousands of species of marine life．For nearly four hours Monday，a three-person crew with Greenpeace cruised（巡航）past delicate islands and mangrove-dotted inlets in Barataria Bay off southern Louisiana．They saw dolphins by the dozen frolicking（嬉戏）in the oily sheen（光泽）and oil-tinged pelicans feeding their young．But they spotted no dead animals．
“I think part of the reason why we’re not seeing more yet is that the impacts of this crisis are really just beginning，”Greenpeace marine biologist John Hocevar said．
The counting of dead wildlife in the Gulf is more than an academic exercise；the deaths will help determine how much BP pays in damages．What do the marine life react to the BP disaster？
| A．Dolphins and sharks show up in deep water． |
| B．Tens of thousands of marine animals are found dead． |
| C．Sea creatures flee from oil spill，gathering near seashore． |
| D．Birds crawl（爬）deep into caves． |
The environmental disaster was caused by．
| A．the lack of environmental sense of BP |
| B．the nearly two-mouth-old oil spill |
| C．the crowding marine life |
| D．the damage of Mexico Gulf ecosystem |
What is John Hocevar’s attitude towards the disaster？
| A．Disappointed | B．Depressed | C．Neutral | D．Worried |
From the passage，we can infer that．
| A．marine scientists have seen some strange phenomena． |
| B．the disaster has little influence on dolphins． |
| C．a three-person crew reached no conclusion． |
| D．BP will pay much money according to the number of dead wildlife there． |