Stonehenge may have been a prehistoric health center rather than a site for observing stars or a temple in honor of the dead, scientists said yesterday. New evidence unearthed at the World Heritage Site in more than 40 years suggests that the monument was a place where the diseased and injured went in groups, seeking cures.
After a two-week dig, scientists have concluded that Stonehenge was “the ancient healthcare centre of southern England” because of the existence of “bluestones”---the smaller columns of dolerite that formed an earlier stone structure.
By dating pieces of remains to around 7330BC, Tim Darvill, of Bournemouth University, and Goff Wainwright, of the Society of Antiquaries have found that hunter-gatherers were at the site on Salisbury Plain 4,000 years earlier than thought. The first stage of Stonehenge, a round earthwork structure, was built around 3000BC. Professor Wainwright added: “I did not expect the degree of complexity we discovered. We’re able to say so much more about when Stonehenge was built and why---all of which changes our previous understanding of the monument.”
The research reveals the importance of the henge’s famous bluestones. Hundreds of bluestone chips gathered at the site have led the team to conclude that the bluestones were valued for their curing effects---the key reason that about 80 of them, each weighing up to 4 tons and a half, were dragged more than 150 miles from the Preseli Hills to Wiltshire. After years of research, Professors Darvill and Wainwright have concluded that, for thousands of years, the Preseli mountain range was home to magical health centers and holy wells.
Even today there are those who believe in the curing powers of the springs for coughs and heart disease, and people who use crystals and bluestones for self-curing. Radiocarbon tests have also revealed that the construction of the original bluestone circle took place around 2300BC, three centuries later than originally thought. Interestingly, on the same day died the “Amesbury Archer”---a sick traveler from the Swiss or German Alps who had an infected knee---whose remains were discovered about five miles from Stonehenge. The professors believe that he was a devoted religious person who was hoping to benefit from the curing powers of the monument.Stonehenge is recently believed to be a place for people .
| A．to recover from poor health | B．to observe star movements |
| C．to hold religious ceremonies | D．to gather huge bluestones |
What can be inferred about Stonehenge from the passage?
A. The springs could cure coughs and heart disease best.
B. The new discovery was the same as what had been expected.
C. Some huge bluestones were not produced at Stonehenge.
D. The original bluestone circle was thought to be constructed around 2000BC.The sick traveler in the passage is supposed to be .
| A．a devoted religious person from Stonehenge |
| B．one of the earliest discoverers of Stonehenge |
| C．the first explorer to test the magical power of bluestones |
| D．a patient trying to cure his infection at Stonehenge |
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Stonehenge: A New Place of Interest | B．Stonehenge: Still Making News |
| C．Stonehenge: Heaven for Adventurers | D．Stonehenge: A Site for Observing Stars |
Why do people buy art? To answer this question, ask yourself what your reasons are for thinking of getting a piece of art. An artwork can cost a large amount of money, but if it meets your needs, it’s worth every penny.
People buy art for many reasons. Many people buy an artwork simply because they like it, even if it is by an unknown artist. Art, as long as you enjoy it, is never a waste of money.
Art is for enjoyment. Art is meant to be shown. Don’t ever feel pressured into buying something you won’t enjoy looking at day after day, no matter what other people may say. Don’t buy something that doesn’t attract you just because it is trendy, or because the artist is famous, or because you have been advised that the artwork will make a good investment. If you don’t like the artwork at all, don’t buy it!
Art improves your environment. Have you ever noticed that all beautiful homes have art as an integral（必需的） part of the decoration? Art lends life and color to otherwise plain and ordinary walls. A well thought--out art collection will help create a unique atmosphere in your home and make it more attractive.
Art makes a statement. The kind of art you surround yourself with says much about your personality tastes and values. Art truly is a mirror of the soul.
Art enriches your life. Love--even the love of a work of art--contributes to healthier living and a longer lifespan (寿命). Art should enrich your life. Otherwise, why do you spend precious time and resources on it?
Just remember to select something which will appeal to your tastes, and keep to a sensible budget. Good art needn’t cost an arm and a leg.
Happy art collecting!What’s the purpose of the passage?
| A．To advise us to buy an expensive artwork. |
| B．To remind us to be sensible when buying an artwork. |
| C．To teach us how to choose works of art. |
| D．To explain the benefit of art to people. |
According to the author, what should you consider when buying a piece of art?
| A．Whether it brings pleasure to you. |
| B．Whether it is fashionable at present. |
| C．Whether you can profit from it in the end. |
| D．Whether it is created by a famous artist. |
Which of the following words best describes a work of art placed in a house?
| A．ordinary | B．attractive | C．necessary | D．unique |
The underlined sentence in Paragraph 5 means that ____.
| A．art can show what you look like |
| B．art is an expression of yourself |
| C．a mirror has a feature similar to art |
| D．a mirror can be a piece of true art |
Elizabeth Blackwell was born in England in 1821, and moved to New York City when she was ten years old. One day she decided that she wanted to become a doctor. That was nearly impossible for a woman in the middle of the nineteenth century. After writing many letters asking for admission(录取) to medical schools, she was finally accepted by a doctor in Philadelphia. She was so determined that she taught in school and gave music lessons to get money for the cost of schooling.
In 1849, after graduation from medical school. She decided to further her education in Paris. She wanted to be a surgeon(外科医师) , but a serious eye problem forced her to give up the idea.
Upon returning to the United States, she found it difficult to start her own practice because she was a woman. By 1857 Elizabeth and her sister, also a doctor, along with another woman doctor, managed to open a new hospital, the first for women and children. Besides being the first woman physician and founding her own hospital, she also set up the first medical school for women.Why couldn’t Elizabeth Blackwell realize her dream of becoming a surgeon?
| A．She couldn’t get admitted to medical school |
| B．She decided to further her education in Paris |
| C．A serious eye problem stopped her |
| D．It was difficult for her to start a practice in the United States |
How many years passed between her graduation from medical school and the opening of her hospital?
| A．Eight years | B．Ten years | C．Nineteen years | D．Thirty-six years |
According to the passage, all of the following are “firsts” in the life of Elizabeth Blackwell, except that she ______.
| A．became the first woman physician |
| B．was the first woman doctor |
| C．and several other women founded the first hospital for women and children |
| D．set up the first medical school for women |
Elizabeth Blackwell spent most of her life in _______.
| A．England | B．Paris | C．the United States | D．New York City |
Imagine, one day，getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours，and then，after a full day of work，going back home to Beijing and having dinner there．
Sounds unusual，doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic，with the development of China’s high-speed railway system．And that’s not all．China has an even greater high-speed railway plan — to connect the country with Southeast Asia，and eventually Eastern Europe．
China is negotiating to extend its own high-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 10 to 15 years，eventually reaching London and Singapore．
China has proposed three such projects．The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia．Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan，and possibly to Germany．The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe．
If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward，people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days．
The new system would still follow China’s high-speed railway standard．And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour，almost as fast as some airplanes．
China’s bullet train（高速客车），the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou，already has the World’s fastest average speed．It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours．
Of course，there are some technical challenges to overcome．There are so many issues that need to be settled，such as safety，rail gauge（轨距），maintenance of railway tracks．So，it’s important to pay attention to every detail．
But the key issue is really money．China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on domestic railway expansion．
China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital investment．Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development．
It’ll be a win-win project．For other countries，the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business，tourism and so on，not to mention the better communication among those countries．
For China，such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources，but would also help develop China’s far west．We foresee that in the coming decades，millions of people will migrate to the western regions，where the land is empty and resources unused．With high-speed trains，people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for all．And they’ll trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries．China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because ________．
| A．China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions |
| B．China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways |
| C．China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries |
| D．the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation, business and tourism |
According to the passage，the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is ________．
| A．technical issues | B．safety of the system |
| C．financial problems | D．maintenance of railway tracks |
Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude towards China’s high-speed railway plan?
| A．Critical． | B．Reserved． | C．Doubtful． | D．Positive． |
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
| A．New Railway Standards. | B．Big Railway Dreams. |
| C．High-speed Bullet Trains. | D．International Railway Network |
It is reported that conservation groups in North America have been arguing about the benefits and dangers of wolves．Some groups believe wolves should be killed．Other people believe wolves must be protected so that they will not disappear from the wilderness.
For Killing Wolves
In Alaska，the wolf almost disappeared a few years ago，because hunters were killing hundreds of them for sport．However, 1aws were established to protect the wolves from sportsmen and people who catch the animals for their fur．So the wolf population has greatly increased．Now there are so many wolves that they are destroying their own food supply．
A wolf naturally eats animals in the deer family ．People in the wilderness also hunt deer for food．Many of the animals have been destroyed by the very cold winters recently and by changes in the wilderness plant life．When the deer can’t find enough food，they die．
If the wolves continue to kill large numbers of deer，their prey（猎物）will disappear some day．And the wolves will．too．So we must change the cycle of life in the wilderness to balance the ecology．If we killed more wolves，we would save them and their prey from dying out．We’d also save some farm animals．
In another northern state，wolves attack cows and chickens for food．Farmers want the government to send biologists to study the problem．They believe it necessary to kill wolves in some areas and to protect them in places where there is a small wolf population．
Against Killing Wolves
If you had lived long ago，you would have heard many different stories about the dangerous wolf．According to most stories，hungry wolves often kill people for food．Even today，the stories of the “big bad wolf'＂will not disappear．
But the fact is wolves are afraid of people．and they seldom travel in areas where there is a human smell．When wolves eat other animals，they usually kill the very young, or the sick and injured．The strongest survive．No kind of animal would have survived through the centuries if the weak members had lived．That has always been a law of nature.
Although some people say it is good sense to kill wolves，we say it is nonsense! Researchers have found wolves and their prey living in balance, the wolves keep the deer population from becoming too large, and that keeps a balance in the wilderness plant life．
The real problem is that the areas where wolves can live are being used by people．Even if wilderness land is not used directly for human needs, the wolves can’t always find enough food．So they travel to the nearest source, which is often a farm．Then there is danger．The “big bad wolf” has arrived! And everyone knows what happens next．According to the passage，some people in North America favor killing wolves for all the following reasons EXCET that ________．
| A．there are too many wolves | B．they kill large numbers deer |
| C．they attack cows and chickens for food | D．they destroy the wilderness plant life |
Some people are against killing wolves because ________．
| A．wolves help to keep the ecological balance in the wideness |
| B．there is too small a wolf population in the wilderness |
| C．there are too many deer in the wilderness |
| D．wolves are afraid of people and never attack people |
According to those against killing wolves，when wolves eat other animals，________．
| A．they never eat strong and healthy ones |
| B．they always go against the law of nature |
| C．they might help this kind of animals survive in nature |
| D．they disturb the ecological balance in the wilderness |
The last sentence “And everyone knows what happens next” implies that in such cases ________．
| A．farm animals will be in danger and have to be shipped away |
| B．wolves will kill people and people will in turn kill them |
| C．wolves will find enough food sources on farms |
| D．people will leave the areas where wolves can live |
| BORDER CROSSINGS While there are no restrictions on the amount of money that you can bring across the border, you must report to both the US and Canadian border services amounts equal to or greater than $10, 000． PERSONAL EXEMPTIONS（免税）ON PURCHASES AMERICANS RETURNING TO THE US Less than 48 hours: $ 200 US 48 hours or more: $ 800 US duty-free personal exemption． next $ 1．000 US at 3% Including up to 100 cigars and 100 cigarettes． CANADIANS RETURNING TO CANADA Less than 24 hours: $ 50 CAN 48 hours or more: $ 400 CAN Including up to 100 cigars and 200 cigarettes． 7 days or more: $ 750 CAN Including up to 100 cigars and 200 cigarettes． DOCUMENTATION NEEDED FOR BORDER CROSSING LAND OR SEA TO THE US（INCLUDING FERRIES） A valid passport or passport card, or a NEXUS card． （A NEXUS card is a Trusted Traveler Program that provides quick travel for pre-approved, low risk travelers through special lanes．） A recent Washington State, New York or BC driver’s license． Note: Children 15 years of age and younger require only a birth certificate or copy．（Certified copies are not required but are advised．） AIR TRAVEL TO THE US A valid passport, an Air NEXUS card, or a U. S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document． |
If a Canadian who is on a 7-day trip to New York buys $ 800 CAN worth of goods, how much should he pay tax on when returning home?
| A．$ 800 CAN. | B．$750 CAN. | C．$ 400 CAN. | D．$ 50 CAN. |
For an American citizen on a 2-day tour of Canada, how much tax does he have to pay on $ 1, 600 US worth of purchases when returning to the US?
| A．$ 24 US. | B．$ 48 US. | C．$52 US. | D．$ 200 US. |
What documentation should a couple with a 7-year-old child carry when they drive a car from Canada to America?
| A．A BC driver’s license, an Air NEXUS card, and a birth certificate． |
B．An Air NE XUS card, a U．S．Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document, and a birth certificate． |
| C．Two valid passport cards and a certified copy of a birth certificate． |
| D．A NEXUS card, a U．S．Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document．,and a certified copy of a birth certificate． |