The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of 2 September 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. One hundred thousand people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives.The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King's baker in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window in the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
By eight o'clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul's and the Guildhall among them.
Samuel Pepys, the famous writer, wrote about the fire. People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat.
The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path of the fire. With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.
After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect, wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone. In fact, the streets are still narrow; but he did build more than fifty churches, among them was new St Paul's.
The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that ______.
| A．many famous buildings were destroyed |
| B．the birds in the sky were killed by the fire |
| C．some people lost their lives |
| D．the King's bakery was burned down |
Why did the writer cite (引用)Samuel Pepys’ words?
| A．Because Pepys was among those putting out the fire. |
| B．Because Pepys also wrote about the fire. |
| C．To give the reader a clearer picture of the fire. |
| D．To show that poor people suffered most. |
How was the fire put out according to the text?
| A．Houses standing in the direction of the fire were pulled down. |
| B．All the wooden houses in the city were destroyed. |
| C．People managed to get enough water from the river. |
| D．The king and his soldiers came to help. |
Which of the following were reasons for the rapid spread (扩散)of the big fire?
(a) There was a strong wind.
(b) The streets were very narrow.
(c) Many houses were made of wood.
(d) There was not enough water in the city.
(e) People did not discover the fire earlier.
| A．(a) and (b) |
| B．(a), (b), (c), (d) and (e) |
| C．(a), (b), (c) and (d) |
| D．(a), (b) and (c) |
A study of art history might be a good way to learn more about a culture than is possible to learn in general history classes. Most typical history courses concentrate on politics, economics and war. But art history focuses on much more than this because art reflects not only the political values of a people, but also religious beliefs, emotions and psychology. In addition, information about the daily activities of our ancestors can be provided by art. In short, art expresses the essential qualities of a time and a place, and a study of it clearly offers us a deeper understanding than can be found in most history books.
In history books, objective information about the political life of a country is presented; that is, facts about politics are given, but opinions are not expressed. Art, on the other hand, is subjective( 主观的 ): it reflects(反映) emotions and opinions. The great Spanish painter Francisco Goya was perhaps the first truly “political” artist. In his well-known painting The Third of May, 1808, he criticized the Spanish government for its abuse of power over people
In the same way, art can reflect a culture's religious beliefs. For hundreds of years in Europe, religious art was almost the only type of art that existed. Churches and other religious buildings were filled with paintings that described people and stories from the Bible(圣经). Although most people couldn't read, they could still understand the Bible stories in the pictures on church walls.
1. More can be learned about a culture from a study of art history than general history because__________.
A. art history shows us nothing but the political values
B. general history only focuses on politics
C. art history gives us an insight ( 洞察力 ) into the essential qualities of a time and a place
D. general history concerns only religious beliefs, emotions and psychology
2. Art is subjective in that__________.
A. a personal and emotional view of history is presented through it
B. it only reflects people's anger or sadness about social problems
C. it can easily arouse people's anger about the government
D. artists were or are religious, who reflect only the religious aspect of the society
3. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. In history books subjective opinions of people are entirely presented.
B. Francisco Goya expressed his religious belief in his painting The Third of May, 1808.
C. Religious art was once almost the only type of art that existed in Europe.
D. For centuries in Europe, painters could paint only on walls of churches.
4. The passage mainly discusses__________.
A. the development of art history
B. the difference between general history and art history
C. what we can learn from art
D. the influence of artists on art history
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分）
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A 、B、 C 和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
While traveling abroad, Mr. Jackson Frank ran short of money. So he wrote to his brother, asking for $500. “Send the money by telegram,” he wrote, “to the Fisher Bank in P...”After a week he began calling at the Fisher Bank. He showed his passport. “ Nothing has come for you,” he was told. This went on for two weeks and Mr. Frank got very worried. He sent a telegram to his brother， but there was no reply. In the fourth week Mr. Frank was arrested for failing to pay his hotel bill. His passport was taken from him. He tried to explain the problem, but no one believed him. He was sent to prison for six days.
When he came out, he went immediately to the Fisher bank. The clerk he spoke to was a new man. “Have you received $500 for me?” he ask,” My name is Jackson Frank.” The clerk checked his books. “Yes, Jackson, it's here. It came by telegram.—let me see—oh, more than two months ago. We wondered where you were.” He showed Mr. Frank the order. The order read:” Pay Mr. Frank Jackson the sum of $500...” “ But my name is Jackson Frank, not Frank Jackson.” “ Oh, that's all right, sir. It was in our books under the letter ‘J', but it's your money.” The clerk laughed,” A human mistake, sir! We're all human beings, so we all make mistakes. A family name like Frank sounds strange to me.” Mr. Frank was silent. He really wanted to hit somebody. At last he said,” A human mistake—I think some humans need kicking.”
1. Jacksondidn’tjustgotohisbrotherandgetsomemoneybecause____.
A. hewasafraidtoseehisbrother
B. hewasinprisonandwasnotallowedtogoanywhere
C. hewastravelinginaforeigncountryandwasfarfromhisbrother
D. heknewthathisbrotherhadnomoney
2. Jacksonwasarrestedandsenttoprisonbecause____.
A. hisbrotherhadn’tsenthimanymoneyandhecouldn’tpayhishotelbill
B. hehadspentalmostallhismoneyandcouldn’tpayhishotelbill
C. hehadlostallhismoneyandcouldn’tpayhishotelbill
D. hisbrotherhadn’tsenthimasmuchmoneyasheaskedforandhecouldn’tpayhishotelbill
3.Whichofthefollowingstatementsistrue?
A. ThemoneydidnotreachtheFisherBank.
B. Themoneyreachedthewrongbank.
C. Themoneyreachedthebankafterhewasarrested.
D. Themoneyreachedthebankbeforehewasarrested.
4. Theclerksputhisnameunderthewrongletter____.
A. throughcarelessness. B. becausetheywerehumanbeings
C. becausehehadastrangename D. bypronouncinghisnameincorrectly
The Story of the Farmer and His Donkey (驴子)
One day a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried pitifully for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do. Finally he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway and it just wasn’t worth to save the donkey. So, he decided to bury（埋） it!
He invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all took shovel（铲子）and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly, then slowly he quieted down till nothing more was heard.
A few shovels later, the farmer finally looked down into the well, and was surprised at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something wonderful—he would shake it off and take a step up!
As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Pretty soon, everyone was surprised as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and went off quickly!
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our troubles is a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest wells by not stopping, never giving up, shaking it off, and taking a step up!
1. The donkey quieted down, because ________.
A. it was dead B. it was tired
C. it had given up trying D. it had a good way to survive
2. We know from the story that ________.
A. all the donkeys in the world are clever
B. it is easy for donkeys to fall into a well
C. the neighbors helped bury the donkey
D. the owner pushed the donkey into the well
3. The writer of the passage is most probably ________.
A. an optimistic person B. a pet lover
C. an animal protector D. a cold-hearted man
4. The writer wants to tell us “________”.
A. A cat has 9 lives B. Facing difficulties, never give up
C. A friend in need is a friend indeed D. No pains, no gains
How can Omar’s class help?
Omar’s class at school learned about taking care of our planet. Children in his class worked hard at collecting newspapers, cans, and bottles. Their teacher took what they collected to a company where the things would be recycled（回收）and used again. Omar hoped that doing his would make progress toward cleaning up our Earth. Omar wished that they could do more. Then Omar’s teacher gave the class this form.
| YOU can make a difference! |
||
| Help Clean Up Our Texas Beaches |
||
| Who? |
Children from all the schools in our city |
|
| When? |
Saturday, November 16 Buses will leave from the parking lot at City Park at 8:00 A.M. They will return at 3:00 P.M. |
|
| Where? |
Padre Island on the Texas coast |
|
| What should you bring? |
Lunch and something to drink; Work gloves (We will have gloves to give to children who do not have a pair.) |
|
| What should teachers bring? |
Empty bags and small shovels（铲子） |
|
| When to sign up? |
By Wednesday, November 13 |
|
| Where to sign up? |
Have a parent sign at the back of this form to show that your family will permit you to go. Return this form to your teacher. |
|
| Teachers and students will use small shovels and gloves to gather trash on the beach. Papers, cans, and bottles will each be put in different bags. Be sure to sort（分类）trash and put it in the proper bag. At the end of the day, each child will receive a T-shirt that says “I made a difference.” Children will also be treated to a pizza party at the Pizza Palace on the way back to City Park. Each school will receive a small oak tree to plant on the school’s grounds. Keeping our beaches clean is important. Please sign up. Parents who want to go should call 555-9753 and talk to Mr. Smith. |
1. After the cleanup, the children will ________.
A. report to Mr. SmithB. go to the Pizza Palace
C. join the Clean Earth Club D. buy an oak tree
2 “I made a difference” in the passage probably means “ ________”.
A. I was different from others
B. I became more interested than before
C. I did something for a friend
D. I made something better than it was
3. If you help in the cleanup, at the end of the day you will receive a ________.
A. pair of gloves B. breakfast C. small shovel D. T-shirt
4. What is the main idea of this passage?
A. Schools organized a general cleaning. B. Children can help clean up our Earth.
C. More bottles are thrown away than cans. D. Recycling costs a lot of money.
The greatest cartoon-maker in cinema history was Walt Disney, who has often been quoted as saying, “…… it was all started by a mouse.” It was, and Mickey Mouse has gone on to become an international cartoon superstar. Without him, Disney could not have made his own dreams come true.
Mickey was created in 1928. It’s not clear if it was Disney or his business and animation（动画片制作）partner Ub Iwerks who designed the original mouse. But many credit(相信是) Iwerks, who animated all of the earliest cartoons.
The mouse’s original name was Mortimer but was changed to Mickey on the advice of Walt Disney’s wife Lillian. The first and second Mickey Mouse Cartoons were not a success with the public. It was only with the third cartoon, titled Steamboat Willy, that Mickey began to achieve wide recognition(认可). Since then, Mickey’s appearance and personality have changed. His body was changed a few times until they found the best shape for his head, body and ears. Until 1946, Walt Disney provided Mickey’s voice himself.
Mickey has starred in more than a hundred cartoons. He’s often joined by four other famous Disney characters, Donald Duck, Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Pluto, who have also become children’s favourite cartoon characters all over the world
1.According to the passage, Disney’s early dream may probably be ________.
A. to create Mickey Mouse B. to marry his wife Lillian
C. to become a cartoon maker D. to become a superstar
2.Which of the following about Mickey Mouse is true?
A. Mickey became famous in his first cartoon.
B. The original mouse was designed by Disney’s wife.
C. Cartoons starred by Mickey are always very successful.
D. There have been some changes in Mickey’s name and body.
3.From the passage we know that ________.
A. Walt Disney was known as a great cartoon maker
B. less than 100 cartoons have been starred by Mickey
C. there are four Disney characters in Disney’s cartoons
D. Mickey’s voice has been provided by Walt Disney since 1946
4.The best title for this passage is ________.
A. Mickey Mouse — A Cartoon Hero B. Walt Disney — A Famous Cartoon Maker
C. Walt Disney and His Wife D. How Mickey Mouse Got His Name