Have you ever heard the saying “All roads lead to Rome”? At one time, this was pretty much true. During the Roman Empire, lots of roads were built in order to move armies, send messages by courier (信使), and make trade easier.
The network of Roman roads was begun in 312 BC. It was demanded that the roads be built strong so that they would not fall down. Roman soldiers, supervised (监督) by engineers, laid down the roads in a special pattern of layers. There were all together 4 layers, which was made of different materials, such as sand, rocks, stones and so on.
Also, Roman roads were cambered(拱形). This means that they were built higher in the middle than on the edges, allowing rainwater to run off, which prevented flooding. We use the same technique in building roads today. The Romans also laid out roads over hills when necessary, setting them down in a zigzag (之字形的)pattern to make the road rise gradually.
All Roman roads had milestones (里程碑), placed every thousand paces (a Roman mile). The milestones told when the road was built, who was emperor at the time, the road’s destination, how far the traveler was from the destination, and how many miles had been traveled since the beginning of the road. This information was a great help to travelers.
Because of their excellence in construction, it really is no surprise that many parts of Roman road still exist today. These roadways are one of the most impressive achievements of the Roman Empire.The following description about Roman roads is true EXCEPT _____.
| A．Roman roads were built by the Roman soldiers directed by the engineers |
| B．Roman roads could prevent flooding using the technique we don’t use today |
| C．Roman roads had milestones that were placed every Roman mile |
| D．Roman roads still exist today as an impressive achievement of Roman Empire |
What information can you find on the milestones?
| A．The builders of the road. |
| B．The materials used in building roads. |
| C．The distance from one city. |
| D．The time spent in building roads. |
The passage mainly ______.
| A．explains the saying “All roads lead to Rome” |
| B．praises ancient Romans for their great achievements |
| C．shows how great the Roman Empire was |
| D．introduces the construction of the Roman roads |
SPECIAL EVENTS THIS WEEKEND
Captain Goodfellow
Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Goodfellow will be ready to teach all these things to children of all ages at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00, free.
Walking Tour of the Town
Forget your worries on Saturday morning. Take a beautiful walk and learn about local history. Meet at the front entrance of City Hall at 9:30. Wear comfortable shoes!
Films at the Museum
Two European films will be shown on Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre. See Broken Window at 1:30. The Workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987898.
International Picnic
Are you tired of eating the food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 pm.
Take Me out to the Ballgame
It’s October, and tonight is your last chance to see the Redbirds this year. Get your tickets at the gate. It might be cold… Don’t forget sweaters and jackets.
Do You Want to Hear “The Zoo”
“The Zoo”, a popu
lar group from Australia, will give their first U.S. concert tomorrow night at 8 at Rose Hall, City College.
You can probably eat Chinese, Italian, and Arab food _______.
| A．at the front entrance of City Hall | B．at the Ballgame |
| C．at Rose Hall, City College | D．at Central Park on Saturday |
“ The Zoo” is __________.
| A．going to give the concert at 8 am tomorrow | B．U.S. concert |
| C．a music group | D．a park with lots of animals there |
You may see this passage in ________.
| A．a British newspaper | B．an American newspaper |
| C．a British magazine | D．an American magazine |
The Museum of Childhood is spread over 4 floors, with the first floor acting like a balcony around the edge of the building, so you can look down over the ground floor central hall with the shop, Information Desk and Benugo Cafe.
The Museum of Childhood is housed in a large Victorian building in east London. It has been on this site since 1872. It had undergone refurbishment(翻新)and reopened in 2006 and an elevator now makes all floors accessible.(可达到的)
This is not a quiet place and children are allowed to have fun there. Child safety is extremely important and a member of staff remains by the front door at all times. Also, note the “Code of Behavior” notice, which include: children under 12 must be supervised by an adult; no eating in the galleries and no running.
Toy exhibits are in glass cases and there are plenty of low-level exhibits for younger children to see. The glass cases have lots of thought-inspiring questions on them to encourage discussion between adults and children. When you or the children need some quiet time, there are sofas at either end of the second floor with reading books available.
Pros: Many free activities for kids
Cons: Can be too warm inside
Visit Duration: 1.5 hours
Opening hours: 10: 00 am- 5: 45 pm
Last admission is 5:30 pm
The museum is closed on 25 and 26 December and 1 January every year.
Admission: Admission to the Museum is free. There is a small charge for some activities.
In the Museum of Childhood, ________.
| A．people can reach any floor by elevator |
| B．there are sofas at either end of the first floor |
| C．there are exhibits on the museum history |
| D．the Information Desk can be found on each floor |
The Museum of Childhood may be attractive to ________.
A．parents who only have c hildren under 12 |
| B．children who are fond of toy exhibits |
| C．parents and children who need quiet time |
| D．kids who like playing games with their parents |
What is the disadvantage of the museum?
| A．low-level exhibits are too boring. |
| B．Children may feel slightly hot in it. |
| C．Parents have to stay with their kids. |
| D．No staff members attend to the kids. |
What information can we get about the museum?
| A．All the activities for children are free. |
| B．The museum is located in west London. |
| C．Children are allowed to enter after 5:30. |
| D．The museum is unavailable on Christmas Day. |
For those of you who were born in the year of the pig, good luck and much success! This is your year.
When talking to a Westerner, how
ever, you’ve got to be a little careful when you talk about pigs. Chinese people view the pig as a smart and prospe
rous (rich, lucky) animal. Western ideas tend to be a little more negative（否定的）.
A pig in the West is seen as a dirty, lazy, and fat animal. If anyone ever called you a pig, you wouldn’t be smiling. When a person doesn’t like someone, sometimes he will call that person a pig.
If you ever meet a Westerner who was born in the year of the pig, don’t say, “ Oh, you’
re a pig!” Most Westerners will be understanding. They will be sure that you made some kind of mistake. However, don’t take any chances. You might just offend (触怒)someone who does not share your positive ideas about pigs.
According to the passage we can see that Chinese people think of the pig as a ________ animal.
| A．clever | B．rich | C．good | D．all the above |
A Westerner will call someone a pig if he ______ that man.
| A．dislikes | B．is afraid of | C．looks up to | D．makes fun of |
When you call a Westerner a pig, who was born in the year of the pig, most of them _______.
| A．will be angry | B．will be very surprised |
| C．can forgive | D．may quarrel with you |
From the passage we can conclude that ________.
| A．it’s impolite to talk about pigs |
| B．Westerners do not like pigs as much as the Chinese |
| C．in general, Westerners and the Chinese don’t like pigs |
| D．all of the Chinese like pigs better than Westerners |
On the first day of class, a graduate student from Xi’an Jiaotong University reminded me that, especially in China, “There are always two sides of a coin.” Experiencing China’s May 12 earthquake while living in Xi’an, Shanxi Province just north of the earthquake’s epicenter (地震的震中) in Sichuan with our two daughters, we have indeed seen both sides of what is beginning to be called China’s 5·12 disaster coin.
On television, in newspapers and through the Internet, we learned about the extent (巨大，重要性) of the destruction, and the statistics were hor
rific – over 69,000 confirmed (确认) dead, some 18,000 missing and more than 374,000 injured.
When we turn off the television and discuss what we as a family have learned from the events of the last several weeks, we find ourselves marveling (觉得惊奇) at how the Chinese are confidently but quietly dealing with this unprecedented tragedy – a disaster that continues with every aftershocks, mudslide and potential flood.
It seems like every school, organization and business is raising money for Sichuan, and young people all over the country a
re out in the streets looking for donations or giving blood at the many mobile blood vans that are out in full force.
Those who cannot give, like the 75-year-old woman from Sichuan, are volunteering or giving in other ways. An impressive example is the Sichuan policewoman with a newborn child who was nursing many infants whose mothers were killed in the quake.
The national concern over the fate of affected children has been moving. On May 22, there were 1697 orphans, but on June 24, the number dropped to 558; and rest assured, there are more people willing to adopt than there are orphans from Sichuan.
So, while no country or person ever welcomes tragedy, especially something of this magnitude (程度), the earthquake has taught us a great deal about China’s true character and its people’s resilience (韧性). It has also reminded us that the other side of even a dark coin may hold the promise of a brighter future,
(The author is an American Professor of International Relations at Xi’an Jiaotong University.)
When the 5·12 earthquake happened, the author and his family were ________.
| A．in Sichuan province | B．near the earthquake epicenter |
| C．in Xi’an Jiaotong University | D．in their own country |
How many orphans had been adopted from Sichuan by June 24, 2008?
| A．1139 | B．1697 | C．558 | D．We don’t know. |
The author quoted “ There are always two sides of a coin.” In the passage. Here “ two sides” refers to ________.
| A．a dark side and a bright one of a coin |
| B．the unprecedented tragedy and China’s true character |
| C．the dead and the victims in the earthquake |
| D．the destruction and the donations |
Which of the following statements is NOT right according to the passage?
| A．The whole world has seen all about China’s 5·12 disaster in the news media. |
| B．A policewoman fed her breast milk to many babies who lost their mothers. |
| C．Even a 75-year-old woman gave blood at the mobile blood vans. |
| D．The earthquake brought other natural disasters at the same time. |
BUY A JOINT TICKET AND VISIT THE HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
THE TOWER OF LONDON
Royal Palace and fortress for over 900 years, scene of mystery, murder and home to the Crown Jewels.
KENSINGTON PALACE
Birthplace of Queen Victoria, this royal retreat is home to magnificent State Apartments and the stunning Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, which includes dresses worn by HM Queen Elizabeth II and Diana, Princess of Wales.
HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES
Hampton Court Palace is part of Historic Royal Palaces, a registered charity ( No: 1068852 ) that receives no public funding. We rely on the income from admission tickets to the palaces to pay for vital protection work, necessary for the preservation of these national monuments and collections for future generations. Please ask at the ticket office for more information or visit www.hrp.org.uk.
VISITOR INFORMATION
CARRIAGE RIDES
Take a trip around Home Park in a horse-drawn carriage. Rides begin and end in Home Park at the entrance by the East Front Gardens. Available all day. 20 minutes duration. £10.00 per carriage. Subject to weather and ground conditions.
ENQUIRIES
For details of admission charges, group rates, the Friends of Hampton Court Palace and facilities for disabled visitors, call 0870-752-7777 or visit www. Hampton-court-palace.org.uk.
RESTAURANTS & SHOPS
Choose from the Tiltyard Tearooms or the Privy Kitchen Coffee Shop. There are also a number of ice-cream kiosks open in the summer. The palace shops offer a wide range of gifts and souvenirs.
AUDIO GUIDES
Audio guides are included in the palace ticket and are available in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Japanese.
If you want to take a look at the dresses worn by some royal members, you go to __________.
| A．Kensington Palace | B．the Tower of London |
| C．Hampton Court Palace | D．Historic Royal Palaces |
You have to pay extra money if you want to __________.
| A．have an audio guide | B．visit the royal palace and fortress |
| C．take a horse-drawn carriage | D．visit Hampton Court Palace |
Which of the following information is NOT given in the passage?
| A．The protection of the national monuments. |
| B．Admission charges for group visitors. |
| C．Free gifts and souvenirs. |
| D．Conditions in which to take a horse-drawn carriage |
If you want to take your disabled sister for a visit, you can __________.
| A．get a free ticket for it |
| B．get help from Hampton Court Palace |
| C．visit www.hrp.org.uk |
| D．log on www.Hampton-court-palace.org.uk for information |