The United States Capitol Dome in Washington, D.C., is recognized around the world as a symbol of the U.S. government. Since last November, the dome has been surrounded by metal poles, or scaffolding(脚手架), and heavy cloth as part of a repair project.
The last major repair work on the U.S. Capitol took place in 1960. Since then, the dome has become weathered and worn. The Architect of the Capitol group reports the dome has more than 1,000 narrow breaks in its surface and other damage.
The dome was completed around 1863. U.S. Senate Historian Don Ritchie says the dome’s cast iron frame(铸铁钢架) is at special risk of weathering. “The capitol dome, being cast iron, has been hit by lightning countless times. And so the present construction(=building) is to repair the leaks, to fill in the cracks, to take off unnecessary layers of paint.”
Workers are removing old paint. They covered a large part of the building in plastic and a special cloth to protect workers from the wind and other elements. Much of the work is done at night, when lawmakers are not in the building.
Some recent visitors to the Capitol were unhappy about its present appearance. They had hoped to get a picture of the usually shining dome. Joyce said, “It was dramatic, and very fantastic, and all white, but when I come here today, it is under construction so my family cannot see it clearly. It is kind of a disappointment.”
Others were more understanding of the repairs. Rick Jones, another visitor, said, “It’s a little inconvenient for us not to see the dome but you have to think about the future and the people will be coming to this place for centuries...and you know, there just needs to be preventive maintenance(保养). I am not upset with that at all.”
The project is expected to take more than two years to complete. The dome should be ready for the inauguration of a new president in January 2017.
1.We can learn from the passage that the United States Capitol Dome is ______.
A.worn by exposure to the weather
B.surrounded by many repair projects
C.well kept and in excellent condition
D.regarded as a symbol of the U.K. government
2.According to Don Ritchie, the present repair work involves ______.
a. stopping the leaks
b. changing the frame
c. removing the old paints
d. replacing the lights e. filling the narrow breaks
A.abc B.bcd
C.bde D.ace
3.Which of the following can describe the recent visitors to the Capitol Dome?
A.They could get a clear look at the dome.
B.They were impressed by the white dome’s fantastic beauty.
C.They held different views on the Capitol’s current appearance.
D.They were all disappointed at the sight of the Capitol building.
4.The underlined word “inauguration” in the last paragraph most probably means _____.
A.tour B.taking office
C.interview D.taking photos
Stan Lee, co-founder of the Marvel Universe(漫威宇宙) and co-creator of many of its most popular superheroes, died at the age of 95.
Lee was born Stanley Martin Lieber in New York in 1992. As a son of working-class Jewish immigrants from Romania, times were hard and he lived with his family in a shabby single-bedroom apartment. After graduating from high school at 16, Lieber landed a job as an assistant at Timely Comics. By the early 1940s, he was a temporary editor for the company. It was at this time that he began using his pen name--Stan Lee. In 1947, two years after returning from serving for the U.S. Army, Lee married his wife, Joan. The two began their 70-year marriage and had two children.
In the late 1950s, DC Comics breathed new life into its classic superhero and experienced a significant success with its updated version of the Flash, and later with super-team the Justice League(正义联盟) of America.
To compete against DC Comics, Lee was given the task of creating their own group of superheroes. In 1961, Timely Comics changed its name into Marvel Comics after Atlas Comics, and that November saw the debut(首次亮相) of the Fantastic Four. Lee’s later famous and lasting creations of comic-book superheroes included Spider-Man, the Hulk, Thor, Iron Man and the X-men.
Over the course of his career, Lee was an icon of Marvel Comics. As a writer and editor and, at various points, both the publisher and vice president of Marvel Comics, Lee not only introduced interesting characters to the industry, but changed the way that comic books came together. He also created a cooperative workflow between writers and artists, which became known as the “Marvel Method”. Lee received a National Medal of Arts in 2008 for his innovations that revolutionized (=completely changed) American comic books.
1.What do we know about Lee from paragraph 2?
A.He served for the U.S. Army for two years.
B.He suffered from an unfortunate marriage.
C.He had a tough and struggling childhood.
D.He adopted his pen name at the age of 16.
2.What was the company called when Spider-Man was created?
A.Timely Comics. B.Marvel Comics.
C.Atlas Comics. D.DC Comics.
3.What does the underlined word “icon” in the last paragraph?
A.Theme. B.Character.
C.Assistant. D.Symbol.
4.What can be the best title for the text?
A.Stan Lee, the Godfather of Marvel Comics.
B.The Development of Marvel Comics.
C.Stan Lee, a Superhero in Comic Books.
D.The Popular Superheroes of Marvel Comics.
Frances Stevens Reese Wooldland Trail Guide
The Woodland Trail was opened to the public on October 21, 1997. Boscobel’s Board of Directors adopted a formal decision of naming the Woodland Trail in honor of former Boscobel board member, Fances Stevens Reese (1917-2003), one year after his death.
The trail(小径) is approximately 10 miles in length, leading down to Constitution Forest. When the West Point Glass Factory was operating during the Civil War, trees for miles around were cleared to provide firewood. Walking out of the forest, you will find a large mass of native hard rock about three billion years old.
Throughout this country path, you will find picture boards identifying birds and plants local to this region. You will also find signs with historic and environmental information written by area specialists.
When you take a walk through this “undiscovered” forest land, please be a considerate guest.
Before walking the trail, please purchase a pass in the Carriage House. Plan ahead, so you will be back by closing time.
Follow the trail markers and remain on the trail. Besides protecting the fragile forest ecosystem, you will reduce the risk of poison plants and snakes.
Leave rocks, plants, animals and art works where you see them so that the person behind you can have the same experience.
Carry out whatever you carry in because there are no rubbish containers on the trail. If you happen to see a piece of litter, be a good guest and pick it up.
1.When was the trail named to honor Frances Stevens Reese?
A. In 1997. B. In 1917
C. In 2003 D. In 2004
2.What can you see along the trail?
A. An old battle field. B. A glass factory.
C. Information signs. D. Rock houses.
3.What should you do as a thoughtful visitor?
A. Leave the wildlife undisturbed.
B. Throw the rubbish into the dustbins.
C. Make reservations in the Carriage House.
D. Protect the markers of the Woodland Trail.
假定你叫李华。你校要放一部有关七夕节（Qixi Festival）的电影。请给你校喜欢中国文化的交换生Mary写封邮件，内容包括：
1.放映时间地点；
2.电影内容：七夕节的传说（legend）；
3.准备工作：了解有关七夕节的背景.
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯.
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假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
This summer holiday, I go to a seaside city with my family. We got there by air. It is a very beautiful and modern city, where impressed us a lot. On the first day, we took a bus to a place calling the Sea Park. There were such many different kinds of fishes that I couldn’t believe in my eyes. On the second day, we went swimming, and we all enjoyed ourselves. During the next two days, we went to some tourist spot, shopping and taking photos. Several days late, we left the city. Although we were tiring on our way home, we felt happily about the holiday. What unforgettable experience!
阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。
Fireworks may seem like a very American tradition, 1. (especial) on the 4th of July. But fireworks go back many years before the first American Independence Day celebration, which took place in 1777, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The 2. (early) Fireworks can date back to around 2,000 years ago in China. People then 3. (say) to have roasted bamboo stalks (茎). The stalks turned black and made sounds. The air inside the hollow (空的) stalks would explode. Baozhu is a Mandarin Chinese word 4. firecracker. It means “exploding bamboo.”
Years later Chinese chemists took fireworks a step further. This 5. (happen) sometime between 600 and 900 A D . People filled bamboo with gunpowder. They threw it into a fire. Steel dust or iron shavings were added 6. (make) them sparkle (冒火花). In China, these firecrackers were often used in 7. (tradition) celebrations.
In the 13th century, fireworks spread to Europe. In the centuries that followed, 8. (European) started moving to North America. So it was no surprise that when July 4th began to be celebrated as America’s Independence Day，fireworks 9. were invented by Chinese people witnessed 10. great moment as part of the plan.
Today, fireworks are an established July 4th tradition. Will you see a fireworks display this Independence Day?
