Imagine a relay race. During this race, an athlete holds a stick as he runs a certain distance. Then he passes the stick to the next runner. That person runs faster, and then passes the stick to a third runner. Now imagine that the runners do not pass a stick. Instead they pass shiny silk, as well as gold, fruit, and glass. Imagine that the race does not move forward in just one direction. Instead the runners go back and forth along a road. They trade goods all along this route (路线) and at each end of it. Now imagine that the runners are businessmen. They lead caravans (商队) or lines of camels that carry things to sell. They travel on the ancient Silk Road to earn their living.
The Silk Road was a complex trade network. It passed through thousands of cities and towns. It stretched from eastern China, across central Asia and the Middle east, to the Mediterranean Sea. Businessmen traveled on the Silk Road from about 200 B.C. to about 1300 A.D.. Then sea travel began to offer new routes. Some people called the Silk Road the world’s longest highway. However, the Silk Road included many routes--not just one smooth path. The routes ran through mountains and across deserts. They passed through an area that now includes 18 countries. The Silk Road had many dangers. These dangers ranged from hot sun and deep snow to thieves and wars. Only expert traders could survive.
The Silk Road got its name from its most prized goods. People used silk as money. They could pay taxes or buy goods with it. Traders carried more than just silk, though. They had gold, silver, and glass from Europe. People in the Middle East and Asia wanted these things. Businessmen also took horses from flat, grassy areas in central Asia and brought them to China and other areas. The horses changed the way people farmed and ran their armies. Indian businessmen traded salt and rare, beautiful stones. Chinese merchants traded medicine and china. They also traded paper, which quickly replaced animal skins in the west. Businessmen carried apples from central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to combine different trees to create new kinds of fruit. They taught this science to others, such as the Romans. The Romans began to grow apples for food. The Silk Road led to worldwide commerce 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.
The people along the Silk Road did not share only goods. They also shared beliefs. Monks, priests, and other faith leaders taught their religions to others. The Silk Road created pathways for knowledge, diplomacy, and religion.
1.People turned to the sea for new routes after around 1300 A.D.because ________.
A. the Silk Road included many routes
B. the Silk Road passed through many areas
C. people traveled on the Silk Road for too long
D. there were more dangers along the Silk Road
2.Which of the following is closest to the meaning of the word prized in paragraph 3?
A. appropriate B. preserved
C. valuable D. useful
3.Which of the following statements is WRONG?
A. The Silk Road helped spread religions to more people.
B. The Silk Road gave people the idea to build highways.
C. Some people probably died while travelling.
D. Westerners probably used to write on animal skins.
4.In which column of a newspaper can we most probably read the article?
A. Science. B. Travel.
C. Sports. D. Culture.
Lily went to London with her parents for a two-week vacation. She sent postcards to her friends.
1.Which of the following places may Lily have NOT visited yet?
A. The London Eye. B. The Tower of Bridge.
C. Buckingham Palace. D. The River Thames.
2.Which of the following statements is WRONG?
A. They took the subway to many places in London.
B. They tasted different types of food in London.
C. They spent more than two months in London.
D. They bought a lot of things in London.
3.Lily thinks London is ________.
A. beautiful but unfriendly B. amazing and busy
C. unfriendly and dirty D. busy but polluted
Devon Gallagher, a college graduate from Philadelphia, wants the world to know where she’s been during her great worldwide vacation in a(n) ______way.
The traveler, who was ______ with a bone disease, had her right leg ______ at the age of four. ______ the amputation (截肢) caused hardships for Gallagher early on, she, at the age of 22 now, _____ it as an inspiration for making the ______ of her life.
To spread that ______, Gallagher has ______ to social media, ______ she shares photos of her travels across the world, but instead of ______ using a geotag (地理标签), she draws her location across her artificial leg before taking a picture.
Now she has been taking pictures ______ Europe. “I get a new leg every two years and I can choose the design on it. One day I had a sudden ______ that my new leg could be used as a blackboard,” Gallagher said. “My mum and grandmother weren’t too ______ the idea, but my friends thought it was great and told me to go for it, so I did.”
Gallagher said people often stare when she’s ______ on her leg, but once she shares the photos, she ______ only praise and encouragement. “My leg hasn’t ______ me from doing anything I’ve wanted to do,” she said. “I don’t know ______ it is my determination to prove to myself that I can do it, but anyhow, I’ve been able to ______ up with my peers and lead a pretty great life.”
Gallagher shows us that you should never let anything stand in the ______ of your dream. And if you meet with an obstacle (障碍), get ______ with it— if life gives you an artificial leg, make art.
1.A. common B. right C. simple D. special
2.A. born B. charged C. filled D. linked
3.A. cured B. treated C. cut D. kept
4.A. Unless B. Although C. Once D. Since
5.A. considers B. thinks C. treats D. looks
6.A. coolest B. best C. worst D. fullest
7.A. evidence B. news C. message D. schedule
8.A. applied B. belonged C. stuck D. turned
9.A. which B. that C. as D. where
10.A. simply B. officially C. enthusiastically D. reasonably
11.A. across B. through C. about D. for
12.A. attitude B. thought C. belief D. opinion
13.A. curious about B. fond of C. patient with D. afraid of
14.A. walking B. reporting C. writing D. standing
15.A. accepts B. takes C. likes D. receives
16.A. protected B. preserved C. stopped D. defended
17.A. why B. that C. if D. what
18.A. make B. come C. put D. keep
19.A. way B. corner C. course D. bottom
20.A. satisfied B. creative C. familiar D. connected
--- Would you like to visit San Taishan National Park with me this weekend?
---Well, you know, I hate to be __________, but I’ll have much homework to do then.
A. a cup of tea B. a black sheep
C. a top dog D. a wet blanket
Detective Sam Peterson told the journalists ________ they hadn’t dismissed the idea that Justin was taken away by the aliens, they were looking into other possibilities.
A. when B. while
C. unless D. until
Upon arriving home, they found their dog, Spot, which they ________ in the charge of Daniel, was starving to death.
A. left B. would leave
C. had left D. have left
