The Silk Road is arguably the most famous long-distance trade route of the ancient world. This passage connected Europe in the West with China in the East, and allowed the exchange of goods, technology, and ideas between the two civilizations. Although merchants could make huge profits travelling the road, it was not without risk.
The main Silk Road started in Chang’an (known today as Xi’an), the early Han capital. Travelers commencing their journey from this city could take a northern route that would take them across China’s northwestern provinces. After this, they would face the Gobi Desert, arguably the greatest danger of the Silk Road.
The Gobi Desert, the largest desert in Asia, consists mainly of rocky, hard earth. This feature made it easier for traders to travel across, compared to sandy deserts like the neighboring Taklamakan Desert. Like other deserts, the Gobi Desert is dry and hot, and therefore the biggest challenge travelers faced was obtaining enough water for themselves as well as for their camels.
So, rest stops were created along the route, allowing travelers to rest, eat and drink. These places also promoted the exchange of goods, and even ideas, amongst the travelers who stopped there. Usually, the rest stops were placed within a day’s journey of each other. In this way, travelers could avoid spending too much time in the desert, which would make them targets for robbers, another danger of the Silk Road.
Once through the Gobi Desert, travelers would continue their journey into Iran, Turkey, and finally Europe. Whilst this part of the journey may have been less dangerous, it is not entirely without its perils.
1.The underlined word “it” in the first paragraph refers to _____.
A.making huge profits B.traveling the Silk Road
C.exchanging goods and ideas D.connecting different civilizations
2.Why was the Gobi Desert easier to cross than other deserts?
A.The desert’s surface was easier to walk on.
B.Camels for transportation were easier to find.
C.It was smaller and could be crossed in less time.
D.There were more natural water sources available.
3.What can we guess about the rest stops in the Gobi Desert?
A.Travelers were offered free accommodation.
B.They were located around the edges of the desert.
C.Travelers staying there were often attacked by criminals.
D.They were shared by travelers from different countries.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The origins of the Silk Road.
B.The benefits of the Silk Road.
C.The difficulties faced by Silk Road travelers.
D.The cultural exchanges among Silk Road travelers.
1.What is true about the Milky Way?
A.There are only stars inside it.
B.There is a black hole at its center.
C.It’s the biggest spiral galaxy in the universe.
D.It takes 100,000 years to get there from Earth.
2.Which of the following is the main factor in categorizing galaxies?
A.Shape. B.Size.
C.Number of stars. D.Distance from the sun.
3.Which of the following galaxies can be classified as irregular?
A.Whale Galaxy — similar to the Milky Way both in size and shape.
B.Cygnus A (3C 405) Galaxy — the brightest egg shape we can observe.
C.Cigar Galaxy — long and narrow galaxy that looks like an ashy cloud.
D.Sunflower Galaxy — galaxy with multiple arms radiating from its bright core.
Mama and I spend mornings cleaning up the dirt that blows into our house. Mama says all the dust is due to the drought. The dirt sifts into everything. It covers our clothes. We have to wash the dishes before each meal. We rarely drive the truck because Papa fears the dust from the road will ruin the motor.
When my sister, Faye, and I walk to school, we wear kerchiefs over our mouths so we don’t breathe in the dirt. On days when the air is so bad that they close the school, we stay home and help Mama put wet sheets over the windows. But the dirt always finds a way in.
Last Sunday, there was no dirt in the air, only bright spring sunshine and a clear blue sky. After lunch, Papa headed out to the field to check on the cattle while I played with Faye in the yard. The temperature suddenly dropped. I looked to the west and saw a huge black cloud of dust.
All the birds flew away. “I must warn Papa,” I thought to myself. To avoid her panicking, I gently told Faye to go back inside where she would be safe, and then headed off to the field.
The storm hit so fast, and in an instant the day turned into night. By the time I entered the cow field the fine sand was whipping across my face. I screamed for Papa, hoping my voice would lead him back.
The dirt and sand stung my skin like a thousand bees. Although I was terrified, I refused to turn back. My dad was stranded and needed my help. Covering my face with one hand, I groped my way toward the truck and opened the door. First I tried turning the truck’s lights on and off, hoping that Papa would see them flashing, but the sandstorm let no light escape. Then I pushed the horn again and again, so Papa would hear it. I pushed until I had no more strength in my arms.
Suddenly, Papa’s face appeared at the window. My heart leaped with surprise and relief. He opened the door and climbed onto the seat next to me. He then pulled me into his arms and said, “Oh, Iris, you saved me!”
Finally, the wind subsided and the dust began to settle. Dirt was piled up to the window on one side of the truck and halfway up the door on the other. Papa kicked against the door, opening it far enough to let us out.
Sand and soil drifts were everywhere, but we were safe.
1.What is the main function of the first two paragraphs?
A.It describes a problem the characters must solve.
B.It establishes the setting where the story takes place.
C.It introduces the characters that will follow in the story.
D.It explains the motivations for the characters’ later actions.
2.Why did Papa go to the field that Sunday?
A.He was trying to get to his truck.
B.He needed to prepare the field for harvest.
C.He wanted to make sure the animals were fine.
D.He planned to bring in the cattle before the storm.
3.How did Iris save her father?
A.By warning him to run away. B.By turning on the truck’s lights.
C.By guiding him towards the shelter. D.By screaming his name at the top of her voice.
4.Which of the following words best describe Iris?
A.Brave and calm. B.Experienced and confident.
C.Adventurous and careful. D.Fearless and sympathetic
单词填空
1.Peter and Paul had got p______________ from their parents to camp in a field close to their farm.
2.The girl could learn from the living examples to e____________ (建立) a sense of security.
3.The accident left the boy s___________ (严重地) brain-damaged and almost totally relied on others.
4.Most of us are aware that we must take care of the environment, and the m__________ (大多数) of us take steps to save energy and reduce waste and pollution.
5.He never a_________ (采纳) others’ advice so that he always makes mistakes.
6.Don’t worry. I have already arranged the t_____________ from the airport to your hotel. The drive will give you a call when he arrives.
7.They wanted to find out whether there was a doctor a___________(prep.) the ship.
8.This small town is the country’s top mountain-hiking d______________.
9.The government has taken some measures to prevent some factories from r____________ poisonous gases into the air
10.Too much screen time may d______________ (损坏) children’s eyesight.
11.The students usually have lunch in the school c_______________ (学校食堂).
12.S_______________ (可持续的) development is the common target of human beings.
13.Don’t give up. Instead, you should always take a positive a_____________ towards your future.
14.This holiday b_____________ (小册子) can give you all the information you need.
15.I have no time to e____________ (参与) in gossip (闲话，流言), so please don’t come to me with your rumors and complaints.
Some people say that friendship is the only channel through which human beings can ever experience the value of life. In our daily life, it is likely that you share some common interests with others — they may like the same sport, go to the same school or like the same kind of music as you do. Since you often meet them, they become your acquaintances. Although some people develop many acquaintances, only a few become their good friends in their lifetime because there are differences between acquaintances and friends.
It is said that true friendship begins when someone knows what you are really like, but still likes you anyway. A true friend shows loyalty from the very beginning of the relationship. A friend will go through challenges to help you without expecting anything in return. A “friend” today may probably become a “true friend” tomorrow when they get involved in unexpected circumstances together with you — for example, when you are going through a difficult experience and your friend is there to help you out. However, some acquaintances might leave you when you badly need their help. At this time, you can experience what true friendship is.
In our life, some people seem to go through life with plenty of friends. They may be funny or they may have a bright and pleasant personality. For these people, wherever they go, people seem to like them and welcome their company. But when they go through challenging life experiences, some of their friends are not there to help them. Therefore we can say some of their friends are not real friends and their friendship is just skin-deep.
However, others seem to go through life with no friends at all. They like to be alone, to travel by themselves or to do their own things. It’s a pity that few of these people find success in life because they have no friends. They lack the best gift in life — friendship.
1.According to the passage, which of the following statements about acquaintances is TRUE?
A.They have all of the same interests as you do.
B.You seldom meet them in your life.
C.They are sure to become your good friends.
D.Not all of them can become your friends.
2.According to the passage you may get to know the meaning of friendship better when you ________.
A.go to the same school as your friend
B.get into trouble
C.enjoy the same kind of music as your friend
D.see your friend often
3.We know from the passage that ________.
A.it doesn’t matter whether one has friends or not
B.people with bright personality are easy to have friends
C.people without friends are always unhappy
D.it’s easier to lose a friend than to get one
4.What does the underlined word “skin-deep” in the third paragraph mean?
A.Very deep. B.Not deep at all.
C.As precious as skin. D.Hidden under the skin.
5.What’s the writer’s attitude towards people without friends in their life?
A.Interested. B.Angry.
C.Hopeful. D.Regretful.
During the high school career, students may begin to question the importance of a college education. They might find themselves asking, “Why is it important to go to college?” The answer is that, more than ever, college graduates enjoy much greater opportunities available to them than those who have not received a college education.
For many high school students, being able to immediately generate an income after graduation is an appealing thought. They may also be affected by the rising cost of tuition, and while it is true that a higher education may be one of the largest expenses you will ever face, the importance of a college education has become quite evident in terms of earning potential within today’s economy.
Why should you go to college? One important answer to this question is more opportunity. As opposed to generations of the past, high school graduates today are unable to obtain high-paying jobs that were once available. The U.S. has been transformed from a manufacturing-based economy to an economy based on knowledge, and the importance of a college education today can be compared to that of a high school education forty years ago. It serves as the gateway to better options and more opportunity.
There are additional reasons as to why it is important to go to college. When students experience a post secondary education, they have the opportunity to read books and listen to the lectures of top experts in their fields. This encourages students to think, ask questions, and explore new ideas, which allows for additional growth and development and provides college graduates with more opportunities in the job market over those who have not experienced a higher education.
The importance of a college education is also stressed because of the opportunity to gain valuable resources during the study. The more connections which are collected during your college career, the more options you will have when you begin your job search. Once you have ended your job search and have started your career, however, the importance of a college education has not been exhausted. Having a college degree often provides for greater promotion opportunity.
So, why should you go to college? The reasoning does not begin and end with the job aspect. A good education is beneficial from many different viewpoints, and though the importance of a college education is quite evident for many high school students, what is often not as clear is how they will pay for that education.
1.Why do some high school graduates prefer working to college study?
A.To obtain high-paying jobs. B.To earn money at an early age.
C.To spend less money on tuition. D.To adapt to the knowledge-based society.
2.The author most likely agrees with the idea that ____.
A.too much time is spent on lectures in college study
B.high school education is a gateway to more opportunity
C.college graduates gain more chances over others in job market
D.a college degree guarantees promotion in American companies
3.What is most likely to be talked about in the paragraph after the last paragraph of the passage?
A.Refusing college education. B.Changing college education.
C.Receiving college education. D.Affording college education.
4.What can be the best title for the passage?
A.Importance of college education. B.Education means opportunity.
C.Which is more important, job or education? D.How to survive in the college.
5.Which of the following shows the development of ideas in the passage?
I: Introduction P: Point Sp: Sub-point (次要点) C: Conclusion
A.
B.
C.
D.
