Palaces are known for their beauty and splendor, but they offer little protection against attacks. It is easy to defend a large building, but usually these buildings are not designed with the comfort of a king in mind. When it comes to structures that are both beautiful and defensive, the European castle is a big success.
Castles were originally built in England by the Normans in 1066. They built towers and walls to secure the land they had taken. These castles provided the Normans with a quiet and safe place. They also served as bases of operation for attacks. In this way castles served both defensive and offensive roles. Besides, castles served as offices for governors. Those that were socially beneath the governor would come to report affairs and express their respect. They would address problems, handle business, feast, and enjoy festivities in castles. So castles served as social centers as well.
The first castles were made from earth and wood, and they were likely to suffer from attacks by fire. Then wooden castles were gradually replaced by stone, which greatly increased the strength of these towers and walls. However, attackers could throw flaming objects into castles through the windows or burn the wooden doors. This led to moving the windows and entrances off of the ground floor and up to the first floor to make them more difficult to access.
During the Middle Ages, attacks increased in regularity, so castle defenses were updated. Arrow-slits were added. They were small holes in the castle, which allowed defenders to fire without being hurt. Towers were built from which defenders could provide fire on both sides. The towers were connected to the castle by wooden bridges, so that if one tower fell, the rest of the castle was still easy to defend. A lot of rings of castle walls were constructed, so that even if attackers went past one wall, they would be caught on a killing ground between inner and outer walls. All of these increased the defense of castles.
The end of castles can be attributed to gunpowder. During the 15th century, artillery, a kind of large guns, became powerful enough to break through stone walls. This greatly made the role of castles less effective. Though castles no longer serve their original purposes, remaining castles receive millions of visitors each year who wish to experience the situations of ancient times.
1.What was the original function of castles according to the passage?
A. They served as tourist attractions.
B. They were important social centers.
C. They marked religious ceremonies.
D. They were built for use in emergencies.
2.The reason why wooden castles were replaced by stone castles was that .
A. stone castles cost less money
B. stone castles offered better defense
C. wooden castles were uncomfortable
D. wooden castles took a long time to build
3.Which of the following showed an improvement in castle defenses?
A. Castles were totally separated by stones.
B. Arrow-slits were made in large quantities.
C. Rings of walls were built to defend the towers.
D. Windows and entrances were moved to the higher floor.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A. Fancy Living: Learning about Castles
B. Normans: Bringing Castles to England
C. A History of Castles: The Rise and Fall of Castles
D. Defending Castles: Technologies Used to Defend Castles
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
A schoolgirl saved her father’s life by kicking him in the chest after he suffered a serious allergic reaction which stopped his heart.
Izzy, nine, restarted father Colm’s heart by stamping(踩) on his chest after he fell down at home and stopped breathing.
Izzy’s mother, Debbie, immediately called 999, but Izzy knew doctors would never arrive in time to save her father, so decided to use CPR.
However, she quickly discovered her arms weren’t strong enough, so she stamped on her father’s chest instead.
Debbie then took over with some more conventional chest compressions until the ambulance arrived.
Izzy, who has been given a bravery award by her school, said: “I just kicked him really hard. My mum taught me CPR but I knew I wasn’t strong enough to use hands. I was quite scared. The doctor said I might as well be a doctor or a nurse. My mum said that Dad was going to hospital with a big footprint on his chest.”
“She’s a little star,” said Debbie. “I was really upset, but Izzy just took over. I just can’t believe what she did. I really think all children should be taught first aid. Izzy did CPR, then the doctor turned up. Colm had to have more treatment on the way to the hospital and we’ve got to see an expert.”
Truck driver Colm, 35, suffered a mystery allergic reaction on Saturday and was taken to hospital, but was sent home only for it to happen again the next day. The second attack was so serious that his airway swelled, preventing him from breathing, his blood pressure dropped suddenly, and his heart stopped for a moment.
He has now made a full recovery from his suffering.
1.Izzy kicked her father in the chest _________.
A. to express her helplessness B. to practise CPR on him
C. to restart his heart D. to keep him awake
2.What’s the right order of the events?
①Izzy kicked Colm.
②Debbie called 999.
③Izzy learned CPR.
④Colm’s heart stopped.
A. ③①②④ B. ④②③①
C. ④③①② D. ③④②①
3.What does Paragraph 8 mainly talk about?
A. What caused Colm’s allergy. B. Colm’s present condition.
C. What Colm suffered. D. Symptoms of Colm’s allergic reaction.
4.Why does the author write the news?
A. To report a 9-year-old girl’s brave act. B. To prove the importance of CPR.
C. To describe a serious accident. D. To call people’s attention to allergic reaction.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Sports can help us a lot. Taking exercises can make us strong. In collective(集体的) sports like basketball, volleyball or football, we will learn the importance of cooperation(合作). And sports can also help us relax after work or study.
However, as the saying goes, “there are two sides of everything.” Sometimes we may hurt other players or ourselves if we are not careful enough when participating(参加) in sports activities. What’s more, too much or hard practice can be bad for our health.
Sports can make us healthy both physically and psychologically(心理地). It is also a good way for people to know each other and can improve friendship between people. So long as we are careful enough, sports can do us nothing but good.
1. can make us strong.
A. Sleeping B. Singing
C. Making friends D. Taking exercise
2.Too much exercise can be for us.
A. good B. enough
C. bad D. helpful
3.Sports can .
A. help people to know each other B. improve friendship between people
C. do us nothing but good if we are careful D. All of the above
4.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. Sports can help us relax after work or study.
B. Sports can only make us healthy physically.
C. Sometimes we may hurt other players or ourselves when participating in sports activities.
D. Basketball and volleyball are both collective sports.
难度: 简单查看答案及解析
Many United States companies have made the search for legal protection from import competition into a major line of work. Since 1980, the United States International Trade Commission(ITC) has received about 280 complaints alleging damage from imports that benefit from subsidies(补贴) by foreign governments. Another 340 charge that foreign companies “dumped” their products in the United States at “less than fair value”. Even when no unfair practices are claimed, the simple claim that an industry has been injured by imports is sufficient grounds to seek relief(救济).
Contrary to the general impression, this request for import relief has hurt more companies than it has helped. As corporations begin to function globally, they develop a complicated web of marketing, production, and research relationships. The complexity of these relationships makes it unlikely that a system of import relief laws will meet the strategic needs of all the units under the same parent company. Internationalization increases the danger that foreign companies will use import relief laws against the very companies the laws were designed to protect. Suppose a United States-owned company establishes an overseas plant to manufacture a product while its competitor makes the same product in the United States. If the competitor can prove injury from the imports—and that the United States company received a subsidy from a foreign government to build its plant abroad—the United States company’s products will be uncompetitive in the United States, since they would be subject to duties.
Perhaps the most shameful case occurred when the ITC investigated allegations(控诉) that Canadian companies were injuring the United States salt industry by dumping rock salt, used to deice roads. The bizarre aspect of the complaint was that a foreign conglomerate(联合企业) with United States operations was crying for help against a United States company with foreign operations. The “United States” company claiming injury was a unit of a Dutch conglomerate, while the “Canadian” companies included a unit of a Chicago firm that was the second-largest domestic producer of rock salt.
1.The passage is chiefly concerned with ________.
A. arguing against the increased internationalization of US corporations
B. recommending a uniform method for handling claims of unfair trade practices
C. warning that the application of laws affecting trade frequently has unintended consequences
D. advocating the use of trade restrictions for “dumped” products but not for other imports
2.What can be inferred about the minimal basis for a complaint to the ITC?
A. A foreign competitor is selling products in the US at less than fair market value.
B. A foreign competitor has greatly increased the volume of products shipped to the US.
C. The company requesting import relief has been banned from exporting products.
D. The company requesting import relief has been injured by the sale of imports in the US.
3.Which of the following is most likely to be true of US trade laws?
A. They will eliminate the practice of “dumping” products in the US.
B. Those applied to international companies will help to gain more profits.
C. They will affect US trade with Canada more negatively than trade with other nations.
D. Those helping one unit within a parent company won’t necessarily help other units.
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
Jonny: Hey! I’m just practicing Tai Chi(太极). Would you like to join me?
Peter: I know nothing about it. Is it difficult?
Jonny: It seems easy, but you need a lot of practice. You just follow me like this.
Peter: OK. Don’t laugh 1. me. I may look funny.
Jonny: Bend your knees slightly and reach out your arms like tree branches, naturally and 2.(soft). Try to keep your body straight. Move slowly, then be sure to keep your balance and don’t let your body shake.
Peter: I cannot control my body well. My legs become 3.(pain).
Jonny: Keep 4.(hold) your position for a while. It helps develop your strength and flexibility. Raise your leg and let 5. stay in the air for seconds.
Peter: I feel my legs shaking. I cannot do this any longer.
Jonny: Be patient! Tai Chi 6.(call) “shadow boxing” in English. It asks you to act like water: to be flexible as well 7. strong. In real competition, a Tai Chi master borrows the strength of the competitor and uses this energy to fight back. The 8.(hard) you try to beat him, the more likely you will get hit. He controls you!
Peter: Unbelievable! Oh...,9. you don't mind, I'll stop and take a deep10. (breathe).
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
假设你是李华，明天就是你的生日了，而且高考很快就要到了，你有很多话想对父母说。请你以书信的形式按照以下要点给父母写一封信。
词数：100-120
写作要点：1.感恩父母；2.对父母的期望；3.自己学习、人生的打算。
Dear Mom and Dad,
Tomorrow is my birthday and the annual college entrance examination is around the corner. On this special day,
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
At the beginning of our next class, I asked if someone wanted to share what happened when they told someone they loved them. As was usually the ______, I fully expected one of the women to ______, but on this evening one of the men raised his hand. He appeared quite ______ and a bit shaken.
He began by saying, “Dennis, I was quite ______ with you last week when you gave us this ______. I didn’t feel that I had anyone to say those words to, and ______, who were you to tell me to do something that is ______? But as I began driving home a(n) ______ deep down in my heart started talking to me. It was ______ me that I knew exactly who I needed to say ‘I love you’ to. You see, five years ago, my father and I had a cruel ______ and really never resolved it since that time. We ______ seeing each other unless we totally had to at Christmas or other family ______. But even then, we ______ spoke to each other. So, last Tuesday by the time I got home I had ______ myself I was going to tell my father I loved him.”
“It’s ______, but just making that decision ______ to lift a heavy load off my chest.”
“When I got home, I rushed into the house to tell my wife what I was going to do. She was already in _________ , but I woke her up anyway. She catapulted(弹射) out and ______ me, and for the first time in our married life she saw me cry. We ______ half the night drinking coffee and talking. It was ______.”
1.A. matter B. step C. manner D. case
2.A. volunteer B. behave C. accept D. conclude
3.A. concerned B. curious C. moved D. upset
4.A. familiar B. angry C. strict D. content
5.A. assignment B. instruction C. explanation D. enquiry
6.A. therefore B. besides C. however D. thus
7.A. popular B. annoying C. personal D. painful
8.A. idea B. desire C. voice D. message
9.A. showing B. asking C. persuading D. telling
10.A. disagreement B. defeat C. challenge D. emergency
11.A. enjoyed B. avoided C. tried D. regretted
12.A. collections B. occasions C. associations D. gatherings
13.A. finally B. hardly C. willingly D. delightedly
14.A. convinced B. advised C. taught D. answered
15.A. possible B. severe C. strange D. normal
16.A. meant B. sought C. intended D. seemed
17.A. bed B. relief C. place D. trouble
18.A. blamed B. injured C. hugged D. knocked
19.A. made up B. stayed up C. called up D. got up
20.A. private B. modest C. subjective D. great
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Kids love to go online. There is so much to explore and learn. 1. The answer to the question is as difficult as determining at what age a child can be left at home by themselves, since all children are different. Here are some questions to ask yourself to determine what is right for your child.
2.
Of course when you are trying to determine if you can let him or her go online, your child has probably already said, “I’m ready; I can handle it.” But are they? 3. How would they handle the material if they ran across it by accident?
4.
Does your child question other people’s actions? Do they easily believe anything that is presented to them? It is an important question to ask to determine if your child is ready to go online alone.
Have you taught them what the dangers are?
5.. Have you explained to them that there are people out there that might want to do them harm? It is a dangerous world out there. If you are going to let them wander around in the online world, they need to be prepared for what they might see or run into.
A. You may be thinking this is a strange question to ask yourself.
B. Is your child easy to cheat?
C. There are a lot of dangers online.
D. Are they ready to go online by themselves?
E. Is your child skilled in using a computer?
F. Unfortunately there is a lot of unpleasant material online.
G. At what age should you allow your child to go online alone?
难度: 困难查看答案及解析
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。
Dear Peter,
How is everything going? I would like to express my thanks with your kindness during my stay in London last week. Know that you take a great fancy to Chinese culture, especial the Spring Festival, I would love to introduce it to you. The Spring Festival, one of the most important festival in China, falls on January 1st in the lunar calendar. It has a long history, where was originally celebrated to drive away a monster “Nian”. Different that in the past, it is now given new meanings. On the New Year’s Eve, each family have its members gather together. They tell each other their lives in the past year, exchange gifts and to eat delicious meals in the warm of the family. I hope you will come here and experienced this wonderful festival.
Yours,
Li Hua
难度: 困难查看答案及解析