Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand. Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States.     
Long ago, the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”— the land of fire. Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story. Today Death Valley has been declared a National Monument(纪念碑) and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.
Here nature created a lot of surprising, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most astonishing and variable parts of Death Valley is the Devil’ s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams. Sand sculptures(沙雕) stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.

1. 1.

   _______ is the lowest place in the desert.

   1. A.
      Tomesha
   2. B.
      Death Valley
   3. C.
      Nevada
   4. D.
      Badwater
2. 2.

   The name of the valley comes from _______.

   1. A.
      an Indian name
   2. B.
      the death of the miners
   3. C.
      the local people
   4. D.
      a National Movement
3. 3.

   From the passage we can learn that _______.

   1. A.
      no one had ever known the desert before the miners
   2. B.
      it’s still not easy to travel across the desert
   3. C.
      people can find gas-stations, cafes and hotels in the desert
   4. D.
      people have changed the natural sight of the desert
4. 4.

   Devil Golf Course is famous for _______.

   1. A.
      the frequent wind
   2. B.
      the colors of the sand
   3. C.
      dream-like sights
   4. D.
      the sand sculptures
5. 5.

   From the passage we can see that the writer _______ the Death Valley.

   1. A.
      appreciates
   2. B.
      is fearful of
   3. C.
      dislikes
   4. D.
      is tired of

 美国一词 “the  United  States  of  America”中的States的含义后来演变为（    ）

A．国家           B．邦联           C．州             D．省

美国一词 “the  United  States  of  America”中的States的含义后来演变为

提出“Man is the measure of all things. ”论点的人物是

A.苏格拉底             B.普罗泰格拉     C.柏拉图        D.亚里士多德

美国一词 “the  United  States  of  America”中的States的含义后来演变为

A、国家             B、邦联            C、州            D、省

美国一词 “the  United  States  of  America”中的States的含义后来演变为

A．国家     B．邦联    C．州       D．省

You may have heard the term "the American Dream". In 1848, James W. Marshall found gold in California and people began having golden dreams. That 19th century "American Dream" motivated (激发起) the Gold Rush and gave California its nickname of the "Golden State".
The American Dream drove not only 1800s gold-rush prospectors but also waves of immigrants throughout that century and the next. People from Europe, and a large number of Chinese, arrived in the US in the 19th century hoping that in America they would find gold in the streets. But most, instead, worked as railroad labourers. They created the oldest Chinatown, in San Francisco, and gave the city a Chinese name "the old gold hill".
In the 20th century, some critics said that it was no longer possible to become prosperous through determination and hard work. Unfair education for students from poor families and racial discrimination almost made the American Dream a nightmare.
Then, in the 1990s, California saw a new wave of dreamers in Silicon Valley. People poured their energy into the Internet. This new chapter of the American Dream attracted many business people and young talents from China and India to form start-ups and seek fortunes in America.
Better pay, a nice house, and a rising standard of living will always be attractive. However, the new American Dream is no longer just about money. It encourages Americans to consume wisely to protect the environment, improve the quality of life, and promote social justice.
The Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has become the model of the new American Dream. After years of hard work, he grew from a poor young man from Austria into a movie superstar and then governor. Many people hope his story can save the American Dream and give California a brighter future.  

1. 1.

   It can be inferred that _____.

   1. A.
      America’s golden dream could never be realized
   2. B.
      America’s golden dream had bought great fortunes to Chinese immigrants
   3. C.
      each period of time has its own taste of the American dream
   4. D.
      determination and hard work are the best way to realize the American dream
2. 2.

   Why did most of the early immigrants work as railroad laborers?

   1. A.
      Because they could earn more money as railroad laborers.
   2. B.
      Because they had to make a living by working as railroad laborers.
   3. C.
      Because they thought railroad was the first step to find gold.
   4. D.
      Because railroad laborers were greatly honored at that time.
3. 3.

   The underlined sentence “his story can save the American Dream” (in the last paragraph) indicates that _____.

   1. A.
      the dream of seeking fortunate in America is easy to realize
   2. B.
      most of the immigrants to America don’t reach their previous goal
   3. C.
      the success of Arnold Schwarzenegger is among the common examples of the immigrants
   4. D.
      the immigrants have made great contributions to California
4. 4.

   What’s the best title of the passage?

   1. A.
      Wave of Immigrants to America
   2. B.
      Make Fortunes Abroad
   3. C.
      Hard Work Leads to Success
   4. D.
      Changes of America’s Golden Dream

For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub.Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news.
As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved.Many of them have become historic sites.The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called " Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem" , which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England.
However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society.On a cold night, the pub's landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire.There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drinks available at an affordable price.
That's how things used to be.Things are beginning to change.It is said that the credit crunch （信贷紧缩） is causing 39 British pubs in a week to go out of business.People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer.Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs.
This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 11 p.m..Previously, with 11 p.m.as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly.The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as "binge drinking" , and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities.
In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market.British pubs now offer something for everyone.A lot of pubs used to be "Working Men's Clubs" , meaning that women could not usually enter.Today, however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems.Perhaps things are changing for the better after all.

1. 1.

   British people have the habit of gathering in the pubs to _____.

   1. A.
      have the hearty food
   2. B.
      enjoy the historic sites
   3. C.
      make themselves known
   4. D.
      communicate with each other
2. 2.

   The British pubs are allowed to stay open after 11p.m.to ______.

   1. A.
      urge customers to drink quickly
   2. B.
      affect the number of customers
   3. C.
      help reduce social problems
   4. D.
      give pub owners better income
3. 3.

   We can learn from the last paragraph that the author _____.

   1. A.
      is against the admission of too many women to the pubs
   2. B.
      holds an optimistic attitude towards the future of the British pubs
   3. C.
      thinks that women in the pubs will cause less social problems
   4. D.
      holds the view that British pubs should offer everything you need
4. 4.

   The passage mainly tells us ______.

   1. A.
      the long history of British pubs
   2. B.
      the present situation of British pubs
   3. C.
      the reason why British people go to pubs
   4. D.
      the disadvantages of running pubs in Britain

美国一词“the United States of America”中的States的含义后来演变为(　　)

A．国家 B．邦联 　 C．州 D．省