Runners in a relay race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by travelling the famous Silk Road.

The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of cities and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200B.C to about A.D. 1300, when sea travel offered new routes. It was sometimes called the world’s longest highway. However, Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe.

The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used as money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft (嫁接) different trees together to make new kinds of fruit. They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to world-wide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.

The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also share their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathway for learning, diplomacy (外交), and religion.

53. It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed____

A. to remember the entire trade route              B. to know the making of products

C. to receive certain special training                   D. to deal with a lot of difficulties

54. The Silk Road became less important because____.

A. it was made up of different routes               B. silk trading became less popular

C. sea travel provided easier routes                         D. people needed fewer foreign goods

55. New technologies could travel along the Silk Road because people____.

A. learned from each other                                B. shared each other’s beliefs

C. traded goods along the route                      D. earned their living by traveling

56. What is the best title for the passage?

A. The Silk Road: Past and Present                        B. The Silk Road: East Meets West

C. The Silk Road: Routes Full of Dangers           D. The Silk Road: Pathways for Learning 

第一节：语音知识（共5小题：每小题1分，满分5分）

从A、B、C、D四个选项中，找出其划线部分与所给单词的划线部分读音相同的选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

1. technology

A. character       B. stretch                 C. teacher                D. chest

2. pleasure

A. pressure              B. ensure                  C. usually                  D. necessary

3. rush

A. dust                      B. butcher                C. sugar                   D. push

4. northern

A. strength                  B. truthfully             C. thus                      D. throw

5. recommend

A. ocean                            B. opposite              C. official                  D. offer

The opening province which ______ thirteen counties and three coastal cities will quicken its paces of economic development．

       A．consists of       B．makes up of    C．is included      D．is contained

_____ the chapter four times, I finally understood the author's theory．

       A．Reading        B．Having read    C．To read          D．Read

The Hotel Al Arab ______ the first and only 7-star hotel in the world was designed in the shape of a     sail of 321 meters.

    A．was considered B．considering    C．being considered   D．considered

It is natural that children are curious about the world around them．For example, they want to know how their hearts beat．They want to know why the ocean water tastes salty．

  As children grow up, they become curious about different kinds of things．When they are babies, they are interested in the parts of their bodies and in the smiles of their mothers．They become interested in the physical world around them: the plants, the animals, the sky．Later, they become interested in the things that people have made: wheels, bicycles, cars．And when they are adults, their curiosity continues．Sometimes this curiosity leads to a career in science．

  Scientists spend their lives trying to find out about the world．Those who work with the earth sciences study the earth, the oceans, and the sky．Other scientists who study living things work with the biological sciences．A third group of scientists study the physical sciences, e．g．physics, chemistry ．

  These scientists have already discovered a lot about our world．For example, they tell us why your heart beats fast when you run．They say that when you are quiet, your heart normally beats 65 or 75 times a minute．Your heart is a pump that pumps blood to all parts of the body．The blood carries oxygen and nutrition．When you run, your muscles work very hard and use the nutrition that the blood carries to them．The muscles need oxygen, too．So your brain sends a signal to the heart．The signal means that the muscles need more nutrition and oxygen．Then the heart beats fast and sends blood quickly to the muscles．It may beat 90 to 140 times a minute．

  Of course, scientists cannot answer all of our questions．If we ask, “Why does the ocean water taste salty” scientists will say that the salt comes from rocks．When a rock gets very hot or very cold, it cracks．Rain falls into cracks．The rain then carries the salt into the earth and into the rivers．The rivers carry the salt into the ocean．But then we ask , “What happens to the salt in the ocean? The ocean does not get saltier every year．” Scientists are not sure about the answer to this question．

  We know a lot about our world, but there are still many answers that we do not have, and we are curious．

63．According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?

　   A．People are curious in the same way．

　   B．People in different countries are interested in different things．

　   C．People of different ages are interested in different things．　 

     D．Men and women are curious about different things．

64．Scientists who work with the biological sciences study____．

     A．the earth , the oceans and the sky       B．plants and animals

     C．man-made things                    D．ocean water

65．A rock cracks _____．

     A．in wet regions                       B．in dry regions

     C．when salty water falls in               D．at very high or very low temperatures

66．People are always curious because _____ ．

       A．they know little about the world        B．they know nothing about the world

       C．they can not explain many things       D．they want to be scientists

第二节 短文改错（共10小题，每小题1.5分，满分15分）

文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在此处加一个漏字符号（∧），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：在错的词下划一个横线，并在其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（从十一处起）不计分。

In my village a lot of children were leaving school for various reason. Some families are too poor to send their children to school, and they have to earn money to support their families. Many parents do not think it useless to send their children to school. They would rather let their children to stay at home .I feel worried this. I think every child should have a chance to go to school .We should pay any attention to the education of children, for we will play an important part in our socialist construction in the future .Ways must be found prevent children from leave off their studies.

Most Irish people go to ______ church every Sunday and ______ church plays ______ important part in their life.

A. /; the; /          B. /; the; an       C. the; /; a       D. /; a; the   

It is usually cool in April in Chongqing, but it sometimes ______ be rather hot for a few days.

    A. can                   B. must                               C. shall                               D. ought to

To be qualified for the job, _____.

A. one needs to have profound knowledge   B. profound knowledge is important  

C. profound knowledge is a must   D. it is required that one has profound knowledge