The basic flag of the United States is one of the world’s oldest national flags. Only the basic flags of Austria, Denmark, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzer land are older.

During the discovery and settlement of what is now the United States, the flags of various European nations were flown over the land, as symbols of possession. Later, in the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods, flags representing famous persons, places, and events were flown in the American Colonise.

The first official flag of the United States was created by Congress on June 14, 1777. It consisted of 13 alternate red and white stripes and 13 white stars in a field of blue, representing the 13 colonies that had declared their independence in 1776. Congress adopted a new flag of 15 stars and 15 stripes in 1795, to give representation to the two new states admitted into the Union, Vermont and Kentucky.

By 1817, there were 20 states in the Union, and it became apparent that adding one stripe for each new state would destroy the shape of the flag. As a result, Congress in 1818 restored the original design of 13 stripes and provided that each state was to be represented by one star. In 1921 Preside William H. Taft made the first official provision for the arrangement of the stars. He ordered that there be six even rows of eight stars each. Previously the arrangement of the stars had been left to the flag- maker’s fancy.

The evolution of the stars and stripes reflects the growth of the United States. After the admission of Hawaii into the Union in 1959, the flag was official changed for the 26th time since its creation.

There are many government flags flown in the United States in addition to the national flag. Among them are the president’s and vice- president’s flags and those of the federal departments and some federal agencies. Each state in the Union has an official flag. The United States Navy uses special flags for signaling.

The basic flag of the United States is _______.

A. the oldest national flag in the world

B. one of the world’ s oldest flags

C. the most beautiful flag in the West

D. as old as the basic flags of some European nations

Before the War of Independence the flags of various European nations flown over the land were symbols of _______.

A. self- rule    B. occupation

C. peace and friendship  D. independence

The first official flag of the United States was adopted ________.

A. before the Independence War

B. right after the Independence War

C. when independence was declared in 1776

D. during the War of Independence which ended in 1783

The 13 red and white stripes and 13 white stars represent _______.

A. 13 independent states

B. the colonies that declared independence in 1776.

C. the U. S. Congress

D. 13 famous figures in the American colonies

How many states were represented on the new flag adopted in 1795?

A. 13.            B. 15.

C. 20.     D. 2.

“Colour” and “color”, “favourite” and “favorite”···Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a “u”? Is it because they are lazy?

Of course not. In fact, the difference in spelling was created by Noah Webster (1758—1843). He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger. Linguists（语言学家） celebrated his 250^th birthday on October 16. After the Revolutionary War(1775—1783), Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary, rather than rely on British versions（版本）. He dropped the British “u” in some words. And he changed “centre” into “center” for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded.

Webster wasn’t shy about expressing his opinions. In defining（定义） preposterous, he wrote: “A republican government in the hands of females is preposterous.”

Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings. He also added local words. His dictionary was widely used in schools. Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom.

“He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity,” said Joshua Kendall, who is working on a biography（传记） about Webster. “He at last bonded（联合） us through our language.”

1.          According to the passage, when he worked on his dictionary, Noah Webster did all of the following EXCEPT______.

A．dropping “u” in all the British words

B．changing “centre” into “center”

C．adding local words

D．expressing his opinion.

2.          When did Noah Webster probably begin his project of the dictionary?

A．In 1758

B．In 1783

C．In 1800

D．In 1828

3.          Why did Noah Webster create these differences in his dictionary?

A．Because he wanted to make English simple and easy.

B．Because he wanted American English to have it own characteristics（特征）.

C．Because he wanted to make American English the best in the world.

D．Because he wanted to show that the USA is stronger than the UK.

4.          Which of the following word can best describe Noah Webster’s work?

A．Interesting

B．Boring

C．Unfinished

D．Meaningful

5.          Which of the following would probably be the best title for the passage?

A．Webster

B．American identity

C．The shaper of American English

D．Spelling difference between American and British English.

 

The history of newspapers is an often-dramatic chapter of the human experience going back some six centuries.In Renaissance Europe handwritten newsletters circulated(发行) privately among merchants,passing along information about everything from wars and economic conditions to social customs and “human interest” features.The first printed newspaper appeared in Germany in the late 1400s in the form of news pamphlets(小册子) or broadsides.

In the English-speaking world,the earliest predecessors(前身) of the newspaper were corantos,small news pamphlets produced only when some event worthy of notice occurred.The first successively published title was The Weekly News of 1622.The first true newspaper in English was the London Gazette of 1666.  

In America the first newspaper appeared in Boston in 1690,entitled Public Occurrences.Published without official permission,it was immediately suppressed(查禁).Its publisher was arrested,and all copies were destroyed.The first successful newspaper was the Boston News-Letter,begun by postmaster John Campbell in 1704.By the eve of the Revolutionary War,some two dozen papers were issued at all the colonies.At the war’s end in 1783 there were forty-three newspapers in print. The Bill of Rights in 1791 at last guaranteed freedom of the press,and America’s newspapers began to take on a central role in national affairs.By 1814 there were 346 newspapers.

In the 1830s,advances in printing and papermaking technology led to an explosion of newspaper growth—the emergence(出现) of the “Penny Press”;it was now possible to produce a newspaper that could be sold for just a cent a copy.The cheap newspaper helped people to get more interesting reading materials easily.In 1850,there were 2526 different papers.By the 1910s,all the basic features of the modern newspaper had emerged.

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A.Handwritten newsletters came out publicly in Renaissance Europe.

B.The first printed newspaper was seen about six hundred years ago.

C.The first successively published newspaper in the English-speaking world was corantos.

D.In America the first newspaper was successful as soon as it appeared.

What does the underlined phrase “Penny Press” in the last paragraph mean?

A.People can press pennies easily.

B.People can produce newspapers with little cost.

C.It is a penny factory.

D.The name of the press owner is Penny.

What is the main reason for newspapers in the USA increasing so fast in the 1830s?

A.The pass of the Bill of Rights in 1791.

B.Newspapers began to take on a central role in national affairs.

C.Advances in printing and papermaking technology.

D.All the basic features of the modern newspaper had emerged

Which of the following is NOT a newspaper?

A. Public Occurrences.

B. The Boston News-Letter.

C. The Bill of Rights.

D. The London Gazette.

"Colour" and "color"，"favourite" and "favorite"... Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a "u"? Is it because they are lazy?
Of course not. In fact，the difference in spelling was created by Noah Webster (1758-1843). He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger. Linguists (语言学家) celebrated his 250th birthday on October 16. After the Revolutionary War (1775~ 1783)，Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary，rather than rely on British versions (版本). He dropped the British "u" in some words. And he changed "centre" into "center" for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded.
Webster wasn't shy about expressing his opinions. In defining (定义) preposterous (unreasonable)，he wrote: "A republican government in the hands of females is preposterous."
Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings. He also added local words. His dictionary was widely used in schools. Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom.
"He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity，"said Joshua Kendall，who is working on a biography (传记) about Webster. "He at last bonded (联合)us through our language."
【小题1】Which of the following would probably be the best title for the passage?

A．The shaper of American English.

B．American identity.

C．Webster's dictionary.

D．Spelling differences between American and British English.

【小题2】According to the passage，when he worked on his dictionary, Noah Webster did all of the following EXCEPT        .

A．voicing his opinion	B．changing "centre" into "center"
C．adding local words	D．dropping "u" in all the British words

【小题3】Which of the following word can best describe Noah Webster’s work?

A．Interesting.

B．Meaningful.

C．Unfinished.

D．Boring.

【小题4】Why did Noah Webster create these differences in his dictionary?

A．Because he wanted to make English simple and easy.

B．Because he wanted to show that the USA is stronger than the UK.

C．Because he wanted to achieve political freedom.

D．Because he wanted American English to have its own characteristics.

【小题5】When did Noah Webster probably begin his project of the dictionary?

A．In 1758.

B．In 1783.

C．In 1800.

D．In 1828.

On August 27, 1783, the people of the village of Gomesse, in France, looked up into the sky and saw a strange and terrible animal. It was huge and round, flying down from the sky. It landed in the field just outside the village. It was clear to the people of Gomesse that they had to defend themselves. The animal was clearly some kind of terrible “spirit”. They were afraid of the spirit but they were also very brave. They rushed out into the field and fought the animal with knives and sticks and farming tools. The “spirit” made terrible noises, like an animal that can breathe only with great difficulty.

But that was not the worst thing. When the villagers cut into the spirit's skin, it gave off a horrible smell, and even after the villagers had cut the thing open, it still moved. Finally the villagers tied it to a horse. The horse ran through the fields and the “Spirit” was torn to pieces. What was the terrible spirit? The answer is that it was one of the first “hot air balloons气球”. Its skin was made of silk and a kind of rubber. The terrible smell was the hot air inside the balloon. When the air got out through the cuts in the skin, it also caused the horrible noises.?

1. The terrible noises were made because        .?

A. the spirit could hardly breathe

B. the spirit wanted to frighten the villagers?

C. the spirit was afraid of the villagers

D. hot air got out through the skin?

2. The terrible smell was        .?

A. the smell of silk and rubber

B. the hot air inside the balloon?

C. the smell of burnt house

D. the smell of burnt crops?

3. The spirit didn't stop moving until        .?

A. the hot air in it ran out completely

B. the villagers cut into its skin?

C. the villagers cut it open

D. it gave off a horrible smell?

4. The villagers tied the spirit to a horse        .?

A. shortly after they caught sight of the spirit?

B. because it didn't stop moving though it was cut open?

C. after it was torn to pieces?

D. because the villagers wanted to take it away?