To find out how the name Canada came about, we must go back to the 16th century. At that time, the French dreamed of discovering and controlling more land across the world. In 1535 Francois I, King of France, ordered a navigator (航海家) named Jacques Cartier to explore the New world and search for a passage to India.

Cartier first arrived at the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, which he wanted to explore. He did not know

what to expect but he hoped that this Gulf was just an arm of the ocean between two islands. If it

was, he would soon be on his way to the Far East. So he sailed upwards along the St. Lawrence

River. However, instead of reaching Asia he arrived at Quebec or Stadacona, as the Indians called

it. It was at this point that the term “Canada” entered the country’s history. Clearly the word

“Canada” came from an Indian word “Kanata”, which means village. Cartier first used it when he

referred to Stadacona or Quebec. What a huge “village” Canada is!

57. What was Cartier ordered to do?

A. To build a new country                  

B. To find the New World

C. To get in touch with the American Indians  

D. To know more about America and find a new way to Asia

58. When Cartier reached the Gulf of St. Lawrence he hoped ________.

A. he had got to the Far East             B. it was a water way to the New World

C. it was a water way to the Far East       D. he had sailed into the Pacific

59. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Quebec and Stadacona were tow islands.    

B. The Indian language for village is Stadacona.

C. Quebec and Stadacona were two villages in Canada. 

D. Stadacona was what the Indians called Quebec.

60. Canada was first used to refer to __________.

A. Asia     B. the New World       C. a village         D. Quebec

The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of September 2, 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. Over one hundred people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives .

　　The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King’s baker（面包师）in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window into the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery（面包房）into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.

　　By eight o’clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul’s and the Guildhall among them .

　　Samuel Pepys , the famous writer, writer about the fire, “People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat .”

　　The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path（路径） of the fire.With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.

　　After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect(建筑师), wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone．In fact, the streets are still narrow, but he did build more than fifty churches, among which was the new St Paul’s

　　The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.

1.The underlined word‘family’in the second paragraph probably means____.

2.It seems that the writer of the text was most sorry for the fact that　　 .

3.Why did the writer cite(引用)Samuel Pepys?

4.How was the fire put out according to the text?

Soccer star David Beckham will be there with his pop star wife Victoria. Elton John is attending with partner David Furnish.

The guest list for the April 29 union of Prince William and Kate Middleton is still being kept secret, but details have begun to leak out, with some coming forward to say they are attending and the Mail on Sunday newspaper claiming to have  the  official  invitation  roster (名单).

The palace dismissed the newspaper's list as speculation (猜测) Sunday.

It won't be clear until the day how the royal couple has balanced the protocol demands (王室规则) that they invite statesmen, diplomats, religious leaders, politicians and the like with invitations to the people they really want to see, particularly the crowd they made friends with when they met and fell in love at St. Andrews University in Scotland.

Kate Reardon, editor of high-society magazine Tatler, said many prominent Britons acted as if they didn't really care about receiving an invitation while secretly checking the mail every day to see if the invitation had arrived.

"Everyone's been hoping," she said.

William and Middleton have showed their modern side by inviting a number of close friends, including some former sweethearts, the newspaper said.

The wedding is not technically a state event, which somewhat limits the protocol requirements applied to the guest list. But royal obligations (职责) still order that a large number of the 1,900 or so seats go to guests from the world of politics, not actual friends of the couple.

The couple have also invited many guests from the charities they work with, and Middleton has used her influence to invite the butcher, shopkeeper and pub owner from her home village of Bucklebury.

President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle were not invited and many other international leaders are also expected to be watching on TV, not from a seat at Westminster Abbey.

It is not clear if treasured Brits from the world of stage and screen and pop music will be on the list.

1. Who were not invited to Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding?    

A. David Beckham and his wife.

B. Elton John and his partner David Furnish.

C. People from the charities they work with.

D. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle.

2.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?      

A. The guest list for the wedding is officially announced.

B. The wedding is technically a state event.

C. Only the actual friends of the couple will be invited to the wedding.

D. A large number of guests from the world of politics will be invited.

3.The word "prominent" in paragraph 5 probably means         .   

A. honest                                    B. modern

C. well known and important                  D. busy and hardworking

4.It can be inferred from the passage that         .   

A. their wedding will be held at Westminster Abbey on April 29^th.

B. Kate Reardon was invited to the wedding.

C. journalists will not be allowed to attend the wedding.

D. their former sweethearts are sure to attend their wedding.

5.The best title for the passage might be         .    

A. Prince William and Middleton fall in love at St. Andrews University

B. British royal wedding guest list details leaks out

C. Prince William and Middleton prepares for their grand wedding

D. British singers and movie stars invited to the wedding

To find how the name Canada came about we must go back to the 16th century. At that time, the French dreamed of disclosing and controlling more land, of expanding(扩展)trade beyond(超出)  their borders and of spreading their faith(信仰) across the world .In 1535, Francois I ,King of France, ordered a navigator (航海家) named Jacques Cartier to explore(探险) the New World and search for a passage to India.
Cartier first arrived at the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, which he wanted to explore. He did not know what to expect but he hoped that this Gulf was just an arm of the ocean between two islands. If it was, he would soon be on his way to the Far East. So he sailed upstream along the St. Lawrence River. However, instead or reaching Asia he arrived at Quebec or Stadacona, as the Indians called it. It was at this point that the term “ Canada” entered the country’s history. Apparently the word “Canada” came from an Indian work “Kanata”, which means community or village. Cartier first used it when he referred to Stadacona or Quebec. What a huge “ village” Canada is!
【小题1】In the early sixteenth century , the King of France ordered Cartier to ______

The Great Fire of London started in the very early hours of September 2, 1666. In four days it destroyed more than three-quarters of the old city, where most of the houses were wooden and close together. Over one hundred people became homeless, but only a few lost their lives .
　　The fire started on Sunday morning in the house of the King’s baker（面包师）in Pudding Lane. The baker, with his wife and family, was able to get out through a window into the roof. A strong wind blew the fire from the bakery（面包房）into a small hotel next door. Then it spread quickly into Thames Street. That was the beginning.
　　By eight o’clock three hundred houses were on fire. On Monday nearly a kilometer of the city was burning along the River Thames. Tuesday was the worst day. The fire destroyed many well-known buildings, old St Paul’s and the Guildhall among them .
　　Samuel Pepys , the famous writer, writer about the fire, “People threw their things into the river. Many poor people stayed in their houses until the last moment. Birds fell out of the air because of the heat .”
　　The fire stopped only when the King finally ordered people to destroy hundreds of buildings in the path（路径） of the fire.With nothing left to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.
　　After the fire, Christopher Wren, the architect(建筑师), wanted a city with wider streets and fine new houses of stone．In fact, the streets are still narrow, but he did build more than fifty churches, among which was the new St Paul’s
　　The fire caused great pain and loss, but after it London was a better place: a city for the future and not just of the past.
【小题1】The underlined word‘family’in the second paragraph probably means____.