New archaeological discovers suggest that trade between Europe and Asia along the Silk

Road probably began in some form many countries earlier than once thought. The findings, coupled with a widening range of scientific and historical research, could add a fascinating new

page to the epic of the Silk Road.

    The latest and most surprising discovery is pieces of silk found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy from about 1000 BC, long before regular traffic on the Silk Road and at least one thousand years before silk was previously thought to be used in Egypt. Other research may extend human activity along this route back even further, perhaps a million years to the migration of human ancestors into eastern Asia.

    The official origin of East-West commerce along the road is usually placed in the late 2nd century BC when an agent of the Chinese Emperor Wu-di returned from a dangerous secret mission（使命）across the desert into the remote high country of Central Asia. The agent, Zhang Qian, travelled as far as Afghanistan and brought back knowledge of even more distant lands such as Persia, Syria and a place known as Lijien, perhaps Rome. Historians have called this one of the most important journeys in ancient times. His journey opened the way for what have been thought to be the first indirect contacts between the ancient world’s two superpowers, China and Rome. Chinese silk, first traded to central Asian tribes for war horses and to the Parthians of old Persia in exchange for acrobats and ostrich eggs, was soon finding its way through a network of merchants to the luxury markets of Rome.

    But the new discoveries show that Chinese silk was apparently present in the West long before the Han emperor started organized trade over the Silk Road. The research could change thinking about the early history of world trade and provide insights into the mystery of just how and when Europe and the Mediterranean lands first became aware of the glorious culture at the other end of Eurasia.

The word “coupled” in the first paragraph could best be replaced by ______.

 A. produced       B. contributed      C. doubled        D. combined

The silk thread found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy suggests that ______.

 A. Egyptians had probably travelled to China to buy silk

 B. trade along the Silk Road began earlier than once thought

 C. historical research often achieves fascinating results

 D. new light can now be thrown on ancient trading practices

Until recently most historians believed that trade along the Silk Road _______.

 A. originated in the 2nd century BC

 B. extended human migration into eastern Asia

 C. began a million years ago

 D. primarily benefited the Egyptians

Historians have always considered Zhang Qian’s mission important because they believe ______.

 A. be brought back knowledge of Rome to the emperor     B. be discovered the Silk Road

 C. be helped establish East-West trade               D. be travelled as far as Afghanistan

An allowance is an important tool for teaching kids how to budget, save and make their own decisions. Children remem­ber and learn from mistakes when their own dollars are lost or spent foolishly.
How large an allowance is appropriate? Experts say there is not right amount. Actual amounts differ from region to re­gion, and from family to family.
To set an appropriate allowance for your child, work up a weekly budget. Allow for entertainment expenditures such as movies and snacks. Next, include everyday expenses such as lunch money, bus fare, school supplies. "If you make the child responsible for these ‘ ills’," says Josephine Swanson, a consumer specialist, " he or she will learn to budget for nec­essary expenditures."
Finally, add some extra money to make saving possible. If you can, keep your child’s allowance in line with that of his friends. A child whose purchasing power falls away below his peers’ can feel left out.
It can be tough, but avoid excusing your children when they make a mistake with their allowance. When Brooke Ste­phens was ten and growing up in Jacksonville, her mother gave her $5 a week, $1.75 of which was for bus fare and lunch." If you lose your money," Brooke’s mother told her, "you walk home."
One week the girl spent all her allowance in a candy store, then she called home for a ride. " Mom made me walk home," recalls Stephens, now a financial planner in Brook­lyn. " At first I was angry. But I finally realized that she was trying to teach me an important lesson. "
Experts advise that an allowance should not be tied di­rectly to a child’s daily chores. Kids should help around the house not because they get paid for it but because they share responsibilities as members of a family. You might, however, pay a child for doing extra jobs at home, which can develop his or her initiative.
63. Which of the following is the possible title of the passage?
A. How to develop a child’s initiative.
B. How to work up an amount of pocket money.
C. How to teach a child to save money.
D. How to teach a child about money.
64. It can be inferred from the passage that if a child is given an allowance, he or she may ________.
A. spend all the money very soon             
B. be spoiled and finally ruined
C. feel responsible and careful about money
D. lost the money and can not return home
65. In Paragraph 4, the words “his peers” refer to ________.
A. his parents      B. his teachers       C. his financial experts      D. his friends
66. The author implies in the passage that ________.
A. paying children for their housework is no good
B. a child’s initiative can be developed if he or she is paid for all the housework
C. children may feel lost and lonely if they have no pocket money
D. children may learn to put aside some money if they are given a great amount of pocket money

Three armed robbers stole two Pablo Picasso prints from an art museum in downtown Sao

Paulo on Thursday, which was the city’s second high-profile art theft in less than a year. The bandits also took two oil paintings by well-know Brazilian artists Emiliano Di Cavalcanti and Lasar Segall, said Carla Regina, a spokeswoman for the Pinacoteca do Estado museum.

The Picasso prints stolen were "The Painter and the Model" from 1963 and "Minotaur, Drinker and Women" from 1933, according to a statement from the Sao Paulo Secretary of State for Culture, which oversees the museum. The prints and paintings have a combined value of $612,000, the statement and a museum official said.

About noon, three armed men paid the $2.45 entrance fee and immediately went to the second-floor gallery where the works were being exhibited, bypassing more valuable pieces, authorities said. "This indicates to us that they probably received an order" to take those specific works, Youssef Abou Chain, head of Sao Paulo's organized crime unit, told reporters at a news conference. The assailants overpowered three unarmed museum guards and grabbed the works, officials said. The robbery took about 10 minutes and the museum was nearly empty at the time. The assailants took the pieces — frames and all — out of the museum in two bags. The institution has no metal detectors.

In December, Picasso's "Portrait of Suzanne Bloch" and "O Lavrador de Cafe" by Candido Portinari, an influential Brazilian artist, were stolen from the Sao Paulo Museum of Art by three men who used a crowbar（铁撬棍）and car jack to force open one of the museum's steel doors. The framed paintings were found Jan. 8, covered in plastic and leaning against a wall in a house on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, South America's largest city. One of the suspects in that robbery — a former TV chef — turned himself over to police in January, who already had two suspects in custody（监禁）.

1.What did the armed men steal on Thursday?

         A．Two prints by Pablo Picasso

        B．Two oil painting by Brazilian artists

        C．Two prints by Pablo Picasso and two oil paintings by two Brazilian artists.

        D．Two prints by two Brazilian artists and two oil paintings by Picasso Pablo.

2.Why didn't the thieves take other more valuable works?

        A．Because they didn't know that the other pieces were worth more.

        B．Probably because they had received an order for the prints that they took.

        C．Because they didn't have enough time. [来源:Zxxk.Com]

        D．Because they were in such a hurry that they couldn’t get them all.

3.How many people were in the museum during the robbery?

        A．A lot. The museum was crowded.

        B．Not too many. It was almost empty.

        C．There were a lot of people outside the museum.

        D．Only three of them.

4.According to the passage, which of the followings is TRUE?

        A．In December, "Portrait of Suzanne Bloch" and "O Lavrador de Cafe" painted by Candido

Portinari were stolen.

        B．There are steel doors and no detectors in Sao Paulo Museum of Art.

        C．Three robbers defeated three armed museum guards and took away the works on Thursday.

        D．Three suspects in the first high-profile art theft in less than a year were arrested.

New archaeological discoveries suggest that trade between Europe and Asia along the Silk Road probably began in some form many centuries earlier than once thought. The findings, coupled with a widening range of scientific and historical research could add a fascinating new page to the epic (史诗) of the Silk Road.
The most surprising discovery is pieces of silk found in the hair of an Egyptian mummy from about 1000 BC, long before regular traffic on the Silk Road and at least one thousand years before silk was previously thought to be used in Egypt. Other research may extend human activity along this route back even further, perhaps a million years to the migration of human ancestors into eastern Asia.
The official origin of East-West trade along the road is usually placed in the late 2^nd century BC when an agent of the Chinese Emperor Wu-di returned from a dangerous secret mission（使命）across the desert into the remote high country of Central Asia. The agent, Zhang Qian, travelled as far as Afghanistan and brought back knowledge of even more distant lands such as Persia, Syria and a place known as Lijien, perhaps Rome. Historians have called this one of the most important journeys in ancient times. His journey opened the way for what have been thought to be the first indirect contacts between the ancient world’s two superpowers, China and Rome. Chinese silk, first traded to central Asian tribes for war horses and to the Parthian for acrobats and ostrich eggs, was soon finding its way through a network of merchants to the luxury (奢侈品) markets in Rome.
But the new discoveries show that Chinese silk was apparently present in the West long before the Han emperor started organized trade over the Silk Road. The research could change thinking about the early history of world trade and provide insights into the mystery of just how and when Europe and the Mediterranean lands first became aware of the glorious culture at the other end of Eurasia.
【小题1】The word “coupled” in the first paragraph could best be replaced by        .

A．Egyptians had probably travelled to China to buy silk

B．new light can now be thrown on ancient trading practices

C．historical research often achieves fascinating results

D．trade along the Silk Road began earlier than once thought

Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way---was it through training and practice, or are great players “born, not made”? First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past---players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate(模仿). In the history of soccer, only seven countries have ever won the World Cup---three from South America and four from western Europe. There has never been a great national team---or a really great player---from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at the age of three or four.
Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighbourhood---a poor, crowded area where a boy’s dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer(艺人). For example, Liverpool, which produced the Beatles, had one of the best English soccer teams in recent years. Pele practiced in the street with a “ball” made of rags(破布). And George Best learned the tricks that made him famous by bouncing the ball off a wall(对着墙壁踢球) in the slums(贫民窟) of Belfast.
All great players have a lot in common, but that doesn’t explain why they are great. Hundreds of boys played in those Brazilian streets, but only one became Pele. The greatest players are born with some unique quality that sets them apart from all the others.
46. According to the writer, which of the following statements is true?
A. Soccer is popular all over the world, but truly great players are few.
B. Millions of people all over the world are playing soccer, but only seven countries have ever had famous stars.
C. Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but only seven countries from South America and western Europe have ever had great national teams.
D. Soccer is one of the most popular games all over the world, but it seems the least popular in North America and Asia.
47. The world “tricks” at the end of Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______.
A. experience      B. cheating         C. skills          D. training
48. The Brazilian streets are mentioned to illustrate that ______.
A. famous soccer players live in slum areas
B. people in poor areas are born with some unique quality
C. children in poor areas start playing football at the age of three or four
D. a great soccer player may be born in a slum area
49. In the last paragraph the statement “…but only one became Pele” indicates that ______.
A. Pele is the greatest soccer player
B. the greatest players are born with some unique quality
C. Pele’s birthplace sets him apart from all the others
D. the success of a soccer player has everything to do with the family background
50. The writer mentions all the factors that may affect a soccer player’s success except ______.
A. his family background               B. his neighbourhood
C. his practice                              D. his character