The flag, the most common symbol of a nation in the modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning, the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark buildings, ships and other vehicles related to a country.

The national flag as we know it today is in no way a primitive artifact. It is, rather, the product of thousands of years’ development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the earlier served to show wind direction.

Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers. People’s food supplies were similarly vulnerable. Even after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind, which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.

Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems (图腾) before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.

These flags developed very slowly into modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked: The king of China around 1,000 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe, where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag.

1. The underlined word “ vulnerable” in paragraph 3 means _______.

　　A. easy to damage　　                B. likely to be protected

　　C. impossible to make sure of　　       D. difficult to find

2.The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because they _______.

　　A. could tell wind direction　　         B. could bring good luck to fighters

　　C. were believed to stand for natural forces D. were handed down by the ancestors

3.What does the author know of the first national flag?

　　A. He knows when it was sent to Europe.  B. He doubts where it started.

　　C. He thinks it came from China.   　　  D. He believes it was made in Egypt.

4.What will the author most probably talk about next?

　　A. The role of China in the spread of the national flag.

　　B. The importance of modern flags.

　　C. The use of modern flags in Europe.

　　D. The second ancestor of the national flag.

阅读下列短文，从所给的四个选项中，选出最佳答案。

    Albie is old, with a slow, heavy walk. He wears his hair short and　　 his trousers low. He works for some people who own small country　　 houses.

    The other day, he was in a little dustbin shelter (遮蔽物) for the　　 neighbors up the road. He painted the shed (棚) green and let it　　 dry. I went to look at it, putting my finger to the smooth paint. But　　 the next day Albie came back with a machine and roughed up (粗磨, 使不　　 平) the paint. He was adding another coating. He said "That is not the　　 way Albie works. What I make by hand does not look unprofessional (外　　 行的)."

    Nothing in Albie's world holds secrets from him so far as houses　　 are concerned, because at some time he either builds it, repairs it or　　 decorates it. The fuse (保险丝) box, the stone patio (用石块砌的院子),　　 the shed, the small house, these are all Albie's work.

    The people Albie works for do big businesses. Albie does not know　　 how to buy and sell securities (证券). But when these men want to have　　 sheds built or patios laid, they come to Albie. People may wonder why　　 Albie gets paid so little for doing so much. The reason is simple. He　　 leads a quiet and simple life. He is always alone with his serene　　 thoughts.

(1) Albie works for _______.　　　　　　　　　　　　    ［　　］ 　　　　 A.the townsmen　　　　　　
　　　　 B. the peasants 　　　　 
　　　　 C. some rich businessmen  　　　　 
　　　　 D. the people in the neighborhood 　　  

(2) In Albie's world __________.　　　　　　　　　　  ［　　］ 　　　　 A. he knows everything well about small houses 　　　　 B. everything seems to be a secret 　　　　 C. everything is ready for others 　　　　 D. he keeps no secret when he teaches others how to build or  　　　　　　repair something 　　  

(3) Although the painting looked good enough to the writer, Albie 　　　　 would ______.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 ［　　］ 　　　　 A. give it another coating    　　　　 B. give it a final coat of paint 　　　　 C. make it look professional  　　　　 D. not use any machines 　　 

(4) Which of the following do you think is right according to the 　　　　 passage?　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  ［　　］ 　　　　 A. Albie couldn't do complicated things because of his age. 　　　　 B. he wants his work to be perfect. 　　　　 C. The rich look down upon Albie. 　　　　 D. What Albie does is of great value. 　　  

(5) Which do you think is the best title for the article? 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   ［　　］ 　　　　 A. A Free Person　　　　　　  B. Old Albie-Experienced 　　　　 C. A Master's Touch (风格)　　D. A Simple but Helpful Man

______ he is a good football player.

[　　]

A. He knows　　　　　B. It is known to all

C. He is known　　　 D. It knows