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

 In times of economic crisis, Americans turn to their families for support. If the Great Depression is any guide, we may see a drop in our skyhigh divorce rate. But this won’t necessarily represent an increase in happy marriages. In the long run, the Depression weakened American families, and the current crisis will probably do the same.

　　We tend to think of the Depression as a time when families pulled together to survive huge job losses. By 1932, when nearly one-quarter of the workforce was unemployed, the divorce rate had declined by around 25% from 1929. But this doesn’t mean people were suddenly happier with their marriages. Rather, with incomes decreasing and insecure jobs, unhappy couples often couldn’t afford to divorce. They feared neither spouse could manage alone.

　　Today, given the job losses of the past year, fewer unhappy couples will risk starting separate households. Furthermore, the housing market meltdown will make it more difficult for them to finance their separations by selling their homes.

　　After financial disasters family members also tend to do whatever they can to help each other and their communities. A 1940 book “The Unemployed Man and His Family”, described a family in which the husband initially reacted to losing his job “with tireless search for work.” He was always active, looking for odd jobs to do.

　　The problem is that such an impulse is hard to sustain. Across the country, many similar families were unable to maintain the initial boost in morale(士气). For some, the hardships of life without steady work eventually overwhelmed their attempts to keep their families together. The divorce rate rose again during the rest of the decade as the recovery took hold.

　　Millions of American families may now be in the initial stage of their responses to the current crisis, working together and supporting one another through the early months of unemployment.

　　Today’s economic crisis could well generate a similar number of couples whose relationships have been irreparably(无法弥补地)ruined. So it’s only when the economy is healthy again that we’ll begin to see just how many broken families have been created.

1.In the initial stage, the current economic crisis is likely to __________.

A. tear many troubled families apart

B. bring about a drop in the divorce rate

C. contribute to enduring family ties

D. cause a lot of conflicts in the family

2.In the Great Depression many unhappy couples chose to stick together because_______.

A. starting a new family would be hard

B. they expected things would turn better

C. they wanted to better protect their kids

D. living separately would be too costly

3.In addition to job losses. What stands in the way of unhappy couples getting a divorce?

A. Mounting family debts

B. A sense of insecurity

C. Falling housing prices

D. Difficulty in getting a loan

4.What will the current economic crisis eventually do to some married couples?

A. It will irreparably damage their relationship

B. It will undermine their mutual understanding

C. It will help strengthen their emotional bonds

D. It will force them to pull their efforts together

5.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. The economic recovery will see a higher divorce rate

B. Few couples can stand the test of economic hardships

C. A stable family is the best protection against poverty.

D. Money is the foundation of many a happy marriage

The flag, the most common symbol(象征) 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(原始的)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 1000 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.

The best title for the passage would be______.

A. Power of the National Flag         B. Uses of Flag

C. Types of Flags                     D. Development of the National Flag

The underlined word “vulnerable” in Paragraph 3 means_____

A. impossible to make sure of         B. difficult to find

C. likely to be protected             D. easy to damage

The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because______

A. they were believed to stand for natural forces

B. they could bring good luck to fighters

C. they were handed down by the ancestors

D. they could tell wind direction

What does the author know of the first national flag?

A. He thinks it came from            B. He believes it was made in Egypt

C. He doubts where it started.    D. He knows when it was sent to Europe

What was the author most probably talk about next?

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

B. The second ancestor of the national flag.

C. The use of modern flags in Europe   

D. The importance of modern flags

第二部分：阅读理解（第一节20小题，第二节5小题；每小题2分共50分）
第一节：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卷上将该项标号涂黑。
A
The angry locals of an English village blocked the driver of a Google Street View car who was
filming the neighborhood, saying they feared he world encourage thieves, a report said Friday.
One local, Paul Jacobs, told the BBC he had warned his neighbors after spotting the car from
his window in Broughton, Buckinghamshire, southern England, on Wednesday.
“I don’t have a problem with Google wanting to promote villages. What I have a problem with
is the invasion （侵犯）of privacy, taking pictures directly into the home,” Jacobs said.
“We’ve already had three homes broken into locally in the past six weeks. If our houses are
made noticeable all over Google, it’s an invitation for more criminals to strike. I was determined to
make a stand, so I called the police.”
After his call, a police car arrived in Broughton in response to an argument between a crowd of people and a Google Street View contractor.
“They felt his presence was a threat to their privacy. When police arrived at the scene, the car had moved on,” explained a spokeswoman for Thames Valley Police.
The Google Street View project, set up last month in Britain, aims to provide detailed 360-degree views online of streets all over Britain.
The project has already been strongly criticized by associations like Privacy International, a pressure group which has launched legal action against the IT company.
Google is confident that their new mapping project is within the law.
“Before launching Street View we sought the guidance and approval of the Information Commissioner’s Office. The ICO has repeatedly made clear that it believes that Street View includes the safeguards necessary to protect people’s privacy,” a Google spokesman said.
“The Metropolitan Police （in London） told us they saw no significant security risk, that thieves are likely to make use of the opportunities, and that mapping products can be useful in solving and mapping crime in an area.”
He added: “Engaged in new projects, we sometimes meet unexpected challenges, and Street View has been no exception.”
41.When the police car arrived at the village,__________
A．the villagers were angrily arguing with the Google car driver.
B．the map car was stopped from leaving the village.
C．The map car had stopped its working and gone on its way.
D．The map car was surrounded by the angry villagers.
42．The underlined phrase “make a stand” in Paragraph 4 means       .
A．stand there all the time whole waiting for the police
B．show full support to Google’s filming the neighborhood
C．attempt to defend locals by stopping Google’s filming the neighborhood
D．stand in the way to stop the car moving on
43．Which of the following sentences is TRUE?
A．Google’s mapping project has not been officially approved.
B．Three homes had been visited by thieves with the help of Google pictures.
C．The police rushed to stop a fight between locals and Google contractors.
D．It was not the first time that the Google map project had been criticized.
44．What’s the best title for the passage?
A．Google’s Mapping Project Promotes the Neighobrohood.
B．Angry British Villagers Stop Google Maps Car.
C．Google Goes On With its Plan to Film the Streets.
D．New Project Meets Challenges Again.

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 1000 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.
【小题1】The best title for the passage would be “________”.