Attending a university is an important part of a person’s life. Today, many people go to a university to study and train for a future job in subjects like law, medicine, or education. But the university is not a modern invention. It has a history that is over a thousand years old.

The world’s oldest university, Al-Azhar, is in Cairo, Egypt. It was first built as a mosque in A.D. 972. A few years later, learners and teachers began meeting in the mosque in “tutoring circles”. They read and talked about the subject of law. Around 988, leaders in the city of Cairo decided to create a school for higher learning and the University of Al-Azhar was founded.

At Al-Azhar, there were many university ‘firsts.’ Courses were created. The earliest ones taught at Al-Azhar were in law and religion. In a course, students read and studied with the teacher, but there was also free discussion. Often, students and teachers talked about a topic, and there was no ‘right’ answer. Finally, scholars from around the world came to Al-Azhar to teach and do research. At the university, people studied the past, but it was also a place for sharing new ideas.

Over a thousand years later, Al-Azhar is still an important university in the world. Its library contains more than 250,000 of the world’s oldest and most valuable books. Today, many of the world’s most important universities such as Oxford and Harvard still follow the traditions started at Al-Azhar.

1.What’s this passage mainly about?

2. The first university was founded over _____ years ago.

3.The oldest university in the world is _____.

4. What does the underlined word “course” mean in this passage?

A. A series of lessons.                                    C. A period of time.

C. A series of actions.                                    D. A group of professors.

5.What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?

The Convention(公约)concerning the protection of world cultural and natural heritage appeared from a need to call for international cooperation to protect the world's natural and scenic areas and historic sites for present and the future generations.

In 1959 there was international concern over the flooding of the Abu Simbel temples, a treasure of ancient Egyptian civilization, to build the Aswan High Dam in Egypt. Through an international campaign by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) on the request of Egypt and Sudan, resources were found to move the temples to a new site. In 1965,a conference at the White House in Washington DC, USA called for a "World Heritage Trust" and international cooperation to protect "the world's superb natural and scenic areas and historic sites for the present and the future". In 1969, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) developed similar proposals for its members .Therefore, the Convention was adopted by the General Conference of UNESCO in 1972. By regarding heritage as both cultural and natural, the Convention reminds us of the ways in which people interact with nature , and of the basic need to keep the balance between the two.

The Convention identifies the natural or cultural sites on the World Heritage List, and sets out their role in protecting them .Although the emphasis has been on sites and natural features of "outstanding universal value", each country promises not only to conserve the World Heritage sites situated in its country, but also to protect and conserve its cultural and natural heritage.

There is also a "List of World Heritage in Danger" which are sites threatened by serious and specific dangers caused by changes in the use or ownership of the land , wars or natural disasters.

1.What is the purpose of the World Heritage Convention according to the passage?

A．To call for international cooperation to help poor people.

B．To protect the world's natural and cultural heritage.

C．To save the natural resouces for next generation in the world.

D．To raise money for the endangered heritage in the world.

2.What can we infer from the second paragraph in the passage?

A．The history of the UNESCO is very long.

B．The World Heritage Convention is not accepted by people.

C．The Abu Simbel temples in Egypt are moved to a new site.

D．The adoption of the World Heritage Convention takes al long time.

3.The last two paragraphs mainly tell us __________.

A．the detailed purpose of the World Heritage Convention

B．how to make a list of world heritage in danger

C．how to make a world heritage list

D．the importance of making two lists

4.Which of the following has the same meaning as the underlined word "conserve"?

A．Pretend.          B．Prevent.          C．Preserve.         D．Prepare.

5.According to Paragraph 4, there are many sites in danger for reasons EXCEPT________.

A．abuse of land      B．conflicts           C．lack of money      D．natural disasters

Scientists in Mexico have just begun a new study of one of the world’s biggest pyramids: the Pyramid of the Sun, north of Mexico City. They’re putting lots of small, high-tech machines under the pyramid to try to unlock some of its secrets. For thousands of years, people have tried to uncover the secrets of the pyramids.

The people who built the pyramids made lots of secret doors and rooms to stop robbers from finding the treasures inside. However, there always have been some smart thieves in history. Now, almost all of Egypt’s pyramids have been robbed, including the Great Pyramid of Khufu, which is the largest pyramid in the world. It is the only one of the ancient wonders of the world that is still standing.

In AD 820, an Arab king named Abdullah AL Manum got a group of workers to dig their way into the Great Pyramid and have a look. Inside the pyramid, they found three rooms --- the Queen’s Chamber, the Grand Gallery and the King’s Chamber. But to their surprise, the men didn’t find the treasures they wanted. The Queen’s and King’s Chambers were both empty! Where were the King’s mummy and his treasures? Had someone already taken them away? The huge stone doors at the pyramid’s entrance were still closed when AL Manum’s men went inside. How had the thieves got in and out?

Since then, many people have gone inside the Great Pyramid to have a look or to try to take things. But still, no other chambers or walkways have been found.

In 2002, an American team made the most recent visit to the Great Pyramid. Scientists sent a robot into the pyramid, but they only found a mysterious locked stone door.

1.The first two paragraphs were written to show that ________.

A．the Pyramid of the Sun is an unusual historic building

B．ancient Egyptian emperors were cruel

C．construction workers led a hard life in ancient Egypt

D．the secrets of the pyramids remain to be uncovered

2.What is the purpose of making some secret doors to the pyramids?

A．To try to unlock some of its secrets.

B．To stop robbers from finding the treasures inside.

C．To refuse some visitors all over the world into it.

D．To tell the truth to the people in the future.

3.Which of the following is NOT true to the Great Pyramid of Khufu?

A．It is the largest pyramid in the world.

B．It is the only one of the ancient wonders that is still standing.

C．Abdullah AL Manum took the King’s mummy and his treasures away.

D．Scientists found a mysterious locked stone door to the Great Pyramid.

4.What would be the best title for the text?

A．The Pyramid of the Sun

B．The Great Pyramid of Khufu

C．A Mysterious Locked Stone Door

D．Unlocking the Doors of History

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
　　　　　　　　　　　　　B
In the hit film The bucket List, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman meet in hospital in California after they have been diagnosed with cancer. Between them they cook up a “bucket list” – a to-do list of all they want to do before they kick the bucket. The movie makes you wonder what would be on your bucket list. So let’s pack up some and see what it would cost to go out and have a little fun.
THE PYRAMIDS, GIZA, EGYPT
On to the pyramids, surely on anyone’s bucket list. Exotik Tours can take you there on a variety of trips, including their popular Egypt Express which includes three nights in Cairo and a three-night Nile Cruise(乘船游览). From $1,384, including four-and five-star accommodation, 12 meals and a ton of sightseeing.
www.exotiktours.com  416-646-3347
TAJ MAHAL, AGRA, INDIA
One of the world’s most fascinating images, India’s Taj Mahal makes even Nicholson and Freeman look calm. Toronto’s Goway Travel has many suggestions for India, including a three-day independent visit to Agra. Stay at the attractive Oberoi AmarVilas overlooking the Taj. Include two breakfasts, touring and airport transfer from $1,420.
www.gowaytravel.com   416-322-1034
THE GREAT WALL, CHINA
If the Great Wall of China is on your bucket list, check into Tour East Holiday’s four-day Amazing Beijing Tour for $580 per person, four-star accommodation, sightseeing including the Forbidden City and the Great Wall, breakfasts and two lunches, transportation and guide.
www.toureastholidays.com    416-929-0888
THE HIMALAYAS, NEPAL
And on to the Himalayas. Talk about “something truly majestic(壮丽的). See the top of the world on GAP Adventures’ Everest Adventure tour, a 15-day exploration including Everest Base Camp, teahouse lodge stays, and walking through Sherpa villages. Incredibly affordable at just $665 plus local payment of $250. GAP Adventures warns that this is a physically demanding trip.
www.gapadventures.com     416-260-0999
【小题1】The underlined phrase “kick the bucket” in Paragraph 1 means ______.

Ever thought you’d get to experience the smell of ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra’s hair, or the scent(气味) of the sun? Visitors to the Reg Vardy Gallery will soon be able to do just that.

The gallery, at Sunderland University, England, is holding a new exhibition “If There Ever Was”. It focuses on scent rather than sight.

The innovative(创新的) idea is the brainchild of curator(馆长) Robert Blackson. His inspiration came from reading the book Fast Food Nation. The book discussed the use of artificial chemicals to flavor things such as milkshakes, making them smell and taste like strawberries, when they’re not actually made from them.

A smell can often conjure up(召唤) memories such as school dinners or a childhood holiday by the sea, but the smells on display, will allow visitors to experience smells their noses won’t have been able to pick out before.

“There’s a whole variety of different smells, including some extinct flowers,” explains Blackson. “Some have been gone for hundreds of years.”

One extraordinary fragrance(香气) is the aftermath(灾难的后果) of the first atomic bomb, dropped on Japan on August 6,1945.

There is also the smell of Clepatra’s hair, based on incense(熏香) that was popular among ancient Egyptians.

The Soviet Mir space station, which burnt up in the atmosphere in 2001, smells of charred(烧焦的) material (the space station caught fire).

Among the stranger smells is the “surface of the sun”.

“It is hard to sum up. It is an atmospheric smell, like walking into a room when the sun has been pouring in” says Blackson. “It gives a freshness, a sun kissed feel with a bit of metal. If you can say something smells hot, this is it.”

A team of 11, including perfume designers, have been working on recreating the smells for the exhibition. James Wong, a botanist（植物学家）at Botanic Gardens Conservation International, UK, helped in the recreation of the smells of four extinct flowering plants.

He did this by closely linking the extinct flowers with the smells of existing ones. With the help of historical reports of how the extinct flowers smelled, he was able to remix the aromas(芳香).

The exhibition runs until June 6.Fourteen extinct and impossible smells are on display.

1.What might be the best title of the passage?

   A. The Reg Vardy Gallery       B. Egyptian queen Cleopatra’s hair

   C. A visit to a new exhibition     D. The scents of ancient Egypt

2.Visitors can enjoy all of the following scents at the Reg Vardy Gallery EXCEPT   .

   A. the scent of ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra’s hair

   B. the smells of charred material of the Soviet Mir space station

   C. the scent of having a childhood vacation by the sea

   D. the smell of the aftermath of the first atomic bomb dropped on Japan

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

   A. Visitors go to Reg Vardy Gallery to enjoy beautiful sights.

   B. James Wong managed to remix the aromas by referring to some historical reports.

   C. The exhibition will last until July 6.

   D. The scents visitors will smell are found in the tomb (坟墓) of the ancient Egyptian queen Cleopatra.

4.In which session are you likely to read the passage in a newspaper?

   A. Science       B. Education      C. Entertainment      D. Economy