Runners in a relay(接力) race pass a stick in one direction. However, merchants passed silk, gold, fruit, and glass along the Silk Road in more than one direction. They earned their living by traveling the famous Silk Road.

The Silk Road was not a simple trading network. It passed through thousands of citied and towns. It started from eastern China, across Central Asia and the Middle East, and ended in the Mediterranean Sea. It was used from about 200 B, C, to about A, D, 1300, when sea travel offered new routes(路线)　, It was sometimes called the world’s longest highway. However, the Silk Road was made up of many routes, not one smooth path. They passed through what are now 18 countries. The routes crossed mountains and deserts and had many dangers of hot sun, deep snow and even battles. Only experienced traders could return safe.

    The Silk Road got its name from its most prized product. Silk could be used like money to pay taxes or buy goods. But the traders carried more than just silk. Gold, silver, and glass from Europe were much found in the Middle East and Asia. Horses traded from other areas changed farming practices in China. Indian merchants traded salt and other valuable goods. Chinese merchants traded paper, which produced an immediate effect on the West. Apples traveled from central Asia to Rome. The Chinese had learned to graft(嫁接)　different trees together to make new kinds of fruit. They passed this science on to others, including the Romans. The Romans used grafting to grow the apple. Trading along the Silk Road led to world-wide business 2,000 years before the World Wide Web.

The people along the Silk Road did not share just goods. They also shared their beliefs. The Silk Road provided pathways for learning, diplomacy(外交), and religion (宗教)

It’s probable that traders along the Silk Road needed         .

A. to remember the entire trade route       B. to know the making of products

C. to receive certain special training        D. to deal with a lot of difficulties

The Silk Road became less important because          .

A. it was made up of different routes        B. silk trading became less popular

C. sea travel provided easier routes         D. people needed fewer foreign goods

New technologies could travel along the Silk Road because people          .

A. learned from one another               B. shared each other’s beliefs

C. traded goods along the route             D. earned their living by traveling

What is the best title for the passage?

   A. The Silk Road ; Past and Present         B. The Silk Road; East Meets West

C. The Silk Road; Routes Full of Dangers    D. The Silk Road; Pathways for Learning

   Imagine a mass of floating waste is two times the size of the state of Texas. Texas has a land area of more than 678 000 square kilometers. So it might be difficult to imagine anything twice as big.

    All together, this mass of waste flowing in the North Pacific Ocean is known as the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch. It weighs about 3 500 000 tons. The waste includes bags，bottles and containers—plastic products of all kinds.

    The eastern part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch is about l 600 kilometers west of California. The western part is west of the Hawaiian Islands and east of Japan. The area has been described as a kind of oceanic desert，with light winds and slow moving water currents. The water moves so slow that garbage from all over the world collects there.

    In recent years，there have been growing concerns about the floating garbage and its effect on sea creatures and human health. Scientists say thousands of animals get trapped in the floating waste，resulting in death or injury. Even more die from a lack of food or water after swallowing pieces of plastic. The trash can also make animals feel full，lessening their desire to eat or drink.

    The floating garbage also can have harmful effects on people. There is an increased threat of infection of disease from polluted waste，and from eating fish that swallowed waste. Divers can also get trapped in the plastic.

    Its existence first gained public attention in l997. That was when racing boat captain and oceanographer Charles Moore and his crew sailed into the garbage while returning from a racing event. Five years earlier，another oceanographer learned of the trash after a shipment of rubber duckies got lost at sea. Many of those toys are now part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.

    In August，2009，a team from the University of California，San Diego became the

latest group to travel to it. They were shocked by the amount of waste they saw. They gathered hundreds of sea creatures and water samples to measure the garbage patch’s effect on ocean environment.

How did the writer introduce the topic of the passage?

   A. By giving an example.         B. By listing the facts.

   C. By telling a story.             D. By giving a comparison.

What do we know about the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?

   A. It is made up of various kinds of plastic products.

   B. It is a solid mass of floating waste materials.

   C. It lies l60 000 kilometers east of California.

   D. It is described as a kind of oceanic desert.

Why do people pay attention to the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?

   A. Because it may prevent the flow of ocean water.

   B. Because the polluted plastic articles will move up the food chain.

    C. Because it may be from an island in the pacific.

    D. Because ships may be trapped in the floating waste.

Which column can you find the passage on a newspaper?

    A. Sports and entertainment.            B. Media and culture.

    C. Environment and society.             D. Science and technology.

The purpose of writing this passage is to____________.

    A. warn people of the danger to travel in the pacific

    B. analyze what caused the waste patch in the pacific

    C. give advice on how to recycle waste in the ocean

D. introduce the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch

______ was most important to her, she told me, was her family.

A.It                   B. This              C. What            D. As

In 1879, a group of explorers made an incredible find. They discovered paintings of remarkable beauty on the walls of a cave in Spain. Some scientists believed that these paintings were created by early humans from the Stone Age, between ten and thirty thousand years ago. Other scientists and the public did not believe the claim, but over the years, it was proven correct. Our ancestors had incredible artistic talents.

Most of the cave art that has been discovered has been found in Spain and France. A smaller number of such caves are located in Italy, Portugal, Russia, and other countries. Scientists believe that many more caves will be discovered in the coming years, and are concentrating their efforts on Africa and the area between Europe and Asia. These two regions of the world were, populated first by humans.

Cave art was carved or painted on the walls and roofs of caves, usually near the entrance. The entrance area was probably chosen to take advantage of daylight and to allow many people to view the paintings. In some cases, the art appears much deeper in caves and requires artificial light. Evidence suggests that the artists used torches or shallow bowls in which animal fat was burned.

What was the response of general public to the discovery of cave art made by Stone Age people?  

A. They believed it at first.

B. They did not believe it.

C. They thought it was beautiful.

D. They ignored it.

According to the passage, what can we conclude about animal fat?

A. It does not burn.

B. Stone Age artists used it to preserve their paintings.

C. It can be burned to produce light.

D. Stone Age artists mixed it with their food.

Where do scientists expect to find more cave paintings?

A. In Central and South America.

B. In Spain and France.

C. In the places where there are caves with large openings.

D. In the regions of the world first populated by humans.

Where would this passage be most likely to appear?

A. In a textbook about early human history.

B. In a textbook about modern art.

C. In a dictionary.

D. In an encyclopedia entry about caves.

People in the United States honour their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June.These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care.

These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers are now working outside home. More fathers must help with the children care.

These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day, people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother, while a black one shows the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honour parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit cemetery ( 墓地). On these days, families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.

Another tradition is to give cards and gifts. Children make them in school. Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is the thought that counts. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.

Which of the following is NOT a reason for parents show love and respect for parents?

A. Parents bring up children                

B. Parents give love and care to children

C. Parents educate children to be good persons 

D. Parents pass away before children grow up

Which do you think is true about “carnation” mentioned in paragraph 3?

A. It has only two kinds of colours     

B. It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’Day

C. It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes.

D. People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May

What can we learn from the passage?

A. Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May

B. Fewer women worked outside the home in the past

C. Not all the children respect their parents

D. Fathers are not as important as mothers

On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, ____________.

A. people usually have family parties   B. everyone goes to visit the cemetery

C. children always go to parents’ home  D. hand-made cards are not valuable