What is the tallest gift received by the United States? Located in New York Harbor, the 152-foot Statue of Liberty was a gift of international friendship from the people of France to the people of the United States. An inspiration to millions of immigrants, this statue is a universal symbol of freedom, democracy（民主）, and diplomacy（外交）.
The relationship between the United States and France began during America's quest for independence from Great Britain in 1776. Benjamin Franklin was among those who served on the diplomatic front during the Revolutionary War. By living in Paris as the American ambassador, Benjamin cultivated a relationship with the French government and the French people. As a result, French soldiers fought alongside the American colonists （拓殖者）. Paris was the site for peace negotiations between the United States and Great Britain at the end of the war.
In 1865, Edourd de Laboulaye of France developed the idea of creating a giant statue to honor the friendship and the commitment to liberty between France and the United States. He formed the French-American Union to raise money for this project. Joseph Pulitzer used the editorial pages of his newspaper to raise support in the United States for the fund. French sculptor Auguste Bartholdi and structural engineer Gustave Eiffel finished the project in Paris, and the French people presented it to the people of America on July 4, 1884. The statue was then shipped across the Atlantic in 214 boxes broken into 350 individual separate pieces. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated（奉献）on October 28,1886, and President Grover Cleveland accepted the statue on behalf of the American people.
Ellis Island, which was the arrival point for European immigrants, is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument. Between 1892 and 1924, more than 22 million passengers saw the Statue of Liberty as they passed through Ellis Island and the Port of New York. This landmark of freedom became a National Monument in 1924 and a major tourist attraction in the 20th Century.
56．From the passage, we can know the relationship between France and the USA from 1776
to 1865 is .
A. very cold B. just so-so C. quite close D. quite tense
57．Why did Edourd de Laboulaye put forward the project of building the Statue of Liberty?
A. To show respect to the USA.
B. To show the strong image of France.
C. To raise a lot of money.
D. To show the friendship and the commitment to liberty between the two countries.
58．The underlined word “landmark” in the last paragraph means .
A. road B. success C. sign D. wonder
59．The best title for this passage is .
A. The Statue of Liberty B. A Great Project
C. Great Relationship D. Peace Negotiations
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Nothing says love like a dozen long – stemmed roses on Valentine’s Day. More than a million roses will be sold during this festival for lovers, the biggest day of the year for the nation’s rose industry. It’s going to remain the most popular flower because love never goes out of style.
Yes, a rose is a rose is a rose. But selling them is no longer a beautiful experience for traditional flower shops. Supermarkets now offer convenience to the busy and discount rose shops help those hopelessly in love save money. Roses only is a good example of a discount rose retailer that was transformed from a traditional shop to answer the challenge in the’ 90s.
Inside this store on Sixth Avenue near 40 th Street, contemporary white furniture and wall – to – wall mirrors give it an expensive look. Customers move about freely among the counters, looking eagerly at the roses in more than 50 colors from shelf to shelf. Some customers say it’s the high quality of the roses that attracts them there. “I spent $ 20 but the flowers looked like I paid 60 or 70 dollars,” says one customer.
Studies show more people are buying roses in ones, two and threes these days. In fact, more than half of all roses are sold in bunches of fewer than a dozen. But Roses Only's low prices encourage people to spend. Even on Valentine's Day, when the price of a dozen roses and delivery can soar as high as $150, 12 of Roses Only's most expensive flowers sell for just $35. The company's key to success is to hold prices down by controlling every link in the rose chain. It grows its own roses in the sunshine of the Andes Mountains. In addition, the company also sells other items such as ballons and stuffed animals.
While discount rose retailers are witnessing their business bloom, U.S. rose growers aren’t able to compete with the fierce foreign competition. More than 57% of roses sold in the USA are grown in other countries. The biggest foreign producers are Colombia and Ecuador, which accounted for almost 90% of the total imported last year. The trend has hurt domestic rose growers such as Johnson Flowers of California, considered to be this country's leading producer.
Now, instead of fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. "We have a few big fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. “We may also widen our business to include the service area and be a representative for overseas flower producers.”
As a result of severe competition, those in the rose business long for the good old days, whereas ordinary people benefit from the low price.
60．What is the central theme of this text?
A．The US rose business is going from bad to worse in spite of the efforts made.
B．The rose will remain the most popular flower as love never goes out of date.
C．The rose business is trying to meet the challenges in the market to succeed.
D．The rose industry plays an important role in American economy.
61．How does Roses Only obtain success in the discount rose retailing field?
A．By setting up more chain stores across the country.
B．By selling roses in supermarkets.
C．By selling high quality roses at a low price.
D．By selling roses by the dozen.
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