As early as the mid-18th century, some people began raising doubts about Marco Polo’s travels. They pointed to seemingly obvious omissions in his descriptions of the Far East. In 1995,historian Frances Wood argued in her book “Did Marco Polo Go to China?” that the famous explorer from Venice never made it pass the Black Sea. She noted that his travel journal “ The travels of Marco Polo” left out the Great Wall of China, chopsticks and tea drinking among other details. Furthermore, Chinese documents from Polo’s day make no mention of the explorer and his men.

Wood and other scholars have argued that Marco Polo based his tales of China on information collected from fellow trades who had actually been there. Last year, a team of Italian researchers became the latest skeptics to challenge Polo’s accounts. They said that archaeological evidence didn’t support his description of Kublai Khan’s Japanese invasions.

Now, however, research by Hans Ulrich Vogel of Germany’s Tubingen University might help prove Marco Polo was true. In a new book “ Marco Polo Was in China”, the professor of Chinese history counters the arguments most frequently made by skeptics. He tries to prove that Marco Polo spoke the truth. He suggests, for example, that Polo didn’t included the Great Wall in his book because it only achieved its great importance under the Ming Dynasty, several hundred years later. Vogel further explains that Chinese records from the 13th and 14th centuries routinely avoided setting down visits from Westerners.

Historians before him have touched on these issues while defending Marco Polo’s honor. But Vogel also relies on another evidence: the explorer’s very detailed descriptions of currency and salt production in the Yuan Dynasty. According to Vogel, Polo documented these aspects of Mongol Chinese culture in greater detail than any other of his time. This is a hint that the Venetian relied on his own powers of observation.

Will we ever know whether Marco Polo traveled to China? Perhaps not, but the consequences of his real of fictional journey are still felt across the globe. One reader of “The travels of Marco Polo” was Christopher Columbus, who stepped upon the New World while following in his Venetian idol’s footsteps.

1.France Wood doubted Marco Polo’s travel’s to China because his description__________.

A. missed some important culture of China.

B. covered so much about trader’s life.

C. was full of obvious mistakes.

D. seemed less detailed.

2.Vogel’s trust on Marco Polo is based on _______.

a. the Great Wall didn’t gain its importance then

b. records in Yuan Dynasty mentioned Polo

c. Polo’s mention of the currency and salt.

d. Polo’s other works are believable

e. Polo recorded what he saw in great detail

A. a, b, d B. a, c, d C. a, e D. b, c

3.Which of the following shows the structure of the text?

完形填空

Times were tough in our household. My husband was out of work and there was no sign of anything for him. In addition to going to nursing school full-time, I was working three part-time jobs to put food on the table for our family of five.

After a rather meal one night, I answered the ringing phone. With no , a voice asked, “Do you need food? Come to my place and I can help you.” Directions followed and he hung up the phone. No in-depth conversation or queries as to our situation. It was up to us to decide whether we a voice on the telephone.

I was desperate. With food in the cabinet and no prospect of a job for my husband, I had to take a , swallow my pride, and accept the strange offer. Was there a ? When I uneasily got to a ranch home as ,I found there was no car in the garage. , lined up in orderly rows were tables filled with varieties of food. A craggy（轮廓分明有皱纹的）gentleman me, not much different than our phone conversation! “Look around. If you see what you want, yourself.” He handed me paper bags and turned to another new arrival, passing along the same .This couldn’t be real!

I guiltily filled the paper sacks with what needed and gratefully thanked the elderly man. “Be here next week. You’ll of the food by then” was his reply.

Then I learned the thing. Widowed and retired, he wanted to do something in his golden years to fill his time. Daily, he drove his pickup truck and begged for items and canned goods from local grocery stores and folks like us who had fallen on hard times.

I never knew what our weekly menus would be I had “shopped” in the garage, but I knew, with our bellies full, we could focus on paying necessary bills.

1.A. worrying B. promising C. confusing D. boring

2.A. ever B. even C. just D. also

3.A. simple B. necessary C. delicious D. ordinary

4.A. information B. communication C. instruction D. introduction

5.A. physical B. social C. educational D. financial

6.A. satisfied B. trusted C. recognized D. accepted

7.A. actually B. barely C. certainly D. originally

8.A. step B. chance C. measure D. decision

9.A. trap B. future C. possibility D. kindness

10.A. ordered B. requested C. commanded D. directed

11.A. Instead B. Therefore C. Besides D. However

12.A. discovered B. reminded C. greeted D. examined

13.A. behave B. enjoy C. help D. seat

14.A. welcome B. message C. supply D. assistance

15.A. mostly B. eventually C. accidentally D. absolutely

16.A. run out B. drop out C. leave out D. get out

17.A. interesting B. mysterious C. worthwhile D. astonishing

18.A. acceptable B. additional C. usable D. valuable

19.A. recalled B. inspected C. identified D. sought

20.A. until B. since C. before D. although

书面表达

假设你是晨光中学学生会主席李华，你校拟向美国友好交流学校的中文班捐赠一批图书。请根据以下提示，写一封邮件与中文班班长Chris联系，并告知将于今年七月赴对方学校参加夏令营时带去赠书。

1、自我介绍;

2、拟捐赠图书的类型、册数、用途等;

3、询问对方的其他需求。

注意：

(1)词数不少于100;

(2)请适当加入细节，使内容充实、行文连贯。

参考词汇： 学生会 the Student union

I am a sophomore (大二学生) at Princeton University, where I am majoring in chemical engineering. I chose to study at UCD in the spring of 2015 primarily because I have always been interested in Ireland and Irish culture, but also to take advantage of UCD’s courses in pharmacology (药理学), a field not offered at my home school. I also chose UCD because of its Introduction to Scientific Research module, which matches visiting students with professors for a term-long research project, and because of the Science office’s friendliness and helpfulness. I am convinced that I made the best possible decision!

While at UCD I lived on campus, which allowed me to throw myself into everything the university has to offer. I was given the opportunity to work with Geraldine Butler’s lab. I loved it so much that I ended up heading to the lab almost every weekday, whenever I wasn’t attending my always-interesting classes in pharmacology. After lab, I enjoyed a variety of after-school activities—that was certainly a new experience for me.

Living in Dublin provided a great opportunity for seeing the rest of Ireland and Europe. I spent my weekends and spring break traveling to every corner of the island, amazed at all of the history and natural beauty. I was also able to visit the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark and Sweden. After every trip, it was nice to return to friendly Dublin and head out with my roommates to one of our favorite pubs.

I would highly recommend studying abroad at UCD. I learned so much from my courses and my research project and had a wonderful time exploring Ireland. I can’t wait to come back!

1. Where is the author when he is writing the passage?

A. At Princeton University. B. At UCD.

C. In the UK. D. In Sweden.

2.Which is NOT the reason why the author chose UCD ?

A. He was attracted by Ireland and Irish culture.

B. There was a chance for him to change his major.

C. It offered visiting students a guided research project.

D. The staff in the Science office were friendly and helpful.

3. What does the author feel at the moment?

A. Excited. B. Upset.

C. Worried. D. Tired.

4.What probably can be the best title of the passage?

A. A Scientific Project. B. Colorful School Life.

C. Live on Campus. D. Study Abroad at UCD.

Thousands of students, from all around the world, have helped their international careers by taking EIS English studies at South Thames College London — STCL.

You too can take our first-class EIS courses to learn, and live English in London @ STCL.

Our experience

We have provided English for International Students’ — EIS courses to people from around the world for 40 years.

More than 1,000 students take our EIS courses each year, often after a recommendation from a friend or relative.

Our teachers have worked in many countries; their experience will help you to develop international English communication skills.

A world in one college

The College has students from more than 100 countries.

When you study English with us, you will have the opportunity to meet not only UK students, but also people from all over the world.

More than an English school

The College’s main purpose is to provide education and training for our local community.

We have more than 20, 000 students, on a range of academic, technical and vocational(职业的) courses in addition to English language courses.

All students can use the facilities(设施) available at the college —library services, free Internet access, sports & more.

Our range of courses

We have a wide range of courses designed to meet the needs of global citizens in an international environment.

Our courses prepare you both for life in London —perhaps as a student —and for your future career, anywhere in the world.

We help you improve your English so you can communicate more effectively —for study, work or socializing…

For information about our English courses, click here.

1.What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To attract students from around the world.

B. To make South Thames College London known.

C. To stress the importance of EIS courses.

D. To compete against other language schools in London.

2. From the passage we learn that _____.

A. the College’s history goes back over a century

B. the teachers there come from all over the world

C. the college has a good reputation among its EIS students

D. the courses there just focus on language learning

3. Which key information is NOT given in this passage?

A. Experience of teachers.

B. Main purpose of the college.

C. Range of Courses.

D. Approved quality from authorities.

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

How to prepare for the SAT or ACT

Plan your study

You will need at least 6-8 weeks of preparation time. 1. .—Therefore, it is better to work on them first. However, do not spend too much time trying to master them as you might loose out (松懈) on preparing for those topics that you know well. Prepare a daily schedule and set a target to keep yourself motivated and focused. This is the most efficient way of studying.

Read books and obtain study material

There are many books that provide tips, tricks, study guides, and practice problems. You can either buy one or borrow it from your local library. 2. . The ACT for Dummies and The SAT for Dummies are highly informative and provide a lot of tips and tricks to deal with the exam. However, mostly refer to the official SAT and ACT books.

3.

Yes! Make sure you know all the rules and regulations well while preparing for it. You shouldn’t have to waste even a second on reading the rules again and again. 4. , know the rules of each section. This will save time which you may need in solving some tough questions.

Review basic algebra

5. , review the basic algebra problems. They will come handy while solving problems. Go through the sample tests papers to get an idea of the kind of questions that are asked.

A. Whichever test you prepare for

B. Then you know your weaknesses well

C. It is quite an important time for any exam-taker

D. If you’re not a math person

E. Read all those instructions first

F. You can also check out Amazon for the books as well

G. Know your test well beforehand

短文改错

假设英语课上老师要求同桌之间相互修改作文, 请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中

共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处错误。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧）, 并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。

注意：

1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；

2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。

Miss Elizabeth at my last school taught me an interesting system for list new vocabulary. She calls it Suitcase, Fridge and Dustbin. At the end of each day, he told us to look at the new word on the board. She told us to decide how usefully they were to us personally. The useful words are put in a list called a Suitcase. If we think they might be useful to the future, we put them in the list of Fridge. Dustbin is for words what we’ll never use! At the end of week, we compared our lists between those of other students.

书面表达

假定你是李华，上周日是你的外国朋友Anne的生日。你本来答应参加她的生日聚会，但是你当时正忙于准备月考，不小心忘了赴约。请写信向Anne表达你的歉意，说明原因，并提出补救办法。

注意：1. 字数100左右；

2. 文章中不得出现真实学校与班级；

3. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

4. 开头与结尾已为你写好。

Dear Anne,

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

Yours,

Li Hua

LEEDS, England--- A Leeds University psychology professor is teaching a course to help dozens of Bristons forgive their enemies.

“The hatred we hold within us is a cancer,” Professor Ken Hart said, adding that holding in anger can lead to problems such as high blood pressure and heart disease.

More than seventy people have become members in Hart’s first 20-week workshop in London--- a course he says is the first of its kind in the world.

These are people who are sick and tired of living with a memory. They realize their bitterness is a poison they think they can pour out, but they end up drinking it themselves, said Canadian- born Hart.

The students meet in groups of eight to ten for a two-hour workshop with an adviser every fortnight.

The course, ending in July, is expected to get rid of the cancer of hate in these people. “People have lots of the attitudes towards forgiveness,” he said. “People confuse forgiveness with forgetting. Forgiveness means changing from a negative attitude to a positive one.”

Hart and his team have created instructions to provide the training needed.

“The main idea is to give you guidelines on how to look at various kinds of angers and how they affect you, and how to change your attitudes towards the person you’re angry with,” said Norman Claringbull, a senior expert on the forgiveness project. Hart said he believes forgiveness is a skill that can be taught, as these people “want to get free of the past.”

1.According to the passage if you’re angry with somebody, you should ________.

A. try your best to defeat him or her

B. break off relations with him or her

C. persuade him or her to have a talk with you

D. relax yourself by not thinking of him or her any more

2.Afrer reading the passage we are more aware that ________.

A. high blood pressure and heart disease are caused by hatred

B. high blood pressure can only be cured by psychology professors

C. without hatred people will have less trouble connected with blood and heart

D. people who suffer from blood pressure and heart disease must have many enemies

3.If you’re a member of Hart’s workshop, you’ll _______.

A. pay a large amount of money

B. go to the course every night in twenty weeks

C. attend a gathering twice a month

D. pour out everything stored in your mind in the workshop

4.The author wrote this passage in order to _______.

A. persuade people to go to Hart’s course

B. tell us the news about Hart’s workshop

C. tell us how to run a workshop like Hart’s

D. help us to look at various kinds of anger

When most people think of artists, they usually forget the part about the artist being a surveyor of beauty. This is because most people do not realize that there is actually a sort of process when it comes to making art so much so that lots of individuals(个人) cannot understand why true artists take their time when creating brilliant works.

The reason as to why artists take their time when creating their works is because they will first have to look for something beautiful which will inspire them. This is because an artist is someone who appreciates beauty and captures(捕获) the said beauty in a portrait, a song, a novel, and any other forms of artistic medium available to man. Rather than those commercial artists who simply paint a picture because they are paid to do so, a true artist will only work if he or she is inspired. The true artist shall not compromise his or her work because of earth temptations(诱惑) and as such they run the risk of being ridiculed(嘲弄)in exchange for their happiness. History has however shown that the true artist who correctly appreciates beauty is one whose works will end up being celebrated.

How does a true artist spot beauty? The only possible way to go about doing this is to actually look at the world. This means that the true artist is someone who loves to walk around and look at new things. Whatever it may be, the point here is that the artist does take a bit of time out to survey the world and find something beautiful which would inspire him. At times it even happens that the object that inspires the artist is not a thing but rather a person. At the end of the day, it must be said that each artist has his own views of what is beautiful and what is not. The true artist is someone who appreciates beauty.

1.What do we learn from the first paragraph?

A. Most people know little about how artists work.

B. People understand only how true artists work.

C. Most people appreciate the work of artists.

D. People tend to ignore the works of artists.

2.True artists are ridiculed because they .

A. have a strange lifestyle

B. resist earth temptations

C. refuse to live a happy life

D. search for something beautiful

3.What is the author's attitude towards true artist?

A. Doubtful. B. Concerned.

C. Appreciative. D. Disapproving.

4.The main purpose of the passage is to .

A. tell us the result of a survey

B. make a comparison

C. make a suggestion

D. argue for a point