Scientists are uncovering the secrets of two port cities lost under the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, a researcher said yesterday.

Herakleion and Menouthis were rich and proud cities until something reduced them to rubble (碎石) and buried them in the mud beneath 30 feet of sea water, French underwater explorer Franck Goddio said at the American Geophysical Union conference.

“This is a mystery that is ongoing,” said Goddio, a founder of the European Institute of Marine Archeology, a Paris-based underwater research organization backed by the wealthy Hilti Foundation of Liechtenstein(列支敦士登基金会).

The destruction of the twin port cities has haunted Goddio ever since he happened upon the site about 15 miles from Alexandria while exploring sunken ships from Napoleon’s fleet.

Goddio and his group of expert divers, marine archeologists(海洋考古学家) and others, are using high powered vacuums, satellite navigation systems and sophisticated sonar(声纳) to excavate(挖掘) the sunken cities from underneath a carpet of silt about one meter (three feet) high.

Walls of shops, remains of streets and gold artifacts have been found and recovered.

Some experts believe that the port cities were destroyed by a series of massive earthquakes, much like the quakes scientists believe felled Troy(特洛伊城), Jericho and other ancient cities. The uniform direction of the collapsed columns and walls suggest an earthquake, Goddio said, but no fault lines have been found nearby.

Other researchers believe a massive wave, caused by either an offshore earthquake or a distant underwater landslide, could explain the catastrophe. Still others think rising seas and a shift in the Nile River outlet doomed the cities.

“The argument, as you can see, continues,” Goddio said.

The reason why the two port cities disappeared under the waters of Mediterranean Sea is that ______.

A. the two port cities were destroyed by huge earthquakes

B. the disappearance of the two port cities was caused by underwater landslide

C. rising seas and a shift in the Nile River outlet doomed the cities

D. the story didn’t tell us at all

From the story we can draw a conclusion that _______.

A. the two port cities were famous for their wealth and the mystery

B. the two cities belonged to France

C. some mysterious creatures from other planets destroyed the two cities

D. the American Geophysical Union conference was once held in one of the two cities

This article is probably from _______.

A. a scientific magazine       B. a report to the government

C. a school text book         D. a scientific report in a newspaper

The Elysee Palace in France enjoys equal popularity in the world with the Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom, the Kremlin in Russia as well as the White House in the U. S. It is the residence of the president of the French Republic and the symbol of the supreme authority in France.
The Elysee palace, with an area of 11,000 square metres, is at the eastern end of the Champs Elysee in the city of Paris proper and backed by a large and peaceful garden of more than twenty thousand square metres. Its main building, quite handsome and graceful, is a two-story classical stone architecture of European style, and beside it are two side buildings facing each other and with an extensive rectangular courtyard in the middle. There are altogether 369 halls and rooms of different sizes.
The Elysee Palace, built in 1718, has a ling history of close to300 years to date. This house was at first a private residence of a count named d’Evreau, so it was called Hotel d’Evreau. It had later gone through many changes and its owners had been changed for many times, but all the residents in it were distinguished persons and high officials. The house was renamed Bonaparte Mansion when it was owned by Louis X V and Louis X VI successively when they acted as emperors. Napoleon I signed his act of abdication here when he had suffered defeat in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Nopoleon III moved in the   Mansion in 1848 when he was elected president, and the house became a Royal Palace when he declared himself as emperor. The Third French Republic issued a decree in 1873, appointing officially the Elysee Palace as the residence president of the French Republic. Over the hundred years since then, almost all the president of the French Republic worked and lived there. Starting from 1989, the Elysee Palace is open to the public every year in September on the French Castles Day.
【小题1】The number of the buildings of the Elysee Palace is ______.

A．3

B．4

C．5

D．6

【小题2】 Why does the writer mention the Buckingham Palace?

A．To tell us it’s very famous in the world

B．To tell us the Elysee Palace is as large as it.

C．To show that the Elysee Palace is also a symbolic building.

D．To show that it is also the living place of the president.

【小题3】What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To tell us the long history of the Elyseee Palace.

B．To make an introduction of the Elysee Palace.

C．To show the political importance of the Elysee Palace.

D．To explain how the Elysee Palace became the residence of presidents.

【小题4】 Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．The time when the Elyusee Palace is open to the public.

B．The reason why Napoleon I signed his act of abdication.

C．The time when the Elysee Palace became the residence of president of the French Republic.

D．The reason why there’s the French Castles Day.

Napoleon stayed in a small inn (小旅馆). The next morning, he went to thank the innkeeper.
“You have served me well,” said Napoleon. “I wish to reward you. Tell me what you want.”
“Sir, we want nothing,” said the innkeeper. “But will you tell us something?”
“What is it?” Napoleon asked.
“We have heard a story,” said the innkeeper, “that once during the war, a small village was taken by the Russians. You happened to be in the village. You hid while they looked for you. Will you tell us how you felt when they were looking for you?” Napoleon looked very angry. He called in two of his soldiers. Then he pointed to the door. The soldiers took the innkeeper and his wife out into the yard.
At the end of the yard was a wall. The innkeeper and his wife were led to the wall. The soldiers tied the hands of the innkeeper and his wife. Napoleon watched, saying nothing.
“Please, sir.” begged the innkeeper, “Don’t kill us! we meant nothing!” The soldiers moved back. The innkeeper saw them raising their guns. Then Napoleon called: “Ready! Aim!” The wife screamed. “Stop!” said Napoleon. He went to the innkeeper, “Now, you know the answer to the question you asked me just now, don’t you?”
【小题1】While the Russians were searching for him, Napoleon ______.

A．ordered his men to fight back	B．was frightened to death
C．feared nothing at all	D．regretted (后悔) having hidden there

【小题2】Why did Napoleon order his men to tie the couple?

A．Because he wanted to teach the innkeeper a good lesson for bothering him.

B．Because he wanted to kill the couple to get rid of his anger.

C．Because he wanted to show that he was so admiring a general that nobody could upset him.

D．Because he wanted to make them know that he felt the same as they in face of danger.

【小题3】Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Five people are mentioned (提到) in this passage.

B．In fact, Napoleon didn’t hide when the Russians were looking for him.

C．Napoleon was thankful to the innkeeper for his good service.

D．The couple had thought they would be killed before Napoleon said “stop”.

Jodie Foster was born on Nobember 19,1962,in Los Angeles, Carlif., US. She is an American film actress who began her career as a mature(成熟的) child actress.

Jodie began her performing career as a very young child in television, appearing first in commercials(商业广告). She starred in her own short-lived series, Paper Moon (1974), based on the 1973 film of the same name. She appeared in a number of Disney films, beginning with Napoleon and Samantha (1972).

Director Martin Scorsese cast Jodie in a bit part in Alice Doesn’t live Here Anymore (1974) before giving her the role of Iris in Taxi Driver (1976). Her mature performance in Taxi Driver earned her an Academy Award nomination(提名) as best supporting actress. Her later films as child actress were less impressive, but her performances were always admired. Jodie graduated from Yale University in 1985.

Perhaps because of her screen image of early maturity, Foster was abler to make a relatively smooth transition to adult roles. In The Accused (1988), she gave a perfect performance as Sarah Tobias. In The Silence of the Lames (1991), she tracks a killer as FBI agent Clarice Starling. Both performances won her Academy Awards as best actress.

In 1990s, Jodie went into other areas of filmmaking. She directed her best film, Little Man Tate, in 1991,in which she also co-starred. In 1994, she co-produced Nell, for which she also received an Oscar nomination for best actress. In 1997, Foster starred in Contact. Her later films included Panic Room (2002), Inside Man (2006), and The Brave One (2007).  

1.Which of the following film won Jodie Foster Academy Awards as best actress?

a.Taxi Driver           b.The Accused     c.Nell                    d.The Silence of the Lambs 

A．bcd

B．ac

C．bd

D．abcd

2.We can learn from the passage that________.

A．it was in a TV series that Jodie made her first TV appearance.

B．some of Jodie’s performances as a child actress were thought to be very bad.

C．Jodie became famous at a young age because of her mature performance.

D．Jodie played a very important role in Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore.

3.In which part of a newspaper would you most probably read this passage?

A．People

B．Business

C．Fashion

D．Career

 

The Elysee Palace in France enjoys equal popularity in the world with the Buckingham Palace in the United Kingdom, the Kremlin in Russia as well as the White House in the U. S. It is the residence of the president of the French Republic and the symbol of the supreme authority in France.

The Elysee palace, with an area of 11,000 square metres, is at the eastern end of the Champs Elysee in the city of Paris proper and backed by a large and peaceful garden of more than twenty thousand square metres. Its main building, quite handsome and graceful, is a two-story classical stone architecture of European style, and beside it are two side buildings facing each other and with an extensive rectangular courtyard in the middle. There are altogether 369 halls and rooms of different sizes.

The Elysee Palace, built in 1718, has a ling history of close to300 years to date. This house was at first a private residence of a count named d’Evreau, so it was called Hotel d’Evreau. It had later gone through many changes and its owners had been changed for many times, but all the residents in it were distinguished persons and high officials. The house was renamed Bonaparte Mansion when it was owned by Louis X V and Louis X VI successively when they acted as emperors. Napoleon I signed his act of abdication here when he had suffered defeat in the Battle of Waterloo in 1815. Nopoleon III moved in the   Mansion in 1848 when he was elected president, and the house became a Royal Palace when he declared himself as emperor. The Third French Republic issued a decree in 1873, appointing officially the Elysee Palace as the residence president of the French Republic. Over the hundred years since then, almost all the president of the French Republic worked and lived there. Starting from 1989, the Elysee Palace is open to the public every year in September on the French Castles Day.

1.The number of the buildings of the Elysee Palace is ______.

A．3

B．4

C．5

D．6

2. Why does the writer mention the Buckingham Palace?

A．To tell us it’s very famous in the world

B．To tell us the Elysee Palace is as large as it.

C．To show that the Elysee Palace is also a symbolic building.

D．To show that it is also the living place of the president.

3.What’s the purpose of the passage?

A．To tell us the long history of the Elyseee Palace.

B．To make an introduction of the Elysee Palace.

C．To show the political importance of the Elysee Palace.

D．To explain how the Elysee Palace became the residence of presidents.

4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?

A．The time when the Elyusee Palace is open to the public.

B．The reason why Napoleon I signed his act of abdication.

C．The time when the Elysee Palace became the residence of president of the French Republic.

D．The reason why there’s the French Castles Day.