The fourth of July marks the anniversary of America’s Declaration of Independence from Britain. During the summer of 1776, American colonists were deeply divided. Almost one in three was loyal to Britain. Yet most were increasingly angry about what they considered unfair treatment by the British government. By June, fighting had already taken place between colonial forces and Britain. The idea of independence was spreading.

Delegates (代表) from the thirteen colonies gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Continental Congress decided that a document declaring separation from Britain should be declared. Thomas Jefferson led a committee chosen to write it.

On July 4^th, 1776, the Continental Congress voted to approve the Declaration of Independence. It says that people have the right to change their government if it denies them their rights. It states that everyone has the right to life, liberty and the pursuit (追求) of happiness.

Today, the Fourth of July holiday is a time for friends and families to gather. They might play sports and eat hot dogs, hamburgers and other foods cooked outdoors. They might watch a parade in their community. At night, many people gather to watch fireworks bursting in the dark sky.

In Washington, D. C. this year (2011), thousands of people attended a concert with performances by musicians. There was also a huge fireworks show with more than two thousand five hundred shells exploding over the National Mall.

Another event that traditionally took place on the National Mall was the Smithsonian Folk life Festival. This year’s event celebrated the cultures of Mexico and Asian Pacific Americans. Visitors heard the music, eat the food and learn about the many traditions of these cultures.

The third subject of the festival was called “Smithsonian Inside Out”. Smithsonian experts had a chance to present their research and knowledge to the public.

1.Why was the idea of independence spreading before July 4, 1776? (No more than 10 words)

2.What right does everyone have according to the Declaration of Independence? (No more than 13 rds)

3.What does the Fourth of July holiday mean to Americans today? (No more than 10 words)

4.What happened at “Smithsonian Inside Out” this year (in 2011)? (No more than 12 words)

如今世界粮食短缺，粮价飞涨，甚至致使部分地区发生动乱。假设在你校开展的研究性学习中，你们小组以“The World Food Crisis”为题进行研究，现在请你代表你们小组向全体同学简要介绍你们的研究成果。主要内容如下：

 注意：1．内容包括以上要点，但不要逐句翻译；2．词数为120个左右，文章开头已给出，不计人总词数。请在规定的区域内习作！

参考词汇：   城市化 urbanization    生物燃料 biofuel   节约的 thrifty

Hello, everyone，

Now I'll tell you something about our research project “The World Food Crisis” on behalf of our group. As you know, food shortages have hit many countries in the world and even caused social unrest in some areas.                            

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阅读理解

　　The United States covers a large part of the North American continent. Its neighbors are Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. Although the United States is a big country, it is not the largest in the world. In 1964, its population was over 185,000,000.

　　When this land first became a nation, after winning its independence(独立)from England, it had thirteen states. Each of the states was represented(代表)on the American flag by a star. All these states were in the eastern part of the continent. As the nation grew towards the west, new states were added and new stars appeared on the flag. For a long time, there were 48 stars. In 1959, however, two more stars were added to the flag, representing the new states of Alaska and Hawaii.

　　Indians were the first people of the land which is in now the United States. There are still many thousands of Indians now living in all parts of the country. Sometimes it is said that the Indians are“the only real Americans”. Most Americans, come from all over the world. Those who came first in greatest numbers to make their homes on the eastern coast of North America were mostly from England. It is for that reason that the language of the United States is English and that its culture and customs are more like those of England than those of any other country in the world.

1．Which of the following is true?

[　　]

A．America is the largest country in the world.

B．The population of America is larger than that of any other country in the North American continent.

C．America covers most part of the North American continent.

D．Mexcio is to the north of Canada.

2．The first thirteen states were in the ________ of the United States.

[　　]

3．The United States didn’t have ________ states until ________.

[　　]

A．thirteen; 1959

B．fifty; 1959

C．fifty; this land first became a nation

D．fifty; 1964

4．Why is English the language of America?

[　　]

A．English is the Indians’ native language.

B．Most Americans come from all over the world.

C．Most of the people who first came to live in America were from England.

D．Canada is America’s nearest neighbor.

5．Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A．The States of America.

B．The Language of America.

C．The United States of America.

D．The Culture and Customs of America.

 单词拼写(共10小题， 每小题1分, 满分10分)

81. There are many wild animals in the forests and on the freezing, ice-covered lands in the north, and fish are a______ in the seas and rivers. 

82. The government issued a statement c______ the bombing which killed hundreds of innocent citizens.

83. Please tell me how to d______ a poisonous snake from a harmless snake.

84. He made a lot of scientific discoveries that he shared with the world, p ______ in the field of astronomy.

85. There is a t______ in the plot when a very generous stranger gives Pip a lot of money.

86. The Louvre Museum has more than 6,000 other European paintings, ______ (从……到……) from the 13^th century to the 19^th century.

87. One reason for this is that most ______ (传统) film festivals show films from a variety of countries.

88. Our guests today are _______ (代表) from six of the major international film festivals.

89. The sad thing is that although Van Gogh ______ (奉献) his whole self to painting, he only sold one painting

before he died.

90. ______ (相反) to my expectation, present at the party were a group of young people who called themselves

pioneers of modern art.