Over a hundred years ago people in London were surprised to see a very unusual boat come sailing up the Thames River. The boat was eighty feet long flat-bottomed, with big wooden eyes on both sides in the front and was colorfully painted at the back.
People came to know that it was a sailing boat from Fuzhou in distant China. The boat had sailed round the Cape of Good Hope(好望角) up the western coast of Africa, and finally to England. It had covered fifteen thousand miles—more than half of the distance round the world.
Although it was unexpected, the Chinese were warmly welcomed. The boat carried goods such as silk and tea as well as a number of gifts from the Emperor of China for the Queen of England.
People had always mistakenly thought of the Chinese as a people not used to sea. However, from centuries of trading and sailing in dangerous seas, the Chinese had learned how to build good boats and sailed them well. The coming of this sailing boat to London proved once again that the Chinese could sail to distant countries in the world.
【小题1】The boat was considered unusual because _________.

London has more than nine million visitors every year. They come and visit some of the most famous places in England: Big Ben, the Tower of London and the River Thames.

You can see some of the most interesting places in London by getting on the tour buses. Or you can take a ride on the London Eye. This large wheel slowly takes you 135m above the River Thames.

The River Thames is London’s main waterway. It has shaped the capital’s landscape, history and geography. So one of the best ways of knowing more about the city is to take a trip along the river.

The clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, has become one of the main symbols of London. The sound of the bell, which you can hear at the beginning of many television and radio programmes, has become well-known throughout the nation.

No visit to London is complete without a look at the Tower of London, in the eastern part of the city. After Big Ben, the Tower may be London’s most visited tourist spot. Directly south is Tower Bridge, which is more than100 years old.

Along all the palaces in London, Buckingham Palace is the most famous. It has been the main London home of the royal family since Queen Victoria moved there in 1873. You can visit some of the rooms in August and September. And most mornings of the year you can watch the soldiers

outside changing the guard.

About one hour by train out of London is the Tower of Windsor. Here you can visit another of the Queen’s homes-Windsor Castle. There was a fire in 1992 and many of the rooms were badly burned. But now they are full of beautiful pictures, tables and chairs again.

Sightseeing in London is great, but it can get very tiring. So, the best way to start the day is to fill up with an English breakfast.

You can buy an English breakfast in nearly every hotel, and at many restaurants and cafes. An English pub is a good place to stop for lunch and a drink. You can get hot or cold food and try one of England’s many ales(浓啤酒). Fish and chips are also a traditional English meal. So look out for fish and chip shops in cities as well as by the sea.

Or you can sit outside one of the many roadside pubs and cafes in London, and simply watch the busy world go by.

1.We can learn from the text that ____________.

2. Which place may be London’s most visited tourist spot?

3.If you go to London in December, you will not be able to ___________

4.The underlined word “landscape” (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to _________.

5.The whole passage mainly introduces the ________________.

A. tourism in London              B. tourists in London

B. history in London               D. sightseeing in London

单词拼写（共10题，每小题0．5分，满分5分）

1.New York is famous for its s______ and Empire State Building is one of its symbols．

2.The 2012 Olympic Games held in London was a great event and apart from the queen almost all the members of the r______ family attended the opening ceremony．

3.My father always s______ the importance of working hard, which I’m fed up with．

4.Glasses are f______ and must be handled with great care．

5.Many of Charles Dickens’s novels were o______ published in serial form in magazines．

6.How long will the ______（注册）trade-mark remain valid?

7.The government has promised stricter ______（管理） of the stock market．

8.The sale of ice cream is ______（部分）determined by the weather．

9.The ancient buildings are part of the national ______（遗产）and we should preserve them．

10. ______ （摩擦力）against the rock, combined with the weight of the climber, caused his rope to break．

As we all know, nature has supplied every animal except man with some covering for his body such as fur, feathers, hair, and shells as a thick hide. But man has nothing but a thin skin.
If someone were to ask you, "Why did human beings start to cover their bodies with clothes?" most would answer, "To keep themselves warm, of course."
It is only when we begin to think about it a little that we realize that clothes are worn for a great many reasons that have nothing to do with our need for warmth at all.
For example, we wear clothes to some degree in order to decorate ourselves－to make ourselves, if possible, look more dignified (尊严) or nicer.
Clothes of a special kind are often worn to show that the wearer has authority or power. The individual wearing them is treated with respect because he occupies a certain office. The judge on the Bench, for example, might look a very ordinary and unimpressive figure without his wig and gown. Clothes are an important part of ceremony, whether it is connected with belief, the law, parliament, and royalty, the fighting forces or the state. How very different the Queen's Coronation ceremony (加冕仪式) would have looked without the robes, coronets and the cloth of gold.
Sometimes, even in some modern countries people wear some article of clothing, or some jewel, because they believe that it will bring them luck or protect them from evil or illness, or because it is connected with their beliefs.
None of these reasons for wearing clothes－to decorate ourselves, to show our position in the world, for ceremonial purposes, for "luck", to give ourselves dignity and authority－have anything to do with our need for warmth.
65.From the passage we know that wearing clothes is man's basic necessity to________.
A. protect skin    B. show beauty      C. keep warm    D. bring luck
66.According to the passage, the judge wearing special clothes on the Bench________.
A. looks nicer      B. looks different        C. shows wealth         D. shows power
67.Even in modern countries, sometimes people wear certain clothes because________.
A. they believe that they will get protected from bad luck and illness
B. it has something to do with their wealth
C. they want to show their power
D. they enjoy wearing such kind of clothes
68.The author's purpose in writing this article is to tell us that clothes are worn________.
A. for ceremonial occasions B. for many other reasons besides warmth
C. to keep people impressive and nicer        D. to show people's authority or power       

1.A visitor can apply for a free audio tour ___________.

A. in the Courtyard              B. in the State Apartments

C. at the Admission Center        D. at St George's Chapel

2.What is specially offered to visitors with kids?

A. A security guard    B. A pushchair    C. A free toy      D. A baby carrier

3.Who can get re-entry permits?

 A. Visitors wishing to eat outside the Castle

 B. Visitors buying gifts in the castle shops

 C. Visitors buying water from the Courtyard

 D. Visitors eating outside St George's Chapel

4.Why are visitors required to turn off their mobile phones?

 A. To ensure the safety of others

 B. To ensure the security of the Castle

 C. To prevent them from disturbing others

 D. To prevent the use of the built-in cameras

5.In the last part, a "working royal palace" refers to one_____.

 A. still being constructed            B. still used by the royal family

 C. where the Queen usually works     D. where works of art are on show