The flag, the most common symbol of a nation in the modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning, the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark building, ships and other vehicles related to a country.

    The national flag as we know it today is in no way a primitive artifact. It is , rather, the product of thousands of years’ development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the earlier served to show wind direction.

    Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers. People’s food supplies were similarly vulnerable (易受损害的). Even after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind, which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.

    Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems (图腾)before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.

    These flags developed very slowly into modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked: The king of China around 1008 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe, where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag.

1.The best title for the passage would be_________________

A. Uses of Flags               B. Power of the National Flag

C. Type of Flags               D. Development of the National Flag

2.The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because_____________

A. they could tell wind direction

B. they could bring good luck to fighters

C. they were believed to stand for natural forces.

D. they were handed down by the ancestors

3.What does the author know of the first national flag?

A. He knows when it was sent to Europe.

B. He believes it was made in Egypt.

C. He doubts where it started

D. He thinks it came from China.

4. What will the author most probably talk about next?

A. The second ancestor of the national flag.

B. The role of China in the spread of the national flag.

C. The use of modern flags in Europe.

D. The importance of modern flags.

 

Award-winning author Emma Donoghue’s latest book, . Room, is a unique and amazing story about a boy’s experience living in a small, windowless room with his mother. The 11’ x 11’ space between the walls of the room is actually all the boy knows because he was born there and has never left. Room will horrify, surprise, sadden, and finally delight you. Attracted from the start, readers of all sorts won’t want to put Room down.         

◆First published in the U. S. in September 2010                 

◆Publisher: Little Brown

◆321 pages

Literary master Ian McEwan returns with Solor, a novel about a Nobel prize-winning physicist. The physicist’s personal life is in a mess as his fifth marriage breaks, but this time he actually loves his wife and wants to make things better. Solar is a funny story, completely unusual and as good as anything the writer has ever written.

◆Published in March 2010

◆Publisher :Knopf Doubleday

◆304 Pages

One Day by David Nicholls was an international bestseller before it was released in the U. S. in June. Although it is well written and funny at times, don’t be fooled—this isn’t a good-feeling romantic comedy. If you decide to read it, be prepared for some heavy moments.

◆Published in the U S in June 2010

◆Publisher: Vintage Contemporaries

◆437 Pages

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett is the first book in a new trilogy （three books） that will take readers through the major events of the twentieth century by following five families. In Fall of Giants, most of the action centers on World War I and the Bolshevik Revolution. Although Fall of Giants is more than 1000 pages and has many characters, the story is remarkabby connected.

◆Published in September 2010                                       

◆Publisher: Dutton

◆1008 pages

64. According to the text, the latest and longest novel is          .

       A. Room                 B. Solar               C. One Day               D. Fall of Giants

65. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

       A. Ian McEwan once won the Nobel Prize.

       B. Fall of Giants is mostly set in wars.

       C. One day is written by David Nicholls.

       D. Solar is a funny story about a physicist.

66. We can know from the text that          .

       A. the main character of Room has a wide range of knowledge

       B. Solar is the only book that Ian McEwan has ever written

       C. all the four books were not published in the same month

       D. One Day is a funny romantic comedy that sells very well

67. We can infer from the passage that          .

       A. the sixth of Ian McEwan’s marriages broke

       B. Room by Emma Donoghue has a happy ending

       C. the publisher of One Day is Little Brown

       D. Dutton and Ken P’ollett are both publishers

   The flag, the most common symbol of a nation in the modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning, the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark building, ships and other vehicles related to a country.

    The national flag as we know it today is in no way a primitive artifact. It is , rather, the product of thousands of years’ development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the earlier served to show wind direction.

    Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers. People’s food supplies were similarly vulnerable (易受损害的). Even after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind, which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.

    Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems (图腾)before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.

    These flags developed very slowly into modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked: The king of China around 1008 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe, where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag.

58. The best title for the passage would be_________________

   A. Uses of Flags               B. Power of the National Flag

C. Type of Flags               D. Development of the National Flag

59. The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because_____________

A. they could tell wind direction

B. they could bring good luck to fighters

C. they were believed to stand for natural forces.

D. they were handed down by the ancestors

60. What does the author know of the first national flag?

A. He knows when it was sent to Europe.

B. He believes it was made in Egypt.

C. He doubts where it started

D. He thinks it came from China.

61. What will the author most probably talk about next?

A. The second ancestor of the national flag.

B. The role of China in the spread of the national flag.

C. The use of modern flags in Europe.

D. The importance of modern flags.

                                

   The flag, the most common symbol of a nation in the modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning, the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark building, ships and other vehicles related to a country.

    The national flag as we know it today is in no way a primitive artifact. It is , rather, the product of thousands of years’ development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the earlier served to show wind direction.

    Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers. People’s food supplies were similarly vulnerable (易受损害的). Even after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind, which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.

    Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems (图腾)before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.

    These flags developed very slowly into modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked: The king of China around 1008 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe, where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag.

58. The best title for the passage would be_________________

   A. Uses of Flags               B. Power of the National Flag

C. Type of Flags               D. Development of the National Flag

59. The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because_____________

A. they could tell wind direction

B. they could bring good luck to fighters

C. they were believed to stand for natural forces.

D. they were handed down by the ancestors

60. What does the author know of the first national flag?

A. He knows when it was sent to Europe.

B. He believes it was made in Egypt.

C. He doubts where it started

D. He thinks it came from China.

61. What will the author most probably talk about next?

A. The second ancestor of the national flag.

B. The role of China in the spread of the national flag.

C. The use of modern flags in Europe.

D. The importance of modern flags.