| 1. 难度：中等 | |
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Most of the people who appear most often and most gloriously in the history books are great conquerors and generals and soldiers, whereas the people who really helped civilization forward are often never mentioned at all. We do not know who first set a broken leg, or launched a seaworthy boat, or calculated the length of the year, or manured(施肥)a field; but we know all about the killers and destroyers. People think a great deal of them, so much so that on all the highest pillars (纪念柱) in the great cities of the world you will find the figure of a conqueror or a general or a soldier. And I think most people believe that the greatest countries are those that have beaten in battle the greatest number of other countries and ruled over them as conquerors. It is just possible they are, but they are not the most civilized. Animals fight; so do savages (野蛮人); hence to be good at fighting is to be good in the way in which an animal or a savage is good, but it is not to be civilized. Even being good at getting other people to fight for you and telling them how to do it most efficiently －this, after all, is what conquerors and generals have done －is not being civilized. People fight to settle quarrels. Fighting means killing, and civilized peoples ought to be able to find some way of settling their disputes other than by seeing which side can kill off the greater number of the other side, and then saying that that side which has killed most has won. And it not only has won, but, because it has won, has been in the right. For that is what going to war means; it means saying that might is right. That is what the story of mankind has on the whole been like. Even our own age has fought the two greatest wars in history, in which millions of people were killed or disabled. And while today it is true that people do not fight and kill each other in the streets －while, that is to say, we have got to the stage of keeping the rules and behaving properly to each other in daily life － nations and countries have not learnt to do this yet, and still behave like savages. 1.In the opening sentence the author indicates that ________. A. conquerors, generals and soldiers should not be mentioned in history books. B. history books focus more on those who helped civilization forward. C. those who truly helped civilization forward is rarely mentioned in history books. D. most history books were written by conquerors, generals and soldiers. 2.In the author’s opinion, the countries that ruled over a large number of other countries are A. certainly both the greatest and the most civilized B. neither the most influential nor the most civilized. C. possibly the most civilized but not the most powerful. D. likely the greatest in some sense but not the most civilized. 3. The meaning of “it means saying that might is right.”(The last sentence of Paragraph 2) is that ________. A. in a war only those who are powerful will win. B. those who are right should fight against those who are wrong. C. only those who are powerful have the right to go to war. D. those who fight believe that the winner is right and the loser wrong. 4. In the third paragraph, what the author wants to convey to us is that ________. A. we have fought fewer wars but suffered heavier casualties. B. modern time is not so civilized compared with the past. C. our age is not much better than those of the past. D. World War I and World War II are different from previous wars. 5. According to the passage, who helped civilization forward? A. The pioneers in science and technology. B. Conquerors and generals. C. Those setting disputes by force. The experts in military matters 6. This passage is most likely taken from an article entitled ________. A. Who Should Be Remembered B. Civilization and History C. War and World Peace D. Great conquerors in the world
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| 2. 难度：中等 | |
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Human civilization has truly come a long way．From using animals for transport to the super fast automobiles that we have today．From using flint to making fire to using one touch lighters．But there are some things that we will never let go of．Some ancient traditions that have been brought down through the ages are still followed today．
Groundhog Day(土拔鼠节)，falls on the 2nd of February every year．It is observed in the United States and Canada．While this day may be a public holiday and a bank holiday，it is not a compulsory holiday declared by the government．But this is not so for all the states．State-wise holidays may vary． Ever heard of Punxsutawney Phil? Groundhog Day is observed because of this groundhog．The day is indeed about a groundhog．Punxsutawney is the name of an apparently weather forecasting groundhog．He lives in his burrow(洞穴)on Gobler’s Knob，Punxsutawney in Pennsylvania，for a short period before the 2nd of February every year．On the 2nd of February，Phil comes out from his burrow and looks for his shadow．If he sees his shadow and goes back into the burrow，then America will have an extended winter of six weeks，But if he cannot see his shadow，and he remains outside．It means winter will soon end and spring will arrive very shortly .Phil has been‘predicting’the length of winter in this manner for almost a century and they have always been almost 100％ accurate． Groundhog Day is celebrated in some parts of the USA and Canada．The largest celebration is held at Punxsutawney，Pennsylvania．People come in scores to visit Punxsutawney Phil．They wait eagerly, camping days in advance，to see the small groundhog appear from his burrow，check for his shadow and either go back in or stay out．People cheer when they hear it is time for winter to end and celebrate by eating sweets and singing and dancing．Today．the Groundhog Day is a widespread tradition and an exciting event． 1.People celebrate Groundhog Day because ______________. A．some sweets are provided on Groundhog Day B．more and more people love groundhogs C．the groundhog predicts the beginning of spring D．Punxsutawney Phil is worth respecting 2.What does the author intend to tell us in Paragraph 1？ A．Human civilization has a long history． B．Some old traditions should be carried on． C．Human civilization develops very fast． D．Some old traditions have disappeared． 3. We learn from the passage that Punxsutawney Phil ____________． A．forecasts the weather based on his shadow B．witnesses the history of human development C．organizes celebrations on Groundhog Day D．gives performances on Groundhog Day 4.We may infer from the passage that ________________． A．groundhogs will replace TV weathermen soon B．groundhogs can forecast the weather accurately C．Groundhog Day is becoming popular in the US and Canada D．a longer shadow of a groundhog indicates a longer winter 5.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage? A. Winter will end if the groundhog goes back into the burrow. B．Groundhog Day is a compulsory’holiday in the US and Canada． C．A groundhog will remain outside if he sees his shadows on 2nd，Feb． D．The celebration in Punxsutawney attracts large numbers of visitors．
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