The royal family is a part of British history and cultural identity.
Up until the 17th century, people believed that the British king or queen had a “divine(天赐的)right” to rule. This was the idea that God chose the king or queen and that he or she was therefore above the law. However, this idea was challenged during the English Civil War, when King Charles the First was put in prison and then killed in 1649.
So what role does the British royal family have today?
The Queen is head of the UK and the Commonwealth. She has important formal duties that go with her different titles. As Head of State, for example, she represents the UK on visits abroad and invites other world leaders to visit the UK；as Head of the Armed Forces in name, only she can declare when the UK is at war or when a war is over. She has to sign many government and Commonwealth documents every day.
Although the royal family does the work for the UK, there are British people called“anti-monarchists(反君主制者)”who do not believe there should be a royal family. One criticism(批评意见)is that the British people should not have to pay for the royal family with their taxes(税).
Today, the royal family works hard to be relevant(相关的)in the modern world. The Queen still gives a speech to the nation on television at Christmas, but it gets less and less formal every year；now it is even available as a podcast(播客).
In 2005, after graduating from university, Prince William spent time teaching English in Uruguay, the sort of work many ordinary young British people do in their gap years.
1.What can be concluded from the first two paragraphs?
A．The British king or queen is considered above the law.
B．The English Revolution put an end to the British royal family in 1649.
C．The British king or queen is no longer believed to rule by divine right.
D．The royal family didn’t play an important role in Britain in the 17 th century.
2.Which of the following is among the formal duties of the Queen?
A．Traveling around the UK.
B．Declaring when the world is at war.
C．Inviting other leaders to have dinner with her.
D．Signing Commonwealth documents every day.
3.With the example of Prince William in the last paragraph, the author intends to show that .
A．Prince William is very popular in the UK
B．the royal family is trying to connect better with ordinary people
C．Prince William has made an effort to win young people’s admiration
D．many young British people do voluntary work
4.It can be inferred from the passage that ___________.
A．the royal family doesn’t have to pay taxes
B．the British people are all in favor of the royal family
C．the British people can talk to the Queen through a podcast
D．the royal family attacks republicans through media and press
From school to band practice, the Venturi Eclectic is an Earth-friendly way to get where you want to go. This battery-powered, zero-emission (meaning it doesn't pollute the air) vehicle runs mainly on renewable energy. Solar panels on the Eclectic's roof absorb sun rays when you're driving. On windy days, you can connect a machine to the car's roof that collects energy from the wind while you're parked. The Eclectic's top speed is 28 miles an hour; the battery lasts for 31 miles before it needs to be recharged. Zipping (迅速行进) around the neighborhood has never been better.
Here's an eco-friendly way to tell time: Simply fill the Bedol Water-powered Clock's tank (箱) with water, add some lemon juice, and the clock will display the time without the need for environmentally harmful batteries. There are two sets of metal electrodes(电极) inside the water tank. Water contains ions (离子) that carry negative and positive charges. These ions complete a charge between the electrodes, creating enough energy to power the clock. Just refill the tank every few weeks, and this clock will keep on ticking.
You’re having a blast at your friend’s birthday party. But when it's time to bring out the cake, everyone crowds around, blocking your view. No worries. Throw the Triops into the air, and this clever camera catches the view from above. The Triops can take three pictures at once, each from different angles. You can also record sounds and command the Triops to start shooting (拍摄)whenever it hears that noise. That's one smart camera.
1.According to the passage, the Venturi Eclectic .
A．is popular with businessmen
B．is suitable for a long trip
C．has only a little gas emission
D．can turn wind into energy
2.What is the common characteristic of the Venturi Eclectic and the Bedol Water-powered Clock?
A．They don't need batteries.
B．They can be powered by water.
C．They are difficult to operate.
D．They are environmentally friendly.
3.The underlined phrase “having a blast” in the last paragraph probably means .
A．looking at a picture B．recording sounds
C．enjoying yourself D．blowing out a candle
A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and loved the boy very much. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for work so he asked the wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. The mother, preoccupied in the kitchen, totally forgot the matter.
The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle and, fascinated with its color, drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous（有毒的）medicine meant for adults in small dosages（剂量）. When the child fell down, the mother hurried him to the hospital, where he died. The mother was shocked. She was terrified how to face her husband.
When the father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just four words. The husband just said ‘I am with you, Darling’. The husband's totally unexpected reaction is active behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened. No point in attaching blame. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was comfort and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her.
If everyone can look at life with this kind of viewpoint, there would be much fewer problems in the world. Take off all your envies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears and you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think. Sometimes we spend time asking who is responsible or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. By this way we miss out some warmth in human relationship.
1.The uncapped medical bottle was not put back into the cupboard because .
A．the husband was careless B．the wife ignored the matter
C．the husband was busy D．the wife wasn’t informed of the matter
2.What do we know about the bottle? .
A．It contained poison only for adults B．It was kept in the kitchen
C．It was broken by the child D．It appeared like a nice drink
3.The husband’s attitude towards his wife can be described as .
A．optimistic B．confident C．considerate D．generous
4.What did the writer intend to tell us about life? .
A．Think of nothing and life will be easy
B．It is always useless finding who is responsible
C．Let go the negative side and we can enjoy life.
D．Life should give way to responsibility
When I was a little girl, I found love in a box all because of a class assignment. On a Friday night I 36 at dinner table, “My teacher said we have to bring a box, a special box, for our valentines (情人节) on Monday”.
Mother said, “We’ll see,” and she continued eating.
What did “We’ll see” mean? I had to have that box 37 my second grade Valentine’s Day would be a disaster. Maybe they didn’t love me enough to help me with my 38 .
All Saturday I waited 39 and with Sunday arriving, my concern increased, but I 40 an enquiry（询问）about the box might 41 anger or loud voice, for in my house children only asked once. More than that 42 trouble.
Late Sunday afternoon, my father called me into the kitchen. The table was covered with colorful 43 of different kinds. A (n) 44 shoebox rested on top of it. 45 flooded through me when Daddy said, “Let’s get started 46 your project.”
In the next hour my father 47 the shoebox into impressive valentine box. Colorful paper covered the ugly cardboard with red hearts 48 to what I considered all the right places. He sang while he worked. When he finished, he was so delighted that a 49 smile spread over his face. “What do you think of that?” he asked.I answered him with a hug.
But inside, 50 danced all the way to my heart. It was the first time that my father devoted so much 51 to me, for his world consisted of work only.
The holiday party arrived, and my classmates put cards, and presents into the valentine boxes. Laughter filled our classroom until dismissal time 52 .
On the way home, I held out my valentine box for the world to 53 . The love that filled it meant more to me than all the valentines inside. The valentine box became a symbol of his love that 54 through decades of other Valentine’s Days. He gave me other gifts through the years, but none 55 compared with the love I felt within the limits of the old, empty shoebox.
1. A．appeared B．announced C．served D．sat
2. A．and B．however C．so D．or
3. A．design B．project C．plan D．idea
4. A．sadly B．disappointedly C．anxiously D．patiently
5. A．knew B．found C．realized D．imagined
6. A．start B．mark C．cause D．produce
7. A．took B．invited C．saved D．had
8. A．boxes B．paper C．gifts D．food
9. A．new B．big C．empty D．attractive
10. A．Relief B．Relaxation C．Cheer D．Calm
11. A．by B．at C．on D．in
12. A．folded B．changed C．packed D．pressed
13. A．attached B．joined C．linked D．connected
14. A．slight B．broad C．brief D．confident
15. A．fun B．joy C．interest D．amusement
16. A．money B．support C．time D．hope
17. A．reached B．set C．came D．spent
18. A．accept B．admire C．respect D．recognize
19. A．carried B．kept C．spread D．lasted
20. A．even B．yet C．still D．ever
–––I think you should phone Jenny and say sorry to her.
–––______________. It was her fault.
A．No way B．Take it easy C．It’s not up to me D．It’s OK.
An unhappy childhood may have some negative effects on a person’s characters; however, they are not always_________,
A．casual B．ashamed C．permanent D．unfit
