It’s going to be a busy day at Betsy Ross house in Philadelphia on Thursday. She

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It’s going to be a busy day at Betsy Ross house in Philadelphia on Thursday. She won’t be there, since she died in 1836, but hundreds of tourists will be going through her house.
You see, Thursday is Flag Day in the United States. The unofficial holiday commemorates the adoption of the stars-and-stripes design of the American flag by the Continental Congress 235 years ago, on June 14, 1777. According to lore, the Ross House is the birthplace of the nation’s flag. That’s open to debate, but it’s a story that schoolbooks still tell. Betsy Ross was a seamstress, busy sewing cushions for chairs in Philadelphia, which was the focus place of the American revolution against British rule. The Declaration of Independence by the colonists was signed there, and so was the new nation’s Constitution after independence was won.
Widowed when her husband, a member of the local militia, was killed in a gunpowder explosion, Betsy Ross often mended the clothes of the rebels’ leader and future U.S. president, George Washington. According to what some say in history and others a stretch of what really happened, Washington asked Ross to design and sew the new nation’s flag. The story was promoted by Ross grandson, who wrote that Betsy Ross had “made with her hands the first flag.” She became a role model for girls - a shining example of women’s contributions to the nation’s history. Most research indicates that Ross did sew the first flag. She’s credited with substituting artful five-point white stars for six-pointed ones in the upper-left blue field. But many other accounts indicate George Washington brought the design to Ross and simply asked her to stitch it together.
In a letter, Washington wrote: “We take the stars from Heaven, the red from our mother country, separating it by white stripes, thus showing that we have separated from her. And the white stripes shall go down to posterity as representing liberty.”
小题1:People would like to go to Ross’s house in Philadelphia to _____.

A．ask Betsy Ross who created the first American flag

B．meet her grandson who wrote a book about flags

C．debate over who designed the first American flag

D．remember her as the creator of the first American flag

小题2:Which statement is true according to the passage?

A．Betsy Ross was one of the people who signed The Declaration of Independence

B．All are in agreement that Ross designed the first American flag

C．It is almost certain that Ross did sew the first American flag

D．It is George Washington who designed the stars and stripes flag

小题3:The underlined the word “seamstress” in Paragraph 2 probably means_____.

A．a person who designs flags

B．a person who makes a living by sewing

C．a person who takes part in revolution

D．a person who creates chairs

小题4:What does the last paragraph imply according to the passage?

A．It implies that the U.S. is independent from Britain

B．It implies that Washington liked Ross’s design of the flag

C．It implies that Washington might be the designer of the flag

D．It implies that Ross did have helped with the design of the flag

答案

小题1:D
小题2:C
小题3:B
小题4:C

解析

试题分析：文章介绍人们到 Betsy Ross 的房子纪念她是第一个国旗的创造者，接下来介绍美国国旗的设计的不同的说法。值得肯定的是Ross确实缝制了第一个美国国旗。
小题1:细节题：从第二段的句子：According to lore, the Ross House is the birthplace of the nation’s flag.可知人们到 Betsy Ross 的房子纪念她是第一个国旗的创造者，选D
小题2:推理题：从第三段的句子Most research indicates that Ross did sew the first flag.可知 Ross确实缝制了第一个美国国旗，这几乎是真的，选C
小题3:猜词题：从后面的busy sewing cushions for chairs in Philadelphia,可知 “seamstress” 是通过缝制东西为生的人。选B
小题4:细节题：从第三段的句子：But many other accounts indicate George Washington brought the design to Ross and simply asked her to stitch it together. 可知文章暗示是华盛顿设计了美国的国旗，选C

举一反三

ANIMALS have always been used to represent certain human characteristics. Countries also use animals as symbols. From eagles to lions, many countries use an animal to show its national spirit and character.
The image of an eagle is on the US President’s flag, and on the one-dollar bill. The bald eagle is a large, powerful, brown bird with a white head and tail. The term “bald” does not mean that this bird lacks feathers. Instead, it comes from the old word piebald, that menas, “marked with white”.
The US declared that the eagle was its national bird in 1782. It was chosen because of “its long life, great strength, and noble looks”.
A few eagles have even become American heroes. An eagle named “Old Abe”, the mascot of a Wisconsin troop of soldiers during the Civil War, traveled 14,000 miles with its men. He was often shot at by the enemy, but survived 42 battles.
But, one of the Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin didn’t agree with the choice. “The bald eagle … is a bird of bad moral character, like those among men who live by robbing, he is generally poor, and often very messy,” he argued. Franklin wanted the turkey as the country’s national bird.
If Americans chose their national symbol deliberately, the symbol of England arose out of history.
King Herry Ⅰ(1068-1135) was a brave warrior but also wise. His appreciation for the rule of law earned him the nickname the Lion of Justice. He was the first English King to use a lion as a royal symbol, which is popularly known as the “king of the jungle”. By the year Richard Ⅰ, known as “The Lionheart” for his bravery, came to the throne in 1189, the famous Three Lions badge had been formed. Now it can be seen on the shirts of England’s sports teams.
Although people might not think of lions when they think of England, everyone knows about the Australian kangaroo. Legend has it that the kangaroo gets its name from an early meeting between local aborigines and white settlers. When asked by the Europeans what these strange-looking animals were, a native replied “kangaroo”, meaning “I don’t understand you.”
The kangaroo is an individualistic animal. Although it does gather in groups, the kangaroo is not a herd animal. If a group is attacked, individuals run off in different directions. Australians think the kangaroo represents positive values, such as individual responsibility and pride.
小题1:The general idea of this passage should probably be __________ .

A．animals are friends of human beings

B．nearly all the countries have an animal as their national animal

C．animals’ good values are always used to show a country’s national spirit and character

D．certain human characteristics are the same as some animals, so some countries love animals

小题2:Which is NOT true about the animal of the “bald eagle”?
A. It was Benjamin Franklin who made the bald eagle as the national animal of the USA.
B. The term “bald” means “marked with white”.
C. The bald eagle can show American national spirit and character.
D. “Old Abe” was even an American hero.
小题3:The reason why the lion was made as the national animal of the United Kingdom was that ______ .

A．it could always be used to represent certain human characteristics of England

B．the Kings of England loved lions

C．there are many lions in England

D．lions are “king of the jungle”

小题4:What good values can the kangaroo show as national spirits?

A．Group.	B．Respect of others.
C．Not understanding	D．Positive values.

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Killer bees started in Brazil in 1957. A scientist in Sao Paulo wanted bees to make more honey. So he put forty-six African bees with some Brazilian bees. The bees bred and made a new kind of bee. But the new bees were a mistake. They did not want to make more honey. They wanted to attack. Then, by accident, twenty-six African bees escaped and bred with the Brazilian bees outside.
Scientists could not control the problem. The bees spread. They went from Brazil to Venezuela. Then they went to Central America. Now they are in North America. They travel about 390 miles a year. Each group of bees, or colony (群体), grows four times a year. This means one million new colonies every five years.
Why are people afraid of killer bees? People are afraid for two reasons. First, the bees sting (刺痛、蜇) many more times than a normal bee. Killer bees can sting sixty times a minute non-stop for two hours. Second, killer bees attack in groups. Four hundred bee stings can kill a person.
Already several hundred people are dead. Now killer bees are in Texas. In a few years they will spread all over the United States. People can do nothing but wait.
小题1:A scientist in Brazil wanted bees ________.

A．to go to Central America

B．to grow four times a year

C．to make more honey

D．to breed with Brazilian bees outside

小题2:The bees bred and made a new kind of bee. Here “bred” means ________.

A．attack

B．run away

C．died

D．produce young

小题3:Killer bees can sting ________.

A．once two hours	B．400 times two hours
C．3600 times two hours	D．7200 times two hours

小题4:Why are people afraid of killer bees?

A．Because they sting Brazilian bees.

B．Because they sting more and attack in groups.

C．Because they won’t make any honey.

D．Because each group of bees grows four times a year.

小题5: What will the people do with the killer bees?

A．People can do nothing but wait.

B．People will make another kind of bees.

C．Scientists could control the problem.

D．They will spread all over the world.

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The garden city was largely the invention of Ebenezer Howard (1850 – 1928). After immigrating from England to the USA, and an unsuccessful attempt to make a living as a farmer, he moved to Chicago, where he saw the reconstruction of the city after the disastrous fire of 1871. In those days, it was nicknamed "the Garden City", almost certainly the source of Howard"s name for his later building plan of towns．Returning to London, Howard developed his design in the 1880s and 1890s, drawing on ideas that were popular at the time, but creating a unique combination of designs．
The nineteenth-century poor city was in many ways a terrible place, dirty and crowded; but it offered economic and social opportunities．At the same time, the British countryside was in fact equally unattractive: though it promised fresh air and nature, it suffered from agricultural depression（萧条）and it offered neither enough work and wages, nor much social life．Howard"s idea was to combine the best of town and country in a new kind of settlement, the garden city．Howard"s idea was that a group of people should set up a company, borrowing money to establish a garden city in the depressed countryside; far enough from existing cities to make sure that the land was bought at the bottom price．
Garden cities would provide a central public open space, radial avenues and connecting industries．They would be surrounded by a much larger area of green belt, also owned by the company, containing not merely farms but also some industrial institutions．As more and more people moved in, the garden city would reach its planned limit-Howard suggested 32,000 people; then, another would be started a short distance away．Thus, over time, there would develop a vast planned house collection, extending almost without limit; within it, each garden city would offer a wide rang of jobs and services, but each would also be connected to the others by a rapid transportation system, thus giving all the economic and social opportunities of a big city．
小题1:How did Howard get the name for his building plan of garden cities?

A．By using the nickname of the reconstructed Chicago．

B．Through his observation of the country life．

C．Through the combination of different ideas．

D．By taking other people"s advice．

小题2:The underlined phrase "drawing on "in Paragraph 1 probably means______．

A．making comments on	B．giving an explanation of
C．giving a description of	D．making use of

小题3:What can we learn about garden cities from the last paragraph?

A．Each one would continue to become larger

B．People would live and work in the same place

C．Their number would continue to rise

D．Each one would contain a certain type of business

小题4:What could be the best title for the passage?

A．City and Countryside

B．The Invention of the Garden City

C．A New City in Chicago

D．A Famous Garden City in England

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Americans have always been interested in their Presidents" wives. Many First Ladies have been remembered because of the ways they have influenced their husbands. Other First Ladies have made the history books on their own.
At least two First Ladies, Bess Truman and Lady Bird Johnson, made it their business to send signals during their husbands speeches. When Lady Bird Johnson thought her husband was talking too long, she wrote a note and sent it up to the platform. It read, "It"s time to stop ! " And he did. Once Bess Truman didn"t like what her husband was saying on television, so she phoned him and said, "If you can"t talk more politely than that in public, you come right home. "
It was First Lady Helen Taft"s idea to plant the famous cherry trees in Washington, D. C. Each spring these blossoming trees attract thousands of visitors to the nation"s capital Mrs. Taft also influenced the male members of her family and the White House staff in a strange way: she convinced(说服)them to shave off their beards(胡须) !
Shortly after President Woodrow Wilson suffered a stroke (中风), Edith Wilson unofficially took over most of the duties of the Presidency until the end of her husband"s term Earlier, during World War I, Mrs. Wilson had sheep brought onto the White House lawn to eat t e grass. The sheep not only kept the lawn cut. but provided wool for an auction(拍卖) held by the First Lady. Almost$ 100,000 was raised for the Red Cross.
One of the most famous First Ladies was Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. She was active in political and. social causes throughout her husband"s term in office After his death, she became famous for her humanitarian(人道主义的) work in the United Nations. She made life better for thousands of needy people around the world.
小题1:Why have First Ladies been remembered?

A．They are the wives of the presidents.

B．They are made up of history books.

C．Americans are interested in them.

D．They have an effect on their husbands.

小题2:The examples mentioned in Paragraph 2 show that
A. the two wives did business without their husbands
B. the two wives influenced the presidents" speeches
C. the two wives didn"t like their husbands to make speeches
D the presidents" speeches were often interrupted by their wives.
小题3:Who did the most meaningful work among the first ladies?

A．Lady Bird Johnson.

B．Mrs. Wilson.

C．Eleanor Roosevelt.

D．Helen Taft

小题4:Which of the following is considered a strange thing the First Lady did?
A. Raise sheep on the White House lawn to get money for the Red Cross.
B. Take over most of the duties throughout their husbands" Presidency.
C. Plant the cherry trees in Washington, D. C. to attract more visitors
D. Persuade the men staff in the White House to shave off their beards.
小题5:How many First Ladies are mentioned in this passage?

A．3	B．4.
C．5	D．6.

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Before the opening of the Cape Cod Canal in 1914，the only way ships could leave Boston was on a route around Race Point—the northern tip of Cape Cod.However，navigation during the 18th century was a nightmare，because the floating cross current(交叉气流) around Race Point caused countless accidents.So building a lighthouse to lighten the place was very necessary.
As early as 1808，the people of Provincetown requested a lighthouse on Race Point，but it took Congress eight years to react when they finally paid $ 8,000 on April 27,1816 to build a lighthouse —Race Point Light，which was located in the town of Provincetown，Massachusetts.It was first built of stone 25 feet high with no foundation and its light was 30 feet above the sea.It was equipped with one of the nation"s earliest revolving lights.
Actually，there were two other lighthouses on Cape Cod，but they were hit by a storm in October 1841.In the following year，Race Point Light was examined by I．W.P.Lewis，who realized the light"s importance.He said，“The light should be useful to all ships leaving Boston.However，its illuminating power is so weak that people would hardly be able to differentiate it from the lights set on the ships which stay in the bay，or close by.It hasn"t played its role as a lighthouse well.”
The result was that old lighthouse was destroyed and a new iron lighthouse with a proper foundation was put up to take its place.The new lighthouse was 45 feet high.Although the original keeper"s house was in good repair，it was destroyed too and a new one was built.Today the lighthouse has been automated(自动化)and Race Point Light is still an active aid to navigation.
You can park at Race Point Beach and walk about 45 minutes to the lighthouse.Sunset at Race Point Light is one of the Cape Cod"s most popular scenes.And at times whales can be seen in the lighthouse.For reservations to stay one night in the keeper"s house at Race Point call(508)487－9930.
小题1:The underlined word “illuminating” in Paragraph 3 probably means ________.

A．preventing accidents	B．cooling the air
C．providing light	D．predicting weather

小题2:Why was the original Race Point Light replaced by a new one?

A．It was too old to repair properly.

B．It hadn"t done a good job in helping the passing ships.

C．It was destroyed in a storm in October 1841.

D．It wasn"t high enough and had no foundation.

小题3:According to the passage，Race Point Light ________.

A．is also a tourist spot now

B．stopped working after 1914

C．was built by I．W.P.Lewis

D．has been automated since 1841

小题4:What can be learned from the passage?

A．The keeper"s house is open to the public now.

B．The present keeper"s house is the original one.

C．The two other lighthouses had revolving lights too.

D．The government didn"t agree to build Race Point Light.

小题5:What does this passage mainly talk about?

A．The building process of Race Point Light.

B．The tourism value of Race Point Light.

C．The three lighthouses on Cape Cod.

D．The history of Race Point Light.

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