The Song Dynasty (960-1279) is often thought of as the Chinese Renaissance (文艺复兴). For about three and a quarter centuries, under its rule, China enjoyed a period of economic growth with great and amazing artistic achievements.

One of the most important factors in the Song Renaissance was the printing press (印刷机) which made for a rebirth of classical Confucian (儒学的) learning. By the 10th century, printers had produced a large number of copies of the classical Confucian texts. With this increase in the production of books, education spread and became widely available.

Printing also had its greatest influence on the Chinese political system. In the Song Dynasty, government examinations became the most important way to gain political power in China. For almost 1,000 years, China was governed by men who had done very well in examinations. Thousands of students studied for the exams, and thousands of inexpensive books were required. Without printing, such a system would not have been possible.

The Song period was also the golden age of Chinese painting. Emperor Huizong was a talented painter who encouraged the arts. A royal painting school was created and many fine artists were supported. The period is best known for nature subjects and landscape paintings. Guo Xi used perspective in his paintings and The Quiet Valley is one of his best-known works. One of the greatest landscape painters of the period was Fan Kuan. His famous work, Travelling among Mountains and Streams, is one of the most famous Chinese paintings. Completed around the year 1000, it was inspired by the power of nature and the relative insignificance of humans.

【小题1】When was the Chinese Renaissance?
A．Immediately after the Renaissance in Europe. B. During the Song Dynasty.
B．At the time of Confucius.   D. In the year 1000.【小题2】What contributed to spreading the ideas of Confucius?
A．The spread of education to all people.
B．People’s new interest in classical texts.
C．The development of painting.
D．The printing press and a wide availability of books.【小题3】How did people become politicians at the time?
A．By studying Confucian ideas. B. By reading many printed books.
B．By learning painting. D. By taking government examinations.【小题4】From the passage we can know the painter of Travelling among Mountains and Streams is __________.
A．Guo Xi B. Emperor Huizong
B．Fan Kuan D. Confucius

   The Parthenon（帕特农神庙）in Athens is a building with a long and complex history. Built nearly 2，500 years ago as a temple celebrating the Greek goddess Athena，it was for thousands of years the church of the Virgin Mary of the Athenians，then a mosque（清真寺），and finally a ruin. The building was changed and the sculptures were much damaged over the centuries. By 1800 only about half of the original sculptural decorations remained.

Between 1801 and 1805，Lord Elgin，the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire（奥斯曼帝国），who controlled Athens，acting with the full knowledge and permission of the Ottoman authorities，removed about half of the remaining sculptures from the fallen ruins and from the building itself. Lord Elgin loved Greek history and carried the sculptures back to Britain. The arrival of the sculptures in London had a huge effect on the European public，greatly increasing interest in ancient Greek culture and influencing the present artistic tendency. These sculptures were gained from Lord Elgin by the British Museum in 1816 and since then they have all been on show to the public，free of charge.

Since the early 1980s，however，the Greek government has argued for the return of all the Parthenon sculptures in the British Museum. They have also challenged the Board of Trustees of the British Museum's legal（合法的）title to the sculptures.

The British Museum，however，insists that it exists to tell the story of cultural achievement throughout the world，from the dawn of human history over two million years ago to the present day. The museum considers itself an important resource for the world: the breadth and depth of its collection allow the world public to reexamine cultural identities（身份）and explore the complex network of interconnected world cultures.

It also says that，within the context of this unparalleled collection，the Parthenon sculptures are an important representation of ancient Athenian civilization. Each year millions of visitors admire the artistry of the sculptures and gain insights on how ancient Greece influenced — and was influenced by — the other civilizations that it came across.

【小题1】What can we infer from the passage？

A．The sculptures introduced ancient Greek culture to the west.

B．Ancient Greek culture has greatly influenced world culture.

C．The British Museum has made much money from the Parthenon sculptures.

D．The British Museum is the most suitable place to protect these sculptures.

【小题2】What can we learn about Lord Elgin from the passage?

A．He is greatly admired in Greece.

B．He worked for the Ottoman Empire.

C．He saved the Parthenon sculptures from being destroyed.

D．He had a deep interest in Greek culture.

【小题3】What's the author's main purpose in writing this passage?

A．To tell the history of the Parthenon and its sculptures.

B．To tell what people can see in the British Museum.

C．To tell why the British Museum refuses to return the sculptures.

D．To tell the influence of Greece on British culture.

   Britons are well known for the amount of tea that they drink. The average person in the UK consumes around 1.9 kg of tea yearly. That’s around 876 cups of tea. Tea is drunk by all sections of society. But tea is not native to Britain. Most tea is grown in India and China. So, how did it become an important part of British culture?

Tea arrived in London in the 1600s. At this time, British ships were exploring (探索) the world and came across the drink in China. It was not long before green tea was available to buy. However, this was only available to the richer sections of society.

At the beginning of the 1700s, the amount of tea arriving in Britain increased gradually. Black tea arrived at this time. At first people drank this tea exactly as it was in China. They soon discovered that it mixed really well with a little milk and sugar, giving the drink a special British characteristic (特色).

In the 1800s tea was still a product enjoyed only by people with money. At this time they began to have “afternoon tea”. This involves drinking tea with a snack around 4 pm to avoid feeling hungry between lunch and dinner. It is a tradition that is still going today but has become less popular in recent times.

In the late 1800s, the price of tea decreased sharply as more tea began to arrive on ships from India and China. It was no longer a drink just for rich people. Tearooms — shops where you could buy and drink tea — started to appear across the country. People enjoyed drinking tea and socialising (交际) in these places. At the start of the 20th century, Britons began to make tea in their homes whenever they felt like it. Kettles became necessary in every kitchen.

【小题1】How does the passage mainly develop?

A．By providing examples.	B．By making comparisons.
C．By following the order of time.	D．By following the order of importance.

【小题2】According to the passage, what is the British characteristic of tea?

A．Green tea.	B．Black tea.
C．Tea with a little milk and sugar.	D．Afternoon tea with a snack.

【小题3】The underlined word “decreased” in the last paragraph can be replaced by “________”.

A．went up	B．took off
C．fell off	D．came out

【小题4】When was tea a necessity for ordinary people in Britain?

A．In the 1600s.	B．In the 1800s.
C．In the late 1800s.	D．At the start of the 20th century.

语法填空

The Dujiangyan is the oldest man-made water system in the world, and a wonder in the development of Chinese agriculture. 【小题1】（build）over 2,200 years ago in what is now Sichuan Province in Southwest China, this amazing engineering 【小题2】（achieve）is still used today.

In ancient times, the region where Dujiangyan now stands 【小题3】（suffer）from regular floods from the Minjiang River. 【小题4】（help）the victims of the flooding, Li Bing, 【小题5】 region governor, together with his son, decided to find a solution. Li designed a series of channels built at different levels along Mount Yulei that would take away the floodwaters while leaving the river flowing naturally. 【小题6】（good）still, the extra water could be directed to the dry Chengdu Plain, making 【小题7】 suitable for farming.

Once the system 【小题8】（finish）, no more floods happened and the people were able to live 【小题9】（peaceful）. Today, Dujiangyan is admired by scientists from around the world because of one feature. Unlike modern dams, 【小题10】 the water is blocked with a huge wall, Dujiangyan still lets waterflow through the Minjiang River naturally, making the ecosystem（生态系统）and fish populations exist in peace.

The United States has always been a country of many cultures. Before Europeans came to North America, many groups of Native Americans lived here. Different Native American groups had different cultures. The first Europeans in the United States were from England and Holland, but immigrants came from all European countries. Many people also immigrated from Asia and Africa. Sadly, many Africans were brought to the United States as slaves. Many immigrants come from Latin America too. Today, the United States has people from more cultures than ever.
In the 19th century, people spoke of the United States as a “melting pot.” People thought that all immigrates should forget their native cultures and languages and become English-speaking Americans. They felt that people should assimilate-join American culture. However, not everyone wanted to assimilate completely. Many people tried to keep parts of their cultures, such as foods, customs, and languages. However, their children often forgot their parents’ or grandparents’ language. But most Americans, even those whose families have been here a long time, can tell the countries their relatives came from. And of course, new immigrants take great pride in their curare and language.
For all of these reasons, melting pot is no longer a good way to describe the United States. Instead, people now call the United States a “salad bowl.” They say salad bowl because in a salad, you can still see all of the individual parts (lettuce, tomato, and so on), but all the different parts mixed together and begin to take on the flavor of one another.
【小题1】Who are not mentioned as immigrants to America?

A．Europeans	B．Asians
C．Australians	D．Latin Americans

【小题2】The underlined word “assimilate” in paragraph 2 means .

A．delight	B．accept
C．challenge	D．reject

【小题3】Why is a “salad bowl” a better way to call the United States instead of a “melting pot”?

A．Immigrants love to eat salads instead of hot pot

B．Immigrants take pride in their culture and language

C．Immigrants join American culture only partially

D．Immigrants remain independent completely

【小题4】What would be the best title for the passage?

A．America and Immigrants

B．Different Groups, Different Cultures

C．America – A Salad Bowl

D．America – A Great Country