You’ve probably heard of Marco Polo, but how much do you actually know about him and his incredible journey? Marco was the original travel writer, whose trade contacts with Asia changed Europe, opening it up to new ideas and cultures.

Marco Polo was born in the Venetian Republic around 1254．At the time, Venice was one of the most powerful trading cities in the world, and was ruled as an independent city state．Marco’s mother died when he was young, so he was brought up by his aunt and uncle．When Marco was born, his brother (Maffeo) and father (Niccolo), who were successful merchants, were away on a trading voyage．They didn’t get back until Marco was about 15.

In 1271, Niccolo and Maffeo set off again for Asia, this time taking Marco with them．On a previous journey they’d met Kublai Khan (the Yuan Dynasty), and they were keen to establish trade links between Kublai’s empire and Venice．The Polos sailed across the Mediterranean to Acre (now in northern Israel)．Then, they traveled by camel to the port of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf．Their plan was to sail to China but they couldn’t find any good boats．So, they continued the journey overland, finally meeting Kublai Khan at his summer palace in Xanadu, about 275 kms north of modern Beijing．Marco was now probably 21 years ol

The journey had taken over three years.

The Polos had learnt a great deal about the world during their travels and so Kublai employed Marco as a government official．This gave Marco the opportunity to travel around much of Kublai’s empire in China．In fact, Kublai found the Polos so useful that he was unwilling to let them return home．However, in 1292, the Polos eventually left, sailing from China and ending up in Hormuz again．The journey was extremely dangerous: of the 600 travelers who set off, only 18 arrived in Hormuz, including all three of the Polo family．

The Polos finally returned to Venice in 1295, twenty-four years after setting off．They had traveled 24,000 kms．By this time Venice was at war with Genoa, its trade rival．Unfortunately for Marco, he was captured by the Genoese and imprisione

However, he used his time as a prisoner to write a book about his family’s travels: II Milione (known as The Travels of Marco Polo in English)．It was the first book to tell Europeans about China and the East．No original copy survives, but there are several versions of it．Marco’s writings influenced many other travelers, most notably Christopher Columbus, who carried a copy of II Milione with him on his voyage in search of Asia.

After his release from prison in 1299, Marco rejoined his father and uncle in Venice．The family were now even wealthier than before thanks to the many treasures they’d brought back from the East．Marco financed many more trading journeys but never left the city again．He died in 1324 and was buried in the church of San Lorenzo in Venice．

1.What is the correct order of what Marco Polo has done?

a.met Kublai Khan in Xanadu

b.sailed across the Mediterranean

c.sailed for Hormuz

d.left Venice for Asia

e.went to Hormuz by camel

f.employed as a government official in China

A．b-c-d-f-a-c

B．d-c-b-a-f-e

C．b-d-c-f-a-e

D．d-b-e-a-f-c

2.The last paragraph but one mainly tells us something about _____.

A．Marco’s life in Genoa

B．Marco’s book II Milione

C．Marco’s influence on Columbus

D．Marco’s safe return to Venice

3.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Soon after his mother’s death, Marco was raised by his father.

B．Marco spent about six years on the way to China and back to Venice.

C．Marco died at the age of 70 in the church of San Lorenzo in Venice.

D．Marco was born into a very poor family but died in wealth．

4.The passage is most probably taken from _____．

A．a(chǎn) newspaper

B．a(chǎn) geography book

C．a(chǎn) history book

D．a(chǎn) traveler’s guide

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科目：高中英語 來源：2015-2016學(xué)年山西忻州第一中學(xué)高一上學(xué)期期末英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Su Hua is studying at Cambridge, UK. She has bought a bicycle and is worried about security (安全). Her friend, Kate, found this article and sent it to her.

Introduction

A lot of crime is against bicycles. About 150,000 bicycles are stolen every year and most are never found. You can prevent this happening by following a few careful steps.

Basic Security

Do not leave your bicycle in out-of-the-way places. Always lock (鎖上)your bicycle when you leave. Secure it to lampposts or trees. Take off smaller parts and take them with you, for example lights and saddles (車座).

Locks

Get a good lock. There are many different types in the shops. Buy one that has been tested against attack. Ask for a recommendation from a bike shop.

Marking

Security marking your bike can act as a deterrent to a thief. It can also help the police find your bicycle. It should be clearly written and include your postcode and your house or flat number. This will provide a simple way to identify your bicycle.

Registration

There are a number of companies who will security mark your bicycle for you. They will then put your registration number and personal details on their computer database. Then if your bicycle is found it will be easy to contact you.

Finally keep a record of the bicycle yourself: its make, model and registration number. You can even take a photograph of it. This will prove the bicycle belongs to you.

1.Which part of the text gives you information on how to lock up your bicycle when you leave it?

A. Marking. B. Locks.

C. Basic Security. D. Registration.

2.The underlined phrase “act as a deterrent to a thief” means ______.

A. help the police find your bicycle

B. help you recognize your bike

C. stop you worrying about your bike

D. stop someone stealing your bicycle

3.The article advises you to keep a record of your bicycle _______.

A. in the police station and a security company

B. in the bike shop and your computer

C. by yourself and in a security company

D. in a security company and your university

4.The main purpose of this article is _________.

A. to suggest ways of keeping your bicycle safe

B. to tell you what to do if your bicycle is stolen

C. to say why you shouldn’t keep your bicycle in a quiet place

D. to give you advice on where to buy a good lock

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One of the most important things in the world is friendship. In order to have friends, you have to be a friend. But how can you be a good friend at school?

Listen — Listen when they are talking. Don’t say anything unless they ask you a question. Sometimes it’s not necessary for you to have anything to say; they just need someone to talk to about their feelings.

Help them — If your friend is ever in need of something, be there to help them. You should try to put them first, but make sure you don’t do everything they want you to do. Try to take an extra pencil or pen with you to classes in case they forget one. Have a little extra money in your pocket in case they forget something they need.

Be there for them — Try to make something for your friend to help make them feel better in hard times. Making cards and encouraging them are among the nicest things you can do for a friend. Marilyn Monroe, a famous U.S. actor, once said, “I often make mistakes. Sometimes I am out of control. But if you can’t stay with me at my worst, you are sure not to deserve to be with me at my best.” Always remember this! If you don’t want to stay with your friends when they’re in hard times, then you don’t deserve to be with them when they’re having a good time!

Make plans — Try to make plans with your friends. Go shopping, go for ice cream, have a party, go to a movie and so on. Take time to know each other even better by doing something you both enjoy. By planning things together, you both can have a good time. And you’ll remember these things when you’re all old!

1.While your friend is talking to you about his or her feelings, you should _____.

A. give him or her some advice

B. just listen unless asked

C. calm him or her down

D. share your feelings as well

2.When we provide help for our friends, we should _____.

A. try to do everything for them

B. put them before ourselves

C. change their bad habits first

D. ignore their faults

3.What can we learn from Marilyn Monroe’s words?

A. Life without a friend is death.

B. A friend is easier lost than found.

C. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

D. A man is known by his friends.

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We should look up to him as a shinning example of _____ to duty．

A．devotionB．privilege

C．responsibilityD．burden

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短文改錯（共1小題）

假定英語課上老師要求同桌之間交換修改作文，請你修改你同桌寫的以下作文。文中共有10處語言錯誤，每句中最多有兩處；每處錯誤僅涉及一個單詞的增加、刪除或修改。

增加:在缺詞處加一個漏字符號(^)，并在其下面寫出該加的詞。

刪除:把多余的詞用斜線(\)劃掉。

修改:在錯的詞下劃一橫線，并在該詞下面寫出修改后的詞。

注意:1．每處錯誤及其修改均僅限一詞;

2．只允許修改10處，多者(從第11處起)不計分。

Last Sunday, the Student Association of our school was organized an activity to visit the children in the poorest village of our city．As one of the volunteer, I took part in it．We took many books as well many kinds of school supplies and toys for the children．They were excited to receive our gifts．In the morning, we played some games with them which were played in our childhood．Then we cooked and have lunch there．In a afternoon, we gave them some performances．Before leaving the village, we had photos take with them and gave them our contact details so that they could keep in touch with one another．Each of us had a happily time．We gave the children our care and help, but in return, they gave us their thanks and smiles.

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科目：高中英語 來源：2016屆江蘇省高三上學(xué)期期中模擬考試英語試卷（解析版） 題型：單項(xiàng)填空

We have an adviser on hand in this activity ______ you have any worries or problems．（ ）

A．whenB．now that

C．thoughD．in case

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科目：高中英語 來源：2016屆江蘇省淮安市高三12月月考英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

請認(rèn)真閱讀下列短文，從短文后各題所給的A、B、C、D四個選項(xiàng)中，選出最佳選項(xiàng)，并在答題卡上將該項(xiàng)涂黑。

A

Homonym: a word that has the same spelling and the same pronunciation as another world, but a different meaning

Same spelling, different meaning

Imagine, then a situation where two words are spelt and pronounced exactly the same way, but have completely different meanings．Welcome to the world of homonyms．Take, for example, the word ‘fail’ --- it can be a kind of festival, and adjective to describe the color of your hair or how you should play a game．

Don’t take it literally

So how do you know which meaning someone is referring to? --- You don’t, except by the context．Obviously, if someone asks you to ‘give them a hand’, they don’t want you to remove what is at the end of your arm．

What’s in a name?

Sometimes even the context doesn’t help much --- the result can be amusing．These sentences play with the double meaning of a noun:

I used to be a banker, but I lost interest．

Have you heard about the cross-eyed teacher who couldn’t control his pupils?

A small boy swallowed some coins and had to go to hospital．When his grandmother phoned to ask how he was, the nurse said: ‘No change yet’．

More ambiguity

And these examples play with the different meanings of a verb:

I wondered why the ball was getting bigger．Then it hit me．

No one knew she had a dental implant until it came out in a conversation．

A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat．

Double trouble

And sometimes a word can be a noun and a verb, but have different meanings．Can you work this one out?

Time flies like an arrow．Fruit flies like a banana．

If you like these homonyms, you will be pleased to know that English has plenty more!

Explanations of jokes in the text

I used to be banker, but I lost interest．(I became bored with the job / I lost money)

Have you heard about the cross-eyed teacher who couldn’t control his pupils? (students / parts of his eyes)

A small boy swallowed some coins and had to go to hospital．When his grandmother phoned to ask how he was, the nurse said: ‘No change yet’．(no difference in the situation / no money)

I wondered why the ball was getting bigger．Then it hit me．(the ball hit me / I suddenly realized)

No one knew she had a dental implant until it came out in a conversation．(became known / fell out)

A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat．(can’t be better / difficult to mix with a fork)

Time flies like an arrow．(time goes quickly) Fruit flies like a banana．(insects enjoy eating fruit．)

1.Which of the following statements about homonyms is NOT true?

A．They share the same spellings regardless of meanings．

B．We can’t know their meanings without context．

C．We may still feel confused even with context．

D．Their ambiguity brings great trouble to our life．

2.The “beat” in the sentence “A boiled egg in the morning is hard to beat, making for a satisfying breakfast．” has a similar meaning to _____．

A．The rain was beating down on the tin roof．

B．Taking the bus sure beats walking．

C．The doctor could feel no pulse beating．

D．You’ve been working too hard, you look dead beat．

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科目：高中英語 來源：2015年黑龍江哈爾濱第三十二中學(xué)高三上期末英語試卷（解析版） 題型：填空題

閱讀填空（共1小題）

閱讀下面材料，在空白處填入適當(dāng)?shù)膬?nèi)容（不多于3個單詞）或括號內(nèi)單詞的正確形式。

Last Monday, my father would be on a 1. (busy)trip for five days. Having gotten my promise of being great at home and taking care of my mother, he rest assured and put his luggage into the trunk of his car. __2.___(see) my father’s driving away, my mother and I waved our hands and said goodbye to him. For a moment, I began to miss my father, _3.__(wish) that he would be safe and well the next days I thought everything would go well, as this was not the first time that my father _4._(be)away for several days. Yet, —_5.__(fortunate), my mother caught a cold the next morning. Looking at her pale face, I __6.__(experience) high levels of anxiety. However, I told myself that I had to calm down and look after my mum, _7.____I promised to my dad. The moment I got my mum to sleep, I put cold towel on her forehead, found pills in the medicine box, and made some noodles for her. Luckily, she woke up and felt __8.__(good), after taking the pills and the noodles. __9.__her fever was gone relieved and satisfied me a lot. In the next four days, I was taking her body temperature twice a day, ensuring that she was completely well. To our delight, my dad went back home safely and healthily on Saturday. On hearing __10._I had done to my mum, he, as well as my mum, beamed at me and gave me a big thumb. Hearing their praises and seeing bright smiles on their faces, I really felt overjoyed and thrilled. Conceivably, taking care of my parents was, indeed and definitely, my mission and obligation。

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科目：高中英語 來源：2015-2016學(xué)年江蘇射陽第二中學(xué)高二上學(xué)期第一次月考英語試卷（解析版） 題型：單項(xiàng)填空

--- Have you ________?

--- No．I dialed the wrong number.（ ）

A．got in B．got away

C．got off D．got through

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