The flag,the most common symbol(象征) of a nation in the modern world,is also one of the most ancient.With a clear symbolic meaning,the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark buildings,ships and other vehicles related to a country.
The national flag as we know it today is in no way a primitive(原始的)artifact.It is ,rather,the product of thousands of years' development.Historians believe that it had two major ancestors,of which the earlier served to show wind direction.
Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats.Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers.People's food supplies were similarly vulnerable.Even after they had learned how to plant grains,they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests.Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind,which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.
Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods,such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire.The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable.Early human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems(图腾) before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.
These flags developed very slowly into modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked:The king of China around 1000 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him.This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past,but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe,where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag.
1.The best title for the passage would be
A.Development of the National Flag
B.Power of the National Flag
C.Types of Flags
D.Uses of Flags
2.The underlined word "vulnerable" in Paragraph 3 means
A.impossible to make sure of
B.likely to be protected
C.easy to damage
D.difficult to find
3.The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because.
A.they could tell wind direction
B.they could bring good luck to fighters
C.they were handed down by the ancestors
D.they were believed to stand for natural forces
4.What does the author know of the first national flag?
A.He knows when it was sent to Europe.
B.He believes it was made in Egypt.
C.He thinks it came from China.
D.He doubts where it started.
5.What will the author most probably talk about next?
A.The role of China in the spread of the national flag.
B.The second ancestor of the national flag.
C.The use of modern flags in Europe.
D.The importance of modern flags.
科目：高中英语 来源：读想用 高二英语（下） 题型：050
阅读理解
The basic flag of the United States is one of the world's oldest national flags．Only the basic flags of Austria，Denmark，Great Britain，the Netherlands，Sweden，and Switzerland are older．
During the discovery and settlement of hat is now the United States，the flags of various European nations were flown over the land，as symbols of possession．later，in the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods，flags representing famous persons，place，and events were flown in the American Colonies．
The first official flag of the United States was created by Congress on June 14，1777．It consisted of 13 alternate red and white stripes and 13 white stars in a field of blue，representing the 13 colonies that had declared their independence in 1776．Congress adopted a new flag of 15 stars and 15 stripes in 1795，to give representation to the two new states admitted into the Union，Vermont and Kentucky．
By 1817，there were 20 states in the Union，and it became apparent that adding one stripe for each new state would destroy the shape of the flag．As a result，Congress in 1818 restored the original design of 13 stripes and provided that each state was to be represented by one star．In 1912 President William H．Taft made the first official provision for the arrangement of the stars．He ordered that there be six even rows of eight stars each Previously the arrangement of the stars had been left to the flag-maker fancy．
The evolution of the Stars and Stripes reflects the growth of the United States．After the admission of Hawaii into the Union in 1959，the flag was officially changed for the 26th time since its creation．
There are many government flown in the United states in addition to the national flag．Among them are the president's and vice-president's flags and those of the federal departments and some federal agencies．Each state in the Union has an official flag．The United States Navy uses special flags for signaling．
1．According to the passage，which of the following possesses one of the world's oldest national flags？
[ ]
2．In the United States，why were the flags of various European nations were flown over the land initially？
[ ]
A．Because then the United States was the European nations'colony．
B．Because they were representing famous person，place and events．C．Because the United States wanted to show friendship to the European nations．
D．The passage don't tell us．
3．From the passage，which of the following is not true？
[ ]
A．Congress designed the first national flag．
B．Because of the two new states admitted into the Union，the national flag became fifteen stars and fifteen stripes．
C．From the evolution of the stars and stripes，we can understand the history of the United States．
D．The flag was officially changed for the 26th time before the Hawaii admitted into the Union．
4．Which flags now don't exist in the United States？
[ ]
A．The president's and vice-president's flags．
B．Each state's official flag in the Union．
C．Children's flags．
D．The United States Navy's flags．
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：湖北省百汇学校2010届高三下学期5月月考英语试题 题型：阅读理解
B
He was an old man who fished alone in a boat in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish. In the first forty days a boy had been with him. But after forty days without a fish the boys parents had told him that the old man was now definitely salao and he finally would be so. The boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week. It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or the gaff(鱼钩) and harpoon(鱼叉) and the sail that as rolled around the mast(桅杆). The sail was patched with flour bags and, rolled, it looked like the flag of permanent defeat.
The old man was very thin with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck. The brown blotches(斑点) of the skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks. The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased scars from handing heavy fish on the cords. But none of these scars were fresh. They were as old as erosions in a fishless desert. Everything about him was old expect his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated.
“Santiago,” the boy said to him as they climbed the bank from where the boat was pulled up. “I could go with you again. We’ve made some money.” The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him.
“No,” the old man said. “But we have. Haven’t we?
“Yes,” the boy said. “Can I offer you a beer on the Terrance and then we’ll take the stuff home.”
“Why not?” said the old man, “between fisherman.”
55. The underlined word “salao” in the first paragraph probably means ________.
A. lonely B. unlucky C. selfish D. stubborn
56. The boy left the old man and went in another boat to fish because _______.
A. the old man preferred to fish alone B. the old man was poor
C. the boy’s parents ordered him to D. the old man’s sail suggested a permanent defeat
57. After reading this passage, we may safely conclude that ________.
A. the old man was insistent and not afraid of failure
B. the boy’s papa had confidence in everything
C. the old man caught big fishes because he had some doubts about the old man
D. the boy obeyed his father because he had some doubts about the old man
58. What might happen after the last paragraph?
A. The old man and the boy might go to fish with other fishermen.
B. The old man might go to have a drink with the boy.
C. The old man and the old might go to enjoy beer at the old man’s home.
D. The old man might go to tell the boy’s papa about the secrets between fishermen.
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：2014届河北省高二第三次考试英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
When many people in the west think of China, the animal that they think of is the dragon. For them, the dragon is an aggressive monster that breathes fire. Many popular legends tell how dragons have killed brave knights and eaten beautiful young girls.
For Chinese people, however, the dragon is not an evil monster. It’s a cultural and spiritual symbol for prosperity and good luck. The dragon’s main task is to create harmony and bring rain. Dragons are celebrated in art and architecture, and of course the dragon dance is a very popular ritual (仪式).
China isn’t the only country to have the dragon as its symbol. Wales in the UK, has a red dragon proudly displayed on its flag. Another country in the world with a dragon on its flag is Bhutan, a tiny country between China and India.
Almost all countries in the world have an animal symbol representing their countries. This is particularly obvious during sports. The English think lions to be brave and proud animal and the English football teams have three lions on their football shirts.
Australia is famous for kangaroos, of course. The national rugby team is more commonly known as the Wallabies, a type of small kangaroo.The South African team is known as the Springboks, a type of African antelope. Likewise the New Zealanders, whether playing sports or not, are commonly known as kiwis. A kiwi is a native New Zealand bird that can’t fly.
All countries are proud of their symbols, which they feel reflect national characteristics or the beauty and variety of their natural environments. Recently, a Shang hai professor claimed that using the dragon as a national symbol could make western countries have a negative view of China. But in an Internet survey 90% of Chinese people wanted to keep the dragon.
1.In the opinion of the west, the dragon is ______.
A．a terrible animal that is not popular
B．a cultural and spiritual symbol of good luck
C．a reflection of China’s national characteristics
D．an animal that can create harmony and bring rain
2.Which of the following does NOT use the dragon as its national symbol?
A．China. B．Wales. C．Bhutan. D．India.
3.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．The national rugby team from the South Africa is well known as the Wallabies.
B．The Australian team is known as Springboks, a type of kangaroo.
C．The New Zealanders are commonly known as kiwis only when playing sports.
D．The dragon is mentioned to have been used on the flag in two countries.
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：江西省09-10学年度高二下学期期中考试英语试题 题型：阅读理解
第三部分: 阅读理解 (共20小题;每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A,B,C,D)中选出最佳选项
One of the most important aspects of an image is color. People are very sensitive to color, and different colors have different effects on people .
In general , red is an exciting color , which creates an image of action, energy and danger. Red is also the most frequently used color in flags .Eighty percent of the world’s flags contain red. A study in “Germany showed that football teams wearing red are more successful .Blue is a very calm color .Business executives usually wear dark blue suits .Blue is also a peaceful color. The flag of the United Nations is light blue .Yellow is associated with openness and freedom. Green is a very relaxing color .Surgeons nowadays wear green ,because it’s less tiring than white .Black creates an image of power and authority .It can also be a very threatening color .Gangsters and vampires often wear black .white is a pure and strong color .This is one reason why doctors wear white coats .We trust them more .Grey is a very anonymous color .People wearing grey don’t want other people to notice them .Brown is the opposite of black .It’s warm and friendly ,while black is threatening .
56．What does the author mainly talk about in the passage?
A．Color and Character B．Color and Image
C．Color and Occupation D．People are sensitive to color
57．Which of the following is true about color according to the passage?
A．Eighty per cent of the world’s flags contain green.
B．Brown is the opposite of pink, presenting warmth.
C．Red creates an image of energy , danger and freedom.
D．Blue is a peaceful and calm color.
58．The underlined word “anonymous” roughly means ______
A．outstanding B．beautiful C．exciting D．unknown
查看答案和解析>>
科目：高中英语 来源：20102011河北衡水中学高一下学期期末考试英语试题 题型：单词拼写
根据下列句子所给汉语意思，写出空缺处各单词的正确形式。
1.
Grandfather, father and sons belong to three different (辈).
2.
After supper many people go to the Central Square just for e （娱乐）.
3.
---Tom, look at your papers. How did you do your homework?
--Sorry, sir. You have c me with my twin brother. I’m Jim
4.
Yesterday was our open day. Many children came into our school looking around (好奇).
5.
Don’t be in such a hurry; you’d better eat a few m_____ of food before you go shopping.
6.
I saw some girls were talking about something in w . But when I got closer they all ran away.
7.
The painting in the flag of our class r unity, strength and effort.
8.
As the teacher (走近) the dormitory of his students, the rooms became quiet.
9.
If bright sunlight is (聚焦) on dry wood with a glass, it will start burning.
10.
The sports reporter was watching the football match, (评论) all the time.
查看答案和解析>>
湖北省互联网违法和不良信息举报平台 | 网上有害信息举报专区 | 电信诈骗举报专区 | 涉历史虚无主义有害信息举报专区 | 涉企侵权举报专区
违法和不良信息举报电话：027-86699610 举报邮箱：58377363@163.com
