Most musicians agree that the best violins were first made in Italy．They were made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago．These violins sound better than any others．They even sound better than violins made today．Violin makers and scientists try to make instruments like the old Italian violins．But they aren’t the same．Musicians still prefer the old ones．No one really knows why these old Italian violins are so special, but many people think they have an answer．

Some people think it is the age of the violins．They say that today’s violins will also sound wonderful someday．But there is a problem here．Not all old violins sound wonderful．Only those from Cremona are special．So age cannot be the answer．There must be something different about Cremona or those Italian violin makers．

Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood．The wood of the violin is very important．It must be from certain kinds of trees．It must not be too young or too old．Perhaps the violin makers of Cremons knew something special about wood for violins．

But the kind of wood may not be so important．It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way．Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully．It has to be the right size and shape．The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin．Musicians sometimes think that this was the secret of the Italians．Maybe they understood more than we do about how to cut the wood．

Size and shape may not be the answer either．Scientists measured these old violins very carefully．They can make new ones that are exactly the same size and shape．But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old one．Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish, which covers the wood of the violin and makes it look shiny．It also helps the sound of the instrument．No one knows what the Italian violin makers used in their varnish．So no one can make the same varnish today．

There may never be other violins like the violins of Cremona．Their secret may be lost forever．Young musicians today hope this is not true．They need fine violins．But there aren’t very many of the old violins left．Also, the old violins are very expensive．Recently, a famous old Italian violin was sold for about US $ 300,000!

This passage is about _______．

　   A．making violins 　　　　　            B．musical   instruments

　   C．scientific ideas 　　　　              D．the old Italian violins

The best violins _______．

       A．are made with modern techniques 　    B．were lost   many years ago

       C．were made in Italy 200 years ago       D．were made by scientists．

Some people think that modem violins ______．

       A．will sound better in the future 　   B．will sound worse in the future

       C．sound wonderful naturally          D．will never be as old as those from Cremona

Violins made today _______．

　   A．look the same as the old ones

　   B．sound the same as the old ones

　   C．are better than the old ones　

       D．have the same varnish as the old ones

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。注意：每空格1个单词。

What is eco­fashion？Eco-fashion is about making clothes that take into account the environment, the health of consumers and the working conditions of people in the fashion industry.  It is a complex phenomenon and the common use of the term covers two aspects of fashion —‘ecological’ and ‘ethical’．Ecological fashion usually refers to textile (织物) and clothing production processes and the environmental issues surrounding them；ethical fashion generally relates to the working conditions involved in the producing processes.

What are the problems with fashion？A closer look at the fashion industry points out many problems that are common practices in the creation of our fashions from the field to the factory. Firstly，the production of textiles pollutes the environment heavily. Cotton­planting uses pesticides；sheep­farming and wool­cleaning contribute to global warming；synthetics­making (人造纤维生产) brings about waste which does harm to our environment. Secondly，every stage of clothing production has a significant effect on the environment. They all use a great deal of energy，and some also involve harmful chemicals. In addition to this，there is a lot of waste produced in the process，especially in the form of polluted water. Thirdly，growing consumption levels and our shopping habits further worsen the bad effects. We are now buying clothes in increasing quantities without realizing the scale on which it affects natural environment，and we are also quick to throw away clothes that have been worn only a couple of times.

Then，how to solve the problems? Other industries that design products are ahead of the fashion industry when it comes to choosing sustainable materials, designing for minimum waste, choosing energy efficient manufacturing and creating products for longevity. The fashion industry has been slow to adopt these changes and part of the problem is the very nature of fashion. To a large degree，it is the fashion producers that really have the power and the responsibility to shape our future. There are numerous ways in which these producers can reduce their ecological footprint，from switching to green energy and reducing energy use，through selecting sustainable materials and choosing local suppliers，to recycle and minimize waste. On the other hand，as consumers we can all make contributions by selecting environmentally friendly clothing and reducing clothing consumption.

There is some concern that eco friendly fashions are just a trend that we will eventually grow tired of but we can make sure that doesn't happen. Now many people are beginning to shop for organic food products because the benefits of eating food free of chemicals are straightforward and immediate. They relate directly to our personal health. In fact, choosing eco­fashion can also contribute to our personal health, though it is mostly done by way of keeping the health of the planet.

Though different educational systems have different purposes, one thing is certain: all students should take part in examinations.

___1___ the English educational system, students take ___2___ very important ___3___. The first is the eleven-plus, which is taken at the age of eleven ___4___ past. At one time the ability ___5___ on the eleven-plus would have determined ___6___ a child stayed in school. ___7___, however, all children continue in “comprehensive”(综合性的) schools, and the eleven-plus determines which courses of study the child will follow. At the age of fifteen or sixteen, the students are tested for the Ordinary Level of the General Certificate(证书) of Education. This examination covers a wide ___8___ of subjects; once students have passed this exam, they are ___9___ to specialize, so that two-thirds or ___10___ of their courses will be ___11___ physics, chemistry, classical language, or ___12___ they wish to study ___13___. The ___14___ examination, at eighteen, covers only the ___15___ of the special subjects. ___16___ the universities, students study only in their concentrated area, and ___17___ students ever venture(冒险) outside ___18___ subject again; ___19___, the English boy or girl is a specialist ___20___ the age of fifteen.

1. A. On  B. In       C. To      D. For

2. A. four       B. three   C. two     D. one

3. A. subjects  B. languages   C. courses       D. examinations

4. A. somewhat      B. or else C. or so   D. or rather

5. A. seen       B. heard  C. shown D. known

6. A. when      B. if C. that     D. how

7. A. But B. Then   C. So      D. Now

8. A. number  B. part    C. range  D. collection

9. A. allowed  B. passed C. forbidden   D. admit

10. A. much    B. many  C. more   D. most

11. A. in  B. of       C. with    D. on

12. A. whenever     B.however      C.whatever D. wherever

13. A. at all costs    B. at the same time      C. at the least   D. at great length

14. A. late      B. later    C. early   D. final

15. A. context B. content　　       C. book   D. lesson

16. A. Even so       B. Even if      C. Even then   D. Even at

17. A. few      B. no      C. some   D. any

18. A. that      B. their   C. its       D. which

19. A. in any case   B. in all C. in a sense   D. in the end

20. A. of B. from C. at       D. under

　Many people believe the glare（炫目的光）from snow causes snowblindness. Yet, with dark glasses or not, they find themselves suffering from headaches and watering eyes, and even snowblindness ,when exposed to several hours of“ snow light”.

　　The United States army has now determined that glare from snow does not cause snowblindness in troops in a snow -covered country. Rather ,a man’s eyes frequently find nothing to focus on （聚集） in a broad space of snow- covered without- grass land. So his gaze continually moves and jumps back and forth over the entire landscape in search of something to look at. Finding something, hour after hour, the eyes never stop searching and the eyeballs become tired and the eye muscles ache. Nature makes up for this discomfort by producing more and more fluid （流 体） which covers the eyeball. The fluid covers the eyeball in increasing quantity until it makes eyes difficult to see dearly, and the result is total, even though for a short time, snowblindness.

　　Experiments led the Army to a simple method of overcoming this problem. Scouts（侦察兵）ahead of the troops are trained to shake snow from evergreen bushes, creating a dotted line as they cross completely snow - covered landscape. Even the scouts themselves throw lightweight, dark - colored objects ahead on which they can focus too. The men following can then see something. Their gaze is arrested. Their eyes focus on a bush and having found something to see, stop searching the snow -blanketed landscape. By focusing their attention on one object at a time. the men can cross the snow without becoming hopelessly snowblind or lost. In this way the problem of crossing a continuous white land is overcome.

To prevent snowblindness caused by the strong light from snow, wearing glasses or not ________.

　　A. depends on whether the snow is white enough

　　B. makes no difference

　　C. makes much difference

　　D. depends on whether the snow is thick

When the eyes are tired, tears flow out ________.

　　A. to clear the vision

　　B. to make the eyes stop searching

　　C. to make the vision unclear

　　D. to produce more and more liquid

Snowblindness can be avoided ________.

　　A. by moving one’s gaze back and forth

　　B. by walking ahead and keeping looking around

　　C. by making up for the discomfort of one’s eyes

　　D. by providing the eyes with something to focus on

下面是上海博物馆展品的介绍，请阅读下列应用文和相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。

A: A collection of over 3,000 pieces covers the history of the birth and development of Chinese currency. The ancient Silk Road coins record the economic history of those ancient nations along the Silk Road.

B: About 100 pieces of furniture illustrate the elegant simplicity of Ming style and the brilliant appearance of Qing style. A Ming­style reception hall and a study, together with a set of furniture models unearthed from a Ming tomb, represent the household life of centuries back.

C: Beginning with the writing carved on oracle bones and bronzes, to the age of bamboo slips and stone steles (石碑), many masterpieces, including those by Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, present the interpretations of seal, official, running, cursive and regular scripts.

D: Long long rolls by masters from Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties are displayed in the showcases by the long corridor, unfolding the glorious history of Chinese painting.

E: Over 400 bronzes of unique shapes, delicate decor and excellent techniques tell you the 1500­year history of the great Chinese Bronze Age from 18th century B. C. till 3rd century B. C.

F: About 120 statues in the gallery cover the development of Chinese sculpture art from the Warring States to the Ming dynasty. The Buddhist sculptures show how Buddhism confronted and harmonized with Chinese traditional culture over the history.

下面是部分参观者的信息，请为他们找到各自需要的展馆。

(　　) 1.Liu Qiang is a middle school student, who is fond of art handwriting. He is curious about the development of all art handwriting in history.

(　　) 2.Cha Leon is from Thai and he is a devoted Buddhism believer. He wants to learn what Buddhism has brought into Chinese culture, especially at an aspect of art.

(　　) 3.Mr. Chang is a successful businessman. One of his hobbies is to collect house fittings in old look, especially beds, chairs or desks centuries ago. He won't lose a chance to appreciate such kind of things.

(　　) 4.Mai Ya is studying in a university majoring in economy. Next week she will present her project with a lot of pictures of ancient money in her PPT, but she still needs to learn more about the money and the history period.

(　　) 5.Xiao Yang is fond of fine art. He believes enjoying masterpieces is a shortcut for him to develop painting ability, and he is fond of Chinese traditional ones.