How would we travel without maps? It would be a bit adventurous (冒险的) to set off from Oxford University to go to London Bridge if there wasn't a map of the London Underground at each station. In fact, a lot of the early map-makers were adventurers and explorers, especially in the 15th and 16th centuries.
So what did people do before there were maps? Well, it was quite easy to use natural signs like mountains and rivers if you were travelling on foot or riding a horse. People took small boats down rivers and followed coastlines. And it was much more logical (合理的) to use time, not distance, to measure (计量) journeys: the next village is a three-hour ride, for example.
In fact, in the earliest maps, people didn't draw landmarks. They drew the stars. It was very easy to see the night sky and use it for navigation (航行). The sky was a lot clearer before the light pollution from cities that we have today. When towns and cities were built, people drew road maps which gave correct distances and directions.
The London Underground was opened in 1863 and it also used a road map style. But a man called Henry Beck realized that travelling by train wasn't the same as driving your car across London. Passengers only needed to know which stations to change at. His new design (设计) for the Underground map wasn't very popular with the train companies at first. But the passengers loved it and in 1933, 700,000 copies were printed.
These days, of course, you can ride a bike, drive a car or go through a forest and know where you are exactly, using a GPS. It's really difficult to get lost!
【小题1】What was drawn in the earliest maps?

Choose the words or expressions and complete the passage (选择最恰当的单词或词语，完成短文)
1．We have always been warned of the dangers of the forest fires. They cause     1   to a forest. They kill many plants and animals in an eco-system, which is a group of living things and their environment. But have you ever heard of a forest fire that can be     2    for a forest?
2．People start some of the fires with special reasons to actually do well to the eco-system.
3．In fact, fires are a natural part of any eco-system. Without fires, the oldest and largest trees would stop sunlight from reaching the forest floor. Fires can       3      some of these old trees. When the trees die, they provide something good for the earth. New trees can grow strong and healthy in their place.
4．Some trees even need fires to grow. These trees hold their seeds(种子) inside. Heats from a fire allow the coat of the seeds to open up. Then the seeds fall to the ground and have the 4 to grow.
5．Scientists, who know about nature’s needs, start some of these fires, called controlled burns. A fire is started and kept under control. This way, the fire does not spread out of the area or 5   a large space of the forest. Fires can be dangerous for animals. Even when animals continue to live after forest fires, they can go hungry   6    their food has been damaged in the fire. Small, controlled fires mean that animals will not have to move far to find food. After some time, small plants begin to grow. Animals return soon after the plants return. This   7 makes an eco-system.
6．So the next time you hear about a forest fire, think about the good as well as the bad. It may take a new eco-system a while to return, but it will likely come back stronger and healthier than ever.

阅读理解（40分）

Hundreds of years ago there lived a king in a small country. He liked swimming. When summer came, he always went to another palace by a forest with his guards and returned to the capital in autumn.

One afternoon the king went swimming in a river in the forest but he didn’t tell others about it. He was very happy when he swam in the water.    After that he heard a great noise and saw a big bear coming at him. He tried his best to run away. He ran and ran and at last he lost his way. He was hungry and tired when he found an old house. There was an old farmer in it.“It’s your king,” he said to the old man.“I’m hungry now. Bring me something to eat quickly!”

The old man had nothing dear. He only had four eggs. The king ate them and felt better.“How much must I pay you for that?”

“Eighteen pounds.”        

“How dear they are! Are eggs rare（稀有的）here?”

“No,” answered the old farmer.“We have only one king in our country!”

根据材料内容选择最佳答案。

1. _________,he was happy.

2. When the king saw the bear, he _________.

3. At last the king found _________.

4. Which is the best title of the story?

If you have no special plans for your holidays, why not spend your time helping others？Don’t believe those people who say that young people today often think only of themselves. It’s not true at all. More and more young people in the USA volunteer to spend their school holidays working for others. And they don’t do it for money. Here are some of their stories.
Alice, 17
I’m going to help the Forest Center build new hiking paths in the mountains. It’s going to be great fun — I’ll spend the whole summer living in a forest and breathing the clean mountain air. I’m going to sleep under the moon and stars. It will be a nice sport, and I’ll be able to do something good at the same time!
Jason , 18
This summer, I’m going to volunteer with Special House Program. They build good, less expensive houses and sell them to families that are not very rich. They’ll teach me what to do, so I’ll help people and also have a chance to learn how to build houses.
Trish , 16
I’m going to teach children who have trouble in reading. I’ll work for a program called Reading for Life. Every day, I’m going to help them choose and read books that they like. I want to be a teacher, and I love children and reading, so this is going to be a great experience for me.
【小题1】What does Alice plan to work for others in summer？