Between 10,000 and 15,000 years ago, some humans discontinued their wandering hunting and gathering and settled down to farm. Grain was the first domesticated crop that started that farming process.

The oldest proven records of brewing are about 6,000 years old and refer to the Sumerians. Sumeria lay between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers including Southern Mesopotamia. It is said that the Sumerians discovered the fermentation (发酵) process by chance. No one knows today exactly how this occurred, but it could be that a piece of bread or grain became wet and a short time later, it began to ferment.

The Sumerians were able to repeat this process and are assumed to be the first civilized culture to brew beer. They had discovered a “divine drink” which certainly was a gift from the gods. The word beer comes from the Latin word bibere, meaning “to drink”, and the Spanish word cerveza originates from the Greek goddess of agriculture, Ceres.

A vitamin-rich porridge, used daily, beer is reported to have increased health and longevity and reduced disease and malnutrition (营养不良). The self-medicating properties of alcohol-rich beer also eased the tensions and stresses of daily living in a hostile world. The use of yeast (酵母) was not yet known at that time. The success of the fermentation process was left to chance, as the brewers unknowingly relied on yeast particles in the air.

Considerable scientific research took place in breweries (酿酒厂) in the 19th century. A famous work from 1876 by Louis Pasteur was Studies Concerning Beer where he revealed his knowledge of micro-organisms. By establishing that yeast is a living microorganism, Pasteur opened the gates for accurately controlling the conversion (转换) of sugar to alcohol.

Another discovery in beer brewing was the work of Christian Hansen, a Danish scientist, who successfully isolated a single yeast cell and induced it to reproduce on an artificial culture medium. With the resulting yeast multiplication (繁殖) methods, the purity of the fermenting process has been improved.

1.According to the passage, who was the first to brew beer?

2.The last two paragraphs mainly talk about 　　   　 .

3.According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?

4.Which would be the best title for the text?

第二节读写任务 (共1小题,满分25分)

阅读下面短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。

It seemed no one cared about Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic(酗酒) parents. In spite of his reading skills, he had been failing exams since first grade. Steve went unnoticed until Miss White.

　　Miss White was a smiling, young, beautiful redhead, and Steve was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn’t take his eyes off his teacher; yet, still he failed. He never did his homework, and he was always in trouble with Miss White. His heart would break under her sharp words, and when he was punished for failing to turn in his homework, he felt just miserable! Still, he did not study.

　　Until one day, Miss White talked to him, “Steve! Please! I care about you!”

Suddenly, Steve understood! Someone cared about him!

From that moment nothing was the same for Steve. Life at home remained the same, but life still changed. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was good at it!

After high-school Steve joined the Navy, and he had a successful military career. During that time, he met the love of his life, he raised a family, and he graduated from a college. Later he became a professor in a nearby college

　　You see, it’s simple, really. A change took place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who cared.

[写作内容]

有一英国网站正在征集以“My Teachers and Me”为主题的故事，请按以下要求写一篇发生在你与你的老师之间的故事：

1) 以约30个词概括短文的要点；

2) 然后以约120个词写一篇记叙文，并包括如下要点：

①叙述你老师对你影响深远的真实或虚构的故事；

②你遇到问题时，你的老师如何帮你解决；

③你的老师对你产生了什么影响？

[写作要求] 可以参照阅读材料的篇章结构，组织故事，但不得直接引用原文中的句子。

[评分标准] 概括准确、语言规范、内容合适，篇章连贯。

第二节读写任务 (共1小题,满分25分)
阅读下面短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
It seemed no one cared about Steve, a twelve-year-old boy with alcoholic(酗酒) parents. In spite of his reading skills, he had been failing exams since first grade. Steve went unnoticed until Miss White.
　　Miss White was a smiling, young, beautiful redhead, and Steve was in love! For the first time in his young life, he couldn’t take his eyes off his teacher; yet, still he failed. He never did his homework, and he was always in trouble with Miss White. His heart would break under her sharp words, and when he was punished for failing to turn in his homework, he felt just miserable! Still, he did not study.
　　Until one day, Miss White talked to him, “Steve! Please! I care about you!”
Suddenly, Steve understood! Someone cared about him!
From that moment nothing was the same for Steve. Life at home remained the same, but life still changed. He discovered that not only could he learn, but he was good at it!
After high-school Steve joined the Navy, and he had a successful military career. During that time, he met the love of his life, he raised a family, and he graduated from a college. Later he became a professor in a nearby college
　　You see, it’s simple, really. A change took place within the heart of one boy, all because of one teacher, who cared.
[写作内容]
有一英国网站正在征集以“My Teachers and Me”为主题的故事，请按以下要求写一篇发生在你与你的老师之间的故事：
1) 以约30个词概括短文的要点；
2) 然后以约120个词写一篇记叙文，并包括如下要点：
①叙述你老师对你影响深远的真实或虚构的故事；
②你遇到问题时，你的老师如何帮你解决；
③你的老师对你产生了什么影响？
[写作要求] 可以参照阅读材料的篇章结构，组织故事，但不得直接引用原文中的句子。
[评分标准] 概括准确、语言规范、内容合适，篇章连贯。

Throughout this long, tense election, everyone has focused on the presidential candidates and how they’ll change America. Rightly so, but selfishly, I’m more fascinated by Michelle Obama and what she might be able to do, not just for this country, but for me as an African-American woman. As the potential First Lady, she would have the world’s attention. And that means that for the first time people will have a chance to get up close and personal with the type of African-American woman they so rarely see.

　　Usually, the lives of black women go largely unexamined. The prevailing theory seems to be that we’re all hot-tempered single mothers who can’t keep a man. Even in the world of make-believe, black women still can’t escape the stereotype of being eye-rolling, oversexed females raised by our never-married, alcoholic (酗酒的) mothers.

　　These images have helped define the way all women are viewed, including Michelle Obama. Before she ever gets the chance to commit to a cause, charity or foundation as First Lady, her most urgent and perhaps most complicated duty may be simple to be herself.

　　It won’t be easy. Because few mainstream publications have done in-depth features on regular African-American women, little is known about who we are, what we think and what we face on a regular basis. For better or worse, Michelle will represent us all.

　　Just as she will have her critics, she will also have millions of fans who usually have little interest in the First Lady. Many African-American blogs have written about what they’d like to see Michelle bring to the White House—mainly showing the world that a black woman can support her man and raise a strong black family. Michelle will have to work to please everyone—an impossible task. But for many African-American women like me, just a little of her poise (沉着), confidence and intelligence will go a long way in changing an image that’s been around for far too long.

1.Why does Michelle Obama hold a strong fascination for the author?

A.She serves as a role model for African women.

B.She possesses many admirable qualities becoming a First Lady.

C.She will present to the world a new image of African-American women.

D.She will pay closer attention to the interests of African-American women.

2.What is the common stereotype of African-American women according to the author?

A.They are victims of violence.

B.They are of an inferior violence.

C.They use quite a lot of body language.

D.They live on charity and social welfare.

3.What do many African-Americans write about in their blogs?

A.Whether Michelle can live up to the high expectations of her fans.

B.How Michelle should behave as a public figure.

C.How proud they are to have a black woman in the White House.

D.What Michelle should do as wife and mother in the White House.

4.What does the author say about Michelle Obama as a First Lady?

A.However many fans she has, she should remain modest,

B.She shouldn’t disappoint the African-American community.

C.However hard she tries, she can’t expect to please everybody.

D.She will give priority to African-American women’s concerns.

5.What do many African-American women hope Michelle Obama will do?

A.Help change the prevailing view about black women.

B.Help her husband in the task of changing America.

C.Outshine previous First Lady.

D.Fully display her fine qualities.