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(圖騰) 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.

 1.A  2.C  3.D  4.D  5.B

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科目：高中英語 來源：讀想用　高二英語（下） 題型：050

閱讀理解

　　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？

[　　]

A．France
B．Vermont and Kentucky
C．The United States
D．Hawaii

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．

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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(魚鉤) and harpoon(魚叉) and the sail that as rolled around the mast(桅桿). 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(斑點(diǎn)) 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.
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“No,” the old man said. “But we have. Haven’t we?
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“Why not?” said the old man, “between fisherman.”
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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.

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B．a(chǎn) cultural and spiritual symbol of good luck

C．a(chǎn) reflection of China’s national characteristics

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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.

 

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閱讀下列短文,從每題所給的四個選項(A,B,C,D)中選出最佳選項

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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 ______

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1.

Grandfather, father and sons belong to three different                 (輩).

2.

After supper many people go to the Central Square just for e              （娛樂）.

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.

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6.

I saw some girls were talking about something in w        . But when I got closer they all ran away.

7.

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8.

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9.

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10.

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