Sailors used to speak of a “Jack”when they meant a flag which was set near the bow of a sailing ship. The flag showed the country to which the ship belonged. The Union Jack became the flag of Great Britain. Australia's flag has the Union Jack in the top left hand corner together with the stars of the Southern Cross. They have kept this small part of Britain on their flag because their country was first settled by people from Britain.

　　Australia's flag is the same color as the Union Jack--red, white and blue. The act of joining together is called a“ Union”. The Union Jack was the name of the flag made when England, Scotland and Ireland joined together to make one country.

　　It all began in 1707 when England and Scotland joined together to become one nation. A flag was made using two crosses--one for the patron saint of each country. The word “patron” means protector. Many centuries before the English had taken St George as their patron saint, his emblem (标志 ) was a red cross on a white background. The Scottish patron saint was St Andrew. In memory of him, they used a white cross on a blue background. This cross was shaped like the letter “X”. The new flag was a mixture of both flags with two sets of crosses. When Ireland joined England and Scotland in 1800,another cross was added. St Patrich's cross of Ireland was red and also shaped like an “X”. All three flags now made up the Union Jack.

21.The Union Jack is a kind of ________ and contains ______.

A. flag; three crosses           B. ship; four crosses

C. flag; two crosses             D. ship; three crosses

22. Why does Australia have the Union Jack in its flag?

A.     Because Australians respect the English.

B. Because the Union Jack is colorful.

C. Because people from Britain settled in Australia first.

D. Because people from Britain brought the Union Jack to Australia.

23. Which of the following is not true?

A. The emblem of the English was a red cross on a white background.

B. The Scottish used a white cross on a blue background in memory of St Andrew.

C. Australia's flag is the same color as the Union Jack.

D. The Irish used a red cross on a blue background in memory of St George.

24. The colors of the flag of Great Britain now are ________.

A. red, black and blue         B. white, yellow and blue

C.red, whiteand black         D.red ,white and blue

The BBC was founded in 1922, including radio and television services. It is based at Broadcasting House in London.

The BBC is controlled by some governors chosen by the government, but these people have freedom and the government can’t interfere（干扰）. That is, the BBC is supposed not to be the mouthpiece（代言人）of the government. It has to be as fair as possible in giving radio and television time to, for example, political parties and religious groups.

There is a kind of interesting service in British-rental services. Many people prefer to rent their television sets instead of buying them.

The rent for a black and white set is about 80 pence a week . The rent of a color set is more than twice that of a black and white set. If the sets go wrong, people can have them repaired free of charge or replaced immediately.

Everyone has to buy a yearly license, since there is no advertising on BBC radio or television. It is from the sale of licenses that the BBC gets most of its money. A license for a black and white set costs 8 pounds, and for a colour set 18 pounds a year.

   There are four specialized radio channels, which broadcast different kinds of programmes. Radio I is mainly pop music．Radio 2 deals with light music, sports and other programmes. Radio 3 broadcasts serious music, talks on serious subjects etc．News broadcasts are mainly given by Radio 4.

There are special programmes for Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and certain parts of England．It also broadcasts programmes about Britain—in many different languages as well as in English to all parts of the world．

25. The officials in charge of the BBC ________ .

A．must say what the government wants to say

B．should give more time to political parties than to religious groups

C．are elected by the citizens from all over the country

D．can decide things without the permission of the government

26.If he wants to watch TV at home, everyone ________ .

A．has to buy a television set of his own    B．must rent a TV set

C．has to buy a license once a year

D．can change his damaged TV set for a new one without payment

27. How does BBC get most of its money?

A．It gets money from all kinds of advertisements.

B．The BBC depends on the rent of TV sets.

C．The BBC gets money mainly by selling licenses and TV sets.

D．It gets its money mainly by selling licenses.

Maybe ten­year­old Elizabeth put it best when she said to her father，“But，Dad，you-can’t-be-healthy-if-you’re-dead.”Dad，in a hurry to get home before dark so he could go for a run，had forgotten to wear his safety belt—a mistake 75% of the US population makes every day.The big question is why.

There have been many myths about safety belts ever since their first appearance in cars some forty years ago.The following are three of the most common.

Myth Number One：It’s best to be “thrown clear” of a serious accident.

Truth：Sorry，but any accident serious enough to “throw you clear”is also going to be serious enough to give you a very bad landing.And chances are you’ll have traveled through a windshield(挡风玻璃) or door to do it.Studies show that chances of dying after a car accident are twenty­five times greater in cases where people are “thrown clear”．

Myth Number Two：Safety belts “trap” people in cars that are burning or sinking in water.

Truth：Sorry again，but studies show that people knocked unconscious(无知觉的) due to not wearing safety belts have a greater chance of dying in these accidents.People wearing safety belts are usually protected to the point of having a clear head to free themselves from such dangerous situation，not to be trapped in them.

Myth Number Three：Safety belts aren’t needed at speeds of less than 30 miles per hour(mph)．

Truth：When two cars traveling at 30 mph hit each other，an unbelted driver would meet the windshield with a force equal to diving head first into the ground from a height of 10 meters.

28.Why did Elizabeth say to her father，“But，Dad，you can’t be healthy if you’re dead.”？

A．He was driving at great speed.        B．He was running across the street.

C．He didn’t have his safety belt on.      D．He didn’t take his medicine on time.

29．The reason Father was in a hurry to get home was that he ________.

A．wasn’t feeling very well             B．hated to drive in the dark

C．wanted to take some exercise         D．didn’t want to be caught by the police

30．According to the text，to be “thrown clear”of a serious accident is very dangerous because you ______.

A．may be knocked down by other cars

B．may get seriously hurt being thrown out of the car

C．may find it impossible to get away from the seat

D．may get caught in the car door

31．Some people prefer to drive without wearing a safety belt because they believe ________.

A．the belt prevents them from escaping in an accident   

B．they will be unable to think clearly in an accident

C．they will be caught when help comes    

D．cars catch fire easily

Is there something that you’ve always wanted to try but just never had the time？Well，make plans to try it now since you are on summer vacation.Not all vacations call for taking a tour bus to take photos of famous landmarks.Some vacations allow you plenty of opportunities to learn.

The most difficult aspect of a learning vacation may be choosing one because the possibilities are endless.If you enjoy cooking，various companies can take you to Italy，France，Spain，Mexico or even Peru.Once there，you can learn to prepare the local cuisine(烹饪)．Trips are often planned to fit in with local food festivals or special events.

The term“learning vacation”often brings language to mind.The best way to learn a language is in an environment where it’ s spoken.Study Spanish，French or English.Or attempt a more unusual language like Polish，Estonian or Thai.You’ll be able to learn about the country and absorb the culture at the same time.

If you are fond of sports，you can polish your skills or learn new ones.Golf and tennis schools welcome players of all levels.If you want a bigger thrill，you can learn to surf，go climbing or race cars.It’ s even possible to learn the art and techniques of bull fighting while on vacation!

You can also discover our inner artist.Many places offer painting classes in different mediums.The scenic locations of the schools offer plenty of subjects that provide inspiration for practice.

If you prefer capturing the world on film，take a photography vacation.Travel with a small group to photograph beautiful animals or scenery .You can also practise your technique on people or at historical sights.

Once you decide on a vacation，choose a company carefully.Request names of recent customers you can contact，and then ask them for an evaluation.The more you know before you go，the better prepared you’ll be.Then go out and learn something!

32．Why is it hard for you to decide on a learning vacation?

A．Because it is hard for you to make plans.

B．Because the possibilities are unlimited.

C．Because there are many good foods from abroad.

D．Because there’re too many food festivals or events.

33．The advantage of learning a language in its native country is that ________.

A．the environment is fit for you to use the language

B．you are able to learn the original foreign language

C．native speakers offer you a lot of chances to practise

D．you can learn the language and experience its culture

34．Which of the following sports suits you if you don’t like thrills?

A．Car racing.   B．Playing tennis.   C．Rock climbing.   D．Surfing.

35．The purpose of writing the text is to ________.

A．advertise some popular summer programmes

B．encourage readers to have a good time relaxing

C．offer some tips on how to enjoy a learning vacation

D．attract more readers to spend summer time learning

__36__It crossed New York from Buffalo on Lake Erie Troy to Albany on the Hudson River.__37__The canal served as a route over which industrial goods could flow into the west，and materials could pour into the east.The Erie Canal helped New York develop into the nation’s largest city.

The building of the canal was paid for entirely by the state of New York.__38__Between 1825，when the canal was opened，and 1882，when toll charges (过运河费) were stopped，the state collected $121,461,891.

For a hundred years before the Erie was built，people had been talking about a canal which could join the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean.The man who planned the Erie Canal and carried the plan through was De Witt Clinton.Those who were against the canal laughingly called it “Clinton’s Ditch(沟)”．__39__ He and Governor Morris went to Washington in 1812 to ask for help for the canal，but they were unsuccessful.

Clinton became governor of New York in 1817，and shortly afterwards，on July 4,1817，broke ground for the canal in Rome，N.Y. The first part of the canal was completed in 1820.__40__The length of the canal is 363 miles.

A．As the canal grew，towns along its course developed fast.

B．It cost $ 7,143,789，but it soon gained its price many times over.

C．The Erie Canal was the first important national waterway built in the US.

D．More workers were needed to build the canal.                               

E．Clinton talked and wrote about the canal and drew up plans for it.

F．To dig the canal benefited Americans.

G．It joined the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.