The march to Italy was began.The soldiers were even more enthusiastic than Caesar (恺撒) himself.
They climbed mountains, waded rivers, endured tiredness, and faced all kinds of danger for the sake of
their great leader.
At last they came to a little river called the Rubicon (卢比孔河). It was the boundary line of Caesar"s
Province of Gaul; on the other side of it was Italy.Caesar paused a moment on the bank.He knew that to
cross it would be to declare war against Pompey and the Roman Senate; it would involve all Rome in a
fearful battle, the end of which no man could foresee.
But he did not hesitate long.He gave the word, and rode boldly across the shallow stream.
"We have crossed the Rubicon, " he cried as he reached the farther shore."There is now no turning
back." Soon the news was carried to Rome "Caesar has crossed the Rubicon" and there was great fear
among those who had planned to destroy him.Pompey"s soldiers deserted him and hurried to join
themselves to Caesar"s army.The Rome senators and their friends made ready to escape from the city.
"Caesar has crossed the Rubicon!" was shouted along the roads and byways leading to Rome; and
the country people turned out to meet and hail with joy the conquering hero.
The word was carried a second time to the city "Caesar has crossed the Rubicon" and the wild fight
began.Senators and public officers left everything behind and hurried away to seek safety with Pompey.
On foot, on horseback, in litters, in carriages, they fled for their lives-all because Caesar had crossed the
Rubicon.Pompey was unable to protect them.He hurried to the seacoast, and, with all who were able to
accompany him, sailed away to Greece.
Caesar was the master of Rome.
B. Not afraid of tiredness.
C. Brave in the march.
D. Eager to be great leaders.
B. Caesar would involve all Rome in the battle
C. Caesar would be defeated in the war
D. Caesar was determined to carry out the battle
B. The people who had turned traitor to Caesar were wild with joy.
C. The public officers and soldiers fought bravely against Caesar.
D. The Rome senators and their friends had already escaped.
B. He fled to Greece by sea with all his companions.
C. He had all his relatives and soldiers stay with him.
D. He kept calm and stayed in Rome, defeating his enemies.
Once considered a fringe(非主流的)food by the U.S. culinary mainstream, sweet potatoes are
fast becoming popular everywhere from fast food chains to expensive restaurants and the White
House table.
Three years ago, the "Wall Street Journal" wrote in a front page article that except for their use in
a Thanksgiving dish, sweet potatoes were a wholly uninteresting food. Yet over the past two years,
the number of restaurants offering a sweet potato-based side dish has increased 40 percent. Food
giant ConAgra just spent $155 million to open the world"s first plant devoted entirely to frozen sweet
potato products, and U.S. farmers are planning to harvest a record-setting 2 billion pound crop.
"It"s not something we believe is a fashion,"said Andy Johnston of ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston.
According to research conducted by ConAgra, 30 percent of sweet potato eaters report consuming
the vegetable several times per month. Only 12 percent eat them only during the Thanksgiving and
winter holiday season.
Analysts attribute the sweet potato"s growing popularity in large part is due to sweet potato fries,
which account for the majority of the vegetable"s presence in U.S. restaurants. In fact, Google searches
for "sweet potato fries" increased 40 percent over the past year.
Sweet potatoes have also become popular among more conscious eaters, however, in part because
they are high in vitamins and have a low glycemic (血糖的) index in spite of their sweetness. Both
Weight Watchers and the South Beach Diet have recommended sweet potatoes, roasted in a little oil
rather than fried, and doctors are recommending them for diabetics.
"Within the diabetic community, it"s become pretty common knowledge that sweet potatoes are good
for you, so there"s a great appeal because so many people have diabetes now,"said Chef Michel Nischan, who helps host a TV show for people with diabetes.
B. is one of the richest food-selling companies in the US
C. has asked American farmers to produce more sweet potatoes this year
D. has produced large quantities of sweet potato-based side dishes
B. is not very big
C. is falling a little bit
D. has nearly doubled
B. Google searches show more and more people are becoming interested in sweet potatoes.
C. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamins and low in glycemic index.
D. Sweet potatoes taste very sweet.
B. sweet potatoes should be roasted
C. sweet potatoes are good for diabetics
D. sweet potatoes can be made into many good dishes
attractions and most sought out accommodations. Guests stay close for warmth in sleeping bags
on beds of ice, hats pulled over their ears to prevent frostbite, while sipping cocktails (鸡尾酒) in
glasses also made of ice.
A cool place to host a memorable wedding or for a romantic getaway, the Quebec Ice Hotel
has attracted 600,000 curious tourists, including 30,000 who stayed overnight, since opening
seasonally 11 years ago. Like Victoria and Jeremy Martin, dozens of couples will exchange vows
(誓约) this winter in a temporary church next to the hotel, sculpted entirely from blocks of ice with
seats covered in furs.
Average temperatures fall below minus 20 degrees C (minus four F) in winter, but inside the hotel"s
36 rooms it is relatively cozy. Thick walls of packed snow and ice act as an insulator, trapping body
heat inside. Each room is uniquely decorated, using designs created by Quebec architecture students.
Two hotel bars also sell special cocktails in ice glasses.
First-time guests of the hotel, however, are recommended to stay only one night as sleeping in
sub-zero temperatures is not very refreshing. This year for the first time the ice hotel has teamed up
with a bricks and concrete Quebec City hotel to offer packages for one-night accommodations at
each. Prices for one night only at the ice hotel start at 200 US dollars per person.
The 3,000-square-metre (32,300-square-feet) buildings take six weeks starting in December to
build, using 15,000 tonnes of snow and 500 tonnes of ice, at a cost of some 750,000 US dollars.
Eleven weeks after its seasonal grand opening, the hotel will close on March 27 and then melt away
with the arrival of spring.
B. 30,000 people visit it each year.
C. It has stayed open for many years.
D. Wedding ceremonies are often held there.
B. collects and reflects light and heat
C. makes things become very cold
D. works like an air-conditioner
B. The temperature is always below 0°C.
C. The rooms all look alike.
D. Each room costs $200 per night.
B. their other night is with an ordinary hotel
C. new guests have less advantages over old ones
D. the first-day service is just for a test run
B. it is just being built
C. most of its rooms are vacant
D. it is crowded with guests
time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.
The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1505,is getting worse
by the year, according to the Louvre Museum where it is housed.
"The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since
experts checked it two years ago," the museum said. Visitors have noticedchanges but
repairing the world"s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials
the Italian artist used and their current chemical state.
Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every
![](http://img.shitiku.com.cn/uploads/allimg/20191218/20191218082350-61634.png)
year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. "It is very interestingthat when you"re not
looking at her, she seems, to be smiling, andthen you look at herand she stops, "said Professor
Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University . "It"s because direct vision is excellent at picking
updetail,but less suitedto looking at shadows. Da Vinci paintedthe smile in shadows. "
However,the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as my stcrious as the smile. DaVinci
himself loved it so much that he always carriedit with him, until it was even-tually soldto France"s
King Francis Ⅰ in 1519.
In 1911,the painting was stolen from the Louvre by a former employee, who took it out of the
museum hidden under his coat. He said he plannedto return it to Italy. The painting was sent
back toFrance two years later. During World War Ⅱ,French hidthe painting in small towns to
keep it out of the hands ofGerman forces.
B. Mona Lisa"s beauty is fading gradually with 500 years passing by
C. the Mona Lisa has been catching people"s wide attention in the past 500 years
D. Mona Lisa does not look out of date though painted 500 years ago
B. Its painter himself lovedit greatly and always kept itin ashade.
C. Mona Lisa stops smiling when you look at her wantingto see her smiles.
D. King FrancisIbought it and then returned it to Italy.
a. It was stolen from theLouvre.
b. Its painter sold it to King FrancisⅠ .
c. Its stateof health was checked.
d. It was returned to France and housed in the Louvre Museum.
c. It was hidden andprotected against Germans.
B. d,e,c,b,a
C. d,a,c,c,b
D. b,c,a,d,e
B. it is likely tobe stolen again when it"s under repair
C. it is uncertain which country, Italy or France, should take charge
D. expertsaren"t sure about the materials or the chemical state of its oil paints
![](http://img.shitiku.com.cn/uploads/allimg/20191218/20191218082322-21373.png)
of the great performers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were born and brought up in
Russia and Eastern Europe. I asked Isaac Stern, one of the world"s greatest violinists, the reason
for this phenomenon."It is very clear," he told me. "They were all Jews (犹太人) and Jews at
the time were severely oppressed
![](http://img.shitiku.com.cn/uploads/allimg/20191218/20191218082322-11594.png)
![](http://img.shitiku.com.cn/uploads/allimg/20191218/20191218082322-87185.png)
into the professional fields, bu
![](http://img.shitiku.com.cn/uploads/allimg/20191218/20191218082323-65351.png)
![](http://img.shitiku.com.cn/uploads/allimg/20191218/20191218082323-18380.png)
As a result, every Jewish parent"s dream was to have a child in the music school because it was
a passport to the West.
Another element in the emergence of prodigies, I found, is a society that values excellence
in a certain field and is able to nurture (培育) talent. Nowadays, the most nurturing societies
seem to be in the Far East. "In Japan, a most competitive society with stronger discipline than
ours,"says Isaac Stern,"children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields, including
music. When Western music came to Japan after World War II, that music not only became
part of their daily lives, but it became a discipline as well." The Koreans and Chinese, as we
know, are just as highly motivated as the Japanese.
That"s a good thing, because even prodigies must work hard. Next to hard work, biological
inheritance plays an important role in the making of a prodigy. J. S. Bach, for example, was the
top of several generations of musicians, and four of his sons had significant careers in music.
B. Jewish children are born
![](http://img.shitiku.com.cn/uploads/allimg/20191218/20191218082323-53983.png)
C. they wanted their children to enter into the professional fields
D. it would enable the family to get better treatment in their own country
B. treasure talent and provide opportunities for its full development
C. encourage people to compete with each other
D. promise talented children high positions
B. the learning of Western music
C. strict training of children
D. variety in acad
![](http://img.shitiku.com.cn/uploads/allimg/20191218/20191218082323-31541.png)
the passage?_____
B. Extensive knowledge of music-
C. Very early training.
D. A prejudice-free society.
B. Training of Musicians in the World.
C. Music and Society.
D. The Making of Prodigies
day that store ledgers(分类账)move into the black and companies become profitable. On that day,
retailers slash(砍) prices to get consumers to buy. It is also a time when many Americans start their
Christmas shopping. VOA"s Elizabeth Lee tells us how the economy may affect consumers on that
bargain day.
This day should be a shopper"s dream. "It"s just the deals, the sales and everything you can get for
a lesser price," said Sandy Thomas, a shopper. But it"s a nightmare for others. "I think it"s crazy. I"ve
done all of my shopping throughout the week so I don"t have to go out on Friday," she said. It"s called
Black Friday, the start of the traditional Christmas shopping season in the United States. Every year it"s
the day after the Thanksgiving holiday. Stores open before sunrise and there are deep discounts
everywhere you look.
Last year a crowd of bargain-hunters killed a Wal-mart worker in a New York suburb. This year,
many stores are increasing security while they slash prices. "This is a huge time for the retail stores,"
said Fred Joutz from George Washington University. "This is when they begin making their profits for
the year."
Economics professor Fred Joutz says how Americans spend the weekend after Thanksgiving is a
good indication of how consumers feel about the future.
With the unemployment rate above 10 percent, Joutz says Americans are saving more and spending
less. Some retailers are attracting consumers by opening on Thanksgiving Day, when shops are
traditionally closed. Other stores open their doors anywhere from midnight to four in the morning.
And shoppers will be lining up in front of the doors in order to be one of the first ones to walk
through and get a big discount. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually the first items to go. Sandy
Thomas says it"s an annual family tradition and well worth it. "I just save maybe half of what I would
have spent on a regular, you know, shopping trip," she said.
Economists say U.S. consumers will spend money this Black Friday, but they will spend it more
carefully.
B. the shops will be very crowded on that day
C. the shops will keep open until the daybreak of next day
D. shoppers can buy many items at low prices on that day
B. Because it"s a time when they begin making their profits for the year.
C. Because last year a crowd of bargain-hunters caused an accident.
D. Because many stores open their doors from midnight to four a.m.
B. Electronics like flat screen TVs are usually least discounted.
C. The economy only affects consumers on that bargain day.
D. Thanksgiving is a good indication of how consumers feel about the future.
B. a travel brochure
C. an economic research report
D. a book on psychology
B. Because there are too many people going out shopping for Christmas.
C. Too many people are celebrating Thanks giving.
D. The sky is black that day.
- 1我国被称为“裸子植物的故乡”,是因为( )A.我国裸子植物的种类最多B.我国裸子植物的分布最广C.我国裸子植物的数量最
- 2下列各组词语中,加点字注音,完全正确的一组是( )A.槁暴(bào)跂(qì)望车舆(yú)跬(kuǐ)步B.骐骥(j
- 3Although the wind has _____, the rain remains steady. so you
- 4实验发现,摘除小狗的胰腺后,其尿液容易招引蚂蚁,这是因为( )A.食物中的糖未消化就排出体外B.胰岛素分泌增多C.尿中
- 5火车以40千米/时的速度行驶,它走过的路程s(千米)与时间t(小时)之间的关系式是( ),其中自变量是(
- 6图3表示甲~己六种农业类型的经营特色,图4示意某种农业的活动模式。读图回答问题。小题1:图3中甲农业类型是A.水稻种植业
- 738. Nowhere else in the world______ cheaper tailoring than i
- 8如图,数轴上表示的是某不等式组的解集, 则这个不等式组可能是[ ]A. B. C.
- 9阅读理解 People can cut down poplar trees(杨树)and use them
- 10通常所说的燃烧是指可燃物跟空气中的______发生的一种________、_________的剧烈的____反应。
- 1同样的甲、乙两杯中盛有质量、温度都相同的水,现同时从沸水中取出煮了较长时间的质量相等的铁球和铜球,分别投入甲、乙两杯水中
- 2When the astronauts came back from space, many reporters int
- 3矩形的周长为8,面积为1,则矩形的长和宽分别为( )。
- 4读《世界部分气候类型分布图》,回答问题.(1)图中斜线部分的气候类型是______.这种气候类型分布最广的大洲是____
- 52009年7月11日,上海合作组织就乌鲁木齐发生的打砸抢烧的“7·5”事件发表卢明,新疆维吾尔自治区是中华人民共和国不可
- 6- Do you know a factory ________ here next year?- Yes. It"s
- 7某租赁公司拥有100辆汽车,当每辆车的月租金为3500元时可全部租出;当每辆车的月租金每增加100元时,未租出的车将增加
- 8既可以用来鉴别乙烯和甲烷,又可以用来除去甲烷中混有的乙烯的方法是 A.通入足量溴水中B.与足量的溴反应C.通入
- 9若|x-1|+(y-2)2+z-3=0,则x+y+z=______.
- 10数轴上的点A所对应的数是-2,点B所对应的数是5,那么A、B两点的距离是______,点A、B的中点表示的数是_____