主题一 历史与传统

Ⅰ. 阅读理解

Born in 1902， Harry Beck was an English engineering draftsman （ 绘图员） whobrought about a small revolution in the early 1930s when he created a completely new mapof the London Underground.

Before Beck's design， early maps were usually drawn to a geographically accuratescale （比例）. Map designers simply placed the subway lines on standard maps of the citystreets. These maps clearly showed the subway lines that reached the areas outside the centreof London， but they made it difficult to make out the busy lines that joined directly undercentral London.

In the 1930s， Beck came up with a solution that would not take the geographical accuracyinto account. He created a map that was a scaled‑down linear diagram of the subwaylines. More a basic outline of the lines than a true‑to‑life map， it didnt tell travelers abouthow far it actually was between two points. Becks map had a clean structure with colouredlines. His idea was to create the plainest guide to show travelers how to get from one stationto another.

It's not clear what inspired him to start the project; he wasnt asked to do it， but likelydeveloped his design in his free time， while between jobs. It was more a presentation of hisbeing creative， in seeing a problem and coming up with an answer to it， than a response topublic demand.

His design was then presented to the London Passenger Transport Board， whose membersrefused to accept it， feeling that not showing relative distances between stations wassilly and unreasonable. Still， after a time， in order to increase subway ridership and thereforeearn more money， the Board decided to print a limited number of copies. Gradually，Beck's map became a huge success.

For most of his life， Beck continued to make small improvements to the diagram， but he kept its basic designs and ideas. His clear diagrammatic method of mapping has beengenerally accepted and followed in the field of information design not only in London butalso around the world.

1. What is the disadvantage of early subway maps？

A. They were not drawn to scale.

B. They were hard to draw.

C. They were not user‑friendly.

D. They were seldom updated.

2. Which aspect of a subway map did Beck focus on？

A. Its simplicity. B. Its vivid details.

C. Its completeness. D. Its geographical accuracy.

3. What do we know about Becks map from paragraphs 4 and 5？

A. It was created accidentally.

B. It was an immediate success.

C. It was a reflection of his creativity.

D. It was designed to meet public needs.

4. How did Beck contribute to the world？

A. He changed the construction of subways.

B. He inspired designers to improve the subway.

C. He made the first scaled‑down linear map.

D. He provided a model for the design of subway maps.

Ⅱ. 补全信息

Celebrate！

Piñatas

In Mexico， children often get piñatas on their birthdays. Their parents put chocolatesand other sweets inside the piñata and hang it on a tree. Then the children hit the piñatawith a stick.

Noodles

In China， people often celebrate birthdays by eating with family or friends， and thelast dish of the meal is always noodles. The noodles are long and thin. 2 You can not cut them. In Chinese culture， long noodles mean you will have a long life.

Business birthdays

A business birthday shows that a company is successful. Many businesses in the USAcelebrate important birthdays， like 10， 50 or 150 years. 3 Sometimes they makeTV advertisements. It is a good chance to advertise the business.

Name days

As well as a birthday， many people in Southern Europe also celebrate their name days.4 People have big parties and open their houses to anybody who wants to come.People bring small gifts， often flowers or a box of sweets.

Islamic New Year

In some countries across the world， people celebrate Eid. Eid means festival or celebration.During Eid， people visit family and friends， as well as people who are sick or inhospital. 5 Children receive toys， too. Children often wear special traditionalclothes during the Eid celebrations.

A. You have to eat them in one piece.

B. They go out for a meal to celebrate.

C. Companies hold parties and send cards.

D. They give presents， such as sweets and food.

E. It breaks and the sweets fall out on to the ground.

F. This is one of the two important festivals in this country.

G. In Greece， name days are more important than birthdays.

Ⅲ. 完形填空

Black people left the South for multiple reasons， including severe Jim Crow laws thatdenied black people their civil rights and economic conditions that made advancement nextto impossible. They saw 1 for them to get in northern cities， where workers wereneeded during labor shortages 2 by World War Ⅰ. Between 1915 and about1960， northern industrial cities 3 five million black people， becoming majorityblack.