A
The first people in Canada crossed the Bering Strait from Asia. In the north the Inuit lived by hunting seals, walruses and whales. They also hunted caribou. On the west coast people hunted deer, bear and beaver. They also fished. On the plains people lived by hunting buffalo. In the east people grew crops of beans, squash, maize and sunflower seeds.
The first Europeans to reach Canada were the Vikings. In 986 a Viking called Bjarni Herjolfsson was blown off course by a storm and he spotted a new land. However he sailed away without landing. In 1001 a man named Leif Eriksson landed in the new land, which he named Vinland (it was part of Canada). However Eriksson did not stay permanently. Later the Vikings did establish a colony (殖民地) in North America but they abandoned it because of conflict with the natives.
However after the Vikings Canada was forgotten until the end of the 15th century. In 1497 the English king Henry Ⅶ sent an Italian named John Cabot on an expedition across the Atlantic to Newfoundland. Cabot discovered rich fishing waters off the coast of Canada.
Then in 1534 and in 1535－1536 a Frenchman named Jacques Cartier (1491－1557) sailed on two expeditions to Canada. On 10 August 1535 (St Lawrence’s Day) he sailed into the St Lawrence River, which he named after the saint.
However no permanent European settlements were made in Canada until the early 17th century. In 1603 a Frenchman named Samuel de Champlain (1567－1635) sailed up the St Lawrence River. In 1604 he founded Port Royal in Acadia (Nova Scotia). In 1608 Samuel de Champlain founded Quebec. (The name Quebec is believed to be an Algonquin word meaning a narrow part of a river). In 1642 the French founded Montreal. The new colony in Canada was called New France. By 1685 the population of New France was about 10,000. By 1740 it was 48,000.
( )1.In which part of Canada did people grow crops?
A．In the north. B．In the east.
C．On the west coast. D．On the plains.
( )2.Who was the first European to reach Canada?
A．Leif Eriksson. B．Bjarni Herjolfsson.
C．John Cabot. D．Samuel de Champlain.
( )3.What is the last paragraph mainly about?
A．Europeans set foot on Canada.
B．Europeans started expeditions.
C．Europeans fought against the natives.
D．Europeans began to make permanent settlements.
( )4.What is the best title for the passage?
A．The Early History of Canada
B．The Languages of Canada
C．Europeans Started Expeditions
D．The War Between Europeans and Canadians
【答案与解析】
本文主要讲述了加拿大人口的构成及城市的逐渐形成。
1．B 细节理解题。根据文章第一段最后一句“In the east people grew crops of beans, squash, maize and sunflower seeds.”可知答案。
2．B 细节理解题。根据文章第二段前两句“The first Europeans to reach Canada…called Bjarni Herjolfsson was blown off course by a storm and he spotted a new land.”可知，Bjarni Herjolfsson是最早来到加拿大的欧洲人。
3．D 段落大意题。文章最后一段第一句为该段的主题句。
4．A 标题归纳题。文章各段落主要讲述了加拿大人口的构成及城市的逐渐形成。综合来看，文章讲述了加拿大早期的历史。
