University of Oxford was founded in the 1 0 th century.（）

8. Oxford, City of Dreaming Spires Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire and famous worldwide for its prestigious university, the oldest in the English-speaking world. In his poem ‘Thyrsis’ the Victorian poet Matthew Arnold called Oxford ‘the city of dreaming spires’ after the stunning architecture of these university buildings. Two rivers run through Oxford, the Cherwell and the Thames (Isis), and it is from this riverside situation that Oxford got its name in Saxon times, ‘Oxenaforda’ or ‘Ford of the Oxen’. In the 10th century Oxford became an important frontier town between the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex and was also strategically important to the Normans who in 1071 built a castle there, first in timber and later in the 11th century, in stone. Oxford Castle played an important part in The Anarchy in 1142 when Matilda was imprisoned there, and later, like many other castles, was mostly destroyed during the English Civil War. The University of Oxford is first mentioned in the 12th century although the exact date of its foundation is unknown. The University expanded rapidly from 1167 when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris and the returning students settled in Oxford. However, in 1209 a student fled the city after apparently murdering his mistress, and the townsfolk retaliated（报复） by hanging two students. The ensuing riots resulted in some academics fleeing to nearby Cambridge and establishing the University of Cambridge. The relationship between “town and gown” was often uneasy – as many as 93 students and townspeople were killed in the St Scholastica Day Riot of 1355. Oxford is a collegiate university, made up of 38 colleges and six permanent private halls. The oldest of Oxford’s colleges are University College, Balliol, and Merton, established sometime between 1249 and 1264. Founded by Henry VIII with Cardinal Wolsey, Christ Church is the largest Oxford college and uniquely, the Cathedral seat of Oxford. Most of the colleges are open to the public, but visitors should check opening times. As the colleges are in use by students, visitors are asked to respect the areas marked as private. The historic centre of Oxford is small enough to explore on foot and within easy walking distance of the bus and rail stations. There are many ways to discover this beautiful city: open bus tours, walking tours, river cruises and you can even hire a punt or a rowing boat from Folly Bridge, Magdalen Bridge or Cherwell Boathouse. One of the most iconic buildings in Oxford is The Radcliffe Camera in Radcliffe Square with its distinctive circular dome and drum. Built in 1749 to house the Radcliffe Science Library, the Radcliffe Camera (camera is another word for ‘room’) is now a reading room for the Bodleian Library. Officially opened in 1683, Oxford’s Ashmolean Museum on Beaumont Street is Britain’s oldest public museum and possibly the world’s oldest museum. It is home to Oxford University’s art and archaeology collections and admission is free. Completed in 1914 to connect two parts of Hertford College, Hertford Bridge is often called the Bridge of Sighs because of the similarity to the famous bridge in Venice. Actually it was never intended to be a replica of any existing bridge. Oxford’s beautiful historic centre has starred in many films and television series. Scenes from the Harry Potter films were shot at Oxford University; the Great Hall was the setting for Hogwart’s dining room and the Library doubled as Hogwart’s Infirmary. But Oxford is most firmly associated with TV’s ‘Inspector Morse’. It was the setting, and some might say one of the stars, of the TV series. 16. Which one of the following is NOT TRUE?

A、The University of Oxford is the oldest in the English-speaking world.

B、Visitors are allowed to look around the University of Oxford.

C、The Radcliffe Camera is a well-known camera.

D、Some scenes from the Harry Potter films were shot at Oxford University.

3. History of Oxford As the oldest university in the English-speaking world, Oxford is a unique and historic institution. There is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. In 1188, the historian, Gerald of Wales, gave a public reading to the assembled Oxford dons and in around 1190 the arrival of Emo of Friesland, the first known overseas student, set in motion the University's tradition of international scholarly links. By 1201, the University was headed by a magister scolarum Oxonie, on whom the title of Chancellor was conferred in 1214, and in 1231 the masters were recognized as a universitas or corporation. In the 13th century, rioting between town and gown (townspeople and students) hastened the establishment of primitive halls of residence. These were succeeded by the first of Oxford's colleges, which began as medieval 'halls of residence' or endowed houses under the supervision of a Master. University, Balliol and Merton Colleges, which were established between 1249 and 1264, are the oldest. Less than a century later, Oxford had achieved eminence above every other seat of learning, and won the praises of popes, kings and sages by virtue of its antiquity, curriculum, doctrine and privileges. In 1355, Edward III paid tribute to the University for its invaluable contribution to learning; he also commented on the services rendered to the state by distinguished Oxford graduates. From its early days, Oxford was a centre for lively controversy, with scholars involved in religious and political disputes. John Wyclif, a 14th-century Master of Balliol, campaigned for a Bible in the vernacular, against the wishes of the papacy. In 1530, Henry VIII forced the University to accept his divorce from Catherine of Aragon, and during the Reformation in the 16th century, the Anglican churchmen Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley were tried for heresy and burnt at the stake in Oxford. The University was Royalist in the Civil War, and Charles I held a counter-Parliament in Convocation House. In the late 17th century, the Oxford philosopher John Locke, suspected of treason, was forced to flee the country. The 18th century, when Oxford was said to have forsaken port for politics, was also an era of scientific discovery and religious revival. Edmund Halley, Professor of Geometry, predicted the return of the comet that bears his name; John and Charles Wesley's prayer meetings laid the foundations of the Methodist Society. The University assumed a leading role in the Victorian era, especially in religious controversy. From 1833 onwards The Oxford Movement sought to revitalize the Catholic aspects of the Anglican Church. One of its leaders, John Henry Newman, became a Roman Catholic in 1845 and was later made a Cardinal. In 1860 the new University Museum was the scene of a famous debate between Thomas Huxley, champion of evolution, and Bishop Wilberforce. From 1878, academic halls were established for women and they were admitted to full membership of the University in 1920. Five all-male colleges first admitted women in 1974 and, since then, all colleges have changed their statutes to admit both women and men. St Hilda's College, which was originally for women only, was the last of Oxford's single sex colleges. It has admitted both men and women since 2008. During the 20th and early 21st centuries, Oxford added to its humanistic core a major new research capacity in the natural and applied sciences, including medicine. In so doing, it has enhanced and strengthened its traditional role as an international focus for learning and a forum for intellectual debate. 5.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A、Oxford was originally a centre for political disputes.

B、Oxford was founded in 1358.

C、John Locke was forced to flee the country in the late 17th century.

D、St Hilda's College was originally for men only.

Look in an old dictionary—say, a pre-1960 Webster's—and you'll likely find a definition of culture (1) looks something like this: "1．The cultivation of soil. 2．The raising, improvement, or development of some plant, animal (2) product. " This use of the word has its roots in the ancient Latin word cultura, "cultivation" or "tending," and (3) entrance into the English language had begun by the year 1430. By the time the Webster's definition above was (4) , another definition had begun to take precedence over the old Latin denotation; culture was coming to mean "the training, (5) , and refinement of mind, tastes, and manners" (Oxford English Dictionary). The OED traces this definition, which today we associate (6) the phrase "high culture," back as far as 1805; by the middle of the 20th century, it was (7) becoming the word's primary definition.

However, if you try a more modem source, like the American Heritage English Dictionary, (8) find a primary definition of culture which is substantially different than either of the two given above: "The totality (9) socially transmitted behavior. patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. " Why such a (10) , and in such a (relatively) short period of time？ Well, in the past 40 years, the use of the (11) "culture" has been heavily influenced by the academic fields of sociology and cultural anthropology. These fields have gradually brought (12) was once a minor definition of culture (the last of eight definitions given in the old 1958 Webster's quoted (13) ) into the mainstream.

It is easy to imagine how the US society which was so focused on "socially transmitted (14) patterns" in the sixties would come to need a word to describe the object of its interest. The civil (15) movement during this era brought everyone's attention to bear on cultural differences within US society, while the Vietnam War (16) to emphasize the position of the US culture in relation to other world cultures.

Over time, these new uses (17) the word culture have eclipsed its older meanings, those associated with cultivation of the land and the production of (18) . You might say that an aspect of US culture over the past 40 years is its fascination with the (19) of culture itself—a fascination which has brought about many changes in the way we speak and the (20) of words which we commonly use.

(1)