The United States and Cuba have restored full diplomatic ties after sweeping aside more than five decades of tense relations. 

A Cuban flag was raised in the lobby of the State Department in Washington in the early hours of Monday, marking a new era of relations between the two nations. Following that historical occasion, Cuban officials formally inaugurated their Washington embassy by raising their national flag for the first time in 54 years. The U.S. Embassy in Cuba has also opened, but the American flag won’t be raised in Havana until Secretary of State John Kerry visits next month.  

More than 500 people, including Obama administration officials, U.S. lawmakers and a large visiting Cuban delegation, attended the ceremony at the nearly century-old building that was being transformed into the Cuban Embassy.

Although normalization has taken center-stage in the US-Cuba relationship, there remains a deep ideological gulf between the nations, and many issues still to work out. Among them are complicated disputes such as over mutual claims for economic reparations, Havana’s insistence on the end of the 53-year-old trade embargo and U.S. calls for Cuba to improve on human rights and democracy. Some U.S.lawmakers, including several prominent Republican presidential candidates, have vowed not to end up the embargo and planned to stop Obama’s moves on Cuba.

But Monday’s events caps a remarkable change of course in U.S. policy toward the communist island under President Barack Obama, who had sought diplomatic restoration with Cuba since he first took office and has progressively loosened restrictions on travel and financial support to the island.

“It’s a historic moment,” said Cuban diplomat and analyst Carlos Alzugaray. “The significance of opening the embassies is that trust and respect that you can see, both sides treating the other with trust and respect,” he said. “That doesn’t mean there aren’t going to be conflicts — there are bound to be conflicts — but the way that you treat the conflict has completely changed.”

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1.What is mainly talked about in the passage?

A There are many conflicts between Cuba and the US.

B The Cuban flag was raised again in Washington after five decades.

C Some important politicians disagreed with Obama’s moves on Cuba.

D The US restored diplomatic relations with Cuba based on trust and respect.

解析：选B。B 主旨大意题。根据第2段第1句A Cuban flag was raised in the lobby of the State Department in Washington...可知，美国与古巴恢复外交关系，古巴驻美国大使馆举行升旗仪式，故选B。

2.The American flag wasn’t raised in Havana because ________.

A the American embassy in Cuba hasn’t opened

B there are complicated disputes between Cuba and the United States

C another ceremony will be held next month with John Kerry present

D some politicians want to stop Obama’s moves on Cuba

解析：选C。C 细节理解题。根据第2段第3句...the American flag won’t be raised in Havana until Secretary of State John Kerry visits next month可知，美国驻古巴大使馆已经成立，但没有举行升旗仪式，待下个月美国国务卿克里访问古巴时举行升旗仪式，正式开馆。

3.What can we infer from the passage?

A Human rights conditions in Cuba will be greatly improved.

B There will be no conflicts any more between the US and Cuba.

C The US-Cuban relations will not last long with conflicts ahead.

D President Obama had difficulties restoring diplomatic ties with Cuba.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据第四段第3句Some U.S. lawmakers, including several prominent Republican presidential candidates, have vowed not to end up the embargo and planned to stop Obama’s moves on Cuba可知，一些知名度很高的议员并不同意撤销对古巴的禁运政策，他们还扬言阻止奥巴马关于恢复与古巴外交关系的动议。由此判断，奥巴马总统推进美国与古巴恢复外交关系将会面临重重阻挠，不会一帆风顺的。

4.The underlined word “caps” in paragraph five has the closest meaning with ________.

A indicate

B lead

C prove

D provide

解析：选A。A 词义猜测题。根据语境可知，周一的古巴在华盛顿的升旗仪式具有深刻的历史意义，揭开了古美关系的新篇章。由此判断，cap在文章中意为“表明，预示”。

5.What is Carlos Alzugaray’s attitude towards the restoration of US-Cuban relations?

A Pessimistic.

B Doubtful.

C Concerned.

D Enthusiastic.

解析：选D。D 推理判断题。根据historic，treating the other with trust and respect以及completely changed可以判断，这位外交家与分析家对于美古关系正常化是持乐观态度的。 【生词】