consisted of 13 alternate red and white stripes and 13 white stars in a field of blue, representing the 13 colonies that had declared their independence in 1776. Congress adopted a new flag of 15 stars and 15 stripes in 1795, to give representation to the two new states admitted into the Union, Vermont and Kentucky.

　　By 1817, there were 20 states in the Union, and it became apparent that adding one stripe for each new state would destroy the shape of the flag. As a result, Congress in 1818 restored the original design of 13 stripes and provided that each state was to be represented by one star. In 1921 Preside William H. Taft made the first official provision for the arrangement of the stars. He ordered that there be six even rows of eight stars each. Previously the arrangement of the stars had been left to the flag­maker's fancy.

　　The evolution of the stars and stripes reflects the growth of the United States. After the admission of Hawaii into the Union in 1959, the flag was official changed for the 26th time since its creation.

　　There are many government flags flown in the United States in addition to the national flag. Among them are the president's and vice­president's flags and those of the federal departments and some federal agencies. Each state in the Union has an official flag. The United States Navy uses special flags for signaling.

　　语篇解读：本文介绍美国国旗的历史。

　　5．The basic flag of the United States is ________.

　　A．the oldest national flag in the world

　　B．one of the world's oldest flags

　　C．the most beautiful flag in the West

　　D．as old as the basic flags of some European nations

　　解析：选B　细节理解题。根据第一段"The basic flag of the United States is one of the world's oldest national flags."可知答案为B。

　　6．Before the War of Independence the flags of various European nations flown over the land were symbols of ________.

　　A．self­rule　　　　　　　 B．occupation

　　C．peace and friendship D．independence

　　解析：选B　细节理解题。根据第二段"During the discovery and ...symbols of possession."可知答案为B。

　　7．The first official flag of the United States was adopted ________.

　　A．before the Independence War

B．right after the Independence War