When Babbage was working at Cambridge, a new idea occurred to him. He wanted to construct a calculating machine to work out the solutions(解法)to maths problems not only with correctness but also with a speed beyond the power of any human mind. His machine could solve problems involving(涉及)long rows of figures in one continuous operation(运算).
In 1822 Babbage exhibited his invention and won a prize from the government. After that, he immediately started to work on a larger machine designed to solve more difficult problems. Although he received some money left by his father, the money was not enough to support his design. He wrote to the government about his plan and was given £2500 to start with, a sum worth much more in those days than it is now.
Babbage continued his work in London for four years. Then his health broke down, and he had to take a long holiday abroad. When he returned to London in 1828, he was at the end of his resources. Many bills remained unpaid. His chief assistant and co-workers quarreled with him and left with many expensive tools. For one year no work was done. During this period, Babbage, whose mind was always active, suddenly thought of a completely new idea for the machine. He rushed to meet the government officials to explain his new idea. But this time, they were unwilling to help him. For eight years, they refused to say whether they wanted the machine or not, and their final answer was “No.”
From 1828 to 1839, Babbage held the position of professor at Cambridge very successfully. But his greatest work was the unfinished calculating machine which stood covered in dust in his house. It was the beginning of the modern computer.
60.The machine Babbage designed would solve difficult maths problems _________.
A.in one operation with few mistakes
B.in more than one operation without any mistakes
C.in more than one operation with slight mistakes
D.in one operation without any mistakes
61.Babbage failed to continue his research work in 1828 mainly because _______.
A.he was in poor health B.he almost ran out of money
C.his co-workers argued with him D.he spent all his money on his bills
62.Babage explained his new idea to the government officials, expecting that _________.
A.they would agree to his plan B.they would pay for his new idea
C.they would support him with money D.they would exhibit his new design
63.From the passage, we can infer that __________.
A.Babbage failed to be a famous scientist at Cambridge
B.Babbage always had new ideas but gave them up easily
C.Babbage always needed support from the government officials
D.Babbage was the first designer of the modern computer
Our "Mommy and Me" time began two years ago. My next-door neighbor and fellow mother, Christie, and I were out in our front yards, watching seven children of age 6 and under ride their bikes up and down. "I wish I could take one of my children out alone," said Christie.
Then we worked out a plan: When Christie takes one of her children out, I'll watch her other three. And when she watches two of mine, I'll take someone out.
The children were extremely quick to accept the idea of "Mommy and Me" time. Christie's daughter, McKenzie, went first. When she returned, the other children showered her with tons of questions. McKenzie was smiling broadly. Christie looked refreshed and happy. "She's like a different child when there's no one else around," Christie shared with me quickly. With her mother all to herself, McKenzie didn't have to make an effort to gain attention.
Just as Christie had noticed changes in McKenzie, I also discovered something different in each of my children during our alone times. For example, I am always surprised when my daughter, who is seldom close to me, holds my hand frequently. My stuttering(口吃的)son, Tom, doesn't stutter once during our activities since he doesn't have to struggle for a chance to speak. And the other son, Sam, who's always a follower when around other children shines as a leader during our times together.
The "Mommy and Me" time allows us to be simply alone and away with each child ---talking, sharing, and laughing, which has been the biggest gain. Every child deserves(应得到)to be an only child at least once in a while.
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What is the text mainly about?
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Right after McKenzie came back, the other children were.
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What is one of the changes the author finds in her children?
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The author seems to believe that.
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Many animals recognize their food because they see it. So do humans. When you see an apple or a piece of chocolate you know that these are things you can eat. You can also use other senses when you choose your food. You may like it because it smells good or because it tastes good. You may dislike some types of food because they do not look, smell or taste very nice. Different animals use different senses to find and choose their food. A few animals depend on only one of their senses, while most animals use more than one sense.
Although there are many different types of food, some animals spend their lives eating only one type. The giant panda(大熊猫)eats only one particular type of bamboo(竹子). Other animals eat only one type of food even when given the choice. A kind of white butterfly(蝴蝶)will stay on the leaves of a cabbage, even though there are plenty of other vegetables in the garden. However, most animals have a more varied diet(多样化饮食). The bear eats fruits and fish. The fox eats small animals, birds and fruits. The diet of these animals will be different depending on the season.
Humans have a very varied diet. We often eat food because we like it and not because it is good for us. In countries such as France and Britain, people eat foods with too much sugar. This makes them overweight, which is bad for their health. Eating too much red meat and animal products, such as butter, can also be bad for the health. Choosing the right food, therefore, has become an area of study in modern life.
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We can infer from the text that humans and animals.
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Which of the following eats only one type of food?
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Certain animals change their choice of food when.
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We can learn from the last paragraph that.
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What's the best tile for this passage?
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It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries(食品杂货),saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity(人性)as a whole. And it has influenced(影响)us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting. Why was the bike so important to the couple?
| A.The man’s job was bike racing. | B.It was their only possession. |
| C.It was a nice Kona 18 speed. | D.They used it for work and daily life. |
We can infer from the text that ____________.
| A.the couple worked 60 hours a week. | B.people were busy before Christmas |
| C.the stranger brought over the bike | D.life was hard for the young family. |
How did people get to know the couple’s problem?
| A.From radio broadcasts. | B.From a newspaper. |
| C.From TV news. | D.From a stranger. |
What do the couple learn from their experience?
| A.Strangers are usually of little help. | B.One should take care of their bike. |
| C.News reports make people famous. | D.An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
Malaria, the world's most widespread parasitic(寄生虫引起的) disease, kills as many as three million people every year—almost all of whom are under five, very poor, and African. In most years, more than five hundred million cases of illness result from the disease, although exact numbers are difficult to assess because many people don't (or can't) seek care. It is not unusual for a family earning less than two hundred dollars a year to spend a quarter of its income on malaria treatment, and what they often get no longer works. In countries like Tanzania, Mozambique, and the Gambia, no family, village, hospital, or workplace can remain unaffected for long.
Malaria starts suddenly, with violent chills, which are soon followed by an intense fever and, often, headaches. As the parasites multiply, they take over the entire body. Malaria parasites live by eating the red blood cells they infect (感染). They can also attach themselves to blood vessels in the brain. If it doesn't kill you, malaria can happen again and again for years. The disease passed on to humans by female mosquitoes infected with one of four species of parasite. Together, the mosquito and the parasite are the most deadly couple in the history of the earth—and one of the most successful. Malaria has five thousand genes, and its ability to change rapidly to defend itself and resist new drugs has made it nearly impossible to control. Studies show that mosquitoes are passing on the virus more frequently, and there are more outbreaks in cities with large populations. Some of the disease's spread is due to global warming.
For decades, the first-choice treatment for malaria parasites in Africa has been chloroquine, a chemical which is very cheap and easy to make. Unfortunately, in most parts of the world, malaria parasites have become resistant to it. Successful alternatives that help prevent resistance are already available, but they have been in short supply and are very expensive. If these drugs should fail, nobody knows what would come next. According to paragraph 1, many people don't seek care because___.
| A.they are too poor |
| B.it is unusual to seek care |
| C.they can remain unaffected for long |
| D.there are too many people suffering from the disease |
People suffering from malaria___.
| A.have to kill female mosquitoes |
| B.have ability to defend parasites |
| C.have their red blood cells infected |
| D.have sudden fever, followed by chills |
Which of the following may be the reason for the wide spread of the disease?
| A.Its resistance to global warming. |
| B.Its ability to pass on the virus frequently. |
| C.Its outbreaks in cities with large populations. |
| D.Its ability to defend itself and resist new drugs. |
It can be inferred from the passage that___.
| A.no drugs have been found to treat the disease |
| B.the alternative treatment is not easily available to most people |
| C.malaria has developed its ability to resist parasites |
| D.nobody knows what will be the drug to treat the disease |
Which of the following questions has NOT been discussed in the passage?
| A.How can we know one is suffering from malaria? |
| B.How many people are killed by malaria each year? |
| C.Why are there so many people suffering from malaria7 |
| D.What has been done to keep people unaffected for long7 |
Do you want to live with a strong sense of peacefulness, happiness, goodness, and self- respect? The collection of happiness actions broadly categorized as "honor" help you create this life of good feelings.
Here's an example to show how honorable actions create happiness.
Say a store clerk fails to charge us for an item. If we keep silent, and profit from the clerk's mistake, we would drive home with a sense of sneaky excitement. Later we might tell our family or friends about our good fortune. On the other hand, if we tell the clerk about the uncharged item, the clerk would be grateful and thank us for our honesty. We would leave the store with a quiet sense of honor that we might never share with another soul.
Then, what is it to do with our sense of happiness?
In the first case, where we don't tell the clerk, a couple of things would happen. Deep down inside we would know ourselves as a type of thief. In the process, we would lose some peace of mind and self-respect. We would also demonstrate that we cannot lie trusted, since we advertise our dishonor by telling our family and friends. We damage our own reputations by telling others. In contrast, bringing the error to the clerk's attention causes different things to happen. Immediately the clerk knows us to be honorable. Upon leaving the store, we feel honorable and our self-respect is increased. Whenever we take honorable action we gain the deep internal rewards of goodness and a sense of nobility.
There is a beautiful positive cycle that is created by living a life of honorable actions. Honorable thoughts lead to honorable actions. Honorable actions lead us to a happier existence. And it's easy to think and act honorably again when we're happy. While the positive cycle can be difficult to start, once it's started, it's easy to continue. Keeping on doing good deeds brings us peace of mind, which is important for our happiness. According to the passage, the positive action in the example contributes to our
| A.self-respect | B.financial rewards | C.advertising ability | D.friendly relationship |
The author thinks that keeping silent about the uncharged item is equal to___.
| A.lying | B.stealing | C.cheating | D.advertising |
The phrase "bringing the error to the clerk's attention" (in para. 5) means___.
| A.telling the truth to the clerk | B.offering advice to the clerk |
| C.asking the clerk to be more attentive | D.reminding the clerk of the charged item |
How will we feel if we let the clerk know her mistake?
| A.We'll be very excited. | B.We'll feel unfortunate. |
| C.We'll have a sense of honor. | D.We'll feel sorry for the clerk. |
Which of the following can be the best title of this passage.*
| A.How to Live Truthfully | B.Importance of Peacefulness |
| C.Ways of Gaining Self-respect | D.Happiness through Honorable Actions |