Stepping into a pool of water is common enough, but who could ever imagine stepping into a pool of fish? In February of 1974, Bill Tapp, an Australian farmer, saw a rain of fish that covered his farm. How surprised he must have been when he heard many fish hitting against his roof!
What caused this strange occurrence? This is a question that had long puzzled people who study fish. The answer turned out to be a combination of wind and storm.
When it is spring in the northern part of the world, it is fall in Australia. Throughout the autumn season, terrible storms arise and rains flood the land. The strong winds sweep over Australia like huge vacuum cleaners, collecting seaweed, pieces of wood, and even schools of fish. Strong winds may carry these bits of nature for many miles before dropping them on fields, houses, and astonished people.
Although they seem unusual, fish-falls occur quite frequently in Australia. When Bill Tapp was asked to describe the scene of fish, he remarked, “They look like millions of dead birds falling down.” His statement is not surprising. The wonders of the natural world are as common as rain. Nature, with its infinite wonders, can create waterfalls that flow upward and fish that fall out of the sky.
56. What is this passage about?
A. A sad story. B. A rain of fish.
C. Australia’s northern part. D. The damage done by floods.
57. Fish-falls occur in Australia_________ .
A. quite often B. on large farms
C. only in winter D. when the air is calm
58. It is a known fact that ________.
A. one should watch where one steps
B. Bill Tapp is a scientist who studies farming
C. the natural world can never create waterfalls that fall upward
D. the seasons in the southern part are different from those in the northern part
59. The word “infinite” is closest in meaning to _________.
A. easy B. difficult C. countless D. dangerous
Think about the different ways that people use wind. You can use it to fly a kite or to sail a boat. Wind is one of our cleanest and richest power sources, as well as one of the oldest. Evidence shows that windmills (风车) began to be used in ancient Iran back in the seventh century BC. They were first introduced to Europe during the 1100s, when armies returned from the Middle East with knowledge of using wind power.
For many centuries, people used windmills to grind (磨碎) wheat into flour or pump water from deep underground. When electricity was discovered in the late 1800s, people living in remote (偏僻的) areas began to use them to produce electricity. This allowed them to have electric lights and radio. However, by the 1940s when electricity was available to people in almost all areas of the United States, windmills were rarely used.
During the 1970s, people started becoming concerned about the pollution that is created when coal and gas are burned to produce electricity. People also realized that the supply of coal and gas would not last forever. Then, wind was rediscovered, though it means high costs. Today, there is a global movement to supply more and more of our electricity through the use of wind.From the text we know that windmills _______.
| A．were invented by Europeans armies |
| B．have a history of more than 2800 years |
| C．used to supply power to electric lights in remote areas |
| D．have rarely been used since electricity was discovered |
What was a new use for wind power in the late 19th century ?
| A．Sailing a boat. | B．Producing electricity. |
| C．Grinding wheat into flour. | D．Pumping water from underground. |
One of the reasons why wind was rediscovered in the 1970s is that ______ .
| A．wind power is cleaner |
| B．it is one of the oldest power sources |
| C．it was cheaper to create energy from wind |
| D．the supply of coal and gas failed to meet ends |
What would the writer probably discuss in the paragraph that follows ?
| A．The advantages of wind power. |
| B．The design of wind power plants. |
| C．The worldwide movement to save energy. |
| D．The global trend (趋势) towards producing power from wind. |
I began working in journalism (新闻业) when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition (竞争).
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself easily seen, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was supper time, I walked back home.
“How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“None.”
“Where did you go?”
“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“What did you do?”
“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“You just stood there?”
“Didn’t sell a single one.”
“My God, Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in, “Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel(五分镍币). It was the first nickel I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful reporter as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.Why did the boy start his job young?
| A．He wanted to be famous in the future. |
| B．The job was quite easy for him. |
| C．His mother had high hopes for him. |
| D．The competition for the job was serious. |
From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.
| A．excited | B．interested |
| C．ashamed | D．disappointed |
The phrase “this battle” in the last paragraph refers to.
| A．the war between the boy’s parents |
| B．the arguing between the boy and his mother |
| C．the arguing between the boy and his customers(顾客) |
| D．the fight between the boy and his father |
What is the text mainly about ?
| A．The early life of a reporter. |
| B．The early success of a reporter. |
| C．The happy childhood of the writer. |
| D．The important role of the writer in his family. |
Big Ben, the landmark of London, a clock famous for its accuracy and chimes(和谐的钟声), stopped working for 90 minutes, an engineer said Saturday.
People do not know why the 147-year-old clock on the banks of the River Thames stopped at 10:07 p.m. Friday. It continued keeping time, but stopped again at 10:20 p.m. and remained silent for about 90 minutes before starting up again, a spokeswoman for the House of Commons said.
There has been speculation(推测) that a recent period of hot weather may have been to blame(责备). Temperatures in London reached 90 ℉on Saturday, and forecasters called it England’s hottest day in May since 1953.
The clock has experienced occasional problems. In 1962, snow caused the clock to stop before the New Year. In 1976, the clock stopped when a piece of its machinery broke. Big Ben also stopped on April 30, 1997, and once more three weeks later.How many times has Big Ben stopped up to now?
| A．Three | B．Five | C．Six | D．Eight |
The probable reason for Big Ben stopping working this time is ________.
| A．high temperature | B．low temperature |
| C．broken machine | D．heavy snow |
The passage mainly talks about ________.
| A．Big Ben’s history |
| B．the solution to Big Ben’s problem. |
| C．the landmark of London |
| D．Big Ben’s silence |
Europe is now the biggest market for organic food in the world, having grown by 25 percent a year over the past 10 years. Denmark’s agriculture minister is herself an organic farmer. The UK market for organic food grew by 55 percent in 2000, while the food market as a whole grew by only one percent. Yet only seven percent of British shoppers account for nearly 60 percent of organic sales. However popular the idea of organic farming may be, it is still an interest for only a few people.
So what makes the idea of organic farming popular? Organic farming means farming with natural materials, rather than with man-made fertilizers or pesticides(杀虫剂). Organic farmers rely on many methods — such as crop rotation (农作物的轮作) and the use of resistant（有抵抗力的）varieties, because they are necessary for organic farmers to compensate for the shortage of man-made chemicals.
Organic farming is often supposed to be safer than traditional farming for the environment. Yet after a long research on organic farming worldwide for a number of years, science continues to be against this opinion. The House of Commons committee on agriculture stated that, even with complete research work, it would fail to find any scientific evidence to prove “that any of claims made for organic farming is always true”.
However, the talk about the benefits of organic farming is going on. This is partly because many people depend on their individual farm, the soil, the weather, and so on.The first paragraph mainly tells us _________.
| A．organic farming has been performed only in Europe over the past 10 years. |
| B．governments of European countries have cared less about organic farming. |
| C．organic farming isn’t so popular as expected. |
| D．European countries need organic food more than the other countries in the world. |
The underlined words “compensate for” in the second paragraph probably mean “_________”.
| A．argue for | B．care for |
| C．make up for | D．pay for |
What can we know about organic farming?
| A．It refers to farming with natural materials, instead of chemical fertilizers. |
| B．It refers to farming with chemical fertilizers rather than natural fertilizers. |
| C．It refers to farming with soil rather than any other thing. |
| D．It refers to growing crops with man-made fertilizers and pesticides. |
According to the third paragraph, _________.
| A．organic farming is safer than traditional farming for the environment. |
| B．the idea that organic farming is safer has not been proven by science. |
| C．organic farming is accepted by the UK’s House of Commons committee. |
| D．organic farming is preferred to traditional farming. |
Which of the following is TRUE, according to the passage?
| A．The UK’s agriculture minister is an organic farmer. |
| B．Organic farming is popular with young people. |
| C．Farmers try every means to improve the organic sales system. |
| D．Ninety-three percent of British shoppers don’t buy organic products. |
A popular student in her small high school, Katie started college, expecting to do well in her courses and be best friends with her roommates. But things didn’t turn out that way. Psych 101, the course she thought would be a first-semester favorite, turned out to be a struggle.
Living away from home tends to be the toughest adjustment for first-year students. You may feel homesick in your first weeks or months. It can help to call, write, or email your parents and friends, making them know how you’re going. You can also talk with your roommates. As first-year students themselves, they’re probably experiencing many of the same fears and worries that you’re dealing with .
But what if you don’t get along well with your roommates?
In some cases, it can be a good thing if you and your roommates aren’t much alike. Different views on things may be helpful, so respect your differences no matter what.
If you and your roommates don’t get along well, it can help to find someone who you feel does understand you, which should be easy on a campus with so many people. Many schools have student organization nights where all of the campus clubs gather and promote their organizations, so you can meet people with the same interests there as you. You’ll also meet tons of people in class or in your dorm building.
As homesickness, painful throats, sprained (扭伤的) ankles and wisdom teeth that act up are common among college students, you should check out your student guidebook or your school’s website to find out information about the university health center.
If you think you cannot deal with your problems, make a stop at the school counseling (咨询)center. First-year troubles are something the counselors know well. You can get help there.From Paragraph 1 we can infer that __________.
| A．Katie had been worried about the changes before starting her college life. |
| B．Katie felt satisfied when her college life started. |
| C．Katie wasn’t used to the new environment in college at first. |
| D．Katie has fallen behind in her study after the first semester in college. |
What’s the author’s first suggestion on dealing with homesickness?
| A．Adjust to it gradually. |
| B．Never share fears with your parents. |
| C．Talk to your roommates about it. |
| D．Get along with your roommates. |
Which of the following ways of dealing with roommates is RIGHT?
| A．Not trying to change them. |
| B．Avoid making friends with them. |
| C．Developing the same interest as them. |
| D．Not talking with them. |
From the passage, we can know that_________
| A．It’s easy for the first-year students to adapt to the college life. |
| B．First-year students can get along well with roommates quickly. |
| C．The university center can only help the first-year students solve problems. |
| D．The school counseling center is familiar with the problems the first-year students face. |
What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Freshmen may meet many problems. |
| B．Communication is important in college. |
| C．How you can adjust to your first year in college. |
| D．How schools help freshmen to get used to college life. |