In July 19阅读理解upiter,the largest planet in our solar system,was struck by 21 pieces of a comet (彗星).When the fragments (碎片) landed in the southern part of the giant planet,the explosions were watched by scientists here on earth.But what if our own planet was hit by a comet?
The year is 2094.It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth.Most of it will miss our planet,but two fragments will probably hit the southern part of the Earth.The news has caused panic.
On 17July,a fragment four kilometers wide enters the Earth's atmosphere with a huge explosion.About half of the fragment is destroyed.But the major part survives and hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound.The sea boils and an enormous wave is created and spreads.The wall of water rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometres an hour.Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned.The wave moves into the Indian Ocean and heads towards Asia.
Millions of people are already dead in the southern part of the Earth,but the north won't escape for long.Tons of broken pieces are thrown into the atmosphere by the explosions.As the sun is hidden by clouds of dust,temperatures around the world fall to almost zero.Crops are ruined.Wars break out as countries fight for food.A year later civilization has collapsed.No more than 10 million people have survived.
Could it really happen?In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth.The dinosaurs (恐龙) were on the Earth for over 160 million years.Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared.Many scientists believe
that the Earth was hit by a space fragment.The dinosaurs couldn't survive in the cold climate that followed and they became extinct.Will we meet the same end?
1.Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the author's description of the disaster in 2094?
A.The whole world becomes extremely cold.
B.All the coastal cities in Africa are destroyed.
C.The whole mankind becomes extinct.
D.The visit of the comet results in wars.
2.Why does the author mention dinosaurs at the end of the passage?
A.Because they could only live in the warm climate.
B.Because they once dominated the earth.
C.Because their extinction indicates future disasters.
D.Because dinosaurs and humans never live in the same age.
3.In writing the passage,the author intends to _______.
A.give an accurate description of the possible disaster in the future
B.prove that humans will sooner or later be destroyed
C.tell the historical development of the Earth
D.warn of a possible disaster in the future
4.It can be concluded that the passage is most probably part of a(n)________.
A.horror storyB.news reportC.research paperD.article of popular science
Are you a high school student who loves to be outdoors and is eager to experience new challenges, learn new skills and meet new people? Learn all about the world of building and maintaining hiking trails, and experience it in a safe, teamwork-oriented environment in various locations across the state. WTA offers first-time participants country trips and returning students have the option to go on trips in the back country(边远地区).
Front Country Trips
Our front country trips provide opportunities for people to experience projects near the ocean, in the scenic Cascade Mountains and in northeast Washington. All our trips provide you with experienced crew leaders, a great project, some camping tents, sleeping bags and all your meals for the week.
Advanced Back Country Trips
On these trips you will be backpacking to the work site and will have a chance to advance your trail and leadership skills under the supervision of a WTA crew leader. Approval from a previous crew leader is necessary.
Trip Details
In 2014, trip fees for WTA members will be $195 for the first trip and $145 for each additional trip. Non-members will pay an additional $40 for their first trip and can be qualified to be members in the second trip. There will be a $30 cancellation fee for cancellations more than 30 days prior to the trip, and no refund for cancellations less than 30 days prior to the trip. Due to the popularity of our trips, please submit your payment and application within two weeks of signing up for a trip. If a trip is full and you would like to be added to the waiting list, please call us at 206/625-1367 or email trail_teams@wta.org.
Scholarships
We believe no student should have to stay at home this summer because he or she can’t afford to go outside. Thanks to donations from members and supporters, WTA is proud to announce that we are able to offer a limited number of scholarships. Application deadline: March 1, 2014.
2014 Youth Volunteer Vacation
You must be 14 to 18 years old to go on one of our Youth Volunteer Vacations. We always recommend that volunteers go on a one-day trip before attending a Youth Vacation to understand what the work will be like for a week.If you are going on one of the trips for the first time, you can’t go on trips ________.
A.near the ocean |
B.in the back country |
C.in the Cascade Mountains |
D.in northeast Washington |
How much will you have to pay for your second trip if you’re not a WTA member?
A.$145 | B.$185 | C.$195 | D.$235 |
After choosing a trip, you ________.
A.will naturally become a WTA member |
B.can cancel your trip and get all your money back |
C.will be added to the waiting list |
D.must submit your payment and application within two weeks |
You must be lucky enough to obtain a scholarship if you ________.
A.apply before March 1, 2014 |
B.donate a little money to WTA |
C.support WTA by advertising |
D.volunteer in your high school |
From the text we can learn that 2014 Youth Volunteer Vacations ______.
A.will be the last activity of the year |
B.are more popular than people say |
C.are open only to 14-to18-year-olds |
D.offer a one-day trip for training |
Once a girl named Lily got married, but soon she found that she couldn’t get along with her mother-in-law at all. Finally, Lily could not stand her mother-in-law’s bad temper and decided to do something about it.
Lily turned to Mr. Huang, who sold herbs (草药), for help. She asked if he could give her some poison so that she could solve the problem once and for all. Mr. Huang thought for a while and said: “Lily, I will help you solve your problem, but you must listen to me and do what I tell you.” Lily agreed.
He told Lily, “You can’t use a quick-acting poison to get rid of your mother-in-law, because that would cause people to become suspicious. Therefore, I have given you a number of herbs that will slowly build up poison in her body. Every other day, prepare some delicious food and put a little of these herbs in her serving. Now, to make sure that nobody suspects you when she dies, you must be very friendly towards her.” Lily thanked Mr. Huang and hurried home to start her plot to murder her mother-in-law.
Thus every other day, Lily served the specially treated food to her mother-in-law. She controlled her temper, obeyed her mother-in-law, and treated her like her own mother. After six months had passed, the whole household changed. Lily and her mother-in-law were now treating each other like a real mother and daughter.
One day, Lily came to see Mr. Huang and asked for his help again. She said: “Mr. Huang, please help me to stop the poison from killing my mother-in-law! I do not want her to die.”
Mr. Huang smiled, saying, “Lily, there is nothing to worry about. I never gave you any poison. The herbs I gave you were vitamins to improve her health. The only poison was in your mind and your attitude towards her, but that has been all washed away by the love which you gave to her. ”What can we learn about Lily?
A.She was treated badly by her husband’s family. |
B.She didn’t treat her mother-in-law sincerely at first. |
C.Her mother-in-law didn’t agree to her marriage. |
D.She didn’t respect the tradition of her husband’s family. |
Lily first went to see Mr. Huang to _________.
A.ask for some herbs to kill her mother-in-law |
B.ask him to cure her mother-in-law’s illness |
C.buy some herbs to improve her mother-in-law’s health |
D.ask him for some advice on dealing with her mother-in-law |
After visiting Mr. Huang, Lily__________.
A.became more and more suspicious |
B.changed all of her living habits to please her mother-in-law |
C.prepared specially cooked food for her mother-in-law every day |
D.changed her attitude towards her mother-in-law gradually |
What does the underlined word, “poison”, in the last paragraph, refer to?
A.Buying poisonous herbs. |
B.A negative attitude towards life. |
C.Thinking ill of others. |
D.Losing one’s temper randomly |
What does the author try to tell us?
A.Be aware of other people’s good qualities in relationships. |
B.Keep your thoughts positive, because your thoughts will become your words. |
C.True happiness is to enjoy the present, without depending anxiously on the future. |
D.Don’t waste your time explaining, because people will only hear what they want to hear. |
If Confucius(孔子)were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He'd need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on this special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It's nothing personal. Most Americans don't even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn't mean that Americans don't care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art, history and philosophy(哲学).Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker's ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is.The opening paragraph is mainly intended to ______.
A.provide some key facts about Confucius |
B.attract the readers' interest in the subject |
C.show great respect for the ancient thinker |
D.prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students______.
A.have a great interest in studying Chinese |
B.take an active part in Chinese competitions |
C.try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
D.fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
What is the best title for the passage?
A.Forgotten Wisdom in America |
B.Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
C.Chinese Culture for Westerners |
D.Old Thinker with a Big Future |
Watson entered Mr. Smith's office. The boss was a hard man. He fired people who didn't do well without giving them a second chance.
"Watson," said Mr. Smith, "this past year your department hasn't earned money. We're going to drop that department. It's finished. I’m sorry, —but you'll have to go." "But, sir — if I just had a little more time. For the moment I need the job to keep my son at Riverside School."
"What's that!" said the boss. "Riverside! I didn't know you had a boy there. That's an expensive school for a man with your salary."
"I know, sir. But he likes it there so much! He's a star athlete and the best boxer in the school. The boys call him Champ (冠军)there."
The boss sat perfectly still for a long time — a faraway (恍惚的) look in his eyes. Then, suddenly, he said, "We've got to close your department, Watson. But you'll take over a new job in another department. It means longer hours—maybe more pay. Now get out. You're here for life."
Watson got out, with surprise on his face. Then the boss took a letter from the top drawer of his desk. It was Herbie's last letter from Riverside School —written a few days before he died. He had read it over and over again with sick pain. The letter read:
I can’t say the boys here are any nicer to me than the others were. I guess it's the same everywhere when you're a cripple (跛脚的人). But don't worry about me, Dad. They've got a good chemistry department here. And there’s one boy here who is really great. He's a track star and boxing champ and just tops in chemistry. The boys call him Champ. He made them stop throwing my books around. And he knocked a boy down who hit me. He is the best friend I ever had. Dad, when I grow up, I want to do something for Champ. Something big — that he won’t even know about.
Your son,
HerbieMr. Smith wanted to fire Watson because _____.
A.Watson would take over a new job in another department |
B.Watson had his son study in Riverside School |
C.Watson's son knocked a boy down who hit Herbie |
D.Watson's department didn't earn money that year |
We can learn from the text that _____.
A.Mr. Smith didn't know that Champ was Watson's son at first |
B.Mr. Smith was told not to fire Watson by Herbie |
C.Mr. Smith decided to give Watson another chance in no time |
D.Mr. Smith wanted to realize Champ's dream |
According to the text, which words can best describe Mr. Smith?
A.Sympathetic and grateful. | B.Selfish and greedy. |
C.Hardworking and strict. | D.Easy-going and optimistic. |
The author wrote the text in order to _____.
A.make our children enjoy life |
B.share a moving story with us |
C.provide us with tips on work |
D.help us to deal with our boss |
Shellharbour City Library provides a range of Library Special Needs Services for people who are unable to access our library service in the usual way. As long as you live in Shellharbour City, we’ll provide a full range of library services and resources including:
● Large printed and ordinary printed books
● Talking books on tape and CD
● DVDs and music CDs
● Magazines
● Reference and information requests
You will be asked to complete a ‘Statement of Need’ application form which must be signed by a medical professional.
Home delivery service
Let us know what you like to read and we will choose the resources for you. Our staff will deliver the resources to your home for free. We also provide a service where we can choose the resources for you or someone instead of you choose the things from the library .You can also choose the resources you need personally.
Talking books and captioned videos
The library can provide talking books for people who are unable to use printed books because of eye diseases. You don’t have to miss out on reading any more when you can borrow talking books from the library. If you have limited hearing which prevents you from enjoying movies, we can provide captioned videos for you at no charge.
Languages besides English
We can provide books in a range of languages besides English. If possible, we will request these items from the State Library of NSW, Australia.
How to join?
Contact the Library Special Needs Coordinator to register or discuss if you are eligible(合适的) for any of the services we provide ---Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 9am ---5pm on 4297 2522 for more information.Library Special Needs Services are meant for_____.
A.those who are fond of reading |
B.only those who have walking disabilities |
C.people living in Shellharbour City with an illness or disability |
D.those who can’t get medical help in Shellharbour City |
If people with eye diseases want to learn about history, they can choose______.
A.talking books | B.captioned videos |
C.magazines | D.large printed books |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.Few entertaining resources are offered here. |
B.Books with different languages are available. |
C.People with limited hearing have to pay for captioned videos. |
D.People have to choose what they need by themselves. |
To get home delivery service, you must_______.
A.only choose printed books |
B.register ahead of time |
C.pay the library ahead of time |
D.have others choose the resources for you |