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Stonehenge（巨石阵）may have been a prehistoric health center rather than a site for observing stars or a temple in honor of the dead, scientists said yesterday. New evidence unearthed at the World Heritage Site in more than 40 years suggests that the monument was a place where the diseased and injured went in groups, seeking cures.
After a two-week dig, scientists have concluded that Stonehenge was “the ancient healthcare centre of southern England” because of the existence of “bluestones”---the smaller columns of dolerite（辉绿岩）that formed an earlier stone structure.
By dating pieces of remains to around 7330BC, Tim Darvill, of Bournemouth University, and Goff Wainwright, of the Society of Amtiquaries have found that hunter-gatherers were at the site on Salisbury Plain 4,000 years earlier than thought. The first stage of Stonehenge, a round earthwork structure, was built around 3000BC. Professor Wainwright added: “I did not expect the degree of complexity we discovered. We’re able to say so much more about when Stonehenge was built and why---all of which changes our previous understanding of the monument.”
The research reveals the importance of the henge’s famous bluestones. Hundreds of bluestone chips gathered at the site have led the team to conclude that the bluestones were valued for their curing effects---the key reason that about 80 of them, each weighing up to 4 tons and a half, were dragged more than 150 miles from the Preseli Hills to Wiltshire. After years of research, Professors Darvill and Wainwright have concluded that, for thousands of years, the Preseli mountain range was home to magical health centers and holy wells.
Even today there are those who believe in the curing powers of the springs for coughs and heart disease, and people who use crystals and bluestones for self-curing. Radiocarbon tests have also revealed that the construction of the original bluestone circle took place around 2300BC, three centuries later than originally thought. Interestingly, on the same day died the “Amesbury Archer”---a sick traveler from the Swiss or German Alps who had an infected knee---whose remains were discovered about five miles from Stonehenge. The professors believe that he was a devoted religious person who was hoping to benefit from the curing powers of the monument.
63．Stonehenge is recently believed to be a place for people .
A．to recover from poor health B．to observe star movements
C．to hold religious ceremonies D．to gather huge bluestones
64．What can be inferred about Stonehenge from the passage?
A．The springs could cure coughs and heart disease best.
B．The new discovery was the same as what had been expected.
C．Some huge bluestones were not produced at Stonehenge.
D．The original bluestone circle was thought to be constructed around 2000BC.
65．The sick traveler in the passage is supposed to be .
A．a devoted religious person from Stonehenge
B．one of the earliest discoverers of Stonehenge
C．the first explorer to test the magical power of bluestones
D．a patient trying to cure his infection at Stonehenge
66．Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A．Stonehenge: A New Place of Interest B．Stonehenge: Still Making News
C．Stonehenge: Heaven for Adventurers D．Stonehenge: Still Curing Patients
Nickname: Hawaii’s Island of Adventure
Size: 4,028 square miles
Population: 148,677. The most heavily populated areas are Hilo on the east side and Kailua-Kona on the west.
Temperature: Averages between 71F and 77F year around.
Beaches: 47
Golf Courses: 20
Highest Peak: Mauna Kea, 13,796 feet
Agriculture: The bulk of Hawaii’s farming products are grown and processed on the Big Island, including coffee macadamia nuts and papaya
Lodging: 9,655 rooms total; nightly rates range from $35-$5,000.
Airports: Hilo International Airport on the east side and Kona International Airport on the west side.
Rental Cars: All of the nationally known rental car companies have locations at Hilo International and Kona International Airports as well as many resorts. In addition, Hilo, Kona and the major resort areas are serviced by taxis.
Resources: Call (800) 648-2441 to order a video, poster, brochures and maps from the Big Island Visitors Bureau. See www.bigisland. org for updated information.
Shopping: The large shopping centers are in Hilo, Kona, Waimea and the Kohala Coast.The passage is written for ________.
| A．students | B．business |
| C．tourists | D．immigrants |
The average population per square mile on the island is about _____.
28 B. 32 C. 37 D. 44Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a traffic means to get around the Big Island?
| A．By train | B．By air |
| C．By rental cars | D．By taxi |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．You can see www.bigisland. org for updated information |
| B．You can call (800) 648-2441 to order some food |
| C．You can find some counts to play tennis on the island |
| D．You may pay a high price for spending one night on the island. |
Some people bring out the best in you in a way that you might never have fully realized on your own. My mom was one of those people.
My father died when I was nine months old, making my mom a single mother at the age of eighteen. While I was growing up, we lived a very hard life. We had little money, but my mom gave me a lot of love. Each night, she sat me on her lap and spoke the words that would change my life, “Kemmons, you are certain to be a great man and you can do anything in life if you work hard enough to get it.”
At fourteen, I was hit by a car and the doctors said I would never walk again. Every day, my mother spoke to me in her gentle, loving voice, telling me that no matter what those doctors said, I could walk again if I wanted to badly enough. She drove that message so deep into my heart that I finally believed her. A year later, I returned to school — walking on my own!
When the Great Depression (大萧条) hit, my mom lost her job. Then I left school to support the both of us. At that moment, I was determined never to be poor again.
Over the years, I experienced various levels of business success. But the real turning point occurred on a vacation I took with my wife and five kids in 1951. I was dissatisfied (不满意) with the second-class hotels available for families and was angry that they charged an extra $2 for each child. That was too expensive for the average American family. I told my wife that I was going to open a motel (汽车旅馆) for families that would never charge extra for children. There were plenty of doubters at that time.
Not surprisingly, mom was one of my strongest supporters. She worked behind the desk and even designed the room style. As in any business, we experienced a lot of challenges. But with my mother’s words deeply rooted in my soul, I never doubted we would succeed. Fifteen years later, we had the largest hotel system in the world — Holiday Inn. In 1979 my company had 1,759 inns in more than fifty countries with an income of $ 1 billion a year.
You may not have started out life in the best situation. But if you can find a task in life worth working for and believe in yourself, nothing can stop you.According to the author, who played the most important role in making him walk back to school again?
| A．Doctors. | B．Nurses. | C．Friends. | D．Mom. |
What caused Kemmons to start a motel by himself?
| A．His terrible experience in the hotel. |
| B．His previous business success of various levels. |
| C．His mom’s support. |
| D．His wife’s suggestion. |
Which of the following best describes Kemmons’ mother?
| A．Modest, helpful, and hard-working. |
| B．Careful, helpful and beautiful. |
| C．Loving, supportive and strong-willed. |
| D．Strict, sensitive and supportive. |
Which of the following led to Kemmons’ success according to the passage?
| A．Self-confidence, hard work, higher education and a poor family. |
| B．Mom’s encouragement, clear goals, self-confidence and hard work. |
| C．Clear goals, mom’s encouragement, a poor family and higher education. |
| D．Mom’s encouragement, a poor family, higher education and opportunities. |
There is one language that is used in every country in the world. The people who use it are young and old, short and tall, thin and fat. It is everybody’s second language. It is easy to understand, although you can’t hear it. It is sign language.
When you wave to a friend who is across the street, you are using sign language. When you smile at someone, you are saying, “I want to be friendly”, but you are not using speech. You are using sign language. When you raise your hand in class, you are saying, “Please ask me. I think I know the correct answer.”
Babies who can’t talk can point at things. They are using sign language. A policeman who wants to stop traffic holds up his hands. He is using sign language.
Many years ago, a French priest, Charles Michel de Epee, became interested in education for deaf people. He invented a finger alphabet (字母表). It is still in use. People can make the sign for letters and spell words with their hands, and deaf people can read and understand them. Soon there were schools for the deaf in many countries. The only university for the deaf is Gallaudet College in Washington, D.C.
Today, in the United States, there are special TV news programs for deaf people. The newsreader tells the news in sign language. At the same time, the words appear on the TV screen.
The actors in the Theatre of Deaf don’t spell every word. Sometimes they use hand signs. When they put two hands together, it means sandwich. They can make a roof with their hands when they want to show a house. One finger in front of an actor’s mouth can mean quiet. You can talk to people who are behind windows that are closed. And when you go swimming with your friends, you can have conversations under water.
How many hand signs do you use every day?Which of the following about sign language is TRUE?
| A．It is a special language used in a few countries in the world. |
| B．It is a way to express one’s ideas without words. |
| C．It is only used by the deaf. |
| D．It can be heard. |
If you want to express the idea that “I am very friendly” to someone, you will ______.
| A．raise your hand |
| B．put one hand onto the other |
| C．smile to the person |
| D．make a roof with your hands |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. Hand signs instead of finger signs are used everyday.
B. There are schools, colleges and universities for the deaf in the USA.
C. The French priest Charles invented sign language.
D. Even babies are using sign language.The passage is mainly about ______.
| A．an introduction to sign language | B．the importance of |
| C．a famous priest in France | D．how to use sign language |
A poor boy was selling goods from one door to another to pay for his studies. One day he found that he had almost no money, and he was hungry. So he decided to ask for a meal.
But when a woman opened the door, he only dared to ask for a glass of water. To his surprise, she gave him a large glass of milk. He drank it and then asked how much he should pay her. She said, “You don’t have to pay me anything. Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness” He was deeply moved and was determined to help those in need. The boy’s name was Howard Kelly.
Many years had passed. One day that woman became seriously ill. The local doctors could not help her. So they sent her to a big city where her rare (罕见的) disease would be studied by specialists (专家). Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for advice. When he entered her room in the hospital, he immediately spotted the woman. Howard Kelly was determined to do his best to help her.
The struggle was long, but together they succeeded in the end. After some time the woman received a bill for her treatment. She was worried that the amount would be so large that it would take the rest of her life to pay for it. However, when she looked at the bill, she found words on the side of the bill. They were, “Paid in full with a glass of milk.”The woman came to a big city because .
| A．she was ill and no local doctors could help her |
| B．she was invited by a group of specialists to a study |
| C．she wanted to visit the poor boy whom she had helped |
| D．her rare disease could only be dealt with by Dr. Howard Kelly |
The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to .
| A．the rest of her life | B．a glass of milk |
| C．her illness | D．the bill for her treatment |
What can we know about Howard Kelly according to the passage?
| A．He earned a lot of money. |
| B．He was an experienced doctor. |
| C．He opened his own hospital in the city. |
| D．He became the best friend of the woman. |
Next Stop: Planet Mars
Fly me to the moon? That’s not far enough. On September 14,2011, NASA released designs for a super rocket, the Space Launch System (SLS). This time the final destination will be Mars.
The SLS is a huge, liquid – fuelled rocket. If it is fully developed, it will be the most powerful rocket ever built. Its lift capability will be much bigger than that of the space shuttle of Saturn 5, the rocket that sent the Apollo missions to the moon.
NASA is planning to launch its first unmanned test flight in 2017. It is hoped that the first crew will fly in 2021 and astronauts will make it to a nearby asteroid (小行星) in 2025. NASA hopes to send the rocket and astronauts to Mars from the asteroid by the 2030s, according to the Associated Press (AP).
NASA used liquid rockets to send Apollo, Gemini and Mercury into space, but later changed to solid rockets boosters (助推火箭) because they were cheaper. Tragically, however, a booster flaw (缺陷) caused the space shuttle Challenger to crash in 1986. The new project plans to return to liquid fuel.
According to AP, the rockets will at first be able to carry 77 to 110 tons of payload (净载重量). Eventually they will be able to carry 143 tons into space, maybe even as many as 165 tons, NASA officials said. By comparison, the Saturn 5 booster could lift 130 tons and the space shuttle just 27 tons.
However, unlike reusable shuttles, these powerful rockets are mostly one use only. New ones have to be built for every launch. This will be very costly.
NASA estimates that it will cost about $3 billion (19 billion yuan) per year, or $ 18 billion until the first test flight in 2017. NASA hopes to make money by allowing private companies to send astronauts to the International Space Station like giant taxi services, so that the program can be “sustainable”.
“This is perhaps the biggest thing for space exploration in decades,” said Senator Bill Nelson, a former astronaut. “The goal is to fly humans safely beyond low – Earth orbit (轨道) and deep into outer space where we cannot only survive, but one day also live environmentally friendly” According to NASA’s schedule, it will take years to fully complete the SLS program.
| A．about 6 | B．about 10 |
| C．less than 14 | D．more than 19 |
It can be inferred from the passage that.
| A．the SLS program is planning to make reusable rockets |
| B．the goal of the SLS program is to enable humans to live on the moon |
| C．the US government may not have provided enough money for the SLS program |
| D．NASA will use SLS as a space taxi between the Earth and Mars. |