.
The massive 8.8 quake, the seventh strongest in recorded history, hit Chile and should have shortened the length of an Earth day by 1.26 milliseconds, More impressive is how much the quake shifted the Earth’s axis（地轴）.
The computer mode! Used to determine the effects of the Chile earthquake effect also found that it should have moved the Earth’s figure axis by about 8 cm. The Earth’s figure figure axis is not the same as its north-south axis, which Earth turns around once every day at a speed of about 1,604 kph. The figure axis is the axis around which the Earth’s mass is balanced. It is offset（偏离） from the Earth’s north-south axis by about 10 meters.
Strong earthquakes can change Earth’s days and its axis. The 9.1 Sumatran earthquake in 2004, which set off a deadly tsunami（海啸），should have shortened Earth’s days by 0.0068 milliseconds and shifted its axis by about 7cm.
One Earth day is about 24 hours long. Over the course of a year, the length of a day normally changes gradually by one millisecond, It increases in the winter when Earth more slowly, and decreases in the summer.
The Chile earthquake was much smaller than the Sumatran quake, but its effects on the Earth are larger because of its location. The fault（断层） responsible for the 2010 Chile quake also cuts through Earth at a larger angle that the Sumatran quake’s fault. This makes the Chile fault ore effective in moving the Earth’s mass vertically and hence more effective in shifting the Earth’s figure axis.
The findings are based on early date available on the Chile earthquake. The Chile earthquake has killed more than 700 people and cause widespread damage in the South American country.
64．What’s the biggest problem caused by the Chile quake?
A．It is the seventh strongest in recorded history. B．It should have shortened the length of an Earth day.
C．It shifted the Earth’s axis. D．It made the day longer on Earth.
65．Comparing the Sumatram earthquake with the Chile earthquake, we know that .
A．the Sumatram earthquake had more effect on Earth
B．the location of the Chile earthquake is responsible for its larger effects on Earth.
C．the Sumatram earthquake was less destructive
D．the Chile earthquake fault changed the Earth’s mass
66．What does the word “it” in the 4th paragraph refer to?
A．The length of a day. B．The axis. C．One millisecond. D．The change of the day.
When I learned that my 71-year-old mother was playing Scrabble – a word game – against herself, I knew I had to do something. My husband suggested we give her a computer to play against. I wasn’t sure my mother was ready for it. After all, it had taken 10 years to persuade her to buy an electric cooker. Even so, we packed up our old computer and delivered it to my parents’ home. And so began my mother’s adventure in the world of computers.
It also marked the beginning of an unusual teaching task for me. I’ve taught people of all ages, but I never thought I would be teaching my mother how to do anything. She has been the one teaching me all my life: to cook and sew; to enjoy the good times and put up with the bad. Now it was my turn to give something back.
It wasn’t easy at the beginning. There was so much to explain and to introduce. Slowly but surely, my mother caught on, making notes in a little notebook. After a few months of Scrabble and other games, I decided it was time to introduce her to word processing(文字处理). This proved to be a bigger challenge to her, so I gave her some homework I asked her to write me a letter, using different letter types, colors and spaces.
“Are you this demanding with your kindergarten pupils?” she asked.
“No, of course not,” I said. “They already know how to use a computer.”
My mother isn’t the only one experiencing a fast personal growth period. Thanks to the computer, my father has finally got over his phone allergy(过敏反应). For as long as I can remember, any time I called, my mother would answer. Dad and I have had more phone conversations in the last two months than we’ve had in the past 20 years.What does the author do?
| A．She is a cook. | B．She is a teacher. |
| C．She is a housewife. | D．She is a computer engineer. |
The author decided to give her mother a computer.
| A．to let her have more chances to write letters |
| B．to support her in doing her homework |
| C．to help her through the bad times |
| D．to make her life more enjoyable |
The author asked her mother to write her a letter.
| A．because her mother had stopped using the telephone |
| B．because she wanted to keep in touch with her mother |
| C．so that her mother could practice what she had learned |
| D．so that mother could be free from housework |
After the computer was brought home, the author’s father.
| A．lost interest in cooking | B．took more phone calls |
| C．played more games | D．began to use it |
As any parent with an iPhone or an iPod Touch knows, mobile apps (手机软件) can be an engaging and entertaining experience for kids. Now, a new study of PBS Kids suggests that the experience can be an educational one as well.
The study, which was administered by PBS under a grant from the Department of Education, first tested the vocabulary level of a group of 90 Title 1 school children, aged 3 to 7. Then, the children were each given two weeks with an iPod Touch loaded with the Martha Speaks Dog Party app created by PBS Kids.
The study monitored how the children used the iPod, during what hours, and in what context. On average, the study found that kids played with the iPod Touch for a total of 5 hours across the two weeks, with half that time spent playing the Martha Speaks app. At the end of the two week trial, the children were given another vocabulary test, which revealed an increase in vocabulary acquisition by as much as 31 per cent.
The study findings are particularly useful as smart phones and mobile devices have become increasingly popular among families and parents are faced with a proliferation of mobile apps designed for kids. According to a recent Nielsen study, smart phone usage is 12% higher in households with children than other households.
“Mobile apps can be a great learning tool in the hands of children,” said Lesli Rotenberg, SVP, Children’s Media, PBS. “This research is important in helping to better understand and guide the development of new apps that improve the value of children’s screen time with significant educational outcomes.”
So what does it all mean? Well, at the very least it will help parents get over that guilty feeling when they hand over their iPhone or iPod Touch for a little peace and quiet. At best, it provides more evidence that mobile devices and apps do indeed have educational value and could be an important part of the child-learning process for many years to come. What Lesli Rotenberg said in the fifth paragraph suggests that.
| A．he has a positive attitude towards mobile apps |
| B．he thinks children should never use smart phones |
| C．he is doubtful about mobile apps designed for children |
| D．he thinks parents should be careful with mobile apps for children |
The underlined sentence in the last paragraph implies that.
| A．parents will feel more comfortable giving kids iPhone or iPod Touch |
| B．parents will know what kind of mobile phones are suitable for kids |
| C．parents will know what children do with mobile phones |
| D．parents can watch over their children now and then |
What would be the best title of the text?
| A．The popularity of smart phones among kids |
| B．The entertaining function of smart phones |
| C．Smart phones make kids learn more. |
| D．It’s too early for kids to use smart phones |
It’s good to make mistakes, and here is why.
First of all, mistakes are a clear sign that you are trying new things. It’s always good to try new things because when you are trying new things you are growing. If you never try anything new, how can you improve? How can you expand? The simple answer is “You can’t”. Look around you. With very few exceptions (例外), either everything you see in your physical world or every single detail of every single thing is the result of someone trying something new.
Another good thing about mistakes is this: When you are making mistakes, you are learning. Consider this: Edison failed 10,000 times before he perfected the light bulb. When asked how it felt to fail that many times, he said that he hadn’t failed 10,000 times, but rather had learned 10,000 things that didn’t work.
Finally, when you make a mistake you are much closer to success. Why?
Because when all is said and done, you will have tried some number of things before you succeed. Every time you make a mistake you eliminate one of those things and are one step closer.
But this all doesn’t mean that you should go ahead without considering the consequences(结果) of a mistake. Quite the contrary, when you try something new you have to be willing to set some reasonable limits so that in the event that it doesn’t work out the way you want it to, you will be in a position to try again.
We all have limited resources in the form of time and money so don’t blow them all on one approach to a problem. Realize that it probably won’t be perfect the first time and allocate(分配) these resources appropriately so you can learn, make corrections, and try it again. Only by accepting and using your mistakes in this way can you make significant advances in your business and your career.
There is an old saying that goes, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not trying hard enough.”
So go forth and make mistakes. And learn. And grow. And prosper(成功).The underlined word “eliminate” means _______.
| A．avoid | B．remove | C．accept | D．solve |
According to the article, one thing you should pay attention to about making mistakes is _______.
| A．avoiding making the same mistakes |
| B．accepting the punishment willingly |
| C．taking consequences into consideration |
| D．trying things out one by one |
The article is mainly about _______.
| A．how to deal with mistakes |
| B．what benefits mistakes bring |
| C．how to achieve success |
| D．how to make use of your mistakes |
What would the writer probably suggest we say to ourselves when we make a mistake?
| A．Never mind, I can always try again. |
| B．I’d better stay out of trouble. |
| C．Now I can learn something new. |
| D．Look at this mess. Anyone would be upset. |
Many of us feel uneasy when someone stands too close to us, talks to us too loudly or makes eye contact(接触) with us for too long. But have you ever wondered why those things make you uncomfortable?
It’s all about personal peace, which means not only an imaginary space around the body, but also the space around all the senses. People feel that their space is being violated(侵犯) when they meet with an unwelcome sound, smell or look. This is probably why a man on a crowded bus shouting into his mobile phone or a woman next to you putting on strong perfume(香水) makes you feel angry.
Whether people have had a stronger wish to protect their personal space in recent times is hard to say. Yet studies of airlines show that people have a strong desire(渴望) to have space to themselves. In a survey （调查）by TripAdvisor, a travel website, people said that if they had to pay more for some extra service, they would rather have larger seats than extra food.
Although people may need their personal space, some hardly realize it. For example, people on a bus who hold newspapers in front of their faces to read in fact keep a distance from strangers.
Go and watch a library table. You will notice that one of the corner seats will usually be taken first, because they are the farthest way. What if someone sits opposite to you? Maybe you will pile up books as if to make a wall.
Preference(偏好) for personal space are different from culture to culture. Scientists have found that Americans generally prefer more personal space than people from other cultures. In Latin(拉丁人的) cultures, however, people are more comfortable standing close to each other.The writer mainly _________ in this article.
| A．tells us how to achieve personal space |
| B．explains what personal space people need is |
| C．introduces some knowledge about personal space |
| D．argues for the importance of keeping personal space |
Who might feel his personal space is safe according to the passage?
| A．A person who has to sit next to a lady putting on strong perfume. |
| B．A person who has been watched by a stranger for a long time. |
| C．A person who hears strange noises when reading at home. |
| D．A Latin boy who is chatting with a friend sitting close to him. |
What can we know from the survey by TripAdvisor?
| A．People need a smaller personal space in recent times than before. |
| B．People have a strong desire for personal space in recent times. |
| C．There are not enough seats on the plane to meet people’s needs. |
| D．Food service is better provided than seats on the plane. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The space around the body is more needed than that around all the senses. |
| B．If you hold newspapers on the bus, your personal space won’t be violated. |
| C．People usually choose the corner seats first in a library for personal space. |
| D．Different cultures share the same preferences for personal space. |
There’s no danger of 88-year-old Harry Ward forgetting his wife Doris’s Valentine’s Day card – the couple still use the same one he bought her 70 years ago.
When 17-year-old Harry Ward presented Doris with a Valentine’s Day card as he boarded a train to join the wartime effort on February 14, 1941, he must have been fairly confident about his affections(钟爱). After all the couple had been dating since they met in a café three months earlier.
But little can he have imagined that 70 years on, not only would he still be happy about having married Doris, but that every year she would present him with the very same card he gave her that Valentine’s Day. “I bring it out of the cupboard and put it on our mantelpiece（壁炉台）every Valentine’s Day,” she said. “It’s a special to me now as it was 70 years ago. Harry has never bought me one since, because I have this one every year.”
They first met in a café. “Harry was in the café drinking and he said hello. He asked me my name and we got talking happily. He offered to walk me to the bus stop but when we got outside, a bombing raid（突然袭击）had started and we had to run to a nearby air-raid shelter（防空洞）,” Doris said.
Mr. Ward said,“I knew Doris was the one for me the moment I met her. I gave her the Valentine’s card then and she is still my Valentine now.” Mrs. Ward’s card is not the only thing that has endured the passing of time.
“Harry is quite romantic and we are as still in love as the day he first gave me this card,”Dorris said.When did the couple first meet?
| A．In 1940. | B．In 1939. | C．In 1941. | D．In 1942 |
Why does Mrs. Ward always use the same Valentine’s Day card?
| A．She is an environmentalist. |
| B．She can’t afford a new one. |
| C．She values the card very much. |
| D．She doesn’t want to waste money. |
What do we know about the 70-year-old Valentine’s Day card?
| A．It was first given to Doris on a plane. |
| B．It is usually kept in their cupboard |
| C．It was made by hand by Mr. Ward. |
| D．It is sent to Doris by post every year. |
By saying “Mrs. Ward’s card is not the only thing that has endured the passing of time.”, the author means__________.
| A．The card records their romance |
| B．The card will still be used in future |
| C．They both treasure the very card |
| D．Their affections are still strong |