In summer, millions of people will head for the beach. And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way. Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity.
“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”
Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．
Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples (波纹) in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey．”
When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine (涡轮) ．The turbine can then power an electrical generator (发电机) ．
The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．
The resource is huge．We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．
Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．
Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．
With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”
In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!
68．Which of the following is NOT true?
A．Wave power costs too much money．
B．Wave energy creates the same amount of pollution as other energy sources．
C．Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic．
D．Wave power may affect marine animals．
69．We can infer from the passage that ______．
A．finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy
B．wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world
C．wave power is perfect for creating energy around the world
D．wave power doesn’t create any pollution
70．The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______．
A．regrets B．adventures C．disadvantages D．difficulties
71．What can be the best title for the passage?
A．How to Get Electricity by Waves． B．The Advantages of Wave Energy.
C．Can Waves Make Electricity? D．The Disadvantages of Wave Energy．
Pottery is the name given to all kinds of useful or artistic objects made from clay. Pottery can be plates or water pots or baskets. Pottery can be large or small, fancy or plain. Pottery is part of the large family of ceramics（陶器）.Ceramics are synthetic materials. For example, bricks and tiles (瓦片) are both ceramics.
How is pottery made? First, a potter takes some clay. Clay is a soft, red material from the earth. It looks a little like red dirt, but it's very different. Clay is thick and rich. Wet clay can be worked into any shape. When the clay dries, it will keep that shape. The potters takes some clay and pushes and squeezes（挤压）it until it is soft and smooth. After that, the clay can be shaped into anything. There are several ways to shape clay. Sometimes potters use their hands. Sometimes they use a special wheel. They place the clay in the center of a round, flat wheel. The wheel moves very fast, and the potter shapes the clay.
After the potter has shaped the clay, it can be decorated(装饰). Potters use glaze, which is a kind of paint, to decorate their work. Some glazes are very simple. Other glazes have beautiful colors and designs. The glaze is not just beautiful. It is also useful. The glaze makes the pottery smooth and waterproof. Potters also make some decorative lines and designs on the surface. After it is decorated, the clay must be baked, or fired, in a special oven.
Baking the clay at very high temperature makes it hard and strong. Firing also makes the glaze stick to the pottery. When the firing is over, the potter carefully removes the pottery from the oven and lets it cool slowly. If it cools too quickly, it could crack and break.
Since pottery is waterproof, it is very popular for dishes. You can find examples of pottery in almost any home. But pottery can also be found in museums. Some pieces of pottery are valuable and beautiful pieces of art. It is possible that ceramics are materials of _______ .
| A．metal | B．plastic | C．wood | D．earth |
The word "waterproof" means _______ .
| A．能盛水的 | B．防水的 | C．溶解于水的 | D．吸水性强的 |
Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Plates, water pots and bowls are all examples of pottery. |
| B．Wet clay can be made into anything of different shapes by the hands or a special wheel. |
| C．The clay becomes smooth and waterproof because of the glaze. |
| D．After the firing in high temperature, pottery is easy to break. |
The week after Jane's birthday, Barbara and Mary were away. Jane decided to have a late birthday party. She telephoned several friends. She asked some to bring records, some to bring food and others to bring something to drink. She rang another friend to see if she could borrow his record player. She herself bought some food and drink to get the party going. She took up all the carpets (地毯) so that they could dance. She did not know whether Barbara and Mary would have approved (赞成), but as long as she was careful, she was sure that they would not mind. She warned the two people in the flat above and invited them down.
“Oh, ” said Jane, surprised. “What's all this about? ”
The first guests arrived soon after eight. The music was soon playing loudly and they started dancing. Some of Jane's friends brought other friends with them. As more and more people arrived,the noise increased. People started shouting at each other, so they turned the music up. This made it more difficult to hear each other above the music, so they shouted more loudly. At half past ten the bell rang. “Turn down the music!” someone shouted. “Someone probably called the police.” When Jane opened the door, there was a policeman standing there. She started to apologize, “I'm sorry about all the noise, officer. But you see, it was my birthday last week and I'm having a party.” “Never mind about that, miss. We're here because of something much more important.”
“Well, there's been a report of burglary (盗窃行为). We think the thief may have come to your party, pretending to be a friend of someone here. ”When did Jane have the party?
| A．On her birthday. | B．After her birthday. |
| C．Before Barbara and Mary left. | D．As soon as she telephone her friends. |
Why did people shout at each other at the party?
| A．They got rather angry with each other. |
| B．They were very glad to make new friends. |
| C．They became too excited while dancing. |
| D．They couldn't hear each other because of the music. |
What reason did Jane think the policeman came for?
| A．They made too much noise. |
| B．A thief was among the guests. |
| C．He had some important things to do. |
| D．He was interested in birthday parties. |
Nanjing-style paper cutting is an important part of Chinese paper cutting. It is known for its different designs, simplistic but graceful shapes, finely cut lines and unique skills. Zhang Fanglin is a leading figure in the Nanjing-style paper cutting. Zhang was born in a paper-cutting family. He is the fourth generation to continue the family’s paper-cutting skills. Taught by his father, he began to learn paper cutting in his childhood. In 1963 when he was only 14 years old, he started his artistic career in a local folk handicraft factory. Over the past decades, Zhang has created many works and developed excellent skills. In 1985, Zhang was admitted into Nanjing Municipal Fine Arts Company, creating and designing paper cuts. Throughout his artistic career, Zhang has absorbed characteristics and elements（元素）of various styles of paper cutting and created a large number of creative paper-cutting works. Thanks to his great contributions, he won many national prizes and was awarded the title of “National Master Artist in Handicraft Art”.
As a leading figure, Zhang Fanglin has been invited to more than 30 countries and regions around the world, showcasing his paper-cutting skills. In the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, Zhang showcased his new creations of gold foil-embedded paper cutting works. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Chinese paper cutting. | B．Nanjing-style paper cutting. |
| C．A paper cutting family. | D．A paper cutting artist. |
How old was Zhang Fanglin when he was admitted into Nanjing Municipal Fine Arts Company?
| A．36. | B．14. | C．22. | D．18. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Nanjing-style paper cutting is the most important part of Chinese paper cutting. |
| B．Zhang is a creative artist who knows different styles of paper cutting well. |
| C．Zhang won many international prizes because of his great contributions. |
| D．All the members of the family taught Zhang how to design paper cuts. |
Buying insurance (保险) is a way in which people can protect themselves against large losses. Protection against fire is one kind of insurance. Large numbers of people pay small sums of money to an insurance company. Although thousands of people have paid for fire insurance, only a few will lose their homes by fire. The insurance company will pay for these homes out of the small sums of money it has collected.
The first modern fire insurance company was formed in London, England, in the 1760s. A great fire had just destroyed most of the city, and people wanted protection against further losses. The first company grew rapidly. Soon other companies were founded in other areas.
Benjamin Franklin helped form the first fire insurance company in America in 1752, and then a new kind of insurance for farmers was suggested. The new insurance would provide protection against the loss of crops from storms.
Later on another new insurance company was started in America. This company, which offered life insurance, collected small sums of money regularly from many different men. If a man died, his family was given a large sum of money.
Over the years, insurance companies have offered new kinds of insurance protection. The new kinds of insurance cover losses from such accidents as car and plane crashes. Today, most people have some kind of insurance. Who helped set up the first company in America?
| A．Benjamin Franklin. | B．Businessmen. |
| C．The first insurance company in London. | D．Farmers. |
Insurance means ____.
| A．Protection against the losses from the storms |
| B．protection against illness |
| C．Protection against accidents |
| D．all of the above |
The first modern insurance company offered ____.
| A．life insurance | B．fire insurance | C．a new kind of insurance | D．both A and B |
Why do most people buy some kind of insurance today?
| A．Insurance will keep their homes from burning. |
| B．People can protect themselves against large losses. |
| C．Insurance will pay for safety. |
| D．The insurance companies grow rapidly. |
Lakes, ponds, and beaches mean summer fun and cool relaxation from hot weather. But water also can be dangerous for kids if you don't take great care. Nearly 1,000 kids die each year by drowning.
Here are some tips to keep your kids safe in the water:
At the Lake or Pond
·Don't let little kids swim alone without adult supervision— lakes or ponds may be shallow near the bank and are suddenly deep sharply further out from shore.
·Ponds and lakes may hide jagged rocks, broken glass, or rubbish.
·Make sure kids wear foot protection; even in the water, they should wear socks or water shoes.
·Watch out for weeds and grass in the water that could trap a leg or arm.
·Most boating accidents, particularly among teenagers, are related to alcohol(饮酒). Be sure teens know about the dangers of alcohol, on and off the water.
At the Beach
·Teach kids to always swim when and where a lifeguard is on duty. Unlike the calm waters of a swimming pool, the beach has special dangers like currents and tides(暗流). Check with the lifeguard when you arrive to find out about the water conditions.
·Tell kids never to stand with their back to the water because a sudden wave can easily knock a child over.
·Teach kids that if they're caught in a dangerous wave, they should swim parallel（顺行地） to the shore or should tread （踩）water and call for a lifeguard's help.
Whether at the lake or at the beach, teach your child to get out of the water during bad weather, especially lightning.Which is the right behavior when swimming at the beach?
| A．Go off the water without a lifeguard on duty |
| B．Go on swimming in a heavy rain |
| C．Go off the water after checking the water conditions |
| D．Call for help if caught in a dangerous wave |
A child should_________ at a lake.
| A．swim on his/her own |
| B．be careful about weeds and grass |
| C．swim without shoes on |
| D．drink only a little wine |
Swimming at a beach is more dangerous than in a pool because.
| A．there are no lifeguards at a beach |
| B．there are currents and tides at a beach |
| C．the waters of a beach are more calm. |
| D．the waters of a pool are warmer |
The passage is probably written for .
| A．students at school |
| B．kids who want to learn swimming |
| C．parents with little children |
| D．coaches who teach kids to swim |
In which column(栏目) of a magazine can you find this passage?
| A．Education | B．Science | C．Entertainment | D．Sports |