May:HappeningsfromthePastMay5,-优题课

American scientists have developed the first material that repairs itself. The material is a form of plastic that has been engineered to fill breaks in its surface.
Plastics are used today in everything. Scientists wanted to find a way to make objects made of plastic last longer. The researchers hope their new discovery can be used to make objects that are difficult or impossible to replace.
The surface of plastic objects breaks over time. Very small breaks develop every time a plastic object is used. The researchers wanted to find out how to stop plastic from developing small breaks that weaken and destroy it. They found the answer in the chemical structure of plastic itself. The research team found a way to make plastic that contains very small balloons filled with monomer(单体) liquid. When the new plastic cracks, the monomer liquid is let out and flows into the crack. Thus the break is repaired. The repaired plastic has seventy-five percent of the strength of undamaged plastic.
The new self-repairing plastic is not yet ready for production. But it has several possible uses. One could be in space vehicles where parts cannot be repaired or replaced. Another possible use might be in bridges. And it could be used in people, to replace bone joints that have become broken or damaged.
The passage mainly talks about_______ .

A．plastic that repairs itself

B．the chemical structure of plastic

C．permanent material invented

D．small balloons that makes plastic stronger

We know from the passage that the repair is done as_______.

A．the cracked plastic parts are changed

B．the plastic cracks

C．the liquid is put into the plastic cracks

D．the plastic is made

The scientist are planning to use the new material in space vehicles, bridges and people because________.

A．the plastic parts in them are required to last longer

B．they want to experiment in these places first

C．the new material cannot be used elsewhere

D．the plastic parts in them are easily broken or damaged

Sometimes people call each other " scared cat" , but have you ever thought about this expression? When a cat is frightened, its heart starts beating faster, its muscles get tense, and there are changes in the chemicals in its blood-stream. If the danger continues, this animal will do one of the two things. It will defend itself, or it will run away as fast as it can.
Something like this also happens to people. When we are excited, angry, scared, or aroused by other emotions, our bodies go through many physical changes. Our hearts beat faster, and our muscles get tense. All of these changes make us more alert and ready to react. We, too, get ready to defend ourselves or run. Human beings, however, have a problem. If we give way to our feelings and let them take over, we can get into trouble. Have you ever said something in anger - and regretted later? Have you ever shouted at a teacher or told somebody you were lonely and then wished later you had kept your mouth shut? It isn't always wise to express your feelings freely.
Does this mean that it's always smarter to hide our feelings? No! If you keep feelings like anger hidden away or bottled up inside, your body stays tense. Physical illnesses can develop, and you can feel disturbed badly inside. It can actually be bad for your health. Feelings that you keep all bottled up inside don't just go away. It's as if you bought some bananas and stuck them in a cupboard. You might not be able to see them, but before long you'd smell them. And if you opened the cupboard, chances are you'd see little fruit flies hovering(盘旋) all over them. They'd be rotten. You can try to treat emotions as if they were bananas in the cupboard. You can hide them and you can pretend they don't exit, but they'll still be around. And at last you'll have to deal with them, just like those bananas.
The best title for this article is

A．What Happens to An Excited Person

B．What Happens to A Frightened Cat

C．Emotions Affect Our Bodies

D．Feelings That People Have

According to the passage, human beings get into trouble because ______.

A．they are not as alert as animals

B．they always do something wrong to other people

C．they sometimes can't control their feelings

D．they don't pay attention to their physical changes

The underlined word "it" in paragraph 3 refers to________.

A．bad emotion	B． a bottle
C．physical illness	D．a rotten banana

The author mainly intends to tell us to _______ .

A．make us face the problem that we have to deal with feelings

B．give us some advice on how to express our feelings

C．tell us that it isn't good to keep feelings inside

D．make us know that it isn't always wise to express our feelings freely

English is the most widely used language in the history of our planet. One in every seven human beings can speak it. More than half of the world's books and three quarters of international mails are in English. Of all languages, English has the largest vocabulary - perhaps as many as two million words.
However, let's face it: English is a crazy language. There is no egg in an eggplant, neither pine nor apple in a pineapple and no ham in a hamburger . Sweet-meats are candy, while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat.
We take English for granted. But when we explore its paradoxes (矛盾) , we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, public bathrooms have no baths in them. And why is it that a writer writes, but fingers don't fing , grocers don't groce , and hammers don't ham? If the plural (复数形式) of tooth is teeth, shouldn't the plural of booth be beeth ? One goose, two geese - so one moose , two meese? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can overlook and oversee be opposites, while quite a lot and quite a few are alike? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell the next?
English was invented by people, not computers, and it reflects the creativity of human beings. That's why, when stars are out, they are visible; but when the lights are out, they are invisible. And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it; but when I wind up this essay, I end it.
According to the passage________.

A．there should be eggs in an eggplant

B．sweet-meats and sweetbreads are different

C．pineapples are the apples on the pine tree

D．boxing rings should be round

What does the author use most to prove his idea?

A．Plurals.	B．Paradoxes.
C．Comparisons.	D．Synonyms.

The underlined words "a wise guy" in paragraph 3 probably mean "______ ".

A．somebody wise	B．a valuable chance
C．an opposite word	D．a stupid person

The last paragraph is written to show.

A．English is important

B．a word may have several definitions

C．human beings are creative

D．why people invented English

My father had returned from his business visit to London when I came in, rather late, to supper. I could tell at once that he and my mother had been discussing something. In that half- playful, half-serious way I knew so well, he said, "How would you like to go to Eton?"
" You bet, "I cried quickly catching the joke. Everyone knew it was the most expensive, the most famous of schools. You had to be entered at birth, if not before. Besides, even at 12 or 13, I. understood my father. He disliked any form of showing off. He always knew his proper station in life, which was in the middle of the middle class; our house was medium-sized; he had avoided joining Royal Liverpool Golf Club and went to a smaller one instead; though once he had got a second-hand Rolls-Royce at a remarkably low price, he felt embarrassed driving it, and quickly changed it for an Austin 1100.
This could only be his delightful way of telling me that the whole boarding school idea was to be dropped. Alas ! I should also have remembered that he had a liking for being different from everyone else, if it did not conflict with his fear of drawing attention to himself.
It seemed that he had happened to be talking to Graham Brown of the London office, a very nice fellow, and Graham had a friend who had just entered his boy at the school, and while he was in that part of the world he thought he might just as well phone them. I remember my eyes stinging(剌痛) and my hands shaking with the puzzlement of my feelings. There was excitement, at the heart of great sadness.
"Oh, he doesn't want to go away , " said my mother, " You shouldn't go on like this. " "It's up to him, " said my father. "He can make up his own mind . "
How did the author react to the idea of going to Eton?

A．He didn't believe it.	B．He was very unhappy.
C．He was delighted.	D．He had mixed feelings.

From the text, we can know that Eden is ________.

A．a famous school

B．an expensive car

C．one of the author's friends

D．one of the father's colleagues

Paragraph 2 mainly tells us________ .

A．about their living conditions

B．about the author's grades

C．what the author's father is like

D．how hard the author's father works

From the text we can know that the author's father enjoyed being different as long as ______

A．it drew attention to him

B．there was no danger of showing off

C．he was not involved in any arguments

D．it was understood as a joke

Chicken soup has long been a comfort food for people with cold symptoms. Whether the remedy(疗法) comes from the warmth and comfort of the soup or from actual cold-fighting ingredients(成分) in the meal, it is still up for debate.
Chicken Soup: Just the Evidence
Science has begun to support what mothers have understood for centuries. The heat, salt, and hydration provided by chicken soup may actually fight the cold virus. Laboratory studies have shown that ingredients of chicken soup with vegetables could kill viral cells and prevent the growth of new ones. The soup may also provide an anti-inflammatory(消炎的) effect that helps reduce cold symptoms. Unfortunately, the benefits of chicken soup appear to be limited by how quickly the soup leaves the body. There is no indication that chicken soup would help in the prevention of colds, but its use as a remedy for symptoms is common. It is largely a safe remedy with no ill side effects, and scientific evidence points more in favor of its cold-fighting properties(特性) than against it.
The Downside of Chicken Soup
Evidence in support of chicken soup’s antiviral properties is not yet solid enough to prove true, reliable medicinal effects. Although the evidence based on personal experiences and existing research seem to support a good effect of chicken soup, a clinical trial would be very difficult to perform. In addition, some people with food allergies(过敏性反应) or sensitivities to salt may experience ill side effects from chicken soup. Unbroken bones may also lead to a chocking risk, particularly for children. However, the potential benefits of chicken soup seem to far outweigh the possible risks.
What does the underlined sentence suggest?

A．Mothers have long been helped by scientists to find remedies for colds.

B．Scientists have agreed for centuries with what mothers have understood.

C．People have tried chicken soup to help reduce cold symptoms since long ago.

D．Mothers know better how to deal with cold symptoms than scientists.

Which of the following is true about chicken soup?

A．It is particularly good for children.

B．It can prevent people from colds.

C．It is an amazing comfort food for people with colds.

D．It surely has medicinal effects on colds.

What’s the author’s opinion on chicken soup?

A．It is good for people with colds to have chicken soup.

B．Scientists have found solid evidence about the benefits of chicken soup.

C．Chicken soup can take the place of other medicines for colds.

D．People still argue whether chicken soup has effects on cold symptoms.