Stephen William Hawking was born on January 8th, 1942 in Oxford, England. His parents’ house was in North London, but during the Second World War Oxford was considered a safer place to have babies. When he was eight, his family moved to St Albans. At eleven Stephen went to St. Albans School, and then on to University College, Oxford, his father’s old college. Stephen wanted to do math, although his father would have preferred medicine. Math was not available at University College, so he did physics instead.
Stephen then went on to Cambridge to do research in Cosmology (宇宙论). After gaining his Ph.D. （哲学博士）he became first a Research Fellow, and later on a Professorial Fellow at Gonville and Caius College. After leaving the Institute of Astronomy in 1973, Stephen came to the Department of Applied Math and Theoretical Physics (理论物理), and since 1979 has held the post of Lucasian Professor of math.
Stephen Hawking has worked on the basic laws which rule the universe. With Roger Penrose he showed that Einstein’s General Theory of Relativity implied space and time would have a beginning in the Big Bang and an end in black holes. These results show it was necessary to unify（统一）General Relativity with Quantum Theory （量子论）. One result of such a unification that he discovered was that black holes should not be completely black, but should give off radiation and disappear in the end.
1. Which of the following is NOT suitable for describing Stephen Hawking?
A. He once studied at the same college that his father studied at.
B. At one time he did research in Cosmology in Oxford.
C. He preferred math to medicine at college.
D. He contributed to the unification of General Theory of Relativity and Quantum Theory.
2. The underlined word “available” in the first paragraph probably means “________”.
A. able to be had B. allowed to study
C. easy to understand D. limited to learn
3. Why did Stephen Hawking’s parents move to Oxford from North London?
A. Because they liked it better than North London.
B. Because there was a world-famous university there.
C. Because they were tired of living in North London.
D. Because it was safer to give birth to a baby in Oxford.
4. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Einstein and Stephen Hawking
B. Big Bang, a great theory
C. Stephen Hawking, a great British scientist
D. The unification of two theories
While car sharing is a concept that’s catching on, old-fashioned carpooling where a group of people take turns driving each other to work has always faced a resistance (抗拒). In a study on traffic problems by ABC News, 84% of those who drive to work say that they still do it alone. More than half those lone riders insist that carpooling is just too inconvenient, and 18% say they simple don’t know anyone to share a ride with.
Now technology makes carpooling easier and more fun. NuRide, a company provided an online carpooling service last year, offers daily travelers in the Washington area not just a web-based list of would-be carpoolers but also a way to arrange a trip online. Here’s how it works: rider seekers enter the positions where their trip will begin and end, the time they want to leave and if they’re willing to drive or just ride in someone else’s car. The website’s search engine then looks for matches and makes lists of the names of traveling companions, along with the car model and the exact time and place to meet for each trip. People who want to share the ride can show their interest in joining in online and then meet their car mates when it’s time to go.
NuRide users aren’t riding with total strangers. They are required to provide the name of their employer and a work e-mail address, both of which need to be checked before being listed on the website.
To attract users, NuRide offers a frequent rider prize: anyone who shares a ride gets a $1 credit. So far, 2,300 people have signed up. NuRide CEO Rick Steele said that more than 50,000 rides have been arranged on the website, resulting in 1.4 million fewer miles driven and 650 fewer tons of automobile emissions (机动车排放).What has the study found about people’s opinion on carpooling?
| A．Most people think it is inconvenient. |
| B．Only 18% can find their road mates. |
| C．Some people consider it dangerous. |
| D．Half of the people accept the idea.. |
What can NuRide do for you when you use the service?
| A．Decide a car model for you to drive. |
| B．Help you arrange a shared car trip. |
| C．Find your car matestrue names. |
| D．Give you a list of car owners. |
One who wants to share a ride with NuRide users must.
| A．give information about his interest |
| B．meet his car mates before the trip |
| C．offer the name of his employer |
| D．provide his home address |
We may infer that NuRide has helped in.
| A．improving air quality |
| B．reducing driving speed |
| C．promoting safety of driving |
| D．increasing job opportunities |
McEvan’s Supermarket to Mark its Twentieth Anniversary(纪念日)
on October 24!
We would like you to join us on October 24. On this special day, we will be giving you even more ways to save. And there will be music, some free food, and games for children throughout the day. There are more reasons than ever to come to McEvan’s on October 24.
We will offer:
great discounts on hundreds of things from nearly every department, including the bakery, the dairy (奶制品) farm, fruit corner, the vegetable garden and electronics center.
Discount vouchers (代金卷) for $10.00, $15.00, or $20.00 to the first 100 customers.
McEvan’s Supermarket games for children whose parents are shopping that include free T-shirts and other giveaways.
To learn more about the special events planned for October 24, go to our website at www.mcevan-supermarket.com or ask any one of our 200 employees for more information.
Please tear the voucher out.
| Happy 20th! McEvan’s Supermarket October 24 only $20.00 discount Please present to cashier at time of shopping Title First Name Last Name Mailing Address (including apt. number) City StateZip Code Would like to Receive Mail from McEvan’s? Yesno Specials and information through E-mail?Yes no E-mail Address We promise to keep your information to ourselves.It will not be sent to any third party. In the event that your own information changes, please call us at (520)555-0318 or email us at info@mcevansupermarket.com. |
What is the text about?
| A．A supermarket sale. | B．A thank-you party. |
| C．A food exhibition. | D．A new product. |
How can a customer receive a voucher?
| A．He is the winner of the game on October 24. |
| B．He has been shopping at McEvan’s for 20 years. |
| C．He has been an employee of the shop for 20 years. |
| D．He is one of the first 100 customers on October 24. |
What can children get at McEvan’s for free?
| A．Electronic products. | B．Vegetable |
| C．T-shirts | D． Milk. |
Whatwould you do if you were a fifth grader facing a huge homework load every night, and you found out that there was a machine that would do all the work for you? That’s the situation presented to Sam, Kelsey, Judy and Brenton in Dan Gutman’s entertaining new book for young readers, The Homework Machine.
The four children, all fifth graders in Miss Rasmussen’s class at Grand Canyon School, are as different as any four 11-year-olds could be, but they have one thing in common — all are somewhat separated from their classmates. Sam is a newcomer and has had his share of school trouble before; Kelsey quietly carries her pain at losing her father; Judy’s sense of justice (正义感) always annoys others; and Brenton…well, he is another story entirely. Brenton is easily the smartest child in school, so smart that even his parents and teachers have trouble keeping up with him. When Brenton and his three classmates are put into the same study group by their teacher, the others discover that Brenton has made a time-saving gadget (装置) to do his homework for him. While the boy genius(天才) is perfectly able to do the homework himself, Sam, Kelsey and Judy could use the help.
Having perfect grades is something new for these three, and as they meet every day to “do homework”, they find that they’re learning a lot — about each other. Such a good thing can’t last though, and when a secret man starts trying to get in touch with them, the children begin to get nervous. Soon there’s an even more frightening problem — why can’t the Homework Machine be turned off?
Told in different voices (as all the children make statements to the Grand Canyon Police), the story develops in an interesting fashion. Gutman is a gifted who has written dozens of children’s books, each with a funny and impressing tale that should be equally liked by boys and girls.What type of text is it?
| A．A book review. | B．A school report |
| C．A science story | D．A student’s diary |
What is one common thing that all four children have to deal with at school?
| A．Getting along with classmates. |
| B．Overcoming sad feelings. |
| C．Following school rules. |
| D．Keeping good grades |
What can we learn about Brenton?
| A．He is careless. | B．He is clever. |
| C．He is brave. | D．He is quiet. |
Why did the children get frightened?
| A．They had no idea how to stop the machine. |
| B．They lost the connection with each other. |
| C．They were questioned by a strange man. |
| D．They were tracked down by the police. |
As a contestant on The X Factor, 13-year-old Rachel Crow seemed to have exactly what it took to win: strong praise from judges, a beautiful voice, and a lovable personality. Then she was voted off.
When the results were read, Rachel broke down, sobbing and screaming for her mom, who had to rush onstage to comfort her.
It was a humiliating moment for Rachel, but a great moment for The X Factor — just the kind of drama TV audiences love.
Some fans said Rachel’s breakdown proved she was too young to be on the show. And though there was nothing exceptional about someone Rachel’s age being on reality TV — children and teens appear in everything from Dance Moms to The Biggest Loser — Rachel’s meltdown did raise an important question: Should kids be on reality TV at all? Many psychologists are saying “No”.
It’s well known that early fame can be harmful and that many former child stars struggle as adults. Being followed by photographers 24/7 and having everything they do reported in newspapers and blogs can be hard for young people to deal with. It can make them feel as though their worth depends on what others say. Reality TV takes the pressure of early fame to a whole new level. Kids on reality TV don’t play characters. They play themselves. Cameras expose their most private moments for our entertainment.
Laws exist that protect child actors, making sure they go to school and limiting the hours they can work. In many states, though, these laws do not apply to kids on reality TV, because they are not considered actors.
Dangers aside, there’s no doubt that reality shows do offer exciting opportunities and the potential to make money. A 7-year-old girl who attends a TV show earns about $36,000 per season. After competing on The X Factor, One Direction went on to become international stars. Even Rachel made out OK. She released an album and voices a character in the movie Rio 2. And she showed resilience (适应力). “I’m not feeling great, but I’ll be fine,” she told reporters after breakdown. “I’m Rachel still.”The underlined word “humiliating” in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to “ _______”.
| A．exciting | B．precious |
| C．important | D．embarrassing |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that some of Rachel’s fans thought that she _______.
| A．was not good enough |
| B．deserved better results |
| C．should have been much stronger |
| D．shouldn’t have been on the show |
Paragraph 5 is mainly about _______.
| A．how kids should deal with pressure |
| B．why early fame can be harmful to kids |
| C．the importance of kids being themselves |
| D．what some former child stars have achieved |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．Kids should look for more challenges. |
| B．Reality shows may change a kid forever. |
| C．Reality shows can benefit kids in some ways. |
| D．Kids can earn little money from reality shows. |
Can food be free, fresh and easily accessible? That’s the bold (大胆) question that the city of Seattle is hoping to answer with a new experimental farm not far from the city’s downtown area that will have fruits and vegetables for anyone to harvest this fall.
On Beacon Hill, just south of central Seattle, landscape developers and a few affordable-food advocates are building an eatable food forest. Everything grown in the area will be eatable. And it’ll be open around the clock to anyone who wants to come and pick some fresh blueberries or pears.
Organizers shared with National Geographic a list of the crop offerings. Many are expected: apples, berries and tomatoes. But others are pretty far-out. A large Asian community in the area suggested things like Asian pears and honeyberries. A European influence led to the planting of medlar trees.
The concept is modeled on permaculture, a design system and school of thought emphasizing the use of renewable nature resources and the enrichment of local ecosystems. Offering people free, fresh food is one motivation, but making the land useful and ecologically enriched is the larger goal.
That being said, some potential problems come to mind. What if all of one fruit is gone the first weekend when it’s ripe? What if people pick things too early and spoil the potential for everyone?
Organizers aren’t concerned about those questions. “We’ve had many discussions about what would happen if someone comes and picks all the blueberries,” says Margarett Harrison, the landscape architect designing the project.” But that’s been considered as a good thing. We’ll just plant more.”
Anything related to agriculture and good food — in large quantities — takes time. Most of the trees won’t be mature enough for a few more years. But a few decades could make the area impressively productive.
Idealistic? Perhaps. But it’s the kind of idealism that anyone who likes to eat fresh things from time to time can get behind. And that’s the type of motivation that organizers hope will keep going. Paragraph 3 is mainly about _______.
| A．the crops that will be harvested this fall |
| B．people’s attitude towards the project |
| C．which communities live in the area |
| D．how the food selection was made |
What’s Margarett Hrrison’s attitude towards the potential problems the forest may face?
| A．Concerned. | B．Cautious. |
| C．Optimistic. | D．Uninterested |
The text is mainly about ______.
| A．Seattle’s free food experiment |
| B．what the future of forests will be |
| C．agricultural development in Seattle |
| D．how to keep in harmony with nature |