Although man has known about asbestos for many hundreds of years, it was not until 160 years ago that it was mined for the first time on the North American continent. H. W. Johns, owner of a New York City Supply Shop for roofers, was responsible for （对……负责）the opening of that first mine.
Mr. Johns was given a piece of asbestos which had been found in Italy. He experimented with the material and then showed its surprising powers to his customers. After putting a pair of asbestos gloves, which looked much like ordinary work gloves, he took red-hot coals from the fireplace and played with them in his hands. How astonished the customers were to discover that he was not burned at all. You can well imagine that he had increasing business in asbestos roofing materials. However, because it was very expensive to transport(carry) them from Italy to the United States, Mr. Johns sent out a young scientist to seek a source nearer home. This young man found great vein（岩脉）
in the province of Quebec in Canada.
Ever since 1881, Quebec has led the world in the production of this unusual mineral, which is made up of magnesium, silicon, iron, and oxygen. When it is mined, the asbestos is heavy, just as you would expect a mineral to be. When it is separated, a strange thing happens: the rock breaks down into fine, soapy fibers（滑腻的纤维）。
Scientists do not know why the rock can be separated easily into threads（线）,but they have found thousands of uses for this fireproof material, often called the “cloth of stone”.
59. The title that best expresses the main idea of the passage is _____.
A. Asbestos mined in Canada B. Fireproof matter
C. A “wonder” mineral D. A new roofing material
60. Johns proved his ability （能力）as a salesman by_____.
going into the roofing business
carrying asbestos from Italy
sending a trained scientist
showing the use of asbestos gloves
61. Which is the most important character of asbestos that the author wants to show us?
A. It is like thread B. It feels soapy
C. It bums easily D. It is unusually heavy
62. The author’s main purpose in writing this passage is to______.
show the need for more scientists
compare asbestos with other minerals
increase the sales of asbestos
present facts about asbestos
Anyone for rocket salad? The Chinese are now growing huge vegetables from seeds they sent into space.
If you are the type who worries about the air miles travelled by fruits and vegetables, these beauties aren’t for you. It's because they have travelled a little further than most.
The seeds from which they grew were fired into space, where they orbited the earth for two weeks. Once they returned they were grown in hothouses, producing the monster kinds seen here.
China, which is behind these space fruits and vegetables, says they could be the answer to the world's food crisis.
The 21-pound tomatoes, nine-inch chillies, 15-stone pumpkins and large watermelons growing at the Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences’ hothouses can feed many more than their smaller cousins, and may have more nutrients, the scientists say.
Researcher Lo Zhigang said, "Traditional agricultural development has taken us as far as we can go and demand for food from a growing population is endless. Space seeds offer the opportunity to grow fruits and vegetables bigger and faster."
He admitted he and his colleagues could not explain why time in orbit caused the seeds to change genetic structure. But they guessed exposure to the cosmic (宇宙的) radiation that attacked the spacecraft in orbit, as well as the near zero gravity conditions, microgravity, could play apart.
"We don't think there's any threat to human health because the genes themselves do not change; just their order changes," he said. "With genetically-modified (GM) crops you have seen environmental problems because they have added genes that can damage other organisms. But with space seeds they don't gain genes; they can only lose them."
He also claimed the Vitamin C content in some space vegetables was nearly three times higher than in common vegetables, while levels of zinc are also increased.
Western scientists are doubtful. NASA researchers who have experimented with seeds in space say there is not enough benefit to show the cost is reasonable. What do the underlined words "these beauties" in Paragraph 2 probably refer to ______?
| A．Beautiful views along the air routes. |
| B．Travelling experiences in space. |
| C．Seeds fired into space. |
| D．Giant vegetables. |
We can infer from Lo’s words in Paragraph 6 that _______.
| A．our conventional agriculture has developed too slowly. |
| B．we are asking too much from nature |
| C．space seeds may help meet our demand for food |
| D．we'll grow crops in space in the future |
Why the seeds changed their genetic structure _______.
| A．remains to be proved |
| B．is discovered by Lo Zhigang |
| C．has something to do with the conditions in hothouses |
| D．is due to the radiation that attacked them directly |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．Western scientists’ doubt is unreasonable. |
| B．Westem scientists don’t believe that Chinese scientists have succeeded in the experiment. |
| C．Western scientists have proved space seeds to be of no benefit. |
| D．Western scientists think the cost of space seeds outweighs the benefits. |
Transport Guide
The Brisbane City Council(BCC)is responsible for bus and ferry services within the city limits and suburbs，Most buses will either arrive at the city or an interchange where connecting buses can be caught.BCC buses operate from 5：30 am to 11：00 pm Monday to Thursday and 5：30 am to 12：00 am on Fridays.On weekends and public holidays buses operate less frequently. Prepaid bus tickets can be purchased from the QUT (Queensland University of Technology)bookshop，the campus newsagency.most other newsagencies and general stores，and any BCC Customer Service Centre.Shortterm students at QUT cannot use their ID cards to gain a discount fare on BCC public transport.You will need to buy an adult ticket to travel.Bus fares are dependent on the number of zones you have to travel.There are several types of tickets：
| Zone |
Cost(AUD) |
|||||
| Single |
Daily |
Offpeak Daily |
Tentrip Saver |
Weekly |
Monthly |
|
| 1 |
2.50 |
4.20 |
3.50 |
16.80 |
16.80 |
67.20 |
| 2 |
2.90 |
5.00 |
4.10 |
20.00 |
20.00 |
80.00 |
| 3 |
3.30 |
5.80 |
4.70 |
23.20 |
23.20 |
92.80 |
Single：one way ticket to reach your destination，including transfers within 2 hours.
Daily: unlimited travel within the zones.
Offpeak Daily：discounted unlimited travel between 9：00 am and 3：30 pm and after 7：00 pm
Monday to Friday，and all day on weekends and public holidays.
Weekly：unlimited travel within the zones for one week from the date of issue.Monthly：unlimited travel within the zones for one calendar month from the date of issue.
Tentrip Saver: 10 trips at any time within the zones on buses and ferries only.
Transport routes，timetables and fare information are available from：
Public Transport Information Centre
69 Ann Street (corner of George St)
Brisbane City
Phone 13 12 30(Transport Information Service)The transport guide above is most likely provided by________.
| A．Public Transport Information Centre |
| B．the Brisbane City Council |
| C．Queensland University of Technology. |
| D．BCC Customer Service Centres |
We can learn from the passage that________.
| A．buses are scheduled as usual on weekends and public holidays |
| B．regular students at QUT need to buy adult tickets |
| C．prepaid tickets can be bought from the Public Transport Information Centre |
| D．Tentrip Savers can be used at offpeak time |
An exchange student staying at QUT for five days has to travel between zones every day.What type of ticket would he probably buy?
| A．Single. | B．Weekly. | C．Offpeak Daily. | D．Tentrip Saver. |
Clothes can make phone calls, play music, dial your pal's number, keep you warm during cold weather and operate your computer.
This is not a fantasy. A British company, called electrotexiles, has created a wide range of clothes—clothes tha have minds of their own ! Scientists, working for the company, have invented a kind of fabric that can be mixed with flexible electronic materials to create intelligent clothing. The results are electronic garments.
If you think the weather has to be wired to different devices, think again. These designer clothes are wirefree, soft to touch and washable! Like any electronic device, these hightech clothes have to be powered. Currently, a tiny ninevolt battery serves the purpose. But the researchers hope that in the near future the clothes will generate electricity by using body heat. These clothes are 100% shockproof, they say.
The electrotexiles team has also created the world's first cloth keyboard. These keyboard can be sewn into your trousers or skirt. To use this device, you will have to sit down and tap on your lap! These “laptap” devices are all set to take over laptop computers!
Another useful garment is the shirtcummobile phone. This handy invention enables drivers to chat comfortably with others at the wheel! Other popular electronic wears include the denim (牛仔布) jacket with flexible earphones sewn into the hoop and the electronic ski jacket with a builtin heater. The ski jacket is also programmed to send signals to a satellite. This technology is known as global positioning system and can be used to track lost skiers and wandering kids.
Having completed the cloth keyboard, scientists have already started to work on a new project—a necktie that can be used as a computer mouse. What is the next? Do you have any idea?The electronic garments are similar to other electronic devices in that ________.
| A．they feel smooth and soft |
| B．they use electricity as power |
| C．they can be washed in water |
| D．they are made from flexible materials |
How will researchers improve these hightech clothes?
| A．Body heat will be used as power. |
| B．The wearer will not get shocked. |
| C．A tiny ninevolt battery will work. |
| D．They will get charged automatically. |
The main purpose of the text is________.
| A．to advertise for an English company |
| B．to predict the future trend of the products in the company |
| C．to show how rapidly science develops |
| D．to introduce some intelligent (智能的) clothing in the company |
It can be inferred that the author's attitude towards the company is ________.
| A．negative (消极的) | B．casual | C．optimistic | D．doubtful |
Have you ever hated anyone? Well, probably you don’t really hate them. But you do get angry the moment you think of them. If you don’t get out of the anger, it may turn into bitterness(积怨).
Bitterness can come about when we can’t forgive someone who has hurt us or made us angry. Someone might say or do something that hurts us. But we keep it deep inside instead of working through the anger. Before long, a bitter feeling begins to grow. The bitterness shows when we constantly criticize the one who hurt us. We may think we are hurting that person, but we are really only hurting ourselves.
Bitterness is a harmful emotion that affects the whole body. It can lead to serious health problems such as high blood pressure. Bitterness can stop us from concentrating on important things. Instead, we waste time thinking about how we have been hurt.
Finally, holding on to bitterness can hurt our relationships with friends and family members. No one enjoys being around an angry, negative person for very long.
Author Chuck Swindoll once said, “ Life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we respond to it.” That means when someone hurts you, your response is more important than what happened. You can choose to let go of hurt. You can also choose to hold on to hurt, which results in bitterness.
If you see bitterness in your life, here are some ways to deal with it.
Stop making excuses for it.
You may feel you have a fight to be angry. You may even secretly enjoy making the other person look sad. But in the end, bitterness hurts you much more than the other person.
Forgive and forget it.
The best thing you can do is to forgive and forget. You probably can’t totally put the act out of your mind. But you can decide to forgive the other person. Let it go and move on. You’ll enjoy better health and peace of mind.If we don’t release anger,_____ .
| A．We will always be criticized and hurt |
| B．We will not blame others for any reason |
| C．A bitter feeling will develop in our mind |
| D．We will not be particular about what others do |
The main idea of Paragraph 3 is_____.
| A．The relationships hurt by bitterness. |
| B．The illness caused by bitterness |
| C．The reaction of an angry person |
| D．The negative effects of bitterness |
The author advises us to do the following EXCEPT_____.
| A．to hold on to bitterness inside us |
| B．to forgive the one who hurts you |
| C．to stop making excuses for the bitterness |
| D．to forget others’ rude behavior |
By forgiving others, we are able to _____.
| A．prevent bad things from happening |
| B．be friends with the person who hurts us |
| C．forget the bitter experience completely |
| D．enjoy good health and a peaceful mind |
To me, the ocean is our greatest wilderness. I love swimming in it , surfing its waves, watching it from shore and thinking about all the life living unseen under the surface.
When I take my little kids to check out tide pools, we’re overjoyed when we find a sea star or some shellfish. Lately, though, I've noticed a change in my favorite pools: there are more sea grasses and fewer animals with shells.
I can't help feeling these small changes portend something more troubling about our oceans. It matches what scientists are telling us: our oceans are being troubled by carbon dioxide that threatens corals, colorful fish, salmon, sea otters, even whales. Our oceans are facing a major change.
Every hour, a million tons of carbon dioxide from cars, factories and power plants rain down on the world’s oceans. Carbon pollution brings about a chemical reaction that turns sea water more acidic (酸的) and takes away things important for sea animals .
Some of us are already feeling the effects of this growing crisis（危机）. Shellfish farmers in the Pacific Northwest have reported a decrease in natural and farmed oysters(牡蛎). Just this week, a new studyproved the link between the huge reduction in the numbers of oysters and ocean acidification. As polar waters become more acidic, Alaskan fishermen are troubled by the future of smaller fish.
Without action, ocean acidification will have a disastrous influence on the food chain, affecting not only sea life but the people who depend on it for food and their living. Already, our oceans have become 30 percent more acidic since preindustrial times, and it gets worse every day. We can stop this frightening dream, but only if we act now.
That's why the Center for Biological Diversity has started a petition (请愿书) requesting President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a plan to deal with ocean acidification. Decisive action can save sea life as we know it.
Now it isn’t too late to save our oceans and sea life. With immediate action to reduce carbon dioxide release we can start taking important steps today to deal with this disastrous situation. Join me in our petition calling for a national plan to save our oceans.The author’s recent visits to the tide pool brought her ___ .
| A．happiness | B．anger | C．concern | D．comfort |
The underlined word “portend” in Paragraph 3 probably means ___ .
| A．predict | B．prevent | C．replace | D．reduce |
What the author worries about most is ____ .
| A．the harm of sea grasses |
| B．carbon pollution in the sea |
| C．that the petition may be turned down |
| D．how fishermen can make a living in the future |
What is the main purpose of the text ?
| A．To inform. | B．To educate. | C．To persuade . | D．To instruct. |