The dream of flying like Buzz Lightyear never dies. For years, space-age inventors have tested one wearable jet pack after another. And time after time, the designs have been grounded by dangerous fuels, excessive weight, or very loud noise levels. Now a Canadian inventor has sidestepped those weaknesses with an aquatic jet pack. Designed for travel over lakes or oceans, it’s driven by pressurized water, not burning rocket fuel.
When Raymond Li first told the idea for the aquatic jet pack to his friends, they said he must be nuts. How could a jet pack carry that much water? Its thrust-to-weight rate would be so low and it would never become airborne. Thrust-to-weight rate is a measure of the forward force produced compared with the weight of the vehicle. A vehicle with a low thrust-to-weight rate is relatively heavy for the amount of force it generates.
Li's genius idea was to place the jet pack’s engine and its water pump in a separate boat. The pump would draw water from the lake the boat was floating on. It would then force the water under pressure through a hose connected to the jet pack. The hose would be long enough to let the pack go up as high as 8.5 meters (28 feet) in the air.
Today, Li's invention, the Jetlev-Flyer, is ready to go into production. The pack itself, complete with jet nozzles （管嘴） and handlebars, weighs just 14 kilograms. The boat is a floating pod. To take off, the operator hits a trigger on a handlebar, which starts the pump, and then turns the throttle. Two streams of high-velocity water shoot through the hose and out the nozzles, lifting the operator into the air. The operator hovers there or pushes down on the handlebars, zooming forward at speeds of up to 64 kilometers per hour, pulling the pod behind.
61. All the following factors contribute to the failure of inventing a wearable jet pack EXCEPT ______.
A. excessive water B. unbearable noise C. unsafe fuels D. too much weight
62. The underlined word “sidestepped” in Para. 1 most probably means ________.
A. improved B. reduced C. avoided D. solved
63. Raymond Li’s friends found his idea for the aquatic jet pack was ________.
A. exciting B. crazy C. realistic D. creative
64. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. His friends encouraged him to do the invention.
B. He put the engine and its water pump in the same boat.
C. The success of his invention lies in his bravery.
D. His invention finally succeeded and will go into production.
65. Which is the right order to make the Jetlev-Flyer take off?
a. The throttle is turned. b. The operator is lifted into the air.
c. A trigger is hit. d. Two streams of water shoot out.
e. The pump is started.
A. c, e, a, d, b B. c, e, a, b, d C. e, c, d, b, a D. e, a, c, d, b
Two recent studies have found that punishment is not the best way to influence behavior.
One showed that adults are much more cooperative if they work in a system based on rewards. Researchers at Harvard University in the United States and the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden did the study.
They had about two hundred college students play a version of the game known as the Prisoner’s Dilemma. The game is based on the tension (紧张气氛) between the interests (利益) of an individual and a group. The students played in groups of four. Each player could win points for the group, so they would all gain equally. But each player could also reward or punish each of the other three players, at a cost to the punisher.
Harvard researcher David Rand says the most successful behavior proved to be cooperation. The groups that rewarded it the most earned about twice as much in the game as the groups that rewarded it the least. And the more a group punished itself, the lower its earnings were. The group with the most punishment earned twenty-five percent less than the group with the least punishment. The study appeared last month in the journal Science.
The other study involved children. It was presented last month in California at a conference on violence and abuse. Researchers used intelligence tests given to two groups. More than eight hundred children aged two to four the first time they were tested. More than seven hundred children aged five to nine.
The two groups were retested four years later, and the study compared the results with the first test. Both groups contained children whose parents used physical punishment and children whose parents did not. The study says the IQs--or intelligence quotients--of the younger children who were not spanked were five points higher than those who were. In the older group, the difference was almost three points.
Murray Strauss from the University of New Hampshire worked with Mallie Paschall from the Pacific Institute for Research and Evaluation. Professor Strauss has written extensively about physical punishment of children. He says the more they are spanked, the slower their mental development. He also looked at average IQs in other nations and found them lower where spanking was more common.Which could be the best title of the passage?
| A．Punishment |
| B．The Best Way to Influence Behavior. |
| C．Punishment or Reward: Which Works Better on Behavior? |
| D．Two Recent Studies. |
The underlined word “spanked” probably means______.
| A．won | B．punished | C．tested | D．praised |
According to the passage, the researchers may agree the best way to influence behavior is______.
| A．rewarding good behavior |
| B．correcting bad behavior |
| C．punishing badly-behaved children |
| D．praising well-behaved children |
The author develops the passage______.
| A．in order of time |
| B．in order of importance |
| C．by describing his experiences |
| D．by using quotations and statistics |
Last month my family, my husband and I visited the zoo in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I was afraid I just couldn’t hide my excitement as it had been five years since I had been to the zoo. I was especially excited about getting to see the penguin exhibit that was completed since my last visit. I thought it would be just as magical as it was the last time.
The Tulsa Zoo is located on Mohawk Park, and covers 84 acres, making it the third largest zoo in the US. The zoo has several highlights, but I have to admit that I found myself rather disappointed. The maintenance is deeply lacking, and most of the exhibits, landscaping, etc. looked like it had not been updated or well kept. Unfortunately, their polar bear died a short time ago. The strangest attraction was the missing-in-action jaguar (美洲虎). We spent several minutes searching for the animal without any luck. In most cases the zoo was good about putting up a sign if the animal was no longer there or was moved to a different location, but it was a different case with the jaguar and likewise the kangaroo.
Almost all of the hands-on equipment in the elephant encounter was broken and no longer working. Although the zoo did put up signs as an apology, it continued to add to the feeling that the zoo is approaching death. The one exhibit that did not fail to impress was the African Penguins. Their habitat was well built. The lion, bear, and tiger were also easy to watch. A favorite among the kids was clearly the monkeys who were very active and eager to put on a show.
The Tropical Rainforest did a very good job creating a special atmosphere. The cafe served very good food and had lovely indoor and outdoor areas for eating. They are currently re-designing the Sea Lion exhibit, so the Sea Lions were not available for viewing while we were there. All things considered, the Tulsa Zoo is still the best zoo in our area, but I would only award it three out of five stars.Seeing several highlights in the Tulsa Zoo, the author _________.
| A．felt very excited |
| B．was a little frightened |
| C．was not satisfied with them |
| D．thought it was worth seeing |
Why did the author think it was a different case with the jaguar?
| A．Because the jaguar was friendly to the kangaroo and visitors. |
| B．Because the zoo didn’t use a sign to show if the jaguar was there. |
| C．Because the jaguar is very dangerous compared with other animals. |
| D．Because the jaguar had disappeared when the author got there. |
What does the author think of the Tulsa Zoo in general?
| A．It is a first class zoo in her area. |
| B．It is the best zoo in the US. |
| C．She thinks very poorly of it. |
| D．She thinks nothing of it. |
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| C．to collect more money for charity |
| D．to introduce a new product |
What benefit can the readers possibly get according to the ad?
| A．Only $12 is to be paid for 24 issues of the magazine. |
| B．Readers can get a free offer of the magazine any time of the year. |
| C．Readers from all over the world can enjoy the free offer. |
| D．Readers can communicate face to face with child experts on the Internet. |
A reader subscribed PARENTS 3 months ago, but now he finds the magazine dissatisfying. What can he do?
| A．He can cancel without getting his money back. |
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| C．He can email them to access his bank account to get all his money back. |
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Here's a hotel worth writing something about: a company in Poland plans to build tourist accommodation under the sea. The structure can be dragged to a suitable location and placed on supports on the sea bed. The ‘Water Discus’ will be made up of an underwater disc containing 22 bedrooms with sea views, connected by lift and stairs to a disc above the surface containing other hotel facilities.
Project manager Robert Bursiewicz says: “Nowadays it's possible to build submarines ('潜艇) which go deeper than 500m below the sea surface, so building an underwater hotel is not a problem. ”
In fact, they don't plan to have the hotel very deep. Water acts like a filter (过滤器) for sunlight, and below 15m most colors, apart from blue, are washed out. And we all want to see colorful marine life, don't we?
But this isn't the first hotel to offer underwater views from the bedrooms. The two-bedroom Jules' Undersea Lodge, off the coast of Florida, has been taking in guests 10m beneath the surface since 1986.
The company that operates the hotel also runs a diving course for beginners to help get guests down and into the hotel. It is accessible only through an opening at the bottom.
And you'll find all the usual facilities in the room, according to Teresa McKirma, Jules's chief financial officer. It has a television, air conditioning and Wi-Fi. But for the staff, simple things like cleaning and making beds can be challenging, since the lodge is in sea water.
"It actually takes quite a lot of work to get anything down there," she says. "We have to put everything in waterproof boxes and attach weights to them to counter their buoyancy (浮力). "
The hotel has suitably sized waterproof boxes so that pizzas can be delivered by divers to guests who order them for their evening meal. And after a meal, if you can't sleep because of the excitement of the experience, you don't have to count sheep. You'll fall asleep quicker if you count fish.According to the passage, the new hotel will ______.
| A．contain three discs |
| B．come into use soon |
| C．have a movable structure |
| D．be built 500m beneath the surface |
Why won't they plan to have the hotel very deep in the water?
| A．They have financial problems. |
| B．They lack advanced technology. |
| C．They refuse to enjoy colorful life. |
| D．Most colors are washed out below 15m. |
According to Teresa McKirma, ______.
| A．entertainment is impossible in the hotel |
| B．the staff's work is difficult to finish |
| C．it's easy to get things down there |
| D．the built hotel is badly equipped |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．Passengers can't enjoy their meals. |
| B．Passengers will feel fed up with the views. |
| C．Passengers have no choice but to count fish. |
| D．Passengers may get excited about the experience. |
The Rugby (英式橄榄球) World Cup is currently being held in New Zealand. The tournament, due to finish on October 23, is living up to the famous English saying, “Rugby is a thug's (暴徒) game played by gentlemen. ”
The games are physically aggressive; the tackles (冲撞) on the pitch are brutal; but the end of each match is a civilized affair. Players shake hands and applaud each other. Of course, the other side to this saying is: "Football is a gentleman's game played by thugs. " Indeed, unlike soccer players, rugby players don't often question the referee's (裁判员) decisions or pretend to be injured when they are not.
“Football could learn a lot from rugby," said Brian Moore, a former England rugby player "The wonderful spirit of rugby is: there is a gentlemanly code to it. You play hard on the pitch, but you always respect your opponent..
Rugby is mainly played in Europe. Australia, New Zealand and parts of Africa. "It is more enjoyable to play than soccer because you are always involved in the game," said Peter, a Welsh rugby coach. "Rugby is also a far superior test of strength, stamina (耐力) and determination. "
Most professional rugby players are large, strong and weigh over 90 kilograms. People who play the sport need to be tough and be prepared to get hurt. Black eyes, broken bones, lost teeth and being knocked unconscious—all these are common injuries. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is blind in one eye thanks to a rugby accident at school.
In England, children begin playing the game at school at the age of 8. When they enter high school, many begin to play full contact rugby. Children are taught to play for around one hour a week during their PE lessons. Most schools have a rugby team. Children who play for the school team are usually the sportiest kids, and are seen as brave and athletic.What can be concluded from the first three paragraphs?
| A．Football players are not real gentlemen. |
| B．There is a better spirit in playing rugby than football. |
| C．Football players are not as athletic as rugby players. |
| D．Brian Moore thinks that rules should be stricter in football. |
According to the passage, Peter thinks ______.
| A．rugby players pretend to be injured when they are not |
| B．rugby is not very popular in America and Asia |
| C．rugby makes people enjoy sports better than soccer |
| D．rugby needs players' strong will rather than strength |
The example of Gordon Brown is mentioned in order to .
| A．prove that playing rugby can earn people fame |
| B．explain why Gordon Brown is blind in one eye |
| C．support the point that rugby players often get hurt |
| D．warn teenagers against playing rugby at school |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Teenagers will lose interest in football. |
| B．English children have a talent for rugby. |
| C．Playing rugby doesn't involve skills. |
| D．Rugby is not suitable for everyone. |