Even plant can run a fever, especially when they’re under attack by insects or disease. But unlike human, plants can have their temperature taken from 3, 000 feet away straight up. A decade ago, adopting the infrared (红外线)scanning technology developed for military purposes and other satellites, physicist Stephen Paley came up with a quick way to take the temperature of crops to determine which ones are under stress. The goal was to let farmers precisely target pesticide (杀虫剂)spraying rather than rain poison on a whole field, which invariably includes plants that don’t have pest (害虫)problems.
Even better, Paley’s Remote Scanning Services Company could detect crop problems before they became visible to the eye. Mounted on a plane flown at 3, 000 feet at night, an infrared scanner measured the heat emitted by crops. The data were transformed into a color-coded map showing where plants were running“fevers”. Farmers could then spot-spray, using 50 to 70 percent less pesticide than they otherwise would.
The bad news is that Paley’s company closed down in 1984, after only three years. Farmers resisted the new technology and long - term backers were hard to find. But with the renewed concern about pesticides on produce, and refinements in infrared scanning, Paley hopes to get back into operation. Agriculture experts have no doubt the technology works. “This technique can be used on 75 percent of agricultural land in the United States, ” says George Oerther of Texas A & M. Ray Jackson , who recently retired from the Department of Agriculture, thinks remote infrared crop scanning could be adopted by the end of the decade. But only ff Paley finds the financial backing which he failed to obtain 10 years ago.Plants will emit an increased amount of heat when they are______________.
A.sprayed with pesticides |
B.facing an infrared scanner |
C.in poor physical condition |
D.exposed to excessive sun rays |
In order to apply pesticide spraying precisely, we can use infrared scanning to____________.
A.estimate the damage to the crops |
B.measure the size of the affected area |
C.draw a color-coded map |
D.locate the problem area |
Farmers can save a considerable amount of pesticide by______________.
A.resorting to spot-spraying |
B.consulting infrared scanning experts |
C.transforming poisoned rain |
D.detecting crop problems at an early stage |
The application of infrared scanning technology to agriculture met with some difficulties
_______________.
A.the lack of official support |
B.its high cost |
C.the lack of financial support |
D.its failure to help increase production |
Infrared scanning technology may be brought back into operation because of_____________.
A.the desire of farmers to improve the quality of their produce |
B.growing concern about the excessive use of pesticides on crops |
C.the forceful promotion by the Department of Agriculture |
D.full support from agricultural experts |
The writer Margaret Mitchell is best known for writing Gone with the Wind, first published in 1936. Her book and the movie based on it, tell a story of love and survival during the American Civil War. Visitors to the Margaret Mitchell House in Atlanta, Georgia, can go where she lived when she started composing the story and learn more about her life.
Our first stop at the Margaret Mitchell House is an exhibit area telling about the writer’s life. She was born in Atlanta in 1900. She started writing stories when she was a child. She started working as a reporter for the Atlanta Journal newspaper in 1922. One photograph of Ms. Mitchell, called Peggy, shows her talking to a group of young college boys. She was only about one and a half meters tall. The young men tower over her, but she seems very happy and sure of herself. The tour guide explains: “Now in this picture Peggy is interviewing some boys from Georgia Tech, asking them such questions as ‘Would you really marry a woman who works?’ And today it’d be ‘Would you marry one who doesn’t?’ ”
The Margaret Mitchell House is a building that once contained several apartments. Now we enter the first floor apartment where Ms. Mitchell lived with her husband, John Marsh. They made fun of the small apartment by calling it “The Dump ” .
Around 1926, Margaret Mitchell had stopped working as a reporter and was at home healing after an injury. Her husband brought her books to read from the library. She read so many books that he bought her a typewriter and said it was time for her to write her own book. Our guide says Gone with the Wind became a huge success. Margaret Mitchell received the Pulitzer Prize for the book. In 1939 the film version was released. It won ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture.The book Gone with the Wind was _________.
A.first published on a newspaper | B.awarded ten Academy Awards |
C.written in “The Dump” | D.adapted from a movie |
The underlined phrase “tower over” in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to_________.
A.be very pleased with | B.show great respect for |
C.be much taller than | D.show little interest in |
Why did Ms. Mitchell stop working as a reporter according to the passage?
A.Because she was rich enough. |
B.Because she was injured then. |
C.Because her husband didn’t like it. |
D.Because she wanted to write books. |
We can know about Margaret Mitchell from the passage that _________.
A.her height made her marriage unhappy |
B.her interest in writing continued as an adult |
C.writing stopped her working as a reporter |
D.her life was full of hardship and sadness |
Which is the best title for the passage?
A.A Trip to Know Margaret Mitchell. |
B.Gone with the Wind: A Huge Success. |
C.An Introduction of the Margaret Mitchell House. |
D.Margaret Mitchell: A Great Female Writer. |
Producing money requires both artistic and technological skills. Dollar bills are made so that they are interesting to look at but very hard to copy. In total, there are sixty-five separate steps required to make a dollar bill.
The money making process begins when. a yearly order is sent by the Federal Reserve Board. That order will then be divided in half. Half will be done here in Washington, D. C.and the other half will be done in Fort Worth, Texas. Next, the Bureau orders special paper which is actually cloth since it is 75% cotton and 25% linen.
This paper is made so that it can last a long time. And, it is made with details that make it hard to copy. For example, bills contain security threads. These narrow pieces of plastic are inside the paper and run along the width of the bill. This special paper is also made with very small blue and red fibers.
Once the money is printed, guillotine cutters separate the sheets into two notes, then into individual notes. The notes are organized in "bricks," each of which contains forty one-hundred-note packages. The bricks then go to one of twelve Federal Reserve Districts, which then give the money to local banks. Ninety-five percent of the bills printed each year are used to replace money that is in circulation, or that has already been removed from circulation.
You may know that America's first president, George Washington, is pictured on the one- dollar bill. But do you know whose face is on the two, five, ten, twenty, fifty and one hundred-dollar bills? They are, in order. President Thomas Jefferson, President Abraham Lincoln, Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton, President Andrew Jackson, President Ulysses Grant and statesman Benjamin Franklin.
The average life span of a one-dollar bill is twenty-one months. But a ten-dollar bill lasts only about eighteen months. The one hundred-dollar bill lasts the longest, eighty-nine months. One popular question is about the two-dollar bill. This bill is not printed very often. This is because many Americans believe two-dollar bills are lucky, so they keep them.During money production, we must consider all EXCEPT that it must.
A.last a long time |
B.be hard to copy |
C.be interesting to look at |
D.be done by the president's order |
We can learn from the passage that the security threads.
A.are narrow pieces of plastic |
B.are pressed outside the bills |
C.are longer than the width of the bills |
D.are actually made of cotton and linen |
How many presidents are printed on the American money?
A.Four | B.Five | C.Six | D.Seven |
Why are the two-dollar bills not made often?
A.Because no one wants them. |
B.Because their material is a bit more expensive. |
C.Because they aren't used in America any more. |
D.Because they aren't damaged quickly like other bills. |
Heading off to college this year? Here are some fashion tips from our experts you should keep in mind;
Dress to impress: Stylist and business consultant Daniela Smith says, "Girls should keep in mind that your college professors will often be the bridge that connects you to your future career and your classmates will become your professional.network. You don't need to dress like you're going to the office, but you should display an ability to properly present yourself with appropriate maturity and confidence, and look put-together."
Lo go mania(品牌热症): Wearing the logos of brands aimed at younger customers physically identifies you as part of that age group, so consider the targeted age group of the stores you shop at.It's tempting to load up on logos, especially well-known logos that signify high-end brands.But consider this: college is a time of self-discovery, a chance to develop your own personal style.Instead of wearing logos head to toe, "walking advertisement"-style, why not express who you really are?
Wear real pants: The combination of leggings and baggy shirts is all too common on college campuses.Smith points out that leggings, yoga pants, and sweatpants are entirely unacceptable in public unless you're exercising. Although leggings worn as pants are a common trend among high school and college girls, they are not an appropriate choice for daywear; As a young woman, your style choice should begin to reflect your maturity level.So, get rid of leggings and wear real pants!
Keep the cute factor to a minimum: Stay away from sweaters and T-shirts with smiling animals, cartoon characters, or Hello Kitty on them.Sure, kittens might be cute, but they're not doing you any favors in the style department.Dressing too cutesy can take years off your look, and not necessarily in a good way!The second paragraph indicates the importance of .
A.impressing professors | B.getting on well with classmates |
C.creating a professional image | D.dressing appropriately |
The author believes that college girls should.
A.choose a logo that suits their age |
B.try to load up on well-known logos |
C.use logos to show who they are |
D.find their identity by trying different logos |
In which magazine would you most likely find this passage?
A.Business Week. | B.Parents |
C.In style. | D.Travel&Leisure |
When something goes wrong, it can be very satisfying to say, "Well, it's so-and-so's fault. "or "I know I'm late, but it's not my fault; the car broke down. "It is probably not your fault, but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation, you are a loser. You have no power and can do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation.This is the winner's key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly.Or, you might start to carry along with you useful phone numbers, so you can call for help when in need.For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person.Ask to work with a different person, or don't rely on this person.You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about-creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. winners don't have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on "whose fault it is." Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stop on for success.According to the passage, winners.
A.deal with problems rather than blame others |
B.meet with fewer difficulties in their lives |
C.have responsible and able colleagues |
D.blame themselves rather than others |
The underlined word remedy in Paragraph l is closest in meaning to.
A.avoid | B.accept | C.improve | D.consider |
When your colleague brings about a problem, you should.
A.find a better way to handle the problem |
B.blame Nm for his lack of responsibility |
C.tell him to find the cause of the problem |
D.ask your boss for help |
When problems occur, winners take them as.
A.excuses for their failures | B.barriers to greater power |
C.challenges to their colleagues | D.chances for self-development |
The world is filled with smart, talented, educated and gifted people.We meet them every day A few days ago, my car was not running well.I pulled it in to a garage and the young mechanic had it fixed in just a few minutes.He knew what was wrong by simply listening to the engine.I was amazed.The sad truth is that great talent is not enough.
I am constantly shocked at how little talented people earn. I heard the other day that less than 5 percent of Americans earn more than $100,000 a year. A business consultant who specializes in1 the medical trade was telling me how many doctors and dentists struggle financially. It was this business consultant who gave me the phrase, “They are one skill away from great wealth.”
There is an old saying that goes, "Job means 'just over broke(破产)’".And unfortunately, I would say that the saying applies to millions of people.Because schools do not think financial intelligence is intelligence, most workers "live within their means".They work and they pay the bills.Instead I recommend to young people to seek work for what they will learn, more than what they will earn.
When I ask the classes I teach, “How many of you can cook a better hamburger than McDonald's?” almost all the students raise their hands. I then ask, “So if most of you can cook a better hamburger, how come McDonald's makes more money than you?” The answer is obvious: McDonald's is excellent at business systems. The world is filled with talented poor people. They focus on perfecting their skills at building a better hamburger rather than the skills of selling and delivering the hamburger.The author mentions the mechanic in the first paragraph to show that.
A.he is just one of the talented people |
B.he is ready to help others |
C.he has a sharp sense of hearing |
D.he knows little about car repairing |
The underlined part in the third paragraph can be best replaced by____.
A.spend more than they can afford |
B.do in their own way |
C.1ive in their own circle |
D.1ive within what they earn |
Why do talented people earn so little according to the author?
A.They don’t work hard enough |
B.They lack financial intelligence. |
C.They don't make full use of their talents |
D.They have no specialized skills. |
The main purpose of the author is to tell us____.
A.how young people can find a satisfactory job |
B.What schools should teach about finance |
C.why so many talented people are poor |
D.how McDonald's makes much money |