Things similar continuously happened in Haiti and Chile．Thousands of people were
buried in the earthquake and lost their fives．What if we could have warned them? People are always trying hard to find a way of pr
eventing building collapsing(坍塌)．Better materials and technology help，but are not a solution．Just like humans，a building has its own life circle from “birth” to “death”．If we know when a building is going to collapse，we can repair it in advance or get out before it falls．
Now, scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a material that turns red before it breaks．The invention could be used in things like climbing ropes，or bridge supports．The secret behind the color-changing material is a type of molecule(分子)．A molecule is a group of atoms held together by chemical bonds(化学键)．Imagine you and your friends standing in a circle，holding hands．Each person stands for one atom，your hands represent the bonds，and the entire circle represents a molecule．If one person lets go of his or her hands，the molecule changes color．The research team put the molecule into a soft material．When the researchers stretched(拉长) the material：it turned bright red a few seconds before it broke into two pieces．
When they repeatedly stretched and relaxed the material，without breaking it，it only turned a little red．
The major problem is，light can get rid of the red color．When the team shone a bright light on the molecule，the broken bond was fixed，and the color disappeared．If bright fight keeps the red color from appearing，the material’s warning system will be useless．Scientists still have a lot of work to do before the color-changing molecule can be used outside the lab． The passage mainly about
| A．a way of preventing building from breaking down |
| B．a series of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile |
| C．a way of warning before buildings collapse |
| D．a newly-discovered structure of a molecule |
According to the passage，we can conclude that
| A．there are problems to solve before putting the new material to use |
| B．scientists have found the life circle of buildings from “birth” to “death” |
| C．bright fight makes the red color visible to human eyes |
| D．the new material is unlikely to be used in building bridges |
The color-changing molecule can
| A．make building materials much stronger |
| B．help building materials get stretched if necessary |
| C．prevent the earthquake from killing people |
| D．remind people to leave buildings before they fall |
The warning system is based on the fact that
| A．red color won’t show up when it meets bright fight |
| B．a material with a certain type of molecule Can turn red when stretched etched |
| C．a building has its own life circle of “birth” to “death” |
| D．the broken bond will fix itself when a molecule meets bright fight |
Do American children still learn handwriting in school? In the age of the keyboard, some people seem to think handwriting lessons are on the way out. 90% of teachers say they are required to teach handwriting. But studies have yet to answer the question of how well they are teaching it. One study published this year found that about three out of every four teachers say they are not prepared to teach handwriting. Some teachers are teaching handwriting by providing instruction for 10 to 15 minutes a day, and then other teachers who basically teach it for 60 to 70 minutes a day—which really for handwriting is pretty much.
Many adults remember learning that way—by copying letters over and over again. Today’s thinking is that short periods of practice are better. Many experts also think handwriting should not be taught by itself. Instead, they say it should be used as a way to get students to express ideas. After all, that is why we write.
Handwriting involves two skills. One is legibility, which means forming the letters so they can be read. The other is fluency—writing without having to think about it. Fluency continues to develop up until high school.
But not everyone masters these skills. Teachers commonly report that about one fourth of their kids have poor handwriting. Some people might think handwriting is not important any more because of computers and voice recognition programs.
But Steve Graham at Vanderbilt says word processing is rarely done in elementary school, especially in the early years. American children traditionally first learn to print, and then to write in cursive, which connects the letters. But guess what we learned from a spokeswoman for the College Board, which administers the SAT college admission test. More than 75 percent of students choose to print their essay on the test rather than write in cursive.Which of the following is WRONG for traditional handwriting in the USA?
| A．The students are taught by practicing a long period. |
| B．The letters are repeated many times. |
| C．Handwriting includes two skills. |
| D．To write in cursive is taught first. |
The underlined word “legibility” in Paragraph 3 means _____.
| A．easy to read |
| B．complex |
| C．unexpected |
| D．unreadable |
The best title for the passage is _____.
| A．How to improve handwriting in school |
| B．Right or wrong: the death of handwriting |
| C．Handwriting involves two skills |
| D．Handwriting lessons are on the way out |
The author’s attitude towards whether still to learn handwriting in school is _____.
| A．negative |
| B．objective |
| C．critical |
| D．optimistic |
If you’re wondering what the top things people do on their Hawaii vacations (besides enjoy the magnificent Hawaii beaches), look on further.
Whether you’re here to see an incredible Hawaii volcano or you want to laze on a beach at a top resort in Kona, Hawaii, knowing ahead of time what you want to do will help you make the most of your trip to Hawaii.
Volcanoes National Park
Most visitors to Hawaii want to see lava from an active Hawaii volcano, and the big island does not disappoint when it comes to this. Spread out over 333,000 acres, the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park takes up a large portion on the southern part of the Big Island. Mauna Loa, rising at 13,667 feet, is easily the largest dormant volcano in the world. Kilauea volcano is where you can see the lava floes(熔岩块) and terrible volcanic landscapes. You can spend days hiking and camping in the Hawaii volcano park, since over half of it is set aside as wilderness.
Kona Coast
The Kona Coast, on the west side of the Big Island, is home to the top resorts on the Big Island and the popular Kona vacation rentals. The Kona area enjoys great weather all year round, in addition to other activities like deep-sea fishing and snorkeling(潜水), making it a popular place for Hawaii beaches. You can also take a tour of the coffee farms that produce the world famous Kona coffee, which is organic and all natural. Kona vacation rentals are popular because many of these look out over the Pacific Ocean, and are close to excellent beaches. Whether you Hawaii vacation includes Hawaii beaches, staying at a resort or booking one of the Kona vacation rentals, this area is one of the best of all islands to stay.
Iao Valley
Iao Valley beauty has inspired Hawaiians to gather here to honour the agriculture god, Lono, during an annual festival called the Makahiki Festival. For over a hundred years visitors have been coming to the valley to enjoy the scenic beauty of this lush(青葱的) valley. There are trails in the park, so you can see the best scenery of the cloud-covered valley. These clouds have a lot to do with the shape of the valley, since these feed the streams that carved the shape of the Iao Valley.The best title for this passage is _____.
| A．Things to do in Hawaii |
| B．Rich tourism resources in Hawaii |
| C．Hawaii’s charming beauty |
| D．Wondering in Hawaii |
This passage is meant for _____.
American students
potential travelers
local residents
geographerWe can guess the meaning of “organic” is _____.
| A．man-made |
| B．green |
| C．chemical |
| D．animal |
We can read this passage from _____ in a newspaper.
| A．a tour edition |
| B．a sport edition |
| C．a social life edition |
| D．a science and technology edition |
Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of the country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country’s economy. It is important to think about the people of a destination(旅游目的地) country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance the wealth and happiness of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country’s economy can suffer.
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism. People can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It casts a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports, first-class roads, and other support facilities(配套设施) needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel will lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many other support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers(下水道)to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost.Which of the following do you think has been discussed in the part before this selection?
| A．It is extremely important to develop tourism. |
| B．Building roads and hotels is important. |
| C．Support facilities are highly necessary. |
| D．Planning is of great importance to tourism. |
The underlined word “inhabitants” (in Paragraph 1) probably means “_____”.
| A．tourists |
| B．passengers |
| C．population |
| D．natives |
Too much tourism can cause all these problems EXCEPT _____.
| A．a bad effect on other industries |
| B．a change of tourists’ customs |
| C．over-crowdedness of places of interest |
| D．pressure on traffic |
It can be inferred from the text that _____.
| A．the author doesn’t like tourism developing so fast |
| B．local people will benefit from tourist attractions |
| C．other parts of a country’s economy won’t benefit from tourism much |
| D．we can’t build too many support facilities |
Why Melbourne? Having long lived in the shadow of Sydney, Melbourne has become a wonderful place for fashion and design and the cultural center of Australia, with an enjoyable program of festival.
What to see? The city center’s grid(格子)system of streets hides a maze(迷宫) of lanes and turn-of-the-century shopping malls where you will find the best cafes, bars and shops. The Hidden Secrets Tour (00 613 9329 9665, hiddensecretstours. com) guides will make sure you find what you’re after, whether it’s fashion, art and design or wine. £34 per person.
Where to eat? Melbourne is a paradise for those who enjoy eating delicious food, and its top chefs use fresh produce and have talent for the experimental. But for something different, enjoy yourself with an Australian Wine Tour Company trip. Departing from the city center daily, you’ll taste wines at four of the region’s best vineyards(葡萄园). It costs £48 per person, including all wine tasting, lunch and a visit to Domaine Chandon (00-613-9419-4444, austwinetourco. Com. au)
Where to stay? The Nunnery is an old convent(修道院)on the edge of the city. It has double rooms with breakfast costing £ 54 per night (00-613-9419-8637, nunnery. com. au)
How to get there? Qantas (0845-7747-767, qantas. com. au) flies from Heathrow to Melbourne twice a day £766, including taxes.
More information: Contact the official tourism site for Melbourne at visitmelbourne. com/uk
Use the links below for more on
Destination guide: Melbourne
Click here for our Melbourne page
ours in Melbourne Why is Melbourne a popular destination for Australians?
| A．Because it’s the most important city. |
| B．Because it’s well-known for festivals. |
| C．Because it is a cultural center in Australia. |
| D．Because it attracts lots of religious followers. |
To get more information about Hidden Secret Tour, you should call _____.
| A．00-613-9329-9665 |
| B．00-613-9419-4444 |
| C．00-613-9419-8637 |
| D．0845-7747-767 |
If you are interested in tasting Australian wines, you have to pay _____.
| A．£34 |
| B．£48 |
| C．£54 |
| D．£76 |
For those who make journeys across the world, the speed of travel today has turned the countries into a series of villages. Distances between them appear no greater to a modern traveler than those which once faced men as they walked from village to village. Jet planes fly people fro one end of the earth to the other, allowing them a freedom of movement undreamt of a hundred years ago.
Yet some people wonder if the revolution in travel has gone too far. A price has been paid, they say, for the conquest(征服) of time and distance. Travel is something to be enjoyed, not endured(忍受). The boat offers leisure and time enough to appreciate the ever-changing sights and sounds of a journey. A journey by train also has a special charm about it. Lakes and forests and wild, open plains sweeping past your carriage window create a grand view in which time and distance mean nothing. On board a plane, however, there is just the blank blue of the sky filling the narrow windows of the airplane. The soft lighting, in-flight films and gentle music make up the only world you know, and the hours progress slowly.
Then there is the time spent being "processed" at a modern airport. People are conveyed like robots along walkways; baggage is weighed, tickets produced, examined and produced yet again before the passengers move to another waiting area. Journeys by rail and sea take longer, yes, but the hours devoted to being "processed" at departure and arrival in airports are luckily absent. No wonder, then, that the modern high-speed trains are winning back passengers from the airlines.
Man, however, is now a world traveler and cannot turn his back on the airplane. The working lives of too many people depend upon it; whole new industries have been built around its design and operation. The holiday-maker, too, with limited time to spend, patiently endures the busy airports and the limited space of the flight to gain those extra hours and even days, relaxing in the sun. Speed controls people’s lives; time saved, in work or play, is the important thing –or so we are told. . Perhaps those first horsemen, riding free across the wild, open plains, were enjoying a better world than the one we know today.
They could travel at will, and the clock was not their master.What does the writer try to express in Paragraph 1 ?
| A．Travel by plane has speeded up the growth of villages. |
| B．The speed of modern travel has made distances relatively short. |
| C．The freedom of has helped people realize their dreams. |
| D．Man has been fond of traveling rather than staying in one place. |
How does the writer support the underlined statement in Paragraph 2 ?
| A．By giving instructions. |
| B．By analyzing cause and effect. |
| C．By following the order of time. |
| D．By giving example. |
According to Paragraph 3, passengers are turning back to modern high-speed trains because__________.
| A．they pay less for the tickets |
| B．they feel safer during the travel |
| C．they can enjoy higher speed of travel |
| D．they don’t have to waste time being “processed” |
What does the last sentence of the passenger mean?
| A．They could enjoy free and relaxing travel. |
| B．They needed the clock to tell the time. |
| C．They preferred traveling on horseback. |
| D．They could travel with their master. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Air travel benefits people and industries. |
| B．Train travel has some advantages over air travel. |
| C．Great changes have taken place in modern travel. |
| D．The high speed of air travel is gained at a cost. |