To us it seems so natural to put up an umbrella to keep the water off when it rains, But actually the umbrella was not invented as protection against the rain, Its first use was as a shade against the sun!
Nobody knows who first invented it, but the umbrella was used in very ancient
times . Probably the first to use it were the Chinese in the 11th century B C.
We know that the umbrella was used in ancient Egypt and Babylon as a sunshade. And there was a strange thing connected with its use: it became a symbol of honor. In the Far East in ancient times, the umbrella was allowed to be used only by those in high office.
In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. And the umbrella was in commonly used in ancient Greece. But it is believed that the first persons in Europe to use the umbrella as protection against the rain were the ancient Romans.
During the Middle Ages, the use of the umbrella practically disappeared. Then it appeared again in Italy in the late sixteenth century. And again it was considered as a symbol of power. By 1680, the umbrella appeared in France and later in England.
By the eighteenth century, the umbrella was used against rain throughout mostof Europe.
Umbrellas have hot changed much in style during all this time, though they have become much lighter in weight. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that women’s umbrellas began to be made , in a whole variety of colors.According to this passage, the umbrella was probably first invented in ancient_______.
| A．China | B．Egypt | C．Greece | D．Rome |
Which of the following statements is not true about the umbrella?
| A．No one exactly knows who the inventor of the umbrella was |
| B．The umbrella was first invented to be used as protection against the sun. |
| C．The umbrella changed much in style in the eighteenth century |
| D．In Europe, the Greeks were the first to use the umbrella as a sunshade. |
A strange feature of the umbrella’s use is that it was used as__________.
| A．protection against rain | B．a shade against the sun |
| C．a symbol of honor and power | D．women’s decoration (装饰) |
In Europe, the umbrella was first used against the rain_______________.
A. during the Middle Ages B. by the 18th C. in Rome D .in GreeceThis passage talks mainly about_______________.
| A．when and how the umbrella was invented |
| B．why the umbrella was so popular in Europe |
| C．the development of the umbrella |
| D．The history and use of the umbrella |
Most people have a general list before a job interview—updating a resume (简历)，ironing a professional suit, rehearsing an explanation for those two years spent after college. However, if tidying up the Facebook profile isn't on that list, maybe it should be.
According to a new study conducted by Harris Interactive for CareerBuilder. com45 percent of employers questioned are using social networks to screen people looking for jobs this year—more than double from a year earlier, when a similar survey found that just 22 percent of employers were researc-hing potential hires on social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and Linkedln.
The study, which questioned 2，667 managers and human resource workers, found that 35 percent of employers decided not to offer a job to a candidate based on the content uncovered on a social net-working site.
The report showed that Facebook was the most popular online destination for employers to do their online sleuthing(侦查），followed by Linkedln and MySpace. In addition，7 percent followed job applicants on Twitter. More than half of the employers who participated in the survey said that provocative(挑衅的）photos were the biggest factor contributing to a decision not to hire a potential employee, while 44 percent of employers aimed at references to drinking and drug use as red flags. Other warning signs included bad-mouthing of previous employers and colleagues and poor online communication skills.
While most of these may seem like obvious blocks, what consists of alarming behavior to a particular employer? Would photographs of a trip to the beach be considered inappropriate? To be on the safe side, it's probably wise to use the new privacy settings offered by Facebook to keep everything but the most innocuous(无害的）content away from the public eye. Your general list before a job interview should include all the following EXCEPT __________.
| A．a written form of your education and previous jobs |
| B．preparing appropriate clothes |
| C．tidying up your information on social net-works |
| D．rehearsing what the employer would say to you |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Social networks are not important in job hunting. |
| B．Online information about job hunters is not reliable. |
| C．We should be careful while sending photos to social networks. |
| D．Facebook is not so popular as it used to be. |
Why should the job seekers use the new privacy settings offered by Facebook?
| A．Because they can keep everything from being seen by others. |
| B．Because they can keep the employers from seeing the inappropriate content. |
| C．Because they can only allow a particular employer to see their data online. |
| D．Because they can allow their friends to see their trips to the beach. |
The passage is mainly intended for __________.
| A．employers |
| B．employees |
| C．people work for Facebook |
| D．job applicants |
America is becoming a nation of book lovers— notebooks, netbooks and smartbooks; that is, if you believe the computer manufactures.
Notebooks
Notebooks, the senior citizens of mobile computing, are slimmed-down laptops. A notebook is an extremely lightweight PC, typically weighing less than 6 pounds and often compact enough to fit easily into a briefcase(公文包）. Aside from portability (轻便）and size, the biggest difference between a notebook computer and a desktop PC is the display screen. In terms of computing power, modern notebook computers are nearly equal to PCs.
Netbooks
The weight of a notebook can cause a lot of wear and tear on the shoulders, which is one reason why mobile workers joined the netbooks land rush. Also called mini notebooks, ultra portables or sub- notebooks, these small, light and inexpensive lap-top computers are used for general computing and for access to web-based applications.
When first introduced, netbooks featured smaller screens and keyboards, often had reduced specification and computing power, and lacked key features, such as optical drives (光驱）. They've since grown in size and features, often confusing the distinction between a netbook and notebook computer.
A netbook's display typically ranges from 7 to 10 inches. It weighs less than 3 pounds, and sup-ports a keyboard that is reduced in size. Netbooks have built-in WiFi, Ethernet, USB ports and slots (扁口）for flash memory cards. To keep them small and compact, netbooks do not have a CD or
DVD drive, and many use solid-state flash drives in-stead of hard drives for storage. Flash drives have no moving parts so they're less likely to break, and are smaller than regular hard drives, which saves space and weight.
Smartbooks
Smartbooks are the newest book on the block. Smartbooks combine the features of both a smart- phone and a netbook computer in a device that's mobile like a phone, yet comes in a laptop-style body with a screen that's 5 to 10 inches in size. Other features include long battery life，3G connectivity and GPS capability. And it has long battery life，8 to 12 hours.
Smartbooks are for the group who like multimedia and social networking, and have real-time information flow. What do we know about a notebook?
| A．It can serve as a briefcase. |
| B．It may cause pain in your shoulders. |
| C．It has as big a display screen as PCs. |
| D．It can deal with calculation as well as PCs. |
A netbook does NOT have __________
| A．a hard drive |
| B．a USB slot |
| C．a flash drive |
| D．a keyboard |
Which of the following is a smart book?
The purpose of writing this passage is to __________
| A．prove how Americans love books now |
| B．advertise several new kinds of books |
| C．introduce some mobile computing devices |
| D．explain the development of computers |
Some young Cambodians are learning a new sport—skateboarding. The country's first skateboard park is located on the grounds of a local charity group at the edge of Phnom Penh, the capital.
Sports like Khmer boxing and soccer are wildly popular in Cambodia. But Chea, who has been skating for 6 months, says skateboarding has already become his favorite sport.
The skateboarders are learning tricks like launching a jump or flying through the air on their narrow wooden boards.
A non-governmental organization called Skateistan Cambodia organizes weekly programs at the park. Skateistan started its work in Afghanistan years ago. Rory Burke is working with the group which expanded to Cambodia last year.
Rory Burke points out, "Yeah, it's definitely not a typical Cambodian pastime(休闲活动). And I think the idea of* why skateboarding'exists because it's not been done before here. We want to use skateboarding as something saying, ‘Hey, this is something new and different.' And that kind of itself becomes a little bit of hook. People see it and they think and they say, 'Wow, what is that?' and they want to get involved. "
Skateistan partners with local groups work with young people. The park is on the grounds of the group known as PSE, where children attend school and learn a trade. There are almost one hundred and twenty participants. They all come from troubled lives.
Seventeen-year-old Sang Rotha is a student at PSE. "Sometimes I don’t do well in subjects like math, "he sayst" I feel bad when I find it hard to keep up with my lessons. So that is why I skateboard to improve my bad feelings. "
He says he began skateboarding more than a year ago. Before he started training, it seemed very easy. But it was very difficult to learn tricks, and he got hurt a lot from falling off.
Rory Burke says learning to deal with the difficulties is part of the lesson for these young skateboarders. According to the passage, PSE is a group ________ .
| A．that works with Cambodian students |
| B．for young Cambodians to learn a trade |
| C．for young Cambodians in troubled lives |
| D．for young Cambodians taking skateboarding |
What is said about skateboarding in the passage?
| A．It is easy for young Cambodians to learn. |
| B．It is a good sport to help regain good feelings. |
| C．It originated in Afghanistan years ago. |
| D．It is as popular as Khmer boxing in Cambodia. |
The underlined part" a little bit of hook" in Paragraph 5 probably means ________ .
| A．something strange | B．something new |
| C．something different | D．something attractive |
It can be inferred from the passage that skateboarding is becoming ________ .
| A．a sport liked by most young Cambodians |
| B．an increasingly popular sport in Cambodia |
| C．a sport used to better young Cambodians’ life |
| D．a good way to train young Cambodians' learning skills |
Australia is famous for its beautiful beaches. And Australian people love swimming and going to the beach. But it wasn't always that way.
Different Climate, Different Habits
When Europeans first invaded (侵略）Australia, the only people here who were good at swimming were the Aboriginal people. The Europeans came from climates where it was too cold to swim. However the warm climate of Australia soon changed their attitude to swimming. At first, only men swam. They swam without any clothes on— there were no women to see them.
Cover up!
By the 1880s and 1890s visiting the beach was very fashionable. People wore everyday street clothes—much more than people wear at the beach today.
In those days people believed they should cover their most body so it would not be seen by the opposite sex. Special bathing costumes (服装） were designed for women. This costumes used a lot of cloth and were very heavy when wet, making it difficult to swim.
Laws Made and Laws Changed
The government decided to stop men swimming naked. It passed a law which forbade bathing between 6 am and 7 am. But in 1903，the laws changed; people could swim in the daytime, but they had to wear neck-to-knee costumes.
The Shrinking Costume
As time passed, swimming costumes became smaller and more convenient.
At first men and women were covered from neck to knee. Then arms became bare. Then more of the legs were uncovered. Each new change was regarded by many as shocking and rude and people wrote letters to the newspapers complaining about the new costume. Nowadays some people go to special "nude beaches" to swim naked.
However, most people cover their bodies more than they did ten years ago—not because they think bare skin is shocking—but to protect their skin from the harmful rays of the sun. Which of the following statements about the climate of Australia is TRUE?
| A．It made European settlers think differently about swimming. |
| B．It changed European settlers' swimming costume. |
| C．It made European settlers feel much hotter. |
| D．It made European settlers have to swim naked. |
What should swimmers do during the late 19th century?
| A．They should hide when they meet a person of the opposite sex. |
| B．They should cover their body to avoid being seen by the opposite sex. |
| C．They should wear many heavy clothes on beaches. |
| D．They should wear special wet costumes designed for them. |
What does the underlined sentence mean?
| A．People were surprised by each new change and criticized it. |
| B．People were amazed by each new change and praised it. |
| C．Only newspapers were in favor of each new change. |
| D．Only newspapers thought poorly of each new change. |
What can we conclude from the last paragraph?
| A．People worry about getting skin cancer from too much sun. |
| B．People protected their swimming costumes from too much sun. |
| C．People are greatly shocked by the nude beaches. |
| D．People think it rude to swim with the smaller costumes. |
Beijing had its coldest morning in almost 40 years and its biggest snowfall since 1951. Britain is suffering through its longest cold snap (寒潮）since 1981. And freezing weather is hitting the US south.
Whatever happened to global warming?
Such weather doesn't seem to fit with warnings from scientists that the earth is warming because of greenhouse gases. But experts say the coldness doesn't deny global warming at all—it's just a blip in the long-term heating trend.
"It's part of natural variability(变化性），" said Gerald Meehl, a senior scientist at the National Centre for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo. With global warming, he said，"We'll still have record cold temperatures. We'll just have fewer of them. ”
Scientists say man-made climate change does have the potential to cause more frequent and more severe weather extremes, such as heat waves, storms, floods, droughts and even coldness. But experts did not connect the current cold weather to climate change.
So what is going on?
"We basically have seen just a big outbreak of Arctic air over populated areas of the Northern Hemisphere，"Arndt said. In the atmosphere, large rivers of air travel roughly west to east around the globe between the Arctic and the tropics. But recently, this air flow has become bent into a pronounced (明显的）“z” pattern, moving from north and south. If you live in a place where it brings air up from the south, you will get warm weather. In fact, record highs were reported this week in Washington state and Alaska.
But in some other unlucky parts of the globe, Arctic air is moving down from the north. And that's how you get the low temperature in Beijing, and 18 inches of snow in parts of Britain, where a member of Parliament who said the snow "clearly indicates a cooling trend " was laughed at by colleagues.
The “z” pattern arises naturally from time to time, but it is not clear why it's so strong right now, said Michelle Heureux, a meteorologist at the Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The center says the pattern should begin to weaken in a week or two. Many areas are suffering low temperature except __________.
| A．Beijing |
| B．Washington state and Alaska |
| C．the US south |
| D．Britain |
The underlined word “blip” in Paragraph 3 means __________.
| A．temporary phenomenon |
| B．abnormal phenomenon |
| C．common phenomenon |
| D．rare phenomenon |
From the text, it can be learned that __________.
| A．global warming trend has proved wrong |
| B．there will be less coldness in the future |
| C．the “ z ” pattern Arctic air flow seldom happens |
| D．scientists haven't found out the reason of coldness |
The present coldness is probably caused by __________.
| A．climate change |
| B．Arctic air traveling west to east |
| C．the “z” pattern Arctic air flow |
| D．the cooling trend |