The basic flag of the United States is one of the world's oldest national flags．Only the basic flags of Austria,．Denmark, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland are older．
During the discovery and settlement of what is now the United States, the flags of various European nations were flown over the land, as symbols of possession．Later, in the Colonial and Revolutionary War periods, flags representing famous persons, places, and events were flown in the American Colonies．
The first official flag of the United States was created by Congress on June 14, 1777．It consisted of 13 alternate red and white stripes? and 13 white stars in a field of blue, representing the 13colonies that had declared their independence in 1776．Congress adopted a new flag of 15 stars and 15 stripes in 1795, to give representation to the two new states admitted into the Union, Vermont and Kentucky．
By 1817 there were 20 states in the Union, and it became apparent that adding one stripe for each new state would destroy the shape of the flag．As a result．Congress in 1818 restored the original design of 13 stripes and provided that each state was to be represented by one star．In 1921 Preside William H．Taft made the first official provision for the arrangement of the stars．He ordered that there be six even rows of eight stars each．Previously the arrangement of the stars had
been left to the flag- maker's fancy．
The evolution of the stars and stripes reflects the growth of the United States．After the admission of Hawaii into the Union in 1959, the flag was officially changed for the 26th time since its creation．
There are many government flags flown in the United States in addition to the national flag．Among them are the president's and vice-president's flags and those of the federal epartments and some federal agencies．Each state in the Union has an official flag．The United States Navy uses special flags for signaling． The basic flag of the United States is _____．
| A．the oldest national flag in the world |
| B．one of the world's oldest flags |
| C．the most beautiful flag in the West |
| D．as old as the basic flags of some European nations |
Before the War of Independence the flags of various European nations flown over the land were symbols of ．
| A．self- rule | B．occupation |
| C．peace and friendship | D．independence |
The first official flag of the United States was adopted _____．
| A．before the Independence War |
| B．right after the Independence War |
| C．when independence was declared in 1776 |
| D．during the War of Independence which ended in 1783 |
The 13 red and white stripes and13 white Stars represent____．
| A．13 independent states |
| B．the colonies that declared independence in 1776． |
| C．the U．S．Congress |
| D．13 famous figures in the American colonies |
Perhaps the most famous theory, the study of body movement, was suggested by Professor Ray Birdwhistell. He believes that physical appearance is often culturally programmed. In other words, we learn our looks—we are not born with them. A baby has generally informed face features. A baby, according to Birdwhistell, learns where to set the eyebrows by looking at those around-family and friends. This helps explain why the people of some areas of the United States look so much alike, new Englanders or Southerners have certain common face features that cannot be explained by genetics(遗传学). The exact shape of the mouth is not set at birth, it is learned after. In fact, the final mouth shape is not formed until well after new teeth are set. For many, this can be well into grown-ups. A husband and wife together for a long time often come to look alike. We learn our looks from those around us. This is perhaps why in a single country area where people smile more than those in other areas. In the United States, for example, the South is the part of the country where the people smile most frequently. In New England they smile less, and in the western part of New York State still less. Many southerners find cities such as New York cold and unfriendly, partly because people on Madison Avenue smile less than people on Peachtree Street in Atlanta. Georgia. People in Atlanta, Georgia. People in largely populated areas also smile and greet each other in public less than people in small towns do.
1. Ray Birdwhistell believes that physical appearance _______.
A. has little to do with culture
B. has much to do with culture
C. is ever changing
D. is different from place to place
2. According to the passage, the final mouth shape is formed _______.
A. before birth B. as soon as one’s teeth are newly set
C. sometime after new teeth are set D. around 15 years old
3. Ray Birdwhistell can tell what area of the United States a person is from by _______.
A. how much he or she laughs B. how he or she raises his or her eyebrows
C. what he or she likes best D. the way he or she talks
4. This passage might have been taken out of a book dealing with ________.
A. physics B. chemistry C. biology D. none of the above
Some spiders hunt on the ground, others build webs to trap their food, but the grass water spider catches its prey by running along the surface of the water.
This special water spider lives on the grassy banks of streams where mosquitoes, damsel flies and other insects come to feed and breed.
Although it is one of the largest spiders in New Zealand, it has an unusual ability. It doesn’t disturb the water as it waits for its meal, and there is barely a ripple(波纹) when it skims(掠过) across the surface at lightning speed to catch its prey.
Grass water spiders deal swiftly with larger insects like damsel flies by pulling their heads under the water and holding them there until they drown.
After a meal, the grass water spider spends up to half an hour grooming(修饰) itself. It wipes its eight eyes, brushes its antennae(触角), and takes special care to clean the hairs on its body.
It is the hairs that trap tiny bubbles(泡沫) of air so that the spider can run down a blade(叶片) of grass and stay underwater for up to an hour when it is frightened. The hairs also keep the spider dry, even underwater.
It is only when the female spider is caring for the young that she does not hunt on the water. After mating, she produces a large egg sac(囊), which she carries around for five weeks. Once the eggs start to hatch, she attaches the sac to some blades of grass or a thistle. She then tears the sac open and releases the tiny spiders into the nursery web.
1. How does the grass water spider kill its prey?
A. in a web B. by drowning C. by poisoning D. with its antennae
2. the writer describes the special spider as “special” because _______.
A. it walks on water B. it has eight eyes
C. of its hairy appearance D. of the way it produces its young
3. The passage tells us that the spider ______.
A. feeds grass and thistles to its young.
B. lives on blades of grass under the water
C. lives in the grass on the banks of streams
D. eats a meal once every five weeks
4. The purpose of the passage is to _______.
A. convince readers that spiders are dangerous
B. indicate that the grass water spider is endangered
C. list all of the spiders that can be found in New Zealand
D. describe the characteristics of the grass water spider
Space travel is definitely bad for astronauts’ bones, reducing their bone density(密度) after only a month of weightlessness, according to French research published on Friday.
Laurence Vico and his fellow workers at St Etienne University called for more research into the effects of microgravity, after their study of 15 astronauts from the Russian MIR station showed bone loss continued throughout space flights.
“Bone loss was especially striking in four astronauts, ” the scientists reported in the Lancet Medical Journal.
They measured the bone mineral density (BMD) of bones in the forearm(前臂) and lower leg of the astronauts who had spent one to six months in space.
The BMD loss was significant in the tibia(胫骨) of the lower leg, a weight-bearing bone, but barely changed in the radius(桡骨) of the forearm. “Our results indicate the need to investigate not only different bones, but also different areas of the same bone since not all sites of the skeleton (骨架) are similarly affected by space conditions, ” they added.
Without gravity the body isn’t bearing any weight so there is no need for calcium (钙) which makes bones strong, and it becomes empty into the bloodstream.
The research team suggested in future scientists should try to determine if the loss of bone density was only on weight-bearing bones on longer flights, also the possible recovery after returning to Earth.
1. French scientists did their research on Russian astronauts, because _______.
A. they only cared for the Russian astronauts
B. they were not interested in their own astronauts
C. the Russian government invited them to do their research
D. the Russian astronauts worked in space for a long time
2. Scientists have found that _______.
A. the BMD loss may cause serious illness to astronauts
B. the BMD loss may cause some change in astronauts’ bodies
C. astronauts shouldn’t care about the BMD loss
D. astronauts should take some calcium before space travel
3. What cause the BMD loss to astronauts, according to this passage?
A. The food they eat in space. B. The drinks they take in space.
C. The temperature in space. D. The gravity in space.
4. In the third paragraph, the word “striking” means ______.
A. unusual B. simple C. weak D. slow
Technology is the application(应用) of knowledge to production. Thanks to modern technology, we have been able to increase greatly the efficiency of our work force. New machines and new methods have helped cut down time and expense while increasing overall output. This has meant more production and a higher standard of living. For most of us in America, modern technology is thought of as the reason why we can have cars and television sets. However, technology has also increased the amount of food available to us, by means of modern farming machinery and animal breeding techniques, and has extended our life span via(通过) medical technology.
Will mankind continue to live longer and have a higher quality of life? In large measure the answer depends on technology and our ability to use it widely. If we keep making progress as we have over the past fifty years, the answer is definitely yes. The advancement of technology depends upon research and development, and the latest statistics(统计) show that the United States is continuing to pump billions of dollars annually(每年) into such efforts. So while we are running out of some scarce resources(少的资源) we may well find technological substitutes(代用品)for many of them through our research programs.
Therefore, in the final analysis the three major factors of production(land, labor and capital) are all influenced by technology. When we need new skills, on techniques in medicine, people will start developing new technology to meet those needs. As equipment proves to be slow or inefficient, new machines will be invented. Technology responds to our needs in helping us maintain our standard of living.
1. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The definition of technology B. Modern technology
C. The application of technology D. The development of technology
2. Which is the main idea of the passage?
A. Modern technology is the key to the improvement of standard of living.
B. The three major factors of production (land, labor and capital) are all influenced by technology.
C. Technology is the response to our needs.
D. The United States is making great efforts to advance its technology.
3. According to the passage, people can live a long life with the help of _______.
A. higher quality of life B. medical technology
C. modern farming machinery D. technological substitute
Weather changes when the temperature and the amount of water in the atmosphere change. We can see and feel water coming from the atmosphere when we have rain. But the water must somehow get back to the atmosphere. Meteorologists call this the water cycle.
There are many stages in the water cycle. Rain falls when water vapour in clouds condenses(凝结). Drops of water form and fall to the ground. The water soaks into the ground and feeds streams and rivers. A lot of rain falls into the sea. The heat of the sun evaporates some of the water in the ground and in the rivers, lakes, and the sea. It changes the liquid water into water vapour. The vapour rises onto the air. Water vapour is normally invisible. On a very damp or humid day, however, you can sometimes see water vapour rising from a puddle(水坑) or pond in a mist(薄雾) above the water. Water vapour also gets into the air from living things. Trees and other plants take in water through their roots and give off water vapour from their leaves. People and land animals drink water and breathe out water vapour. In all these ways the water returns to the air. There it gathers to form clouds and condenses to form rain. The rain falls to earth, and the cycle starts again. It continues even if snow or hail(冰雹) fall instead because both eventually melt to form water. The amount of water vapour in the air depends on the temperature. The air is more moist(潮湿) in the tropics(热带) than in the cold polar regions.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Water cycle. B. Water vapour.
C. How rain forms. D. Water, vapour, rain.
2. How many ways of the water returning to the air are discussed in the text?
A. Two. B. Three.C. Four.D. Five.
3. Whether water vapour can be seen or not depends on _______.
A. how much water is evaporated B. how good your eyes are
C. in which way water is evaporated D. climate or weather
4. From the passage we get to know _______.
A. there is more water vapour in the air in the tropics than in cold polar regions
B. there is more water vapour in the air in cold polar region than in the tropics
C. it gets more rain in the tropics than in cold polar regions because there is less vapour
D. the amount of water vapour in the air depends on how often it rains