Another man-made wonder of the United States was built long before the nation was established. About 900 years ago, the Ancestral Puebloan people built villages high in the walls of canyons in Colorado, where 600 cliff dwellings are now part of the Mesa Verde National Park.
Visitors can stand at the top of the mesas and look into the dwellings almost hidden in openings of the rock walls. The Puebloan people cut small steps into the rock, which connected buildings containing hundreds of rooms.
The rock walls have protected the buildings from severe weather in the area; therefore, they remain mostly unchanged in the hundreds of years since they were built.
Our final man-made wonder is in the northwestern city of Seattle, Washington. The Space Needle was built as the central structure for the 1962 World's Fair.
The 184-meter-tall structure was designed by Edward Carlson, which has a wide base on the ground, with its middle narrow and a large ring-like structure on top. The structure was meant to look like a "flying saucer," a vehicle that was popular in science fiction space travel stories. The saucer includes an observation area and eating place. The restaurant slowly turns to provide visitors with a 360 degree view of Seattle.
The Space Needle, only costing about $4,500,000, was not very costly, and was designed and completed in about a year and opened on the first day of the World's Fair.
Today, the Space Needle is the most popular place for visitors to Seattle. And it remains the internationally known symbol of the city. What the passage before this one can be about?
A.Some natural wonders in the world. |
B.Sightseeing in the US. |
C.Some other artificial wonders in the US. |
D.American geography. |
What does the underlined word “dwelling” mean?
A.village | B.house | C.canyon | D.step |
Which of the following descriptions about the Space Needle is TRUE?
A. It is a man-made wonder in Washington, D.C..
B. Edward Carlson built the structure.
C. It has a ring-like structure on top.
D. It remains the internationally known symbol of the US.What is the passage mainly about?
A.Visiting the US | B.Man-made wonders in the US |
C.Wonders in the world | D.Famous places in the US |
People have been burying the dead at Salem’s Hope Cemetery since 1833. The place is filled with old gravestones and gothic mausoleums(哥特式陵墓), the spirits of the dead hanging over the land like an early morning fog.
Keeping watch, a few steps from the road with her skirt over the pedestal (基座), is Goldie Belle Taylor, her face weathered but otherwise in good condition. On this day, she is holding a bunch of pink rises because Goldie Belle always holds flowers. Someone makes sure of that.
“And she has had fresh flowers in her hands for the last 150 years.” Karen Biery lives in Damascus, about five miles west of Hope Cemetery. She’s written a book based on the legend of Goldie Belle Taylor titled Believe. In 1886, at the age of two, young Goldie Belle used her hands to sop up (抹去) the left over elderberry juice from her father’s iron kettle. She died not long after from poisoning. She was the love of her dad’s life, and he was so upset that he sold the family farm to buy the Italian made statue, which today marks her grave.
At first, it was her father who brought the flowers and laid them in her hands. When he died in 1896, the flowers kept coming. Her flowers are different per season. Why do the flowers keep miraculously appearing? People have tried to find out by having camped by the statue, but not even the groundskeepers have been able to catch the criminal.
It’s said that a fairy arrives at Hope Cemetery looking for the grave of her birth mother. She comes across Goldie Belle’s statue.The underlined word “that” in paragraph 2 probably refers to________.
A.her face in good condition |
B.her bunch of pink roses |
C.Goldie Belle Taylor is holding pink roses |
D.Goldie Belle Taylor always holds flowers |
It can be inferred from the third paragraph __________.
A.her father was poisonous |
B.the iron kettle was poisonous |
C.elderberry juice was poisonous |
D.it was her father that hated her |
After her father died, the flowers in the hands of Goldie Belle Taylor_______.
A.usually change |
B.were stolen |
C.are no longer fresh |
D.come from a criminal |
What would be the best title for the passage?
A.A fairy brings the flowers. |
B.The mystery of Goldie’s flowers. |
C.What happens to the girl? |
D.How do the flowers get there? |
Autumn blues? Let the sunshine in falling leaves, flowers, and cold winds. For many people late autumn can be a season of depression.
Those who suffer from “ the autumn blue” are often extremely tired, lack energy, need more sleep, feel increased appetite and gain weight. "The exact cause of this condition, often called seasonal depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD), is not known yet," says Chen Jue, associate professor at Shanghai Mental Health Center. "But recent studies indicate that weather change is influential and strongly suggest that this condition is caused by changes in the availability(得到) of sunlight."
One theory is that with decreased exposure to sunlight, the biological clock that regulates mood, sleep, and hormones is delayed, running more slowly in winter. Exposure to light may reset the biological clock. Another theory is that brain chemicals that transmit information between nerves, called neurotransmitters (for example, serotonin), may be altered in individuals with SAD. It is believed that exposure to light can correct these imbalances. "It is a sad season, but you can try to make it happy. Remember, spring always lives in your heart," Chen says. “Going outdoors to get some sunlight may reduce the tension that brings you the low spirits. Relax at work. Stretch, breathe deeply. Take a tea break. Think of your next vacation. Color treatment also works in handling low mood. Music also plays a role in treating autumn blues.”Autumn blues is also called autumn________.
A.depression | B.sunshine | C.blue music | D.cold winds |
From the 3rd paragraph we know that there _______ that can help to deal with autumn blues.
A.is no biological clock | B.is a real example |
C.is no possibility | D.are some ways |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
A.The real cause for autumn blues is still unknown. |
B.Autumn blues can be feelings of happiness. |
C.People feel tired in autumn. |
D.Weather doesn’t change people. |
Which of the following CAN’T you do in order to deal with autumn blues?
A.Reset the biological clock regulating mood, sleep and hormones. |
B.Eat more food very low in calories and sugar. |
C.Keep the balance of nerves that transmit information. |
D.Take outdoor activities or sports. |
Since ancient times, people have known about its ability to reduce pain and high body temperature. More than 2000 years ago, the Greek doctor Hippocrates advised his patients to chew on the bark and leaves of the willow.
The tree contains a chemical called salicin(柳醇). From salicin, researchers in the 1800s discovered how to make salicylic acid(酸). And in 1897, a chemist named Felix Hoffmann at Friedrich Bayer and Company in Germany created acetyl salicylic acid. Later it became the active substance in a new medicine that Bayer called aspirin. The "a" came from acetyl. The "spir" came from the spirea plant, which also produces salicin. And the "in" Well, that is a common way to end medicine names.
In 1982, a British scientist shared the Nobel Prize in Medicine in part for discovering how aspirin works. Sir John Vane found that aspirin blocks the body from making natural substances called prostaglandins(前列腺素).Prostaglandins have several effects on the body. Some cause pain and the expansion, or swelling( 肿瘤; 膨胀), of damaged tissue. Others protect the lining of the stomach and small intestine. Prostaglandins also make the heart, kidneys and blood vessels (血管)work well. But there is a problem. Aspirin works against all prostaglandins, good and bad. Scientists learned how aspirin interferes with an enzyme(酶). One form of this enzyme makes the prostaglandin that causes pain and swelling. Another form of the enzyme creates a protective effect. So aspirin can reduce pain and swelling in damaged tissues. But it can also harm the inside of the stomach and small intestine(肠).What sickness can the medicine from the willow deal with according to the passage?
A.Cold | B.Toothache | C.Cancer | D.Skin disease |
What can we know about Prostaglandin according to the passage?
A.It results from pain. |
B.It prevents the lining of the stomach and small intestine. |
C.It causes blood vessels to work wrongly. |
D.It is sometimes good but sometimes bad. |
What can we know about aspirin according to the passage?
A.Aspirin can treat almost diseases. |
B.Aspirin can create the protective enzyme. |
C.Aspirin can harm the inside of the stomach and small intestine. |
D.Aspirin can protect the inside of the stomach and small intestine. |
If women are mercilessly exploited year after year, they have only themselves to blame. Because they tremble at the thought of being seen in public in clothes that are out of fashion, they are always taken advantage of by the designers and the big stores. Clothes which have been worn only a few times have to be put aside because of the change of fashion. When you come to think of it, only a woman is capable of standing in front of a wardrobe packed full of clothes and announcing sadly that she has nothing to wear.
Changing fashions are nothing more than the intentional creation of waste. Many women spend vast sums of money each year to replace clothes that have hardly been worn. Women who cannot afford to throw away clothing in this way, waste hours of their time altering the dresses they have. Skirts are lengthened or shortened; neck-lines are lowered or raised, and soon.
No one can claim that the fashion industry contributes anything really important to society. Fashion designers are rarely concerned with vital things like warmth, comfort and durability. They are only interested in outward appearance and they take advantage of the fact that women will put up with any amount of discomfort, as long as they look right. There can hardly be a man who hasn’t at some time in his life smiled at the sight of a woman shaking in a thin dress on a winter day, or delicately picking her way through deep snow in high-heeled shoes.
When comparing men and women in the matter of fashion, the conclusions to be drawn are obvious. Does the constantly changing fashion of women's clothes, one wonders, reflect basic qualities of instability? Men are too clever to let themselves be cheated by fashion designers. Do their unchanged styles of dress reflect basic qualities of stability and reliability? That is for you to decide. The writer would be less critical if fashion designers placed more stress on the of clothing
___ .
A.comfort | B.appearance | C.cost | D.suitability |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Fashion designs should not be encouraged since they are only welcomed by women. |
B.The constant changes in women's clothing reflect their strength of character. |
C.The fashion industry makes an important contribution to society. |
D.New fashions in clothing are created for the commercial exploitation of women. |
By saying “the conclusions to be drawn are obvious”, the writer means that _____.
A.women’s inconstancy in their choice of clothing is often laughed at |
B.women are better able to put up with discomfort |
C.men are also exploited greatly by fashion designers |
D.men are more reasonable in the matter of fashion |
Book 1 Elixirwritten by Eric Walters Twelve-year-old Roth becomes a friend of Dr.Banting and his assistant, Mr.Best, who are in search of a cure for diabetes (糖尿病).She finds herself torn between her sympathy for the animals being experimented on and her friendship with Banting and Best. |
Book 2 George Washingtion Carverwritten by Elizabeth Macleod Meet the “Peanut(花生)Specialist”, George Washington Carver, the inventor and professor who made over 325 products out of peanuts.Through his agricultural research, he also greatly improved the lives of countless black farmers in the southern United States.See also Macleod’s Albert Einstein: A Life of Genius. |
Book 3 The Inuit Thought of It: Amazing Arctic Innovations written by Alootook Ipellie & David MacDonald Explore more than 40 ideas necessary to Inuit survival.From ideas familiar to us today to inventive concepts that shaped their lives, celebrate the creativity of a remarkably intelligent people.Also see other books: The Chinese Thought of It by Tingxing Ye and A Native American Thought of It by Rocky Landon and David MacDonald. |
Book 4 Made in Canada:101 Amazing Achievementswritten by Bev Spencer What things do we use daily that have a Canadian connection? Here are 101 common things that were invented in Canada or by a Canadian, including the Blackberry, alkaline(碱性)batteries and the Blue Box recycling program. |
Book 5 Newton and the Time Machine written by Michael McGowan Ten-year-old boy Newton has invented a time machine to see dinosaurs up close.But it disappears on a test run with his two huge friends, King Herbert and Queen Certrude, in it! Can he save them before time runs out? |
Which of the following best describes Roth’s feeling in Book 1?
A.Painful. | B.Curious. | C.Frightened. | D.Disappointed. |
In Book 5, King Herbert and Queen Gertrude are_______.
A.the names of the time machine |
B.Newton’s human friends |
C.two dinosaurs |
D.the inventors of the time machine |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Alkaline batteries were invented by Dr. Banting. |
B.Book 3 introduces 40 inventive concepts. |
C.Animals are mentioned in Book 1 and Book 5. |
D.George Washington Carver was a black farmer in the US. |