Four hundred years ago, an Italian scientist named Galileo Galilei became the first person to see the craters(环形山) on the moon. Galileo was one of the first people to use a telescope to study the sky. Since then, telescopes have become the most important tool used by astronomers. Scientists never stop finding new ways to make these instruments more powerful. In the next several years, two new telescopes with different purposes are to be used.
One of the telescopes, called Pan-STARRS, could save humans from dying out. Nick Kaiser, a scientist who works on the project, says the Pan-STARRS telescope has been designed to find “90 percent of all killer asteroids(小行星) near Earth”.
Pan-STARRS, like most telescopes, uses mirrors and lenses(透镜) to provide pictures of outer space. Giant mirrors are used to “gather” light. They reflect the light onto the lens of a camera, which can then record the image.
When completed, Pan-STARRS will include four telescopes which will be put on top of a mountain on the Hawaiian island of Maui. Only one telescope is in place and working now. Each telescope will take pictures of one patch of sky for about 30 seconds, and then move on to another patch. Every night, each telescope will take pictures of about 1,000 patches. Every week, each telescope will have photographed the whole sky.
Each of the four telescopes will take pictures of the same patches of sky. One telescope, working alone, may sometimes incorrectly show an asteroid. If there are three other telescopes working, astronomers can use them to see if there really is an asteroid coming our way. By using four telescopes instead of one, scientists hope to get a better picture of space. If a giant asteroid was identified, astronomers would try to break it up long before it reached Earth. Galileo Galilei is mentioned to ____________.
A.tell us the history of telescopes |
B.introduce the topic of the passage |
C.show people his contributions |
D.tell us about the craters on the moon |
For what purpose is Pan-STARRS designed?
A.To find more asteroids around Earth. |
B.To help scientists know Earth better. |
C.To find killer asteroids coming towards Earth. |
D.To learn about asteroids in outer space. |
What is paragraph 3 mainly about?
A.The use of mirrors in a telescope. |
B.Why Pan-STARRS is different. |
C.How telescope “gather” light |
D.How a telescope works. |
How many patches is the whole sky divided into when Pan-STARRS is working?
A.1,000 | B.7,000 | C.21,000 | D.28,000 |
The four telescopes will take pictures of the same patches of sky because _____.
A.one telescope often takes unclear pictures |
B.one telescope may provide incorrect information |
C.information from just one telescope is usually incorrect |
D.no information is allowed to be identified based on single information |
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict,” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled.
” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work in the United States. The change from formal to casual office wear has been gradual. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their employees to wear casual clothes on Friday(but only on Friday). This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday.” “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for employees has really
become an everyday thing,” said business consultant Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their employees to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it’s easier for a company to attract new employees if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don’t want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it’s hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study conducted by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that they believe that casual dress improves employee morale(士气). Only 4 percent of employers said that casual dress has a negative impact on productive. Supporters of casual office wear also argue that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because.
A.he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
B.he couldn’t stand a clean appearance |
C.he wanted his clothes to look neat all the time |
D.he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because.
A.they make him feel at ease when working | B.he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
C.he looks handsome in casual clothes | D.he no longer w![]() |
According to this passage, which of the following statements is FALSE?
A.Many employees don’t like a conservative dress code. |
B.Comfortable clothes make employees more productive. |
C.A casual clothes code is welcomed by young employees. |
D.All the employers in the US are for casual office wear. |
In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentio
ned EXCEPT.
A.saving employees’ ![]() |
B.making employees more attractive |
C.improving employees’ motivation | D.making employees happier |
London Summer School in Classics
Dates
The London Summer School in Classics 2008 will be held at King’s College London. It will run from 8th July until 17th July. Applications close on 2nd June, 2008.
For an application form, please download either the 2-page PDF or the word format document from the foot of the page.
If you have any problems downloading the application form or any questions, please contact: London Summer School in Classics, King’s College London.
Tel: 020 7848 2299
Fax: 020 7848 2545
Organization
The school is organized by the colleges of the University of London. The summer school offers eight days of intensive teaching in Greek and Latin. There are four language classes each day as well as lectures and a debate, between 10:30 am and 4:30 pm. The course is not residential (提供住宿的), and there is no teaching during the weekend of 12th to 13th July.
The fee is £85.00. Travel grants (旅行补助金) are available as a contribution to your travel costs, but may not cover all your expenses. The travel grants are arranged during the summer school.
Teaching is generally in groups of 12-15 people and it, as far as possible, comprises (包含) of students of roughly the same level of experience. The style of teaching is friendly, but demanding: a lot of work is expected from students during the school, but they usually find the whole experience both stimulating and valuable. Some classes concentrate chiefly on reading, while others offer a mixture of grammar and translation practice. Our tutors include some of the most experienced and talented teachers of Classics in the London area and beyond.
The Summer School in Classics caters for a wide range of interests and for both school & university students as well as those who wish to learn Greek or Latin, or to revive their knowledge of the languages. Our principal concern is to provide a thorough program of language learning in a lively university environment. To join in the school, you have to apply before ________.
A.8th July, 2008 | B.2nd June, 2008 | C.17th July, 2008 | D.13th July, 2008 |
As a student of the school, you are probably asked to _______.
A.do a lot of reading in Greek and Latin |
B.learn the grammar of Greek and Latin only |
C.do some translation work only |
D.speak Greek and Latin with experienced teachers |
What is the London Summer School in Classics most concerned about?
A.Providing a stimulating experience for students. |
B.Promoting students to develop a wide range of interests. |
C.Teaching students languages in a lively environment. |
D.Improving students’ level of debating in the argument. |
Which is one of the teaching ways of the school?
A.Student groups consist of the same level students strictly. |
B.Students needn’t do any work in the class. |
C.Students learn Greek and Latin by listening to teachers all day. |
D.Students are generally divided into groups of 12-15. |
Which of the following can we know from the passage?
A.The fee is £85, including the travel costs. |
B.Students needn’t go to class on 12th and 13th July. |
C.People should fill in two application forms. |
D.People can contact the school by phone or email. |
I remember my math teacher Mr. Young very well. He stood out because the kids made fun of him.He was missing one of his fingers, and always pointed at students with his middle finger.
I was not very good at English and math. No matter how hard I tried, I just could not figure out why I did not understand what all the other kids found so easy to learn.
One day, I was told that if I got one more E on my report card, I would be taken to the “big prison for kids”.
I tried really hard for weeks. I just couldn’t understand how to make different parts of numbers into whole things.
The day before report cards were to come out, I knew that Mr Young would give me an E, just like he always did.
I went to Mr. Young and told him that the orphanage (孤儿院) was going to send me to the big prison if I got another E on my report card. He told me there was nothing he could do; it would be unfair to the other kids if he gave me a better grade than I had actually earned.I smiled at him and said, “Mr. Young, do you know how the kids make fun of you because you’re missing your finger?”
He looked at me, moved his mouth to one side and said nothing.
“They shouldn’t do that to you because you can’t help not having a finger, Mr Young. Just like I can’t help not being able to learn numbers and stuff like that,” I said.
The next day, when I got my report card, I tucked it into one of my books. While on the school bus, I opened it: Geography, B+; Mechanical Drawing, C-; English, D-; History, C-; Gym, B+; Art, C; Math, D-.
That math grade was the most favorite one I ever received. Because I knew that someone in the world finally understood what it was like for me to be missing a finger inside my head.From the second paragraph we can infer that the boy is ______ in some subjects.
A.mind-blowing | B.slow-witted | C.fun-loving | D.badly-behaved |
Where may the boy live according to the passage?
A.In an orphanage. | B.In a big prison. |
C.In the school dormitory. | D.In his home. |
. What grade should the boy have got in the math test this time?
A. D-. B. C. C. B+. D. E. The underlined word “tucked” in the passage most probably means “________”.
A.stuck | B.listed | C.hid | D.copied |
The reason why the boy remembers Mr Young is that ______.
A.he missed one of his fingers | B.he treated his students very well |
C.he understood the boy | D.he taught his students i![]() |
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 could 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 the useful phone numbers, so you could 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 the 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![]() |
B.meet with fewer difficulties in their lives |
C.have responsible and able colleagues |
D.blame themselves rather that others |
The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 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 him for his lack of responsibility |
C.tell him to find the cause of the problem |
D.ask a more able colleague 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 |
Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.A Winner’s Secret. | B.A Winner’s Problem. |
C.A Winner’s Opportunity. | D.A Winner’s Achievement. |
Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(痴呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones, U.S. reseachers reported on Thursday.
Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s(早老痴呆症). University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.
“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素), which we know has many neuroprotective effects,” Kinsley said.
“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”
Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.
“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.
“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations(改变) to the brain.” How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?
A.Some researchers have told them. |
B.Many women say so. |
C.They know it by experimenting on rats. |
D.They know it through their own experience. |
What does the phrase “litters of pups” mean in the second paragraph?
A.Baby rats. | B.Animals. | C.Old rats. | D.Grown-up rats. |
What can protect the brain of a woman according to the passage?
A.Estrogen. | B.The hormones of pregnancy. |
C.More ![]() |
D.Taking care of children. |
“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals.” What does the sentence suggest?
A.The experiments on the rats have nothing to do with humans. |
B.The experiments on the rats are very important for animals. |
C.The experiments on the rats are much the same on humans. |
D.The experiments on the rats are much the same on other animals. |
Which title is the best for this passage?
A.Do You Want to Be Smarter? |
B.Motherhood Makes Women Smarter |
C.Mysterious Hormones |
D.An Important Study |