We know the famous ones—the Thomas Edisons and the Alexander Graham Bells—but wha
t about the 
less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper (雨刮器)？ Shouldn’t we know who they are?
Joan Mclean thinks so. In fact, McLean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range, feels so strongly about this matter that she’s developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning “who” invented “what”, however, McLean also likes her students to learn the answers to the “why” and “how” questions. According to McLean, “When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more willing to give inventing a try.”
Her students agree. One young man with a patent（专利）for an unbreakable umbrella is walking proof of McLean’s statement. “If I had not heard the story of the windshield wiper’s invention,” said Tommy Lee, a senior physics major, “ I never would have dreamed of turning my bad experience during a rainstorm into something so useful.” Lee is now considering to sell his patent to an umbrella producer.
So, just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well, Mary Anderson ca
me up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City. The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights, so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield, she found herself wondering why there couldn’t be a built-in device(装置) for cleaning the window. Sti
ll wondering about this when she returned home to Birminghan, Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever (操作杆) on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the ou
tside, became the first windshield wiper.
Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations. It’s hard to imagine driving without Garrett A. Morgan’s traffic light. It’s equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J. Blodgett’s innovation that makes glass invisible. Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?
Jerry was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say.
One day, I went up to Jerry and asked him, “You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?” Jerry replied, “Every time someone complains to me, I can choose to accept his complaints or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.”
Several years later, I heard that Jerry was shot by three armed robbers. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the hospital. Finally Jerry was released from the hospital with fragments of the bullets still in his body. About six months after the accident, I saw him. I asked him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place.
“The first thing that went through my mind was that I should have locked the back door,” Jerry replied. “Then, as I lay on the floor, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I choose to live.”
“Weren’t you scared?”
Jerry continued, “The doctors and nurses were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine. But when they wheeled me into the emergency room and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read, ‘He’s a dead man.’ I knew I needed to take action.”
“What did you do?” I asked.
“Well, there was a big, strong nurse shouting questions at me,” said Jerry. “She asked if I was allergic to anything. ‘Yes’, I replied. The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, ‘Bullets!’ Over their laughter, I told them, ‘I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead.’”
Jerry lived thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully.
56. Which of the following words can be used to describe Jerry?
A. Impolite. B. Concerned. C. Stubborn. D. Optimistic.
57. What did Jerry first think of when the robbery happened?
A. He might be shot by the armed robbers.
B. He shouldn’t have left the back door unlocked.
C. How he could call the policemen.
D. He might be robbed of many things.
58. From the expressions of the doctors and nurses, Jerry realized that _______.
A. they didn’t want to save his life B. he wasn’t seriously wounded
C. they thought he had little chance to live D. he was treated as a dead man
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71. Which one of the following activities requires the longest time to complete?
A. Fun in Mandarin
B. Fairytale Holiday Chinese Camp
C. Magic Moments English Speech and Drama Camp
D. Magic Moments Mandarin Speech anti Drama Camp
72. After attending the Building Confidence course, the children will __ .
A. become magicians B. overcome stage fright
C. grow cells in the lady D. tend to patients in the hospital
73. If you want your son to learn some table manners, which of the following activities can you register him in?
A. Baking Workshop B. Lollipops Life Science
C. Flower anti Card Making D. Kids' Dining Etiquette course
74. Which of tile following statements is true?
A. Participators need not bring any materials for the activities.
B. All activities are targeted at primary school children only.
C. All participants will receive a free gift upon registration.
D. All activities are organised throughout the year.
75. A couple with three children aged 6, 9 and 14 want them to attend the same activities together. The number of activities they can attend is
A. one B. two C. threeD. four
None of our early ancestors could digest milk as adults because their bodies never had to ----milk drinking simply wasn’t an option. As people began to extract milk from animals, though, some people developed the ability to keep drinking it throughout their lives.
Scientists now know of a milk-related mutation ( 变异) in our genes -- the chemical instructions for life that we carry in almost every cell in our bodies. People who have a mutated form of one particular gene can drink milk just fine. People without the mutation tend to get sick from milk.
To figure out where, and possibly why, milk drinking started, some scientists have been looking at who has the milk-digesting mutation today. Patterns are striking.
Most adults in Northern and Central Europe are able to digest milk -- and they do. Cheese and butter and other dairy products are popular in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Germany and England. Because European settlers dominated North America, most people here can handle milk just fine, as well. That may explain why ice cream is such a popular dessert in the United States.
In much of Africa, Asia and South America, on the other hand, people tend to avoid dairy products because they lead to diarrhea (腹泻) and other stomach problems. (That’s why you won’t typically find cheese on the menu at a Chinese, Japanese or Ethiopian restaurant.) Native
Americans are also unable to digest milk.
Based on these genetic patterns, scientists have long thought that- milk drinking started inNorthern Europe, where dairy is an institution and the milk-digesting mutation is everywhere.
A recent study painted a different picture. With a computer medal, Thomas and colleagues looked at the spread of the milk-drinking mutation, farming and other related factor. Working backward, the scientists concluded that the first milk-thinkers lived in Central Europe around what’s now Hungary about 7,500 years ago. The practice didn't start farther north, as scientists had thought before.
66. Which of the following is the proper order of events according to the passage?
a. Their children were able to digest milk as adults.
b. They got sick from the milk.
c. Some people got a mutation in their genes.
d. Some people tried drinking milk from animals.
e. Some people started to drink milk from animals on a regular basis.
A. c→d→b→e→a B. d→e→b→c→a C. d →b→e→c→a D. e→d→b→c→a
67. Most people in the USA can digest milk because __________.
A. they have strong stomachs B. their ancestors were Europeans
C. that’s where milk drinking stintedD. farmers raise a lot of cows there
68. Which of the following is LEAST likely to appear on the menu in a Japanese restaurant?
A. Butter. B. Vinegar. C. Fish. D. Beef.
69. Which of the following is the author most likely to agree with?
A. Milk drinking first started in Northern Europe.
B. Milk drinking first started in Central Europe.
C. North American Indians were able to digest milk.
D. Dairy products are very popular in North Korea.
70. The main focus of the scientists' research was ______________.
A. mutation of human genes B. development of the human stomach
C. why milk drinking started D. where milk drinking first started
In the year 480 BC the Greek allies (联军) faced invasion by the King of Persia, Xerxes, who commanded a huge army of about half a million men. When the Persian army marched into northern Greece, the Greek states, led by Athens and Sparta, were ill equipped to deal with the threat. The Persians were well supplied with food and weapons. Their army included infantry, cavalry, and a large navy. It seemed that they would easily defeat the Greeks.
The Greek allies decided to send 10,000 men northwards to slow down the Persians, while the rest prepared to defend their homelands. A group of 300 best Spartan soldiers were chosen to lead the force going north, with Leonidas in command. Leonidas realized that the only hope of slowing the Persians would be to block the narrow passage of land at Thermopylae. The Pass of
Thermopylae was the route between the mountains and the sea, and was so narrow that only a few men could get through at a time.
When the Persian army arrived at Thermopylae, they found Leonidas' tiny army opposing them. The Persians attacked, but could not get through. They attacked again and again, but each time they were driven back by the Greeks, led by the fearless Spartans. Leonidas' plan worked well until a Greek traitor called Ephialtes went m Xerxes. He told the Persian king about a goat's path in the mountains that would take the Persian army past Thermopylae. When Leonidas saw the enemy crossing the mountains, he realized that he could no longer hold Thermopylae. He sent all the Greek soldiers except the 300 Spartans back to their homelands.
The Spartans waited for the 500,000 Persians at the goat’s path. Although hopelessly outnumbered, the Spartans fought bravely. They all died, but the other Greeks were able to get home to strengthen the defenses.
61. Compared with the Persian army, the Greek allies were very________.
A. powerful B. wise C. weak D. foolish
62. The Pass of Thermopylae was very important for the Greeks because __
A. it was easy to hold but hard to attack
B. only very small boats could get through it
C, it was a secret pass unknown to the Persians
D. a huge number of soldiers could be stationed there
63. Why did Leonidas send most of his soldiers back to their homelands?
A. Because their homelands were under attack.
B. Because he found they were not brave enough.
C. Because the Persians gave up attacking Thermopylae.
D. Because he found it impossible to hold Thermopylae.
64. Which of the following is NOT ture according to the passage?
A. Leonidas was a great commander.
B. The Persians failed to pass Thermopylae.
C. Ephialtes betrayed his own country.
D. The 300 Spatans would be regarded as heroes by the Greeks.
65. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. The Greek Allies B. The Goat’s Path C. The King of Persia D. Xerxes and Ephialtes
Nick Campbell sat at the side of the road and wondered what to do next. He looked at the second-hand Harley Davidson he’d bought from a back-street garage back home in Miami at the beginning of his trip six weeks before.
For years he had dreams of crossing the United States from east to west by motorbike and he’d finally decided that it was now or never. He’d given up his job, sold his car and set off for the journey of his dreams. He’d been lucky, or so he thought, to find this old Harley Davidson and had bought it for a very reasonable price------it had cost him just $600. But five kilometers from Atlanta, he had run out of luck. The motorbike had broken down.
He pushed the bike into town and found a garage. The young mechanic told him to leave the bike overnight and come back the next day. The following morning, to his surprise, the man asked if the bike was for sale. “Certainly not,” he replied, paid his bill and hit the road.
When he got to Kansas the old machine ran out of steam again. This time Nick thought about selling it and buying something more reliable, but decided to carry on. When the bike was going well, he loved it.
However, in Denver, Colorado the bike broke down again so he decided to take it to a garage and offer it for sale. The mechanic told him to come back in the morning.
The next day, to his amazement, the man offered him $2,000. Realizing the man must be soft in the head, but clearly not short of money, Nick asked for $ 3,000. The man agreed and they signed the papers. Then the mechanic started laughing. In fact it was several minutes before he could speak and when he could he said, “That’s the worst deal you’ll ever make, boy."
He removed the seat. On the underside was the inscription (铭文):
'To Elvis, love James Dean. '
56. Harley Davidson here refers to a _________.
A. car B. truck C. garage D. motorbike
57. Which of the following did Nick value most?
A. Harley Davidson. B. His job. C. His dream to travel. D. His car.
58. Nick was unwilling to sell his Harley Davidson because he thought it was
A. lovely B. valuable C. reliableD. old
59. The underlined word ~ hi the 6th paragraph is closest in meaning to
A. clever B. crazy C. honest D. kind
60. At the end of the story, Nick must have felt very __________.
A. sorry B. delighted C. excited D. moved
