Death Valley, one of America’s great national parks, is a place of strange and silent beauty. As beautiful as this place is, its name provides evidence of very real danger. Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. There are mountains that reach more than 3,000 meters into the sky. There is a place called Badwater that is the lowest area of land in the Western Hemisphere. If there were water there, it would be 86 meters below the level of the ocean.
Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley. The air temperature during the summer has been as high as 57℃. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as 74℃. The extreme heat of Death Valley has killed people in the past. It will continue to kill those who do not honor this extreme climate. Death Valley does not forgive those who are not careful.
Death Valley is a good example of the violence of nature. It contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide.
In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black. Other areas of rock look as if some huge creature violently broke and twisted the Earth to create unusual, sometimes frightening shapes.
In other parts of Death Valley there are lines in the rock that show clearly that this area was deep under an ocean for many thousands of years. Much of the Valley is flat and extremely dry. In fact, scientists believe it is the driest place in the United States.
Death Valley, part of the Great Mojave Desert, is a huge place. It extends more than 225 kilometers across the southern part of California, and across the border with Nevada.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The water in Badwater is 86 meters below the level of the ocean. |
| B．The highest air temperature in summer can reach as high as 74℃. |
| C．The ground has been pushed up violently by explosions of volcanoes. |
| D．There might have been marine lives living in Death Valley. |
Why were some people killed by Death Valley?
| A．Because they didn’t respect Death Valley and thus they were punished. |
| B．Because it is extremely hot in summer and dangerously cold in winter. |
| C．Because they were not careful enough to take with them what they needed. |
| D．Because several volcanoes erupted and caused huge explosions. |
The underlined word “twisted” in Paragraph 4 most possibly mean ______.
| A．bent and turned | B．created and developed |
| C．built and shaped | D．changed and ruined |
The purpose of the article is to _______.
| A．encourage people to visit Death Valley, a beautiful national park in America |
| B．warn people not to visit Death Valley because it is quite dangerous there |
| C．introduce to us readers a special national park in America, Death Valley |
| D．raise money for the protection of Death Valley because it is in danger now |
Unemployment in the United States is still high at 6.7 percent. But for job seekers, especially those with college educations, researchers say findings a job can be as logging on to a computer. It used to be that looking for a job meant hurrying around, knocking on doors and turning to ads. But that’s changing, thanks to the Internet. A new report says, for college graduates, looking for a job is getting easier. More than 80 percent of the jobs are available online.
At the height of the depression(萧条), when U.S. unemployment peaked at 10 percent, just a little more than two million jobs were being posted each month. But as the recovery takes hold, the job picture looks increasingly bright.
That’s great news for Hamilton. Only once has he ever applied in person for a job at a shopping mall. He said,“I think my generation—the idea of going door to door, out knocking and saying, hey are you hiring?—like that—doesn’t exist anymore…those days are gone, just go online.”
Kim Dancy recently graduated with a master’s degree in Public Policy. She found her dream job as an education policy researcher. But she says finding the perfect job online takes a lot of perseverance. She said, ”It can be really frustrating and it takes a long time, but if you applied for enough positions and really do your homework you will get somewhere.
The report’s findings suggest careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math provide the greatest opportunities, with salaries that range between $30—$45 an hour. But for maximum income and satisfaction, workers must be prepared to move and change jobs at least every five years. The highest unemployment rate in the depression in the U.S. was___
| A．10% | B．6.7% | C．6% | D．7% |
In what way does Hamilton find his job in most cases?
| A．Applying in person | B．Searching papers |
| C．Turning to the Internet | D．Going door to door |
What can we learn from Dancy’s experience?
| A．Job applicants should do much housework |
| B．Online job—hunting calls for perseverance |
| C．Only online can an applicant find a job |
| D．Finding a dream job is really exciting |
How can you get a high salary according to the text?
| A．By hurrying around | B．By sticking to your work |
| C．By surfing the Internet | D．By switching jobs regularly |
The best title of this text probably is____
| A．Searching for jobs online | B．College education online |
| C．Unemployment in the US | D．Economic recovery in the US |
Many experts say that Billy Wilder changed the history of American movies. He is often called the best movie maker Hollywood has ever had.
He was known for making movies that offered sharp social comment. Wilder was one of first directors to do this. Between the middle 1930sand the 1980s,Billy Wilder made almost fifty movies. During that time he received more than twenty nominations(提名) from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He won six of the Oscar awards. His movies have been seen by people around the world.
In 1944,Billy Wilder made the film Double Indemnity. Some critics said this movie established him as one of the greatest Hollywood directors. Wilder directed The Lost Weekend in 1945.Ray Milland plays the part of an alcoholic writer in the movie. It shows that alcohol rules his life, yet he does not admit it. He hides alcohol in his home and says he is not drinking.
In 1950, Wilder made Sunset Boulevard. This movie told of an aging actress in silent movies. She plans to return to movies though facing many problems. In 1954, Billy Wilder became an independent producer. The next year, Wilder’s first movie as an independent filmmaker was a huge success. It was The Seven Year Itch. In this movie, a married mail wants to cheat on his wife with some of hisfriends.In1959,
Wilder made a funny movie that was very popular. It was Some Like It Hot. It tells about two jazz musicians being chased by criminals. They decide to wear women’s clothes and join a band in which all the musicians were women.
Wilder died in March,2002. He was ninety-five. A current Hollywood producer said: “Billy Wilder made movies that people will never forget.”The text is mainly about_______.
| A．the background of American movies |
| B．the development of American movies |
| C．Wilder’s attitude to American movies |
| D．Wilder’s achievements in American movies |
What was Wilder famous for according to Paragraph 2?
| A．His unique style of making movies. |
| B．Sharp remarks on society in his movies. |
| C．More than twenty awards he received. |
| D．Almost fifty movies he produced himself. |
Which of the following made Wilder among the greatest Hollywood directors?
| A．Double Indemnity | B．Sunset Boulevard |
| C．The Lost weekend | D．Some Like It Hot |
When was The Seven Year Itch made?
| A．In 1944 | B．In 1945 | C．In 1954 | D．In 1955 |
The text is developed mainly______.
| A．by following time order | B．by making comparison |
| C．by analyzing exact data | D．by giving instructions |
Scientists from England’s Newcastle University have discovered that bacteria have the ability to detect smells, according to a study by the university on Sunday.
The team of scientists, led by Dr. Reindert Nijland, discovered that bacteria can detect certain types of smell- producing chemicals, including ammonia (氨) that is produced by other bacteria. Once they sense the smells from other kinds of bacteria, the bacteria will gather together to form a colony (集群) and form a layer of slime (粘液) in order to force the competitors out of their area. The response decreases as the distance between the two bacterial colonies increases.
That slime, also known as biofilm, is one of the primary causes of infection on many medical implants(移植物). Biofilms also slow down ships and are believed to cost the marine industry millions of dollars annually. However, they can also be used to clean up spilled oil floating on the sea, as they grow strong on it.
“This is the first evidence of a bacterial ‘nose’able to detect potential competitors,” Dr. Nijland said in the August 15 statement, which confirms that bacteria possess qualities similar to four of the five senses that humans enjoy (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), the others being touch, taste, and sight.
“The fact that bacteria formed slime when exposed to ammonia has important significance for understanding how biofilms are formed and how we might be able to use them to our advantage,” he added.
Their findings were published in Sunday’s edition of biotechnology journal, and could change the way scientists look at how each of the senses developed over time.
“It was thought for a long time that smell existed only in complex living creatures,” Dr. Nijland said. “Now we see that bacteria are able to do the same, so the indication is that the ability may have developed even earlier.”We learn from the text that biofilms _____.
| A．may cause oil to spill |
| B．can be used to benefit humans |
| C．are the major causes of infection |
| D．are more likely to be found on ships |
Which of the following describes bacteria correctly?
| A．They can talk. |
| B．They cannot see |
| C．They cannot hear. |
| D．They can imitate others. |
The findings may help scientists know more about ______.
| A．how bacteria reproduce |
| B．the development of the senses. |
| C．how to control bacterial infection. |
| D．the complex relation of living creatures |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Bacteria can produce ammonia |
| B．Bacteria have a sense of smell |
| C．Why are biofilms so annoying? |
| D．How do bacteria communicate? |
Four schoolchildren from Belgrave, England were out on their bikes on Wednesday evening. Unexpectedly, they saw an elderly man gasping for breath (喘息) in the street. They tried to call the police and ambulance service, but their phones were not working, due to network problems.
Before the polish man became unconscious, the children kept him calm while they flagged down (招停) a passing driver. The children used words they had picked up from their polish classmates to translate the injured man’s answer to the driver’s questions. Gary,10, and his six-year-old sister, Lily, stayed with the man while Thyus and Owen, both 11, led the ambulance to the spot where he lay. Soon the man was taken to hospital.
The fantastic four children who came to the aid of the elderly man deserve the highest respect for their quick-thinking and courage in an emergency situation. They are a credit not only to themselves, but to their families and their school. And it is great to be able to hear such a positive story about young people.
What is not so positive about this story is the fact that several adults apparently walked by without stopping to help. This seeming indifference (冷漠) to an emergency situation is a well- noted phenomenon which psychologists sometimes refer to as “the bystander effect”. Research suggests that when a group of people witness an emergency, people are likely to assume that somebody else will intervene and they feel that the burden of responsibility is lifted from their shoulders.
Perhaps the answer to this sort of thing is to introduce a “Good Samaritan” law. This already exists in France and places a legal responsibility on people who witness an emergency situation to help out as long as they can do so. This certainly seems to remove any doubt about who bears the burden of responsibility for offering assistance –everybody！What can we learn about the elderly man?
| A．He spoke Polish with the children. |
| B．He fell from his bike and got injured. |
| C．He was taken to hospital by the driver. |
| D．He recovered consciousness in the street. |
In paragraph 3, the author mainly _____.
| A．shows his great sympathy for the man |
| B．gives high praise to the four children. |
| C．offers his special thanks to the driver |
| D．expresses his anger at several adults |
The underlined word “intervene” in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to “_______”
| A．be curious | B．go on |
| C．give up | D．get involved |
In France, if an emergency happens to someone, _____.
| A．offering help to him is required by law |
| B．people have the right to leave the scene |
| C．others must get permission before helping him |
| D．the witnesses will be punished if the rescue fails. |
High school announcements
Do you have a high school announcement to make? Are you hosting a high school sports event or tournament? Are you looking for a coach? Let us know, and we’ll share it with “Tribune” readers.
August 21---- Sacred Heart is looking for two assistant baseball coaches immediately. Practices and games are held after school at 3:30 pm. Some experience in playing or coaching is preferred. If interested, e-mail Ron Schwartz at ramsad1@aol.com.
August 7 ----- Loyola Academy will host its 12th Rambler Baseball Winter Workshop for students in fourth through eighth grades on Aug. 26. the early registration(注册) fee is $70 and registration at the door is $85. contact(联系) Loyola coach Bill San Hamel at 847-920-2523 to register early.
July 17 ----- St. Patrick will host a Youth Holiday Baseball Camp for boys in grades three through eight Aug. 26 through Aug. 28 from 6:30 pm to 9 pm in St. Pat’s gym. The registration fee is $90. for more information, visit www. stpatrick.orgor contact Coach Kusinski at (773) 282-8844 ext. 242 or dkusinski@stpatrick.org.
June 12 ----- The Marist Girls’ basketball team is looking for a game for the new season. The team can play all levels. If interested, please contact Mary Pat Connolly at (773) 881-5318, or e-mail
connolly.marypat@marist.net.
June 1 ----- Bartlett is hosing a high school football camp June 13-30 and July 11-28 from 8-11 am. The registration fee is $180. to register go to www.athletic2000.com/bartlett. Contact coach Tom Meaney with questions at 630-372-4700 ext. 8105.
May 27 ----Hinsdale is hosting youth wrestling camps June 20-23 and June 27-30. There is no minimum age required. Even wrestlers in kindergarten are eligible to participate. The cost of registration is $80 per person. Contact head wrestling coach Jason Hayes at 815-762-1568 or e-mail jhayes@hinsdale86.org for more information.If a fourth–grade girl wants to learn baseball, she may contact______.
| A．Ron Schwartz | B．Mary Pat Connolly |
| C．Kusinski | D．Bill San Hamel |
Which of the following high schools wants to have a match?
| A．Sacred Heart. | B．The Marist. |
| C．Bartlett. | D．hinsdale. |
If one wants to choose a relatively cheap sports camp, he may ______.
| A．phone 847-920-2523 to register early |
| B．e-mail connolly.marypat@marist.net |
| C．visit www.athletics2000.com/bartlett |
| D．contact head wrestling coach Jason Hayes |
The underlined word “eligible” in the last paragraph probably means _____.
| A．prepared | B．supposed |
| C．determined | D．Allowed |