The centerpiece of curling(冰壶)is the curling stone. Kays of Scotland has been making curling stones since 1851, when William Kay and his sons Andrew and Thomas set up a workshop in Mauchline, Ayrshire, in southwest Scotland. Kays is still owned by the relatives of the founder, and today it is the only curling stone maker left in Scotland.
Used in a highly competitive sport, the curling stones are made to exact standards. First, stones are sliced and then into round “cheeses”. Finally, the cheeses are shaped and polished into curling stones in a series of steps.
Each stone must weigh 44 pounds. Each must have a maximum diameter (直径) of 36 inches. Polishing is done by hand on a wheel using water, diamond-talcum power, and felt. Finishing the stone’s “running edge” is done entirely by hand with a special kind of paper and a digital measure and magnifying glass (放大镜). Lastly, a handle(把手) is fitted into holes on the top of the stone. Stones are computer-matched into pairs. Sixteen stones----8 pairs----are needed for a game, and since curling game field usually have 6 lanes, each game field needs 96 matched stones!
Kays is a small company, employing less than ten skilled workers. Master craftsman and co-owner James Wyllie is skilled at all phases of curling stone making and is also an enthusiastic curler, as well as active member of Mauchline’s Burns Club, which meets regularly to honor well-known Mauchline residents.What is true about Kays?
| A．It is a family business. |
| B．It’s a brand(牌子) of curling stones. |
| C．It’s a place in Scotland. |
| D．It’s the name of a curling stone dealer(业者). |
How many curling stones are needed for two games happening at the same time?
| A．8 | B．16 | C．32 | D．96 |
What does the underlined word “sliced” mean in Chinese in the second paragraph?
| A．切割 | B．镶嵌 | C．移开 | D．固定 |
Which of the following statements is NOT RIGHT according to the passage?
| A．Kays of Scotland has been curling stone maker for more than 150 years. |
| B．The weight of each curling stone must be 44 pounds. |
| C．We use a special machine to polish the curling stone. |
| D．The workers in Kays are all experienced. |
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．The history of curling. |
| B．How to make a curling stone. |
| C．The rules of curling. |
| D．How to become a curling stone maker. |
Bruce and Bruno looked worried those days. Their father went to a town far away. Before leaving, he said he would write to them as soon as he found a job there. But two months passed, they did not hear from him. Now they had nothing except the old house and they had no money to buy any food. They thought for a long time. Then they decided to sell the house and look for their father. So one day the two brothers said goodbye to their friends and started to go. They got to the station and bought two tickets.
They were afraid that they would be hungry in the train, so they went to the market to buy something to eat. They saw bananas for the first time. The seller told them the bananas were very delicious, so they bought five kilos and got on the train with them. After a while Bruce brought out a banana and bit(咬) a little. Just at that moment the train went into a tunnel(隧道) and it was dark in the train. He was afraid and called out,“Have you taken a bite of your bananas, Bruno?”
“Not yet.”
“That’s good.”Bruce said, crying,“I did and went blind!”
根据短文内容，判断正(T)误(F)。Bruce and Bruno were worried because their father couldn’t find a job in the town.
Two months later, their father wrote to them to tell them about the town.
They went to the market to buy some drinks.
It was the first time for them to eat bananas.
Bruce went blind because he ate the bananas.
阅读下面的短文，按要求完成所给任务。
Reading is a very good hobby for all the students. You can know much about the world ①_____ the help of all kinds of books. I’m sure everyone has a favorite subject. For example, some are interested in animals, some in history, and some are interested in literature. Mine is science. I like ②___it___ because it’s fun and educational.
My favorite novel is Around the World in Eighty Days.③It was written by Jules Verne ,a French writer. Jules Verne was regarded as father of Modern Science Fiction because he devoted(奉献) himself to literature and wrote several ④well–known scientific romances.
The exciting story of Around the World in Eighty Days tells us about an English gentleman whose name is Mr. Phileas Fogg , He travels around the world in eighty days. From the story, we can see the writer’s love for the sea, traveling and adventure(冒险).In fact, they played an important role in his life. ⑤多亏了the writer’s imagination, language skills and scientific and geographical(地理的) knowledge, we can feel as if we were there when we read the story. 根据上下文写出①处所缺的单词。
写出②处划线单词所指代的内容。
将③处改为主动语态。
Jules Verne, the French writer _________ the novel Around the World in Eighty Days.写出④处划线单词的同义词。
将⑤处划线汉语翻译成英语。
DNA is the whole “map” of the human body. It is something that all humans have, and it tells the body what to do. DNA is the reason that we look like our parents, because we get some of their DNA to make our own.
People have been trying to understand the human body for a long time. In 1860, Mr. Mendel discovered why we look the same as other people in our family. It is because of small things called “genes”（基因）in our body. In 1953, two scientists, Watson and Crick, found out that genes are really messages. They’re written in the DNA with a special language.
In 1961, another two scientists found the first “word” that they could understand in that language. It shows how DNA tells the cell (细胞）to build its parts. So far, scientists have found all the words in the DNA map, but we still don’t understand what they all do. By understanding what just one “word” means, we can help to save people from several illnesses. So the more we understand, the more doctors will be able to do.
Most people hope that this will help to make better medicine and help sick people. Other people worry that when we learn more “words” and find out more information, we will use it in the wrong way. Just to make people more attractive (有吸引力的), or stop sick people getting jobs.When did Mr. Mendel discover why we look the same as other people in our family?
| A．In 1680. | B．In 1860. | C．In 1953. | D．In 1961. |
Watson and Crick found ______ in 1953.
| A．all the words in the DNA map |
| B．small things called “genes” in our body |
| C．the first “word” they could understand in that language |
| D．genes are written in the DNA with a special language |
How can we help sick people if we understand more “words” in the DNA map?
| A．Make better medicine. | B．Make them get jobs. |
| C．Make maps for them. | D．Make them attractive. |
Which one is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．We look like our parents because of “genes” in our body. |
| B．We have understood what all the words in the DNA map do. |
| C．Scientists have found all the words in the DNA map. |
| D．DNA tells the cell to build its parts. |
What do people think about this research about DNA?
| A．It can be only bad. |
| B．It can be only good. |
| C．It can be good but won’t work. |
| D．It can be good or bad. |
Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be confusing(令人迷惑的). Some Americans who taught English in other countries recently talked about their experiences.
On her first day in Micronesia(密克罗尼西亚), an island in the Pacific, Lisa thought people weren’t paying any attention to her. It was hot. She went into a store and asked, “Do you have cold drinks? ” The woman there said nothing. Lisa repeated the question. Still the woman said nothing. She later learned that the woman had answered her: She had raised her eyebrows(眉毛), which in Micronesia means “yes”.
Jane remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria(保加利亚), a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant. She asked the waiter, “Do you have cabbage today?” He nodded his head. Jane waited, but the cabbage never came. In that country, a nod means “no”.
Tom had a similar problem when he arrived in India. After explaining something in class, he asked his students if they understood. Some nod and others shake. He thought some students had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again, they did the same thing. He soon knew that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways depending on where they come from. You have to know where a person is from to understand whether they mean “yes” or “no”.These Americans in the passage found that they__________ .
| A．should go abroad for vacations |
| B．needed to learn foreign languages |
| C．should often discuss their experiences |
| D．had problems with communication in other countries |
People in Micronesia show “yes” by ________ .
| A．nodding heads | B．raising eyebrows | C．shaking heads | D．saying “no” |
Tom misunderstood（误解）his class at first because_______ .
| A．he didn’t know much about Indian culture |
| B．he didn’t explain everything clearly enough |
| C．some students didn’t speak English |
| D．he didn’t know where the students came from |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．In Bulgaria, nodding heads means “no”. |
| B．Jane taught English on a Pacific island. |
| C．Lisa was trying to buy some cabbage. |
| D．In India, only shaking heads means “yes”. |
The passage is mainly about_________ .
| A．body language in foreign restaurants |
| B．class discussion in Indian schools |
| C．different language cultures in different countries |
| D．English teaching in other countries |
What might the future be like? Here are some predictions(预言).
Returning home during the Spring Festival is difficult for many Chinese people. More than 2 billion people travel at the same time, making buying travel tickets and the journey difficult. But 28 years later, Spring Festival travel may not be a problem at all. China plans to build more railways and a fast transportation network that will serve 90% of the population by 2020. And because most of China will be cities, people will not have to go to other places to find a job, so it will no longer be a problem.
Oil is running out faster than expected. But scientists have found something else for oil as fuel(燃料). Coal, natural gas, sun power, nuclear power(核能) and even water can take the place of oil as energy.
Schools will go electronic. Computers will be important and popular among the students. Everything will be in the computer and students will not need to bring books to school. They will find information on the Internet. A computer will be the students’ library, schoolbag and connection to the outside world. There will be robot teachers, they will check homework on computers and communicate with the students’ parents through e-mail. And school buses will be like spaceships, comfortable and safe.More than 2 billion people have a hard time returning home during according to the passage.
| A．Christmas Day | B．National Day | C．the Spring Festival | D．the Mid-autumn Festival |
In 2020, China will build a fast transportation network that will serve of the population.
| A．60% | B．70% | C．80% | D．90% |
is not mentioned in the passage as energy.
| A．Coal | B．Wind | C．Nuclear power | D．Water |
From the passage we can know in the future.
| A．the Spring Festival travel may still be a problem in China |
| B．90% of the population will live in the city |
| C．robot teachers will check students’ homework |
| D．readers can discuss topics with each other face to face |
What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Schools will go electronic. |
| B．Computers will be important. |
| C．There will be robot teachers. |
| D．School buses will be like spaceships. |