The International Space Station allows astronauts to live in space for extended amounts of time, enabling them to explore the outside universe and conduct many experiments. However, nothing like that exists for our oceans, and thanks to the high water pressure, ocean researchers are able to explore what lies undersea for very short periods of time.
They are therefore never able to fully explore the deep inside areas of our oceans. However, if French architect Jacques Rougerie has his way, that will change soon.
Jacqucs has designed a ship that will allow researchers to spend a long period of time observing the sea life and conducting experiments. The huge 167ft ship, named 'Sea Orbiter', consists of two areas—one above the water where the scientists and crew will live, and a lower pressurized deck (甲板), where scientists will be able to spend as much time as they wish. Since it is powered by sea currents and wind, he expects it to drift (漂流) along the oceans slowly, taking about two years to circumvent the globe.
Jacques will make their life as comfortable as possible in the ship. Besides being equipped with the latest sailing tools and communication equipment, the ship will also have a gym, a television and a DVD player. And these guys will not be eating freeze-dried food like astronauts. Instead, Jacques, an accomplished chef, plans on cooking them delicious meals every day.
The biggest problem to this giant ship is the cost, which is expected to be over $500 million—per ship! However, Jacques, who strongly believes that the secrets of our oceans may be the key to solving global warming and a vital supply for food and medicine in the future, is confident he will be able to convince governments all over the world to help out, and expects to start construction on not one, but four or five of these amazing ships soon!Why can’t ocean researchers explore the deep oceans for a long time?
| A．Because they can’t stand the high water pressure. |
| B．Because it’s too cold in deep ocean. |
| C．Because time for experiments is too limited. |
| D．Because it’s dangerous to observe the sea life. |
The underlined word "circumvent" probably means .
| A．fly away | B．get around | C．travel through | D．move into |
From the fourth paragraph we can learn that .
| A．Jacques intends to design the ship mainly for sightseeing and traveling |
| B．living a comfortable life helps to do the ocean research quickly |
| C．it’s much more expensive to eat freeze-dried food |
| D．researchers on Jacque’s ship will live more comfortably than astronauts |
Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
| A．Sea Orbiter—the ship of the future |
| B．A new way to explore the deep oceans |
| C．A great architect—Jacques Rougerie |
| D．Travel around the globe in Sea Orbiter |
Every day we go to school and listen to the teacher, and the teacher will ask us some questions. Sometimes, the classmates will ask for your opinions of the work of the class. When you are telling others in the class what you have found out about these topics, remember that they must be able to hear what you are saying. You are not taking part in a family conversation or having a chat with friends—you are in a slightly unnatural situation where a large group of people will remain silent, waiting to hear what you have to say. You must speak so that they can hear you—loudly enough and clearly enough but without trying to shout or appearing to force yourself.
Remember, too, that it is the same if you are called to an interview whether it is with a professor of your school or a government official who might meet you. The person you are seeing will try to put you at your ease (not worried) but the situation is somewhat different from that of an ordinary conversation. You must take special care that you can be heard. When you speak to the class, you should speak ________.
| A．as slowly as possible | B．in a low voice |
| C．loudly | D．forcefully |
The situation in the class is _________that in your house.
| A．not very different from | B．sometimes the same as |
| C．sometimes not the same as | D．not the same as |
If you are having a conversation with an official, the most important thing for you is____.
| A．to show your ability | B．to be very gentle |
| C．to make sure that you can be heard | D．to put the official at ease |
The main idea of this passage is _______.
| A．that we should talk in different ways in different situations |
| B．that we must speak loudly |
| C．that we must keep silent at any time |
| D．that we must talk with the class |
Superman, Spider-Man, Batman and Iron Man ... .There is no shortage of superheroes. You find them in comic books, on the TV and the big screen.
In a survey of fans by the sci-fi and fantasy website, SFX.co.uk, Batman, 70 years old this year, was voted Britain's favorite superhero.
Unlike many crime-fighting superheroes Batman has no special powers. He can't fly like Superman or shoot a sticky web like Spider-Man.
Bruce Wayne is born to a wealthy Gotham City business family. However, when his parents are murdered his life changes completely.
Wayne feels anger at their deaths and guilty that he did not prevent them. He travels around the world learning how to fight. Upon returning to Gotham, he creates a disguise (伪装) to enable him to fight crime without being recognized.
A childhood fear of bats leads him to choose to dress as one. His idea is that through the bat person he can prove to himself that he has overcome his childhood fears.
Wayne is the CEO of the company he inherits (继承) from his father. He seems to live the lifestyle of a millionaire playboy. But this is a ruse (计策). He works hard at the image to allow himself the freedom he needs to do his work as a crime fighter. "Bruce Wayne, playboy" is the disguise Batman is the real person.
"Wayne is not a born superhero. Instead, he is a real, complex person," said Dace Golder, editor of the website. "He is the most realistic of all the superheroes. I am particularly interested in the emotional process by which a boy becomes a hero. His superhero qualities come from within."What is the article mainly about?
| A．How Bruce Wayne develops into a superhero. |
| B．How to overcome childhood fears. |
| C．What makes a superhero. |
| D．Why superheroes enjoy great popularity in Britain. |
Bruce Wayne decides to dress like a bat because of ______ .
| A．his curiosity about bats | B．his childhood fear of bats |
| C．his parents' sudden death | D．his unusual travel experiences |
Why does Wayne live like a playboy?
| A．He prefers the lifestyle of a playboy. |
| B．He doesn't know how to run a company. |
| C．He loves freedom more than anything else. |
| D．He needs to disguise his crime fighting activities. |
Which of the following statements is true about Batman?
| A．Batman is a born superhero |
| B．He has special powers |
| C．The turning point of his life is due to his parents' sudden death |
| D．He actually lives the lifestyle of a millionaire playboy |
When we were very small, we realized that having friends was important. The need for friends continued as we grew into our teens. Friends played a big part in the development of our personalities. As adults, it is still important for us to have friends.
True friends are people who like us though we make mistakes and who listen to us and tell us the truth. Friends support our decisions and tell us when we’re wrong. They laugh with us and share our sadness. They are our partners and share interests with us. They stimulate us when we are feeling down. They are people with whom we aren’t afraid of sharing our secret wishes or what is really on our minds.
Friends, you fell safe and warm. At times, they also help with our everyday life, cooking a meal, helping with chores, or giving us a lift when we need.
Friends also are there to offer advice, an ear to listen, or a shoulder to cry on..
Friends also help us reduce stress. They not only listen to us when we fell stressed, but also discuss with us how to friends help us forget about problems at work or at home. For a short time, we can lose ourselves in a pleasant activity and perhaps laugh and breathe more easily.What is the best title for the passage?
| A．How to Reduce Stress | B．How to Make New Friends |
| C．The Importance of Friends | D．The Qualities of Good Friends |
The underlined word “stimulate”in Paragraph 2 probably means _________.
| A．educate | B．encourage | C．remember | D．dislike |
We can learn from the third paragraph that friends always _________.
| A．laugh at us when we’re foolish | B．tell us other people’s secrets |
| C．share our sadness and interests | D．support us when we need help |
According to the passage, we can reduce stress by _____.
① making more new friends ② discussing our stress with friends
③ ignoring our problems for a while ④ sharing interests with friends
| A．①②③ | B．②③④ | C．①②④ | D．①③④ |
While income worry is a rather common problem of the aged, loneliness is another problem that aged parents may face. Of all the reasons that explain their loneliness, a large geographical distance between parents and their children is the major one. This phenomenon(现象)is commonly known as “Empty Nest Syndrome”(空巢综合症).
In order to seek(寻找) better chances outside their countries, many young people have gone abroad, leaving their parents behind with no clear idea of when they will return home. Their parents spend countless lonely days and nights, taking care of themselves, in the hope that someday their children will come back to stay with them. The fact that most of these young people have gone to Europeanized or Americanized societies makes it unlikely that they will hold as tightly to the value of duty as they would have if they had not left their countries. Whatever the case, it has been noted that the values they hold do not necessarily match what they actually do. This geographical and cultural distance also prevents the grown-up children from providing response in time for their aged parents living by themselves.
The situation in which grown-up children live far away from their aged parents has been described as “distant parent phenomenon”, which is common both in developed countries and in developing countries. Our society has not yet been well prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome”.According to the passage, the loneliness of aged parents is mainly caused by _________.
| A．their earlier experience of feeling lonely |
| B．the unfavorable living conditions in their native countries |
| C．the common worry about their income |
| D．the geographical distance between parents and children |
Many young people have gone abroad, leaving their aged parents behind, to _________.
| A．live in the countries with more money |
| B．seek a better place for their aged parents |
| C．continue their studies abroad |
| D．realize their dreams in foreign countries |
If young people go abroad, _________.
| A．they do not hold to the value of duty at all |
| B．they can give some help to their parents back home |
| C．they cannot do what they should for their parents |
| D．they believe what they actually do is right |
From the last paragraph, we can infer that ________.
| A．the situations in the developed and developing countries are different |
| B．“Empty Nest Syndrome” has arrived unexpectedly in our society |
| C．children will become independent as soon as they go abroad |
| D．the aged parents are not fully prepared for “Empty Nest Syndrome” |
When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly ad possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.
“Storm chasing” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby, especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.
Although anyone can do it , storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.
Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement . “Storm chasing is 95% driving,” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life,” says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is an example of the power of nature, It is the greatest show on Earth.”For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to .
| A．head straight for the center of the storm |
| B．get into the car for safety |
| C．wait patiently for the storm to develop |
| D．collect information about a coming storm |
Beginners of storm chasing are advised .
| A．not to drive in a heavy rain |
| B．to do it in an organized way |
| C．not to get too close to a storm |
| D．to spend more time on it in summer |
By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph, the author means that .
| A．storm chasing costs a lot of money |
| B．storm chasing is worth hours of waiting |
| C．efforts in storm chasing are well paid |
| D．a storm presents the greatest show on Earth |
What can we learn from the text?
| A．Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment |
| B．Many storm chasers get killed in the storms. |
| C．Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world. |
| D．Storm chasing is only fit for young people. |