How much rain has fallen on the earth in the past? Man has not always kept weather records. Because scientists need a way to learn about past rainfall, they study the tree rings.
A tree’s trunk (树干) keeps growing year by year. Under its bark (树皮), a tree adds a layer of new wood each year it lives. If you look at a tree stump, you can see the layers. They are called annual ring (年轮).
On some trees, all of the rings are of the same width. But the ponderosa(美国黄松) that grows in the American southwest have rings in different withes. The soil in he southwest is dry. The pines depend on rainfall for water. In a year of good rainfall, they form wide rings. In a dry year, they form narrow ones.
Scientists do not have to cut down a pine to study its rings. With a special tool, they remove a narrow piece of wood from the trunk without harming the tree. Then they look at the width of each ring to see how much rain fell in the year it formed.
Some pines are hundreds of years old and have hundreds of rings. These rings are from an annual record o0f past rainfall in the southwest.We could infer from the passage that ______.
| A．a tree grows faster when it has a lot of water |
| B．scientists cut down trees to study tree rings |
| C．pine trees form rings of he same width every year |
| D．the ponderosa grows in he southeast |
A tree grows a new layer of wood _____.
| A．each week | B．whenever it rains | C．every year | D．every season |
On the whole, the passage is about _____.
| A．why the tree trunks grow bigger |
| B．why scientists study tree rings |
| C．trees that lived hundreds of years ago |
| D．the ponderosa in the US |
The scientists _____ to know how much rain fell in a certain area in the past.
| A．climbed up the tree | B．moved the pine tree |
| C．removed a piece of wood | D．studied the width of the tree rings |
Which of he following is true according to the passage?
| A．Young trees have fewer annual rings than old one. |
| B．The trunk of a tree never changes in size. |
| C．Trees in the southwest do not need rain. |
| D．Soil in the southwest is fit for the growth of trees. |
Olivia and Jack are the most popular names in Britain for babies born in 2008, according to a survey made by the website Bounty. Jack has been top for 14 years since it took over from Thomas.
Grace — made famous by the Hollywood star Grace Kelly — slipped back into third place behind Ruby, the name of singer Charlotte Church’s daughter.
Summer climbed 28 places from 44th to 16th. Ava — the name of singer Myleene Klass’s daughter — also leapt 15 places to 19th.
The troubles of the singer Amy Winehouse perhaps had an effect on the popularity of the name. It dropped three places to 23rd. Rebecca is also on the wane(变弱), ranking 48th. So is Courtney, which ranked 88th.
Theo, obviously inspired by England’s teenage football hero Theo Walcott, is among the biggest climbers in the boy’s list, rising from 70th to 58th.
An employee of Bounty said, “Baby names have witnessed the biggest changes over the last decade as parents are increasingly influenced by celebrities. The Bounty baby name poll also shows parents are continuing to be creative and inspirational about the names they choose for their children. Some parents want a name that’s totally unique, and names such as Zebedee, Selim and Zenon are now emerging and growing in popularity. Others are simply breaking with convention and becoming bolder in their choice of names.”
“While politicians’ names may be growing in popularity in America, British politicians don’t influence our choice of names in the UK. Traditional royal names continue to be supreme(最高的) in the boys’ top 100,” The employee said.Which of the following girl names ranks the second?
| A．Grace. | B．Ruby. | C．Kelly. | D．Charlotte. |
Baby names changed a lot mainly because of the influence of ______.
| A．stars | B．parents | C．media | D．politicians |
What kind of names covers the most in the top 100 boys’ names?
| A．Unique names. | B．Creative names. |
| C．Famous people’s names. | D．Traditional royal names. |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
| A．Thomas was the first in boy names in 1994 |
| B．Summer ranked 28th in the girls’ list in 2007 |
| C．Rebecca might be 50th in the girls’ list in 2007 |
| D．Courtney climbed in the boy’s list in 2008 compared with 2007 |
Are there fastest ways to lose weight? Yes, there are! This is no magic trick or miracle. It just needs sensible actions.
●Drink water
No, you don’t have to fill up like a tub, but ensure that you drink 8 to 10 glasses of water every day. Don’t substitute for juice. With adequate water intake your body will be able to metabolize（新陈代谢）fat more effectively. And if you have a glass of water 10-15 minutes before your meal, you will feel full once you start eating. Another fun fact, did you know that you can lose 62 calories by drinking ice cold water?
●Eat 5 times a day
Start with breakfast. The more you eat for breakfast, the less food you will want to eat at night. Please don’t skip this meal as you’ll end up swallowing everything in sight for the rest of the day. You don’t need to gobble up 5 large meals. Eat sensibly so your body doesn’t crave for food.
●Use weights
Needless to say, exercise is crucial to weight loss. You can’t expect to sit on the sofa all day, sip water and lose weight. Join a good gym that lets you work with weights. It will help you build muscle and your metabolism rate will increase. You’ll soon see the fat come off and in its place muscle will develop.
●Smaller bowls
It’s better to substitute the huge bowls you usually use for small ones – when food starts to fall off, you’ll know it’s enough. Try to get these new bowls in dark colors. Dark blue will be your best choice since it is the number one color that fights off the appetite. Avoid red/orange/yellow colors in your dining area – they are the ones making your appetite go sky high.
●Read between lines
Food and drink products are all out to get you. They scream “Buy me! Buy me!” They could be “fat free” but they could still have a lot of calories. You need to analyze the nutrition label on the cover. Find out what’s good for you and what isn’t. Knowing in advance can help you stay away from products that are calorie-enriched.
●Don’t punish yourself
Go easy on yourself at least one day in a week. If you begin to dislike your diet then there’s something wrong. Find a diet that suits your body type and your lifestyle.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．If you are on a diet, you should always keep to your diet. |
| B．Use smaller bowls can help you eat less food. |
| C．Skipping breakfast is not a wise way to lose weight. |
| D．Reading the nutrition label on drink and food products is helpful. |
If you are going to run a restaurant, which colors will you choose to paint the dining area?
| A．black and yellow | B．gray and white |
| C．red and orange | D．blue and purple |
Which of the following belongs to “weights” mentioned in the text?
| A．beam | B．shot | C．barbell | D．badminton |
In order to lose weight quickly, you can do the following except_____.
| A．drinking juice instead of water |
| B．working with weights to build muscle |
| C．buying products that are not calorie-enriched |
| D．eating proper amount of food |
It’s interesting that the arrival of snow has a different effect on people in different countries. For some countries it is an important happening to celebrate each year, while for others it is a catastrophe (灾难).
There are countries between these two extremes that normally expect snow some time over the winter months, but never receive snow regularly or in the same quantities every year. Britain is one such country, for which the arrival of snow quite simply creates problems. Within hours of the first snowfall, however light, roads are blocked, trains and buses stop in the middle of traffic. Normal communications are affected as well, telephone calls become difficult and the post immediately takes more time than usual. Almost within hours, there are also shortages(缺乏) –bread, vegetables and other things – not because all these things can no longer be produced or sent to shops, but mainly because people are frightened, and go out to store up these commodities, “just for fear that something bad should happen.”
Why then does snow have this effect? After all, the Swiss, Austrians and Canadians don’t have such problems. It is simply because there is not enough plan and preparation. We need money to buy equipment to deal with snow and ice. To keep the roads clear, for example, requires snow ploughs and machines to spread salt. The reason why a country like Britain does not buy some ploughs is that they are only used for a few days in any one year, and the money could be more useful in other things such as hospital education or helping the old.According to the writer, Britain is a country____.
| A．which has regular snow | B．which is not well prepared for snow |
| C．for which snow is not a catastrophe | D．for which snow is a wonder |
The arrival of snow in Britain affects all of the following except____
| A．traffic | B．communication | C．food supplies | D．service quality |
After a few hours’ snowing there are often shortages of food because______
| A．shops have closed down | B．people buy as much as they can |
| C．farmers can’t produce any more | D．people eat more vegetables in winter |
The first reason why the British don’t buy snow ploughs is that______
| A．spreading salt is good enough | B．old people need more money |
| C．snow ploughs are not used often | D．the hospital is more important |
Dear Friend,
The recent success of children's books has made the general public aware that there's a huge market out there.
And there's a growing need for new writers trained to create the $3 billion worth of children's books bought each year ... plus stories and articles needed by over 650 publishers of magazines for children and teenagers.
Who are these needed writers? They're ordinary folks like you and me.
But am I good enough?
I was once where you might be now. My thoughts of writing had been pushed down by self-doubt, and I didn't know where to turn for help.
Then, I accepted a free offer from the Institute to test my writing aptitude(潜能), and it turned out to be the inspiration I needed.
The promise that paid off.
The Institute made the same promise to me that they will make to you, if you show basic writing ability:
You will complete at least one manuscript(手稿) suitable to hand in to a publisher by the time you finish ou
r course.
I really didn't expect any publication before I finished the course, but that happened. I sold three stories. And I soon discovered that was not unusual at the Institute.
Since graduation, I have authored 34 nationally published children's books and over 300 stories and articles.
Free test and brochure
We offer a free aptitude test and will send you a copy of our brochure describing our recognized home-study courses on the basis of one-on-one training.
Realize your writing dream today. There's nothing sadder than a dream delayed until it fades forever.
Sincerely,
Kristi Holl, Instructor
Institute of Children's LiteratureFrom the first three paragraphs, we learn that_____.
| A．children's books are usually bestsellers. |
| B．publishers are making $3 billion each year. |
C．magazines for  tee nagers have drawn public attention. |
| D．there is a growing need for writers of children's books. |
When finishing the course, you are promised to_____.
| A．be a successful publisher |
| B．become a confident editor |
| C．finish one work for publication |
| D．get one story or article published |
Kristi Holl mentions her experience mainly to_____.
| A．prove she is a good instructor |
| B．promote the writing program |
| C．give her advice on course preparation |
| D．show she sold more stories than article |
Some people think that as more and more people have televisions in their homes, fewer and fewer people will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper, when the TV news can bring you the information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read the life story of a famous man, when a short television program can tell you all that you want to know?
Television has not killed reading, however. Today, newspapers sell in very large numbers. And books of every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get information and enjoyment. Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are printed today as paperbooks (平装本), which are quite cheap. A paperback collection of short stories, for example, is always cheaper than an evening at the cinema or the theater, and you can keep a book for ever and read it many times.
Books are a wonderful provider of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every home. Every home should have a good dictionary. A good encyclopedia (百科全书), though expensive, is useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. Besides, you can have such books as history books, science textbook, cookbooks, and collections of stories and poems. Then from time to time you can take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favorite poets.It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
| A．TV programs are a chief provider of knowledge. |
| B．cinemas are the best choice in getting information. |
| C．reading is a cheap way of learning and having fun. |
| D．newspapers are an expensive way to enjoy oneself. |
What does the sentences “Television has not killed reading, however ” underlined in the second paragraph suggest?
| A．People only need reading, though. |
| B．Reading is still necessary today. |
| C．Reading is more fun than television. |
| D．Watching television doesn’t help reading. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．Fewer and fewer people will buy books. |
| B．A good dictionary should be kept in every home. |
| C．Books with hard covers sell better than paperbooks. |
| D．More people like TV programs about famous men. |