Ever wonder how much a cloud weighs? What about a hurricane? A meteorologist has done some estimates and the results might surprise you.
Let's start with a very simple white puffy cloud — a cumulus cloud（积云）. How much does the water in a cumulus cloud weigh? Peggy LeMone, senior scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, did the numbers. "The water in the little cloud weighs about 550 tons," she calculates. "Or if you want to convert it to something that might be a little more meaningful … think of elephants."
The thought of a hundred elephants-worth of water suspended in the sky begs another question — what keeps it up there?
"First of all, the water isn't in elephant sized particles（微粒）, it's in tiny tiny tiny particles," explains LeMone. And those particles float on the warmer air that's rising below. But still, the concept of so much water floating in the sky was surprising even to a meteorologist like LeMone. "I had no idea how much a cloud would weigh, actually, when I started the calculations," she says.
So how many elephant units of water are inside a big storm cloud—10 times bigger all the way around than the "puffy" cumulus cloud? Again, LeMone did the numbers: About 200,000 elephants.
Now, ratchet up the calculations for a hurricane about the size of Missouri and the figures get really massive. "What we're doing is weighing the water in one cubic meter theoretically pulled from a cloud and then multiplying by the number of meters in a whole hurricane," she explains.
The result? Forty million elephants. That means the water in one hurricane weighs more than all the elephants on the planet. Perhaps even more than all the elephants that have ever lived on the planet. The weight of is NOT mentioned in the passage.
| A．a cumulus cloud | B．a tornado | C．a hurricane | D．a storm cloud |
How did Peggy LeMone feel about the result of her calculations?
| A．She found it not convincing. |
| B．She thought it needed further calculations. |
| C．She was quite surprised at it. |
| D．She considered the calculations inaccurate. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．A storm cloud weighs about 200,000 elephants. |
| B．The water in a hurricane weighs more than that in any other kind of cloud. |
| C．There are less than forty million elephants living on the earth. |
| D．The water in the cloud is in very tiny partials. |
When Peng Liyuan stepped off the plane in Moscow，the whole world wanted to know who dressed the elegant first lady.The reporter released the secret—Ma Ke. 
Peng Liyuan has been wearing Ma Ke’s designs for more than a decade，a fact that was only highlighted recently when she was on her first state visit，accompanying her husband President Xi Jinping.The elegant and attractive Peng，formerly a popular singer，has been compared with the US’ first lady Michelle Obama and France’s Carla BruniSarkozy，since stepping off the airplane in Moscow on March 22.Suddenly，everyone was curious to know more about the first lady’s wardrobe.
Even so，Ma prefers a lowkey approach.“If you eat a tasty egg why would you want to see the hen？” she says of all the media attention.
Ma’s relationship with Peng began 10 years ago after a concert in Guangzhou when a reporter told Peng she knew the designer behind the label Exception de Mixmind.Peng asked for an introduction because she was a fan of Ma’s designs and had been wearing them for years.
The two naturally became friends.Ma says：“The painting reflects the painter，and clothes reflect both the designer and the wearer.Someone desires fame and wealth，or love and sympathy；what you have in your heart is reflected in the design.Those who don’t share my philosophy won’t buy my clothes.Peng is a caring person，devoted to charity and environmental protection，which is exactly what I’m doing now.”
However，regardless of the brand，Peng’s support of Chinese labels has surprised millions of Chinese who favor foreign fashion brands.
“Instead she presented a vision of Chinese fashion，desiring to bring Chinese designers to the world stage，” says a western designer.
The first lady’s doublebreasted coat and her black leather handbag aren’t available at any of Exception’s shops，though Exception’s physical stores do have seen a rising number of visitors.The passage mainly discusses________.
| A．the designer of the first lady Peng Liyuan’s dress，Ma Ke |
| B．the friendship between Peng Liyuan and her designer |
| C．Peng Liyuan’s clothes on her first state visit |
| D．the reactions to Peng Liyuan’s first visit to Moscow |
In the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3 Ma Ke mentioned “an egg and the hen” to show________.
| A．it is hard to explain “Which came first，the egg or the hen？” |
| B．paying such great attention to her was unnecessary |
| C．the outcome was more important than the process |
| D．her dissatisfaction with the media attention on her dress |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．First ladies compete with each other whenever they are together. |
| B．Peng’s suits can be bought in Ma Ke’s clothes stores. |
| C．Ma Ke offered to design the first lady’s clothes through her friends. |
| D．Peng had liked Ma’s designs long before she got to know her in the flesh. |
In the passage，Peng Liyuan________.
| A．often reflects on what she has in her heart before choosing clothes |
| B．is sympathetic and has a strong environmental consciousness |
| C．always desires the exceptional charm of the brand |
| D．is knowledgeable in philosophy |
Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Peng wears the dress designed by a Chinese designer probably to support Chinese brands |
| B．Many citizens found Peng Liyuan’s choice quite unexpected. |
| C．Black leather handbags like Peng’s are widely sold in bag stores in big cities. |
| D．After Peng Liyuan’s visit to Moscow Ma Ke’s clothes became more popular. |
It can be hard to encourage families of preschoolers to turn off the TV，but there are plenty of highquality shows that promote learning and positive relationships rather than violence，researchers noted.
“Although clearly kids watch too much，what’s more worrying is that they watch poor quality shows，” said Dr Christakis，the lead researcher on the new study from the University of Washington in Seattle.His former survey of parents of threeto fiveyearold children showed the kids often watched violent cartoons and movies that are “totally inappropriate”．
For their study，he and his colleagues randomly divide 565 preschoolers into two groups.In one group，parents recorded notes about kids’ normal TV viewing，without receiving any guidelines to reduce or change those habits.In the other group，researchers made visits and calls and sent monthly newsletters encouraging parents to replace violent TV with educational programming.After six and 12 months，parents reported their kid’s angry，aggressive or anxious behaviors on a questionnaire.At both time points，children in the TV intervention (干预) program had slightly fewer problems than those in the comparison group.Boys in lowincome families seemed to benefit most from the change in programming，the researchers found.
“The point is，this is something that is as effective as other things we do to try to guide behavior in children，and it’s fairly simple，” Christakis said.
Another study published in Pediatrics found the more TV kids and teens watched，the more likely they were to have a crime or other problems in society.Children may imitate violence they see—or more time in front of the TV could simply mean less communication with peers and families，and worse performance in school.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends kids watch no more than one to two hours of highquality programming each day.Researchers agreed parents should be mindful of what exactly their young kids are watching on TV as well.“It’s not just about turning the TV off，it’s about changing the channel，” Christakis said. What is the positive effect of highquality TV shows on kids?
| A．Good learning results and relationships. |
| B．Being affected by violence. |
| C．Spending less time on TV programming. |
| D．Encouraging them to turn on the TV. |
For Christakis，what is more concerning?
| A．Kids watching too much TV. |
| B．TV shows being of poor quality. |
| C．Kids watching too many cartoons. |
| D．Parents receiving no guidelines. |
We can learn from the survey mentioned in Para.3 that________.
| A．Children don’t like being disturbed while watching TV |
| B．Preschoolers seems to like newsletters more than TV |
| C．Poor children prefer to watch educational programming |
| D．Kids watching highquality programs have fewer problems |
Christakis thought the effect of educational programming on children’s behaviour was________.
| A．unclear | B．slight |
| C．obvious | D．great |
According to the researchers，________.
| A．getting preschoolers away from TV is difficult |
| B．shows on TV in America are full of violence |
| C．parents should communicate more with their kids |
| D．parents should keep an eye on what kids watch on TV |
Moving to a new neighborhood，town，state，or even country can be a pretty scary experience.All you know is that things will be different and chances are you won’t know the kids at your new school.
The experiences that go with moving make many kids feel nervous and worried.This is perfectly normal but don’t let these emotions overrun your thoughts！You will soon get used to your surroundings and find new friends at your new school.
Leaving old friends and familiar places behind can be difficult.However，as you begin the moving process，keep in mind that saying goodbye to your old house，school，and friends does not mean that you have to forget them or that your farewell is permanent！If you’re moving to a new state or even a different country and won’t see your friends for a long nme，don’t despair.Make sure to ask everyone for their address so you can write them letters.Also，thanks to the Internet，it is very easy to stay in touch through email or instant messaging technologies.With your parent’s permission，you can even create a blog or web page to chronicle all of your new experiences.Include your thoughts，tales of your new adventures，even pictures of new friends，your new house，and new town.Your old friends will love seeing what you are busy with.
Many schools have an orientation program where a student already established at the school shows a new student around for their first week.This can help you to find your way around the school and to make new friends faster.
While moving is tough on kids of any age，high school counselor Karen Turner says moves can be particularly difficult for teens.“I think moving during adolescents is an extremely stressful experience，especially if you are into your junior high or senior year.Students tend to have established a very strong peer network during that period in their lives.Often this has more influence on them even than their families in some cases，and when they are torn from that there’s often resentment (怨气)．” However，Turner adds that while moving isn’t easy，there are things that your parents and the school can do to help you cope with the change.Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．Education experts. | B．School teachers. |
| C．Parents. | D．Students. |
Which of the following is mainly suggested in Paragraph 3?
| A．Staying in contact with old friends. |
| B．Expressing yourself when it is possible. |
| C．Forming good habits at school. |
| D．Keeping positive about your new school. |
According to the passage，an orientation program________.
| A．helps local students in many ways |
| B．is organized by new students |
| C．offers help to new students |
| D．focuses on all the students at school |
According to the passage，Karen Turner may agree that________.
| A．many parents seem to care little about their children |
| B．teens can easily be attached to their friends |
| C．parents should communicate with the school teachers |
| D．teens tend to behave rudely in a new school |
If this passage continues，what would the author further discuss?
| A．What a new school is like. |
| B．why parents move with their children. |
| C．How parents and the school can help the children. |
| D．How children can express their anxiety. |
Human beings are the most intelligent of all animals because we are gifted with the ability to think and reason logically.Scientists and even common people with special intelligence have made a lot of inventions and contributions to modern lifestyle in the past.“Houses” have been the most popular area for discoveries and inventions in the past and even now.
Many household items have been the result of inventions of people who desired better functioning of the existent products.Every individual has intelligence and if it is used properly for the right purpose it leads to invention of a new tool or device.Many new household inventions are made almost every day and there are specific companies，which particularly keep a record of all these inventions.
A lot of inventions have been made recently in the household field.These products are patented (专利) and have trade mark licenses.The patented sliding cinch is a very simple but effective method to prevent shoulder stress and injury for those who work before computers all day long.Vanity PC is a type of computer furniture that specifically hides all the computer wires and keeps a clean and good look.All the outdoor dust，mud and snow can be kept out of the house by installing (安装) the dirt drain (排水管) at the entrance of the door.Another important invention is the automatic toilet nightlight，in which a small light starts when the lid of the toilet seat is opened and closes as soon as the lid is closed.
These are some of the new household inventions invented mostly by common people.Thus，a variety of new household items are invented every day，which helps in a better functioning of household chores and in a more useful manner.The first paragraph is intended to________.
| A．stress the importance of inventions |
| B．introduce the topic of the article |
| C．show the advantages of modern lifestyle |
| D．tell the differences between human beings and animals |
According to the passage，people make house inventions to________.
| A．earn more money and gain awards |
| B．accumulate their wealth |
| C．improve the present living conditions |
| D．meet the new demands of new science |
It can be inferred that the sliding cinch is used to________.
| A．prevent your shoulder from being overpressured |
| B．keep your shoulder safe and sound in an accident or an operation |
| C．help you practice your shoulder more often and reduce shoulder pains |
| D．cover your shoulder and make it stronger to resist the outside strike |
Common people can also make good inventions because________.
| A．wisdom and inspiration sometimes come from everyday life |
| B．some inventions are easy to be made and can be mastered by them |
| C．they have a strong desire to do something for science research |
| D．success is often connected with hardship and bitter experience of common people |
The passage mainly talks about________.
| A．the correct use of household facilities |
| B．different ideas about household inventions |
| C．the history of household inventions |
| D．household inventions and their influence |
Success is often measured by the ability to overcome adversity.But，it is often the belief of others that gives us the courage to try.
J．K.Rowling，author of the Harry Potter book series，began writing at the age of 6.In her biography，she remembers with great fondness when her good friend Sean，whom she met in secondary school，became the first person to encourage her and help build the confidence that one day she would be a very good writer
“He was the first person with whom I really discussed my serious ambition to be a writer.He was also the only person who thought I was bound to be a success at it，which meant much more to me than I ever told him at the time.”
Despite many setbacks，Rowling persevered in her writing，particularly fantasy stories.But it wasn’t until 1990 that she first conceived the idea about Harry Potter.As she recalls，it was on a long train journey from London to Manchester that the idea of Harry Potter simply fell into her head.“To my immense frustration (沮丧)，I didn’t have a functioning pen with me，and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could borrow one.I think，now，that this was probably a good thing，because I simply sat and thought，for four (delayed train) hours，and all the details bubbled up in my brain，and this scrawny，blackhaired，bespectacled (戴眼镜的) boy who didn’t know he was a wizard became more and more real to me.”
That same year，her mother passed away after a tenyear battle with multiple sclerosis，which deeply affected her writing.She went on to marry and had a daughter，but separated from her husband shortly afterwards.
During this time，Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression.Unemployed，she completed her first novel in area cafes，where she could get her daughter to fall asleep.After being rejected by 12 publishing houses，the first Harry Potter novel was sold to a small British publishing house.
Now with seven books that have sold nearly 400 million copies in 64 languages，J.K.Rowling is the highest earning novelist in history.And it all began with her commitment to writing that was fostered by the confidence of a friend!Who believed J．K.Rowling was to be a good writer?
| A．Her friend Sean. | B．Her mother. |
| C．Her daughter. | D．Her husband. |
Rowling first came up with the idea about Harry Potter________.
| A．at the age of 6 | B．on a train journey |
| C．after her mother’s death | D．in her secondary school |
She felt frustrated on the train because________.
| A．her train was delayed for four hours |
| B．she didn’t have a pen with her |
| C．her mind suddenly went blank |
| D．no one would offer her help |
It can be concluded from Paragraph 5 and 6 that Rowling is________.
| A．openminded | B．warmhearted |
| C．goodnatured | D．strongwilled |
The text mainly tells us________.
| A．hardship makes a good novelist |
| B．the courage to try is a special ability |
| C．you can have a wonderful idea everywhere |
| D．encouragement contributes to one’s success |