TheAntarcticIcecapisthelargest-优题课

【改编】The island of Great Britain being small (compare the size of Australia), the natural place for holiday relaxation and enjoyment is extensive coastline, above all its southern and eastern coasts, and the favorite resort of the mass-population of industrial Lancashire, is on the north-west coast. Distant and little-inhabited area like Northern Scotland, are too remote for the development of large seaside resorts.
For most children, going to the seaside suggests a week or fortnight of freedom on the beach, ideally a sandy one providing enough opportunities for the construction of sandcastle, fishing in pool, paddling in shallow water or swimming in deep water. Their parents spend sunny days swimming in the sea and sunbathing on the beach. Not that the British sun can be relied on and the depressing sight of families wandering round the town in old –fashioned and under umbrellas is only too common. However, there are always shops with their tourist souvenirs, plenty of cafes and if the worst comes to the worst, the cinema to offer a refuge.
The average family is unlikely to seek accommodation in a hotel as they can stay more cheaply in a boarding-house. There are usually three or four-storeyed Victorian buildings, whose owners spend the summer season letting rooms to a number of couples or families and providing three cooked meals a day at what they describe as a reasonable price, with the hope that in this way they will add enough to their savings to see the winter through. Otherwise there are the camping sites for those who prefer self-catering.
Nowadays, even when an increasing number of people fly off to Mediterranean resorts where a well-developed suntan (晒黑) can be assured, or explore in comfort Swiss lakes and mountains or romantic Italian or Spanish cities, the British seaside is still the main attraction for families, especially those with younger children. As they queue for boats trips, cups of tea or ice-cream under gray skies and in dizzling rain, the parents are reliving (重温) their own childhood when time seemed endless, their own sandcastles the most splendid on the beach, the sea always blue and friendly and the sun always hot.
Where do tourists seldom go ?

A．Australia	B．Great Britain
C．Northern Scotland	D．Lancashire

Why do children prefer the seaside ?

A．Because they can stay with their parents.

B．Because they can play various games on the seaside.

C．Because they can meet many other children there.

D．Because they can buy whatever they want.

What attracts people to Mediterranean resorts?

A．Romantic Italian or Spanish cities

B．Ice-cream under gray skies.

C．Cups of tea in dizzling rain.

D．Reliving their own childhood.

Which of the following is True according to the passage?

A．The cinema is the best place to get enough sunshine.

B．The English seaside is an ideal place for children.

C．Northern Scotland is very popular with tourists.

D．Few people in Britain go abroad for holiday.

Where can you find this passage in a newspaper ?

A．Economy	B．Science.
C．Fashion.	D．Tourism.

【改编】Ceaseless technology. A punishing workweek. That to –do list that keeps multiplying. It is no wonder many of us find it difficult to have a sufficient amount of sleep. But will sleeping more on the weekend make up for hours of lost snoozing (小睡)? One sleep expert, W. Christopher Winter raised the question.
Sleeping binge
Getting eight hours of shut-eye each night is generally recommended, but many people don’t. As the week rolls from Monday to Friday, they accumulate a sleep debt. Spending a few extra hours in bed on a Saturday morning, people assume, will help them “ catch up” on lost sleep. They’re likely right, “ Nobody knows how long the horizon is, probably a few nights, but studies show that recovery sleep in the short term does work,” says Dr. Winter, a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine.
Sleep banking
Recent data suggests that banking sleep in advance of a long night can actually offset (补偿) upcoming sleep deprivation. If you knew you were going to have to stay up all night on a particular day, for example, you could sleep for 10 hours a day for multiple days before the event, and be fine, Dr. Winter says. Just plan ahead.
Routine naps
A scheduled nap is healthier than catching up on or banking sleep. “ Because sleep extension can make you feel groggy (昏昏沉沉), I always recommend a short nap (if a person feels they need it ), at the same time, every day,” says Dr. Winter. He adds that 25 minutes is ideal. “ When you schedule a short nap, your body anticipates it and slows down, without falling into a deep dream sleep,” he says. That refreshing, scheduled break is better than an occasional weekend lie-in. “ The body likes routine,” he says, “ When it’s prepared, it works more efficiently.”
What is the topic of this passage?

A．The bad effect of lacking sleep.

B．Advantages of enough sleep.

C．Some knowledge about sleep.

D．The ways to get sound sleep.

Why do people accumulate a sleep debt during the week?

A．Because they have a tight weekday.

B．Because they watch TV late into night.

C．Because they have to look after children.

D．Because they want to catch up on lost sleep on weekend.

Which is the recommended way to keep healthy ?

A．Banking sleeping.	B．Catching up on lost sleep.
C．An occasional weekend lie-in.	D．Scheduled naps.

what is the meaning of the underlined word “deprivation”.

A．Increase.

B．Loss.

C．Time.

D．Problem.

Which is right according to the passage?

A．Most people always get 8-hour-sleep each night.

B．Recovery sleep can make a difference.

C．Everyone should have a short nap.

D．A nap won’t work as expected.

Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made. Although we were brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects. Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages. I was not an early reader and I could not do mental math.
Before World War I we spent out summer holidays in Hungary. I have only the dim(模糊的)memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys, Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door. But I do have a crystal clear memory of dogs, the farm animals, the local birds and above all, the insects.
I am a naturalist, not a scientist. I have a strong love of the natural world, and my enthusiasm has led me into various investigations. I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil reading about other people’s observations and discoveries. Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind. Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle. Because it all seems to fit together. This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some may light honor, with the title of scientific research.
But curiosity, a keen eye ,a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack, A scientist can be made a naturalist. If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds.
According to the author, a born naturalist should first of all be

A．full of ambition	B．self-disciplined
C．full of enthusiasm	D．knowledgeable

The first paragraph tells us that the author

A．lost his hearing when he was a child

B．didn’t like his brothers and sisters

C．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood

D．was born to a naturalist’s family

The author says that his a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he

A．just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries

B．lacks some of the qualities required of scientist

C．has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic

D．comes up with solutions in most natural ways.

The author can’t remember his clearly because

A．He didn’t live very long with them

B．He was too young when he lived with them

C．The family was extremely large

D．He was fully occupied with observing nature

Which of the following statements is true?

A．The author believes that a born naturalist cannot be a scientist

B．The author read a lot of books about the natural world and oil industry

C．The author’s brothers and sisters were good at music and languages

D．The author spent a lot of time working on riddles.

【改编】Electrical devices could soon use power made by human energy. Scientists say they have developed an experimental device that produces electricity from the physical movement of a person walking. British scientist Max Donelan and other scientists in Canada and the United States developed the device.
The device connects to a person’s knee. As the person walks, the device captures energy each time the person slows down. To do this, the device helps with the slowing down movement of the leg. The movements of the walking person push parts of a small machine that produces electricity. Using the device, an adult walking quickly could produce thirteen watts of electricity in just a minute. Donelan says walking at that speed could produce enough power to operate a laptop computer for six minutes.
There are several possible uses for the device. Developers say it could help people who work in areas without electricity to operate small computers. The device could also be used in hospitals to operate heart pacemakers(起搏器). It could even be used to assist in the movement of robotic arms and legs.
The experimental version of the device weighs about one and a half kilograms, but it is too costly for most people to buy. But the researchers hope to make a lighter, less costly version. An improved version shou1d be ready in one year.
The developers hope the device will one day help developing countries. Nearly twenty five percent of people around the world live without electric power.
A similar product was invented in 2005 by Larry Rome of the University of Pennsylvania. He created a bag carried on a person’s back that also produces power from wa1king.
The knee device does not produce as much electricity as the bag. But the bag requires the walker to carry a load of twenty to thirty kilograms.
From the passage we can know the electrical devices _____.

A．are environmentally-friendly

B．need to be charged

C．produce electricity to make people walk faster

D．are invented by German scientists.

Which of the following statement is wrong?

A．The device is beneficial to human.

B．The device can even be used in robots.

C．An improved version of the device has been made.

D．The device is expected to be used in developing countries.

In which aspect the electrical device should be improved?

A．Its cost should be lowered.

B．The electricity it produces should be used in daily life.

C．Its weight should be lightened.

D．Its inconvenience should be avoided .

Compared with the knee device, the bag invented by Larry Rome _____.

A．is more expensive.	B．is much heavier.
C．is less effective.	D．is much cheaper.

In which part of the newspaper can you find this passage?

A．Recreation and Entertainment

B．Occupation and Employment.

C．Medicine and Health.

D．Science and Technology.

【原创】Amazon is taking a leap into movie production, planning to fund a dozen original feature films each year, and to compress the time it takes to move them from theatres to viewers’ homes.
The first film projects are expected to begin production at Amazon Studios later this year, and to make their first public appearance in U.S. theatres. But Amazon plans to push them to its Prime Instant Video subscription service as little as 30 to 60 days later.
The long-standing timeline for movie releases is already under pressure, and Amazon’s latest move is another step toward collapsing it to satisfy increasingly impatient audiences. But where competitor Netflix Inc. has sought to do away with wait times entirely.
When Netflix promised last October to commission a sequel to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and to release it on its streaming site the same day when it would open in theatres in the fall of 2015, cinema owners refused. “We believe the theatrical window is an important part of the overall movie sales cycle,” a spokesperson for theatre chain said.
Paul, a senior media analyst, expects many of Amazon’s original movies will have the feel of independent films with their more challenging subject matter, often made for $10-million or less. The goal isn’t to go toe to toe with “the big blockbuster machine,” with their $100-million-plus production budgets.“I don’t see this as laying down the gauntlet,” Mr. Dergarabedian said. “It’s a strategy of co-existence.”
Prime Instant Video offers online access to a wide array of films and television shows for $99 (U.S.) a year. But it is not currently available in Canada, unless viewers use a virtual private network to disguise their location.
The new company, Amazon Original Movies, will be led by Ted Hope, an American independent filmmaker.
“Audiences already recognize Amazon has raised the bar with productions in the episodic realm, coping with bold material in unique ways and teaming with top talent, both established and emerging,” Mr. Hope said.
Why does Amazon begin to make original feature films?

A．To attract more Prime Instant Video customers

B．To win the Golden Globe Award

C．To cooperate with Netflix Inc.

D．To contribute to the film industry.

The original films that Amazon release _______.

A．may not use new actors

B．will first be shown in Canadian theatres

C．may be seen at home two months after they are released

D．may not be welcome in the US

From the passage we can infer the theatre _______.

A．doesn’t want to show Amazon’s new films

B．prefers to co-operate with Netflix Inc.

C．will make more profits because Amazon’ films cost less.

D．doesn’t like the time being shortened from theatres to homes

What does the underlined word “compress” mean?

A．Lengthen.

B．Shorten.

C．Increase.

D．Quit.

What can be the best title?

A．Amazon comes into world market.

B．Amazon has a bright future.

C．Amazon jumps into movies

D．The competition in film industry becomes serious.

	Surface area(sq mi)	Volume(cu mi)	Percentage of total
Salt water
The oceans	139,500,000	317,000,000	97.2％
Inland seas and saline lakes	270,000	25,000	0.008
Fresh water
Freshwater lakes	330,000	30,000	0.009
All rivers(average level)	－	300	0.0001
Antarctic Icecap	6,000,000	6,300,000	1.9
Arctic Icecap and glaciers	900,000	680,000	0. 21
Water in the atmosphere	197,000,000	3,100	0. 001
Ground water within half a mile from surface a mile from surface	－	1,000,000	0. 31
Deep-lying ground water	－	1,000,000	0. 31
Total (rounded)	－	326,000,000	100.00

A．Fresh Water in the World	B．Water Supply of the World
C．Salt Water of the Earth	D．Protection of the Water in the World

A．about 1,086,700 cu mi	B．about 6,300,000 cu mi
C．about 680,000 cu mi	D．about 2,000,000 cu mi

A．In Arctic Icecap and glaciers.	B．In Deep ground.
C．In the Antarctic Icecap.	D．In the atmosphere.