Much of the water we use comes from snow. Melting snow provides water for rivers, electric power centers and agricultural crops. In the western United States, mountain snow provides up to 75% of all surface water supplies.
Snowfall helps to protect plants and some wild animals from cold, winter weather. Fresh snow is made largely of air trapped among the snow crystals. Because the air has trouble moving, the movement of heat is greatly reduced.
Snow also is known to influence the movement of sound waves. When there is fresh snow on the ground, the surface of the snow takes in, or absorbs, sound waves. However, snow can become hard and flat as it becomes older or if there have been strong winds. Then the snow's surface will help to send back sound waves. Under these conditions, sounds may seem clearer and travel farther.
Generally, the color of snow and ice appears white. This is because the light we see from the sun is white. Most natural materials take in some sunlight. This gives them their color. However, when light travels from air to snow, some light is sent back, or reflected. Snow crystals have many surfaces to reflect sunlight. Yet the snow does take in a little sunlight. It is this light that gives snow its white appearance.
Sometimes, snow or ice may appear to be blue. The blue light is the product of a long travel path through the snow or ice. In simple terms, think of snow or ice as a filter. A filter is designed to reject some substances, while permitting others to pass through. In the case of snow, all the light makes it through if the snow is only a centimeter thick. If it is a meter or more thick, however, blue light often can be seen.How many functions of snow are discussed in the passage?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
Why does snowfall help to protect plants from cold?
| A．Because snow crystals contain heat. |
| B．Because snow crystals have air in them. |
| C．Because snow crystals are easy to blow away. |
| D．Because snow crystals send out heat when melting. |
It can be inferred that ______.
| A．hard snow is better in protecting wild animals than fresh snow |
| B．fresh snow is better in sending sound waves than hard snow |
| C．fresh snow is better in taking in sound waves than hard snow |
| D．hard snow provides less water than fresh snow |
The color of snow and ice appears white because snow crystals________.
| A．send back none of the sunlight | B．send back all of the sunlight |
| C．take in most of the sunlight | D．take in some of the sunlight |
There are some very good things about open education. This way of teaching allows the students to grow as people, and to develop their own interests in many subjects. Open education allows students to be responsible for their own education, as they are responsible for what they do in life. Some students do badly in a traditional classroom. The open classroom may allow them to enjoy learning. Some students will be happier in an open education school. They will not have to worry about grades or rules. For students who worry about these things a lot, it is a good idea to be in an open classroom.
But many students will not do well in an open classroom. For some students, there are too few rules. These students will do little in school. They will not make good use of open education. Because open education is so different from traditional education, these students may have a problem getting used to making so many choices. For many students it is important to have some rules in the classroom. They worry about the rules even when there are no rules. Even a few rules will help this kind of students. The last point about open education is that some traditional teachers do not like it. Many teachers do not believe in open education. Teachers who want to have an open classroom may have many problems at their schools.
You now know what open education is. Some of its good points and bad points have been explained. You may have your own opinion about open education. The writer thinks that open education is a good idea, but only in theory. In actual fact, it may not work very well in a real class or school. The writer believes that most students, but of course not all students, want some structure in their classes. They want and need to have rules. In some cases, they must be made to study some subjects. Many students are pleased to find subjects they have to study interesting. They would not study those subjects if they did not have to.
1．Open education allows the students to____________
A．grow as the educated B．be responsible for their future
C．develop their own interests D．discover subjects outside class
2．Open education may be a good idea for the students who_________
A．enjoy learning B．worry about grades
C．do well in a traditional classroom D．are responsible for what they do in life.
3．Some students will do little in an open classroom because_________.
A．there are too few rules
B．they hate activities
C．open education is similar to the traditional education
D．they worry about the rules
4．Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A．Some traditional teachers do not like it.
B．Many teachers do not believe in open education.
C．Teachers may have problems in open classrooms.
D．The teacher’s feelings and attitudes are important to the students.
5．Which of the following best summarizes the passage?
A．Open education is a really complex idea.
B．Open education is better than traditional education.
C．Teachers dislike open education.
D．The writer thinks that open education is a good idea in practice.
Chinese sword play
Learn Chinese swordsmanship and practice Chinese sword play under the instruction of a professional in Ditan Park every Sunday afternoon.
Fee: 60 yuan(US$ 7.2)
Time/Date: 2 pm --- 3:30 pm, October 10.
Place: Meet at the south gate of Ditan Park, across the overpass north of the Lama Temple, Chaoyang District.
Tel: 8457-2772
See Lu Xun’s former residence
Visit the museum and former residence of Lu Xun, the father of Chinese modern literature, and learn about this period of Chinese history, from 1910 to the late 1930’s.
Fee: 50 yuan(US$ 6)
Time/Date: 2:30 pm --- 4:30 pm, October 16
Place: Meet in front of Lu Xun’s Museum, Fuchengmennei Dajie, Xicheng District
Tel: 6432-9341
Hike on Heifengkou Great Wall
Heifengkou Great Wall is about one and a half hours’ drive north of Beijing. The hike starts from the village at the foot of the mountain where the Great Wall meanders to the top.
Fee: 150 yuan(US$ 18) for adults, 100 yuan(US$ 12) for kids under 12.
Time/Date: 8:30 am --- 5:30 pm, October 16
Pick-up: Meet at 8:30 am in front of the Big Easy, at the South Gate of Chaoyang Park, returning by 5:30 pm.
Contact Lucy at lucy @ highclub. cn,
or 6553-3920 for signing up.
Tai Chi class
This is a beginner’s level of Chen-style Tai Chi class, instructed by Paul Wang, who speaks excellent English and has a lot of experience teaching Westerners. He is the 12th generation master of Chen-Style Tai Chi, Tai Chi Sword, and Shaolin Temple longquan.
Time/Date: 10 am --- 11:30 am, October 12, 19
Fee: 60 yuan(US$ 7.2)
Place: In front of Jintai Gallery, inside the West Gate of Chaoyang Park, Chaoyang District
Tel: 6432-9341
Contact Gina at linshujuan@chinadaily. com. cn.
1. The underline word “residence” in the second text possibly refers to ______ .
A. a work B. a famous personC. a park D. a house
2. If John wants to learn Chinese sword play, he may go to _____.
A. Ditan Park at 2 pm --- 3:30 pm, October 10
B. Fuchengmennei Dajie at 2:30 pm --- 4:30 pm, October 16
C. the South Gate of Chaoyang Park at 8:30 am
D. Chaoyang Park at 10 am --- 11:30 am, October 12, 19
3. In which section of the newspaper can you find the information above?
A. Sports. B. Entertainment. C. Advertisements. D. Brief News.
An American man from Las Vegas opened a dog and cat hotel recently. Pats can rest on soft rugs(小地毯), watch television and get to know some new friends while their masters have fun in the city
The American Dog and Cat Hotel opened officially on a Wednesday in March. There is everything a pet could want --- and more.
“We hear time and time again. ‘This is so nice, I’d like to stay here.’ ” the hotel manager said in an interview. He believed that people would want for their pets what they wanted for themselves.
Kennels(狗舍) have been around for a long time, but nowadays masters want to put their loved pets in some better places, he added.
He said the cats and dogs like to watch images(图像) on TV although they may not understand them. Anyway, they don’t have to know Britney Spears or Emimem to enjoy the pop music. Also, “The dogs don’t know it is a rug, but they know it is soft,” he said.
Pet masters can book a dog suite(套房) for $79 a night. Baths and other services are also offered.
The pet hotel manager believes that all the animal lovers in the world will love this great idea.
1. By “--- and more” in the last sentence of the 2nd paragraph the writer means that ______.
A. there’re also things for the pet masters
B. some of the things are unnecessary
C. there’re things a pet cannot fully enjoy
D. all the things are plenty in amount
2. In the pet masters’ opinion, the kennels are _____.
A. not good enough B. too old to live in
C. just an equal choice D. no longer in existence
3. The 5th paragraph suggests that ______.
A. some pets know some pop stars
B. “rug” is a difficult word for a pet to learn
C. pets enjoy things the same way humans do
D. pets enjoy things at a sensational level
三．阅读理解
Einstein, a great scientist of the age, was almost as strange as his Theory of Relativity.
Once, while riding a street car in Berlin, he told the conductor that he had not given him the right change. The conductor counted the change again and found it to be correct, so he handed it to Einstein, saying, “The trouble with you is that you don’t know your figures.”
Einstein said that there were only twelve people living who understood his Theory of Relativity although a good many books had been written to explain it.
He had nothing but contempt(蔑视) for the things most people set their hearts on --- for fame and riches(财富) and luxury(奢华).
He didn’t want money or praise. He made his own happiness out of such simple things as his work and playing the violin and sailing his boat. Einstein’s violin brought him more joy than anything else in life. He said that he often thought in music.
1．The conductor thought Einstein _____ ．
A． wasn’t good at mathsB．had good memory
C． was either mad or strange D．liked to make trouble
2．Einstein meant that many people _____ ．
A. knew his Theory of Relativity well because they could explain it
B．had written to have grasped his theory correctly
C．pretended to have grasped his abstract theory
D．admired him very much
3．Which of the following statements is true?
A. Einstein care little for fame or wealth.
B. Einstein had nothing but enough fame and riches and luxury.
C. Einstein was eager for the things most people set their hearts to.
D. In the eyes of Einstein, most people had a strong wish to publish book on the theory.
4. The underline part “set their hearts on” means _____.
A. believe B. have C. love D. hate
Cape Verde is an African country that contists of 10 main islands and 5 tiny ones. It lies in the Atlantic Ocean, about 400 miles west of Senegal on the African mainland .
Cape Verde has a population of about 329,000 and a total area of 1,557 square miles. Sao Tiago, the largest island , covers 383 square miles. There are no people living on Santa Luzia, the last of the ten larger islands,nor on the five small islands.
Praia,the capital of Cape Verde,is on Sao Tiago.However,the largest city,Mindelo,is on Sao Vicente, the sixth largest island of the group. Portugal(葡萄牙)ruled the islands from the 1460's until 1975,when Cape Verde became independent. Now Cape Verde is a republic with an elected president.
About 70 per cent of the people of Cape Verde have mixed black African and Portuguese (葡萄牙的) blood. The rest of the population are mostly black Africans.
1. If you visit Cape Verde,you will find
A. people only on the ten main islands.
B. about 200 people on every square mile of land.
C. people on all the islands except Santa Luzia.
D. no people on the six smallest islands.
2. Five hundred years ago Cape Verde was
A. a free country.
B. a colony (殖民地).
C. an unknown country.
D. a republic.
3. Three out of ten people living in Cape Verde are of
A. mixed Portuguese and African ancestry (祖先).
B. Portuguese ancestry.
C. either Portuguese or African ancestry.
D. African ancestry.