DearParents,Itisalmostaweeksin-优题课

Some houses are designed to be smart. Others have smart designs. An example of the second type of house won an Award of Excellence from the American Institutes of Architects.

2,4,6

Located on the shore of Sullivan’s Island off the coast of South Carolina, the award-winning cube-shaped beach house was built to replace one smashed to pieces by Hurricane（飓风）Hugo 10 years ago. In September 1989, Hugo struck South Carolina, killing 18 people and damaging or destroying 36,000 homes in the state. Before Hugo, many new houses built along South Carolina’s shoreline were poorly constructed, and enforcement of building laws wasn’t strict, according to architect Ray Huff, who created the cleverly-designed beach house. In Huff’s wake all new shoreline houses are required to meet stricter, better-enforced requirements. The new beach house on Sullivan’s Island should be able to withstand(经受) a Category 3 hurricane with peak winds of 179 to 209 kilometers per hour.

At first sight,

the house on Sullvan’s Island looks anything but hurricane-proof. Its redwood shell makes it resemble “a large party lantern” at night, according to one observer. But looks can be cheating. The house’s wooden frame is reinforced with long steel bars to give it extra strength.
To further protect the house from hurricane damage, Huff raised it 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings – long, slender columns of

wood anchored deep in the sand. Pilings might appear insecure, but they are strong enough to support the weight of the house. They also elevate the house above storm attacks. The pilings allow the waves to run under the house instead of running into it. “These swells of water come on shore at tremendous speeds and cause most of the damage done to beach-front buildings,” said Huff.
Huff designed the timber pilings to be partly masked by the house’s ground-to-roof shell. “The shell masks the pilings so that the house doesn’t look like it’s standing with its pant legs pulled up,” said Huff. In the event of a storm surge, the shell should break apart and let the waves rush under the house, the architect explained.
After the tragedy caused by Hurricane Hugo, new ho uses built along South Carolina’s shore line are required .

A．to be easily reinforced	B．to look smarter in design
C．to meet stricter building standards	D．to be designed in the shape of cubes

The award-winning beach house is quite strong because .

A．it is strengthened by steel bars	B．it is made of redwood
C．it is in the shape of a shell	D．it is built with stone and concrete

Huff raised the house 2.7 meters off the ground on timber pilings in order to .

A．withstand peak winds

of about 200 km/hr

B．strike stronger pilings keep into the sand

C．break huge sea waves into smaller ones

D．prevent water from rushing into the house

The main function of the shell is .

A．to strengthen the pilings of the house

B．to give the house a better appearance

C．to protect the wooden frame of the house

D．to slow down the speed of the swelling water

Experience the newly opened Grand Canyon(大峡谷) West Skywalk in Colorado. Departing from Grand Canyon South Rim by Airplane to Grand Canyon's West Rim, you will land and take a ground tour to the Skywalk! Walk on air for 70' feet over the edge of Grand Canyon West.
This Skywalk has been open since March 28, 2007. Daily visitorship to the Skywalk has been over 4,000 people. Please be patient to enjoy your moment on the Skywalk.
After you have experienced the one and only Grand Canyon Skywalk Glass Bridge, you will return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and take your Airplane for a flight back to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. This is a tour never to be forgotten as you will have walked on air over the Grand Canyon.
Tour Itinerary (行程)

Tour Duration	5.7 Hours	The Grand Indian Adventure Skywalk
Flight from Grand Canyon South Rim to Grand Canyon West	1 Hour	Experience an eagle-eye view of the Grand Canyon as you make your way to Grand Canyon West.
Lunch/Light Meal at Guano Point at Grand Canyon West	2 Hours	You will be taken by bus to Guano Point with breathtaking views of the western part of the Grand Canyon where the Colorado River makes it way into Lake Mead. Every table for Lunch has a view.
Walk on the World Renowned Skywalk	1.5 Hours	Finally, you will board your bus to Eagle Point, home of the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Now it is time for you to walk on air for 70' feet over the Grand Canyon.
Flight Back to Grand Canyon South Rim	1.2 Hours	After time on the Skywalk, you will return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and return to Grand Canyon South Rim in time for dinner and sunset.

This advertisement is for ___________.

A．Grant Canyon West	B．Grant Canyon South
C．Grant Canyon	D．the Skywalk

The package fee does NOT cover the cost of __________.

the Grand Canyon Skywalk Bridge is made of glass because ________.

A．it looks stronger	B．it is cheaper to build
C．it looks more beautiful	D．it gives you a better view

According to the Tour Itinerary, the route is __________.

A．South Rim→Guano Point →West Airport→Eagle Point → West Airport →South Rim

B．South Rim→West Airport →Guano Point→Eagle Point→West Airport →South Rim

C．South Rim→West Airport →Eagle Point→Guano Point→West Airport →South Rim

D．South Rim →West Airport→Eagle Point→West Airport→Guano Point →South Rim

HANS Christian Andersen put Denmark on the map of the world literature with his stories The Emperor's New Clothes, The Little Mermaid （小美人鱼） and The Ugly Duckling．Now Copenhagen, the country's capital, has become the center of the world political map, with 190 world leaders attending the climate talks there, not to mention thousands of reporters．
Just how much do you know about the Scandinavian country?
Denmark is famous for its design culture．At the heart of “Danish Design” is the idea that, as poet and designer Piet Hein puts it: “There is one art, not more, nor less, [and that is] to do all things with artlessness （朴实）”．
Danish design places equal emphasis on practicality and quality．From Lego toys to furniture, Danish products are known for their clean lines, simplicity and functionality．“Remove material where it's not needed．Keep things simple and functional and make them carefully,” explained Hans J．Wegner, the first Danish designer to achieve worldwide fame: “The aim is not to create a work of art, but to produce a good chair．”
“The Danes have done a better job than most in promoting arts in Europe, considering their country's size and population, in the fields of architecture, sculpture and design,” writes Helena Smith, reporter with British newspaper the Guardian．
The simplicity of Danish design may extend to the quality of life there．Some even claim that the Danes have the highest quality of life of any nation in the world．
Kate Vial, a 55-year-old American who has lived and worked in Denmark for more than 30 years, explaining why she chooses to live in Denmark rather than the US, told Germany's biggest news weekly Der Spiegel: “I just chose a simpler lifestyle, one where I could ride my bike all over and where I don't have to make a great living to survive．”
What’s the writer’s purpose of mentioning Denmark’s literature?

A．To show the readers that Denmark is best known for its stories．

B．To arouse readers’ interest in Denmark．

C．To tell the readers that this passage is related to literature．

D．To show why Denmark can attract so many political leaders．

What is Denmark famous for according to the passage?

A．Design culture	B．Making chairs
C．Writing poems	D．Climate prediction

Which statement is true according to the passage?

A．Danish design pays more attention to arts than its function．

B．Danish products don’t need much material．

C．Danish people like to keep simple life．

D．Compared with other countries in Europe, Denmark does lit

tle in promoting arts．

In Piet Hein’s opinion, the characteristic of Danish culture is _____________．

A．Creative

B．Complicated

C．Impractical

D．Simple

What is the best title for the passage?

A．Danes conquer the world with simple designs．

B．Denmark—a new political center．

C．Life in Denmark．

D．Designer’s idea of Denmark．

The Zhoukoudian Beijing Man Site is one of the most important world heritage sites in China．Since the discovery, which changed China’s knowledge of its history, was made in the 1920s, Zhoukoudian has become an important place for archaeologists from all over the world．At the site in the south-west suburb of Beijing, there is, for example, the earliest evidence of the use of fire by humans．It has also been proved that people lived there continuously between 500,000 and 10,000 years ago．
Today, however, Zhoukoudian is in serious danger．Parts of the cave have been badly affected by rain and exposure to the air．Some areas are almost completely covered in weeds, causing serious damage．Pollution from nearby cement factories has also contributed to the problem．
The site is extremely expensive to maintain and it will cost between three and five million yuan to repair it．At the moment, visitors are not allowed to visit the caves．
Zhoukoudian is on the World Cultural Heritage List, organized by UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization．The list is constantly checked．Any site which is seriously damaged or which is not properly protected is an endangered heritage, and UNESCO is very quick to do something about situations like this．They have recommended that the site be closed and repaired．If nothing is done to repair it, it could be removed from the list．
This is a very serious matter and the Chinese Academy of Sciences is trying to raise public awareness about it．They have suggested that the general public be encouraged to help with the problem．A professor at the Academy has proposed that a fund be established to raise money．
Dr Zhu Ming of the Academy said, “ We have requested that the government get involved, but we also need assistance from ordinary people．They can help by contributing to the cost of repairing the caves．They are a precious part of our cultural heritage—it is of vital importance that we do something．If not, it will be a catastrophe．”
Why is Zhoukoudian of great importance in China?

A．Because the site tells some information about how man lived in the old times．

B．Because it has brought in lots of money as a place of interest．

C．Because it is the only place in China on the World Cultural Heritage List．

D．Because it chan

ged our knowledge of China’s history of the 1920’s．

What is the second paragraph about?

A．Zhoukoudian’s discovery	B．Zhoukoudian’s future
C．Zhoukoudian’s in danger	D．Zhoukoudian’s protection

The following has caused the damage of the site except________________．

A．Weeds

B．Rain

C．Fire

D．Cement factories

The passage suggests that to repair Zhoukoudian, Chinese Academy of Sciences is seeking help from_________．

A．Archaeologists from all over the world

B．Government and the public

C．Experts from UNESCO

D．Visitors

Which of the following can replace the underlined word “catastrophe”?

A．case

B．worry

C．wonder

D．disaster

Phys ed （physical education） is making a comeback as a part of the school core curriculum（核心课程）， but with a difference．While group sports are still part of the curriculum, the new way is to teach skills that are useful beyond gym class．Instead of learning how to climb a rope, children are taught to lift weights, balance their diets and build physical endurance（忍耐力）．In this way，kids are given the tools and skills and experiences so they can lead a physically active life the rest of their life．
Considering that 15 percent of American children 6 to 18 are overweight, supporters say more money and thought must be put into phys ed curriculum．In many cases, that may mean not just replacing the old gym-class model with fitness programs but also starting up phys ed programs because school boards often "put P．E．on the chopping block（砧板）, cutting it entirely or decreasing its teachers or the days it is offered," says Alicia Moag-Stahlberg, the executive director of Action for Health Kids．The difference in phys ed programs is partly due to the lack of a national standard．"Physical education needs to be part of the core curriculum," she added．
The wisdom of the new approach has some scientific support．Researchers at the University of Wisconsin have showed how effective the fit-for-life model of gym class can be．They observed how 50 overweight children lost more weight when they cycled and skied cross-country （越野）than when they played sports．The researchers also found that teaching sports like football resulted in less overall movement, partly because some reluctant students were able to sit on the bench．
Another problem with simply teaching group sports in gym class is that only a small percentage of students continue playing them after graduating from high school．The new method teaches skills that translate to adulthood．
According to the passage, what is usually taught in the old gym class?

A．Lift weights	B．Climb a rope
C．Cycle	D．Have a balanced diet

What does Alicia Moag-Stahlberg mean by saying “some school boards put P．E．on the chopping block”?

A．Schools do not pay

enough attention to P．E．．

B．Schools welcome P．E．but do not have time for it．

C．Schools put P．E．in the first place．

D．Schools cut down other s

ubjects’ time for P．E．．

Which is NOT the reason to carry out phys ed programs according to the passage?

A．More teenagers are overweight．

B．Traditional group sports teaching is not effective．

C．Students need to learn some skills to help them lead a physically active life．

D．Phys ed programs need less money to support．

How many problems are mentioned in the passage with simply teaching group sports?

A．Two

B．Three

C．Four

D．One

What’s the difference between the come-back phys ed and the ordinary gym-class model？

A．The Phys ed teaches group sports．

B．The Phys ed provides more fitness programs．

C．The Phys ed teaches tools and skills which could be used in the future life．

D．The Phys ed has more support from the government．