Did you ever look up at the moon and think you saw a man’s face there? When the moon is round and full, the shadows(影子) of the moon mountains and the lines of the moon valleys sometimes seem to show a giant nose and mouth and eyes. At least, some people think so.
If there were a man on the moon—instead of mountains and valleys that just look like the face of a man—what would he be like?
He would not be like anyone you know. He would not be like anyone anybody knows.
If the man on the moon were bothered by too much heat or cold the way Earth people are, he could not stay on the moon.
The moon becomes very, very hot. It becomes as hot as boiling water. And the moon becomes very, very cold. It becomes colder than ice.
Whatever part of the moon the sun shines on is hot and bright. The rest of the moon is cold and dark.
If the man on the moon had to breathe to stay alive, he couldn’t live on the moon because there’s no air there. He’d have to carry an oxygen tank, as astronauts do. There’s no food on the moon, either. Nothing grows—not even weeds(grass).
If the man on the moon liked to climb mountains, he would be very happy. There are many high places there, such as the raised land around the holes, or craters(火山口), of the moon. Some of these rims are as tall as Earth’s highest mountains.
But if the man on the moon liked to swim, he would be unhappy. There is no water on the moon—just dust and rock.
When you think of what it’s like on the moon, you may wonder why it interests our scientists. One reason is that the moon is Earth’s nearest neighbor—it is the easiest place in space to get to.
Going back and forth between the moon and Earth, astronauts will get a lot of practice in space travel. Things learned on moon trips will be of great help to astronauts who later take long, long trips to some of the planets.
Scientists are also interested in the moon because it has no air. The air that surrounds Earth cuts down the view of the scientists who look at the stars through telescopes. A telescope on the moon would give them a clearer, closer view of the stars.(words: 411)What is the reason why our scientists are interested in the moon.?
A.The moon is beautiful. |
B.The moon is different from the earth. |
C.The moon is Earth’s nearest neighbor—it is the easiest place in space to get to. |
D.The moon is the easiest place in space to get to and it has no air, unlike Earth. |
The underlined word “rim” in the Paragraph 8 means _________ .
A.ball | B.hill | C.round edge | D.height |
What is the main thought of the passage?
A.We can learn much from research on the Moon. |
B.There may be human beings on the moon. |
C.If there were a man on the Moon, there would be many similarities between the man on the Moon and on the Earth. |
D.A telescope on the Moon would help scientists have a clearer, closer sight of the stars. |
Like many other parts of our lives today, education has become a global enterprise. In microcosm(微观世界), my school is proof of just how global. Monkseaton High School is an ordinary state-funded school of 850 students in the unfashionable part of northeastern England. Over the past seven years it has sent 12 students to American universities --- two of them to Harvard. Monkseaton has, in turn, attracted students from other countries, including Germany and Latvia. Monkseaton now almost routinely receives inquiries from students in Eastern European countries. Obviously, learning English is a big draw, but his pattern of student movement was unheard of five years ago.
The brain drain is a universal phenomenon, and countries that don’t face up to the new reality will be losing some of their most precious resources. The northeast of England is its poorest region, and has experienced a severe loss of highly qualified professionals-to-be. Some of the most able 18-year-olds are going to other parts of Britain, even to other countries. What is happening here is happening to Britain as a whole. Most noticeably, there is a growing trend of British students taking degrees in American universities. This year the number will break the psychological barrier of 1,000 students for the first time.
And what is happening at the secondary-school level is happening to higher education. Wherever they come from, today’s students have a very different perspective on education from their parents. Because of television, the Internet and their travels, these students see the world as a much smaller place than their parents once did. They are more confident in accepting the challenge of moving from one country to another, from one culture to another; in many cases they can even apply to schools over the Internet. Students are also more aware of the overall cost of education and are looking for value for money. Plus, for many, education linked to travel is a better option than education at home.Why does the author say education has become a global enterprise?
A.Monkseaton High School used to be a very unfashionable school in the Northeast England. |
B.Monkseaton High School is now one of the state-funded middle schools in England. |
C.Monkseaton High School has sent two top students to the Harvard University in U.S. |
D.There is now an extensive exchange of students among different countries. |
What can we infer about northeast England from the passage?
A.It is one of the poorest regions in England. |
B.It has experienced a severe loss of professionals. |
C.It will face a more serious brain drain in the near future. |
D.It is losing its young talents to other parts of the world. |
According to the passage, students today have different perspective from their parents on the following EXCEPT that _________________.
A.education linked to travel is much better than education at home |
B.overall cost of education should be considered against money value |
C.moving from one culture to another is a welcomed challenge |
D.the Internet is more popular and easier to access in the near future |
The students today tend to see the world as a much smaller place NOT because __________.
A.they are having more exposure to the television programs |
B.they are having easier access to the Internet |
C.they are having frequent travels to the other parts of the world |
D.they are having better communication with their parents |
The purpose of the author in writing this passage is to __________.
A.tell us the benefit of globalization of education |
B.analyze the causes for students’ moving trend in Great Britain |
C.criticize the universal phenomenon of brain drain worldwide |
D.draw attention to students’ moving from one country to another |
【改编】Australian scientists say an organic compound used by Indian women to paint dots or bindi on their foreheads could hold the key to a breakthrough in cancer treatment. Rose Bengal (玫瑰红)was first used in the early 1900s as a dye for food, textiles and cosmetics. But now it is proving to be a useful weapon in the fight against skin cancer.
Television advertisements constantly warn of the dangers of overexposure to the fierce sun. Among them is the possibility of the disease melanoma(黑瘤), a type of skin cancer. More than 1,200 Australians die every year from the disease.
Initial trials of a solution of Rose Bengal injected into some melanoma cells have had a 75 percent success rate in controlling the disease. Professor John Thompson, the director of the Melanoma Unit at the University of Sydney, says this organic dye could become a powerful cancer-fighting treatment.
“We believe it works by getting into the tumor(肿块) cells and causing them to self-destruct. But the exact mechanism by which it works is not totally clear. It’s not useful for people who have a primary melanoma. The treatment of primary melanoma is surgical excision(切除),”he said. “It’s useful to inject tumors for people who have recurrences; when the primary treatment has failed and when recurrence in the area, or at more distant sites has occurred.”
About 90 percent of Australians who develop melanoma survive thanks to early diagnosis and treatment. If left untreated, however, the disease can be fatal.
Convincing younger people in Australia about the dangers of overexposure to the sun is a battle campaigners are constantly waging.
Veronica Manock, a 21-year-old student, had two major operations to remove a cancerous tumor from her leg.
“I’ve had a lot of friends who just said ‘I thought it was just, you know, I’ll get a mole(痣) cut out and that’s it’, whereas I don’t think people realize how much danger they’re putting themselves into and how easy it is to stop something like this happening to you just from doing little things,”said Marock.
Other researchers in Australia are investigating genetic treatments to skin cancer. There is a pressing need for such research to produce effective treatments. Australians, the majority of whom are fair-skinned(浅肤色的), are four times more likely to develop a melanoma than people in Canada, the United States or Great Britain.Which can be the best title of the passage?
A.Rose Bengal—the cause of skin cancer. |
B.Rose Bengal—a tool to fight against skin cancer. |
C.Skin cancer—the first killer. |
D.Melanoma—the threat to health. |
What does the underlined word “fatal” mean?
A.Curable. | B.Serious. | C.Deadly. | D.Self-healing. |
From what Veronica Manock said , we can know _______.
A.people haven’t realized overexposure to the sun is dangerous |
B.mole on the leg is dangerous. |
C.people can do nothing to protect themselves from melanoma |
D.nothing can be done to deal with the disease. |
Who are likely to develop a melanoma?
A.Englishmen. | B.Canadians. |
C.Americans. | D.Australians. |
In which section of a newspaper does the passage possibly appear?
A.Economy. | B.Agriculture. | C.Health. | D.Fashion. |
【改编】Shirley Temple(1928—2014),an American actress,was considered among the most successful child stars in the history of film.Born by an ambitious mother,Temple first appeared in a film at the age of three,and at six she starred in Stand Up and Cheer (1934).Known and recognized for her ability to sing and tap dance in several films,Temple became a famous figure in 1934.At the end of that year she was given a special Academy Award “in grateful recognition of her outstanding contribution.’’
During the Great Depression of the l930s,Temple was celebrated by an adoring public.At the height of her popularity,from l935 to 1938,Temple was the biggest box-office attraction in Hollywood.Temple made a number of films as a teenager,but her appeal had faded,and the films were not successful.In l949, Temple departed elegantly from Hollywood.
Two decades later,she reappeared into the spotlight by announcing her qualification as a candidate for Congress.She lost the election,but Temple displayed her determination and went on to enjoy a long and successful:career with the United Nations and the State Department.
After retirement,she reposed that she was at peace with her life and proud of her accomplishments in two of the nation’s most influential areas.“If I had to do it all over again.’’Shirley Temple once declared,‘‘I wouldn’t change anything.’’What made Shirley world famous?
A.Her determination and strong will. |
B.Her attractive appearance. |
C.Her ability in politics. |
D.Her ability to singand tap dance. |
What caused Temple to lose her appeal as an actor?
A.The appearance of new stars. |
B.Not mentioned. |
C.The Great Depression |
D.The disappearance of her beauty. |
When did Temple return to the spotlight?
A.In her forties. | B.In her twenties. |
C.In her thirties. | D.In her fifties. |
From the last paragraph we can infer Temple _____.
A.regretted she was involved in politics |
B.was disappointed at leaving the stage so early |
C.wanted to lead a different life |
D.was satisfied with her choices. |
How do you find Shirley Temple?
A.Beautiful and kind-hearted. | B.Out-going and adventurous. |
C.Tough-minded and gifted. | D.Humorous and charming. |
Having experienced a shocking electrical accident, which caused him to become both blind and deaf, James Francos world became completely dark and quiet for almost ten years. The loss of sight and hearing threw him into such sorrow that he tried a few times to put an end to his life. His family, especially his wife, did their best to tend and comfort him and finally he regained the will to live.
One hot summer afternoon, he was taking a walk with a stick near his house when a thunderstorm started all at once. He stood under a large tree to avoid getting wet, but he was struck by the lightning. Witnesses thought he was dead but he woke up 20 minutes later, lying face down in muddy water. He was trembling badly, but when he opened his eyes, he could hardly believe what he saw: a tree and a muddy road. When Mrs. Franco came running up to him, shouting to their neighbors to call for help, he could see her and hear her voice for the first time in nearly ten years.
The news of James regaining his sight and hearing quickly spread and many doctors came to examine him. Most of them said that he regained his sight and hearing from the shock he got from the lightning. However, none of them could give a compellent answer as to why this should happen. The only reasonable explanation given by one doctor was that, since James lost his sight and hearing as a result of a sudden shock, perhaps, the only way for him to regain them was by another sudden shock. 【改编】What did James has experience ced make him both blond and deaf?
A.A shocking electrical accident. |
B.A traffic accident. |
C.A fire accident. |
D.A medical accident. |
【改编】When was James sheltering from the rain under a tree?
A.When he was struck by the lightning. |
B.When he went home. |
C.When he want to kill himself. |
D.When he lost his sight. |
【改编】 Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A.A Lucky Experience |
B.The Grateful man |
C.How Brave a boy |
D.What A Sudden Shock |
Happy birthday
The China National Opera (CNO) will give a concert to celebrate its 50th birthday.
Different generations of CNO vocalists, like Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei, will present the concert which will feature both songs from famous Chinese operas like The White-haired GM and The Hundred Bride, as well as, arias (咏叹调) of such western opera classics as Madame Butterfly, La Traviata and Rigoletto.
Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 7, 8
Location: Tianqiao Theatre
Tel: 65514787, 83156170
Tickets: 60-500 yuan (US $ 7.2-60.2)
Folk music
A concert will be held to feature some recently-composed traditional Chinese music works. The concert, given by the Folk Orchestra of the China Opera and Ballet Theatre, will include such pieces as Memory of childhood, Memorial Ceremony for God and Wine Song.
Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 13
Location: Concert hall at the National Library of China
Tel: 6848-5462, 6841-9220 Tickets:30-200 yuan(US $ 3.6-24.1)
Moon Music
A concert of traditional Chinese music will be given on the eve of the Moon Festival which falls on September 21st this year.
The concert will feature a number of famous pieces centred on the theme of the moon, such as Moonlight, Spring Night on a Moonlit River and Lofty Mountain and Flowing river.
A number of popular traditional Chinese music performers, like Zhou Yaokun and Fan Weiqing, will play solos as well as cooperate with the folk music orchestra (管弦乐队).
Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 21st
Location: Grand theatre of the Cultural Palace of Nationalities
Tel: 6606-8888, 6606-9999
Tickets: 40-220 yuan(US $ 4.8-27)【改编】If you want to see Zhou Yaokun and Fan Weiqing, you can dial____.
A.8315-6170 |
B.6551-4748 |
C.6848-5462 |
D.6606-8888 |
【改编】 Which statement is right according to the passage?
A.Li Guangxi, Yao Hong and Ma Mei stand for the same generation of CNO vocalists. |
B.Rigoletto is a famous piece on the theme of the moon. |
C.Zhou Yaokun will play solos and Fan Weiqing will cooperate with the folk music orchestra. |
D.The concert, given by the Folk Orchestra of the China Opera and Ballet Theatre, will include such pieces as Memory of childhood, Memorial Ceremony for God and Wine Song. |
【改编】What is the passage mainly about?
A.A star. |
B.A post. |
C.A concert. |
D.A TV show. |