In most situations, light helps us see. But when it comes to looking at the night sky, light is actually a kind of pollution. It prevents our view of some of life’s most striking sights: stars, planets, and even galaxies(银河系).
“When I was a little boy, I loved the night sky. I remember looking up and the sky was filled with stars. I became an astronomer because I was amazed by their beauty,” says Robert Gent, “Now in most big cities kids can’t see the stars like I did.”
Normally, about 2,500 individual (单个的) stars are visible to the human eyes without using any special equipment. But because of light pollution, you actually see just 200 to 300 and fewer than a dozen from some cities. Only one in three Americans can see our own galaxy with the naked eyes. Those people live far away from the lights of big cities, office buildings, and shopping malls.
Fortunately, there’s an inexpensive and useful way. If we shine lights down at the ground instead of up into the sky, and use lower brightness levels, we can save big amounts of energy and keep the beauty of the night sky. Many cities and towns have passed laws limiting lights at night, making sure enough shine for safety without creating much light pollution.
Light pollution affects more than our view of the heavens and can harm wildlife. Migrating birds(候鸟) sometimes fly over cities and become confused by the brightness, flying in circles until they drop from exhaustion. Sea turtles need dark beaches for nesting and won’t approach bright lights. Too much light at night may even affect human health. For all these reasons, researchers are working on ways to use lights only when and where they are truly needed. Everyone deserves to look up at the sky.According to the text, using our naked eyes, ________.
| A．people in remote areas can see more stars than those in big cities |
| B．over one third Americans can see our own galaxy |
| C．about one in three Americans in big cities can see our own galaxy |
| D．Americans can only see 200 to 300 stars |
Many cities and towns have passed laws limiting lights at night mainly to ____________.
| A．save the electricity |
| B．make sure of migrating birds’ safety |
| C．let you count the number of stars |
| D．avoid much light pollution |
What does the fourth paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．The cause of light pollution. |
| B．The way to reduce light pollution. |
| C．The effect of light pollution. |
| D．People’s attitude towards light pollution. |
The underlined word “exhaustion” in the last paragraph means _______ .
| A．air pollution | B．tiredness | C．breath | D．brightness |
Which would be the best title for the text?
| A．Light Pollution | B．Seeking the Sky | C．Stars in the Sky | D．City Pollution |
Raised in a motherless home, my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn’t soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home, Dad never met me, even in severe weather. If I grumbled, he’d say in his loudest father-voice, “That’s what your legs are for!”
The walk didn’t bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn’t seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was cancelled one spring evening.
It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop, I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home.
A row of hedge（树篱）edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey, I always had a sense of relief to see the hedge because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening, the hedge had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedge, moving toward the house. Upon closer observation, I realized it was the top of my father’s head. Then I knew, each time I’d come home, he had stood behind the hedge, watching, until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care, after all.
On later visits, that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home, I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair. “So! My son, it’s you!” he’d say, his face lengthening into pretended surprise.
I replied, “Yes, Dad, it’s me. I’m home.” What does the underlined word “grumbled” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．Accepted happily. | B．Spoke unhappily. |
| C．Agreed willingly. | D．Explained clearly. |
What made the author feel upset was ______.
| A．the tiredness after long hours in labs. |
| B．the fear of seeing something moving. |
| C．the feeling of being less than valued. |
| D．the loneliness of riding the bus home. |
The author’s father watched behind the hedge because ______.
| A．he wanted to help his son build up courage. |
| B．he was concerned about his son’s safety. |
| C．he didn’t want to meet his son at the doorway. |
| D．he didn’t think his son was old enough to walk alone. |
Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A．Terrible Journey Home. | B．My College Life. |
| C．My Father’s Secret. | D．Riding Bus Alone. |
We are all called upon to make a speech at some point in life, but most of us don’t do a very good job. This article gives some suggestions on how to give an effective speech.
So, you have to give a speech—and you are terrified. You get nervous, you forget what you want to say, you stumble over words, you talk too long, and you bore your audience. Later you think, “Thank Goodness, it’s over. I’m just not good at public speaking. I hope I never have to do that again.”
Cheep up! It doesn’t have to be that bad. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech making. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech. What is the occasion? Why are you speaking? Then, gather as many facts as you can on your subject. Spend plenty of your time doing your research. Then spend plenty of your time organizing your material so that your speech is clear and easy to follow. Use as many examples as possible, and use pictures, charts, and graphs if they help you make your points more clearly. Never forget your audience. Don’t talk over their heads, and don’t talk down to them. Treat your audience with respect. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
Just remember: Be prepared. Know your subject, your audience, and the occasion. Be brief. Say what you have to say and then stop. And be yourself. Let your personality come through so that you make person-to-person contact with your audience.
If you follow these simple steps, you will see that you don’t have to be afraid of public speaking. In fact, you may find the experience so enjoyable that you volunteer to make more speeches! You’re not convinced yet? Give it a try and see what happens.The main idea of this article is.
| A．that you can improve your speaking ability |
| B．that a poor speaker can never change |
| C．to always make a short speech |
| D．that it is hard to make a speech |
Paragraph 2 implies that .
| A．many people are afraid of giving a speech |
| B．many people are happy to give a speech |
| C．many people don’t prepare for a speech |
| D．many people talk too long |
The phrase “talk over their heads” means .
| A．speak too loudly |
| B．look at the ceiling |
| C．look down upon them |
| D．use words and ideas that are too difficult |
All of the following statements are TRUE except .
| A．few people know how to make good speeches |
| B．a lecturer does not need to organize his speech |
| C．research is important in preparing a speech |
| D．there are simple steps you can take to improve your speaking ability |
The title for this passage may be .
| A．Do Not Make a Long Speech |
| B．How to Give a Good Speech |
| C．How to prepare for a Speech |
| D．Try to Enjoy a speech |
Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country’s economy. It is important to think about the people of a destination country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country, keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance the wealth and happiness of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country’s economy can suffer.
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism, people can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports, air terminals, first- class roads, and other support facilities（配套设施）needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists, jobs and money are lost.Which of the following do you think has been discussed in the part before this selection？
| A．It is extremely important to develop tourism. |
| B．Building roads and hotels is essential. |
| C．Support facilities are highly necessary. |
| D．Planning is of great importance to tourism. |
The underlined word“ inhabitants” （in Paragraph 1 ）probably means_________.
| A．tourists | B．passengers |
| C．population | D．citizens |
Too much tourism can cause all these problems EXCEPT __________ .
| A．a bad effect on other industries |
| B．a change of tourists’ customs |
| C．over-crowdedness of places of interest |
| D．pressure on traffic |
It can be inferred from the text that _____________ .
| A．the author doesn’t like tourism developing so fast |
| B．local people will benefit from tourist attraction |
| C．other parts of a country’s economy won’t benefit from tourism much |
| D．we can't build too many support facilities |
The author thinks it is good for local people to know that tourism will ________ .
| A．waste a lot of money |
| B．weaken their economy |
| C．help establish their customs |
| D．help improve their life |
It doesn't matter when or how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That's what all doctors thought, until they heard about Al Herpin. Al Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.
Al Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day, they never saw Herpin sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.
The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness. They asked him many questions, hoping to find an answer. They found only one answer that might explain his condition. Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born. But that was all. Was this the real reason? No one could be sure.
Al Herpin died at the age of 95.The main idea of this passage is that _______
| A．large numbers of people do not need sleep |
| B．a person was found who actually didn't need any sleep |
| C．everyone needs some sleep to stay alive |
| D．people can live longer by trying not to sleep |
The doctors came to visit Herpin, expecting ______
| A．to cure him of his sleeplessness |
| B．to find out whether his sleeplessness was really true |
| C．to find out why some old people didn't need any sleep |
| D．to find a way to free people from the need of sleeping |
After watching him closely, the doctors came to believe that Al Herpin ____
| A．needed some kind of sleep |
| B．was too old to need any sleep |
| C．needed no sleep at all |
| D．often slept in a chair |
One reason that might explain Herpin' s sleeplessness was ______
| A．his mother's injury before he was born |
| B．that he had gradually got rid of the sleeping habit |
| C．his magnificent physical condition |
| D．that he hadn't got a bed |
Al Herpin' s condition could be regarded as ______
| A．a common one |
| B．one that could be cured |
| C．very healthy |
| D．a rare one |
Sir Emest Shackleton was not only a great explorer, but also an intelligent man. He once found himself and two of his men at the top of an icy mountain ridge (山脊) . They had no way to get down to its side. Their destination had been the tiny Whaling Station of strummers, near the South Pole. Shackleton knew if they didn't get down from the ridge, no one would ever hear from them again.
Shackleton knew there was only one thing to do. He explained that they would all have to slide down. He instructed the two men to wind(绕) their ropes into a coil(卷) .Then each of the men sat down on a coiled and slid down the icy slope into the darkness. When they found themselves at the bottom, unhurt, Shackleton said, "You know, we shouldn't do that kind of thing too often." The laughter broke the tension all the men were feeling. They arrived later than expected, but safely at the Whaling Station.Sir Shackleton was ______
A. both brave and bright
B. neither brave nor smart
C. either shy or foolish
D courageous and stupidIt would be _______ if they couldn't slide down the ridge.
| A．safe | B．dead | C．dangerous | D．good |
They had ______ way to get down the ridge.
| A．many | B．two | C．only one | D．no |
They did not get ______ when they got to the bottom.
| A．hurt | B．ached | C．burned | D．damaged |
They were all ______ when hearing what Sir Shackleton said.
| A．tense | B．relaxed | C．worried | D．nervous |