It's hardly surprising that weather is a favorite topic for so many people around the world—it affects where we choose to live, what we wear, our moods, and perhaps even our national characteristics.Studies have shown that changeable weather can make it difficult to concentrate, cloudy skies slow down reaction, and hot,dry winds make many people badtempered.
If you live in a place like Britain, where the weather seems to change daily if not hourly,you could be forgiven for thinking that the weather is random.In fact the weather is controlled by systems which move around areas of the globe.In the UK the weather depends on depressions (低压气流), often called lows,and anticyclones(反气旋),also known as highs.These systems start in the Atlantic Ocean, and make their way across the British Isles from the west to the east.Highs bring sunny weather, while lows bring rain and wind.In modern times, human activities seem to be altering weather patterns.Gases produced by heavy industry change the temperature of the earth's surface,and affect cloud formation.Some researchers say that factories in Europe and North America may have been one of the causes of the droughts in Africa in the 1980s.
The human race has always tried to guess the weather,especially in areas of the world where there are frequent changes.Traditional rhymes point to early attempts to identify weather patterns; popular poems include:
Red sky at night, shepherd's delight;red sky in the morning, shepherd's warning.
Flies will swarm before a storm.
Rain before 7,clear by 11.
While folk wisdom can provide a guide to help forecast weather, today's methods of prediction increasingly rely on technology.Satellites, balloons,ships, aircrafts and weather centers with sensitive monitoring equipment, send data to computers.The data is then processed, and the weather is predicted.However,even this system cannot predict weather for longer than about a week.When weather keeps changing,________.
A.people become badtempered |
B.people's reaction slows down |
C.people find it hard to focus on their work |
D.people find it easy to focus on their work |
The weather in Britain is________.
A.random | B.moist |
C.depressing | D.satisfying |
According to a traditional rhyme, if there is a red sky at night, the next day will be________.
A.windy | B.rainy |
C.fine | D.snowy |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Anticyclones often bring rain and wind. |
B.Weather forecasting has been done for a long time. |
C.Weather could never be predicted. |
D.Modern methods of weather prediction are developed from folk wisdom. |
What is mainly talked about in the second paragraph?
A.Changes in weather. |
B.Weather in Britain. |
C.African droughts. |
D.Research on weather. |
Company: KinderCare
Location: US-TX-College Station
Base Pay: 600$ ,.
Employee Type: Full-Time Employee
Industry: Education-Teaching-Management
Job Type: Education
Required Education: 2 Years Degree
Required Experience: At Least 1 Year
Jobs So Desirable, We Hate To Call It Work... Looking for a great opportunity and the chance to make a difference? KinderCare Learning Centers is the leading for-profit provider of early childhood educational services and care in the country with nearly 120,000 children enrolled. KinderCare’s training is the key to providing high quality education and care for children 6 weeks to 12 years old. We are looking for devoted, responsible, and creative people for full-time and part-time positions at our centers located in College Station and Bryan, TX. REQUIREMENTS
Successful applicants will possess a High School diploma or GED, and at least 1 year of childcare experience. You must also have 12 credits (学分) in Early Childhood Education or be now enrolled in ECE classes and possess 6 credits in ECE.
We offer a wonderful work environment! If you have previous education and/or experience in childcare and a love for children, we want to hear from you! Salary goes with experience and position.
KinderCare offers a comprehensive benefits package, a competitive salary, and childcare discount. KinderCare is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
To apply, please contact us at:
Kinder Care Learning Centers
1711 Village Drive
College Station, TX 77840
Fax: (979) 696-6616
Email: [ Click here for email ] www. kindercare. cornFrom the ad above, it seems that the company wants ______.
A.nurses | B.managers | C.trainees | D.teachers |
According to the job requirements, people need to have _____________ to get the job.
A.experience and educational services |
B.required education and experience |
C.High School education and experience |
D.12 credits in Early Childhood Education |
This ad probably appears in ______.
A.a radio program | B.a newspaper |
C.the introduction to the company | D.the website of the company |
It is not unusual to see your desk-mate yawn (打呵欠) as he complains that he didn't have a good sleep the night before. Many teens don't get enough sleep because they have too much homework, which keeps them up at night. Some teens cannot sleep at night even when they want to.
Studies show that during your teenage years, the body's biological clock is reset, telling you to sleep later at night and wake up later in the morning.
But changes in the body clock aren't the only reason teens lose sleep. Lots of people have insomnia (失眠). The most common cause of insomnia is stress. But all sorts of things can lead to insomnia. These include physical discomfort, emotional troubles and even sleeping environment. It's common for everyone to have insomnia from time to time. But if it lasts for a month or more go and see a doctor.
Some people have a condition that causes stomach acid (酸) to move backward towards the chest. This produces the uncomfortable, burning feeling called heartburn. So even if the person doesn't notice the feelings of heartburn because he is sleeping, he may feel tired the next day.
Most teens have nightmares sometimes. But, if they are frequent, a person's sleep pattern can be seriously affected. The most common cause of nightmares is emotional problems, such as stress (压力) or anxiety. If you have them a lot, it's a good idea to talk to a doctor.
Doctors encourage teens to make lifestyle changes to develop good sleeping habits. You probably know that coffee can keep you awake, but did you know that playing video games or watching TV does the same?The main idea of the first paragraph is ________.
A.There is a problem that teenagers can’t get enough sleep. |
B.Sleeping problems have different causes. |
C.Yawning is a good way to get rid of sleep. |
D.Teenagers care too much for homework. |
The Teenagers’ biological clock ________.
A.easily makes teenagers lead to insomnia |
B.is the origin of their insomnia |
C.provides them with plenty of time at night |
D.is helpful to improve their concentration(注意力) |
What does the writer say about “nightmares”?
A.It is nothing and shouldn’t be taken seriously. |
B.It can release their stress or anxiety. |
C.Emotional problems are the only way to form nightmares. |
D.People will suffer from sleep if frequent. |
Which way can help to get rid of insomnia?
A.Drinking some coffee before going to bed. |
B.Playing video game or watching TV from time to time. |
C.Turning to a doctor for help. |
D.Eating much medicine for insomnia. |
Thanksgiving Day is special holiday in the United States and Canada. Families and friends gather to eat and give thanks for their blessing.
Thanksgiving Day is really a harvest festival. This is why it is celebrated in late fall, after the crops are in. But one of the first thanksgivings in America had nothing to do with a good harvest. On December 4, 1619, the Pilgrims from England landed near what is now Charles City, Virginia. They knelt down and thanked God for their safe journey across the Atlantic.
The first New England Thanksgiving did celebrate a rich harvest. The Pilgrims landed at what is now Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1620. They had a difficult time and the first winter was cruel. Many of the Pilgrims died. But the next year, they had a good harvest. So Governor Bradford declared a three-day feast. The Pilgrims invited Indian friends to join them for their special feast. Everyone brought food.
In time, other colonies(殖民地)began to celebrate a day of thanksgiving. But it took years before there was a national Thanksgiving Day. During the Civil War, Sarah Josepha Hale persuaded Abraham Lincoln to do something about it. He proclaimed(宣布)the last Thursday of November 1863 as a day of thanksgiving. Today, Americans celebrate this happy harvest festival on the fourth Thursday in November. Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving Day in much the same way as their American neighbours. But the Canadian thanks-giving Day falls on the second Monday in October.Thanksgiving Day is celebrated .
A.in spring | B.in summer | C.in autumn | D.in winter |
The first to celebrate thanksgiving were .
A.some people from England | B.the American Indians |
C.Sarah Josepha Hale | D.Governor Bradford |
We can infer from the passage that New England must be .
A. in the U. S. A. B. in Great Britain C. in Canada D. on some island off the AtlanticThe passage mainly tells us .
A. how Thanksgiving Day is celebrated in the U. S. A.
B. how Thanksgiving Day came into being and the different ways it is celebrated
C. that Thanksgiving Day is in fact a harvest holiday
D. how the way to celebrate Thanksgiving Day changed with the time and places
WelcometoArundel Castle which is situated in West Sussex, England. The castle has a history of nearly 1000 years and has welcomed visitorstravelingfromallovertheworld. Arundel Castle also plays a starring role in many films.
The Gardens
The White Garden is planted with soft white Iceberg Roses, and Snow White Lilies.
The Rose Garden is newly planted with lovely old-fashioned English roses that are at their very best in June and July.
The Organic Kitchen Garden produces a wide range of seasonal fruit and vegetables, pears, cherries and apples.
The Castle Shop
In the Castle Shop, you will discover a wide and interesting range of gift ideas for everyone. It offers gifts and souvenirs designed to appeal to all tastes and pockets. Foods, china, books, and stationery (文具)are all available. Many are sold in this Castle Shop only.
At Arundel Castle we pride ourselves on supporting local suppliers and actively encourage environmentally friendly products.
The Arundel Festival 2014
Saturday 16th to Monday 25th August
The annual Arundel Festival gets bigger and better every year. It is one of the most amazing, diverse and easily accessible arts festivals in the UK, offering a mix of visual arts, music, theatre and street entertainment.
Parking
Coaches and mini-buses can drop off at the main Castle entrance in Mill Road and park in the main town car park that is opposite the Castle entrance. Please inform us when making your booking of how many parking permits are required.When visiting the castle, you can____________.
A.get old-fashioned English roses as gifts |
B.buy eco-friendly products in the Castle Shop |
C.get seasonal fruit and vegetables for free |
D.see how the local gifts are being made |
How long does the Arundel Festival last this year?
A.10 days | B.One week | C.16 days | D.One month |
Where can you park the coach?
A.In Mill Road | B.Inside the Castle |
C.In the main town car park | D.At the main Castle entrance |
Recently a study, led by Pedro Hallal of the Federal University, suggests that nearly a third of adults, 31%, are not getting enough exercise. That rates of exercise have declined is hardly a new discovery. Since the beginning of the industrial revolution, technology and economic growth have helped to create a world in which taking exercise is more and more an option rather than a necessity. But only recently have enough good data been collected from enough places to carry out the sort of analysis Dr Hallal and his colleagues have engaged in.
There are common themes in different places. Unsurprisingly, people in rich countries are less active than those in poor ones, and old people are less active than young ones. Less obviously, women tend to exercise less than men—34% are inactive, compared with 28% of men. But there are exceptions. The women of Croatia, Finland, Iraq and Luxembourg, for example, move more than their male countrymen.
Malta wins the race for most slothful country, with 72% of adults getting too little exercise, and Swaziland and Saudi Arabia are in close behind, with 69%. In Bangladesh, just 5% of adults fail to exercise enough. Surprisingly, six Americans in ten are active enough according to Dr Hallal’s study, compared with fewer than four in ten British.
These high rates of inactivity are worrying. Human beings seem to have evolved(进化) to benefit from exercise while deliberately avoiding it whenever they can. In a state of nature it would be impossible to live a life that did not provide enough of it. But that is no longer the case. Actually lack of enough activity these days has nearly the same effect on life span(寿命) as smoking.We may learn from Paragraph 1 that_________.
A.the decline of exercise rates is newly discovered |
B.the study suggests 31% of female adults get too little exercise |
C.the good enough data has been collected from only one country |
D.the industrial revolution has changed the way people live to some degree |
According to the study, women of Luxembourg_________.
A.have little time to exercise |
B.hate to get regular exercise |
C.take more exercise to lose weight |
D.exercise more than men in their country |
The underlined word “slothful” in Paragraph 3 most probably means_________.
A.powerful | B.rich | C.lazy | D.unpopular |
What can be the best title for the text?
A.Worldwide Lack of Enough Exercise |
B.New Health Discovery |
C.Evolvement of Human Beings |
D.Benefits of Taking Exercise |