The longest solar eclipse (日食) of the century cast a wide shadow for several minutes over Asia and the Pacific Ocean on 22th July, drawing people outside to watch the sight in the sky.
Day turned into night. Temperature turned cooler in cities and villages filled with fans of astronomy. The total eclipse could be seen starting in India on Wednesday morning and moving eastward across China and parts of the Pacific. Millions cast their eyes towards the heavens to catch an unusual view of the sun’s colorful ring. Cloud in some areas prevented people from fully enjoying the sight. Still, many were frightened.
The total eclipse occurs about twice a year as the moon passes between the earth and the sun on the same plane as earth’s circle.
The local astronomy society gave a flash on how an eclipse happens. Wednesday’s event lasted up to more than six minutes in some places. In India, thousands bathed in the Ganges River in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi to clean their souls. It was sunny sky in Hong Kong for the eclipse, where students, parents and the elderly flooded in a primary school to watch.
In Shanghai, children climbed up ladders to look through two large telescopes on the school roof to catch sight of the moon moving across the sun. Others looked through a pair of glasses covered with solar filter (过滤器) paper, where they could take pictures of the moon moving over the sun.
In some cultures, many old stories are about eclipse. In India, a eclipse was considered unfavorable. In Chinese tradition, there is a story about a heavenly dog eating the sun. As the story goes, people would make noise to frighten off the dog and save the sun.What can we learn about the longest solar eclipse of the century?
| A．Not everyone in the world could see the longest eclipse. |
| B．Any of the Asians was excited to watch the eclipse. |
| C．All people saw the longest solar eclipse on Wednesday. |
| D．The Chinese all caught sight of the total eclipse at the same time. |
What does the text imply about the total solar eclipse?
| A．All people watched the solar eclipse for at least six minutes. |
| B．In ancient China, people couldn’t understand this phenomenon. |
| C．Your eyes must be hurt without filter equipment while watching. |
| D．You can watch the total solar eclipse directly only with your eyes. |
Which of the following statements about eclipse is TURE according to the text？
| A．Most Chinese people used to think eclipses would bring about misfortunes. |
| B．Chinese fathers were pleased to watch solar eclipses. |
| C．Indians think bad fortune will come about along with eclipses. |
| D．The Chinese people are too frightened to go outside when eclipses occur. |
Where can we see the eclipse start?
| A．In Shanghai. | B．In India. | C．In Hong Kong. | D．In the Pacific Ocean. |
From now on, never spend your precious time thinking of reasons for your failures and shortcomings. Instead, realize that the seeds of success were planted within you when you were born. Only you have the power to make those seeds grow.
The seeds, and the power to grow them,are contained in the best machine ever created: the human mind. Success is a choice and not a chance. You were born a winner. You can be a success if only you make the right choice.
You cannot be successful without first developing your self-esteem(自尊). Your level of self-esteem is always based on the degree of control that you are able to have over yourself, and thus over your life. People with low self-esteem are people who do not believe that they have any power, or responsibility for their lives. They are leaves tossed(摇摆) by the winds of chance blown about with any sudden change in the weather.
You can control your life only to the degree that you believe that you are responsible for everything that happens in your life. Failures think that everything happens by accident and chance. Successful people realize that they are responsible.
Everything happens as a result of something. If we can identify the cause, we can control the effect. We are responsible for what we choose to think and believe. One generally rises to the level that one expects. We are responsible for setting our expectations. Our success is dependent upon our level of confidence.
In short, in all areas of your life, whether they are financial, physical, emotional, or spiritual, you are responsible. Once you recognize this, accept it, and firmly believe it, you are on the road to success.People with low self-esteem are compared to leaves because they______.
| A．are easily affected by windy weather |
| B．are ready to change their minds |
| C．don’t have the power to face their fate |
| D．can’t control themselves |
Losers would think that______.
| A．their failure is only because of bad luck |
| B．they don’t make efforts to succeed |
| C．working hard will lead to success |
| D．success is the result of hard work |
It can be inferred from paragraph 5 that______.
| A．success is a chance |
| B．We are what we make us |
| C．thoughts and beliefs are the result of creative mind |
| D．developing confidence is the only way to future success |
The last paragraph serves as______.
| A．the proof of the author’s points |
| B．an introduction to another topic |
| C．the conclusion of the argument |
| D．a comparison between two views |
Dear Dad,
Today I was at the shopping mall and I spent a lot of time reading the Father’s Day cards. They all had a special message that in some way or another reflected how I feel about you. Yet as I selected and read, it occurred to me that not a single card said what I really want to say to you.
You’ll soon be 84 years old, Dad, and you and I will have had 55 Father’s Days together. I haven’t always been with you on Father’s Day but I’ve always been with you in my heart.
You know, Dad, there was a time when we were separated by the generation gap. You stood on one side of the Great Divide and I on the other.
The Father-Daughter Duel shifted into high gear（档位）when you taught me to drive the old Dodge and I decided I would drive the 54 Chevy(雪佛兰) whether you liked it or not. The police officer who sent me home after you reported the Chevy stolen didn’t have much tolerance（容忍） for a stubborn 16 -year- old girl, while you were so tolerant about it, Dad, and I think that was probably what made it the worst night of my life.
Our relationship picked up when I married a man you liked, and things really turned around when we began making babies. Somewhere along the line, the generation gap disappeared. I suppose I saw us and our relationship as aging together, rather like a fine wine.
But the strangest thing happened last week. I was at a stop sign and I watched as you turned the corner in your car. It didn’t immediately occur to me that it was you because the man driving looked so elderly and weak behind the wheel of that huge car. It was rather like a slap(打) in the face delivered from out of nowhere. Perhaps I saw your age for the first time that day.
I guess what I’m trying to say, Dad, is what every son and daughter wants to say to their Dad today. Honoring a father on Father’s Day is about respect and sharing and acceptance and tolerance and giving and taking. It’s about loving someone more than words can say, and it’s my wish that it never had to end.
I love you, Dad.
Love,
JennyWhat caused Jenny to write the letter?
| A．Getting along well with her father. |
| B．Failing to find a satisfactory card. |
| C．Visiting a card exhibition at a mall. |
| D．Being away on previous Father’s Day. |
What does the underlined phrase “ turned around ” in Para. 5 mean?
| A．Became better. | B．Changed unexpectedly. |
| C．Went worse. | D．Progressed unsteadily. |
What can we learn from Para. 6?
| A．Jenny seldom saw her father drive that huge car. |
| B．Jenny knew her father’s real age from that day on. |
| C．Jenny’s father slapped her on the face somewhere. |
| D．Jenny had never realized her father’s being weak. |
Jenny wrote her father this letter to __________ .
| A．inform him of their conflicts |
| B．apologize for her being stubborn |
| C．express her deep love to him |
| D．remind him of the early incident |
Air pollution is a leading cause of cancer and classified among top human carcinogens (致癌物质), said the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which is the World Health Organization's (WHO) cancer agency, on Oct 17,2013.“Our task was to evaluate the air everyone breathes rather than focus on specific air pollutants,” the IARC's Dana Loomis said in a statement. “The results from the reviewed studies point in the same direction the risk of developing lung cancer is significantly increased in people exposed to air pollution.”
In 2010, lung cancer resulting from air pollution killed 223,000 people worldwide, and there was also convincing evidence that it increases the risk of bladder (膀胱) cancer. Loomis said people in Asia, Eastern North America, some places in Central America and Mexico, as well as North Africa have relatively high exposure(暴露). Developing countries with large populations and booming manufacturing sectors, such as China, are particularly at risk. This week, Harbin, the capital city of Heilongjiang province, became the first Chinese city to officially suspend classes due to serious smog, really good for teachers and students.
Many developed countries face similar problems, although to a lesser（较少的、次要的） degree than most developing nations. Between 91 and 96 percent of Europeans living in cities are exposed to levels of PM2.5—tiny particles with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometers—that are higher than the WHO safety limits.
Although both the composition and levels of air pollution can vary dramatically from one location to the other, the IARC said its conclusions apply to all areas of the world. “Given the scale of the exposure affecting people worldwide, this report should send a strong signal to the international community to take action without further delay,” said Christopher Wild, director of the IARC.What’s the main task of IARC?
| A．To focus on cancer-causing substances. |
| B．To evaluate the air quality. |
| C．To study the developing risk of cancer. |
| D．To send signals to the international community. |
The underlined word “suspend” in Paragraph 2 probably means ______.
| A．accelerate | B．acknowledge |
| C．delay | D．decline |
Why should the international community take action without further delay?
| A．A large number of people worldwide are exposed to air pollution. |
| B．More and more people in developing countries are exposed to air pollution. |
| C．Developed countries face air pollution, the level of which is higher than the safety limits. |
| D．The composition and levels of air pollution vary from place to place. |
What might be the best title of the passage?
| A．PM2.5，bad effect. |
| B．Safety limits of air pollution. |
| C．Signals of air pollution. |
| D．Air pollution, cancer risk. |
Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium (水族馆)
The all-new Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, located in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD, is one of Victoria’s leading visitor attractions and an unforgettable outing for the whole family. Having 12 amazing zones of discovery, Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is the very place that you cannot miss when you visit the city.
* Opening Times
Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is open from 9:30 am until 6:00 pm every day of the year, including public holidays. Last admission is at 5:00 pm, one hour before closing.
* Location.
Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is located on the corner of Flinders Street and King Street, Melbourne. It is located on the Yarra River, opposite Crown Entertainment Complex.
* Getting to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium
Train
The Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium train stop is located on the free City Circle Tram route (公交线路) and also routes 70 and 75. City Circle trams run every 10 minutes in both directions.
Shuttle Bus
The Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium is a free bus service, stopping at key tourist attractions in and around the City. Running daily, every 15 minutes from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.
Car Parking
While there is no public car parking at Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, there are several public car parking lots available only a short walk away.
* Wheelchair Access
Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium provides people in wheelchairs with full access to all 12 zones. Each floor also has wheelchair accessible toilets.
* Terms
Tickets will be emailed to you immediately after buying or you can download and print your ticket once payment has been accepted. Please print out all tickets bought and present at the front entrance of Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium. No ticket, no entry!Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium _________ .
| A．is located at the center of the CBD in the city |
| B．has 12 most attractive places in Melbourne |
| C．admits visitors from 9:30 am until 6:00 pm |
| D．is beside Crown Entertainment Complex |
Getting to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium, visitors can take ________.
| A．trains from southern Cross train station |
| B．shuttle buses around the train station |
| C．boats across the Yarra River |
| D．either tram route 70 or 75 |
Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium offers visitors ________.
| A．free car parking | B．wheelchair access |
| C．Internet connection | D．transportation service |
Tickets to Sea Life Melbourne Aquarium ________ .
| A．are free to all visitors |
| B．can be bought by email |
| C．are checked at the entrance |
| D．can be printed at the ticket office |
Food labels are such a mess that the government is redesigning them, as the ingredient(营养成分) lists are usually too confusing. As a result, a shopper could spend hours in a grocery store watching, calculating, and comparing, and still could not get it right. ShopWell is trying to help by allowing consumers to scan food labels and receive understandable and personalized information.
Here’s how it works. Register for ShopWell, and enter your age and gender. Add your goals (General health? Or are you trying to lose weight?). Then, note what you want in your diet, such as protein or iron, and what you want to avoid(added sugar, say). Add your allergies(过敏的物质) and things you cannot accept, and start scanning.
Then ShopWell will come up with a clearly personal result: green for a food that is good for you; yellow for foods you can enjoy a little; and red for foods you should avoid.
The results are easily understandable and is clean because it’s not mixed with ads. Instead, ShopWell makes money by selling data to supermarkets. Its database contains 350,000 products, the app has been downloaded 1.3 million times, and the company claims a scan every two seconds “in stores such as Walmart, Whole Foods and 7-Eleven,” in the words of marketing manager James Allgood.
One of the first items I scanned was So Delicious Coconut Milk Creamer, which I buy because I’m lactose(乳糖) intolerant. It turns out it’s only a little suitable for me — because of its 1 gram per serving of added sugar. I’m not sure I’ll give it up. But I did ask the app to watch for added sugar, and it’s doing its job.
One drawback to ShopWell is that the scanner often doesn’t work for items from Costco or Trader Joe’s. Meanwhile, Some user reviews say that it doesn’t cover enough allergies. Why do consumers hesitate long when deciding which food to purchase in a shop?
| A．Because there are usually an extremely wide variety of food in the shop. |
| B．Because food labels in the shop are in such a mess that they need redesigning. |
| C．Because consumers desire to scan food labels for understandable information. |
| D．Because consumers can hardly make sense of the information on the food labels. |
What does the author intend to tell the readers in Paragraph 2?
| A．The proper use of ShopWell. | B．The function of ShopWell. |
| C．The development of ShopWell. | D．The advantage of ShopWell. |
How can ShopWell make some profits?
| A．By providing its collected data to supermarkets. |
| B．By selling 350,000 products of its own. |
| C．By downloading the app 1.3 million times. |
| D．By following the words of marketing manager James Allgood. |
What does the underlined “drawback” in the last paragraph probably mean?
| A．Scanner | B．Disadvantage |
| C．Benefit | D．Item |