Humans might be the most highly-evolved species on the planet, but most animals possess skills we can only dream of having. Imagine how much electricity we could save if we could see in the dark the way cats do. Imagine leaping from tree to tree like a monkey. Giraffes, which are otherwise calm and good-natured, sleep only 4.6 hours a day.
We realized a long, long time ago that nature provides the best blueprint for invention. We’ve borrowed canals from beavers and reflectors from cat’s eyes. Although the words “bionics”(仿生学) became popular only after the 1960s, history shows that nature has always provided ideas on solving everyday problems. Our archives(档案) don’t go back to the time of Leonardo da Vinci and his bird-like flying machines, but we can take you to the late 19th century, where we applied those same principles for building our first practical airplanes.
To prepare for their flight at Kitty Hawk, the Wright brothers studied the movements of pigeons to figure out how they stayed high up when they were heavier than air. Their success inspired scores of successors to improve on the airplane by studying various aspects of nature. One of Orville Wright’s pupils caught and stuffed seagulls to examine their wingspan. Meanwhile, two French inventors examined spinning sycamore(梧桐) seeds in an effort to apply those same motions, reversed, to a helicopter .
Some examples are more obvious than others. The outside of the airplane designed by the Wright brothers looks like a minimalistic(简单抽象艺术) structure. On the other hand, Barney Connett’s fish submarine actually looks like a fish.
Some bio-inspired concepts have yet to be invented. In the 1960s, the US Army commissioned several university professors to conduct research on the motor skills animals in hope of applying those same abilities to tanks. Tanks that run like horses or jump like grasshoppers(蚂蚱)-sounds shocking, doesn’t it? But imagine how life would change if we could achieve that.“Cats”, “monkeys” and “giraffes” mentioned in paragraph 1 are examples to show______.
| A．they are highly-evolved species as humans |
| B．animals have skills that humans do not possess |
| C．humans can learn animals’ skills |
| D．they are skillful in different ways |
What happened after the Wright brothers’ success?
| A．People carried out a systematic study on pigeons. |
| B．People studied more animals and plants to develop the airplane. |
| C．People could fly their airplane for fun. |
| D．People kept their airplane at a French gallery. |
Which of the following is true about the research carried out by the US Army?
| A．It has cost a large sum of money. |
| B．It has changed our life. |
| C．It has improved the abilities of tanks |
| D．It has not succeeded yet. |
What does the writer want to tell in the passage?
| A．many inventions get ideas from nature. |
| B．Some animals possess unique skills. |
| C．People should protect nature. |
| D．Bionics is far from perfect |
Mobile phone has become a problem for middle schools. Some middle schools in Australia have banned (禁止) students from carrying mobile phones during school hours.
Mobile phone use among children has become a problem for schools. Several children have got mobile phones from parents and friends as Christmas gifts, and more students will want them.
Lucy Bluett, an expert, said mobile phone use was a distraction (分心的事) to students during school hours. Teachers were also saying that sometimes students might use phone messages to cheat during exams.
She said some schools had tried to ban mobile phones. Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t call up their children.
Many teachers said students should not have mobile phones at school, but if there was a good reason, they could leave their phones at school office.
Many people say that they understand why parents would want their children to have phones, but they think schools should let the students know when they can use their mobile phones.Some middle schools in Australia have banned students from carrying mobile phones ______.
| A．when they are at home | B．when they are free |
| C．when they are at school | D．when they are playing |
We know from the passage that some children get mobile phones from .
| A．the makers and sellers | B．the passers-by and strangers |
| C．their parents and friends | D．their teachers |
What does the underlined word “cheat” mean in the passage?
| A．Behave dishonestly. |
| B．Behave honestly. |
| C．Behave correctly. |
| D．all above |
Some parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t ______ during school hours.
| A．use their mobile phones |
| B．call up their children |
| C．help the teachers with their work |
| D．see their children |
The passage tells us that ______.
| A．students shouldn’t have mobile phones at school except for some special reasons |
| B．many people can’t understand why parents would want their children to have phones |
| C．all parents felt unhappy because they couldn’t use their phones at school |
| D．mobile phones are important |
The first part of a new science-fiction series （系列剧）was shown on NBC last night. Star Trek is about a spacecraft（宇宙飞船）which travels faster than the speed of light. The show is developed from three ideas about the 22nd century. First, we’ll find other life forms great tools which will make amazing things possible.
Let’s think about these predictions. If we find life forms on other planets, will they be intelligent? I hope so. But we human beings might not be friendly – I don’t think we’ll believe in the idea of peace one hundred years from now. But this is science fiction, so we can be optimistic! And Star Trek’s idea of life in the future is ‘communicators’. And we will be ablt to have conversatins with people who are on because you’ll have an electronic notebook. And if you get ill, the doctor won’t have to examine you – a machine will ‘read’ your body. The strangest manchine includes a ‘teleport’ which will take people to a different placein a second!
The ideas are interesting, and in my opinion there’s only one problem with star trek: the acting. The TV company （公司）will have to get better actors. If they do that, the show might be a success. If the acting doesn’t improve, Star Trek won’t last for more than one series. Of course, my prediction may be wrong. I can’t see into the future!What is Star Trek?
| A．A TV play. | B．A popular song. |
| C．A spacecraft. | D．An alien. |
What does the underlined word “optimistic” mean?
| A．Lucky and happy. | B．Hopeful and confident. |
| C．Helpful and creative. | D．Thankful and popular. |
What’s the writer’s opinion about Star Trek?
| A．The life forms on other planets are stupid. |
| B．Interesting ideas make a new series popular. |
| C．The new series might not be successful without better actors. |
| D．Our life in the future might be different with the help of aliens. |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Aliens on Other Planets. | B．The Idea of Human Life. |
| C．A Science Fiction. | D．A New Series about Future. |
The message was short. I read it three times: “Hey, Mom, can I come to see you guys?” I wrote back: “Yes!” He said he hoped to make it in time for dinner.
I made a quick run to the market, put sheets on the guest bed and set the TV to record the Warriors’ game, so if traffic was awful, he wouldn’t have to miss the first half. Then I began cooking, cleaning, watching the clock and listening for his footsteps coming up the walk.
It’s called waiting. I’m good at it. When he was a newborn, I’d wait for him to go to sleep. Soon then I’d stand by his bed waiting for him to wake up. I waited, as he learned to do things like walking , talking and feeding himself; throwing a ball, riding a bike and reading a book.
I waited for him to start preschool, primary school, middle school and college.
I waited with dread for him to start driving. And I waited up every time he came home late.
I wait for my son to grow up, but that doesn’t mean the waiting game is over. It never really ends.
Mothers wait for all kinds of reasons—good news or bad, happiness or heartache. But the waiting is soon forgotten, usually, the minute a long awaited child walks through the door.
My boy will be here soon. But if he’s late, I can wait. I’m good at it. And he’s worth it. I will always leave a light on for him. After knowing her son would come home, which of the following activities did she do?
a. Shopping. b. Cooking.
c. Cleaning.d. Watching the Warriors’ game.
| A．bc | B．ad | C．abc | D．bcd |
What does the underlined word “dread” mean?
| A．激动 | B．骄傲 | C．厌恶 | D．害怕 |
Which of the following about the writer is TRUE according to the reading?
| A．Luckily, her son never makes her wait long. |
| B．She has experienced all kinds of feelings while waiting for her son to do things. |
| C．When her son went to college, her waiting ended. |
| D．Waiting for her son is often boring, but once her son arrives she forgets about it. |
Which do you think would be the best title for the reading?
| A．Worth waiting for | B．Being patient is difficult |
| C．Learn to be a mother | D．Visit your mother often |
If you need glasses to read this, you are among most of Chinese students. About four-fifths of high school students in China have poor eyesight(视力). And now more and more children in primary school need glasses, too.
Two main reasons can cause poor eyesight: too much time spent indoors studying and too little time spent outdoors playing. Reading and writing for hours and hours, sometimes in poorly lighted rooms, causes eyesight to weaken. But students have to do this because there is so much pressure on them to succeed in school. They have less time to enjoy the sun.
The sun, it turns out, is important in developing good eyesight. According to a study by Australian National University, Australian children and Chinese children have the same level of eyesight before they start school, but once they enter primary school, Chinese children only spend about an hour a day outside, while Australian children spend three to four hours each day in the sunshine. The result is that while about forty percent of Chinese primary school students need glasses, only three percent of Australian children do.
And poor eyesight at a young age can have serious long term influence. As you get older, your eyesight can worsen.
With all that in mind, don’t you think it’s time to give your eyes a break?How many high school students have poor eyesight in China according to the reading?
| A．A half of them. | B．Three percent of them. |
| C．Forty percent of them. | D．Four-fifths of them. |
Which can cause poor eyesight according to the reading?
| A．Like reading and writing very much. |
| B．Spend too much time enjoying the sun. |
| C．Spend too much time indoors studying. |
| D．Start primary school at a young age. |
What can we learn from the third paragraph?
| A．Primary school studying can be very harmful to young students. |
| B．Australian children spend more time outdoors than Chinese children. |
| C．After primary school, children in China and Australia have the same eyesight. |
| D．Fewer Chinese primary school students have poor eyesight than Australian ones. |
What does the writer want to tell us?
| A．Remember to give our eyes a break. |
| B．Develop good eyesight in Australia. |
| C．Avoid poor eyesight at an old age. |
| D．Spend little time outdoors playing. |
A new term might be the best time to make new friends, but it can be hard to begin the first conversation. Below are four useful ways. Take a look.
Search for common interests. Talking about shared interests, such as sports and popular talent shows, is the easiest way to make a successful talk with someone.
Welcome the silence. In fact, sometimes silence is needed in order to continue a conversation. Remember that if you say something, the other person may need time to understand it.
Keep it positive(积极的). To make great small talk, you should keep things fun. You should be cheerful and able to laugh over things that aren’t very interesting. These will make the other person want to keep talking to you.
Take it as a learning experience. Every time you meet someone from other places, it’s a good chance to learn something new. You can learn more about their cultures and nations. These make you a more interesting person to talk to as well.How many ways are mentioned to start a conversation in the reading?
| A．Only one. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
You can start a meaningful conversation by according to the reading.
A. travelling to other countries
B. studying very hard in the class
C. talking about the same interests
D finding someone from other places If someone is talking about something you don't like, you should according to the reading.
| A．stop the conversation at once | B．be cheerful and relaxed |
| C．keep silent all the time | D．talk about something new |