Most city parks are places where you can escape from big,ugly structures of metal and stone.The Manhattan High Line is different.Raised 25 feet above the ground,this massive metal structure once supported a rail line.The line opened in 1934 but it was hardly used after the 1960s,and much of it was torn down.However,one stretch remained in a region of Manhattan.The railway structure was ugly and everyone knew that at some time,it would have to be removed.
But the High Line was not destroyed.In fact.now the old rail line serves as one of the most peaceful places in the city.The idea to change the rail line into a park came from Joshua David and Robert Hammond.In 1999,they attended a community meeting to decide the fate of the High Line.David and Hammond were the only people at the meeting interested in saving the historical structure. Later on,when they asked railway officials to take them up to look at the High Line,they saw a mile and a half of wild flowers growing in the middle of the city,and they realized that the High Line had potential to become a park.There was growing interest in improving urban centers,and so the project quickly gathered funds for construction.
The first section of the High Line opened in 2009 and immediately became popular with tourists and locals alike.Each part of the park has a different atmosphere.Some areas are like balconies with wonderful city views.Other sections have wide lawns and walkways planted with wild flowers.Only the final section remains the way it has been for the last fifty years—a railway line overgrown with weeds.What is the text mainly about?
A.A park. | B.A train line. |
C.City transport. | D.A historical monument. |
Which of the following is NOT true about the High Line?
A.It is above ground level. | B.Only part of the line remains. |
C.It is now a popular park. | D.Trains still use the line. |
Why did David and Hammond want to save the High Line at first?
A.They thought it would make a good park. |
B.They wanted to reopen the train line. |
C.They thought it had historical value. |
D.They were interested in improving the city. |
Why were people easily persuaded by David and Hammond’s idea?
A.They wanted to make cities nicer places. |
B.They wanted to see the wild flowers too. |
C.They realized the High Line was important. |
D.They knew that funds were available. |
We can infer from the last paragraph that the park is ______________.
A.popular with tourists | B.similar to what it used to be |
C.various in its design | D.1ike natural countryside |
The sea has always interested man. From it he can get food, minerals, and treasure. For thousands of years, he could sail on it. But he could not go far beneath its surface.
Man wants to explore deep into the sea. However, he is not a fish. He must breathe air, so he can’t stay under the water’s surface for any length of time. To explore deep water, man faces even more dangers and problems.
A diver who wants to stay under water for more than a few minutes must breathe air or a special mixture of gases. He can wear a diving suit and have air pumped to him from above. He can carry a tank of air on his back and breathe through a hose(软管) and a mouthpiece. Water weighs 800 times as much as air. Tons of water pushes against a diver deep in the sea. His body is under great pressure.
When a diver is under great pressure, his blood takes in some of the gases he breathes. As he rises to surface, the water pressure becomes less. If the diver rises too quickly, the gases in his blood form bubbles(气泡). The diver is then suffering from the bends(潜函病). The bends can cause a diver to double up in pain. They can even kill him. On the whole, this text is about _________.
A.special mixtures of gases in deep sea. |
B.the problems a diver faces in deep sea. |
C.air pressure under the surface of sea water. |
D.a kind of illness that man suffers in the sea. |
The text does not say so, but it makes you think that ____________.
A.deep-sea divers should be in good health. |
B.divers explore the deep sea only for treasure. |
C.there is ![]() |
D.diving under the water too quickly causes a kind of illness. |
Why does a diver get the bends?
A.The air in his blood is used up. | B.His diving suit weighs too much. |
C.He comes to the surface too quickly. | D.He tries to do exercise under the sea. |
If you are in charge of a project, the key to success is getting everyone to want to help you. As a director, I point, I suggest. I gently push the actors in the direction I want them to go. In the 1986 movie“Nothing in Common”, Jackie Gleason’s character, Max Basner, gets fired from his job as a clothing salesman. The scene, shot on a boat, shows Max’s despair about being out of work. I was looking for some gesture that would allow Max to show his feelings.
Jackie had far more experience at everything than I did, and at first I was frightened. What could I possibly tell “The Great One” about acting? Finally I decided to direct by suggestion, and sat down with Gleason to talk about the scene. “So Max is sad, right?” I said.Gleason nodded.“And he’s probably still carrying his pens with name on them—the ones he used to hand out to his customers, right?”Gleason nodded.“So what would you want to do with the pens after you were fired?”He was silent for a moment. “Why don’t I throw them overboard?”I stood up and turned up and turned toward the crew. “Hey, everybody, Jackie has a wonderful idea. Let’s shoot it.”
After filming the scene, Gleason called me over and said with a smile. “Garry, what kind of wonderful idea am I going to have tomorrow?”
You and your team can discover the answers to problems together. When there are no prizes or gold stars for who gets the solution first, you’ll all benefit when everything turns out right.According to the writer, to succeed in a project you are in charge of , you should______.
A.make everyone work for you | B.get everyone willing to help |
C.let people know you have the idea | D.keep talking to them |
“The Great One” in Paragraph 2 refers to______.
A.Gleason | B.the director himself | C.Max | D.Max’s boss |
After filming the scene, Gleason called the director over and smiled at him. That’s because Gleason________.
A.thought the director gave him a good idea |
B.formed the habit of thinking of ideas while talking |
C.was not confident about his acting |
D.appreciated the director’s directing skill |
The most suitable title for the passage is “_______”.
A.Directing a Film | B.The Key to Success |
C.A Wonderful Experience | D.Working with Film |
After giving a talk at a high school, I was asked to pay a visit to a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me. I was told it would mean a great deal to him, so I agreed.
During the nine-mile drive to his home, I found out something about Matthew. He had muscular dystrophy (肌萎缩症). When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to five, and then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal power lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain or ask, “Why me?” He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t mention that his classmates had made fun of him because he was different. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weights with me. When we had finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I had won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I received a letter from Matthew’s parents telling me that Matthew had passed away. They wanted me to have a letter he had written to me a few days before:
Dear Dick,
My mum said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. I also want to let you know that the doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live any more, but I still smile as much as I can.
I told you someday that I would go to the Olympics and win a gold medal, but I know now I will never get to do that. However, I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you. Thank you for loving me.
Your friend,
MatthewThe underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that_______.
A.the boy never complained about how unlucky he was to have this disease |
B.the boy never complained about not being able to go to school |
C.the boy never complained why the author had never come to see him before |
D.the boy never complained about not gettig a medal |
From the passage we learn that ________.
A.Matthew was an athlete |
B.Matthew was an optimistic and determined boy |
C.The author used to have the same disease as Matthew had |
D.Matthew became a champion before he died |
Matthew didn’t accepted the author’s medal because .
A.he thought it was too expensive |
B.he was sure that he could win one in the future |
C.he thought it was of no use to him as he would die soon |
D.he would not be pitied by others |
What would be the best title for this passage?
A.A sick boy. | B.A special friend. |
C.A real champion. | D.A famous athlete. |
Broken rubber bands and flat tires requiring replacement could soon be a thing of the past.
French researchers have developed a new kind of rubber that can repair itself when broken.The new rubber is made from widely available materials including vegetable oil and a common industrial chemical.All the materials are considered safe to the environment and can be easily reused.
The best part is that the new rubber can be repaired and used again and again without losing its strength or ability or stretch.When cut, the rubber can be made new again, simply by pressing the two broken ends back together.
The product can be repaired at room temperature, around twenty degrees Centigrade;other self-healing materials require higher temperatures for repair.
Traditionally, rubber substances are made from huge molecules(分子)connected by strong chemical links, or bonds.The new rubber is made of smaller molecules.The molecules are linked together using hydrogen bonds.When connected in this way, the molecules act like one long molecule, forming what is called supramolecular networks(超分子网).When the rubber is cut, the molecules attempt to connect with whatever molecule is near them.When pressed together, the molecules are able to repair themselves at the molecular level, making the repaired rubber like new.
However, time is an important element in the process.If the broken ends are not brought together quickly, a repair is not possible.This is because molecules will form bonds with molecules on their own side.The inventors say the surfaces of the rubber can be repaired within a week of being separated.
The rubber is the creation of scientists at the Industrial Physics and Chemistry Higher Education Institution in Paris.The organization is part of France’s National Center for Scientific Research.The new material is described in greater detail in the research publication Nature.
According to the introduction, which of the following is NOT the advantage of the new rubber?
A.It can be made as easily as common rubber.![]() |
B.It is environmentally-friendly.![]() |
C.It can repair itself at room temperature.![]() |
D.It is made of smaller molecules. |
What does the 5th paragraph mainly tell us?
A.Why the new rubber is unique.![]() |
B.Why the new rubber can repair itself.![]() |
C.The new rubber is made from huge molecules.![]() |
D.The new rubber is different from the common rubber. |
If we want to know more about the technology of this kind of new rubber, where can we get the information?
A.In the researchers’ diary. | B.In a guide book.![]() |
C.In a research magazine. | D.In a newspaper. |
To get an extra 14 years of life, don’t smoke, eat lots of fruits and vegetables, exercise regularly and drink alcohol in a proper amount.That is according to a study published this Monday in the Public Library of Science Medicine Journal.
After tracking more than 20,000 people aged 45 to 79 years in the United Kingdom from about 1993 to 2007, Kay-Tee Khaw of the University of Cambridge and his colleagues found that people who adopted these four healthy habits lived all average of 14 years longer than those who didn’t.
“We’ve known for a long time that these behaviors are good things to do, but we’ve not seen this benefit before, ”said Susan Jebb, head of Nutrition and Health at Britain’s Medical Research Council.“The benefit was also seen regardless of whether or not people were fat and what social class they came from.”
Study participants(参与者)scored a point each for not smoking, regular physical activity, eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day and moderate alcohol intake.
Public health experts said they hoped the study would inspire governments to introduce policies helping people to adopt these changes.But because the study only observed people rather than testing specific changes, it would be impossible to conclude that people who suddenly adopted these healthy behaviors would surely gain 14 years.
“We can’t say that any person could gain 14 years by doing these things, ”said Dr.Tim Armstrong, a physical activity expert at the World Health Organization.“The 14 years is an average across the population of what’s theoretically(理论上地)possible.”
“Most people know that things like a good diet matter and that smoking isn’t good for them, ”Susan Jebb said.“We need to work on providing people with much more practical support to help them change.”Which of the following DOESN’T belong to the four healthy habits?
A.Eat five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. |
B.Do proper exercise in the morning every day. |
C.Drinking alcohol in the proper amount every day. |
D.Having a cigarette before going to bed every day. |
We can learn from the passage that.
A.Susan Jebb did not take part in the study. |
B.the study observed people as well as tested specific changes. |
C.there’s no need for people under 45 to adopt these good habits. |
D.only those from first class can benefit from these healthy behaviors. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
A.All the people are well aware of the harm of their bad habits. |
B.People aged 45 to 70 have bad habits in the United Kingdom. |
C.Governments should take measures to help people change their bad habits. |
D.People have adopted the four healthy habits after knowing they’re good. |
What would be the best title for this passage?
A.Smoking and Drinking Cuts You 14 Years |
B.How to Live a Much Healthier Life |
C.Healthy Habits May Give Extra 14 Years |
D.How to Make Your Life Longer Than Others |