Although cliff diving may bring great excitement, it’s a very dangerous sport that people should be careful about. It is completely wrong to think that the diver is cushioned by the water below—this could not be further from the truth. When jumping from a cliff that is over 70 feet high, a diver hits the water at over 46 mph (miles per hour). Such high speeds make the point of contact feel like a wall, so the diving skills are very important.
Professional divers are trained and well-prepared to make dives. However, non-professionals should never dive because a diver’s body position at the time of contacting water is very important to his or her safety. Because of the great danger, divers should always seriously think about their skills before trying any moves.
Although there is no truly safe way to jump off a cliff, non-professional divers are encouraged to pencil dive. To do a pencil dive, the jumpers leap their feet first off the cliff, keep arms at their sides with legs together and pointing downward. The diver should keep the body tight and vertical. This is safer because it makes the point of contact smaller when the diver enters the water and puts less stress on the body.
Wearing a wet suit while diving will result in less pain. So it is wise for new divers to wear wet suits. But professional divers suggest staying away from water shoes. Although wearing shoes might seem like a good idea, they actually increase the force of impact because they increase the surface area of the diver at impact. The increased force of impact puts stress on a diver’s body and can lead to broken bones. Without a doubt, diving without shoes is the safer way to go.
Besides the height, speed, water depth and body position, it is also important for divers to make wise decisions when they are thinking about diving. Cliff diving tests both a person’s physical and mental skills, so it is never a good idea to jump with a sudden idea. A person needs to be of sound mind and in good health to even think about a dive. One should never try a dive if he has drunk wine. What’s more, a person should never make someone who is not feeling 100% confident dive.What does “this could not be further from the truth” mean?
A.There’s no doubt that this idea is definitely true. |
B.This idea is thought to be completely wrong. |
C.It depends on the real situation on the spot. |
D.Nobody knows whether this idea is true or not. |
Why didn’t professional divers suggest wearing shoes?
A.Because wearing shoes can put more weight on to the diver |
B.Because wearing shoes can cause the diver to feel uncomfortable |
C.Because wearing shoes can make the point of contact bigger |
D.Because wearing shoes can certainly lead to broken bones |
According to the passage, a good cliff diver should be __________.
A.well-prepared and skillful | B.professional and strong |
C.creative and smarty | D.confident and brave |
When your town has winter,the earth's axis(轴) is pointing away from the sun.Your town doesn't get as much light or heat from the sun.The days are shorter and colder.
Winter and summer happen because the earth is tilted(倾斜) as it revolves around the sun.The northern end of the earth's axis points towards the sun in summer.You have more hours of light in summer.Your part of the earth is towards the sun for more hours each day.When the part of the earth where you live is towards the sun,you have hotter days.In winter,when your part of the earth points away from the sun,you have colder days.
You have learned about winter and summer.There are two more seasons in the year.One comes after winter and before summer.The other season comes after summer and before winter.Can you name them?That's right.Spring comes between winter and summer and autumn comes after summer but before winter.
The four seasons are spring,summer,autumn and winter.Spring and autumn are opposite seasons.Which season do you like best?
You have thought about the four seasons of the year.Each season is different.The seasons are made by the northern end of the axis pointing towards or away from the sun.
Your part of the world gets more heat from the sun when the northern end of the axis points to the sun.When the axis points away from the sun,you get less heat.Now you know why winter is colder than summer.The axis is pointing away from the sun in winter.It is pointing towards the sun in summer.
(1)What does the underlined word "revolves" in paragraph 2 mean?
A.Moves.
B.Turns.
C.Jumps.
D.Sites.
(2)What is the passage mainly about?
A.How four seasons happen.
B.How the weather changes.
C.When the earth's axis points towards the sun.
D.When the earth's axis points away from the sun.
(3)Where does the passage probably come from?
A.A film guide.
B.A storybook.
C.A science magazine.
D.A book review.
Apps can teach you things or let you have fun.The following are some apps that you may use in your daily life.
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Kindle Do you love to read?Do you wish that you could bring all of your books with you everywhere you go?Kindle allows you to do so.This app has over a million free e﹣books to download.With Kindle,you can read anything from comic books and novels to magazines and newspapers. |
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Calm Calm is an app that can help you relax and sleep better.It has a lot of features to help you relax.For example,it has calming sounds like ocean waves and rain. |
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RunKeeper Sometimes the hardest part of exercising is getting started.If you want to get started,you'd better try RunKeeper.It is a good app that can help you exercise.Are you ready to start?If so,RunKeeper will always be with you. |
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If you don't have enough time to read news stories or watch videos,Pocket can help you save all of them online.Then you can read them or watch them when you are free.You can view them offline,too.Besides,it can also help you organize the things you have saved. |
(1)How many apps can help you to read?
A.One.
B.Two.
C.Three.
D.Four.
(2)The app "Pocket" can't help you to .
A.read news stories
B.watch videos
C.organize the things you have saved
D.relax and sleep better
(3)Which of the following apps may help you exercise?
A.Kindle.
B.Pocket.
C.RunKeeper.
D.Calm.
A two﹣week﹣old baby hippo sat alone on the bank of the Zambezi River in Zambia,a country in Africa.His mother was dead.The morning sun rose and with every passing minute he lost more strength.Without his mother,the baby probably wouldn't make it through the night.
Luckily,Ian Stevenson and his friends saw the baby hippo.They took him back,fed him milk and eggs.The young animal was saved and soon doubled his weight.He seemed happy and healthy.
Later,the hippo,now called Douglas,was moved to an ideal home at Chipembele,a wildlife center owned by Ann and Steve Tolan,They built a sleeping place for Douglas by a pool where he liked to swim.They fed him every three hours.Douglas enjoyed playing with the Tolans' pet dogs and swimming in the pool.Sometimes at night,other hippos came from the nearby river to eat grass.At first,Douglas would walk into his pool to hide. "But he soon fought against his shyness and played with them, "Tolan says.Douglas remained at Chipembele for about five years before he was moved to another part of Zambia.
(1)What's the name of the hippo?
(2)How did the baby hippo survive the night without his mother?
(3)In your opinion,where was the hippo moved five years later,a zoo or the wild,Why?
Everybody has a brain,but not many people know how the brain works.Some people believe that the brain is like the hard disk of a computer.We use it to store files 一 pictures,language (words,texts,sounds) and so on.Others compare the brain to a huge cupboard with lots of shelves and boxes in it.We put information into these boxes and hope to find it again later.
The brain is not a computer disk,and it isn't a cupboard.Look at the picture here.It looks a hit like weeds(杂草)in a garden,doesn't it?The picture actually shows a child's neocortex— a part of the brain that controls sight and hearing.You can guess what happens 一 more "weeds" grow as the child gets older.Scientists call these neuronal(神经元的)networks.The networks grow around our neurons.What makes them grow?"Learning!Learning is brain change, "says Professor James Zull from Case Western University in Cleveland,Ohio,USA. "Without learning,nothing changes in the brain.For every new word you learn in your English lesson,every problem you solve in maths,every new song you learn to sing,a neuronal network grows in your brain and the brain changes."
The more neuronal networks we grow,the better we can think and the better we remember.You may wonder if there is anything you can do to make the networks in your brain grow better.Professor Zull says yes,there is.He says that brain change is strongest when a) you are interested in and like what you are learning,b) you are in control of what you learn and c) you get challenging tasks that make you think hard.Understanding a challenging task makes you feel good and develops your brain.
(1)What's the main idea of the first paragraph?
A.The brain — a fantastic computer.
B.What people believe about the brain.
C.How to make your brain stronger.
D.Our brain 一 a growing system.
(2)What can we learn from the passage?
A.Learning makes our neuronal networks grow.
B.Seeing a challenging task develops our brain.
C We remember better when things are easy.
D.There's nothing we can do to make us smarter.
(3)What's the best title for the passage?
A.Interest is the best teacher.
B.Meeting life's challenges.
C.Never too late to learn.
D.Learning is brain change.
Resting my head on Helen's shoulder,I put my arms round her waist(腰).She drew me to her,and we rested in silence.
We had not sat long before another person came in.Some heavy clouds,swept from the sky by a rising wind,had left the moon bright;and her light,coming in through a window near,shone full both on us and on the coming person,Miss Temple. "I came on purpose to find you,Jane Eyre, " said she. "I want you in my room,and as Helen Burs is with you,she may come too. "
We followed Miss Temple to her apartment.It had a good fire,and looked cheerful.Miss Temple told Helen Burns to be seated in a low arm﹣chair on one side of the fire place,and herself asking another,she called me to her side.
"Is it all over?" she asked,looking down at my face. "Have you cried your sadness away?"
"I am afraid I never shall do that. "
"Why?"
"Because I have been wrongly accused(指责),and you and everybody else,will think me a bad girl. "
"We shall think you what you prove yourself to be,my child.Continue to act as a good girl,and you will satisfy us. "
"Shall I,Miss Temple?"
"You will. "said Miss Temple, "You have been accused of lying when you were little.Tell us the truth,but add nothing and exaggerate(夸大)nothing. "
I made up my mind that I would be most modest and most core.Having thought for a few minutes about where to start,I told her all the story of my sad childhood.
(1)Which of the following words best describes Miss Temple in the passage?
A.Dishonest.
B.Impatient.
C.Caring.
D.Humorous.
(2)What does the underlined paragraph imply(暗示)?
A.Miss Temple was going to punish Jane.
B.Helen would rather leave Jane alone.
C.Nothing could make Jane happy again.
D.Jane's luck might change for the better.
(3)According to the passage,which of the following is true about Jane?
A.She chose to trust Miss Temple.
B.She didn't mind being accused.
C.She made up her childhood story.
D.She once behaved as a bad girl.