Therehavealwaysbeenalotofcommo-优题课

British Summer Time runs from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. In the depths of winter the nights in the UK are anything from 15-19 hours long. Longer nights mean frost and fog are more likely to form.
Twice a year the clocks change, forward in the spring and then back again in the autumn. But why? It happens twice a year. We all change our clocks and watches by one hour. In the spring, we add an hour, and go onto what is called British Summer Time, while in the autumn, we do the reverse, and return to Greenwich Mean Time.
Why bother?
It’s all to do with saving the hours of daylight, and was started by a guy called William Willett, a London builder, who lived in Petts Wood in Kent. Basically, he figured that you could improve the population’s health and happiness by putting forward the clocks by twenty minutes every Sunday in April and do the opposite in September.
Economics
His idea was not taken up, even though a “Daylight Saving Bill” was introduced some five years before the outbreak of World War One. But once the war started, it was considered wise to economics, to promote greater efficiency in using daylight hours, and in the use of artificial lighting. And so in 1916, “Daylight Saving Time” was introduced. Even though most countries abandoned this after that war, some eventually decided that it was a good idea, and most of these nations began to keep it throughout the year.
Experiment
Since 1972, Britain has decided to go with Greenwich Mean Time in winter, and British Summer Time in Summer.
But back in 1968, Britain tried a four-year experiment by advancing time one hour ahead of GMT throughout the year.
But those living further north, particularly in Scotland, found it most unsatisfactory, with dark mornings for much of the year, and the experiment was dropped.
But the arguments go on …and on.
Why some countries decide to change the clocks after World War One?

A．To improve the people’s health and happiness.

B．To do a certain experiment

C．To save energy to develop economies.

D．All of the above.

What can you infer from the passage?

A．The idea of changing the clocks suffered disagreement.

B．The people in Scotland don’t change the clocks.

C．The idea was first thought of by an educator.

D．It’s unnecessary to change the clocks.

What is the real meaning of the last sentence of the passage?

A．Nobody in the UK likes the idea.

B．All things need arguments.

C．The British are fond of arguments.

D．Different views of the idea still exist.

Throughout seafaring history, ships and sailors have been lost to storms, accidents and war. Until recently, most of these ships were weak wooden sailing vessel (船只), their skeletons(骨架) quickly eaten away by sea creatures. Now, large vessels made of steel float on the seas. Thousands of these huge ships have been lost in times of war and in times of peace.
The bones of great metal ships, unlike the wooden vessels of old, survive the destruction of the sea long enough to become home and harbor for underwater life of all kinds. Shipwrecks(残骸) often provide the only hard surface and structure at the sandy bottom of the sea, something many sea creatures need.
The ship has been underwater for only five days. Its surface is still clean. Six weeks later, the wreck is covered with a slimy layer of algae(海藻), but it is still recognizable as a ship. Soon, animals that need to attach themselves to a hard surface, like the feather duster worms, make the wreck their home.
In warm waters, coral polyps(珊瑚虫) settle on the wreck and begin the process of building a rock-like crust on the ship. Small fish are attracted on all of these creatures. Larger fish come to feed on these small fish that hide in the wreckage. Eventually, the largest animals are attracted to the rich life on the shipwreck.
Shipwrecks give us valuable information about how sea plants and animals develop. We know exactly how long this wreck has been under water and how long sea life has been growing on it. Yet even the strongest steel shipwreck will finally be destroyed by the flows of water. But long after this wreck has been broken apart, it will still act as a reef (礁石). Layer upon layer of sea life has formed a structure that is now more natural than artificial, and will remain an island of life under the sea.
Which of the following is NOT TRUE about shipwrecks?

A．Most ships in ancient times sank easily and become shipwrecks.

B．Shipwrecks, for scientists, are worth researching to get valuable information.

C．The skeletons of old wooden shipwrecks will exist for quite a long time.

D．Some sea animals tend to seek food on the shipwrecks.

The writer’s purpose in writing the article is to tell us_____.

A．the differences between the ancient vessels and the modern ones

B．how the ships become shipwrecks at sea

C．how coral polyps live on the wreck in warm waters

D．the value of studying shipwrecks at the bottom of the sea

Which of the following is closer to the underlined “crust”?

A．a hard outer covering	B．the skin of a rock
C．a hole in a ship	D．a small house

What will happen to shipwrecks in the end?

A．They will be pulled out of the sea for research.

B．They are likely to disappear and form reefs.

C．They will become an island under the sea.

D．They will be like works of art.

Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.
Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet ripe（成熟） or finished. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation. In the fifteenth century, a greenhorn was a young cow or ox whose horns(角) had not yet developed. A century or so later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had not yet had any experience in battle. By the eighteenth century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.
Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression comes from the early nineteen hundreds. A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.
The Green Revolution is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.
Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling, jealousy(嫉妒). The green-eyed monster is not a frightening creature from outer space. It is an expression used about four hundred years ago by British writer William Shakespeare in his play “Othello”. It describes the unpleasant feeling a person has when someone has something he wants. A young man may suffer from the green-eyed monster if his girlfriend begins going out with someone else. Or, that green-eyed monster may affect your friend if you get a pay rise and she does not.
Greenhorn now refers to ____.

A．a person who is new in a job

B．a new solider

C．a young horse

D．a thumb

A person who has a green thumb is a person ____.

A．whose garden is greener than others’

B．whose thumbs are in green color

C．who is good at growing plants

D．who is younger than his neighbors

The author is actually talking about ____.

A．colors

B．language

C．politics

D．agriculture

Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The green-eyed monster can be used to describe a person who is jealous

B．The Green Revolution may have some connection with green thumbs

C．The green-eyed monster was probably created by William Shakespeare

D．In about the 16th century, a greenhorn meant an experienced soldier

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。
The Winner’s Guide to Success
How do successful people think? What helps them to make success? To find out the answers, an American scholar recently visited some of the most successful people in America. 1
Be responsible for yourself
Sometimes you may want to blame others for your failure to get ahead. 2You’re saying, “You have more control over my life than I do.”
Live life “on purpose”
Almost all successful people live life “on purpose”— they are doing what they believe they should and want to do. When you live your life on purpose, you’ll try your best to do your job or study as well as you can. You love what you do and you can find pleasure in what you do.
Write a plan
It is very difficult trying to get what you want without a good plan. 3A good plan is like a map to you. Without this “map”, you may waste your time, money and also your energy; while with the “map” you’ll enjoy the “trip” and get what you want in the shortest possible time.
Be willing to pay the price
Nothing great is easy to get. So you must be ready to work hard — even harder than you have ever done. If you are not willing to pay the price, you won’t get anything valuable.
Never give up
4When you are doing something, you must tell yourself again and again: Giving up is worse than failure because failure can be the mother of success, but giving up means the death of hope.
5
Once an American writer was writing a novel. He could not have a good ending for his book until one night when he had a very good idea. He was so excited that he made a phone call to one of his best friends. “I’ve got a perfect idea,” he said, “I’ll put it down later and show it to you.” But he never did, because he died that night. His book was left without a perfect ending. So remember, do what you can right away. Never delay at all.

A．It is just like trying to drive through strange roads to a city far away.

B．It seems to us that everyone knows this. But it is easier said than done.

C．Some people achieve success much later in life because they fail to realize earlier the importance of hard work.

D．In fact, when you say someone or something outside of yourself is stopping you from making success, you’re giving away your own power.

E. Someone else’s opinion of you doesn’t have to become your reality.
F. Don’t delay
G. Here are some keys to success that they give.

Sometimes you may have a strong desire to do something strange or terrible. However, chances are that you don’t act on your impulse (冲动), but let it pass instead. You know that to take the action is wrong in some way and that other people will not accept your behavior.
Perhaps the most interesting thing about the phenomenon of taboo behavior is how it can change over the years, how certain behavior and attitudes once considered taboo can become perfectly acceptable and natural at another point in time. Topics such as death, for example, were once considered so upsetting that it was a taboo to even talk about them. Now with the publication of important books such as On Death and Dying and Learning to Say Goodbye, people have become more aware of the importance of expressing feelings about death and, as a result, are more willing to talk about this taboo subject.
One of the newest taboos is the topic of fat. Unlike many other taboos, fat is a topic that people talk about constantly. It’s not taboo to talk about fat; it’s taboo to be fat. The “in” look is thin, not fat. In the work world, most companies prefer youthful-looking, slim manager to sell their image as well as their products to the public. The thin look is associated with youth, vigor, and success. The fat person, on the other hand, is thought of as lazy and lacking in energy, self-discipline and self-respect. After all, how can people permit themselves to become fat? In an image-conscious society, thin is ‘‘in”, fat is “out”.
It’ s not surprising that millions of people have become obsessed (着迷) with staying slim and “in shape”. The pursuit of a youthful physical appearance is not, however, the only reason for people’s obsession with diet and exercise. Recent research has shown the importance of diet and exercise for personal health. As in most technologically developed nations, the life-style of people has changed since last century. Modern machines do all the physical labor. Cars and buses transport us quickly from point to point. As a result of inactivity and disuse, people’s bodies can easily become weak. In an effort to avoid such a fate , millions of people are spending more of their time exercising. Parks are filled with joggers and bicyclists, and many companies are providing special exercise equipment for their employees to use during the work day.
What does the word “taboo’’ refer to in the passage?

A．A crime committed on impulse.

B．An unfavorable impression left on other people.

C．A strong desire to do something strange or terrible.

D．Behavior considered unacceptable to the society.

What does the underlined phrase “in” look probably mean?

A．The fashionable look.	B．The hidden look.
C．The usual look.	D．The inside look.

According to the passage, the common belief is that _________.

A．fat people are full of energy	B．thin people are more successful
C．fat people prefer to have fat bosses	D．thin people are less image-conscious

People pay more attention to diet and exercise because of _________.

A．their need to kill time	B．their love for sports
C．their concern for health	D．their belief in hard work

A．By taking varied exercise.	B．By choosing simple exercise.
C．By doing regular exercise.	D．By sticking to outdoor exercise.