A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space. This can happen when a star is dying.
Because no light can get out, people can’t see black holes. Space telescopes with special tools can help find black holes. The special tools can see how stars that are very close to black holes act differently from other ones.
Black holes can be big or small. Scientists think the smallest black holes are as small as just one atom. These black holes are very tiny but have the mass of a large mountain. Mass is the amount of matter, or “staff”, in an object.
Another kind of black hole is called “stellar”(星球黑洞). Its mass can be up to 20 times more than the mass of the sun. There may be many stellar mass black holes in Earth’s galaxy. Earth’s galaxy is called the Milky Way.
The largest black holes are called “supermassive”(超大质量黑洞). These black holes have masses that are more than one million suns together. Scientists have found proof that every large galaxy contains a supermassive black hole at its center. The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy has a mass equal to about four million suns and would fit inside a very large ball that could hold a few million Earths.
Scientists think the smallest black holes formed when the universe began. Stellar black holes are made when the center of a very big star falls in upon itself, or falls apart. When this happens, it exploded part of the star into space. Scientists think supermassive black holes were made at the same time as the galaxy they are in.
A black hole can not be seen because strong gravity pulls all of the light into the middle of the black hole. But scientists can see how the strong gravity affects the stars and gas around the black hole. Scientists can study stars to find out if they are flying around, or orbiting a black hole.
When a black hole and a star are close together, high-energy light is made. This kind of light cannot be seen with human eyes. Scientists use satellites and telescopes in space to see the high-energy light.The gravity of a black hole may become so strong that light cannot get out when ____________.
| A．the star is going to die |
| B．special tools are used on it |
| C．other stars come close to it |
| D．it is seen from the space telescopes |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．A black hole can be very tiny but extremely heavy. |
| B．The gravity of a black hole holds all light in its center. |
| C．Scientists observe high-energy light through their own eyes. |
| D．Some small black holes came into being as early as the universe. |
Which can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Every galaxy must have a black hole. |
| B．A galaxy is the center of the universe. |
| C．A galaxy consists of a large group of stars and planets. |
| D．Earth’s galaxy is called the Milky Way. |
What does the last sentence in Paragraph 5 suggest?
| A．Neither the sun nor the earth is as heavy as a black hole. |
| B．There is only one supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. |
| C．The supermassive black hole had existed before the Milky Way was formed. |
| D．There is a reason why the large black holes are called “supermassive”. |
The last two paragraph mainly focus on the question of _________.
| A．what a black hole is |
| B．how black holes form |
| C．how big black holes are |
| D．how scientists know about black holes |
Saying “thank you” is probably the first thing most of us learn to do in a foreign language. After all, we’re brought up to be polite, and it is important to make a good impression upon other people — especially across national divides.
So, what exactly are you supposed to say when “thank you” is only the 20th most popular way to express gratitude? According to a recent survey, 19 other ways of expressing appreciation finished ahead of “thank you” in a poll of 3,000 people.
Pollsters(民测调查员) found almost half of those asked preferred the more informal “cheers”, while others liked to use such expressions as “ta”, “great” and “nice one”.
So, just what is the appropriate form of words to express your thanks?
Fortunately, the clue is in the language itself. “Cheers”, despite its popularity, is considered an informal way to say thank you — and this is a definite clue as to when you can best use it.
For instance, when going for a drink with friends, a smile and a “cheers” by way of thanks is not only appropriate to the situation, it is also culturally accurate.
“Ta”, originated from the Danish word “tak”, was the second-most popular expression of thanks, and is also commonly used in informal situations, along with phrases such as “nice one”, and “brilliant”. Interestingly, one word that didn’t make it into the top 20 was “thanks”, Thank you is shorter, more informal cousin.
“Thanks” can be useful, as it is able to bridge the divide between the formality of “thank you” and the downright relaxed “cheers”.
Certain words can double as an expression of thanks as well as delight. Again, the words themselves offer the clue as to when best to use them.
For example, words like “awesome”, “brilliant” and “you star” featured highly in the new poll and they can hint at both your pleasure at someone’s action, as well as serving to express your thanks. If you are on the receiving end of a “new” thank you, you can respond with a simple “no problem”, or “sure”.
Of course, in certain circumstances, a simple wave, nod or smile may be appropriate. For instance, if a car driver slows down to let you cross the road, simply raising your hand in acknowledgement is enough to show that you appreciate the driver’s consideration.
Sometimes, formality is necessary, and “thank you” is still the best choice in such situations. But students should not worry about when exactly to use certain expressions.
Many people in Western countries are worried that good manners are in decline. People are tired of seeing their acts of kindness and service pass without comment. So don’t think your “thank you” is clumsy or awkwardly formal. The chances are, if you said “thank you”, you made someone’s day. You star.We can tell from the results of the poll that __________.
| A．people are unconcerned about politeness nowadays. |
| B．“thank you” remains the best expression of gratitude. |
| C．there is a variety of expressions of appreciation. |
| D．there are more formal expressions than informal ones. |
According to the passage, which is an appropriate response to “awesome” or “brilliant”?
| A．Thanks. | B．Sure. | C．Nice one. | D．Cheers. . |
In the last paragraph the author encourages people to.
| A．show their gratitude to others. |
| B．behave themselves well. |
| C．continue their acts of kindness. |
| D．stop worrying about bad manners. |
Which of the following can serve as the best title of this passage?
| A．How to Appear More Polite. |
| B．Ways to Show Gratitude. |
| C．Never hesitate to Say “Thank You”. |
| D．Good Manners in Decline! |
We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I’d know better. I'd really like for them to know about hand-me-down clothes and home-made ice cream and leftover meatloaf. I really would.
Mycherished boys, I hope you learnhumilityby surviving failure and that you learn to be honest even when no one is looking. I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you believe in. I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger brother. And it is all right to draw a line down the middle of the room, but when he wants tocrawlunder the covers with you because he’s scared, I hope you'll let him. And when you want to see a Disney movie and your kid brother wants to tag along, I hope you take him.
I hope you have to walk uphill with your friends and that you live in a town where you can do it safely. I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books, and when you learn to use computers, you also learn how to add andsubtract in your head.
May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your hand on thestoveandstickyour tongue on a frozen flagpole (旗杆). I hope you get sick when someone blows smoke in your face. I don’t care if you try beer once, but I hope you won’t like it.
I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your grandpa or go fishing with your uncle.
I hope your mother punishes you when you throw abaseballthrough a neighbor’s window, and that she hugs you and kisses you when you give her aplasterof paredmoldof your hand.
These things I wish for you—tough times anddisappointment, hard work and happiness.Who wrote the letter?
| A．A grandmother. | B．A grandfather. | C．A father. | D．A mother. |
What does the author hope for the boys?
| A．they learn a lesson from a fight with others. |
| B．they know how to calculate with computers. |
| C．they have a close relationship with one another. |
| D．they burn their hand on the stove and stick their tongue on a frozen flagpole. |
Why does the author write the letter?
| A．To show the boys it’s not easy growing up. |
| B．To teach the boys dos and don’ts on the way growing up. |
| C．To help the boys to avoid making mistakes on the way growing up. |
| D．To encourage the boys to fully experience life on the way growing up. |
Friendship and friends continue to be the centre of our life. The relationship that we share with our friends is grounded in mutual (相互的) care as our friends help us in shaping our personalities as well. Even in this age of online social networking and e-cards, the need of keeping the network of friends, whether online or offline remains a primary concern for people. We may not completely understand what makes a friend but we all want to have a good number of friends around us.
The first step to make friends with someone is to make them like you. If they don’t like you in the first place, it is unlikely that they’ll be eager to become your friends. To let someone know that you are specially interested in them, simple gestures like a little smile and calling them by their names can lay the basic foundation. To make the other person feel important to you, you need to be a good listener and encourage the other person to talk. Give your honest and sincere opinion but do not directly criticize or make fun of him or her.
The second step of making someone your friend is to develop a mutual understanding. You need to share his or her experiences and it is necessary for you to develop a habit to see things from the other person’s point of view.
The third or final step towards friendship is to show your unconditional support and encouragement towards your friend. Moreover, you also need to be very clear about your expectations from your friend. If what you expect from the person you want to make friends with matches with what that person can give, the developing friendship between you and your friend is sure to be successful.The underlined word “shaping” (in Paragraph 1) means “________”.
| A．forming | B．changing | C．catching | D．losing |
Which one of the following is true according to this passage?
| A．It is no use learning what a true friend is. |
| B．It is very important to understand each other. |
| C．It is a duty for you to meet your friends’ need all the time. |
| D．We had better keep silent when staying with our friends. |
If you want to make friends with someone, you can ________.
| A．show your interest with a smile to him or her |
| B．make him or her feel more important than you |
| C．never expect him or her to support you |
| D．have your own ways of seeing things |
New research shows sheep are clever
People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents (啮齿动物). Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead.
Young fish prefer noisy neighbors
A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, complete with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best!
Butterflies are disappearing
A new study has shown that 17 species (物种) of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss (减少) of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Some new studies about animals. |
| B．People’s wrong ideas about animals. |
| C．Why the number of animals has dropped. |
| D．The importance of protecting animals. |
According to the first paragraph, we may infer that sheep _____.
| A．are less clever than rodents |
| B．can find their home |
| C．can read maps |
| D．are good planners |
Which seems to have to do with the number of butterflies?
| A．The species of grass in grasslands. |
| B．The species of trees in grasslands. |
| C．The number of flowers in grasslands. |
| D．The number of animals in grasslands. |
In which part of a newspaper can we most probably read the passage?
| A．Geography. | B．Culture. | C．Travel. | D．Nature. |
The computers and the Internet
The computer is one of the most important inventions of today. Ever since it was invented, it has changed our lives a lot.
People can do a lot of things with the computer. For example, some software can be used too help people finish their work. If one can’t finish it at once, the computer can save it so that one can find it quickly the next time.
When you talk about computer, you must mention the Internet.. The Internet is a huge worldwide collection of computer networks. A network is a small group of computers working together. You can find information about almost any topic in the world from this network.. For example, you can use the Internet instead of a library to find information about current issues for your homework. You can also find information about your favorite pop or film stars, talk to your friends or even do some shopping. As well as words, most pages include pictures, sounds, and even videos.
Email is a fast and cheap way to keep in touch with friends and family. It’s much cheaper and quicker than sending a letter.
Quick, easy and fun---that is the Internet. However, it also has its shortcomings(缺点).If you always operate the computer, you could become lazy and lonely. There is also a lot of bad information on the Internet. Some of it is bad for our ideologies(观念). Many parents don’t allow their children to use the Internet because they think that the Internet is useless and they only think about its disadvantages.
In my opinion, the computer and the Internet are good for us if we can adopt a correct attitude towards them. They are several reasons. Firstly, they can store a very, very large amount of …According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．One day the computer will completely replace humans. |
| B．In modern times, the computer is the only most important invention. |
| C．With the computer used in our daily lives, we can do some things easier than before. |
| D．In the future, we can use the computer to do everything. |
The underlined word “operate” in the passage means ____.
| A．作手术 | B．操作 | C．打开 | D．浏览 |
What’s the author’s attitude towards the Internet?
| A．If the Internet is used in the right way, it is good for us. |
| B．All the information on the Internet is bad for children. |
| C．We can only use the Internet at home. |
| D．The Internet should always used by adults. |
With the help of the internet,___________________________.
| A．You can find information about almost any topic in the world from this network.. |
| B．You needn’t to go to the library to find information about current issues for your homework. |
| C．You can talk to your friends or even do some shopping. |
| D．You can also find information about your favorite pop or film stars |