Einstein, a great scientist of the age, was almost as strange as his Theory of Relativity.
Once, while riding a street car in Berlin, he told the conductor that he had not given him the right change. The conductor counted the change again and found it to be correct, so he handed it to Einstein, saying, “The trouble with you is that you don’t know your figures.”
Einstein said that there were only twelve people living who understood his Theory of Relativity although a good many books had been written to explain it.
He had nothing but contempt(藐视)for the things most people set their hearts on—for fame and riches(财富)and luxury(奢华).
He didn’t want money or praise. He made his own happiness out of such simple things as his work and playing the violin and sailing his boat. Einstein’s violin brought him more joy than anything else in life. He said that he often thought in music. The conductor thought Einstein .
A.wasn’t good at maths | B.had good memory |
C.was either mad or strange | D.liked to make trouble |
Einstein meant that many people .
A.knew his Theory of Relativity well because they could explain it |
B.had written to have grasped his theory correctly |
C.pretended to have grasped his abstract theory |
D.admired him very much |
The underlined part “set…hearts on” means .
A.believe | B.have | C.love | D.hate |
The crisis at the damaged Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Station in northern Japan has raised worries about radiation risks. We spoke Tuesday with Jonathan Links, an expert in radiation health sciences. He is a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Maryland.
Professor Links says workers within the nuclear plant are the only people at risk of extremely high doses of radiation.
JONATHAN LINKS: "Of course, we don't know what doses they've received, but the only persons at risk of acute radiation effects are the workers."
For other people, he says, there may be a long-term worry. People can get cancer from low doses of ionizing radiation, the kind released in a nuclear accident.
Professor Links says scientists can use computers to quickly model where radioactive material has blown and settled. Then they measure how large an area is contaminated. He says if the situation is serious enough, officials could take steps like telling people not to eat locally grown food or drink the water.
JONATHAN LINKS: "But that would only be the case if there was a significant release and, because of wind direction, the radioactive material was blown over the area, and then settled out of the air into and onto water, plants, fruits and vegetables."
The reactors at Fukushima are on the Pacific coast. But Professor Links says people should not worry about any radioactive material leaking into the ocean.
JONATHAN LINKS: "Even in a worst-case scenario accident, the sea provides a very high degree of dilution. So the concentration of radioactivity in the seawater would still be quite low."
Japan is the only country to have had atomic bombs dropped on it. That memory fromWorld War Two would create a stronger "psychological sensitivity" to radiation exposure, Professors Links says.
Next month is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the explosion and fire that destroyed a reactor at Chernobyl in Ukraine. The nineteen eighty-six event was the world's worst accident in the nuclear power industry.
A new United Nations report says more than six thousand cases of thyroid cancer have been found. These are in people who were children in affected areas of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine. The report says that by two thousand five the cancers had resulted in fifteen deaths.
The cancers were largely caused by drinking contaminated milk. The milk came from cows that ate grass where radioactive material had fallen.
To get the latest updates, go to www.unsv.com.
Contributing: James BrookeThe passage mainly tells us __________.
A.What measures the Japan Government takes to solve the nuclear crisis . |
B.Worries and influences caused by the nuclear crisis . |
C.With great efforts of scientists , the Japan Government has put the nuclear crisis under control . |
D.To explain that the nuclear crisis has less effect on its neighboring countries. |
Which of the following is NOT the influences caused by the leak of Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Station?
A.Workers at the nuclear station are suffering the risk of death . |
B.People can get cancer from low doses of ionizing radiation, the kind released in a nuclear accident. |
C.The radioactive material may be blown over the area causing the pollution to water . |
D.The concentration of radioactivity in the seawater can not be diluted. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “dilution”?
A.chemical | B.salt | C.dissolution | D.elimination |
According to the passage which of the following is not TRUE ?
A.Water people drink ,food and vegetables people eat may be polluted by nuclear radiation . |
B.Japan is the only country to have had atomic bombs dropped on it. |
C.You can go to www.unsv.com. to get the latest news . |
D.The nuclear accident in Japan is the worst in the nuclear power industry. |
Life comes in a package. This package includes happiness and sorrow, failure and success, hope and despair. Life is a learning process. Experiences in life teach us new lessons and make us a better person. With each passing day we learn to handle various situations.
Love
Love plays a pivotal role on our life.Love makes you feel wanted.Without love a person could go Hayward(不归路) and also become cruel and ferocious.In the early stage of our life, our parents are the ones who show us with unconditional love and care, they teach us about what is right and wrong, good and bad.But we always tend to take this for granted.It is only after marriage and having kids that a person understands and becomes sensitive to others feelings.Kids make a person responsible and mature and help us to understand life better.
Love plays a pivotal role on our life.Love makes you feel wanted.Without love a person could go Hayward(不归路) and also become cruel and ferocious.In the early stage of our life, our parents are the ones who show us with unconditional love and care, they teach us about what is right and wrong, good and bad.But we always tend to take this for granted.It is only after marriage and having kids that a person understands and becomes sensitive to others feelings.Kids make a person responsible and mature and help us to understand life better.
Happiness and Sorrow
Materialistic happiness is short-lived, but happiness achieved by bringing a smile on others face gives a certain level of fulfillment.Peace of mind is the main link to happiness. No mind is happy without peace. We realize the true worth of happiness when we are in sorrow.Sorrow is basically due to death of a loved one, failure and despair. But these things are temporary and pass away.
Failure and Success
Failure is the path to success. It helps us to touch the sky, teaches us to survive and shows us a specific way. Success brings in money, fame, pride and self-respect. Here it becomes very important to keep our head on our shoulder. The only way to show our gratitude to God for bestowing success on us is by being humble, modest, courteous and respectful to the less fortunate ones.
Hope and Despair
Hope is what keeps life going. Parents always hope their children will do well.Hope makes us dream. Hope builds in patience. Life teaches us not to despair even in the darkest hour, because after every night there is a day. Nothing remains the same we have only one choice keep moving on in life and be hopeful.
Life teaches us not to regret over yesterday, for it has passed and is beyond our control. Tomorrow is unknown, for it could either be bright or dull. So the only alternative is work hard today, so that we will enjoy a better tomorrow.In the passage, the author compares life to .
A.package | B.joy and sorrow |
C.failure and success | D.hope and despair |
In which section can readers probably read the passage?
A.Opinions | B.Politics | C.Education | D.Lifestyles |
How is the passage organized?
A.In order of rules. B.In order of frequency.What’s the general meaning of the last sentence of the whole passage?
A.If you work hard, you’ll have a better life in the future. |
B.when choosing between “today” and “tomorrow”, you’d better enjoy tomorrow better. |
C.What you only can choose is to work hard today rather than tomorrow. |
D.Enjoying a better tomorrow is your only choice. |
What’s the purpose of the passage?
A.To encourage people to love each other. |
B.To tell people how to deal with happiness and sorrow. |
C.To remind people of keeping having a beautiful dream. |
D.To give readers some information about life. |
You are enjoying the beautiful scenery in a quiet place, but suddenly the peace and quiet is interrupted(打断)by the noisy sound of a cellphone(手机)! Cellphones are everywhere, and some people don’t know what the limits of cellphone use are.
For me, it’s just a matter of education, good manners, and common sense. If I go to a beautiful place, it is because I want to enjoy nature. I can do it, but without bothering (打扰) other people.
Nowadays, that’s the biggest problem. People disturb other people, first with the ringing of their cellphones and then with their conversations because they usually speak very loudly. Not everybody in a public place should have to listen to private conversations (私人谈话). Even more annoying, you hear just one part of the conversation.
People need to learn how to use cellphones correctly. If there is an emergency (紧急情况),cellphones are acceptable, but remember that just a few years ago few people had cellphones and the whole society survived!
But again, not everybody wants to listen to other people’s private conversations. It’s like smoking. People don’t want to be bothered by smokers. Our society has to learn to respect other people.
Sometimes when you are talking to someone, that person interrupts the conversation because of a cellphone call, without saying “I’m sorry.” That is bad manners. They don’t know how to respect other people. It’s just common sense! But our society is sometimes so “common senseless!” So, we have to write some rules to prohibit(禁止)cellphone use in some places.What could be the best title for the passage?
A.Cellphone Manners Are a Must | B.How to Use Cellphones |
C.Don’t Disturb Others | D.The Popularity (流行) of Cellphones |
According to the author, what is the biggest problem nowadays?
A.People are disturbed by those who use cellphones. |
B.People can’t hear the other part of the conversation. |
C.Private conversations are carried out on cellphones. |
D.Not everyone uses a cellphone in public places. |
By saying “People don’t want to be bothered by smokers” (Para. 5), the author really means _____.
A.smoking also does harm to other people’s health |
B.people don’t want to listen to others talk |
C.people don’t want to be bothered by cellphone talkers |
D.some people don’t want others to smoke |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.If we interrupt the conversation with a cellphone call, we should say sorry. |
B.Some of the cellphone users don’t have good manners. |
C.Before using cellphones, we must know how to respect others. |
D.People who use cellphones are not interested in beautiful scenery at all. |
Have you ever been to the beautiful country of Holland and its capital Amsterdam? Anyone who has traveled to Amsterdam would probably agree on one thing: Amsterdam’s story is a tale of two cities -- one during the day and a completely different one at night.
During the day, the largest city in the Netherlands sits quietly on the Amstel River.You can rent a bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi.But when the sun goes down, the partying begins.In the big clubs and in coffee shops, tourists gather to hang out, talk politics and smoke.
Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam.And they’re all within a short cab ride of each other.For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open markets, concerts and other events.Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there.And there’s the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall.
But at night party-seekers come to the square.Hip hop or funk music is heard there..So if you come, be ready to dance.The clubs don’t shut down until 4 am.
And while you’re there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city.Don’t worry about getting lost.Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy to help you with directions.And you’ll notice that half the people in the streets are on bicycles they rent.
Amsterdam also has a well-planned canal system.For about 10 dollars, you can use the canal bus or a water taxi to cruise(巡游) the "Venice of the North".
The city has a historic past.One impressive place to visit is the Anne Frank House on Nine Streets.It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War II.Visitors can view Anne’s original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid from the Nazis for two years.What means of transport is not available to visitors in Amsterdam?
A.A carriage. | B.A bicycle. | C.A canal bus. | D.A water taxi. |
When getting lost, a visitor can ask natives for directions in___________.
A.only Dutch | B.Dutch or English |
C.only English | D.Spanish and English |
What can you learn about by visiting the Anne Frank House?
A.The experience of a beautiful girl survivor. |
B.The glorious past of Amsterdam. |
C.The life of Jewish during World War Ⅱ. |
D.The suffering of the Dutch in wars. |
The passage is intended to____________.
A.call up people’s memories of World War Ⅱ |
B.tell readers what A Tale of Two Cities is about |
C.instruct visitors what to do and see in Holland |
D.offer readers some information about Amsterdam |
You may know the English letters A, B and C. But do you know there are people called ABC? You may like eating bananas. But did you know there is a “banana person”? How strange! Are these people from “another Earth”? No. They are just Chinese people like you and me.
ABC means American-Born Chinese. An ABC is a Chinese, but was born in the United States. Sometimes, people call an ABC a “banana person”. A banana is yellow outside and white inside. So, when a person is a banana, he or she is white inside—thinking like a Westerner and yellow outside—looking like a Chinese.
Do you know why? Usually, ABCs know little about China or the Chinese language. Some of them don’t speak Chinese.
But if ABCs cannot speak Chinese, can we still call them Chinese people? Yes, of course. They are Chinese. They are overseas (海外) Chinese. These people may be citizens(公民) of another country like the US, Canada or Singapore. But they have Chinese blood. Their parents, grandparents or even great-grandparents were from China. They all have black eyes and black hair.
But they are not Chinese citizens. They are not the people of the People’s Republic of China. For example, we all know the famous scientist C.N. Yang(杨振宁). He got the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1957. The Chinese love him, but he is an American citizen.What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
A.He wants to tell us something about “ABC”. |
B.He wants to show that Chinese are well respected in America. |
C.He wants to tell us some knowledge about the English language. |
D.He wants to introduce the American culture to us. |
Chinese in Western countries are called “banana persons” because ____.
A.their bodies are white inside but yellow outside |
B.they think like Westerners but look like Chinese |
C.they were born in China but go to study in America |
D.they like to eat bananas |
C.N. Yang is mentioned here to show that ____.
A. American Chinese are great.B. we love American Chinese
C. The Chinese can win Nobel Prizes D. American Chinese are not Chinese citizens