Scientists today are making greater effort to study ocean currents (洋流) .Most do it using satellites and other high-tech equipment.However, ocean expert Curtis Ebbesmeyer does it in a special way --- by studying movements of random floating garbage.A scientist with many years’ experience, he started this type of research in the early 1990s when he heard about hundreds of athletic shoes washing up on the shores of the northwest coast of the United States.There were so many shoes that people were setting up swap meets to try and match left and right shoes to sell or wear.
Ebbesmeyer found out in his researches that the shoes — about 60,000 in total — fell into the ocean in a shipping accident.He phoned the shoe company and asked if they wanted the shoes back.As expected, the company told him that they didn't.Ebbesmeyer realized this could be a great experiment.If he learned when and where the shoes went into the water and tracked where they landed, he could learn a lot about the patterns of ocean currents.
The Pacific Northwest is one of the world's best areas for beachcombing(海滩搜寻) because winds and currents join here, and as a result, there is a group of serious beachcombers in the area.Ebbesmeyer got to know a lot of them and asked for their help in collecting information about where the shoes landed.In a year he collected reliable information on 1, 600 shoes.With this data, he and a colleague were able to test and improve a computer program designed to model ocean currents, and publish the findings of their study.
As the result of his work, Ebbesmeyer has become known as the scientist to call with questions about any unusual objects found floating in the ocean.He has even started an association of beachcombers and ocean experts, with 500 subscribers from West Africa to New Zealand.They have recorded all lost objects ranging from potatoes to golf gloves.The underlined phrase swap meets in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to ___________.
A.fitting rooms | B.trading fairs |
C.business talks | D.group meetings |
Ebbesmeyer phoned the shoe company to find out ___________.
A.what caused the shipping accident |
B.when and where the shoes went missing |
C.whether it was all right to use their shoes |
D.how much they lost in the shipping accident |
How did Ebbesmeyer prove his assumption?
A.By collecting information from beachcombers. |
B.By studying the shoes found by beachcomber. |
C.By searching the web for ocean currents models. |
D.By researching ocean currents data in the library. |
Ebbesmeyer is most famous for _________________.
A.traveling widely the coastal cities of the world |
B.making records for any lost objects on the sea |
C.running a global currents research association |
D.phoning about any doubtful objects on the sea |
What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?
A.To call people's attention to ocean pollution. |
B.To warn people of shipping safety in the ocean. |
C.To explain a unique way of studying ocean currents. |
D.To give tips on how to search for lost objects on the beach. |
SATURDAY, June 16, 2009 (Health Day News) -- Following simple safety rules can help protect children from injury while they're having fun this summer, say experts from Safe Kids East Central and the Medical College of Georgia's Children's Medical Center
Here are some safety guidelines:
● When riding in a vehicle, children aged 12 and under should be secured in the back seat in a child safety seat, or safety belt that's suitable for their age and size. Children aged 4 to 8, or those weighing more than 40 pounds, should be in a car booster. Children taller than 4 feet 9 inches may use an adult seat belt
● Teach children never to play in or around parked cars. Never leave a child alone inside a car
● Never let a child under age l0 cross a street alone. Make sure all children know when and where to cross a street. Never let children walk alone at night
● Always supervise children at the playground or in the backyard. Make sure they play on a safe surface, such as rubber or free sand. Check that playground equipment is in good shape and safe.
● Children should attend swimming lessons with a qualified instructor, but don't assume that swimming lessons make children "drown-proof". They still need to be supervised when doing water-related activities
● Children should always wear proper protective equipment when using bicycles, scooters, inline skates and skateboards. Teach children the rules of the road
72. The best title for the passage is ___________
A. Some Safety Guidelines B. Rules of the road
C. A Safe Summer Means More Fun for KidsD. Safety Is Everything
73. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT mentioned?
A. Car riding. B. Swimming. C. Climbing. D. Skating
74. The underlined word "supervise" means_______
A. watch B. advise C. direct D. command
75. To have a safe summer we should do the following EXCEPT _________
A. never leave a child alone inside a car
B. teach children the rules of the road
C. allow children aged 12 and under sit in the back seat without safety belt
D. make sure children play on a safe surface
Feel tired lately? Has a doctor said he can't find anything wrong with you? Perhaps he has sent you to a hospital, but all the advanced equipment there shows that there is nothing wrong with you
Then, consider this: you might be in a state of sub-health. Sub-health, also called the third state or gray state, is explained as a borderline state between health and disease
According to the investigation by the National Health Organization, over 45 percent of sub-healthy people are middle-aged or elderly. The percentage is even higher among people who work in management positions as well as students around exam-week
Symptoms(症状) include a lack of energy, depression, slow reactions, insomnia, anger, and poor memory. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, sweating and aching in the waist and legs
The key to preventing and recovering from sub-health, according to some medical experts, is to form good living habits, alternate work and rest, exercise regularly, and take part in open air activities
As for meals, people are advised to eat less salt and sugar. They should also eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, fish because they are rich in nutritional elements -- vitamins and other elements that are important to the body. Nutrition experts point out that it is not good to eat too much at one meal because it may cause unhealthy changes in the digestive tract. They also say that a balanced diet is very helpful in avoiding sub-health
68. When you are in a state of sub-health, you should_______.
A. stay at home and have a good rest.
B. go to see a doctor and buy some medicine
C. have yourself examined with advanced equipment
D. find out the reasons and relax yourself
69. It may be easy for middle-aged people to get sub-healthy because _______
A. they have used up their energy
B. they have lost their living hopes
C. they have more pressure in life and work
D. they begin to get older
70. We can know form the passage if you____, you can avoid falling into a state of
sub-health.
A. eat more fresh vegetables and fruits B. develop good living habits
C. sleep moreD. take more medicine
71. The underlined word "alternate" in this passage is closest in meaning to ____
A. keep oneself busy with B. cause to take place
C. arrange by turns D. get rid of
If you walk slowly through downtown Helsinki(芬兰首都)during the day, taking in the splendid 19th century buildings, white boats and noise of passing trams, you will start to understand why it is called a city of two colors: white and blue
The sea is always present in Helsinki. When you take a walk over the great open space of the central square, you will hear seabirds screaming. When you take the train, suddenly and unexpectedly, you are faced with a calm, shining blue sea. You may notice that people in Helsinki do not rush as in other cities. Instead, they walk along the roads, politely letting other people by
A usual way to see Helsinki for the first time is to start out by the boats. You will walk by the elderly women selling fish and vegetables in the market square and find yourself in front of a beautiful park. You may enjoy a pleasant walk in the park for a few hours and then take the tram. Trams are the perfect way to get around in Helsinki. Watching the old houses, parks, theatres, churches, shops, restaurants and people in the streets, you may have a slightly sad film feeling to it
The pale summer nights are another wonder in the city. Following the waterfront of the city after sunset, you couldn’t help stopping and listening to the sweet silence, interrupted only by the screaming seabirds and leaving fishing boats
However, in some way, Helsinki is also the most modern city in northern Europe. You will surely want to visit the white Glass Palace, the modern art museum, and all those extremely popular cafes and design stores
64. Helsinki is called a city of two colors mainly because of the colors of its_____
A.19th century buildings, boats and parks
B. 19th century buildings, boats and seabirds
C. old houses, parks and trams
D. old buildings, boats and the sea
65. The best way to see most of Helsinki is to go ________
A. by boat B. by bus C. by tram D. on foot
66. The 19th century buildings, the white Glass Palace, popular cafes and design
shops in Helsinki all show that Helsinki is ______
A. both splendid and traditionalB. both quiet and noisy
C. both historical and modern D. both old and new
67.This passage is most likely to be found in _________
A. a story-book B. a geography textbook
C. a research reportD. a travel magazine
We continue our Foreign Student Series on higher education in the United States. Now you move on to college life once you are admitted to a school. The first thing you need to value is a place to live. Housing policies differ from school to school. Students might have to live in a dormitory, at least for the first year there.
Dorms come in all sizes. Some have suites. Six or more students may live in one suite. Other dorms have many rooms along a common hallway, usually with two students in each room . Many students say dormitories provide the best chance to get to know other students. Also, dorms generally cost less than apartments or other housing not owned by the school
Most colleges and universities offer single-sex dorms, but usually males and females live in the same building. They might live on the same floors and share the same common bathrooms. They may live in the same room only if they are married.
Edward Spencer is the associate vice president for student affairs at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. He says it is important to understand the rules of the building in which you will live. He advises students to ask questions before they decide about their housing. For example, if a student requires a special diet, will the school provide it ? How much privacy can a student expect ? Will the school provide a single room if a student requests one ? And what about any other special needs that a student might have?
Virginia Tech, for example, had a ban against candles in dorms . But it changed that policy to let students light up candles for religious purposes. The university also has several dorms open all year so foreign students have a place to stay during vacation time.
60. Why do some students in the U.S. choose to live in dorms, according to the passage ?
A. Dorms allow students in the U.S. choose to live in dorms
B. Dorms are safer for students to live in most cases
C. Dorms offer the chance to meet other people and are cheap as well
D. In most schools students are required to live in the dorms
61. The second paragraph is mainly about ______
A. what suites in American schools are like
B. what dorms in American schools are like
C. what dorms are owned by schools
D. when people get to know each other
62. We can infer from what Edward Spencer says that ______
A. colleges usually don’t provide a special diet
B. housing rules differ from one building to another
C. a ban against candles in dorms is necessary
D. the U.S. college always satisfies students’ requests
63 .What is the passage mainly about ?
A. Places to live in U.S. colleges
B. housing polices in the U.S
C. Advantages of dormitories
D. Rules of single-sex dorms
第三部分:阅读理解(共20小题,每小题2分,满分40分)
阅读下面的短文,从A,B,C,D四个选项中,选出最佳选项
My elder brother Steve, in the absence of my father who died when I was six, gave me important lessons in values that helped me grow into an adult. For instance, Steve taught me to face the results of my behavior. Once when I returned in tears from a Saturday baseball game, it was Steve who took the time to ask me what happened. When I explained that my baseball had soared through Mrs. Holt’s basement window, breaking the glass with a crash, Steve encouraged me to confess(坦白) to her. After all, I should have been playing in the park down Fifth Street and not in the path between buildings. Although my knees knocked as I explained to Mrs. Holt, I offered to pay for the window from my pocket money if she would return my ball. I also learned from Steve that personal property is a sacred thing. After I found a shiny silver pen in my fifth-grade classroom, I wanted to keep it, but Steve explained that it might be important to someone else. He reminded me of how much I’d hate to lose to someone else the small dog my father carved from a piece of wood. I returned the pen to my teacher, Mrs. Davids, and still remembered the smell of her perfume as she patted me on my shoulder.
Yet of all the instructions Steve gave me, his respect for life is the most vivid in my mind. When I was twelve I killed an old brown bird in the yard with a BB gun. Excited with my accuracy, I screamed to Steve to come from thehouse to take a look. I shall never forget the way he stood for a long moment and stared at the bird on the ground. Then in a dead, quiet voice, he asked, “Did it hurt you first, Mark?” I didn’t know what to answer. He continued with his eyes firm, “The only time you should even think of hurting a living thing is if it hurts you first. And then you think a long, long time. “ I really felt terrible then, but that moment stands out as the most important lesson my brother taught me.
56. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The relationship between Mark and Steve
B. The important lesson Mark learned in school
C. Steve’s important role in Mark’s growing process.
D. Mark and Steve’s respect for living things.
57. It can be inferred from the passage that when Mark confessed to Mrs. Holt, ____.
A. he felt surprised B. he was light-hearted
C. he felt frightened D. he behaved bravely
58. In the story about the pen, which of the following lessons did Steve teach his brother?
A. Respect for personal property.
B. Respect for life.
C. Sympathy for people with problems.
D. The value of honesty.
59. Which of the follow is true according to the passage?
A. Mark was still a boy when he wrote this passage.
B. Even if a living thing hurts you, you should not kill it without hesitation
C. When a living thing hurts you, you should kill it.
D. Mark lost the small dog his father raised.