Scientists recently found three animal species living two miles below the surface of the Mediterra-nean Sea, where the super-salty waters don't have oxygen. They're multicellular (多细胞的),which means their bodies have many cells. They each are as small as a large grain of sand. But they are animals.
The most exciting thing about these creatures, say the scientists, is that they obviously don't need oxygen to live. What biologists know about life so far is that only single-celled living things can live in places that have no oxygen, and that multicellular organisms (有机物)can visit these places,but not live there. These newly found creatures could change that idea.
Finding animals down there was so surprising that the scientists couldn't believe it. “At first, we thought they were dead bodies, ” Roberto Danovaro ,a scientist at the Polytechnic University of Marche in Ancona, Italy, told Science News. To find out whether the animals could actually live there, Danovaro and his colleagues brought up more samples from the ocean floor. Studying the animals in the new samples showed that they appeared to be alive.
The researchers did more tests, and found that some of the animals had eggs—which suggests they were reproducing. Also in the samples were old skins, suggesting that the animals had lived there long enough to grow. Finally, pictures taken showed that the insides of the animals appear to adapt to living in an environment that has no oxygen.
These clues suggest the animals don't need oxy-gen, but the evidence is indirect, which means that scientists still have not observed how the animals live without oxygen. This means more studies are needed, but the scientists think they're on the right track. And if they're right, biologists will need to rethink what they know about where animals live. What excited the scientists most is that __________.
A.they found three animal species visit the salty water under the Mediterranean Sea |
B.single-celled animals can live in super-salty waters |
C.the tiny animals have many cells |
D.three kinds of animals can live in places that have no oxygen |
The underlined phrase in Paragraph 2 means the scientists could think __________.
A.only single-celled creatures don't need oxygen to live |
B.multicellular animals can visit the super-salty waters |
C.the newly found creatures can't live in the super-salty waters |
D.multicellular animals can also live without oxy-gen besides single-celled ones |
Which of the following CAN'T be used to prove the newly found creatures can live in super-salty waters?
A.Their dead bodies are found there. |
B.Some in the samples have eggs. |
C.Some old skins are found in the samples. |
D.The pictures of their insides have been taken. |
More studies are needed to prove __________.
A.where single-celled animals can live |
B.how the newly found animals live without oxy-gen |
C.whether the multicellular creatures can live underwater |
D.why the super-salty waters have no oxygen |
A friend of mine named Paul received an expensive car from his brother as a Christmas present.On Christmas Eve when Paul came out of his office,a street urchin was walking around the shining car.“Is this your car,Paul?”he asked.
Paul answered,“Yes,my brother gave it to me for Christmas.” The boy was surprised.“You mean your brother gave it to you and it didn't cost you anything?Boy,I wish…” He hesitated.
Of course Paul knew what he was going to wish for.He was going to wish he had a brother like that. But what the boy said surprised Paul greatly.
“I wish,” the boy went on,“that I could be a brother like that.” Paul looked at the boy in surprise, then he said again, “Would you like to take a ride in my car?”
“Oh yes,I'd love that.”
After a short ride,the boy turned and with his eyes shining,said,“Paul,would you mind driving in front of my house?”
Paul smiled a little.He thought he knew what the boy wanted.He wanted to show his neighbors that he could ride home in a big car. But Paul was wrong again. “Will you stop where those two steps are?” the boy asked.
He ran up to the steps. Then in a short while Paul heard him coming back, but he was not coming fast. He was carrying his little crippled brother. He sat him down on the step and pointed to the car.
“There he is, Buddy, just like I told you upstairs. His brother gave it to him for Christmas and it didn't cost him a cent. And some day I'm going to give you one just like it…then you can see for yourself all the nice things in the Christmas windows that I've been trying to tell you about.”
Paul got out and lifted the boy to the front seat of his car. The shining-eyed older brother climbed in beside him and the three of them began an unforgettable holiday ride.
注:urchin 顽童 hesitate 犹豫 crippled 残疾 cent 美分The street urchin was very surprised when ________.
A.Paul received an expensive car |
B.Paul told him about the car |
C.he saw the shining car |
D.he was walking around the car |
From the story we can see the urchin ________.
A.wished to give his brother a car |
B.wanted Paul’s brother to give him a car |
C.wished he could have a brother like Paul's |
D.wished Paul could be a brother like that |
The urchin asked Paul to stop his car in front of his house ________.
A.to show his neighbors the big car |
B.to show![]() |
C.to let his brother ride in the car |
D.to tell his brother about his wish |
We can infer(推断)from the story that ________.
A.Paul couldn't understand the urchin |
B.the urchin had a deep love for his brother |
C.the urchin wished to have a rich brother |
D.the urchin's wish came true in the end |
Now satellites are helping to forecast(预报)the weather. They are in space, and they can reach any part of the world. The satellites take pictures of the atmosphere(大气), because this is where the weather forms(形成). They send these pictures to the weather stations. So meteorologists(气象学家)can see the weather of any part of the world. From the pictures, the scientists can often say how the weather will change.
Today, nearly five hundred weather stations in sixty countries receive satellite pictures. When they receive new pictures, the meteorologists compare(比较)them with earlier ones. Perhaps they may find that the clouds have changed during the last few hours. This may mean that the weather on the ground may soon change, too. In their next weather forecast, the meteorologists can say this.
So the weather satellites are a great help to the meteorologists. Before satellites were invented, the scientists could forecast the weather for about 24 or 48 hours. Now they can make good forecasts for three or five days. Soon, perhaps, they may be able to forecast the weather for a week or more ahead(提前).Satellites travel _____________.
A.in space | B.in the atmosphere |
C.above the ground | D.above space |
Why do we use the weather satellites to take pictures of the atmosphere? Because __________.
A.the weather satellites can do it easily |
B.clouds form there |
C.the weather forms there |
D.the pictures can forecast the weather |
Meteorologists forecast the weather __________.
A.when they have received satellite pictures |
B.after they have compared new satellite pictures with earlier ones |
C.before they received satellite pictures |
D.during they study satellite pictures |
The main(主要的)idea of this passage is that satellites are now used in _________.
A.taking pictures of the atmosphere |
B.receiving pictures of the atmosphere |
C.doing other work in many ways |
D.weather forecasting |
“Cool”is a word with many meanings.Its old meaning is used to express a temperature that is a little bit cold.As the world has changed,the word has had many different meaning.
“Cool”can be used to express feelings of interest in almost anything.
When you see a famous car in the street,maybe you will say,“It’s cool.”You may think,“He’s so cool,”when you see your favorite footballer.
We all maximize(扩大) the meaning of“cool”.You can use it instead of many words such as “new” or “surprising”.Here’s an interesting story we can use to show the way the word is used.A teacher asked her students to write about the waterfall(瀑布)they had visited.On one student’s paper was Just the one sentence,“It’s so cool.Maybe he thought it was the best way to show what he saw and felt.
But the story also shows a scarcity(缺乏)of words.Without “cool”,some people have no words to show the same meaning.So it is quite important to keep some credibility(可信性).Can you think of many other words that make your life as colourful as the word “cool”? I can.And I think they are also very cool.We know that the word "cool" has had ________.
A.only one meaning | B.no meanings |
C.many different meanings | D.the same meaning |
In the passage,the word“express” means“________”.
A.see | B.show | C.know | D.feel |
If you are _______ something,you may say,“It’s cool.”
A.interested in | B.angry about |
C.afraid of | D.unhappy with |
In the passage,the writer suggests(暗示)that the word “cool”________.
A.can be used instead of many words |
B.usually means something interesting |
C.can make your life colorful |
D.may not be as cool as it seems |
Mr Brown was going away for a week. Before he left, he said to his son, "if anyone asks for me, you can tell him that your father has been out for doing something, and will be back in a week, then be sure to ask him to sit down for a cup of tea."
"OK, Dad," said his son. But he was afraid his son couldn’t remember this, he wrote these words down on a piece of paper and gave it to him. His son put it into his small pocket, took it out and looked at it now and then.
Four days passed, but no one came to see his father. The boy thought that there was no man to come and that the piece of paper was of no more use for him, so he burnt it that evening.
The next afternoon, someone knocked at the door. The boy opened it. A man was standing at the door and said, "Where is your father?" The boy put his hand into his pocket at once and looked for the piece of paper. He could not find it. He suddenly remembered he had burnt it, so he shouted, "No more."
The man was very surprised. He asked, "No more? I met your father last week. When did it happen?"
"Burnt yesterday evening."Mr Brown told his son that _____.
A.he would be away from home for four days |
B.he would be back in seven days |
C.he would be back in a month |
D.he liked a cup of tea |
Mr Brown wrote the words down on ________.
A.the wall | B.the door |
C.a piece of paper | D.his son’s pocket |
A man came to visit the boy’s father on ________.
A.the second day | B.the third day | C.the fourth day | D.the fifth day |
What was burnt? ___________.
The piece of paper B. Mr Smith C. The visitor D. The boy
Farmer John and Farmer Bob were neighbours. For more than 30 years, they had been getting along very well.
Then their good relationship broke. It began with a small thing, then bitter words, and then weeks of silence. One morning Farmer John woke up to find a stream between the two farms. “It must be Bob,” John thought.
Then one day there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a carpenter(木匠) standing at the doorway.
“I’m looking for a few days’ work,” the carpenter said.
“I do have a job for you,” John said. “Look across the stream at that farm. That’s my neighbour Bob. He dug a stream between the two farms. I want you to build a fence—an 8-foot fence. I don’t want to see his place or his face any more. I don’t have such a neighbour!”
The carpenter said, “I think I know what to do, sir, and I’ll be able to do a job that pleases you.”
Farmer John helped the carpenter get the materials(材料) ready and then he was off for the day.
About sunset when the farmer returned, the carpenter had just finished his job. The farmer’s eyes opened wide. There was no fence there at all!
It was a bridge! And the neighbour, Bob, was coming across, with his hand outstretched(伸出). “Hi, John! You’re quite a fellow to build this bridge!”
Then they met in the middle, taking each other’s hands. “I’m terribly sorry for what I have said and done. We should be good to each other.” said Farmer Bob.
Then they turned to see the carpenter, who was ready to go. “No, wait! Stay a few days. I have a lot of other jobs for you,” said Farmer John. “I’d love to stay,” the carpenter said, “but I have more bridges to build.”Just before the carpenter came, John and Bob each other.
A.didn’t speak to | B.were friendly to |
C.often fought with | D.never had bitter words with |
Farmer John asked the carpenter to build a fence because .
A.he wanted to protect his farm | B.he didn’t want to do it himself |
C.he wouldn’t like to see Bob | D.he wanted to find him something to do |
What does the sentence “You’re quite a fellow to build this bridge!” mean?
A.John was great to build this bridge. |
B.John was not good at building bridges. |
C.John was foolish to build such a bridge. |
D.John should build the bridge earlier. |
What is the best title for the passage?
A.What a Big Fence! | B.A Strong Bridge |
C.Three Kind Men | D.A Fence or a Bridge? |