WhywasBastilleimportanttotheci-优题课

【原创】Today, the bicycle is the primary method of transportation for the human race. About 1.6 billion bicycles are in use around the world --- in big cities, along remote country lanes, and in the smallest villages ---and hundreds of millions of bikes are produced every year to meet the continuing demand for cheap wheeled transport.
Yet the bicycle is hardly a new vision of how humans move around. Historians speculate(猜测) about Leonardo da Vinci’s 1940s drawings and a 1580s stained glass window in England that appear to describe a two-wheeler. The first widely recognized two-wheeler in actual use, however, was the pedal-less Celerifere, a toy of the French upper class in the 1970s. The more famous Draisienne followed that toy in 1816, still without pedals. The front wheel could be steered, and this two-wheeler was eventually mass-produced in Europe, particularly in England. Ernest Michaux added cranks(曲轴) to the two-wheeler in 1855, which started a revolution in human transportation --- the Velocipede.
By 1870, complicated metal Velocipede were in production in Europe and the United States. Over time, they gave way to the “Ordinary” or high-wheeler. The Ordinary was the beginning of the heyday(全盛期) of bicycling. It was speedy and capable of long trips on poor roads, so it was soon in widespread use. At that time a skilled person might earn 25 cents an hour in wages, but a good Ordinary sold for $75 to $125, making it more expensive than building a house. Nevertheless, they sold at a furious pace.
Ordinaries had a big problem, however. When the front wheel came up against any obstacle that it could not roll over, the bike simply threw the rider headfirst onto the ground. Called a “header”, this characteristic problem inspired the “safety bicycle” in the 1980s. With two wheels of equal size, plus a roller chain(齿轮) transmission, the safety bicycle was with a slight adaptation, they attracted thousands of women to cycling. Many historians point to the safety bicycle as the beginning of women’s rights.
In England, in 1909, the Raleigh bicycle, equipped with a 3-speed hub, started to be produced. In the 1930s, British-built “lightweight” bicycles, suitable for the packed earth of country roads, were being imported into the United States. The early 1980s saw the creation of the “Freestyle” or trick bicycle. And in the late 1990s, the road bike and the mountain bike proved to be the dominant machines of the decade.
Today, the bicycle continues to be the most energy and cost-efficient transportation device in the world.
What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．The places suited to the use of bicycles.

B．The way bicycles are used in the world.

C．The importance and popularity of bicycles.

D．The number of bikes produced every year.

We can learn from the second paragraph that____________.

A．the Celerifere was actually the first bicycle in history.

B．the Draisienne had two pedals and its wheels could be steered.

C．Ernest Michaux created the Velocipede in 1885.

D．the bicycle idea might have come from one of da Vinci’s drawings.

What does the underlined word “furious” in the third paragraph mean?

A．Rapid

B．Gentle

C．Steady

D．Smooth

How has the author developed the text?

A．In order of space	B．In order of time
C．In order of importance	D．In order of frequency

【原创】There are no signs of little green men on Mars. But new discoveries offer a bit more hope that some form of life existed there in the past --- and perhaps is still there in the present. Methane gas(甲烷) and water have been found on the Red Plane. The presence of both suggests at least the possibility of life.
According to a new report in the journal, Science, the Mars rover, Curiosity, has detected spikes of methane in the Martian atmosphere. This gas is also found in the Earth’s atmosphere, and comes from animal and plant life, as well as from the environment itself. If there’s methane in Mar’s atmosphere, where is it coming from? Scientists aren’t sure. But it marks a big change. In September 2013, Curiosity found almost no traces of methane in the Martian air. Just weeks later, however, the rover picked up a whiff of(一点点) the gas.
The scientists don’t know whether the methane spikes are caused by some form of biological matter or by the geology of the planet. Christopher Chyba, a professor of astrophysics and international affairs at Princeton, says it’s best not to be too hopeful about biology on the Red Planet. “Hopes for biology on Mars have had a way of disappearing once Martian chemistry has been better understood,” he says. “But figuring out what’s responsible for the methane is clearly a key astrobiological objective --- whatever the answer turns out to be.”
The discovery of water on Mars is nothing new. For decades, scientists have had evidence that it flowed across the surface of the planet billions of years ago. But according to another new report in Science, while the surface water on Mars seems to be long gone, there’s a lot more of it left than most of people realize.
This report is also based on findings from Curiosity. Paul Mahaffy, of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, led the study. He says there is enough water on Mars “to cover the surface to a depth of about 165 feet.”
It is not easy to reach this water. Most of it is locked up in ice at the planet’s poles.
Why do scientists think there might be life on Mars?

A．Because the Mars rover has detected water on the planet.

B．Because there is evidence that little green men exist on the planet.

C．Because the Mars rover has found some plants on the planet.

D．Because both methane and water have been found on the planet.

What is the attitude of professor Christopher Chyba towards life on Mars?

A．Optimistic	B．Negative
C．Neutral	D．Indifferent

The water on Mars _______________.

A．still flows on its surface

B．covers the whole planet

C．is locked up in ice at the planet’s poles

D．only existed on it billions of years ago

In which column of a website can we read this text?

A．Culture	B．Entertainment
C．Science	D．Education

【原创】A bit shocked with the current rise of airfares? They have gone up not 3% or 5%, but 10%, and sometimes even higher! Yes, it’s sad; conventional traveling has become almost unaffordable to most of us travel junkies(旅游迷)。But here’s the good news! There’s a chance you can travel for free! In fact, you can even get paid while doing so. It’s true. Below are some clever suggestions that you can try to get paid while traveling.
1.Work as a Tour Guide
If you love mingling and hanging around with people, this one is perfect for you. As a tour guide, you can see and study different cultures while leading tourists to historic places around the world. And you can have a substantial income while enjoying foreign cultures. There are always two sides to a coin, though.
2. Teach English
Latin America, the Middle East and Asia have abundant jobs for English teachers. If you are bent on having a cultural and educational trip to a land that has mystified(使惊奇)you for the longest time, teaching could be the thing that can carry you through. In many cases, you’re not required to be certified. Your students just need to know one thing --- that you’re a native speaker.
3. Become a Travel photographer
For those who are camera experts, there’s a huge opportunity to sell the travel photos that they take. One way is to set up a “shop” on websites. Via these platforms, you can sell photos either to a variety of travel magazines, or to business organizations with stock photography collections.
4.Bcome a Flight Attendant
You can also choose to get a nine-to-five job. A great option is working as a flight attendant. These flying professionals make around $25,000 to $50,000 a year. They get fantastic travel benefits which include going on trips with family members if they choose to. The salary may be a bit in the lower range, but remember that the average time on the job for attendants is about hours per month. Cool, isn’t it?
According to the author, ____________.

A．traditional traveling is becoming more and more unpopular

B．some clever suggestions can help people get paid while traveling

C．the rise in airfares has discouraged a lot of travel junkies from traveling

D．traveling is a good way for people to make a lot of money

A travel photographer can earn money through__________.

A．teaching photographing online

B．setting up some platforms

C．selling their travel photos

D．working for travel magazines

What does the author think of working as a flight attendant?

A．It’s well-paid.

B．It needs working long hours.

C．It has good travel benefits.

D．It needs good spoken English.

If you’re secretly worried about your smartphone addiction, then the new NoPhone might be just the thing you need．It looks and feels exactly like a smartphone，but it does nothing．It's just a piece of plastic that you can carry around in your hand to fool yourself．
Dutch designer lngmar Larsen came up with the idea as a joke along with his two friends．To their great surprise，the idea received a lot of attention online and people from all over the world stated placing requests for NoPhones of their own．So that’s when the three friends decided to turn to collect enough fund for mass production．
NoPhone is currently a prototype(模型)that will cost only $12 once it hits the market．It is 5.5 inches high，2.6 inches wide and 0.29 inches thick, bringing it quite close to the latest smartphones on the market．It is described as“battery free”，“no upgrades necessary”，“shatterproof(抗震)”，“waterproof'’and“an alternative to constant hand-to-phone contact that allows you to stay connected with the real world”．
“Phone addiction is everywhere．”the designers insist．“It’s ruining your dates．It’s distracting you at concerts．It’s blocking sidewalks．Now，there is a real solution．With a thin．1ight and completely wireless design，the NoPhone acts as a substitute to any smart mobile device，enabling you to always have a phone to hold without giving up potential engagement with your direct environment．”
If you’re interested in NoPhone，but concerned about not being able to take selfies(自拍) anymore．Don’t feel upset．The makers do have an upgrade at no extra charge—the mirror sticker．That way，they say，you can enjoy‘real-time’selfies with your friends when they’re standing right behind you．
What can NoPhone do for people according to the text?

A．It is actually a new kind of real smartphone．

B．It can help us stay away from the real world．

C．It helps get rid of people’s smartphone addiction．

D．It’s just a piece of plastic and can do nothing．

What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The size of Nophone．

B．The inventors of Nophone．

C．The material of Nophone．

D．A brief description of Nophone．

What can we learn from the passage?

A．NoPhone has received unexpected attention．

B．NoPhone can completely replace smartphones．

C．The designers have made lots of money from Nophone．

D．NoPhone is able to take selfies as smartphones do．

What type of writing is this passage?

A．A traveI guide．	B．A scientific report．
C．A medical record．	D．An official document．

Film director James Cameron first became interested in sea exploration when he was a little boy．His love for the ocean grew after he made the 1989 undersea adventure film The Abyss and the 1997 blockbuster Titanic，one of the most successful movies of all time．Following that big success，James Cameron decided to put his film career on hold to become an explorer．
In 2012，James Cameron made a journey to the deepest spot in the Mariana Trench，known as Challenger Deep．And now the great journey has been made into a documentary film，named James Cameron’s Deep-sea Challenger 3D．
In James Cameron’s fantasy films，such as Avatar and The Abyss，the unexplored areas are decorated in colors and full of danger．But on his dive into Challenger Deep，the reality proved far different: white, deserted and dull．
“I felt like I had gone to another planet,”Cameron said after returning from the cold and dark place in the Western Pacific Ocean，nearly 7 miles below the surface．“I really have a sense of being separated and realize how tiny I am down in this big, black and unexplored place．”
Cameron captured(获取)the moon-like landscape of the deep sea and documented the sea creatures he observed in the ocean．
James Cameron’s Deep—sea Challenger 3D tells the story of Cameron’ s journey．It is a film about determination，danger and the ocean’S greatest depths．The movie shows a unique insight into Cameron’s world when he makes his dream reality and makes history by becoming the first person to travel alone to the deepest point on the planet．
It’s an exciting film and inspiring reminder that our beautiful planet still has a lot to explore．
When did James Cameron become interested in the ocean?

A．When he was in his childhood．

B．After his films The Abyss and Titanic．

C．After he achieved great Success in movies．

D．When he began to explore the deep sea alone．

What is the unexplored ocean like?

A．Colorful and dangerous．

B．Boring and deserted．

C．White and attractive．

D．Small and dull．

What can we know about James Cameron’s Deep-sea Challenger 3D?

A．It is a film about the exploration of ocean creatures．

B．It is a story about Cameron’s film-making dream．

C．It aims to attract more people to explore the deep sea．

D．It tells us about James’ journey into Challenger Deep．

What is the best title for this passage?

A．The great dream of a film director

B．A film director exploring deep sea

C．James Cameron and his documentary film

D．The first person to make films about the deep sea