With a large part of the world's population living close to the oceans, rising sea levels bring the potential for destructive (破坏性的)results. But scientists are still unable to make predictions exact enough for people to plan to handle the loss of land and the threat to coastal communities expected over this century.
“We know sea level is going to rise, but how much, and how fast, and where, we really still don’t know," said Josh Willis, a climate scientist.
The ocean isn't like water in a bathtub. It doesn’t rise all the same as more water pours in. As global warming raises sea levels, some places are expected to see higher-than-average increases, and a few places, may even see decreases.
It’s reported that over the course of this century, sea levels will rise between 8 inches and 6.6 feet around the planet. Scientists know this increase will be driven by the expansion of water as it warms—warmer water takes up more space—and the melting of ice. But the effects of warming water and melting ice on sea-level rise are expected to vary from area to area. And the melting of ice of the Antarctic and Greenland presents the largest uncertainty for the future, but air, land and water also play roles in changes to sea level. For example, sea level near the ice getting melt actually decreases, because the ground under the melting ice rises as the heavy ice disappears.
Climate change is expected to change ocean currents and the winds that help drive ocean currents. These changes will affect the distribution of heat within the oceans, and, as a result, affect changes in sea level.
Nowadays, scientists use two types of models to make predictions about the future of sea levels, but the two don’t agree. If scientists can't accurately predict sea-level increase for the coming years, the least we can do is measure what happening today with the help of the satellite, Jason-2, but it’s reaching the end of its operational life. The first paragraph implies that_______ .
A.the rising sea levels mainly happens near the coast |
B.people living in coastal communities have to move |
C.scientists have ways to handle the rising sea levels |
D.coastal cities are easily affected by the rising sea levels |
What does the writer mean by saying "The ocean isn’t like water in a bathtub" in the third paragraph?
A. The rising sea level is hard to tell.
B. The ocean can be easily controlled.
C The ocean isn’t equal to a bathtub in size.
D. There is too much water for us to control.According to the text, which of the following shows the right cause and effect?
①climate change;
②ocean currents;
③the winds;
④changes in sea level;
⑤the distribution of heat
A.①→⑤→③→④→② | B.①→③→②→⑤→④ |
C.③→④→⑤→②→① | D.①→⑤→③→②→④ |
What problems will scientists meet with in predicting future climate changes?
A.It's too difficult to measure what's happening. |
B.Types of models for prediction are difficult to set up. |
C.There will probably be no satellites to help the scientists. |
D.There aren’t enough scientists studying the changes of sea levels. |
I really love my job because I enjoy working with small children and like the challenges and awards from the job. I also think my work is important. There was a time when I thought I would never have that sort of career.
I wasn’t an excellent student because I didn’t do much schoolwork. In my final term I started thinking what I might do and found I didn’t have much to offer. I just accepted that I wasn’t the type to have a career.
I then found myself a job, looking after two little girls. It wasn’t too bad at first. But the problems began when I agreed to live in, so that I would be there if my boss had to go out for business in the evening. We agreed that if I had to work extra hours one week, she’d give me time off the next. But unfortunately, it didn’t often work out. I was getting extremely tired and fed up, because I had too many late nights and early mornings with the children.
One Sunday, I was in the park with the children, and met Megan who used to go to school with me. I told her about my Situation. She suggested that I should do a course and get a qualification(资格证书) if I wanted to work with children. I didn’t think I would be accepted because I didn’t take many exams in school. She persuaded me to phone the local college and they were really helpful. My experience counted for a lot and I got on a part-time course.
I had to leave my job with the family, and got work helping out at a kindergarten.
Now I’ve got a full-time job there. I shall always be thankful to Megan. I wish I had known earlier that you could have a career, even if you aren’t top of the class at school.What is the author’s present job?
A.Working part-time in a college. |
B.Taking care of children for a family. |
C.Helping children with their schoolwork. |
D.Looking after children at a kindergarten. |
When staying with the two girls’ family, the author ________.
A.was paid for extra work |
B.often worked long hours |
C.got much help from her boss |
D.took a day off every other week |
Why did the author leave her first job?
A.She found a full-time job. |
B.She was fed up with children. |
C.She decided to attend a part-time course. |
D.She needed a rest after working extra hours. |
What’s the meaning of the underlined word “fed up”?
A.Troublesome. | B.Loving. | C.Excited. | D.Great. |
What has the author learned from her own experiences?
A.Less successful students can still have a career. |
B.Qualifications are necessary for a career. |
C.Hard work makes an excellent student. |
D.One must choose the job she likes. |
Toddler Teacher
About the Job
November 16, 2011
TITLE: Toddler Teacher
LOCATION: Sinton & Falfurrias, TX .
REQUIREMENTS: Must have an Associate's or Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Development. Must have a valid driver's license and a safe driving record. Bilingual (English/Spanish) ability is preferred. Three years of prior employment experience in a pre-school program is required. Computer skills, including the use of word processing software, are preferred. Must be able to pass a pr -employment physical, a criminal background check and fingerprint clearance. Since the toddlers are very young,, the teachers should be very patient and help them. GENERAL DUTIES: Responsible for the day-to-day supervision and operation of the assigned classroom.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Apply At:
Community Action Corporation of South Texas P. O. Drawer 1820
Alice, Texas 78332
Teacher
About the Job
Location: Falfurrias & Hebbronville, TX
Requirements: An Associate or Baccalaureate (学士)degree in early childhood or a related field and three years of teaching experience in a licensed public school setting at a grade level no higher than elementary school. If employed with an Associate degree, must obtain a Baccalaureate degree within four years of employment. Bilingual ability (Spanish/English) is preferred. Good communication skills, in written and oral forms, are necessary.
General Duties: Children here are older than toddlers. Their ages are from 4 t0 5. So the teacher will provide activities that support the growth and development of each child in the assigned classroom.
Application Deadline: Open Until Filled
Send Application to:
Community Action Corporation of South Texas P. O- Drawer 1820
Smith, Texas 78333 If one wants to apply for the Toddler Teacher, he / she________.
A.must sing and dance well |
B.must be able to use word processing software |
C.must have a safe driving record |
D.must look very young |
It is better but not a must that one, applying for the Toddler Teacher, can_..
A.pass fingerprint clearance |
B.have a valid driver's license |
C.pass a criminal background check |
D.speaks both English and Spanish |
What is the common requirement of the two jobs?
A.Good communication skills. . |
B.Good computer software skills!' |
C.Three years of professional experience. |
D.A valid driver's license and safe record. |
“Our aim is to take our art to the world and make people understand what it is to move,” said David Belle, the founder of parkour (跑酷).
Do you love running? It is a good exercise, yet many people find it boring. But what about making your morning jog a creative one? Like jumping from walls and over gaps, and ground rolls? Just like the James Bond in the movie Casino Royale? Bond jumps down from a roof to a windowsill and then runs several blocks over obstacles on the way. It is just because of Bond's wonderful performances that the sport has become popular worldwide.
Yes, that's parkour, an extreme street sport aimed at moving from one point to another as quickly as possible, getting over all the obstacles in the path using only the abilities of the human body. Parkour is considered an extreme sport. As its participants dash around a city, they may jump over fences, run up walls and even move from rooftop to rooftop.
Parkour can be just as exciting and charming as it sounds, but its participants see parkour much more than that.
Overcoming all the obstacles on the course and in life is part of the philosophy behind parkour. This is the same as life. You must determine your destination, go straight, jump over all the barriers as if in parkour and never fall back from them in your life, to reach the destination successfully. A parkour lover said, "I love parkour because its philosophy has become my life, my way to do everything."
Another philosophy we've learnt from parkour is freedom. It can be done by anyone, at any time, anywhere in the world. It is a kind of expression of trust in yourself that you earn energy and confidence. Parkour has become popular throughout the world because of________.
A.its founder, David Belle | B.the film, Casino Royale |
C.its risks and tricks | D.the varieties of participants |
The underlined word "obstacles" in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to “_______”.
A.streets | B.objects | C.barriers | D.roofs |
Which of the following statements is TRUE of parkour?
A.It challenges human abilities. | B.It is a good but boring sport. |
C.It needs special training. | D.It is a team sport.. |
As its participants move around a city, they tend to __________.
A.reach the destination as soon as possible |
B.choose the easiest way |
C.challenge extremes |
D.consider safety first |
Early one morning, more than a hundred years ago, an American inventor called Elias Howe finally fell asleep. He had been working all night on the design of a sewing machine but he had run into a very difficult problem. It seemed impossible to get the thread to run smoothly around the needle.
Despite his exhaustion, Howe slept badly. He tossed(辗转) and turned. Then he had a nightmare
He dreamt that he had been caught by terrible savages whose king wanted to kill him and eat him unless he could build a perfect sewing machine. When he tried to do so, Howe ran into the same problem as before. The thread kept getting caught around the needle. The king flew into the cage and ordered his soldiers to kill Howe. They came up towards him with their spears raised. But suddenly the inventor noticed something. There was a hole in the tip of each spear. The inventor awoke from the dream, realizing that he had just found the answer to the problem.
Instead of trying to get the thread to run around the needle, he should make a small hole in the center of the needle and have the thread run through it.
This was the simple idea that finally made Howe design and build the first really practical sewing machine. Thomas Edison, the inventor of the electric light, said his best ideas came into him in dreams. So did the great physicist Albert Einstein.
To appreciate the value of dreams, you have to understand what happens when you are asleep. Even then, a part of your mind is still working. This unconscious(无意识的), but still active part
digests your experiences and goes to work on the problems you have had during the day.
However, the unconscious part expresses itself through its own logic and its own language.. It uses strange images which the conscious part may not understand at first. This is why dreams are sometimes called “secret messages to ourselves”.Which of the following was the main problem for Elias Howe to design a sewing machine?
A.Deciding the kind of thread to use for the machine. |
B.Making the thread run smoothly around the needle. |
C.Designing a needle which would not easily break. |
D.Finding the proper place to put the needle. |
Which of the following is Howe’s final solution to his problem?
A.Making a small hole in the needle. |
B.Tossing and turning the needle. |
C.Finding out a better kind of thread. |
D.Having the thread running around the needle. |
According to the passage, Elias Howe was________.
A.much more hard-working than other inventors |
B.the first person who solved problems while sleeping |
C.the first person at the time who knew the value of dreams |
D.the first person to design a sewing machine that really worked |
Thomas Edison is mentioned because________.
A.he also tried to invent a sewing machine |
B.he was one of Howe’s best friends |
C.he also had difficulty in falling asleep |
D.he got some of his ideas from dreams |
Richard Wagner was a German musician has been a very controversial(有争议的) person, but he has gained great fame by writing opera, a form of performance combining singing, music on instruments, and drama.
While he wrote excellent music, many people think his operas are too dark and serious, lacking the fun common in operas written before his time.
Wagner, on the other hand, thought the opera of his time was too simple.He wanted to make opera a serious form of art that combined drama and music to tell deep stories that would have a strong effect on the audience.
Some people thought Wagner’s new kind of music was too different from the operas they were used to hearing.Wagner agreed with them.In fact, he didn’t call his works “operas” at all, using instead a German word that means “Musical Festival” or “Musical play”.
While many people today still do not like Wagner’s operas, they cannot deny that Wagner has had a lot of influence on opera as a form of art.Wagner invented the tradition of turning off the lights before starting a play.He also was the first person to make the whole audience sit down for an entire play.Today, almost all operas are performed in this manner.
Wagner as a man was even more controversial than Wagner as a writer of music.He hated Jewish people, and made many people angry, which we would today think of as evil.Some would say he was a good musician, while others would say that he was a bad musician.But it would be difficult to say he was not an important person in music and in the world.Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
A.Richard Wagner is not worth talking about |
B.Richard Wagner has made many people angry |
C.Richard Wagner has contributed much to opera. |
D.Richard Wagner is a very controversial man. |
Why did Wagner write what is considered serious music?
A.He wanted to influence people with deep stories. |
B.He wanted to make his music simple to follow. |
C.He wanted to make it suitable for his deep voice. |
D.He was greatly influenced by previous musicians. |
Wagner’s works were different from normal opera of his time NOT because________.
A.he called his works “Musical Festivals” |
B.his drama, music and singing are combined |
C.the lights are off before starting a play |
D.the audience could sit down during his play |
Which of the following statements about Wagner’s works is TRUE?
A.His works are seldom accepted |
B.His works are known to be funny. |
C.His works started a new tradition. |
D.Most people are angry about his works. |