A rapidly advancing contemporary science that is highly dependent on new tools is Earth system science. Earth system science involves observation and measurements on the Earth at all scales from the largest to the smallest. The huge amounts of data that are gathered come from many different locations and require special techniques for handling data. Important new tools that facilitate Earth system science include satellite remote sensing, small deep-sea submarines, and geographic information systems.
More than any other way of gathering evidence, satellite observations continually remind us that each part of the Earth interacts with and is dependent on all other parts.
Earth system science was born from the realization of that interdependence. Satellite remote sensing makes possible observations at large scales, and in many cases, measurements of factors that could not otherwise be measured. For example, the ozone hole over Antarctica--the decrease in the concentration of ozone high in the atmosphere--is measured by remote sensing, as are changes in deserts, forests, and farmlands around the world. Such measurements can be used in many areas of specialization besides Earth system science. Archaeology, for example, has benefited from satellite observations that reveal the traces of ancient trade routes across the Arabian Desert.
New tools for exploring previously inaccessible areas of the Earth have also added greatly to our knowledge of the Earth system. Small deep-sea submarines allow scientists to travel to the depths of the ocean. There they have discovered new species and ecosystems thriving near deep-sea vents that emit heat, sasses, and mineral-rich water.
Just as important as new methods of measurement and exploration are new ways to store and analyze data about the Earth system. Computer-based software programs known as geographic information systems, or GIS, allow a large number of data points to be stored along with their locations. These can be used to produce maps and to compare different sets of information gathered at different times. For example, satellite remote sensing images of a forest can be converted to represent stages in the forest's growth. Two such images, made at different times can be overlaid and compared, and the changes that have taken place can be represented in a new image.The word "facilitate" in Paragraph I is closest in meaning to ________.
| A．enable | B．require | C．organize | D．examine |
The author of the passage mentions that satellite observations are especially effective in ________.
| A．conducting scientific studies of life on the ocean floor |
| B．predicting future climate changes |
| C．providing data to determine Earth's age |
| D．demonstrating interactions among all of Earth's parts |
According to the passage, satellite observations of the Arabian Desert allow archaeologists to know ________.
| A．indications of ancient routes |
| B．evidence of former lakes |
| C．traces of early farms |
| D．remains of ancient forests |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．special techniques are needed to classify the huge amounts of data about Earth. |
| B．New tools provide information about Earth that was once impossible to obtain. |
| C．Advances in Earth system science have resolved many environmental problems. |
| D．Satellite remote sensing can show changes between two images taken years apart. |
“Mum, what does it mean when someone tells you that they have a skeleton (骨骼) in the closet (衣橱)?” Jessica asked. “A skeleton in the closet?” her mother paused thoughtfully. “Well, it's something that you would rather not have anyone else know about. For example, if in the past, someone in Dad's family had been arrested for stealing a horse, it would be 'a skeleton in his family's closet'. He really wouldn't want any neighbor to know about it.”
“Why pick on my family?” Jessica's father said with anger. “Your family history isn't so good, you know. Wasn't your great-great-grandfather a prisoner who was transported to Australia for his crimes?”“Yes, but people these days say that you are not a real Australian unless your ancestors arrived as prisoners.”“Gosh, sorry I asked. I think I understand now,” Jessica cut in before things grew worse.
After dinner, the house was very quiet. Jessica's parents were still quite angry with each other. Her mother was ironing clothes and every now and then she glared at her husband, who hid behind his newspaper pretending to read. When she finished, she gathered the freshly pressed clothes in her arms and walked to Jessica's closet. Just as she opened the door and reached in to hang a skirt
, a bony arm stuck out from the dark depths and a bundle of white bones fell to the floor. Jessica's mother sank in a faint (晕倒), waking only when Jessica put a cold, wet cloth on her forehead. She looked up to see the worried faces of her husband and daughter.
“What happened? Where am I?” she asked. “You just destroyed the school's skeleton, Mum,” explained Jessica. “I brought it home to help me with my health project. I meant to tell you, but it seemed that as soon as I mentioned skeletons and closets, it caused a problem between you and Dad.” Jessica looked in amazement as her parents began to laugh madly. “They're both crazy,” she thought.According to Jessica's mother, “a skeleton in the close” means ________.
| A．a family honor | B．a family secret | C．a family story | D．a family treasure |
What can we learn about some Australians' ancestors from Paragraph 2?
| A．They were brought to Australia as prisoners. |
| B．They were the earliest people living in Australia. |
| C．They were involved in some crimes in Australia. |
| D．They were not regarded as criminals in their days. |
Why did Jessica bring a skeleton home?
| A．She was curious about it. | B．She planned to keep it for fun. |
| C．She needed it for her school task. | D．She intended to scare her parents. |
Jessica's parents laughed madly at the end of the story probably because ________.
| A．they were crazy. |
| B．they were over excited. |
| C．they realized their misunderstanding. |
| D．they both thought they had won the quarrel. |
The res
earch carried out by the University of Bad in Italy could help prove hospitals who are accused of wasting money on art and decoration as it suggests a pleasant environment helps patients ease discomfort and pain.
A team headed by Professor Marina de Tommaso at the Neurophysiopathology
Pain Unit asked a group of men and women to pick the 20 paintings they considered
most ugly and most beautiful from a selection of 300 works by artists such as
Leonardo da Vinci and Sandro Botticelli. They were then asked to look at either the beautiful paintings, or the ugly pa
inting, or a blank panel while the team zapped(照射) a short laser pulse at their hand, creating a sensation as if they had been stuck by a pin. The subjects rated the pa
in as being a third less intense while they were
viewing the beautiful paintings, compared with when looking at the ugly paintings
or the blank panel. Electrodes measuring the brain's electrical activity also confirmed a reduced resoonse to the pain when the subject looked at beautiful paintings.
While distractions, such as music, are known to reduce pain in hospital patients,Prof de Tommaso says this is the first result to show that beauty plays a part.
The findings, reported in New Scientist, also 
go a long way to show that
beaufiful surroundings could aid the healing process.
"Hospitals have been designed to be functional, but we think that their artistic aspects should be taken into account too," said the neurologist."Beauty boyiously offers a distraction that ugly paintings do not. But at least there is no suggestion that ugly surroundings make the pain worse. I think these results show that more research is needed into the field how a beautiful environment can alleviate suffering."
Pictures they liked included Starry Night by Vincent Van Gogh and Botticellis Birth of Venus. Pictures they found ugly included works by pablo Picasso
, the Italian 20th century artist Anonio Bueno and Columbian Fernando Botero." These people were not art experts so some of the pictures they found ugly would be considered masterpieces by the art world," said Prof de Tommaso.The underlined word "alleviate" in the fifth paragraph probably means"______".
| A．cure | B．ease | C．improve | D．kill |
How many artists have been mentioned in the passage?
| A．4. | B．5. | C．6. | D．7. |
Which of the following is TURE about the view of Prof de T
ommaso's?
| A．Beautiful surroundings could help to heal sufferings completely. |
| B．Hospitals must take their artistic aspects into consideration first. |
| C．Ugly surroundings will surely make the pain worse. |
| D．Both music and beauty can reduce pain in hospital patients. |
From the last paragraph, we know that_______.
| A．some artists' paintings were beautiful, so they were masterpieces |
| B．only art experts could judge they were masterpieces or not, though ugly |
| C．the artists mentioned above were not really art masters. |
D．som e of them were art masters, while others were not. |
Which of the following is the suitable title for the passage?
| A．Beautiful surroundings can ease pain. |
| B．Ugly paintings could be masterpieces. |
| C．More research should be done in he field. |
| D．Latest environmental research. |
In Western countries people have been using the installment (分期付款) plan since the first half of the twentieth century. Today, a large number of families in Great Britain buy furniture, household goods and cars by installments. In the U.S.A.,the figure is much higher than in Great Britain, and people there spend over 10 percent of their income on the installment plan.
The price of an article bought on installments is always higher than the price that would be paid by cash. There is a charge for interest. The buyer pays one quarter or one third of the price as a down payment (预付定金) when the goods are delivered to him. He then makes regular payments, weekly or monthly, until the full price is paid up. The legal ownership of the goods remains with the seller until the final payment has been made.
Installment buying has advantages and disadvantages. It can help couples with small incomes to furnish their homes and start housekeeping. It increases the demand for goods, and in this way helps business and employment,There is,
however, the danger that when business is bad, installment buying may end suddenly, making business much worse. This may result in a great increase in unemployment.
If the people on the installment plan lose their jobs, they will probably not be able to make their payments. If great numbers of people are not able to pay their installment debts, there is a possibility that businessmen cannot collect their debts and will therefore lose money. If businessmen lose money or fail to make a satisfactory profit,it becomes more likely to have a depression (萧条). This is why, in some countries,the government controls the installment plan by fixing the amount of the down payment and installments to discourage people from buying more than they can pay for on the installment plan. Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the installment plan?
| A．A lot of British families use the installment plan. " |
| B．More than 10 percent of American families buy things on installments. |
| C．Americans depend more on installment than British people do. |
| D．Americans spend one tenth of their income on installment buying. |
Goods bought on installments are more expensive than goods bought by cash because_______.
| A．the buyer has to pay extra money as interest |
| B．the delivery of the goods charges extra money |
| C．the buyer has to pay adown payment |
| D．the service offered by installment plan charged extra money |
What will happen to a buyer if he fails to make the full payment for an item bought on installments?
| A．He might lose his job. |
| B．He will stop owning the item he has bought. |
| C．He will have to setl what he has bought. |
| D．He will go into debt. |
The advantage of installment buying might include all the following EXCEPT that________.
| A．purchasing power is strengthened |
| B．employment might be increased |
| C．people develop a good habit of saving money |
| D．young couples are able to furnish their homes |
In some countries, the governments control the installment plan to_______.
| A．increase employment |
| B．avoid depressions |
| C．ensure that businesses make good profits |
| D．ensure that people can pay for what they buy |
A weather map is an important tool for geographers. A succession of three or four maps presents continuous picture of weather changes. Weather forecasters are able to determine the speed of air masses and fronts (气锋) to determine whether an individual pressure aroa is deepening or becoming shallow and whether a front is increasing or decreasing in intensity (强烈).They are also able to determine whether an air mass is retaining its original characteristics or taking on those of the surface over which it is moving. Thus, a most significant function of the map is to reveal a summary picture of conditions in the atmosphere at a given time.
All students of geography should be able to interpret a weather map accurately.Weather maps contain an enormous amount of information about weather conditions existing at the time of observation over a large geographical area. They reveal in a few minutes what otherwise would take hours to describe. The United States Weather Bureau issues information about approaching storms, floods, frosts and all climatic conditions in general. Twice a month it issues a 30-day"outlook" which is a rough guide to weather conditions likely to occur over broad areas of the United States. These 30-day outlooks are based upon an anaiysis of the upper air levels which often set the stage for development of air masses, fronts and storms.
Considerable effort is being exerted today to achieve more accurate weather
predictions, with identifying and tracking storms over regions which have but few meteorological (气象)stations. Extensive experiments are also in progress for weathef modification studies. One characteristic of weather maps NOT mentioned by the author in this passage is_______.
| A．floods | B．fronts | C．temperature changes | D．frosts |
The thirty-day forecast is determined by examining________.
| A．daily weather maps | B．upper air levels |
| C．satellite reports | D．changing fronts |
The observation of weather conditions by satellites is helpful because it________
| A．is modern |
| B．uses electronic instruments |
| C．makes weather prediction easier |
| D．shows things that would otherwise take hours to describe in a few minutes |
A weather map is a summary because it_______
| A．sums up a great deal of information | B．appears daily |
| C．shows changing fronts | D．is a science book |
You may possibly read this article in_________.
| A．a magazine | B．newspaper | C．a novel | D．a science book |
Growing up in Philadelphia, Lieberman started cooking with his stay-at-home dad when he was seven. His food-loving family had two kitchens, and he quickly learned what was the best way to bake his cakes. Lieberman improved his kitchen skills during a year abroad beforo college, learning from a cook in Italy and study local specialties in Gerrnany, Spain and France. At Yale,he was known for throwing dinner parties, single-handedly frying and baking while mixing drinks for dozens offriends. Just for fun, he and some friends decided to tape a show named Campus Cuisine about his cooking. Lieberman was a real college student showing his classmate how to do things like making drinks out of dining-hall fruit. That helped the show become very popular among the students. They would stop Lieberman after classes to ask for his advice on cooking. Tapes of the show were passed around,with which his name went beyond the school and finally to the Food Network.
Food Network producer Flay hopes the young cook will find a place on the
network television. He says Lieberman’s charisma is key."Food T-V isn’t about
food anymore." says Flay, " It’s about your personality and finding a way to keep
people’s eyeballs on your show."
But Lieberman isn’t putting all his eggs in one basket. After taping the first season of the new show, Lieberman was back in his own small kitchen preparing
sandwiches. An airline company was looking for someone to come up with a tasteful,
inexpensive and easy-to-make menu to serve on its flight. Lieberman got the job.We can learn from the text that Lieberman’s family______.
| A．have relatives in Europe | B．love cooking at home |
| C．often hold parties | D．own a restaurant |
The Food Network got to know Lieberman________.
| A．at one of his parties | B．from his teacher |
| C．through his taped show | D．on a television program |
What does the word"charisma" underline in the text refer to ?
| A．A natural ability to attract others. | B．A way to show one’s achievement. |
| C．Lieberman’s after-class interest | D．Lieberman’s fine cooking skill |
Why did the airline company give Lieberman the job?
| A．He could prepare meals in a small kitchen. |
| B．He was famous for his shows on Food TV. |
| C．He was good at using eggs to make sandwiches. |
| D．He could cook cheap, delicious and simple meals. |
What can we learn about Lieberman from the text?
| A．He is clever but lonely. | B．He is friendly and active. |
| C．He enioys traveling around. | D．He often changes his menus. |