BEING an astronaut sounds cool, doesn't it? In space, they get to do some pretty amazing things, like floating in zero gravity(重力).
However, there are also plenty of things that astronauts can't do because of their weightless environment, and that's very sad. What's worse, they can't even let their sadness show – because it's impossible to cry in zero gravity.
Of course, astronauts can still produce tears. But crying is much more difficult in space, reported The Atlantic in January. Without gravity, tears don't Flow downward out of the eyes like they do here on Earth. This means that when you cry in space, your tears have nowhere to go—they just stick to your eyes.
In May 2011, astronaut Andrew Feustel experienced this during one of his spacewalks. "Tears," he said, "don't fall off of your eye... They just kind of stay there."
Besides making your Vision unclear, this can also cause physical pain. Back on Earth, tears are supposed to bring comfort to the eyes. But that's not the case in space. The space environment dries out astronauts' eyes, and when tears suddenly wet the eyes, it can cause pain rather than comfort. "My right eye is painful like crazy." Feustel told his teammate during the walk.
Since gravity doesn't work in space, astronauts need some extra help to get rid of the tears. Feustel chose to rub his eyes against his helmet to wipe the tears away. Another choice is to just wait—"When the tears get big enough they simply break free of the eye and float around," astronaut Ron Parise told The Atlantic.
There are lots of small things—things like crying – that we are so used to on Earth. We usually take them for granted, until they become a problem in a totally different environment, like space. There, astronauts can't talk to each other directly. They also can't eat or drink in normal ways. They can't even burp (打嗝), because there is no gravity to hold the food down in their stomach. If they do burp, they just end up throwing up (呕吐) everything in their stomach, according to the UK National Space Center.
Thus, perhaps it's only space explorers who can honestly say: "Gravity, you're the best."What can we conclude from paragraphs 2 and 3?
| A．Astronauts are unable to feel sad in space. |
| B．Astronauts produce fewer tears in space. |
| C．Tears produced in space flow down more slowly. |
| D．Tears produced in space don't flow downward. |
What effect do tears have on astronauts?
| A．They cause physical pain. |
| B．They bring comfort to them. |
| C．They make their vision clearer |
| D．They float around and cause trouble. |
What can the astronaut do to get rid of the tears?
| A．Rub his eyes against his helmet to let the tears float forward. |
| B．Rub his eyes by hand to let the tears float around. |
| C．Get the tears big enough to fall off of his eyes. |
| D．Get the tears big enough to break away from his eyes. |
When of the following can be the best title for the text?
| A．In the sky, you can't burp |
| B．Better life with gravity |
| C．In the sky, you can't cry |
| D．No Gravity, no tears |
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Here's a hotel worth writing something about: a company in Poland plans to build tourist accommodation under the sea. The structure can be dragged to a suitable location and placed on supports on the sea bed. The ‘Water Discus’ will be made up of an underwater disc containing 22 bedrooms with sea views, connected by lift and stairs to a disc above the surface containing other hotel facilities.
Project manager Robert Bursiewicz says: “Nowadays it's possible to build submarines ('潜艇) which go deeper than 500m below the sea surface, so building an underwater hotel is not a problem. ”
In fact, they don't plan to have the hotel very deep. Water acts like a filter (过滤器) for sunlight, and below 15m most colors, apart from blue, are washed out. And we all want to see colorful marine life, don't we?
But this isn't the first hotel to offer underwater views from the bedrooms. The two-bedroom Jules' Undersea Lodge, off the coast of Florida, has been taking in guests 10m beneath the surface since 1986.
The company that operates the hotel also runs a diving course for beginners to help get guests down and into the hotel. It is accessible only through an opening at the bottom.
And you'll find all the usual facilities in the room, according to Teresa McKirma, Jules's chief financial officer. It has a television, air conditioning and Wi-Fi. But for the staff, simple things like cleaning and making beds can be challenging, since the lodge is in sea water.
"It actually takes quite a lot of work to get anything down there," she says. "We have to put everything in waterproof boxes and attach weights to them to counter their buoyancy (浮力). "
The hotel has suitably sized waterproof boxes so that pizzas can be delivered by divers to guests who order them for their evening meal. And after a meal, if you can't sleep because of the excitement of the experience, you don't have to count sheep. You'll fall asleep quicker if you count fish.According to the passage, the new hotel will ______.
| A．contain three discs |
| B．come into use soon |
| C．have a movable structure |
| D．be built 500m beneath the surface |
Why won't they plan to have the hotel very deep in the water?
| A．They have financial problems. |
| B．They lack advanced technology. |
| C．They refuse to enjoy colorful life. |
| D．Most colors are washed out below 15m. |
According to Teresa McKirma, ______.
| A．entertainment is impossible in the hotel |
| B．the staff's work is difficult to finish |
| C．it's easy to get things down there |
| D．the built hotel is badly equipped |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．Passengers can't enjoy their meals. |
| B．Passengers will feel fed up with the views. |
| C．Passengers have no choice but to count fish. |
| D．Passengers may get excited about the experience. |
The Rugby (英式橄榄球) World Cup is currently being held in New Zealand. The tournament, due to finish on October 23, is living up to the famous English saying, “Rugby is a thug's (暴徒) game played by gentlemen. ”
The games are physically aggressive; the tackles (冲撞) on the pitch are brutal; but the end of each match is a civilized affair. Players shake hands and applaud each other. Of course, the other side to this saying is: "Football is a gentleman's game played by thugs. " Indeed, unlike soccer players, rugby players don't often question the referee's (裁判员) decisions or pretend to be injured when they are not.
“Football could learn a lot from rugby," said Brian Moore, a former England rugby player "The wonderful spirit of rugby is: there is a gentlemanly code to it. You play hard on the pitch, but you always respect your opponent..
Rugby is mainly played in Europe. Australia, New Zealand and parts of Africa. "It is more enjoyable to play than soccer because you are always involved in the game," said Peter, a Welsh rugby coach. "Rugby is also a far superior test of strength, stamina (耐力) and determination. "
Most professional rugby players are large, strong and weigh over 90 kilograms. People who play the sport need to be tough and be prepared to get hurt. Black eyes, broken bones, lost teeth and being knocked unconscious—all these are common injuries. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown is blind in one eye thanks to a rugby accident at school.
In England, children begin playing the game at school at the age of 8. When they enter high school, many begin to play full contact rugby. Children are taught to play for around one hour a week during their PE lessons. Most schools have a rugby team. Children who play for the school team are usually the sportiest kids, and are seen as brave and athletic.What can be concluded from the first three paragraphs?
| A．Football players are not real gentlemen. |
| B．There is a better spirit in playing rugby than football. |
| C．Football players are not as athletic as rugby players. |
| D．Brian Moore thinks that rules should be stricter in football. |
According to the passage, Peter thinks ______.
| A．rugby players pretend to be injured when they are not |
| B．rugby is not very popular in America and Asia |
| C．rugby makes people enjoy sports better than soccer |
| D．rugby needs players' strong will rather than strength |
The example of Gordon Brown is mentioned in order to .
| A．prove that playing rugby can earn people fame |
| B．explain why Gordon Brown is blind in one eye |
| C．support the point that rugby players often get hurt |
| D．warn teenagers against playing rugby at school |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Teenagers will lose interest in football. |
| B．English children have a talent for rugby. |
| C．Playing rugby doesn't involve skills. |
| D．Rugby is not suitable for everyone. |
During the teenage years, hormonal (荷尔蒙的) changes lead to physical changes like rapid muscle growth, burst in height, and weight gain in both boys and girls. Take a look at the information and height and weight charts for teens presented in this article if the question “How much should I weigh for my age and height” is bothering you.
Average Height and Weight Charts for Teens
Faster growth in kids usually can be noticed at age 8. Genetic factors also determine the physical growth of a child. So, it is perfectly normal for two kids of the same age to have different weights and heights. The following figures should be used as guidelines only.
| For Boys |
For Girls |
|||
| Age |
Height |
Weight |
Height |
Weight |
| in Years |
in Inches |
in Pounds |
in Inches |
in Pounds |
| 12-13 |
58-62 |
85-100 |
60-63 |
95-105 |
| 14-15 |
63-66 |
105-125 |
63-64 |
105-115 |
| 16-17 |
67-70 |
130-150 |
64 |
115-120 |
| 18-20 |
68-70 |
150-160 |
64 |
125-130 |
Ideal Body Fat Percentage
Fit men have 14% - 17% body fat.
Fit women have 21% -24% body fat.
Male athletes have 6% -13% body fat.
Female athletes have 14% - 20% body fat.
The ideal body fat percentage varies mainly according to age, sex and the physical activity of the individual. But it is a fact that some female athletes have body fat as low as 10 % and some male athletes had lower than 4% body fat. So, it can be observed that other than the above mentioned factors, genetic factors also influence the body-fat ratio.
Body Mass Index (BMI)
You may use the following formula to calculate your BMI:
As per SI Units (国际单位) : BMI =" mass" (kg)/[height (meters) ]2
Imperial (英制的) Units 1: BMI =" mass" (Ib. ) x703/[ height (in. ) ]2
Imperial Units 2: BMI =" mass" (Ib. ) x 4. 88/[ height (ft) ]2
Following conclusions can be derived from (得到) calculating the BMI:
| BMI Calculated |
Conclusion |
| BMI 18.5~25 |
Normal or ideal weight |
| BMI > 25 |
Overweight |
| BMI < 18. 5 |
Underweight |
| BMI < 17. 5 |
Extremely underweight |
| BMI =" 30" or BMI > 30 |
Obese(病态肥胖的) |
| BMI =" 40" or BMI > 40 |
Extremely obese |
According to the Average Height and Weight Charts for Teens, ____.
| A．girls keep on growing taller during the teenage years |
| B．girls grow faster at the end of teenager years than boys |
| C．girls grow faster at the beginning of teenager years than boys |
| D．boys' average weight is always heavier than girls' during the teenage years |
Which of the following statements about ideal body fat percentage is RIGHT?
| A．Fit men have higher body fat percentage than fit women. |
| B．Male athletes have higher body fat percentage than fit men. |
| C．Female athletes have lower body fat percentage than male athletes. |
| D．Male athletes have much lower body fat percentage than female athletes. |
After calculating the BMI, you can reach the conclusion whether ____.
| A．your weight is normal |
| B．your hormone level is normal |
| C．your height is right for your age |
| D．your body fat percentage is ideal |
If a boy is 1. 5 meters in height and weighs 68 kilograms, then he is ____.
| A．normal | B．obese |
| C．extremely obese | D．underweight |
If you saw another kid ride her bike too fast around a corner and fall down, you might ride your bike more slowly on that turn. Yes, we humans are very sensitive to others' mistakes. And the same is true for other animals. Animals mess up all the time. They might eat poisonous leaves, fall off a tree or let their prey (猎物) slip away. By watching others fail, an animal can avoid making the same mistakes, thus improving its chance of survival.
Scientists suspected that one part of the brain helps animals process information about others' errors. Cells in that part appear to become more active when a person sees someone else making a mistake. But researchers didn't know whether individual cells in this part of the brain play different roles in detecting errors.
To investigate the brain's response to errors in more detail, the researchers taught a game to two macaques, a type of monkey. One monkey could press a yellow or green button while the other watched. If the first monkey pressed the right button, the team gave both animals a treat. Every couple of rounds, the two monkeys switched roles. Meanwhile, the scientists monitored individual cells in the animal's brains.
When the first monkey messed up the game by pressing the wrong button, a group of cells in the second monkey's brain fired. But if the second monkey also made the wrong choice during its turn, some of the cells in that group didn't respond. Those unresponsive cells reacted specifically to mistakes made by others, not to the monkey's own mistakes.
Scientists believe other parts of the brain also might help people process information about another's errors. "You start to think about this other person and see things from his angle. " Ellen de Bruijn, told Science News. She studies the brain at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands. According to Paragraph 1 , animals' ability to learn from others' mistakes ______.
| A．used to be ignored by humans |
| B．ensures that they will never fail |
| C．is being lost because of humans |
| D．helps them to survive better |
The underlined word "detecting" in Paragraph 2 probably means "______".
| A．correcting | B．making | C．sensing | D．drawing |
In the experiment mentioned, those unresponsive cells are only sensitive to ______.
| A．the same buttons | B．others' mistakes |
| C．one's own mistakes | D．the monkey's brain |