Thick dust rose and a large building collapsed. This was the scene in Zhu Zhou，Hunan Province on May 17. Nine people were killed and 16 injured.
Things were similar in the Sichuan earthquake. Thousands of people were buried in the ruins and lost their lives. What if we could have warned them?
People are always racking their wits to find a way of preventing buildings’ collapse. Better materials and technology help，but they are not a solution.
Just like humans，a building has its own life cycle from “birth” to “death”．If we know when a building is going to collapse，we can repair it in advance or get out of it before it falls. Now，scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a material that turns red before it breaks. The invention could be used in things like climbing ropes or bridge supports. The research was led by Nancy Sottos，a professor at the university’s Beckman Institute，and Douglas Davis，a graduate research assistant.
The secret behind the color—changing material is a type of molecule (分子)．A molecule is a group of atoms held together by chemical bonds. Imagine you and your friends standing in a circle，holding hands. Each person stands for one atom，your hands represent the bonds，and the entire circle represents a molecule. If one person lets go of his or her hands，the molecule changes color. The research team put the molecule into a soft material. When the researchers stretched the material，it turned bright red for a few seconds before it broke into two pieces. When they repeatedly stretched and relaxed the material，without breaking it，it only turned a little red.
The major problem is that light can get rid of the red color. When the team shone bright light on the molecule，the broken bond was fixed，and the color disappeared. Scientists have yet to do more research before the color—changing molecules can be used outside the lab.What does the passage mainly introduce?
| A．The collapse of a large building in Zhu Zhou, Hunan Province. |
| B．A type of molecule that can be put into a soft material |
| C．A material that turns red before it breaks. |
| D．A way of preventing building from collapsing. |
The underlined words “racking their wits” in the third paragraph mean ________.
| A．suffering a lot | B．collecting beyond imagination |
| C．losing a lot | D．thinking very hard |
Which of the following is a WRONG statement?
| A．Thousands of people died from the collapse of buildings in the Sichuan earthquake because they hadn’t been warned. |
| B．There is no building that will never collapse. |
| C．A new material has been applied to buildings to warn people of collapse. |
| D．A color—changing material can turn red before it breaks. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The color—changing molecules are certain to be used outside the lab. |
| B．There will be less collapse with the help of the color—changing material. |
| C．The bright light may make the material’s warning system useless. |
| D．The problem caused by bright light will be solved by scientists soon. |
Two teachers are needed in jiangsu Province ASAP!
7000-8000 RMB / month (20 lessons / week) plus benefits!
The school is located in Sihong Town, which is only two hours away from Nanjing City by bus.
Requirements:
Native English speakers from Australia, Canada, UK, etc. Bachelor' s degree and teaching experience
We offer:
Airfare reimbursement & Travel bonus
A spacious, private and on-campus apartment with the following items included:
Computer with free Internet access; Telephone; Color TV; Heater; Washing machine; Refrigerator; Microwave; Cooking facilities (plates, glasses, cups, pots and pans, etc.)
Water dispenser; Western-style toilet; Bath-tub; Non-stop hot water
To apply for the job, please send your resume to zlO120@163.com.
Application:
To apply for the job, please don’t forget to include the following information:
Personal data (age, place of birth, etc.)
Description of your academic history and teaching experience
A recent picture
Scanned documents, such as diploma(s), passport and current visa (if already in China)
A phone number where we can reach you
For inquiries, call +86 (871)3803085; 13700641813 This advertisement is about____________.
| A．introducing a school | B．taking on English teachers |
| C．attracting foreign students | D．arranging the subjects |
What is Not needed for you to apply for the job?
| A．your resume | B．your personal data | C．your academic history | D．a recommendation letter |
If you are employed, you may___________.
| A．live far away from the campus | B．share a room with another teacher |
| C．surf the Internet for free | D．enjoy three free meals every day |
Where can you mostly read the advertisement?
| A．In a telephone book. | B．In a newspaper. |
| C．In a travel guide. | D．In a textbook. |
I clearly remember my mom telling me to drink milk every day—one glass in the morning and another at night. I also remember loving it while my sister thought quite the opposite—she would surreptitiously pour her milk into the sink or water the plants with it! I guess I should thank my mom for making us drink a lot of milk, so rich in calcium(钙), during those important years.
Today, calcium shortage is one of the main concerns of women in their 30s or even early 20s. The great fear is that when we reach our 50s or 60s, osteoprosis(骨质疏松症)will set in. That is why you can see a lot of advertisements for products supposedly containing a lot of calcium.
Because calcium is not that easy to acquire from the food we normally eat, busy women these days should take calcium supplements(补充物). There are a lot of different forms of these---calcium carbonate(碳酸钙)，oyster(牡蛎)shell or bone-meal-based calcium supplements.
You have to be careful when choosing which kind to take. This is because calcium is not easily absorbed by the body. So the fact that you are taking supplements doesn’t mean that the body is actually benefiting from them. Different supplements may have different instructions on dosage(剂量)and manner of intake. You can ask your doctor to help you determine which supplement is the best for your needs.From what the author’s mother did we may infer that___________________.
| A．her children had osteoporosis |
| B．she knew her children would benefit from milk |
| C．she must have suffered from osteorosis |
| D．she didn’t like her daughter who didn’t obey her order |
Based on the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The author’s sister will suffer from osteoprosis when reaches her 50s or 60s |
| B．Many businessmen have already been selling products supposedly containing calcium. |
| C．We can’t get enough calcium only from food we eat every day |
| D．Women as young as their 20s should be concerned about calcium shortage |
What does the underlined word “surreptitiously” in the first paragraph probably mean?
| A．Honestly | B．Frankly | C．Secretly | D．Curiously |
We may infer from the last paragraph that____________________.
| A．what one chooses as a calcium supplement might not work |
| B．one shouldn’t take in calcium without the permission of a doctor |
| C．the more calcium supplements one uses, the more calcium one can take in |
| D．it is dangerous to use calcium supplements without the guidance |
Many of us have heard of the saying: everything is possible if you can just believe. But few of us really know the power of faith and perseverance(坚定). South African swimmer Natalie du Tiot embodies(体现)those virtues.
Du Tiot, 24, became the first swimmer to compete in both the Olympic Games and the Paralympics (残奥会)in Beijing. Although she finished 16th in the tough 10km marathon in the able-bodied Games, she has collected three golds in the Paralympics so far.
One of the most successful disabled athletes of all time, Natalie du Tiot was already a promising swimmer when she lost her leg in a motorcycle accident in 2001, at just 17.
“There are a lot of dark moments,” she said, “There are some days when I cry. But I try to remember that better days are ahead. You just go on.”
Within a few months, she was back in the swimming pool.
She still completes and still succeeds. The only difference is she has switched to longer events—from 200m and 400m individual medley to 800m and 1,500m freestyle—to make up for her loss of speed with only one leg. But she made no adjustment to her mental look(精神面貌).
“Going out in the water, it feels as if there’s nothing wrong with me. It doesn’t matter if you look different. You’re still the same as everybody else because you have the same dream.”
She is the owner of many world records, and she also won gold when competing against able-bodied swimmers in the 1,500m freestyle at the All African Games in 2007.
But there is no magic recipe(秘诀) for success. It all comes down to hard work and determination. “She is stubborn, which is good and bad,” said her coach Karoly Von Toros. “Good for the swimming, but bad for the coach.”
There is a poem that hangs on her wall that reads:
The tragedy (悲剧)of life does not lie in not reaching your goals;
The tragedy of life lies in not having goals to reach for. Natalie du Tiot is a vivid example that____________________.
| A．you are what you believe |
| B．your biggest enemy is yourself |
| C．results are not so important as the process |
| D．you must set reasonable goals or you will fail |
According to the text , Natalie du Tiot became________________.
| A．the first athlete to compete with able-bodied swimmers in the world |
| B．the youngest disabled swimmer to break the world record in the 1,500m freestyle |
| C．the youngese disabled swimmer to collect three golds in a single Paralympics |
| D．the first swimmer to compete in both the Olympic Games and the Paralympics |
Which of the following is the correct order of the events that happened to Natalie du Tiot？
a. She won gold at the All Africa Games.
b. She finished 16th in the tough 10km marathon in the Olympics
c. She adjusted herself to long events.
d. A motorcycle accident disabled her.
| A．cdab | B．dcba | C．dcab | D．dacb |
In dark moments it was_______________ that pushed her on.
| A．her coach | B．her family | C．hope and faith | D．her love of swimming |
According to a report published on the British medical magazine, The Lancet, a study of 10 German mobile phone users found that when they turned on their phones, their blood pressure goes up by 5—10 millimeters of mercury (水银柱). The word “The Lancet” is probably ______.
| A．the name of a magazine | B．the name of the research team |
| C．the name of a hospital | D．the title of a medical report |
Climbing attracts people because it’s good exercise for almost everyone. You use your whole body, especially your arms and legs. This sport gives your body a complete workout. When you climb, both your mind and your body can become stronger. The word workout underlined in the last paragraph most probably means________．
| A．settlement | B．exercise | C．excitement | D．tiredness |