D
The oddness of life in space never quite goes away. Here are some examples.
First consider something as simple as sleep. Its position presents its own challenges. The main question is whether you want your arms inside or outside the sleeping bag. If you leave your arms out, they float free in zero gravity, often giving a sleeping astronaut the look of a funny balled (芭蕾)dancer. "I'm an inside guy," Mike Hopkins says, who returned from a six-month tour on the International Space Station. "I like to be wrapped up."
On the station, the ordinary becomes strange. The exercise bike for the American astronauts has no handlebars. It also has no seat. With no gravity, it's just as easy to pedal violently. You can watch a movie while you pedal by floating a microcomputer anywhere you want. But station residents have to be careful about staying in one place too long. Without gravity to help circulate air, the carbon dioxide you exhale (呼气) has a tendency to form an invisible (隐形的)cloud around you head. You can end up with what astronauts call a carbon-dioxide headache.
Leroy Chiao, 54, an American retired astronaut after four flights, describes what happens even before you float out of your seat,"Your inner ear thinks your're falling . Meanwhile your eyes are telling you you're standing straight. That can be annoying-that's why some people feel sick." Within a couple days -truly terrible days for some -astronauts' brains learn to ignore the panicky signals from the inner ear, and space sickness disappears.
Space travel can be so delightful but at the same time invisibly dangerous. For instance, astronauts lose bone mass. That's why exercise is considered so vital that National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) puts it right on the workday schedule. The focus on fitness is as much about science and the future as it is about keeping any individual astronauts return home, and, more importantly, how to maintain strength and fitness for the two and a half years or more that it would take to make a round-trip to Mars.
What is the major challenge to astronauts when they sleep in space?
The astronauts will suffer from a carbon-dioxide headache when _____.
Some astronauts feel sick on the station during the first few days because _____.
One of the NASA's major concerns about astronauts is _____.
They like using the Internet. They have lots of pocket money to spend. And they spend a higher proportion of it online than the rest of us. Teenagers are just the sort of people an online seller is interested in, and the things they want to buy----games, CDs and clothing----are easily sold on the Web.
But paying online is a tricky business for consumers who are too young to own credit(信用) cards. Most have to use a parent’s card. They want a facility that allows them to spend money.
That may come sooner than they think: new ways to take pocket money into cyber (网络的) space are coming out rapidly on both sides of the Atlantic. If successful, these products can stimulate(刺激) online sales.
In general, teenagers spend huge amounts: $153bn (billion) in the US last year and £20bn annually in the UK. Most teenagers have access to the Internet at home or at school-88 percent in the US, 69 percent in the UK. According to the Jupiter Research, one in eight of those with Internet access has bought something online-mainly CDs and books.
In most cases, parents pay for these purchases with credit cards, an arrangement that is often unsatisfactory for them and their children. Pressing parents to spend online is less productive than pressing on the high street. They are more likely to ask “Why?” if you ask to spend some money online.
One way to help teenagers change notes and coins into cybercash is through prepaid cards such as InternetCash in the US and Smart cards in the UK. Similar to those for pay-as-you-go mobile telephones, they are sold in amounts such as£20 or $50 with a hidden 14-digit number that can be used to load the cash into an online account.What does the word “They” in paragraph 1 refer to?
A.Sellers. | B.Buyers. | C.Teenagers. | D.Parents. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.More than half of the teenagers in the US and the UK have Internet access. |
B.Teenagers pay for goods online with their own credit cards. |
C.Most teenagers in the US and the UK have bought something online. |
D.Teenagers found it easier to persuade parents to buy online than in a shop. |
A new way to help teenagers shop online is to use ______.
A.a new machine | B.prepaid cards | C.special coins and notes | D.pay-as-you-go mobile phones |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.Online shopping traps. | B.Internet users in the US and the UK. |
C.New credit cards for parents. | D.The arrival of cyber pocket money. |
Fri, Jun. 1
Nightlife Back to the Age of Innocence
This performance, organized by the group Lifetime Wharf, will celebrate Children's Day and commemorate (纪念) the lost childhoods of office workers. Five bands will perform: DH & Chinese Hellcats, DUDE, Candy Monster, Residence A and Island Mood.
Where: Yugong Yishan Livehouse, 3-2 Zhangzizhong Lu. Dongcheng District
When: 8 pm
Admission: 60 yuan pre-sale. 80 yuan at door
Tel: 64042711
Sun. Jun. 3
Movie Chinese Girl by Guo Xiaolu
The indie film Chinese Girl directed by Guo Xiaolu , is about the life of a girl who lives in the countryside. The lead actress, Huang Lu , will attend the screening and answer participants’ questions afterwards.
Where: UCCA, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District
When: 7pm
Admission: 15 yuan (10 yuan for students , free for VIP)
Tel: 57800200
Mon, Jun. 4
Script Reading
Scripts written by students from the 166th Middle School of Beijing will be performed. They include: Love Sleeping Beauty, Lucky Ferris Wheel Production, Jane Eyre, Our Self-study Class and Farewell -- Bing Xin.
Where: Penghao Theater, 35 Dongmianhua Hutong, Dongcheng District
When: Until Jun. 5, 7: 30 pm
Admission: 80 yuan (40 yuan for students)
Tel: 64006472
Thu, Jun. 7
Movie Invictus
This film is directed by Clint Eastwood and stars Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman , both of whom were nominated for Academy Awards.
Where: China Film Archive, 3 Wenhuiyuan Lu, Haidian District
When: Until Jun 8, 7:30-10pm
Admission: 120-480yuan
Tel: 66550000If Mr. Green (VIP), together with his wife and his three schoolchildren watches the movie Chinese Girl, how much will they pay for the admission?
A.30 yuan. | B.45 yuan. | C.50 yuan. | D.60 yuan. |
Which of the following does NOT agree with what is said in the above advertisements?
A.The movie "Invictus" will be on until June 8. |
B.The scripts written by the students include Love Sleeping Beauty. |
C.Chinese Girl is about the life of a girl who lives in the countryside. |
D.Matt Damon and Morgan Freeman were the directors of the film Invictus. |
If Marry would like to know the content of Jane Eyre, where will she watch the program?
A.In UCCA, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang District. |
B.In China Film Archive, 3 Wenhuiyuan Lu, Haidian District. |
C.In Penghao Threater, 35 Dongmianhua Hutong, Dongcheng District. |
D.In Yugong Yishan Livehouse, 3 -- 2 Zhangzizhong Lu, Dongcheng District. |
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Smoking not only can wrinkle(起皱纹) the face and turn it yellow -- it can do the same to the whole body, researchers reported on Monday.
The study, published in the Archives of Dermatology, shows that smoking affects the skin all over the body -- even skin protected from the sun.
"We examined non-facial skin that was protected from the sun, and found that the total number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day and the total years a person has smoked were linked with the amount of skin damage a person experienced," Dr. Yolanda Helfrich of the University of Michigan, who led the study, said in a statement.
"In participants older than 65 years, smokers had significantly more fine wrinkling than nonsmokers. Similar findings were seen in participants aged 45 to 65 years," Helfrich's team added in their report.
The researchers tested 82 people, smokers and nonsmokers, taking pictures of the inner right arms. They ranged in age from 22 to 91 and half were smokers. Independent judges decided how wrinkled each person's skin was.
When skin is exposed to sunlight, notably(尤其)the face, it becomes coarse, wrinkled and discolored with a pale yellow tint, Helfrich's team wrote.
Several previous studies have found that cigarette smoking contributes to premature(过早的)skin aging as measured by facial wrinkles, the study said, but little has been done to measure the aging of skin not exposed to light.
The report did not discuss the mechanism involved but previous research has found that cigarette smoke, among other things, causes blood vessels(血管)beneath the skin to constrict(紧缩), reducing blood supply to the skin.
Smoking can also damage the connective tissue (组织)that supports both the skin and the internal organs.The best title for this passage would be_______.
A.The danger of smoking | B.Smoking causes skin aging |
C.Quit smoking for health | D.A survey of smokers |
It can be inferred from the study _______ .
A.smoking won’t make skin protected from the sun |
B.smoking will do damage to skin rather than other organs |
C.smokers over 65 usually won’t worry about their skin |
D.the age of smokers is not connected with the result of the test |
From the passage smoking results in skin aging mainly because_____.
A.it will lower blood supply to skin | B.it can make you feel tired |
C.it can make skin come off | D.it can make blood run faster |
The main purpose of the passage is to ______.
A.inform people about the result of the study |
B.advise people how to protect skin |
C.warn people not to smoke again |
D.introduce a new way of avoiding skin aging |
Only three local students won Chinese Blog Competition. And 15 of the 18 awards went to students from China.
170 students’ task: to get a fully-designed blog up and running, complete with many postings based on a theme of choice—all written in Chinese.
Themes ranged from local opinions-such as the usage of Singlish, education and whether Singapore can be a cultural centre-to food blogs.
The entries were judged on Language proficiency(熟练程度)and the quality of writing, as well as the design and level of exchanging ideas with readers.
Academics(学者) from the National University of Singapore and the SIM University IT experts, and a journalist from Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao in Singapore made up the judges.
In the end, only three Singaporean students made it to the award list—the rest of the awards were swept up by students from China.
“No surprise, ” said Mr. Chow Yaw Long, 37, teachers in charge from Innova Junior College, which organized the event. “Although the topics were local subjects, the foreign students were generally better in terms of the content of the posts and their grasp of the Chinese language. ”
One of the three local students winning the first prize in the Best Language Award was blogger Christina Gao 19, from the Saint Andrew’s Junior College, who spared no effort in researching for and writing her blog. Each entry took her between five and seven days to produce, complete with pictures and even podcasts
Her advice for bloggers is: Be responsible
“Some bloggers out there only seek to blame the authorities and other bloggers.” Said Miss Gao. “I think they lack responsibilities and there is no value to their posts.” The competition was organized by ___________.
A.the National University of Singapore | B.Chinese newspaper Lianhe Zaobao |
C.the Saint Andrew’s Junior College | D.Innova Junior College |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Not all the themes were about local subjects. |
B.Chinese students won most of the awards. |
C.The blogs could be written in Chinese or Singlish. |
D.The judges were from universities in Singapore and China. |
What Miss Gao said suggests that ___________.
A.she likes to blame the authorities | B.she thinks highly of the others’ blogs |
C.she has a sense of responsibility | D.she loves to read valuable posts |
The passage is mainly about ___________.
A.how Chinese students won the awards in the competition |
B.why bloggers should take responsibility for their blogs |
C.what the result of the competition was |
D.how Miss Gao won the first prize in the competition |
It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I tore open the packet. My eyes were fixed on the word “congratulations. ”I don’t remember ever smiling so wide.
Then I looked at my financial(财政的)package.
The cost of Dream School’s tuition(学费), room and board was around $ 40,000- an impossible sum! How could I afford to attend? What good reasons did I have to go there when three other fine colleges were offering me free tuition? My other choices were good, solid schools even if they weren’t as famous as my first choice.
In my mind, attending my dream university would be the only way to realize my dream of becoming a world-class writer. My parents understood how I felt. They told me that even though it would be a financial problem, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But as I was always careful with money, I wasn’t sure what to do.
One of the schools that offered me a full ride had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Considering my parents’ financial difficulties, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I had planned to do was to smile politely, eat free food, listen quietly. But I surprised myself.
At dinner the president of the university talked about the wonderful activities on campus (校园)including guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be offered at all future events. He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities, and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as good as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed small yet with many great programs. It seemed challenging yet caring.
As the president ended his speech, we clapped politely and pushed back our chairs. As I walked out that door, a feeling of comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years right there.
In all honesty, my university is not as well-known as my “dream”university. However, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me. How did the author feel when he started to read the letter?
A.He was lost in his dream. |
B.He was full of joy. |
C.He was worried about the money. |
D.He was uncertain which school to go to. |
We can learn from the passage that the parents were _________.
A.honest | B.supportive | C.strict | D.decisive |
In Paragraph 5, “offered me a full ride”can be replaced by “_______”.
A.would charge me nothing for tuition | B.would pay for transport to the school |
C.would show me around the campus | D.would offer free meals at all events |
What does the author mainly want to say?
A.You should consider comfort in your choice of schools. |
B.You should try your best to attend your dream school. |
C.Your second-choice college may actually be your best fit. |
D.Your choice of schools should be based on their fame. |