【2015·北京卷】C
Life in the Clear
Transparent animals let light pass through their bodies the same way light passes through a window. These animals typically live between the surface of the ocean and a depth of about 3,300 feet—as far as most light can reach. Most of them are extremely delicate and can be damaged by a simple touch. Sonke Johnsen, a scientist in biology, says, “These animals live through their life alone. They never touch anything unless they’re eating it, or unless something is eating them.”
And they are as clear as glass. How does an animal become see-through? It’s trickier than you might think.
The objects around you are visible because they interact with light. Light typically travels in a straight line. But some materials slow and scatter(散射) light, bouncing it away from its original path. Others absorb light, stopping it dead in its tracks. Both scattering and absorption make an object look different from other objects around it, so you can see it easily.
But a transparent object doesn’t absorb or scatter light, at least not very much, Light can pass through it without bending or stopping. That means a transparent object doesn’t look very different from the surrounding air or water. You don’t see it ----you see the things behind it.
To become transparent, an animal needs to keep its body from absorbing or scattering light. Living materials can stop light because they contain pigments(色素) that absorb specific colors of light. But a transparent animal doesn’t have pigments, so its tissues won’t absorb light. According to Johnsen, avoiding absorption is actually easy. The real challenge is preventing light from scattering.
Animals are built of many different materials----skin, fat, and more----and light moves through each at a different speed. Every time light moves into a material with a new speed, it bends and scatters. Transparent animals use different tricks to fight scattering. Some animals are simply very small or extremely flat. Without much tissue to scatter light, it is easier to be see—through. Others build a large, clear mass of non-living jelly-lie(果冻状的)material and spread themselves over it .
Larger transparent animals have the biggest challenge, because they have to make all the different tissues in their bodies slow down light exactly as much as water does. They need to look uniform. But how they’re doing it is still unknown. One thing is clear for these larger animals, staying transparent is an active process. When they die, they turn a non-transparent milky white.According to Paragraph 1, transparent animals_______.
| A.stay in groups | B.can be easily damaged |
| C.appear only in deep ocean | D.are beautiful creatures |
The underlined word “dead” in Paragraph 3 means__________.
| A.silently | B.gradually |
| C.regularly | D.completely |
One way for an animal to become transparent is to ________.
| A.change the direction of light travel |
| B.gather materials to scatter light. |
| C.avoid the absorption of light |
| D.grow bigger to stop light. |
The last paragraph tells us that larger transparent animals________.
| A.move more slowly in deep water |
| B.stay see-through even after death |
| C.produce more tissues for their survival |
| D.take effective action to reduce light spreading |
Many years ago, when I was fresh out of school and working in Denver, I was driving to my parents' home in Missouri for Christmas. I stopped at a gas station(加油站)about 50 miles from Oklahoma City, where I was planning to stop and visit a friend. While I was standing in line at the cash register(收款台), I said hello to an older couple who were also paying for gas.
I took off, but had gone only a few miles when black smoke poured from the back of my car. I stopped and wondered what I should do. A car pulled up behind me. It was the couple I had spoken to at the gas station. They said they would take me to my friend's We chatted on the way into the city, and when I got out of the car, the husband gave me his business card.
I wrote him and his wife a thank-you note for helping me. Soon afterward, I received a Christmas present from them. Their note that came with it said that helping me had made their holidays meaningful.
Years later, I drove to a meeting in a nearby town in the morning. In late afternoon I returned to my car and found that I'd left the lights on all day, and the battery(电池)was dead. Then I noticed that the Friendly Ford dealership - a shop selling cars - was right next door. I walked over and found two salesmen in the showroom.
"Just how friendly is Friendly Ford?" I asked and explained my trouble. They quickly drove a pickup truck to my car and started it. They would accept no payment, so when I got home, I wrote them a note to say thanks. I received a letter back from one of the salesmen. No one had ever taken the time to write him and say thank you, and it meant a lot, he said.
"Thank you" - two powerful words. They're easy to say and mean so much.The author planned to stop at Oklahoma City_________.
| A.to visit a friend |
| B.to see his parents |
| C.to pay at the cash register |
| D.to have more gas for his car |
What happened when the author found smoke coming out of his car?
| A.He had it pulled back to the gas station. |
| B.The couple sent him a business card. |
| C.The couple offered to help him. |
| D.He called his friend for help. |
The battery of the author’s car was dead because_______.
| A.something went wrong with the lights |
| B.the meeting lasted a whole day |
| C.he forgot to turn off the lights |
| D.he drove too long a distance |
By telling his own experiences, the author tries to show______.
| A.how to write a thank-you letter |
| B.how to deal with car problems |
| C.the kind-heartedness of older people |
| D.the importance of expressing thanks |
Winter is dangerous for drivers because it’s so difficult to know what is going to happen and accidents take place easily. Bad weather can be waiting to meet you. Ice might be hiding under the snow, waiting to send you off the road. The car coming towards you might suddenly move across the road. Here are two rules for driving safely on icy roads:
Rule Number One is to drive smoothly. Irregular movements can make a car very difficult to manage. So each time you either turn the wheel, touch the brake or increase your speed, you must be as gentle and slow as possible. Just imagine you are driving with a full cup of hot coffee on the seat next to you. You should drive carefully enough in order that you wouldn’t get the coffee out of the cup.
Rule Number Two is to pay attention to what might happen. The more ice there is, the farther you have to look down the road. Test how long it takes to stop by gently braking. Remember that you may be driving more quickly than you think. Generally speaking, allow double your normal stopping distance when the road is wet, three times this distance on snow, and even more on ice. Try to stay in control of your car at all times, or you will get into trouble.Driving in winter is dangerous because _________.
| A.drivers usually have too much coffee |
| B.people drive three times faster than usual |
| C.unexpected things may often happen |
| D.people drive more gently and slowly |
Rule Number One mainly tells us _________.
| A.to drive fast on snowy roads |
| B.to increase the driving speed |
| C.to manage your car irregularly |
| D.to drive smoothly on icy roads |
Why does the writer mention “a full cup of hot coffee” in Paragraph2?
| A.To explain the importance of careful and smooth driving. |
| B.To enjoy the driving with a cup of coffee. |
| C.Because drinks are important for drivers. |
| D.Because he wants drivers to have a rest. |
Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A.Winter Driving | B.Careless Driving |
| C.Traffic Accidents | D.Bad Weather |
Where do you think you might read such a passage?
| A.In dictionaries. | B.In cookbooks |
| C.In advertisements. | D.In magazine |

What is Kelly Chan going to do?
| A.To hold a concert. | B.To go on a diet. | C.To watch a game. | D.To make a dress. |
According to the news the player from ________ won the tennis match on Saturday.
| A.Russia | B.Japan | C.South Korea | D.America |
The medical group from America said last week that _________.
| A.America has too many good athletes |
| B.children shouldn’t have too many soft drink |
| C.schools should organize more picnics |
| D.most parents in America have health problem |
From the news we know that __________.
| A.Kelly Chan has been dancing with 40 people |
| B.Maria Sharapova has won the Japan Open 17 times |
| C.soft drinks and fast food are really good for children’s health |
| D.many American children have too much fast food and too little exercise |
Few students would dream of getting a job as a shoe shiner working along the street. College students, in their own eyes and in the eyes of the public, are expected to get at least a proper job, if not working in a high-income or white-collar position.
Cai Yong’s decision to work as a shoe shiner shocked not only his parents, who had high hopes for him, but also his girlfriend.
“It is right for young graduates to be ambitious (有抱负的). But they have to start in a solid and down-to-earth way,” Cai said. Cai is not alone in making such a choice. The company has got 12 college students in all.
“I come for the 800 yuan monthly pay,” said Xiao Ji, who is a student from Nanjing University. “I have grown up and no longer live on my parents,” he said.
“Working as shoe shiners can mean a bright future,” Cai said.
Not everyone can accept this job choice. Cai’s girlfriend left him because she felt ashamed to be with a shoe shiner, and Cai accepted the fact. “This is the price to be paid for a job,” he said.
A former shoe shiner, Zhong Haibo, from a medical college, believes it was a good training for the rest of his life. “There is nothing I can’t do after working as a shoe shiner,” Zhong said, meaning that such kind of experience in early life is helpful in a future job.Cai Yong decided to work as .
| A.a college teacher | B.a company manager | C.a shoe shiner | D.a medicine maker |
Why did Cai’s girlfriend leave him?
| A.They didn’t get along well with each other. |
| B.Her parents didn’t like him. |
| C.She found it a shame to marry a shoe shiner. |
| D.Cai had got a new girlfriend. |
Most people think Cai’s choice .
| A.unbelievable | B.nice | C.enjoyable | D.wonderful |
From the passage we know Zhong Haibo .
| A.doesn’t like college life |
| B.thinks highly of working as shoe shiners |
| C.is a middle school student |
| D.is still a shoe shiner at the moment |
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Taking good notes is a time-saving skill that will help you to become a batter student in several ways. 71 Second, your notes are excellent materials to refer to when you are studying for a test. Third, note-taking offers variety to your study time and helps you to hold your interest.
You will want to take notes during classroom discussions and while reading a textbook or doing research for a report. 72 Whenever or however you take notes, keep in mind that note-taking is a selective process.73
The following methods may work best for you.
● Read the text quickly to find the main facts and ideas in it.
● Carefully read the text and watch for words that can show main points and supporting facts.
● Write your notes in your own words.
● 74
● Note any questions or ideas you may have about what was said or written.
As you take notes, you may want to use your own shorthand(速记). When you do, be sure that you understand your symbols and that you use them all the time.75
| A. Use words, not complete sentences. B. There are three practical note-taking methods. C. You must write your notes on separate paper. D. Otherwise, you may not be able to read your notes later. E. You will also want to develop your own method for taking notes. F. That means you must first decide what is important enough to include in your notes. G. First, the simple act of writing something down makes it easier for you to understand and remember it. |