These days we hear a lot about how air pollution is changing temperatures on the earth. New evidence from a mountaintop in China now suggests that pollution can also change the amount of rain and snow that falls in some places.
Usually, more rain falls in mountainous places than in flat areas upwind from the mountains. That’s because air can hold a lot of water. When wind blows wet air up a mountainside, the air gets colder. This temperature change often forces water to fall as rain or snow.
In recent years, however, many mountainous areas in the western United States have been getting less rain than normal. Mountains that are downwind from cities have experienced the biggest drops.
Some scientists have theorized（推理）that pollution drifts （趋势）from the cities into the mountains, affecting rainfall, but proving this link has been difficult.
Searching for answers, a team led by a scientist from the Hebrew University went to s mountain in China called Mount Hua, which is 2,060 meters tall and lies about 120 kilometers east of the Chinese city Xi’an. Since 1954, scientists have been collecting details about rainfall, humidity（湿度）, and visibility（能见度）in the area.
Using this data, the scientists compared rainfall on Mount Hua to rainfall in the nearest city, Huayin, on days with different levels of visibility. When the air was clear and people could see as far as 20 km, the scientists found that 65% more rain fell on the mountain than in the city.
But when the air was smoggy, allowing only 8 km of visibility through the mist, the mountain received just 20% more rain than the city. The new data supports the theory that pollution affects rainfall.
Some scientists believe that there are other explanations for the numbers. It’s possible, for example, that natural particles（微粒）in the air, rather than particles produced by pollution, are affecting visibility.According to the 1st paragraph, air pollution is changing the following EXCEPT ______.
| A．the temperature | B．the amount of rain |
| C．the habit of eating | D．the amount of snow |
According to the passage, what will probably happen when the wet air in the sky gets colder?
| A．It will probably rain or snow | B．It will probably be cloudy. |
| C．It will probably wind | D．It will probably become dry. |
Why did the team led by a scientist go to Mount Hua?
| A．They wanted to pay a visit to Mount Hua. |
| B．They wanted to collect the data for their theory. |
| C．They wanted to measure Mount Hua. |
| D．They wanted to have a good rest on Mount Hua. |
You can most probably read the passage in _______.
| A．a travel guide |
| B．a telephone book |
| C．a cartoon book |
| D．a science book |
Summer school is something a kid will never forget. For some, it’s a way to advance past their classmates. For most, summer school is a requirement in order to graduate with their classmates. I can remember being forced into taking a summer school course. It was not the school that forced me into this awkward situation; it was my mother.
I was a 16-year-old kid in a new school. My school did not offer summer courses so I had to take my course at an alternative school in the city. It was an experience I will never forget. I was not concerned with making friends. I was there to get credit (学分) for a course that I should have received credit for the previous semester. It was my doing that landed me in the situation and it was important that I understood this.
The fees were lowest but the experience was amazing. I enjoyed. I didn’t miss the day. The course was from Monday to Friday for an entire month. I passed the course with an A. I was thrown into an awkward situation and actually enjoyed it. My friends didn’t even know I took the course. Most of them were still sleeping by the time my course ended each day.
Awkward situations are so important for personal growth. This situation made me feel more independent. I made friends. I finally understood what sacrifice and hard work were all about. While attending college, I remembered how much I enjoyed summer school and I chose to take summer school in my first three years of college. Some kids get pushed too much but some don’t get pushed enough. I was never pushed enough.
Enable your children to struggle for success. If your child needs summer school you explain to them why it’s important. Some parents are surprised by the situation and may want to be more involved in their children’s education. Follow through and follow up.Most students go to the summer school in order to ______.
| A．find good jobs after graduation | B．become top students in their class |
| C．have a chance to make more friends | D．graduate successfully on time |
What made the author go to summer school for the first time?
| A．What he had done . | B．His mother’s wish. |
| C．His own requirement. | D．Study competition. |
Which of the following was NOT the benefit got by the author through attending summer school?
| A．It helped him get rid of bad habits. |
| B．It helped him make new friends. |
| C．It helped him understand what sacrifice and hard work were. |
| D．It increased his independence. |
From the last paragraph we can learn that the author ______.
| A．does not like summer school at all even though it is useful |
| B．thinks summer school is unnecessary for children |
| C．encourages parents to make their children attend summer school |
| D．is against forcing children to attend summer school |
What does the author think of summer school?
| A．He thinks it is awkward. | B．He thinks it is significant. |
| C．He doesn’t think it is suitable. | D．He thinks nothing of it. |
“NOW I just don't believe that. ”Surely all of us, at some point, have watched a movie and thought: It's simply badly researched，or the makers must think we're fools. Recently, The Daily Telegraph ran a humorous piece on untrue tech moments from some top movies. Let’s see what they are all about.
Tom Chiver, the writer of The Daily Telegraph uses his first example from the movie Independence Day, in which a character comes up with a virus（病毒）which destroys Windows the computer system the alien （外星人）spacecraft uses. “It's a good thing that they didn't have Norton Anti-virus，” jokes Chivers.
It's just one case of a movie that takes a lot of license with its science. Another one Chivers mentions is from the movie Star Wars, where the glowing light beams (光束）traveling through space look very impressive. But the problem is that in space there are no air particles (粒子）for the light to reflect off. In reality, they'd be invisible（看不见的）, which wouldn’t look so cool on the big screen.
Most people think that the mind—bending Matrix films are made for great viewing. But for Chivers, the science in the movies is a little bit silly. He comments “…the film is based on the idea that humans are kept alive as electricity generators (发电机). This is not just unlikely —it's basically impossible. They would need more energy to stay alive than they would produce. It's just like saying that you'll power the car with batteries, and keep the batteries charged by running a generator from the wheels. ”
And finally, as Chivers points out, DNA is not replaceable. But this bit of elementary genetics passed the makers of the 2002 Bond film Die Another Day by. In the film the bad guy has “gene treatment” to change his appearance and his DNA, which is completely impossible in our real world.Which of the following does the writer agree with about the movie Independence Day?
| A．It's a science fiction movie. |
| B．It's about the alien spacecraft. |
| C．It's produced by Tom Chiver. |
| D．It's a jokey and humorous one. |
What is mainly talked about in the 4th paragraph?
| A．How we can power the car with batteries. |
| B．How Tom Chiver thinks of the Matrix films. |
| C．How humans are kept alive as power generator. |
| D．How the Matrix films are made for great viewing. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The movie Star Wars is about the light beams in space. |
| B．The author doesn't take the science in movies seriously. |
| C．Nowadays nobody believes in science movies any more. |
| D．There is a horrible virus in the movie Independence Day. |
The underlined word “They” in the 4th paragraph refers to ______.
| A．human beings | B．car wheels |
| C．Matrix films | D．electricity generators |
Some young Cambodians are learning a new sport — skateboarding. The country’s first skateboard park is located on the grounds of a local charity group at the edge of Phnom Penh, the capital.
Sports like Khmer boxing and soccer are wildly popular in Cambodia. But Chea, who has been skating for 6 months, says skating has already become his favorite sport.
The skaters are learning tricks like launching off a jump or half-pipe and flying through the air on their narrow wooden boards.
A non-governmental organization called Skateistan Cambodia organizes weekly programs at the park. Skateistan started its work in Afghanistan years ago. Rory Burke is working with the group which expanded to Cambodia last year.
Rory Burke points out, “Yeah, it’s definitely not a typical Cambodian pastime (消遣). And I think the idea of ‘why skateboarding’ is that it’s not been done before here. We want to use skateboarding as something saying, ‘Hey, this is new, this is something different.And that kind of itself becomes a little bit of hook. People see it and they think and they say, ‘Wow, what is that?’ and they want to get involved. ”
Skateistan partners with local groups that work with young people. The park is on the grounds of the group known as PSE, where children attend school and learn a trade. There are almost one hundred twenty participants. They all come from troubled lives.
Seventeen-year-old Sang Rotha is a student at PSE. “Sometimes I don’t do well in subjects like math,” he says, “I feel bad when I find it hard to keep up with my lessons. So that is why I skateboard ---to improve my bad feelings. ’，
He says he began skateboarding more than a year ago. Before he started training, it seemed very easy. But it was very difficult to learn tricks, and he got hurt a lot from falling off.
Rory Burke says learning to deal with the difficulties is part of the lesson for these young skateboarders. According to the passage, PSE is a group ______.
| A．that works with Cambodian students |
| B．for young Cambodians to learn a trade |
| C．for young Cambodians in troubled lives |
| D．for young Cambodians taking skateboarding |
What is said about skateboarding in the passage?
| A．It was born in Afghanistan years ago. |
| B．It is easy for young Cambodians to learn. |
| C．It is as popular as Khmer boxing in Cambodia. |
| D．It is a good sport to help get good feeling again. |
The underlined part alittle bit of hook probably means ______.
| A．something strange |
| B．something quite new |
| C．something different |
| D．something attractive |
It can be inferred from the passage that skateboarding is becoming ______.
| A．a sport liked by most young Cambodians |
| B．an increasingly popular sport in Cambodia |
| C．a sport used to better young Cambodians’ life |
| D．a good way to train young Cambodians’ learning skills |
If Confucius were still alive today and could celebrate his September 28 birthday with a big cake, there would be a lot of candles. He’d need a fan or a strong wind to help him put them out.
While many people in China will remember Confucius on his special day, few people in the United States will give him a passing thought. It’s nothing personal. Most Americans don’t even remember the birthdays of their own national heroes.
But this doesn’t mean that Americans don’t care about Confucius. In many ways he has become a bridge that foreigners must cross if they want to reach a deeper understanding of China.
In the past two decades, the Chinese studies programs have gained huge popularity in Western universities. More recently, the Chinese government has set up Confucius Institutes in more than 80 countries. These schools teach both Chinese language and culture. The main courses of Chinese culture usually included Chinese art, history and philosophy. Some social scientists suggest that Westerners should take advantages of the ancient Chinese wisdom to make up for the drawbacks of Westerners philosophy. Students in the United States, at the same time, are racing to learn Chinese. So they will be ready for life in a world where China is an equal power with the United States. Businessmen who hope to make money in China are reading books about Confucius to understand their Chinese customers.
So the old thinker’s ideas are still alive and well.
Today China attracts the West more than ever, and it will need more teachers to introduce Confucius and Chinese culture to the West.
As for the old thinker, he will not soon be forgotten by people in the West, even if his birthday is. The opening paragraph is mainly intended to _________.
| A．provide some key facts about Confucius |
| B．attract the readers’ interest in the subject |
| C．show great respect for the ancient thinker |
| D．prove the popularity of modern birthday celebrations |
We can learn from Paragraph 4 that American students_________.
| A．fight for a chance to learn Chinese |
| B．try to get high scores in Chinese exams |
| C．have a great interest in studying Chinese |
| D．take an active part in Chinese competitions |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Forgotten Wisdom in America |
| B．Old Thinker with a Big Future |
| C．Chinese Culture for Westerners |
| D．Huge Fans of the Chinese Language |
The passage is likely to appear in _________.
| A．a biography | B．a history paper |
| C．a newspaper | D．a philosophy textbook |
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| A．Being stuck by the highway. |
| B．Being urged by his grandkids. |
| C．Being persuaded by cell phone salespersons. |
| D．Being attracted by the friendly return policy. |
On the monthly basis of 100 minutes, the Jitterbug weekly rate is about _______.
| A．$3.75 | B．$4.99 | C．$14. 99 | D．$19.99 |
An advantage of Jitterbug mentioned in the passage is _______.
| A．its discount price with a free gift |
| B．its reasonable rate plans without a contract |
| C．its good customer service all over the world |
| D．its “global-positioning” system with 911 access |
The main purpose of the passage is to _______.
| A．tell a customer's story of Jitterbug |
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| C．give a brief introduction of Jitterbug |
| D．attract potential customers to Jitterbug |
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