Even plants can run a fever, especially when they're under attack by insects or disease. But unlike human, plants can have their temperature taken from 3,000 feet away—straight up. A decade ago, adopting the infrared(红外线)scanning technology developed for military purposes and other satellites, physicist Stephen Paley came up with a quick way to take the temperature of crops to determine which ones are under stress. The goal was to let farmers precisely target pesticide(杀虫剂)spraying rather than rain poison on a whole field, which invariably includes plants that don't have pest problems.
Even better, Paley's Remote Scanning Services Company could detect crop problems before they became visible to the eye. Mounted on a plane flown at 3,000 feet at night, an infrared scanner measured the heat emitted by crops. The data were transformed into a colourcoded map showing where plants were running “fevers”. Farmers could then spotspray, using 50 to 70 percent less pesticide than they otherwise would.
The bad news is that Paley's company closed down in 1984, after only three years. Farmers resisted the new technology and longterm backers were hard to find. But with the renewed concern about pesticides on produce, and refinements in infrared scanning, Paley hopes to get back into operation. Agriculture experts have no doubt the technology works. “This technique can be used on 75 percent of agricultural land in the United States, ” says George Oerther of Texas A & M. Ray Jackson, who recently retired from the Department of Agriculture, thinks remote infrared crop scanning could be adopted by the end of the decade. But only if Paley finds the financial backing which he failed to obtain 10 years ago.Plants will send out an increased amount of heat when they are________.
| A．facing an infrared scanner |
| B．sprayed with pesticides |
| C．in poor physical condition |
| D．exposed to excessive sun rays |
In order to apply pesticide spraying precisely, we can use infrared scanning to________.
| A．estimate the damage to the crops |
| B．draw a colourcoded map |
| C．measure the size of the affected area |
| D．locate the problem area |
Farmers can save a considerable amount of pesticide by________.
| A．resorting to spotspraying |
| B．transforming poisoned rain |
| C．consulting infrared scanning experts |
| D．detecting crop problems at an early stage |
The application of infrared scanning technology to agriculture met with some difficulties—________.
| A．its high cost |
| B．the lack of official support |
| C．the lack of financial support |
| D．its failure to help increase production |
Tang Zhou and his wife are planning to have their second child, a test-tube baby. His wife had a natural delivery when she was 34 and their first child, a boy, is now 7. The couple are now hoping to have a daughter through a surrogate mother in the US. “My wife couldn’t bear another delivery because of her heart condition and her age. Surrogacy helps avoid the risks to older mothers,” Tang said, “Moreover, our second child will be born in the US and become a citizen there. That is not a bad choice.”
The couple spent weeks researching their move, looking for a reliable agency that provides surrogacy services overseas. Surrogacy is still illegal in many countries, including China. “We will be taking much higher risks by relying on a surrogate mother in China because we are not protected by any regulation or law. You pay a lot of money but may meet with many problems,” Tang said. “You might not even get your baby back.”
Tang and his wife are part of an increasing number of Chinese couples who are turning to surrogacy services. Tang also considered surrogacy in Thailand but dropped the idea after recent reports about a baby with Down Syndrome(唐氏综合症) who was delivered through surrogacy and said to have been deserted in Thailand by the biological parents from Australia. Instead, Tang chose the California Surrogacy Center agency as his first option after reading the detailed introduction on its website. Compared with many other agencies that he could contact only via e-mail, the center has a consulting office in Beijing, Tang said.
The center is in San Diego, California, and has satellite offices in Los Angeles and Beijing. According to Liu, the center has been operating for more than eight years, and about 100 surrogate mothers live in California.“A surrogate mother” refers to a mother who _______.
| A．acts as a baby-sitter |
| B．nurses another woman’s baby |
| C．offers service to a new mother |
| D．gives birth to a baby for another woman |
Which of the following is True according to the passage?
| A．Chinese couples prefer to have a test-tube baby. |
| B．Couples face no risks in surrogacy services. |
| C．A sick test-tube baby was deserted in Thailand. |
| D．Unhealthy test-tube babies can be legally abandoned. |
Tang and his wife turned to overseas surrogacy services because _______.
| A．surrogacy remains illegal in China |
| B．they call for less money |
| C．it is more convenient to contact them |
| D．most of them are experienced |
The passage mainly tells us that ________.
| A．an old woman can take a risk of delivering a baby |
| B．more Chinese couples are turning to surrogacy |
| C．it’s not a bad choice to have a baby born overseas |
| D．biological couples may fail to get their babies back |
ACS Middle School is delighted to announce the 10-day Morocco Challenge 2015. We are planning another exciting adventure to Morocco with the support of World Challenge, a global leader in service and adventure based trips. What sets this programme apart from other middle school trips is that the students will have the opportunity to help plan and lead their own expedition(考察探险).
This experience gives ACS Middle School students an opportunity to do something really unique that will make them stand out from the crowd. The experience will provide students with a wealth of new skills which they will find invaluable in school, college, university and the world beyond.
We invite you to join us for an informative parents’ presentation, given by World Challenge, where you will have the opportunity to hear all about the amazing challenges that your son or your daughter will have the chance to experience.
Initial Information Evening for interested students and parents:
Date: MONDAY, September 22nd, 2014
Time: 4:00 pm
Location: ACS Middle School
The presentation will be an informative and interactive presentation with plenty of opportunities for questions, along with videos and images of the expeditions and what it will be like to take part. There will be lots of information on how the students will fundraise to take part in this expedition, what they will do while overseas, the safety and back-up on the expedition and thebenefits they will obtain from taking part.
We hope you and your son(daughter) are able to attend the Parents’ Presentation. We are sure you will find it interesting and see why ACS values the outcomes of this programme so highly. If you are unable to attend then your son or your daughter can attend on your behalf and collect the information needed.
Email enquiries to: cobmsclubz@acs-schools.com Subject: Morocco Challenge 2015
According to the passage, the Morocco Challenge 2015 _______.
| A．is the first adventure by World Challenge | B．was announced about 10 days ago |
| C．will start on 22nd September 2014 | D．differs from other middle school trips |
The passage is most probably written by _______.
| A．World Challenge | B．ACS Middle School students |
| C．students’ parents | D．ACS Middle School |
According to the passage, which of the following is True?
| A．The informative Presentation will be given by World Challenge. |
| B．For more information, you can send email to World Challenge. |
| C．Students cannot be allowed to attend the Parents’ Presentation. |
| D．Parents are not allowed to go on the expedition along with their children. |
The passage is written to _______.
| A．advertise World Challenge and appeal to more volunteers. |
| B．inform students how to fundraise to join in this expedition. |
| C．invite parents to attend an interactive Parents’ Presentation. |
| D．guide students to organize their own expedition. |
The Occupy protests(抗议) in Hong Kong are approaching an end. Traffic on Mong Kok’s Argyle Street resumed in the late afternoon after the clearance of the barriers and tents by protesters, who remained largely calm, only resisting the clearance at several points.
Some 3,000 police officers were deployed(部署) in the operation, a much higher number than were used to assist in the clearance of a protest site in Admiralty District on November 18.
The operation in Mong Kok comes a week after the partial clearance of another protest site next to the local government headquarters in Admiralty, bringing an end to the months-long protest movement.
Some 3,000 police officers also stood guard at the former protest site in Admiralty on Tuesday.
Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying expressed on Tuesday his hope that business could resume for shops in the area. He also restated that the protest was an unlawful gathering, and called for the protesters to respect and obey the law.
“The common call of Hong Kong people has finally been answered. Now the protest is coming to an end which is necessary and unavoidable. The public has suffered enough,” Leticia Lee See-yin told the Global Times.
“Many people are living in Mong Kok or operating their businesses in the area. They are all angry at the protest for affecting their business. Two shop owners even shut down their stores because they can no longer afford losses caused by the protest,” said Lee.
It is believed that the successful clearance of the Mong Kok site has proven that the protests are decreasing as they approach an end.
“The authorities met with much less resistance compared to a month ago when protesters reacted violently when police tried to remove barriers in the same area in Mong Kok. Now the public has expressed a stronger desire than ever for the protest to end,” Tang Ka-piu, a lawmaker, told the Global Times.The underlined word “resumed” in the first paragraph most probably means “_______”.
| A．came to a stop | B．moved faster |
| C．returned to normal | D．piled up |
It can be learned from the passage that the occupy protests _______.
| A．have made the public suffer a lot |
| B．have lasted for two months |
| C．are supported by common people |
| D．have caused no loss for the citizens |
Which of the following is True according to the passage?
| A．Police officers didn’t meet with any resistance in the late afternoon clearance. |
| B．Many more than 3000 police officers took part in the clearance in Admiralty District. |
| C．The authorities are not capable of dealing with the resistance from the protesters. |
| D．The occupy protests are announced illegal and harmful for the business. |
How do the Hong Kong public feel about the occupy protests?
| A．Approval. | B．Annoyed. | C．Scared. | D．Desirable. |
Here is some information for you if you want to make a visit to Xi’an.
| Admission Fee: |
CNY150 (March 1 - end of November) CNY120 (December 1 - end of February) The fare is for the Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum Site Park Through Ticket including the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Lishan Garden and shuttle buses inside the scenic area. |
| Guide Services: |
The exhibits are so well explained in both Chinese and English. However, visitors can also enjoy the guide services. It costs around CNY 100 to hire a guide. |
| Ticket Selling Hours: |
Sell tickets from 08:30 to 17:00 (March 16-Nov.15), stop check-in at 18:35; Sell tickets from 08:30 to 16:30 (Nov.16-March 15), stop check-in at 18:05 |
| Transportation: |
From Xi’an Xianyang International Airport: Visitors can take Airport Shuttle Line 2 to Xi’an Railway Station. The bus departs every hour from 10:15 to 19:15 at 1F of T2 and the ticket costs CNY 25. Visitors can also hire a taxi from the airport and the fare is about CNY 200. From downtown Xi’an: Take tourism bus No.306 from the east square of Xi’an Railway Station or 307 from the south gate of Tang Paradise. The whole journey takes about one hour. The bus fare is CNY7 per person. |
| Getting Around: |
Battery-powered motor vehicles and ancient-style carriages are available for visitors to tour around the mausoleum. 30 free shuttle buses are traveling between the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum and the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses for tourists’ convenience. One can take them by showing the entrance ticket. |
| Recommended Time for a Visit: |
The museum is crowded in the morning because there are too many group visitors. Therefore, independent visitors may visit the museum in the early afternoon to avoid the crowds. However, they should not miss the last bus that returns from the museum to Xi’an at 19:00. |
A couple who want to visit the Museum in January should pay at least _______.
| A．CNY 120 | B．CNY 150 | C．CNY 240 | D．CNY 300 |
It can be learned from the passage that _______.
| A．guide services are free of charge |
| B．there are more visitors in the morning |
| C．most guides speak in more than two languages |
| D．visitors can get around by free motor cars |
Which of the following is True according to the passage?
| A．Visitors with through tickets can take free shuttle buses. |
| B．The last bus returns from the Museum at 18:30. |
| C．Visitors can enter the Museum with a ticket at any time. |
| D．Bus No. 307 starts from the east of Xi’an Railway Station. |
The passage is written to_______.
| A．introduce the history of Xi’an |
| B．give some detailed information to visitors to Xi’an |
| C．recommend transportation to tour around Xi’an |
| D．offer the guide services in Xi’an |
My 16-year-old son, Anton, had gone to the local swimming hole. Most of the kids who swim there are fit and strong teens, and there are plenty of rocks for them to use as safe harbors, so I had no fears for his well-being. Still, the firefighter’s first words, “You need to come up here to the Stillwater River,” made me catch my breath.
When I got to the river, I saw Anton sitting quietly on a low platform of the fire engine, with a towel wrapped about his shoulders.
I hurried over to him. “You OK?” I asked.
“Yeah,” was all he said. But my eyes begged for an explanation. I didn’t get it from my son.
The story was this: A couple in their 20s, unfamiliar with the Stillwater, had gotten caught in the current and began screaming for help. Without hesitation Anton and his friend dived into the water, swam out to the drowning(溺水的) woman, and brought her safely to shore.
In an age in which the world “hero” is broadcast with abandon(随意）and seemingly applied to anyone, I realized the real thing in my son and his friend—the disregarding of personal safety for the sake of another human being. I know that teens are headstrong and self-centered, but this didn’t lower the gravity of the event and the desire to do good.
Along the way home I tried to get some more information from him, but the only words were, “What’s for supper?”
I thought twice about the tragedy(悲剧) that might have been. Questions flew across my mind like a flight of swallows: Would I have risked my life to save a drowning person? Or would I have chosen to dial 911? Would I have told the story over and over to anyone who’d listen?
The next morning, when Anton got up, I half expected him to tell me the story from his point of view, now that he had some distance from the event. But all he did was to toast a pie, pull himself together, and head for the door to begin the new day.The writer caught her breath when she heard the fire fighters’ first words because______.
| A．her son saved a woman |
| B．she was scolded by fire fighters |
| C．she was anxious about her son’s safety |
| D．her son was to blame for a fire |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
| A．firefighters always turn up in case of emergency |
| B．parents are always worried about their children |
| C．it’s dangerous to swim in an unfamiliar river |
| D．teens are more responsible than expected |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．My Mother, My Love | B．My Son, My Hero |
| C．A Narrow Escape | D．A Silent Boy |
Anton kept silent about his deed because_______.
| A．he was still in fear |
| B．he was annoyed with mother |
| C．he regarded it as a normal thing |
| D．he was afraid of being scolded |
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