Australian Flag Designs by Readers of the Sun-Herald
We received dozens of responses after inviting readers to send in their designs for a new flag. The designs we received include:
James Anthony, Drummoyne
James reduces the Union Jack down in size and changes its shape to become a reminder of the British tradition rather than canceling it altogether. At the same time he suggests enlarging the stars of the Southern Cross. His design attempts to use the best of both worlds in a newly designed flag.
As he says, “the British part of the Australian Flag is too big and the Australian bits are too small. When you make the stars bigger the Australian flag can look impressive.”
Joe Bollen, Turranmurra
Joe’s flag has the main elements of a risen sun, white horizon(地平线), red earth at the base and the Southern Cross. He intends to make the risen sun a special Australian symbol on the flag. He believes it represents life. The Southern Cross shows that we live in the Southern Hemisphere. (半球)
Maria Ieraci, Sydney
Maria deleted the Union Jack but otherwise kept the flag as is with the Southern Cross and Federation Star. She says, ‘There is only one correct way to change the Australian flag” and that is “to drop the Union Jack ---- when Australia becomes a Republic”, which she hopes will be before 2010.
Ron Bennett, Sydney
Ron recommends using the Aboriginal colors but replacing their image of the sun with the map of Australia. He says, “Australia is unique being an island continent with an instantly recognizable outline at that” and “this will leave no doubt as to which country the flag belongs.”Which of the four designs can remind you of the past of the country?
| A．Joe’s | B．Maria’s | C．Ron’s | D．Jame’s |
The Southern Cross in some of the designs represents _________.
| A．the spirit of the nation |
| B．the position of the country |
| C．the tradition of Britain |
| D．the expectations of the people |
What does the Union Jack refer to?
| A．the British flag |
| B．A former British ruler |
| C．group of stars |
| D．A former symbol of Australia |
In summer, millions of people will head for the beach．And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way．Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity．
“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”
Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．
Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples （波纹） in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then
sending it off on a journey．”
When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a l
arge wheel called a turbine （涡轮） ．The turbine can then power an electrical generator （发电机） ．
The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．
The resource is huge．We will never run out of wav
e power, besides, wave energy does not create 
the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．
Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．
Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．
With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”
In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Wave power doesn’t cost too much money． |
| B．Wave energy is so clean that it doesn’t create the same amount of pollution as other energy sources． |
| C．Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic． |
| D．Wave power may affect marine animals． |
We can infer from the passage that ______．
| A．finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy |
| B．wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world |
| C．wave power is not quite perfect for creating energy around the world |
| D．wave power doesn’t create any pollution |
The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______．
| A．regrets | B．adventures | C．disadvantages | D．difficulties |
What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．How to Get Electricity by Waves | B．The advantages of Wave Energy |
| C．Can Waves Make Electricity? | D．The Disadvantages of Wave Energy |
The Diet Zone: A Dangerous Place
Diet Coke, diet Pepsi, diet pills, no-fat diet, vegetable diet… We are surrounded by the word “diet” everywhere we look and listen. We have so easily been attracted by the promise and potential of diet products that we have stopped thinking about what diet products are doing to us. We are paying for products that harm us psychologically(心理上) and physically（身体上）.
Diet products significantly weaken us psychologically. On one level, we are not allowing our brain to admit that our weight problems lie 
not in actually losing the weight, but in controlling the consumption of fatty, high-calorie, unhealthy foods. Diet products allow us to jump over the thinking stage and go straight for the scale（秤）instead. All we have to do is to swallow or recognize the word “diet” in food labels.
On another level, diet products have greater psychological effects. Every time we have a zero-calorie drink, we are telling ourselves without our awareness that we don’t have to work to get results. Diet products make people believe that gain comes without pai
n, and that life can be without resistance and struggle.
The danger of diet products lies not only in the psychological effects they have on us, but also in the physical harm that they cause. Diet foods can indirectly harm our bodies because consuming them instead of healthy foods means we are preventing our bodies from having basic nutrients(营养成分). Diet foods and diet pills contain zero calorie only be
cause the diet industry has created chemicals to produce these wonder products. Diet products may not be nutritional, and the chemical that go into diet products are potentially dangerous.
Now that we are aware of the effects that diet products have on us, it is time to seriously think about buying them. Losing weight lies in the power of minds, not in the power of chemica
ls. Once we realize this, we will be much better able to resist diet products, and therefore prevent the psychological harm that comes from using them.One psychological effect of diet products is that people tend to _____.
| A．try out a variety of diet foods | B．hesitate before they enjoy diet foods |
| C．pay attention to their own eating habits | D．watch their weight rather than their diet |
In Paragraph 3, “gain comes without pain” probably means ______.
| A．losing weight is effortless | B．it costs a lot to lose weight |
| C．diet products bring no pain | D．diet products are free from calories |
Diet products indirectly harm people physically because such products ______.
| A．are over-consumed | B．lack basic nutrients |
| C．are short of chemicals | D．provide too much energy |
A good heart
Dikembe Mutombo grew up in Africa among great poverty and disease. He came to Georgetown University on a scholarship(奖学金) to study medicine — but Coach(教练) John Thompson got a look at Dikembe and had a different idea. Dikembe became a star in the NBA, and a citizen of the United States. But he never forgot the land of his birth, or the duty to share his fortune with others. He built a new hospital in his old hometown in the Congo. A friend has said of this good-hearted man: “Mutombo believes that God has given him this chance to do great things.”
Success and kindness
After her daughter was born, Julie Aigner-Clark searched for ways to share her love of music and art with her child. So she borrowed some equipment, and began filming children’s videos(录像) in her own house. The Baby Einstein Company was born, and in just five years her business grew to more than $20 million in sales. And she is using her success to help others — producing child safety videos with John Walsh of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Julie says of her new program: “I believe it’s the most important thing that I have ever done. I believe that children have the right to live in a world that is safe.”
Bravery and courage
A few weeks ago, Wesley Autrey was waiting at a Harlem subway station with his two little girls when he saw a man fall into the path of a train. With seconds to act, Wesley jumped onto the tracks, pulled the man into the space between the rails(铁轨), and held him as the train passed right above their heads. He insists he’s not a hero. He says: “We have got to show each other some love.” Mutombo believes that building the new hospital is ______.
| A．helpful to his personal development | B．something he should do for his homeland |
| C．a chance for his friends to share his money | D．a way of showing his respect to the NBA |
What did the Baby Einstein Company do at its beginning?
| A．Produce safety equipment for children. | B．Make videos to help protect children. |
| C．Sell children’s music and artwork. | D．Look for missing and exploited children. |
Why was Wesley Autrey praised as a hero?
| A．He helped a man get across the rails. | B．He stopped a man from destroying the rails. |
| C．He protected two little girls from getting hurt. | D．He saved a person without considering his own safety. |
The title of the passage is most like
ly to be_______________.
| A．Three Stories | B．Heroes of Our Time |
| C．Be Ready to Help Others | D．To Be a Kind Person |
At one time, people used to travel to foreign countries because they thought they would be different from home—the building, the food, the national dress. Nowadays, however, one large city is very like another. They all have their Hilton or Sheraton Hotels which look Hilton or Sheraton Hotels everywhere. They all have their McDonald’s, their KFCs, their Pizza Huts. Office buildings look the same everywhere, and most city centers are full of office buildings. And, of course, people are driving the same brands of Japanese or European cars, usually wearing the same kinds of clothing and the world’s airlines are all flying the same aircraft, Boeings or Airbuses.
What, therefore, is the purpose of foreign travel for people who are not on business? What do tourists hope to experience in a foreign country that they cannot experience at home? Why travel to foreign countries at all? The answer could be that people are very interested in the past. It is a nation’s history that is its main attraction. Most of today’s tourists travel overseas to find out what foreign countries and cultures used to be like, not what they are like today. The words “cultural tourism” are now part of the language of tourism, and it is the museums and works of art in many countries that are their main attractions.
If they are lucky—and have had sensible, strong governments—many countries also usually have at least a few beautiful places for tourists to visit.
Finally there is perhaps a nation’s greatest attraction: its people. A nation is not just its historical buildings, its works of art or beautiful places, it is also the people who live in it. This is why a country such as Thailand attracts millions of people every year. They come mainly because of the friendliness of the Thai people. It is why the Pacific Islands are also so popular. There may not be much to see or do in Fiji, but there are lots of friendly, smiling people to make visitors feel welcome.The passage is mainly about .
| A．the importance of tourism | B．different foreign cultures |
| C．how to plan an overseas trip | D．why people travel to foreign countries |
The writer thinks that large cities in foreign countries .
| A．are similar to one another | B．share the same aircraft |
| C．do not have good hotels | D．do not offer a warm service to foreigners |
The writer believes that many tourists are interested in foreign .
| A．hotels | B．history | C．cars | D．programs |
The underlined phrase “cultural tourism” means .
| A．visiting lots of museums | B．traveling overseas |
| C．studying the history of a foreign country | D．tourists being interested in a nation’s past and ideas |
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。
A group of happy, high-performing individuals is not a team. Even if each of the people is highly motivated and wants to do great work, you will still need to spend time actively developing a sense of unity and cooperation to create a truly team-oriented(团队精神的)environment.
Building a team takes time. We will review the building blocks of a team environment, so you can work on this aspect of your role over time.
Successful teams have some common attributes（品质） you can encourage and develop as you work with the members of your group.Making them clear to every member of your group is a great first step toward developing a team-oriented culture.
All effective teams operate on the basis of trust. Each member on your team needs to see consistent(一致的)behavior patterns from you and their colleagues over time to be able to believe a certain person will act in a certain way.
While having these discussions can be great for your team’s creativity, you want to ensure they remain within respectful communication. Challenging another team member’s view can help refine an idea and make it more perfect. You should encourage everyone to contribute to the discussion.
| A．Building a great team needs a lot of skills. |
| B．A healthy team will have debates, and sometimes even heated discussions. |
| C．Your aim is to encourage your team members to work together. |
| D．You can’t expect to achieve success quickly. |
E. You will need to show these values through your actions as well as your words.
F. Therefore, working with others is not the same as being mutually（相互地） supportive and dependent on one another.
G. Trust is based on pattern recognition.
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