Why is a full moon, yellower and bigger when it is coming up than when it is higher in the sky?
That's a good question about something that we all can see. Let's talk about the moon's color first.
We see the moon only because of the sunlight that falls on it and is reflected. Actually, the moon is not a very good reflector, because its surface is all rocks and dirt. We see it in almost its true color when it is high in the sky.
When the moon first comes up, its light reaches our eyes after an extra-long path through the atmosphere (大气). There are lots of particles (微粒) scattering (分散) light in that long path. Blue light is scattered more than other colors, which means that it doesn't reach your eyes. The light that is left over looks yellow to your eye.
Now about the other question—why the moon seems to change in size. That's more complicated. It's not an effect of the atmosphere, the way color is; it's not caused by something fooling your eyes. It seems, instead, to be caused by something that fools your brain—an illusion(错觉).
Here's a drawing that creates an illusion. The two cones(圆锥体) are really the same size. But the rest of the drawing makes the right-hand cone seem farther away. Your brain knows that faraway objects are really larger than they look. It decides that the right-hand cone must be larger because it seems to be farther away.
Similarly, when you see the moon just come up over a line of trees or houses—or whatever makes the horizon(地平线)—it may be that your brain decides that the moon must be larger because it seems to be farther away.The moon doesn't reflect the sunlight very well because________________.
| A．it is high in the sky | B．its surface is rough |
| C．its surface is white | D．it isn't a good reflector |
Which statement is true according to the passage?
| A．In the course of its rising, the moon is getting smaller and smaller |
| B．The size of the moon is more complicated than its color |
| C．The atmosphere has the same effect on the moon's size as on its color |
| D．The change in the moon's size is caused by an illusion while that in its color is caused by the atmosphere |
After reading this passage, you can possibly answer one of the following questions. Which one? ______.
| A．Why is the sun bigger when it rises over the horizon? |
| B．Why does the sun look bigger when it rises over the horizon? |
| C．Why does the sun look golden? |
| D．Why does the sun rise in the east? |
Who do you think probably wrote this passage?________.
| A．A novelist | B．A reporter |
| C．A science editor | D．An English teacher． |
No one would much like the idea of eating 61 pounds of tomatoes a day. But if their goodness was put into an easy-to-swallow pill that you were told might prevent strokes(中风) and heart attacks you would probably be putting in an order tomorrow.
Researchers believe they may have come up with just that after trials. The daily pill contains a chemical called lycopene which makes tomatoes red and is known to break down fat in the vessels(血管). A Cambridge University study found taking the pills improved blood flow and the lining of vessels in patients with pre-existing heart conditions. It also increased the flexibility(灵活性) of their vessels by 50 percent. The scientists believe it could limit the damage caused by heart disease-responsible for 180,000 deaths a year-and help cut the 49,000 deaths a year from strokes. They also hope it could benefit those with arthritis(关节炎), diabetes(糖尿病) and even slow the progress of cancer.
Each pill is equal to eating around 61 pounds of ripe tomatoes. Studies have shown eating a Mediterranean-style diet rich in tomatoes fish, vegetables, nuts and olive oil can significantly reduce cholesterol(胆固醇) and help prevent cardiovascular disease.
Preliminary results from a two-month trial, in which the pill was given to 36 heart disease patients and 36 healthy volunteers with an average age of 67, were presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association. It was shown to improve the function of the endothelium- the layer of cells lining blood vessels. It also improved their sensitivity to nitric oxide, the gas which causes the enlargement of the vessels in response to exercise.
Ian Wilkinson, head of Cambridge University’s clinical trials unit, said “These results are potentially very significant and it meets the goal, but we need more trials to see if they translate into fewer heart attacks and strokes.”
Further studies are planned, with researchers hoping it could offer a choice for heart disease sufferers who can not take the cholesterol-lowing drugs.
Mike Knapton, head of the British Heart Foundation, said, “Although this showed lycopene improved blood flow in people with heart disease, that’s a long way from demonstrating that taking it could improve outcomes for people with heart disease. The best way to get the benefits of a good diet is to eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.”What can we infer from Paragraph 1?
| A．We can eat too much tomato food. |
| B．Tomatoes are helpful to strokes and heart attacks. |
| C．Tomatoes will lose healthy elements were put into pills. |
| D．We had better not eat tomatoes. |
We can learn from the passage that the pills ____.
| A．are at the experiment stage |
| B．can cure all the disease |
| C．are widely used among patients |
| D．cost patients so little money |
Who were the volunteers by taking part in the trial?
| A．Children. | B．Youth. |
| C．Working people. | D．old healthy people. |
What Was Ian Wilkinson’s opinion on the trial?
| A．Disappointing. | B．Surprising. |
| C．Satisfactory. | D．Terrible. |
Cleverness is a gift while kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy---they’re given after all. Choice can be hard.
I got the idea to start Amazon 16 years ago. I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2300 percent per year. I’d never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast, and the idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles was very exciting to me, I had just turned 30 years old , and I’d been married for a year, I told my wife MacKenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do this crazy thing that probably wouldn’t work since most start-ups don’t , and I wasn’t sure what to expect, MacKenzie told me I should go for it. As a young boy, I’d been a garage inventor, I’d always wanted to be an inventor, and she wanted me to follow my passion.
I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people, and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired. I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park, listened carefully to me, and finally said, “That sounds like a really good idea, but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn’t already have a good job.” That logic made some sense to me, and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it really was a difficult choice, but ultimately, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn’t think I’d regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all.
After much consideration, I took the less safe path to follow my passion, and I’m proud of that choice, For all of us, in the end, we are our choice. What inspired the author with the idea of building an online bookstore?
| A．His dream if being an inventor. |
| B．The support of his wife. |
| C．The greatly increasing usage of the Internet. |
| D．Millions of exciting titles. |
Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined sentence?
| A．The idea of not trying would keep coming to his mind and disturb him. |
| B．He would be very excited if he tried it out. |
| C．He would be always having a doubt if he didn’t try. |
| D．The decision to not try the online bookstore would terrify him. |
We can know from the passage that ______.
| A．the boss thought the idea was suitable for the author |
| B．the author wanted someone else to try the idea |
| C．the author might not regret if he failed the idea |
| D．the author might go back to his boss if he failed |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Cleverness and Kindness |
| B．The Starting of Amazon |
| C．Following My Passion |
| D．We Are What We Choose |
Stay-at home careers are the preferred way to earn a living for those who like to set their own hours and be their own boss, mothers of young children, and those who like to avoid office politics．There are plenty of opportunities to earn from home．Even if you earn little first, the quality of life should make up for the loss of income．Take a look at the following choices for home-birds:
Online tutoring—You can earn anything from Rs 8,000 to 30,000 a month if you are a qualified teacher with computer and communication skills．The subjects in demand these days are math, English, physics, chemistry and biology．You can either teach part-time （4 hours） or full-time （9 hours）．
Freelance writers—You have a good writing skills but don’t have time to work a nine-to-five job? You can still use your skills and earn a good amount of money．Many companies these days require good writers．One can earn up to Rs 8,000 to 50,000．
Online-traders—Earn a lot of money by share trading．Just clear the NCFM （Capital Market） exam and you 
can start trading．You can bring in Rs 10,000 to 1000,000 per month．
Designers—If you have the creative skills and a creative gift, try becoming a designer．Designers are required in different fields．One can earn nearly Rs 8,000 to 20,000 per month．According to the passage, those who likes stay-at-home careers ________．
| A．perhaps can’t earn as much as those working in an office |
| B．needn’t do anything at home and earns a lot |
| C．can’t be mothers who have children to look after |
| D．are often worried about office politics |
If you want to be an online-trader, you will have to ________．
| A．be more than 18 years old |
| B．pass a kind of exam |
| C．have good writing skills |
| D．have creative skills and a creative gift |
The passage is written mainly to ________．
| A．sell products to readers |
| B．join the author’s company |
| C．give some advice to readers |
| D．get help from readers |
Science Daily—Kids may roll their eyes when their mothers asks them about their school day, but answering her may actually help them learn．New research from Vanderbilt University reveals that children learn the solution to a problem best when they explain it to their mom．
“We knew that children learn well with their moms or with a peer, but we did not know if that was because they were getting feedback and help,” Bethany Rittle-Johnson, the study’s lead author and assistant professor of psychology at Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education and human development, said．
“In this study, we just had the children’s mothers listen, without providing any assistance．We’ve found that by simply listening, a mother helps her child learn．”
Rittle-Johnson believes the new finding can help parents better assist their children with their schoolwork, even when they are not sure of the answer themselves．Although the researchers used children and their mothers in the study, they believe the same results will hold true whether the person is the child’s father, grandparent, or other familiar persons．
“The basic idea is that it is really effective to try to get kids to explain things themselves instead of just telling them the answer,” she said．“Explaining their reasoning, to a parent or perhaps to other people they know, will help them understand the problem and apply what they have learned to other situations．We saw that this simple act of listening by mom made a difference in the quality of the child’s explanations and how well they could solve more difficult problems later on．According to the passage, a mom had better ________．
| A．give a kid some help when he is explaining his problem |
| B．just listen while a kid is explaining his problem |
| C．work together with a kid toward the solution to a problem |
D．leave a kid alone when he meets a problem a t school |
If she wants to help a child with his schoolwork, a mom ________．
| A．should know the answer to a problem first |
| B．should pay attention to the child’s feedback． |
| C．may not know the answer herself |
| D．should not interrupt the child |
Who will be the least help to a kid when he is explaining, according to Rittle-Johnson?
| A．The kid’s mom． | B．The kid’s grandmother． |
| C．A peer． | D．A relative the kid doesn’t know． |
Which of the following best gives the main idea of the passage?
| A．Children learn better when their mom is hearing their explaining． |
| B．Children learn better if they find the solution to a problem themselves． |
| C．Parents should not provide any assistance to their children’s schoolwork． |
| D．A mom should listen more to their children when they have problems at school． |
The Wife-carrying World Championship has been celebrated in a small town in central Finland since 1992．In 1992, the people of the town decided to restart some long-forgotten traditions．Back in the late 1800s, there was a robber called Rosvo-Ronkainen in that area．He was said to only accept men as members of his gang who proved their worth in challenges．At that time, it was also a common practice to steal women from neighboring villages．
This event is becoming increasingly popular．A large number of competitors, people, and journalists from Finland to Canada attend the Wife-carrying World Championship every year．
The event is famous for its warm and humorous atmosphere．The Wife-carrying World Championship is held on a 253．3 meters long official track．The track has two dry obstacles （障碍物）and a water obstacle, about a meter deep．
There are a few basic rules and the winner is the couple who complete the course in the shortest time．The wife to be carried may be your own, or your neighbor’s．The minimum weight of the wife to be carried is 49 kg．If she is less than 49kg, the wife will be given a heavy bag to carry．Each time a competitor drops his wife, that couple will be fined 15 seconds．
Alongside with the Wife-carrying World Championship, there is also a team competition．The distance is the same but three men in the team carry the wife in turns．At the exchange point the carrier has to drink official “wife-carrying drink”．Then he may continue the race．A special prize is awarded to the team with the best costumes．
While the Wife-carrying World Championship is being held, there are bands playing music, a wife-carrying dance and other forms of entertainment．The Wife-carrying World Championship is famous because ________．
| A．it is held on a 253．3 meters long official track |
| B．many competitors take part in it |
| C．it has a pleasant atmosphere |
| D．the winner will be awarded a lot of money |
If a husband drops his wife 3 times in the competition, he will be fined ________．
| A．15 seconds | B．30 seconds |
| C．45 seconds | D．60 seconds |
Compared with the Wife-carrying World Championship, the team competition ________．
| A．is more exciting | B．has a special prize |
| C．has a different track | D．has three teams altogether |
The passage is written mainly to ________．
| A．warn people that the competition is dangerous． |
| B．attract more visitors to the Wife-carrying World Championship． |
| C．introduce how the Wife-carrying World Championship has become popular． |
| D．tell us something about the Wife-carrying World Championship． |
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