For most of us, the rain that falls on our roof runs off into the ground or the sewer(下水道) system. But if you want to save a little water and reuse it on your lawns or plants --- or even use it for laundry, dishes, or other needs --- collecting rainwater from your gutter’s downspouts(檐槽的水落管) is a no-brainer.
According to John C. Davis, writing in E / The Environmental Magazine, just about any homeowner can collect rainwater, given that the roof and gutters do most of the work. And since an inch of rain falling on a 2,000-square-foot roof produces some 1,200 gallons of water, you can harvest enough to water your lawn or garden.
Plants and grass actually do better when fed rainwater instead of tap water, which is usually treated with substances that can hold back plant growth. Using rainwater can also extend the life of pipes, since the salts added to tap water may gradually damage the pipes. However, homeowners should set up a water purification system if they do plan to use rainwater for inside needs.
Rainwater harvesting can also be good for the local community, as it reduces the erosion, flooding, and pollution associated with heavy rainfall, and reduces dependence on public water supplies. So some states fund rainwater collection systems in their local communities.
Many varieties of rain barrel(桶) systems, starting at just $100, are available for home use. A typical setup is simply a rain barrel positioned under a gutter’s downspout. Skillful homeowners can make their own water harvesting systems, but buying one is a lot easier. Most garden centres offer a range of choices as well as tips.The underlined word “no-brainer” in Para. 1 probably means something that ______.
| A．is hard to deal with | B．is very easy |
| C．is of no real value | D．deserves more attention |
From Paragraphs 3 and 4, we can learn _______.
| A．how to set up a water harvesting system |
| B．how a rain barrel system works |
| C．some advice on saving tap water |
| D．the benefits of using rainwater |
What is the topic of the passage ?
| A．Basic gardening skills. | B．Water-saving techniques. |
| C．Wastewater treatment systems. | D．Roof rainwater collection. |
At railway stations all across Britain next week, groups of students will gather with their backpacks to wait for the trains that will carry them home for Christmas. This is as large a movement of human beings as before, but with more contradictory traffic flows, so that trains filled with the young pass each other travelling in every direction.
At first, I went home every weekend with my washing, but then those visits became less regular. How did I let my parents know I was coming? They had no phone. Perhaps I wrote to them ("Expect me with dirty shirts this Friday afternoon"), but more likely I didn't let them know, and just turned up or didn't turn up, not understanding that my parents' dashed hopes of seeing me were a greater casualty of my carelessness than a spoiled tea.
And in all this I suspect I was typical, at least of young men. As for our fathers and mothers, none of them talked of "empty-nest syndrome", even though its implication that the principal human duty is to protect and feed the young would have suited their generation better than ours. Then, the feelings of loss went without a name. Today, it's a condition with remedies, which will make parents feel more enjoyable in their life. The Mayo Clinic, for example, suggests you try to maintain regular contact with your children through "visits, phone calls, emails, texts or video chats". If you feel depressed, lean on loved ones or your mental health provider. Above all, stay positive: "Thinking about the extra time and energy you might have to devote to your marriage or personal interests after your last child leaves home might help you adapt to this major life change."
What can’t be denied, however, is that children often leave home. In modern societies, this is what they do. Christmas is the very time they can be depended on to return. For the non-religious, that may be this season’s true comfort and significance.The main reason for the busy traffic across Britain next week is that .
| A．young students will travel home for Christmas |
| B．young people will travel in every direction |
| C．it is a large movement of human beings |
| D．the traffic flows will be more contradictory |
From the second paragraph we can learn that the writer .
| A．went home every week to wash dirty clothes |
| B．understood his parents’ desire of seeing him |
| C．didn’t understand his parents’ feelings |
| D．went home to see his parents regularly |
The underlined word “remedies” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to .
| A．reasons | B．excuses | C．habits | D．solutions |
From the last paragraph we know that .
| A．in modern society, children should leave home |
| B．Christmas is likely a time for family reunion |
| C．the significance of Christmas is celebration |
| D．Christmas is not a comfort for the non-religious |
From the passage we can infer that by writing the article the writer’s purpose is to .
| A．persuade the young to show concern for their parents |
| B．ask the young to go home regularly |
| C．make the young understand their parents’ interests |
| D．enable the young to be more independent |
Once there was a man who lied to eat mangoes. One day he decided to get the sweetest mango from the very top of the tree. Mangoes which are exposed to the sun the most are the sweetest.
So he climbed up to the top, where the branches were thin. He managed to pick up a few sweet reddish fruits, but, in an attempt to climb down, he slipped and started falling towards the ground. Fortunately, he caught the branch as he was falling and remained helplessly hanging on the tree. Then he started to call nearby villagers for help. They immediately came with a ladder and sticks, but could do little to help him.
Then after some time one calm and thoughtful person arrived - a well-known sage who lived in a simple hut nearby. People were very curious to see what he would do, as he was famous in solving many people’s problems in the area and sometimes very complicated ones.
He was silent for a minute and then picked up a stone and threw it at the hanging man.
Everybody was surprised. The hanging mango lover started to shout: What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Do you want me to break my neck?” The sage was silent. Then he took another stone and threw it at the man. The man was very angry: “If I could just come down, I would show you!”
That’s what everybody wanted - that he came down. But how? Now everybody was tense, as to what would happen next! Some wanted to chastise the sage, but they didn’t. The sage picked another stone and threw it again at the man, even more forcefully. Now the man on the tree was enraged and developed a great determination to come down and take revenge.（复仇）
He then used all his skill and strength and somehow reached the branches which were safe to start going down. And he made it! Everybody was amazed.
However, the rescued man found the sage gone. He stood there, realizing that the man really sed him because he induced（引诱）him to try his best and save himself.
“I should be thankful and not angry.” From the story we know that the sweetest mango must be the one .
| A．on the very top of the a tree |
| B．hidden in the middle of a tree |
| C．on the tree for the longest time |
| D．exposed to sunlight less often |
What happened after he had picked a few sweet reddish mangoes?
| A．He slipped and fell to the ground suddenly. |
| B．He was climbing down quickly but carefully. |
| C．He remained hanging helplessly on the tree. |
| D．He shouted loudly for help but no one helped. |
How did the man feel when the sage hit him with a stone?
| A．He was nervous. | B．He kept silent. |
| C．He felt surprised. | D．He was angry. |
What do you think motivated the man to climb down?
| A．Courage. | B．Revenge. | C．Carefulness. | D．Assistance. |
What does the story imply?
| A．Anger saves one’s life. | B．Wisdom does count. |
| C．Skill and strength count. | D．Anger is the biggest enemy. |
Do you know how it is when you see someone yawn and you start yawning too? Or how hard it is to be among people laughing and not laugh yourself? Well, apparently it's because we have mirror neurons (神经元）in our brains.
Put simply, the existence of mirror neurons suggests that every time we see someone else do something, our brains imitate (模仿)it, whether or not we actually perform the same action. This explains a great deal about how we learn to smile, talk, walk, dance or play sports. But the idea goes further: mirror neurons not only appear to explain physical actions, they also tell us that there is a biological basis for the way we understand other people.
Mirror neurons can undoubtedly be found all over our brains, but especially in the areas which relate to our ability to use languages, and to understand how other people feel. Researchers have found that mirror neurons relate strongly to language. A group of researchers discovered that if they gave people sentences to listen to (for example: "The hand took hold of the ball"), the same mirror neurons were triggered as when the action was actually performed (in this example, actually taking hold of a ball).
Any problems with mirror neurons may well result in problems with behavior. Much research suggests that people with social and behavioral problems have mirror neurons which are not fully functioning. However, it is not yet known exactly how these discoveries might help find treatments for social disorders.
Research into mirror neurons seems to provide us with even more information concerning how humans behave and interact (互动). Indeed, it may turn out to be the equivalent (相等物)for neuroscience of what Einstein's theory of relativity was for physics. And the next time you feel the urge to cough in the cinema when someone else does—well, perhaps you'll understand why.Mirror neurons can explain _________.
| A．why we cry when we are hurt |
| B．why we cough when we suffer from a cold |
| C．why we smile when we see someone else smile |
| D．why we yawn when we see someone else stay up late |
The underlined word "triggered" in the third paragraph probably means “_________”.
| A．set off | B．cut off | C．built up | D．broken up |
We can learn from the passage that mirror neurons _________.
| A．relate to human behavior and interaction |
| B．control human physical actions and feelings |
| C．result in bad behavior and social disorders |
| D．determine our knowledge and language abilities |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Ways to find mirror neurons. | B．Problems of mirror neurons. |
| C．Existence of mirror neurons. | D．Functions of mirror neurons. |
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Fastest Time to Run 100 Miles on a Treadmill (跑步机) |
BROKEN |
| The fastest time to run 100 miles on a treadmill by a team (of 12) is claimed at 9hr 5 min 17 sec by a team consisting of staff and prisoners at the Young Offenders Institute in Wigan to raise money for Children in Need. |
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Largest Game of Chinese Whispers |
UNBROKEN |
| Sadly, the record attempt for the largest game of Chinese Whispers was unsuccessful on 13 November 2008. The existing record of 1330 children still remains. |
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Fastest Mile with an Egg/Spoon in both hands |
BROKEN |
| The fastest mile egg and spoon race with both hands is 8 min 25 sec and was achieved by Ashrita Furman (USA) in an attempt broadcast by ESPN 260, at Disney’s Wide World of Sports, in Orlando, Florida, USA, on 13 November 2008. |
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Longest Mexican Wave |
UNBROKEN |
| The record for the Longest Mexican Wave was attempted by 250,000 people on the streets of Adelaide on 8 November 2008 – sadly, the wave was not completed by all participants and the attempt was unsuccessful. The current record of 157, 574 remains. |
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Largest Kebab (烤肉串) |
BROKEN |
| The longest kebab measures 2047.47 m (1.27 miles) and was achieved by the ArcelorMittal Newcastle Works on occasion of the company’s annual Community Day, in Newcastle, South Africa. |
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The above information is _________.
| A．a series of sports events |
| B．a list of broken and unbroken records |
| C．a report of funny sports items |
| D．a description of challenging human limits |
Which of the following can NOT be found in the information?
| A．The countries where the attempts were made. |
| B．The persons who made the attempts. |
| C．The reasons why some attempts failed. |
| D．The present record for each item. |
Which item was attempted individually?
| A．Fastest Time to Run 100 Miles on a Treadmill |
| B．Largest Game of Chinese Whispers |
| C．Fastest Mile with an Egg/Spoon in both hands |
| D．Longest Mexican Wave |
A major new development in system of work in Britain is taking place. Flexible working hours, or “Flextime”, are catching on fast, and trend is continuing. In 1973, over 500 organizations had adopted the idea, and by 1974, this number had risen to over 200,000.
Flexible working hours were invented in Germany in the late 1960’s, but reached Britain only in 1972. The system allows workers to start and finish work whenever they want, with only two requirements. These are, firstly, that all workers must present for certain “key” times in the day, and secondly, that all workers must work an agreed total number of hours per week.
The system had proved a total success wherever it has been tried. A survey of 700 workers on flexible hours showed three main advantages: a better balance between working and private life, avoidance of the need to travel during rush hours and the ability to finish a certain task before leaving.
From the employer’s point of view, the system tends to increase productivity, reduce labour turnover and give workers a greater sense of duty. At first, “Flexible” was mainly confined to white-collar workers, but it is now being applied to manual workers too.According to “Flextime” system, workers need not _________.
| A．work at the same time | B．work all the weekdays |
| C．work hard | D．ask for leave when being absent |
“Key” time is a period when _________.
| A．visitors come to the plants |
| B．all workers must be at work |
| C．employers go round in the workshop |
| D．rush hours are over |
No matter where it is used, this system has proved _________.
| A．entirely effective | B．totally correct |
| C．a complete failure | D．quite difficult |
One of the great advantages of “Flextime” for workers is that they _________.
| A．have a great sense of duty | B．can avoid busy traffic |
| C．can get higher pay | D．can avoid working hard |
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