Scientists know of more than 1,000 volcanoes on the surface of Venus, Earth’s “sister” planet. A big question has been: Are they still active? The scientists say yes.
Their evidence for recent volcanic activity on Venus comes from a lava(熔岩) flow in the planet’s northern hemisphere. The flow is hotter than the rocks around, which means the lava might still be cooling off. “The flow we studied seems to be very young---it is still warm inside,” Nataliya Bondarenko said.
Venus is a difficult planet to study from Earth because it is surrounded by thick clouds. Telescopes on Earth can’t see through these clouds, so the best information about Venus comes from spacecraft orbiting it.
Bondarenko and her colleagues studied the lava flow using data from NASA’s Magellan mission. That spacecraft spent four years in orbit around Venus and used radar to make a map of 98 percent of the planet’s surface. On October 11th, 1994, the mission ended, and the spacecraft plunged (跌落) through Venus’ heavy cloud cover and crashed onto the planet below.
While in orbit, the Magellan craft sent microwaves, which can go through Venus’ clouds, to the surface. Microwaves are invisible and can be as long as three feet. These waves are a kind of energy, like light. And like light, they bounce off surfaces. The way the waves bounced off the Venus’ surface and back to the craft supplied information that the scientists used to estimate the temperature of various parts of the planet’s surface. Bondarenko’s team found that the lava flow was hotter than its surroundings---which may mean the lava flow is in the process of cooling.
The scientists say the lava flow can’t be very old because if it were, it would have cooled off enough that Magellan wouldn’t have noticed the difference in microwaves. She adds that the flow appears in a 1978 view of the surface that a craft called the Pioneer Venus Orbiter captured.What happened to Magellan in the end?
| A．It was floating in space forever. |
| B．It flew into heavy clouds. |
| C．It returned to the Earth. |
| D．It fell onto Venus. |
How could Bondarenko judge the temperature of the Venus?
| A．By looking at it with a powerful telescope. |
| B．By measuring the thickness of clouds over Venus. |
| C．By calculating the microwave bouncing off Venus’s surface. |
| D．By orbiting Venus for 4 years in a spacecraft. |
The best title for the passage may be “______ ”.
| A．Warm lava on Venus |
| B．More volcanic eruptions on Venus |
| C．Venus is just like a big active volcano |
| D．Lava flows are first found on Venus |
San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its squirrel bridge. The bridge, which has attracted international attention, is now a local landmark.
The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder, Amos Peters, to give squirrels a way to cross the busy road without getting flattened by passing cars.
The original bridge was built over Olympia Way on the west edge of the library grounds. Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid traffic to and from the Park Plaza office building where office staff put out a nutty feast for the squirrels. Many times, Peters and others who worked in and near Park Plaza witnessed squirrels being run over.
One day Peters found a dead squirrel with a nut still in its mouth, and that day’s coffee break discussion turned into squirrel safety. The group of businessmen cooked up the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the blessing of the City Council(市政会).The Council approved, and Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere named the bridge “Nutty Narrows.”
After architects designed the bridge, Amos Peters and Bill Hutch started Construction, They built the 60-foot bridge from aluminum and lengths of fire hose(消防水带). It cost 1,000.
It didn’t take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became know in newspapers all over the world.
In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of the new bridge.
Peters died in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project.
| A．offer squirrels a place to eat nuts |
| B．set up a local landmark |
| C．help improve traffic |
| D．protect squirrels |
| A．The committee got the Council’s blessing. |
| B．The squirrel bridge idea was born |
| C．A councilwoman named the bridge |
| D．A squirrel was found dead. |
| A．passing them a rope |
| B．Directing them to store food for winter |
| C．Teaching them a lesson |
| D．Showing them how to use the bridge. |
| A．It was replaced by a longer one. |
| B．It was built from wood and metal |
| C．it was rebuilt after years of use |
| D．It was designed by Bill Hutch. |
| A．He is remembered for his love of animals. |
| B．He donated $1,000 to build the bridge |
| C．He was a member of the City Council |
| D．He was awarded a medal for building the bridge. |
There is no better way to enjoy Scottish traditions than going fishing and tasting a little bit of whisky(威士忌)at a quiet place like the Inverlochy Castle. When Queen Victoria visited the castle in 1873, she wrote in her diary, “I never saw a lovelier spot ,” And she didn’t even go fishing.
Scotland is not easily defined. In certain moments, this quiet land of lakes and grasses and mountains changes before your very eyes. When evening gently sweeps the hillside into orange light, the rivers, teeming with fish, can turn into streams of gold . As you settle down with just a fishing pole and a basket on the bank of River Orchy, near the Inverlochy Castle , any frustration(烦恼) will float away as gently as the circling water. It’s just you and purple, pink, white flowers, seeking a perfect harmony. If you are a new comer to fishing, learning the basics from a fishing guide may leave you with a lifetime’s fun. For many, fishing is more than a sport; it is an art.
Scotland offers interesting place where you can rest after a long day’s fishing. Set against a wild mountain and hidden behind woodland, the beautiful Inverlochy Castle Hotel below the Nevis is a perfect place to see the beauty of Scotland’s mountains. Ben Nevis is the highest of all British mountains, and reaching its 1343-metre top is a challenge. But it’s not just what goes up matters; what comes down is unique. More than 900 metres high, on the mountain’s north face, lies an all-important source of pure water. Its name comes from the Gaelic language “usquebaugh” or “water of life”; and it is the single most important ingredient(原料) in Scotland’s best known drink: whisky.
| A．the queen is rich in tour experience |
| B．the Castle is a good place to go in Scotland |
| C．tasting whisky is better than going fishing |
| D．1873 is a special year for the queen |
| A．By giving descriptions. |
| B．By following time order. |
| C．By analyzing causes. |
| D．By making comparisons. |
| A．The Inverlochy Castle Hotel . |
| B．The beauty of its surroundings. |
| C．The water from the mountain. |
| D．The challenge up to its top. |
| A．To introduce Scottish traditions to tourists. |
| B．To show the attractions of Scotland to readers. |
| C．To explore geographical characteristics of Scotland. |
| D．To describe the pleasures of life in Scotland. |
Young people can have problems with their minds. Some students become worried because they have to study very hard. Others have trouble getting on well with people like their parents and classmates.
Liu Wei, a Junior 2 student from Hefei, could not understand his teacher and was doing badly in his lessons. He became so worried about it that he started to cut his finger with a knife. Another student, 14-year-old Yan Fang from Guangzhou, was afraid of exams. She got very worried in the test, and when she looked at the exam papers, she couldn’t think of anything to write.
A recent report from Jiefang Daily says about 18% of Shanghai teenagers have mental (精神上的，心理上的)problems. Their troubles include being worried and very unhappy, and having problems in learning and getting on well with people. Many students who have problems won’t go for advice or help. Some think they will look stupid if they go to see a doctor. Others don’t want to talk about their secret.
Liang Yuezhu, an expert on teenagers from Beijing Aiding Hospital has the following advice for teenagers.
1). Talk to your parents or teachers often.
2). Take part in group activities and play sports.
3). Go to see a doctor if you feel unhappy or unwell.
| A．mental problems | B．a headache |
| C．knives with them | D．no parents |
| A．he was afraid of his teacher |
| B．he wanted to frighten his parents |
| C．he was so worried about his study |
| D．his finger was badly hurt |
| A．she studied very hard |
| B．she had exams |
| C．she talked with her parents |
| D．she thought of something |
It was late in the afternoon, and I was putting the final touch on a piece of writing that I was feeling pretty good about. I wanted to save it, but my cursor(光标) had frozen. I tried to shut the computer down, and it seized up altogether. Unsure of what else to do, I yanked (用力猛拉) the battery out.
Unfortunately, Windows had been in the midst of a crucial（紧要关头） undertaking. The next morning, when I turned my computer back on, it informed me that a file had been corrupted and Windows would not load. Then, it offered to repair itself by using the Windows Setup CD.
I opened the special drawer where I keep CDs. But no Windows CD in there. I was forced to call the computer company's Global Support Centre. My call was answered by a woman in some unnamed, far-off land. I find it annoying to make small talk with someone when I don't know what continent they're standing on. Suppose I were to comment on the beautiful weather we've been having when there was a monsoon(季风) at the other end of the phone? So I got right to the point.
"My computer is telling me a file is corrupted and it wants to fix itself, but I don't have the Windows Setup CD."
"So you're having a problem with your Windows Setup CD." She has apparently been dozing and, having come to just as the sentence ended, was attempting to cover for her inattention.
It quickly became clear that the woman was not a computer technician. Her job was to serve as a gatekeeper. Her only duty, as far as I could tell, was to raise global stress levels.
To make me disappear, the woman gave me the phone number for Windows' creator, Microsoft. This is like giving someone the phone number for, I don't know, North America. Besides, the CD worked; I just didn't have it. No matter how many times I repeated my story, we came back to the same place. She was calm and polite.
When my voice hit a certain decibel (分贝), I was passed along, like a hot, irritable potato, to a technician.
"You don't have the Windows Setup CD, ma'am, because you don't need it," he explained cheerfully.
"Windows came preinstalled on your computer!"
"But I do need it."
"Yes, but you don't have it." We went on like this for a while. Finally, he offered to walk me through the use of a different CD, one that would erase my entire system. "Of course, you'd lose all your e-mail, your documents, your photos." It was like offering to drop a safe on my head to cure my headache. "You might be able to recover them, but it would be expensive." He sounded delighted. "And it's not covered by the warranty (产品保证书)!" The safe began to seem like a good idea, provided it was full.
I hung up the phone and drove my computer to a small, friendly repair place I'd heard about. A smart, helpful man dug out a Windows CD and told me it wouldn't be a problem. An hour later, he called to let me know it was ready. I thanked him, and we chatted about the weather, which was the same outside my window as it was outside his.Why did the author shut down her computer abruptly?
| A．She had saved what she had written. |
| B．She couldn't move the cursor. |
| C．The computer refused to work. |
| D．The computer offered to repair itself. |
Which of the following is the author's opinion about the woman at the Global Support Centre?
| A．She sounded helpful and knowledgeable. |
| B．She was there to make callers frustrated. |
| C．She was able to solve her computer problem. |
| D．She was quick to pass her along to a technician. |
According to the passage, the solution offered by the technician was_________________.
| A．effective | B．economical | C．unpractical | D．unsatisfied |
"It was like offering to drop a safe on my head to cure my headache" in the last but one paragraph means that_____________________.
| A．the technician's proposal would make things even worse |
| B．the technician's proposal could eventually solve the problem |
| C．files stored on her computer were like a safe |
| D．erasing the entire system was like curing a headache |
It can be inferred from the passage that the differences between the Global Support Centre and the local repair shop lie in all the followings except ________________.
| A．efficiency | B．location | C．setup CDs | D．attitude |
| Boots(men's) By the Union Team. Leather with plastic sole(鞋底)  Sizes:3,4,5 Order number: PQ 2544 red PQ 2545 dark brown Price:￡29.99 |
The magic jeans collection(women's) Stretch jeans in blue, black, red. Made to sit slightly lower than natural waistline at front. Zip fastening. Washable.  Made of:96% cotton,4% elastane(弹性纤维). Sizes:10,12,14,16 Order number: GQ 8487 blue GQ 8488 black Price: ￡24.99 |
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Epaulette shirt(men's) Short-sleeved shirt with sleeve and shoulder epaulettes(肩章),button-down collar and two button-down chest pockets. Washable. Cotton. Sizes:S(35/37),M(38/40),L(41/43),XL(44/46)  Order number: KQ 8149 blue KQ 8151 green Price: ￡14.99 |
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The soles of the boots for men are made of ____________________.
| A．leather | B．elastane | C．cotton | D．plastic |
The stretch jeans come in __________ colours and ______________ sizes.
| A．2; 3 | B．3;3 | C．3;4 | D．4;4 |
From the above chart we can see clearly that _______________________________________.
| A．the shirts listed in the chart are genuine leisure shirts |
| B．all the clothes listed in the chart can be washed both by hand and machine |
| C．you can insure your three-quarter length jacket against being stolen and accidental damage |
| D．the magic jeans may be in 100% cotton |
It will cost you ______________ to buy two epaulette shirts.
| A．99.99 pounds | B．29.98 pounds | C．49.98 pounds | D．38.98 pounds |
The order number for the England rugby shirts is________________.
| A．KQ9963 | B．DQ9967 | C．KQ 9978 | D．KQ 8149 |
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