A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space. This can happen when a star is dying.
Because no light can get out, people can’t see black holes. Space telescopes with special tools can help find black holes. The special tools can see how stars that are very close to black holes act differently from other ones.
Black holes can be big or small. Scientists think the smallest black holes are as small as just one atom. These black holes are very tiny but have the mass of a large mountain. Mass is the amount of matter, or “staff”, in an object.
Another kind of black hole is called “stellar”(星球黑洞). Its mass can be up to 20 times more than the mass of the sun. There may be many stellar mass black holes in Earth’s galaxy. Earth’s galaxy is called the Milky Way.
The largest black holes are called “supermassive”(超大质量黑洞). These black holes have masses that are more than one million suns together. Scientists have found proof that every large galaxy contains a supermassive black hole at its center. The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy has a mass equal to about four million suns and would fit inside a very large ball that could hold a few million Earths.
Scientists think the smallest black holes formed when the universe began. Stellar black holes are made when the center of a very big star falls in upon itself, or falls apart. When this happens, it exploded part of the star into space. Scientists think supermassive black holes were made at the same time as the galaxy they are in.
A black hole can not be seen because strong gravity pulls all of the light into the middle of the black hole. But scientists can see how the strong gravity affects the stars and gas around the black hole. Scientists can study stars to find out if they are flying around, or orbiting a black hole.
When a black hole and a star are close together, high-energy light is made. This kind of light cannot be seen with human eyes. Scientists use satellites and telescopes in space to see the high-energy light.The gravity of a black hole may become so strong that light cannot get out when ____________.
| A．the star is going to die |
| B．special tools are used on it |
| C．other stars come close to it |
| D．it is seen from the space telescopes |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．A black hole can be very tiny but extremely heavy. |
| B．The gravity of a black hole holds all light in its center. |
| C．Scientists observe high-energy light through their own eyes. |
| D．Some small black holes came into being as early as the universe. |
The underlined word “galaxy” in Paragraph 5 means __________.
| A．a black hole | B．the Milky Way |
| C．a series of stars | D．a planet near the earth |
What does the last sentence in Paragraph 5 suggest?
| A．Neither the sun nor the earth is as heavy as a black hole. |
| B．There is a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. |
| C．The supermassive black hole had existed before the Milky Way was formed. |
| D．There is a reason why the large black holes are called “supermassive”. |
The last two paragraph mainly focus on the question of _________.
| A．what a black hole is |
| B．how black holes form |
| C．how big black holes are |
| D．how scientists know about black holes |
Buckingham Palace is where the Queen lives. It is the Queen’s official and main royal London home.
Buckingham Palace was originally a splendid house built by the Duke(公爵) of Buckingham for his wife. George IV began changing it into a palace in 1826. It has been the official London home of Britain’s royal family since 1837. Buckingham Palace is also an office and used for the administrative work of the royal family.
When the Queen is at home you can see her royal flag (the Royal Standard) flying from the flag pole on top of Buckingham Palace. The flag is divided into four equal parts. The first and fourth parts represent England and contain three gold lions waking on a red field; the second part represents Scotland and contains a red lion standing on a gold field; the third part represents Ireland and contains the gold coat of arms of Ireland on a blue field.
In flag protocol (礼仪), the Royal Standard which must only be flown from buildings where the Queen is present is supreme (至高无上的). It flies above the British Union Flag (the Union Jack), and other British flags. It never flies at half mast.
The guards of the Palace wear red jackets and tall, furry hats. When the first guards come on duty, there is a ceremony called the Changing of the Guard. A familiar sight at Buckingham Palace is the Changing of the Guard ceremony that takes place in the open space in front of it each morning.
The Palace has around 750 rooms, including 19 state rooms, 52 royal and guest bedrooms, 78 bathrooms, 92 offices, a cinema and a swimming pool. It also has its own post office and police station. About 400 people work at the Palace, including servants, chefs, footmen, cleaners, gardeners, electricians, and so on. More than 50,000 people come to the Palace each year as guests to dinners, receptions and Royal Garden Parties. For whom was the original Buckingham Palace built?
| A．The Duke of Buckingham. | B．George IV. |
| C．The Duke of Buckingham’s wife. | D．George IV’s wife. |
According to the text, the Royal Standard_________.
| A．is flown at Buckingham Palace every morning |
| B．represents the four countries of the UK |
| C．flies at half mast only on a few occasions |
| D．flies higher than the British Union Flag |
When can a visitor see the Changing of the Guard ceremony?
| A．Every morning and evening. |
| B．Every morning. |
| C．When the Queen’s flag is flying. |
| D．When a flag is flying at the Palace. |
What is the last paragraph about?
| A．What you can see inside Buckingham Palace. |
| B．The royal parties at Buckingham Palace. |
| C．The Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace. |
| D．People living and working at Buckingham Palace. |
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A LITTLE PRINCESS by Frances Hodgson Burnett Price: $7.10 （Paperback Dec. 9, 1998) The novel tells of the story of a wealthy young girl, Sara Crewe, who is sent to a boarding school during her father’s campaign in India. Thanks to Capt. Crewe’s money, Sara is treated as a little princess until, one day, word comes of her father’s tragic death. Miss Minchin, the school’s greedy headmistress, wastes no time in putting the now-penniless Sara to work for her room and board. It is only through the friendship of two other girls and some astonishing luck that Sara eventually finds her way back to happiness. |
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| THE SECRET GARDEN by Frances Hodgson Burnett Price:$3.95 (Paperback July 1, 2003) Frances Hodgson Burnett was the highest paid and most widely read woman writer of her time, publishing more than fifty novels and thirteen plays. The Secret Garden is a beautiful tale of friendship, secrets and human spirits. A spoiled orphan named Mary returns to England from India when her parents die. She is sent to live in Yorkshire with her uncle. Miserable and lonely, she begins to explore the house’s gardens and discovers a key to a secret garden that the uncle sealed off when his wife died. There she discovered a secret so important, so enchanting, that it will change her life forever. |
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PETER PAN by J. M. Barrie and Scott Gustafson Price: $16.95 （Hardcover Oct. 1, 1991) It is a children’s story full of imagination and adventures. A boy who can fly and magically refuses to grow up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood adventuring on the small island of Neverland as the leader of his gang the Lost Boys, interacting with mermaids, Indians, fairies and pirates, and from time to time meeting ordinary children from the world outside. |
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| Order online and you can now save 20% off your total purchase on orders over $25! |
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Which of the following is NOT TRUE about the three books?
| A．The little princess refers to a girl named Sara Crewe. |
| B．The secret garden mentioned in the passage is located in India. |
| C．Peter Pan is a boy with magic powers who never grows up. |
| D．A Little Princess was written by a famous female writer. |
How much does it cost to order these three books online?
| A．$5.60 | B．$25.00 |
| C．$22.40 | D．$ 28.00 |
What do these three books have in common?
| A．They were published in the same year. |
| B．They all have a hard cover. |
| C．They are all stories with tragic endings. |
| D．They have children as their main characters. |
In which part of a magazine can we read the text?
| A．Family | B．Literature |
| C．Technology | D．Entertainment |
I wondered if anyone had experienced such an unexpected trip as I had.
The day of my holiday arrived, but I wasn’t looking forward to it. I had little money and had only been able to afford to stay with my Aunt Rosa in Spain. So, I wasn’t really excited as I knew exactly what it was going to be like: lots of noisy cousins, and Aunt Rosa begging me to take her for a ride.
After I had checked in, I made my way slowly to the departure gate. As I was waiting to board the plane, I kept thinking about my ideal holiday destination: Jamaica, with its long, sandy beaches and crystal clear water.
As soon as the plane took off, I fell fast asleep and only woke to the sound of the announcement: “Ladies and gentlemen, please fasten your seat belts, as we will shortly be landing in Kingston.” I froze in my seat. Was I dreaming? Kingston? Jamaica? I had boarded the wrong plane!
Immediately after the plane landed, I explained the situation to the authorities. It seems there were also three other passengers heading for Spain. Apparently it had been the airline’s fault, since the flight numbers for Spain and Jamaica were exactly the same! Therefore, with no flight back to London for a week, the airline had no choice but to pay for our stay.
So there I was, lying on the beach, enjoying the music and the marvelous food of Jamaica! As for Aunt Rosa, I suppose she just had to live without me!Why did the writer choose to spend her holiday with her aunt in Spain?
| A．She missed her cousins very much. |
| B．She could hardly afford any better trip. |
| C．Her aunt begged her to go there. |
| D．Spain was her ideal destination. |
In the text, the writer ended up _________.
| A．flying to London immediately |
| B．heading for Spain from Jamaica |
| C．enjoying a free beach holiday |
| D．complaining to the authorities |
Which of the following might be the best title of the text?
| A．A Well-Planned Trip | B．A Terrible Adventure |
| C．A Nice Dream | D．A Lucky Mistake |
I call my story the story of a bad boy, partly to distinguish myself from those faultless young gentlemen, and partly because I really was not an angle. I may truthfully say I was a friendly, impulsive(易冲动的)teenager. I didn’t want to be an angel. In short, I was a real human boy, such as you may meet anywhere in New England.
Whenever a new scholar came to our school, I used to ask him “ My name’s Tom Bailey; what’s your name?” If the name struck me favorably, I shook hands with the new pupil cordially, but if it didn’t, I would turn and walk away, for I was particular on this point.
I was born in Rivermouth almost fifty years ago, but, before I became very well acquainted with that pretty New England town, my parents moved to New Orleans. I was only eighteen months old at the time of the move, and it didn’t make much difference to me where I was, because several years later, when my father proposed to take me North to be educated, I had my own view on the subject. I instantly kicked over the little boy, Sam, who happened to be standing by me at the moment, and declared that I would not be taken away to live among a lot of Yankees! You see I was what is called “ a Northern man with Southern principles,” I had no recollection of New England: my earliest memories were connected with the South. I knew I was born in the North, but hoped nobody would find it out. I never told my schoolmates I was a Yankee, because they talked about Yankees in a scornful way which made me feel that it was quite a shame not to be born in the South.
And this impression was strengthened by Aunt Chloe, who said, “There wasn’t no gentlemen in the North no way.”
With this picture of Northern civilization in my eye, the readers will easily understand my terror at the bare thought of being transported to Rivermouth to school, and possibly will forgive me for kicking over little Sam, when my father announced this to me. As for kicking little Sam, I always did that, more or less gently, when anything went wrong with me.
My father was greatly troubled by this violent behavior. As little Sam picked himself up, my father took my hand in his and led me thoughtfully to the library. He appeared strangely puzzled on learning the nature of my objections to going North.
“Who on earth, Tom, has filled your brain with those silly stories?” asked my father calmly.
“Aunt Chloe, sir, she told me.”
My father devoted that evening and several evenings to giving me a clear account of New England: its early struggles, its progress, and its present condition. I was no longer unwilling to go North; on the contrary, the proposed journey to a new world full of wonders kept me awake nights. Long before the moving day arrived I was eager to be off. My impatience was increased by the fact that my father had purchased for me a fine little Mustang pony, and shipped it to Rivermouth two weeks before the date set for our own journey. The pony completely resigned me to the situation. The pony’s name was Gitana, which is the Spanish for “gypsy”, so I always called her Gypsy.
Finally the time came to leave the vine-covered mansion among the orange-trees, to say goodbye to little Sam(I am convince he was heartily glad to get rid of me), and to part with Aunt Chloe. I imagine them standing by the open garden gate; the tears are rolling down Aunt Chloe’s cheeks; they and the old home fade away. I am never to see them again!The underlined word “cordially” in Paragraph 2 most probably means “________”.
| A．sincerely | B．unbelievably |
| C．officially | D．closely |
The second paragraph is intended to _______.
| A．support Tom’s opinion that he is a “faultless young gentlemen” |
| B．show just how much confidence Tom possesses |
| C．contradict other people’s belief that Tom is not a well-behaved, friendly boy |
| D．provide an example that Tom is friendly and not an angel |
Tom Bailey’s feeling on moving to Rivermouth can best be described as _______.
| A．cold, as he was too young to know any better |
| B．unwilling until his father corrected his misunderstandings about life in the North |
| C．angry because he would be forced to leave his pony, Gypsy, behind |
| D．excited until he realized that he would have to part with Aunt Chloe and little Sam |
It can be inferred from “a Northern man with Southern principles” that ______.
| A．Tom is a Yankee, unwilling adapting to a Southern lifestyle |
| B．even though Tom now lives in the South, he is proud of his Northern heritage |
| C．Tom has successfully subscribed to some Northern values and some Southern values |
| D．although Tom was born in New England he liked the way of life and culture in the South |
Sleep deprivation(缺失)is an important hidden factor in lowering the achievement of school pupils, according to researchers carrying out international education tests.
It is a particular problem in richer countries with sleep experts linking it to the use of mobile phones and computers in bedroom late at night. Sleep deprivation is such a serious problem that lessons have to be dragged down to a lower level to suit sleep-deprived learners, the study found. The international comparison, carried out by Boston College, found the United States to have the highest number of sleep-deprived students, with 73% of 9- and 10-year-olds and 80% of 13- and 14-year-olds identified by their teachers as being negatively affected.
In literacy(读写能力) tests there were 76% of 9- and 10-year-olds lacking sleep. This was much higher than the international average of 47% of primary pupils needing more sleep and 57% among the secondary age group.
Other countries with the most sleep-deprived youngsters were New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Australia, England, Ireland and France. High-performing Finland is also among the most lacking in sleep. Countries with the best records for getting enough sleep include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Japan and Malta.
The analysis was part of the huge date-gathering process for global education rankings, the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study(TIMSS)and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study(PIRLS)
“I think we underestimate the impact of sleep. Our data show that across countries internationally, on average, children who have more sleep achieve higher in maths, science and reading. That is exactly what our data show,” says Chad Minnich of the TIMSS and PIRLS International Study Center.
“It’s the same link for children who are lacking basic nutrition,” says Mr Minnich, based at the Lynch School of Education, Boston College. “If you are unable to concentrate, to attend mentally, you are unable to achieve at your best level, because your mind and body are in need of something more basic. Sleep is a fundamental need for all children. If teachers report such large proportions of children suffering from lack of sleep, it’s having a significant impact. But worse than that, teachers are having to adjust their instruction based on those children who are suffering from a lack of sleep. The children who are suffering from a lack of sleep are driving down instruction.”
That means that even the children who are getting enough sleep are still suffering from this sleep-related lowering. What did the researchers of Boston College try to find?
| A．Why children don’t get enough sleep |
| B．How many hours children sleep every night |
| C．The relationship between sleep and test results |
| D．The relationship between sleep and health |
Many children suffer from sleep deprivation because _________.
| A．they sit in front of the TV for too long |
| B．they can hardly sleep soundly and deeply |
| C．their homework occupies too much of their time |
| D．modern technological devices consume a lot of their time |
Which of the following countries has the most sleep-deprived students?
| A．Japan | B．Malta |
| C．Finland | D．Portugal |
Why are children who get enough sleep also victims?
| A．Because they are disturbed by sleep-deprived students |
| B．Because teaching is driven down by sleep-deprived students |
| C．Because they have to spend time helping sleep-deprived students |
| D．Because the teachers waste time disciplining sleep-deprived students |
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