Have you ever wondered?
Why do airplanes take longer to fly west than east?
It can take five hours to go west-east from New York (NY) to London but seven hours to travel east-west from London to NY. The reason for the difference is an atmospheric phenomenon (大气现象) known as the jet stream (气流). The jet stream is a very high altitude (=" above" sea level) wind which always blows from the west to the east across the Atlantic. So the planes moving at a constant air speed go faster from the west to the east when they are moving with the wind than in the opposite.
What would happen if the gravity on Earth was suddenly turned off?
Supposing we could magically turn off gravity. Would buildings and other buildings float away? What happened would depend on (依靠) how strongly the things were attached (吸附) to the earth. The earth is moving at quite a speed, moving at over a thousand miles per hour. If you turn something around your head on a string, it goes around in a circle until you let go of the string. Then it flies off in a straight line. ‘Turning off’ gravity would be like letting go of the string. Things not attached to the earth would fly off in a straight line. People in buildings would suddenly shoot upwards at a great speed until they hit the ceiling (=" top" surface of a room). Most things outside would fly off into space.What information can we get from the first passage?
| A．It is the jet stream that affects how fast airplanes fly. |
| B．Planes go slower when they are moving with the wind. |
| C．It takes more time to fly from NY to London than from London to NY. |
| D．The jet stream always blows from the east to the west across the Atlantic. |
The underlined word “shoot” in the 2nd paragraph means “_________”.
| A．send for | B．move quickly | C．come out | D．grow quickly |
It can be known that without gravity _________.
| A．buildings and other structures would float away |
| B．trees and buildings would not so easily fly off |
| C．something around your head would not float away |
| D．everything outside buildings would fly off into space |
Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?
| A．It takes seven hours to travel from London to New York. |
| B．The earth is moving at a high speed. |
| C．Things on the earth will float away if there’s no gravity. |
| D．Things not attached to the earth would fly off in a straight line. |
Where can we read this passage?
| A．In a research paper. | B．In a short story. |
| C．In a travel magazine. | D．In a student’s book |
There was once a man who couldn't sleep well because he was afraid that there was a stranger under his bed. He thought that as soon as he went to sleep, the stranger would come out from the bed and rob(抢劫) him. He was worried that the stranger might even kill him!
Every night, after he got into bed, the man had to get up again and looked under the bed. There was never anyone there, but as soon as he got back into bed, he had to get up and looked under the bed again. This went on for hours until at last he fell asleep from exhaustion.
The time came for the man to get married. He didn't tell his wife about his fears but she soon found out because he kept her awake all night.
"You must go to see a doctor," she told him. "He will make you become well. You won't have such silly fear again."
The man did as his wife told him. He told the doctor his problem, and the doctor said, "You can be well again, but it will take about two years. You must come and see me three times a week. The cost for each visit will be $ 75. "
The next day the man called the doctor and said, "l won't need to visit you again. I'm well now."
The doctor was amazed. "How?" he asked. "Who made you get well?"
"My wife did," the man said. "When I told her how much I would have to pay you, she cut the legs off the bed."What did the man think was under the bed at night?
| A．A god. | B．A person. |
| C．His wife. | D．A neighbour. |
When did the man start having his sleeping problem?
| A．After he got married. |
| B．After he saw the doctor. |
| C．Before he married his wife. |
| D．After he got a new bed. |
What does the underlined word "exhaustion" mean in this story?
| A．Bad air. | B．Medicine. |
| C．happiness. | D．Feeling very tired. |
How much would the man pay the doctor every week?
| A．$75. | B．$150. | C．$225. | D．$900. |
What made the man get well again?
| A．Talking to the stranger. |
| B．Having no space under the bed. |
| C．Taking medicine from the doctor. |
| D．Sleeping with the light on at night. |
If you want to watch and know something about birds, you must find a good place near the bird nest（巢）.
Birds sit on eggs and take care of their babies from April to June. Because the baby birds are too young to leave the nest, parents often go to look for food and come back in several minutes. So it is good to watch birds. When we watch birds, we’d better hide ourselves in a close place to the nest, and it’s better to use binoculars .
But how to make a bird nest? A good bird nest must be very fine, strong, thick and comfortable. If you want to make one, please follow these:
a) Each nest must have six boards (木板). Don’t make the boards too slippery (滑).
b) Dig a small hole in the front of the nest as a “door”. The “door” is big enough so birds can fly in or out easily.
c) Make sure the rainwater can’t go into the nest.
d) One piece of the board should be easy to open.
e) Don’t forget to color the nest.
The most important thing in watching birds is to .
| A．look for a place near the bird nest |
| B．climb up to the trees |
| C．catch a bird |
| D．kill a bird |
We have to hide ourselves to ___ , when we’re watching birds.
| A．take better care of them |
| B．use the binoculars |
| C．make them do everything as usual |
| D．kill them at last |
We should leave a hole in the front of the nest so that easily.
| A．we can clean the nest |
| B．birds can fly in or out |
| C．we can hang（挂） |
| D．we can make it |
In ancient times(古代), people thought that their gods(神) lived on the tops of mountains. They believed that anything above them was nearer to their gods than them. They thought that birds were messengers(信使) from the gods. There were many beliefs(信念) about how to treat birds. Some people even believed that killing a bird was an act against the gods and would bring bad luck. In some parts of the United States, people believe that if they hear an owl(猫头鹰) in the early evening, it means death. Another link(联系) with these past beliefs is in an English expression. People no longer believe that birds are messengers of the gods, but when someone knows a secret about another person, he or she might say, "A little bird told me about it."In ancient times birds were thought to be_______.
| A．the ones bringing news from the gods |
| B．gods, too |
| C．the ones bringing news from human beings |
| D．bad |
In some parts of the USA now, people believe that _______ means death.
A. seeing an owl in the morning
B. seeing an owl outside their houses
C hearing an owl in the early evening
D. killing an owl in the evening
You don’t have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great. I believe it is a normal thought in today’s society to just let life happen to us. I also believe that we sometimes destroy（毁灭） our well-planned thoughts about success because it’s easier to just continue as usual rather than “try” with the possible failure in mind.
Most people never get moving because they don’t know what they want. Without a certain result already set in your mind, it’s really difficult to get going, and even if you do, your attention may soon disappear and you give up before long.
Why not consider what’s really important in your life? Write down what excites you, what would truly make you happy and what problems you have. At the end of the week, take a careful look at the notes you’ve taken .You’ll soon begin to see a clearer picture of what direction you should be going towards.
Knowledge is useless without action. You read many books but your life will stay the same if you don’t use the knowledge. Knowledge is fantastic but it will not change your life until it is used. I love to read personal development material to keep a positive attitude(积极的态度) towards my life , but I also realize that if I don’t set goals to achieve, then I will always be a talk the talk person who is great at giving advice but useless at realizing it .If you have no plans of practicing what you say, then it may be best to keep your mouth closed.
Do you want to know who you are? Don’t ask, Act! Action will explain you. Whatever excuses we have for not living up to our talent, the fact is that time will always move forward. Be whatever you want to be and whatever you can be. Always remember the only limits(限制）we have are the ones we create for ourselves. Life is not what we think. It is what we experience when we behave according to the thoughts we have.
What will happen if you have the possible failure in your mind?
| A．You will destroy your well-planned thoughts about success. |
| B．You’ll have great pressure and try not to make any mistakes. |
| C．You will try your best and come up with a much better plan, |
| D．You’ll put all the opportunities to good use to try your plan. |
In Paragraph Two, the writer wants to .
| A．tell us what people need to get success |
| B．show us what people set in their mind |
| C．talk about why people should practice |
| D．explain why people stop going ahead |
Which of the following is NOT true of the passage?
| A．Knowledge is fantastic when it’s used, or it’s useless. |
| B．Knowledge is useless without action. |
| C．Success always stop us from succeeding but ourselves. |
| D．Action will tell you who you are. |
What is the best title (标题) for the passage?
| A．See a Clear Picture of Life |
| B．Taking Actions Leads to Success |
| C．Set Your Goals to Achieve |
| D．Actions Speak Louder than Words |
Living in a foreign culture can be exciting, but it can also be confusing(令人迷惑的). A group of Americans who taught English in other countries recently discussed their experiences. They decided that miscommunications were always possible, even over something as simple as“yes”and“no”.
On her first day in Micronesia, an island in the Pacific, Lisa thought people weren’t paying any attention to her. The day was hot. She went into a store and asked, “Do you have cold drinks? ”The woman there didn’t say anything. Lisa repeated the question. Still the woman said nothing. She later learned that the woman had answered her： She had raised her eyebrows(眉毛), which in Micronesia means“yes”.
Jan remembered an experience she had in Bulgaria, a country in Europe. She went to a restaurant that was known for its cabbage. She asked the waiter, “Do you have cabbage today? ”He nodded his head. Jan waited, but the cabbage never came. In that country, a nod means“no”.
Tom had a similar problem when he arrived in India. After explaining something in class, he asked his students if they understood. They answered with many different nods and shakes of the head. He thought some people had not understood, so he explained again. When he asked again, they did the same thing. He soon found out that his students did understand. In India, people nod and shake their heads in different ways depending on where they come from. You have to know where a person is from to understand whether they mean“yes”or“no”.These Americans teaching English in other countries found that they ______ .
| A．should go abroad for vacations |
| B．needed to learn foreign languages |
| C．should often discuss their experiences |
| D．had problems with communications |
People in Micronesia show“yes”by ______ .
| A．nodding heads | B．raising eyebrows |
| C．shaking heads | D．saying“no” |
Which of the following is TRUE according to(根据)this passage?
| A．In Bulgaria, nodding heads means no. |
| B．Jan taught English on a Pacific island. |
| C．Lisa was trying to buy some cabbage. |
| D．In India, only shaking heads means“yes”. |
The passage is mainly about ______ .
| A．body language in foreign restaurants |
| B．class discussion in Indian schools |
| C．miscommunication in different cultures |
| D．English teaching in other countries |
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