Everybody hates rats. But rats may soon be man’s new good friend.
What happens after an earthquake? We send in rescue(援救)dogs. Why? Because they can smell people. Dogs save lives. They help rescuers to find living people. But dogs are big and they can’t get into small spaces. So now a new research project is using a smaller animal to save lives: the rat.
How does it work? First, the rat is trained to smell people. When this happens, the rat’s brain gives a signal(信号). This is sent to a small radio on its back, and then the rescuers follow the radio signals. When the rat’s brain activity jumps, the rescuers know that someone is alive. The rat has smelled that person.
Although there are already robots which can do this job, rats are better. “Robots’ noses don’t work well when there are other smells around. Rats are good at that.” Rats can also see in the dark, they are cheaper and quicker to train than dogs, and unlike robots, they don’t need electricity!
The “rat project” is not finished, but a scientist says, “It would be great. A rat could get into spaces we couldn’t get to, and a rat would get out if it wasn’t safe.” Perhaps for the first time in history, people will be happy to see a rat in a building (but only after an earthquake, of course).In the writer’s opinion, rats may become man’s new friend because .
| A．they can be food for people |
| B．they can help rescuers to find living people |
| C．they are lovely |
| D．they can completely replace man’s rescue jobs |
What does the underlined word “this” mean?
| A．An earthquake. |
| B．The rat has smelled a person |
| C．The rat has smelled that someone is alive |
| D．The rat has found a robot. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Rats don’t need electricity. |
| B．Rats are better than robots when smelling. |
| C．Rats are as clever as radios. |
| D．Rats can see things in the dark when doing rescues. |
Why does the “rat project” sound great according to the passage?
| A．Because rats can get into very small spaces. |
| B．Because rats have better noses than dogs. |
| C．Because rats don’t like robots. |
| D．Because rats are brave. |
Which is the best title of this passage?
| A．Ways of saving people | B．Rats and robots | C．After earthquake | D．Rats for rescue |
Ludwick Marishane，a South African，was with his friends in Limpopo when they started talking about inventing something to put on your skin（皮肤）so you don't have to take a bath.Ludwick thought that this was a great idea.He did some research on the Internet，and he found some surprising facts.
About 2，500，000，000 people around the world haven't got clean water.This is a huge problem because dirty water can create illnesses.One of them' is trachoma：8，000，000 people all over the world get trachoma every year.They wash their faces with dirty water，get ill and go blind.To stop trachoma，people don't have to receive expensive medical care.They have to wash their faces with clean water.That's it.
Ludwick started thinking.He wanted to make something to help people in parts of the world where it's difficult to find clean water.He did more research on the Internet，and he did more thinking.Ludwick had a plan.He wanted to make a gel（凝胶）for people to put on their skin so.they don't have to take a bath.When he was at university，he never stopped thinking about his invention.He started to talk to other people about it，and three years later the dream came true.He made the gel and called it "DryBath".
Ludwick is the winner of lots of prizes.People call him "one of the brightest young men in the world".He is happy about his success.DryBath is helping people to be healthy.And DryBath also helps to save water.That's important in many parts of the world，where it 's difficult to find clean water.Now he wants to invent other things and also wants to help other young people to become inventors.
（1）Trachoma is a kind of illness that may make people .
A.feel hungry
B.feel thirsty
C.become blind
D.become sleepy
（2）Ludwick invented the gel "DryBath" to .
A.treat people with skin trouble
B.make dirty water become clean
C.show people how to be an inventor
D.help people without enough clean water
（3）Which word best describes Ludwick according to the passage？
A.Creative.
B.Brave.
C.Honest.
D.Humorous.
（4）What can we learn from Ludwick's experience？
A.Luck is very important in achieving success.
B.People can succeed by sticking to their dreams.
C.Young people can easily come up with new ideas.
D.Going to university can make young people smarter.
Takeover Day
Want to be a football coach，a policeman or a musician？If you could do any job for a day，what would it be？Takeover Day offers young people this chance.
Takeover Day is an event for young people to "take over" the day from adults（成年人）.Of course，it's difficult to give someone the job of a film star or a model!However，Takeover Day has offered young people jobs as news reporters，teachers and even politicians（政客）. The event serves two purposes.First，it gives young people experience in different kinds of jobs.Second，adults can learn from young people's opinions and fresh ideas. Here's what the students say about their Takeover Day. |
Simon，16，went to Coventry Football Club.He became coach of the football team for a day. "Having a go at training professional players.was an unforgettable experience，"said Simon. "If I had the chance，I would do this job every day." |
Sally，15，became the head teacher of her school. "I'd go mad if I were a head teacher!" she said."So many meetings!"Sally thinks she learned a lot."My favourite part of the day was meeting the school cook and improving the school menus for the week.I was a great chance to tell her what we really like eating!" |
|
Paul，17，spent the day with an important politician.He even went to a meeting at Buckingham Palace!' Paul thought that if everyone；had the chance to follow a politician for a day，they'd be amazed. "It isn't a nine﹣to﹣five job：It's 24/7，"he said. "We even had no time for lunch." |
（1）What may Simon choose to be in the future？
A.A model.
B.A politician.
C.A head teacher.
D.A football coach.
（2）What do Sally and Paul probably think of their Takeover Day？
A.Busy but exciting.
B.Peaceful but tiring.
C.Amazing and relaxing.
D.Easy and unforgettable.
（3）Takeover Day is set up for young people to .
A.spread ideas
B.become famous
C.know more about jobs
D.work for their schools
Masa walked slowly towards the house，stopping now and then to cut off dead leaves or fading flowers.There were few weeds（杂草）.Yuki had spent many hours of her two﹣week visit weeding in the garden.Masa wondered if Yuki had spent so much of her time outside because she wanted to avoid talking to her.
But Yuki must have wanted very much to see us，Masa told herself.She had visited in the last weeks of June，as soon as her college was out for the summer.
She said she wanted to stay longer but couldn't because she had to work.Besides，she needed to use the studio at her college for photography and she had to go to the library to read，"Why do you have to go to college to study art？"Masa asked her. "All the great artists didn't go to college. "
Yuki shook her head. "That was a different time.It's hard to explain. "
"I was thinking you could live with us all year round and still be an artist.This is a nice quiet place to live. "
"I don't know.How would I support myself here？" "You can always give lessons. "Masa said.
"But I don't want to spend a long time looking at kids' drawings. "
"What will you do after you graduate，anyway？Will you become a teacher somewhere else then？"
"Grandma，I don't know. "Yuki sighed.
"What is the use of going to college if you don't know what you're going there for？" "Maybe I'm going because I don't know.I just want to study art now.I don't want to think that far ahead. "
The minute Masa was going to point out that this was too careless a way to live，Yuki suddenly stood up and put on her straw hat.
"I'm going to the garden to weed your flowerbed"，she said， "Let me know if there's something else I can do."
On Yuki's visit，Masa felt strained when they talked，and she was sure Yuki also felt it.But Yuki was never rude or irritable（易怒的）.Even when they disagreed，her face was always full of patience.
（1）According to the passage，Yuki was .
A.a gardener
B.an artist
C.a college student
D.an art teacher
（2）From the underlined sentence，we can infer（推断）that Yuki wanted to .
A.end the conversation
B.weed the flowerbed
C.leave Masa's garden
D.take some photos
（3）It can be learnt from the passage that .
A.Yuki studied art because she wanted to be a teacher
B.Masa wasn't satisfied with Yuki's work in the garden
C.Masa and Yuki agreed on living together all the year
D.Masa and Yuki had very different ideas about college
（4）The underlined word "strained" in the last paragraph probably shows Masa felt something .
A.unforgettable
B.uncomfortable
C.thankful
D.crazy
Why is it that the people you meet when backpacking（背包旅行）seem to be more interesting and outgoing than your friends at home？That's my experience，anyway.Very often，you'll meet people that are fun to travel with and worth getting to know.I've spent time with people of many countries and have found out some interesting things about their cultures.It's a great way to learn more about the world.
It's often easy to make new friends while you're traveling，and you'll be able to hang around with them for a few days，until one of you leaves for the next exciting place.Relationships of this kind are shorter but can be just as strong as friendships back home，because you do so much together in that short time.I often find I like to share things about myself that I'd never say to my close friends.It is safe，I think，because we probably won't meet again，except online.
One thing that's important when you're backpacking is to make sure you carry only basic needs，so your backpack isn't too heavy.I travel" "light" these days.One good tip someone gave me is to take old clothes and just throw them away when you move on，instead of washing and waiting for things to dry.Many hostels（小旅社）don't provide shampoo and shower gel.You can get mini bottles in supermarkets.
I've discovered that many backpackers visit little places other tourists don't go to，and by using local shops and guest houses，they help those places with much﹣needed financial（经济上的）support.Most small guest houses allow you to stay for unlimited time，so you can spend as long as you like exploring the local area.Backpackers are also kinder to the environment，because they use trains and buses rather than cars.So，what are you waiting for？ （By Andy Robinson）
（1）According to Andy，friendships made with other backpackers .
A.are less serious than those with his friends at home
B.end at the moment they separate from each other
C.help him to decide where he would like to travel to
D.allow him to talk about himself in an honest way
（2）Which text message would Andy send to a friend？"
A |
"Why don't you fly out to visit me？We'll stay in a famous hotel on the coast. " |
B |
"I'm leaving here tomorrow and then I will drive a car along the coast. " |
C |
"I've met some great people.Tomorrow we're going by boat to an ancient village in the mountains together. " |
D |
"I'm glad I filled up my backpack –I've got everything I need，though it isn't easy to carry it around!" |
（3）The best title for the passage can be .
A.Friendships on the Way
B.Traveling with a Backpack
C.A Backpacking Experience
D.Tips on Travel
The first emperor of China，Qin Shihuang，completed a huge number of projects during his rule.Between 221 and 210 B.C.，he started the building of the Great Wall.The emperor also ordered the building of a huge army of life﹣sized terracotta soldiers（士兵）.These，he hoped，would protect his tomb after his death.
Lost in Time
The soldiers in Xi'an's terracotta museum are today light brown，but they weren't always.They began as an army of red，blue，yellow，green，white，and purple.Sadly，most of the colors did not last to the present day.After being exposed（暴露）to air during digging，the coating under the paint began to fall off.The paint disappeared in less time than it takes to boil an egg，taking away with it important pieces of history.
New Technology
Now new technology is starting to show the army's true colors.Archeologists（考古学家）have recently discovered an area with more than a hundred soldiers.Many of these still have their painted features，including black hair，pink faces，and black or brown eyes.Chinese and German researchers have developed a chemical liquid（液体）to help save the soldiers' colors.After finding a soldier or another art piece，archeologists put the liquid on it. They then cover it in plastic.
Back to Life
Archeologists are also finding colors in the dirt around the soldiers.It's important not to do anything with the dirt，so the colors won't be lost. "We are treating the dirt as an art piece， "says Rong Bo，the museum's leading archeologist.The next challenge，says Rong Bo，is to find a way to use the colors onto the army﹣again.Once that happens，artists can bring Emperor Qin's army back to its full，bright colors.
（1）What is the passage mainly about？
A.The death of Emperor Qin Shihuang.
B.How the terracotta army was colored.
C.The true colors of the terracotta soldiers.
D.How the soldiers lived during Qin Dynasty.
（2）What does the underlined word "They" in the passage refer to？
A.Archeologists.
B.Artists.
C.Researchers.
D.Soldier.
（3）Which statement would Rong Bo probably agree？
A.The soldiers should stay in their present，brown color.
B.People should try to bring back the army's bright colors.
C.Archeologists can only guess at the soldiers' true colors.
D.Artists should be able to paint the soldiers in colors they want.
粤公网安备 44130202000953号