AN ice ball shoots across the night sky, lighting up its path along the way, like a flying sun.
Ancient humans were afraid of the sight of comets(彗星). Many cultures believed that comets were messages sent by gods, and people thought these messages were warning signs for bad behavior. But today science and technology give us a better understanding of comets.
Last week, comet Ison ended its million-year-long journey as it flew straight toward the sun, melting most of the comet. It was hoped that comet Ison would survive this trip around the sun. Because once it got near Earth, it would have produced a great show of lights for us.
In ancient times, the coming of comet Ison might have scared people. However, now we can track a comet’s journey in our solar system. We can also study what they’re made of. There is even a project to launch a spacecraft onto a comet to study them further.
Although from the sky they look like great giant fireballs, comets are a collection of gas, ice, dust and small rocks. As a comet goes into our solar system, the sun’s solar winds blow some of the dust and gas away, giving the comet a tail. The average size of comets is about 10 kilometers in diameter(直径). But amazingly, their tails can be 150 kilometers long! Comet Ison’s diameter was about 5 kilometers.
Today, people don’t fear comets as much as they did before. Western countries have even developed and old tradition. When people see a comet or meteoroid(流星) shooting across the sky, they call it a shooting star, People who get the chance to see one get to make a wish. It is a tradition that lives on today.In ancient times, people thought comets were _____.
| A．warning signs sent by gods |
| B．lucky signs for good behavior |
| C．great shows of lights |
| D．flying suns |
We can tell from the third paragraph that comet Ison ___.
| A．finished its long journey to Mars |
| B．survived its trip around the sun |
| C．has reached the Earth |
| D．was melted by the sun |
When a comet travels near the sun, some of the __ will be blown away by the solar winds.
| A．gas and dust | B．ice and rocks |
| C．dust and rocks | D．rocks and tail |
According to the last paragraph, what tradition lives on today?
| A．Being scared by comets and meteoroids. |
| B．Making a wish when seeing a shooting star |
| C．Launching spacecrafts onto comets to study them further. |
| D．Having a better understanding of comets |
In 1826, a Frenchman named Niepce needed pictures for his business .But he was not a good artist .So he invented a very simple camera. He put it in a window of his house and took a picture of his garden .That was the first photo.
The next important date in the history of photography (摄影) was in 1837. That year, Daguerre, another Frenchman, took a picture of his reading room .He used a new kind of camera in a different way. In his picture you could see everything very clearly, even the smallest thing. This kind of photo was called a Daguerreotype.
Soon, other people began to use Daguerre’s way. Travelers brought back wonderful photos from all around the world .people took picture of famous buildings, cities and mountains.
In about 1840, photography was improved .Then photographers could take pictures of people and moving things .That was not simple .The photographers had to carry a lot of films and other machines. But this did not stop them, for example, some in the United States worked so hard.
Mathew Brady was a famous American photographer. He took many pictures of great people .The pictures were unusual because they were very lifelike.
Photography also became one kind of art by the end of the 19th century. Some photos were not just copies of the real world .They showed feelings like other kinds of art.The first photo taken by Niepce was a picture of ________
| A．his business | B．his house |
| C．his garden | D．his window |
The Daguerreotype was_______.
| A．a Frenchman | B．a kind of picture |
| C．a kind of camera | D．a photographer |
If a photographer wanted to take pictures of moving things in the year of 1840, he had to_____.
| A．watch lots of films |
| B．buy an expensive camera |
| C．stop in most cities |
| D．take many films and something else. |
This passage tells us_____________.
| A．how photography was developed |
| B．how to show feelings in pictures |
| C．how to take pictures in the world |
| D．how to use different cameras |
Walking is a popular form of exercise. It is an easy activity and offers a good way to improve physical fitness. Walking also gives many of the same benefits as other kinds of exercise.
Regular, brisk walks help a person's body work better. Walking builds a stronger heart and lungs. Walking also seems to help protect the heart from heart disease. The lungs work better because they take in and use oxygen more effectively. Walking can help in weight control, too. A quick fifteen-minute walk burns as many calories as jogging the same distance in half the time. Walking causes very injuries, so there is also a lower "dropout" rate among walkers than among runners.
People are more likely to continue a walking program. This gives a better chance for success. Walking offers some mental benefits, too. It seems to make people feel better. Many walkers say they sleep better at night when they take regular walks. Others say they have a better attitude towards life. Walking offers many of the same physical and mental benefits as other forms of exercise, but walking offers some special advantages, too. Almost everyone can walk. There are no special lessons or training. To become a real walker, a person only needs to walk faster, farther, and more often.
People can walk almost anywhere. There are no special playing fields or courts for walking. Sidewalks, streets, parks, fields, and malls are excellent places for walking. People can walk almost anytime. A person doesn't need a team or a partner for walking. There is no "season" for walking. Most walkers walk in all kinds of weather.
Walking doesn't cost anything. There are no special fees for walking. Good walking shoes and comfortable clothes are the only equipment that a walker needs.
Walking offers a form of exercise within the reach of nearly everyone. With a little time and effort, people can rediscover a valuable form of exercise and improve their fitness.Walking benefits people's_______.
| A．legs and arms | B．feet and hands |
| C．heart and lungs | D．head and stomach |
Most people like walking because_______.
| A．it is easy to continue |
| B．it is funny |
| C．they are ill |
| D．they want to see who walks faster |
When you start walking, you should prepare _______.
| A．a good bag |
| B．a hat and gloves |
| C．some food and drinks |
| D．walking shoes and comfortable clothes |
John is twelve years old. He had a bad cold and coughed (咳嗽) day and night. He went to see a doctor. The doctor gave him some cough medicine.
| Cough Medicine Shake it well before use. Take it three times each day before meals. |
|
| Age |
Dose (药量)/ each time |
| over 14 |
2 teaspoonfuls (勺) |
| 8～13 |
1 teaspoonful |
| 4～7 |
1/2 teaspoonful |
| Not right for children below the age of three. Put it in a cold place. Use it before December 1st 2014. |
John should take_____a day.
| A．2 teaspoonfuls | B．3 teaspoonfuls |
| C．4 teaspoonfuls | D．1 teaspoonful |
The medicine should be kept in______.
| A．a fridge | B．hot water |
| C．any place | D．the sun |
John should _____before he takes it.
| A．drink a cup of tea |
| B．eat nothing |
| C．do some exercise |
| D．shake the medicine well |
When people are ______years old,they can’t take this medicine.
| A．eight | B．thirty |
| C．two | D．twelve |
John will ______when it is left after Dec.1st,2014.
| A．take the medicine |
| B．throw away the medicine |
| C．still keep the medicine |
| D．give the medicine back to the doctor |
Every year in April, students at Renmin University of China have more pleasure than other students in Beijing. Why? Because they get a week off in the middle of term, the so-called(所谓) spring break.
“It’s been a tradition of our school for years,” said Wang Yueran, 20, a student at Renmin University. He organized a weeklong trip to Sichuan with 12 classmates last year.
But having fun is just one part of the spring break. Field trips, voluntary work, and social projects are all on students’ to-do lists. The Chinese proverb says “reading 10,000 books and traveling 10,000 miles”. It means experience is as important as theory. But while Chinese universities have the tradition of spring outings, what’s the aim of making spring break?
Qin Jianguo, from the student affairs office at Shenzhen University, thinks the idea of the spring break in some universities in China comes from the intention(目的) of pushing students out of the ivory tower(象牙塔) to get experience in their life. Many countries have similar vacations in the middle of the semester for students to do things they like. Taking Japan as an example, instead of partying like the US, many Japanese students choose to work as interns(实习生).
Besides Renmin University, only a few other universities in China, such as Yantai University, have a spring break for their students. Wei Xiang, a professor(教授) at Beijing International Studies University, said that the spring break is a good experiment for universities to give students more choices to arrange their own leisure(休闲) and study activities.Why do students at Renmin University of China have more pleasure than other students in Beijing in April?
Besides having fun, what are also on students’ to-do lists?
According to Qin Jianguo, what is the intention of the spring break in some universities?
What do many Japanese students do during spring break?
Do most of Chinese universities have spring break now?
The Optimus Prime (擎天柱) model on Zhu Xiaoxuan’s desk looks small–only 30cm high. But it may be the first Transformers (变形金刚) toy made by a 3-D printer (打印机)in China.
Zhu, 14, from Shijiazhuang Foreign Language School, designed it himself. Zhu is a big Transformers fan. In winter vacation, when he saw news that people abroad made many things with 3-D printers, he quickly thought of printing a 3-D model of his favorite Transformer: Optimus Prime.
But where did he start? Zhu went to a local 3-D printing company and found that he first needed to design a digital (数码的) 3-D model. However, the software is much for difficult for a teenager to learn.Feeling challenged, Zhu decided to have a try. He found a video online that showed how to use the microsoft. He watched it and learnt hundreds of computer commands (命令).
After three days of hard work, he built the arms. But they turned out to be too long. Zhu had to re-design it. “The model has 96 parts and almost every part needs to be adjusted (调整). You can imagine how many times I have failed,” Zhu said.
Finally, over 20 days later, Zhu completed the design and had Optimus Prime printed out.
| Title: Transformers and 3-D printer |
|
| Who |
Zhu is a boy from Shijiazhuang Foreign Language School who is |
| Why |
Zhu saw news that many things |
| How |
Went to a local Found a video on the Internet Built the arms and other parts Completed the design and got the Optimus Prime |
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