With its 775 rooms, Buckingham Palace makes regular houses look tiny. Now home to Queen Elizabeth II, it’s been the British Monarchy’s official London digs since 1837. National Geographic Kids slipped behind the guarded gates to find the palace’s coolest features.
1. FANCY FEAST
For special dinners, a team of 21 chefs whips up dishes that are served on solid gold plates. Even Her Majesty’s pet dogs receive meals of lamb and cabbage in silver bowls. Good thing the kitchen is well stocked--- the Queen welcomes about 50,000 dining guests every year.
2. CLASSY COACH
The Queen’s most attractive ride may be the Gold State Coach, parked in the palace’s Royal Mews building and used in the crowning of a king or queen, since 1821. Covered with heavy gold, it’s pulled by eight horses.
3. MOVIE NIGHT
The royal family hosts private screenings of movie in their very own cinema, sometimes seeing new films before they hit theaters.
4. WHAT’S UP, DOC?
Forget a medicine cabinet (药品柜). Buckingham Palace houses a doctor’s office run by the Queen’s physician. And surgeons have performed operations in other parts of the palace. In 1902, for instance, doctors operated on King Edward VII in a room facing the garden.
5. BEDROOMS
The palace has 52 bedrooms. Rooms such as those inside the Belgian Suite contain chandeliers(枝行吊灯), gold-gilded mirrors, fireplaces, canopy beds, and more.
6. TOP- SECRET TUNNELS
Rumor has it that secret underground tunnels connect the royal residence to other buildings in London. The paths were reportedly built during World War II when enemy bombs regularly pounded the city. Weaving deep under London’s busy streets, the tunnels would have provided the royals safe passage during an attack. But even now officials won’t reveal much about these under- the- radar routes.The underlined part “whips up” probably means_______.
| A．enjoys | B．selects | C．cleans | D．cooks |
According to the text, in Buckingham Palace________.
| A．there are eight horses altogether |
| B．stocks of food in the kitchen hardly run low |
| C．the Queen’s pet dogs are fed with simple meals |
| D．there’s no suitable place to perform operations |
What do we know about the tunnels in Buckingham Palace?
| A．They are not well- protected. |
| B．They were heavily bombed. |
| C．They are not open to the public. |
| D．They are linked with other cities in Britain. |
Twelve years ago, a young traveler named Rhett Butler from San Francisco, California, visited the Sabah rain forest on Malaysian Borneo. In one area of the rain forest, he watched a bird flying through the trees. The beautiful sight left quite an impression on him. But weeks later, back home, Rhett Butler got the news that trees had been cut down in the area he visited.
That experience led Rhett Butler to begin writing a book about rainforests and the threats to their existence. But he did not publish the book. Instead, in 1999，he used his research for the book to create a website. The site is Mongabay, com. His purpose was to inform the public about tropical rain forests. But the subject quickly developed. As a former businessman , he became a respected writer of science and environmental stories.
The popularity of Mongabay. com attracted advertisers. Small ads on the site pay for its operations. Mongabay. com has grown and led to other sites. For example, there is a site for children which is called kids, Mongabay. com. Another one, Wild Madangascar. org, is also about the island nation that Rhett Butler calls his favorite place.
To keep his website going, he travels around the world on several major trips each year. His working tools are a laptop computer, cameras and sometimes diving equipment. He often calls on experts for information. For example, he interviewed Alison Jolly, a top experts on lemurs (狐猴）. He interviewed Rodney Jackson, a biologist who established the Snow Leopard Conservancy.
Stories like these have made Mongabay a favorite place on the Internet for researchers, students and teachers. In April, Time, com named it one of the fifteen top climate and environment websites in the world. What's the main idea of the passage?
| A．Rhett Butler and his website. |
| B．Rainforest on Malaysian Borneo. |
| C．How Rhett Butler protected rare animals. |
| D．How Rhett Butler made his website popular. |
Rhett Butler didn't publish his book about rain forests because __________
| A．making websites earns more money than writing books |
| B．he didn't want to become a writer |
| C．the book was not about rain forest protection |
| D．he wanted to use the information to create a website |
Which of the followings is NOT true about the Mongabay. com?
| A．It was set up in 1999. |
| B．It attracted many advertisers. |
| C．At least two related websites grew from it. |
| D．Rhett Butler made a lot of money from it. |
To keep his website going, Rhett Butler __________.
| A．kept visiting the rain forest |
| B．traveled around and interviewed experts |
| C．raised rare snow leopards |
| D．made a great number of advertisements |
We can learn from the passage that __________.
| A．Mongabay. com was loved by researchers as well as students |
| B．kids. Mongabay. com has many stories written by kids |
| C．Wild Madagascar, org is better known than Mongabay. com |
| D．Rodney Jackson was once a businessman |
None of our early ancestors could digest milk as adults because their bodies never had to—milk drinking simply wasn't an option. As people began to extract milk from animals, though, some people developed the ability to keep drinking it throughout their lives.
Scientists now know of a milk-related mutation (变异）in our genes—the chemical instructions for life that we carry in almost every cell in our bodies. People who have a mutated form of one particular gene can drink milk just fine. People without the mutation tend to get sick from milk.
To figure out where, and possibly why, milk drinking started, some scientists have been looking at who has the milk-digesting mutation today. Patterns are striking.
Most adults in Northern and Central Europe are able to digest milk—and they do. Cheese and butter and other dairy products are popular in countries such as Sweden, Denmark, Germany and England. Because European settlers dominated North America, most people here can handle milk just fine, as well. That may explain why ice cream is such a popular dessert in the United States.
In much of Africa, Asia and South America, on the other hand, people tend to avoid dairy products because they lead to diarrhea(腹泻)and other stomach problems (That's why you won't typically find cheese on the menu at a Chinese, Japanese or Ethiopian restaurant. ). Native Americans are also unable to digest milk.
Based on these genetic patterns, scientists have long thought that milk drinking started in Northern Europe, where dairy is an institution and the milk-digesting mutation is everywhere.
A recent study painted a different picture. With a computer medal, Thomas and colleagues looked at the spread of the milk-drinking mutation, farming and other related factors. Working back-ward, the scientists concluded that the first milk-drinkers lived in Central Europe around what's now Hungary about 7，500 years ago. The practice didn't start farther north, as scientists had thought be-fore. Which of the following is the proper order of events according to the passage?
a. Their children were able to digest milk as adults.
b. They got sick from the milk.
c. Some people got a mutation in their genes.
d. Some people tried drinking milk from animals.
e. Some people started to drink milk from animals on a regular basis.
| A．c→d→b→e→a | B．d→e→b→c→a |
| C．d→b→e→c→a | D．e→d→b→c→a |
Most people in the USA can digest milk because __________
| A．they have strong stomachs |
| B．their ancestors were Europeans |
| C．that's where milk drinking started |
| D．farmers raise a lot of cows there |
Which of the following is LEAST likely to appear on the menu in a Japanese restaurant?
| A．Butter. | B．Vinegar. | C．Fish. | D．Beef. |
Which of the followings is the author most likely to agree with?
| A．Milk drinking first started in Northern Europe. |
| B．Milk drinking first started in Central Europe. |
| C．North American Indians were able to digest milk. |
| D．Dairy products are very popular in North Korea. |
The main focus of the scientists' research was __________.
| A．mutation of human genes |
| B．development of the human stomach |
| C．why milk drinking started |
| D．where milk drinking first started |
A jobless man wanted very much to have the position of " office boy" at Microsoft. The HR manager interviewed him and then watched him cleaning the floor as a test. " You have passed the test，" he said. "Give me your e-mail address and I'll send you the form to fill in and the date when you may start. " The man replied，"But I don't have a computer, neither an e-mail. " " I'm sorry，"said the HR manager. " If you don't have an e-mail, that means you are not living. And anyone who isn't living cannot have the job. "
The man left with no hope at all. He didn't know what to do with only $ 10 in his pocket. He thought and thought. Then he went to the supermarket and bought 10 kilos of tomatoes. He sold the tomatoes from door to door. In less than two hours, he had 20 dollars. He repeated the operation three times, and started to go early every day, and returned home late. Shortly, he bought a cart, then a truck, then he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles (运货车队）. Five years later, the man was one of the biggest food retailers(零售商)in the US.
One day, one of his friends asked him for his e-mail. He said，"I haven't got one. " His friend couldn't believe his ears. " Can you imagine what you could have been if you had an e-mail?" The man thought for a while and replied，" Yes, I'd be an office boy at Microsoft ！ " What did the man do for the test?
| A．He sent e-mails. | B．He did the cleaning. |
| C．He sold computers. | D．He filled in forms. |
The man didn't get the job because he __________.
| A．disliked such a job |
| B．didn't pass the test |
| C．didn't have an e-mail |
| D．knew nothing about computers |
The man __________ after he left Microsoft.
| A．went to look for another job |
| B．asked for food from door to door |
| C．thought of an idea to make money |
| D．bought a computer and got an e-mail |
Why could the man become one of the biggest food retailers in the US?
| A．Because he had many friends to help him. |
| B．Because he was smart and worked very hard. |
| C．Because he had his own fleet of delivery vehicles. |
| D．Because he wanted to show Microsoft he was living. |
What does the story want to tell us?
| A．Computers are very important in our daily life. |
| B．Everyone can make a lot of money with only $ 10. |
| C．The HR manager didn't find the ability of the man. |
| D．Nothing in the world is impossible if we work hard. |
Most American kids love Halloween treats, but a bucket of Halloween candy can be a dentist's nightmare. Some parents try to get rid of half of the candy after their children go to bed, but dentists say parents also need to separate the good kinds of treats from the bad.
It is not exactly what a child eats that truly matters, but how much time it stays in his mouth. According to pediatric dentist Dr. Kaneta Lott, the most damaging stuff is something that is sticky or very hard and thus stays in the mouth for a long time. This is because we all have bacteria in our mouths. When we eat, the bacteria take our food as their food and produce an acid that destroys the surface of the teeth, causing cavities to form. The longer the food stays in the mouth, the more likely cavities will develop. Therefore, potato chips are worse than candy because they get stuck between teeth. For the same reason, raisins and crackers are not the best choice. Hard candies take a long time to consume and are also a bad choice for Halloween treats.
If children really love candy, dentists recommend that they eat chocolate instead. Unlike hard candies, chocolate dissolves quickly in the mouth. Besides, chocolate contains tannins, which help to kill some of the bacteria in the mouth. But no matter what a child eats, brushing after eating is still the best way to fight cavities. What is the main purpose of this passage?
| A．To discuss how cavities can be treated. |
| B．To point out the problems with Halloween celebrations. |
| C．To tell parents what sweets are less damaging to their children's teeth. |
| D．To teach parents the meaning of Halloween candies for their children. |
Why are hard candies especially bad for teeth?
| A．They may break the child's teeth. |
| B．They contain too much sugar. |
| C．They help bacteria to produce tannins， |
| D．They stay in the mouth for a long time. |
According to the passage, which of the following is a better choice for Halloween treats?
A. Chocolate. B. Crackers.
C, Raisins. D. Potato chips. According to the passage, which of the following is true of tannins?
| A．They are produced when the bacteria digest the food. |
| B．They help to get rid of some bacteria in the mouth. |
| C．They help chocolate to dissolve more quickly. |
| D．They destroy the surface of the teeth. |
It is commonly known that Japan went from a 19th century national economy to a 20th century global economy in a time span of30 years between 1945 and 1975. What is less known is that Japan, understanding that fast efficient transport was the key to a global economy, was the first country in the world to introduce the " Bullet Train". Kawasaki Heavy Industries was duly appointed the manufacturer and the first high speed train went "on line" in 1964，The Shinkansen, as is known in Japan, made its first journey between her capital and Osaka, a distance of 301 miles, at a speed of132 mph.
The next country to introduce high speed trains was France. SNGF, the public rail system in France, was losing passengers to other forms of transport and introduced the TGV ( Train a Grande Vitesse) to counteract the trend in 1981. As a result of Opec controlling the oil market in 1974，the train was designed to be powered by gas turbines. It ran on a specially built track between Lyon and Paris. Eight years later another TGV was introduced, this time between the coast and Paris. Soon, France became the most rail efficient country in the world with high speed train connections to Belgium, London, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and the Netherlands.
There was another positive element that resulted from the introduction of high speed trains. Between 1964 and 1991，Japan's Shinkansen had transported in excess of three billion passengers without there being a single fatal accident and eleven years after France introduced the TGV, it still had a 100% safety record. This statistic has never been equaled by the traditional slow moving trains in any country.
China has become the fourth country to produce such trains, after France, Germany and Japan. China's first domestically produced bullet train with a maximum speed of 350 kilometers per hour has rolled off the production line. Equipped with highly-efficient power system, the currently fastest train in China is also energy efficient. When the train is running, it can transfer kinetic energy into electricity, so that it can ensure its electricity supply even when it is cut off from the power grids. In all，89 such trains are expected to be in commercial operation by the end of 2010. It was __________ that helped promote rapid economic growth in 30 years in Japan.
| A．manufacturers |
| B．ordinary trains |
| C．Internet |
| D．convenient transportation means |
France introduced high speed trains to __________.
| A．increase the number of passengers |
| B．fight against Opec |
| C．develop the finance of France |
| D．connect other cities |
Which of the following advantage (s) belongs to bullet train?
| A．Speedy and energy-wasting， |
| B．Slow but secure. |
| C．Fast and safe. |
| D．Crowded and expensive. |
What is the feature of the China's currently fastest train?
| A．It is the most advanced train in the world. |
| B．It can run faster than any other trains throughout the world. |
| C．It can produce electricity by energy transformation. |
| D．It can go into commercial operation. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Bullet trains are the most convenient means of transportation compared with others. |
| B．Bullet trains are the only key to developing the economy of a country. |
| C．Bullet trains can save time and energy for people. |
| D．Bullet trains have many advantages and are accepted by more and more countries. |
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