For the past two years, 8-year-old Harli Jordean from Stoke Newington, London, has been selling marbles(弹珠). His successful marble company, Marble King, sells all things marble-related － from affordable tubs of the glass playthings to significantly expensive items like Duke of York solitaire tables － sourced, purchased and processed by the mini-CEO himself.
“I like having my own company. I like being the boss,” Harli told the Mirror.
With profits now in the thousands, “the world’s youngest CEO” has had to get his mother and older brothers to help him meet the growing demand.
Harli launched Marble King after swapping marbles at school led to schoolchildren consuming his marble collection. Yes, he literally “lost his marbles.” Harli and his mother, Tina, turned to the Internet to find replacements.
Harli saw an empty space online: the marbles he wanted were hard to find. Within months, Harli had his own marble-selling website － and orders started pouring in.
Tina says her son's attachment to marbles started when he was just 6.
“His attachment became so passionate that we started calling him the Marble King — so when he wanted to set up a website it was the natural name for it,” she told The Sun.
“I never thought it would become so popular － we are struggling to cope with the number of orders at times.”
The 8-year-old boy has his sights set on expanding his business and launching his own brand of marbles.
“Sometimes his ideas are so grand we have to scale them back a bit. But his dream is still to own Britain's biggest marble shop and open stores around the world,” Tina told The Daily Mail.
“At the moment he is annoying me by creating his own Marble King marbles － so that could well be the next step for him.”Harli’s Marble Company became popular as soon as he launched it because ______.
| A．it was run by “the world’s youngest CEO” |
| B．it filled the gap of online marble trade |
| C．Harli was fascinated with marble collection |
| D．Harli met the growing demand of the customers |
How many mass media are mentioned in the passage?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
The underlined expression “scale them back” is closest in meaning to ______.
| A．hold them down | B．carry them out |
| C．set them aside | D．clear them away |
What message do the last two paragraphs carry?
| A．Conflicts often occur between Harli Jordean and his family. |
| B．Harli’s mother and brothers are worried about Marble King’s future. |
| C．Marble King marbles will surely attract more fans around the world. |
| D．The “Marble King” has great ambition for his Marble King company. |
Do You Want To Change the Future of Education?
Our goal is to give a world-class education to everyone, everywhere, regardless of gender, income or social status.
Today, edx.org, a not-for-profit website, provides hundreds of thousands of people from around the globe with access to free education .We offer amazing quality classes by the best professors from the best schools. We enable our members to find out a new passion that will transform their lives and their communities.
Around the world from coast to coast, in over 192 countries, people are making the decision to take one or several of our courses. As we continue to grow our operations, we are looking for talented passionate people with great ideas to join the edX team. We aim to create an environment that is supportive ,diverse, and as fun as our brand.If you’re hardworking and ready to contribute to an unparalleled member experience for our community, we really want you to apply.
As part of the edX team, you’ll receive:
·Competitive compensation
·Generous benefits package
·Free lunch every day
·A great workplace where everyone cares and wants to change the world
While we appreciate every applicant’s interest, only those under consideration will be contacted .We regret that phone calls will not be accepted. We promise that every applicant will be treated fairly.
All positions are located in our Cambridge offices.What’s the aim of the text?
| A．To give an introduction to edX. |
| B．To encourage people to join edX. |
| C．To predict the future of education. |
| D．To advise us to choose quality education. |
What does edX mainly do?
| A．Providing free courses. |
| B．Studying people’s learning habits. |
| C．Discovering people’s new passion. |
| D．Researching the trend of education . |
According to the text, edX____?
| A．aims to change the world |
| B．tries to build more schools |
| C．has schools in nearly 200 countries |
| D．teaches people how to choose their courses |
Nothing evokes(唤起)Alaska like a whale exploding out of the water or an eagle pulling a silver fish from the river .Combine these images with high mountains，brilliant icebergs and wonderful meals and you really do have the Best of Alaska! Join us for an unforgettable 7-day excursion(远足)to the last frontier!
Highlights：
JUNEAU：Juneau, the state capital，is rich in culture and scenic beauty．It is here that we start and end our trip．
HAINES：Haines is a small community located along the fjords(海湾)．The natural beauty and expansive wilderness found here have made Haines a premier center for adventure in Alaska. ALASKA INDIAN ARTS：Alaska Indian Arts is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preservation and continuation of traditional native craft and culture of the Northwest Native Tribes．We spend a few hours learning carving, native beading(玻璃珠)and culture from these master artists．
SKAGWAY：Skagway is a lively town，which still reflects its gold rush roots and contains colorful shops．In Skagway, we stop by the Klondike Gold Rush National Park Visitor's Center and ride the White Pass Yukon Route Railway．
GUSTAVUS：Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park．We’II stay at a comfortable lodge here for two nights．This will be the base for both the whale-watching excursion and a full day cruise in Glacier Bay．
DATES／PRICES：
May 15，June 17，July 16，August 14．
7 days—＄3500，including lodging，all meals，excursions，guides，park fees，sales taxes，and transportation between Juneau，Skagway, Haines，and Gustavus．Not included：Alcohol，personal items，airfare to and from Juneau．
Contact：
E-mail：info@alaskamountainguides．com
Call：800—766—3396
Write：Alaska Mountain Guides &Climbing School
P.O．Box 1081，Haines AK 99827According to the advertisement, the participants of the excursion_________．
| A．will spend one day experiencing the local culture at Alaska Indian Arts |
| B．can contact Alaska Mountain Guides & Climbing School by email or fax |
| C．are able to experience some adventurous activities in Haines |
| D．can get lots of traditional native artworks free of charge |
You can feel the history of the local place at______．
| A．Juneau | B．Skagway | C．Haines | D．Gustavus |
You can watch a whale exploding out of the water at______．
| A．Glacier Bay National Park |
| B．the Klondike Gold Rush National Park |
| C．the White Pass Yukon |
| D．the Northwest Native Tribes |
Which of the following is a participant required to pay additional fees?
| A．Going from Gustavus to Juneau by train． |
| B．A full day cruise in Glacier Bay． |
| C．Having the last supper at Juneau． |
| D．Flying from Juneau to his hometown． |
Humans aren’t the only ones getting a buzz from coffee．Caffeine can improve memory among honeybees and lead to better pollination(授粉)．According to a recent study published in the journal Science．
The study was conducted by a team of researchers at Newcastle University in the United Kingdom．They found that the nectar(花蜜)of some flowers，such as those from grapefruit and lemon plants，as well as certain coffee flowers，contains low doses of caffeine．To get bees to feed on these flowers，the team trained the insects to associate food with the smell of the flowers．They also trained another group of bees to feed on nectar from flowers that were sweetened with a sugar, but did not contain caffeine．After 24 hours，the bees trained on caffeinated flowers returned to these plants three times as often as those trained on the sweetened flowers returned to the uncaffeinated plants．
Professor Geraldine Wright led the researchers．“Remembering floral traits(花部特征)is difficult for bees to perform at a fast pace as they fly from flower to flower and we found that caffeine helps the bee remember where the flowers are，”Wright said in a statement．
Improved memory led to the better pollination．That’s because once bees sip the caffeine nectar, they continue to look for more coffee plants to pollinate．This also suggests that caffeine plays a role in improving the bees’ability to search for food．
Researchers found that caffeine’s effect on the bee brain is similar to its effect on mammals．“The change is similar to that produced by caffeine in neurons(神经元)associated with learning and memory in the rat brain，”Wright said．
Bee populations have declining since 2007．The dramatic drop in the insects’numbers has serious effects for ecosystems and the farming industry．Bees are needed in the reproduction of crops and spreading wild flower species．Understanding what keeps bees buzzing could help to make sure that the insects are able to remember and pollinate their favorite flowers．Which of the following is mentioned in the passage?
| A．Caffeine has no effect on the rat brain． |
| B． Bee population has been increasing． |
| C．The nectar of lemon plants contains caffeine． |
| D．Bees dislike nectar from sweetened flowers． |
After reading the passage，John，who works in the farming industry, will probably feel________.
| A．annoyed | B．angry | C．nervous | D．excited |
Which of the following relationship is correct according to the passage?
| A．improved memory—caffeine nectar—better pollination |
| B．caffeine nectar—improved memory—better pollination |
| C．improved memory—better pollination—caffeine nectar |
| D．caffeine nectar—better pollination—improved memory |
What section of a newspaper may this passage be taken from?
| A．Science | B．Education |
| C．Culture | D．Sports |
Robots that can chat，find misplaced glasses，draw aeroplanes and play with your children are attracting thousands of visitors during an expo in Tokyo as Japan adapts to changes in society．
Robots，such as the sound．sensitive Chapit，answer simple questions and even joke with people to help them fight loneliness and stay alert in old age．
Japan has one of the world’s fastest-ageing societies and the government predicts that by 2050 the proportion of people over 65 will reach 40 percent．”Many older people in Japan live alone and have no one to talk to，”said Kazuya Kitamura representative of the expo organizer．“Communication robots accompany people and don’t mind listening to the same stories over and over again．”
Matsumoto’s“Personal Mobility Robot，”equipped with four cameras and a sensor to recognize the user's centre of gravity, is designed to help elderly move around without pressing buttons．using joysticks(操纵杆)or rotating wheels as in traditional wheelchairs．
The robot can also help find misplaced glasses by identifying them with a sensor．
Other robots，such as the award-winning“DiGRO”can support busy parents who have little time to play with their children．The robot can use the Internet to find a simple image and then draw pictures，keeping children company while parents work．
While Chapit，a relatively simple robot，managed to attract a corporate partner many researchers，such as Kiyoshi Matsumoto，a professor at the University of Tokyo，struggle to attract sponsors for more expensive projects．
“We have developed a robot that can assist many people，but we still haven’t found a sponsor,”said Matsumoto，who added that the cost of the machine，if mass-produced，would be comparable to that of a car．”In the current economic environment there are few companies willing to invest in such a costly project，”he said．It can be inferred from the text that_______．
| A．many children lack love from parents |
| B．robots helpful to the old will be in great demand |
| C．robots are the most useful to children |
| D．robots do better than people in healthcare |
It is difficult to find sponsors for robots because______.
| A．Japan is suffering economy depression |
| B．the robots are of poor design |
| C．the production of robots costs a lot |
| D．the future market is worrying |
What is the author’s attitude towards the robots referred to?
| A．Unsatisfied． | B．Doubtful． |
| C．Favorable． | D．Regretful． |
Kenji Croman has broken his bones，his shoulder and elbow, and nearly drowned several times．He’s also had three close encounters with sharks over the years．A 10-foot wave landed directly on top of him five years ago，bending his body to the point that he actually kicked himself in the head．”I literally heard every bone in my body crack．”he said．
Croman has been photographing ocean waves since 2008，sometimes risking his life to get that perfect shot at the surf break．Despite the risks and certain injuries that come with wave photography, the Hawaii resident，body surfer and former competitive swimmer wouldn’t do anything else．The 36-year-old photographer loves the thrill of meeting breaking waves head on，shooting waves as his interest and shooting surfers to pay the bills．
The process of photographing waves requires more than just swimming out to where the surf breaks and waiting，he says．The night before a photo shoot Croman checks Surfline.com，a website and the coastal camera network that provides live and predicted ocean weather information，to see what the winds，waves and tide will be like at certain times．Croman has both a primary camera and a backup for emergencies．He goes without a wetsuit and uses heavy duty underwater housing to protect his camera．There is no great way for him to protect himself．He admits there are probably protective clothes he should be wearing，but there is little he could have done to decrease the impact of the 10-foot wave that crashed on top of him．
The hardest part of Croman’s job is staying calm in the face of breaking waves when his initial reaction is to panic and swim away．At most．Croman will take two to three shots of a single wave．”I've shot waves for so many years now that I see the wave in slow movement，”he said．What do we know about Kenji Croman’s job from the first paragraph?
| A．It is a game of death． |
| B．It is full of mysteries． |
| C．It requires patience． |
| D．It calls for courage． |
How does Kenji Croman make a living?
| A．By taking swimming races． |
| B．By teaching photography． |
| C．By shooting surfers． |
| D．By surfing waves． |
Why does Kenji Croman check the websites like Surfline.com?
| A．To get better prepared for shooting． |
| B．To predict something about weather． |
| C．To learn more about surfing waves． |
| D．To buy better equipment for safety． |
What would be the best title of the text?
| A．Taking adventures around the ocean |
| B．Risking his life for the perfect wave |
| C．Making preparations for life risks |
| D．Appreciating breaking waves in danger |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号