Ever feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day? A group of time-challenged Canadian women are wishing for a 25-hour clock．
Jessie Behan，president of the 25th Hour Coalition(联盟)which is a group of Canadian women who have changed to a longer day，said the struggle for women to maintain work-1ife balance motivated her to research the body’s natural clock．“Many of my girlfriends are having kids，getting married，and I see the sufferings of dealing all that when you’re a working woman，”she said．“Women like myself are sick of living their lives by a 24-hour clock．”
A 2007 study by Charles Czeisler found a switch to longer days could be beneficial，especially for frequent travelers，shift workers，astronauts and those who experience trouble sleeping or waking．
In a similar study，Czeisler showed the body’s natural clock averages 24 hours and 11 minutes in both young and older people．The current 360-degree clock has 720 minutes，giving each minute 0．5 degree．With the new 25-hour day，30 minutes is added to each 12-hour period making each minute 0.48 degree．
While still a relatively small movement—the 25th Hour Coalition has 160 Facebook members，Behan is hoping for large changes．“The goal is to get as many women on board；there’s no harm in just trying it out and seeing．If it gets big，maybe the government will decide to standardize it．”
A recent online survey by Reader's Digest，which included 150 people in each of the 13 countries，suggests it's not just Canadians looking for longer days．Readers were asked“what would you do with an extra hour”if given a choice between sleep，work，exercise and family time．In Spain，half of respondents(被访者)said they’d like an extra hour in the day to devote to family time．The same was found for respondents in Brazil，the US and Britain，who chose family time over sleep，which came in at a close second．Only in India did work top the list with 50 percent of respondents claiming they could use an extra hour at the office．Some Canadian working women are campaigning for the 25-hour day in order to_______．
| A．have more chances at work |
| B．keep a balance between life and work |
| C．experience something new |
| D．have a better sleep |
Jessie Behan want more women to join the 25th Hour Coalition because she________．
| A．intends to make more Facebook friends |
| B．hopes to get benefits from more people |
| C．considers it is harmless to form such an organization |
| D．thinks it can help those women to realize their dreams |
What is implied in the last paragraph?
| A．Respondents from most nations want more family time． |
| B．Respondents from developed countries experience more stress． |
| C．Most Canadian respondents claim that they need more family time． |
| D．Indians are the most hardworking of the 13 nations． |
Every day we experience one of the wonders of the world around us without even realizing it. It is not the amazing complexity of television, nor the impressive technology of transport. The universal wonder we share and experience is our ability to make noise without mouths, and so transmit ideas and thoughts to each other's minds. This ability comes so naturally that we tend to forget what a miracle (奇迹) it is.
Obviously, the ability to talk is something that marks humans off from animal. Of course, some animals have powers just as amazing, Birds can fly thousands miles by \observing positions of the stars in the sky in relation to the time of day and year. In Nature's talent show, humans are a species of animal that have developed their own special act. If we reduce it to basic terms, it's an ability for communicating information to others, by varying sounds we make as we breathe out.
Not that we don't have other powers of communication. Our facial expressions convey our emotions, such as anger, or joy, or disappointment. The way we hold our heads can indicate to others whether we are happy or sad. This is so-called “body language”. Bristling (直立的) fur is an unmistakable warning of attack among many animals. Similarly, the bowed head or drooping tail shows a readiness to take second place in any animal gathering.
Such a means of communication is a basic mechanism that animals, including human beings, instinctively acquire and display. Is the ability to speak just another sort of instinct? If so, how did human beings acquire this amazing skills ? Biologist can readily indicate that particular area of our brain where speech mechanisms function, but this doesn't tell us how that part of our bodies originated in our biological history. According to the passage, the wonder we take for granted is .
| A．our ability to use language |
| B．the miracle of technology |
| C．the amazing power of nature |
| D．our ability to make noises with mouth |
What feature of “body language” mentioned in the passage is common to both human an animals?
| A．Lifting heads when sad. |
| B．Keeping long faces when angry. |
| C．Bristling hair when ready to attack. |
| D．Bowing heads when willing to obey. |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 3?
| A．Body language is unique to humans. |
| B．Animals express emotions just as humans do. |
| C．Humans have other powers of communication. |
| D．Humans are no different from animals to some degree. |
This passage is mainly about .
| A．the development of body language. |
| B．the special role humans play in nature |
| C．the power to convey information to others |
| D．the difference between humans and animals in language use |
How words came into being is unknown.All we assume is that some early men invented cortain sounds,in one way or another,to express thoughts and feelings,actions and things,so that they could talk with each other.Later they agreed upon certain signs,called letters,which could be put together to show those sounds,and which could be written down.Those sounds,whether spoken or written in letters,are called words.
The power of words,then,lies in their associations-the things they bring up to our minds.Words become filled with meaning for us by experience;and the longer we live,the more certain words bring back to us the happy and sad events of our past;and the more we read and learn,the more the number of words that mean something to us increases.
Great writers are those who not only have great thoughts but also express these thoughts in words which have powerful effects on our minds and feelings.This clever use of words is what we call literary style.Above all,the real poet is a master of words.He can express his meaning in words which sing like music,and which by their position and association can move men to tears.We should therefore learn to choose our words carefully and use then correctly,or they will make our speech silly and common.We learn from the text that language might have begun with________.
| A．expressions |
| B．actions |
| C．signs |
| D．sounds |
What is mainly discussed in Faragraph 2?
| A．The ……of new words |
| B．The importance of old words |
| C．The relation of human experience with words |
| D．The gradual change and development of words |
In the last paragraph,what does the anthor suggest that we should do?
| A．Use words skilfully |
| B．Make musical speeches |
| C．Learn poems by heart |
| D．Associate with listeners |
The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added - a communications blackout caused by solar storms.
After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.
Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.
"The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. " A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometers per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.
Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.
Professor Richard Hold away, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advance warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage. What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what's caused the problem," he said. The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to _______during the 2012 Olympics.
| A．the extinguishing of the Olympic torch |
| B．the collapse of broadcasting systems |
| C．the transportation breakdown in London |
| D．the destruction of weather satellites |
What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?
| A．The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth. |
| B．The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle. |
| C．It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth. |
| D．The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections. |
According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _________.
| A．take images of the solar system |
| B．provide early warning of thunderstorms |
| C．keep track of solar activities |
| D．improve the communications on Earth |
Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
| A．Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer |
| B．Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger |
| C．Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race |
| D．Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled |
YANGON -- Myanmar has officially accepted an offer of the United States to send humanitarian aid (人道主义援助) to the country's cyclone (飓风;暴风) victims, state radio reported Friday in a night broadcast Myanmar Deputy Foreign Minister U Kyaw Thu gave the assurance Friday, saying that the country is receiving such relief aid from any country without limit at this time according to its policy of dealing with the disaster, the report said.
Kyaw Thu denied rumors about Myanmar's turning down of such relief materials from Western countries but accept those from nations in good relations with Myanmar, saying that the country has never done so in this case.
Kyaw Thu said that well wishers abroad may make cash donation（捐赠）through Myanmar embassies（使馆）stationed there, while those who like to donate relief goods may present at the Yangon International Airport and seaports.
According to the report, the US relief aid would arrive in Yangon in days.
A foreign ministry's statement said earlier on Friday that at this moment, the international community can best help the victims by donating emergency provisions such as medical supplies, food, cloth, electricity generator, and materials for emergency shelter or with financial assistance," adding that "Myanmar will wholeheartedly welcome such course of action".
The government and the people of Myanmar are grateful to the friendly nations,the United Nations,international organizations, non-governmental organizations, private individuals and others for their sympathy and generosity." it said. Which of the following is true?
| A．The US relief aid was turned down at first and then accepted. |
| B．The US relief aid has been sent to the capital city of Myanmar. |
| C．There are rumors（谣言）that Myanmar has turned down the US relief aid. |
| D．Myanmar will wholeheartedly welcome such course of action but the US relief aid. |
We Chinese may denote money to help the country's cyclone victims through_____.
| A．Myanmar embassies in Beijing. |
| B．the Yangon International Airport |
| C．the United Nations |
| D．the Yangon International seaports. |
What can the international community （组织）best help the victims in Myanmar?
| A．medical supplies |
| B．financial assistance |
| C．electricity generator |
| D．all of the above. |
The title that best expresses the idea of the passage is _______.
| A．How to help Myanmar. |
| B．Myanmar accepts US humanitarian aid officially. |
| C．Myanmar is receiving relief aid from any country without limit. |
| D．The government and the people of Myanmar are grateful. |
About twenty of us had been fortunate enough to receive invitations to a film-studio(影棚)to take part in a crowd-scene. Although our "act" would last only for a short time, we could see quite a number of interesting things.
We all stood at the far end of the studio as workmen prepared the scene, setting up trees at the edge of a winding path. Very soon, bright lights were turned on and the big movie-camera was wheeled into position. The director shouted something to the camera operator and then went to speak to the two famous actors nearby. Since it was hot in the studio, it came as a surprise to us to see one of the actors put on a heavy overcoat and start walking along the path. A big fan began blowing tiny white feathers down on him, and soon the trees were covered in "snow". Two more fans were turned on, and a "strong wind" blew through the trees. The picture looked so real that it made us feel cold.
The next scene was a complete contrast (对比). The way it was filmed was quite unusual. Pictures taken on an island in the Pacific were shown on a glass screen (幕). An actor and actress stood in front of the scene so that they looked as if they were at the water's edge on an island. By a simple trick like this, palm trees, sandy beaches, and blue, clear skies had been brought into the studio!
Since it was our turn next, we were left wondering what scene would be prepared for us. For a full three minutes in our lives we would be experiencing the excitement of being film "stars"! Who is the author?
| A．A cameraman. |
| B．A film director. |
| C．A crowd-scene actor. |
| D．A workman for scene setting. |
What made the author feel cold?
| A．The heavy snowfall. |
| B．The man-made scene. |
| C．The low temperature. |
| D．The film being shown. |
What would happen in the "three minutes" mentioned in the last paragraph?
| A．A new scene would be filmed. |
| B．More stars would act in the film. |
| C．The author would leave the studio. |
| D．The next scene would be prepared. |
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