Life in the Clear
Transparent animals let light pass through their bodies the same way light passes through a window. These animals typically live between the surface of the ocean and a depth of about 3,300 feet—as far as most light can reach. Most of them are extremely delicate and can be damaged by a simple touch. Sonke Johnsen, a scientist in biology, says, “These animals live through their life alone. They never touch anything unless they’re eating it, or unless something is eating them.”
And they are as clear as glass. How does an animal become see-through? It’s trickier than you might think.
The objects around you are visible because they interact with light. Light typically travels in a straight line. But some materials slow and scatter(散射) light, bouncing it away from its original path. Others absorb light, stopping it dead in its tracks. Both scattering and absorption make an object look different from other objects around it, so you can see it easily.
But a transparent object doesn’t absorb or scatter light, at least not very much, Light can pass through it without bending or stopping. That means a transparent object doesn’t look very different from the surrounding air or water. You don’t see it ----you see the things behind it.
To become transparent, an animal needs to keep its body from absorbing or scattering light. Living materials can stop light because they contain pigments(色素) that absorb specific colors of light. But a transparent animal doesn’t have pigments, so its tissues won’t absorb light. According to Johnsen, avoiding absorption is actually easy. The real challenge is preventing light from scattering.
Animals are built of many different materials----skin, fat, and more----and light moves through each at a different speed. Every time light moves into a material with a new speed, it bends and scatters. Transparent animals use different tricks to fight scattering. Some animals are simply very small or extremely flat. Without much tissue to scatter light, it is easier to be see—through. Others build a large, clear mass of non-living jelly-lie(果冻状的)material and spread themselves over it .
Larger transparent animals have the biggest challenge, because they have to make all the different tissues in their bodies slow down light exactly as much as water does. They need to look uniform. But how they’re doing it is still unknown. One thing is clear for these larger animals, staying transparent is an active process. When they die, they turn a non-transparent milky white.According to Paragraph 1, transparent animals_______.
| A．stay in groups |
| B．can be easily damaged |
| C．appear only in deep ocean |
| D．are beautiful creatures |
The underlined word “dead” in Paragraph 3 means__________.
| A．silently | B．gradually |
| C．regularly | D．completely |
One way for an animal to become transparent is to ________.
| A．change the direction of light travel |
| B．gather materials to scatter light. |
| C．avoid the absorption of light |
| D．grow bigger to stop light. |
The last paragraph tells us that larger transparent animals________.
| A．move more slowly in deep water |
| B．stay see-through even after death |
| C．produce more tissues for their survival |
| D．take effective action to reduce light spreading |
By learning each other’s languages, and by showing such curiosity and respect for each other’s cultures, Mr. Schafer and Ms. Zhu and all of you are building bridges of understanding that will lead to so much more. And I’m here today because I know that our future depends on connections like these among young people like you across the globe.
That’s why when my husband and I travel abroad, we don’t just visit palaces and parliaments and meet with heads of state. We also come to schools like this one to meet with students like you, because we believe that relationships between nations aren’t just about relationships between governments or leaders -- they’re about relationships between people, particularly young people. So we view study abroad programs not just as an educational opportunity for students, but also as a vital part of America’s foreign policy.
Through the wonders of modern technology, our world is more connected than ever before. Ideas can cross oceans with the click of a button. Companies can do business and compete with companies across the globe. And we can text, email, Skype with people on every continent.
So studying abroad isn’t just a fun way to spend a semester; it is quickly becoming the key to success in our global economy. Because getting ahead in today’s workplaces isn’t just about getting good grades or test scores in school, which are important. It’s also about having real experience with the world beyond your borders —— experience with languages, cultures and societies very different from your own. Or, as the Chinese saying goes: “It is better to travel ten thousand miles than to read ten thousand books.”
But let’s be clear, studying abroad is about so much more than improving your own future. It’s also about shaping the future of your countries and of the world we all share. Because when it comes to the defining challenges of our time – whether it’s climate change or economic opportunity or the spread of nuclear weapons -- these are shared challenges. And no one country can confront them alone. The only way forward is together.
That’s why it is so important for young people like you to live and study in each other’s countries, because that’s how you develop that habit of cooperation. You do it by immersing yourself in one another’s culture, by learning each other’s stories, by getting past the stereotypes and misconceptions that too often divide us.
That’s how you come to understand how much we all share. That’s how you realize that we all have a stake in each other’s success -- that cures discovered here in Beijing could save lives in America, that clean energy technologies from Silicon Valley in California could improve the environment here in China, that the architecture of an ancient temple in Xi’an could inspire the design of new buildings in Dallas or Detroit.
And that’s when the connections you make as classmates or labmates can blossom into something more. That’s what happened when Abigail Coplin became an American Fulbright Scholar here at Peking University. She and her colleagues published papers together in top science journals, and they built research partnerships that lasted long after they returned to their home countries. And Professor Niu Ke from Peking University was a Fulbright Scholarship -- Scholar in the U.S. last year, and he reported -- and this is a quote from him -- he said, “The most memorable experiences were with my American friends.”
These lasting bonds represent the true value of studying abroad. And I am thrilled that more and more students are getting this opportunity. As you’ve heard, China is currently the fifth most popular destination for Americans studying abroad, and today, the highest number of exchange students in the U.S. are from China.
But still, too many students never have this chance, and some that do are hesitant to take it. They may feel like studying abroad is only for wealthy students or students from certain kinds of universities. Or they may think to themselves, well, that sounds fun but how will it be useful in my life? And believe me, I understand where these young people are coming from because I felt the same way back when I was in college. （708）
What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?
| A．We often visit palaces and parliaments and meet with heads of state. |
| B．The relationships between people are very important. |
| C．Study abroad programs is just as an educational opportunity for students. |
| D．Study abroad programs is a vital part of America’s foreign policy. |
The writer uses the Chinese saying to_________.
| A．emphasize that real experience is more important than test scores. |
| B．show us that studying abroad is fun. |
| C．emphasize that getting good grades or test scores in school, which are important. |
| D．show us that studying abroad is the key to success. |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．studying abroad can only improve your own future. |
| B．studying abroad can develop that habit of lifestyle. |
| C．studying abroad can shape the future of your countries and of the world we all share. |
| D．China is currently the first most popular destination for Americans studying abroad. |
According to the last paragraph, what will the writer write in the next paragraph?
| A．The writer will write something about her college life. |
| B．The writer will write the advanges of studying abroad. |
| C．The writer will write that the America will offer more opportunities for foreign students. |
| D．The writer will write that the America will offer more money for the poor students. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．Studying abroad is only for wealthy students. |
| B．Studying abroad is very important and she encourages young people to study abroad. |
| C．The highest number of exchange students in the U.S. are from China. |
| D．Building bridges of understanding will lead to bright future. |
About 6 months ago, I joined a gym. Every morning, one personal trainer works out there while my little group does our workout. He follows his routine with such a quiet determination that he makes it look very easy; I know how hard he is working. When I am tempted to whine and quit, I watch him push himself to his own limits, and I find myself motivated to work harder and without complaint.
A couple of weeks ago, I was watching him do chin-ups. He made them look effortless. I broke away from my group and asked him if I could have a chin-up. I had never tried that before, but he just made it look so easy. He eagerly stepped aside and encouraged me to step up to the bar. I pulled myself up without thinking...once...then twice. That was all I had in me — I had no strength left. I told him that was all I had, so he stepped up behind me and pushed me up for a third and fourth pull. It felt so good. I felt strong and I smiled from ear to ear.
The next day when I finished my workout, I asked him to spot me. I did two, again. I thought it was pathetic (可悲的) that I could only do two. But when I came to the gym at the end of the week, he was standing there just shaking his head. When I asked him what was up, he said he was impressed with my chin-ups. He told me that when they were training firefighters, men were required to do 5 chin-ups, and women were required to do 1 or 2. He explained that most people couldn’t do them at all, and that he was impressed that I could. He further told me that if I practiced every day, I would be doing 5 or 6 in no time. At this point I should probably add that I am 50 years old and I am female.
It was because he told me I could that I just jumped in and gave it a try, and I did it! I didn’t see it as a great accomplishment, because I didn’t realize that it was difficult and it became my goal to get stronger. No one told me I couldn’t do it; instead, I was encouraged to try. Now I’ve learned how important it is to support others in our endeavors and to let them know that we believe they can do it.
I personally want to be like my trainer; standing there behind the people that I love, encouraging them, believing in them and being ready to catch them when they get tired. I will be the one that is there on the second and third day making sure they try again, because I know they can.
The writer worked harder probably because .
| A．she had a strong determination |
| B．she wanted to become successful |
| C．she was encouraged by the trainer |
| D．she liked to do chin-ups very much |
The writer was happy when .
| A．she did the first two chin-ups |
| B．she helped the trainer out of trouble |
| C．she saw the trainer doing chin-ups easily |
| D．she did more chin-ups with the trainer’s help |
In the trainer’s opinion, the writer .
| A．didn’t work hard at practice |
| B．could only do 1 or 2 chin-ups |
| C．was too old to do any chin-ups |
| D．could do as many chin-ups as male firefighters |
What did the trainer probably say when the writer tried to have a chin-up?
| A．You can do it! |
| B．It’s nothing for you. |
| C．You’d better give it up. |
| D．I’m afraid you can’t. |
The writer would like to be a person .
| A．who can gain great achievements |
| B．who can encourage and help others |
| C．who probably never feels tired at all |
| D．who enjoys standing behind others |
San Diego resident Rob Greenfield just reached his goal of going a year without showering. And, surprisingly, he says it wasn’t that hard.
The founder of an environmentally friendly marketing company, Greenfield started his project with a bike ride across America.
Greenfield set a few rules for himself on his ride, meant to promote sustainability and eco-friendly living: He could only harvest water from natural sources like rivers and rain, or from wasted sources like leaky faucets. He also had to keep track of exactly how much he used, hoping to show just how little he needed to get by.
Over his 100-day bike trip, Greenfield was able to use less than two gallons of water a day, or eight Nalgene bottles.
After making it through the 100-day bike ride without a shower, Greenfield decided to try to go six months. Once that passed, he figured he might as well go a full year.
All he used was organic soap, toothpaste, and essential oils.“Nobody thought that I smelled at all,” he wrote on his blog. “And I surprised myself at how clean I was, just like everyone else.” Greenfield says he had no lack of friends, and sometimes they’d even join him.
He even had a few romances, which he says were the times he felt the most challenged.
“The hardest part were the times when a beautiful girl wanted me to get in the shower with her and I had to say no,” he told BuzzFeed. “A few times I almost got in and then remembered I was aiming for a year without showers.”
He said it was also difficult when the temperature dropped in San Diego, and he didn’t feel like having to go to the Pacific Ocean for a dip. But he still did it.
“I realized that water doesn’t have to come from a shower head to get me clean,” he wrote.
In Brooklyn, for example, he found a bath in a leaky fire hydrant.
For people who don’t live near bodies of water but want to be more eco-friendly, Greenfield recommends trying to be conscious of water usage, taking shorter or fewer showers, and turning off your faucet.
The world traveler told BuzzFeed his biggest takeaway from the project has been abolishing stereotypes.
“A short time ago I would have thought it crazy to forgo conventional showers,” he said. “Turns out it’s not really a big deal at all. We have a tendency to make instant character judgments based on clothing, style, race, sexual preference, political affiliation, and even bathing habits, and most of the time we’re just absolutely wrong.”
So is he done showering forever? He’s not sure, but it sounds like he’s not ready to throw in the towel (pun intended) just yet.
“Maybe I never will again or maybe I’ll shower tomorrow,” he said. “All I know is that I feel really darn good right now and I’m having a positive impact on our society.”495From the paragraphs， we can infer that__________.
| A．Greenfield had lack of friends because he didn’t showered. |
| B．Rob Greenfield hasn’t bathed in the past year. |
| C．Greenfield was able to use less than two gallons of water a day. |
| D．Greenfield has showered using water from natural sources in the past year. |
Greenfield didn’t get in the shower with a beautiful girl because________.
| A．he didn’t like girls. |
| B．there is no enough water to use. |
| C．he wanted to save some water. |
| D．he meant what he said. |
What does the underlined word “faucet.”mean？
| A．light |
| B．tap |
| C．gas |
| D．water |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．Greenfield is the founder of an environmentally friendly marketing company. |
| B．Greenfield has a positive impact on the society. |
| C．Greenfield made a full year plan of no showering at the beginning. |
| D．Over his 100-day bike trip, Greenfield was able to use less than eight Nalgene bottles of water a day. |
The author writes this story to tell us that_________.
| A．Greenfield is a determined man. |
| B．we should save water as much as possible. |
| C．we should mean what we said. |
| D．Greenfield hasn’t showered for a full year. |
Now we go to the northern Indian state Himachal Pradesh to look at the effects of rising temperatures right now. The town of Manali is in the Kullu Valley. It is economically dependent on the thousands of people who travel up the Himalaya Mountains every year to escape the heat of the Indian plains.
D.S. Aditya is manager of Sterling Resorts in Manali. He says many people like to visit a snow-covered pass that lies about 50 kilometers up one mountain.
"Wherever you go like there's one destination, this is famous. If you visited Manali, Rohtang is main attraction. Because of the snow."The Rohtang Pass has many more visitors now than it did 10 years ago, thanks partly to the growing financial success of India's middle class. In summer months, more than two thousand vehicles crowd the narrow mountain road.
Ravi Thakur of Himalayan Caravan Adventure has lived in Manali since he was a child.
"Twenty years ago, we could count how many cars are here in Manali. Now, if you come in season time, we do have traffic jam for four, five, six kilometers on the Rohtang Road."
Visitors enjoy the beauty of the pass. But environmentalists are warning about the increasing traffic on mountains and glaciers.
J.C. Kuniyal is a scientist at the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development. He is studying temperature changes in the Rohtang area. He says temperatures in the Kullu Valley have risen about six-tenths of a degree Celsius. That is about the same as the average increase worldwide.
But, what worries him is the effects of uncontrolled tourism on the mountain ecosystem.
"I have seen that the regions which are facing a high influx due to floating population or human activity, there aerosols（气态悬浮物） are increasing. These are supposed to be the main causes to melt the Himalayan glaciers."
The aerosol gases come both from diesel-powered vehicles and burning of wood for cooking by local people. The smoke leaves thick black ash on the glaciers. This causes them to absorb, or take in, more heat.
Local people are witnessing the effects of climate change and human activity on glaciers. Ravi Thakur has been walking the mountains since childhood. He says he has seen a loss of mountain snow and glacial ice.
"We keep going every year, almost to the same routes, and I have seen that glaciers, they are receding. In 15 years I have seen that big change."
That has raised concerns. The area's local glaciers are the headwaters for rivers like the Indus and the Ganges. The two rivers are the source of fresh water for millions of people in South Asia.
Pradipto Ghosh is a director at the Energy and Resources Institute in New Delhi.
"If the present trend of gradual loss of net glacial mass continues, then over time the flow from the glaciers would reduce."
Scientists say there is serious concern about water for agriculture on the Indian plains. Arun Shrestha is a climate change specialist at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development in Nepal.
"Those communities, their agricultural system relies quite heavily on melt water."
Some people, like mountain guide Ravi Thakur, worry about possible changes in the future.
"Till I leave my life, we won't be facing those scarcity of water, but later on, the coming generation, they will have problems."
Environmentalists will continue trying to establish how deep those problems might become.Why does the Rohtang Pass have many more visitors than before?
| A．because the Indian people have more vehicles. |
| B．because it is becoming hotter and hotter in the Indian plains. |
| C．because India's middle class is becoming rich. |
| D．because the Rohtang Pass is more famous than before. |
Which of the following statements is not the reason why aerosols（气态悬浮物） are increasing?
| A．The flowing population is becoming larger. |
| B．The human activities here are more frequent. |
| C．More vehicles come here and local people burn wood for cooking. |
| D．The melt water is becoming less and less. |
What does the underlined word “receding”mean in the twelfth paragraph？
| A．become weaker and smaller. |
| B．move back. |
| C．become larger. |
| D．change greatly. |
Why do the Scientists care about water for agriculture on the Indian plains?
| A．because the area's local glaciers are the headwaters for rivers like the Indus and the Ganges. |
| B．because gradual loss of net glacial mass continues, the water for agriculture from the glaciers would reduce. |
| C．because people there face the scarcity of water now. |
| D．because we should be responsible for our coming generation. |
What is the main idea of the passage?
| A．The Rohtang Pass has many more visitors now than it did 10 years ago. |
| B．Scientists care about water for agriculture on the Indian plains. |
| C．The temperature is rising and the human activity is the main cause. |
| D．The mountain snow and glacial ice are reducing. |
What type of writing is the article likely to be?
| A．Science report | B．A medical report |
| C．A news report | D．Advertisement |
California Prisoners Fight Fires
The western state of California is known for wildfires. This year the fire season has been extremely active. California has some of the most experienced firefighters in the country because of its high risk of fire. Prisoners in California also take part in firefighting efforts. Mario Ritter tells us how and why.
Every morning prisoners in orange clothing go to their jobs as fire fighters. If there is no fire at the time, they carefully clean all the tools needed to make firebreaks. Firebreaks are barriers made of grass or land that slow or stop the spread of fire.
In California, prisoners who have no history of violent crime and are in good physical condition may train and work as firefighters. They may get their prison sentences reduced in exchange for their help fighting fires. But that is not the only appeal of the work program, says Louie Orozco, who was sentenced to prison for robbery.
"It's pretty exciting. It's an adrenaline rush, it's fun at the same time. You're expected to go out there and fight fires. Climb thousands of feet up hills, rocky terrain, and sometimes sandy terrain, with tools you got anywhere between30 and 50 pounds of gear on your back."
Prisoners in California have been working as firefighters for more than 60 years. They also serve the community in other ways, says Captain Mike Mahler of the state's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
"Our crews are used during floods, search and rescue operations. They put in about 2.5 million hours a year just in emergency response alone."
More than 4, 000 California prisoners work as firefighters. California is not the only state that uses prisoners this way. But, the state's program is seen as a national model.
The prisoners often work side-by-side with professional firefighters. Captain Kevin Krauss has been supervising prisoner firefighters for seven years.
"I treat them like firefighters. I demand they act like firefighters and I tell them if they want to be heroes, they can be out here, if they want to be zeroes they can go back and they can be incarcerated inside. It's their choice."
Captain Krauss says most of them choose to stay with the difficult and often dangerous job, instead of spending their days behind prison walls.
"They get baptized by the devil out on the line. It's hot, it's dry, it’s physically demanding. (There is) Sleep deprivation."
The prisoners receive a small wage. The program began as a way to reduce the cost of fighting fires. Now, however, the program helps rehabilitate prisoners, providing them with skills helpful in ways beyond firefighting.
Louie Orozco says this experience has helped him believe in himself.
"Mentally I see that I can do things I never thought possible. Climbing thousands and thousands of feet up a mountain with gear on your back."
The prisoner firefighter will turn 40 this year. He will be released from prison in six months. He says he is too old to keep fighting fires. But Mr. Orozco also has some graphic design skills he learned from another prison program. He plans to use that skill to start a new life.
And he will know that after fighting wildfires, he can face any problems that might come with life after prison.What does the underlined word mean in the second paragraph？
| A．灭火器 | B．防火障 | C．消防员 | D．消火栓 |
In California, what kind of prisoners can be trained as firefighters？
| A．prisoners who have history of violent crime and are in good physical condition. |
| B．prisoners who have no history of violent crime and are strong. |
| C．prisoners who was sentenced to prison for robbery and are not in good physical condition.. |
| D．prisoners whose prison sentences reduced and who are in good physical condition. |
According to the passage , we know about Louie Orozco EXCEPT__________.
| A．Louie Orozco was sentenced to prison for robbery. |
| B．He has been released from prison for six months. |
| C．He will turn 40 this year. |
| D．He is too old to keep fighting fires. |
From the passage，we can infer from the passage that__________.
| A．The prisoners often work side-by-side with professional firefighters without being supervising. |
| B．The prisoners are forced to trained as firefighters. |
| C．More than one state in America uses prisoners as firefighters. |
| D．All the prisoners in California like to work as firefighters. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号