A build-it-yourself solar still（蒸馏器） is one of the best ways to obtain drinking water in areas where the liquid is not readily available. Developed by two doctors in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, it's an excellent water collector. Unfortunately, you must carry the necessary equipment with you, since it's all but impossible to find natural substitutes. The only components required, though, are a 5＇ 
5＇ sheet of clear or slightly milky plastic, six feet of plastic tube, and a container- perhaps just a drinking cup - to catch the water. These pieces can be folded into a neat little pack and fastened on your belt.
To construct a working still, use a sharp stick or rock to dig a hole four feet across and three feet deep. Try to make the hole in a damp area to increase the water catcher'sproductivity. Place your cup in the deepest part of the hole. Then lay the tube in place so that one end rests all the way in the cup and the rest of the line runs up - and out - the side of the hole.
Next, cover the hole with the plastic sheet, securing the edges of the plastic with dirt and weighting the sheet's center down with a rock. The plastic should now form a cone(圆锥体) with 45-degree-angled sides. The low point of the sheet must be centered directly over, and no more than three inches above, the cup.
The solar still works by creating a greenhouse under the plastic. Ground water evaporates (蒸发) and collects on the sheet until small drops of water form, run down the material and fall off into the cup. When the container is full, you can suck the refreshment out through the tube, and won't have to break down the still every time you need a drink.
32. What do we know about the solar still equipment from the first paragraph?
| A． |
It's delicate. |
B． |
It's expensive. |
| C． |
It's complex. |
D． |
It's portable. |
33. What does the underlined phrase "the water catcher" in paragraph 2 refer to?
| A． |
The tube. |
B． |
The still. |
| C． |
The hole. |
D． |
The cup. |
34. What's the last step of constructing a working solar still?
| A． |
Dig a hole of a certain size. |
B． |
Put the cup in place. |
| C． |
Weight the sheet's center down. |
D． |
Cover the hole with the plastic sheet. |
35. When a solar still works, drops of water come into the cup form .
| A． |
the plastic tube |
B． |
outside the hole |
| C． |
the open air |
D． |
beneath the sheet |
A new survey finds that more than eighty percent of Internet users in the United States search for health information online. The survey found that searching online is one of the leading ways that people look for a second opinion though doctors are still the main source of health information.
Forty-four percent of people are actually looking for doctors or other providers when they search for health information online. Another finding of the survey: Two-thirds of Internet users look online for information about a specific disease or medical condition.
The Internet has also become an important source of emotional support for people with health problems. Susannah Fox says one in five Internet users has gone online to find other people who have the same condition. It was more popular among people with more serious health issues—one in four people living with chronic diseases (慢性病). And it was basically off the charts with people living with rare disease. They are so eager to find other people online who share their health concerns.
A disease is considered rare if it affects fewer than two hundred thousand people worldwide. The rise of social networking has made it easier for people with rare diseases to connect with each other and feel less alone. Social networking is also changing the way some doctors and patients communicate with each other. Dr. Jeff Livingston operates a medical center for women in Irving, Texas. His office uses password-protected software to share information with patients.
“We provide the patient full access to their medical care. Anything I can see, the patient can see. All of their notes, all of their doctor visits are right there. All of their lab work is right there.” Dr. Livingston says the software has increased efficiency, reduced costs and improved relations with patients.From the first paragraph, we can know _________.
| A．most online health information is reliable |
| B．more people now turn to the Internet for medical advice |
| C．people shouldn’t rely on the Internet for medical advice |
| D．doctors are no longer the patients’ first choice |
The underlined words “off the charts” in Paragraph 3 mean _________.
| A．very popular | B．not accessible | C．far away from | D．not attractive |
By using social networking, patients with rare diseases can _________.
| A．find effective cures | B．get emotional comfort |
| C．ask for financial support | D．consult doctors anytime |
Which of the following is NOT true of Dr. Livingston’s software?
| A．It cuts down medical expenses. |
| B．It decreases the time spent on medical care. |
| C．It takes doctors closer to their patients. |
| D．It gives patients a medical test online. |
Imagine an eco-conscious city where rooftops have been transformed into fertile, green gardens. It's a place where every home is equipped with a system that recycles valuable water resources. In this town, protecting the planet is a way of life. That's how Abby Sharp, 14, Wyatt Peery, 13, and Tom Krajnak, 14, saw their city of tomorrow. The vision won the eighth-graders from Bexley, Ohio, first prize at the 2009 National Engineers Week Future City Competition.
The annual design competition challenges middle school students to use engineering to deal with issues that affect the earth. This year the competition focused on water conservation. Participants had to come up with ways to improve water use in the home. Kids from 38 middle schools across the country competed in the finals. The event took place from February 17-18 in Washington, D.C. More than 30,000 students entered the competition.
Abby, Wyatt and Tom call their winning city Novo Mondum. The name means "new world" in Latin. Novo Mondum sits on the coast of Iceland. The group chose the spot for its wealth of clean energy resources, such as geothermal（地热的） energy and hydropower. Both sources use the power of nature to generate electricity. Geothermal energy draws heat from deep inside the Earth. Hydropower gets energy from flowing water. "Our city is very globally aware," Abby told TFK.
Students team up with a teacher and a volunteer engineer mentor（顾问）to develop their cities. Each group creates a fictional city on SimCity 4 Deluxe, a computer game that allows players to build virtual towns. Then they construct tabletop models of the cities and write essays describing their project. The models must be made using recycled materials and cost no more than $100 to build. What’s the main feature of the city designed by the three winners?
| A．Making full use of water resources. |
| B．Turning rooftops into green gardens. |
| C．Protecting our home — the earth. |
| D．Costing no money to build |
It can be inferred that water conversation is __________.
| A．one of the problems that influence the Earth. |
| B．the main theme of 2009 Future City Competition. |
| C．one of the issues for the participants to deal with abroad. |
| D．an easy topic for all the students to design. |
According to the passage, Abby, Wyatt and Tom are _____.
A. ninth-graders from Bexley, Ohio.
B. second prize winners at the 2009 Future City Competition.
C. lucky to get the first prize at the 2009 Future City Competition.
D. eighth-graders from Washington, D.C.The underlined word “hydropower” means ______________.
| A．electric power from burning oil. |
| B．electric power from burning coals. |
| C．electric power from deep inside the earth. |
| D．electric power from moving water. |
What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．The process of developing a Future City. |
| B．How teachers instruct the students in the competition. |
| C．The process of building virtual towns. |
| D．What materials should be used in the competition. |
In choosing a friend, one should be very careful. A good friend can help you study. You can have fun together and make each other happy. Sometimes you will meet fair-weather friends, who will be with you as long as you have money or luck, but when you are down, they will run away. How do I know when I have found a good friend? I look for certain qualities (品质) of character, especially understanding, honesty and reliability (可靠).
Above all else, I look for understanding in a friend. A good friend tries to understand how another person is feeling. He is not quick to judge. Instead, he tries to learn from others. He puts himself in the other person’s place, and he tries to think of ways to be helpful. He is also a good listener.
At the same time, however, a good friend is honest. He does not look for faults (过错) in others. He notices their good points. In short, a friend will try to understand me and accept me.
Another quality of a friend is reliability. I can always depend on a good friend. If he tells me he will meet me somewhere at a certain time, I can be sure that he will be there. If I need a favor, he will do his best to help me. If I am in trouble, he will not run away from me.
There is a fourth quality that makes a friend special. A special friend is someone with whom we can have fun. We should enjoy our lives, and we would enjoy our friendship. That is why I especially like friends who are fun to be with. A good friend likes the same things I like. We share experience (经验) and learn from each other. A good friend has a good sense of humor, too. He likes to laugh with me. That is how we share in the joy of being friends. And I know that he is looking for the same quality in me.
When I meet someone who is reliable, honest, and understanding, I know I’ve found a friend! If you have fair-weather friends, _____.
| A．they will give you all that they have when you need help |
| B．you will be refused when you get into trouble |
| C．you will become rich |
| D．you can be sure that you get real friends |
Good friends need to ______.
| A．always point out each other’s mistakes |
| B．be helped with money |
| C．understand each other’s feelings |
| D．have money or luck. |
This passage mainly discusses ________.
| A．the qualities of a friend |
| B．where to choose friends |
| C．how to get along with friends |
| D．the importance of having a friend |
Three boys and three girls were going to Fort Lauderdale and when they boarded the bus，they were carrying sandwiches and wine in paper bags，dreaming of golden beaches as the gray cold of New York vanished behind them.
As the bus passed through New Jersey，they began to notice Vingo, He sat in front of them，dressed in a plain，ill-fitting suit，never moving，his dusty face masking his age. He kept chewing the inside of his lip a lot，frozen into some personal cocoon of silence.
Deep into the night，outside Washington，the bus pulled into Howard Johnson's，and everybody got off except Vingo. He sat rooted in his seat，and the young people began to wonder about him，trying to imagine his life：perhaps he was a sea captain，a runaway from his wife，an old soldier going home. When they went back to the bus，one of the girls sat beside him and introduced herself.
"We're going to Florida,” she said brightly, “I hear it's really beautiful.”
“It is，”he said quietly，as if remembering something he had tried to forget.
"Want some wine?" she said. He smiled and took a swig. He thanked her and once again returned to his silence. After a while，she went back to the others，and Vingo nodded in his sleep.
In the morning，they awoke outside another Howard Johnson's．And this time Vingo went in. The girl insisted that he join them. He seemed very shy, and ordered black coffee and smoked nervously as the young people chattered about sleeping on beaches. When they returned to the bus，the girl sat with Vingo again，and after a while, slowly and painfully，he told his story. He had been in jail in New York for the past four years，and now he was going home.
“Are you married?”
“I don't know.
“You don’t know?” she said.
“Well，when I was in jail I wrote to my wife，”he said. “I told her that I was going to be away a long time，and that if she couldn't stand it．if the kids kept asking questions，if it hurt too much，well she could just forget me, I'd understand. Get a new guy，I said she's a wonderful woman，really something and forget about me. I told her she didn't have to write me for nothing. And she didn't. Not for three and a half years.”
"And you’re going home now，not knowing?”
“Yeah，”he said shyly. “Well，last week，when I was sure the parole (假释) was coming through, I wrote her again. We used to live in Brunswick，just before Jacksonville，and there’s a big oak (橡树) tree just as you came into town. I told her that if she'd take me back，she should put a yellow handkerchief on the tree，and I'd get off and come home, If she didn't want me, forget it, no handkerchief，and I'd go on through.”
"Vow,” the girl exclaimed. "Wow.”
She told the others，and noon all of them were in it, caught up in the approach of Brunswick，looking at the pictures Vingo showed them of his wife and three children. The woman was handsome in a plain way，the children still unformed in the much-handled snapshots.
Now they were 20 miles from Brunswick, and the young people took over window seat on the right side，waiting for the approach of the great oak tree. The bus acquired a dark，hushed mood，full of the silence of absence and lost years. Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face into the ex-con's mask, as if fortifying himself against still another disappointment.
Then Brunswick was ten miles, and then five. Then，suddenly，all of the young people were up out of their seats，screaming and shouting and crying，doing small dances of joy. All except Vingo.
Vingo sat there stunned，looking at the oak tree. It was covered with yellow handkerchiefs，20 of them，30 of them，maybe hundreds，a tree that stood like a banner of welcome billowing in the wind. As the young people shouted，the old rose and made his way to the front of the bus to go home.Which is right about Vingo?
| A．He was a sea captain. |
| B．He was a runaway from his wife, |
| C．He was an old soldier going home. |
| D．He was a prisoner. |
The underlined word "`exclaimed" probably indicates that the girl was“______”
A. surprised B: angry C: embarrassed D. puzzled From the story，we know that
| A．the young people and Vingo loved New York |
| B．Vingo dressed himself decently |
| C．Vingo's Wife didn't write to him because she didn't miss him |
| D．the young people were happy for Vingo because he could went home |
What is the best title for the story?
| A．An Unexpected Return | B．Forgiving My Absence |
| C．Going Home | D．The Old Oak Tree |
Hundreds of years ago, a Roman army came north from England to make war on Scotland. The Scots, a brave people, love their country. They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland. But there were too many of the Romans. It looked as if the Romans would win.
One night, the leader of the Scots marched his soldiers to the top of a hill. “We will rest here tonight, my men,” he said, “Tomorrow we will fight one more battle①. We must win, or we will die.”
They were all very tired. So they ate their supper quickly and fell asleep. There were four guards on duty, but they were very tired, too, and one by one, they fell asleep.
The Romans were not asleep. Quickly they gathered at the foot of the hill. Slowly they went up the hill. Closer they came to the sleeping Scots. They were almost at the top. A few minutes more the war would be over. Suddenly, one of them put his foot on a thistle (蓟). He cried out and his sudden cry woke the Scots. In a minute they were on their feet and ready for a battle. The fighting was hard, but it did not last long. The Scots wiped out the Romans and saved Scotland②.
The thistle is not a beautiful plant. It has sharp needles all over it. Few people liked it. But the people of Scotland liked it so much that they made it their national flower.
Hundreds of years ago, the Romans ____ .
| A．came from the north through England to make war on Scotland |
| B．came to the north Scotland from England to make war on Scotland |
| C．came from the north of England to fight the Scots |
| D．came to the north from the south of Britain to fight the Scots |
At the shout of a Roman soldier, all the Scots who were asleep at the hill ____ .
| A．began to fight the Romans hard |
| B．stood up without putting on their shoes and began to fight |
| C．woke and rose immediately, ready to fight |
| D．put their feet into their shoes at once and were ready to fight |
The result of the war is that ____ .
| A．the Romans killed all the Scots |
| B．the Scots were defeated |
| C．the Scots were driven out of Scotland |
| D．the Scots defeated the Romans |
The Scots made thistle their national flower because thistle ____ .
| A．is lovely, though not beautiful |
| B．gave them happiness |
| C．is a kind of useful plant |
| D．helped the Scots in wiping out the Romans |
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