IF you lived by the sea, you’d know that typhoons are frequent(频繁的)visitors during summer .They bring Strong winds, heavy rain and flooding(洪水)But most of the time, when people stay indoors, they’re just all right.

This is what the people in the Philippines used to believe – until they met the “super typhoon”, Haiyan. 

The typhoon hit the country on Nov 8, at around 5 am, when most people were still asleep. But being at home didn’t keep them safe, since few buildings remained standing once they were hit by wind as violent as 376 kilometers per hour, according to NBC News.

“This is at the top end of any tropical system that we’ve seen on our planet,” said Bryan Norcross, a weather scientist working for NBC. And so far, Haiyan has caused more than 3,600 deaths and left millions of people homeless.

.But where did Haiyan get its destructive power?

According to Brian McNoldy, a tropical weather expert at the University of Miami, US, Haiyan was so strong because “it had everything working for it”

“All typhoons feed off the warm ocean waters,” Colin Price, a weather researcher at Tel Aviv University in Israel, told National Geographic. Tropical storms are like giant engines(发动机),powered by the heat transferred(传导)from the ocean waters to the air above. However, because of climate change, the oceans have been warming up in recent decades. “Warmer oceans will result in more intense(强烈的)storms,” Price said.

Also, Haiyan started near the equator(赤道),where it was able to pick up more heat before heading to the Philippines. Moreover, the route(路线)it traveled was mostly along open ocean, which means no land prevented it from gathering steam(水蒸气).

In addition, there happened to be very little “wind shear(风切变)in the area this time. Wind shear is a sudden change in wind speed or direction, which can tear apart developing storms. This is like when you stir(搅动) a glass of water with a chopstick: a swirl(漩涡)will form, ‘but if you move the chopstick in the opposite direction, the swirl will quickly disappear.”

“When all those things align in a certain way, you’re going to get something like‘Haiyan’.”Jim Kossin, a scientist with the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told National Geographic.

1.Which of the following is TRUE about typhoons according to the article?

A. They mostly happen early in the morning.

B. They mostly do damage during winter.

C. During most typhoons people can keep safe just by staying at home.

D. This year, more intense storms have happened in the world,

2.Which of the following made Haiyan so powerful?

a, lts starting point was the equator

b, The frequency of other intense storms

c. More heat was transferred from the ocean waters to the air above,

d. There was a strong wind shear in the area

e. There was no land in its way

A. abc              B.acd               C.ace             D.  ade 

3.The underlined word “alignin” the last paragraph is closest in meaning to_____

A. disappear         B. affect each other

C. Arrive at the top     D. Happen at the same time

4.The article mainly talks about

A. how destructive Haiyan was             

B. Why Haiyan was so destructive

C. how typhoons like Haiyan form(形成)  

D. ways to protect yourself when typhoons hit

 

Now some women are spending a weekend at Mother’s Camp(营地). There, husbands and children are not allowed. Why would a woman want to take a vacation without her family? Some women say they need time to be alone.

At Mother’s Camp a woman has room to herself. She can sleep, read or watch TV, and no one will bother her. No children will ask, “Mom, what’s for dinner?” No husband will say, “Oh, dear, I can’t find any clean socks.” In fact almost 50% of women in the United States work outside the home. Many of them work full-time and then come home to a second job----taking care of their homes and families. These working women say one of their biggest problems is housework.

In the United States, working wives do about 75% of the housework. Many of their husbands say they want to help. But then they burn the rice or they can’t find the pans. They ask so many questions that their wives decide it is easier to do the job themselves.

Some women go to Mother’s Camp just to get a break from housework. For two days they don’t cook, they don’t clean, they don’t look after their children and husbands. What do they do? They enjoy warm, sunny weather, walking, swimming or boating in a clear blue lake and sing songs around the campfire. They relax away from home. They have a really wonderful vacation at Mother’s Camp.

1. From this passage we can see      in the United States.

A.women want to work outside the home

B.working wives do most of the housework

C.husbands do as much housework as their wives

D.women do not like to stay at home with their families

2.At Mother’s Camp, women can’t         .

A.watch TV                              B.read newspapers

C.swim in the lake                        D.bring their husbands and children

3.Why would some mothers like to be alone? Because        .

A. they don’t like their husbands and children

B. they have to work full-time

C. they are too busy to relax themselves

D. they want a new life

4.        is one of the biggest troubles for working wives in the United States.

A.Housework                            B. Working outside the home

C.When to take a vacation                  D. Looking after their children

5.What’s the best title for this passage?

A.Busy Working Mothers                   B.Welcome to Mother’s Camp

C.Mothers Relax Away from Home            D.Mothers in the US

 

The summer of 2012 was full of reports of extreme weather: one of the warmest years on record in the US, the wettest summer in the UK, and the worst drought (旱灾) in East Africa. In short, extreme weather seems to be becoming the new normal. Weather extremes are not that extreme any more. Heatwaves, droughts and wildfires are the new reality of a warming world.

And this should not come as a surprise. Scientists have been warning for years that as the planet heats up, we will have to deal with more dreadful weather. Although not every extreme weather event is the result of climate change, scientists are now much more confident about connecting weather events with climate change. In 2011, the UK had a warm November. Researchers say that it was at least 60 times more likely to happen because of climate change than because of natural changes in the earth’s weather systems.

All the news shows that climate breakdown is occurring faster than most climate scientists had expected. But isn’t it too expensive to stop the climate from changing? Well, yes it costs. So everything is just as usual. It would be wrong to believe that to let things continue as they always do is the cheap choice. Instead, it is very expensive. Just one example: droughts in the US, Russia and the Ukraine sent food prices to a record high. According to the World Bank, the price for corn increased by 113% in some markets in Mozambique and in Sudan. This is the kind of cost that often gets ignored.

I believe intelligent climate action can help create new opportunities for jobs in Europe, for encouraging creativity and competitiveness, for spending less money on energy.

1.According to the passage, in 2012 _____.

A.the UK had a warm November              B.the US had many wildfires

C.the UK had a dry summer                 D.East Africa had little rain

2.The author mentions the increase of food prices in Paragraph 3 to _____.

A.show a lot of people are hungry

B.prove food prices are very changeable

C.prove we’re paying for extreme weather

D.show it’s expensive to stop the climate from changing

3.Which of the following statements does the author probably agree with?

A.Proper climate action will be useful.

B.Europe is providing limited job opportunities.

C.It’s everyone’s duty to protect the environment.

D.Everyone needs time to get used to extreme weather.

 

Malaysia is a country of exciting beauty, with a tropical(热带的) climate. Malaysia’s weather is hotter in the lowlands and cooler in the mountains and highlands. Temperatures vary between 20 and 30 centigrade. Rainfall can be expected at any time, with an average of between 200 and 260 centimeters.

The Malaysian population consists of Malays, Chinese, Indians and Eurasians. Its main religions are Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and Christianity. Its national language is Malay. English is widely spoken and is used all over the country. Other languages spoken in Malaysia are some Chinese dialects, Tamil, Portuguese and Arabic.

Malaysia is an exciting and fascinating place for tourists, with something special planned throughout the year. The natural attractions are plentiful, with magnificent mountains lying in green, large stretches of sandy beaches and hospitable and friendly people.

Malaysia’s economy is the most advanced in this part of the world. The annual income is M$1, 680, one of the highest in the whole of Asia. Malaysia is the world’s leading exporter of rubber, tin, tropical hardwood, palm oil, pepper, tea, coffee and cocoa and has vast resources of oil.

Malaysia’s capital is Kuala Lumpur in the southwest of the Malay Peninsula. Kuala Lumpur arose in the 1860s when tin was discovered, grew and spread very quickly. It became the state’s capital within forty years of its founding. Now it is home to over one million inhabitants, about 56% of whom are Chinese, 28% Malays and the rest are from anywhere and everywhere.

1.If you visit Malaysia, you will see ________.

A.people of the white and yellow races

B.many temples and churches

C.beautiful tropical scenery

D.All of the above.

2.Though Malay is Malaysia’s national language, ______.

A.over half of its population speak Chinese

B.English is also a popular language

C.people don’t know Malay

D.it’s only spoken by Malays

3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A.Malaysia is one of the richest countries in Asia.

B.It rains a little now and a little then in Malaysia.

C.Kuala Lumpur became Malaysia’s capital before 1910.

D.Malaysia is rich in agricultural products.

 

“Everything happens for the best,” my mother said whenever I faced disappointment. “If you can   41  on, one day something good will happen. And you’ll   42  that it wouldn’t have happened if not for that previous disappointment.”

Mother was right, as I discovered after graduating from college. I had designed myself for a 43  announcer(播音员). So I went to Chicago and knocked on the door of every station and got   44  every time.

In one station, a kind lady told me that   45  stations wouldn’t risk employing a person without   46  since I had just graduated. “Go out in the town and find a small station that might give you a chance,” she said.

I returned to Dixon,   47  I had finished my high school education and had   48  in the school football team. My father said that our town had opened a store and wanted a local athlete to   49  its sports department(部门). The job sounded just   50  for me but I wasn’t hired.

My   51  had shown as if by design. “Everything happens for the best,” Mum   52  me. Dad offered me his car to job hunt. I tried WOC Radio in Davenport. The program director told me they had already hired a/an   53 .   54  I left his office, my frustration boiled over(发怒).I asked aloud, “  55  can a fellow get to be a sports announcer   56  he can’t get a job in a radio station?”

Suddenly, I heard the director   57 ­.“What was that you said about sports? Do you know anything about football?” Then he stood me before a microphone and asked me to   58  an imaginary game.

It was easy, and I did it without difficulty. The director was   59  and told me I would be broadcasting a game on the   60  Saturday.

1.

A.put

B.take

C.get

D.carry

 

2.

A.recognize

B.realize

C.react

D.respond

 

3.

A.news

B.sports

C.weather

D.TV

 

4.

A.invited

B.promised

C.refused

D.accepted

 

5.

A.large

B.all

C.good

D.small

 

6.

A.experience

B.examination

C.agreement

D.degree

 

7.

A.which

B.where

C.there

D.here

 

8.

A.played

B.joined

C.taken

D.fought

 

9.

A.own

B.manage

C.report

D.enter

 

10.

A.possible

B.successful

C.right

D.important

 

11.

A.disappointment

B.delight

C.pleasure

D.interest

 

12.

A.woke

B.advised

C.demanded

D.reminded

 

13.

A.manager

B.clerk

C.worker

D.announcer

 

14.

A.While

B.As

C.Until

D.So

 

15.

A.What

B.How

C.Whenever

D.Wherever

 

16.

A.because

B.but

C.if

D.once

 

17.

A.calling

B.answering

C.broadcasting

D.announcing

 

18.

A.make

B.act

C.broadcast

D.play

 

19.

A.moved

B.sorry

C.thankful

D.satisfied

 

20.

A.future

B.coming

C.last

D.later

 

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