题目内容
The Grand Canyon (峡谷) in Arizona extends four hundred fifty kilometers. The canyons look as if they formed as the earth split apart. They were actually cut by rivers.
Looking at the Grand Canyon is like looking back in time. Forty million years ago, the Colorado River began cutting through the area. At the same time, the surrounding land was pushed up by forces deep within the Earth. Rain, snow, ice, wind, and plant roots rubbed away at the top of the new canyon. Below, the flowing river continued to uncover more and more levels of ancient rock. Their appearance changes endlessly -- with the light, the time of year, and the weather.
The Grand Canyon has several weather environments. The top is often much different from the bottom. On some winter days, for example, you may find cold winds and snow at the top. But at the bottom, you may find warm winds and flowers.
The Grand Canyon is known as one of the seven wonders of the natural world. About five million people visit the canyon each year. Most visitors walk along paths part way down into the canyon. Some visitors ride mules to the bottom and back.
There are several other ways to visit the Grand Canyon. Hundreds of thousands of people see the canyon by air each year. They pay a helicopter or airplane pilot to fly them above and around the canyon.
About twenty thousand people a year see the Grand Canyon from the Colorado River itself. They ride boats over the rapid, rocky water. These trips last from one week to three weeks.
Visitors can see the Grand Canyon in still another way. A huge glass walkway, called the Skywalk, extends from the edge and is hanging above the bottom of the canyon.
Some people say the Skywalk is an engineering wonder. However, other people have criticized the Skywalk and future development. They say it harms a national treasure and reduces the enjoyment of nature in the Grand Canyon.
1. We can learn from the first paragraph ____________.
A. the Grand Canyon is the most beautiful place in America
B. the Grand Canyon is four hundred fifty kilometers long
C. the Grand Canyon used to be a dried river
D. the Grand Canyon used to be a deep opening in the earth
2. According to the passage, people can visit the Grand Canyon in ______ ways.
A. 3 B. 4 C. 5 D. 6
3. We can learn that the author of the passage hold a(n) ______ attitude towards the Skywalk.
A. positive B. negative C. objective D. critical
4. All the following are true about the Grand Canyon EXCEPT ____________.
A. The top of the Grand Canyon is always cold.
B. The Grand Canyon displays different colors in different times.
C. The Grand Canyon is as old as forty million years old.
D. Every year more people see the Grand Canyon by air than by boat.
【小题1】B
【小题2】C
【小题3】C
【小题4】A
解析
Experience the newly opened Grand Canyon (大峡谷) West Skywalk in Colorado. Departing from Grand Canyon’s South Rim by Airplane to Grand Canyon’s West Rim, you will land and take a ground tour to the Skywalk! Walk on air for 70 feet over the edge of Grand Canyon West.
This Skywalk has been open since March 28, 2007. Daily visitorship to the Skywalk has been over 4,000 people. Please be patient to enjoy your moment on the Skywalk.
After you have experienced the one and only Grand Canyon Skywalk Glass Bridge, you will return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and take your Airplane for a flight back to the South Rim of the Canyon. This is a tour never to be forgotten as you will have walked on air over the Grand Canyon.
Tour Itinerary (行程)
| Tour Duration | 5.7 Hours | The Grand Canyon Adventure Skywalk |
| Flight from Grand Canyon South Rim to Grand Canyon West | 1 Hour | Experience a bird’s-eye view of the Grand Canyon as you make your way to Grand Canyon West. |
| Light Lunch at Guano Point at Grand Canyon West | 2 Hours | You’ll be taken by bus to Guano Point with breathtaking views of the western part of the Grand Canyon where the Calorado River makes its way into Lake Mood. Every table for lunch has a view. |
| Walk on the World Famous Skywalk | 1.5 Hours | Finally you’ll board your bus to Eagle Point, home of the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Now it is time for you to walk on air for 70 feet over the Grand Canyon. |
| Flight Back to Grand Canyon South Rim | 1.2 Hours | After time on the Skywalk, you’ll return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and return to Grand Canyon South Rim in time for dinner and sunset. |
This advertisement is for __________.
A. Grand Canyon West B. the Skywalk高到底#考￥资@源 网
C. Grand Canyon D. Grand Canyon South
The package fee does NOT cover the cost of _______.
The Grand Canyon Skywalk Bridge is made of glass because ______.
A. it looks stranger B. it is cheaper to build
C. it looks more beautiful D. it gives you a better view
According to the Tour Itinerary, the route is ______.
A. South Rim →Guano Point →West Airport →Eagle Point →West Airport →South Rim
B. South Rim →West Airport →Guano Point →Eagle Point →West Airport →South Rim
C. South Rim →West Airport →Eagle Point →Guano Point →West Airport →South Rim
D. South Rim →West Airport →Eagle Point →West Airport →Guano Point →South Rim
For many blind people, computers are inaccessible. It can cost $1,000 to purchase “screen reader” software, but two blind computer programmers from Australia have solved this problem.
Queensland University of Technology (QUT) graduate James Teh and business partner Michael Curran developed a free, open-source program, called NVDA, which provides a voice to read the words on a computer screen as the cursor(光标) moves over them. NVDA won the blind inventors an award in the grand final program of the ABC’s New Inventors, which aired on September 23. They took home the award for an invention that “might make a real difference to people’s lives or the environment.”
“A sighted person takes for granted that they can sit down at any computer and use it,” Mr Teh said. “We really are in the information age — everything is online these days. So access to computers for the blind is very important, which is why we wanted our software to be free.”
Mr Teh, who majored in software engineering at QUT, said blind students typically didn’t have the money to purchase “screen reader” technology, at the time in their life when they most needed it. Now NVDA could be downloaded on to anyone’s personal computer free of charge.
“It can also be copied to a USB stick, which can be used on any PC at school or university, with no installation required,” he said.
Mr Teh and Mr Curran have drawn on their own experience as blind computer users to develop a product which has some unique features. For example, as the mouse moves up and down the screen, a sound becomes higher and lower to let you know where the cursor is located.
NVDA has been translated into 27 languages, thanks to volunteer translators. To date, there have been over 50,000 downloads.
Mr Teh and Mr Curran have been working on the project since 2006. They worked on their product without any pay for two years. When Mozilla offered some funding in 2008, Mr Teh was able to quit his day job and work full-time developing NVDA.
【小题1】NVDA won an award in the program of the ABC’s New Inventors because it _____.
| A．causes no harm to the environment | B．influences people’ s lives |
| C．is aiming at blind people | D．is easy to use |
| A．They got funding from Mozilla. |
| B．They belonged to a volunteer group. |
| C．They wanted to help the blind. |
| D．They wanted people to give up “screen reader” software. |
| A．They are studying at QUT. | B．They are good at translating. |
| C．They know how the blind feel. | D．They began to develop NVDA in 2008. |
请阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。
以下是旅游景点的信息：
A. Agra Fort
Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands
the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This
powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long
enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. It comprises many
fairy-tale palaces, such as the Jahangir Palace and the Khas Mahal, built by
Shah Jahan; audience halls, such as the Diwan-i-Khas; and two very beautiful
mosques.
B. Taj Mahal
Taj Mahal is regarded as one of the eight wonders of the world,
and some Western historians have noted that its architectural beauty has never
been surpassed. The Taj is the most beautiful monument built by the Mughals,
the Muslim rulers of India. Taj Mahal is built entirely of white marble. It was
constructed over a period of twenty-two years, employing twenty thousand
workers. It was completed in 1648 C.E. at a cost of 32 Million Rupees.
C. Keoladeo National Park
This former duck-hunting reserve of the
Maharajas is one of the major wintering areas for large numbers of aquatic
birds from Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, China and Siberia. Some 364 species of
birds, including the rare Siberian crane, have been recorded in the park.
This tomb, built in 1570, is of
particular cultural significance as it was the first garden-tomb on the Indian
subcontinent. It inspired several major architectural innovations, culminating
in the construction of the Taj Mahal. The gardens also contain the
red-and-white sandstone and black-and-yellow marble tomb of Humayun’s wife and
the tomb of Humayun’s barber.
E. Grand Canyon National Park
The Grand Canyon is perhaps the most
awesome sight in the United States--and one of the wonders of the world. Much
of the park's beauty is related to its geology and ecology. Schmidt explores
the shape of the land, its plants and animals, and its human history. A
fascinating book that everyone visiting the Grand Canyon should read. The
Skywalk at Grand Canyon West is really exciting.
The Sundarbans covers 10,000 sq. km of
land and water (more than half of it in India, the rest in Bangladesh) in the
Ganges delta. It contains the world's largest area of mangrove forests. A
number of rare or endangered species live in the park, including tigers,
aquatic mammals, birds and reptiles.
请阅读以下旅游者的信息，然后匹配旅游者和他/她拟旅游的景点。
56. Carina is fond of art and likes travelling very much. In order to take part in the following exhibition, she wants to take some photos of birds from all over the world, especially the rare Siberian crane. In the meanwhile, she doesn’t want to spend too much money.
57. Daisy’s major is biology. She is interested in studies of tigers in India. Before graduation, she needs to write an essay on the tiger. She hears that it is one of the largest tiger populations of any of India’s parks. And so she wants to go there to do some research.
58. Alexander is a college student of Physics. He learns that this canyon is a gift from past generations that goes beyond what we experience. He is looking forward to going there and experiencing the Skywalk in the park.
59. Sammy majors in history. He will visit it again this summer. He says it’s built entirely of white Marble and is one of the eight wonders of the world. Its beauty is beyond description, particularly at dawn and sunset. It seems to glow in the light of the full moon. On a foggy morning, the visitors experience it as if suspended when viewed from across the Jamuna river.
60. Nancy comes from the history department. Last summer she visited the ancient markets of Agra and this year she wants to visit it again. Not long ago she said: “Arriving at the Delhi airport, we representatives were warmly received. Our tirdness flew in seconds by the traditional welcome that we got at the hotel’s reception.” The next day they visited the famous tomb.
Experience the newly opened Grand Canyon (大峡谷) West Skywalk in Colorado. Departing from Grand Canyon’s South Rim by Airplane to Grand Canyon’s West Rim, you will land and take a ground tour to the Skywalk! Walk on air for 70 feet over the edge of Grand Canyon West.
This Skywalk has been open since March 28, 2007. Daily visitorship to the Skywalk has been over 4,000 people. Please be patient to enjoy your moment on the Skywalk.
After you have experienced the one and only Grand Canyon Skywalk Glass Bridge, you will return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and take your Airplane for a flight back to the South Rim of the Canyon. This is a tour never to be forgotten as you will have walked on air over the Grand Canyon.
Tour Itinerary (行程)
|
Tour Duration |
5.7 Hours |
The Grand Canyon Adventure Skywalk |
|
Flight from Grand Canyon South Rim to Grand Canyon West |
1 Hour |
Experience a bird’s-eye view of the Grand Canyon as you make your way to Grand Canyon West. |
|
Light Lunch at Guano Point at Grand Canyon West |
2 Hours |
You’ll be taken by bus to Guano Point with breathtaking views of the western part of the Grand Canyon where the Calorado River makes its way into Lake Mood. Every table for lunch has a view. |
|
Walk on the World Famous Skywalk |
1.5 Hours |
Finally you’ll board your bus to Eagle Point, home of the Grand Canyon Skywalk. Now it is time for you to walk on air for 70 feet over the Grand Canyon. |
|
Flight Back to Grand Canyon South Rim |
1.2 Hours |
After time on the Skywalk, you’ll return to the Grand Canyon West Airport and return to Grand Canyon South Rim in time for dinner and sunset. |
1.This advertisement is for __________.
A. Grand Canyon West B. the Skywalk
C. Grand Canyon D. Grand Canyon South
2.The package fee does NOT cover the cost of _______.
3.The Grand Canyon Skywalk Bridge is made of glass because ______.
A. it looks stranger B. it is cheaper to build
C. it looks more beautiful D. it gives you a better view
4.According to the Tour Itinerary, the route is ______.
A. South Rim →Guano Point →West Airport →Eagle Point →West Airport →South Rim
B. South Rim →West Airport →Guano Point →Eagle Point →West Airport →South Rim
C. South Rim →West Airport →Eagle Point →Guano Point →West Airport →South Rim
D. South Rim →West Airport →Eagle Point →West Airport →Guano Point →South Rim