Three-Dimensional (3D) movies have been becoming more and more popular in recent years.It seems 3D TV sets may be going into family households in the near future.While new digital 3D technology has made the experience more comfortable for many, for some with eye problems, long 3D viewing may result in an aching head, doctors say.

       "There are a lot of people walking around with very minor eye problems, which under normal situations, the brain deals with naturally," said Dr Michael Rosenberg, an ophthalmologist (眼科医师) in Chicago.He said in a 3D movie, these people face a completely new sensory experience."That translates into greater mental effort, making it easier to get a headache," Rosenberg told Reuters.

       In normal vision, each eye sees things at a slightly different angle."When that gets processed in the brain, that creates the perception (感觉) of depth," said Dr Deborah Friedman, an ophthalmologist in New York.The images people see in three dimensions in the movies are not calibrated (校准的) in the same way that their eyes and brain are."If your eyes are a little off to begin with, then it's really throwing a whole degree of effort that your brain now needs

to exert (竭尽全力)," he said.                    

       Dr John Hagan, a Kansas City ophthalmologist, said some people who do not have normal depth perception cannot see in 3D at all.He said people with eye muscle problems, in which the eyes are not pointed at the same object, have trouble processing 3D images.

       Rock Heineman, a spokesman for RealD, a provider of 3D equipment to theaters, said headaches and nausea were the main reasons 3D technology never took off

       Heineman said older 3D technology used two film projectors(放映机), one that projected a left-eye image and one that projected a right-eye image.Three-D glasses would allow viewers to see a different image in each eye.

       "People often complained of headaches and it was really because the projectors weren’t lined up," Heineman said.

       Now his company has developed a new single digital projector, which switches between the left and the right-eye image 144 times a second, to help overcome some of the old problems.

       "By going to a single digital projector, those problems were solved," he said.Friedman said he thinks most people will do fine with 3D movies and with 3D TVs, but Rosenberg said people may quickly tire of the novelty (新鲜事物)."I suspect there will be a lot of people who say it's sort of neat, but it's not really comfortable," he said.

The text is mainly about ____.

       A.the reasons why people like 3D movies

       B.how to improve 3D technology

       C.the development of 3D technology in recent years

       D.causes of headaches and nausea when people watch 3D movies

The underlined phrase "took off" could be replaced by "______".

       A.became popular             

       B.flew in the sky

       C.left hurriedly              

       D.removed one's clothes

This article implies that _____.

       A.people do not like new things like 3D movies

       B.3D TVs will completely take the place of old TV sets

       C.3D technology is the most important technology ever

       D.those with eye muscle problems should not watch 3D movies

We can learn from what Rosenberg said in the last paragraph that

       A.a single digital projector could solve all the problems with 3D technology

       B.people will gradually become comfortable with 3D movies and TVs

       C.the appeal of 3D movies and "TVs may fade

       D.most people will actually enjoy the 3D experience

Dickson Despommier, a public health professor at Columbia University in New York City developed an idea with his students nine years ago. They imagined people in cities growing crops inside a tall building. Tomatoes could grow on one floor of the skyscraper(摩天大楼), potatoes on the next, small animals and fish on the floor above.

This vertical(垂直的) farm, or "farmscraper", could have space for restaurants and other places that serve food, like schools or hospitals. They could serve foods that are truly locally grown.

But why would anyone want to build a farm indoors in a city? Dickson Despommier believes it will become necessary. The world needs to find places to produce enough food to feed the growing population. Space, he says, is an all-important issue.

The professor also points to the problems of traditional farms. They use a lot of freshwater. Their fertilizer and animal waste can pollute water resources. And their growing seasons can be limited.

But inside the vertical farm, crops could grow all year. And there would be no wind to blow away soil. Farmers would not have to worry about too much or too little rain, or about hot summers, freezing winters or insects. And without insects there would be no need for chemicals to kill them.

Farm machines that .use fossil fuels, like tractors, would not be needed either. And water could be recycled for drinking. "The vertical farm reuses everything, so there is no waste," says Professor Despommier.

Even buildings could be saved. Old buildings could become new farms and provide jobs.

The professor has been actively proposing the idea to cities as far away as Dubai and Canada. But so far it exists only in plans and drawings, and a model at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.

Critics say building a farmscraper would cost too much, especially considering the price of land in many cities. Dickson Despommier estimates the cost at about twenty to thirty million dollars.

But he says the building would not have to be very tall. And his graduate students have found many empty lots and unused buildings in New York City that could provide space.

1.According to the passage the purpose of proposing the idea of a farm scraper is to      .

A.find places to produce enough food

B.serve food that are truly locally grown

C.prevent polluting the limited land

D.save fresh water

2.Which is one of the advantages of a farm scraper?

A.It costs less

B.It saves labor power.

C.It consumes too much energy

D.It is more environmentally friendly.

3.Those against the idea of farm scrapers argue that

A.it uses too much land in cities

B.it costs too much to build one

C.it causes people to lose their jobs

D.it exists only in unrealistic plans

4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A.A vertical farm has been built in Chicago.

B.Old buildings could be changed into new farms.

C.Traditional farms use less water but pollute more water

D.There are some vertical farms being put into use in Canada.

 

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

The First Americans

There was a time long ago when a land bridge connected Asia and North America.The first settlers in North America crossed this land bridge from what is now Siberia to Alaska.The people who made this initial crossing were probably following the animals they used for food.

Finally, the oceans rose and the land bridge between the continents disappeared.The settlers, who I shall call the "First Americans" , could not return to their homeland.  1  

For the next few thousand years, the First Americans moved south and east throughout North and South America.They made the journey all the way from Alaska to the southern tip of South America, a distance of more than 10,000 miles.    2   

In the far north, above the Arctic Circle, the First Americans became hunters of the ocean.  3 __  In the summer, they gathered berries and other plants.In the winter, they stayed in lodges much of the time preparing for the next summer.It was a hard life, but they learned to survive in these terrible conditions.

Farther south, in what is now Arizona, Utah, Colorado, and New Mexico, the First Americans became cliff dwellers.They began by living in caves that already existed in the cliffs.  4  The dwellings they built in many ways resembled today's apartment buildings.

5    They built a system of dams and canals so they could store and use water almost any time of the year.They were so successful that they could raise fruits and vegetables that were not found naturally in the desert.

A.They also discovered foods like corn and potatoes.

B.Along the way, they established many different civilizations.

C.They discovered how to add to the caves by building structures of wood and stone.

D.People living near each other tended to share similar environments and customs.

E. They built boats of animal skins and hunted or fished for their food.

F. They would have to survive in the New World, they had discovered.

G. The First Americans of the Southwest learned to water the desert.

 

ROME: The legend of Leonardo da Vinci is covered in mystery: How did he die?Are the remains buried in a French castle really those of the master? Was the "Mona Lisa" a self-portrait in disguise (伪装)?

A group of Italian scientists believe the key to solving those puzzles lies with the remains, and they say they are seeking permission to dig up the body to conduct carbon and DNA testing.

If the skull is undamaged, the scientists can go to the heart of a question that has fascinated scholars and the public for centuries: the identity of the "Mona Lisa." Recreating a virtual and then physical reconstruction of Leonardo's face, they can compare it with the smiling face in the painting.

"We don't know what we'll find if the tomb is opened. We could even just find grains and dust," says Giorgio Gruppioni, an anthropologist who is participating in the project. "But if the remains are well kept, they are a biological record of events in a person's life, and sometimes in their death." Silvano Vinceti, the leader of the group, said that he plans to press his case with the French officials in charge of the said burial site at Amboise Castle early next week.

Leonardo moved to France at the invitation of King Francis I, who named him "first painter to the king." He spent the last three years of his life there, and died in 1519 at age 67. The artist's original burial place, the palace church of Saint Florentine, was destroyed during the French Revolution and remains that are believed to be his were eventually reburied in the Saint-Hubert Chapel near the castle.

"The Amboise tomb is a symbolic tomb; it's a big question mark," said Alessandro Vezzosi, the director of a museum dedicated to Leonardo in his hometown of Vinci. Vezzosi said that investigating the tomb could help identify the artist's bones with certainty and solve other questions, such as the cause of his death. He said he asked to open the tomb in 2004 to study the remains, but the Amboise Castle turned him down.

The group of 100 experts involved in the project, called the National Committee for Historical and Artistic Heritage, was created in 2003 with the aim of "solving the great mysteries of the past," said Vinceti, who has written books on art and literature.

Arguably the world's most famous painting, the "Mona Lisa" hangs in the Louvre in Paris, where it drew some 8.5 million visitors last year. Mystery has surrounded the identity of the painting's subject for centuries, with opinions ranging from the wife of a Florentine merchant to Leonardo's own mother.

That Leonardo intended the "Mona Lisa" as a self-portrait in disguise is a possibility that has interested and divided scholars. Theories have existed: Some think that Leonardo's taste for tricks and riddles might have led him to hide his own identity behind that puzzling smile; others have guessed that the painting hid an androgynous lover.

If granted access to the grave site, the Italian experts plan to use a tiny camera and radar to confirm the presence of bones. The scientists would then exhume (挖掘) the remains and attempt to date the bones with carbon testing.

At the heart of the proposed study is the effort to discover whether the remains are actually Leonardo's, including with DNA testing.

Vezzosi questions the DNA comparison, saying he is unaware of any direct descendants (后代) of Leonardo or of tombs that could be attributed with certainty to the artist's close relatives.

Gruppioni said that DNA from the bones could also eventually be compared to DNA found elsewhere. For example, Leonardo is thought to have rubbed colors on the canvas with his thumb, possibly using saliva (唾液), meaning DNA might be found on his paintings.

Even in the absence of DNA testing, other tests could provide useful information, including whether the bones belonged to a man or a woman, and whether the person died young or old.

Even within the committee, experts are divided over the identity of the "Mona Lisa."

Vinceti believes that a tradition of considering the self-portrait to be not just a faithful imitation of one's features but a representation of one's spiritual identity may have resonated (共鸣) with Leonardo.

Vezzosi, the museum director, dismissed as "baseless and senseless" the idea that the "Mona Lisa" could be a self-portrait of Leonardo. He said most researchers believe the woman may have been either a wife of the artist's sponsor, the Florentine nobleman Giuliano de Medici, or Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a rich silk merchant, Francesco del Giocondo. The traditional view is that the name "Mona Lisa" comes from the silk merchant's wife, as well as its Italian name: "La Gioconda."  

1.   Where is this passage most probably taken from?

A.A magazine.

B.A newspaper.

C.A textbook.

D.A research report.

2.   Why does the author ask a couple of questions in the beginning?

A.To arouse the interest of readers.

B.To puzzle Italian scientists.

C.To answer the questions himself.

D.To make fun of French officials.

3.   The best title of this story might be “_____”.

A.What Is the Purpose of an Investigation?

B.How Did Leonardo da Vinci Die in France?

C.Are the Remains Really Those of the Master?

D.Did Leonardo Paint Himself as 'Mona Lisa'?

4.The sentence “he plans to press his case with the French officials” (underlined in Paragraph 4) suggests that Vinceti intends to _____.

A.press the French officials to participate in their project

B.urge the French officials to open the tomb early next week

C.persuade the French officials to allow opening the tomb

D.record events in a person’s life with the French officials

5.   Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A.Scholars have the same opinion on DNA testing.

B.Scientists doubt if the remains are those of da Vinci.

C.The identity of “Mona Lisa” has already been proved.

D.Alessandro Vezzosi got permission to open the tomb.

6.   We can infer from the last two paragraphs that _____?

A.“Mona Lisa” is the name of the wife of a silk merchant

B.the “Mona Lisa” is a self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci

C.experts divided the committee into several groups

D.opinions differ of the identity of the “Mona Lisa”

 

完形填空(共20小题;每小题1.5分,满分30分)

    When I was a young girl, I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, who lived in a community especially for the elderly and near to an old people's home. They used to tell me that few volunteers would go there and said if someone elderly engages me in  36  ,I'd better make time for them. As a result,I   37  be the only person they got to talk to that day. I've never forgotten this and still  38   time to chat with elderly people.

    So when I   39  a 100-dollar prize in the kindness competition for my community, I  40 thought of the elderly! I then  41  my local community centre and told them how I'd made a suggestion that if I had 100 dollars to  42  my community, I would use it for the elderly who were living    43  . I asked, "Could you do something a bit  44  so that they could all get something from this   45  ?”"Yes, of course, we could do a buffet (自助餐)and dance,”the centre manager told me.

    I thought this was a fantastic   46  and a very worthwhile use of the   47  .We bought food and beverages (饮料) enough to serve about 30 elderly residents. A poster was    48  to announce it and it was   49  for an afternoon.

    I went up to see how it was all  50  and it turned out to be a very enjoyable afternoon. I was very  51  to see that the people I wanted to serve had a wonderful and enjoyable times. It  52  me that one is never too   53  to have fun! I knew my grandparents would have been very  54 of me. It also helped me to remember that whatever is going on in the world,we can still make a(n) 55 to other people's lives.

1.A. walking              B. argument          C. conversation            D. shopping

2.A. might                   B. must                C. would                     D. should

3.A. consume               B. spare                C. devote                     D. share

4.A. won                     B. admitted           C. impressed                D. paid

5.A. eventually             B. usually             C. immediately             D. always

6.A. recognized            B. joined               C. contacted                 D. congratulated

7.A. purchase               B. create               C. benefit                    D. match

8.A. freely                   B. comfortably      C. lonely                      D. alone

9.A. adventurous       B. strange             C. special                     D. merciful

10.A donation              B. movement         C. collection                D. recreation

11.A. promise              B. idea                 C. discovery                 D. comment

12.A. community         B. competition      C. money                     D. space

13.A. thought of           B. put up              C. agreed on                D. sent up

14.A. known                B. applied             C. arranged                  D. read

15.A. going                 B. existing            C. preparing                 D. ending

16.A. pleased                   B. hopeful            C. curious                    D. anxious

17.A. provided             B. challenged               C. reminded                 D. puzzled

18.A. young                 B. busy                 C. poor                        D. old

19.A. proud                 B. ashamed .         C. cautious                   D. aware

20.A. fortune            B. influence          C. promise                D. contribution

 

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