In earliest times, men considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries of nature. Some ancient peoples believed that lightning and thunder were the weapons of the gods.

In reality, lightning is a flow of electricity formed high above the earth. A single flash of lightning 1.6 kilometres long has enough electricity to light one million light bulbs.

The American scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to show the connection between electricity and lightning in 1752. In the same year he also built the first lightning rod (避雷针). This device protects buildings from being damaged by lightning.

Modern science has discovered that one stroke of lightning has a voltage (电压) of more than 15 million volts. A flash of lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travel at a speed of 30 million meters per second.

Scientists judge that there are about 2,000 million flashes of lightning per year. Lightning hits the Empire State Building in New York City 30 to 48 times a year. In the United States alone it kills an average of one person every day.

The safest place to be in case of an electrical storm is in a closed car. Outside, one should go to low ground and not get under a tree. Also, one should stay out of water and away from metal fences. Inside a house, people should avoid open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things.

With lightning, it is better to be safe than sorry.

1.People once thought lightning came from ________.

A. the sky B. the gods

C. the earth D. nature

2.According to the passage what do you think all buildings need?

A. Metal fences. B. Electricity.

C. lightning rods. D. Machines.

3.Lightning can travel ________.

A. as quickly as water

B. not so quickly as electricity

C. at very low speed

D. at very high speed

4.Which of the following is NOT true?

A. In the U.S. about 360 people die from lightning in a year.

B. The Empire State Building frequently gets hit by lightning.

C. Swimming during a thunder storm is a good idea.

D. A closed car is the best place to be during an electrical storm.

5.Lightning is probably ______ to man.

A. useful B. kind C. useless D. Friendly

I was recently invited to dinner by a friend. During the meal, the____of the restaurant came over and said our meal was free. I was____He stood there smiling at me and there was an air of____Finally I asked him if he knew me. He said I had____forgotten him, but I had____his life. My friend was quite____and asked him how I had done this.

He said twelve years ago I was teaching a stress management class and he was one of the____I asked the group what their number one____was and most of them said it was from their bosses.

I listened to everyone, then____a chair and invited everyone to stand on it. I wanted them to look at the room from____there. After that, I asked the group to think about how the room looked____when they changed their perspective (角度).

Then I asked them to____their bosses. Was this the same person who had____their good qualities and hired them? Do they remember how____they were to be chosen for the job?

He said I looked at him and asked if he had ever thanked his boss for the____to earn a living and____him new skills and to be a better employee.

He said he went back to work the next day with a thank-you card to his____He learned to____stress in a smart way. Now he has been the manager of the restaurant for eight years. He said I had taught him to____life from different perspectives and to express____

1.A. waiter B. manager C. cook D. owner

2.A. satisfied B. excited C. surprised D. moved

3.A. familiarity B. understanding C. importance D. dignity

4.A. hardly B. rarely C. specially D. probably

5.A. changed B. Planned C. Built D. noticed

6.A. Patient B. anxious C. curious D. doubtful

7.A. employers B. students C. organizers D. teachers

8.A. joy B. stress C. danger D. pride

9.A. removed B. broke C. held D. took

10.A. down B. outside C. up D. inside

11.A. natural B. different C. funny D. strange

12.A. consider B. ask C. visit D. watch

13.A. seen B. predicted C. chosen D. improved

14.A. puzzled B. touched C. happy D. calm

15.A. ability B. chance C. process D. luck

16.A. allowing B. advising C. encouraging D. teaching

17.A. colleague B. customer C. boss D. parent

18.A. leave behind B. deal with C. suffer from D. bring about

19.A. look at B. talk about C. work on D. take over

20.A. apology B. regret C. appreciation D. Sympathy

Here are a few of our favorite entries so far in our “Your Life: The Reader’s Digest Version” contest. After reading these, head over to Facebook and submit (提交) your own story about a special moment or lesson that shaped your life.

“There’s Always a John”

By Darla Boyd

My first year of teaching, there was a kid named John in my class. John was difficult to control and he nearly drove me crazy. While talking about him one day, an old teacher put his hand on my shoulder and said, “There will always be a John. Your job is to lean, to discover what make him different and help him grow better.” The next year, there was indeed another John. In the last 20 years, I’ve learned to enjoy all the kids like John. That advice taught me that there is something to appreciate in everyone.

“An Early Key Lesson”

By Elaine West

Before I began my first teaching job, my mother, a teacher of 30 years, gave me a very special gift, five simple words that have had an effect on my entire life: “Make friends with the janitor (门卫).” Her wisdom taught me the respect for all types of characters and continue to enrich my life to this day. Just five little words but what an impact they can have when you take them to heart.

“Raising Mommy”

By Jan Davis

Being a mother can always present challenges and rewards. Someone told me early in my parenting career that “Children will teach you everything you need to know”. Being a mother is being raised. Our children become our advisers. Their dreams become our professors, as we are taking notes carefully. The sounds of their laughter and smiles on their faces are a great reward to us or bring us great joy. Their tears remind us that it is okay to fail, wipe the tears away and try again.

1.What did the old teacher mean by saying “There will always be a John”?

A. There are always difficult students like John.

B. John will always be an ordinary student.

C. It is important to change John.

D. John is a very common name.

2.What did Elaine West’s mother advise her to do?

A. Don’t treat students differently.

B. Take care of janitors.

C. Respect people from different backgrounds.

D. Don’t judge people by appearance.

3.Which of the following would Jan Davis most probably agree with?

A. A mother should be given more care.

B. A mother improves herself greatly in parenting.

C. Being a mother has more challenges than rewards.

D. Children should realize the dreams of their parents.

4.The text is most probably a(n) .

A. notice inviting contributions. B. introduction to a contest.

C. ad for three new books. D. poster about a lecture.

Next fall when you see geese heading south for the winter or flying in “ V” formation (队形), you might consider what science has discovered as to why they fly that way.

As each bird spreads its wings,it creates an uplift (上升力) for bird immediately following. By flying in “ V” formation the whole flock (鸟群) adds at least 71% greater flying range, than if each bird flies on its own. People who share a common direction arid sense of community can get where they are going more quickly and easily because they are traveling on the thrust (推动力) of one another.

When a goose falls out of the formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to go it alone and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird in front. If we have as much sense as a goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed the same way we are. When the head goose gets tired, it flies backwards and another goose flies point. It is sensible to take turns doing demanding jobs, whether it is with people or with geese flying south.

Geese honk (雁叫) from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed. What do we say when we honk from behind?

Finally and this is important, when a goose gets sick or is wounded by gunshots, and falls out of formation, two other geese fall out with that goose and follow it down to lend help and protection. They stay with the fallen goose until it is able to fly or until it dies, and only then do they launch out on their own, or with another formation to catch up with their group. If we have the sense of a goose, we will stand by each other like that.

1.The first three paragraphs chiefly deal with .

A. scientific discovery about geese.

B. the importance of flight formation.

C. the advantages of “V” formation.

D. the reasons for geese’s flight.

2.The phrase which can best replace “stand by” in the last sentence is “ ”.

A. be against. B. support.

C. sit by. D. obey.

3.What does the author want us to learn from the geese?

A. Teamwork. B. Sympathy.

C. Kindness. D. Intelligence.

Mary had a dog, Lucky. Whenever her friends visit, she will warn them not to leave their luggage open because Lucky would help himself to whatever struck his fancy. Lucky always hides his findings in his toy box in the basement (地下室), where his treasures would be placed.

It happened that Mary found out she had breast cancer. Someone told her she was going to die of it. The night before she was to go. to the hospital she was with Lucky. A thought struck her - what would happen to Lucky? Although the three - year - old dog liked her husband, Jim, he was Mary’s dog . If I die, Lucky will be abandoned. He won’t understand I don’t want to leave him. The thought made her sadder than thinking of her own death.

Mary was in hospital for over two weeks. Jim took Lucky for his evening walk faithfully, but the dog looked just miserable. But finally the day came for Mary to leave the hospital. When she arrived home, Mary was so tired that she couldn’t even make it to her bedroom. Jim made her comfortable on the sofa and left her alone.

Lucky stood watching Mary. Sleep soon overcame her. When Mary woke up, she couldn’t understand what was wrong. Feeling heavy and hot, she couldn’t move her head. Panic soon gave way to laughter when Mary realized she was covered in every treasure Lucky owned! While she had slept, the sad dog had made trip after trip to the basement and back bringing his favorites. He had covered her with his love. Mary forgot about her illness. Instead she and Lucky began to walk further and further together every night.

It has been 12 years now and Mary is still cancer - free. Lucky? He still steals treasures and stashes (隐藏) them in his toy box, but Mary remains his greatest treasure.

1.What had Mary been most worried?

A. Lucky was always stealing.

B. Her visitors usually left their luggage open.

C. Lucky hid his findings in the basement.

D. Her husband would have the dog deserted.

2.Why did Mary sleep on the sofa?

A. She was completely worn out.

B. She couldn’t find her bedroom.

C. Her husband asked her to sleep on it.

D. She was left alone at home.

3.What does the underlined part “Panic soon gave way to laughter” suggest?

A. Mary had been confused at the dog’s behavior.

B. Mary was still puzzled at the dog’s behavior.

C. Mary’s husband should have stayed at home.

D. The dog, Lucky, failed to murder Mary.

4.What happened when Mary was asleep?

A. Lucky stayed in the basement.

B. Lucky went out to look for Jim.

C. Lucky covered her with his treasures.

D. Lucky panicked her to wake up.

Monty Hempel is a professor of environmental science at Redlands University in California. He studies ecological literacy-or ecoliteracy (生态素养) for short. Ecoliteracy is the ability to think about and understand the natural processes that make life possible.

Monty Hempel says ecoliteracy gives people knowledge about environmental problems. But he says it does not always work to get them to change their behavior.

Mr. Hempel wrote part of the World watch Institute’s latest State of the World report. He says in his article, “Some people think that ecoliteracy is just a green form of science literacy. And what I have tried to ask is whether that’s enough. In other words, what an ecologically literate person needs to know might include things like the cycles and the flows, the energy systems, all of those kind of things that we would call the science of ecology.”

“That doesn’t seem to lead to action to protect our environment — to protect our life — support system to the level that we need to. Just because that we know, a lot about the environment doesn’t mean that we actually act to save it. After all, actions speak louder than knowledge.”

He adds that people may not be very worried about environmental problems if they seem far away. “Some people call it psychological distance. A lot of climate issues (问题) are worse in the Arctic and most of us don’t spend time in the Arctic. And so, there^ a certain distance. But there’s also a distance that’s happening in the world as it urbanizes (城市化) - people spending more time in front of screens and less time out in nature. We become, if you will, disconnected from the natural systems that used to be the key to success for a human being.”

To help children discover the wonders of nature, children should learn about nature in school, he adds. But he also points out there is a high mountain for people to climb from knowledge to action.

1.From what Monty Hempel says in Paragraph 3, we learn that .

A. ecoliteracy is more than a green form of science literacy.

B. people have learnt more knowledge about ecoliteracy.

C. ecoliteracy can greatly affect how nature works.

D. people with enough knowledge will better protect the environment.

2.In Mr. Hempel’s opinion, which is the most important for environment protection?

A. Knowledge. B. Action.

C. Green living theory. D. Psychological distance.

3.Mr. Hempel thinks people may show no concern about some environmental problems because .

A. they lack knowledge on environment protection.

B. they are closely connected with the nature.

C. the problems are not serious at all.

D. the problems seem to be far away.

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. It is the best way to learn about nature in school.

B. Climbing a high mountain is a good way to exercise.

C. It is easier to understand environment protection than to carry it out.

D. people should first collect waste in the mountains to protect the environment.

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