A Train Floating On Air

A train that floats on air? It's not magic — it's magnets (磁). And it's close to reality.

       In Virginia USA the fall of 2002, a train with no wheels traveled on air and carried college students across their campus. In Japan, a whisper-quiet railway engine hovered and raced at 350 miles per hour using magnets and electricity as the power. And in China, a magnet train line linked Shanghai with nearby Pudong Airport.

These trains use magnetic levitation (悬浮) technology, “maglev” for short. They use the same rules as the magnets you pick up at home or school: opposite poles of magnets attract each other, and like poles repel each other.

How does it work?

Powerful magnets on the bottom of the train repel magnets on the track, which is actually just a magnet-filled guiding way. With a magnetic field of sufficient force, the train will go hovering on air, which seemed impossible to us in the past.

When an electrical current is sent through the track, the train moves. Turn the current backwards and the train slows down.

Maglev doesn't rely on the friction (摩擦力) of wheels on track, so it can climb a much steeper hill than a traditional train. And it can travel easily in snow and ice, something that could bring normal trains to a screaming stop.    

Which of the following is a repelling action?

       A.                        B.                        C.                        D.

     What can we learn from the text?

A. Electric currents decide the movements of a maglev train. 

B. A magnet-filled guiding way is formed inside a maglev train.

       C. Instead of electricity, magnets are used as the power of a maglev.

       D. Maglev trains can climb hills with the help of magnet wheels.

What is the difference between a maglev train and an ordinary train?

       A. Floating on a track, a maglev train is faster, quieter than an ordinary railway train.

       B. A maglev train can climb mountains without power while an ordinary one can’t.

       C. A maglev train can travel in college campus while an ordinary train is not allowed.

       D. Travelling without a track, a maglev train is safer and smoother than an ordinary one.

Across the world , 11 billion people have no access to clean drinking water . More than2.6 bullion people lack basic sanitation (卫生设备) .

The combination proves deadly . Each year . diseases related to inadequate water and sanitation kill between 2 and 3 million people and cause an estimated 80 percent of all sicknesses in the developing world . Safe thinking water is a precondition for health and the fight against child death rate , inequality between men and women,  and poverty .

Consider these facts :

●The average distance that women in Africa and Asia walk to collect water is 6 kilometers .

●Only 58 percent of children in sub-Saharan Africa are drinking safe water, and only 37 percent of children in South Asia have access to even a basic toilet .

●Each year in India alone, 73 million working days are lost to water-borne diseases .

Here are three ways you can help :

1) Write Congress

  Current U.S. foreign aid for drinking water and sanitation budgets only one dollar per year per American citizen . Few members of Congress have ever received a letter from voters , about clean drinking water abroad .

2) Sponsor a project with a faith-based organization

  Many U.S. religious groups already sponsor water and sanitation projects, working with partner organizations abroad . Simply put , a single project by a U.S. organization can make safe water a reality for thousands of people .

3) Support nonprofit water organizations

  Numerous U.S.-based nonprofits work skillfully abroad in community-led projects related of drinking water and sanitation . Like the sample of non-profits noted as follows , some organizations are large , others small-scale , some operate worldwide , others are devoted to certain areas in Africa , Asia , or Latin America . Support them generously .

72．The three facts presented in the passage the used to illustrate that      .

       A．poverty can result in water-borne diseases

       B．people have no access to clean drinking water

       C．women’s rights are denied in some developing countries .

       D．safe drinking water should be a primary concern

73．The intended readers of the passage are _____________.

A．Americans                                          B．overseas sponsors

       C．Congressmen                                      D．U.S-based water organizations

74．The main purpose of the passage is to call on people to ___________.

       A．get rid of water-related diseases in developing countries

       B．donate money to people short of water through religious groups

       C．fight against the worldwide water shortage and sanitation problem

       D．take joint action in support of some nonprofit water organizations

75．What information will probably be provided following the last paragraph?

       A．A variety of companies and their worldwide operation.

       B．A list of nonprofit water organizations to make contact with.

       C．Some ways to get financial aids from U.S. Congress.

       D．A few water resources exploited by some world-famous organizations.

D
At the railway stations all across Britain next week, groups of students will gather with their backpacks to wait for the trains that will carry them home for Christmas. This is a large movement of human beings as before, but with more contradictory traffic flows, so that trains filled with the young pass each other travelling in every direction.
At first, I went home every weekend with my washing, but then those visits became less regular. How did I let my parents know I was coming? They had no phone. Perhaps I wrote to them (“Expect me with dirty shirts this Friday afternoon”), but more likely I didn’t let them know, and just turned up or didn’t turn up, not understanding that my parents’ hopes of seeing me were a greater disappointment of my carelessness than a spoiled tea.
And in all this I suspect I was typical (有代表性的), at least of young men. As for our fathers and mothers, none of them talked of “empty-nest syndrome (综合症)”, even though its possible effect that the main human duty is to protect and feed the young would have suited their generation better than ours. Then, the feeling of loss went without a name. Today, it’s a condition with remedies, which will make parents feel more enjoyable in their life, The Mayo Clinic, for example, suggests you try to maintain regular contact with your children through “visits, phone calls, emails, texts or video chats”. If you feel unhappy, lean on (depend on … for support) loved ones or your mental health providers. Above all, stay positive: “Thinking about the extra time and energy that you might have to devote to your marriage or personal interests after your last child leaves home, it might help you adapt to this major life change.”
What can’t be denied, however, is that children often leave home. In modern societies, this is what they do. Christmas is the very time they can be depended on to return. For the non-religious, that may be this season’s true comfort and significance.
【小题1】The main reason for the busy traffic across Britain next week is that _______.

(C)
Most American students said goodbye to expensive fruits these days. In school canteens across the country, cheaper fruits like apples and oranges heave replaced them. “People are afraid to spend now” said Linda Morrow, who owns a shoe and handbag store. “They basically don’t know what the future will bring and keep waiting till after the Presidential Election.”
The current financial crisis(金融危机)， during which several of the country’s biggest banks have been forced to sell or close, has made lots of Americans unwilling to buy expensive goods.
Samira Martino, a restaurant owner in Miami, found everyone is ordering water instead of juice and more people are sharing meals. In more than two dozen interviews with the Associated Press across the country last month, American talked about their concerns, from worries about small businesses to doubts about simply making ends meet.
The crisis began last year. Experts blame it on U.S. banks lending money too easily. A lot of people and companies, who borrowed money, have found themselves unable to pay it back. This left the banks, as well as the people who put their money in the banks, without money. Since the banks borrowed money between themselves and even across borders, the whole world’s financial markets were involved.
This month the U.S. government agreed on a $ 700 billion plan to try to save the financial market. But a turn-around(转机) is not sure. President George W. Bush has warned it will take some time for the full effects of the plan to take hold in an economy that has had a world of trouble.
Last week top finance officials from 20 major economies promised to work together to find a way out of the money trouble. They believe the current crisis is the worst since the Great Depression in 1929. And they all think international cooperation is the key to solve it.
51. From the first paragraph, we can infer that______
A. apples and oranges become more expensive
B. people are worrying about the Election
C. people are expecting a turn-around after the Election
D. expensive fruits are in short supply in American markets
52. Samira Martino’s restaurant is mentioned in the passage in order to ______
A. show that people cut down their expenses.
B. attract more people to come to his restaurant
C. show how hard he is trying to run his business
D. encourage people to start businesses like him
53. What is the cause of the current financial crisis of America?
A. The Presidential Election
B. U.S. banks lending money too easily.
C. The decreasing economy.
D. America’s rapid development.
54. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. Many students can not eat expensive fruits in school canteens.
B. Americans are very worried about their lives.
C. The international cooperation is most needed.
D. The current financial crisis is the worst in American history.
55. This passage mainly talks about______
A. the terrible life of Americans
B. the situation of the financial crisis
C. the way to go through the crisis
D. the world financial market

C
American teens are setting an example for their parents through their volunteer work,
according to a new poll by Harris Interactive. The random national telephone survey released this week by the charity World Vision found that more teens volunteer to support a charitable cause（56 percent） than have a part-time job（39 percent）.
Parents said 82 percent of the teens in their lives do something to support charitable causes, including volunteering, recruiting others to a cause, wearing a button or T-shirt or donating money. Forty-six percent of the adults surveyed said they volunteer their time, but they also take credit for inspiring their children to volunteer.
The Harris Interactive poll was conducted in the United States between Jan 29 and Feb 2 among 2,003 adults. Sara Johnson, a teacher who advises students at a private school in a Chicago suburb, says she's seen a resurgence of teen involvement in social causes since President Barack Obama was elected in November.
The Harris Interactive survey found a quarter of teens have become more involved in charitable causes or organizations as a result of the economic downturn, but the economy has also led to cuts in allowances, and has teens working more hours at a paying job.
Unlike many public high schools across the nation, Illiana Christian does not require its students to clock public service hours. Senior Melissa Martin said some kids are too busy with other commitments like sports and music, but most of her classmates do volunteer.
Alynn Woodson, director at Habitat for Humanity International, said she has noticed a new enthusiasm among teen volunteers for the organization. Habitat for Humanity celebrates the 20th anniversary of its alternative spring break program this year and is expecting more than 12,000 young people to help build homes for low-income people around the nation.
63．What’s the main idea of the passage?
A．It is surveyed that more teens volunteer to support a charitable cause nowadays.
B．Illiana Christian asks its students to clock public service hours strictly.
C．American parents are setting an example for their children through their volunteer work.
D．The financial crisis led to the employment of American parents.
64．The underlined word “resurgence” in the third paragraph most probably means      .
A．replacement     B．recall C．review      D．return 
65．Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A．About 12,000 young people will help build homes for low-income people around the nation.
B．In Illiana Christian, teens are busy with sports and none of them do volunteer.
C．The majority of the teens in their lives do something to support charitable causes.
D．Forty-six percent of the adults surveyed said they volunteer their time.
66．We may infer from the passage that          .
A．American teens prefer charitable causes to attending school.
B．People noticed a new enthusiasm among teen volunteers for the organization.
C．The majority of the adults are not willing to volunteer their time.
D．Habitat for Humanity celebrates the 20th anniversary this year.