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While scientists are worried that humans are causing higher temperatures on the Earth, a Maryland man, Ace, thinks we can save the world by spraying(喷射)huge amounts of water into the air.
Ace told the McClatchy News Service that at least 1,000 places should be chosen to spray water. The water would be sprayed between 20 and 200 feet into the air. Thousands of tons of seawater would be sprayed for years at a time.
The 1,000 sites would be picked after more studies. They would be mostly in the Northern Hemisphere(北半球). Ace says he would avoid tropical(热带的)areas of the globe. He says water turns to rain too quickly in these areas for his plan to work.
The water would be changed into vapor. That process requires heat. The water vapor would rise above the Earth. The water vapor would form clouds. The clouds would help in several ways. They would cool the Earth by reflecting sunlight. They would later turn into rains. The rains would provide another way of cooling the Earth.
Ace’s plan has gotten some support from a limited scientific study. Kenneth Caldeira is a climate scientist. He works at the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology at Stanford University in California. Caldeira tested some of the Ace’s figures on a computer program. The computer model is used by top scientists to study global climate change. The model showed that the plan might work.
“More tests are planned in 2009. Ideas like Ace’s should be considered carefully and with an open mind,” Calderira said. “Every brilliant(卓越的)invention in the history of technology looked a little bit mad when first put forward.”
65.What’s the purpose of Ace’s plan?
A. To reduce air pollution.
B. To make summer cooler.
C. To offer dry areas more rain.
D. To solve the problem of global warming.
66.According to Ace’s plan,___________.
A. planes would be used to spray water.
B. it would be best to spray water on rainy days.
C. seawater would be sprayed high into the sky
D.1,000 sites in the Southern Hemisphere would be chosen.
67.Why wouldn’t Ace spray water in tropical areas?
A. Water is changed into vapor too quickly.
B. Water turns to rain too quickly.
C. It is hard for vapor to form clouds.
D. It is bad for local plants to have too much rain.
68. It seems that Caldeira ____________.
A. takes Ace’s plan seriously
B. thinks Ace’s idea too crazy
C. doesn’t believe the computer’s result
D. agrees to carry out Ace’s plan right away
Dear College Dean
It is my understanding that this college has received a large donation to be used to enhance (improve) the quality of life for students: expand the bookstore or add computers to the computer lab. It is the tradition of this school to promote education and to be in the vanguard of new technology. That is why I strongly argue in favor of the addition of more computers to the computer lab.
Although expanding the campus bookstore to include CDs, gifts, and a snack bar will give a nicer look to the college, we have to think about a greater goal and a more practical way to enhance the quality of life for students. What do we want for our students and our college? Do we want our college to be known as a place with a great bookstore where you can find CDs and gifts, or as a place where the students can explore and research in their field using the best tools provided by technology? In addition, there are already several snack bars on campus, and there are music stores nearby, so students do not depend on the college bookstore for these things.
We live in a highly technological world and computers play an increasingly important role in how we live. As a learning institution, this college has the responsibility to offer its students the best technology to help them prepare for their future. Many students will be expected to be familiar with the latest software and other tools when they go on to work or to graduate school.
While they are in college, students find they are expected to use computers. Many professors expect students to use computers to do homework or to complete projects. Students are asked to create PowerPoint presentations and use spreadsheets and database programs, as well as to research many topics on the Internet. Since students are competing for good grades, those who have limited access to computers are at a great disadvantage. Furthermore, being able to do projects using the computer enhances the process of learning, giving students the opportunity to find information that without a computer would be much more difficult to find.
If there are more computers, students will also be able to complete their work more efficiently. No more will they have to wait in line, paper and disk in hand, while scanning the room for an empty chair and computer. No longer will they have to sit and wait while an outdated computer struggles to follow their commands. Having more new and faster computers available will enable students to finish their work more quickly.
The more computers are used in society the more colleges will depend on them as a tool of teaching and learning. Making computers more available to students facilitates their learning process by making the process easier, more interesting, more engaging, and in the process enhancing their quality of life
68.The purpose of the author in writing the passage is__________
A.to describe the problems caused by lack of computers
B.to explain why students are in great need of computers
C.to tell us what benefits students can gain from computers
D.to persuade the Dean to purchase more advanced computers
69.From the passage we can infer that______
A.present computers in the college cannot meet the demands of the students
B.computers in the college will be updated to meet the student’s demands soon
C.the college has the responsibility to help the students to prepare for their future
D.it is also necessary to expand the college bookstore by using part of the donation
70.In paragraph 4, the author mainly wants to tell us that_______
A.computers are beneficial to students’ academic success
B.computers are helpful to student’s competition for success
C.students find it convenient to do assignments by using computers
D.students wish to use the money to buy more advanced computers
71.Which of the following shows the organization of the passage?
CP: Central Point P: Point SP: Sub-point(次要点) C: Conclusion
Can you remember a morning when you’ve woken up to the ring of your alarm clock and wished you could stay in bed? You haven’t slept well, your hair is a mess. Worse, you can’t stop yawning. Yawning is universal to humans and many animals. Cats, dogs and fish yawn just like humans do! Yawning is an involuntary(无意识的,不自觉的) action during which you open your mouth and breathe deeply. The average duration of a yawn is about 6 seconds.
The purpose and cause of yawning are still a mystery. Scientists are not sure what causes a yawn. People yawn when they are tired or bored, but they also yawn when they aren’t. There are many ideas explaining why we yawn.
One idea is that yawning is a way for the body to become more alert by taking in more oxygen. A yawn increases the heart rate, forces carbon dioxide out of the lungs and blood stream, and brings oxygen to the brain. But one study showed that volunteers given a lot of oxygen did not yawn any less than before, while those given a lot of carbon dioxide did not yawn more.
Another idea is that early humans used yawning as a form of communication. If one decided it was time to sleep, they would tell the others by yawning and they would do it in return to show they agreed.
A third explanation comes from psychology professor Gordon Gallup of University at Albany in New York. He said that as people yawn, they cool off their brains. “Brains are like computers.” he said. “They only operate efficiently and effectively when they’re cool. Many things connected to yawning, like being tired, make the brain hot, and yawning can reduce the heat.”
Scientists have sent people into space, and created terrible nuclear weapons, but there are lots of seemingly simple things, such as why we yawn, or hiccup(打嗝), that they can’t figure out. Next time you are in class in the morning, let out a big yawn and watch to see how many of your classmates yawn in response!
【小题1】What’s the purpose of the description of how bad you may feel when you’re woken up in the morning?
A.To explain why humans yawn. |
B.To explain how humans start yawning. |
C.To lead into the topic of yawning. |
D.To complain about being woken up by the clock. |
A.A way to show that you feel hot. |
B.A way to get rid of carbon dioxide. |
C.A way to cool off your brain. |
D.A way to communicate. |
A.When you feel frustrated. |
B.The weather is hot. |
C.Someone else yawns near you. |
D.When you breathe in a lot of carbon dioxide. |
A.The real reason why humans and most animals yawn. |
B.Hiccups are an involuntary human action similar to yawns. |
C.The more an action can be studied, the easier it is to research. |
D.Finding out why humans yawn should be easier than sending people into space. |
Even as Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda wrapped up a tired appearance before Congress,the head of the world’s largest automaker wasn’t leaving his problems behind.
Toyota faces a criminal investigation by federal lawyers in New York.The company is now being investigated.Its US dealerships(特许经销商)in difficulty now are facing repairs to potentially millions of customer cars that have been recalled.The company is offering customers money back for rental cars and other expenses.
Its lawyers are busy preparing to cope with lawsuits.A new hearing will be conducted. And the cost to Toyota’s reputation is only now starting.
Despite back-to-back hearings this week,left to be said were a better explanation for slow actions to deal with the faults and believable promises that the problems that led to sudden,unintended accelerations will be fixed.
Toyoda said those changes were being made nearly around the clock,but during three hours of often tense questions and answers he repeated that there was no link to the vehicle’s electronic systems.
Many drivers making complaints against Toyota and the government say their acceleration problems had nothing to do with floor mat interference(油门踏板故障)or sticky gas pedals(刹车).Outside experts have suggested electronic problems.
House lawmakers expressed serious criticism on Toyoda,the grandson of the company’s founder.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA)is seeking records on Toyota’s recalls and is conducting its own review on whether electronics were behind the car faults.NHTSA also continues to look into steering(转向操控装置)complaints from drivers of the popular Corolla model.
Toyota has recalled 8.5 million cars,more than 6 million of them in the United States.
It may be a while before car buyers believe that Toyota really makes safe cars.
Toyota’s January sales already fell 16 percent even as most other automakers jumped back from last year’s bad results.Analyst Koji Endo of Advanced Research Japan in Tokyo said he expects February sales,due out next week,to be down 30 percent to 40.Toyota’s sales problem could continue beyond that.
It will take some time to feel the full effect of this,he said.
67.The best title for this passage is .
A.Toyota is in trouble B.Toyota is under hearing
C.Toyota is finished D.Toyota is still running
68.What is the purpose of the hearing?
A.America hopes that Toyota apologizes to the US customers.
B.America wants to get Toyota out of the US market.
C.America wants to help Toyota out of difficulty.
D.America hopes that Toyota admits their cars have electronic system problem.
69.What can we infer from the passage?
A.Toyota provides very good post sale service.
B.Toyota’s biggest market is in the United States.
C.Toyota will become better.
D.Toyota’s dealership in the US will all be closed.
70.The last sentence of this passage indicates .
A.Analyst Koji Endo is fully confident about Toyota
B.Toyota could meet a worse situation
C.Toyota would get out of trouble sooner or later
D.Toyota would build up a better reputation among its customers
An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.
In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit(追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched(发起) the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.
In Chicago, the mayor(市长) appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.
The only problem arose in New York, where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity can be achieved. Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point, putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.
Ultimately, as Nancy points out, the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process, or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.
【小题1】What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?
A.To invite authors to guide readers. |
B.To encourage people to read and share. |
C.To involve people in community service. |
D.To promote the friendship between cities. |
A.They had little interest in reading. |
B.They were too busy to read a book. |
C.They came from many different backgrounds. |
D.They lacked support from the local government. |
A.In large communities with little sense of unity. |
B.In large cities where libraries are far from home. |
C.In medium-sized cities with a diverse population. |
D.In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached. |
A.exchanged ideas with each other |
B.discussed the meaning of a word |
C.gained life experience |
D.used the same language |
A.the careful selection of a proper book |
B.the growing popularity of the writers |
C.the number of people who benefit from reading |
D.the number of books that each person reads |