After years of hearing drivers complain about scratches on their cars, Japan’s Nissan Motor Company has officially announced the next big thing— a paint that not only resists scratches and scrapes, but actually repairs itself within a few days.
The new material, developed by Nippon Paint Company, contains an elastic rubbery-like resin (弹性树脂) that is able to heal minor marks caused by car wash equipment, parking lot encounters, road debris (石头碎片) or even on-purpose destruction.
The automaker admits its results vary depending on the temperature and the depth of the damage, but adds this is the only paint like it in the world, and tests prove it works.
Minor scratches, the most common type, are said to slowly fade over about a week. And once they’re gone, there is no trace that they were ever there.
The special paint is said to last for at least three years after it is first applied, but there is no word yet on whether more can be added after that period.
Nissan claims car washes are the worst offenders for this type of damage, accounting for at least 80 percent of all incidents.
But the complete auto-healing won’t come without scratching your wallet. The vehicle maker notes the special paint adds about $100 US to the price of a car.
It plans to use its new chemical mixture only on its X-Trail SUVs in Japan for now, as it looks for a more widespread presentation. And while plans to offer the feature overseas haven’t been made yet, if it’s a hit there, you can be almost sure market forces will drive it to these shores, as well.
From the article, we can find that _________.
A.the paint has already been used on cars by now |
B.it beats other products of its kind in its lengthy effect |
C.car damage is mainly caused by scratches and scrapes |
D.marketing this paint in Europe is not under way |
The paint used on cars can _________.
A.last 3 years before it is reapplied again |
B.fade only in a few days |
C.help to protect minor paint damage |
D.reduce car scrape incidents to 20 percent |
What does the underlined part refer to?
A.certain models of Nissan | B.name for one kind of paint |
C.somewhere in Japan | D.a word standing for a car-dealer store |
What can be inferred from the article?
A.The paint was developed by Nissan Motor Company. |
B.The paint might work better in summer than in winter. |
C.The mark on the car could disappear as soon as the pain is applied. |
D.The paint is very popular in Japan. |
Shopping is not as simple as you may think! There are all sorts of tricks at play each time we reach out for that particular brand(品牌) of product on the shelf.
Coloring, for example, varies according to what the producers are trying to sell. Health foods are packaged(包装)in green, yellow or brown because we think of these as healthy colors. Ice cream packets are often blue and expensive goods, like chocolates, are gold or silver.
When some kind of pain killer was brought out recently, researchers found that the colors turned the customers off because they made the product look weak and ineffective. Eventually, it came on the market in a dark blue and white package because we think of it as safe, and white as calm.
The size of a product can attract a shopper. But quite often a bottle doesn’t contain as much as it appears to.
It is believed that the better-known companies spend, on average, 70 percent of the total cost of the product itself on packaging!
The most successful producers know that it’s not enough to have a good product. The founder of Pears soap, who for 25 years has used pretty little girls to promote(推销) their goods, came to the conclusion: “Any fool can make soap, but it takes a genius(天才)to sell it.”
Which of the following may trick a shopper into buying a product according to the text?
A.The cost of its package. |
B.The price of the product. |
C.The color of its package. |
D.The brand name of the product. |
The underlined part “the colors turned the customers off”(in Para.3) means that the colors ____.
A.attracted the customers strongly |
B.had weak effects on the customers |
C.tricked the customers into shopping |
D.caused the customers to lose interest |
Which of the following is the key to the success in product sales?
A.The way to promote goods. |
B.The discovery of a genius. |
C.The team to produce a good product. |
D.The brand name used by successful producers. |
Which of the following would be the best title for this text?
A.Choice of Good Products |
B.Disadvantages of Products |
C.Effect of Packaging on Shopping |
D.Brand Name and Shopping Tricks |
Without proper planning, tourism can cause problems. For example, too many tourists can crowd public places that are also enjoyed by the inhabitants of a country. If tourists create too much traffic, the inhabitants become annoyed and unhappy. They begin to dislike tourists and to treat them impolitely. They forget how much tourism can help the country’s economy. It is important to think about the people of a destination country and how tourism affects them. Tourism should help a country, keep the customs and beauty that attract tourists. Tourism should also advance the wealth and happiness of local inhabitants.
Too much tourism can be a problem. If tourism grows too quickly, people must leave other jobs to work in the tourism industry. This means that other parts of the country’s economy can suffer.
On the other hand, if there is not enough tourism, people can lose jobs. Businesses can also lose money. It costs a great deal of money to build large hotels, airports, air terminals, first- class roads, and other support facilities(配套设施)needed by tourist attractions. For example, a major international class tourism hotel can cost as much as 50 thousand dollars per room to build. If this room is not used most of the time, the owners of the hotel lose money.
Building a hotel is just a beginning. There must be many support facilities as well, including roads to get to the hotel, electricity, sewers to handle waste, and water. All of these support facilities cost money. If they are not used because there are not enough tourists , jobs and money are lost.
Which of the following do you think has been discussed in the part before this selection?
A.It is extremely important to develop tourism. |
B.Building roads and hotels is essential. |
C.Support facilities are highly necessary. |
D.Planning is of great importance to tourism. |
The underlined word“ inhabitants” (in Paragraph 1 ) probably means________.
A.tourists | B.passengers |
C.population | D.citizens |
Too much tourism can cause all these problems EXCEPT ________ .
A.a bad effect on other industries |
B.a change of tourists’ customs |
C.over - crowdedness of places of interest |
D.pressure on traffic |
It can be inferred from the text that ________ .
A.the author doesn’t like tourism developing so fast |
B.local people will benefit from tourist attraction |
C.other parts of a country’s economy won’t benefit from tourism much |
D.we can't build too many support facilities |
If you've been joining in chat room conversations, or trading e-mail with Web pals, you have become one of the millions who write in a peculiarly short form of English.
And you've got a sense of humor about short forms like SOHF(="sense" of humor failure) to describe Internet newcomers who don't understand you.
Across the globe, every night teenagers and their elders are “talking” online—many of them are talking at the same time.
It's fast: try talking to six people at once. It's brief: three or four words per exchange. It takes wit, concentration, and quick fingers.
And it requires tremendous linguistic economy. There's neither time nor space for explanations. Why consume precious key-strokes telling six friends you have to leave for a moment to take care of your little brother when BRB(="be" right back) will do? Want to enter a conversation? Just type PMFJI(="pardon" me for jumping in). Interested in whom you're talking to? Type A/S/L, the nearly universal request to know your pal's age, sex and location. You may get 15/M/NY as a response from your pal.
If something makes you laugh, say you're OTF(="on" the floor),or LOL(="laughing" out loud),or combine the two into ROTFL(="rolling" on the floor laughing).
And when it's time to get back to work or go to bed, you type GTG(="got" to go) or TTYL(talk to you later).
People want to write as fast as possible, and they want to get their ideas across as quickly as they can. Capital letters are left in the dust, except when expressing emotion, as it takes more time to hold down the “shift” key and capitals. Punctuation is going, too.
In order to talk to several people at the same time on the Internet_______.
A.you have to speak fast and fluently |
B.you have to express your ideas in a brief way |
C.you should speak with wit and humor |
D.one should pay much attention to the accuracy of the words |
If you get 17/F/NY as an answer to your A/S/L, it means_______.
A.the person on the other end is 17 from New York and he is fine |
B.you are talking to a girl who is 17 and lives in New York |
C.you are talking to 17 girls who are from New York |
D.the person who are talking to you is a 1.7-foot tall New York girl |
To save time on the Internet_______.
A.some people leave their letters in the dustbin |
B.some people never use “shift” in their writing |
C.many people leave the capital and punctuation |
D.people seldom use capital letters or punctuation |
What should you think about when you try to find your career? You are probably better at some school subjects than others.These may show strengths that you can use in your work.A boy who is good at mathematics can use that in engineering career.A girl who spells well and likes English may be good at office work.So it is important to know the subjects you do well in at school.On the other hand, you may not have any specially strong or weak subjects but your records show a general satisfactory standard.Although not all subjects can be used directly in a job, they may have indirect value.
Your school may have taught you skills, such as typing or technical drawing, which you can use in your work.You may be good at mental work or cookery and look for a job where you can improve these skills.
If you have had a part - time job on Saturday or in the summer, think what you gained from it.If nothing else, you may have learned how to get to work on time, to follow instructions and to get on with older workers.You may have learned to give correct change in a shop, for example.Just as important, you may become interested in a particular industry or career you see from the inside in a part - time job.
Facing your weak points is also part of knowing yourself.You may be all thumbs when you handle tools; perhaps you are a poor speller or cannot add up a column of figures.It is bitter to face any weaknesses than to pretend they do not exist.Your school record, for instance, may not be too good, yet it is an important part of your background.You should not feel sorry about it but instead recognize that you will have a chance of a fresh start at work.
The first paragraph of the passage is mainly about ________.
A.the indirect value of school work |
B.the importance of being good at all subjects |
C.knowing one's strong or weak subjects at school |
D.using school performance to help to choose a career |
In the writer's opinion, for a student to have a part - time job is probably ________.
A.a good way to find out his weak points |
B.one of the best ways of earning extra money |
C.of great use for his work in the future |
D.a waste of time he could have spent on study |
If a student's school record is not good, according to the passage, he________ .
A.may do well in his future work |
B.won't be able to find a suitable job |
C.may be a complete failure in the future |
D.will regret not having worked harder at school |
The whole passage centers around ________.
A.knowing oneself in looking for a job |
B.developing one's abilities useful in school |
C.gaining much knowledge by working hard at school |
D.choosing a career according to what one is skilled in |
There are little cars that may some day take the place of today’s automobiles(汽车). If everyone drives such a little car in the future, there will be less pollution in the air, there will be more parking space in cities, and the streets will be less crowded. The space now for one car of the usual size can hold at least three such little cars.
The little cars will cost much less to own and to drive. Driving will be safer, too, as these little cars can go only 65 kilometers an hour.
The cars of the future will be fine for going around the city, but they will not be useful for going far away. If the car is powered by electricity, it will have two batteries—one battery for the motor and the other for the horn (喇叭), signals (信号灯), etc. Little cars which are powered by gas will go 45 kilometers before needing to stop for more gas.
If big cars are still used along with the small ones, two sets of roads will be needed to set up in the future. Some roads will be used for the big, fast cars, and other roads will be needed for the small, slower ones.
1. What’s the advantage (优势) of the small cars?
A. There won’t be so much pollution and the small cars won’t be so expensive as the big ones.
B. It will be safer to drive these small cars.
C. There will be more space for cars to park.
D. All of the above.
2. Two sets of roads are necessary in the future in order to .
A. prevent car accidents
B. make the city more beautiful
C. let small cars run fast
D. limit the speed of the cars
3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. A car of the usual size now is three times as big as the small car.
B. The small car with a speed of 65 kilometers an hour is much more useless than a car of the usual size.
C. the little car will be safer but cost more.
D. The little car will need more gas.
4. The best title for this passage should be .
A. Big Cars and Small Cars
B. How to Drive Small Cars
C. Cars for Tomorrow
D. Cars for Everyone
CALCUTTA, India Mar 24, 2006 (AP) — One of the world’s oldest creatures, a giant tortoise believed to have been about 250 years old, has died in the Calcutta zoo where it spent more than half its long life.
Addwaita, which means “the one and only” in the local Bengali language, was one of four Aldabra tortoises brought to India by British sailors in the 18th century. Zoo officials say he was a gift for Lord Robert Clive of the East India Company, who was instrumental in establishing British colonial① rule in India, before he returned to England in 1767. Long after the other three tortoises died, Addwaita continued to thrive②, living in Clive’s garden before being moved to the zoo in 1875.
“According to records in the zoo, the age of the giant tortoise, Addwaita, who died on Wednesday, would be about 250 years,” said zoo director Subir Chowdhury. That would have made him much older than the world’s oldest documented③ living animal: Harriet, a 176-year-old Galapagos tortoise who lives at the Australia Zoo north of Brisbane, according to the zoo’s Web site. She was taken from the island of Isla Santa Cruz by Charles Darwin in the 19th century.
Aldabra tortoises come from the Aldabra atoll④in the Seychelle islands in the Indian Ocean, and often live to more than 100 years of age. Males can weigh up to 550 pounds. Addwaita, the zoo’s biggest attraction, had been unwell for the last few days, said local Forest Minister Jogesh Burman.
“We were keeping a watch on him. When the zoo keepers went to his enclosure on Wednesday they found him dead,” Burman said.
Notes:
① colonial adj. 殖民的
② thrive v. 茁壮成长
③ documented adj. 备有证明文件的
④ atoll n. 环礁
Choose the best answers according to the above:
According to the passage, Addwaita ________.
A.was sent to India as a gift by British government |
B.was sent to India by British sailors in 1767 |
C.lived together with three other Aldabra tortoises in India |
D.belonged to Lord Robert Clive for some time |
By now, the oldest animal in the world is about at ________.
A.176 years old | B.100 years old | C.250 years old | D.200 years old |
In the last few days before Addwaita died, he ________.
A.had been sent to hospital for treatment |
B.had been playing with travelers |
C.had been found not better than before |
D.had stayed in his enclosure for days |
What would be the best title for the passage?
A.An Old Aldabra Tortoise Died in India |
B.A Remarkable Life: Tortoise Dies at 250 |
C.A Special Kind of Tortoise — Addwaita |
D.The Oldest Animal Aldabra Tortoise Died |
For many the only way to enjoy Ireland’s fantastic and breathtaking scenery is to take to the open road on a motoring holiday. It’s true to say that motoring can still be a pleasure on roads so empty of the traffic you are used to. You can choose your own route or let us suggest one or two. You can pre-book all your accommodation or just go as you please. You can choose your accommodation from good quality hotels in coast or country, village or city, guesthouses, town and country homes or farmhouses throughout the island. Naturally we will supply you with a good quality map to help you around.
Our Value Motoring holiday includes a wide selection of hotels and guesthouses. All hotels are fully licensed and certain guesthouses (as indicated) are also licensed. Bed and full Irish breakfast for 2 or 6 nights is indicated in your holiday price. Hotel and guesthouse gratings are shown by a figure in brackets (括号) after the name of each of the places. Facilities available are also shown after the grading. You may choose to travel on a Go As You Please or a pre-booked basis. On a Go As You Please holiday only the first night is booked for you in advance. For the rest of your holiday you book ahead as you travel (hotel reception will help) using the information lists we provide. A slight note of caution (警告) — in July and August it is advisable to book 2 or 3 days ahead. If you prefer to plan your holiday in advance then we will pre-book all accommodation for you. Just complete the booking form carefully using hotel codes indicated. If your first or second choice is not available we will book an alternative in the same place.
1 Why did the writer say a motoring holiday is the only way for many to enjoy the beauty of Ireland? Because____________.
A. travelers can go sightseeing at many places
B. its price is low and travelers feel comfortable
C. travelers can drive and choose the route freely
D. travelers have many good quality hotels to choose from
2. How many ways of accommodation does a motoring holiday supply?
A. Two B. Four C. Six D. Eight
3. If the travelers choose to travel on a Go As You Please holiday, the travel agency will _____.
A. do nothing to help them B. only pre-book the first night for them
C. pre-book all the accommodation for them. D. charge them less for the service
4. Supposing the travellers’ accommodation choices aren’t available in the tourism season, the travel agency will___________.
A. give up serving them B. choose one for them in another place
C. book an alternative in the same place D. only book the first night for them
B This wireless transmitter allows you to listen to music from your iPod/MP3 player, on your home or car stereo --- without any wires.
It acts like a miniature radio station, transmitting your music via the FM frequency to the nearest radio.
Simply plug the transmitter into the headphone hole of your MP3 player, select a frequency on the transmitter and then set your radio to that same frequency.
Then sit back and enjoy your digital music in full stereo sound wherever you are.
It Can be used with iPods, MP3 players, portable CD players, cassettes players, games consoles(控制台)or even your laptop computer whenever you want to hear full stereo sound from your radio. Features include:
·LCD display with background lighting (shows time/date/ temperature)
·Full FM frequency range, so you can select the best performing frequency
·Choose from 2 power supplies: 2 AAA batteries or car charger(adaptor provided)
·4 memory channels for storing best performing FM frequencies
·Frequency response: 100Hz – 15000Hz
The unit is wireless so there are no disorganized cables.It is lightweight and easy to carry.
Adds a whole new part to your MP3 experience!
Takes 2 AAA batteries(not supplied).Click here to buy batteries for this product…
GIFT STATS: iPod/ MP3 Transmitter
Measures: 7.5 x 4.5cm
Packaging: Gift pack
We can deliver this item to the UK, Europe, and North America.
56. You may find the above advertisement __________.
A. in a newspaper B. in a store window
C. in a website D. on a company notice-board
57. What is iPod/MP3 Transmitter?
A. An MP3 player which allows you to enjoy music wherever you are.
B. A kind of equipment that allows you to enjoy music from your iPod/MP3 player.
C. A mini radio station transmitting your music via the FM frequency to the nearest radio.
D. A radio that receives music from your MP3 player.
58. From the advertisement above, we can learn that __________.
A. the product can be used with a lot of electronic equipment
B. the transmitter can only be powered by 2 AAA batteries
C. the unit has organized cables so it is light and easy to carry
D. this item can be delivered to any place around the world
“The first and best of victories is for a man to conquer himself; to be conquered by himself is, of all things, the most shameful,” says Plato. Self-control is at the root of all the advantages. Let a man give in to his impulses (冲动) and feelings, and from that moment he gives up his moral (道德上的) freedom.
A single angry word has lost many a friend. When Socrates found in himself any temper or anger, he would check it by speaking low in order to control himself. If you are conscious of being angry, keep your mouth shut so that you can hold back rising anger. Many a person has dropped dead in great anger. Fits of anger bring fits of disease. “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad.” “Keep cool”, says George Herbert, “for fierceness (狂怒) makes error a fault.”
To be angry with a weak man is to prove that you are not strong yourself. “Anger,” says Pythagoras, “brings with folly(愚蠢) and ends with regret.” You must measure the strength of a man by the power of the feelings he conquers, not by the power of those which conquer him.
Self-control is man’s last greatest victory.
If a man lacks self-control he seems to lack everything. Without it he can have no patience, no power to govern himself; he can have no self-confidence, for he will always be controlled by his strongest feeling. If he lacks self-control, the very backbone and nerve of character are lacking also.
What does the reader learn from the first paragraph?
A.The greatest victory for a man is to conquer everything except himself. |
B.One’s moral freedom is based on the control of himself. |
C.To control oneself is the most difficult in one’s life. |
D.If a person is too stubborn, he will feel most shameful. |
What is the correct interpretation of “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad” ?
A.If the gods want to kill you, they make you crazy first. |
B.If you always lose your temper, you will soon be finished. |
C.If you cannot control yourself, you will become crazy. |
D.If you are mad, you will be punished by the gods. |
If a man lacks self-control, he lacks all of the following EXCEPT _______.
A.the very backbone and nerve of character |
B.the patience and power to control himself |
C.strong feelings |
D.self-confidence |
The author’s main purpose in writing this article is to _______.
A.explain that self-control is the key to success |
B.teach people how to control everything in order to make a great success |
C.distinguish all kinds of self-control and suggest ways for keeping it |
D.advise people not to lose temper so as to make and keep more friends |
Some people think that as more and more people have televisions in their homes, fewer and fewer people will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper, when the TV news can bring you the information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read the life story of a famous man, when a short television program can tell you all that you want to know?
Television has not killed reading, however. Today, newspapers sell in very large numbers. And books of every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get information and enjoyment. Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are printed today as paperbooks (平装本), which are quite cheap. A paperback collection of short stories, for example, is always cheaper than an evening at the cinema or the theater, and you can keep a book for ever and read it many times.
Books are a wonderful provider of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every home. Every home should have a good dictionary. A good encyclopedia (百科全书), though expensive, is useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. Besides, you can have such books as history books., science textbook, cookbooks, and collections of stories and poems. Then from time to time you can take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favorite poets.
It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A.TV programs are a chief provider of knowledge |
B.cinemas are the best choice in getting information |
C.reading is a cheap way of learning and having fun |
D.newspapers are an expensive way to enjoy oneself |
What does the sentences “Television has not killed reading, however ” underlined in the second paragraph suggest?
A.People only need reading, though. | B.Reading is still necessary today. |
C.Reading is more fun than television. | D.Watching television doesn’t help reading. |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.Fewer and fewer people will buy books. |
B.A good dictionary should be kept in every home. |
C.Books with hard covers sell better than paperbooks. |
D.More people like TV programs about famous men. |
As you research music, you will find music that is familiar to you. You will find music which tells of interesting places and exciting things to do. You will find music which expresses feelings that are often your own.
Music is an expression of the people. As you research, you will find music of people at work and play. You will find music expressing love of the country, love of nature, and love of home.
Music is also an expression of the composer(作曲家). The composer expresses his own musical ideas. He studies the materials of music and discovers ways of using them. He looks for new kinds of musical expression.
Music can suggest actions and feelings which we all share. We can enjoy playing and singing music, dancing and listening to the music of the people and the composers of different times and places.
In the first paragraph, the author tells us to_______.
A.find entertainment(娱乐) in music | B.be friendly to music |
C.express your feelings in music | D.discover the things and places in music |
From the second paragraph, we know that ________.
A.if we love music, we will love the country, nature and home |
B.music sings of the country, nature and home |
C.you may listen to music at work or at play |
D.music can express how people live, work and think |
By means of music, the composer wishes that ________.
A.you would study with them |
B.you would share his feelings and ideas |
C.you would express your own feelings |
D.you help discover ways of using music and new kinds of musical expression |
The last paragraph shows that music makes it possible ________.
A.the music can express actions and feelings at the same time |
B.bring understanding between people of different times and places |
C.that people can enjoy playing and singing music, dancing and listening to the music at the same time |
D.that people of different time and places can get together |
Which of the following statements is NOT true. Music expresses ________.
A.the feelings of our own | B.people’s love of the country |
C.the composer’s feelings | D.people’s musical ideas |
love charity(慈善) shops and so do lots of other people in Britain because you find quite a few of them on every high street. The charity shop is a British institution, selling everything from clothes to electric goods, all at very good prices. You can get things you won’t find in the shops anymore. The thing I like best about them is that your money is going to a good cause and not into the pockets of profit-driven companies, and you are not damaging the planet, but finding a new home for unwanted goods.
The first charity shop was opened in 1947 by Oxfam. The famous charity’s appeal to aid postwar Greece had been so successful it had been flooded with donations(捐赠物). They decided to set up a shop to sell some of these donations to raise money for that appeal. Now there are over 7,000 charity shops in the UK. My favourite charity shop in my hometown is the Red Cross shop, where I always find children’s books, all 10 or 20 pence each.
Most of the people working in the charity shops are volunteers, although there is often a manager who gets paid. Over 90% of the goods in the charity shops are donated by the public. Every morning you see bags of unwanted items outside the front of shops, although they don’t encourage this, rather ask people to bring things in when the shop is open.
The shops have very low running costs: all profits go to charity work. Charity shops raise more than £110 million a year, funding(资助)medical research, overseas aid, supporting sick and poor children, homeless and disabled people, and much more. What better place to spend your money? You get something special for a very good price and a good moral sense. You provide funds to a good cause and tread lightly on the environment. (08天津卷)
The author loves the charity shop mainly because of _______.
A.its convenient location |
B.its great variety of goods |
C.its spirit of goodwill |
D.its nice shopping environment |
The first charity shop in the UK was set up to ____.
A.sell cheap products |
B.deal with unwanted things |
C.raise money for patients |
D.help a foreign country |
Which of the following is TRUE about charity shops?
A.The operating costs are very low. |
B.The staff are usually well paid. |
C.90% of the donations are second-hand. |
D.They are open twenty-four hours a day. |
Which of the following may be the best title for the passage?
A.What to Buy a Charity Shops. |
B.Charity Shop: Its Origin & Development. |
C.Charity Shop: Where You Buy to Donate. |
D.The Public’s Concern about Charity Shops. |
When building houses, people used to think about not only the climate of the areas but also the building materials and the fashions for their houses. However, since electricity became more and more expensive, people began to pay much more attention to the energy they could get for their houses and the new ways they could find to protect their houses from both cold and heat.
Now, houses of an old yet new type have been widely built. In some parts of the world, people share their houses with their livestock(家畜).During cold weather, they gather their cows, goats, or other animals and keep them on the first floor of their houses. The reasons are that the animals can be protected from the cold and that they can help to heat the houses as well. The body heat given off by the animals rises to the second floor of the houses, where people live. By sharing their houses with their livestock, people gain a source of heat.
People who live in or near cities do not usually keep livestock. However, home builders use the fact that heat rises. This natural law can be used in building houses in these areas. Instead of keeping livestock on the first floor, builders fill it with large rocks. As they are open to the sun’s rays during cold weather, these rocks take in heat. They also give off the heat, and, of course, the warm air rises into the living areas of the houses. So these houses are energy saving.
House building becomes a great challenge(挑战)to building designers and energy engineers. They try to meet this challenge by learning from old traditions and by using modern technology. And someday in the future, people will be able to live in more energy saving houses.
What did people begin to consider as electricity was no longer cheap?
A.The climate of their areas. |
B.The energy for their houses. |
C.The fashions for their houses. |
D.The building materials for their houses. |
People in some areas gain a source of heat by _________.
A.keeping their livestock downstairs |
B.protecting their livestock from the cold |
C.sharing their houses only with their cows |
D.living on the second floor with their livestock |
The underlined words “natural law” in the third paragraph refer to the fact that ________.
A.heat raises the temperature in the houses |
B.heat goes in the upward direction |
C.heat goes up if temperature is raised |
D.heat increases the temperature of rocks |
From the passage, we can conclude that __________.
A.people will no longer consider building materials in the future |
B.energy saving buildings will become more popular in the future |
C.almost all people will move into the houses heated by large rocks |
D.energy engineers will devote themselves only to modern technology. |
You’re sitting on the train home and the person opposite you yawns(打哈欠). Suddenly, you’re yawning with him, though you’re not tired.
This phenomenon confused scientists for years until a recent study found that people tend to sympathize with fellow humans. Supporting this claim was the discovery that those children who were unable to form normal emotional ties with others did not experience contagious(有感染力的) yawning, which showed that humans communicate regularly with out words.
Hugo Critchley, a neuroscientist, has conducted an experiment recently, which will prove that happiness and sadness can spread like the common cold. According to Critechley, our mind and body are in constant exchange about how we’re feeling. “Emotions are closely linked with states of internal(内部的) responses,” he explained. “ There are also more visible changes in our gestures and facial expression. When we’re in a group, these signals can spread to another person. For example, there’s the obvious tendency to smile when smiled at and there are less obvious changes that reflect emotions of surprise, anger or sadness such as a change in our heart rate and blood pressure.
Hugo Critchley further explained, “Our bodies synchronies and when we like the other person, we ever copy his behavior. Next time you chat with a friend, take note of how you’re sitting— it’s pretty likely that you will be the same. Scientists believe it’s our way of telling each other that we’re partners. Through body language, humans give each other very subtle(微妙的) but clear signals that show emotions.”
So, what lessons can we learn from this? “ Spend time with happy people— otherwise your health could suffer,” said Critchley.” When we’re sad, our body goes into fight or flight mode. But when we’re happy, our body works normally and we feel relaxed and positive. So we look bright, our skin glows, we feel healthy and it affects everyone around us.”
According to Hugo Critchley, ________.
A.emotions are as visible as facial expressions |
B.we yawn more frequently when we have a cold |
C.emotions are connected with states of internal responses |
D.the change of blood pressure is not linked with the change of emotions. |
The underlined word “synchronies” in Paragraph 4 means “_____”.
A.move slowly | B.change rapidly | C.relax temporarily | D.respond accordingly |
From the passage we can learn ________.
A.sadness is as contagious as happiness |
B.anger is less contagious than friendliness |
C.surprise is more contagious than smile |
D.surprise is the most contagious among emotions |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
A.Emotions have delicate influence on fellow humans. |
B.Children like copying the actions of the fellow humans. |
C.Scientists are still confused about contagious yawning |
D.People tend to communicate more with body language. |
试题篮
()