Students from Florida International University in. Miami walked on water Thursday for a class assignment. To do it, they wore aquatic (水上的)shoes they designed and created.
Alex Quinones was the first to make it to the other side of a 175-foot lake on campus in record time - just over a minute. Quinones, who wore oversized boat-like shoes, also won last year and will receive $ 500. Students had to wear the aquatic shoes and make it across the lake in order to earn an '6A" on the assignment for Architecture Professor Jaime Canaves, Materials and Methods Construction Class. "It's traditional in a school of architecture to do boats out of cardboard for a boat race. I thought our students were a little bit more special than that, " Canaves said. "We decided to do the walk on water event to take it to the next level. "
A total of 79 students competed in the race this year in 41 teams. Only 10 teams failed to cross the lake. Others who fell got back up and made it to the end. The race is open to all students and anyone in the community. The youngest person to ever participate was a 9-year-old girl who competed in place of her mother, while the oldest was a 67-year-old female.
A large crowd on campus joined Canaves as he cheered on the racers. He shouted encouraging words, but also laughed as some unsteadily made their way to the end.
"A part of this is for them to have more understanding of designing and make it work better, " he said. It is also a lesson in life for the students.
"Anything, including walking on water, is possible, if you do the research,test it and go through the design process seriously.Which statement about Alex 'Quinones is ture ?
| A．He finished the race in less than a minute. |
| B．He won the race with the help of 2 boats. |
| C．He failed the race last year. |
| D．He set a new record this year. |
For what purpose did the students take part in the race?
| A．To go across the lake to school. |
| B．To test their balance on the water. |
| C．To pass Professor Canaves’ class. |
| D．To win the prize money of $ 500. |
Which of the following is true about the race?
| A．The students who fell into the water had to quit. |
| B．More than 20 teams failed to cross the lake. |
| C．The students kept silent when the other racers competed. |
| D．The youngest competitor competed instead of her mother. |
According to Canaves, this race can help the students
| A．understand designing better | B．achieve almost everything |
| C．work together and unite as one | D．walk on the surface of water |
What is the purpose of this passage?
| A．To advertise a student' s program. |
| B．To report an interesting assignment. |
| C．To introduce a creative professor. |
| D．To encourage special events on campus. |
Xinhua News Agency－The International Conference on Power Engineering (ICOPE) 2013, organized by the Chinese Society of Power Engineering, School of Energy and Power Engineering, China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable Energy, opened in Wuhan, on Oct 24. More than 300 energy experts, scholars and businessmen from countries and areas including the United States, Japan, the EU, Australia, South Africa, Thailand, Nigeria, Arab and China are attending the three-day academic conference on the world’s energy problems.
Professor Zheng Chuguang, from the School of Energy and Power Engineering at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, gave a speech on the development of oxygen fuel technology in China, and said that settling the problem of cost ranks highest.
George Saxon, vice-president of Conco Systems Inc, US, presented a report on the topic of Energy Engineer to Shape the Future. He said that the company’s research and innovation (创新) are of great significance for the future and already contribute to reducing costs and improving efficiency (效率).
Professor Didier Mayer from the Ecole des Mines de Paris, France, spoke about “Wind Energy R&D Line Based on the Global Renewable Energy Status”, and Professor Yasuo Koizumi of Shinshu University in Japan and Li Chun-Zhu of Curtin University of Technology in Australia also gave speeches at the conference.
The academic meetings are expected to cover topics from various fields. In addition, the participants will discuss the most advanced academic research around the world, the latest progress and development trends in the various fields. The conference has attracted 232 academic papers, with 176 papers from China, and 56 from abroad.Who probably attended the meeting?
| A．Students from high schools. | B．Scholars from Canada. |
| C．Officials from governments. | D．Experts from companies. |
According to Professor Zheng, what matters most about energy problems?
| A．Reducing cost. | B．Using wind energy. |
| C．Saving energy. | D．Developing new fuels. |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．300 participants are attending the two-day academic conference. |
| B．George Saxon supports the company’s research and innovation. |
| C．Didier Mayer gave a speech on oxygen fuel technology in China. |
| D．The conference has attracted 232 academic papers from abroad. |
What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To discuss the world energy problems. |
| B．To introduce to readers some energy experts. |
| C．To introduce an international energy conference. |
| D．To show the world’s great concern about environment. |
Facebook is now used by 30 million people in the UK, around half the population. Joanna Shields, vice president of Facebook Europe, made the announcement this morning at a media conference in London.
Globally, Facebook has more than 500 million registered （注册的） users, a milestone it hit last summer. Last July it had 26 million registered UK users. In the last eight months, it has attracted four million extra UK users, bringing the UK total to 30 million.
Facebook, the brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg while he was still studying at Harvard University, was launched in February 2004. The pace of its global growth has sped rapidly - Facebook had only 150 million registered users in January 2009.
One third of women aged between 18 to 34 check Facebook when they first wake up, before even going to the toilet, according to the research. 21% check Facebook in the middle of the night, while 42% of the same group think it is fine to post drunken photos of themselves onto the social network, a study by Oxygen Media and Lightspeed Research found.
Shields was speaking this morning at the Financial Times Digital Media and Broadcasting Conference about the power Facebook’s referrals （好友推荐）can bring to media sites, such as newspapers and TV services. She explained that the average Facebook user has 130 friends who they share links to media sites with regularly. “Media companies which take advantage of that are really seeing the benefits,” Shields said. Shields refused to be drawn on whether Facebook would develop its own mobile phone operating system and also said it was “silly” that Google had recently disabled the feature which allowed Google users to refresh their contacts with Facebook friends.Eight months ago the number of registered users of Facebook in UK was about ____.
| A．less than half of its population | B．30 million |
| C．4 million | D．500 million |
Shields talked at the Financial Times Digital Media and Broadcasting Conferences about the following EXCEPT ____.
| A．Facebook’s referrals |
| B．its plan on developing its own mobile phone operating system |
| C．its dissatisfaction with Google |
| D．its call for more media sites to take advantage of Facebook |
What does the underlined word “disabled” mean in the last paragraph?
| A．Invented | B．Strengthened |
| C．Added | D．Stopped |
What is the best title of the text?
| A．Facebook’s referrals bring benefits |
| B．Facebook: the brainchild of Mark Zuckergerg |
| C．Facebook: used by half the UK population |
| D．Facebook: women’s preference |
After a week-long vacation, U.S. President Barack Obama will focus on proposals to strengthen the still-recovering American economy. The agenda includes the reform of the nation’s health care system.
The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare as some call it, expands federal health care programs for the needy and encourages Americans of all income groups to purchase private health care insurance.
“If you do not have insurance, beginning on October 1st, private plans will actually compete for your business. You can comparison--shop in an online marketplace, just like you would for cell phone plans or plane tickets. You may be eligible for new tax credits to help you afford the plan that’s right for you. And if you are in the up to half of all Americans who have been sick or have a preexisting condition, this law means that beginning January 1st, insurance companies have to cover you," Obama said.
Health-care spending accounts for one-seventh of U.S. economic activity, and is projected to increase to one-fifth in coming years. The cost has a direct bearing on America’s economic and financial well--being. Drawn up in 2010, the Affordable Care Act aims to control costs and expand access to health care. The effort is a big failure, according to Republican law makers like Tim Griffin and Todd Young.
“Republicans will continue to do everything we can to protect all Americans from the president's top-down, one-size-fits-all, Washington-knows-best approach to health care that is driving up costs and hurting our economy," said Griffin. “The sooner we can delay, oppose and cancel the president's health-care law, the sooner we can get people back to work and focus on expanding opportunity for everyone.”
The president accuses Republicans of putting partisanship(党派偏见) ahead of Americans’ health-care needs. “A lot of Republicans seem to believe that if they can gum up the works and make this law fail, they will somehow be sticking it to me. But they would just be sticking it to you. Your health insurance is not something to play politics with. Our economy is not something to play politics with," he said.
As a matter of fact，the success or failure of Obamacare could shape the president’s legacy long after he leaves office.It is implied in Obama’s words in Paragraph 3 that .
| A．health care insurance will be of great benefit to Americans |
| B．health care insurance will help recover American economy |
| C．insurance companies don’t expect him to carry out the law |
| D．insurance companies will cover Americans in all aspects |
According to Tim Griffin，Obama’s health-care law .
| A．will be strongly opposed to by the Republicans |
| B．will cause fewer economic problems in America |
| C．will be cancelled sooner or later by the government |
| D．will never work without the help of the Republicans. |
What does Obama accuse Republicans of according to the passage?
| A．They don’t know what Americans are in need of. |
| B．They tend to put their own benefit ahead of Americans’. |
| C．They know nothing about health insurance and economy. |
| D．They like to play politics with economy and health insurance |
What is the author’s tone in this passage?
| A．Subjective | B．Critical | C．Unconcerned | D．Objective |
England will play Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica in a tough Group D at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Roy Hodgson's men open their campaign against Italy in the Amazonian city of Manaus on 15 June in the only World Cup game which kicks off at 02:00 BST. England take on Uruguay on 19 June and play Costa Rica five days later.
Hosts Brazil are in Group A with Cameroon, Mexico and Croatia while the World Cup holders Spain open with a repeat of the 2010 final against Netherlands.
England will have to travel 1,777 miles from their chosen base in Rio for their first match in the tropical heat of Manaus.
Earlier this week Hodgson described Manaus as "the place to avoid" because of the climate—temperatures reach 30C and humidity is about 80%—although after the draw the England boss took comfort from the fact his team face a fellow European side.
"The conditions in the north will be tough, so we will both be in same boat," he said. "If we'd had three games up in the north, it would have been difficult."
Following Hodgson's initial comments, the mayor of Manaus, Arthur Virgilio, said England would not be welcome in the city.
England takes on two-time champions Uruguay in Sao Paulo and they play Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte—both cities are within 225 miles of their base.
England have never previously beaten Italy or Uruguay at a major tournament(锦标赛), while they have never faced Costa Rica.
Uruguay, who reached the semi-finals in 2010, and Italy, who knocked Hodgson's men out of Euro 2012, are ranked sixth and seventh respectively in the Fifa rankings while Costa Rica are 31st in the world - 18 places below England.When and where will England play its third group stage match?
| A．On 24 June; in Manaus |
| B．On 24 June; in Belo Horizonte |
| C．On 19 June; in Manaus |
| D．On 19 June; in Sao Paulo |
Which of the following can England take comfort from?
| A．The place where its first match in the group stage is held. |
| B．The distance from its base to where its first match is held. |
| C．The fact that two of its group stage games are not in the north. |
| D．The fact that it is 7 places below Uruguay in the Fifa rankings. |
Which of the following is true according to the news report?
| A．Roy Hodgson is the coach of Brazil national football team. |
| B．Netherlands took the second place in the last World Cup. |
| C．The mayor of Manaus is a fan of the British soccer team. |
| D．England has never played against Uruguay in the history. |
According to Hunan Daily, in Yongxing County of Hunan Province, retired teacher Chen and his wife are living in a natural cave (山洞), and they quite enjoy such life.
Chen’s cave is 20 meters wide and 8 meters deep. Lichens (青苔)can be seen everywhere in it. Chen says that the place is free of pollution.
Because of being poor, they moved into the cave, Chen said. In 1975, the houses of his families and his neighbors were all burned to the ground in the fire. Chen was then already married and badly needed a house to live in. But he had no money to build a house, so he had to live in his relatives’ houses as long as 5 years.
In 1980, he happened to discover this cave, immediately he and his family members decided to live in there. Chen thought the cave could be a temporary（临时的）living place, but it never occurred to him that it could be his home in the next 28 years. Chen recalled that the first couple of days were the most difficult period, “I put up some wooden boards for a gate, but they were all blown away by wind that same night.”
Chen has two sons and a daughter, and they all left the cave after they got married. Now Chen’s old friends once in a while visit him in his cave drinking and playing Chinese chess. For Chen, the most enjoyable thing is to raise bees and grow kinds of plants.From the passage we know what Chen likes to do most is ____.
| A．drinking and playing chess with his friends |
| B．raising bees and growing plants |
| C．doing farm work in the fields |
| D．recalling his past life |
What had happened to his house before he moved into the cave?
| A．His house was blown away by wind. |
| B．His house was washed away by floods. |
| C．His house was destroyed by fire. |
| D．The text doesn’t mention it. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．All of Chen’s children are studying in the university. |
| B．Chen’s friends hardly come to the cave to see him. |
| C．Chen and his children still live together in the cave. |
| D．Chen found the cave quite by accident. |
The purpose of the passage is to ____.
| A．introduce a natural cave to people |
| B．tell us something about a teacher living in the cave for 28 years |
| C．explain how the Chens suffered during the 28 years |
| D．expect more people to visit Chen’s cave |
If cars had wings，they could fly and that just might happen，beginning in 2012.The company Terrafugia，based in Woburn，Massachusetts，says it plans to deliver its carplane，the Transition，to customers by the end of 2012.
“It's the next ‘wow’ vehicle，” said Terrafugia，vice president Richard Gersh.“Anybody can buy a Ferrari，but as we say，Ferraris don't fly.”
The carplane has wings that unfold for flying—a process the company says takes one minute—and fold back up for driving.A runway is still required to take off and land.
The Transition is being marketed more as a plane that drives than a car that flies，although it is both.The company has been working with FAA to meet aircraft regulations，and with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to meet vehicle safety regulations.
The company is aiming to sell the Transition to private pilots as a more convenient and cheaper way to fly.They say it saves you the trouble of trying to find another mode of transportation to get to and from airports：you drive the car to the airport and then you're good to go.When you land，you fold up the wings and hit the road.There are no expensive parking fees because you don't have to store it at an airport—you park it in the garage at home.
The carplane is designed to fly primarily under 10,000 feet.It has a maximum takeoff weight of 1,430 pounds，including fuel and passengers.Terrafugia says the Transition reduces the potential for an accident by allowing pilots to drive under bad weather instead of flying into marginal(边缘的) conditions.
The Transition's price tag：$194,000.But there may be additional charges for options like a radio，transponder or GPS.Another option is a fullplane parachute.
“If you get into a very awful situation，it is the necessary safety option，”Gersh said.
So far，the company has more than 70 orders with deposits.“We're working very closely with them，but there are still some remaining steps，” Brown said.We can learn from the first paragraph that ________.
| A．carplanes will be popular in 2012 |
| B．people might drive a carplane in 2012 |
| C．both the Transition and the Ferrari can take off and land |
| D．Richard Gersh is the vice president of Massachusetts |
It takes the carplane one minute to ________.
| A．fold and unfold its wings |
| B．unfold wings for flying |
| C．land in the airport |
| D．meet flying safety regulations |
According to the passage，which of the following is NOT true?
A．The carplane needs a runway to take off and land.
B．To meet aircraft regulations，the company has been working with FAA.
C．The carplane may fly as high as normal planes.
D．People can park the carplane in the garage at their home.The underlined word “it” in the last but one paragraph refers to ________.
| A．the radio |
| B．the transponder |
| C．the GPS |
| D．the fullplane parachute |
BEIJING，Feb.5，2013(Xinhua)－Chinese health authorities on Tuesday launched a campaign to fight against assisted reproductive technology (ART：辅助生育技术) abuse.Unauthorized ART use，surrogate motherhood and the illegal collection and supply of sperm and eggs，as well as the illegal sale and abuse of ovulation induction(诱导排卵) medicine，will be targeted.
The Ministry of Health and health department of the People's Liberation Army General Logistics Department jointly announced the campaign at a conference.Both departments also ordered all of their local branches to suspend permits for new organizations that wish to offer ART treatments.That is，new organizations will not appear recently.Official figures showed that at the end of 2012，China had 358 organizations authorized to conduct ART treatment.
The health ministry also delivered a brief statement of the country's current infertility rate(不孕率) and ART use.The infertility rate in China is now between 7 and 10 percent，the ministry said.Some 70 to 80 percent of women who are suffering from infertility can be pregnant after changing their lifestyles and receiving medical treatment.Around 20 percent of infertile couples have to resort to ART to have babies.In 2011，about 350，000 people received ART treatment and more than 60，000 infertile couples successfully had children with the help of ART，the ministry said.ART abuse DOSEN'T include________．
| A．surrogate motherhood |
| B．unauthorized ART use |
| C．the regular usage of medicine |
| D．the illegal supply of sperm and eggs |
What does the underlined word “suspend” (paragraph 2) probably mean?
| A．Support. | B．Pause. | C．Allow. | D．Ban. |
From the last paragraph we can know________．
| A．Nearly10 percent of couples could not have their own babies |
| B．70 to 80 percent of women could not be pregnant now |
| C．Over 350，000 infertile couples had their babies with the help of ART |
| D．About one fifth of infertile couples have to turn to ART for help |
What's the best title of the passage?
| A．China targets ART abuse |
| B．ART is used in China |
| C．ART is illegal in China |
| D．China increases ART using |
The kiwi bird
The kiwi bird is a flightless bird，about the size of a chicken. It sleeps during the day and is active at nighttime. It has a long beak that is onethird the length of its body, and its beak actually has nostrils (鼻孔) at the end. The kiwi is the only bird with this feature. Another unique feature of the kiwi is that it has no tail. It has thick brown hairlike feathers. This bird has many physical features unlike any other bird on earth.
Kiwi birds have been called a genetic leftover. Their characteristics seem very odd to us probably due to the fact that they haven't evolved much at all. They are suspected to be about 8 million years old. That's 7 million years older than humans. Due to New Zealand's isolated environment, it has been safe from predators(食肉动物) and hasn't needed to do much adapting. They just hang around.
With its long beak, the kiwi digs up and chows down on worms. A kiwi is almost blind; it can see about six feet at night and around two feet during the day，so when it comes to hunting the kiwi is not well equipped.It uses the nostrils on its beak to find its food and then picks up the worms with its beak.
The kiwi bird is native of New Zealand.It is the island country's national bird, and is rare anywhere but here and a few Pacific island neighbors. Of course，it is available for viewing at certain zoos.It has stayed in its native land due to the facts that it is an isolated island and that kiwis can't fly.
Kiwi birds are extremely unique in the bird world. Though they are the size of chickens, they lay eggs the size of ostrich eggs, weighing around a pound each.Their enormous eggs are the largest in the bird world, compared to their bodies. These birds were named after their distinctive shrill cry “keewee keewee”．Which of the following is NOT the distinctive feature of the kiwi bird?
| A．It has no tail at all. |
| B．It has a long beak. |
| C．Its feathers are thick and brown. |
| D．There are nostrils at the end of its beak. |
Kiwi birds haven't evolved much over the past 8 million years probably because ________.
| A．the climate is mild |
| B．they have no enemy |
| C．something is wrong with their genes |
| D．they have adapted to living on the island |
What plays a key role in looking for food?
| A．Its long beak. | B．Its eyes. |
| C．The nostrils. | D．Its tail |
What does Paragraph 4 mainly talk about?
| A．The kiwi bird's habitat. |
| B．The kiwi bird is New Zealand's national bird. |
| C．The kiwi bird can not fly. |
| D．The kiwi bird is available at zoos. |
Kiwi birds got their name from ________.
| A．the large size of their eggs |
| B．the food they feed on |
| C．their appearance |
| D．their unique cry |
Norway—Ten Chinese college students arrived at the country’s Arctic research base, the Yellow River Station, on Friday.
On Saturday，the students are expected to witness the end of four months of darkness in the area, as the sun makes a rare appearance.
During their four-day stay at the station，the students will meet and learn from some of China’s leading polar researchers．They were welcomed at the station yesterday by its director，He Jianfeng, who is an expert on marine micro-ecosystems．
The students will also visit the German and Norwegian stations and meet researchers there．
As for entertainment, the visitors will get the chance to play ice hockey at the world’s most northerly stadium．
Among the visitors is Zheng Li，a student majoring in telecommunications at Dalian Maritime University．
“It is so exciting to see how the Chinese researchers work in the world’s most northerly laboratory，”she said．
“This opportunity is precious．Most people will never get the chance to travel so far from home and visit such an amazing place．It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
Wu Jinyou，head of the Polar Research Institute of China，and the group’s leader，said，“I hope the students have not only a field trip to the Yellow River station，but are also touched by the devotion and spirit of the Chinese researchers here. I also expect in the future，some of them will choose to devote themselves to polar research and maybe even work with us.”
The students have been in Norway since February 28，and were given Arctic training before moving to the station．
The Arctic expedition is one of the several international cooperation and exchange activities forming the China Program for International Polar Year(2007-08)．It was launched last March．Which of the following is true about Wu Jinyou?
| A．He is a graduate from Dalian Maritime University． |
| B．He is the leading polar researcher working at the research station． |
| C．He is sure that all the ten students will make good polar researchers． |
| D．He thinks highly of the devotion and spirit of the Chinese researchers． |
What does Zheng Li mean by saying“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing”?
| A．It’s exciting to see the sun rise in Arctic area． |
| B．The trip to the research station is extremely exciting． |
| C．Playing ice hockey in Arctic area is really a life-long memory． |
| D．People are only allowed to visit the station once in their lifetime． |
Which word can most probably replace the underlined word “launched”?
| A．ended | B．stopped | C．started | D．performed |
What could be the best title of the news report?
| A．Chinese Students Arrive at Arctic Station. |
| B．Chinese Students Do Research in Norway. |
| C．Chinese Students Play Ice Hockey at Arctic Station. |
| D．Chinese Students Receive Training at Arctic Station. |
It was reported last week that developers could take photos from Apple mobile and Google Android devices without the phone owners knowing that the images were being taken. In Apple’s case, developers can also obtain the location information for each photo.
Senator(参议员) Charles Schumer said in a telephone interview that his office had spoken with officials at both Apple and Google on Monday.
“We asked them if they could find a way on their own to prevent Apple from having access to private information,” Mr. Schumer said. “They were friendly and open to the idea that this ought to be changed.”
On Sunday, Mr. Schumer said that he planned to send a letter to the Federal Trade Commission asking the agency to investigate Apple and Google after the privacy concerns came to light. Claudia Bourne Farrell, an F.T.C. spokeswoman, said the agency had received the letter but she could not comment further.
“It worries people to think that one’s personal photos, address book, and who knows what else can be obtained and even posted online without permission,” Mr. Schumer wrote in his letter to the F.T.C. “If the technology exists to open the door to this kind of privacy invasion, then surely technology exists to close it, and that’s exactly what must happen.”
Mr. Schumer said if Apple and Google could not come to an agreement to fix the problem, then he would be forced to take the issue further.
He said other companies had been willing to work with his office to fix issues. “I’m optimistic that we can get this changed without any regulation,” he said. “If it’s not changed, then we’ll turn to the F.T.C., and if that doesn’t work then we’ll consider legislative approach.”
The F.T.C. has warned companies to try to be more vigilant(警醒的) in their efforts to protect consumers when it comes to privacy.The senators spoke with officials at both Apple and Google___________.
| A．to urge them not to invade consumers’ privacy |
| B．to discuss whether it is illegal to have access to private information |
| C．to stop them from developing the technology of taking photos |
| D．to keep them from obtaining the location information for each photo |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Privacy invasion from Apple has existed for a long time. |
| B．Mr. Schumer takes the privacy concerns caused by Apple and Google seriously. |
| C．Privacy invasion from Google has existed for a long time. |
| D．Apple and Google have decided to make a change. |
Mr. Schumer’s letter to the F.T.C. mainly shows that the technology to open the door to privacy invasion___________.
A. causes privacy invasion to happen frequently
B. can be used if permitted
C. causes people to worry about the safety of their personal information
D. causes personal information to be posted online without permissionIf the privacy concerns can’t be solved with the help of the F.T.C., ___________.
A. The senators will force the companies not to invade privacy
B. The companies will be closed
C. The companies will be fined
D. The senators will turn to legislationWhere can we read about the passage?
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a travel brochure. |
| C．In a science report. | D．In a textbook. |
Some young Cambodians are learning a new sport — skateboarding. The country’s first skateboard park is located on the grounds of a local charity group at the edge of Phnom Penh, the capital.
Sports like Khmer boxing and soccer are wildly popular in Cambodia. But Chea ，who has been skating for 6 months ，says skating has already become his favorite sport.
The skaters are learning tricks like launching off a jump or half-pipe and flying through the air on their narrow wooden boards.
A non-governmental organization called Skateistan Cambodia organizes weekly programs at the park. Skateistan started its work in Afghanistan years ago. Rory Burke is working with the group which expanded to Cambodia last year.
Rory Burke points out, “Yeah, it’s definitely not a typical Cambodian pastime (消遣）.And I think the idea of ‘why skateboarding’is that it’s not been done before here. We want to use skateboarding as something saying, ‘Hey，this is new ，this is something different.，And that kind of itself becomes a little bit of hook. People see it and they think and they say, ‘Wow, what is that?，and they want to get involved. ”
Skateistan partners with local groups that work with young people. The park is on the grounds of the group known as PSE, where children attend school and learn a trade. There are almost one hundred twenty participants. They all come from troubled lives.
Seventeen-year-old Sang Rotha is a student at PSE. “Sometimes I don’t do well on subjects like math,”he says, “I feel bad when I find it hard to keep up with my lessons. So that is why I skateboard -to improve my bad feelings. ’，
He says he began skateboarding more than a year ago. Before he started training, it seemed very easy. But it was very difficult to learn tricks, and he got hurt a lot from falling off.
Rory Burke says learning to deal with the difficulties is part of the lesson for these young skateboarders.According to the passage, PSE is a group ______.
| A． that works with Cambodian students |
| B． for young Cambodians to learn a trade |
| C． for young Cambodians in troubled lives |
| D． for young Cambodians taking skateboarding |
What is said about skateboarding in the passage?
| A． It is easy for young Cambodians to learn. |
| B． It is a good sport to help regain good feeling. |
| C． It originated in Afghanistan years ago. |
| D． It is as popular as Khmer boxing in Cambodia. |
The underlined part a little bit of hook probably means ______.
| A． something strange | B．something quite new |
| C． something different | D．something attractive |
It can be inferred from the passage that skateboarding is becoming ______.
| A． a sport liked by most young Cambodians |
| B． an increasingly popular sport in Cambodia |
| C． a sport used to better young Cambodians’ life |
| D． a good way to train young Cambodians’ learning skills |
An eighteen-year-old high school student from Utah won the top prize in the Intel Science Talent Search in the United States. The winner received a computer and a scholarship for a college education.
More than 1,500students from across the country entered projects in the competition this year. Their research included chemistry, medicine, physics, mathematics, engineering, and computer science-almost every area of science.
Forty students were invited to Washington, D.C. for the final judging. A group of scientists judged them on their research abilities, critical thinking skills and creativity. The judges also questioned the students about scientific problems before deciding on the winners.
The top winner received 100,000 dollars for college. Shannon Babb of American Fork High School studied the water quality of tile Spanish Fork River in Utah for six years. She found that people have a harmful effect on the river through human activity, including agriculture. And she suggested ways to improve the water quality in the future. These include educating the public not to put household chemicals down the drains（下水道）, which lead to the river eventually.
Seventeen-year-old Yi Sun of the Hanker School in San Jose, California, earned the second place. He won a 75,000-dollar scholarship for new discoveries about a mathematical theory known as random walks. His work could help computer scientists and chemists. Yi Sun was born in China.
The third-place winner was also seventeen and born in China. Yuan “Chelsea” Zhang of Montgomery Blair High School in Rockville, Maryland, won a 50,000-dollar scholarship. She researched the molecular genetics（分子遗传学）of heart disease. Her findings could aid the development of new medicines.
The Intel Science Talent Search is the oldest science competition for high school students in the United States. It is 65 years old this year. Past winners have gone on to receive six Nobel prizes and other top honors in science and math.What do we know about the talent search project?
| A．Most of its winners have received Nobel prizes. |
| B．The project includes researches in every area of science. |
| C．Only a small part of the students can attend the final judging. |
| D．Most of the winners come from Asian countries. |
According to the text, .
| A．water quality in Utah will be better than that in the other states |
| B．the river was polluted only by those living near it |
| C．Shannon Babb suggested more than one way to improve the water quality |
| D．household chemicals should be kept in the drains forever |
Which of the following about the girl from Maryland is NOT true?
| A．The scholarship she received was half as many as Shannon Babb. |
| B．Her discovery is of great help to Chinese medicine. |
| C．Her research will contribute to the cure of heart disease. |
| D．She and the second-place winner Yi Sun have something in common. |
What is the text mainly about?
| A．Three winners' contributions to science and math. |
| B．Three Chinese students won the Science Talent Search. |
| C．Great rewards were given to winners in the competition. |
| D．Winners of the Intel Science Talent Search in the US. |
Where are you most likely to find this text?
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a handbook. | C．In a textbook. | D．In a medical magazine. |
You have probably heard of the Mozart effect. It’s the idea that if children or even babies listen to music composed by Mozart, they will become more intelligent. A quick Internet search reveals plenty of products to assist you in the task. Whatever your age there are CDs and books to help you taste the power of Mozart’s music, but when it comes to scientific evidence that it can make you more clever, the picture is more mixed.
The phrase “the Mozart effect” was made up in 1991, but it was a study described two years later in the journal Nature that sparked real media and public interest about the idea that listening to classical music somehow improves the brain. It is one of those ideas that sound reasonable. Mozart was undoubtedly a genius himself; his music is complex and there is a hope that if we listen to enough of it ,we’ll become more intelligent.
The idea took off, with thousands of parents playing Mozart to their children, and in 1998 Zell Miller, the Governor of the state of Georgia in the US, even asked for money to be set aside in the state budget so that every newborn baby could be sent a CD of classical music. It was not just babies and children who were exposed to Mozart’s music on purpose, even an Italian farmer proudly explained that the cows were played Mozart three times a day to help them to produce better milk.
I’ll leave the debate on the impact on milk yield to farmers, but what about the evidence that listening to Mozart makes people more intelligent? More research was carried out but an analysis of sixteen different studies confirmed that listening to music does lead to a temporary improvement in the ability to handle shapes mentally, but the benefits are short-lived and it doesn’t make us more intelligent.What can we learn from paragraph 1?
| A．Mozart composed many musical pieces for children. |
| B．Children listening to Mozart will be more intelligent. |
| C．There are few products on the Internet about Mozart’s music. |
| D．There is little scientific evidence to support Mozart effect. |
Why did many people believe in the idea of Mozart Effect?
| A．Because a study described it in the journal Nature. |
| B．Because Mozart himself was a genius. |
| C．Because Mozart’s music is enjoyable. |
| D．Because Mozart’s music makes people relaxed. |
The underlined sentence in paragraph3 suggests that .
| A．people were strongly against the idea |
| B．the idea was accepted by many people |
| C．Mozart played an important part in people’s life |
| D．the US government helped promote the idea |
What is the author’s attitude towards the Mozart effect?
| A．Favorable | B．Objective | C．Doubtful | D．Positive |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Listening to Mozart , necessary? | B．What music is beneficial? |
| C．What is the Mozart effect? | D．To be or not to be? |
Debra Veal is a very brave woman. She took part in a race to row across the Atlantic，a journey for about 3, 360 kilometers. She was in one of the 36 small rowing boats that set off on October 7th, 2001 from Tenerife. Each small boat was the same with food for the journey. She arrived in Barbados on January 26th , 2002 after rowing across the Atlantic for three-and-a-half months.
Debra began the journey with her husband in a small boat called Troika Transatlantic. But after 14 days he became very afraid, so he was taken off the small rowing boat. This did not make Debra give up. For the next hundred days, she rowed her small boat against the waves and the wind.
When she at last arrived at the end of her journey, she was reluctant ( 不情愿的 ) to leave her boat though her husband and family were there to welcome her. The boat had carried her safely to the end of the journey. She said, "I just want to toast(给……敬酒)this lady, this very special lady. I am full of sadness that I will have to leave her. She has protected me through many storms. "Debra Veal's husband gave up because_________.
| A．he had to look after their child | B．it was a dangerous journey |
| C．there was no food for the journey | D．he was fed up with the journey |
"this lady" refers to_________.
| A．her mother | B．her boat | C．herself | D．the journey |
Which of the following is right?
| A．The journey lasted 100 days. |
| B．Each boat was different. |
| C．Debra Veal wanted to leave her boat as soon as the race ended. |
| D．It was hard to get to the end of the journey. |
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