阅读理解 Even plants can run a fever, especially when they"re under attack by in
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| 阅读理解 |
Even plants can run a fever, especially when they"re under attack by insects or disease. But unlike
human, plants can have their temperature taken from 3,000 feet away-straight up. A decade ago,
adopting the infrared(红外线)scanning technology developed for military purposes and other satellites,
physicist Stephen Paley came up with a quick way to take the temperature of crops to determine which
ones are under stress. The goal was to let farmers precisely target pesticide(***虫剂)spraying rather than
rain poison on a whole field, which invariably includes plants that don"t have pest problems.
Even better, Paley"s Remote Scanning Services Company could detect crop problems before they
became visible to the eye. Mounted on a plane flown at 3,000 feet at night, an infrared scanner measured
the heat emitted by crops. The data were transformed into a colourcoded map showing where plants
were running "fevers". Farmers could then spotspray, using 50 to 70 percent less pesticide than they
otherwise would.
The bad news is that Paley"s company closed down in 1984, after only three years. Farmers resisted
the new technology and longterm backers were hard to find. But with the renewed concern about
pesticides on produce, and refinements in infrared scanning, Paley hopes to get back into operation.
Agriculture experts have no doubt the technology works. "This technique can be used on 75 percent of
agricultural land in the United States, " says George Oerther of Texas A & M. Ray Jackson, who recently retired from the Department of Agriculture, thinks remote infrared crop scanning could be adopted by the end of the decade. But only if Paley finds the financial backing which he failed to obtain 10 years ago. |
| 1. Plants will send out an increased amount of heat when they are________. |
A. facing an infrared scanner
B. sprayed with pesticides
C. in poor physical condition
D. exposed to excessive sun rays |
| 2. In order to apply pesticide spraying precisely, we can use infrared scanning to________. |
A. estimate the damage to the crops
B. draw a colourcoded map
C. measure the size of the affected area
D. locate the problem area |
| 3. Farmers can save a considerable amount of pesticide by________. |
A. resorting to spotspraying
B. transforming poisoned rain
C. consulting infrared scanning experts
D. detecting crop problems at an early stage |
| 4. The application of infrared scanning technology to agriculture met with some difficulties-________. |
A. its high cost
B. the lack of official support
C. the lack of financial support
D. its failure to help increase production |
| 5. Infrared scanning technology may be brought back into operation because of________. |
A. full support from agricultural experts
B. growing concern about the excessive use of pesticides on crops
C. the forceful promotion by the Department of Agriculture
D. the desire of farmers to improve the quality of their produce |
答案
| 1-5: CDACB |
举一反三
Nuclearpowered aircraft carriers are considered one of the most important marine weapons in the
20th century. So far, only two countries in the world, the USA and France, have ever produced them.
But these fearful fighting machines are about to enter Asia.
The US Navy said last month that one of its nine nuclearpowered aircraft carriers will be sent to
Japan to replace the diesel(柴油)powered carrier Kitty Hawk in 2008. In an agreement on October
30, the two countries also planned to level up their military (军事的) cooperation and the USA called
for Japan to take a larger role in alliance military moves.
It will be the first time that a nuclearpowered carrier is based in Japan. Bombed by US forces in
World War? at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan is the only world country to have been attacked by
a nuclear weapon. Therefore, the citizens are highly sensitive to where nuclearpowered weapons are
based.
"A radiation leak at Yokosuka would kill 100,000 people as far away as Tokyo, and could cause
billions of dollars in damage," said Masahiko Goto, leader of a protest group in Yokosuka. His group
has collected more than 300,000 signatures of people across Japan opposed to the nuclear carrier.
The 44 year old Kitty Hawk, the US Navy"s oldest active ship, has been based in Yokosuka since
1998. It had returned to the US to be decommissioned in 2008. The new carrier, yet to be unveiled,_
will travel faster, be capable of supporting longer operations and carry with it the Navy"s most modern
technology.
Experts pointed that this change is not only to strengthen the USJapan military alliance but also to
keep the military power of China and North Korea within limits. However, even Japanese experts
don"t believe that the two countries are threats to the region.
"There is no need for Japan to have a nuclear carrier as defense," said Tetsuo Maeda, an
international relations professor at Tokyo International University. He said that the change of ship
indicates an increased military capability in the region, much more than what is needed. |
| 1. With such a formidable weapon to enter its country, Japanese citizens ________. |
A. are aware of its benefits to the country
B. are anxious about its potential danger
C. are curious about the advanced technology
D. are against where the carrier will be based |
| 2. The replacement of the aircraft carrier is intended to________. |
A. set up a kind of base in Japan
B. strengthen the USJapan military alliance
C. show Japan"s greater military capability
D. get rid of the dated marine weapon |
| 3. From the story, we learn that________. |
A. no other countries except the USA and France possess aircraft carriers
B. Japan has long planned to increase its military capability with new weapons
C. Japan will be the first country in Asia to have a nuclear aircraft carrier
D. Japan will be the third country to produce a nuclearpowered aircraft carrier |
| 4. The underlined word "unveiled" in the fifth paragraph probably means________. |
A. perfected
B. discussed about
C. produced
D. brought to view |
| 5. By his remark in the last paragraph, the professor means that________. |
A. he is quite confident of their military defense
B. he is completely opposed to a new nuclear carrier
C. what is needed is far more than a nuclear carrier
D. it is unnecessary to guard against the two countries |
An American space company says a powerful new rocket should be ready for a test launch by the
end of 2012. The company is Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX. Its new rocket is called the
Falcon Heavy.
Company officials say it"ll be able to transport satellites or spacecraft weighing up to 53 metric tons
into orbit. Fiftythree metric tons is 117,000 pounds. That load weight is double the capacity of NASA
space shuttles. The space agency is retiring its shuttles after thirty years.
Elon Musk is the chief executive officer of SpaceX. He says the Falcon Heavy will be the second
most powerful rocket ever. He says it was designed to carry satellites and other equipment into space.
He says the rocket was designed to meet NASA"s ratings for human flight safety. So it could someday
be used to carry astronauts and other travelers into space.
Mr. Musk says the Falcon Heavy could also be used for missions(任务) like carrying a robotic lander
to collect samples from Mars. He says, "It has so much more capability than any other vehicle that I think we can start to consider missions like a Mars sample return, which requires a tremendous amount of lift
capability because you"ve got to send a lander to Mars that still has enough propellant(推进物) to return
to Earth."
The first launch is planned from the company’s launch site at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. A launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is expected in late 2013 or 2014.
In time, SpaceX hopes to launch ten Falcon Heavy rockets a year. It says the rocket should cut back
on launch costs to about 2,000 dollars a kilogram.
SpaceX already has a billionandahalfdollar deal with NASA to use a smaller rocket to transport
cargo(货物) to the International Space Station. The rocket is the Falcon 9, and the deal is for after the
two last shuttles-Endeavour and Atlantis-are retired this year.
1. What do we know about the feature of the new rocket from the second paragraph?
(No more than 11 words)
________________________________________________________________________
2. Why did SpaceX want to design the new rocket？(No more than 16 words)
________________________________________________________________________
3. Why can the new rocket be used to carry a robotic lander to collect samples from Mars?
(No more 6 words)
________________________________________________________________________
4. What will SpaceX do for the NASA after Endeavour and Atlantis are retired?
(No more than 14 words)
________________________________________________________________________ |
| 阅读理解 |
Father upset by Manchester school"s "Victorian" wall of shame
Josie Robinson, who appeared on a so-called wall of shame at her school in south Manchester, was
in tears. Her father has hit out at the "Victorian" methods.
Chorlton High School put up pictures of year 10 pupils who teachers believed had behaved badly.
Children singled out for praise were placed on the wall of fame. Its head teacher said the scheme (策划)
was designed to motivate pupils.
Carlo Robinson, whose daughter Josie was put on the wall after missing lessons, wants to make a
complaint. The teenager had been missing school and turning up late because she was upset that her
mother was ill. She said: " I thought it was embarrassing."
Mr Robinson added: "She was in tears. She couldn"t tell me at first - it took her about an hour-because she wasn"t sure what I would think of it. When she told me I was really shocked. I contacted at least 20
friends and they all agreed it was wrong - it"s like Victorian times."
Head teacher Andy Park said: "We"ve successfully used a similar scheme in the past with Year 11
students to incentivise pupils and it really did make a difference - pupils took it in the right spirit and were motivated by it to improve their performance. Obviously this latest scheme wasn"t intended to cause
offence to pupils. It was actually developed to praise the students moving forwards successfully and to
support pupils who needed to make improvements. No parents have complained directly to the school
and I"d be very happy to meet with any parents to discuss further."
Mr Robinson told the reporter he had contacted the school to schedule a meeting with the head
teacher. |
| 1. What does Mr. Robinson mean by saying this is the "Victorian" methods? |
A. The methods ignore women"s rights.
B. The methods are totally out of time.
C. The methods have a long history.
D. The methods worked well in the past. |
| 2. Why had Josie been missing school, according to her father? |
A. She got up late.
B. She hated the wall of shame.
C. She wasn"t on the wall of fame.
D. Her mother was not well. |
| 3. What does the underlined word "incentivise" most probably mean? |
A. To encourage.
B. To exchange.
C. To hurt. D. To force. |
| 4. What can we learn from the passage? |
A. The scheme proved successful before.
B. Most students didn"t take the scheme in the right spirit.
C. Twenty other parents have similar complaints.
D. The school has apologized to Mr. Robinson. |
| 阅读理解 |
The practice of magic includes special words, actions, and objects. Most magic involves a person
called a magician, who claims to have supernatural powers.
Magic words. To work most magic, the magician sings or speaks special words in a certain order.
These words are called incantations or spells. Some spells form prayers to demons(魔鬼), spirits, or
other supernatural forces. Many societies believe the magic will not work unless the magician recites
the spells perfectly. Other magic words have no meaning, though they supposedly possess power when
spoken by a magician.
Magic actions accompany the words spoken in performing much magic. Many of these movements
act out the desired effect of the magic. For example, a magician trying to make rain fall may sprinkle(洒)
water on the ground. The magician"s combined words and actions form a ceremony.
Magic objects include certain plants, stones, and other things with supposed supernatural powers.
Any such object may be called a fetish(物神). But this term often refers to an object-for example, a
carving or a dried snake-honored by a tribe for its magic powers. Many tribes believe fetishes have
magic power because spirits live in these objects.
Many people carry magic objects called amulets(护身符)to protect themselves from harm. Many
amulets are stones or rings engraved(雕刻) with magic symbols.
The magician. In some societies, nearly everyone knows how to work some magic. In other societies,
only experts practice magic. Magicians may be called medicine men, medicine women, shamans,
sorcerers, or witch doctors. In many societies, magicians must inherit their powers. In others, any person
may become a magician by studying the magical arts.
Many societies believe magicians must observe certain rules and taboos (forbidden actions) for their
spells to work. For example, they may be required not to eat various foods or to avoid sexual activity for
a certain period before the ceremony. |
| 1. What do magic words mean to people in some society? |
A. They have the power to kill devils.
B. They have power if magician recites the right spells.
C. They have no effect at all.
D. They can be used whenever they want. |
| 2. People believe magic actions will have an effect if they are accompanied by________. |
A. the spells
B. magic objects
C. stones or rings engraved with magic symbols
D. medicine |
| 3. Why do many people believe in a fetish? |
A. Because it is often a ring which is worth a lot of money.
B. Because it is carved with magic symbols.
C. Because people think spirits live in it.
D. Because it can help them with many things. |
| 4. According to the passage what kind of person can become a magician? |
A. Only those studying the magical arts.
B. Only those inheriting their powers.
C. Only men.
D. Almost all the people in some societies. |
| 5. What"s the best title of the passage? |
A. How Magic Works
B. The Power of Magic
C. How to Practice Magic
D. The Choice of Magicians |
|
| 阅读理解 |
I"m usually fairly skeptical about any research that concludes that people are either happier or
unhappier or more or less certain of themselves than they were 50 years ago. While any of these
statements might be true, they are practically impossible to prove scientifically. Still, I was struck
by a report which concluded that today"s children are significantly more anxious than children in
the 1950s. In fact, the analysis showed, normal children aged 9 to 17 exhibit a higher level of
anxiety today than children who were treated for mental illness 50 years ago.
Why are America"s kids so stressed? The report cites two main causes: increasing physical
isolation(隔离) brought on by high divorce rates and less involvement in community, among other
things and a growing perception that the world is a more dangerous place.
Considering that we_can"t_turn_the_clock_back,_adults can still do plenty to help the next generation.
At the top of the list is nurturing(培育) a better appreciation of the limits of individualism. No
child is an island. Strengthening social ties helps build communities and protect individuals against
stress.
To help kids build stronger connections with others, you can pull the plug on TVs and computers.
Your family will thank you later. They will have more time for facetoface relationships, and they will
get more sleep.
Limit the amount of virtual(虚拟的) violence your children are exposed to. It"s not just video
games and movies; children see a lot of murder and crime on the local news.
Keep your expectations for your children reasonable. Many highly successful people never attended
Harvard or Yale.
Make exercise part of your daily routine. It will help you cope with your own anxieties and provide
a good model for your kids. Sometimes anxiety is unavoidable. But it doesn"t have to ruin your life. |
1. According to the analysis, compared with normal children today, children treated as
mentally ill 50 years ago ________. |
A. probably suffered less from anxiety
B. were considered less individualistic
C. were less isolated physically
D. were probably less selfcentered |
| 2. What does the author mean by saying "we can"t turn the clock back" in the third paragraph? |
A. It"s impossible to forget the past.
B. The social reality children are facing cannot be forgotten.
C. It"s impossible to slow down the pace of change.
D. Lessons learned from the past should not be forgotten. |
| 3. The author thinks that the conclusions of any research about people"s state of mind are ________. |
A. illogical
B. confusing
C. surprising
D. questionable |
| 4. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage? |
A. To children, anxiety is completely avoidable.
B. TV and computer play an important role in isolating children from the real world.
C. Exercise does not help to lessen children"s anxiety.
D. Sometimes local news about crime and murder also affects children a little. |
| 5. The first and most important thing parents should do to help their children is________. |
A. to lower their expectations for them
B. to set a good model for them to follow
C. to get them more involved socially
D. to improve them with a safer environment |
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