Reading comprehension. The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry
题型：上海高考真题难度：来源：
| Reading comprehension. |
The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added-a
communications blackout caused by solar storms.
After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that
could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.
Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons
of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications
satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.
"The Sun"s activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next
solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard
Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the
Sun"s atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. "A coronal mass ejection can
carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometres per hour. Such events can expose
astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb
communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the
greatest number of sunspots.
Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the
Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the
most advanced televisions available.
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of
the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.
Professor Richard Hold away, the lab"s director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning
of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advance
warning, we"ll be able to reduce the damage. What you don"t want is things switching off for a week with no
idea of what"s caused the problem," he said. |
1. The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to _____ during the 2012
Olympics. |
| [ ] |
A. the extinguishing of the Olympic torch
B. the collapse of broadcasting systems
C. the transportation breakdown in London
D. the destruction of weather satellites |
| 2. What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage? |
| [ ] |
A. The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth.
B. The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle.
C. It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth.
D. The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections. |
| 3. According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _____. |
| [ ] |
A. take images of the solar system
B. provide early warning of thunderstorms
C. keep track of solar activities
D. improve the communications on Earth |
| 4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage? |
| [ ] |
A. Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer
B. Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger
C. Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race
D. Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled |
答案
| 1-4: BDCD |
举一反三
Directions: Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest
possible words. |
Phys ed (physical education) is making a comeback as a part of the school core curriculum (核心课程),
but with a difference. While group sports are still part of the curriculum, the new way is to teach skills that
are useful beyond gym class. Instead of learning how to climb a rope, children are taught to lift weights,
balance their diets and build physical endurance. In this way,kids are given the tools and skills and experiences
so they can lead a physically active life the rest of their life.
Considering that 15 percent of American children 6 to 18 are overweight, supporters say more money and
thought must be put into phys ed curriculum. In many cases, that may mean not just replacing the old gym-
class model with fitness programs but also starting up phys ed programs because school boards often "put
P.E. on the chopping block, cutting it entirely or decreasing its teachers or the days it is offered," says Alicia
Moag-Stahlberg, the executive director of Action for Health Kids. The difference in phys ed programs is partly
due to the lack of a national standard."Physical education needs to be part of the core curriculum," she added.
The wisdom of the new approach has some scientific support. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin
have demonstrated how effective the fit-for-life model of gym class can be. They observed how 50 overweight
children lost more weight when they cycled and skied cross-country than when they played sports. The
researchers also found that teaching sports like football resulted in less overall movement, partly because
reluctant students were able to sit on the bench.
Another problem with simply teaching group sports in gym class is that only a tiny percentage of students
continue playing them after graduating from high school. The new method teaches sells that translate to
adulthood. |
(Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS.)
1. In the new P.E. program, children learn to lift weights, balance their diets and build physical endurance
rather than ______.
2. As for P.E., some school boards either ______.
3. What are the two problems with simply teaching group sports?
____________________________________________________________________________________
4. What is the long-term benefit of the new P.E program?
____________________________________________________________________________________ |
| 阅读理解。 |
Fruit powered digital clock
Fruit"s not only good to eat, but it can also power this Fruit Digital Clock. This clock uses the scientific
principles on which modern electrical storage batteries are based. The acid (酸) from the fruit helps transmit
an electrical flow between two metal poles. The clock is priced at US $ 15. Adding any fresh fruit or vegetable
to the clock will make it work. The fruit is a clean, renewable source of electrical power.
USB vacuum
Do you know the dirtiest parts of your desk are probably your keyboard and mouse? Get a USB Mini V
acuum with retractable (可伸缩的) cable and suck away all that junk. The US-made product is priced at
US $ 14.
SIM card reader
Making useful USB 2.0 multi-card reader even handier, this card can also read and write data to phone SIM
cards. It comes with SIM editing software. Download your phonebook to your computer. If you lose your cell
phone, you can store missing phone numbers in your new one the US-made IMOMO SIM card+Multi-Card
Reader is priced at US $ 19 (152 yuan).
Beer in your ear
The beer barrel (桶)-shaped Naf Naf Hyp MP3 is a musical box that"s capable of playing radio, CDs and
cassettes. It"s got all the standard features of the typical clock-radio, but with the relaxing look of a big beer
barrel. The Danish product is priced at about US $ 130 (1040 yuan). |
| 1. If you have 115 yuan, which product can you buy according to the passage? |
| [ ] |
A. Fruit powered digital clock
B. USB vacuum
C. SIM card reader
D. Naf Naf Hyp MP3 |
| 2. Which of the following statements is TRUE? |
| [ ] |
A. Fruit and vegetables cannot be used as batteries to make a clock work.
B. USB vacuum can be used to clean your house and yard.
C. With SIM card reader you won"t lose phone numbers.
D. Naf Naf Hyp MP3 can play radio, DVD and cassettes. |
| 3. What does "junk" mean in the second item? |
| [ ] |
A. dirt
B. desk
C. keyboard
D. mouse |
| 4. The passage is most likely a(n) _____. |
| [ ] |
A. entertainment information
B. science reports on new high-technology
C. introduction of some kinds of musical boxes
D. advertisement for new products |
| 5. SIM card reader can be used to _____. |
| [ ] |
A. edit all the data in your computer
B. remove data in phone SIM cards specially
C. help restore your phone book in a new cell phone
D. transfer any file between a computer and a cell phone |
| 阅读理解。 |
Not long ago, an airplane was flying over New Zealand. There was a television camera crew on board.
Suddenly, out in the night sky, a bright sphere came into view. Everyone on board saw it and everyone
thought, "UFO"-Unidentified Flying Object (不明飞行物). The camera crew went into action and started
filming. That week people all over the world saw the film of this mysterious light on their television screens.
What was it? Was it a spaceship full of visitors from another planet? The captain of the aeroplane and the
film crew believed it was. Other observers had many different explanation. Some said it was Venus. Others
said it was just a trick of light.
An air traffic controller (机场导航员) also saw it on his radar screen. He thought that a flock of birds
was causing dots on his radar screen when the "UFO" appeared.
Most astronomers now believe that what these people saw was almost certainly the planet Venus. At that
time of year it is very bright and easy to see. And from a more aeroplane it can appear to be moving fast. So
far there is no proof that UFOs or spaceships from other planets do exist. These years investigators of UFOs
here investigated thousands of sightings-or occasions when people said they saw a UFO. Ninety percent of
these turned out to have a simple explanation.
However, it"s a good idea to keep an open mind. Scientists in some countries are trying to persuade their
governments to help them study UFOs. And they are planning to co-operate internationally on reporting and
investigating sightings of UFOs.
After all, it is quite possible that there is life out there in the universe. And if something is alive, it is quite
possible that it will come to visit us. |
| 1. So far there is no proof that _____. |
| [ ] |
A. UFOs are just a trick of light
B. UFOs are aeroplanes from the planet Venus
C. there are UFOs or spaceships from outer space
D. other planets exist |
| 2. Scientists in many countries _____. |
| [ ] |
A. have investigated that UFOs are spaceships from other planets
B. are helping their governments study UFOs
C. are planning to co-operate internationally in the study of UFOs
D. believe that there is certainly life on the other planets |
| 3. Which one of the following statements is true according to the passage? |
| [ ] |
A. People didn"t see the film of that mysterious light on their television screens.
B. These years investigators of UFOs have simply explained most of sightings-or occasions when people
said they saw a UFO.
C. Life out there in the universe does exist.
D. Even if there is life on the other planets it will not visit us. |
| 4. In the last paragraph, "something" probably refers to _____. |
| [ ] |
A. a certain thing that scientists are studying
B. an imaginary man
C. an animal
D. intelligent life |
| 完形填空。 |
In some areas of the world the weather is very 1_____ and this fact plays an important part in the daily
lives of the people. 2_____ they are farmers, fishermen, or sailors, for instance, they 3_____ know about
these changes ahead of time. Space scientists and airplane pilots 4_____ need weather 5_____.
6_____ earliest time, men have 7_____ the sky, the wind, and the atmosphere, as well as a variety of
other weather signs, in order to make weather 8_____. But often their weather predictions have not been
accurate (准确的). Now there are government bureaus (局处) in many places that 9_____ weather conditions
very carefully. They use a lot of scientific 10_____ to help them make their forecasts (预报). For instance,
they have instruments to 11_____ speed and direction of the wind. Thus they can predict the 12_____ of
a storm. They have special balloons, ships, and airplanes to help them 13_____ their accuracy, and they
make use of radar, satellites and computers to gather 14____ information.
Today when a 15_____ takes off from an airport, he 16_____ know what kind of weather to expect
when he reaches his destination (目的地). If there is 17_____ rain or snow in the mountains, a weather
bureau can predict the day and 18_____ the hour that a river may overflow (使涨满) its banks many miles
away. When a storm is moving in a certain 19_____, the people in that area can learn of it ahead of time
and 20_____ it. |
( )1.A.fine
( )2.A.Because
( )3.A.can
( )4.A.generally
( )5.A.information
( )6.A.From
( )7.A.noticed
( )8.A.study
( )9.A.research
( )10.A.ways
( )11.A.measure
( )12.A.time
( )13.A.study
( )14.A.necessary
( )15.A.pilot
( )16.A.should
( )17.A.light
( )18.A.even
( )19.A.path
( )20.A.leave | B.terrible
B.Though
B.may
B.especially
B.fact
B.By
B.observed
B.result
B.study
B.assistants
B.make
B.direction
B.predict
B.impossible
B.plane
B.can
B.slight
B.also
B.direction
B.change | C.changeable
C.If
C.will
C.usually
C.advice
C.Since
C.saw
C.information
C.learn
C.instruments
C.find
C.speed
C.increase
C.foreign
C.person
C.must
C.large
C.besides
C.strength
C.prepare | D.changeless
D.When
D.need to
D.seldom
D.result
D.After
D.discovered
D.predictions
D.watch
D.equipments
D.discover
D.path
D.know
D.priceless
D.space
D.might
D.heavy
D.including
D.speed
D.prepare for | | Reading Comprehension. | Communications technologies are far from equal when it comes to conveying the truth. A recent
research shows people tend to tell more lies in phone conversations than they are in emails. The fact that
emails are automatically recorded and can come back to haunt you appears to be the key to the finding.
Jeff Hancock of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, asked 30 students to keep a communications
diary for a week. In it they noted the number of conversations or email exchanges they had lasting more
than 10 minutes, and confessed to how many lies they told. Hancock then worked out the number of lies
per conversation for each medium. He found that lies made up 14 percent of emails, 21 percent of instant
messages, 27 percent of face-to-face interactions and an astonishing 37 of phone calls.
His results to be presented at the conference on human-computer interaction in Vienna, Austria, in April,
have surprised psychologists. Some expected emailers to be the biggest liars, reasoning that because deception
makes people uncomfortable, the detachment (非直接接触) of emailing would make it easier to lie. Others
expected people to be more in face-to-face exchanges because we are most practiced at that form of
communication.
But Hancock says it is also crucial whether a conversation is being recorded and could be reread, and
whether it occurs in real time. "People appear to be afraid to lie when they know the communication could
later be used to hold them to account," he says. This is why fewer lies appear in email than on the phone.
"People are also more likely to lie in real time in an instant message or phone call than if they have time to
think of a response," say Hancock. He found many lies are spontaneous responses to an unexpected demand,
such as, "Do you like my dress?"
Hancock hopes his research will help companies work out the best ways for their employees to
communicate. For instance, the phone might be the best medium for sales where employees are encouraged
to stretch the truth. But, given his result, work assessment where honesty is a priority, might be best done
using email. | | 1. Hancock"s study focuses on ______. | | [ ] | A. the consequences of lying in various communications media
B. the success of communications technologies in conveying ideas
C. people are less likely to lie in instant messages
D. people"s honesty levels across a range of communications media | | 2. Hancock"s research finding surprised those who believed that ______. | | [ ] | A. people are less likely to lie in instant messages
B. people are unlikely to lie in face-to-face interactions
C. people are most likely to lie in email communication
D. people are twice as likely to lie in phone conversations | 3. According to the passage, why are people more likely to tell the truth through certain media of
communication? | | [ ] | A. They are afraid of leaving behind traces of their lies.
B. They believe that honesty is the best policy.
C. They tend to be relaxed when using those media.
D. They are most practiced at those forms of communication. | | 4. It can be inferred from the passage that ______. | | [ ] | A. honesty should be encouraged in interpersonal communications
B. more employers will use emails to communicate with their employees
C. suitable media should be chosen for different communication purposes
D. email is now the dominant medium of communication within a company | 最新试题
热门考点
|