Although April did not bring us the rains we all hoped for, and although the Central Valley doesn’t generally experience the sound and lightning that can go with those rains, it’s still important for parents to be able to answer the youthful questions about thunder and lightning.
The reason these two wonders of nature are so difficult for many adults to explain to children is that they are not very well understood by adults themselves. For example, did you know that the lightning we see flashing down to the earth from a cloud is actually flashing up to a cloud from the earth? Our eyes trick us into thinking we see a downward motion when it’s actually the other way around. But then, if we believed only what we think and we see, we’d still insist that the sun rises in the morning and sets at night.
Most lightning flashes take place inside a cloud, and only a relative few can be seen jumping between two clouds or between earth and a cloud. But, with about 2,000 thunderstorms taking place above the earth every minute of the day and night, there’s enough activity to produce about 100 lightning strikes on earth every second.
Parents can use thunder and lightning to help their children learn more about the world around them. When children understand that the light of the lightning flashing reaches their eyes almost at the same moment, but the sound of the thunder takes about 5 seconds to travel just one mile, they can begin to time the interval (间隔) between the flash and the crash to learn how lose they were to the actual spark (闪光).
小题1:According to the author, in the area of the Central Valley____.| A．rains usually come without thunder and lightning. | | B．it is usually dry in April | | C．children pay no attention to the two natural wonders. | | D．parents are not interested in thunder and lightning. |
小题2:We believe that lightning is a downward motion because_______.| A．we were taught so by our parents from our childhood. | | B．we are taken in by our sense of vision. | | C．it is a common natural sight. | | D．it is a truth proved by science. |
小题3:What is TRUE about lightning according to the passage?| A．Only a small number of lightning flashes occur on earth. | | B．Lightning flashes usually jump from one cloud to another. | | C．Lightning travels 5 times faster than thunder. | | D．There are far more lightning strikes occurring on earth than we can imagine. |
小题4:The underlined word “activity” is most closely related to the word (s) _____.| A．cloud | B．lightning strikes | C．lightning flashes | D．thunderstorms |
小题5:It can be concluded from the passage that _______.| A．we should not believe what we see or hear. | | B．things moving downward are more noticeable. | | C．people sometimes may have wrong ideas about ordinary phenomena. | | D．adults are not as good as children in observing certain natural phenomena. |
|
小题1:A
小题2:B
小题3:D
小题4:D
小题5:C |
小题1:推理判断题。 第二段中说：尽管the Central Valley一般不会经历下雨时伴随雷电(的情况），但是……由此可知在Central Valley下雨时通常没有雷电。
小题2:细节理解题。结合第二段Our eyes trick us into thinking we see a downward motion when it’s actually the other way around可知答案。
小题3:细节理解题。第三段第二句：由于地球上每天每分钟发生2 000次雷雨，它们足够造成地球上每秒100次的闪电。这说明闪电的次数要比我们想象的多。
小题4:猜测词意题。第三段第二句说明有了雷雨才产生了闪电。
小题5:推理判断题。第二段第三句：我们的眼睛使我们错误地认为闪电是由上而下，而事实上却相反。 |
核心考点
试题【Although April did not bring us the rains we all hoped for, and although the Cen】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
During the first week of the term, every student was given a job for which they would be responsible for the rest of that school year.
Some jobs were more 26 than others, and the children were eager to be given one of the best ones. And the teacher would 27 who had been most responsible during the previous year. Among them Rita 28 . During the previous year she had followed all the teacher’s 29 perfectly.
But that year there was a big 30 . Each child received one of the normal 31 , like cleaning the blackboard. But Rita’s job was very 32 . She was given a little box containing some sand and one ant. And even though the teacher 33 that this ant was a very special ant, it 34 Rita. Most of her classmates felt sorry for her and even her father 35 Rita to ignore it. 36 , Rita preferred to show the teacher her error by making the unimportant task into a special job.
“ I will turn this little task into 37 great,” Rita said to herself.
So Rita started 38 her little ant. She gave the ant the best food, and it grew bigger than anyone had expected…
One day, the teacher 39 a man to the students and said he would tell them a 40 piece of news. The man said, “ Today they have announced the winner of the 41 , and this class is the winner! This class has been chosen to accompany me on a 42 to the tropical rainforest to investigate all kinds of insects. 43 all the schools of this region, it is this one that has best 44 for the little ant given to you. Well done!”
That day the class was filled with joy. Everyone 45 Rita and thanked the teacher. And many children learnt that to be given the most important tasks you have to know how to be responsible for even the smallest tasks.
| 小题1: | | A．interesting | B．possible | C．necessary | D．creative |
|
| 小题2: | | A．realize | B．doubt | C．argue | D．consider |
|
| 小题3: | | A．stood up | B．stood out | C．stood for | D．stood by |
|
| 小题4: | | A．opinions | B．concerns | C．instructions | D．experiments |
|
| 小题5: | | A．curiosity | B．movement | C．surprise | D．chance |
|
| 小题6: | | A．tasks | B．promises | C．dreams | D．purposes |
|
| 小题7: | | A．different | B．ordinary | C．familiar | D．valuable |
|
| 小题8: | | A．hoped | B．insisted | C．agreed | D．guessed |
|
| 小题9: | | A．annoyed | B．inspired | C．satisfied | D．disappointed |
|
| 小题10: | | A．supposed | B．forced | C．encouraged | D．admitted |
|
| 小题11: | | A．Therefore | B．Otherwise | C．However | D．Moreover |
|
| 小题12: | | A．something | B．nothing | C．everything | D．anything |
|
| 小题13: | | A．developing | B．studying | C．comforting | D．writing |
|
| 小题14: | | A．introduced | B．exposed | C．appealed | D．connected |
|
| 小题15: | | A．terrible | B．confusing | C．wonderful | D．foolish |
|
| 小题16: | | A．competition | B．challenge | C．conference | D．negotiation |
|
| 小题17: | | A．journey | B．vacation | C．meeting | D．story |
|
| 小题18: | | A．Between | B．Along | C．Besides | D．Among |
|
小题19:A looked B. paid C. cared D. worked
| 小题20: | | A．prized | B．congratulated | C．respected | D．celebrated |
|
|
It takes years of school to develop math skills, but learning about numbers starts earlier than you might think. Now according to a new study, at three months, babies have already started acquiring a concept (概念) of “how much”.
Previous research had suggested that very young babies can tell when the number of objects (物体) in a group has changed. But the babies in these studies were simply reacting generally to the fact that something had changed, they suspected.
Researchers of Harvard University studied 36 babies, all three months old. During the tests, each baby wore a hat with sensors (传感器). The babies watched a series of images on a computer screen. They showed the same object, such as a cartoon character. For a while, the number of the objects in the pictures didn’t change. Then the images began to display a different object, or a different number of one of the objects the babies had previously looked at. As soon as something changed, the babies’ brains responded with a specific pattern of electrical signals, which would be recorded by sensors.
By analyzing these signals, the researchers discovered that one part of the brain (near the top on the left side) responded when the object in the image changed. A different part of the brain (lower and on the right side) responded when the number of objects in the image changed. This was not the area of the brain that is involved in attention. That suggests that the babies’ brains are doing more than just reacting to a change in what they’re seeing – they actually seem to be able to tell number changes from other types of changes.
Numbers and amounts are important concepts in our lives. Even though babies are years away from adding, subtracting (减), multiplying, and dividing, their brains seem to be preparing for a time when they finally will.
小题1:Why were hats with sensors used in the study?| A．To record the images on the computer screen. | | B．To remind babies of the changes of numbers. | | C．To record the electrical activity of each baby’s brain. | | D．To help babies concentrate on the computer screen. |
小题2:What does the underlined word “They” in the third paragraph refer to?| A．Babies involved in the study. | | B．Sensors worn by the babies. | | C．Numbers marked on the objects. | | D．Images shown on the computer screen. |
小题3:Which part of the brain is responsible for responding to the changes of numbers?| A．The top. | | B．The left side. | | C．The lower and the right side. | | D．The upper and the left side. |
小题4:The last paragraph mainly implies that .| A．babies are in fact cleverer than they are thought | | B．it is impossible to understand human brain completely | | C．numbers play the most important part in people’s lives | | D．the ability of babies remain a mystery to scientists |
小题5:The purpose of the study is to prove that . | A．math skills should be developed as early as possible | | B．numbers are easier for babies to judge than images | | C．babies really do have some sense of numbers | | D．babies can react differently to what they see |
|
The Internationa1 Space Station allows astronauts to live in space for extended amounts of time, enabling them to explore the outside universe and conduct many experiments. However, nothing like that exists for our oceans, and thanks to the high water pressure, ocean researchers are able to explore what lies undersea for very short periods of time.
They are therefore never able to fully explore the deep inside areas of our oceans. However, if French architect Jacques Rougerie has his way, that will change soon.
Jacques has designed a ship that will allow researchers to spend a long period of time observing the sea life and conducting experiments. The huge l67ft. ship, named ‘Sea Orbiter’, consists of two areas—one above the water where the scientists and crew will live, and a lower pressurized deck (甲板), where scientists will be able to spend as much time as they wish. Since it is powered by sea currents and wind, he expects it to drift (漂流) along the oceans slowly, taking about two years to circumvent the globe.
Jacques will make their life as comfortable as possible in the ship. Besides being equipped with the latest sailing tools and communication equipment, the ship will also have a gym, a television and a DVD player! And these guys will not be eating freeze-dried food like astronauts. Instead, Jacques, an accomplished chef, plans on cooking them delicious meals every day.
The biggest problem to this giant ship is the cost, which is expected to be over $500 million—per ship! However, Jacques, who strongly believes that the secrets of our oceans may be the key to solving global warming and a vital supply for food and medicine in the future, is confident he will be able to convince governments all over the world to help out, and expects to start construction on not one, but four or five of these amazing ships soon!
小题1:Why can’t ocean researchers explore the deep oceans for a long time?| A．Because they can’t stand the high water pressure. | | B．Because it’s too cold in deep ocean. | | C．Because time for experiments is too limited. | | D．Because it’s dangerous to observe the sea life. |
小题2:The underlined word “circumvent ” probably means .| A．fly away | B．go around | C．travel through | D．move into |
小题3:From the fourth paragraph we can learn that .| A．Jacques intends to design the ship mainly for sightseeing and traveling | | B．living a comfortable life helps to do the ocean research quickly | | C．it’s much more expensive to eat freeze-dried food | | D．researchers on Jacques ’ ship will live more comfortably than astronauts |
小题4:In Jacques’ opinion, which of the following is not the purpose of the undersea research?| A．To find supply for food in the future. | | B．To find supply for medicine in the future. | | C．To draw governments’ attention to the construction of the ship. | | D．To solve the global warming. |
小题5:Which of the fol1owing would be the best title for the text?| A．Sea Orbiter—the ship of the future | | B．A new way to explore the deep oceans | | C．A great architect—Jacques Rogerie | | D．Travel around the globe in Sea Orbiter |
|
Have you ever wondered why the roots of the plants always know which way to grow—into the soil but not above it? Some British scientists have recently solved this mystery.
It turns out that roots have special hairs that tie them into the soil and help them grow their way past obstacles, a team at the John Inners Center in Norwich reports in the February 29 issue of Journal Science.
“The key is in the fuzzy(有绒毛的)coat of hairs on the roots of plants,” says professor Liam Dolan. “We have found a growth control system that enables these hairs to find their way and to become longer when their path is clear.”
Root hairs explore the soil in much the same way a person would feel their way in the dark. If they come across an obstacle, they make their way around until they can continue growing in an opening. In the meantime, the plant is held in place as the hairs grip(紧紧抓住)the soil.
The hairs are guided by a clever chemical trick. A protein(蛋白质) at the tip of the root hairs called RHD2 helps them to take calcium(钙) from the soil. Calcium makes the hairs grow, and produce more RHD2, and take more calcium.
But when an obstacle blocks the hair’s path, or the hair reaches the surface of the soil, the cycle is broken and growth starts in another direction.
This system gives plants the flexibility to explore a complex environment and to live in even the most unpromising soils, says Dolan.
In poor soils such as in parts of Australia and Africa, native plants have adapted by producing enormous numbers of root hairs. A better understanding of this adaptation will allow scientists to develop hairy rooted crops that can grow in unfriendly environments.
According to Dolan, “Research in the John Inners Center is taking a breeding approach to increase hair length in wheat but it will be some time before new cultivars(栽培变种) are developed.”
小题1:The passage is mainly about _______.| A．why the roots of plants grow into the soil but not above it | | B．how the roots of plants grow into the soil but not above it | | C．the process of plants growth | | D．a growth control system of plants |
小题2:How does the circle work?| A．RHD2 takes calcium from the soil, which makes hairs grow, and produce RHD2 and take more calcium | | B．Roots take RHD2 and calcium from the soil and produce RHD2 | | C．Roots make hairs grow, and produce RHD2, and take more calcium | | D．RHD2 takes protein, which makes hairs grow, and produce RHD2, and take more calcium |
小题3:We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.| A．hairy rooted crops can grow better in unfriendly environments | | B．a new cultivar of wheat with long hair has been developed by scientists | | C．a new cultivar of wheat with long hair is still on test | | D．the roots of plants always know which way to grow |
|
Even at school there had been an unhealthy competition between George and Richard.
“I’ll be the first millionaire in Coleford!” Richard used to boast.
“And you’ll be sorry that you knew me,” George would reply “because I’ll surely be the best lawyer in our town!”
After graduation, George never became a lawyer and Richard was anybody but a millionaire …. Instead, it happened that both men opened bookshops on opposite sides of Coleford High Street, while it was hard to make much money from books then, which made the competition between them worse. Eventually, Richard closed down his, dreaming of making a fortune elsewhere.
Now, with only one bookshop in the town, business was better for George. But sometimes he sat in his narrow old kitchen and gazed out of the dirty window, thinking about his former rival (竞争对手)。Perhaps he missed him?
George was very interested in old dictionaries, and he had recently found a collector in Australia who was selling a rare first edition. When the parcel arrived, the book was in perfect condition and George was quite delighted. But while he was having lunch, George glanced at the photo in the newspaper that the book had been wrapped in. He was astonished — the smiling face was older than he remembered but unmistakable! Trembling, George started reading: “Bookends Company has bought ten bookstores from its competitors. The company, owned by multi-millionaire Richard Pike, is now the largest bookseller in this country.”
小题1:George and Richard were at school. | A．roommates | B．good friends | C．competitors | D．booksellers |
小题2:How did George feel about Richard after his disappearance? | A．He envied Richard’s good fortune very much. | | B．He thought about Richard from time to time. | | C．He felt unlucky with no more rival in the town. | | D．He was unhappy of Richard’s disappearance. |
小题3:George got information about Richard from . | A．a dictionary collector in Australia | | B．one of Richard’s competitors | | C．some rare edition of a dictionary | | D．the wrapping paper of a book |
小题4:What happened to George and Richard in the end? | A．Both George and Richard became millionaires by selling books. | | B．Both of them realized their original ambitions, which were the same. | | C．George established a successful business while Richard was missing. | | D．Richard became a millionaire while George had no great success. |
|
