way to think about time is to imagine a world without time. But there could be no movement, because time and movement cannot be separated.
In early human history, the only changes that seemed to repeat themselves evenly were the movements of objects in the sky. The most easily seen result of these movements was the difference between light and darkness. The sun rises in the eastern sky, producing light. It moves across the sky and sinks in the west,
causing darkness. The appearance and disappearance of the sun was even and unfailing. The periods of
light and darkness it created were the first accepted periods of time. We have named each period of light
and darkness one day. People saw the sun rise higher in the sky during the summer than in winter. They
counted the days that passed from the sun’s highest position until it returned to that position. They counted 365 days. We now know that is the time Earth takes to move once around the sun. We call this period of
time a year.
They also developed a way to use the changing faces of the moon to tell time. The moon was “full”
when its face was bright and round. The early humans counted the number of times the sun appeared
between full moons. They learned that this number always remained the same---about 29 suns. We now
know this period of time as one month.
Early humans hunted animals and gathered wild plants. They moved in groups or tribes form place to
place in search of good. Then, people learned to plant seeds and grow crops. As hunters, people did not
need a way to measure time. As farmers, however, they had to plant crops in time to harvest them before winter. They had to know when the seasons would change. So, they developed calendars.
No one knows when the first calendar was developed. But it seems possible that it was based on
moons, or lunar months.
1. The underlined word “unfailing” (in para.2) is closest in meaning to "_____".
A. reliable
B. everlasting
C. limited
D. changing
2. Which of the following is NOT the method early people used to tell time?
A. Sun position
B. Sun lightness
C. Moon shape
D. Planting crops
3. Why did people invent the first calendar to measure time?
A. Because early humans hunted animals and gathered wild plants.
B. Because early farmers had to grow and harvest crops in time.
C. Because early people had to search for food in groups.
D. Because early humans moved in groups or tribes from place to place.
4. Which of the following is TRUE?
A. Why early people developed calendars is not clear
B. When the first calendar was developed remains unknown.
C. What early people based the first calendar on is certain.
D. How early people counted a day is still unknown.
5. It can be concluded from the text that ______.
A. time and movement are loosely related even at present days
B. the light and darkness differences of the sun were the only movements in sky
C. the period of twenty-nine suns is called one month
D. early humans first accepted periods of time created by the moon.
distinction and one practice that has helped my writing processes greatly. The distinction is between the
creative mind and the critical mind. While you need to employ both to get to a finished result, they cannot work in parallel no matter how much we might like to think so.
Trying to criticize writing on the fly is possibly the single greatest barrier to writing that most of us meet with. If you are listening to that 5th grade English teacher correct your grammar while you are trying to
seize a fleeting(稍纵即逝的) thought, the thought will die. If you capture the fleeting thought and simply
share it with the world in raw form, no one is likely to understand. You must learn to create first and then
criticize if you want to make writing the tool for thinking that it is.
The practice that can help you pass your learned bad habits of trying to edit as you write is what Elbow calls “free writing”. In free writing, the objective is to get words down on paper non-stop, usually for
15-20 minutes. No stopping, no going back, no criticizing. The goal is to get the words flowing. As the
words begin to flow, the ideas will come from the shadows and let themselves be captured on your
notepad or your screen.
Now you have raw materials that you can begin to work with using the critical mind that you"ve
persuaded to sit on the side and watch quietly. Most likely, you will believe that this will take more time
than you actually have and you will end up staring blankly at the pages as the deadline draws near.
Instead of staring at a blank screen start filling it with words no matter how bad. Halfway through your available time, stop and rework your raw writing into something closer to finished product. Move back and forth until you run out of time and the final result will most likely be far better than your current practices.
1. When the author says the creative mind and the critical mind “cannot work in parallel” (Line 4, Para. 1)
in the writing process, he means ________.
A. no one can be both creative and critical
B. they cannot be regarded as equally important
C. they are in constant conflict with each other
D. one cannot use them at the same time
2. What prevents people from writing on is ________.
A. putting their ideas in raw form
B. attempting to edit as they write
C. ignoring grammatical soundness
D. trying to capture fleeting thoughts
3. What is the chief objective of the first stage of writing?
A. To organize one"s thoughts logically.
B. To choose an appropriate topic.
C. To get one"s ideas down.
D. To collect raw materials.
4. One common concern of writers about “free writing” is that ________.
A. it overstresses the role of the creative mind
B. it takes too much time to edit afterwards
C. it may bring about too much criticism
D. it does not help them to think clearly
5. What’s the main idea of the passage?
A. It introduces the author’s writing method.
B. It tells us something about the creative mind.
C. It stresses the importance of critical mind.
D. It shows the difficulties to write on the fly.
Canadian culture was heavily influenced by British culture and traditions. Now one can also notice the
influence of American culture. Over the years, lots of people have moved to Canada. There has been a
healthy change of Canadians’ ideas that has resulted in the development of certain special features in
Canada. The people of Canada have always been proud of their diverse cultural backgrounds.
Art: Canada has some of the most wonderful classical works of art. In the year 1930, artists began
developing their own personal style. The “Group of Seven” is considered to be the first group of native
artists to create their own style.
Language and religion: Because of its diverse cultures, Canada has two official languages, English and
French. There is ________. A number of people in Canada have confirmed that they have no religious
belief, though there are many other groups that follow Protestantism as a religion.
Literature: The literature of Canada basically shows the different cultural influences of other countries.
Some of the early works were divided according to the region of Canada from which the author came, but there were also authors who gave a humorous touch to serious contents. A number of authors have been awarded for their literature works.
Music: Music in Canada has seen many developments in styles along the way. Many Canadian
musicians have earned worldwide fame. From folk music to rock, Canadian music continues to entertain
people. In recent years, music from Asia and Africa has found quite a fan following in Canada.
1.What is the main idea of the text? (no more than 3 words)
________________________________________________________________________
2.Fill in the blank in Paragraph 3 with proper words. (no more than 3 words)
________________________________________________________________________
3.What does the word “their” (Line 7, Paragraph 1) refer to? (no more than 2 words)
________________________________________________________________________
4.Canadian culture has been influenced by the culture of many other countries and areas. List all of them mentioned in the text. (no more than 6 words)
________________________________________________________________________
5.What is the attitude of Canadian towards the music from Asia and Africa recently? (no more than 5 words)
________________________________________________________________________
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
The number of speakers of English in Shakespeare"s time is estimated(估计) to have been about five
million. Today it is estimated that some 260 million people speak it as a native language, mainly in the
United States, Canada, Great Britain, Ireland, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In addition to the standard varieties of English found in these areas, there are a great many regional and social varieties of the language as well as various levels of usage that are employed both in its spoken and written forms.
In fact, it is impossible to estimate the number of people in the world who have acquired an adequate(足够的) working knowledge of English in addition to their own languages. The purpose for English
learning and the situations in which such learning takes place are so varied that it is difficult to explain and
still more difficult to judge what forms an adequate working knowledge for each situation.
The main reason for the widespread demand for English is its presentday importance as a world
language. Besides serving the indefinite needs of its native speakers, English is a language in which some of important works in science, technology, and other fields are being produced, and not always by native
speakers. It is widely used for such purposes as meteorological and airport communications, international
conferences, and the spread of information over the radio and television networks of many nations. It is a
language of wider communication for a number of developing countries, especially former British colonies. Many of these countries have multilingual populations and need a language for internal communication in
such matters as government, commerce, industry, law and education as well as for international
communication and for entrance to the scientific and technological developments in the West.
1. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. The Difficulties of Learning English
B. International Communications
C. The Standard Varieties of English
D. English as a World Language
2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. Some 260 million people in the world have an adequate working knowledge of English.
B. There are some 260 million native speakers of English in the world.
C. It is almost impossible to estimate the number of people with an adequate working knowledge of
English.
D. People learn English for a variety of reasons.
3. According to the passage, what is the main reason for the widespread use of English?
A. It was popular during Shakespeare"s time.
B. It is used in former British colonies.
C. It serves the needs of its native speakers.
D. It is a world language that is used for international communication.
4.What forms an adequate working knowledge of English?
A. The ability to read a newspaper.
B. It is difficult to judge because it differs for each situation.
C. Being a multilingual.
D. Being a native speaker.
5. What type of developing countries would be most likely to use English?
A. Those geographically close to the United States.
B. Those interested in the culture of the United States.
C. Former colonies of Great Britain.
D. Countries where international conferences are held.
still the delight of children everywhere.
Theodore Roosevelt"s Presidency marks the beginning of the "Teddy Bear". In the year 1902,toy
bears were named "Teddy" after the president"s nickname.The Teddy Bear became known worldwide
,and is still known and loved today.It was only a few years later that the Teddy Bears were mass produced.
In 1913,an item called the Erector Set was invented.It was a steel,motorized toy that children could
use to build models of anything.Its creator was A.C.Gilbert,a medical doctor.
Charles Pajeau created a similar wooden set called Tinker Toys in the year 1914.Tinker Toys were
made for younger children.
Raggedy Ann dolls first came on the scene after newspaper cartoonist Johnny Gruelle reproduced
the doll he made for his daughter.That was in 1915.
The following year,an architect"s son named John Lloyd Wright,invented Lincoln Logs,which were
interlocked to make structures.
Two years after Mickey Mouse was created,stuffed(填塞)Mickey Mouse dolls were made by
Charlotte Clark.This was the start of Disney merchandise.
The yoyo became popular in the United States after Donald Duncan bought a yoyo company in 1929.
The ViewMaster,a three dimensional viewer,was developed by a camera enthusiast named William
Gruber.The toy became popular when Gruber licensed Disney characters to make still,3D images from
Disney movies and television programs.
Finally,in 1940,model airplanes were mass produced.They started out as a way for manufacturers to
sell planes to the military,but later caught on as a toy.
The toys that we know and love today have had their roots from these ancient times.Isn"t it interesting
to know that if it hadn"t been for all these creative people,most of the games you know today would never have been?
B.To be easily pronounced by children.
C.To meet the advertisers" needs.
D.To memorize President Theodore Roosevelt.
B.Material used.
C.Themes.
D.Price.
B.After Gruber licensed Disney characters.
C.Two years after Mickey Mouse was created.
D.When Disney merchandise was started.
B.some toys created in ancient times now disappear
C.creativity exists in every field all the time
D.toys nowadays are totally different from those in ancient times
B.The history of Disney characters.
C.Toys in the early 1900s.
D.The financial meaning of toys.
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- 6抛物线y=-5(x-1)2+3的顶点是______.
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- 6如图所示,AD∥BC,AC=BD,AB=CD,图中全等的三角形的对数是[ ]A. 2 B. 3 C. 4 D.
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