You may picture firefighters holding a hose (水管) outside of a burning building,but the Golden Eagles Hotshots don"t fight fires quite that way.When they go into action,you may not even see a fire truck.
The Hotshots are firefighters who battle fires in wilderness areas.But don"t think you"ll only find them in
their home state California.Wherever there is a national wildfire emergency,the Golden Eagles Hotshots
could be there.
But these firefighters don"t work the same way as firefighters in a big city.They work in areas where
there are large numbers of trees,bushes,and grass.They climb up and down steep hills to clear brush and
burnable debris (残骸). They sometimes use water,but they often fight fire with fire!
They do that by lighting what are called "backfires",which are small,controlled fires that burn up fuel in
the path of larger wildfires.That way,when the Wildfire gets there,it has nothing to burn and nowhere to
go,because all the burnable fuel has already gone up in smoke.
The Hotshots also clear away fuel using oldfashioned hard work.For example,they use a saw to cut
away trees and heavy brush that could catch fire.
Of course there are times when the Golden Eagles Hotshots do have trucks to supply water to the
fires. But the water is limited,and these guys have to rely on hard work more than anything.Physical
fitness is very important.They have to be in great physical shape to handle steep hills and difficult terrain (地形) while carrying a 60-pound pack.
The Golden Eagles Hotshots definitely work hard for their pay.But thanks to their efforts,many lives
have been saved,many houses have not burned,and countless trees are still standing.
1. The firefighters mentioned in the passage________.
A. do much of their work in California
B. avoid climbing steep hills in their work
C. do their work equipped with advanced tools
D. carry out their work mostly in forests and mountains
2. According to the passage,why do the firefighters light "backfires"?
A. To signal for help.
B. To remove obstacles.
C. To protect trees and bushes.
D. To prevent the fire from spreading.
3. What can we learn about the Golden Eagles Hotshots ?
A. They are firefighters working in big cities.
B. Their work requires physical strength.
C. They are voluntary firefighters working for free.
D. They usually hold a hose to put out the fires.
4. What is the author"s attitude towards the Golden Eagles Hotshots?
A. Appreciative.
B. Doubtful
C. Worried.
D. Critical.
| The World Expo is the Olympics of economy, culture, science and | |
| technology. It p________an opportunity for | 1.________ |
| people from different places to meet, to share and to make friends. It is also an important place for new | |
| ________(想法) and new concepts to spread, | 2.________ |
| grow and be applied to i________people"s living | 3.________ |
| standards. There is________long history between | 4.________ |
| China and the World Expo. When the first Expo was | |
| h________in London in 1851, some Chinese | 5.________ |
| businessmen went all the way to London to | |
| ________part in it. Through those events of World | 6.________ |
| Expo, China"s Maotai became well k________in the | 7.________ |
| world Expo in 1915 in Panama and won the gold | |
| ________(奖) in the event. In the past century | 8.________ |
| China has been________(积极) participating in | 9.________ |
| different events of the World Expo. We hope to further | |
| strengthen friendship with people all________ | 10.________ |
| the world. | |
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| FreeRice.com is a non-profit website run by the United Nations World Food Program (UNWFP). It aims to provide education to everyone for free and help end world hunger. Join us and have fun with our vocabulary game. For each vocabulary word you get right, we donate free rice through UNWFP to those hungry people. How do you play the vocabulary game? Click on the answer that is closest in meaning to the word. If you get it right, you get a harder word. If wrong, you get an easier word. For each word you get right, we donate 20 grains of rice to UNWFP. How does the vocabulary game help you? This game may make you smarter. While learning new vocabulary, it can help you: ★Present your ideas better ★Write better papers, e-mails and business letters ★Speak more accurately and influentially ★Read faster because you understand better ★Get better grades in high school and college ★Perform better at job interviews ★Be more effective and successful at your job After you have done FreeRice for a couple of days, you may notice a phenomenon. Words that you have never consciously used before will begin to pop into your head while you are speaking or writing. You will feel yourself using and knowing more words. How does the FreeRice vocabulary program work? FreeRice has a database containing thousands of words at different levels of difficulty. There are words proper for people just learning English and words that will challenge the most learned professors. In between are thousands of words for students, business people, doctors, truck drivers… everyone! FreeRice adjusts to your level of vocabulary. It starts by giving you words at different levels of difficulty and then, based on how you do, designs a proper starting level for you. When you get a word wrong, you go to an easier level. When you get three words in a row right, you go to a harder level. There are 60 levels in all, but it is rare for people to get above Level 50. Sign up now and you will have fun as well as help end world hunger. 1. According to the passage, the purpose of the vocabulary game is to ______. A. combine English learning with helping hungry people B. make it popular in English-speaking countries C. encourage people to produce more rice D. provide English learning for poor areas 2. Playing the vocabulary game enables you to ______. A. develop some new ideas B. increase chances of job interview C. be admitted to a university D. perform better in a speech competition 3. People of different vocabulary levels can play the game because ______. A. it is free of charge B. it offers fair chances to everyone C. it changes levels with their performance D. it meets the needs of people in different fields | |
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| Visitors to museums have to pay "voluntary" admission fees, Boris Johnson, the mayor (市长) of London, urged yesterday. He said that encouraging visitors to set a value on museums and art galleries, which have been free since 2001, would work extremely well. Mr. Johnson held up New York"s Metropolitan Museum of Art as a model. Although New York"s museums are officially free, visitors are strongly encouraged to pay a recommended entry fee of $20. At the Met, entry is impossible without first going to the ticket des k. Mr. Johnson"s spokesman later admitted that free admission was a "huge draw" for London, but he said, "Having visited the Met last week, the mayor is impressed by how they maximize voluntary contributions and believes there are lessons to be learnt." Mark Jones, director of the Victoria and Albert Museum, told The Times that the museum already requested a ?3 donation but was not as forceful as New York"s institutions. He said, "I"m not in favor of anything that makes people feel they won"t want to go because they feel like they will have to pay." When entrance fees to national museums were decided not to be charged here in 2001, there was a 70 percent increase in visitor numbers in the first year. Political parties have since been unwilling to suggest change, despite concerns about cost. Hugo Swire, the former Shadow Culture Secretary, was dismissed in 2007 for suggesting that "museums and galleries should have the right to charge if they wish". Some in the art community argue, however, that free entrance has done little to increase the breadth (广泛) of visitors and has caused shortfalls in the budget for the museums. In response to it, Colin Tweedy, chief executive of Arts & Business, said that Britain was "leading the world" in allowing its treasures to be freely available. He said, "To return to museum charging would be a return to the dark ages." Ben Bradshaw, the Culture Secretary, said, "The mayor revealed his true intention when he suggested those who could afford it should be encouraged to contribute to the arts. I believe it is a disaster for the culture, arts and sport." He thinks that free museums and galleries have once been one of this Government"s great successes. 1. It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that ______. A. museums in London are free by now B. most museums in London have admission fees C. Metropolitan Museum of Art is not officially free D. free entry is impossible to New York"s museums 2. We can learn from Mark Jones" words that ______. A. his museum shows a lack of money B. admission fees should be forceful C. he is in favor of New York"s action D. he has a consideration for the visitors 3. According to the passage, the cancellation of entrance fees to national museums in 2001 _____. A. was changed in 2007 by Hugo Swire B. has been opposed by political parties C. has no influence on the number of visitors D. has caused financial problems to the museums 4.What does the underlined word "it" in the last paragraph refer to? A. Charging entrance fees to museums. B. Decrease in the number of visitors. C. Ensuring visitors" benefits. D. Free access to museums. | |
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| The Internet has led to a huge increase in credit-card fraud. Your card information could even be for sale in an illegal web site. Web sites offering cheap goods and services should be regarded with care. On-line shoppers who enter their credit-card information may never receive the goods they thought they bought. The thieves then go shopping with your card number - or sell the information over the Internet. Computers hackers have broken down security systems, raising questions about the safety of cardholder information. Several months ago, 25, 000 customers of CD Universe, an on-line music retailer(零售商), were not lucky. Their names, addresses and credit-card numbers were posted on a Web site after the retailer refused to pay US $157, 828 to get back the information. Credit-card firms are now fighting against on-line fraud. Mastercard is working on plans for Web - only credit card, with a lower credit limit. The card could be used only for shopping on-line. However, there are a few simple steps you can take to keep from being cheated. Ask about your credit-card firm’s on-line rules: Under British law, cardholders have to pay the first US $78 of any fraudulent(欺骗性的) spending. And shop only at secure sites; Send your credit-card information only if the Web site offers advanced secure system. If the security is in place, a letter will appear in the bottom right-hand corner of your screen. The Website address may also start https: //-the extra “s” stands for secure. If in doubt, give your credit-card information over the telephone. Keep your password safe: Most on-line sites require a user name and password before placing an order. Treat your passwords with care. 1. What do most people worry about the Internet according to this passage? A. A lot of stolen credit-cards were sold on the Internet. B. Fraud on the Internet. C. Many Web sites are destroyed. D. Many illegal Web sites are on the Internet. 2. What is the meaning of “fraud”? A. Cheating. B. Sale. C. Payment. D. Safety. 3. How can the thieves get the information of the credit card? A. The customers give them the information. B. The thieves steal the information from Web sites. C. The customers sell the information to them. D. The thieves buy the information from credit-card firms. 4. How many pieces of advice does the passage give to you? A. Four. B. Three. C. Five. D. Six. 5. You are shopping on the site: http: // www. Shopping. com, and you want to buy a TV set, what does this article suggest to do? A. Order the TV set at once. B. Do not buy the TV set on this site. C. E-mail the site your credit-card information. D. Tell the site your password and buy the TV set for you. | |
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Self-employed private physicians who charge a fee for each patient visit are the foundation of medical |