Compass | It was a great gift to the world from ancient China. Before it was invented, Sailors had to depend on the stars to find direction. After it was invented, the oceans were open to travel. And many new discoveries were made with the help of it. |
Gunpowder | It was one of the greatest inventions. It is said that in the 3rd century a Chinese man wrote about how to make it. At first, it was used for making fireworks. At the end of the Tang Dynasty, people began to use it in wars. The method of making it was brought to the Arab world and Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries. |
Paper-making | China was the first country in the world to make paper. During the Western Han Dynasty, paper was made in some places in China. It was developed in the Eastern Han Dynasty (25 AD- 220 AD) by Cai Lun. He made paper with bark, ropes, rags and so on. Before it was invented, the ancient Chinese carved characters on animal bones and stones. They also wrote them on bamboo and wooden sticks. |
Printing | It was developed in 1041-1048 in the Song Dynasty. A man named Bi Sheng carved characters on pieces of clay and wood. Then he put ink on them. After the characters were printed on paper, the pieces of clay or wood could be used again. This technology then spread to Korea, Japan and Europe. It was the basic method at that time. |
1.After the ________ was invented, the oceans were open to travel.
A.paper-making B.printing C.gunpowder D.compass
2.At first, gunpowder was used for ________.
A.finding direction B.making paper C.carving characters D.making fireworks
3.From the passage we know ________ developed paper-making in the Eastern Han Dynasty.
A.some sailors B.Bi Sheng C.Cai Lun D.a Korean man
4.Which of the following sentences is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Printing was developed in the Song Dynasty.
B.People use gunpowder in war at first.
C.Paper was made from bark, ropes, rags and so on.
D.Printing technology spread to other countries from China.
5.The best title for the reading material is ________.
A.The Four Dynasties of Ancient China
B.The Four Great Inventors of Ancient China
C.The Four Characters in the Ancient China
D.The Four Great Inventions of Ancient China
A lot of earthquakes happen in the world every year. Why do earthquakes happen? Scientists tell us the outside of the earth is made of a number of different plates(板块). The plates move very slowly. Sometimes they stop and don’t move for a long time. When some of the earth’s plates move suddenly, an earthquake happens.
Many earthquakes happen under the sea. Sometimes they happen near mountains. In fact, earthquakes may happen anywhere on the earth. During an earthquake, the shakings make rocks rise suddenly and even break open. Houses fall. People are killed or hurt. Sometimes whole villages or cities are destroyed.
Can we do something to keep ourselves safe from earthquakes? Scientists have studied earthquakes and made maps that show “earthquake belts”. In the areas in these belts, it’s possible for earthquakes to happen. In these areas we can make houses strong enough to stand against earthquakes.
In the future, scientists will be able to predict(预言) exactly when and where an earthquake will happen. They can tell us what to do and how to do it as well.
根据短文内容判断正（T）误（F）
1.Few earthquakes happen in the world every year.
2.The outside of the earth is made of a number of different plates.
3.We can do nothing to keep ourselves safe from earthquakes.
4.A map showing the earthquake belts tells people what kind of houses can stand in an earthquake.
5.In the future, scientists can predict exactly when and where an earthquake will happen.
Jadav Payeng is a forestry worker from Jorhat, India. Over the past 38 years, he has planted trees on a sandbar(沙洲) of the Brahmaputra River and has _______ it into a forest.
One day in 1979, 16-year-old Payeng was walking _______ the bank of the Brahmaputra River. He saw many snakes on the sandbars. These snakes died in a few days’ time _______ the heat and the absence(缺乏) of trees. Payeng felt very _______ when he saw this. He decided to plant some trees. Single-handedly, he started planting bamboo trees, as only bamboo trees could survive(存活) in the sandbars.
To water the trees was a difficult _______ for one man. With his hard work and great effort, day by day the _______ bamboo trees grew into a forest. His tree planting has changed the soil. Now the sandbar is a thick forest and _______ to thousands of plants and animals. A large group of around 100 elephants visit the forest every year and _______ there for a few months.
Payeng is now in _______ fifties. He has planted close to 1,400 acres(英亩) of forests and is ________ as the Forest Man of India. In 2015, he was honored with Padma Shri, one of the top awards in India.
1.A.divided B.turned C.cut
2.A.across B.through C.along
3.A.according to B.because of C.as for
4.A.sad B.lonely C.alone
5.A.condition B.journey C.task
6.A.young B.tall C.wild
7.A.way B.guide C.home
8.A.sit B.lie C.stay
9.A.her B.his C.he
10.A.known B.served C.invited
— Would you like to tell me ________?
— Sure. Practice makes perfect.
A.how can I learn English better
B.why do you learn English better
C.how I can learn English better
D.why I learn English better
My parents ________ Shandong since they were born.
A.have been in B.have been to C.have gone to D.have been
Can you help me ________ the book? It’s under the desk.
A.find out B.pick up C.put up
