Humans might be the most highly-evolved species on the planet, but most animals possess skills we can only dream of having. Imagine how much electricity we could save if we could see in the dark the way cats do. Imagine leaping from tree to tree like a monkey. Giraffes, which are otherwise calm and good-natured, sleep only 4.6 hours a day.
We realized a long, long time ago that nature provides the best blueprint for invention. We’ve borrowed canals from beavers and reflectors from cat’s eyes. Although the words “bionics”(仿生学) became popular only after the 1960s, history shows that nature has always provided ideas on solving everyday problems. Our archives(档案) don’t go back to the time of Leonardo da Vinci and his bird-like flying machines, but we can take you to the late 19th century, where we applied those same principles for building our first practical airplanes.
To prepare for their flight at Kitty Hawk, the Wright brothers studied the movements of pigeons to figure out how they stayed high up when they were heavier than air. Their success inspired scores of successors to improve on the airplane by studying various aspects of nature. One of Orville Wright’s pupils caught and stuffed seagulls to examine their wingspan. Meanwhile, two French inventors examined spinning sycamore(梧桐) seeds in an effort to apply those same motions, reversed, to a helicopter .
Some examples are more obvious than others. The outside of the airplane designed by the Wright brothers looks like a minimalistic(简单抽象艺术) structure. On the other hand, Barney Connett’s fish submarine actually looks like a fish.
Some bio-inspired concepts have yet to be invented. In the 1960s, the US Army commissioned several university professors to conduct research on the motor skills animals in hope of applying those same abilities to tanks. Tanks that run like horses or jump like grasshoppers(蚂蚱)-sounds shocking, doesn’t it? But imagine how life would change if we could achieve that.
1.“Cats”, “monkeys” and “giraffes” mentioned in paragraph 1 are examples to show______.
A. they are highly-evolved species as humans
B. animals have skills that humans do not possess
C. humans can learn animals’ skills
D. they are skillful in different ways
2.What happened after the Wright brothers’ success?
A. People carried out a systematic study on pigeons.
B. People studied more animals and plants to develop the airplane.
C. People could fly their airplane for fun.
D. People kept their airplane at a French gallery.
3.Which of the following is true about the research carried out by the US Army?
A. It has cost a large sum of money.
B. It has changed our life.
C. It has improved the abilities of tanks
D. It has not succeeded yet.
4.What does the writer want to tell in the passage?
A. many inventions get ideas from nature.
B. Some animals possess unique skills.
C. People should protect nature.
D. Bionics is far from perfect
Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are a major cause of climate change, and now a new study has confirmed that atmosphere CO2 is also affecting the ocean chemistry and potentially harming sea life.
Montana State University scientist Robert Dore has been researching the water in the Pacific Ocean for almost two decades. “We’ve been going to the same spot in the Pacific Ocean, and we try and characterize long-term change in the open ocean environment. And one of the key things that we measure is CO2 levels. And we’ve been able to record this increasing quantity of atmosphere CO2 into the ocean.”
Scientists expected that as atmosphere CO2 increased, more and more of the carbon dioxide would be absorbed into the ocean, affecting the chemical balance of the sea water, with a potentially harmful impact on shellfish and coral in particular.
“As carbon dioxide dissolves in the water or seawater in this case, it forms a weak acid, carbonic acid,” Dore explains. “And therefore, as the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere goes up and that exchanges with the surface seawater, it drives the pH down, and makes it more acidic.”
The seawater samples Dore and his colleagues have analyzed confirm what the theory predicts.
The effect was particular striking at about 250 meters down, and again at 500 meters. Dore and his colleagues came up with two possible explanations. It could be that surface water picked up CO2 and then moved to those depths. Or there could be a biological explanation.
“It’s important to realize that the oceans are really becoming acidic. And it can have negative impacts on a whole variety of sea life from fish to coral. It’s potentially catastrophic.”
1.What can be the best title of the passage?
A. Scientist Researching Seawater
B. Sea Life Facing Danger
C. Oceans Becoming More Acidic
D. Climate Change Affecting Seawater
2.With the increase of atmospheric CO2, _______.
A. more corals will appear in the sea
B. the chemical balance of the seawater is affected
C. the surface water is becoming warmer
D. the pH of the ocean out here has been increasing
3.Which of the following shows the process of the impact of atmospheric CO2 on sea life?
a. Sea life is endangered.
b. CO2 goes into the surface water.
c. The ocean chemistry is affected.
d. CO2 decreases the pH and makes the seawater more acidic.
e. CO2 levels in the atmosphere go up.
A. a→b→c→d→e B. e→b→c→d→a
C. a→e→b→c→d D. e→d→c→b→a
4.Scientist Robert Dore came to the conclusion based on_______.
A. the expectation of other scientists
B. some former theory
C. his research and analysis
D. a major cause of climate change
You have the ability to decide if you are happy or not. Happiness is a choice.
You can't depend on someone else to make you happy. That is a lesson I learned early on in my marriage. I realized that I couldn't rely on my husband as my source of happiness. I learned that my happiness depended on me and not my husband's actions. I learned that you have to choose to be happy.
You can choose your emotions. True happiness comes from within; it can't be forced by outside forces. So how do you choose happiness? The same way you choose to smile or choose to wear a certain outfit. You choose it because that's what you want to experience in your life.
You want to buy a new pair of shoes so you choose a pair that you like and feel good. You wouldn't buy a pair of shoes that you don't like or that don't fit well, right? So why do we keep choosing emotions and feelings that don't make us feel good?
Choosing to be happy after you realize your anger has shown up (or even choosing to be calm) can be beneficial. We choose our feelings; no one can do that for us. If we let others get to us, influence our emotions ---we are giving them power over us. When others cause us anger or pain, we are giving them our power.
We need to keep our feelings in check and not react automatically to what is thrown at us. We need to think our actions out instead of just reacting to what someone says or does.
Remember that we can always choose happiness. At first it will be difficult to just switch your thoughts and feelings from anger, self-doubt, or fear to joy and happiness. But it is only a thought away. Don't dwell on what happens to you unnecessarily but realize what is causing you to feel that way. Realize that thoughts, feelings and emotions can change. Then move on and choose to be happy.
1.What’s the best title of this passage?
A. Choose to Be Happy B. Pretend to Be Happ
C. Choose Your Emotions D. Find Happiness
2.The lesson the writer learned in her marriage is ________.
A. balancing the relationship between the husband and wife is an art
B. one can’t rely on someone else to make himself or herself happy
C. she can depend on her husband to find happiness
D. happiness can be influenced by outside forces
3.Why did the writer mention buying shoes?
A. To offer advice on how to choose comfortable shoes.
B. To compare choosing shoes and choosing an outfit.
C. To help to move to the next paragraph easily.
D. To use it as an example to show the importance of choosing to be happy.
4.The writer suggests that we should ________.
A. hold back our feelings properly
B. let others control our feelings
C. respond immediately to others’ words
D. pay more attention to words than actions
Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family’s last vacation for example. It was my six-year-old son’s winter break from school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a weeklong trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had a meeting in New York, So I had to get back. But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. So I took off for home.
The next day my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged一okay, ordered一them to wait it out at the airport, to "earn" more Delta Dollars. Our total take: $1,600. Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made living looking for the best deals and exposing the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a lot of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in. I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money’s worth. I’m also tightfisted(小气的) when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.
1.Why did Delta give the author's family credits?
A. They took a later flight.
B. They had early bookings.
C. Their flight had been delayed.
D. Their flight had been cancelled.
2.What can we learn about the author?
A. She seldom makes a compromise.
B. She is very strict with her children.
C. She rarely misses a good deal.
D. She is interested in cheap products.
3.What does the author do?
A. She's a teacher.
B. She's a housewife.
C. She's a businesswoman.
D. She's a media person.
4.What does the author want to tell us?
A. How to spend money wisely.
B. How to expose bad tricks.
C. How to reserve airline seats.
D. How to make a business deal.
I have a friend who had a stammer (口吃) in his childhood, but he dreamed of becoming a missionary(传教士). When he told his own desire to his friends and relatives, some of whom laughed at him, and some even held down his enthusiasm .
"I must change it." said the boy angrily, “I believe I can speak very , I will do!"
When it was possible, he would spend an hour to chickens. He viewed the chickens as living persons, himself to be the person in the speech.
"In the beginning, the chickens looked so , then they watched me curiously, putting down the food in the mouths and listening to my words. It seemed as if they had been by my powerful and effective language. Sometimes they seemed to be listening to me . Gradually, the effect of this practice became more and more and I had a better understanding of the exact of my stammer, so I found the ability to speak more."
"You may not know that my father was always tyrannical(专横的). He believed in the old saying: 'Young man should be more knowledgeable, but should not much.' During the whole childhood, I spoke or commented, he criticized me seriously, which my shy personality. I used to worry about being at, so I became a stammer. From then on, I kept in front of everyone because they didn't want to see my embarrassment. But later I found myself talking in front of chickens, stammers disappeared , therefore I regained my ."
Now, the previous boy is the best at speaking and one of the most missionaries. You can hardly imagine he used to have a serious language . So when you come across disadvantages, you should believe you can them by yourself.
1.A. sincerely B. strangely C. privately D. impolitely
2.A. fluently B. frequently C. obviously D. completely
3.A. contributing B. seeing C. speaking D. turning
4.A. considering B. declaring C. imagining D. finding
5.A. satisfied B. frightened C. pleased D. surprised
6.A. beaten B. attracted C. bothered D. influenced
7.A. casually B. luckily C. carefully D. cautiously
8.A. slight B. obvious C. slim D. common
9.A. effect B. cause C. benefit D. harm
10.A. originally B. personally C. stubbornly D. doubtfully
11.A. think B. listen C. talk D. play
12.A. since B. whenever C. before D. unless
13.A. led to B. applied to C. referred to D. owed to
14.A. amazed B. laughed C. studied D. looked
15.A. active B. silent C. noisy D. upset
16.A. logically B. naturally C. typically D. equally
17.A. strength B. confidence C. dream D. freedom
18.A. intelligent B. successful C. modest D. responsible
19.A. gift B. barrier C. ability D. study
20.A. arrange B. exchange C. reduce D. change
_______the danger from enemy attacks, people had to face the lack of food, clothing, fuel and almost everything.
A. As far as B.As long as C. As well as D.As soon as
