At first, the earth’s surface layer (层) was made up of huge blocks of hard, solid rocks. Then slowly, the rocks broke up into smaller and smaller pieces. Finally stones, pebbles (卵石) and grains of sand were formed. Many sorts of plants and animals lived and died on the surface of the earth. Their remains mixed up with the stones, pebbles and formed soil. The outmost layer of the earth is soil.
There are many ways in which large pieces of rock break into smaller ones. Wind, water, heat and cold help to break up rocks. When winds blow grains of sand against a large rock for a long time, the softer layers of the rock are slowly worn away. These leave holes and cracks in the rock, which become bigger and finally the rock breaks up into smaller pieces.
The moving water of streams and rivers also helps to break up rocks. As the water moves along, it carries with it small pieces of rock. These rub the larger ones. Thus, the larger rocks are worn down to smaller pieces.
The heat of the sun is also helpful to breaking up rocks. When the sun shines, the rocks become very hot. If these rocks are suddenly cooled, they may crack. Ice also plays a part in making soil. Water in the cracks can turn into ice in cold weather. As this happens, it becomes bigger and the cracks become wider, and finally break into smaller pieces.
1.According to the passage, soil____________ .
A. forms very slowly
B. is a mixture of stones, pebbles and sand
C. makes up the layers of the earth
D. is becoming smaller and smaller
2.How many factors are mentioned in helping break up rocks?
A. Three. B. Four.
C. Five. D. More than five.
3.Which of the following speeds up（加速） the breaks of rocks most?
A. Hot weather.
B. Cold water.
C. Sharp changes in temperature.
D. More dead plants in the cracks.
4.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. The remains of many plants and animals formed soil.
B. If a large rock never moves, it will never break up.
C. Even if a large rock never moves, it will break up.
D. Ice in the cracks helps to break up rocks.
5.The best title for this passage should be____________ .
A. Soil From Rocks
B. Ways to Break up Rocks
C. Soil on the Earth
D. Soil, Outmost Layer of the Earth
Popeye the Sailor first became a popular cartoon in the 1930s.The sailor in that cartoon ate lots of spinach to make him strong. People watched him, and they began to buy and eat a lot more spinach. Popeye helped sell 33 percent more spinach than before! Spinach became a necessary part of many people’s diets. Even some children who hated the taste began to eat the vegetable.
Many people thought that the iron in spinach made Popeye strong, but this is not true. Spinach does not have any more iron than any other green vegetable.
People only thought spinach had a lot of iron because the people who studied the food made a mistake. In the 1890s, a group of people studied what was inside vegetables. This group said that spinach had ten times more iron than it did. The group wrote the number wrong, and everyone accepted it.
Today, we know that the little iron there is in spinach cannot make a difference in how strong a person is. However, spinach does have something else which the body needs—folic acid. It is interesting to point out that folic acid can help make a person strong. Maybe it was really the folic acid that made Popeye strong all along.
1.A good title for this reading passage is______.
A. Popeye the Sailor B. The Truth About Spinach
C. Mistake with Numbers D. Folic Acid Makes You Strong
2.Why did many people eat spinach after they saw Popeye the Sailor?
A. They thought spinach made them strong.
B. They thought Popeye was funny.
C. Spinach had a lot of iron.
D. People liked folic acid.
3. A research group told people that spinach______.
A. made Popeye strong
B. was a green vegetable
C. had less iron than other green vegetables
D. had more iron than other green vegetables
4. The reading passage says that perhaps Popeye got his strength from______.
A. iron B. folic acid
C. spinach D. exercise
5.Folic acid is ______.
A. something in food B. a vegetable
C. dangerous D. a certain kind of spinach
I remember as a small child people would often ask me, "What are you going to be when you grow up?"
Well, it being a cowboy or some super hero. Later it was a fireman, a policeman, a lawyer... As I grew older my dreams for the future . When, at last, I was in college, I had my set on becoming a preacher (牧师) like my father. I studied and prepared for that life. I reached the in the end and I was preaching full-time for much of my adult life.
However, for many, there is a “thief” that goes around stealing our . Sometimes, the thief will come as a parent, a relative, or a friend, but the thief is usually ourselves.
We find just about reaching the top, and a "small" inside says, “You’ll never make .""You can’t possibly do this." On and on the "small" voice our failure. Failure, though, is exactly how dreams are . It is one of the most important tools we have, because it teaches us invaluable (极宝贵的) . When we learn these lessons well, we are ready success.
The message I always gave my children was that you do anything that your heart desires. Remember the saying, “Nothing is to a willing heart." There are “overnight" successes, but with determination, they will come. Imagine yourself in the life you dream of . Then in your heart, believe it will happen to you. Then work, work, work. You’ll get the picture.
So, be true to your dream, and don’t let anyone it from you —especially yourself.
1.A. insisted on B. felt like C. started out D. kept on
2.A. failed B. changed C. planned D. left
3.A. eyes B. brain C. heart D. experience
4.A. But B. Or C. So D. Yet
5.A. agreement B. decision C. position D. aim
6.A. hardly B. slightly C. nearly D. extremely
7.A. money B. plan C. friends D. dreams
8.A. tallest B. greatest C. poorest D. oldest
9.A. ourselves B. yourselves C. themselves D. itself
10.A. sound B. voice C. noise D. speech
11.A. it B. him C. her D. me
12.A. expects B. predicts C. answers D. suffers
13.A. met B. defended C. understood D. realized
14.A. stages B. suggestions C. lessons D. choices
15.A. to B. for C. at D. with
16.A. used to B. are able to C. have to D. ought to
17.A. interesting B. impossible C. necessary D. important
18.A. many B. a few C. no D. some
19.A. living B. spending C. planning D. changing
20.A. buy B. fool C. borrow D. steal
— Would you care for a drink?
— No, thanks. I ___________.
A. would like to B. wouldn’t like to
C. would rather not D. prefer to have one
The cold smile on her face just kept us _______.
A. at a distance B. in the distance
C. in a distance D. at distance
When we were young, my brother and I stay at home waiting for our mother every evening.
A. would B. might C. should D. Could
