We know the famous ones--the Thomas Edison and the Alexander Graham Bells--but what about the less famous inventors? What about the people who invented the traffic light and the windshield wiper (雨刮器)? Shouldn't we know who they are?
Joan McLean thinks so. In fact, McLean, a professor of physics at Mountain University in Range,feels so strongly about this matter that she's developed a course on the topic. In addition to learning "who"invented "what", however, McLean also likes her students to learn the answers to the "why" and "how" questions. According to McLean, "When students learn the answers to these questions, they are better prepared to recognize opportunities for inventing and more motivated to give inventing a try. "
Her students agree. One young man with a patent(专利证） for an unbreakable umbrella is walking proof of McLean's statement. "If I had not heard the story of the windshield wiper's invention," said Tommy Lee, a senior physics major, "I never would have dreamed of turning my bad experience during a rainstorm into something so constructive. " Lee is currently negotiating to sell his patent to an umbrella producer.
So, just what is the story behind the windshield wiper? Well, Mary Anderson came up with the idea in 1902 after a visit to New York City. The day was cold and stormy, but Anderson still wanted to see the sights,so she jumped aboard a streetcar. Noticing that the driver was struggling to see through the snow covering the windshield, she found herself wondering why there couldn't be a built-in device for cleaning the window. Still wondering about this when she returned home to Birmingham, Alabama, Anderson started drafting out solutions. One of her ideas, a lever (操作杆) on the inside of a vehicle that would control an arm on the outside,became the first windshield wiper.
Today we benefit from countless inventions and innovations. It's hard to imagine driving without Garrett A. Morgan's traffic light. It's equally impossible to picture a world without Katherine J. Blodgett's innovation that makes glass invisible. Can you picture life without clear windows and eyeglasses?
1.By mentioning "traffic light" and "windshield wiper", the author indicates that countless inventions are ________.
A. beneficial, because their inventors are famous
B. beneficial, though their inventors are less famous
C. not useful, because their inventors are less famous
D. not useful, though their inventors are famous
2.Professor Joan McLean's course aims to ________.
A. add color and variety to students' campus life
B. inform students of the windshield wiper's invention
C. carry out the requirements by Mountain University
D. prepare students to try their own inventions
3.Tommy Lee's invention of the unbreakable umbrella was ________.
A. not eventually accepted by the umbrella producer
B. inspired by the story behind the windshield wiper
C. due to his dream of being caught in a rainstorm
D. not related to Professor Joan McLean's lectures
4.Which of the following can best serve as the title of this passage?
A. How to Help Students to Sell Their Inventions to Producers?
B. How to Design a Built-in Device for Cleaning the Window?
C. Shouldn't We Know Who Invented the Windshield Wiper?
D. Shouldn't We Develop Invention Courses in Universities?
A survey said the average Asian dad spent one minute a day with his children．I was shocked. I mean, a whole minute? Every day? Get real. Once a week maybe. The fact is, many Asian males are terrible at kid—related things. In fact, I am one of them．
Child—rearing (养育) doesn’t come naturally to guys. My mother knew the names of our teachers, best friends and crushes. My dad was only vaguely aware there were short people sharing the apartment. My mother bought healthy fresh food at the market every day. My dad would only go shopping when there was nothing in the fridge except a jar of capers and a bay leaf．Then he’ d buy beer. My mother always knew the right questions to ask our teachers. My dad would ask my English teacher if she could get us a discount on school fees．My mother served kid food to kids. My dad added chili sauce to everything, including our baby food．
The truth is, mothers have superpowers. My son fell off a wall once and hurt himself all over. I demanded someone bring me a computer so I could google what to do. My wife ignored me and did some sort of chanting phrase such as “Mummy kiss it better,” and cured l7 separate injuries in less than 15 seconds．
Yes, mothers are incredible people, but they are not always right. Yet honesty forces me to record the fact that mothers only know best 99.99 percent of the time．Here are some famous slip-ups.
The mother of Bill Gates: “ If you’ re going to drop out of college and hang out with your nerdy friends, don’ t come running to me when you find yourself penniless.” The mother of Albert Einstein: “When you grow up, you’ ll find that sitting around thinking about the nature of time and space won’ t pay the grocery bills.” The mother of George W．Bush: “You’ll never be like your dad, who became President of the United States and started his own war.”
1.The tone for the writer to write the passage is .
A. cruel B. humorous C. disapproving D. critical
2.In paragraph 2 the writer makes a comparison between mothers and fathers to prove that .
A. females love kids more than males
B. males are not good at child—rearing
C. my dad is not interested in child-rearing
D. child-rearing is difficult both for females and males
3.What does the underlined word “slip-ups” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A. stories B. shortcomings C. mistakes D. advantages
4.The last paragraph is mainly developed by .
A. providing different examples
B. following the order of space
C. making comparisons
D. analyzing causes
The winter vacation is just around the corner. With such a long holiday to spend, have you decided where to get yourself relaxed from the great pressure of school study? Our company specializes in civil tours. We take pride in offering you the best services and in providing you with a vacation that will be fondly remembered. The following places can be your unforgettable destinations in our country.
A. The Australian Museum
The Australian Museum has an international reputation in the fields of natural history and indigenous studies research and exhibitions. The museum was established in 1827 and is Australia's first museum of natural science and cultural artifacts.
B. Sydney Olympic Park
Home of the Best Games Ever and 2003 Rugby World, Sydney Olympic Park is a gold medal attraction and continues to serve as a major sport and social venue.
Apart from its ultra-modern sport venues, Sydney Olympic Park is set in extensive parklands. Bicentennial Park, one of Sydney's most popular recreational areas, is criss-crossed with walking and bicycle tracks.
C. Art Gallery of New South Wales
Located within a short walking distance from Sydney's CBD, the Art Gallery of New South Wales is one of Australia's foremost art museums housing some of the finest works of art in the country.
The Gallery has a rich and diverse collection including key works of the Heidelberg School and favorite modern Australian artists including Brett Whiteley and Margaret Preston, as well as permanent Australian, European, Asian, contemporary and photographic galleries.
D. Koalas Park Sanctuary
Koalas are on show every day. Shows are at 10:20 A.M., 11:20 A.M., 2:00 P.M., 3:00 P.M. where you can cuddle, feed, pat and have your photo taken with the Koalas. See free roaming Koalas as well, 10 acres of rainforest. Walk in and pat our kangaroos.
1.How long has the Australian Museum been built?
A. Around 220 years. B. Around 190 years.
C. Around 140 years. D. Around 100 years.
2.Which of the following might be more inviting to a sports fan?
A. Koalas Park Sanctuary.
B. Art Gallery of New South Wales.
C. The Australian Museum.
D. Sydney Olympic Park
3.You can watch Koalas Show at ____.
A. 10:20 P.M. B. 11:20 P.M. C. 2:00 P.M. D.3:00 A.M
Twelve years ago, I arrived in Central Florida from Puerto Rico. I had heard of a job opportunity and decided to pursue it. But it never became a reality. I quickly learned that being alone without resources in an unfamiliar city was not a comfortable situation to be in.
Once my limited funds ran out I became homeless and spent a year and a half living on the streets of Orlando. Apart from feeling not being noticed and missing my family, I had to face another challenge—hunger.
For the first time in my life, I, as a foreign man, who had lived my life in the relative comfort of the middle class, understood the desperation someone feels when they don’t get enough to eat. I clearly remembered having run a distance of more than 7 miles on many occasions just to make it to a local feeding program before they closed at 7 pm.
Once the need for food was met, the next challenge would arise—where to find a place to sleep for the night. Fortunately, local programs like the Coalition for the Homeless, Second Harvest Food Bank and the Wayne Densch Center were an important part of my ability to survive my painful experience.
With the assistance of these programs, I was accepted by a college scholarship program through the Coalition and obtained two degrees from Valencia.
My experience has helped me understand that devoting my life to helping others offers lasting rewards. Today, I am employed as Childhood Hunger Programs Manager at Second Harvest Food Bank and oversee the summer feeding, Hi-Five Kids Pack, and Kids Café programs. I am so proud to be able to distribute food resources to those wonderful programs and help hundreds more like me.
1.What can be inferred from Paragraph 1?
A. It was impossible for the author to get a job then.
B. Many local people were out of work in Florida.
C. Florida was not a good place for people living there.
D. The author rejected many chances to get a job in Florida.
2.Why did the author run a distance of over 7 miles on many occasions?
A. Because he didn’t want to be late for work there.
B. Because he desired to get some food to eat.
C. Because he went there to help the poor.
D. Because he helped distribute food resources to the poor.
3.Before being accepted by a college scholarship program, the author_____.
A. had lived with his relatives happily.
B. had won his degree in a university.
C. had been struggling financially.
D. had lost hope of facing the future.
4. From his experience, the author learns that ______.
A. misfortune may be an actual blessing.
B. a friend in need is a friend indeed.
C. where there is a will there is a way.
D. one good turn deserves another.
书面表达
假设你是中学生李华，你买了一本英文词典，收到后发现一些质量问题，请给书店经理用英语写一封电子邮件，说明情况和自己的要求。要点如下：
1．购买的细节；
2．发现的问题；
3．阐述你的要求（退款或换货）。
注意：1．词数100左右；
2．信的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
3．参考词汇：印刷错误 misprint (n.)
Dear Manager,
I’m writing to tell you something that happened to me. _______________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(Λ)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
The Big Bang Theory, one of the most popular comedy in America and even around the world these days, tell stories about four male scientists and a beautiful waitress．
These scientists are smart in their fields，especially Sheldon. He has a real high IQ in physics and he is very bad at getting along with others. Fortunately, his roommate Leonard was very tolerant and always forgives him at every time Sheldon makes a mistake．The waitress，naming Penny，is a very easy-going and nice girl whom has a dream of becoming an actress．
The comedy has gained popularity among people aged from 18 to 49. Its special and funny stories make people falling in love with it in short time.
