While astronauts in space get to do many exciting things, they miss out on ordinary things that we will take for granted—being able to walk on firm ground, hanging out with family and digging into a slice of hot steaming pizza. Though not much can be done about the first two things, there may soon be a solution to the third one, thanks to this cool 3-D pizza printer.
About a year ago, NASA offered $125,000 to Anjan Contractor, a 3-D technology expert, to build a device that would allow astronauts to make pizza on demand. The mechanical engineer promised that his invention would produce pies in large quantities that looked, tasted and even smelled like pizza made in common ovens.
Late last year, the engineer presented a video of his first prototype(原型) that begins by creating a single slice of dough that is cooked and printed at the same time. Then comes the tomato sauce--a mix of tomato powder, oil and water and finally, a protein slice that resembles cheese. While the video doesn't show the baking process, the inventor says that once the pizza is printed, it can be ready to be consumed in 7 seconds.
While the pie in the video looks delicious enough to attract any pizza lover, Anjan Contractor is far from ready for astronauts. That's because he still has to find a solution to make the food container in the printer last for 30 years. Though that may sound unrealistic ,actually it is not.
Anjan Contractor believes that the only way that is possible is that the water is removed from all the ingredients and then they are reduced to the powder form. This, as you can imagine, will not be so easy. But, while the printer may not be ready for space, it certainly looks ready enough for people on earth. Hopefully, NASA and Contractor will consider selling it to those not fortunate enough to go to Mars !
1.NASA offered $125,000 to Anjan Contractor mainly to ____.
A. create some new type of 3-D printer
B. attract more companies to work for NASA
C. help astronauts in space enjoy fresh pizza one day
D. produce pizza in large quantities to earn great profits
2.The biggest challenge that Anjan Contractor is faced with now is probably that ____
A. he has no money left to go on with his research
B. the pizza doesn't seem appetizing to pizza lovers
C. he has no way to make pizza that can last for thirty years
D. he cannot make the food container last for decades
3.What's the best title of the passage?
A. NASA is trying its best to help astronauts eat better
B. Astronauts may soon be able to enjoy steaming hot pizza
C. NASA is working on making pizza for common people
D. A 3-D pizza printer has been used to make pizza
The spread of Western eating habits around the world is bad for human health and for the environment. Those findings come from a new report in the journal Nature.
David Tilman is a professor at the University of Minnesota. In the study, he examined information from 100 nations to show what people ate and how diet affected health. Mr. Tilman noted a movement beginning in the 1960s. He found that as nations industrialized(工业化), population increased and earnings rose. More people began to adopt what has been called the Western diet. The Western diet is high in sugar, fat, oil and meat. By eating these foods, people began to get fatter and sicker.
“The food, let us say, in the 15 richest nations of the world, right now contains about 400 or 500 extra calories(热量) a day that are eaten beyond what people need, and that leads people to gain weight.”
David Tillman says overweight people are at greater risk for diseases like diabetes, heart disease and some cancers. Diabetes is shooting to very high rates in the United States and across Europe. Heart disease is a major cause of death in the Western nations. Unfortunately when people become industrialized, if they adopt this Western diet, they are going to have these same health problems.
A diet bad for human beings, it seems, is also bad for the environment. As the world’s population grows, experts say more forests and areas will become farmland for crops or grasslands for raising cattle. These areas will be needed to meet the increasing demand for food.
Mr. Tilman calls the link between diet, the environment and human health, “a dilemma”, a situation where it is very difficult to decide what to do. He says one possible solution is leaving the Western diet behind.
1.Why did people get fatter in the 1960s?
A. They ate foods high in calories.
B. They adopted a western lifestyle.
C. They set aside little time for exercise.
D. They had a better life and became lazier.
2.According to the text, overweight people may suffer the following diseases EXCEPT_______.
A. diabetes B. skin disease
C. cancers D. heart disease
3.What can we infer from Paragraph 5?
A. There will be fewer and fewer forests.
B. People won’t care about the environment.
C. The world’s population will grow faster than ever.
D. Raising cattle will be the most moneymaking business.
4.What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?
A. To tell people effective ways to keep healthy.
B. To call on people to give up the Western diet.
C. To show the problems industrialized nations are facing.
D. To draw people’s attention to environmental protection.
The arts, especially music, should be part of every school's lessons at every grade level. Students would be much smarter if they had some musical experience. They could improve their classroom skills, like paying attention and following directions. People develop all these skills when they learn music. Making music also lets children use their imagination. It provides students with a chance to try out their own ideas.
Music not only makes children better students, but also gives them something positive to do. In a music program, children can be part of a band instead of joining a gang (团伙). Parents can enjoy listening to their children's music instead of seeing them____a computer or TV screen. In a school band, students get to be part of a team. They can get along well with old friends and make new friends through music.
Music builds self-confidence, too. It gives children a sense of achievement and success. Making music is something for them to be proud of, and it lets kids practice performing in front of an audience. Music gives children an opportunity for self-expression, and that helps develop their self-confidence.
Once again, music is important because it can make children better students, give them something positive to do, and build their character. That is why music should be offered in every single grade in every school.
1.According to the passage, music could make students smarter by _______________.
A. improving their classroom skills and paying attention
B. improving their classroom skills and imagination
C. improving their attention, direction and imagination
D. learning music, making music and trying out their own ideas
2.What does the underlined phrase "glued to" in the second paragraph mean?
A. unwilling to turn on B. always looking
C. unwilling to leave D. always playing
3.The third paragraph mainly tells us that music could _______________.
A. give children self-expression and self-confidence
B. bring to children achievement and success
C. give children something to be proud of
D. develop children's self-confidence
4.What's the best title of this passage？
A. Music is a must as a course at school
B. Music builds children's self-confidence
C. Music makes students much smarter
D. Learning music and making music
There are a lot of products out there that make your life easier. Some, however, are a little sillier than others — so much that they seem like joke products. Here are a few products that sound crazy, but actually rule.
Sleep Phones
It’s hard to imagine something sillier than a music-playing headband you wear while you sleep, but they exist — and are quite popular. Sleep Phones won’t give you the highest quality sound in the world, but if you prefer to fall asleep to music, they’re far more comfortable than normal headphones. While they’re a bit expensive, they might be perfect for you. There’s also a wireless version (版本) if you prefer.
Onion Goggles
If cutting onion____________no matter what you try, it’s time for desperate measures. We tested a bunch of methods for avoiding onion tears, and found the best solutions came down to cutting the onion under a vent (通风孔), or wearing these stylish and awesome goggles.
Lock Laces
There’re some great ways to tie your shoes better, but if you long for the laceless shoes of your childhood days, Lock Laces are a pretty good choice. They’re basically elastic (有弹性的) laces that remove the need to tie your shoes. Sure, people will make fun of you, but you can make fun of them after they trip over their own untied laces. Or you can make your own slip-on shoes with elastic tubing.
2D-Glasses
Hate 3D-movies, but have to go to one? The difference between 2D-glasses and 3D-glasses lies in their lenses (镜片). Each lens of 2D-glasses blocks the same picture, so each eye gets the same picture, while each lens of 3D-glasses blocks a different picture, so each eye gets a different picture which the brain interprets as 3D. Now you have a pair of glasses that can save you from the headache caused by wearing 3D-glasses which are popular in our movie theaters. You can buy them or make a pair for yourself.
1.What do we know about Sleep Phones?
A. There are two versions.
B. They’re comfortable but unhealthy.
C. They give you the best quality sound.
D. They’re cheaper than other headphones.
2.The underlined part “brings on the waterworks” in the text probably means _____.
A. makes your eyes water
B. makes your fingers hurt
C. destroys your water pipes
D. adds to your washing work
3.What is the advantage of Lock Laces?
A. They are strong and lasting.
B. They help you walk comfortably.
C. They are stylish and eco-friendly.
D. They save you from tying your shoes.
4.Compared with 3D-glasses, 2D-glasses _____.
A. are cheaper and thinner
B. won’t give you a headache
C. let you see a different picture
D. are more popular in movie theaters
假如你是李华。你的朋友Tommy是一个手机低头族，无论站着、坐着、走着，他都在低头玩手机。请就此给Tommy写一封信。
内容包括：1．做手机低头族的危害； 2．希望他改掉这个坏习惯。
注意：
1．词数100左右；
2．可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3．开头语和结尾语已给出，不计入总词数。
参考词汇：过度使用overuse
Dear Tommy,
There seems to be a trend that people now tend to play with their cell phones no matter where they are. And I know you are not an exception.
_____________________________________
文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅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（∧），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：在错的词下画一横线，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。
My hometown is a mountain village. The trees there were very green but the water is quite clean. I can even clearly see the fish to swim in the mountain streams. When the night come, the air is much cool than that in the daytime. People like to walk out their homes and have a get-together. I often run along the village happy. Unlike big cities, there the air is polluted and the buildings are high, my village is quite different. The star hang in the sky. When I look at theirs, they are so close to me. It seems as if I could touch them. The night here is so wonderful.
