Gold is one of the rarest materials on Earth and has always been considered a valuable and precious resource. It's very likely that someone in your family owns something made of gold, especially since China is one of the world's biggest buyers of gold jewellery. It's even in our smartphones - they contain parts made from this expensive material.
But where does this beautiful metal actually come from? The answer: outer space.
This August, Chinese scientists became the first in the world to witness gravitational waves（引力波）caused by the collision of neutron (中子）stars, reported Xinhua News Agency.
The sight was witnessed at China's Kunlun Antarctic Station at the South Pole, and Insight, China’s first X-ray astronomical satellite, also contributed to the discovery.
Although collisions of black holes have been recorded before, this was the first time that two neutron stars were known to have collided. It's believed that such collisions lead to huge explosions of energy, and even to the creation of precious metals such as gold and silver.
“The collision of neutron stars is like a very large gold factory in the universe,” Jin Zhiping，a researcher at the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told Xinhua.
According to an article published by space.com, scientists have long believed gold and other materials are created in this way, but it wasn't until the recent collision that their theory was confirmed.
“The origin of the really heaviest chemical elements in the universe had confused the scientific community for quite a long time,” Hans-Thomas Janka, a senior scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Germany, said in a news release. “Now, we have the first observational proof for neutron star mergers(合并) as sources.”
Indeed, the recently observed collision is thought to have produced an amount of gold that would weigh 10 times more than Earth, according to New Scientist
Don’t expect to be showered in gold any time soon, however. The collision actually took place 130 million years ago, taking all that time for the event's light to reach Earth.
But at least if you want to see a piece of space up close, all you have to do is to look at the ring on your mom's finger - or the smartphone in your pocket.
1.What's the author's purpose of writing the first two paragraphs?
A.To emphasize the rareness of gold.
B.To list some uses of gold in daily life.
C.To explain the reasons for the popularity of gold.
D.To interest readers about the source of gold.
2.What would the collision of neutron stars lead to according to Xinhua?
A.The creation of black holes.
B.The death of the stars.
C.The disappearance of gravitational waves.
D.The creation of gold.
3.What’s the text mainly about?
A.China’s Kunlun Antarctic Station does research into gold.
B.Collisions between two neutron stars result in gold
C.Collisions contribute to the discovery.
D.Gold is considered a valuable and precious rescource.
4.What can we learn from the article?
A.The amount of gold produced by the collision was very small.
B.The collision was the largest reported in history.
C.China played a big role in the new discovery.
D.The collision took place 130 years ago.
More than 2,000 years ago, when the last shovelful(一铲) of dirt fell on the Tarracotta Warriors, it was thought that they would never see the sunlight again and would spend the rest of their “lives” guarding and protecting the first Chinese emperor, Qinshihuang, who died in 210 BC.
But things got better off these clay soldiers. Ever since they were discovered in Xi’an in 1974,by a group of farmers; they’ve been able to see the bigger world-traveling from one museum to the next.
They are now on display in New York at Discovery Times Square, reported the New York Times.
However, the story doesn’t end here. The roughly 2,000 soldiers found so far are estimated to be only one quarter of the total number. Moreover, scientists haven’t yet dared to touch the central tomb, which is believed to contain the body of the emperor himself.
“Partly it’s out of respect for the elders,” explained Kristin Romey, consultant for the exhibition. “But they also realize that nobody in the world right now has the technology to properly go in and excavate(挖掘) it.”
This is true. According to ancient writings, the emperor’s tomb is circled by rivers of liquid mercury(水银) which is highly poisonous but can keep the body in good condition. Studies of the soil around the tomb also found a large amount of mercury. This makes exploring the tomb very dangerous.
The other reason that scientists have been hesitating is that they are afraid of the damage they might cause by opening the tomb.
“When we began excavating ‘the soldiers’, the minute they were exposed to air and sunlight, the pigment(颜料) just flaked off (剥落),” Romey told the Fox News.
But he believes that the solution will come when science advances. Perhaps a visual robot can be sent into the tomb first to investigate and help figure out the best way to protect it.
In the end, scientists and historians must weigh their desire to know against the damage their digging might cause. “Archaeology, ultimately (最终),is a destructive science,” Romey said. “You have to destroy stuff in order to learn about it.”
1.What is the point of the article?
A.To tell about the mysteries of Qinshihuang’s tomb.
B.To analyze why archaeology is a destructive science.
C.To explain the risks of further excavating Qinshihuang’s tomb.
D.To introduce the Terracotta Warriors exhibition in New York.
2.What can be concluded from the article?
A.The decision whether to open the tomb or not is likely to be influenced by the pace of technological progress.
B.It is estimated that about 10,000 clay soldiers were buried with Qinshihuang in his grave.
C.The highly poisonous mercury was used by Qinshihuang to keep away those who attempt to destroy his tomb.
D.Scientists won’t excavate Qinshihuang’s tomb until they think of a good way to preserve the body of the emperor.
3.The underlined word “investigate” in the second-to-last paragraph probably means________.
A.settle down B.arrange
C.take over D.explore
4.What should scientists and historians pay attention to in their work according to the article?
A.They should respect the ancient world during their work.
B.They should balance the value and damages of their work.
C.They should always take their own safety into consideration.
D.They should have a continuous desire to know new things.
Apple picking | |
Apple picking is always a popular fall activity, with families looking for a fun way to spend time together outdoors. Check out some options on where and how to pick close to Toronto: | |
Where | Pine Farms Tel: 905-833-5459 |
Albion Farms Tel: 905-584-0354 | |
Watson Farms Tel: 905-623-9109 | |
Brooks Farms Tel: 905-473-3920 | |
Willis Family Fruit Farms Tel: 905-876-2606 | |
Apple picking tips | Call first: Certain apple types may not be available because demand and farm hours can change without notice. So call ahead before setting out. |
What to bring: Some farms provide containers(容器) for you to carry the fruit home, but it’s not a bad idea to bring them yourself. Comfortable shoes and clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty are a must. And keep the weather in mind: pack a sweater for cooler days, and bring sun cream. |
1.According to the author, apple picking ______ .
A.helps farmers harvest the fruit
B.can bring great pleasure to families
C.is better for teenagers than for adults
D.is becoming more and more popular in cities
2.If you are only free after 6 pm on Tuesday, you can choose _____ .
A.Pine Farms B.Albion Farms
C.Watson Farms D.Willis Family Fruit Farms
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A.You may dirty your clothes when picking apples.
B.Apples on all the farms are on sale at the same time.
C.You have to pay to take the apples you have picked home.
D.You are not allowed to take containers for carrying apples.
假定你是李华，现在在英国做交换生。你班同学Mary想邀请你加入她所在的一个公益组织“Community Environmental Protection Organization”。请你用英语给她写一封邮件，内容包括：
1. 感谢邀请；
2. 你的决定及原因。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Mary,
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely,
Li Hua
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。
I try my best put myself in the local culture. The following two ways always make this easier to do this: either you stay there longer or you visit it more frequent. Once you don't regard yourself to a tourist, you will start seeing things in the different way and start experiencing things like a local person. One of my longest trip was recently in Xi'an, when I stayed for a month. As days went by, life moves forward from take long walks to tasting delicious local foods. I'd never been enjoyed these before that trip, so I have decided to go for a much longer stay next time I travel.
阅读下面短文,在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式,并将答案填写在答题卡上.
In the past few years, demand 1. fake meat products has surged (蜂拥而来) in the Western world, as people look for other healthier choices to replace red meat.
But long before they appeared in the West, China had been making 2. (tradition) meat-based dishes out of nuts and vegetables. Some records of monks (僧侣) 3. (eat) tofu-based "vegetarian meat" date back to as early as the Song Dynasty in 4. 10th century. It was known as "fang hun cai" or literally" imitation meat dish."
China's early 5. (adopt) of fake meat products is closely linked to its long history of Buddhism(佛教). Buddhism 6. (introduce) to China as early as the Han Dynasty, around 2,000 years ago. Today, it's practiced by around 20% of China's population — some 250 million people. A central rule of Buddhism is respect for all living 7. (creature) , and vegetarianism is common among its followers.
8. China's monasteries (寺院) provided a strict vegetarian diet, they would often have to consider the dietary choices of people 9. came for a visit. The visitors would expect 10. (have) meat-based meals and this was where the tradition came. They would get all the dishes they expected at a banquet (宴请), but made from vegetarian ingredients.
