Almost everyone has heard the expression “the calm before the storm.” It is usually used to describe a peaceful period just before a very stressful situation or a tense argument.
British sailors coined the phrase in the late 1600s; they noted that before certain storms the seas would seem to become still and the winds would drop.
Science has given us the reason. According to US website HowStuffWorks, a calm period occurs because many storms, tornadoes and hurricanes draw in all the warm and humid(湿热的) air from the surrounding area. As this air rises into the storm clouds, it cools and acts as “fuel for the storm, like petrol in a car”. Once the storm has taken all the energy it can from the air, it is pushed out from the top of the storm clouds and falls back down to ground level. As the air goes down, it becomes warm and dry. Warm and dry air is stable, so once it covers an area, it causes a calm period before the storm. This same process also causes the “eye of the storm” in hurricanes and tornadoes. In these conditions, the calm occurs in the center of the storm because of the strong rotating (旋转的) winds.
The Weather Network has a tip for working out how far away a storm is. First count how many seconds there are between a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder, roughly three seconds equal one kilometer. So, for example, if you count nine seconds, the storm is about three kilometers away. A good method is that if your count is below 30 seconds, you should seek shelter straight away.
However, due to the complexity of storm system, not all storms take place after calm. Given the right conditions, some storms announce themselves with heavy rain and fierce winds.
So, your best bet is to keep yourself updated with weather reports for any predictions regarding a coming storm in your area. That's the most reliable way to predict the next display(展示) of nature's temper (脾气).
1.What is the function of Paragraph 3?
A.To describe how the eye of the storm comes into being.
B.To stress why tornadoes and hurricanes are destructive.
C.To explain why a peaceful period occurs before some storms.
D.To remind how dangerous a storm can be in certain situations.
2.If you count fifteen seconds between a lightening flash and a thunder clap, the storm may be .
A.one kilometer away B.three kilometers away
C.four kilometers away D.five kilometers away
3.What can we learn from the text?
A.Heavy storms don't usually last long.
B.It is not always quiet before a storm.
C.Storms have a big influence on our life.
D.Weather reports often fail to predict a storm.
4.Where is this text most likely from?
A.A travel journal. B.A science fiction.
C.A literature review. D.A geography magazine.
The U.S. is still out in front of global competitors when it comes to innovation (革新), but American universities-where new ideas often spread-have reason to look over their shoulders.
That's especially true for technologies like 5G phone networks and artificial intelligence. In President Donald Trump's opinion, they're exactly the fields where the U.S. has to lead - and also the ones where Asia, especially China, is catching up. Universities from China get more patents than their U.S. peers in wireless communications, according to research firm GreyB Services. In AI, 17 of the top 20 universities and public research organizations are in China, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences topping the list, says the World Intellectual Property Organization in Geneva.
There's a special place for universities in the development of science. Universities educate future scientists and can be incubators (孵化器) for pie-in-the-sky ideas-some of which turn out to be game-changers. The list ranges from Google's search engine to DNA technology that's behind a whole industry of gene-manipulating (基因编辑) treatments.
However, government aids to universities haven't been growing for more than a decade, meaning they've declined in real terms and as a share of the economy, leading to the cost increase for universities and meanwhile somehow discouraging the teaching staff from putting all their hearts into their scientific research.
“If you look at the federal dollars, they've not really changed considerably,” says Stephen Susalka, head of AUTM, a technology transfer association whose members include 800 universities. “Other countries are catching up. We can't be satisfied with what we have achieved.”
1.What does the underlined phrase “look over their shoulders” in Paragraph 1 mean?
A.Watch out B.Take off
C.Stand up D.Hide away
2.The author mentions 5G phone networks in Paragraph 2 to show.
A.Chinese universities have obtained more patents than other countries
B.the Chinese government provides aids to Chinese universities
C.wireless communications are changed dramatically these years
D.U.S. universities may lose their lead in some high-tech fields
3.What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?
A.Universities can be birthplaces of game programmers.
B.Pie-in-the-sky ideas from universities can be revolutionary.
C.Universities play an important role in science development.
D.Gene-manipulation helps to develop DNA technology.
4.What's Stephen Susalka's attitude towards the future development of U.S universities?
A.Worried. B.Disapproving.
C.Positive. D.Unconcerned.
One year, a newspaper of the United States published an announcement-the Horticultural (园艺) Institute offered a reward at a high price for the pure white marigold (金盏花). The high reward attracted so many people, but in nature besides golden, the marigold is brown；it is not easy to create the white one. So after they were excited for a time, many people forgot that announcement.
One normal day after 20 years, the Horticultural Institute accidentally received a letter and 100 seeds of pure white marigold. On that day the news spread like wildfire. It turned out to be an old woman of over 70 years old. The institute had always been hesitating over the fact that the letter stated with certainty that the seeds could bloom(开花) pure white marigold.
Those seeds finally took root in the earth. The wonder appeared after one year: large fields of pure white marigold swung in the light wind. As a result, the old woman became a new focus.
Originally, the old woman was just a flower-lover. When she happened to read the announcement 20 years ago, her heart kept beating wildly. But her eight children all opposed her decision. After all, a woman who never knew the seed genetics(遗传学) couldn't complete what the experts could never accomplish! Still, the old woman didn't change her mind and went on working without hesitation. She spread some of the most common seeds and took good care of them. A year later, when the marigold bloomed, she chose one faintest (暗淡) from those golden and brown flowers and made it wither (凋谢) naturally in order to get the best seed. The next year, she again grew them and chose the faintest from these flowers to plant Year after year, through many cycles of spring sowing and autumn harvest, the old woman's husband died; her children flew far and high; a lot of things happened in her life but only the desire to grow the pure white marigold took root in her heart. Finally, after 20 years on the day we all know, in the garden, she saw a marigold, which was not nearly white but as white as silver or snow.
Such a difficult problem as even experts couldn't cope with was readily solved by an old woman who didn't understand genetics. Was it a wonder? Take root in the heart and even the most common seed can grow into a wonder!
1.Why was a great reward offered by the Institute?
A.White flowers could be sold at a higher price
B.Pure white marigold was more beautiful in nature
C.It was very difficult to develop pure white marigold
D.Scientists wanted to know how marigold grew in nature
2.What can we know about the old woman from the passage?
A.She was 70 when she first read the announcement.
B.She sent pure white marigold flowers to the institute.
C.She got professional support from scientists.
D.She kept trying for years before she succeeded.
3.The underlined word “readily” in the last paragraph probably means .
A.easily B.quickly
C.honestly D.luckily
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Seeds Take Root in the Heart B.White Marigold is Never Alone
C.Marigolds Grow from Bravery D.White Flowers Bring Success
Watching kids' cartoons can be an effective way to learn a language. The basic plot lines of kids' cartoons are fairly simple and the characters speak more slowly, and the dialogue is typically standard and casual. Here are four worldwide popular kids' cartoons which may help you with your English learning.
Peppa Pig
Peppa Pig, the pink piggy, has gained worldwide popularity. There are even videos showing an American child speaking in a British accent to her mom after watching the popular cartoon.
The Simpsons
The Simpsons in the ' 90s was smart, culturally savvy (有见识的), and unbelievably entertaining TV about an average American family. At its height, no show - animated or otherwise - could reach The Simpsons' greatness. From the cleverness of “Marge vs. the Monorail” to everything Lisa Simpson ever said. The Simpsons was fearless and game-changing television.
Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time is a French educational animation, created by Procidis. There are seven series (系列), each focusing on different aspects of knowledge. These are mostly historical, focusing on the overall history of mankind or specified historical fields, such as the lives and achievements of the explorers or inventors.
Sazae-san
Sazae-san is more than a kids' show. It's a cultural institution, a national treasure and the longest- running animated series in the world, ever!
It's about a typical Japanese big family living together in Tokyo. The central character is an outspoken but somewhat clumsy woman in her early 20s, living with her husband, son, father, mother, brother and sister all under one roof.
All of the characters are colorful and funny, and all are named after fish!
1.Why does the American girl speak in a British accent?
A.She was born and brought up in Britain. B.Peppa Pig has strongly influenced her.
C.The British accent is popular in America. D.She wants to make fun of her mother.
2.What will a fan of history choose to watch?
A.Peppa Pig B.The Simpsons
C.Once Upon a Time D.Sazae-san
3.What can you learn about Sazae-san from the text?
A.It is about an average American family. B.It is the longest-running of the four.
C.It is a well-received French cartoon. D.It includes seven different series.
目前，随着网络的发展和电子书的盛行，越来越多的人选择阅读电子书或者网购书籍，造成了许多传统书店面临着关门或者入不敷出的境况。请你根据所给图片，用英文为你校校报的“Hot Spots in Focus(热点聚焦)”栏目写篇文章谈谈自己的看法。
内容包括：
1. 描述图片反映的现象；2. 简析产生该现象的原因；3. 简要表达你对该现象的看法。
注意：1. 词数100左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
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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（∧），并在其下面写上该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（\）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写上修改后的词。
注意：1. 每次错误以及修改仅限一词；
2. 只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
I have a very busy school life every day. Beside my lessons every day, I’m occupied by various activities. What I have to finish first are masses of homework. So I have to set aside at least of 4 hours a day to do it. In addition to that burden, many out-of-class activities held in my school, some of them, I dare say, are very boring. Although I do think exercise is important to my healthy, exercise also takes up a lot of his spare time. However, I am tired of too much everyday exercise. Every night I am exhausting when I go to bed. How I wish I were in college now.
