Today we know Antarctica as an extreme environment containing ice and snow. But new research provides evidence that the area was very different in the past.
The evidence was found inside a piece of earth sediment(沉积物) collected by researchers from a depth of about 30 meters below the ocean floor off the coast of Antarctica. In the sediment, they found forest soil estimated to be about 90 million years old. This would have been in the Cretaceous Period, when dinosaurs were the main land animals.
Johann Klages is a geologist, working in the Institute's Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research in Germany. He said an examination showed that the material formed on land, not in the ocean.
The researchers estimate that the area – about 900 kilometers from the South Pole – had average yearly temperatures of about 12 to 13 degrees Celsius. During the warmest summer months, average temperatures likely reached between 20 to 25 degrees Celsius. The average yearly temperature in that area is about 40 degrees below zero Celsius.
The examination results showed “a dense network of roots that spread through the entire soil layer,” the Helmholtz Center said in a statement.
The dark brownish-gray soil included fine dirt particles and hard clay, as well as substances linked to at least 65 different kinds of plants, the study found. Klages put that the plants included trees, ferns and flowering plants and while no animal remains were found, there were likely dinosaurs, flying reptiles and many insects in the environment.
The researchers said that the rainforest environment in Antarctica was especially surprising because each year, the area experiences a four-month polar night when there is no sunlight to fuel plant life.
1.According to the passage, we can learn that ________.
A.dinosaurs were from Antarctica
B.Antarctica was always extremely cold
C.the ocean floor is made up of sediment
D.the area has been experiencing climate changes
2.What surprised the researchers?
A.No animals left.
B.No fertilizer to fuel plants.
C.Roots spreading through the soil.
D.The rainforest experiencing polar night.
3.Which column is the passage probably from?
A.Science. B.Entertainment. C.Society. D.Fiction.
4.What can be a suitable title for the text?
A.Antarctica, Once a Warm Rainforest
B.Earth Sediment Found in Antarctica
C.Antarctica - an Extreme Environment
D.New Antarctica Found by Researchers
There are only a few truly pleasant smells to wake up to in the morning. It might be the aroma of freshly baked bread, or the scent of your partner’s freshly brushed teeth - but for me, it’s the smell of freshly cooked coffee. Just a sniff of it makes me jump out of bed and rush to the kitchen for a gulp(大口) of the hot black liquid.
I also know the experience when I walk into a cafe for my double espresso(浓缩咖啡) or flat white, my mouth begins to water in advance. Although it’s really the caffeine hit I’m after, it’s the smell that makes me feel good.
However, this feeling sometimes turns to disappointment when I actually start drinking my hot coffee - the taste just doesn’t match the smell. This is particularly the case when I order a coffee to go in a tall paper cup and sip the liquid through a hole in the lid. Yes, it’s convenient, but is it really the right way to appreciate it?
Tim Hayward, a food writer and coffee shop owner，describes this process as “strange”. He says, “You walk into the coffee shop, you get the smell, but when you actually take the drink out, you are drinking it from something that is designed to deliver the hot liquid directly past your tongue, but stop any smell coming up to your nose.”
As well as removing the smell, takeaway coffee cups create a lot of waste and a vast majority of them still don’t get recycled. In 2011, it was estimated that 2.5 billion coffee cups were thrown away each year in the UK, and that figure is likely to be higher now. So maybe now is the time to really wake up and smell the coffee by drinking from a cup or mug in a cafe, chatting with friends and saving the planet!
1.From the first two paragraphs we know ________.
A.the author loves coffee alone
B.the smell of coffee is pleasant
C.people smell one scent at a time
D.smells are used to wake up people
2.What sometimes disappoints the author when drinking coffee?
A.The way to enjoy coffee.
B.Coffee doesn’t taste tasty.
C.No partner shares coffee with him.
D.The type of coffee he likes isn’t available.
3.What made Tim Hayward feel strange？
A.The smell of coffee.
B.Hot coffee without smell.
C.Treating coffee just as hot liquid.
D.Drinking coffee in the coffee shop.
4.What can be implied in the last paragraph?
A.People recycle coffee regularly.
B.Takeaway coffee is of high quality.
C.Pollution caused by coffee cups is growing.
D.A cup or mug is widely used for drinking coffee.
Do you prefer reading an e-book or a physical version? It might be a surprise, but for most people, old school print on paper still wins.
Publishers of books in all formats made almost $26 billion in revenue (收益) last year in the U.S., with print making up $22.6 billion and e-books taking $2.04 billion, according to the Association of American Publishers’ annual report 2018. Those figures include trade and educational books, as well as fiction.
While digital media has developed quickly, people still love to own physical books, according to Meryl Halls, managing director of the Booksellers’ Association in the U.K. “I think the e-book bubble has burst somewhat. Sales are flattening off. The physical objects are attractive.” she said.
People love to display their books, Hall added. “The book lover loves to have a record of what they have read. It’s about signaling to the rest of the world and about decorating your home, because people want to use it to indicate something about themselves.” And for Halls, there is also a desire to escape the screen. Part of the reason is that it’s harder to have an emotional relationship with what you’re reading if it’s on an e-reader.
As for the future of books, all formats will continue to be in demand, says Jacks Thomas, director of the London Book Fair. “People always need knowledge and people always need stories, so from that point of view, the book industry, in whatever format, has a strong future,” she says.
1.What do we know from the passage?
A.E-books help escape the screen.
B.Publishers of books like e-books.
C.Details are more accurate in physical books.
D.Print books make a bigger profit than e-books.
2.What does the underlined phrase “flattening off” mean?
A.Cutting down.
B.Being controlled.
C.Stopping growing.
D.Keeping increasing.
3.Why do people prefer physical books?
A.They are a signal of the world.
B.They are used to build houses.
C.They help people record something.
D.They are good to strengthen a relationship.
4.Which is Jack’s idea about the book industry?
A.Its future promises to be good. B.Books won’t be needed.
C.No different formats coexist. D.Digital media will replace physical books.
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This new digital hearing aid is packed with the features of its $3,500 competitors at a small part of the cost. Now most people with hearing loss are able to enjoy crystal clear, natural sound-in a crowd, on the phone, in the wind --without “whistling” and annoying background noise.
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1.What is the best advantage of MD Hearing Aid AIR?
A.Fashionable. B.Low-priced. C.Visible. D.Risk-free.
2.From the passage, we know the new product _______.
A.satisfies all the customers B.is free to use for one year
C.can function without batteries D.is safe and reliable
3.What is the purpose of the passage?
A.To prevent people’s hearing loss.
B.To promote a new hearing aid.
C.To compare two affordable hearing aids.
D.To collect customers’ advice about home trial.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What do you think The Voice is?
A.A volunteer center. B.A newspaper. C.An organization.
2.What’s the best reason for taking the job according to the speaker?
A.To make some money. B.To have fun. C.To learn to type.
3.When are volunteers expected to start working?
A.Immediately. B.Next week. C.Tomorrow.
4.What kind of volunteers do they need?
A.Those who need money.
B.Those who have rich experience.
C.Those who can manage their time well.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What is the relationship between the two speakers?
A.Doctor and patient. B.Policewoman and driver. C.Teacher and student.
2.Why did the man have to be punished?
A.He hit the woman.
B.He killed a dog in the street.
C.He drove too fast after drinking.
3.What’s the speed limit in the business center of a city?
A.40 mph. B.50 mph. C.60 mph.
