Ever thought of moving to a new country? How about starting a new country? Patri Friedman is planning to do just that. He left Google years ago to set up the Seasteading Institute. And his dream is to build seasteads-----floating micro-nations in the middle of the ocean.
So, what will life on a seastead be like? Probably a bit like life on a cruise liner (游轮), but much larger, with shops, gyms, swimming pools, schools and other areas. In fact, the early seasteads may actually be specially-rebuilt cruise liners. But as science advances, Friedman believes they’ll become more like floating cities, with several hundred people.
Seasteading raises a lot of questions. First of all, how will the new countries make money? The Seasteading Institute has suggested several money-making ideas, including ocean-based theme parks, casinos (赌场) and fish farming. There’s also the questions of safety. With storms, typhoons and pirates (海盗) , the high seas are a dangerous place. However, the Institute says that it can stand bad weather and prevent crimes with its well-designed systems.
So, is this just a day dream? Well, maybe not. One of the people behind the project is Peter Thiel. He founded PayPal and was one of the first investors (投资者) in Facebook. So far, he’s donated $ 500,000 to the project.
And Friedman isn’t wasting any time. He recently announced the creation of the Poseidon Award. This will be given to the first seastead with fifty people. Friedman is hoping to hand out the award in 2015.
1.Where did Friedman use to work?
A. In Facebook. B. In Seastead Institute . C. In PayPal. D. In Google.
2.A future seastead may be most likely to look like ___________________.
A. a cruise liner B. a floating city C. a theme park D. a fishing farm
3.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Friedman is planning to move to a new country.
B. Friedman is worried about the safety of seasteads.
C. Friedman has got some supporters for his project.
D. Friedman has already won the Poseidon Award.
4.Which of the following can be the best titles of this passage?
A. Seasteading: a new idea of living
B. Seasteading: a wild way of farming
C. Peter Thiel: a man behind the project
D. Patri Friedman: a crazy day dreamer
“The only thing holding you back is yourself. Never say never”, said a rising 17-year-old singer, Justin Bieber, who was just an ordinary boy in Canada a few years ago.
After the accident of falling from the 18th floor and lying in the snow for three hours, my hands were frozen and my spinal cord (脊髓)was seriously injured. All the doctors and professors in the famous hospitals in Beijing told me that there was little chance for my hands and my body to recover (康复).
After half a year of medical treatments and recovering exercises, I could not make any more progress for over a year. What was worse , I suffered a lot from depression (绝望). On top of this, I suffered from insomnia, making every minute of the night seem to last forever. Hopelessly, mom and I came back to my hometown, which is small town in Guangdong.
At that time, I thought that I would never be able to walk again. I would never love and be loved. I would never be able to earn even a penny. I would never be able to repay the kindness I got from my parents and many nice people. Life was meaningless.
Now two years has passed. My hands are 80% recovered. I can even type faster than a healthy person! Up to now, I have worked for a law firm as an interpreter for half a year already. Although I don’t earn as much as before, I am able to pay for the food and clothes I need. What’s more, I even have extra money to buy thanksgiving presents for my parents and my boyfriend. Through my blogs (博客) , many people get to know me and like me. I can bring happiness to them. I can help those who are still suffering from depression and the pain of illnesses by chatting with them….You see, I am living a meaningful life and I am happier than ever I could have dreamed.
So, my friends, never say never. As long as you are alive, there is always hope and possibilities. It is never too late to take action to realize your dreams. (382 words)
1.What’s the writer’s present job?
A. A singer. B. A typist . C. A professor . D. An interpreter.
2.What does the underlined word “insomnia” in the third paragraph mean in Chinese?
A. 失眠 B. 失忆 C. 麻木 D. 低烧
3.All of the following words can be used to describe the writer’s present life EXCEPT___________.
A. helpful B. meaningful C. painful D. hopeful
4.According to the passage, which of the following statements about the writer is TRUE?
A. She gets a lot of help through her blogs.
B. She is in love with a young man at present.
C. She got medical treatment soon after the accident.
D. She had no job and earned little before the accident.
A Simple Scientific Experiment
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Below is a description of a single scientific experiment. It shows us how iron reacts ( 反应) with air and with water. Aim : To find out if iron rusts( 生锈) (a) in dry air ; (b) in water that has no air in it ( air- free water) ; (c) in ordinary water. Materials : 3 clean iron nails ( 铁钉) ; test tubes ; test tube holder ; cotton wool ; oil ; Bunsen burner. |
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Iron in dry air Method (1) Put some iron nails at the bottom of a test tube. (2) Push some cotton wool down the tube. (3) Leave the tube for one week. Result After one week, the nails have not rusted. Conclusion Iron does not rust in dry air. Iron in air-free water Method (1) Half-fill a test tube with water. (2) Boil the water for three minutes. (This makes sure there is no air in the water. (3) Put two or three clean nails in the water. |
(4)Add some oil to the water. (This will keep air out of the water.) (5) Leave the tube for one week. Result The nails do not rust in the tube with air-free water. Conclusion Iron does not rust in air- free water. Iron in ordinary water Method (1) Half –fill a test tube with water and add two or three clean nails. (2) Leave the tube for one week. Result The nails rust in the tube with ordinary water. Conclusion Iron rusts in ordinary water. (238 words) |
1.In the first part of the experiment the cotton wool is most probably used to ______________.
A. keep the air dry B. keep the tube wet
C. make the nails rust D. keep the tube clean
2.What are necessary steps to make sure the water in the tube is air free?
①Leave half a tube of water in it
②Boil the water for some time
③Put some clean iron nails in the tube
④Add some oil to the water
A. ①② B. ①③ C. ②③ D. ②④
3.We can conclude from the experiment that only ____________ makes iron rusty.
A. dry air B. cotton wool C. ordinary water D. air-free water
Oxford graduates sell faces to pay ￡50,000 university debts
Business is growing for two graduates who decided to pay off ( 偿清) their university debts by selling advertising space on their faces .Ross Harper and Ed Moyse, both from Oxford , are selling advertising space for hundreds of pounds a day and have earned more than ￡25,000 since setting up business last October.
Anyone can buy the advertising space , from businesses to individuals or groups, on a day-to-day basis, through the pair’s website, buymyface .co. uk. The logo (标识) is then seen by people as they go about their daily business. The pair sold their first face ads to friends and family for just ￡ 1 a day, but as need has increased, so has the daily price , which has reached an amazing ￡400 by now, the end of May. So far , the main customers have been Paddy Power , the online betting agency ( 网络博彩企业), and accountancy firm ( 会计事务所)Earnest & Young , which is now the website ‘s official sponsor ( 赞助商).
Moyse and Harper said , “ It’s our special way of paying off our student debts. We’ve seen so many students unsuccessfully applying for jobs , only to find one that they never really wanted. It’s just something a bit different and has taken off quite nicely.” ( 236 words)
1.Why do the two Oxford graduates sell advertising space on their faces?
A. To raise money for their friends.
B. To earn money for their family.
C. To pay off their university debts .
D. To pay for their online betting
2.Where can people buy their advertising space ?
A. At Oxford University.
B. At the website buymyface. co.uk.
C. At the accountancy firm.
D. At the online betting agency.
3.How much money do they earn every day on average (平均) so far ?
A. Just ￡1 . B. About￡100 . C. Over ￡400. D. Up to￡500.
4.From the last paragraph we can learn that Moyse and Harper _____________________.
A. are satisfied with their special job
B. have paid off their debts already
C. are ready to apply for another job
D. never really wanted to do face ads
One day, I heard an American boy say to a Chinese girl student, “You speak very good English.” But the girl answered, “No, no. My English is very poor.” The foreigner was quite 16 at the answer. Thinking he had not made 17 understood or the girl had not 18 him clearly, he said, “Yes, indeed, you speak very well.” 19 the girl still kept saying, “No.” In the end the American boy could not understand and didn’t know 20 to say.
What’s wrong with the girl’s answer? She didn’t 21 a compliment (恭维) in the same way as the American people do. She should answer, “Thank you” instead of “No”. She 22 understood what the American boy had said, but she thought she should be modest. In the 23 , people will feel proud and 24 when they are praised . So if someone says the 25 you have cooked are very delicious, you should say, “Thank you.”
In our country we think being modest is a virtue (美德) and being proud is a bad thing , but in my opinion, being confident does not 26 being proud, so sometimes you should be confident 27 being modest.
28 you are modest and say, “No, I’m afraid I can’t do it well”, while working in a western country, the others may think that you really cannot do it. If you often say “No”, you will certainly be looked down upon by 29 . When asking for a job, if one says something like “Yes, I can certainly do it” instead of “Let me have a try”, he or she will 30 get it. So in the west, you should be brave to show your self-confidence.
1.A. excited B. surprised C. relaxed D. frightened
2.A. itself B. herself C. himself D. themselves
3.A. heard B. watched C. listened to D. looked at
4.A. Though B. Although C. Or D. But
5.A. when B. which C. what D. how
6.A. receive B. accept C. refuse D. disagree
7.A. hardly B. really C. rarely D. badly
8.A. east B. south C. west D. north
9.A. dutiful B. modest C. shameful D. confident
10.A. dishes B. cups C. glasses D. bowls
11.A. think B. say C. ask D. mean
12.A. as soon as B. as well as C. instead of D. in spite of
13.A. Unless B. Until C. Whether D. If
14.A. another B. the other C. the others D. others
15.A. fail to B. expect to C. succeed in D. believe in
-----Do you know__________________?
-----At the end of July?
A. how soon is your sister coming back home
B. how often Nancy hears from her pen friend
C. when the London Olympic Games will be held
D. when will the new computer game come out
