COOL INVENTIONS
From school to band Practice, the Venturi Eclectic is an Earth-friendly way to get Where you want to go．This battery-powered, zero-emission (meaning it doesn't pollute the air) vehicle runs mainly on renewable energy．Solar panels on the Eclectic's roof absorb sun rays when you're driving．On windy days, you can connect a machine to the car's roof that collects energy from the wind while you're parked．The Eclectic's top speed is 28 miles an hour; the battery lasts for 31 miles before it needs to be recharged．Zipping (迅速行进) around the neighborhood has never been better.
Here's an eco-friendly way to tell time: Simply fill the Bedol
Water-powered Clock's tank (箱) with water, add
some lemon juice, and the clock will display the time without the need for
environmentally harmful batteries．There are two sets
of metal electrodes (电极) inside the water
tank．Water contains ions (离子) that carry negative and positive charges．These ions complete a charge between the electrodes, creating
enough energy to power the clock．Just refill the
tank every few weeks, and this clock will keep on ticking.
Bloodhound SuperSonic Car (SSC) will be the first car to attempt
to break the l,000-mile-an-hour barrier．(The current
record is 763 miles an hour.) A concept for now, the rocket-shaped car gets its
initial push to 350 miles an hour from a jet engine．Then a rocket fires up, pushing the SSC past 1,000 miles an hour．In order to keep the car streamlined (流线型的), the driver lies back at a 45-degree angle.
You're having a blast at your friend's birthday party．But when it's time to bring out the cake, everyone crowds around,
blocking your view．No worries．Throw the Triops into the air, and this clever camera captures the
view from above．The Triops can take three
pictures at once, each from different angles．You can also
record sounds and command the Triops to start shooting whenever it hears that
noise．That's one smart camera.
1.According to the passage, the Venturi Eclectic .
A．is popular with businessmen B．is suitable for a long trip
C．can turn wind into energy D．has only a little gas emission
2.What is the common characteristic of the Venturi Eclectic and the Bedol Water-powered Clock?
A．They don't need batteries. B．They are difficult to operate.
C．They can be powered by water. D．They are environmentally friendly.
3.The underlined phrase “having a blast” in the last paragraph probably means .
A．looking at a picture B．enjoying yourself
C．blowing out a candle D．recording sounds
4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A．The Triops is sensitive to sounds.
B．The driver of the SSC must be of great size.
C．The color of the Bedol Water-powered Clock is like that of lemon.
D．The SSC doesn’t have anything to do with a rocket actually.
In 1995, Susan Boyle went to Glasgow to audition (试演) for My Kind of people, a televised talent show popular in the UK．She was immediately rejected．She was nervous during the audition, and felt she didn't perform well, but her brother said that she was rejected because of her plain looks．Boyle was not discouraged and continued to sing at church and at the karaoke nights in a local pub.
Boyle suffered a personal loss in 1997, when her father passed away．After his death．Boyle put her big dreams on hold to care for her sick mother Bridget Boyle．The mother and daughter often talked of Susan's possible fame．Bridget Boyle encouraged her daughter to take part in singing competitions．“She was the one who said I should enter Britain's Got Talent．We used to watch it together.” Susan later told reporters．“She thought I would win.”
In 1999, Boyle used all of her savings to pay for a professional demo (样本唱片) tape．which she sent to record companies．In 2002, Boyle began taking singing lessons from voice coach Fred O'Neil．
In 2007, Boyle's mother passed away at the age of 91．A neighbor reported that when Bridget Boyle died, her daughter “wouldn't come out for three or four days or answer the door or phone.” She lived alone with her cat, Pebbles．For over a year, she refused to sing．But in August of 2008, O'Neil urged her to try out for Britain's Got Talent．Convinced that the performance would be an honor to her mother, Boyle auditioned in Glasgow, Scotland．She sang I Dreamed A Dream in the first round of the show, which was aired on 11 April 2009.
The 47-year-old Scottish woman's plain looks provided a sharp contrast (对比) to her powerfully beautiful voice．The performance astonished the audience and the judges．Online videos of her performance totaled over 40 million views within a week．Although she failed to win the final of Britain's Got Talent, Susan Boyle became globally popular．Her first album I Dreamed A Dream has sold over five million copies.
1.Bridget Boyle's attitude towards her daughter's musical talent can be described as .
A．critical B．doubtful C．indifferent D．optimistic
2.From Para．4 we learn that Boyle .
A．was slightly discouraged by her voice coach
B．entered Britain's Got Talent to prove her ability
C．decided to give up her singing career
D．was deeply affected by her mother's death
3.Which of the following is TRUE about Susan Boyle?
A．Her international fame grew rapidly in 2008.
B．Her audition for My Kind of People failed.
C．She has never stopped singing since 1995.
D．She was the winner of Britain's Got Talent.
4.In writing this passage, the author mainly intends to .
A．tell us how Boyle's dream came true
B．let us know more about Boyle's personal life
C．show how Boyle was influenced by her family
D．explain how to enter and win a talent show
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
My friends and I had just finished lunch at a hotel when it started to pour heavily．When it became lighter．I decided to 1the rain to get my car．which was parked at my office three streets away．
My friends 2that I shouldn't go, 3I was seven months pregnant (怀孕的) then．I told them that I'd be very 4．One of them wanted to come with me but I 5that she should stay with another friend who needed 6with her baby．
I walked out of the hotel and started making my 7to the car．At the traffic junction (交叉路口), a car 8and the passenger got off with an umbrella． 9I knew what was happening, he walked right beside me and told me he'd accompany me to my 10．I was very embarrassed and 11, but he was very persistent (坚持的)．
During our walk, he kept telling me to walk 12, as the ground was wet．When we got to the car park．I thanked him and we 13．I did not get his name and may not even 14him now．Did he purposely stop for me? I'll never know．
So how did I pay it 15? I was at home when I 16two Indian construction workers walking in the heavy rain．They were probably on their way to the construction site near my home, which was a long walk．I went out and 17them an umbrella．The two men were wet through．They were 18by my gesture, and I told them they should take the umbrella and keep it．They were very 19and like me, probably wondered why a stranger was 20such kindness．
1.A．carry B．keep C．brave D．collect
2.A．guessed B．argued C．complained D．promised
3.A．because B．though C．unless D．if
4.A．cheerful B．hopeful C．careful D．regretful
5.A．learned B．insisted C．begged D．worried
6.A．help B．advice C．food D．shelter
7.A．call B．change C．way D．choice
8.A．disappeared B．left C．started D．stopped
9.A．Before B．Since C．When D．For
10.A．home B．station C．hotel D．destination
11.A．agreed B．declined C．smiled D．cried
12.A．slowly B．quickly C．heavily D．gracefully
13.A．waited B．ran C．parted D．rested
14.A．like B．spot C．thank D．recognize
15.A．up B．off C．forward D．out
16.A．noticed B．imagined C．invited D．heard
17.A．made B．passed C．bought D．sold
18.A．disturbed B．impressed C．encouraged D．surprised
19.A．scared B．grateful C．sad D．anxious
20.A．appreciating B．repaying C．accepting D．offering
-- I haven’t got the reference book yet, but I’ll have a test on the subject next month.
-- Don’t worry．You ______ have it by Friday.
A．shall B．could C．must D．may
By the time my mother came back from work, my sister and I supper and were waiting for her at the table.
A．have cooked B．were cooking C．had cooked D．would cook
It a Saturday afternoon in May ______ Margaret could arrange for me to meet her elder sister.
A．was until, when B．was until; that
C．was not until, when D．was not until; that
