Natural ways of keeping time
In ancient times, people had to use the sun and the moon to tell time. They got up when the sun came up and worked in the fields until the sun went down.
Man-made things
The sand clock is made of two glass balls joined by a narrow neck. The top ball was filled with sand. The sand slowly moved through the neck into the bottom ball. People knew how much time had passed when all the sand had fallen to the bottom ball.
People also made the water clock. They made a small hole near the bottom of a pot. Then they filled the pot with water. Markings inside the pot showed how much time passed as the water dripped (滴) out of the hole.
Nature’s Clocks in Living Things
◆Animals’ Body Clock
Animals do not need clocks to know time. They have a way of telling time by their bodies. Birds know when to fly to warmer places before winter. Some animals know when to keep more food for the cold winter months. Some fish know when it is time to move up the river and lay eggs.
◆Plants have their own clocks
Plants also have their own clocks to keep time. Plants know when to open flowers or when to drop their leaves.
◆The Body Clock in Human Beings
People also have their own body clocks. When we get used to our lives, our body clocks can be very accurate (准确的). It can tell us when it is time to wake up. It can also tell us when to eat or to go to sleep.
1.How could an ancient farmer know when to go back home in the daytime?
A. By looking at the moon. B. By looking at the stars.
C. By looking at the sun. D. By feeling whether tired or not.
2. How many kinds of living things with nature’s clocks are mentioned here?
A. 2. B. 3. C. 5 D. 6.
3.From the passage, we know what man-made things have in common is that_______.
A. both of them have a hole. B. both of them are designed with glass balls.
C. both of them can be used only once. D. both of them tell time in the same way
Green is an important color in nature. It is the color of grass and the leaves on trees. It is also the color of most growing plants.
Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that is not yet ripe or finished. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to a situation. In the fifteenth century, a greenhorn was a young cow or ox whose horns(角) had not yet developed. A century or so later, a greenhorn was a soldier who had not yet had any experience in battle. By the eighteenth century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today—a person who is new in a job.
Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression comes from the early nineteen hundreds. A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.
The Green Revolution is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.
Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling, jealousy(嫉妒). The green-eyed monster is not a frightening creature from outer space. It is an expression used about four hundred years ago by British writer William Shakespeare in his play “Othello”. It describes the unpleasant feeling a person has when someone has something he wants. A young man may suffer from the green-eyed monster if his girlfriend begins going out with someone else. Or, that green-eyed monster may affect your friend if you get a pay rise and she does not.
1.Greenhorn now refers to ____.
A. a person who is new in a job B. a new solider
C. a young horse D. None of above
2.A person who has a green thumb is a person ____.
A. who is good at growing plants B. whose thumbs are in green color
C. whose garden is greener than others’ D. who is younger than his neighbors
3.The author is actually talking about ____.
A. colors B. language C. politics D. agriculture
阅读下面短文, 掌握其大意，然后从36~55各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。
One day before Christmas, all of us children from the Children's Home Society Orphanage(孤儿院) were taken to the Mayflower Hotel in downtown to attend a Christmas party.
After the man on the stage said a prayer （祈祷）, we were told to 36 . Within minutes we were 37 a meal which was fit for a king. I ate 38 I could eat no more. As we ate, Santa Clause came walking out onto the 39 . The kids cheered with 40 . Everyone began clapping their hands and yelling as 41 as they could.
I too was excited 42 but I knew better than to yell（叫喊）out loud or to jump up and scream. Mrs. Winters, the head matron, sat only three seats from me. She had 43 it very clear to everyone that we were to behave ourselves in "a proper manner" and that there was to be "no yelling or shouting".
One orphan 44 was led up onto the stage and each kid was handed a 45 by Santa Claus himself.
As the line became shorter and shorter my 46 finally came. He smiled at me. Then he reached over and handed me a 47 box which had two gold ribbons(丝带) on it. As I leaned(向前倾) to take the box I tripped and I 48 to my knees. Santa reached over and helped me to my feet.
"Move 49 Kiser." called out Mrs. Winters.
I was now leaning against Santa Claus' leg and I was looking 50 into his eyes. His face was less than an inch from mine.
"Can I 51 you Santa?" I asked him.
The next thing I knew Mrs. Winters had caught me up by my shirt collar and was 52 me away from the line of children.
I sat down in my chair just crying. Once in a while I would 53 at the stage to see if my gift was still sitting by Santa Claus.
When we all lined up waiting, I 54 "HO HO HO" coming from behind me.
As I 55 , there stood Santa Claus holding my large box. Then he knelt down and he hugged my neck as hard as he could.
36. A. stand up B. go out C. sit down D. keep silent
37. A. taken B. served C. brought D. supplied
38. A. until B. unless C. before D. after
39. A. table B. hotel C. seat D. stage
40. A. encouragement B. excitement C. disappointment D. astonishment
41. A. loud B. big C. high D. low
42. A. outside B. beside C. aside D. inside
43. A. took B. made C. demanded D. warned
44. A. at a time B. at one time C. at time’s D. at time
45. A. favor B. box C. gift D. medal
46. A. turn B. way C. chance D. gift
47. A. golden B. yellow C. small D. large
48. A. sat B. fell C. dropped D. turned
49. A. by B. on C. in D. out
50. A. quickly B. directly C. immediately D. finally
51. A. tell B. call C. hug D. leave
52. A. pushing B. keeping C. stopping D. pulling
53. A. look B. jump C. put D. stand
54. A. watched B. found C. heard D. observed
55. A. turned around B. turned up C. turned away D. turned down
---Are you ____ about food?
---No, anything will do.
A. curious B. anxious C. particular D. cared
____ lack of energy, he still kept on helping the injured people.
A. Thanks to B. Due to C. Despite D. Even if
We are worried about ____ they can be rescued.
A. that B. whether C. if D. what
