Many of the most damaging types of weather begin quickly, strike suddenly, and disappear rapidly, destroying small areas while leaving neighboring areas untouched．Such event as a tornado struck the northeastern part of Edmonton, Alberta, in July 1987．Total damages from the tornado went beyond $250 million, the highest ever for any Canadian storm．
Traditional computer models of the atmosphere have limited value in predicting short-lived local storms like the Edmonton tornado, because the available weather data are generally not detailed enough to allow computers to study carefully the slight atmospheric changes that come before these storms．In most nations, for example, weather-balloon observations are taken just once every twelve hours at places separated by hundreds of miles．With such limited data, traditional forecasting models do a much better job predicting general weather conditions over large areas than they do forecasting specific local events．
Until recently, the observation intensive method needed for exact, very short-range forecasts, or “Nowcasts,” was not possible．The cost of equipping and operating many thousands of conventional weather stations was extremely high, and the difficulties concerned in rapidly collecting and processing the weather data from such a network were hard to overcome．
Fortunately, scientific and technological advances have overcome most of these problems．Radar systems and satellites are all able to make detailed, nearly continuous observation over large areas at a lower cost．Communications satellites can send out data around the world cheaply and immediately, and modern computers can quickly collect and analyze this large amount of weather information．
Meteorologists（气象学者）and computer scientists now work together to design computer programs and video equipment able to change weather data into words and graphic displays that forecasters can understand easily and quickly．As meteorologists have begun using these new technologies in weather forecasting offices, Nowcasting is becoming a reality．
1．Why can’t traditional computer models predict short-lived local storms?
A．The weather data people collect are often wrong．
B．Detailed weather data in some small areas are not available．
C．The computers are not advanced enough to predict them．D．The computers are not used to forecast specific local events．
2．The word “Nowcast” in Paragraph 3 means ________．
A．a network to collect storm data
B．a way of collecting weather data
C．a more advanced system of weather observation
D．a forecast which can predict weather in the small area
3．What can make “Nowcasts” a reality according to the passage?
A．Scientific and technological advances． B．Advanced computer programs．
C．Computer scientists． D．Meteorologists．
4．What does the passage mainly talk about?
A．The advantages of “Nowcasts”． B．A tornado in Edmonton, Alberta．
C．The difficulty in predicting tornado． D．A great development in weather forecast．
A team from Krakow, in Poland, used functional magnetic resonance imaging （机能性核共振成像）（FMRI）to assess brain activity when 40 volunteers were shown various images．Men showed activity in areas which dealt with what action they should take in order to avoid or face up to danger．But the study found more activity in the emotional centers of women's brains．The researchers, from another university, carried out scans on 21 men and 19 women．Brain activity was monitored while the volunteers were shown images of objects and images from ordinary life designed to remind different emotional states．
The images were displayed in two runs．For the first run, only negative pictures were shown．For the second run, only positive pictures were shown．
While viewing the negative images, women showed stronger and broader activity in the left thalamus（神经床）．This is an area which passes sense information to the pain and pleasure centres of the brain．Men showed more activity in an area of the brain called the left insula（脑岛）, which plays a key role in controlling natural functions, including breath, heart rate and digestion．Generally, activity in this area tells the body to either run away from danger, or meet it head on - the so-called "fight or flight response"．
While viewing positive images, women showed stronger activity in an area of the brain associated with memory．With men, the stronger activity was recorded in an area associated with visual processing．Dr Urbanik believes these differences suggest women may analyze positive stimuli（刺激）in a broader social context and associate positive images with a particular memory．
For instance, viewing a picture of a smiling child might remind memories of a woman's own child at this age．On the contrary, male responses tend to be less emotional．
1．The research shows that men response differently to__________compared with women．
A．different images B．ordinary life
C．different activities D．medical scan
2．According to the passage, when faced with danger, ____________．
A．women react more slowly than men B．women usually try to avoid it
C．men usually have no reaction D．men react to it more directly
3．What is discussed in the 4 th paragraph? ．
A．Men and women’s different memories B．The different responses to the children
C．Different reactions to positive stimuli D．Negative results of the visual processing
3．The passage mainly develops______．
A．by inferring B．by comparing
C．by listing examples D．by giving explanations
Open adj．, verb, nounadj．NOT CLOSED1 allowing things or people to go through: A wasp flew in the open window． She had left the door wide open．
2 （of sb’s eyes, mouth, etc．） with eyelids or lips apart: She had difficulty keeping her eyes open （=" because" she was very tired）．He was breathing through his open mouth．3 spread out; with the edges apart: The flowers are all open now．
4 not blocked by anything: The pass is kept open all the year．NOT FASTENED5 not fastened or covered, so that things can easily come out or be put in: The bag burst open and everything fell out．
verbDOOR / WINDOW / LID1 [vn] to move a door, window, lid, etc．so that it is no longer closed: Mr Chen opened the car door for his wife． close2 [v] to move or be moved so that it is no longer closed: The door opened and Alan walked in． The doors of the bus open automatically．closeCONTAINER / PACKAGE3 [vn] to remove the lid, undo the fastening, etc．of a container, etc．in order to see or get what is inside: Shall I open another bottle? She opened her bag and took out her passport．EYES4 [vn, v] if you open your eyes or your eyes open, you move your eyelids upwards so that you can see closeCOMPUTING5 [vn, v] to start a computer program or file so that you can use it on the screenopen doors for sb to provide opportunities for sb to do sth and be successful open your / sb’s eyes （to sth） to realize or make sb realize the truth about sth: Travelling really opens your eyes to other cultures．open your / sb’s mind to sth to become or make sb aware of new ideas or experiences．
open the way for sb/sth （to do sth） to make it possible for sb to do sth or for sth to happen: The agreement could open the way for the country to pay off its debts．—more at heart, heaven open into / onto sth to lead to another room, area or place: This door opens onto the yard． The two rooms open into each other．open out to become bigger or wider: The street opened out into a small square．open out （to sb） to become less shy and more willing to communicate open up1 to talk about what you feel and think: It helps to discuss your problems but I find it hard to open up．2 to begin shooting: Anti-aircraft guns opened up．3 （often used in orders） to open a door, container, etc．: Open up or we’ll break the door down! open up1 to become or make sth possible, available or able to be reached: The new catalogue will open up the market for our products． The railway opened up the east of the country．
2 to begin business for the day; to start a new business: I open up the store for the day at around 8．30． close up3 to start a new business: There’s a new Thai restaurant opening up in town． close down
noun the open [sing．] OUTDOORS1 outdoors; the countryside: Children need to play out in the open．NOT HIDDEN2 not hidden or secret: Government officials do not want these comments in the open．
1．Which of the following “open” is closest in the meaning with the “open” in the sentence “The book lay open on the table．”
A．She had left the door wide open．
B．The bag burst open and everything fell out．
C．The flowers are all open now．
D．He opened the letter and read it．
2．Fill in the blank in the sentence “He’s eager to __________different kinds of music．”
A．open the minds of his audience to
B．open the eyes of his audience to
C．open the way for his audience to listen to
D．open doors for his audience to listen to
3．What does the phrase “ the open” mean in “ When you feel tired after a day’s hard work, you’d better invite some friends to the open to relax yourself．”
A．the gym B．the cinema C．the countryside D．the music room
4．Choose one of the following to complete the sentence, “Exciting possibilities__________for her in the new job”．
A．were opening out B．were opening into
C．were opening onto D．were opening up
．The two brothers look so much ___ that we can’t___ one from the other．
|
A．familiar, separate |
B．familiar, tell |
|
C．alike, differ |
D．alike, distinguish |
．—I did not know you were good friends．
—You___．I have known her since she moved here．You were abroad then．
|
A．may have |
B．needn’t have |
C．couldn’t have |
D．must have |
His suggestion ___they have a meeting to discuss the matter is reasonable．
|
A．which |
B．what |
C．that |
D．that what |
