In earliest times, men considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries of nature. Some ancient peoples believed that lightning and thunder were the weapons of the gods.
In reality, lightning is a flow of electricity formed high above the earth. A single flash of lightning 1.6 kilometres long has enough electricity to light one million light bulbs.
The American scientist and statesman, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to show the connection between electricity and lightning in 1752. In the same year he also built the first lightning rod (避雷针). This device protects buildings from being damaged by lightning.
Modern science has discovered that one stroke of lightning has a voltage (电压) of more than 15 million volts. A flash of lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travel at a speed of 30 million meters per second.
Scientists judge that there are about 2,000 million flashes of lightning per year. Lightning hits the Empire State Building in New York City 30 to 48 times a year. In the United States alone it kills an average of one person every day.
The safest place to be in case of an electrical storm is in a closed car. Outside, one should go to low ground and not get under a tree. Also, one should stay out of water and away from metal fences. Inside a house, people should avoid open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things.
With lightning, it is better to be safe than sorry.
1.People once thought lightning came from ________.
A. the sky B. the gods
C. the earth D. nature
2.According to the passage what do you think all buildings need?
A. Metal fences. B. Electricity.
C. lightning rods. D. Machines.
3.Lightning can travel ________.
A. as quickly as water
B. not so quickly as electricity
C. at very low speed
D. at very high speed
4.Which of the following is NOT true?
A. In the U.S. about 360 people die from lightning in a year.
B. The Empire State Building frequently gets hit by lightning.
C. Swimming during a thunder storm is a good idea.
D. A closed car is the best place to be during an electrical storm.
5.Lightning is probably ______ to man.
A. useful B. kind C. useless D. Friendly
Did you know that reading can keep your mind active and engaged well into old age?
Several years ago when I was working as a newspaper reporter, I interviewed a woman who was a resident at a local nursing home. She was 100 years old. She read at least one book per week, mostly novels. She was bright, intelligent and fun to talk with.
“I love to read. It helps me keep up with what’s going on in the world,” she said. “A friend of mine brings me a new book every week. I look forward to her visits and I look forward to the books.”
“I can’t get around much any more,” said the 100-year-old woman, “but when I read, I can go anywhere, anytime I want. And no one has to help me!”
Reading also sets a good example for younger generations. I have observed that the best readers are those students who see their parents reading. And I’m not talking about only reading novels. Newspapers and magazines are important too. Your actions will communicate a great deal to your children and grandchildren about what you value.
But why is reading so important? In this day and age, with television to give us news, and movies and videos to keep us entertained, who needs to read?
The answer is everyone.
Developing good reading skills does not only mean that you can read a novel or a magazine, it also means being able to read and understand things like a credit card contract or an insurance policy, or the instructions for how to put a new printer to use with your computer. In addition, developing good reading skills means that you can think for yourself. You can read about the advantages and disadvantages of anything from homeschooling to taking a vacation to Ireland. And then you can make up your own mind about what’s best for you and your family.
1.The example of the 100-year-old woman is used to _______.
A. inform us of a woman who loved reading
B. show a new way of gaining information
C. find differences between books and travels
D. introduce the benefits of reading books
2.The 100-year-old woman loved reading because _______.
A. reading helped her meet her friends
B. reading could broaden her horizons
C. she wanted to escape from the real world
D. she taught her grandchildren to read
3.Who are most likely to be book lovers according to the author?
A. The kids taught by intelligent teachers.
B. The kids forced to read by their serious parents.
C. The kids influenced by book lovers around them.
D. The kids curious about the outside world.
4.We can infer form the passage that _______.
A. other media are less important than books
B. the old woman’s friend was a bookseller
C. understanding is important in reading
D. the author once worked in a nursing home
5.In which part of a newspaper would the passage be most likely to appear?
A. Business B. Lifestyle C. Travel D. History
My dear friends,
…
There isn't enough space here to thank everyone who has travelled on my journey with me, but I must thank those that have stuck with me through the highs and the lows and have helped me become the person that I am today.
THANK YOU TO:
My mother …
My father …
…
And lastly, to tennis fans in China! I am grateful to each and every one of you1.pushing me to be my best, embracing me and loving me 2.(conditional). There is no limit to 3.far we can take the sport of tennis in China, together.
When I started playing tennis, I was just a neighborhood kid 4.an after-school hobby, not realizing what magical journey lay ahead of me. 5. my journey hasn't been easy, it has been rewarding. I 6. (see) change happening in front of my eyes, young girls picking up tennis racquets, setting goals and believing in 7. . I hope that I've had the opportunity 8. (inspire) young women all over China to pursue their goals with energy and self-belief.
9.you want to be a tennis player, a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher or a business leader, I urge you to believe in yourself and follow your dream. If I could do it, you can too! Be the bird 10.sticks out. With hard work, your dreams will come true.
Li Na
We have been driving in fog all morning, but the fog is lifting now. The little seaside villages are , one by one. “There is my grandmother's house,” I say, pointing across the bay to a old house.
I am in Nova Scotia on a pilgrimage (朝圣) with Lise, my granddaughter, seeking roots for her and retracing (追溯) memory for me. Lise was one of the children, moved from house to house in childhood. She longs for a sense of , and so we have come to Nova Scotia where my husband and I were born and where our ancestors for 200 years.
We soon by the house and I tell her what it was like here, the memories rushing back, swift as the tide.
Suddenly, I long to walk again in the where I was once so gloriously a child. It is still owned by a member of the family, but has not been lived in for a while. We cannot go into the house, but I can still walk through the rooms in memory. Here, my mother in her bedroom window and wrote in her diary. I can still see the enthusiastic family into and out of the house. I could never have enough of being with them. However, that was long after those childhood days. Lise attentively as I talk and then says, “So this is where I began; where I belong.”
She has her roots. To know where I come from is one of the great longings of the human . To be rooted is “to have an origin”. We need that origin. Looking backward, we discover what is unique in us; learn the of “I”. We must all go home again—in reality or .
1.A. appearing B. moving C. exposing D. expanding
2.A. haunted B. shabby C. fancy D. modern
3.A. shared B. short C. fresh D. treasured
4.A. gossip B. flexible C. mobile D. skillful
5.A. home B. duty C. reality D. relief
6.A. built B. lived C. remained D. explored
7.A. catch up B. pull up C. step down D. come down
8.A. yard B. village C. room D. house
9.A. lay B. played C. sat D. stood
10.A. marching B. looking C. breaking D. pouring
11.A. wonders B. listens C. reacts D. agrees
12.A. deepened B. recognized C. accepted D. found
13.A. heart B. rights C. interest D. behaviors
14.A. meaning B. expression C. connection D. background
15.A. theory B. dream C. memory D. fiction
The "Chinese Dream" is _____ dream to improve people's well-being and _____ dream of harmony, peace and development.
A. the; a B. a; a C. a; the D. the; the
The famous musician, as well as his students, _____ to perform at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Taipei Flower Expo.
A. were invited B. was invited
C. have been invited D. has been invited
