When Columbus ‘sailed the ocean blue in 1492’ wasn’t looking for America, he was searching for a route from Spain to China; America just got in the way.
The Spanish were after the riches of Asia: silk, dates, spices. Until later adventures discovered how to sail to the Far East, trade with China depended on the Silk Road. The trade between China and Europe brought huge wealth, so the Spanish had a strong desire to find a new way to the East. Eventually a way appeared; as sea traffic developed from the 17th Century onwards, the overland route diminished.
Now China is seeking to revive(复兴) the Silk Road and is preparing to invest 4 trillion pounds in new road, rail links, oil pipelines and other basic facilities. It is hoped that goods can be shipped westwards by land far more quickly and economically than by sea.
But the plan is also to attract more tourists. Actually, China does pretty well for tourists already; it’s the world’s fourth most visited country. Two cities — Beijing and Shanghai — possess the tourism business, with significant interest in destinations such as Xi’an and Chengdu. While Beijing is modern, cities such as Lanzhou and Dunhuang have one foot planted firmly in old China.
Other places featured include Xi’an, the former capital of China, where you can come face to face with the Terracotta Army built to protect China’s first emperor in the afterlife. From Lanzhou tour members take the train to Jiayuguan, China’s western gateway and a key location on the Silk Road.
There is also a four-day coach journey along the original Silk Route through the Xinjiang region to Kashgar. Along the way, at Kurla, you can visit the ruins of the Iron Fortress.
1.What does the underlined word “diminished” in Paragraph 2 mean?
A. Discovered. B. Disappeared. C. Disturbed. D. Displayed.
2.What is the purpose of reviving the Silk Road?
A. To rebuild the ruins of the Iron Fortress.
B. To construct new roads and other basic structures.
C. To make transportation westwards faster and cheaper.
D. To draw more inland tourists’ attention to the western gateway.
3.What can we learn about the Silk Road?
A. It is nothing but a trade route.
B. It may destroy some cities’ ancient style.
C. It attracts foreign investment of ₤ 4 trillion.
D. It promotes the tourism industry of China.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A. The Charming of the Silk Road B. The function of the Silk Road
C. The origin of the Silk Road D. The future of the Silk Road
Deliberately making a road icy sounds like a method for disaster, but in 16th-century China it helped things run smoothly. Repairs to the Forbidden City in Beijing in 1557 called for huge stones from a quarry(采石场) more than 70 km away. The biggest was the 300-ton “Large Stone Carving.” Such stones were too heavy for any cart, and too fragile for rollers. The builders adopted a wise alternative approach to carry the heavy stone.
They dug a series of wells, spaced a few hundred metres apart, along the route to the quarry. Then, in the depth of winter, when temperatures reached around -4℃, buckets of water were poured on to the dirt track, transforming it into an ice road.
The stone blocks were pushed along the road on wooden sledges (雪橇). Modern engineers have calculated that it would take 1,500 workers to drag a sledge on the dirt road, but only 300 on ice. Ancient tests suggested the ice was made slippery with more water; this reduced the friction further and just 50 men could pull a sledge. This technique only works when the temperature is also close to zero, otherwise the film of water freezes too quickly.
The researchers at Princeton University estimated that the blocks could be moved at six metres a minute, and the journey could be completed in 28 days. This would be well before the spring when the ice would melt.
It was once suggested that similar ice-sledges transported Stonehenge stones, but the ground that had a lot of holes and comparatively mild conditions probably rule this out.
1.Why did people dig some wells along the road to the quarry?
A. They wanted to build frozen roads.
B. They wanted to break up large stones.
C. They wanted to make the dirty track clean.
D. They wanted to get a lot of holes on the road.
2.What did people do to reduce the friction?
A. They made stone blocks much smaller.
B. They poured more water on the ice road.
C. They waited until the temperature was very low.
D. They asked more than 1,500 workers to clean the dirty road.
3.How did the researchers at Princeton University think of Stonehenge stones?
A. They were not likely to be carried on the icy road.
B. They had a longer history than stones in Beijing.
C. They were carried for over twenty-eight days.
D. They were broken up in the depth of winter.
4.What does the author intend to tell us in the text?
A. Making a road slippery on purpose may be bad idea.
B. The mild weather helped to carry Stonehenge stones.
C. Stonehenge stones were too heavy to carry.
D. Ancient Chinese transported huge stones wisely.
He Jiang, who was the first person from China to deliver a Harvard University commencement (学位授予典礼) address, has made the 2017 Forbes 30 Under 30 List.
Forbes’ 30 Under 30 is a set of lists issued annually by Forbes magazine. On Tuesday, the magazine published the sixth annual 30 Under 30, featuring 600 young inventors and leaders who challenge conventional wisdom and rewrite the rules for the next generation.
The list recognizes 30 game-changers in each of 20 industries. All under 30 years old, the candidates were examined by a group of judges in their fields. “The winners are the people that will run every field for the next 50 years,” said Randall Lane, editor of Forbes.
He, a 29-year-old postdoctoral fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was chosen for the healthcare category. He was recommended by his professors at Harvard.
At Harvard, He used a new technology to understand more about how flu infects cells, and discovered human genes with strong anti-viral effects. He is now applying the same techniques to white blood cells. He hopes the lab research he did could be put to practical use in healthcare.
He grew up in a small village with limited educational opportunities. By studying hard, he graduated from the University of Science and Technology of China with a bachelor’s degree in 2009, and was accepted into Harvard’s PhD program on a full scholarship the same year.
In May, the biochemistry PhD delivered a speech representing the university’s 13 graduate and professional schools at the ceremony. In the speech, he talked about the unbalanced distribution of science and medicine into places they aren’t reaching, like his own village, where his mother once treated his spider bite with fire.
1.Why can He Jiang be on the 2017 Forbes under 30 list?
A. He was recommended by Randall Lane.
B. He has made outstanding contributions in healthcare.
C. He made a speech at the Harvard commencement.
D. He changed the regulations for the next generation.
2.What will He Jiang intend to do in the future?
A. Know more about the infection of flu.
B. Apply the same technology to blood cells.
C. Put his research into practice in medical care.
D. Discover human gene’s strong anti-viral effects.
3.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. His mother is a doctor. B. He wants to help backward areas.
C. He got a full PhD scholarship. D. His university has only 13 graduates.
Dear Xiaoxue,
We are looking forward to meeting you in a few weeks!
Training for all students is compulsory and starts on Monday, 6 February – all the details including what to expect are below.
Training
Monday, 6 February to Friday, 24 February
9:00a.m – 3:00p.m
Building 41, Room 104
Key points to highlight:
On Monday, 6 February, you will be given a workbook and timetable for the next 3 weeks.
On Tuesday, 7 February, you will be in the Nursing Clinical Laboratory and will need to wear the correct footwear. Please click here to see what is appropriate footwear. You also need to be bare below the elbow (肘) just as you would if working in a clinical setting with comfortable clothes―a short sleeve top is recommended.
There is no face to face learning on 8, 17, 23 or 24 February. These days are set aside for self-directed learning in your workbook.
It is compulsory that you attend all sessions and pass the OSCE (clinical examination in week 3) in order to complete the curriculum.
You can bring food or purchase it from one of the many shops on campus. There are several microwaves and student facilities located on campus.
Department of Science, Medicine & Health Training
Thursday, 23 February
9:30a.m―12.00p.m
Building 67, McKinnon Foyer
This training is for all students studying in the Department of Science, Medicine & Health. It is an opportunity to meet other students studying as well as staff and each student will receive a welcome pack and there will be activities and lots of fun.
We’re here to help! If you have any questions please contact the Program Coordinator Ms Jo-Anne Gray on (02) 4221 5124 or jgray@uow.edu.au
We’re looking forward to meeting you on 6 February!
Kind regards,
Faculty of Science, Medicine & Health
1.When will students study by themselves?
A. On 6 February. B. On 6 February. C. On 8 February. D. On 18 February.
2.What are students supposed to do in the Nursing Clinical Laboratory?
A. Put on hats B. Wear suitable shoes
C. Wear long shirts D. Roll up sleeves
3.Which of the following is true of the key points?
A. You should bring food to school.
B. You had better attend all sessions.
C. You will get your notebook in 3 weeks.
D. You must pass the OSCE exam to finished the course.
4.What can we know about training of 23 February?
A. You must take part in many activities.
B. You can be trained how to be a good nurse.
C. You may have a chance to meet some teachers.
D. You may receive a welcome pack from other students.
假如你是李华，今天被诊断出得了一种重病，需要住院治疗相当长一段时间。请你对比生病前后你对学校学习生活的感受，写一篇文章。
注意：1.词数100左右。
2.可适当增加细节，使文章层次分明，行文连贯，
参考词汇：被诊断有……病be diagnosed with
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处，错误仅涉及一个单词的增加，删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏词符号（∧），并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（＼）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
My English was very poor before I entered senior high school. I didn't like English at all. I couldn't understand that the teacher was talking about, and I felt it so difficult remember so many long English words. But everything has changed since I come to study here. My English teacher is a humorous young man, he has a way to make his class lively and interesting, so gradually I became interesting in English. He is also pretty patient. Every time I have a question to ask, no matter how easy it may sounds to other students, he will explain it for me and try every means to make me understand it. Most important, with the help of my English teacher, I have mastered several way of remembering English words. Thanks to my English teacher, I have made a great progress in English learning.
