George Aldrich, whose official title is chemical specialist, works at NASA’s White Sands Test Facility in New Mexico. He uses his nose to protect astronauts from unpleasant or harmful odors (气味). His near four-decade career has involved smelling objects from technical handbooks to astronauts’ personal things.
It’s crucial that all items taken aboard the International Space Station (ISS) are odorless. Since astronauts are allowed to bring personal items aboard, all their objects must be smell-checked before leaving Earth. In a video provided by Science Channel, Aldrich relates on specific occasion when an astronaut wanted to build a ship in a bottle in space. Everything in the ship-building process had to be sniffed — right down to the glue.
Aldrich and his team are responsible for making sure that objects are not only odorless but also harmless to astronauts. When the ISS heats up, a process called off-gassing occurs, which means chemicals flow out from certain substances (物质). Objects that would be safe on Earth could give off unpleasant odors or become dangerous when exposed to high temperatures in the ISS’s unique environment.
Of course, humans aren’t the only testers or the first to be exposed to potentially dangerous objects. Before Aldrich sticks his nose into a substance, it has been examined by machines. Even though machines can detect unsafe substances, computers cannot tell exactly how things smell to humans. While something could be technically fine, it could be smelly to an astronaut.
Aldrich’s nose is not alone there. He is the head of a hard-sniffing team of smell testers. Together they smell each object and rate it on a scale (等级) of 1 to 4. According to NASA, I cannot be detected, and 4 is considered not bearable. After the scientists conclude their tests, the scores are averaged. If an item is rated more than 2.4 on the scale, it fails the test and is not allowed on the flight.
1.Which can describe the smell check from Paragraph 2?
A. Quite dangerous. B. Extremely strict.
C. Rather boring. D. Very complex.
2.What is a threat to astronauts’ safety at the ISS?
A. Negative emotions. B. Odor-related disease.
C. The off-gassing process. D. Changes in temperature.
3.What should be done before Aldrich and his team start their work?
A. Using machines to test objects.
B. Having a meeting to make the scale.
C. Using computers to examine their noses.
D. Listing potentially dangerous substances.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. An unusual smell tester. B. Astronauts’ life at the ISS.
C. Strong odors in a spaceship. D. The smell of personal items.
One of America’s best-known artist colonies, the MacDowell Colony, will turn 110 next year. It is a place where artists of all types can sweep away distractions (令人分心的事物) and just create.
MacDowell’s operations are funded by foundations, corporations and individuals. Writers, composers, photographers, filmmakers and sculptors — both famous and unknown —compete for the 32 free studios at the place. Once accepted, an artist can stay for as little as a couple of weeks, or as long as a couple of months.
When they arrive, artists find a kind of isolation (隔绝) hard to find in our world. There’s no phone. No fax. No friends. No family. It’s just a cabin in the snowy woods.
Writer Emily Raboteau lives in New York City. She came to MacDowell to work on a novel. She received a desk, chairs, pencil and paper — and ice grippers. The walk from one isolated, one-room studio to another is icy, so colony residents (居住的人) fasten the ice grippers to the bottom of their shoes.
Another colony resident, Belfast composer Elaine Agnew, plays a piece called “To a Wild Rose,” written by Edward MacDowell. She says it’s so famous that every pianist in the world has played the tune. A hundred years ago, Macdowell owned the land where the colony now sits. He liked its isolation and his ability to get work done there. After his death, his wife, Marion, encouraged other artists to come.
And for the last century, artists have accepted the invitation, coming to step outside of their daily lives for a short time. Privacy is respected, but cooperation and discussion is common.
Screenwriter Kit Carson — who wrote Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 and the film adaptation of Sam Shepherd’s play Paris, Texas — has visited MacDowell twice. He says that the interdisciplinary (学科间的) discussion there is valuable.
“You sit around at dinner, talking, and then somebody runs off and brings you back some stuff and shows it to you,” he says. “That, I didn’t realize, was part of the magic here, because people are really open to showing their opinions here.”
1.What do the colony residents have in common?
A. They find it hard to survive the loneliness.
B. They usually stay in the colony for months.
C. They are already famous in their own field.
D. They are nearly cut off from the outside world.
2.Why does the author mention Elaine Agnew?
A. To show the wide range of the residents.
B. To introduce the origin of the colony.
C. To admire her great musical talent.
D. To show respect for MacDowell.
3.Where does the magic of the MacDowell Colony lie according to Kit Carson?
A. It has a homely feel. B. It values work-play balance.
C. It encourages privacy greatly. D. It has an idea-sharing atmosphere.
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A. Wonderland for artists B. Creativity at work
C. Happy birthday! D. Power of silence
One morning, my newspaper wasn’t delivered on time. Since I always brought it to work, it upset me that I would have to pick one up on my way to work. After breakfast, I was already running late, but figured I could make it if I hurried.
As I pulled into the parking lot of the store, I noticed a young man in a wheelchair who seemed to be struggling. “Someone else will stop and help him,” I thought.
However, no one stopped. I got out, and walked over to see what the trouble was.
“Is there anything I can do?” I asked. It was then that I noticed he wasn’t able to speak, and was still struggling with the chair.
I looked down at the chair and noticed that the clamps (夹具) holding the electronic keyboard had apparently become loose causing the equipment to slip down, out of his reach.
I pulled it back into place and then re-tightened the clamps. He hit a key on the keyboard. An electronic voice told me, “Thank you.” He then found the control that steered (操纵) the chair, turned and left.
I got back in my car and headed off to work, completely forgetting my newspaper. As I drove, I felt a deep gratitude (感激). I was truly blessed to have the physical abilities that allow me to live a normal life. Here was this young man who relied on machines to get around and communicate. He probably dreamed about doing all the things that I thought were normal and simple.
It’s funny; fifteen minutes before that happened, I was whining because my morning paper hadn’t arrived on time. I was glad I helped the young man, because he helped me gain a new viewpoint on everything I had in my life.
1.Why did the author stop at the store?
A. To do his job. B. To have breakfast.
C. To buy a newspaper. D. To drive a colleague to work.
2.What was the young man trying to reach?
A. The clamps. B. The car key.
C. The wheelchair. D. The electronic keyboard.
3.What does the underlined word “whining” in the last paragraph mean?
A. Complaining. B. Worrying.
C. Arguing. D. Crying.
4.What did the author learn from the experience?
A. Treasure what we have. B. Treat the disabled nicely.
C. Technology has changed our lives. D. Don’s get annoyed over small things.
Bandhavgarh National Park in India is best known for its amazing setting, as well as having the highest concentration of tigers in India. In addition to tigers, there are also bears, deer, wolves, birds, etc.
Location: In Madhya Pradesh state, almost 200 kilometers northeast of Jabalpur. The nearest village is Tala, which is the access point of the park.
Opening Hours and Safari (游猎) Times
Safaris operate twice a day, starting at dawn until late morning, and mid afternoon until sunset. The best time to visit the park is early in the morning or after 7 p.m. to spot the animals. The park is closed from July 1 to September 30 due to the monsoon season (季风季节).
Bandhavgarh Zones
Bandhavgarh is divided into three main zones: Tala (the park’s best zone, with the most tigers), Magdhi (the second best zone to see tigers), and Khitauli (scenic and less visited, although tiger sightings do occur there; particularly good for birding).
Entry Fees and Charges for Jeep Safaris
Bandhavgarh has become expensive to visit in recent years. Entry fees have increased since October 2014. When going on a safari, separate fees must be paid for park entry and jeep hire. Entry tickets are priced per vehicle (up to six people). For 2015-16, park entry tickets cost as follows:
·Tala Zone: 2,400 rupees for Indians, 4,800 rupees for foreigners. (Up to six people)
·Other Zones: 1,200 rupees for Indians, 2,400 rupees for foreigners. (Up to six people)
Jeep Hire
Expect to pay about 2,200 rupees to hire a jeep, in addition to the entry cost. This can be done at the park entrance. All hotels can arrange jeep hire and tours, but at a higher rate. It’s much less trouble though. Besides, unlike many national parks in India, it’s possible to take private vehicles into Bandhavgarh.
1.When can you visit the park?
A. In July. B. In August.
C. In September. D. In October.
2.How much should five Americans pay for entry fees to visit Magdhi Zone?
A. 1,200 rupees. B. 2,400 rupees.
C. 4,800 rupees. D. 6,000 rupees.
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE about jeep hire in the park?
A. Tourists don’t have to hire jeeps.
B. Hiring jeeps from hotels costs less money.
C. Tourists can only hire a jeep from the park.
D. Jeep hire fees are included in the entry cost.
Directions: Write an English composition according to the instructions given below in Chinese.
随着人们生活水平的提高，很多家庭购买了小轿车作为代步工具；由此引起了一些社会问题，请你（李华）用英语向二十一世纪报写一封性分析购买轿车的利与弊（各三条），并说明你的看法和建议。
注意：1.词数120词左右；
2.开头已为你写好（不计入总词数）
Dear Editor,
With the improvement of the life standard, many families have bought private cars in recent years, thus causing some social problems.
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1.When I woke up, I found myself lying in bed and surrounding by doctors and nurses.
2.He is one of the students in my class who is often praised by our headmaster.
3.I saw streets just as they had been by stepping stones along the road.
4.They made Professor Zhang the director of the institute.
5.A library, together with five thousand books have been sent to the nation as a gift.
6.It surprised me was that the little girl worked out the problem in only five minutes.
7.She is not certain about she has done anything wrong.
8.The discovery of new evidence led to the thief having caught.
9.By the 10th century, Old English became the official language of England.
10.When she entered the room, she saw him was surfing the Internet.
