Lucy, whose skeleton(骨骼) was discovered in Ethiopia in 1974, died shortly after she fell out of a tree, according to a new study published Monday in the British journal Nature.
For their research, Kappelman and Dr. Richard Ketcham used a CT scanner to create more than 35,000 "slices" of Lucy's skeleton. Scientists named her Lucy from the Beatles song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds", which was played at the camp the night of her discovery.
The following analysis of the slices showed sharp, clean breaks seen at the end of Lucy's right humerus (肱骨) are similar to bone breaks seen in victims of falls.
The researchers concluded that these and other breaks in her skeleton show that Lucy, who is believed to have stood about 3 feet 6 inches and weighed about 60 pounds, fell feet first and used her arms to support herself ﹣ but that the injury was too severe to have been survivable.
The researchers estimate that Lucy was going about 35 miles an hour when she hit the ground after falling from a height of roughly 40 feet, according to the statement.
That sounds plausible. But other scientists are doubtful. "There are countless explanations for bone breaks," Dr, Donald C, Johanson, director of the Institute of Human Origins and one of the scientists who discovered Lucy, said, "The suggestion that she fell out of a tree is largely a just﹣so story and therefore unprovable. " Johanson said it was more likely that Lucy's breaks occurred long after she died, saying that "elephant bones appear to have the same kind of breaks, It's unlikely they fell out of a tree.
But the new research focused on "a small number of breaks" that are consistent with "high﹣energy bone﹣to﹣bone influences" and which differ from the sorts of breaks commonly seen in other collected bones. Kappelman responded in an email, "These appear to have occurred at or near the time of death. "
1.What can we infer about Lucy from Kappelman and Dr. Richard Ketcham's research?
A. She got her name from a song.
B. She had more than 35,000 slices.
C. She couldn't use her arms properly.
D. She made an effort to save herself.
2.What does the underlined word "plausible" in Paragraph 6 probably mean?
A. Reasonable.
B. Creative.
C. Surprising.
D. Unbelievable.
3.Which of the following would Johanson probably agree?
A. Elephants are unlikely to die from falling.
B. Lucy got breaks at or near the time of death.
C. Other reasons for the breaks should be considered.
D. Lucy's bone breaks differ from other bone breaks.
4.What conclusion can we draw from the passage?
A. Lucy didn't die from falling out of a tree.
B. The newly published study was meaningless.
C. The argument on how Lucy died will continue.
D. Scientists will find another way to solve the problem.
David Rees runs a truly distinctive business. He charges customers ﹩15 to sharpen their pencils to perfections, using a variety of tools.
I know what you're thinking ﹣ is this a joke? The 39﹣year﹣old gets asked that question a lot. To clarify everything, he even created a special section on his website telling everyone he's actually providing a real service.
You can supply your own pencil or you can have Rees sharpen one of his own favorite 2B pencils. After that, he mails it to you in a display tube with the shavings in a separate bag, and an authentic certificate which just happens to mention the pencil is so sharp as to be a dangerous object.
To achieve the desired result, the master sharpener uses all kinds of tools, including general sandpapers, pocket knives and even a special﹩450 sharpening machine. "It depends on what the customer wants to use his/her pencil for," he says. "That determines the most appropriate pencil﹣sharpening technique. Some customers buy pencils as inspirational symbols while others buy them because of their special memories of classic 2B pencils."
﹩15 to have a pencil sharpened is a bit expensive though, right? You're not the only one who feels that way, and David's unique business has really angered lots of people, who talk of inequality in America, saying it is so insane for the wealthy to pay﹩15 to sharpen a pencil. But others will say, "This is just our urge to put an end to the welfare state because new ideas arise along with the business."
David admits his trade is sort of unusual. But there are those who actually value his service, as proven by the over 500 orders he has gotten.
1.How could David make money by sharpening pencils?
A. He invented new tools for the job.
B. He promoted his skill on his website.
C. He saved lots of time for other people.
D. He provided quality service to his customers.
2.2 From his words, we can infer that David Rees .
A. knows all kinds of pencil users
B. provides personalized services
C. values ideas behind the pencils
D. always write with pencils
3.What does the underlined word "insane"(in Paragraph 5)mean?
A. Deliberate.
B. Rewarding.
C. Unreasonable.
D. Irresponsible.
4.What seems to be the author's attitude to David Rees' trade?
A. It's a fancy service.
B. It has a good reputation.
C. It's awfully expensive.
D. It wastes time and money.
One time a young man,who hoped to study law,wrote to Lincoln for advice,and Lincoln replied,"If you are determined to make a lawyer of yourself,the thing is more than half done already.Always bear in mind that your own determination to succeed is more important than any other one thing."
Lincoln knew.He had gone through it all.He had never,in his entire life,had more than a total of one year's schooling.And books?Lincoln once said he had walked to borrow every book w ithin fifty miles of his home.A fire was usually kept go ing all night in the small house and he read by the light of it.
He walked twenty or thirty miles to hear a speaker and,returning home,he practiced his talks everyw here﹣in the fields,in the woods,before the crowds.He joined several societies and practiced speaking on the topics of the day.
A lack of confidence always troubled him.In the presence of women he was shy and dumb.Even when he was in love with Mary Todd,he used to sit there,nervous and silent,unable to find words,listening while she did the talking.Yet that was the man who,by practice and home study,made himself into the speaker who debated with the famous speaker Douglas!That was the man who,in Gettysburg address,rose to the heights of eloquence ( 雄辩) that have seldom been achieved in all the human history.
Small wonder that,speaking of his own great barriers and painful struggle,he wrote,"If you are determined to make a lawyer of yourself,the thing is more than half done already."
1.What does the underlined word"it"(in Paragraph 2)refer to?
A. Earning a fortune.
B. Making a living.
C. Asking for advice.
D. Becoming a law yer.
2.What is the key point of the fourth paragraph?
A. Lincoln's courage.
B. Lincoln's position.
C. Lincoln's progress.
D. Lincoln's eloquence.
3.What is the most vital spirit reflected in Lincoln's story above?
A. Believing in oneself.
B. Keeping on practicing hard.
C. Overcoming difficulties.
D. Sticking to one's determination.
Road trip
Motorhome delivery offers great family holidays.For just﹩1 a day,you can hire a fully﹣equipped motorhome,which you deliver to a specific destination within some days and kilometers.You then hire another one to get home or take a bus or train.Your only other expense will be fuel and about﹩20 a day for parking fees.To learn more,visit apollocamper.com.
Plan ahead
For a comfortable break,flexibility with times,dates and places helps lower the cost.Find a few hotels you like,ask about their vacant rooms,then wait a few weeks and call again.If they still have rooms,you're at an advantage to ask for a better price.Lots of last﹣minute deals are online.Watif (watif.com.au) has deals on hotels that have dropped their prices so slow.You don't know where you're staying until it's booked,but anywhere with four or five stars has to be fairly good.
Back to nature
Wild camping appeals to nature lovers and costs nothing.This is forbidden on beaches and parks in most urban areas,but you can turn up in more distant area as long as nobody owns the land.You'll need to take everything with you and may need to shop on eBuy (ebuy.com.au).If you're a camping beginner,be aware of safety measures and get your questions answered on the Internet.
Swap meet
How about a home swap?For a $250 yearly joining cost,you can stay in someone's home in an international place of your choice while they or someone else stays in yours.Find out more at familylink.com.au.
1.Where can you get the information about motorhomes?
A. apollocamper.com.
B. watif.com.au.
C. ebuy.com.au.
D. familylink.com.au.
2.What helps to pay less for rooms in a hotel?
A. Choosing hotels with four or five stars.
B. Bargaining prices through the Internet.
C. Waiting for some time before booking.
D. Deciding on rooms as early as possible.
3.What's the advice for camping beginners?
A. Keep in touch with eBuy.
B. Watch out for possible dangers.
C. Stay away from no﹣man's land.
D. Take only what you need.
4.What's the purpose of the text?
A. To teach the importance of running away from work.
B. To introduce new destinations for nature lovers.
C. To show the advantages of online service.
D. To help people have fun at less expense.
第二届“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛将于2019年4月在北京举办。组委会向社会招募志愿者。假设你是晨光中学的学生李津,你很想成为一名志愿者。请你按照相关要求用英语给组委会写一封申请信,介绍自己的情况,应征此次志愿者的工作。
(1)热情、有礼貌;
(2)熟悉中国传统文化;
(3)英语口语流利;
(4)熟知“一带一路”的重要意义,并表达当选的愿望。
注意:
(1)词数不少于100;
(2)可适当加入细节,使内容充实、行文连贯;
(3)开头和结尾已给出,不计入总词数。
参考词汇:“一带一路”国际合作高峰论坛The Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation
Dear Sir,
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Yours,
Li Jin
阅读短文,按照题目要求用英语回答问题。
Bethany Hamilton has become a source of inspiration for millions through her story of faith, determination and hope. And now her story has become a major movie which is entitled Soul Surfer.
On October 31, 2003, at the age of 13, Bethany was attacked by a 15-foot tiger shark while surfing just off the shore of Hawaii. Bethany said, “It came out of the blue. I had no warning at all; not even the slightest sign of danger on the horizon. The waves were small and inconsistent, and I was just kind of rolling along with them, relaxing on my board with my left arm dangling (悬摆) in the cool water. I remember thinking, ‘I hope the surf picks up soon...’”
“That’s all it took: a split second. I felt a lot of pressure and a couple of lightning fast tugs (猛拽). Then I watched in shock as the water around me turned bright red. Somehow, I stayed calm. My left arm was gone along with a huge piece of my surfboard...”
Her friends had to get her to the beach, which took 20 minutes of paddling. After losing more than 40 percent of her blood and making it through several surgeries, Bethany was well on her way to recovery due to an unbelievably positive attitude. In January 2004, Bethany made her return to surf competition and with no intention of stopping, Bethany continued to enter and shine in competitions. Initially, she adopted a custom-made board that was longer and slightly thicker than standard and had a handle for her right arm, making it easier to paddle, and she learned to kick more to make up for the loss of her left arm.
Just over a year after the attack, she took first place—winning her first National Title. Now she competes with the world’s best and travels the globe.
1.What kind of story does the author want to tell us? (no more than 10 words)
2.What is the meaning of the underlined part in Paragraph 2? (no more than 10 words)
3.According to the passage, how did Bethany make a recovery? (no more than 10 words)
4.Why did Bethany learn to kick more when she started surfing again? (no more than 10 words)
5.How does Bethany’s story inspire you to overcome difficulties in life? Put it in your own words. (no more than 25 words)