Being able to land safely is a critically important skill for all flying animals. Whereas terrestrial animals face no particular challenge when they need to stop running or crawling, flying animals move at much higher speeds, and they must be careful about how they land. Hitting the ground, or even water, at full flight speed would be quite dangerous. Before touching down, they must decrease their speed in order to land safely. Both bats and birds have mastered the skill of landing, but these two types of flyers go about it quite differently.
In the past it was believed that, in terms of flying mechanics, there was little difference between bats and birds. This belief was based only on assumption, however, because for years nobody had actually studied in detail how bats move their wings. In recent years, though, researchers have discovered a number of interesting facts about bat flight. Bats are built differently from birds, and their wings incorporate(结合) both their front and hind limbs (后肢). This makes their limbs working together more difficult for bats and, as a result, they are not very good at flying over longer distances. However, a bat can quickly change its direction of flight or completely reverse it, something a bird cannot easily do.
Another interesting characteristic of bat flight is the way in which bats land—upside down! Unlike birds, which touch down on the ground or on tree branches, bats can be observed flying around and then suddenly hanging upside down from an object overhead. How do they do it? A group of researchers recently used video cameras to film bats landing on nets suspended from the ceiling of their laboratory and studied the recordings in slow motion. They painted spots on the bats’ wings to see in detail what happens to the wings in flight and during touchdown. It turns out that the bats flew in a straight line up to the net and then quickly flipped over and attached themselves to it upside down. One disadvantage to this landing routine is that the bats often slam into their landing spot with some force, which probably causes pain. However, not all bats hit their landing spots with the same speed and force; these will vary depending on the area where a bat species makes its home. For example, a cave bat, which regularly rests on a hard stone ceiling, is more careful about its landing preparation than a bat more accustomed to landing in leafy treetops.
1.In line 1, the word terrestrial is closest in meaning to _______.
A. high-flying B. fast-moving C. tree-climbing D. ground-living
2.According to the passage, what skill is crucial for flying animals?
A. Diving underwater.
B. Slowing down to land.
C. Flying over great distances.
D. Balancing on high branches.
3.According to the passage, what is an advantage that bats have over birds?
A. Bats can land on a greater variety of surfaces.
B. Bats can turn in the air more quickly.
C. Bats can eat while flying.
D. Bats are lighter.
4.What is the main topic of the passage?
A. Places where flying animals choose to land.
B. Why scientists have difficulty observing bats.
C. Differences in the eating habits of bats and birds.
D. Ways in which bats move differently from birds.
Students in Caldwell, Idaho, can attend class in their pajamas(睡衣)! At Vallivue Virtual Academy, courses are taught online. Students work at home with parents, who serve as learning coaches. A certified teacher _____ the students’ progress.
The cyber school was _____ as a free option for students in kindergarten through grade 8 who have trouble succeeding in the district’s _____ public school. Supporters of the program say that virtual schools help students avoid the social pressures that can _____ with learning. In addition, supporters argue, online courses provide kids with more focused _____ and course options than they can get in a typical school.
Not everyone gives cyber schools a passing grade, however. Some educators argue that online learning makes it hard for students to make friends. Many parents also feel that cyber schools put _____ time demands on them because they have to oversee their kids’ daily work.
Technology can benefit education, but it shouldn’t _____ education. Students who go to virtual schools will miss many of the benefits of being in a real school.
If kids attend school online, they will miss out on important social _____. Payton Mcdonough, 13, a seventh grader from Glencoe, Ill., agrees. “I don’t know how I could sit at a computer all day without _____ interacting with my peers and teachers,” he says.
In addition, virtual schools don’t have enough structure. Students who take online courses can set their own schedules, which will cause problems for students who have trouble staying _____.
Furthermore, online schooling puts stress on parents because they have to _____ what their kids do at home. Many parents have full–time jobs. How are they going to run their children’s education, _____ in their jobs, and take care of their other responsibilities at home?
Virtual schools will make it harder for students to learn and will put too much pressure on parents.
Virtual learning does not need to replace classroom learning _____, but it can help students work at their own pace. If students struggle with subjects, they can take those courses online and spend more time on them. Virtual schools can also offer students much more _____ schedules. Students often handle extracurricular activities, sports, and schoolwork, and cyber schools could help them manage everything.
Finally, attending virtual school can prepare students for college and for work after _____. “We need to be responsible for working on our own,” says Angela Goscilo, a senior from Pound Ridge, N.Y. “We need to develop technology skills that will help us in whatever we do. Getting an early start is a good idea.”
1.A. oversees B. suspected C. admitted D. predicted
2.A. tolerated B. launched C. undergone D. transformed
3.A. virtual B. superior C. traditional D. specialized
4.A. agree B. put up C. go D. interfere
5.A. attention B. definition C. foundation D. instruction
6.A. unlimited B. uncivilized C. unrealistic D. unaffected
7.A. turn to B. take over C. take in D. make up
8.A. interactions B. education C. occupation D. identification
9.A. actually B. presently C. naturally D. logically
10.A. examined B. motivated C. exhausted D. represented
11.A. compliment B. award C. supervise D. tempt
12.A. negotiate B. innovate C. control D. excel
13.A. entirely B. partially C. regularly D. purposely
14.A. sustainable B. flexible C. relevant D. optimistic
15.A. school B. study C. graduation D. education
Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.
The biggest house of cards, the longest tongue, and of course, the tallest man: these are among the thousands of records logged in the famous Guinness Book of Records. Created in 1955 after a debate 1. (concern) Europe's fastest game bird, 2. began as a marketing tool sold to pub landlords 3. (promote) Guinness, an Irish drink, became the bestselling copyright title of all time (a category that excludes books such as the Bible and the Koran). In time, the book would sell 120 million copies in over 100 countries— quite a leap from its humble beginnings.
In its early years, the book set its sights on 4. (satisfy) man's inborn curiosity about the natural world around him. Its two principal fact finders, twins Norris and Ross McWhirter, moved wildly around the globe to collect facts. It was their task to find and document aspects of life that can be sensed or observed, things that can be quantified or measured. But not just any things. They were only interested in superlatives: the biggest and the best. It was during this period 5. some of the remarkable Guinness Records were documented, answering such questions as "What is the brightest star?" and "What is the biggest spider?"
Once aware of the public's thirst for such knowledge, the book's authors began to branch out to cover increasingly doubtful, little-known facts. They started documenting human achievements as well. A forerunner for reality television, the Guinness Book gave people 6. chance to become famous for accomplishing odd, often pointless tasks. Records were set in 1955 for consuming 24 raw eggs in 14 minutes and in 1981 for the fastest solving of a Rubik's Cube (which took a mere 38 seconds). In 1979 a man yodeled(用真假嗓音交替唱) non-stop for ten and a quarter hours.
In its latest appearance, the book has found a new home on the internet. No longer 7. (restrict) to the limits of physical paper, the Guinness World Records website contains seemingly innumerable facts concerning such topics as the most powerful combustion(燃烧) engine, or the world's longest train. What is striking, however, is that such facts are found sharing a page with the record of the heaviest train to be pulled 8. a beard.
Originating as a simple bar book, the Guinness Book of Records 9. (evolve) over decades to provide insight into the full range of modern life. And although one may be 10. (likely) now to learn about the widest human mouth than the highest number of casualties in a single battle of the Civil War, the Guinness World Records website offers a telling glimpse into the future of fact-finding and record-recording.
Questions are based on the following passage.
1.
A. Teacher and student. B. Consultant and parent.
C. Consultant and headmaster. D. Doctor and patient.
2.
A. He withdrew some money from his parents’ bank account.
B. He mixed with some bad guys, which influenced his study.
C. He was not as attentive as before.
D. He watched too much TV at home.
3.
A. She was annoyed. B. She was indifferent.
C. She was confused. D. She was anxious.
4.
A. Where there is a will, there is a way.
B. All roads lead to Rome.
C. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
D. Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Questions are based on the following passage.
1.
A. Zhuyun Art Museum shows China’s modern culture, art and history.
B. Zhuyun Art Museum shows Jiading’s native culture, art and history.
C. Zhuyun Art Museum shows Jiading’s art crafts dating back to Tang Dynasty.
D. Zhuyun Art Museum shows Jiading’s contemporary paintings and calligraphy.
2.
A. To renew old factories to meet more demands of local residents.
B. To store as much art crafts as possible.
C. To serve the locals to meet their diverse art demands.
D. To set a shelter for local modern artists.
3.
A. The earliest Buddha statues in it is about 2500 years old.
B. This museum holds over 1000 Buddha statues.
C. The exhibits in it are made of a variety of materials.
D. The exhibits represent ancient people’s delicate techniques and intelligence.
Questions are based on the following passage.
1.
A. Many people like to eat dog meat. B. The world is too competitive.
C. Dogs are unhappy with their existence. D. Dogs enjoy their life with people.
2.A. A sick dog. B. A watch dog. C. A junkyard dog. D. A barking dog.
3.
A. He is probably to make his wife madder.
B. He could go to work like a dog and get dog-tired.
C. He is probably to let sleeping dogs lie.
D. He probably will stay in the doghouse.
