Have you ever spent an afternoon in the backyard，maybe grilling or enjoying a basketball game, when suddenly you notice that everything goes quiet? There is an old phrase “calm before the storm",often used in a situation—a quiet period just before a great activity or. excitement. According to our own experience, we know there is actually calm before the storm. But what causes this calm? And is it always calm before the storm? Let's hear what scientists have to say..
A period of calm happens in a particular kind of storm, the simplest kind of storm—a single-cell thunderstorm. In this type of thunderstorm, there is usually only one main updraft, which is warm, damp air and drawn from places near the ground. Storms need warm and damp air as fuel, so they typically draw that air in from surrounding environment. Storms can draw in the air that fit their need from all directions—even from the direction in which the storm is traveling.
As the warm, damp air is pulled into a storm system, it leaves a low-pressure vacuum（真 空）coming after. The rising air meets the cold dry air that has already existed in the storm clouds, thus the temperature of the warm, damp air drops, and the water vapour（水蒸汽）in it changes into tiny drops that are a precondition of rain. These drops accumulate and build on larger particles like dust, until they grow large enough to form raindrops.
This warm, damp air keeps moving upwards, but it becomes cooler and drier during its trip through cloud. When it reaches the top of the cloud, the air gets spit out（被挤出）at the top. This air is sent rolling out over the big thunderclouds. From there, the air goes down. Warm and dry air is relatively stable, and once it covers a region, that air, in turn, causes the calm before a storm.
Most thunderstorms, though, don't start with calm. That's because most are actually groups of storms with complex wind patterns. There's so much air moving up and down storm groups that the calm before the storm never happens. Instead, before the storm,让 might be really windy!
1.Which best fits the description of a particular kind of storm?
A. A thunderstorm with a single shape.
B. A thunderstorm without strong winds.
C. A storm with air drawn from every directi on.
D. A storm fueled by moving air from the ground.
2.What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. Cold and dry air. B. Warm and dry air.
C. Cold and damp air. D. Warm and damp air.
3.Which does the writer most likely agree to?
A. Presence of the calm relies on stable air.
B. Not all thunderstorms start with the calm.
C. The drier the air is, the bigger the storm will be.
D. Storm happens without air moving up and down.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Causes and effects of a heavy storm.
B. A brief description of a peaceful storm.
C. A personal experience of a heavy storm.
D. An explanation of the calm before a storm.
Almost every day we come across situations in which we have to make decisions one way or another. Choice, we are given to believe, is a right. But for a good many people in the world, in rich and poor countries, choice is a luxury, something wonderful but hard to get, not a right. And for those who think they are exercising their right to make choices, the whole system is merely an illusion, a false idea created by companies and advertisers, hoping to sell their products .
'The endless choice gives birth to anxiety in people's lives. Buying something as basic as a coffee pot is not exactly simple. Easy access to a wide range of everyday goods leads to a sense of powerlessness in many people, ending in the shopper giving up and walking away, or just buying an unsuitable item that is not really wanted. Recent studies in England have shown that many electrical goods bought in almost every family are not really needed. More difficult decision-making is then either avoided or trusted into the hands of the professionals, lifestyle instructors, or advisors.
It is not just the availability of the goods that is the problem, but the speed with which new types of products come on the market. Advances in design and production help quicken the process. Products also need to have a short lifespan so that the public can be persuaded to replace them within a short time. The typical example is computers, which are almost out-of-date once they are bought. This indeed makes selection a problem. Gone are the days when one could just walk with ease into a shop and buy one thing; no choice, no anxiety.
1.What does the author try to argue in Paragraphi?
A. The practice of choice is difficult
B. The right of choice is given but at a price.
C. Choice and right exist at the same time.
D. The exercise of rights is a luxury.
2.Why do more choices of goods give rise to anxiety?
A. People are likely to find themselves overcome by business persuasion.
B. Shoppers may find themselves lost in the broad range of items.
C. Companies and advertisers are often misleading about the range of choice.
D. Professionals find it hard to decide on a suitable product.
3.By using computers as an example, the author wants to prove that
A. products of the latest design flood the market
B. competitions are fierce in high-tech industry
C. everyday goods need to be replaced often
D. advanced products meet the needs of people
4.What is this passage mainly about?
A. The opinions on people's right in different countries.
B. The problems about the availability of everyday goods.
C. The helplessness in purchasing decisions.
D. The variety of choices in modem society.
I attended a party one night. During the dinner a man told a humorous story based on the quotation: "There's a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will.”
The storyteller mentioned that the quotation was from the Bible. I knew he was wrong. There couldn't be the slightest doubt about it. To get a feeling of importance and display my superiority, I appointed myself as an unwelcome committee member to correct him. He stuck to his guns. "What? From Shakespeare? Impossible! Absurd! That quotation was from the Bible.” And he knew it.
The storyteller was sitting on my right; and Frank Gammond, an old friend of mine, was seated on my left. Mr. Gammond had devoted years to the study of Shakespeare. So the storyteller and I agreed to submit the question to Mr. Gammond. Mr. Gammond listened, kicked me under the table, and then said,"Dale, you are wrong. The gentleman is right. It is from the Bible."
On our way home that night, I said to Mr. Gammond, “Frank, you knew that quotation was from Shakespeare. "Yes, of course," he replied, “Hamlet，Act Five, Scene Two. But we were guests at a happy time, my dear Dale. Why argue with the storyteller? Why prove to him he is wrong? Why not let him save his face? Always avoid your sharp angle." I learned a lesson I'll never forget. I not only had made the storyteller uncomfortable, but also had put my friend in an embarrassing situation. How much better it would have been had I not become argumentative.
Nine times out of ten, an argument ends with each of the contestants more firmly convinced than ever that he is absolutely right. You can't win an argument. You can't because if you lose it, you lose it; and if you win it, you lose it
1.What did the author do to get a feeling of importance at the party?
A. Tell a humorous story. B. Show off his rich knowledge.
C. Teach the storyteller a lesson. D. Correct the storyteller's mistake.
2.. Why did Frank Gammond kick the author under the table?
A. Because he didn't know much about the Bible.
B. Because he thought the author was really wrong.
C. Because he was thoughtful and wanted to stop the author.
D. Because he was humorous and played tricks on the author .
3.How did the author feel about the event that happened at the party?
A. Thankful. B. Regretful.
C. Satisfied, D. Confused.
4.What can be the suitable title for the passage?
A. You Can't Win an Argument B. You Can't Make Mistakes in Public
C. Do Have an Open Mind D. Mind Your Manners at a Party
One of the hardest parts of planning a trip to Hawaii is deciding which of the major Hawaiian Islands you should visit. Each has its own personality and offers unique adventures and activities.
Oahu
Oahu has a bit of everything, packed in 597 square miles. You can hike into thick rainforests, and when you need a break, relax on powdery white sand beaches and stay at luxury resorts.
Oahu has become a great destination for families. The urban core （核 心）of Honolulu and Waikiki has historic sites, museums and bustling （熙熙攘攘的）and nightlife scenes. The island lives up to its nickname of the Gathering Place.
Maui
Maui is a great island for honeymooners. The Valley Isle has top-class resorts and golf courses, adjacent （毗邻）to some of the state's best beaches. A large dormant （休眠）volcano in east Maui at sunrise or sunset is a serene experience, as well as driving the Road to Hana, famed for its thundering waterfalls.
Kauai
Kauai is the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands. The island gets a lot of rain, but that's what makes it so lively, you'll come across flowers and plants you've never seen before. For some of the best views on the island, visit Waimea Canyon, known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and the Na Pali coast, boasting some of the world's highest sea cliffs.
Big Island
The Big Island is the only Hawaiian island still growing. Witness the power of Pele, the Hawaiian goddess of fire, wind, lightning and volcanoes with a visit to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. It's one of the few spots in the world where you can see lava flow. In fact, the Big Island has 10 of the world's sub-climate zones, from the snow-covered mountain of Mauna Kea, green forests of Waipio Valley to stretches of barren desert.
1.Which is young couples' favorite?
A. Oahu. B. Maui.
C. Kauai. D. Big Island.
2.How is Oahu different from the other places?
A. It belongs to Hawaii. B. It offers the best beaches.
C. It has variety of plants. D. You can experience city life on it.
3.What do Maui and Big Island have in common?
A. They are both covered with snow. B. You can have a look at a volcano.
C. Weather is changeable. D. There is plenty of rain.
假如你叫李华，你的美国笔友Wilson决定暑假来中国学习汉语,了解中国传统文化， 时间一个月。他向你询问附近大学开设培训班的情况，请你按照下列要点给他回一封信，内容包括：
1. 报名、班额、价格； 2. 住宿、吃饭、交通； 3. 交友。
注意：1. 开头结尾已给出，不计入总词数；
2. 词数100左右；
3. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear Wilson,
I am glad to know that you will come to China
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours sincerely
Li Hua
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处语言错误，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：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(Λ)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下画一横线，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 mother was driving me to school while we saw a cyclist fall over his bike onto the side of the road ahead. Without the second thought we pulled over and got out. He said he was OK but I could see his face bleed, so I returned to our car, taking out a case of first-aid supply like bandages. Cars were going by but we were safely on the side of the road and manage to tend to the injuries. Thankfully his head wasn’t hurt seriously. I was glad that we happened have all those supplies in our car. Though we have never used them before, but we must prepare them in case anything like that happens again.
