Scientists who study the Sun watch for sunspots—violent storms that can affect communications，navigation systems and even electric power stations on the Earth.
Sunspots are a product of huge electromagnetic storms on the Sun. Scientists on the Earth are able to observe sunspots eight minutes after they happen. That is how long it takes for the Sun’s light to reach us.
The first electrically charged particles (颗粒）from a sunspot enter the Earth’s atmosphere about 20 to 30 minutes after the storm happens. These particles can harm human beings. So before they arrive, astronauts on the International Space Station move into special areas designed to protect them from their effects.
About a day or two later, the biggest part of the storm arrives. It is called a coronal mass ejection. “That is billions of tons of solar material that's blown away from the Sun. It’s traveling millions of kilometers an hour, but that is relatively slow.” says Alex Young, the Associate Director for Science at NASA's Heliophysics Science Division.
Several civilian government agencies and the U.S. Air Force watch weather conditions in space 24 hours a day. NASA does so because it must protect its astronauts and the electronic devices on its spacecraft.
Scientists are also trying to understand why the number of sunspots rises and falls at almost regular intervals every 11 years. In other words, scientists can almost predict the amount of solar activity. Sometimes the intensity (强度）is higher，sometimes lower，For example, the current solar cycle, as it is called, is much lower than the previous one.
Several satellites watch the Sun and the environment between the Sun and tho Earth. Pictures and other information from the satellites tell scientists what is happening on and near the Sun.
Alex Young says we have only been looking at the Sun with powerful instruments for about 30 to 40 years. Thai is a very short time compared to ll\o four billion years that tho star has been shining.
1.Why do astronauts on International Space Station move into special area?
A.To avoid being harmed. B.To charge the battery.
C.To watch the Sun closely D.To protect devices on the spacecraft.
2.How long does a solar cycle last?
A.About 8 minutes. B.About 20 to 30 minutes
C.About 11 years. D.About 30 to 40 minutes
3.What enables scientists to watch the Sun?
A.Environmental changes. B.Good weather conditions
C.Advanced instruments. D.Government agencies
4.What does the passage mainly talk about?
A.The role of satellites. B.findings about sunpots
C.Observation of space. D.Communication on the earth.
Madagascar lies in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa. The island is perhaps best known as the unique home of the lemur (狐猴）. But those lemurs live among some of the most rich and varied flora (植物群）in the world. And so threatened is that flora that British and Malagasy scientists were involved in a project to collect seeds from the island to be stored in a British seed bank. The project is being done by the Royal Botanic Garden in London. The botanist Steward Cable is head of the conservation center there and a frequent visitor of the island.
I mean Madagascar is well known as one of the top biodiversity hot spots in the world. It has perhaps 13,000 plant species. 90% of those are unique to the country, i.e. found nowhere else in the world. But also many species, many of those species are only found in small areas. And I would say that probably about 80% of the population are dependent on farming.
And a lot of their farming is slash and burn，shifting cultivation (耕作）where farmers have to move to a new patch of forest every year. They cut it and they burn it and they can grow dry rice or cassava for a year or so or two years at most.And the nutrients are gone and they have to move to a new patch of forest .And for centuries that would not have been a problem with the low population and with long periods of no farming but people returning after three or five years something like that ,then the forest became grassland. So we are losing many of those species in Madagascar, those unique species.
1.which of the following is the habitat of the lemur?
A.Madagascar B.Britain
C.An Indian island. D.The coast
2.Why do scientists collect seeds from Madagascar?
A.The lemur will die out without them.
B.The flora on Madagascar is in great danger.
C.The island will sink to the bottom of the ocean.
D.The British seed bank wants to make money from them.
3.What is the result of the way people farm?
A.Many farmers have lost their homes. B.The population is becoming smaller.
C.Some rare species are gone. D.The crops are poor in nutrition.
4.How does the author sound?
A.Hopeless. B.Enthusiastic. C.Optimistic. D.Worried.
Chess is one of the oldest board games in the world. A version of the game was first played in India in the sixth century. Throughout time, the game has been played by kings, knights, and generals who warned to prove their military skills and practice war strategies.
Today，the game is played by millions of ordinary people as well. Most play for fun,but there are players who compete seriously and have gone on to gain the rank of grandmaster -the highest rank a player can achieve.
In 1991, when Hungarian Judit Polgar achieve the rank of grandmaster, it caused quite an uproar (骚动）. First of all, Polgar is a female playing in a sport traditionally dominated by men. Also, Polgar was only 15 years old, making her the youngest in history at the time. In 1993, she defeated former world champion Boris Spassky in Budapest, Hungary. In 1998, she became the first woman in history to win the U. S, Open Chess Championship, which was held in Kailua-Kona，Hawaii.
Like her two older sisters, Polgar was strictly trained to be a master chess player as a young girl. She was homeschooled in all her subjects and played chess several hours every day. At the age of five, she was beating her father at the game. At eight years old，she was competing internationally. At the age of nine，she competed in and won the New York Open Chess tournament，placing first among unranked players. The young Polgar was just getting started.
Known for her fiercely competitive nature and ability to understand her opponents strategy early in a game, Polgar quickly won the respect of both fans and fellow chess players. Despite her achievements and clear talent, she often had trouble getting into top competitive situations because many of them didn’t include women. Polgar wanted to compete with the best一to be a world champion and not just a female champion. For this reason, she absolutely refused to play in women-only competitions. Her refusal paved the way for the next generation of female chess players.
1.What is the purpose of Paragraph 1?
A.To call on people to play chess. B.To introduce chess briefly.
C.To explain how to play chess. D.To show the popularity of chess.
2.What made Polgar a master chess player at such an early age?
A.Her strict chess training. B.Her international travel.
C.Her two older sisters' help. D.Her being homeschooled.
3.Why did Polgar have difficulty entering top competitions?
A.She lacked enough confidence.
B.She was too young to enter tournaments.
C.There were no tournaments in her country.
D.Many of them did not admit female players.
4.Which of the following can best describe Polgar?
A.Proud but warm-hearted. B.Fierce but considerate.
C.Serious and cautious. D.Talented and ambitious.
A Calendar Listing of Cultural Events
THURSDAY
Gypsy Caravan With 30 musicians and dancers, this show traces the Roma (or gypsy) migration from India to Western Europe. Representing dance traditions from India, Spain, Romania, and Macedonia. 7：30 P. M. Sanders Theatre, Cambridge. $20, $30, and $37.
Gal Costa World Music presents the Boston debut (首演）of Brazil’s tropicalismo superstar， backed by Dari Caymmi and his Quintet.
8 P.M. Berklee Performance Centre, Boston. $30, $35, and $40.
FRIDAY
Harvest Ball Get out the black suit or fancy cocktail dress for a night of dancing to Mark Morris and the Catunes. The dance is a benefit for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.
8 P.M. Back Bay Hilton, Boston.
$ 40 in advance, $ 50 at door.
Noche Flamenca Spain's flamboyant flamenco dance company returns to Boston.
8：00 P.M.
$20. $30, and $40.
SATURDAY
Berlin Phiharmonic Orchestra The Celebrity Series opens its season with an all-Beethoven program.
8 P.M. Symphony Hall, Boston.
$ 45 - $ 95.
MUSEUMS
Geometric Abstraction： Latin American Art 60 paintings, drawings, and sculptures， Fogg Art Museum, Cambridge.
Sixth Annual Outdoor Sculpture Exhibition DeCordova Museum , Lincoln.
A Studio of Her Own： Women Artists in Boston 1870-1940 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Open every day except Monday.
Admission free.
1.Where will you go if you want to dance?
A.Gypsy Caravan. B.Noche Flamenca.
C.Harvest Ball. D.Gal Costa.
2.What do Gypsy Caravan and Noche Flamenca have in common?
A.The show time. B.Spanish dance.
C.Music styles. D.The ticket prices.
3.You don’t have to pay if you .
A.go to see Latin American paintings
B.hear Berlin Phiharmonic Orchestra
C.watch the performance by the Brazilian singer
D.learn fine arts from the women artists in Boston
假定你是校学生会主席李华,你校近期将举办“中国传统民间艺术展(the Chinese Traditional Folk Art Exhibition)”,请你给来自英国的外教Jane写一封电子邮件邀请她参加.
内容包括:
1.展会的时间和地点;
2.展出内容;
3.邀请外教分享英国的文化艺术.
注意:1.字数100左右;
2.可以适当增加细节,以使行文连贯.
Dear Mrs Jane,
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
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.每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(∧),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 grandpa worked as a carpenter, who has devoted all his energy for carpentry for almost sixty years. Several years before, he began to make wooden models of farm tools. On National Day when I returned back and visited him with my parents, he showed me that he had created. He hopes he could expose people to the traditionally way of farming. Now every day, he prepares raw material in the yard, measures them, and polishes them. I’ve also picked up carpentry as hobby of mine. Now I am able to make a model by me. And I am determined to make it know to more.
