An ordinary cotton T- shirt can be changed into body armour(盔甲), thanks to scientists from South Carolina, Switzerland and China. They combined the carbon in the cotton with boron to create a tough, lightweight fabric of boron carbide(碳化硼), the same material used to protect tanks.
Available at Wal-Mart, the new T- shirt would be not only bulletproof, but also resistant to ultraviolet light from the sun and life -threatening radioactive rays.
“The present armour is strong, but it’s not flexible and it’s very heavy. We tried to solve this problem with a different approach. In our approach, we used cotton T- shirts,” said Xiaodong Li, a scientist at the University of South Carolina. The trick for the scientists was combining melting boron with the carbon fibers inside the cotton fibers to form boron carbide. The great research began with a package of plain, white T-shirts purchased at Wal-Mart, which the scientists cut into pieces. They put those white cotton pieces into a black liquid of boron. After an hour, the cotton pieces were taken out from it and baked in an oven at a temperature of more than 1,000 degrees Celsius for an hour. As a result, only carbon and boron was left and then boron carbide came into being.
The resulting material is very different from the original ones at the start of the process—it’s lighter, stronger, tougher and stiffer than the original cotton, but it can still be bent, unlike normal boron carbide armour.
Li said that the physical features of the new material are still being tested, but “from our initial results we can say the test has been very, very promising.” “We expect that the material can stop a bullet,” Discovery News quoted Li as saying.
Covering cars or aircraft with cotton-based boron carbide, instead of the metal used today, would make these vehicles much lighter and more fuel- saving.
1.What does Paragraph 3 mainly talk about?
A.The features of new boron carbide. B.The advantages of new boron carbide.
C.The disadvantages of former boron carbide. D.The process of making new boron carbide.
2.What can we know from the text?
A.Many T- shirts are used to produce new materials.
B.The new T- shirts must be popular with children.
C.The new boron carbide contains many chemicals.
D.The new material has more advantages.
3.What’s Li Xiaodong’s attitude towards the new material?
A.Confident. B.Negative. C.Neutral. D.Ambiguous.
4.What might be the best title for the passage?
A.Traditional T-shirts are out of date. B.An ordinary T- shirt can become body armour.
C.New boron carbide has been widely used. D.Cotton- based boron carbide will easily change our life.
Wherever we look, we see advertisements that attract us to buy. In today’s society, we are under pressure to constant shop. Of course, most people only buy what they need and what they can afford. However, there are some people called shopaholics, who can’t control their desire to spend money buying things. This kind of addictive behavior can lead to money problems, family conflicts, and deep unhappiness.
What are the symptoms of a shopaholic? People with this problem often spend hours and hours shopping on the Internet or at the mall. Their closets are full of clothing and jewelry that they have never worn, with the price tags still on them. Their homes may be filled with shopping bags and boxes that they bought but never used. Many shopaholics are aware of their own problems, but when they go to a store, they simply can’t resist the urge to buy. Some of them are ashamed of their weakness and try to hide it by storing their purchases in places like the attic(阁楼), where others won’t see them.
Psychologists think there are several reasons for a shopping addiction. For some people, it is a way of reducing stress. For others, shopping is a way to fight loneliness or depression. For people with less confidence, shopping can be a way that they prove their self-worth. Sometimes the problem develops out of boredom. It replaces other hobbies and interests to help kill the time. Although shopping can temporarily make people feel good. they often feel ashamed and guilty later.
When shopping habits get out of control, people need professional help. They can either see a counselor(顾问) or join an organization such as Shopaholics Anonymous. Groups like this try to help people understand the reasons for their addiction and learn how to control the urge to shop. Their goal is to help people find ways to fulfill themselves rather than lead to serious debt and troubled lives.
1.What are “shopaholics” like according to the passage?
A.They often spend plenty of money in shopping. B.They are proud of spending much money.
C.They are addicted to collecting shopping bags. D.They fail to realize their desire to shop constantly.
2.Why do some shoppers hide their purchases in the attic?
A.They treasure what they have bought. B.They want to give their family a surprise.
C.They are afraid of being regarded as thieves. D.They are ashamed of their own constant shopping.
3.What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A.Money. B.Shopping. C.Stress. D.Self-worth.
4.What are groups like “Shopaholics Anonymous” intended to do?
A.To encourage people to overcome their bad feelings.
B.To seek professional help in window shopping.
C.To help control some people’s desire to purchase.
D.To call on more people to get rid of their bad habits.
The bird dropped like a rock. Before lowering the gun, I realized what I’d done—I’d killed my first animal. I rushed into the brush, praying, “Oh God, please don’t let it be dead.” The pigeon lay there with blood out of its beak (喙), feathers scattered about and its head bent lifelessly to the side. After burying it, I hurried home and went to hide my gun in my room.
I was dead silent at dinner. I felt as though every time I lowered my head, Dad was looking at me, but whenever I stole a glance in his direction, he seemed simply to be paying attention to his food. Mom finally uncovered the main dish—chicken. The dead pigeon appeared in my mind so that I almost threw up on the plate. Pushing my chair back and I ran to my room. My head buried in my pillow, I felt Dad rubbing my back. My tears slowly disappeared and I cleared my throat. “I shot a pigeon today,” “Oh?” my father replied, his expression unchanging.” And how did it feel?” “It felt... awful,” I answered.
“I’m sure it did. That’s one of the reasons I said you shouldn’t shoot birds.” I glanced at him,” Are you going to punish me?”
“Well, you misused your BB gun, and you disobeyed me. What you need is to always remember how bad it felt to kill that poor bird. Somehow, I think you will. ”And, patting me on the shoulder, he said, “Now let’s go to get dinner.”
Little did I know that my father was right before this. I would remember killing that bird along with a lot of other things for the rest of my life.
1.How did the author feel just after realizing having killed the bird?
A.Upset and despair. B.Delighted and proud.
C.Tired and sad. D.Scared and regretful.
2.Why did the author run away when seeing the dish of chicken?
A.He had something urgent to do.
B.He didn’t like chicken at all.
C.He thought of the killed bird.
D.He was afraid to face his parents.
3.What did the father do after being told the truth?
A.To take away the author’s gun.
B.To criticize the author seriously.
C.To require the author to obey him forever.
D.To ask the author to remember killing the bird.
4.What do we know about the author’s father?
A.He was satisfied to see the author hide his gun.
B.He didn’t want the author to waste time playing.
C.He used his special way to teach the author a lesson.
D.He was tolerant of any of the author’s mistakes.
Good News to Relax Yourself
Warner Bros. to release’Dark Knight’in HK
Hong Kong film fans are in for a treat as Warner Bros has announced it will release Christopher Nolan’s iconic“The Dark Knight” trilogy （三部曲） into theaters for a limited time.
Jessica Alba to star in ‘Trigger Warning’
Jessica Alba will star in “Trigger Warning” for the streaming service, with the film coming from director Mouly Surya, who filmed the well - received Cannes （戛纳） entry “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts” that became Indonesia’s foreign film Oscar submission.
Danny Boyle to direct’ Methuselah’
Danny Boyle，who won an Oscar for directing“Slumdog Millionaire,” is stepping in to Michael B. Jordan’s “Methuselah” working again with his “Slumdog” screenwriter Simon Beaufoy who will rewrite the script.
‘Little Women,’ ‘1917’ likely to hit reopened cinemas
“Little Women” and “1917” appear to be among the first titles that will hit Chinese theaters when they reopen in the wake of the COVID-19, new posters show. The two titles were scheduled for release in February, but were stopped when cinemas were shut nationwide.
Dakota Johnson joins Olivia Wilde’s ‘Don’t Worry, Darling’
Dakota Johnson is in negotiations to join the starry ensemble （舞蹈团） of “Don’t Worry, Darling,” a psychological thriller from director Olivia Wilde.
1.Who made the film “Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts”?
A.Jessica Alba B.Mouly Surya
C.Danny Boyle D.Olivia Wilde
2.Which of the following films is a thriller?
A.The Dark Knight B.Little Women
C.Don’t Worry, Darling D.Slumdog Millionaire
3.What can we learn from the passage?
A.All film fans can enjoy “the Dark Knight” for a scheduled time.
B.“Little Women” couldn’t be on in Chinese theaters as planned.
C.Jessica Alba intends to play a role in the film “Methuselah”.
D.Dakota Johnson is unwilling to work with director Olivia Wilde.
Many people have role models or people they look up to in their life. They may be actors, super heroes, sports stars, and so on. For me, that person is my mom, who is very beautiful, and successful. Ever since I could remember, she has been right beside me supporting any dream or goal I was trying to reach. When I am older, I hope I could be there for my children the way she is for me.
The first thing I admire is her beauty. No matter what she wears, she always looks tidy. She has a beautiful big smile that can warm up a room. Her eyes are very light brownish green color, and just looking into them you can see all the love she has for others. My mom is pretty tall. I am lucky to inherit(继承) my mom’s genes.
My mom also has brains. She got her undergraduate at Cal State Long Beach, and went on getting her Master’s degree at Arizona State University in teaching. She has been teaching at Rhodes Junior High for almost 10 years as a seventh grade science teacher. To this day, she still loves every minute of it. She is a very hard worker and makes sure that every lesson she teaches keeps the students interested. She does her best to make sure everything is full of potential before presenting it to her class. I hope that when I am older, whatever career I choose, I will work just as hard to be successful as my mom.
My mom has always been there to make sure every dream or goal of mine will come true. I like dancing and I began to compete in dance competitions since I was five. A big part of dance life is travelling, for the most part, pretty far. Because my dad always goes on business trips, my mom always helps me to get to the places I needed to be. No matter what she was doing, she made sure I was there and on time with all my costumes, make-up, and dance shoes ready to perform. Thanks to my mom, now I am a famous dancer in my city.
注意:
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 应使用5个以上短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后， 请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
I’m fortunate enough to have a thoughtful enough mom to help me through hard times.
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Paragraph 2:
Everyone has one person they look up to as a role model.
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假定你是高一学生李华，你校学生将在暑假进行“读一本好书”的活动，以鼓励每个学生都参与到阅读当中。你的英国朋友Leslie给你发邮件询问相关情况，请你根据下列要点写一封邮件回复她：
1. 目前存在的一些不良现象；
2. 阅读的好处；
3. 你的建议。
注意：1. 词数100左右，开头已写好，不计入词数；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
Dear Leslie,
We are assigned to get involved in the activity to read a good book in our summer holiday, which I think is greatly meaningful.
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Yours,
Li Hua
