Mountains of smoke and fire
Deep under the Earth’s surface, it’s so hot that even rock melts. Sometimes this molten rock, called “magma”, is pushed up to the surface.1.And the opening or vent that lets the lava out is a volcano.
A volcano may explode violently, throwing out rocks for miles around.2.Some volcanoes release clouds of poisonous gas or huge clouds of ash. Volcanoes can even do all these things underwater.
Most volcanoes have been around for a very long time. Many haven’t erupted for years and have cooled off. Volcanoes that are not going to erupt again are called “dead volcanoes”. Some volcanoes still give off smoke. These “sleeping volcanoes” may “wake up” one day and erupt again. 3. But one day in AD 79 it suddenly woke up. Its eruption threw out hot ash and rocky fragments (碎片) that buried the city of Pompeii. A hot mud-flow buried nearby Herculaneum. Because the remains are so well preserved, the area has been named a World Heritage site.
But not all volcanoes are destructive. When a volcano throws out vast amounts of lava and debris (岩屑), it piles up into a mountain.4.
Other volcanoes help provide heat and energy. Many Icelandic homes get their hot water from springs heated by volcanic steam.5. Plants grow very well in the rich soil left by volcanoes. And valuable gems, such as diamonds, can sometimes be found in the rocks that are thrown out by volcanoes.
A.At this point it is referred to as “lava”.
B.The molten rock is formed inside the Earth.
C.This steam can also be used to produce electricity.
D.Mount Vesuvius in Italy slept for a thousand years.
E.Or it may push lava out so that it flows away, cools and hardens.
F.Japan has many active volcanoes within its narrow national territory.
G.The Hawaiian Islands and the island of Iceland were created in this way.
Most of us likely consider snakes to be cold to others of their kind, just as they are cold to us human beings.
But those beliefs are wrong-especially when it comes to garter snakes (袜带蛇) , a new study says. These nonpoisonous creatures, which range from the chilly plains of Canada to the forests of Costa Rica, have special preferences about which snakes they hang out with-in other words, they have “friends.”
“All animals-even snake-need to interact with others,” says study leader Morgan Skinner, a doctoral candidate in behavioral ecology at Wilfrid Laurier University in Canada. To investigate this theory, Skinner carried out a novel experiment to assess the personalities and sociability of eastern garter snakes. The results showed that “like us, they seek out social contacts, and they’re particular about whom they socialize with,” says Skinner.
The idea that snakes have close friends may be surprising, but such relationships are increasingly being found throughout the animal kingdom, from bats to elephants. A recent analysis of bats showed, for example, that bats and humans both have conditional friendships.
Scientists are likely better at discovering friendships among animals now than, say, 30 years ago, partly because many societies are more accepting of such a concept, and because researchers have far better tools for gathering and analyzing the data.
However, the scientists have no idea what’s motivating friendships in garter snakes, though they do know it’s not related to reproduction or mating (交配): The study snakes did not prefer the opposite sex as friends. But such partnerships must be offering some benefit-otherwise the animals would not waste the energy forming such bonds. For example, snake friends usually curl up together, which helps them keep heat and defend against natural enemies.
Whatever the reason, says Gordon Burghardt, an evolutionary biologist at the University of Tennessee, the study “should help convince people that snakes aren’t all mysterious loners, but have more social intelligence and a larger social ability than most of us realize.”
1.What can we know from the new study?
A.Snakes make friends for their next generation.
B.Snakes are kinder to each other than to mankind.
C.Snakes have special preferences for their partners.
D.Snakes also need social contacts and close friends.
2.Why can friendships among animals be researched better than before?
A.Because of the unique experiment by Skinner.
B.Because of more social support and better equipment.
C.More researchers are gathering and analyzing the data.
D.More people are changing their attitude toward animals.
3.In which way is snakes’ friendship special?
A.Snakes’ friendship does not last long.
B.Snakes prefer the opposite sex as friends.
C.Snakes make friends for the benefit of themselves.
D.Snakes are not particular about whom to make friends with.
4.What’s the main idea of the text?
A.Snakes may also have friends.
B.Snakes are good at making friends.
C.Snakes can live with us peacefully.
D.Snakes will never feel lonely.
Global warming happens when greenhouse gases trap heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere, which increases the temperature. This is like when heat is trapped in a car. On a hot day, the car gets hotter when it is out in the parking lot. This is because the heat and light from the sun can get into the car, by going through the windows，but it can’t get back out. This is what the greenhouse effect does to the earth .The heat and light can get through the atmosphere, but it can’t get out .As a result, the temperature rises.
Sometimes the temperature can change in a way that helps us. The greenhouse effect makes the earth appropriate for people to live on. Without it, the earth would be freezing, or it would be burning hot. It would be freezing at night because we would not get the sun’s heat and light. During the day, especially during the summer, it would be burning because the sun would be up with no atmosphere to filter(过滤) it, so people, plants, and animals would be exposed to all the light and heat.
Although the greenhouse effect makes the earth able to have people living on it, if there gets to be too many gases, the each can get unusually warmer, and many plants, animals and people will die. Plants would die because they would not be able to take the heat .This would cause us to have less food to eat, and it would also limit the food that animals have. With less food for the animals that we need to survive we would even have less food. Gradually, people, plants, and animals would all die of hunger.
People are doing many things to try to stop global warming. One thing is carpooling-driving with someone to a place that you are both going to. Another thing is being more careful about leaving electrical devices turned on. Now, more people are even riding buses or bikes to lower the amount of greenhouse gases in the air .Although adults do many things to help stop global warming, kids call do just as much.
1.By the example given in Paragraph l, the author wants to__________.
A.explain how global warming happens
B.show his feeling in a car in hot summer
C.tell us cars are causes of greenhouse gases
D.say that I there are greenhouse gases in every car
2.The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refers to__________.
A.light B.greenhouse effect
C.temperature D.heat
3.What is the effect of atmosphere?
A.IT only traps the heat of the sun.
B.It does great harm to humans.
C.It makes the earth neither to hot nor too cold.
D.It prevents all the light from the sun shining on the earth.
4.What is the main idea of the third paragraph?
A.lf there is greenhouse effect all the plants will die
B.Human beings are likely to disappear from the earth
C.Crops can’t take in the heat lf there is greenhouse effect
D.Although greenhouse effect is necessary. Too much of it will cause us to die.
While Andrew was getting ready for work one Friday morning, he announced to his wife that he had finally decided to ask his boss for a salary raise. All day Andrew felt nervous and anxious as he thought about the upcoming showdown. What if Mr Larchmont refused to grant his request? Andrew had worked so hard in the last 18 months and landed some great accounts for Braer and Hopkins Advertising Agency. Of course, he deserved a wage increase.
The thought of walking into Larchmont’s office left Andrew weak in the knees. Late in the afternoon he was finally courageous enough to approach his superior. To his delight and surprise, the ever-frugal(一向节俭的)Harvey Larchmont agreed to give Andrew a raise!
Andrew arrived home that evening—despite breaking all city and state speed limits—to a beautiful table set with their best china, and candles lit. His wife, Tina, had prepared a delicate meal including his favorite dishes. Immediately he figured someone from the office had tipped her off!
Next to his plate Andrew found a beautiful lettered note. It was from his wife. It read: “Congratulations, my love! I knew you’d get the raise! I prepared this dinner to show just how much I love you. I am so proud of your accomplishments!” He read it and stopped to reflect on how sensitive and caring Tina was.
After dinner, Andrew was on his way to the kitchen to get dessert when he observed that a second card had slipped out of Tina’s pocket onto the floor. He bent forward to pick it up. It read: “Don’t worry about not getting the raise! You do deserve one! You are a wonderful provider and I prepared this dinner to show you just how much I love you even though you did not get the increase.”
Suddenly tears swelled in Andrew’s eyes. Total acceptance! Tina’s support for him was not conditional upon his success at work.
The fear of rejection is often softened and we can undergo almost any setback or rejection when we know someone loves us regardless of our success or failure.
1.What was Andrew’s plan that Friday?
A.To request a wage increase from his boss.
B.To get a job with the Braer and Hopkins Advertising Agency.
C.To celebrate his success with his wife at home.
D.To ask his boss to come for dinner.
2.On his way back home, Andrew _________.
A.felt weak in the knees
B.was punished by the traffic policeman
C.was too anxious to share the news
D.couldn’t wait to enjoy a meal
3.Which of the following statements about the story is FALSE?
A.Andrew was afraid that his request would lead to disaster.
B.Andrew had worked very hard and done his part for the company.
C.Andrew’s boss agreed to his request.
D.One of Andrew’s colleagues had told his wife the good news.
4.We can conclude from the text that ______.
A.we should never be afraid to ask for what is due to us
B.work hard and you will be rewarded
C.many fears turn out to be unfounded
D.unconditional love brings courage and strength
Basic Study Manual Hard cover: $37.50
Future success depends on the ability to learn. Here are the answers to the questions most often asked by parents, teachers, business trainers and by students themselves. Read this book and learn:
●What the three barriers to study are and what to do about them
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L.Ron Hubbard’s study technology for teenagers opens the door to their future success by giving them the ability to study and learn, fully illustrated for easy comprehension.
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The basics of effective study for 8 to 12 year olds is fully illustrated. Children who read and apply the materials in this book regain their liking for study and their ability to apply this knowledge to life. Get this book for a child you want to see wins at his studies!
How to Use a Dictionary: Picture Book for Children Hardcover: $34.90
In spite of millions of dollars spent on “educational research”, children are not taught the most basic skills of learning even the most basic of these: how to use a dictionary. In fact, a search of educational books for children found no book that told them how to use a dictionary or that one should. Written for children from 8 to 12 years old, this fully illustrated book will teach your children:
●How to find words in a dictionary
●The different ways that words are used
●What the different marks and symbols that are used in a dictionary mean
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1.What do the four books have in common?
A.They are all for 8 to 12 years olds
B.They are all written by L,Ron Hubbard
C.They are all study books
D.They are all based on educational research
2.If you buy the four books on April 1, 2016, you will have to pay _______ for them.
A.$129.38 B.$64.69 C.$34.90 D.$111.93
3.The purpose of the passage is to _______.
A.introduce the four books to readers
B.help children to learn English
C.provide the four books to students
D.enrich students’ knowledge about nature
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.What do the data from psychologists show?
A.Happiness brings success.
B.Few people find the right path to happiness.
C.Outside things have nothing to do with happiness.
2.What did the specialists from the universities of Illinois try to find out?
A.The secret behind success.
B.The qualities of happy people.
C.The way to be happy.
3.What do we know about the study from the universities of Illinois?
A.It included over 2,000 cases.
B.It was done by some college students.
C.It showed happy people are more independent.
4.What do the researchers think is the speedy way to become happy?
A.Being grateful for what you have.
B.Believing in others.
C.Being optimistic.
