It is midnight on September 22, 2012. The sky above Manhattan,New York is filled with a curtain of colorful light. New Yorkers are fascinated by the beautiful aurora (極光). However, their fascination is short-lived.
Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker (閃爍), then become unusually bright for a few seconds. Then all the lights go out. Within 90 seconds, the entire eastern half of the US is without power.
Besides the US, Europe, Japan and China are also hit by the same terrible event. It is a violent solar flare (太陽耀斑) ,150 million kilometers away on the surface of the sun.
Science fiction? No. A report funded by NASA and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences in January this year says it could happen.
A massive solar flare is most likely on a spring or autumn night in 2012, according to the report.
Solar flares are huge explosions on the surface of the sun. In a matter of just a few minutes they heat material to many millions of degrees and release as much energy as a billion megatons (百萬噸) of TNT explosives. Solar flares release a stream of charged high-energy particles (粒子). They are called “solar winds”.
If one solar “wind” should hit the Earth’s magnetic shield (磁場), the result could be terrible for humans.
But there’s no need to run for cover from solar winds. They do not harm life on Earth, they only affect the way we live, especially since we depend so much on modern technology. They can pump extra electricity into power lines and pipelines, causing blackouts and fuel leaks. Solar winds are also known to affect mobile phone operations and may disrupt wireless Internet services.
Moreover, solar winds can prevent normal satellite operations, and disrupt radio communications and navigation systems such as the Global Positioning System.
Auroras are powered by solar wind. This wind blows past the Earth at about 400-700 km per second and creates storms in the Earth’s magnetic environment. In the polar regions these explode into southern or northern polar lights.
The most serious solar storm that hit Earth in history happened in 1859. It caused the failure of telegraph systems in Europe and North America.
So, for humans, the sun is a double-edged sword. Without the sun, there would be no life on Earth. Without the sun, Earth would be a frozen dark ball floating in space. However, on the other hand, the sun can disorder our lives from time to time.
56. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. It introduces to readers the advantages and disadvantages of the sun.
B. It describes a science fiction set in Manhattan on 22 September 2012.
C. It shows readers the way in which solar winds form inside the sun.
D. It explains what solar flares are and their effects on human life.
57. The first two paragraphs are written ____.
A. to show a beautiful scene in a true story
B. to describe the beautiful scenery of Manhattan
C. to describe the power problem around the world
D. to introduce the topic of this passage
58. What can we conclude from the passage?
A. Solar flares will do great harm to those who are using the Internet.
B. Solar flares cannot reach as far as the polar regions.
C. Solar flares are huge explosions that happen inside the sun.
D. But for our reliance on technology, solar flares wouldn’t
affect us so much.
59. Solar winds will likely affect us in the following ways EXCEPT that ____.
A. normal satellite operations will be stopped
B. the lights in the areas affected will go out at the same time
C. people on the streets will be struck to death
D. some navigation systems will be out of order
科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:
This is not an economical way to get more water; ________, it is very expensive.
A.on the contrary B.on the other hand
C.in a word D.rather than
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:
. It is difficult for us to learn a lesson in life __________ we’ve actually had that lesson.
A. until B. after
C. since D. when
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
Dorothy Brown was very happy as she sat in the theatre listening to the music. Today her little daughter Lauren was giving her ___1___ concert. She had been waiting for this __2__ for years and years. “Now it is here at last,” she thought. “How beautiful her ___3___ is.”
The song made her ___4___ to the days when she was Lauren’s ___5___. As a young ___6___, Dorothy wanted to be a concert singer. She studied ___7___ in France, Italy and in the United States. “You can become a fine ___8___ in the future,” her teachers told her. “But you must be ___9___ to study hard and work for many years. There will be ___10___ time for anything but music in your life.”
Dorothy was ___11___ at that time and she was ___12___ that music was all she wanted or needed to ___13___ her life. For almost a year Dorothy ___14___ of nothing else. Then she ___15___ David, a young engineer traveling Europe. They soon fell in ___16___. David asked her to be his ___17___. Dorothy also wanted to marry David. But she loved ___18___, too. She didn’t know what to do. David was against her being a singer. He said, “If you want to be a singer, you must forget about getting married. You can’t ___19___ do both.” Thus her days were gone and would never return.
Now Lauren became a singer instead of her, which was her ___20___.
1. A. sorry B. successful C. first D. wonderful
2. A. dance B. moment C. show D. party
3. A. voice B. face C. dress D. life
4. A. think of B. bring back C. go back D. come back
5. A. age B. friend C. mother D. teacher
6. A. musician B. pop star C. lady D. girl
7. A. French B. music C. piano D. dance
8. A. actress B. student C. singer D. dancer
9. A. prepared B. learning C. driven D. waiting
10. A. some B. any C. no D. enough
11. A. eight B. eighteen C. eighty D. eighty-eight
12. A. lucky B. sure C. afraid D. fond
13. A. fill B. live C. lead D. take
14. A. heard B. knew C. talked D. thought
15. A. saw off B. learned from C. heard of D. met with
16. A. love B. feeling C. music D. touch
17. A. assistant B. teacher C. wife D. student
18. A. him B. engineering C. herself D. music
19. A. certainly B. possibly C. only D. mainly
20. A. thought B. hope C. purpose D. will
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
If you travel around the world , you will be surprised to find just how different the foreign customs can be from your own .
A visitor to India would do well to remember that people there consider it impolite to use the left hand for passing food at table . The left hand is supposed to be used for washing yourself . Also in India , you might see a man apparently shaking his head at another and assume that he is disagreeing . But in many parts of India a shake of the head is a gesture that shows agreement of acceptance .
Nodding your head when offered a drink in Bulgaria is likely to leave you thirsty . In that country you shake your head to indicate “yes” —a nod indicates “no”. The Arabs are known for their hospitality . At a meal in countries on the Arabic Peninsula , you will find that any drinking vessel (容器,器皿)is repeatedly refilled as soon as you drink it up .
In Europe it is quite usual to cross your legs when sitting talking to someone , even at an important meeting . Doing this when meeting an important person in Thailand , however , could cause offence . It is too informal an attitude for such an occasion . Also when in Thailand you are not supposed to touch the head of an adult —it’s just not done . In Japan , it is quite usual for men to plan evening entertainments for themselves and leave their wives at home . In Europe such attitudes are disappearing .
Customs vary from country to country . Visitors may be at a loss as to what to do in a foreign environment . In such circumstances , the golden rule to follow is : When in Rome , do as the Romans do .
60.In which country , a left — hand is not welcomed ? .
A.Thailand B.India C Arabic peninsula D.Bulgaria
61.In which country , if someone shakes his head at another , it shows that he agrees or accepts ?
.
A.Bulgaria B.Thailand C.China D.Arabic Peninsula
62.Which of the following is impolite in Europe ? .
A.to cross your legs
B.to touch the head of an adult
C.That men plan evening entertainment and leave their wives at home
D.To drain the glass in your hand
63.If you don’t know the customs in the country where you visit , the golden rule to follow is .
A.to do as the Romans do B.to do nothing
C.to visit Rome only D.to do as the natives do
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科目:高中英語 來源: 題型:閱讀理解
One topic is rarely mentioned in all the talk of improving standards in our schools: the almost complete failure of foreign-language teaching. As a French graduate who has taught for more than twenty-five years, I believe I have some idea of why the failure is so total. 21 the faults already found out in the education system as a whole — such as child-centred learning, the “discovery” method, and the low expectations by teachers of pupils — there have been several serious 22 which have a direct effect on language teaching.
The first is the removal from the curriculum (課程) of the thorough teaching of English 23 . Pupils now do not know a verb from a noun, the subject of a sentence from its object, or the difference between the past, present, or future.
Another important error is mixed-ability teaching, or teaching in ability groups so 24 that the most able groups are 25 and are bored while the least able are lost and 26 bored. Strangely enough, few head teachers seem to be in favour of mixed-ability school football teams.
Progress depends on memory, and pupils start to forget immediately they stop having 27 lessons. This is why many people who attended French lessons at school, even those who got good grades, have 28 it a few years later. Because they never need it, they do not practice it.
Most American schools have accepted what is inevitable and 29 modern languages, even Spanish, from the curriculum. Perhaps it is time for Britain to do the same, and stop 30 resources on a subject which few pupils want or need.
21. A. Due to B. In addition to C. Instead of D. In spite of
22. A. errors B. situations C. systems D. methods
23. A. vocabulary B. culture C. grammar D. literature
24. A. wide B. similar C. separate D. unique
25. A. kept out B. turned down C. held back D. left behind
26. A. surprisingly B. individually C. equally D. hardly
27. A. extra B. traditional C. basic D. regular
28. A. needed B. forgotten C. practised D. left
29. A. restored B. absorbed C. prohibited D. withdrawn
30. A. wasting B. focusing C. exploiting D. sharing
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