单选题When I was still an architecture student, a teacher told me, "We learn more from buildings that fall down than from buildings that stand up." What he meant was that construction is as much the result of experience as of theory. Although structural design follows established formulas, the actual performance of a building is complicated by the passage of time, the behavior of users, the natural elements--and unnatural events. All are difficult to simulate. Buildings, unlike cars, can't be crash-tested. The first important lesson of the World Trade Center collapse is that tall buildings can withstand the impact of a large jetliner. The twin towers were supported by 59 perimeter columns on each side. Although about 30 of these columns, extending from four to six floors, were destroyed in each building by the impact, initially both towers remained standing. Even so, the death toll (代价) was about-2 245 people lost their lives. I was once asked, how tall buildings should be designed given what we'd learned from the World Trade Center collapse. My answer was, "Lower." The question of when a tall building becomes unsafe is easy to answer. Common aerial fire-fighting ladders in use today are 100 feet high and can reach to about the 10th floor; So fires in buildings up to 10 stories high can be fought from the exterior (外部). Fighting fires and evacuating occupants above that height depend on fire stairs. The taller the building, the longer it will take for firefighters to climb to the scene of the fire. So the simple answer to the safety question is "Lower than 10 stories." Then why don't cities impose lower height limits? A 60-story office building does not have six times as much rentable space as a 10-story building. However, all things being equal, such a building will produce four times more revenue and four times more in property taxes. So cutting building heights would mean cutting city budgets. The most important lesson of the World Trade Center collapse is not that we should stop building tall buildings but that we have misjudged their cost. We did the same thing when we underestimated the cost of hurtling along a highway in a steel box at 70 miles per hour. It took many years before seat belts, air hags, radial tires, and antilock brakes became commonplace. At first, cars simply were too slow to warrant concern. Later, manufacturers resisted these expensive devices, arguing that consumers would not pay for safety. Now we do-- willingly.

单选题The article does not mention whether the scientists' experiments with dogs have ______.

单选题Two (woman) teachers and four (girl) students (were) praised (at) the meeting yesterday. A. woman B. girl C. were D. at

单选题In the second paragraph the writer mainly discusses ______

单选题I think this is the first time that we have met．______ anywhere．A．Before have we never seen each otherB．Never before we have seen each otherC．Each other have We seen never beforeD．Never before have we seen each other

单选题Parties are therefore free to strive for a settlement without {{U}}jeopardizing{{/U}} their chances for or in a trim if mediation is unsuccessful.

单选题Mrs. James______a divorce from her husband, for she can no longer______ his stormy temper.(北京大学2005年试题)

单选题Anyone who has any understanding of China will agree that we will be able to achieve a soft landing, supported by buoyant domestic demand.

单选题As the sky lightened even more, they began to ______ their surroundings more clearly. A. fall out B. fall into C. makeup D. make out

单选题At first the university refused to purchase the telescope, but this decision was ______ revised. A. consecutively B. consequently C. successively D. subsequently

单选题This is the best novel ______ I have ever read. A. which B. where C. that D. what

单选题She was pale with ______ after working for three shifts in succession.

单选题With nothing ______ to burn, the fire became weak and finally died out.

单选题Spread the cream evenly over your arms and legs and ______ it into the skin. A. mastermind B. massacre C. massage D. message

单选题Experimenting with household objects can often get young people in trouble, but for one intelligent, inquisitive boy, it created the foundation of his future. Young Henry Ford discovered through his curious mind that many objects were useful for much more than their intended purposes. For example, he used to tinker with his father's fanning tools to see what they could do. He used his mother's darning needles to help him repair watches. And once, in an effort to study the power to steam, he sat and watched water boil in his mother's teapot. Little did Ford know that these experiments would lead him to creating a means of transportation that would change the world forever. Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863, near Detroit, Michigan. He was the oldest of six children and the grandson of immigrants from Ireland who came to America in 1847. His family were farmers, and he grew up on the family farm where he began to develop mechanical skills. Through his experiences on the farm with his father, Henry developed a great curiosity about how things worked. When traveling in his father's wagon, Henry would often wonder if there were a faster and easier way to travel. A time he remembered for the rest of his life happened when he was only thirteen years old. He was riding in the wagon with his father, and he spotted a steam engine traveling along the road under its own power. Henry was so excited that he ran toward the engine and asked its driver question after question about the incredible machine. This machine was used for sawing wood and other tasks that required it to remain stationary, but the engine was mounted on wheels to propel itself from one location to another. Henry was so excited that the driver let him fire the engine and even run it. From that point on, Henry Ford's dream of creating a self-propelled vehicle began to materialize. Ford wanted to move to Detroit to work in the machine shops, but he stayed on the family farm until he was seventeen. At that time, he started his successful journey by moving to Detroit. He began working at the Michigan Car Company for $1.10 a day, but he was fired because he was faster than anyone else at making repairs. It took him only one hour to do what took others five hours to do! From there he took on a variety of different jobs but his dream continued to be the creation of a "horseless carriage." No matter where he worked, he continued to read about gas engines and experiment in his own workshop. In 1896 Ford's efforts began to pay off when he was working at the Detroit Edison Illuminating Company. His first self-propelled vehicle was ready for a try-out. As it started to run, it actually frightened the horses and caused many people to protest, but it ran. It was at the Detroit Edison Illuminating Company where Ford met Thomas Edison. Ford had always admired Thomas Edison's work and was excited when he discovered that Edison agreed that it had possibilities and encouraged him to continue. This gave Ford the incentive to invent an operable car that was written up in the Detroit Journal where he was described as a "mechanical engineer." Soon his work on automobiles caused him to have to leave the Detroit Edison Illuminating Company. Ford wanted more time to work on automobile building so he was forced to quit his job. Ford's dream began to materialize with his invention of automobiles and the development of the assembly line. His dream of creating a "motor car for the great multitude.., constructed of the best materials by the best men to be hired.., so low in price that no man making a good salary will be unable to own one..." came true with the invention of his ninth car, the Model T. It sold more than any other car for eighteen years between 1908 and 1926. This commonplace, hard working, sturdy car made up over one half of all the cars sold at this time. Today we are reminded of Ford's genius whenever we see one of his "horseless carriages" traveling across the many highways in our world. Who would have guessed for the world? The next time you see a child experimenting with different common objects, keep in mind that you may be witnessing the beginning of another great invention.

单选题{{B}}Directions: For each blank in the following passage, there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that is most suitable and mark your answer by blackening the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet.{{/B}} You really have to get very old before you realize you're old. I'm in my middle fifties and I don't feel{{U}} (21) {{/U}}yet. However, sometimes I look back at my childhood and{{U}} (22) {{/U}}things to the way life is for{{U}} (23) {{/U}}kids. Some things have certainly changed. One area of change is{{U}} (24) {{/U}}. Some changes have been improvements. Some changes, on the other hand, have been{{U}} (25) {{/U}}. When I started school, most people didn't have a television; TV was just beginning to get{{U}} (26) {{/U}}. My father decided to go all out and buy a 16 inch black and white Motorola{{U}} (27) {{/U}}. I still re-member watching the Lone Ranger save people from the{{U}} (28) {{/U}}guys on that awesome electronic ma- chine. That was exciting! Now,{{U}} (29) {{/U}}have larger pictures in full color. The pictures are clearer and the sound is much more{{U}} (30) {{/U}}. The new high definition sets are made to rival{{U}} (31) {{/U}}screens. The variety and quantity of programming has{{U}} (32) {{/U}}greatly. There are hundreds of channels and more shows than one person could ever watch. There are many fine entertainment and educational{{U}} (33) {{/U}}. There's also a lot of garbage, stuff that most{{U}} (34) {{/U}}don't want their kids exposed to. Overall, we have more choices, and that is good. I wonder what{{U}} (35) {{/U}}will be like when today's kids are my age.