单选题She read a poem which depicts the splendor of the sunset.

单选题"Salty" Rice Plant Boosts Harvests British scientists are breeding a new generation of rice plants that will be able to grow in soil containing salt water. Their work may enable abandoned farms to become productive once more. Tim Flowers and Tony Yeo, from Sussex University"s School of Biological Sciences, have spent several years researching how crops, such as rice, could be made to grow in water that has become salty. The pair have recently begun a three-year programme, funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, to establish which genes enable some plants to survive salty conditions. The aim is to breed this capability into crops, starting with rice. It is estimated that each year more than 10m hectares (公顷)of agricultural land are lost because salt gets into the soil and stunts (妨碍生长)plants. The problem is caused by several factors. In the tropics, mangroves (红树林)that create swamps (沼泽)and traditionally formed barriers to sea water have been cut down. In the Mediterranean, a series of droughts have caused the water table to drop, allowing sea water to seep (渗透)in. In Latin America, irrigation often causes problems when water is evaporated (蒸发)by the heat, leaving salt deposits behind. Excess salt then enters the plants and prevents them functioning normally. Heavy concentrations of minerals in the plants stop them drawing up the water they need to survive. To overcome these problems, Flowers and Yeo decided to breed rice plants that take in very little salt and store what they do absorb in cells that do not affect the plants" growth. They have started to breed these characteristics into a new rice crop, but it will take about eight harvests before the resulting seeds are ready to be considered for commercial use. Once the characteristics for surviving salty soil are known, Flowers and Yeo will try to breed the appropriate genes into all manners of crops and plants. Land that has been abandoned to nature will then be able to bloom again, providing much needed food in the poorer countries of the world.

单选题In Sports, Red is the Winning Color When opponents of a game are equally matched, the team dressed in red is more likely to win, according to a new study. British anthropologists Russell Hill and Robert Barton of the University of Durham reached that conclusion by studying the outcomes of one-on-one boxing, tae kwon do, Greco-Roman-wresting, and freestyle-wrestling matches at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. In each event Olympic staff randomly assigned red or blue clothing or body protection to competitors. When otherwise equally matched with their opponent in fitness and skill, athletes wearing red were more likely to win the bout. "Where there was a large point difference—presumably because one contestant was far superior to the other—color had no effect on the outcome," Barton said. "Where there was a small point difference, the effect of color was sufficient to tip the balance." In equally matched bouts, the preponderance of red wins was great enough that it could not be attributed to chance, the anthropologists say. Hill and Barton found similar results in a review of the colors worn at the Euro 2004 international soccer tournament. Their report will be published in tomorrow's issue of the journal Nature. Joanna Setchell, a primate researcher at the University of Cambridge in England, has found similar results in nature. Her work with the large African monkeys known as mandrills shows that red coloration gives males an advantage when it comes to mating. The finding that red also has an advantage in human sporting events does not surprise her, adding that "the idea of the study is very clever." Hill and Barton got the idea for their study out of a mutual interest in the evolution of sexual signals in primates—"red seems to be the color, across species, that signals male dominance and testosterone levels," Barton said. For example, studies by Setchell, the Cambridge primate researcher, show that dominant male mandrills have increased red coloration in their faces and rumps. Another study by other scientists shows that red plastic rings experimentally placed on the legs of male zebra finches increase the birds' dominance. Barton said he and Hill speculated some speculated that "there might be a similar effect in humans. And if so, it could be apparent in sporting contests." The pair say their results indicate that sexual selection may have influenced the evolution of humans' response to color. Setchell, the primatologist, agrees. "As Hill and Barton say, humans redden when we are angry and pale when we're scared. These are very important signals to other individuals," she said. The advantage of red may be intuitively known, judging from the prevalence of red uniforms in sports—"though it is clearly not very widely appreciated, on a conscious level at least," Barton said. He adds that the finding of red's advantage might have implications for regulations that govern sporting attire. In the Olympic matches he surveyed for the new study, for example, it is possible some medal winners may have reached the pedestal with an unintended advantage. "That is the implication, though we cannot say that it made the difference in any one specific case," Barton said. Meanwhile, Setchell noted—tongue-in-cheek—that a red advantage may not be limited to sports. "Going by the recent [U.S.] election results, red is indeed quite successful," she said.

单选题The national foreclosure average is now 3%, but the average for subprime loans (不良贷款)—a disproportionate share of mortgages in high - stress markets—is 13.9%. That number could rise even after the recession ends because solid economic growth can't bring back housing prices that fell so tar 80 fast after the boom. "We had a housing decline in Massachusetts in the 1990s with no recession, "says Mark Fleming, chief economist of real estate analytics firm First American CoreLogic, "and a recession in 2001 within the middle of the housing boom. " In other words, home prices and lending rates rising right along with the economy was never good for borrowers. What does the author what to convey to the reader by quoting Mark Fleming's remarks?A. The general economy cannot have immediate impact on housing market.B. Homes prices may start to decline at any time without warning.C. Even housing boom can lead to economic recession.D. People shouldn't borrow money even when economy is in boom.

单选题His stomach felt Uhollow/U with fear.

单选题We have to ask them to {{U}}quit{{/U}} talking in order that all people present could hear us dearly.

单选题{{B}}第二篇{{/B}} Feast on Turkey and Good Wishes at Thanksgiving Four weeks ago US children dressed as monsters and asked for sweets. That was Halloween. In a few weeks, American houses will be red and green and filled with presents for Christmas. As if all this isn't enough, on Thursday this week, America will enjoy another festival — Thanksgiving. Children will have two days off school, shops will close and houses will be filled with families enjoying mountains of food. Every year, in Gainesville, Florida, all entire class celebrate Thanksgiving together. The class dresses up and puts on plays for their families. After the plays the families share a feast of traditional Thanksgiving foods like turkey and pumpkin pie (南瓜派). Dean Foster, an 11-year-old boy will take part in this celebration. He said: "I love Thanksgiving because it means time off school, lots of nice food and a happy family." His brother Ben, nine, said :"the best thing about Thanksgiving, is that when it is finished, it is time to start Christmas." But behind the food and the large amount of money spent there is another message. On Thursday evening, Dean and Ben's family will make a basket and put it on the table as they eat their evening meal. Each of them will write a list of things that they are thankful for and place the paper in the basket. The family will read the pieces of paper and take time to thank God and each other for providing them with comfortable and happy lives. Thanksgiving is a traditional festival that started in 1621 ,when the first pilgrims (朝圣的人) arrived in the US to start a new life. After a hard year, they had a big autumn harvest (收获). They held a feast and invited the native American Indians along to thank God for giving them enough food. Many countries celebrate Thanksgiving. They often fall after the fields have been harvested and the crops collected for winter.

单选题A will is a document written to ensure that the wishes of the deceased are {{U}}realized{{/U}}.

单选题Winston Churchill gave a moving speech.

单选题She was {{U}}awarded{{/U}} a prize for the film.

单选题 Eat Healthy "Clean your plate!" and "Be a member of the clean-plate club!" Just about every kid in the US has heard this from a parent or grandparent. Often, it's accompanied by an appeal: "Just think about those starving orphans in Africa!" Sure, we should be grateful for every bite of food. Unfortunately, many people in the US take too many bites. Instead of staying "clean the plate", perhaps we should save some food for tomorrow. According to news reports, US restaurants are partly to blame for the growing bellies. A waiter puts a plate of food in front of each customer, with two to four times the amount recommended by the government, according to a USA Today story. Americans traditionally associate quantity with value and most restaurants try to give them that. They prefer to have customers complain about too much food rather than too little. Barbara Rolls, a nutrition professor at Pennsylvania State University, told USA Today that restaurant portion sizes began to grow in the 1970s, the same time that the American waistline began to expand. Health experts have tried to get many restaurants to serve smaller portions. Now, apparently, some customers are calling for this, too. The restaurant industry trade magazine QSR "reported last month that 57 percent of more than 4,000 people surveyed believe restaurants serve portions that are too large; 23 percent had no opinion; 20 percent disagreed. But a closer look at the survey indicates that many Americans who can't afford fine dining still prefer large-portions. 70 percent of those earning at least $150,000 per year prefer smaller portions; but only 45 percent of those earning less than $ 25,000 want smaller. It's not that working class Americans don't want to eat healthy. It's just that, after long hours at low-paying jobs, getting less on their plate hardly seems like a good deal. They live from paycheck to paycheck, happy to save a little money for next year's Christmas presents.

单选题阅读下面的短文，文中有15处空白，每处空白给出4个选项，请根据短文的内容从4个选项中选择1个最佳答案。 Hitchhiking(搭车旅游) When I was in my teens(十几岁) and 20s, hitchhiking was a main form of long-distance transport. The kindness or curiosity of strangers {{U}}(51) {{/U}} me all over Europe, North America, Asia and southern Africa. Some of the lift-givers became friends, many provided hospitality {{U}}(52) {{/U}} the road. Not only did you find out much more about a country than {{U}}(53) {{/U}}traveling by train or plane, but also there was that element of excitement about where you would finish up that night. Hitchhiking featured importantly in Western culture. It has books and songs about it. So what has happened to {{U}}(54) {{/U}}? A few years ago, I asked the same question about hitchhiking in a column on a newspaper. {{U}}(55) {{/U}} of people from all over the world responded with their view on the state of hitchhiking. "If there is a hitchhiker's {{U}}(56) {{/U}} it must be lran," came one reply. Rural Ireland was recommended as a friendly place for hitchhiking, {{U}}(57) {{/U}} was Quebec, Canada. "if you don't mind being berated(严厉指责) for not speaking French. " But while hitchhiking was clearly still alive and well in many parts of the world, the {{U}}(58) {{/U}} feeling was that throughout much of the west it was doomed(消亡). With so much news about crime in the media, people assumed that anyone on the open road without the money for even a bus ticket must present a danger. But do we {{U}}(59) {{/U}}to be so wary both to hitchhike and to give a lift? In Poland in the 1960s, {{U}}(60) {{/U}}a Polish woman who e-m/filed me, "the authorities introduced the Hitchhiker's Booklet. The booklet contained coupons for drivers, so each time a driver {{U}}(61) {{/U}} somebody, he or she received a coupon. At the end of the season, {{U}}(62) {{/U}} who had picked up the most hikers were rewarded with various prizes. Everybody was hitchhiking then. " Surely this is a good idea for society. Hitchhiking would increase respect by breaking down {{U}}(63) {{/U}} between strangers. It would help fight {{U}}(64) {{/U}}warming by cutting down on fuel consumption as hitchhikers would be using existing fuels. It would also improve educational standards by delivering instant {{U}}(65) {{/U}}in geography, history, politics and sociology.

单选题TV Games Shows One of the most fascinating things about television is the size of the audience. A novel can be on the "best sellers" list with a sale of fewer than 100,000 copies, but a popular TV show might have 70 million TV viewers. TV can make anything or anyone well known overnight. This is the principle behind "quiz" or "game" shows, which put ordinary people on TV to play a game for the prize and money. A quiz show can make anyone a star, and it can give away thousands of dollars just for fun. But all of this money can create problems. For instance, in the 1950s, quiz shows were very popular in the US and almost everyone watched them. Charles Van Doren, an English instructor, became rich and famous after winning money on several shows. He even had a career as a television personality. But one of the losers proved that Charles Van Doren was cheating. It turned out that the show's producers, who were pulling the strings, gave the answers to the most popular contestants beforehand. Why? Because if the audience didn't like the person who won the game, they turned the show off. Based on his story, a movie under the title "Quiz Show" is on 40 years later. Charles Van Doren is no longer involved with TV. But game shows are still here, though they aren't taken as seriously. In fact, some of them try to be as ridiculous as possible. There are shows that send strangers on vacation trips together, or that try to cause newly-married couples to fight on TV, or that punish losers by humiliating them. The entertainment now is to see what people will do just to be on TV. People still win money, but the real prize is to be in front of an audience of millions.

单选题Techniques to employ the energy of the sun are being developed. A. convert B. store C. use D. receive

单选题阅读下面这篇短文，短文后列出7个句子，请根据短文的内容对每个句子做出判断。 {{B}} The Origin of the Air Mail{{/B}} At Blackpool Holt Thomas and Graham-White agreed to make a practical experiment in carrying mails by aeroplane. The idea, as it was first worked out, was for the aeroplane to fly from Blackpool airport across to Southport airport, and for the mails to be taken over by the Post Office there. But the programme had to be changed owing to a series of high winds. What happened in the end was that Graham-White took a mail-bag in his plane, and made a flight with it across country for a distance of about seven miles, returning to the airport. This experiment gave Graham-White the honour of being the first airman in England to carry a bag of mail across country in an aeroplane. Letters and postcards which were carried in this test, and which had a special stamp recording the fact, soon became much sought after by collectors. The second and more important experiment in British air mail transport took place in September 1911, and was the first of its kind in this country to obtain the official permission of the Postmaster-general. It was indeed one of the historical events in our airmail development. In this case as many as 130,000 letter and postcards were carried by aeroplane between London and Windsor. One of the airmen engaged in this pioneer service was the famous Gustav Hamel, flying a monoplane. I remember going out one afternoon to see him start off with one of the bags of mail. It was an extremely bad day for flying, and just before the time due for the start, the wind was blowing at nearly 50 miles an hour. None of the other pilots would have thought of going up, but Hamel—one of the finest of all pilots of the British monoplane—was not to be stopped. He jumped into his machine and fairly shot off the ground. The monoplane, so long as it was near the earth, was thrown about like a small boat on an angry sea. But Hamel gave a splendid exhibition of airmanship; as soon as he reached a great height, conditions became much steadier ,and he finished his journey without accident. This was an early demonstration that an airplane was more than a fine weather machine, and that it could fight its way successfully through violent winds. This fact impressed the postal authorities a good deal, and helped those who believed that the airplane had a great commercial future.

单选题The storm caused severe damage.

单选题In Mexico, as in Thailand and Indonesia, the government

单选题I was shocked when I saw the size of the telephone bill． A．excited B．angry C．lost D．surprised

单选题The project required ten years of diligent research.

单选题The Moon and most artificial satellites travel around the Earth in elliptical paths.