a round handle on a door or drawer which you use in order to open or close it.
A.knob
B.lamp
C.shower
D.TV
A.knob
B.lamp
C.shower
D.TV
The invention of coins appears to have occurred almost simultaneously but quite independently in ancient Greece and in China in about 800 BC. The reason historians believe development was independent is because of the notable differences in the two systems.
The first money to appear in China was made of bronze. More notably, it was not -circular, but in the shape of a knife ! The knife had a hole pierced in the handle so that it could be suspended (for example, from a string), and it generally bore an inscription. Other shapes included keys or spades, but what they had in common was the pierced hole. It was probably round 250 BC that the first Chinese money we would recognize as coins appeared, and, subsequently, the famous Ming mint produced a round coin with a square hole in it. This particular coin bore the inscription, "Knife of Ming", but the knife itself had disappeared. It was from this coin that the famous "cash" developed. The Chinese word, "cash" means "a small unit of currency". Al though Chinese coins often have inscriptions, they virtually never had portraits, or types of any kind, until the 19th century when they were influenced by western models.
It is implied in the passage that ______.
A.people used to prefer gold and silver as their medium of exchange
B.money was invented first in Europe and then in Asia
C.coins appeared as the result of inconvenience in exchange
D.the earliest coins were made quite differently from those we are using now
What was the original purpose of hunting?
A.To catch the wild animals.
B.To catch the birds.
C.To catch the fish.
D.To provide food.
Suppose a man wanted to reach a distant star. Even if he traveled his whole life, he would have to move faster than the speed of light. Nothing can move that fast except light itself.
Strange things happen to an object when it moves rapidly. The object weighs more. An object moving at 86 percent of the speed of light is twice as heavy as it is at rest. A stick appears shorter. A clock runs more slowly. A man would not age so fast as he would on the earth.
Light travels more than 186, 000 miles a second, or about 11 million miles a minute. In one year, light travels six trillion(万亿) miles. That great distance is called a light-year. It is used to measure distances in space.
The star closest to our sun is Alpha Centrauri (半人马座a星). It is more than four lightyears away. If one traveled at the speed of light, he could make a round trip to Alpha Centauri in nine years. But, even at that speed, he could not reach Alcaid (北斗星)in the handle of the Big Dipper. A one-way journey to Alcaid would take almost 200 years!
Why do we measure the distance in light-years instead of miles?
A.Units of light-years sound better.
B.Using light-years reduced the number of figures used.
C.We used to measure distance in light-years long ago.
D.We do not make mistakes when we use light-years.
The Compass
The great sea voyages of Europe's "Age of Discovery," such as Christopher Columbus's trip to the West Indies in 1492, would have been impossible without the use of a compass. This great device for sea voyages was introduced to the West from China during the thirteenth century A.D. We have to thank ancient Chinese for their invention of the compass.
Two thousand years ago the Chinese had already developed a working compass. A piece of lodestone (天然磁石) would be cut into the shape of a ladle (长柄勺). Placed on a stone board with a smooth surface, the lodestone would move round until the "handle" of the ladle pointed south while the bulk (主体) of the ladle was attracted to magnetic north. This interestingly shaped device is mentioned in a book from about A.D. 80. Other ancient books may have dated it as far back as the fourth century B.C. Jade (玉石) finders played an important role in the invention of the "ladle". They travelled great distances to look for jade. in order not to lose directions, they would take a "ladle" with them.
The jade connection is important. Lodestone is a hard material—though not as hard as some jade. And the making of a magnetic "ladle", as well as a highly smooth stone board, would have required great skill. This suggests that the compass was invented by the jade finders of ancient China.
However, the making of a "ladle" was a tough job. Much work needed to shape a piece of lodestone into a ladle would mean much of its natural magnetism (磁性) had been lost. This again meant that only a few "ladles" could have been produced. Small numbers of ladies produced and growing need for navigation led to a search for ways to produce more compasses, and at the same time, smaller and better compasses.
What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A.Columbus was a great sailor and discoverer.
B.The compass was invented by Columbus.
C.The invention of the compass is important in human history.
D.Columbus introduced the compass to the West Indies.
The Compass
The great sea voyages of Europe's “Age of Discovery”, such as Christopher Columbus’s trip to the West Indies in 1492, would have been impossible without the use of a compass. This great device for sea voyage was introduced to the West from China during the thirteenth century A.D.We have to thank ancient Chinese for their invention of the compass.
Two thousand years ago the Chinese had already developed a working compass. A piece of lodestone(天然磁石)would be cut into the shape of a ladle (长柄勺). Placed on a stone board with a smooth surface, the loadstone would move round until the “handle” of the ladle pointed south while the bulk (主体) of the ladle was attracted to magnetic north(北磁极). This interestingly shaped device is mentioned in a book from about A.D. 80.Other ancient books may have dated it as far back as the fourth century B. C.Jade findersplayed an important role in the invention of the "ladle". They traveled great distances to look for jade. In order not to lose directions, they would take a "ladle" with them.
The jade connection is important. Lodestone is a hard material though not as hard as some jade(玉石). And the making of a magnetic "ladle", as well as a highly smooth stone board, would have required great skill. This suggests that the compass was invented by the jade finders of ancient China.
However, the making of a "ladle" was a tough job. Much work needed to shape a piece of lodestone into a ladle would mean much of its natural magnetism(磁性)had been lost . This again meant that only a few "ladles" could have been produced. Small numbers of ladles produced and growing need for navigation led to a search for ways to produce more compasses, and at the same time, smaller and better compasses.
第 36 题 What is the first paragraph mainly about?
A.Columbus was a great sailor and discoverer.
B.The compass was invented by Columbus.
C.The invention of the compass is important in human history.
D.Columbus introduced the compass to the West Indies.
SECTION C NEWS BROADCAST
Directions: In this section you will hear everything ONCE ONLY. Listen carefully and then answer the questions that follow. At the end of each news item, you will be given 10 seconds to answer the questions.
听力原文: World Trade Organization members approved a plan on Sunday to end export subsidies on farm products and cut import duties across the world, a key step toward a comprehensive global accord that has been discussed since 2001, trade officials said.
The deal was approved by a consensus of the 147-nation body shortly after midnight, opening the way for full negotiations to start in September.
The approval followed a breakthrough earlier Saturday when some 20 key countries approved a document setting out the framework for a legally binding treaty, WTO spokesman Keith Rockwell said.
The document commits nations to lowering import duties and reducing government support in the three major areas of international trade—industrial goods, agriculture and service industries such as telecommunications and banking.
The deal will set back in motion the long-stalled "round" of trade liberalization treaty talks launched by WTO members in Doha, Qatar, in 2001, but delayed by the collapse of the body's ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico, last year.
In agriculture, the document agrees to eliminate export subsidies and other forms of government support for exports, while making big cuts to other subsidies. It includes a "down payment" that would see an immediate 20 percent cut in the maximum permitted payments by rich nations.
The highest agricultural import tariffs will face the biggest cuts, although no figures have yet been agreed. Nations will have the right to keep higher tariffs on some of the products they consider most important.
The biggest sticking point apparently was how to handle those farm products on which a group of 10 countries, including Japan and Switzerland, want to maintain higher import tariffs to protect domestic producers.
The collapsed WTO's ministerial meeting was held in ______ last year.
A.Mexico
B.Qatar
C.Japan
D.Switzerland
These men were handy with tools and knew how to handle a horse. Some of them discovered the use of rope to catch cattle and developed the lariat (套索). Their life was not an easy one. In winter, they watched over the herds and in the springtime they selected cattle for market often driving herds of them hundreds of miles to the nearest town. The cattle were then sold to buyers and the routine would start all over again.
His workday was long beginning before sunrise and lasting well into the night. His best friend was his horse and he spent most of his waking hours in the saddle. His speech was a mixture of Spanish and English and at night by a campfire he wove his speech into songs about life on the prairie.
A great boon to the life of the cowboy was the building of the railroads which connected eastern cities to those out West. In 1866, when the Kansas and Pacific railroad reached the small dusty village of Abilene in Kansas, the life of the cowboy was connected to the rest of the country. Hundreds of small cow towns grew up along the old trails which led the cattle to market, and thus the west became integrated into the economic life of the country.
Today the life of the cowboy is quite different from those early days after the Civil War. Helicopters rather than horses are now used to round up the cattle and modern technology used in the ranches has made the cowboy's life less formidable(难对付的). Yet, the legends which surround him continue to make his image as the masterful hero of the Wild West.
What situation existed in Texas by the end of the Civil War?
A.The land was filled with cowboys.
B.The land was full of wild cattle.
C.The land was fertile for grazing.
D.The land was at peace again.
为了保护您的账号安全,请在“简答题”公众号进行验证,点击“官网服务”-“账号验证”后输入验证码“”完成验证,验证成功后方可继续查看答案!