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I don’t think I can recall a time when I wasn’t aware of the beauty of the ocean. Growing up in Australia, I had the good fortune of having the sea at my side. The first time I went to Halfmoon Bay, I suddenly had the feeling of not being able to feel the ground with my feet anymore.
For my 10th birthday, my sister and I were taken out to the Great Barrier Reef. There were fish in different colors, caves and layers of coral. They made such an impression on me. When I learned that only 1 percent of Australian’s Coral Sea was protected, I was shocked. Australian marine life is particularly important because the reefs have more marine species than any other country on earth. But sadly, only 45 percent of the world’s reefs are considered healthy.
This statistic is depressing, so it’s important for us to do everything to protect them. The hope that the Coral Sea remains a complete eco-system has led me to take action. I’ve become involved with the Protect Our Coral Sea activity, which aims to create the largest marine park in the world. It would serve as a place where the ocean’ s species will all have a safe place forever.
Together, Angus and I created a little video and we hope it will inspire people to be a part of the movement. Angus also shares many beautiful childhood memories of the ocean as a young boy, who grew up sailing, admiring the beauty of the ocean, and trying to find the secrets of ocean species.
1.From the underlined sentence in Para.1, we can learn the author ________.
A.seldom went surfing at the sea
B.forgot his experiences about the ocean
C.never went back to his hometown
D.had a wonderful impression of Halfmoon Bay
2.According to the second paragraph, Australian marine life ________.
A.is escaping from the Coral Sea gradually
B.depends on reefs for living greatly
C.may be faced with danger
D.is protected better than that in other oceans
3.The Protect Our Coral Sea activity is intended to ________.
A.contribute to a complete eco-system
B.prevent more marine species being endangered
C.set up a large nature reserve for reefs
D.raise more teenagers’ environmental awareness
4.Angus and the author created a little video to ________.
A.urge more people to take action to protect the marine species
B.inspire more people to explore the secret of the ocean
C.share their childhood experiences about the ocean
D.bring back to people their memories of ocean species
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Griffith Observatory (天文台) is a national leader in public astronomy, and one of the most popular attractions in Los Angeles. It is located on the southern slope (山坡) of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park at 1,134 feet above sea level.
Visitors may drive to the observatory and park in its parking lot or on nearby roads. No reservation (预订) is required to visit. Parking is limited, and the busiest time is weekends. Buses, taxis, and car pools are welcome. LADOT provides weekend public bus service from the Sunset/Vermont Metro Red Line Station.
Griffith Observatory is open six days a week. Admission and parking are free.
Hours of Operation
Tuesday－Friday 12 noon－10 pm
Saturday－Sunday 10 am－10 pm
Monday Closed
Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day Closed
Samuel Oschin Planetarium
The Samuel Oschin Planetarium theater offers 8 to 10 live, halfhour presentations each day. There are usually four different shows from which to choose.
Shows are presented every 60 to 90 minutes. Check the website, information desks, or the box office for each day’s show time. Being seated late is not permitted.
Samuel Oschin Planetarium tickets must be purchased at the observatory and are only available on the day of the show. The ticket prices for shows are：
Adults (13－59 years old) $7.00
Children (5－12 years old) $3.00
Seniors (60 years and older) $5.00
Students $5.00
Children under 5 years old will be admitted only to the first show each day.
Hearing assist devices are available on request.
Public Telescopes
Free public telescopes are available each evening; the observatory is open and skies are clear. The Zeiss telescope on the roof is generally open by 7 pm. All observing must be completed by 9:45 pm.
1.What can we learn about Griffith Observatory according to the passage?
A.It is open all the year around.
B.It is mostly visited at weekends.
C.It becomes famous because of Hollywood.
D.It is the most attractive place in Los Angeles.
2.Which of the following best describes the Samuel Oschin Planetarium theater?
A.Hearing assist devices are provided to seniors.
B.The shows there generally last 60 to 90 minutes.
C.Visitors are required to be seated before the show starts.
D.The tickets for the shows can be bought through the website.
3.To watch the show, a young couple with a 7yearold son should pay ________.
A.$13.00 B.$15.00
C.$17.00 D.$20.00
4.Which of the following is charged?
A.Parking. B.Telescopes.
C.Hearing assist devices. D.Watching presentations.
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Shopping centers，stadiums and universities may soon have a new tool to help fight crime.
A California company called Knightscope says its robots can predict and prevent crime. Knightscope says the goal is to reduce crime by half in areas the robots guard.
William Santana Li is the chief executive officer of Knightscope. He says，"These robot security guards will change the world. Our planet has more than seven billion people on it. It's going to quickly get to nine billion people. The security equipment that we have globally is just not going to develop that fast. The company's Autonomous Data Machines can become the eyes and ears of law enforcement（执法）."
"You want them to be machines plus humans. Let. the machines do the heavy and sometimes dangerous work and let the humans do the strategic decision-making work，so it's always working all together."
The machines do not carry weapons but they have day and night video cameras which are able to turn 360 degrees and can also sense chemical and biological weapons.
Some people may become concerned about their privacy, especially in connection with the video recordings. Some people may worry that such recordings will appear on the Internet. Eugene Volokh, a law professor at the UCLA School of Law, says the machines have to be used in the right way and it will be interesting to see how state laws deal with this kind of video.
William Santana Li says there is a long waiting list for the robots in the US. Workers in the company are working overtime to meet the demands of the market. At least 25 other countries are also interested in these robot security guards.
1.What can this new tool do for humans?
A.Make strategic decisions.
B.Keep watching day and night.
C.Carry heavy weapons.
D.Stop crime autonomously.
2.Why are some people worried about the new robots?
A.Their privacy may be let out.
B.The robots are very expensive.
C.Robots will replace humans.
D.They will be out of work soon.
3.Which of the following can be the best title of the text?
A.Robots Are Becoming More Popular
B.Robots Contribute a Lot to the World
C.Robots Are in Great Demand Now
D.Security Robots Could Help Cut Crime
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For high school leavers starting out in the working world, it is very important to learn particular skills and practice how to behave in an interview or how to find all internship(实习). In some countries, schools have programs to help students onto the path to work. In the United States, however, such programs are still few and far between.
Research shows that if high schools provide career-related courses, students are likely to get higher earnings in later years. In Germany, students as young as 13 and 14 are expected to do internships. German companies work with schools to make sure that young people get the education they need for future employment.
But in America, education reform (改革) programs focus on how well students do in exams instead of bringing them into contact with the working world. Harvard Education school professor Robert Schwartz has criticized education reformers for trying to place all graduates directly on the four-year college track. Schwartz argued that this approach leaves the country’s most vulnerable(易受影响的) kids with no jobs and no skills.
Schwartz believed that the best career programs encourage kids to go for higher education while also teaching them valuable practical skills at high school. James Madison High School in New York, for example, encourages students to choose classes on career-based courses. The school then helps them gain on-the-job experience in those fields while they’re still at high school.
However, even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work, the job market is daunting. In the US, unemployment rates for 16-to 19-year-olds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row. “The risk is that if teenagers miss out on the summer job experience, they become part of this generation of teens who had trouble in landing a job,” said Michael, a researcher in the US.
1.What’s the main idea of the text?
A.Arguments about recent US education reform.
B.Tips on finding jobs for high school leavers.
C.The lack of career-based courses in US high schools.
D.Advice for American high school leavers.
2.According to Robert Schwartz, _________.
A.there is no need for kids to go for higher education in the US
B.teenagers in the US can’t miss out on the summer job experience
C.education reform should focus on students’ performance in exams
D.students should get contact with the working world at high school
3.The underlined word “daunting” in Paragraph 5 most probably means __________.
A.discouraging B.interesting
C.creative D.unbearable
4.What can be inferred from the text?
A.High school leavers with no practical skills can’t find a job at all.
B.Unemployment rates for US teenagers remain high at the moment.
C.Students with career-based courses never have problems finding a job.
D.US companies work with schools to prepare young people for future employment.
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