Visiting Joshua Tree National Park, California
Joshua Tree National Park is nearly 800,000 acres large and surrounds parts of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts in South-central California. Although barren at first glance, the park is full of wildlife and provides a variety of entertainment activities from hiking to climbing. Within a 3-hour drive, Joshua Tree National Park takes at least a full day to visit.
Things to do Hiking opportunities within the park include several choices, from 12 self-guided nature trails to all-day back-country hikes.
Joshua Tree National Park has nine camping grounds, and back-country camping is also allowed.
Rock-climbing is a popular activity in the park, which has 10 mountains greater than 5,000 feet in height.
When to visit
Joshua Tree National Park is open 365 days a year, although the best time to visit is October through April, when temperature is milder. The peak season is when the wild flowers bloom, and summer months are the least crowded.
What to bring
In addition to your camera and telescope, be sure to carry lots of water. Park and trail maps can be picked up at any of the three visitor centres.
Fees
Parking fees: You can buy a 7-day vehicle permit for $15, a single entry permit for $5, or Joshua Tree National Park annual pass for $60.
Camping fees: They vary by camping ground.
1.The underlined word “barren” in the first paragraph can be replaced by _______.
A. thin B. beautiful C. deserted D. large
2.When is the best time to visit Joshua Tree National Park?
A. March B. May C. June D. September
3.If one goes to Joshua Tree National Park by car and stay there for 9 days, how much at least he should pay for the parking fees?
A. $60 B. $15 C. $25 D. $30
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
My teacher, Mr. August J. Bachmann, was the most influential teacher I ever had.
I had gotten into trouble in his class: Another student had pushed me for fun, and I became angry and began to hit him. Mr. Bachmann stopped the fight, but instead of sending me to the office, he sat me down and asked a simple question: "Penna, why are you wasting your life? Why aren't you going to college?"
I didn't know anything about colleges or scholarships. No one had ever considered that a fatherless boy from the poorest neighborhood had a future. That day, instead of rushing off for lunch, he stayed and explained possible education options to me. At the end of our talk, he sent me to see a secretary who had a child at a state college. This was in 1962 at Emerson High School in Union City, New Jersey.
Well, 53 years have passed, and what have I done with the knowledge he gave me? I gained a PhD from Fordham University when I was only 29. I taught English and social studies and then moved up the chain of command from teacher to principal.
I've sat on the board for Magnet Schools of America and represented that organization at the United Nations. I've won a number of great educational awards. But where would I be if a truly caring teacher had not taken the time out of his lunch period to speak to me? It was without question only his confidence in me that helped me forward.
I have repaid his kindness hundreds of times by encouraging misguided youngsters to aim higher. If I have saved any children, it is because of him. If I have been a successful educator, it is because I had a great role model in Mr. Bachmann.
1.The writer ________ before Mr. Bachmann talked to him.
A. was an active boy
B. liked making troubles in class
C. was an aimless boy
D. would get punished by his teachers
2.Which of the following best describes Mr. Bachmann?
A. Fair. B. Confident.
C. Inspiring. D. Humorous.
3.How did Mr. Bachmann influence the writer?
A. He set the writer on the right path.
B. He tried to set a good example to the writer.
C. He was strict with the writer.
D. He helped the writer with his study.
4.What does the writer think of his achievement?
A. He is very proud of himself.
B. He feels his effort gets paid off at last.
C. He owes his achievement to Mr. Bachmann.
D. He thinks it an honor to be a successful educator.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
See a cellphone cover that you like on Taobao? Forget about placing an order, paying the bill online and waiting for days for it to be delivered to you. In the near future, you'll be able to get it in minutes just by hitting “print” on your computer.
You might find it hard to believe that you could actually “print” an object like you would a picture. But it is not that hard to understand how it would work. Just as a traditional printer sprays ink onto paper line by line, modern 3D printers spread material onto a surface layer by layer, from the bottom to the top, gradually building up a shape.
Instead of ink, the materials the 3D printer uses are mainly plastic, resin and certain metals. The thinner each layer is—from a millimetre to less than the width of a hair—the smoother and finer the object will be.
This may sound like a completely new technology, but the truth is that 3D printing has been around since the late 1980s. Back then, it was barely affordable for most people, so few knew about it.
Last year, though, saw a big change in the 3D printing industry—printers became much cheaper. For example, 10 years ago a desktop 3D printer might have cost ￡20,000, while now they cost only about ￡1,000, according to the BBC.
Taken out of the factory and introduced to more diverse and common uses, 3D printing can create just about anything you can think of—flutes , bikinis, jewelry, aircraft parts and even human organs. In fact, scientists from Cornell University in New York have just made an artificial ear using a 3D printer, according to Science Daily. The fake ear looks and acts exactly like a natural one.
However, as 3D printing becomes more common, it may bring about certain problems—such as piracy. “Once you can download a coffee maker, or print out a new set of kitchen utensils on your personal 3D printer, who will visit a retail store again？” an expert in 3D printing told Forbes News. Even more frightening, what if anyone in the world could use a 3D printer to print out a fully functioning gun?
1.According to the article, in the future, the 3D printing technology will _______.
A. enable people to make better purchases online
B. change the way we make many products
C. be applied as widely in our daily life as computers
D. shorten the time it takes for people to get what they buy online
2.What happened in the 3D printing industry last year?
A. The 3D printing technology was taken out of the factory.
B. The 3D printing technology began to be used in various fields.
C. The 3D printer was used for medical treatment for the first time.
D. The 3D printer became more affordable for consumers.
3.How is the last paragraph developed?
A. By giving examples.
B. By making comparisons.
C. By analyzing the cause and effect.
D. By presenting research findings.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A. Great Demand for 3D Printers
B. Technology in the Future
C. Online Shopping Disappearing
D. Printing out Everything
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
Whether or not to go to university will probably be the biggest educational decision you ever make. After battling with student finance, deciding whether or not to take a year out can be as terrifying as deciding where to move to for the three years.
Some students will have planned their year out for months, but, for others, slipped grades may force a gap year（间隔年）, either to retake exams or to apply to different universities. Others might just need time to think. Thankfully, for U.K. students, taking a gap year remains a good option and it can be one of the most productive and fulfilling years of their life.
Whether you’ve planned and budgeted for a year abroad, or have made a last-minute decision to delay your first year, the options are endless. Traveling, volunteering and so on are all there for the talking. With so many things on offer, it’s important to remember that 12 months won’t be enough time to do all of them, so decide early and work towards making whatever you want to do a reality.
Researching a gap year is exciting, and often the place to start is at home. Family and friends can be a great source of inspiration. Your school or college might be fully equipped to advise you on what to do when further education is on hold. Don’t underestimate（低估）the power of the Internet, either. Typing a “gap year” into a search engine might seem too obvious, but planning to travel around the world for months on your own is not appropriate.
To stay at home or go abroad is likely to be the first question you consider, but in this era of budget flights, doing both is practicable. A European inter-rail ticket（火车票）can be as little as £ 159. For those loving traveling, they must be on the special watchfulness for tricks in the process. Agencies can organize your year abroad for you, and often, it is more effective to make the bookings through the agencies. But flights and other forms of transport within Asia and America are much cheaper when bought in the countries rather than bought in advance.
1.According to Paragraph 2, why do some students have to take a gap year?
A. Because they are faced with financial problems.
B. Because they dislike what they are learning .
C. Because they haven’t got satisfying grades.
D. Because they intend to hang out for a year.
2.The underline words “on hold” in Paragraph 4 mean “________”.
A. taken in B. put off
C. given up D. turned out
3.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. Few students can afford to go abroad.
B. Traveling around Europe costs nothing.
C. It’s better to go to Asia and south America.
D. Travellers should make sure they aren’t cheated.
4.The auther’s attitude towards a gap year may best described as__________
A. supportive B. negative
C. defensive D. sensitive
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
根据短文内容, 从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项, 选项中有两项为多余选项，并在答题卡上将该选项涂黑。
Creating a good study environment takes a little planning. It is well worth the time as the end result will be much productive study time. Many people fail to do this and wonder why they cannot concentrate. After a couple of times of studying the right way, most people will be surprised at how much they can actually enjoy studying. 1.
Know that concentration is the key. Reduce every possible distraction. Turn off the television and go in an area where you will not be interrupted by people. 2.If you are studying on your computer，don't get distracted by emails and social networking sites.
3. If it is too dim(暗), your eyes will be strained and leave you tired and wanting to close your eyes. Sun is a light that naturally wakes you up and helps you think.
Choose a comfortable seat. 4.Now a couch can work just fine for this as long as you don't find yourself laying flat after a few minutes. The whole point of studying is to be able to concentrate on the study matter and not on a sore back.
5. Now this is for the person who needs the background noise to tone out all the little noises of life going on. If you find yourself thinking about the song then maybe silence is better for you.
Keep something to drink and snack on close by to keep your blood sugar stable. Obviously sugary foods will give you a quick rush but you will also have a quick low afterward.
A. Learn more to make study environment different.
B. Turn on some music.
C. If you can, turn off your cell phone.
D. Find a place that is proper to read.
E. It should have a good back support and a good feeling.
F. Some people can study with lots of activities going on.
G. Read on to learn how to create a good study environment.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析