The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added - a communications blackout caused by solar storms.
After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.
Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam干扰 the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.
"The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. "A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometres per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.
Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.
Professor Richard Holdaway, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advance warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage. What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what's caused the problem," he said.
57. The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to during the 2012 Olympics.
A. the extinguishing of the Olympic torch
B. the collapse瘫痪 of broadcasting systems
C. the transportation breakdown in London
D. the destruction of weather satellites
58. What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?
A. The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth.
B. The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle.
C. It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth.
D. The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections.
59. According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _________.
A. take images of the solar system B. provide early warning of thunderstorms
C. keep track of solar activities D. improve the communications on Earth
60. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
A. Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer
B. Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger
C. Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race
D. Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled
科目：高中英语 来源：2013届陕西省澄城县寺前中学高三第一次月考英语试卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
King's College Summer School
King's College Summer School is an annual( 每年的) training program for high school students at all levels who want to improve their English. Courses are given by the teachers of King's College and other colleges in New York. Trips to museums and culture centers are also organized. This year's summer school will be from July 25 to August 15.
More information is as follows:
| Application (申请) date l Students in New York should send their applications before July 18, 2012. l Students of other cities should send their applications before July 16, 2012 l Foreign students should send their applications before July 10, 2012 | Coursesl English Language Spoken English: 22 hours Reading and Writing: 10 hours l American History: 16 hours l American Culture: 16 hours |
| Stepsl A letter of self-introduction l A letter of recommendation(推荐) ﹡ The letters should be written in English with all the necessary information. | Costl Daily lessons: $200 l Sports and activities: $100 l Travels: $200 l Hotel service: $400 ﹡You may choose to live with your friends or relatives in the same city. |
| Please write to: Thompson, Sanders 1026 King' s Street New York, NY 10016, USA E-mail: KC-Summer-School@ yahoo, com | |
| A．a newspaper | B．a travel guide |
| C．a textbook | D．a telephone book |
| A．Only top students can take part in the program. |
| B．King' s College Summer School is run every other year. |
| C．Visits to museums and culture centers are part of the program. |
| D．Only the teachers of King' s College give courses. |
| A．$200 | B．$400 | C．$500 | D．$900 |
| A．The program will last two months. |
| B．You can write to Thompson only in English. |
| C．As a Chinese student, you can send your application on July 14, 2012 |
| D．You can get in touch with the school by e-mail or by telephone. |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2013届陕西省师大附中高三上学期期中考试英语试卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
King's College Summer School
More information is as follows:
| Application (申请) date l Students in New York should send their applications before July 18, 2012. l Students of other cities should send their applications before July 16, 2012 l Foreign students should send their applications before July 10, 2012 | Coursesl English Language Spoken English: 22 hours Reading and Writing: 10 hours l American History: 16 hours l American Culture: 16 hours |
| Stepsl A letter of self-introduction l A letter of recommendation(推荐) ﹡ The letters should be written in English with all the necessary information. | Costl Daily lessons: $200 l Sports and activities: $100 l Travels: $200 l Hotel service: $400 ﹡You may choose to live with your friends or relatives in the same city. |
| Please write to: Thompson, Sanders 1026 King' s Street New York, NY 10016, USA E-mail: KC-Summer-School@ yahoo, com | |
| A．a newspaper | B．a travel guide |
| C．a textbook | D．a telephone book |
| A．Only top students can take part in the program. |
| B．King' s College Summer School is run every other year. |
| C．Visits to museums and culture centers are part of the program. |
| D．Only the teachers of King' s College give courses. |
| A．$200 | B．$400 | C．$500 | D．$900 |
| A．The program will last two months. |
| B．You can write to Thompson only in English. |
| C．As a Chinese student, you can send your application on July 14, 2012 |
| D．You can get in touch with the school by e-mail or by telephone. |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2011-2012学年江苏省重点中学高二5月质量检测英语试卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
Time, a faithful company of our life, is a universal topic. People are always curious about what it is, how it travels and who it meets.
Stephen Hawking, one of the world’s smartest physicists, once said. “I’m fascinated by time.”
Many of us are, and the popularity of time travel novels, movies and TV series has proved that. After Palace and Startling by Each Step achieved astonishing ratings last year, Palace 2 aired on January 20, attracting time travel fans back to TV.
Woody Allen’s movie Midnight in Paris achieved great success. It was nominated for Best Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay and Art Direction for the 2012 Academy Awards.
Dream of heroism
Time travel TV series and movies connect both today and the past, thus offering room for imagination. Imagination creates a chance for the young to fulfill a dream that is hard to achieve in reality.
Chinese writer Xi Juan is a pioneer of time-travel stories in China. In 1993 she published a love story about a young woman time traveling to ancient times. The leading role’s modern personality and perception of love help her win the heart of a cool, handsome martial art master. Such a plot satisfies female fans’ love fantasy.
Starting from the late 1990s, novels about men traveling back to the past prevailed (盛行), with a Step into the Past as the most popular example. In these stories, the male leading roles accomplish great things with their modern skills and wisdom.
It is usually “a dream of heroism come true”, along with enviable romances.
Eye candy
“I’m hooked by the shows because they are characterized by dramatic and poetic love and have eye-pleasing actors,” Xia Xiaoyan, who works for a foreign-owned enterprise in Shanghai, explained her love for time travel TV series.
Her comment echoes a 2011 survey by Creat Marketing Research Co Ltd in China. When asked about what is so appealing about time travel TV series, 21 percent of respondents answered, “These attractive characters.”
A bigger reason behind the popularity of time travel stories, however, is the relaxation they offer, according to the survey.
Cai Yinong agrees. “Many people are facing tremendous pressure in their fast-paced lives, so this genre is more relaxing than other shows as it provides people with a terrific outlet to escape reality,” Cai told China Daily.
Cultural homesickness
“Which dynasty would you like to live in if you could travel to the past?” asked a survey launched by Shanghai University and Shanghai Social Sciences Association last December.
About 60 percent of the 2,543 respondents chose Tang Dynasty, while Qing Dynasty, and the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were the other top two destinations.
The survey results reflects people’s definition of the good days: prosperous economy and culture, steady society, fair and uncorrupted politics, and opening up to the outside world.
As for the movie Midnight in Paris, it features modernity versus cultural homesickness. The New York Times commented, “The past seems so much more vivid, more substantial, than the present. The good old days are so attractive because we were not around, however much we wish we were.”
| Time travel wins fans | |
| Phenomenon | l Stephen Hawking shows great interest in 【小题1】 _. l People prefer 【小题2】____ time travel movies and TV series. l Woody Allen was 【小题3】_______ in his time travel movie. |
| Reasons for its 【小题4】___ | Supporting details |
| Dream of heroism | l Chances are offered for the young to fulfill 【小题5】__________ hard to l achieve in reality. l Xi Juan’s 1993 love story【小题6】_______ a young woman traveling to l ancient times, which satisfies females fans. l From the late 1990s, novels about 【小题7】________ traveling back to l the past became increasingly popular. l The male leading role in A Step Into the Past travels back to the past l to fulfill great things by using his 【小题8】_______ skills and wisdom. |
| Eye candy | Attractive actors and travel stories make viewers under pressure 【小题9】_________. |
| Cultural homesickness | Most respondents chose to live in a certain dynasty for: l Prosperous economy and【小题10】________; l Steady society; l Fair and uncorrupted politics; l Opening up to the outside world. |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2014届四川省高二5月月考英语卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
Chinese writer Mo Yan has won the 2012 Nobel Prize in Literature, announced the Swedish Academy in Stockholm on Thursday．The win makes Mo Yan the first Chinese citizen to win the Nobel in its history．Informed of his win today, the author, who was having dinner at home, was “overjoyed and scared"．
Born in 1955 to parents who were farmers, Mo Yan－a pen name for Guan Moye，grew up in Gaomi in Shandong province in eastern China. At the age of 12, he left school to work, first in agriculture, later in a factory. In 1976 he joined the army and during this time began to study literature and writing．
He published his first book in 1981, but found literary success in 1987 with Hong Gaoliang Jiazu, which was successfully filmed in the same year, directed by a famous Chinese director Zhang Yimou. In his writing, Mo Yan draws on his youthful experiences and on settings in the province of his birth and his works show the life of Chinese people as well as the country's unique culture and folk customs. Mo Yan is known as a prolific（多产的）writer. In addition to his novels, he has published many short stories and essays on various topics. Despite his social criticism, he is seen in his homeland as one of the most famous contemporary authors. Dozens of his works have been translated into English, French, Japanese and many other languages．
The awarding ceremony will be held on December 10．The winner will win a medal, a personal diploma and a cash award of about $l million．
1.How did Mo Yan feel when he was told about the news?
A．Excited and proud． B． Happy and surprised
C．Worried and cautious D． Uncertain and shocked
2.Mo Yan developed his ability for writing when he was ．
A．on a farm B．in a factory C．in a school D．in the army
3.One of Mo Yan's characteristics of writing is that he .
A．writes about topics he is familiar with
B．focuses on social problems in the country
C．describes his characters in a unique way
D．explains difficult matters in simple words
4.Which of the statements is true?
A．Mo Yan published his first book when he was 20 years old.
B．The movie Hong Gaoliang was made in 1987.
C．Mo Yan only writes novels.
D．Mo Yan’s works are mostly about city life.
5.What's the best title for this passage?
A．How Mo Yan Gets Nobel Prize B．An Introduction to Nobel Prize
C．Mo Yan Wins Nobel Prize in Literature D．A World Famous Writer, Mo Yan
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科目：高中英语 来源：2013届江苏省高二5月质量检测英语试卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。注意：每个空格只填一个单词。
Time, a faithful company of our life, is a universal topic. People are always curious about what it is, how it travels and who it meets.
Stephen Hawking, one of the world’s smartest physicists, once said. “I’m fascinated by time.”
Many of us are, and the popularity of time travel novels, movies and TV series has proved that. After Palace and Startling by Each Step achieved astonishing ratings last year, Palace 2 aired on January 20, attracting time travel fans back to TV.
Woody Allen’s movie Midnight in Paris achieved great success. It was nominated for Best Picture, Directing, Original Screenplay and Art Direction for the 2012 Academy Awards.
Dream of heroism
Time travel TV series and movies connect both today and the past, thus offering room for imagination. Imagination creates a chance for the young to fulfill a dream that is hard to achieve in reality.
Chinese writer Xi Juan is a pioneer of time-travel stories in China. In 1993 she published a love story about a young woman time traveling to ancient times. The leading role’s modern personality and perception of love help her win the heart of a cool, handsome martial art master. Such a plot satisfies female fans’ love fantasy.
Starting from the late 1990s, novels about men traveling back to the past prevailed (盛行), with a Step into the Past as the most popular example. In these stories, the male leading roles accomplish great things with their modern skills and wisdom.
It is usually “a dream of heroism come true”, along with enviable romances.
Eye candy
“I’m hooked by the shows because they are characterized by dramatic and poetic love and have eye-pleasing actors,” Xia Xiaoyan, who works for a foreign-owned enterprise in Shanghai, explained her love for time travel TV series.
Her comment echoes a 2011 survey by Creat Marketing Research Co Ltd in China. When asked about what is so appealing about time travel TV series, 21 percent of respondents answered, “These attractive characters.”
A bigger reason behind the popularity of time travel stories, however, is the relaxation they offer, according to the survey.
Cai Yinong agrees. “Many people are facing tremendous pressure in their fast-paced lives, so this genre is more relaxing than other shows as it provides people with a terrific outlet to escape reality,” Cai told China Daily.
Cultural homesickness
“Which dynasty would you like to live in if you could travel to the past?” asked a survey launched by Shanghai University and Shanghai Social Sciences Association last December.
About 60 percent of the 2,543 respondents chose Tang Dynasty, while Qing Dynasty, and the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods were the other top two destinations.
The survey results reflects people’s definition of the good days: prosperous economy and culture, steady society, fair and uncorrupted politics, and opening up to the outside world.
As for the movie Midnight in Paris, it features modernity versus cultural homesickness. The New York Times commented, “The past seems so much more vivid, more substantial, than the present. The good old days are so attractive because we were not around, however much we wish we were.”
|
Time travel wins fans |
|
|
Phenomenon |
l Stephen Hawking shows great interest in 1. _. l People prefer 2.____ time travel movies and TV series. l Woody Allen was 3._______ in his time travel movie. |
|
Reasons for its 4.___ |
Supporting details |
|
Dream of heroism |
l Chances are offered for the young to fulfill 5.__________ hard to l achieve in reality. l Xi Juan’s 1993 love story6._______ a young woman traveling to l ancient times, which satisfies females fans. l From the late 1990s, novels about 7.________ traveling back to l the past became increasingly popular. l The male leading role in A Step Into the Past travels back to the past l to fulfill great things by using his 8._______ skills and wisdom. |
|
Eye candy |
Attractive actors and travel stories make viewers under pressure 9._________. |
|
Cultural homesickness |
Most respondents chose to live in a certain dynasty for: l Prosperous economy and10.________; l Steady society; l Fair and uncorrupted politics; l Opening up to the outside world. |
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