“ Down-to-earth” means someone or something that is honest, practical and easy to deal with．It is  36  to find someone who is down-to-earth．A person who is down-to-earth is easy to talk to  37  accepts other people as equals．A down-to-earth is just the 38 of someone who acts importantly and proudly.

Down-to-earth persons may be  39  members of society, of course．But they do not let their importance “ go to their  40  ”．They do not  41  themselves to be better persons than others of less importance, someone who is filled with his own importance and  42 , often without cause, is said to have “his nose in the air”．There is no way a person with his nose in the  43  can be down-to-earth．Americans use another expression that means almost the same  44  “down-to-earth”．The expression is “both-feet-on-the-ground”．Someone with both-feet-on-the-ground is a person  45  a good understanding of reality．He has what is called “   46  sense”．He may have  47  , but he does not allow them to  48  his knowledge of what is real．The opposite kind of person is  49  who has his “head-in-the-clouds”．A man with his head in the clouds is a dreamer whose mind is not in the  50  world.

Sometimes  51  a dreamer can be brought back to earth． 52  words from a teacher can usually bring a day-dreaming student down-to-earth.

Usually, the person who is down-to-earth is very  53  to have both-feet-on-the-ground.

     54  we have both our feet on-the-ground, when we are down-to-earth, we act  55  and openly toward others．Our lives are like the ground below us, solid and strong.

A．common       B．sad         C．pleasant         D．surprising

A．but           B．yet         C．and             D．while

A．kind          B．like     C．example          D．opposite

A．important     B．famous    C．successful       D．necessary

A．nose          B．heads      C．minds           D．forehead

A．wish          B．desire      C．expect          D．consider

A．proud        B．pride       C．famous         D．fame

A．air            B．sky         C．tree             D．cloud

A．like           B．with        C．of              D．for

A．has         B．who        C．is              D．with

A．usual         B．ordinary  C．common        D．daily

A．dreams      B．fortunes         C．advantages      D．luck

A．prevent       B．protect    C．block           D．gain

A．one         B．those       C．that             D．the one

A．reality       B．real         C．dreamful     D．true

A．so           B．such        C．each            D．that

A．Sharp        B．No         C．All             D．Bad

A．able          B．probable  C．likely           D．possible

A．When        B．While     C．As             D．Since

A．kindly       B．directly  C．friendly         D．honestly

A volcanic eruption in Iceland has sent ash across northern Europe. Airlines have stopped or changed the flights across the Atlantic Ocean, leaving hundreds of passengers stuck in airports.

Grimsvotn is one of the largest and most active volcanoes in Europe. What makes

Grimsvotn different is that it lies under a huge glacier（冰川）of ice up to 12 metres thick. The hot volcano heats up the ice above it, which then forms a layer(层)

of water between glacier and the volcano, keeping it stable. As the water flows out from under the glacier, the pressure lifts. The lava(岩浆) from the volcano then comes up to the surface. This is exactly what is happening today.

Now airlines have to make changes to their flights so as not to fly through the clouds of volcanic ash. According to KLM, one of Europe’s biggest airlines, airplanes cannot go under the cloud or over it. Going through the cloud can result in ash getting stuck in the airplane’s engines, causing damage to the plane.

The eruption has also caused problems for animals in Iceland. The volcano left ash and sharp, glass-like rocks all over the countryside. Farmers are keeping their animals inside to stop them eating ash-covered grass or the sharp objects.

1.What makes Grimsvotn different from other volcanoes?

A．It is under the sea.                      B．Its lava affects the airlines.

C．It is the largest volcano.                   D．It is below ice.

2.What keeps Grimsvotn still?

A．The slow flow of water..                   B．The thick glacier.

C．The water pressure.                     D．The low water temperature.

3.Which of the following is the result of the volcano eruption?

A．It becomes dangerous for animals to eat outside.

B．Famers have lost many of their animals.

C．Airlines suffer from the loss of planes.

D．People stop traveling in Europe.

4.how many passengers were forced to stay in the airport?

A．thousands of passengers                  B．hundreds of passengers

C．ten thousands of passengers               D．20000 of passengers

 

In old times,  man considered lightning to be one of the great mysteries(神秘事物)of nature.  In fact a single flash of lightning 1. 6 kilometers long has enough electricity to light one million lamps.    
The American scientist, Benjamin Franklin, was the first to suggest that lightning is in fact electricity formed between the earth and clouds high above. It happened in 1752. In the same year, he also built the first lightning rod(避雷针)to protect buildings from being struck by lightnings.    
Modern science has discovered that lightning is very strong and powerful. A lightning between a cloud and the earth may be as long as 13 kilometers, and travels at a speed of 30 million meters per second.  Scientists have the opinion that there are about 2, 000 million flashes of lightning per year. In the United States alone, it kills almost one person per day.     The safest place to be in during an electrical storm is a closed car. Outside, one should go close to low ground for cover and not stop under a tree. Also one should stay out of water and away from metal fences. Inside a house people should keep away from open doorways and windows and not touch wires or metal things.
【小题1】From this passage we know lightning is_______ .

A．one of the great mysteries of nature

B．electricity high above the earth

C．a kind of light

D．the sound from the clouds

【小题2】In the US _______.

A．every person can see lightning every day

B．at least one person is killed by lightning every day

C．there are about 6 million flashes of lightning per year

D．about one person per day dies from lightning

【小题3】During a lightning storm, it would be best if you _______.

A．stand under a tree

B．go outside

C．stay in a closed car

D．stop near windows

【小题4】A lightning rod can _______.

A．prevent accidents caused by lightning

B．stop lightning

C．protect buildings from being washed away

D．delay the coming of lightning

People who are hit by lightning and survive often have long-term effects. These may include memory loss, sleep disorders, muscle pain and depression.

Experts tell people to seek the safety of a building or a hard-top vehicle any time they hear thunder, even if it is not raining. They say lightning can strike as far as sixteen kilometers from any rainfall. Lightning can travel sideways. And at least ten percent of lightning happens without any clouds overhead that you can see.

People who are outdoors should make sure they are not the tallest thing around. Bend low to the ground, but do not lie down. And do not stand near tall object. Get away from water and anything made of metal. A car is safe, but don’t touch any metal inside.

Safety experts say people in buildings should stay away from anything with wires or pipes that lead to the outside. The National Weather Service says if you plan to disconnect any electronic equipment, do so before the storm arrives. Do not  use a wired telephone. Do not use water. All these can carry electricity.

Some people think a person struck by lightning carries an electrical charge afterward. Experts say this is not true. It is safe to begin emergency treatment

Each year about four hundred people in the United States are struck by lightning. Last year forty four people died. The average is close to seventy. The National Weather Service says that is more than the number of people killed by severe storms.

1.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?

A．Lightning can happen even if there is no cloud.

B．Lightning can’t strike very far.

C．Lightning can’t travel sideways.

D．Don’t stay in a car when lightning happen.

2.We can learn from the passage that________.

A．it’s better to turn off any electronic equipment before the storm arrives.

B．a wired telephone is not safe to use in rainy days.

C．a person struck by lightning is said to carry an electrical charge afterward.

D．severe storms kill more people than lightning does.

3.The underlined word ”depression” probably means”_______”.

A．excitement                            B．a state of being forgettable

C．silence                               D．a feeling of being sad

4.The passage is mainly about______.

A．where people should stay in case of lightning

B．some common knowledge about lightning safety

C．how lightning travels

D．a report written by the National Weather Service

 

         Scientists in the United States say plant life has increased on Earth in the past twenty years and that in every area of plant growth the increase is the result of weather conditions.

         Eight scientists from across the United States did the study. The space agency NASA and the Department of Energy paid for it. The findings were published in the magazine Science.

         The researchers spent one and a half years examining weather satellite information. The information was recorded from 1982 to 1999. That period was one of the warmest on record. Researchers found that rainfall generally increased during that time.

         The satellites measured the number of leaves on plants and the amount of sunlight taken in. The scientists used that information to estimate what is called net primary production. This is total amount of carbon stored in land plants.

         The scientists report a 6% increase in stored carbon since 1982. They say gains were high in equatorial areas, especially around the Amazon River in South America. The area alone had a 1% increase in the net primary production.

Ramakrishna Nemani of the University of Montana in Missoula headed the study. He says reduced cloud cover led to growth in Amazon area. He also says the lack of clouds allowed more sunlight to get through. More sunlight meant increases in photosynthesis(光合作用). That is the process by which plants use energy from sunlight to produce the chemicals they need to grow.

         Northern Canada, the north-central United States and northern Europe were second in increased plant growth. Ramakrishna Nemani says a rise in temperature helped plants there.

         All together, the report says 25% of areas of plant life on Earth experienced increases. But the scientists also note increase in the number of people on Earth and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Ranga Myneni of Boston University in Massachusetts, another study scientist says humans use about half the net primary production on Earth. And he notes that the world population grew by 36% during the period of time studied.

 

1.Which of the following is in charge of the study?

         A. The space agency NASA of the US.

         B. The Department of Energy of the US.

         C. Ramakrishna Nemani in Missoula.

         D. Ranga Myneni in Massachusetts.

2.What’s the main cause of the plant growth put forward by the study?

         A. Growth in population.

         B. Regional features.

         C. Seasonal variation.

         D. Weather conditions

3. Why do scientists believe that reduced cloud cover has led to the plant growth in           the Amazon area?

         A. Because plants could take in more sunlight.

         B. Because plants could get more rainfall.

         C. Because plants could enjoy cooler air.

         D. Because plants suffer less from natural disasters.

4. Which of the following descriptions about the years from 1982 to 1999 is TRUE?

         A. It was the warmest on record.

         B. Rainfall decreased little by little.

         C. World population grew by 25%.

         D. Stored carbon increased by 6%.