The sun rises in the east and sets in the west，so it seems as if the sun__________round the earth.

A.were circling                                  B.circles

C.is circling                                       D.be circling

A regular drop in the sun’s radiation(辐射) can cause unusually cold winters in parts of North America and Europe, scientists say, a finding that could improve long-range forecasts and help countries prepare for snowstorms.

Scientists have known for a long time that the sun has an 11-year cycle during which radiation measured by sunspots on the surface reaches a peak then falls. But explaining a clear connection to weather is harder.

“Our research confirms the observed connection between solar change and regional winter climate,” lead author Sarah Ineson of the UK Met Office told the reporters in an email. The study was published in the magazine Nature Geoscience on Monday.

The researchers found that the reducing of ultraviolet(UV，紫外线) radiation from the sun can affect high-altitude wind patterns in the Northern Hemisphere(半球), causing cold winters.

“While UV levels won’t tell us what the day-to-day weather will do, they show us the bright future of improved forecasts for winter conditions for months and even years ahead. These forecasts play an important role in long-term possibility planning,” Ineson, a climate scientist, said.

Ineson and colleagues from Imperial College London and the University of Oxford used satellite data that more accurately(精确的) measures UV radiation from the sun and found a much greater change than previously thought.

They found that in years of low activity, unusually cold air forms high in the atmosphere over the tropics. This causes a redistribution(重新分配) of heat in the atmosphere, making easterly winds that bring freezing weather and snowstorms to northern Europe and the United States and milder weather to Canada and the Mediterranean.

When solar UV radiation is stronger, the opposite occurs.

More study was needed, though. A key uncertainty in the experiment lay in the satellite data used, because it covers only a few years. “So questions remain concerning both accuracy(精确) and also applicability to other solar cycles,” she said.

1.The new finding claims cold winters in the North Hemisphere can be caused by ______.

A. a sharp rise in the amount of sunspots

B. a drop in the sun’s UV radiation

C. a complex computer model simulation

D. a clear link between the sun and the earth

2. It has long been known by scientists that ______.

A. UV radiation can affect high-altitude wind patterns

B. there’s a clear connection between the sun’s activity and weather

C. the sun’s radiation reaches a peak every eleven years

D. they can predict day-to-day weather conditions from UV levels

3. What will happen if the sun turns into years of high activity according to the finding?

A. Canada and the Mediterranean will have milder weather.

B. The whole Northern Hemisphere will suffer from extreme winter days.

C. Freezing cold weather will appear in northern Europe.

D. Burning hot weather will appear in the United States.

4. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A. researchers have analyzed the data collected in eleven years

B. long-term weather conditions can be accurately predicted depending on UV levels

C. the research doesn’t seem correct and true enough due to limited satellite data used

D. climate scientists have just begun their research in severe weather forecast

 

Must-Read about Notting Hill Carnival(狂欢节)

Route

The carnival procession itself begins at 9am on both Sunday and Monday. It starts on Great Western Road, winding its way along Chepstow Road, then on to Westbourne Grove, and then down Ladbroke Grove. See our Notting Hill Carnival map for the full route.

Bus 

While extra services will be in operation, no buses will enter the Carnival area from first thing Sunday morning until the first service on Tuesday morning. On both days bus services begin from Notting Hill Gate in the south and from Harrow Rd (close to Elgin Avenue) in the north.

Bike

Last year the nearest bike-parking stations – Chepstow Villas and Pembridge Road – were removed for Carnival, so don’t rely on being able to park your bike nearby this year.

Safety

Avoid carrying expensive items, such as jewellery and digital cameras. Take a bag with a secure zip to keep your more valuable possessions in and avoid putting your valuables in your back pocket. 

Do tell police if you see an incident. Officers will be stationed throughout the Carnival area. Don’t try to walk against the flow of the crowd, as you won’t get far. Drink plenty of water on the day too, especially if the sun makes an appearance.

Children

Children’s Day on Sunday is recommended for families as the smaller crowds and kid-friendly floats(游行花车) create a fun atmosphere. Arrange meeting points in case you become separated. The smaller the buggy(婴儿车), the better. Ear defenders may be necessary for very young children.

1.Visitors are warned not to bike to the Carnival because _________.

A. there are an increasing number of bike thefts there

B. there are no bike-parking stations nearby

C. roads to the Carnival area are closed to bikes

D. they will be charged with extra parking fees

2.Visitors had better_________.

A. wear trousers without back pockets

B. bring plenty of beer with them

C. leave their valuables in the hotel

D. walk along the flow of the crowd

3.People who go to the carnival with children are advised_________.

A. to be there on Sunday

B. to let their children go wherever they like

C. to arrange a meeting time

D. to bring ear defenders for each child.

 

If the sun has enough power to warm and light the whole earth, it must have enough power to do other things, too. Can we use the sun's abundant energy to supply electricity, or at least to perform the functions which electricity or other types of power usually perform? The answer is yes.

For example, people have for many years been using the reflected heat of the sun to cook.

   Solar cookers have been built with several curved(弯曲) mirrors reflecting the sun and focusing its heat on the cooking component. This equipment can be used just like a gas or electric stove; it is more expensive to make but it does not need any fuel, and so costs nothing to use. Another possibility of using solar energy is in househeating.

The form of energy we use most is electricity, and every day more is needed. But electricity has to be made, too, and to make it                        are required--oil, gas and nowadays even uranium(铀).

The question which worries everyone today is：how long will these fuels last? Nobody knows it for sure, but most experts think it will soon be difficult to obtain sufficient electricity from these sources. It is possible that the sun can make a contribution here, too.        

Solar power has already been used to produce terrific heat. In Southern France a solar furnace(huge stove) has been built, where temperatures reach more than 3,000℃. This furnace is only used for experiments at present, but could be used to produce steam for a power station.

1. What is the main idea of the passage? (Please answer within 10 words. )

2. Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?

    The sun can also make it possible for us to get a large quantity of electricity instead of from other fuels.

3. Please fill in the blank in the third paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence. (Please answer within 10 words.)

4. Which can last longer, the ordinary fuels or the solar energy? What shall we do to have enough electricity? (Please answer within 30 words.)                                                                                5. Translate the underlined sentence in the second paragraph into Chinese.

The sun rises in the east and sets in the west, so it seems as if the sun __________ round the earth.

A. were circling　 B. circles　　 C. is circles　　　 D. be circling