Astronauts should be very strong in health, so they are-------- all kinds of tests before they are finally sent up in a spacecraft.A. subject toB. prone toC. objected toD. bound to

【题文】单句语法填空【小题1】It could be anything—gardening，cooking，music，sports—but whatever it is，________ (make)sure it’s a relief from daily stress rather than another thing to worry about.【小题2】Not until recently________they encourage the development of tourist－related activities in the rural areas.【小题3】You are waiting at a wrong place.It is at the hotel________the coach picks up tourists.【小题4】Only when Lily walked into the office________she realize that she had left the contract at home.【小题5】Only after talking to two students________I discover that having strong motivation is one of the biggest factors in reaching goals.【小题6】It was when we were returning home________I realized what a good feeling it was to have helped someone in trouble.【小题7】Bach died in 1750，but it was not until the early 19th century________his musical gift was fully recognized.【小题8】Always________(keep)in mind that your main task is to get this company running smoothly.【小题9】If ________(accept)for the job，you’ll be informed soon.【小题10】Video games can be a poor influence if________ (leave)in the wrong hands.【小题11】Only when you can find peace in your heart ________you keep good relationships with others.【小题12】No sooner________Mo Yan stepped on the stage than the audience broke into thunderous applause.【小题13】It was the culture，rather than the language，________made it hard for him to adapt to the new environment abroad.【小题14】It’s not doing the things we like，but liking the things we have to do________makes life happy.【小题15】The climate here is quite pleasant，the temperature rarely，________ever，reaching 30℃ in summer.【小题16】—I spent two weeks in London last summer.—Then you must have visited the British Museum during your stay，________ you?【小题17】________(observe)carefully if any change occurs when doing experiments in the lab.【小题18】It was only after he had read the papers________Mr.Gross realized the task before him was extremely difficult to complete.【小题19】It was not until near the end of the letter________she mentioned her own plan.【小题20】Only when he apologizes for his rudeness ________I speak to him again.【小题21】Not until he went through real hardship________he realize the love we have for our families is important.【小题22】Not once________it occur to Michael that he could one day become a top student in his class.【小题23】Every day________(read)a proverb aloud several times until you have it memorized.【小题24】If ________(ask)to look after luggage for someone else，inform the police at once.【小题25】Never before________ she seen anybody who can play tennis as well as Robert.【小题26】The headmaster will not permit the change in the course，nor________he even give it a thought.【小题27】Only after Mary read her composition the second time________ she notice the spelling mistake.【小题28】Not until he retired from teaching three years ago________ he consider having a holiday abroad.【小题29】This is not my story，nor________it the whole story.My story plays out differently.【小题30】It was 80 years before Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic________Zheng He had sailed to East Africa.【小题31】It was not until I came here________I realized this place was famous for not only its beauty but also its weather.【小题32】—Was it by cutting down staff________she saved the firm?—No，it was by improving work efficiency.【小题33】Before you quit your job，________ (consider)how your family would feel about your decision.【小题34】Film has a much shorter history，especially when________ (compare)to such art forms as music and painting.【小题35】There is little doubt in your mind that he is innocent，________there?【小题36】Was it in 1969________the American astronaut succeeded in landing on the moon?【小题37】My daughter would like to have her photos taken where________(lie)a lake.【小题38】________ it rain tomorrow，we would have to cancel the football match.【小题39】Absurd________ it might sound，everyone present was amused by his adventure story in Africa.【小题40】John has not yet passed the driving test，and neither________Henry.【小题41】—I was late for the lecture last night.—________come? You started early last night.【小题42】On the top of the hill________(stand)a temple where the old man once lived.【小题43】The little boy came riding full speed down the motorway on his bicycle.________dangerous a scene it was !【小题44】Not only________Hunan TV’s reality show Dad，Where Are We Going received high praise，but also it has made the stars and their lovely kids more popular.【小题45】One of my favorite sayings is，“________(laugh)and the world laughs with you.”【小题46】As far as I can see，________is no possibility that he will win the tennis match this time.【小题47】Freddy gave him a job and housing and lent him pocket money while________(train)him.【小题48】For a moment nothing happened；then________(come)cheers from the excited audience.【小题49】________is it that he is not so friendly as he used to be7【小题50】—I like this dress better than that one.—________do I．but it costs almost twice as much..

instinct美 /'instəŋkt/先回想词义再选择，想不起来「看答案」adj.本质的，内在的，固有的adj.截然不同的；清晰的；确实的adj.已灭绝的，消失的；(火山)死的n.本能，天性；直觉

填空题（共10题，10.0分）23.（1.0分）Anything that walks, swims, crawls of flies with its back to heaven is____(eat).

阅读理解As the largest art museum in the Western United States, LACMA (the Los Angeles County Museum of Art) welcomes nearly a million visitors every year. It offers plenty of docent-led tour choices to groups and each tour lasts for about 50 minutes. But it's closed on Wednesdays, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.Family Tours: Enjoy and talk about art at Andell Family Sundays. This weekly family event provides activities based on special exhibitions and LACMA's collection.School Tours: School tours are led by LACMA's trained art docents, who lead students to actively discuss the works of art in LACMA.Visitors with Special Needs: LACMA not only provides learning experiences for kids, but it also provides tours for visitors with special needs. And it offers wheelchairs for free.Ticket information: Members of the museum and children under 18 can enter for free.People aged 65 and above14Adults18Students aged 18 and above14Opening hours:Monday, Tuesday, Thursday11 a.m.~5 p.m.Friday11 a.m.~8 p.m.Saturday, Sunday10 a.m.~7 p.m.Group dining:Ray's and Stark Bar has been regarded as "one of the best museum restaurants around the world".Monday, Tuesday, Thursday11:30 a.m.~8 p.m.Friday11:30 a.m.~10 p.m.Saturday, Sunday10 a.m.~8 p.m.(1)What can we learn from the first paragraph?A.LACMA is the largest museum in the US.B.LACMA is in the eastern United Stated.C.LACMA is an art museum.D.LACMA is open to the public all year round.(2)If Mr. Smith (45 years old) and his son (student aged 18) visit the museum, how much will they pay for the visit?A.18. B.32. C.14. D.46.(3)What do we know about Ray's and Stark Bar?A.It's the name of a museum.B.It's a self-service restaurant.C.It closes at 10 p.m. on Monday.D.It's open for ten hours on weekends.It's late at night. A car stops in the middle of a forest. After dropping off their three teenagers, the parents say "good luck" and drive away. The teenagers, totally lost, have to find their way back home by themselves.It may sound crazy to you, but this is a time-honored(历史悠久的)tradition in the Netherlands(荷兰)called "dropping”. Dutch people believe that children should not depend too much on their parents and should learn how to solve problems through activities like "dropping".However, for many other parents around the world, they have many different opinions about parenting. Most parents want their children to be happy, healthy and successful. Some people's top concern(担心)is their children's safety.But in China, things are different. It has gone through several periods of parenting. In the 1960s and 1970s, people believed in "parenting with sticks”. They physically punished their children when they made mistakes. In the 1990s, Chinese parents paid more attention to raising their children in a more-rounded(全面发展的)way. This trend became popular when the book Harvard Girl Liu Yiting was published in 2000. In recent years, fierce(激烈的)competition has made both children and parents more anxious(焦虑的). "Tiger moms" and "wolf dads" seem to be the new trend for today.Unlike Chinese strict parents, some people worry too much about their children and pay attention to everything they do. In their eyes, children need to be protected all the time.But these might not be good parenting styles. Good parents need to find a balance between protecting their children and letting go. In that case, it can help children learn and meet the needs of social development as soon as possible.(1)What is called "dropping" in the Netherlands according to the passage?A.Teenagers are sent to certain schools to learn skills by their parents.B.Teenagers are sent abroad to learn knowledge by their parents.C.Teenagers are sent to the forest to find their way back home by their parents.D.Teenagers are sent to the army by their parents.(2)What does the underlined word "this" refer to?A.The activity like "dropping".B.The country with a long history.C.The family in the Netherlands.D.The teenager in the activity.(3)There are some statements about Chinese parenting. Please put them in order. ①"Tiger moms" and "wolf dads" seem to be the new trend. ②People usually punished their children when they made mistakes. ③Parents paid more attention to raising their children in a more-rounded way. ④Raising children in a more-rounded way became popular when the book Harvard GirL Liu Yiting was published in 2000.A.①②③④ B.②③④① C.③②④① D.①③②④(4)What can we get from the passage?A.Good parents must pay more attention to their children's physical and mental health.B.Good parents must pay more attention to their children's study.C.Good parents must pay more attention to their children's three meals a day.D.Good parents must pay more attention to their children's safety.Have you ever heard the phrase "save the bees"? On Tuesday, engineers at University of Washington said that they have designed wireless platforms(无线平台)to be worn by bees, in order to solve the problem of poor battery life on small drones(无人机). The bees may be saving the small drones. Although drones have become a symbol of future technology, the short battery life on small drones has been a problem. The bumblebee (a large bee) can stay in the air a lot longer.The researchers call their invention a flying wireless platform with sensors(传感器)and trackers(追踪器)that rides live insects. The sensor package is a small battery that lasts up to seven hours of flight and is light on the bee. It weighs only 102 mg.A lot of tests have been done by the researchers. They track the bees through antennas(天线)and radio waves. And it does help that bees are always close to where the bees live. The bee collects data(数据)throughout its daily flight. When it returns, the battery recharges(再充电)and researchers are sent the data.The researchers think their design could also help understand the reason why the bee is becoming extinct. The number of bees is becoming smaller and smaller. People worry that without them, the food industry could be in danger.The researchers promise the bees are safe with their new fashionable tech(技术). "We decided to use bumblebees because they're large enough to carry a very small battery. It is very simple. All we are doing is just putting them on a small backpack, and it is very easy for these bees to carry. They go and fly around and are completely fine."(1)Why are the wireless platforms designed?A.To stop the small bees from dying out.B.To improve the work of the smaller drones.C.To deal with the problem of poor battery life on small drones.D.To help the flying bees to stay in the air for a longer time.(2)What does Paragraph 3 mainly tell us?A.How researchers do the test.B.How the battery recharges.C.Where the bees collect the data.D.When the small bees return.(3)What does the underlined word "extinct" probably mean?A.Dying out. B.Going up. C.Selling out. D.Keeping safe.(4)In what way is the bumblebee fit for the wireless platforms?A.It can stay in the air longer.B.It can fly higher in the sky.C.It is large enough to carry a very small battery.D.It is the largest bee in the world.In the park, you see a group of people, all looking up at the sky. Without thinking about it, you look up, too. Why? In the concert, someone begins to clap and suddenly the whole room joins in. You do, too. Why?Sometimes we feel we are acting correctly when we do the same as others. The more people follow an idea, the better or truer we think the idea is. It's the social proof(社会认同感)that works.The scientist Asch carried out an experiment. It shows how social proof can influence us. In a room, a man is shown Line 1, and next to it are three lines (A, B, C). A is longer, C is shorter and B is as long as Line 1. He must tell which of the three lines is as long as Line 1. When the man is alone, he gives the correct answer B. Then, five other men enter the room, and each of them gives the answer C as they were told to. Now the man changes his idea and gives the answer C. Asch got the same result many times among different subjects(实验对象).Why do we act like this? Well, in the past, following others was a way to keep away from danger. Suppose that 5000 years ago we were hunting(打猎)with friends. Suddenly, they all ran away. What would you do? Would you stay there? No, you would run away, too. We are descendants(后代)of those who copy others' actions. It is so deeply planted in our mind that we still use it now. Social proof has special power. The advertising industry, for example, often makes use of it. So be careful whenever a company says its product is "the most popular".(1)Who has the social proof?A.Wang Li. She saw some boys playing in the park and she stopped them.B.Liu Xiang. He saw some old people running, and then he ran away.C.Luo Meng. She didn't pass an important exam, and then she cried sadly.D.Li Dong. His classmates laughed loudly in class, and then he laughed, too.(2)What's the main idea of Paragraph 3?A.It talks about why Asch carried out the experiment.B.It tells us about the result of Asch's experiment.C.It shares us some stories of the scientist called Asch.D.It shows us some advantages about the experiment.(3)Why did people often do the same things as others in the past?A.Because they wanted to keep away from danger.B.ecause they thought that it was funny to do that.C.Because someone told them to act like that.D.Because they wanted to show their abilities.(4)What would be the best title for the passage?A.How Asch did his experimentB.Something about social proofC.Asch, a famous and funny scientistD.How to act like the people around us

My Way to SuccessFrom the day I signed up for the Naumburg Competition，everything changed．I had made a decision to start again，to save my life，and that meant a 360-degree turnaround．I kept on practicing．An enormous amount of work had to be done in two months．I went from not practicing at all to thirteen hours a day．I spent two weeks just playing scales．If I thought I sounded bad before，now I sounded worse than awful．At the time I lived on 72nd Street，close to West End Avenue．I had an apartment with a window the size of a shoebox．I didn't do mylaundry．I left my apartment only to walk to Juilliard─and not onBroadway like everyone else．I walked up Amsterdam Avenue because I didn't want to see anybody，didn't want to run into anybody，didn't want anyone to ask what I was doing．I stopped going to classes and became a hermit．I even talked Miss DeLay into giving my lesson at night．My eating habits were awful．I lived on fried sausages，a pint of peanut butter/chocolate ice cream，and a gallon of Coca-Cola every day．That's all I ate for eight weeks．I was nuts．I was completely obsessed with getting back into shape，with doing well in this competition．If I could，people would know I was still on earth．Not to count me out； to stop asking，"Whatever happened to Nadja？"The last week before the Naumburg auditions，Icouldn't touch the violin．I had worded and worked and worked and worked and then I just couldn't work anymore．I certainly could have used it．I wasn't as prepared as I should have been．But I simply had to say，"Nadia，you've dedicated yourself to this thing．Ready or not，do your best．"Fifty violinists from around the world auditioned for the competition on May 25，26，and 27，1981．Those that made it past thepreliminaries would go on to the semifinals．Those that passed that stage would go to the finals．In years past，one violinist was chosen as winner and two received second and third place．On May 26，the day of my audition，I went to the Merkin Concert Hall at 67th Street and Broadway．I waited，played for twenty minutes，and went home．I couldn't tell whether the preliminary judges were impressed or not．I'd find out the next evening．Maybe subconsciously I was trying to keep busy； that night，when I fried the sausages，I accidentally set my apartment on fire．I grabbed my cat and my violin，and ran out the door．The fire was put out，but everything in my place was wrecked．Fortunately，the phone was okay and on the evening of May 27，I had the news from Lucy Rowan Mann of Naumburg．Thirteen of us had made it．Talk about mixed emotions．I was thrilled to be among the thirteen； a group that included established violinists，some of whom had already made records．But it also meant I had to play the next day in the semifinals of the competition．Everyone entering the competition had been given two lists of concertos．One was a list of standard repertoy pieces．The other list was twentieth-century repertory．For our big competition piece，we were to choose from each list and play a movement from one in the semifinals，and a movement from the other in the finals-if we made it that far．From the standard repertory list，I chose the Tchaikovsky Concerto．I had been playing the Tchaik for three years，so it was a good piece for me．From the twentieth-century list，I chose the Prokofiev G minor Concerto．I had never played it onstage before．My goal had been just passing the auditions，but now my thought pattern began to change．If I wanted a sliver of a chance of advancing again，my brain said，"Play your strong piece first．"Logically，I should play the Tchaikovsky in the semifinals just to make it to the next stage．Who cared if that left me with a piece I probably wouldn't play as well in the finals of the competition？It'd be a miracle to get that far．There wouldn't be more than seven violinists chosen for the final round，and if I were in the top seven of an international group，that was plenty good enough．The semifinals were held on May 28 in Merkin Concert Hall．You were to play for thirty minutes：your big piece first，then the judges would ask to hear another．There was a panel of eight judges．They had a piece of paper with my choices of the Tchaikovsky and the Prokofiev in front of them．"Which would you like to play？"they asked．I said meekly，"Prokofiev．"My brain and all the logic in the world had said，"Play your strong piece．"My heart said，"Go for it all．Play your weak piece now，save Tchaikovsky for the finals．"Maybe I don't listen to logic so easily after all．My good friend，the pianist Sandra Rivers，had been chosen as accompanist for the competition．She knew I was nervous．There had been a very short time to prepare； I was sure there'd be memory slips，that I'd blank out in the middle and the judges would throw me out．My hands were like ice．The first eight measures of the Prokofiev don't have accompaniment．The violin starts the piece alone．So I started playing．I got through the first movement and Sandra said later my face was as white as snow．She said I was so tense，I was beyond shaking．Just a solid brick．It was the best I'd ever played it．No memory slips at all．Technically，musically，it was there．I finished it thinking，"Have I sold my soul for this？Is the devil going to visit me at midnight？How come it went so well？"I didn't know why，but often I do my best under the worst of circumstances．I don't know it's guts or a determination not to disappoint people．Who knows what it is，but it came through for me，and I thank God for that．As the first movement ended，the judges said，"Thank you．"Then they asked for the Carmen Fantasy．I turned and asked Sandy for an A，to retune，and later she said the blood was just rushing back into my face．I whispered，"Sandy，I made it．I did it．""Yeah，"she whispered back，kiddingly，"too bad you didn't screw up．Maybe next time．"At that point I didn't care if I did make the finals because I had played the Prokofiev so well．I was so proud of myself for coming through．I needed a shot in the arm； that afternoon I got evicted．While I was at Merkin，my moped had blown up．For my landlord，that was the last straw．What good news．I was completely broke and didn't have the next month's rent anyway．The landlord wanted me out that day．I said，"Please，can I have two days．I might get into the finals，can I please go through this first？"I talked him into it，and got back to my place in time for the phone call．"Congratulations，Nadja，""they said．"You have made the finals．"I had achieved the ridiculously unlikely，and I had saved my best piece．Yet part of me was sorry．I wanted it to be over already．In the three days from the preliminaries to the semifinals，I lost eight pounds．I was so tired of the pressure．There was a fellow who advanced to the finals with me，an old，good friend since Pre-College．Competition against friends is inevitable in music，but I never saw competition push a friendship out the window so quickly．By the day of the finals，I hated him and he hated me．Pressure was that intense．The finals were held on May 29 at Carnegie Hall and open to the public．I was the fourth violinist of the morning，then there was a lunch break，and three more violinists in the afternoon．I played my Tchaikovsky，Saint-Sa‘ns's Havanaise，and Ravel's Tzigane for the judges：managers，famous violinists，teachers，and critics．I went on stage at five past eleven and finished at noon．Those fifty-five minutes seemed like three days．I was so relieved when I finished playing； I was finished!It's impossible to say how happy I was to see the dressing room．I went out for lunch with my friends．It was like coming back from the grave．We laughed and joked and watched TV．As Ireturned to Carnegie Hall to hear the other violinists，I realized I'd made a big mistake they might ask for recalls．A recall is when they can't decide between two people and they want you to play again．It's been done；it's done all the time in competitons．No way was I in shape to go onstage and play again．In the late afternoon，the competition was over．Everybody had finished playing．Quite luckily─no recalls．The judges deliberated for an hour．The tension in the air was unbelievable．All the violinists were sitting with their little circle of friends．I had my few friends around me，but no one was saying much now．Finally，the Naumburg Foundation president Robert Mann came on stage．"It's always so difficult to choose…"he began．"Every year we hold this competition，"Robert Mann said．"And in the past，we've awarded three prizes．This year we've elected to only have one prize，the first prize．"My heart sank．Nothing for me．Not even Miss Congeniality．"We have found，"Mann went on，"that second place usually brings great dismay to the artist because they feel like a loser．We don't want anyone here to feel like a loser．Every finalist will receive five hundred dollars except the winner，who will receive three thousand dollars．"And then he repeated how difficult it was to choose，how well everyone had played…dah，dah，dah．I was looking down at the floor．"The winner is…"And he said my name．A friend next to me said，"Nadja，I think you won!"I went numb．My friends pulled me up and pointed me toward the stage．It was a long walk because I had slipped into a seat in the back．Sitting up in front was my old friend．I would have to walk right past him and I was dreading it，but before I could，he got up and stopped me．He threw his arms around me and I threw my arms around him．I kept telling him how sorry I was．I was holding him and started to cry，saying，"I'm sorry，I'm sorry，I'm sorry．"I didn't want to lose，but I really didn't want him to lose either．And he was holding me and saying，"Don't be sorry．I'm so proud of you．"It was over，and we would be friends again．I took my bow，then ran to Juilliard．Ten blocks uptown，one block west，to give Miss DeLay the news．She could be proud of me now，too．Suddenly，everything was clear．Playing the violin is what I'd do with my life．Heaven handed me a prize："You've been through a lot，kid．Here's an international competition．"Everything had changed when I prepared for the Naumburg，and now everything changed again．I made my first recording．Between September 1981 and May 1982，I played a hundred concerts in America，made one trip to Europe，then two months of summer festivals．And people asked me back．There was a great deal of anxiety playing in Europe for the first time．But I was able to rely on my self-confidence to pull me through．Self-confidence onstage doesn't mean a lack of nerves backstage．The stakes had increased．This wasn't practice anymore，this was my life．I'd stare into a dressing-room mirror and say，"Nadja，people have bought tickets，hired baby-sitters，you've got to calm down； go out there and prove yourself．"Every night I'd prove myself again．My life work had truly begun．68．In a gesture to prepare for the competition，Nadja did all the following except ____ ．A．preoccupying herself in practiceB．trying to carry out her deeds secretlyC．abandoning going to school for classesD．consuming the best food to get enough energy69．How many violinists does the passage mention advanced to the finals？ ____ A．Four．B．Five．C．Six．D．Seven．70．After Nadja finished playing at the finals，she went out for a while and when she came back to hear the other violinists she realized she had made a mistake because ____ ．A．she forgot that there was going to be a recallB．she didn't get hold of the permission to leaveC．chances were that she had to replay and she was off guardD．there was another play she had to take part in in the afternoon．

rections: In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of cholces given-|||-in the Word Bank.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Write down the corresponding letter for each item in the-|||-blanks. You may not use any of the words more than once.-|||-dictate E)charity l) daring M)available-|||-deserve F)formula J) fallen N) haste-|||-make G) security K) lack O)superior-|||-)reserve H)demanding L)desirable-|||-Choosing a husband or wife is one of the most important decisions in a person`s life. In many cuitures,young men and women are-|||-20 to choose their own marriage partners.In some cultures,however, parents 21 the right to arrange their-|||-children`s marriages.Such arranged marriages have both advantages and disadvantages.-|||-One advantage of having parents arrange a marriage is financial 22 Of course, money doesn`t automatically bri happiness,-|||-but a 23 of money certainly causes stress in any relationship.A second advantage of an arranged marriage is that parents may-|||- 24 a better choice than their children.They are not only older but also more 25 in life experience.Also,parents-|||-have been married;therefore, they know better what qualities are 26 in a spouse.-|||-On the other hand,arranged marriages may have some disadvantages. One obviou disadvantage is that parents may choose a wrong person in-|||- 27 and the young couple may never be happy together.A second obvious disadvantage is that a young man or woman may-|||-aiready have 28 in love with someone else. If the parents force their children to tie the knot,the result will be a disaster to all-|||-concerned.-|||-In conclusion, neither an arranged marriage nor a marriage for love is a good 29 to be happy.Both kinds of marriages take work,-|||-patience, and perhaps a little bit of luck

Banked cloze5 Fill in the blanks by selecting suitable words from the word bank. You may not use any of the words more than once.A academic F ethnic K perseveringB asserting G innovated L platformC assuming H motivated M releasedD dynamic I obey N remainedE emerged J obsess O retain<|im_end|>from the word bank. You may use the words more than once.A academic F ethic K perseveringB asserting G innovative L platformC assuming H motivated M releasedD dynamic I obey N remainedE emerged J obsessed O retainMs. Wang has been happy with her new job with a software company. "It offers a big 1)____ for me to develop, and I can learn much!" she said.Like Ms. Wang, a growing number of young Chinese workers are demanding that their voices be heard and 2)____themselves more in the workplace. Young people have become the main population in China's talent market, according to a report 3)____earlier this year. Therefore, many companies are doubling their efforts to attract and 4)____this vital group.Raised in the time of great social and economic change in China, this generation has 5)____as well-educated, highly resourceful members of the workforce. They are often in search of better learning and career-development opportunities. A study of the generation found that of employees who 6)____with the same company for one to five years, more than 80 percent said that good career development was what 7)____them to stay with the company.This generation doesn't just want to 8)____orders. They want to participate in decision-making. They question authority and are 9)____in what they're pursuing. If companies want to keep on these talented employees, they have to make the workplace more 10)____.Many companies have taken significant steps to create more flexible working environments, in an attempt to encourage employees to stay longer with the company.

Pulling stings to build pyramidsNo one knows exactly how the pyramids were built. Marcus Chown reckons the answer could be hanging in the air.The pyramids of Egypt were built more than three thousand years ago, and no one knows how. The conventional picture is that tens of thousands of slaves dragged stones on sledges. But there is no evidence to back this up. Now a Californian software consultant called Maureen Clemmons has suggested that kites might have been involved. While perusing(详细考察，精读)a book on the monuments of Egypt, she noticed a hieroglyph(象形文字) that showed a row of men standing in odd postures. They were holding what looked like ropes that led, via some kind of mechanical system, to a giant bird in the sky. She wondered if perhaps the bird was actually a giant kite, and the men were using it to lift a heavy object.Intrigued(令人好奇的), Clemmons contacted Morteza Gharib, aeronautics(航空学)professor at the California Institute of Technology. He was fascinated by the idea. Coming from Iran, I have a keen interest in Middle Eastern science, he says. He too was puzzled by the picture that had sparked Clemmonss interest. The object in the sky apparently had wings far too short and wide for a bird. The possibility certainly existed that it was a kite, he says. And since he needed a summer project for his student Emilio Graff, investigating the possibility of using kites as heavy lifers seemed like a good idea.Gharib and Graff set themselves the task of raising a 4.5-metre stone column from horizontal to vertical, using no source of energy except the wind. Their initial calculations and scale-model wind-tunnel experiments convinced them they wouldn't need a strong wind to lift the 33.5-tonne column. Even a modest force, if sustained over a long time, would do. The key was to use a pulley system that would magnify the applied force. So they rigged up a tent-shaped scaffold(支架)directly above the tip of the horizontal column, with pulleys(滑轮)suspended from the scaffolds apex(顶点). The idea was that as one end of the column rose, the base would roll across the ground on a trolley. Earlier this year, the team put Clemmonss unlikely theory to the test, using a 40-square-metre rectangular nylon sail. The kite lifted the column clean off the ground. We were absolutely stunned, Gharib says. The instant the sail opened into the wind, a huge force was generated and the column was raised to the vertical in a mere 40 seconds.The wind was blowing at a gentle 16 to 20 kilometres an hour, little more than half what they thought would be needed. What they had failed to reckon with was what happened when the kite was opened. There was a huge initial force-five times larger than the steady state force, Gharib says. This jerk meant that kites could lift huge weights, Gharib realised, Even a 300-tonne column could have been lifted to the vertical with 40 or so men and four or five sails. So Clemmons was right: the pyramid builders could have used kites to lift massive stones into place. Whether they actually did is another matter, Gharib says. There are no pictures showing the construction of the pyramids, so there is no way to tell what really happened. The evidence for using kites to move large stones is no better or worse than the evidence for the brute force says method, Gharib says.Indeed, the experiments have left many specialists unconvinced. The evidence for kite-lifting is non-existent, says Willeke Wendrich, an associate professor of Egyptology at the University of California, Los Angeles.Others feel there is more of a case for the theory. Harnessing the wind would not have been a problem for accomplished sailors like the Egyptians. And they are known to have used wooden pulleys, which could have been made strong enough to bear the weight of massive blocks of stone. In addition, there is some physical evidence that the ancient Egyptians were interested in flight. A wooden artefact found on the step pyramid at Saqqara looks uncannily like a modern glider.Although it dates from several hundred years after the building of the pyramids, its sophistication suggests that the Egyptians might have been developing ideas of flight for a long time. And other ancient civilisations certainly knew about kites; as early as 1250 BC, the Chinese were using them to deliver messages and dump flaming debris on their foes.The experiments might even have practical uses nowadays. There are plenty of places around the globe where people have no access to heavy machinery, but do know how to deal with wind, sailing and basic mechanical principles. Gharib has already been contacted by a civil engineer in Nicaragua, who wants to put up buildings with adobe roofs supported by concrete arches on a site that heavy equipment cant reach. His idea is to build the arches horizontally, then lift them into place using kites. Weve given him some design hints, says Gharib. Were just waiting for him to report back. So whether they were actually used to build the pyramids or not, it seems that kites may make sensible construction tools in the 21st century AD.1QuestionsDo the following statements agree with the information given in Reading Passage? Write TRUE if the statement agrees with the information; FALSE if the statement contradicts the information; NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this.1. It is generally believed that large numbers of people were needed to build the pyramids.2. Clemmons found a strange hieroglyph on the wall of an Egyptian monument.3. Gharib had previously done experiments on bird flight.4. Gharib and Graff tested their theory before applying it.5. The success of the actual experiment was due to the high speed of the wind.6. They found that, as the kite flew higher, the wind force got stronger.7. The team decided that it was possible to use kites to raise very heavy stones.2QuestionsComplete the summary below.Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from the passage for each answerWrite your answers in boxes on your answer sheet.Additional evidence for theory of kite-liftingThe Egyptians had 1 which could lift large pieces of 2 , and they knew how to use the energy of the wind from their skill as 3 .

58判断题（2分）How long has the film begin?A. 对B. 错