No one is sure how the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids near Cairo. But a new study suggests they used a little rock‘n’roll. Long-ago builders could have attached wooden poles to the stones and rolled them across the sand, the scientists say.

“Technically, I think what they’re proposing is possible,” physicist Daniel Bonn said.

People have long puzzled over how the Egyptians moved such huge rocks. And there’s no obvious answer. On average, each of the two million big stones weighed about as much as a large pickup truck. The Egyptians somehow moved the stone blocks to the pyramid site from about one kilometer away.

The most popular view is that Egyptian workers slid the blocks along smooth paths. Many scientists suspect wokers first would have put the blocks on sleds(滑板). Then they would have dragged them along paths. To make the work easier, workers may have lubricated the paths either with wet clay or with the fat from cattle. Bonn has now tested this idea by building small sleds and dragging heavy objects over sand.

Evidence from the sand supports this idea. Researchers found small amounts of fat, as well as a large amount of stone and the remains of paths.

However , physicist Joseph West think there might have been a simpler way , who led the new study . West said , “I was inspired while watching a television program showing how sleds might have helped with pyramid construction . I thought , “Why don’t they just try rolling the things ? ” A square could be turned into a rough sort of wheel by attaching wooden poles to its sides , he realized . That , he notes , should make a block of stone “a lot easier to roll than a square”.

So he tried it.

He and his students tied some poles to each of four sides of a 30-kilogram stone block.That action turned the block into somewhat a wheel.Then they placed the block on the ground.

They wrapped one end of a rope around the block and pulled.The researchers found they could easily roll the block along different kinds of paths.They calculated that rolling the block required about as much force as moving it along a slippery(滑的)path.

West hasn’t tested his idea on larger blocks,but he thinks rolling has clear advantages over sliding.At least,workers wouldn’t have needed to carry cattle fat or water to smooth the paths.

1.It’s widely believed that the stone blocks were moved to the pyramid site by ______.

A.rolling them on roads

B.pushing them over the sand

C. dragging them on some poles

D. sliding them on smooth paths

2.What does the underlined word “it”in Paragraph 7 refer to?

A. rolling the blocks with fat.

B.Rolling the blocks on wooden wheels.

C.Rolling poles to move the blocks.

D. Rolling the blocks with poles attached.

3.Why is rolling better than sliding according to West ?

A. Because more force is needed for sliding.

B. Because less preparation on path is needed for rolling.

C. Because sliding on smooth road is more dangerous.

D. Because rolling work can be done by fewer cattle.

4.What is the text mainly about ?

A. An experiment on ways of moving blocks to the pyramid site.

B. An argument about different methods of moving blocks to the pyramid site.

C. An application of the method of moving blocks to the pyramid site.

D. An introduction to a possible new way of moving blocks to the pyramid site.

使用正确形式完成句子（共8题，每小题1分，共8分；注意：错一个全错）

1._____ _________ (commit)to helping the people in need made him realize the value of life.

2.I'd like to call her _____ ______ ______(作为对…的答复) the questions referred to in her last e－mail.

3.The apples ________ (range)from $5 to $8 per kilo in the market sell well.

4.The construction of a new bridge is reported to_____ ______ _______(complete) across the river in your hometown last month .

5.He pushed ahead with his plan for dropping out of the university__________ _______(不顾) his parents' opposition.

6.—The last one_____ ______ pays the meal.

—Agreed!

“最后一个到的人付饭钱”。“同意”。

7.However much it costs, I decide to buy the coat which will make me more attractive.

= ________ _______ ________, I decide to buy the coat which will make me more attractive.

8.He should be responsible for what has happened.

= He should ______ ________ _______what has happened.

The band，_________ members are all over 70， is currently on tour all over country.

A．whose B．who C．which D．what

Some experts believe ________ our personalities are largely determined by genetic factors.

A．that B．whether C．what D．how

If you had told me in advance，I __________ him at the airport.

A．will meet B．would meet

C．will have met D．would have met

Career advisors often suggest people find a job _______ they can get a sense of achievement.

A．that B．what C．where D ．which

根据短文内容,从短文后的七个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。

Attraction of the Minions

When it comes to film, people usually favor good over evil, focus on the hero and ignore the supporting characters. __1.__

Originally comedic background characters in the film Despicable Me（卑鄙的我）, these yellow pill-shaped nuts, have totally stolen the show and turned into a popular figure.

This summer the characters debuted（首演） in their own self-titled movie in theaters abroad, having the second biggest opening weekend of all time for a cartoon film according to USA Today. Recently, McDonald’s has been including Minion toys with kids’ meals in some areas, causing loyal fans to flock to the restaurant to collect them all. _2.__

The movie’s huge popularity even surprised its writers. “We never knew the Minions were going to be so popular. It just became a force of nature,” the film’s co-writer Cinco Paul told the Los Angeles Times.

__3.__For many, the appeal is obviously their cuteness. Their simple nature can easily surpass cultures and age groups. Even children can draw them. Thousands of examples of fan-made Minion art from fingernails to Halloween clothes are visible on global social media platforms.

But there’s more to the phenomenon than just cuteness. US entertainment website Hit Fix explains that their way of communicating makes the creatures influential as well. __4.__ But it seems everyone can understand them through their exaggerated（夸张的） movements and expressions.

More importantly, their childlike mannerisms is a brand of humor that wins hearts. “Clumsy, foolish Minions are recognized as the ultimate β personalities,” wrote Peter Debruge of US entertainment magazine Variety.

They desire nothing more than to serve their most despicable master. __5.__ "Perhaps we love Minions because they remind us of ourselves," Huffington Post associate Web editor Sara Boboltz wrote, "or an evil version of ourselves."

A. So what makes the banana-loving Minions a big hit?

B. Besides, their childlike manner entertains fans more.

C. And this evil characteristic arouses sympathy among humans.

D. Related video games, toys and other goods are sweeping the world.

E. Minions is a 2015 American 3D computer-animated family comedy film.

F. But when it comes to the Minions, these conventions go right out the window.

G. The largely speak in nonsense words with the occasional recognizable terms like “potato”.

The island of Port Cros is in the south of France. I first visited it about ten years ago with my wife. I had read that it was a magical place and it seemed fascinating (迷人的), but I couldn’t believe that it was true. In fact, it was much more magical than the tourist brochures (指南) had said.

The island is mountainous and covered in trees. The water around the island is transparent like glass. When I first visited it, there was mist rising from the trees. The little harbor looked mysterious and remote: tall palm trees, a few shops and restaurants, no cars, motorcycles or bikes.

It is not by chance that the island has kept its natural beauty. Once, it was privately owned and the owners always wanted to keep it in its natural state. In 1963, Port Cros became a national park. The park directors made some rules to protect the island. They didn’t allow any new building projects. There is only one hotel and no camping is allowed. Visitors can’t use mountain bikes or smoke on the island. Sailing boats that visit the island mustn’t damage the bottom of the sea or pollute the water around it.

When we arrived, we started walking to the beach of Port-Man, which was the furthest beach from the port. It took us two hours and when we arrived, the beach was deserted. It seemed that we were the only people on the island. Time seemed to stop. It was so beautiful that we stayed there all day. I visited there again last summer. Nothing had changed. The island still looked magical and mysterious, still with few tourists. It must be wonderful to stay the night on the island, I thought. After all the visitors have gone, the island must be so quiet—a real paradise (天堂)!

1.The author got to know Port Cros at first due to _____.

A. some tourist brochures

B. his wife’s introduction

C. his first visit there

D. some TV programs

2.How has the natural beauty of the island been kept according to the text?

A. Foreign visitors are not allowed to visit it.

B. Nothing has been built in the park there.

C. Only bikes can be used on the island.

D. Sailing boats mustn’t pollute the water.

3.When the author first visited Port Cros, _____.

A. it was very sunny

B. there were few visitors there

C. it took them a whole day to walk to Port-Man

D. the island was deserted and he stayed there for a whole night

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。

A simple life means getting rid of many of the things you do so that you can spend more time with people you love and do the things you love. 1. It’s often a journey of two steps forward and one backward.

Evaluate your time. 2. What things do you do from the time you wake up to the time you go to sleep? Make a list, and evaluate whether they’re in line with your priorities. If not, remove them and focus on what’s important. Redesign your day.

Limit your communications. Our lives these days are filled with a vast flow of communications: email, cell phones, paper mail, Twitter, forums, and more. 3. Instead, set a limit on your communications: only deal with emails at certain times of the day. Limit phone calls to certain times too. It is the same with other communications. Set a schedule and stick to it.

Try living without a car. OK, this isn’t something I’ve done, but many others have. 4. Walk, bike, or take public transportation. It reduces expenses and gives you time to think. A car is also very complicated, needing not only car payments, but insurance, maintenance, repairs, gas and more.

5. If you rid your home of stuff, you might find you don’t need so much space. I’m not saying you should live on a boat (although I know some people who happily do so), but if you can be comfortable in a smaller home, it will not only be less expensive, but easier to maintain, and greatly simplify your life.

A. Consider a smaller home.

B. Have a place for everything.

C. How do you spend your day?

D. It’s something I would do if I didn’t have kids.

E. They can take up your whole day if you let them be.

F. However, getting to simplicity isn’t always a simple process.

G. Most people don’t know what “enough” is, and thus they keep buying more.

现在很多学生因为种种原因很少参加体育锻炼，请你以Middle School Students Should Take an Active Part in Physical Exercise为题写一篇英语短文，内容包括：

1. 学生们不参加体育活动的原因；

2. 进行体育活动的好处；

3. 倡导同学们积极参与体育锻炼。

注意：

1. 词数100左右；

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；

3. 文章开头已给出，不计入总词数。

Middle School Students Should Take an Active Part in Physical Exercise

Nowadays, most students don’t do sports for kinds of reasons.

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