There are two main things that make aircraft engineering difficult: the need to make every part as reliable as possible and the need to build everything as light as possible. They are to be combined (结合).The fact that an aeroplane is up in the air and can't stop, if anything goes wrong, makes it perhaps a matter of life or death that its performance is completely dependable.

Given a certain power of engine, and so a certain amount of oil, there is a practical limit to the total weight of aircraft that can be made to fly. Out of that weight as much as possible is wanted for fuel radio instruments, passenger seats, or freight(货物) room, and, of course, the passengers or freight themselves. So the aircraft has to be as small and light as safety will allow. The designer must work out the normal load that each part will bear. This specialist is called the "stress(压力) man." He takes notice of any unusual stress that may be put on the part as a means against errors in production, accidental damage, etc.

The stress man's decisions go to the designer of the part, and he must make it as strong as the stress man says is necessary. One or two small parts are always tested to prove that they are as strong as the designer wanted. Each separate part is tested, then a whole one-for example, a complete wing, and finally the whole aeroplane. When a new type of aeroplane is being made, normally only one of the first three made will be flown. Two will be destroyed on the ground in strict tests. The third one will be tested in the air.

When a plane has passed all the tests it can get a government permission of flight, without which it is illegal(非法的) to fly, except for test flying.

The main difficulty of aircraft design lies in________.

A. the combination of lightness and reliability      B. the speed and cheapness

C. reliability and passenger comfort             D. its engine power and oil burning

The stress man's job is to work out ________.

A. how safe the plane is                         B. the load that each part bears

C. the possible errors made by designers        D. the amount of load the aircraft may carry Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. The total weight of an aircraft depends on the power of the engine.

B. An aircraft has to pass all the tests.

C. Permission of flight can be got from the government.

D. It is necessary for all the first planes to be tested in the air.

St. Paul’s Cathedral

Ludgate Hill, EC4

Underground: St. Paul’s; Bus: 6, 8, 11, 15, 22, 25

Open: Daily 8:00-19:00 (17:00 from Oct. to Mar.)

Entrance free

Designed by the great architect, Sir Christopher Wren, St. Paul’s Cathedral was built following the Great Fire of London of 1666, which destroyed the gothic cathedral on the site at that time. It is an inescapable attraction for all travellers to this great city and the most recognisable gothic cathedral in England. Its choir（唱诗班）is internationally famous. Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married here in 1981.

Buckingham Palace

South end of the Mall (SW1)

Underground: St. James’s Park, Victoria, Hyde Park Corner, Green Park; Bus: 2, 11, 14, 16, 19, 22, 24, 29, 30, 38, 52, 73, 74, 137

Buckingham Palace is Queen Elisabeth II’s official residence（住所）, and has been the official residence of Britain’s monarch（君主）since 1837. The State Rooms at Buckingham Palace have been opening to the public for the Annual Summer Opening, in August and September, since 1993. The Queen is not at Buckingham Palace when it is open to the public; she goes to one of her country residences. The State Rooms are extremely grand. You can see many of the treasures of the Royal Collection: paintings by Rembrandt, Rubens and Canaletto; and beautiful examples of English and French furniture.

The Tower of London

Tower Hill, EC3

Underground: Tower Hill; Bus: 42, 78

Open: Mon.— Sat.9:00-18:00; Sun.8:00-19:00

Parts of the Tower of London are over nine centuries old, as building began under William the Conqueror in 1078. Famous as a prison in the distant past, the Tower has also been a royal residence, a zoo and an observatory（瞭望台）. It is now a museum and many thousands of people visit it every year in particular to see the Crown Jewels. Only by going inside can you experience nearly a thousand years of history and hear the myths and legends that make it “a day out to die for”.

Westminster Abbey

Broad Sanctuary, SW1

Underground: Westminster, St James’s Park; Bus: 3, 11, 12, 24, 29, 39, 53, 59, 76, 77, 88, 109, 155, 168, 170, 172, 184, 503

Open: Daily 8:00-18:00 (Mar. — Dec., Tuesday till 20:00)

Entrance free

Located next to the Houses of Parliament in the heart of London, Westminster Abbey is a gothic church and place of worship. The building of the present Abbey was started by King Henry III in 1245. The oldest parts of the building date back to 1050. Westminster Abbey has hosted many royal weddings including the wedding of The Queen and Prince Philip in 1947 and the wedding of Prince William and Kate in 2011. It is a traditional place of coronation（加冕礼）and burial for English monarchs—38 monarchs have been crowned at the Abbey. There are many tombs there, including those of Queen Elizabeth I, “Bloody” Queen Mary, naturalist Charles Darwin, many poets and writers.

1.You can see the inside of all the buildings all the year around except ______.

A. St. Paul’s Cathedral                        B. the Tower of London 

C. Westminster Abbey                        D. Buckingham Palace

2.The two places you can visit by getting off at the same underground station are ______.

A. Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey     

B. Buckingham Palace and St. Paul’s Cathedral

C. Westminster Abbey and the Tower of London   

D. the Tower of London and St. Paul’s Cathedral

3.Where is the text most probably taken from?

A. A history book about London.            

B. A guidebook for visitors to London.

C. A book about London’s development.     

D. A book about London’s churches.

 

Jiuzhaigou is a very beautiful place. It is in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Region in Sichuan Province. Jiuzhaigou is a valley. It is more than 40 kilometers long. The green and golden trees, the lofty and multi-shaped mountains and the clear and colorful waters form the unique beauty of Jiuzhaogou. The water of Jiuzhaigou is the soul of the beauty. There are more than 100 lakes of different shapes in the valley. These lakes have wonderful colors. They are called “haizi”, which means son of the sea. It is these beautiful lakes that make Jiuzhaigou a fantastic place. Between the forests and the lakes, there are nine Tibetan villages. The name Jiuzhaigou means Nine Village Valley.

Jiuzhaigou was discovered because of a panda rescue program. The pandas were once endangered because the bamboo there was blooming. When people came to rescue the pandas, they were surprised by the beauty of Jiuzhaigou. After that, Jiuzhaigou became a protected scenic area.

In China, there is a saying which goes like this: No mountain is worth seeing after you have seen Mount Huang and no other body of water will attract you after you have visited Jiuzhaigou. The beauty of Jiuzhaigou cannot be described with mere words. The best way to enjoy this fairyland is to go there. See you in Jiuzhaigou.

 

 1. What is the best title for the passage? （no more than 3 words）

_____________________________________________________________

 2. How long is the Jiuzhaigou Valley? （no more than 7 words）

_____________________________________________________________

 3. How was the Jiuzhaigou Valley discovered? （no more than 9 words）

 4. What does the name Jiuzhaigou mean? （no more than 7 words）

_____________________________________________________________

 

 

 

Self-esteem is all about how much we are valued, loved, accepted, and thought well of by others and how much we value, love and accept ourselves. People with healthy self-esteem are able to do better in school and find it easier to make friends. They tend to have better relationships with others, feel happier, find it easier to deal with mistakes and failures, and are more likely to stick to something until they succeed. People with low self-esteem may feel as if no one will like them or accept them or that they can’t do well in anything.   

The following ways may help you improve your self-esteem.

Try to stop thinking negative thoughts about yourself. If you’re used to focusing on your shortcomings, start thinking about positive aspects of yourself that outweigh them. It is good to aim high, but your goals for yourself should be within reach. That’s why you should set practical goals and never expect the impossible. Mistakes are part of learning, so view mistakes as learning opportunities. Accept that you make mistakes because everyone does.

Also, you should recognize what you can change and what you can’t. If you realize that you’re unhappy with something about yourself, you can change and start from today. If it’s something you can’t change (like your height), start to work toward loving yourself the way you are.

Feeling like you’re making a difference or that your help is valued can do wonders to improve your self-esteem. So don’t hesitate to make a contribution. You can lend a hand to a classmate who’ s having trouble, help your neighborhood clean up, or volunteer to do some other things.

Self-esteem plays a role in almost everything you do. It’s never too late to build healthy self-esteem. It takes some work, and it’s a necessary skill you’ll have for life.

1. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 3 refers to “______”.

A. your classmates                                   B. your shortcomings

C. your strong points                                 D. your goals

2. According to the passage, which of the following can help improve your self-esteem?

A. Setting high goals similar to others’.

B. Never forgiving yourself for your mistakes.

C. Lending a hand to a classmate in trouble.

D. Changing all the things that make you unhappy.

3. We can infer from the passage that ______.

A. the old tend to have healthier self-esteem than the young

B. we should build healthy self-esteem when young

C. there are more people with low self-esteem

D. it is not easy to build healthy self-esteem

4. The passage is mainly about ______.

A. how people improve their self-esteem                  

B. what self-esteem means

C. what people with low self-esteem are like             

D. what people with healthy self-esteem are like

5. How many ways of improving your self-esteem are mentioned in the passage?

A. Five                 B. Six                          C. Seven                      D. Eight.

 

Think for a moment about the teachers you have had at school or at university.  Which one did you like best?  And Why?  Were the teachers you liked best also the ones who were the best teachers, in you opinion?  Before you read any further, consider for a minute the qualities that make a teacher outstanding(出色).

Some very common answers to this question are that teachers need to love their students, that they need to have an expert knowledge of their subjects, and that they should devote themselves completely to their jobs.  All of these ideas are, of course, true to a certain extent(程度)but they are perhaps a little too simple.

It is impossible for anyone to love everyone they know, and teachers deal with a very large number of students over the years.  On the other hand, teachers should certainly be able to make their students feel that they are interested in them as people and in the development of both their characters.  A deep knowledge on to the students effectively-a teacher needs to be trained in the skills of teaching.  These skills include how to control a class, and so on.  Finally, teachers have to devote a lot of time and energy to their work, of course.  However, they are also models that their students must follow;  so it is important that they should be well-balanced people with interests outside their school work-family, friends, hobbies, etc.  A teacher who only lives for work is likely to become too narrow-minded.

1. The author suggests that you think about the teachers you have had at school or at university so that_______

A. you might praise outstanding teachers

B. you might know the qualities of outstanding teachers

C. you might select outstanding teachers

D. you might learn from outstanding teachers

2. The author does not consider it possible for a teacher_______

A. to love all the students he has taught or is teaching

B. to have a good knowledge of the subject he teaches

C. to pass the knowledge of his subjects on to his students effectively

D. to be an example for his students to follow

3. A well - balanced person is one_______.

A. who devotes all his time and energy to his work

B. who devotes most of his time and energy to his family, friend, hobbies, etc

C. who has interests both in and outside his work

D. who has interests neither in nor outside his work

4. From the passage, we can conclude that_______.

A. most teachers are born with such skills as how to explain a lesson clearly

B. it is not necessary of teachers to spend much time and energy on their work if they do have an expert knowledge of their subjects

C. teachers should be trained to love all the students they are teaching or have taught

D. even if a teacher has a good knowledge of his subjects, he can not be a good teacher if he doesn’t have the ability to pass that knowledge on to his students.