Although man has known asbestos for many hundreds of years, it was not until 160 years ago that it was mined for the first time on the North American continent. H. W. Johns, owner of a New York City Supply Shop for roofers, was responsible for(對…負責) the opening of that first mine.
Mr. Johns was given a piece of asbestos which had been found in Italy. He experimented with the material and then showed its surprising powers to his customers. After putting on a pair of asbestos gloves, which looked much like ordinary work gloves, he took red-hot coals from the fireplace and played with them in his hands. How astonished the customers were to discover that he was not burned at all. You can well imagine that he had increasing business in asbestos roofing materials. However, because it was very expensive to transport (carry) them from Italy to the United States, Mr. Johns sent out a young scientist to seek a source nearer home. This young man found great vein(巖脈), in the province of Quebec in Canada.
Ever since 1881 Quebec has led the world in the production of this unusual mineral, which is made up of magnesium, silicon, iron, and oxygen. When it is mined, the asbestos is heavy, just as you would expect a mineral to be. When it is separated, a strange thing happens; the rock breaks down into fine, soft, soapy fibres(纖維).
Scientists do not know why the rock can be separated easily into threads(線), but they have found thousands of uses of this fireproof material, of the so-called “cloth of stone”.
小題1:Which title best expresses the main idea of this passage?
A．Asbestos mined in CanadaB．Fireproof matter
C．A “wonder” mineralD．A new roofing material
小題2:Johns proved his ability as a salesman by_______.
A．going into roofing businessB．carrying asbestos from Italy
C．sending a trained scientistD．showing the use of asbestos gloves
小題3:Which is the most important character of asbestos that the author wants to show us?
A．It is like thread.B．It feels soapy.
C．It burns easily.D．It is unusually heavy.
小題4:The author’s main purpose in writing this passage was to _______.
A．show the need for more scientists
B．compare asbestos with other minerals
C．increase the sales of asbestos
D．present facts about asbestos

小題1:C
小題2:D
小題3:A
小題4:D

本文講述了耐火材料石棉在北美的開采過程及它的神奇耐火作用。
小題1:主旨題。短文主要介紹了石棉的神奇作用。故C最佳。
小題2:細節(jié)題。根據(jù)After putting on a pair of asbestos gloves, …took red-hot coals from the fireplace and played with them in his hands 可推知，他是用當場演示的方法來推銷他的產品的。故答案為D。
小題3:推斷題。根據(jù)When it is separated, a strange thing happens; the rock breaks down into fine, soft, soapy fibres(纖維)及 Scientists do not know why the rock can be separated easily into thread 可以斷定答案為A。
小題4:推斷題。從短文中可以看出來作者寫這篇文章只不過陳述事實而已。
練習冊系列答案
相關習題

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

When we hear the words “college students”, we usually think of a young person between 18 and 22 years old. But in the U.S.A today, a college student often is much older. In fact, educators say in the next few years colleges and universities may have more older part-time students than traditional (傳統(tǒng)的) full-time younger students.
Educators report a big increase in the number of Americans who attend college and university classes in the evening or at night or weekends. Most of them are older than 25 years old and more have full-time or part-time jobs. Many are in their thirties or forties.
Why are so many people deciding to spend their time and money in order to continue their education? Most are doing it because they believe more education will help them to get a better job. Some are industrial workers whose factories have closed. They are learning new skills to prepare for other kinds of work. Some of the part-time students are not pleased with the jobs they have. They are studying for new ones. Some have retired (退休) and are looking for new kinds of work. Two of every three of the students older than 35 are women. Many of them are returning to school after years of staying at home to care for children.
Are older students good students? Most teachers say yes. They say older students really want to learn. They ask difficult questions and are not pleased with simple answers. They often get high grades.
小題1: It’s said that in the next few years _________________.
A．students in colleges and universities will be much older
B． full-time students in colleges and universities will be even younger
C． American colleges and universities will take in part-time students equally
D． The number of older students will be greater than that of the younger ones
小題2:Judge which of the following is not true according to the above passage.
A．It’s reported that a large number of Americans attend college or universities classes in their spare time.
B． Most of them are over 25.
C． Most of them are without jobs.
D． The number of students in colleges and universities is reported to have gone up greatly.
小題3:Why are so many people deciding to go on with their education? Because___________.
A．Most of the Americans enjoy learning something new
B． Most of them believe: more education, better jobs
C． They have lost their jobs
D． They are tired of their jobs they have
小題4:They often get high grades” means ____________.
A．they rise to high grades easily
B． they often get very good marks (分數(shù))
C． they are more likely to receive a master’s or a doctor’s degree upon graduation
D．they often win high prize
小題5:What does the whole passage mainly tell us?
A．Why does so many older students go to college in America.
B．What older students in college can learn.
C．Older students are mostly good students
D．Higher education can help you get a good job.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：完形填空

Though different educational systems have different purposes, one thing is certain: all students should take part in examinations.
___1___ the English educational system, students take ___2___ very important ___3___. The first is the eleven-plus, which is taken at the age of eleven ___4___ past. At one time the ability ___5___ on the eleven-plus would have determined ___6___ a child stayed in school. ___7___, however, all children continue in “comprehensive”(綜合性的) schools, and the eleven-plus determines which courses of study the child will follow. At the age of fifteen or sixteen, the students are tested for the Ordinary Level of the General Certificate(證書) of Education. This examination covers a wide ___8___ of subjects; once students have passed this exam, they are ___9___ to specialize, so that two-thirds or ___10___ of their courses will be ___11___ physics, chemistry, classical language, or ___12___ they wish to study ___13___. The ___14___ examination, at eighteen, covers only the ___15___ of the special subjects. ___16___ the universities, students study only in their concentrated area, and ___17___ students ever venture(冒險) outside ___18___ subject again; ___19___, the English boy or girl is a specialist ___20___ the age of fifteen.
1. A. On  B. In       C. To      D. For
2. A. four       B. three   C. two     D. one
3. A. subjects  B. languages   C. courses       D. examinations
4. A. somewhat      B. or else C. or so   D. or rather
5. A. seen       B. heard  C. shown D. known
6. A. when      B. if C. that     D. how
7. A. But B. Then   C. So      D. Now
8. A. number  B. part    C. range  D. collection
9. A. allowed  B. passed C. forbidden   D. admit
10. A. much    B. many  C. more   D. most
11. A. in  B. of       C. with    D. on
12. A. whenever     B.however      C.whatever D. wherever
13. A. at all costs    B. at the same time      C. at the least   D. at great length
14. A. late      B. later    C. early   D. final
15. A. context B. content　　       C. book   D. lesson
16. A. Even so       B. Even if      C. Even then   D. Even at
17. A. few      B. no      C. some   D. any
18. A. that      B. their   C. its       D. which
19. A. in any case   B. in all C. in a sense   D. in the end
20. A. of B. from C. at       D. under

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

If you are a high school senior graduating and looking to enter college in 2006, you will take the new exam.
The biggest change to the SAT (美國學術能力傾向測驗) will be the introduction of a new writing section. The writing section will consist of two parts: an essay and a multiple-choice section. Students will be given 25 minutes to respond to a prompt (提示) and construct a well-organized essay that effectively deals with the task. The essay question may require students to complete a statement, to react to a quote, or to agree or disagree with a point of view. In any case, a good essay will support the chosen position with specific reasons and examples from literature, history, art, science, current affairs, or even a student's own experiences.
Essays will be scored based on the procedures for the current SAT II: Writing Test. Essays will be graded by two independent readers On a scale of 1～6, and their two scores will be combined to form an essay subscore that ranges from 2 to 12. Should the readers' scores vary by more than 2 points, a third reader will score the essay; The readers will be high school teachers and college professors who teach composition. To ensure that essays will be scored in a timely manner, they will be scanned and made available to readers on the Internet for grading purpose.
The writing section will also include multiple-choice grammar and usage questions. Some of these questions will call upon students to improve given sentences and paragraphs. Others will present students with sentences and require them to identify mistakes in diction (措辭), grammar, sentence construction, subject-verb agreement, proper word usage.
The highest possible score on the new writing section will be 800. Scores on the essay and multiple-choice section will be combined to produce a single score. A writing subscore will also be assigned. The highest possible scores on the Critical Reading and Math sections will remain 800 each, making 2,400 a perfect score on the new SAT.
小題1:Which parts are included in the writing section of SAT according to the passage?
A．Essay and multiple-choice.B．Essay and critical writing.
C．Multiple-choice and math.D．Multiple-choice and literature.
小題2:In Paragraph 3, the writer of this passage mainly described _________.
A．application of the Internet in scoring the essay
B．relationship between high tech and testing
C．cheating in the essay scoring procedure
D．the scoring procedure of the essay
小題3: Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A．The SAT is designed for high school seniors wishing to enter a college.
B．The writer criticized the multiple-choice in the SAT.
C．Good specific examples are encouraged in essay writing.
D．The SAT consists of the Critical Reading, Math and the Writing sections.
小題4:Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
A．The new SAT scoring.B．Language testing reform.
C．College entrance exam reform.D．The new writing section of SAT.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Flying over a desert in an airplane, two scientists looked down with trained eyes at trees and bushes. After an hour's flight one of the scientists wrote in his notebook, "Look here for probable metal." Walking across hilly ground, four scientists reported, "This ground should be searched for metals." From an airplane over a hilly wasteland a scientist sent back by radio one word "Uranium".
None of the scientists had X-ray eyes: they had no magic powers for looking down below the earth's surface. They were merely putting to use one of the newest methods of locating minerals in the ground -- using trees and plants as signs that certain minerals may lie under the ground on which the trees and plants are growing.
This newest method of searching for minerals is based on the fact that minerals deep in the earth may affect the kind of bushes and trees that grow on the surface.
At Watson Bar Creek, a mineral search group gathered bags of tree seeds. Boxes were filled with small branches from the trees. Roots were dug and put into boxes. Each bag and box was carefully marked. In a scientific laboratory the parts of the forest trees were burned to ashes andtested. Each small part was examined to learn whether there were minerals in it.
Study of the roots, branches and seeds showed no silver. But there were small amount of gold in the roots and a little less gold in the branches and seeds. The seeds growing nearest to the tree trunk had more gold than those growing on the ends of the branches.
If the trees indicated that there was no gold in the ground, the scientists wouldn't spare money to pay for digging into the ground.
小題1:Scientists were flying over a desert or a hilly wasteland or a mountain region to ________.
A．train their eyesB．study the trees C．look for goldD．search for minerals
小題2:The study of trees, branches and roots indicated that __________.
A．there were larger amounts of gold in the branches far from the tree trunk than in the seeds
B．there were smaller amounts of gold in the tree roots deep in the ground than in the branches
C．there were larger amounts of gold in the seeds growing closer to the tree trunk than in the seeds farther from it
D．there were larger amounts of gold in the branches than in the leaves on the ends of the branches
小題3:Which of the following is NOT mentioned as part of a tree that can help the searchers?
A．Leaves.B．Roots.C．Branches.D．Seeds.
小題4: Which of the following might be the best title for this passage?
A．Scientists searching for treasure with special equipment.
B．New methods of doing geological study.
C．Gold could be found in trees and plants.
D．A new method of searching for minerals.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Education is not an end, but a means to an end. In other words, we do not educate children only for the purpose of educating them. Our purpose is to fit them for life.
In some modem countries it has for some time been fashionable to think that by free education for all — one can solve all the problems of society and build a perfect nation. But we can already see that free education for all is not enough; we find in such countries a far larger number of people with university degree; they refuse to do what they think “l(fā)ow” work; and, in fact, work with hands is thought to be dirty and shameful in such countries. But we have only to think a moment to understand that the work of a completely uneducated farmer is far more important than that of a professor; we can live without education, but we die if we have no food. If no one cleaned our streets and took the rubbish away from our houses, we should get terrible diseases in our towns…
In fact, when we say that all of us must be educated to fit us for life, it means that we must be educated in such a way that, firstly, each of us can do whatever work suited to his brains and ability and, secondly, that we can realize that all jobs are necessary to society, and that is very bad to be ashamed of one’s work. Only such a type of education can be considered valuable to society.
小題1:The writer of the passage thinks that _______.
A．education can settle most of the world’s problems
B．free education for all probably leads to a perfect world
C．free education won’t help to solve problems
D．all the social problems can’t be solved by education
小題2:The writer wants to prove that _______.
A．our society needs all kinds of jobs
B．our society needs free education for all
C．a farmer is more important than a professor
D．work with hands is the most important
小題3:The purpose of education is _______.
A．to choose officials for the country
B．to prepare children mainly for their future work
C．to let everyone receive education fit for him
D．to build a perfect world
小題4:The passage tells us about _______ of the education.
A．the meansB．the systemC．the valueD．the type

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解



"The world's oceans are slowly getting more acidic,”say scientists. The researchers from California report that the change is taking place in response to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The lowering of the waters’pH value is not great at the moment but could cause a serious threat to current ocean life if it continues, they warn. Ken Caldeira and Michael Wickett, from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, report their concerns in the journal Nature.
Increasing use of oil fuels means more carbon dioxide is going into the air, and most of it will eventually be absorbed by seawater. Once in the water, it reacts to form carbonic acid. Scientists believe that the oceans have already become slightly more acidic over the last century.
These researchers have tried to predict what will happen in the future by combining what we know about the history of the oceans with computer models of climate change．"This level of acidity will get much more extreme in the future if we continue releasing CO2 into the atmosphere," said Dr Caldeira. "And we predict the amount of future acidity will exceed（超過）anything we have seen over the last several hundred million years, let alone perhaps after rare disastrous events such as asteroid（小行星) impacts．”
However, it is not absolutely clear what that means for ocean life．Most organisms live near the surface, where the greatest pH change would be expected to occur, but deep-ocean life forms may be more sensitive to pH changes．Coral reefs and other organisms whose shells contain calcium carbonate（小行星) may be particularly affected if the water's acidity levels keep going up, the team predict. They could find it much more difficult to build these structures in water with a lower pH.
In recent years some people have suggested storing carbon dioxide from power stations in the deep ocean as a way of dealing with global warming．But Dr Caldeira said that such a strategy should now be re-considered. "Previously, most experts had looked at ocean absorption of carbon dioxide as a good thing-because in releasing CO2 into the atmosphere we warm the planet, and when CO2, is absorbed by the ocean, it reduces the amount of greenhouse warming.”
小題1:According to Dr Caldeira,__________ .
A．ocean absorption of carbon dioxide is a good thing
B．more oil fuels will be used in the near future
C．scientists may predict climate changes with computer models
D．the future situation of the amount of acidity is extremely serious
小題2:f the water's acidity level keeps rising,_________ .
A．ocean life whose structures contain calcium carbonate may be affected
B．the waters’pH value will become higher and higher
C．organisms living near the surface are more sensitive to pH changes
D．some disastrous events will occur more often than before
小題3:Most experts once believed storing carbon dioxide in the ocean would reduce________ .
A．the CO2 absorbed by the oceanB．the amount of greenhouse warming
C．the acidity of the oceanD．the gradual release of CO2
小題4:The purpose of this passage is to_________ .
A．show people the findings of a research teamB．inform people of how acid the ocean is now
C．introduce Dr Caldeira and his team's researchD．warn people of the higher level of CO2

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解


Some people think that as more and more people have televisions in their homes, fewer and fewer people will buy books and newspapers. Why read an article in the newspaper, when the TV news can bring you the information in a few minutes and with pictures? Why read the life story of a famous man, when a short television program can tell you all that you want to know?
Television has not killed reading, however. Today, newspapers sell in very large numbers. And books of every kind are sold more than ever before. Books are still a cheap way to get information and enjoyment. Although some books with hard covers are expensive, many books are printed today as paperbooks (平裝本), which are quite cheap. A paperback collection of short stories, for example, is always cheaper than an evening at the cinema or the theater, and you can keep a book for ever and read it many times.
Books are a wonderful provider of knowledge and pleasure and some types of books should be in every home. Every home should have a good dictionary. A good encyclopedia (百科全書), though expensive, is useful, too, because you can find information on any subject. Besides, you can have such books as history books., science textbook, cookbooks, and collections of stories and poems. Then from time to time you can take a book of poems off your shelves and read the thoughts and feelings of your favorite poets.
小題1:It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A．TV programs are a chief provider of knowledge
B．cinemas are the best choice in getting information
C．reading is a cheap way of learning and having fun
D．newspapers are an expensive way to enjoy oneself
小題2:What does the sentences “Television has not killed reading, however ” underlined in the second paragraph suggest?
A．People only need reading, though.B．Reading is still necessary today.
C．Reading is more fun than television.D．Watching television doesn’t help reading.
小題3:What can we learn from the passage?
A．Fewer and fewer people will buy books.
B．A good dictionary should be kept in every home.
C．Books with hard covers sell better than paperbooks.
D．More people like TV programs about famous men.
小題4:What can we learn from the passage?
A．Fewer and fewer people will buy books.
B．A good dictionary should be kept in every home.
C．Books with hard covers sell better than paperbooks.
D．More people like TV programs about famous men.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Australians have been warned they face a life or death decision over their water — drink recycled sewage (污水) or die.
With t he drought (干旱) continuing, the country is set to be forced to use purified (凈化的) waste water for drinking, even though there is great opposition to the measure.
Queensland has become the first state to introduce the policy after a warning from its premier .
"I think in the end, because of the drought, all of Australia is going to end up drinking recycled purified water," said Peter Beattie.  
"These are difficult decisions, but you either drink water or you die. There's no choice. It's liquid gold, it's a matter of life and death."
Beattie said Australia's second largest state would become the first to use recycled water for drinking.
Water is recycled in Britain and parts of northern Europe along with the US and Israel.
But Australians have never liked the idea.
To try to change the way Australians think, Prime Minister John Howard and Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull have adhered to Queensland's move.
"I am very strongly for recycling and Mr. Beattie is right and I agree with him completely," Howard said.
“Australian cities, all now facing water shortages because of the worst drought on record, must start to use recycled water.” added Turnbull, "All of our big cities have to widen the range of water sources to include sources which are not dependent on rainfall."
小題1:What is the text mainly about?
A．Continuing drought forces Australians to drink recycled sewage
B．Australians face the choice of life and death
C．Premier Beattie is worried about his people’s health
D．We should avoid drinking recycled water to keep healthy
小題2:According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A．Nobody disagrees to the idea of drinking recycled purified water
B．Australia's second largest state has become the first state to introduce the policy
C．No other countries but Australia decide to drink recycled water
D．The drought is the worst one in the droughts recorded in Australian history.
小題3:What can we learn from the last paragraph ?
A．Australians have never like drinking purified waste water
B．Australians should develop more water sources to live through the hard time
C．Australians can’t depend upon rainwater , which is not suitable for drinking .
D．Australian government has no ability to solve the problem of water shortage
小題4:The underlined phrase “adhered to” in Paragraph 9 probably means_________.
A．dislikedB．gone againstC．supportedD．doubted
小題5:It can be inferred from what Premier Peter Beattie said that________.
A．he gives orders to drink purified waste water
B．It is painful for him to see his people drink recycled sewage
C．If the decision is made, people won’t survive the drought
D．It’s up to you to either make a life or death decision

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習冊答案