The Palm Islands are the largest artificial islands in the world and are under construction in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates．They are being developed as tourist, leisure, and residential resorts, and will increase the coastline of the country by 120 kilometres.

After four years of planning and careful consideration of the environmental issues, construction started in 2001．Dutch engineers with experience of reclaiming land from the sea were employed in the building of the first two islands．The site for all three islands is an area of the sea where the water is not very deep．Sand is taken from the seabed and sprayed into the construction site．Although the shallow water facilitates this process, the islands are still very exposed to the currents and tidal movements of the sea．Rocks are used to hold the sand in place resulting in a large crescent (月狀的) structure．This acts as a breakwater and protects the islands from the sea.

The first two islands are in the shape of date palm trees and consist of a trunk and 17 frond, or leaves coming off the trunk．The first island, named Palm Jumeirah, has three five-star hotels in the trunk, and luxury homes in the leaves．It is astonishing that when these homes went on sale in 2004, they were all sold within three days.

The second palm, Jebel Ali, was started in 2002 and is designed to be an entertainment centre．Six marinas (小游艇船塢) are planned, with a water theme park, and homes built on stilts (樁柱) in the water.

The Palm Deira planned to be the largest of the three islands, with a length of 14 km and a width of 8.5 km, an area larger than the city of Paris．It will consist of residential properties, marinas, shopping malls, sports facilities, and clubs．These will be open to both residents and tourists.

More artificial islands, the World Islands, are now being constructed near the Palm Jumeirah．They consist of 300 private islands grouped into the shape of the continents of the world and will be used for estates, private homes, community islands, and resorts.

Unquestionably, these artificial islands are one of the wonders of the modern world．They will also maintain Dubai’s status as one of the leading tourist destinations in the region.

1.According to the passage, all the following are right EXCEPT___________.

A． Some Dutch engineers are experienced in reclaiming land from the sea.

B． The islands are being built in the shallow water of the sea.

C． All the luxury homes on Palm Jumeirah were sold.

D． The World Islands are bigger than the Palm Jumeriah.

2.The underlined word “facilitates” in the second paragraph probably means___________.

A． holds back B． makes easier

C． slows down D． leads to

3.What is the passage written for?

A． To introduce the wonderful artificial islands.

B． To show how to build artificial islands.

C． To offer a travel service for tourists.

D． To prove the Palm Islands are the largest artificial islands in the world.

練習冊系列答案
相關(guān)習題

科目：高中英語 來源：2016屆江蘇啟東中學高三上學期第一次月考英語試卷（解析版） 題型：單項填空

The doctor is skilled at treating heart trouble and never accepts any gift from his patients, so he has a very good ______.

A. expectation B. reputation

C. contribution D. civilization

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2014-2015學年陜西西安臨潼區(qū)華清中學高三一�？加⒄Z試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Whether you’re eating at a fancy restaurant or dining in someone’s home，proper table manners are likely to help you make a good impression．According to a US expert，Emily Post，“All rules of table manners are made to avoid ugliness．”

While Henry Hitchings of the Los Angeles Times admits that good manners can reduce social conflict，he points out that mostly their purpose is protective – they turn our natural warrior like selves into more elegant ones．

So where did table manners come from？

In medieval England，a writer named Petrus Alfonsi took the lead to urge people not to speak with their mouths full．And King David I of Scotland also proposed that any of his people who learned to eat more neatly be given a tax deduction (減除)．

Disappointingly，that idea never caught on．It was during the Renaissance，when there were real technical developments，opinions of correct behavior changed for good．“None of these was more significant than the introduction of the table fork,” wrote Hitchings．“Gradually，as forks became popular，they brought the new way of eating，making it possible，for instance，to consume berries without making one’s fingers dirty．”

Forks were introduced to Britain in 1608 and 25 years later，the first table fork reached America．Yet while most of the essentials (基本要素) are the same on both sides of the Atlantic，there are a few clear differences between what’s normal in the US and what holds true in the UK．For example，in the US，when food needs cutting with a knife，people generally cut a bite，then lay aside the knife and switch the fork to their right hand．Then they pick up one bite at a time．By contrast，Britons keep the fork in the left hand and don’t lay the knife down．

Though globalization has developed a new，simpler international standard of table manners，some people still stick with the American cut and switch method．The Los Angeles Times noted，“They are hanging on to a form of behavior that favors manners above efficiency．”

1.What does the story mainly talk about？

A．The importance of proper table manners．

B．The development of table manners in Western countries．

C．Some unwritten rules of table manners in the US and UK．

D．Differences between American and British table manners．

2.The underlined phrase “caught on” in the passage probably means ______．

A．worked in practice

B．became popular

C．drew attention

D．had a positive effect

3.Which of the following events influenced people’s table manners most according to the article？

A．The introduction of forks．

B．The tax deduction policy．

C．The rise of the Renaissance．

D．Petrus Alfonsi’s efforts in promoting table manners．

4.What can we conclude from the article？

A．British and American table manners are completely different from each other．

B．American people pay more attention to their table manners than British people do．

C．With globalization，the American cut and switch method has been abandoned in the US．

D．British people’s way of using a knife and fork may be more efficient than American people’s．

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2014-2015學年山東省高三第一次診斷性考試英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

Life is filled with challenges．As we get older we come to realize that those challenges are the very things that shape us and make us who we are，it is the same with the challenges that come with friendship．When we are faced with a challenge，we usually have two choices．We can try to beat it off, or we can decide that the thing presenting the challenge isn’t worth the trouble and call it quits．Although there are certainly times when calling it quits is the right thing to do，in most cases all that is needed is commitment(承諾)and communication．

When we are committed to something， it means that no matter how painful or how uncomfortable something is，we will always choose to face it through instead of running away from it．Communication is making a space for discussion and talking about how you feel as opposed to just saying what the other person did wrong．If you can say to a friend，“I got my feelings hurt．” rather than“You hurt my feelings．”you are going to be able to solve the problem much faster．

In dealing with many challenges that friendship will bring to you, try to see them for what they are：small hurdles you need to jump or get through on your way through life．Nothing is so big that it is impossible to get over, and hurt only serves to make us stronger．It is all part of growing up，it happens to everyone，and some day you will look back on all of this and say,“Hard as it was，it made me who I am today．And that is a good thing．”

1.What is the underlined word“committed”can be replaced by ____________．

A． devoted B satisfied

C． smpdsed D． interested

2.It can be inferred from the text that _____________．

A． friendship needs challenges

B． challenges shape our character

C． small hurdles aren’t worth the trouble

D． commitment promotes friendship

3.The writer suggests that _____________ when faced with a challenge．

A． one should call it quits

B． one should temporarily run away from it

C． one should be committed and communicable

D． one should lay it a side for a while

4.According to the passage，if your friend hurts your feelings，you are well advised to _______________．

A． forget it

B． talk to him／her about it directly

C． communicate properly with him／her

D． run away from it

5.The whole passage is centered on the relationship between _____________．

A． friendship and challenges

B． commitment and communication

C． communication and friendship

D． challenges and the ways to get through

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2014-2015學年山東省高三第一次診斷性考試英語試卷（解析版） 題型：單項填空

— Do you mind my opening the window? It’s a bit hot in here．

— ______________，as a matter of fact．

A． Go ahead B． Yes，my pleasure

C． Yes，I do D． Come on

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2014-2015學年江蘇泰州姜堰高三上期中英語試卷（解析版） 題型：單項填空

How can you expect to get ahead in your life _______you even live to yourself from time to time?

A． though B． until C． before D． when

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2014-2015學年河北永年第二中學高三12月月考英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

When I was a child, I often dreamed of the time when I could leave home and escape to the city. We lived on a farm and, in the winter especially, we were quite cut off from the outside world. As soon as I left school, I packed my bags and moved to the capital. However, I soon discovered that city life has its problems too.

One big disadvantage is money---it costs so much to go out, not to mention basics like food and housing. Another disadvantage is pollution. I suffer from asthma(哮喘), and at times the air is so bad that I am afraid to go outside. Then there is the problem of travelling round. Although I have a car, I seldom use it because of the traffic jams. One choice is to go by bicycle, but that can be quite dangerous.

Of course there are advantages. First, there is so much to do in the city, whatever your tastes in culture or entertainment. Besides, there are wonderful jobs and greater chances of moving to a more important job or position. Finally, if you like shopping, the variety of goods is very surprising---and, what is more, shops are often only a short walk away.

Is life better then, in the city? Perhaps it is, when you are in your teens(十幾歲) or twenties. However, as you get older, and especially if you have small children, the peace of the countryside may seem preferable. I certainly hope to move back there soon.

1.What was the writer always thinking about when he was a child?

A. Staying on the farm

B. Moving to the countryside

C. Leaving home for the city

D. Running away from the school

2.Which of the following is true about the writer?

A. He is very old now.

B. He is in good health.

C. He prefers driving a car.

D. He lives in the city now.

3.In the passage, the writer tries to _______.

A. express his opinions about way of life

B. describe his life in the countryside

C. show an interest in the outside world

D. persuade the reader to live in the city

4.How is the passage mainly developed?

A. By inferring

B. By comparing

C. By listing examples

D. By giving explanations

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2016屆河南省百校聯(lián)盟高三11月教育教學質(zhì)量檢測A卷英語試卷（解析版） 題型：閱讀理解

You may think, salt is just a simple cooking element we shake on our food for a little extra taste. But salt is much more than that. Without salt our muscles would not move. Our nervous systems would not operate. Our hearts would not beat.

But do not think rubbing salt in a wound will help. Doing that would be painful and not heal the wound. To rub salt in a wound is an idiom that means to purposefully make a bad situation worse.

Early humans got the salt they needed to stay alive from the animals they killed. But advances in agriculture led to a diet low in salt. So, humans needed to find other sources. Those who lived near the ocean or other natural sources for salt were lucky. Those who did not had to trade for salt. In fact, people used salt as a method of payment in many parts of the ancient world. The word "salary" comes from the word "salt".

Salt also played an important part in population movement and world exploration. Explorers understood that if they could keep food fresh，they could travel longer distances. So they used salt to preserve food and explored the world.

Salt was so important that, according to food historians. it was traded pound-for-pound for gold. Today, people still use the expressions "to be worth one's salt" or "worth one's weight in salt". The expressions describe a person of value.

A person might also be called salt of the earth. That description means he or she is dependable and trustworthy. However, when you say "I think we should take what he said with a grain of salt" you mean you accept it but maintain a degree of doubt about its truth.

1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?

A. Salt plays an important part in our life.

B. Salt makes food tasty.

C. Salt is considered to be part of our muscles.

D. Salt is sure to damage nervous systems.

2.A beggar's bread was stolen last night.，which means .

A. salt of the earth B. rubbing salt in a wound

C. a diet low in salt D. worth his salt

3.If you describe a person as a great help, you mean .

A. he is called salt of the earth

B. he is often taken as a grain of salt

C. he often uses salt to preserve meat

D. he is worth his weight in salt

4.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

A. Salt Is More Than a Four-letter Word.

B. Salt Is a Basic Element in Cooking.

C. Salt Is a Word with a Long History.

D. Salt Is Popular with Different Persons.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語 來源：2016屆四川廣元市高三上學期第三次段考英語試卷（解析版） 題型：其他題

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，從短文后的選項中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項，選項中有兩項為多余選項。

The Value of Tears

Tears can ruin make-up, bring conversation to a stop, and give you a runny nose. They can leave you embarrassed and without energy. However, crying is a fact of life，and tears are very useful. Even when you’re not crying, they make a film over the eye’s surface. 1.

When tears fall, they reduce stress. But we tend to fight them for all sorts of reasons. “ People worry about showing their emotions, afraid that once they lose control they’ll never get it back.” 2. After we cry, the feelings that caused the tears often disappear,

Sometimes people become much stressed and can’t cry. Whatever emotion they are feeling-shock, anger, fear, or sadness is being held back.

But everyone has the need to cry. Psychologist Vera Diamond explains that her treatment often consists of giving people permission to cry. 3. Patients practice crying just to become used to express emotions. She suggests safe, private places to cry, like under the bedcovers or in the car. Crying is a way of ease tension, but people don’t like it when others cry because it makes them tense. 4. And they’ll do just about anything to make you stop.

In certain situations, such as at work, tears are not appropriate. It’s good not to cry during a tense business discussion. 5. You should also act out the whole situation again and be as noisy and angry as you like. It will help you feel better. “And,” she adds, “Once your tears have taken away the stress, you can begin to think calmly of ways to deal with the problem.”

Tears are a sign of our ability to feel. If you find yourself near someone crying, deal with it. And never be afraid to cry yourself.

A. They too may be holding back a need to cry.

B. They cry for different reasons..

C. She gives crying exercises.

D. It contains a chemical against infection（炎癥）.

E. The fact is no emotion lasts forever.

F. It forms in response to the stress on the surface of the eye.

G. But once you’re safely behind closed doors, don’t just cry.

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習冊答案