B．The level of oxygen has been steady all the time.
C．Complex creatures had rapid development in the Cambrian period.
D．We know nothing about predicting earthquakes.
安徽省合肥一中、六中、八中2020-2021学年高一上学期期末英语试题
学校:___________姓名：___________班级：___________考号：___________
一、阅读选择
Unsolved Mysteries About the Planet Earth
♦ Mystery 1: Where did all the water come from?
C．from the hospital.D．Help the laid-off workers.
6．How did the author help the Cookie Lady?
A．He offered her a high-paid job.B．He gave her advice on job hunting.
D．It is a matter that has extremely practical significance.
Rain beats against the window, matching my mood. I should have known that my new job at the hospital was too good to be true. Throughout the day, rumors warned that the newest employee from each department would be laid off. I was the newest one in the training department.
My boss appeared. “You probably know were cutting back on staff, ”he said. “Administration wants us to offer outplacement classes to help those employees find other jobs, showing them how to act in an interview, for example. ” “Fine,” I answered unwillingly, not knowing what else to say.
Water covers 70 percent of Earth’s surface and earns it the nickname “the blue planet”. But where did it come from? The most popular scientific theory states that the H2O came from several violent asteroids (小行星) filled with ice. Another suggests that the water actually has been around since Earth’s formation. However it happened, though, it’s certainly worked out well for Earth’s life forms.
Researchers have used video cameras and computers to analyze people’s gaits(步态), and are now quite good at it. But translating such knowledge into a practical identification system can be tricky. Cameras are often visible, are difficult to set up, require good lighting and may have their view blocked by other people. A team led by Dr. Ozanyan and Dr. Scully have been looking for a better way to recognize gaits. Their answer: pressure-sensitive mats.
♦ Mystery 2: What about all the oxygen?
Another thing is the planet’s oxygen. Tiny creatures released oxygen as a waste product, filling the atmosphere with it. After that, the level of oxygen in Earth’s atmosphere went wildly up and down until it finally calmed down around 540 million years ago. Since then, it’s remained at about the breathable level we experience today. But what caused it to be suddenly steady?
At the final meeting, laid off workers formed a line at the door. A colleague whispered, “I can’t believe our Cookie Lady is being laid off. We’ll miss her as much as we’ll miss her cookies. ” When the colleague spoke to her in Spanish, I knew my classes would be useless for her
♦ Mystery 3: What caused the Cambrian (寒武纪) Explosion?
The Cambrian Explosion refers to the explosion of complex life forms that occurred on Earth about 540 million years ago. Before then, life had consisted mostly of bacteria. But at the beginning of the Cambrian period, complex creatures began developing at a rate never seen before. Suddenly, life forms had brains, eyes, and bones. Most living creatures today can trace their blood back to the Cambrian period.
1．What was created later by creatures on Earth?
A．Oxygen.B．Water.C．Bacteria.D．Ice.
2．Which of the following is true according to the text?
A．Earth is called the blue star because of water coverage.
C．Little people can make a big difference.D．Love brings more joy
Listen carefully to the footsteps in the family home, and you can probably work out who is walking about. The features most commonly used to identify people are faces, voices and fingerprints. But the way they walk is also a giveaway.
C．He made her story known to othersD．He taught her how to pass an interview
7．What does the story tell us?
A．A friend in need is a friend indeedB．Good deeds have their rewards
I decided to go home early that day. In the hall, I met the lady who brought us cookies every Friday. She was a little woman with gray hair. Only her head and the top of her green apron were visible over the cart(小车) loaded with cleaning supplies. At least she had a job！
I decided to do something for her. I wrote to a newspaper expressing how I felt about the unselfishness of the Cookie Lady who needed a job. A few days later, my article appeared in the newspaper and the Cookie Lady was allowed to stay in her position. On the same day, I received a letter, which seemed so unlikely that I read it twice. An editor of a local magazine likes your piece and wants you to call her next time you are looking for work……”