九年级英语每周阅读训练（2016.5.2-5.8）

九年级英语每周阅读训练(2016.5.2-5.8)
Women on US money
——Example of what the $20 bill could look like. 百年来女性头像将首次登上美元纸币。
Two years ago, a 9-y ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )ear old girl from Massachusetts, US, wrote a letter to American President Barack Obama. “Why aren’t there any women on the dollars or coins of the United States ” Sofia asked. “There are many women that could be on the dollars or coins because of the important things they’ve done.” To her surprise on April 20, also her 11th birthday, Sofia got a call from the White House telling her that her wish will come true.
Harriet Tubman, an Af ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )rican-American woman, will be on the face of the $20 bill, and the final design will be released by 2020, said US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew. This means that Tubman will become the first woman in more than a century and the first black person to appear on the country’s currency (货币).
Tubman was born a sla ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )ve (奴隶) in 1822. When she was 27, she made her escape. But Tubman wanted to help other slaves become free, so she later returned to the South 19 times and saved more than 300 people. She fought against slavery throughout her life. Tubman deserves people’s respect, according to Lew. “We will continue to value her legacy (遗产) by honoring her on our currency.”
However, whil ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )e Tubman is going on the new currency, women still bring home far fewer $20 bills than their male colleagues (同事). According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, women are paid only 79 percent of what men are paid in the US, and the wage (工资) gap will not close until 2058.
“Women have long be ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )en undervalued (低估),” said social activist (社会活动家) Susan Ades Stone from the US. “To put a great woman on the currency can remind us every day of women’s value, limitless (无限的) abilities and contributions. At least it’s a step in the right direction towards greater gains in gender (性别) and racial (种族的) equality.”
——Choose the answer:
1. What did Sofia write in her letter to Barack Obama
A. She wanted to ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )raise money. B. She hoped to visit the White House.
C. She wished women were on US currency.
D. She wanted to invite him to her birthday.
2. Which is NOT true about Harriet Tubman
A. She will be the first woman on US currency.
B. The bill with her picture will be used in 2020.
C. She was a black woman who fought for slaves.
D. She made her escape from slavery 19 times.
3. According to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, _____.
A. women get the ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )same pay as men B. women are paid much lower than men
C. 79 percent of women get the same pay as men
D. 79 percent of men get paid more than women
4. Why do people think this bill change is important
A. The bills will look ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com ) more beautiful. B. It can remind people that women are great.
C. It makes men and women equal in every way.
D. It tells the many stories of great black women.
‘Brainprint’ may replace fingerprint
——“Brainprints” could be better than fingerprints. 未来“脑纹”有可能取代指纹。
Are fingerpri ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )nts the most accurate (准确的) way to identify a person Well, scientists at Binghamton University in the US say that “brainprints” could be better. They developed a technology that can identify people based on their brain activity, and it’s surprisingly accurate.
Scientists r ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )ecorded the brain activity of 50 volunteers. They scanned (扫描) the volunteers’ brains while they looked at a series of 500 pictures, including a slice of pizza, actress Anne Hathaway and the word “conundrum (谜语).”
The pictures that w ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )ere chosen can cause very different responses (反应) person to person, Dr Sarah Laszlo, a psychologist at the university and the study’s lead author, told The Huffington Post in an email. They chose the pictures based on a pre-study. Scientists asked participants about which foods and famous people that they loved and hated, and they used that information in the study.
It turned out that ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )the participants’ brains all reacted differently to each picture. When they saw different pictures, a special computer program was able to create a “brainprint”. These “brainprints” allowed scientists to identify each participant with 100 percent accuracy.
Brainprints have ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )some potential (潜在的) advantages over fingerprints. That’s because fingerprints can’t be changed. Once they are stolen, others can use them for anything they want.
But brainprints can ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )be changed. That’s because it changes when a person’s brain reacts to different things, but the brainprint is still unique to them. “So, in the unlikely event that attackers were able to steal a brainprint from someone, the person could then ‘reset (重置)’ their brainprint,” Laszlo said.
Scientists think t ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )he brainprint could one day be used for high-security areas to protect sensitive or dangerous information.
In the more distant ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com ) future, scientists plan to use these findings to evaluate a person’s mental state.
——Choose the answer:
1. The new technology to identify people is based on _____.
A. their fingerprints B. their brain activity
C. the shape of their brain D. a special printer
2. Which of the following is NOT true about the study
A. 50 volunteer ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )s were tested in the study. B. The volunteers saw different pictures.
C. Scientists scanned the volunteers’ brains.
D. Most people had similar responses to the same pictures.
3. In the pre-study, _____.
A. all the pictures were about food and people
B. scientists chose the pictures at random
C. participants answered questions about their favorite foods
D. a special computer program created photos of the participants
4. From the last three paragraphs, we learn that _____.
A. fingerprints c ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )an be changed B. people have their own brainprints
C. brainprints are used for high-security areas
D. brainprints are used to show people’s mental state
Problems with comparing
First thing in the mo ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )rning, I check Facebook only to see how I’ve already fallen behind. A workmate has written a new book. Two of my heroes have completed a big project. One of my old college friends posted a video for an online program she’s taking. She looks successful, shiny and charming while I’m still in bed, bleary-eyed.
Am I really fa ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )lling behind Is anybody actually keeping score Did these people post any of these things in order to make me feel bad Of course not. But if I’m not careful, it’s terribly easy to see social media as a reminder of all the things I’m not doing and dreams I’m not fulfilling.
But this isn’t a so ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )cial media problem. It’s a comparison problem. It’s all about how I think about it.
And I know it’s not ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com ) just me. Our culture is full of comparisons, and it’s hard not to look around at what other people are doing with their short time, and ask: “What about me ”
But all these years ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )I’ve learned one thing: Don’t compare your insides with someone else’s outsides. You have no idea what it took for other people to get where they are. Don’t act like it was effortless or pure luck. It’s much easier to look at someone “up there” and be jealous of what they have than to be happy for them and make yours better.
——Share your thoughts:
Don’t compare your lif ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )e with those of others. You are neither better than nor less than anyone in the world. Be yourself and do your best.
——Words in focus:
1. reminder n. sth that makes you think about the other thing
This is an important reminder for all of us.
2. fulfill v. achieve the thing that you hoped for
Visiting Disneyland fulfilled a boyhood dream.
3. comparison n. a statement that sb or sth is like another
The writer draws comparisons between the two presidents.
4. effortless adj. without effort, easy
She seemed to play the piano with effortless skill.
——Grasp of grammar:
She looks successf ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )ul, shiny and charming while I’m still in bed, bleary-eyed.
——Think about:
1. The underlined w ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )ord “while” in this sentence can be replaced by “_____”.
A. when B. though C. but D. since
2. Compare the two sentences.
a. They arrived while we were having dinner.
b. Schools in the no ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )rth are better equipped, while those in the south are a bit poor.
3.—Mike, what were your parents doing at 8:00 last night
—My mother was re ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )ading _____ my father was playing computer games. (2015 Huanggang)
A. while B. when C. unless D. as long as
——Choose the answer:
1. According to Paragraph 1, we learn that the writer _____.
A. published a new book B. finished a project
C. made a new video D. was in bed, checking Facebook
2. The writer feels she is falling behind, because _____.
A. her friends are working really hard
B. her friends try to make her feel bad
C. she always compares herself with others
D. she is not a careful reader of Facebook
3. What does the last paragraph tell us
a. Other people are not very successful.
b. Other people may work hard for their dreams.
c. Other people have better luck than you.
d. It’s good for us to be jealous of others.
e. Try your best to live a full life.
A. ab B. cd C. de D. be
4. What does the story mainly talk about
A. People’s habits of checking Facebook daily.
B. The problems that comparisons cause.
C. The new role of social media.
D. Social media’s influence on people’s lives.
短文填空一篇
April Fools’ Day i ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )s on April 1. People can play 1. j________ on others on this special day. If you 2. s________, you usually laugh and say, “April Fool!” The person who has been fooled by you laughs too, and he or she will not be 3. a________ with you.
Mother’s Day is on ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )the second Sunday of May. It’s a day to 4. t ________ mothers. On that day, mothers usually receive flowers and cards from their children. Fathers and children do the housework so that mothers can 5. r________ .
Easter Day fal ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )ls on the first Sunday after the full moon, which is on or after March 21. It’s also called Easter Sunday. It is said that on that day Jesus Christ comes back to 6. l________. Many people go to church, and children often get 7. p________, such as toy rabbits.
Thanksgiving ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )Day is on the fourth Thursday in November. It’s a day when US people give thanks for the good things in life. Usually families all get 8. t________ to have a big dinner.
Christmas Day comes o ( http: / / www.21cnjy.com )n 9. D________ 25. It’s the most important festival of the year. Beautiful things can be 10. s________ everywhere. People exchange gifts, send Christmas cards and visit friends.
1. __________ 2. __________ 3. __________ 4. __________ 5. __________
6. __________ 7. __________ 8. __________ 9. __________ 10. __________
参考答案
九年级英语每周阅读训练(2016.5.2-5.8)
Women on US money
1-4. CDBB
‘Brainprint’ may replace fingerprint
1-4. BDCB
Problems with comparing
1-4. DCDB
短文填空一篇
1. jokes 2. succeed 3. angry 4. thank 5. rest
6. life 7. presents 8. together 9. December 10. seen