What do you think of the most important invention in the world? The TV? The printing? The telephone? Or the computer? A report shows that they are not the only important inventions. Here are three other important inventions.
One of the simplest inventions is the toilet. Before toilets, waste ran into rivers from people’s houses. Illnesses were common in big cities, and it was often difficult to find clean drinking water.
| Important | |
| Some most important inventions | The TV, the |
| Three other important inventions | Before the inventions |
| the | |
| It was often difficult to find | |
| hay, animal food | Most animals were killed in |
| Reading, writing and “close work” would be difficult for the people over | |
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In southern Portugal, scientists from the University of Edinburgh have recently found some fossil(化石) remains of a previously unknown species of a crocodile-like “super salamander”.
The species could grow up to six feet in length. It lived in lakes and rivers. It was part of a wider group of primitive amphibians(两栖动物) that were widespread at the time but died out in the end. They are the ancestors of modern amphibians such as frogs. They are believed by scientists to have lived at the same time the dinosaurs began their rule.
Steve Brusatte led the study. He said the new species had hundreds of sharp teeth. It looks somehow “strange”compared to anything today.
Feeding mainly on fish, it was at the top of the food chain. But it’s also a danger for newly appeared dinosaurs and mammals that moved too near the water.
The team says the finding confirms that this group of amphibians lived in a more diverse geographic area than had been thought.
The dig began in 2009 and took several years. The “super salamander” bones were discovered in a half-meter thick layer of rock in a hillside. The team hopes to raise funds to continue exploring the site.
1. What have scientists recently found in southern Portugal?2. Where did the species live?
3. Primitive amphibians lived at the same time the dinosaurs began their rule, didn’t they?
4. What did the species mainly feed on?
5. To continue exploring the site, what does the team need?
(Lucy—L Tony—T)
L：Hello?
T：Lucy，this is Tony.
L：Hi，Tony.Where are you？We're waiting for you.
T：What's__the__time__now?
L：It's around seven o'clock.
T：Oh，dear(天啊)！I'm coming late.
L：Yes，everyone is here.We are having fun.
T：What are you doing?
L：Karen and Steve are dancing.Henry is watching a pingpong game.Julia is talking with Mrs. Brown.
T：What's Nancy doing?
L：She's making fruit salad in the kitchen.
T：OK.I have to go.I will bring some apples，pears and French fries(炸薯条)．
L：Good.I'm waiting for(等待) you.See you.
76小题和77小题为任务一：根据对话内容，回答下列问题。78小题和79小题为任务二：根据对话内容，选择正确答案。80小题为任务三：写出对话中画线句子的同义句。
1. What are Karen and Steve doing?
2. Who is Julia talking with?
3. ________are talking on the phone.
| A．Henry | B．Julia |
| C．Karen and Steve | D．Lucy and Tony |
| A．fruit salad | B．hamburgers |
| C．bread | D．rice |
On top of the world
With heavy winds, low oxygen (氧气) and -25°C temperatures, Qomolangma is one of the hardest mountains to climb. Despite the difficulty, Chinese researchers successfully reached the top of the mountain on May 4. They also set up the world’s highest automatic meteorological monitoring station (自动气象观测站), at an altitude (海拔) of 8,830 meters.
“The new station is the highlight (亮点) of this scientific trip,” noted Guangming Daily. It replaces Balcony Station, set up by United States and British scientists, as the highest weather station on Earth. Balcony Station, set up on Qomolangma in 2019, sits at about 8,430 meters above sea level.
Powered by solar panels (太阳能板), the new station can last for two years in bad weather. It has a satellite (卫星) communication system that can transmit data every 12 minutes. For the first time, Chinese scientists can collect data from the summit (山顶) of the world’s highest mountain.
Studying data from Qomolangma will help scientists answer important questions. For example, will the ice cap above 8,000 meters melt due to global warming? Will that affect the 10 big rivers in Asia that provide water to more than 2.5 billion people? What effect (影响) does air pollution have on the mountain? What is the ecosystem (生态系统) like 8,000 meters above sea level?
During this science trip, the researchers also measured (测量) the thickness of ice and snow at the summit with a high-precision radar (高精度雷达). Then, they collected ice and snow samples. They will examine the changing environments and ecosystems on the mountain, as well as study the effects of human activity on the area, Xinhua reported.
【回答问题】
1. Why is it difficult to climb Qomolangma?
2. Which is the highest weather station on Earth?
3. How many years can the new station last for in bad weather?
4. How often does the satellite communication system transmit data?
5. What did the researchers use to measure the thickness of ice and snow at the summit?
