People who have a fear of ugly insects will want to stay far away from Lake Tawakoni State Park in north Texas, US. A giant spider web was recently found there. The thick web is swarming with millions of little spiders. Stretching across several acres it blankets a number of trees, bushes and even the ground. While the web may make some people nervous, it has become a big attraction for others-especially for unlucky insects. "At first, it was so white that it looked like fairyland," said Donna Garde, the park's manager. "Now it's filled with so many mosquitoes that it's turned a little brown." Most spiders work alone, which is why the discovery of the huge web has caused such a stir. Scientists across the country have been debating its origin. Some spider experts' say the monstrous web may have been weaved by social spiders. Social spiders work together to build larger webs to catch small insects. However, those webs take years to build. Park officials say this web was formed in just a few months. Others say it could be the work of millions of tiny ballooning spiders. These types of spiders 'fly' by throwing out thin threads of silk, which they use to ride air currents . In 2002, a similar giant web made by ballooning spiders was discovered in a field in Canada. Texas entomologist Herbert Pase says the giant web is very unusual. "From what I'm hearing, it could be a once-in-a-life-time event," he said. But John Jackman, an entomologist and professor at Texas A&M University, disagrees. Jackman says he hears reports of similar webs, like the one in Canada, every few years. "There are a lot of folks that don't realize spiders do that," he said. "Until we get some samples sent to us, we won't know what species of spider we're talking about." Park officials expect the web to last until fall when the weather gets cooler. That's when the spiders begin dying off in the park. What is the main reason for scientists' excitement and argument about the giant web? A) Most spiders work alone, which makes it hard to understand how the web formed. B) The huge web causes too many mosquitoes to be killed, which is unbelievable. C) No similar discoveries have ever been made throughout the world so far. D) The web forces people to stay far away from Lake Tawakoni State Park.
A
(Question)
Tom Hanks ranks as one of Hollywood's most popular actors. Moviegoers eagerly anticipate in the opening of his new pictures. If you're a Hank fan, you don't have to wait much longer. Hank's newest film, Cast Away, opens this winter. Tom Hanks plays Chunk Noland, a FedEx executive who lives by the clock. He carefully plans every minute of both his professional and personal time. But on his way home for the holidays, the small plane he's in crashes in the Pacific Ocean. Only Noland survives. He ends up alone on a tropical island and begins a battle for survival. In the process, his view of success and life itself change dramatically . This role may be the most physically-challenging of Hank's career. The actor lost 53 pounds for the part. Director Robert Zemeckis shot the first section of the film with Hanks weighing more than 225 pounds. The filming took a break for a year while Hanks lost weight. To take off the pounds, Hanks ate little and exercised a lot. The movie may surprise some of Hank's fans. It's not an upbeat comedy like Sleepless in Seattle or You're Got Mail. In fact, Hanks spends a large part of the movie not speaking. After all, who is there to talk to when you're alone on an island? How did Tom Hanks lose so much weight? Because _ . A) he had no one to talk to B) he felt he was too weighty, so he had to C) he was alone on an island D) he ate little and exercised a lot
(Answer)
D
Ques: Check out all the new releases in the next four weeks. Wednesday 16 march Chalet Girl (12A )Watch the Trailer A British comedy about a girl who decides to give up her job at a fried chicken fast food place to try out being a chalet girl in the Alps. Starring Bill Nighy and Ed Westwick. Friday 18 March Submarine (15) A comedy following a teenager who wants to lose his virginity and stop his father from leaving his mother. Directed by Richard Ayoade. Friday 25 March Country Strong (12A) Watch the Trailer Rising country music songwriter (Garrett Hedlund) falls in love with a fallen star (Gwyneth Paltrow), and together they plan his rising and her comeback. A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures (3D) (U) A sea turtle who was hatched in 1959 spends the next 50 years travelling the world as it changes through global warming. Friday 1 April Killing Bono (15) Watch the Trailer Two brothers attempt to become global rock stars but can only look on as old school friends U2 become the biggest hand in the world. Passenger Side (D) Two brothers spend the day driving around Los Angeles county looking for the meaning of their lives, or cheap street drugs, depending on whom you believe. Friday 8 April The Silent House A horror movie based on a true story about a small house in a village in Uruguay which holds some dark secrets Rio (3D) Watch the trailer An animated film about a domesticated macaw from Minnesota who sets off on an adventure. If you like seeing the 3D films, you can choose to see _ . A) The Silent House and Rio B) Submarine and Passenger Side C) A Turtle's Tale: Sammy's Adventures and Rio D) Killing Bono and Country Strong
Ans: C
Ques: A window is more than just an opening that you can see through. It can affect the way a building looks,how much energy a building USES and even how you feel. Scientists are now working on ncw technologies to create"smart windows". Unlike normal windows,high-tech smart windows can change from clear to dark and back again with the touch of a button --or even automatically as the outside light changes. Smart windows have the power to make the world a cleaner and more comfortable place. Instead of turning on air conditioners ,people could simply _ the windows in a building's empty rooms. With the rooms less bright,they would stay cool,and people would save energy and money at the same time. That's why smart windows are so exciting. Says Claes Granqvist. He's a professor of physics at Uppsala University in Sweden. If you think that you don't care much about windows,you should think again,Granqvist says. Most people who live in developed countries spend about 90% of their time inside buildings and cars. You might spend even more time than that indoors during the winter if you live in a cold climate. Imagine then what it would be like if there were no windows. You'd have no idea what's going on outside. So,the light of the nature is important for improving the way people feel when they stay indoors. The development of smart windows could mean that a lot of air-conditioning systems may no longer be needed. "In the future," Granqvist says "our buildings may look different." Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? A) Windows Are Important B) Buildings in the Future C) A Kind of New Window--the Smart Window D) The Magic of High-tech
Ans:
B