We are going to see the ruins of Machu Picchu in the mountains of the Andes.Machu Picchu was forgotten for centuries but discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham, a professor from Yale.It is said to be one of the most beautiful ancient sites in the world. The Incas built the ancient civilization of Machu Picchu between the 12th century and the early 16th century.They spoke a language called Quechua but had no writing system at all.They kept records on various coloured strings with knots called quipu. The Incas proved to be wonderful architects.They built most of their buildings with huge stones but without using any cement to stick them together.However, the huge stones fit together so perfectly that you cannot force a sharp knife between two blocks.They also built bridges, tunnels through mountains and channels to bring water to their cities--just as the Romans did.The Incas turned the mountains into farmlands and planted corn and potatoes, and raised animals like llama and alpaca for food. Now Machu Piccu has become a major tourist site in Peru, attracting people from all over the world. The Incas built the following like the Romans except _ according to the passage. A) roads B) bridges C) tunnels D) channels
A
Last fall,beekeepers from states with warm climates began to report a sudden loss of honey bees.Losses were reported in twentyfour states and spread to Canada.Today,some beekeepers say thirty percent to ninety percent of their honey bees are gone.Food price could go up as a result.And some beekeeping businesses have failed. Many kinds of plants,trees and grasses need bees to pollinate them.Bees gather nectar from flowers during this process.The liquid gives them food and material to make honey.As the bees land on flowers,their bodies pick up and drop off particles of pollen .Most flowering plants need pollination to reproduce. Honey bees can die during the winter.But few dead bees have been found this time.Instead,the bees seem to have disappeared.Experts call the condition "colony collapse disorder". Agriculture Department official Caird Rexroad said the colony collapse disorder threatens about fifteen billion dollars worth of the country's farm economy.Mr.Rexroad commented at a hearing of a House of Representatives agriculture subcommittee. Mr.Rexroad said the cause of the sudden loss of bees was not clear.The number of honey bees had already fallen before the colony collapse disorder began. Experts say the varroa mite is at least partly responsible for the earlier decrease in honey bees.The mite is a tiny creature that feeds on honey bees.It may play a part in colony collapse disorder by carrying bee viruses.Or the problem may be caused by other disease and weather conditions. Diana CoxFoster of Pennsylvania State University is part of the scientific group.Ms.CoxFoster says the nation needs honey bees that can defend themselves better against disease and insects.The recent mapping of most of the honey bees' genes offers the hope of a stronger honey bee some day. The passage is mainly to tell us that _ . A) the honey bees are important to plants,trees and grasses B) many Americans are surprised at the loss of honey bees C) strong honey bees are in great need in America D) something has happened to American honey bees
D
Q: Listening to your favorite music can make a person feel great and can make their emotions change. The song you are listening to can affect how you feel. Different types of music may make you cry, laugh, or even feel anger. According to researches, music is a complex sound that causes a large variety of emotional responses in listeners. _ . Researches have shown that basic emotions, such as happiness, anger, fear, and sadness, can be recognized in and created by musical stimuli in humans. I know from experience that when I am in a bad mood, I'll listen to my favorite CD. I don't know what it is about the music but it just makes me feel better almost instantly. All of you have CDs or songs that make you feel great when you're feeling down. Music has that power and none of us realize that until we really think about it. The physical effects that music has on us are almost the same as the emotional ones. Music can change you in many ways, depending on the kind of music you are being exposed to. According to "Music and Emotions", electronic music with loud sounds will physically affect you more easily than any other type of music. Certain types of music can give you courage and strengthen your willpower, while other types can make you relaxed. I can think of a good example for music bringing willpower and strength to you, when you are getting ready before a sport. The sport I play is football and I know that if I don't listen to a certain mix of songs, my head is all over the place. If I listen to some certain songs I become very energized and feel better about things. Music affects your emotions in many ways. It also affects your physical status. Music also is the key to your enjoying of a movie. Music affects your emotions by being able to change your state of mind from a sad mood to a happy one. It can also make a person feel great before a competition. Music is also the key to Movies. Without music in movies there would be no suspense, no horror and no excitement. It makes movies what they are to us. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage? A) Music may cheer you up, but it can't let you down. B) Music used to comfort sport players in games. C) Electronic music can affect our emotions much less. D) Different music will cause different emotions in us.
A: D
Q: Minimalism is a term that describes movements in various forms of art and design, especially visual art and music, where the work is reduced to its most basic features. As for me, minimalism functions well not in art or design, but in my daily life. When I was packing for university, I found it extremely difficult to let go of some of the things I owned. I knew I couldn't take everything with me, but I kept asking myself "how could I possibly throw this away?", "what if I need it one day?", and "what about all of the memories?" Now that I've moved, and left that stuff behind, I don't even miss it. Whether or not I got rid of it, it barely makes a bit of difference to me now. I've learned that over time people forget, or their need for a particular object eventually disappears. Either they store it away or they get rid of it. You might think nostalgically about the toys you cared about when you were a child, but what is making you smile now is not the thing itself but the memory of it. 1've heard it a hundred times, "you don't need things to make you happy." It takes something life-changing like moving across the country to realize how true this is. Speaking of which, for a lot of people, minimalism is about able to move. It's about being able to go almost anywhere at any time because you don't have many possessions to carry. When you keep things you don't need they become a burden that ties you to a place. Moving to university was a good time to let go of a lot of stuff. And when I visit for the holidays, I'll probably get rid of even more, to lighten the burden. _ There are some things that are irreplaceable, very rare or expensive or we simply love and cherish for some reason or another, since we are humans. But after we keep those, how much is left that we don't really need? Hence, minimalism. And why does minimalism bring happiness? That was a bit of a roundabout way of saying that, it's because what really makes me happy is freedom. And the key to freedom is minimalism because minimalism reduces our... Which of the following is NOT the reason why the writer favors "minimalism" in life? A) It takes the burden off her while she is moving. B) It reduces her attachment to her personal things. C) It enables her to gain the freedom that she desires. D) It helps her to realize how true life is.
A: D