A bag of balloons look cheap--but an expensive toy may be far too expensive!（）

The Development of the Modern Hot Air Balloon

The modern hot air balloon is constructed by suspending a wicker basket underneath a large bag of nylon fabric, known as an envelope. The wicker basket carries the balloon's pilot, any other passengers, and the propane tanks that provide the balloon with a source of fuel The propane tanks are connected by hose to a pair of burners, which are Located between the basket and the envelope. When the burners ignite, their heat passes through the balloon's skirt—a circular sheath of fire-resistant material at the mouth of the envelope—and finally into the envelope itself. Located at the top of the envelope is a parachute vent, a mechanism that allows the pilot to release hot air and increase the balloon's rate of descent when required. This is controlled by a parachute valve cord that extends through the balloon, and into the basket.

The use of hot air balloons can be traced back to the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history (220-280 AD). Huge Lang used these early incarnations, known as Congaing lanterns, as military signals. The first manned flight on record took place in France on October 15th, 1783. In a balloon constructed by Jacques-Etienne Mongolia, a Frenchman named Pitter de Rosier was elevated eighty feet off the ground. Modern hot air balloons, with their capacity to ascend or descend and occasionally 'steer' at the pilot's will, were first developed by Ed Yost in the 1950s. The Bristol Belle is generally regarded as the first modern hot air balloon, and had its inaugural flight in 1967. Since then, balloon technology has become extremely sophisticated. Some hot air balloons have reached altitudes of 21,000 meters, traveled over 7,500 kilometers, and reached speeds of up to 400 kilometers per hour.

Hot-air balloonin8 is generally a safe activity, and serious accidents are rare. In the event that something does 8o wrong, several items of safety gear are useful to have on board. In case the pi to light and the auxiliary pies ignition fail, it is a good idea to have a welding torch flint sparker available for the pilot's use. Given the propane combustion used to propel the hot air balloon, a fire extinguisher is an absolute necessity. Flame-resistant gauntlets made out of either leather or name are required for the pilot so that a gas valve can be disabled even if an open flame is present. While name is a specially-manufactured synthetic form. of fire-retardant material, synthetic clothing is generally a hindrance to fire safety, and clothing made of natural fiber is a superior option for pilots. Final[y, a handling line—a long rope that can be thrown overboard—is a vital precautionary measure that allows people on the ground to steer the balloon away from trouble.

To ensure baton longevity and safety in operation, it is vital that hot air batowns be maintained and repaired while not in use. Keeping the envelope dean and dehumidified is an important step that prevents mould from forming on the fabric. This is especial[y important if the balloon has landed in a wet or muddy environment. The burner and rue[ system also requires regular maintenance. This can involve the replacement or repair of damaged hoses and any sticking or leaky valves. The wicker basket has skids on its bottom to help it gain traction upon landing; over time these are worn down, and will need to be replaced. International regutations stipulate that balloons must be given a full inspection every one hundred flight hours, or twelve months. This ensures that any problems can be rectified before they become hazardous.

Questions 1-5

Complete the diagram below.

Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from Reading Passage 1 for each answer.

Write your answers in boxes ]-5 on your answer sheet.

(1)

Balloons float in the air_________ boats do on the sea.

A． just as

B． when

C． that

D． where

A.How many balloons can you see

B.How many balls do you have

C.How many balloons do you have

A.put on

B.added to

C.put for

D.added

The author compares cells with water balloons in order to ______.

A. make you think of summer

B. help you visualize the cells

C. show how rubber is elastic

D. show how many shapes cells can have

阅读理解

A TEAMWORK GAME

A team of about 35 employees had come together for a team building event. They were a young, bright and enthusiastic team. However, one of their chief problems was the fact that they wouldn't share information or solutions with each other, and the team leader thought they were too focused on themselves and not on the team. As a result, she brought them all into the cafeteria. All of the tables and chairs had been stored away, and fun decorations and hundreds of different colored balloons had been placed around the room.

In the center of the room was a big box of balloons that hadn't been blown up yet. The team leader instructed everybody to pick a balloon, blow it up, and write their name on it, but they had to be careful not to burst the balloon.

Although they were given a second chance if their first balloon popped, they were out of the game the second time round. In the end, about 30 team members wrote their names without their balloons popping. They were then asked to leave the room and, after five minutes, the team leader brought them back in and asked them to find the balloon with their name on it amongst the hundreds of other balloons in the room. After 15 minutes of searching, no one had found their balloon, and the team were told that they were then going to move on to the third round of the activity.

In this round, each team member was instructed to find any balloon with a name on it and then give that balloon to the person whose name was on it. Within two minutes, everybody had their own balloon. The team leader summarized the activity thus: “We are much more efficient when we are willing to share with each other and much better at problem solving when we are working together, not individually.”

Sometimes, members of teams create obstacles by focusing solely on their own pursuits and goals. Every member of the team should ask themselves on a regular basis what they are doing and what they can do for the team.

操作提示：通过题目后的下拉选项框选择正确答案。

1. This team building event was aimed at {A; B; C}.

A. helping these young, bright and enthusiastic employees become more concentrated on their work

B. making the team members know how to share information or solutions and cooperate with each other

C. building up team morale

2. This event was held in {A; B; C}.

A. a self-service restaurant

B. a coffee shop

C. a classroom

3. About how many team members were out of the second round of the activity？{A; B; C}

A. 30.

B. 35.

C. 5.

4. Which statement below is correct？{A; B; C}

A. In the second round, every one of the team had found their balloons after 15 minutes.

B. In the third round, the team members were asked them to find the balloon with their name on it amongst the hundreds of other balloons in the room.

C. In the third round, everybody had their own balloon with help from others within 2 minutes.

5. What was the event going to teach these employees？{A; B; C}

A. Sharing and cooperating with other team members is more efficient when they are working together.

B. Focusing solely on employees' own pursuits is not allowed in workplace.

C. Failure of teamwork is caused by individual.

One day the team was called to play a game in a hall.As they entered the hail, they found the hall decorated beautifully with colourful decorative papers and balloons.It was more like a kid’s play area than a corporate meeting hall.Everyone was surprised and gazed at each other.Also, there was a huge box of balloons placed at the centre of the hall.

The team leader asked everyone to pick a balloon from the box an blow it.Then he asked them to write their names on their balloon carefully so that the balloons didn’t blow up.

Those who failed were ruled out of the game.Altogether 25 employees were qualified for the next level.All the balloons were collected and then put into a room.

The team leader asked the 25 employees to go to the room and pick the balloon with their own name on it.All 25 employees reached the room.While they were in a rush to find the respective balloons, they tried not to burst the balloons.It was almost 15 minutes and no one was able to find the balloon carrying his own name.

The team was told that the second level of the game was over.

Now it was the third and final level.The employees were asked to pick any balloon in the room and give it to the person named on the balloon.Within a couple of minutes ail balloons reacted the hands of the respective employee.

The team leader announced: This is called real solutions to the problems.

21.When the employees were called to play a game, they ____.

A.knew what game they were going to play

B.laughed at the idea of adults playing a game

C.had no idea what they were asked to do

D.looked forward to playing a kid’s game

22.At the first level of the game, each employee was asked to ____.

A.blow a balloon and write his name on it

B.put his name on a balloon and blow it

C.pick up a balloon with his name on it

D.write his name on a floating balloon

23.How many employees failed the second level of the game？()

A.30

B.25

C.15

D.5

24.The key to success at the third level of the game lies in ____.

A.thinking positively

B.helping each other

C.believing in oneself

D.increasing efficiency

25.What does the software company aim to do？()

A.Encourage its employees to learn from each other

B.Train its employees to face all kinds of challenges

C.Select the employees most suitable for their jobs

D.Teach its employees the importance of teamwork

A.plastic drum/gunny bag/wooden case

B.wooden case/plastic drum/gunny bag

C.wooden case/gunny bag/plastic drum

D.plastic drum/wooden case/gunny bag