NASA’s Mars detector (探测器), Opportunity, succeeded in finding signs that water once existed on the planet. Opportunity landed on Mars in January. Scientists now believe that the planet could once have supported life.
This discovery was chosen by Science, one of the world’s leading magazines, as the most important scientific achievement of 2004 last Friday.
“This little, wheeled, one-armed box went around another planet and has done something no human has ever managed,” according to Science. “It has discovered another place in the universe where life could once have existed.”
“Although we still can’t say that life could have existed in this environment, it is now certain that there was water on Mars,” said Steve Squyres, one of the scientists working on the Mars mission. The evidence comes from pictures and chemical readings taken by Opportunity. It includes marks on rocks like those caused by flowing water on Earth and salty chemicals like those found in dried-out sea-beds. Scientists said the new evidence proved beyond doubt that water has been existed on Mars. But it is still unknown whether the water on Mars was like an ocean or just ice.
While Opportunity has not found any signs of life, the presence of water means life is possible. “In everything we know about life on Earth, there is no example without liquid water,” Squyres said. “So water is important for the search for life on Mars.”
Researchers agree that a future mission (任务) should bring back physical samples (样品). But some scientists worry about the risk that this could introduce dangerous foreign creatures to Earth. “The problem here is how to get the samples back,” Squyres replied. “I think it is our responsibility to limit any risk.”
1. ________ prove that water existed on Mars.
A. The physical samples with salty chemicals B. The marks on rocks and salty chemicals
C. Scientific achievements of 2004 D. Creatures from Mars
2. Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. It is now certain that there was water on Mars.
B. The water on Mars was like an ocean.
C. Evidence of life on Mars has been found.
D. Search for life on Mars is a great risk to humans.
3. How did scientists draw the conclusion that there was water on Mars?
A. The world’s leading magazine has announced the fact.
B. Scientists have taken many pictures and chemical readings on the Mars.
C. Astronauts have got some rocks from Mars.
D. Scientists have made a study of the pictures and readings sent back by Mars detector.
4. It can be inferred that, if the creatures from Mars came to Earth, ________.
A. they would be kind to humans B. they would be cruel to humans
C. they would be a great danger to Earth
D. it would be hard to say whether it would be a good news or bad news
B
The first reality TV show in the world was called Expedition Robinson and it was shown in Sweden in 1997. Half the population of the country watched the final event and a new kind of TV program was born . Two years later in Holland , the first series of Big Brother was filmed . Again ,it was a great success and the final program was watched by 15 million people . Now more than 20 countries around the world have Big Brother or Expedition Robinson on their TV screens . The ordinary people who take part in the programs are known by millions of people in their own countries and reality TV has become big ,big business .
For the TV producers , reality TV is a dream to come true because many of the programs cost nothing to make . At some point , the television viewers are asked to telephone the program to vote or to apply to take part in the show . It is the cost of these telephone calls that pays for the shows . One of the most popular shows is Pop Idol . In the show a group of attractive young people are made into pop stars . TV viewers vote for their favorite person on the show . The winner makes a record and millions of copies of the record are sold . His or her pictures are published on the covers of magazines or on the front pages of newspapers , and then , they are quickly forgotten .
But not everyone is happy about reality TV. In Portugal , two TV channels got into trouble because they showed too much of the personal lives of the people in the shows . In France , reality TV is called “rubbish TV” and the TV studios of Big Brother were attacked three times in one week . In Greece , Big Brother was described as “against human rights and civilization”.
1．Those who take part in the reality TV shows are usually .
A．common people B．pop TV stars
C．attractive people D．famous film stars
2．Who would pay for the cost of the reality TV shows according to the passage ?
A．TV producers who make reality TV shows .
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B．TV actors who take part in reality TV shows .
C．TV viewers who telephone reality TV shows .IV．阅读理解（每题2分，满分40分）
A university graduate described as a “respectable and intelligent” woman is seeking professional help after being convicted of (证明有…罪) shoplifting for the second time in six months .
Aha Luz , recently studying for PhD has been told she could end up behind bars unless she can control the desire to steal from shops.
Luz , who lives with her partner in Fitzwilliam Road , Cambridge , admitted stealing clothes worth 9.95 pounds from John Lewis in Oxford Street , London , on March 9.
Phillip Lomoyne , prosecuting (起诉), said Luz selected some clothes from display and took them to the ladies’ toilet in the store , when she came out again she was wearing one of the skirts she had selected , having taken off the anti-theft security alarm .
She was stopped and caught after leaving the store without paying , Mr. Lomoyne said .
He added that she was upset on her arrest and apologized for her actions .
Luz , 28, was said to have been convicted of shoplifting by Cambridge judges last October , but Morag Duff , defending said she had never been in trouble with the police before this .
“She is ashamed and embarrassed but doesn’t really have any explanation why she did this,” Miss Duff said .” She didn’t intend to steal when she went into the store . She is at a loss to explain it . She is otherwise a very respectable and intelligent young lady . She went to her doctor and asked for advice because she wants to know if there is something in particular that caused her to do this .”
Judge David Azan fined Luz 50 pounds , and warned : “You have got a criminal record . If you carry on like this , you will end up behind bars , which will ruin your bright future you may have .”
Luz achieved a degree in design at university in her native Spain , went on to a famous university in Berlin , Germany for her master’s degree and is now studying for a PhD at Cambridge University , UK .
1．What is Ana Luz’s nationality ?
A．American . B．British . C．Spanish . D．German .
2．What does the underlined sentence “She is at a loss to explain it” mean ?
A．In her opinion it was a loss to the clothes shops where she stole things .
B．She doesn’t have any idea why she has the desire to steal from shops .
C．She thinks it is a loss for her to explain why she stole things from shops .
D．Personally she feels ashamed and embarrassed for her shoplifting actions .
3．From the passage we can learn that .
A．Ana Luz has already got her PhD at Cambridge University , UK
B．Ana Luz is ashamed and embarrassed and knows why she often did so
C．the university graduate will be put in prison if she steals in shops once more
D．Phillip Lomoyne is the “respectable and intelligent” woman’s defense lawyer
4．What would be the best title for the passage ?
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A．Shoplifting Shame of a PhD Student .
B．Apologizing for the Actions in Shops .第二节：根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Doctors say anger can be an extremely damaging emotion, unless you learn how to deal with it. They warn that anger can lead to heart disease, stomach problems, headaches, emotional problems and possibly cancer.
71 Some people express anger openly in a calm reasonable way. Others burst with anger, and scream and yell. But other people keep their anger inside. They can not or will not express it. This is called repressing anger.
For years many doctors thought that repressing anger was more dangerous to a person’s health than expressing it. They said that when a person is angry, the brain releases the same hormones (荷尔蒙). They speed the heart rate, raise blood pressure, or sugar into the blood, etc. 72.
Some doctors say that both repressing and expressing anger can be dangerous. They believe that those who express anger violently may be more likely to develop heart disease, and they believe that those who keep anger inside may face a greater danger of high blood pressure.
73 They say the first step is to admit that you are angry and to recognize the real cause of the anger, then decide if the cause is serious enough to get angry about. If it is, they say, “74Wait until your anger has cooled down and you are able to express yourself calmly and reasonably.”
Doctors say that a good way to deal with anger is to find humor in the situation that has made you angry. 75
| A．In general ,the person feels excited and ready to act. |
| B．They said that laughter is much healthier than anger. |
| C．Expressing anger violently is more harmful than repressing it. |
| D．Anger may cause you a cancer. |
E. Do not express your anger while angry.
F. Anger is a normal emotion that we all feel from time to time.
G. Doctors say the solution is learning how to deal with anger.
C
△Banff National Park of Canada
Banff’s rich history dates back to 1885,when three railway workers met with hot mineral
springs surfacing from deep within the mountains.This discovery led to the establishment of Banff National Park,and marked the beginning of Canada’s national parks system.Spanning 6641 square kilometers of valleys,mountains,glaciers,forests,meadows and rivers,Banff National Park is one of the world’s premier destination spots.Contact information:
Phone(403) 762---1550
Fax: (403)762---3380
E-mail:banff.vrc@pc.gc.ca
69.The underlined word “spanning” in the passage means _____ .
A. expanding B. enlarging C. covering D. holding
70.Banff National Park was built because_____ .
A. there were no national parks in Canada then
B.mineral springs were found in Banff
C.there were many valleys and mountains
D.there were lot of scenic islands
B
We can make mistakes at any age. Some mistakes we make are about money. but most
mistakes are about people. "Did Jerry really care when I broke up with Helen?" "When I got
that great job, did Jim, as a friend, really feel good about it? Or did he envy my luck?" "And was Paul friendly just because I had a car?" When we look back, doubts like these can make us feel bad.
But when we look back, it is too late.
Why do we go wrong about our friends, or our enemies? Sometimes what people say hides their real meanings. And if we do not really listen, we miss the feeling behind the words. Suppose someone tells you, "You're a lucky dog!"(你真幸运!) Is he really on your side? If he says, "You're a lucky guy!", that is being friendly. But "a lucky dog?" There is a bit of envy in those words. What he may be saying is that he does not think you deserve your luck.
"Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for" is another phrase that says one thing and means another. It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem. But this phrase contains the thought that your problem is not at all important.
How can you tell the real meaning behind someone's words? One way is to take a good look at the person talking. Do his words fit the way he looks? Is what he says shown by the tone of voice? The look in his eyes? Stop and think. The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people say to you may save your another mistake.
65.When the writer recalls(回想) some of the things that happened between him and his
friends, he _______.
A.feels happy, thinking how nice his friends were to him
B.feels he might not have understood his friends' true feelings
C.think it a mistake to have broken up with his girl friend
D.is sorry that his friends let him down
66.When the writer talks about someone saying, "You're a lucky dog!", he is saying that
_____.
A.the speaker is just friendly
B.this sentence suggests the same as "You're a lucky guy!"
C.the word "dog" should not be used to apply to people
D.sometimes the words show that the speaker is a bit envious
67.This passage tries to tell you how to ______.
A.avoid mistakes about money and friends
B.get an idea of friendly people
C.avoid mistakes in understanding what people tell you
D.keep people friendly without trusting them
68.The writer suggests that ______ be trusted.
A.everybody B.nobody C.all the people D.not all the people