For hundreds of years humans have dreamt of finding life on distant planets. Now the hope of discovering real evidence of life has greatly increased
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
A growing number of workers at Google Inc., Facebook Inc. and other employers are trading in their sit-down desks for standing ones, saying they feel more comfortable and energized. They also are motivated by medical reports saying that sitting for too long leads to increased health risks.
A standing desk sits high off the floor so a worker can either stand at it or sit on a high stool to use it. Officials at Palo Alto-based Facebook say a number of employees asked about standing desks after news articles were published about the health risks of sitting all day.
The stories cited medical studies that tied excessive sitting to increased obesity and other health problems because of factors including a drop in physical activity. A 2010 study by the American Cancer Society found that women who sat more than six hours a day were 37% more likely to die prematurely than women who sat for less than three hours, while the early-death rate for men was 18% higher. The American College of Cardiology released a study in January that found increased mortality (死亡率) among people who sat longer at home than those who didn't.
No one seems to compile statistics on the standing-desk trend. But anecdotal reports suggest Silicon Valley is embracing the movement.
Facebook officials say they have seen an upsurge in requests for standing desks to five to eight a week with a total of between 200 and 250 deployed (配置) at the company of more than 2,000 employees. Facebook also is trying out a treadmill station ─ where a worker can walk or run on a treadmill while tapping at a computer.
Google spokesman Jordan Newman said that 'many employees at Google opt for standing desks, and we offer them as part of our wellness program' though he said he didn't know the exact number.
Greg Hoy, 39 years old, asked for a standing desk shortly after joining Facebook seven months ago as a design recruiter. 'I don't get the 3 o'clock slump anymore,' he said. 'I feel active all day long.'The underlined word “motivated” in paragraph 1 can be replaced by .
| A．frightened | B．inspired | C．missed | D．discouraged |
According to paragraph 3, we can know that .
| A．a drop in physical activity was the only reason why excessive sitting caused increased obesity. |
| B．women who sat longer were more likely to die prematurely according to a 2010 study by American College of Cardiology |
| C．according to the study, the early-death rate for men was 18% higher than that for women. |
| D．the mortality among people who didn’t sat long at home was lower than that among people who did. |
According to paragraph 5, which of the following statements is true about a treadmill station ?
| A．is a computer that a worker can take along when he walks or runs |
| B．has been tried out by Facebook and now is very popular with other companies |
| C．is a place where workers can exercise while working. |
| D．is a treadmill on which workers can run or walk only after work |
The passage mainly talks about .
| A．sitting for too long leads to increased health risks |
| B．standing desks have replaced sit-down ones in Facebook Inc. |
| C．more and more workers choose standing desks instead of sit-down ones |
| D．many employees at Google opt for standing desks |
I sometimes wonder if old Finchley has the right personality to be a research scientist. He keeps asking when he’ll be coming back. After all, it was his own fault. Nobody tries out what has just been invented on themselves any more but Finchley. Well, he must have pumped about a thousand cc into himself before I noticed he was clearly becoming smaller.
It was funny watching him, because his clothes remained the same in size. They simply piled up around him so that he looked like a small boy in his father’s clothes. But he kept getting smaller and smaller. As my colleague Dawson and I watched him, he disappeared! All we could see was Finchley’s clothes on the floor. They looked so strange, because the lab coat was on top, shirt and trousers inside and, I suppose, underclothes inside again. It gave me a strange feeling, and I think Dawson was a bit shaken, too.
Dawson was sitting on his chair in front of a microscope he’d been using to examine a family of mites(螨). He looked through the scope kind of absently again, and was nearly scared to lose awareness when he found old Finchley waving back from the other end.
It seems as if Finchley had taken a free ride on a dust mite and landed on the land of the mite family. Of course, we didn’t know till Finchley told us later. But anyhow, as I said, Dawson nearly passed out. He jumped off his chair and pointed at the microscope, too shocked to speak.It can be inferred that Finchley, Dawson and the writer have possible invented .
| A．a machine to make people small | B．a new way to study the family of mites |
| C．a new powerful microscope | D．some kind of medicine |
Finchley disappeared because .
| A．he tried out what has just invented on himself |
| B．his father’s clothes totally covered him up |
| C．he took something poisonous |
| D．he was changed into a dust mite |
It can probably be concluded that Finchley .
| A．will remain tiny all the time | B．is a devoted scientist |
| C．is not fit to be a scientist | D．passed out there and then |
It frightened Dawson to see Fincley .
| A．got out of his scope by accident | B．was waving through his scope |
| C．suddenly got lost in his clothes | D．gradually disappeared in the lad |
Heading off to college this year? Here are some fashion tips from our experts you should keep in mind:
Dress to impress: Stylist and business consultant Daniela Smith says, “Girls should keep in mind that your college professors will often be the bridge that connects you to your future career and your classmates will become your professional network. You don’t need to dress like you’re going to the office, but you should display an ability to properly present yourself with appropriate maturity and confidence, and look put-together.”
Logo mania(品牌狂热症): Wearing the logos of brands aimed at younger customers physically identifies you as part of that age group, so consider the targeted age group of the stores you shop at. It’s tempting to load up on logos, especially well-known logos that signify high-end brands. But consider this: college is a time of self-discovery, a chance to develop your own personal style. Instead of wearing logos head to toe, “walking advertisement”-style, why not express who you really are?
Wear real pants: The combination of leggings and baggy shirts is all too common on college campuses. Smith points out that leggings, yoga pants, and sweatpants are entirely unacceptable in public unless you’re exercising. Although leggings worn as pants are a common trend among high school and college girls, they are not an appropriate choice for daywear. As a young woman, your style choice should begin to reflect your maturity level. So, get rid of leggings and wear real pants!
Keep the cute factor to a minimum: Stay away from sweaters and T-shirts with smiling animals, cartoon characters, or Hello Kitty on them. Sure, kittens might be cute, but they’re not doing you any favors in the style department. Dressing too cutesy can take years off your look, and not necessarily in a good way!The author believes that college girls should .
| A．try to load up on well-known logos |
| B．find their identity by trying different logos |
| C．choose a logo that suits their age |
| D．use logos to show who they are |
The second paragraph indicates the importance of .
| A．getting on well with classmates |
| B．dressing appropriately |
| C．impressing professors |
| D．creating a professional image |
In which magazine would you most likely find this passage?
| A．Parents. | B．Travel & Leisure | C．Business Week. | D．Style. |
The author recommends wearing real pants because .
| A．real pants can present you with appropriate maturity |
| B．people like real pants better than the other pants |
| C．yoga pants and sweatpants are not so comfortable |
| D．leggings and baggy shirts are too common |
Visitors to Britain may find the best place to sample local culture is in a traditional pub. But these friendly pubs can be dangerous places of potential gaffes(失礼) for the newcomers.
A team of researchers have discovered some of the unknown customs of British pubs－starting with the difficulty of getting a drink. Most pubs have no waiters－you have to go to the bar to buy drinks. A group of Italian youths were waiting 45 minutes before they realized they would have to fetch their own. This may sound inconvenient, but there is a hidden purpose.
Pub culture is designed to promote sociability(社交)in a society known for its reserve. Standing at the bar for service allows you to chat with others waiting to be served. The bar counter is possibly the only site in the British Isles in which friendly conversation with strangers is considered entirely suitable and really quite normal behavior. “If you haven’t been to a pub, you haven’t been to Britain.” This tip can be found in a booklet, Passport to the Pub: The Tourists’ Guide to Pub Etiquette, a customers’ rule of conduct for those wanting to sample “a central part of British life and culture”.
The trouble is that if you do not follow the local rules, the experience may fall flat. For example, if you are in a big group, it is best if only one or two people go to buy the drinks. Nothing annoys the regular customers and bar staff more than a group of strangers blocking all access to the bar while they chat and hesitate about what to order.The culture of pub in Britain is developed to .
| A．encourage more people to consume drinks |
| B．encourage people to communicate with each other |
| C．form its own character of culture |
| D．attract more tourists to the pubs |
If you don’t follow the local rules in a pub, .
| A．you may fail to feel the local culture |
| B．you might get into a dangerous place |
| C．you won’t buy good local drinks |
| D．you may annoy the regular customers and bar staff |
What may be the best title for the passage?
| A．Manners in British Local Pubs |
| B．Self-service Pubs in Britain |
| C．British Local Pubs: Special Chat Places |
| D．Local Pub Culture in Britain |
The underlined word “sample” in the first paragraph probably means “”.
| A．record | B．test | C．experience | D．taste |
We are all interested in equality, but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality, others, still in the name of equality, want only to destroy it．
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils．The standards may be changed because no examination is perfect, but to have no tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards．There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in examinations or in any controls in schools or on teachers．This would mean that everything would depend on luck since every pupil would depend on efficiency, the values and the purpose of each teacher．Without examinations, employers will look for employees from the highly respected school? And from families known to them, a form of favouritism will replace equality．At the moment, the bright child from an ill-respected school can show certificates(毕业证） to prove he is suitable for a job, while the lack of certificate indicates the unsuitability（不合适）of a dull child attending a well-respected school．This defense of excellence and opportunity would disappear if examinations were taken away, and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his school's reputation, unable to compete for employment with the child form the favoured school．
The opponents（反对者）of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils．According to these people, there must be no special, different, academic class．They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area: all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection．The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer．The underlined word "favouritism" in paragraph 3 is used to describe the phenomenon that ___．
| A．bright children also need certificates to get satisfying jobs． |
| B．children from well-respected schools tend to have good jobs |
| C．poor children with certificates are favoured in job markets |
| D．children attending ordinary schools achieve great success |
What would happen if examinations were taken away according to the author?
| A．Schools for bright children would lose their reputation． |
| B．There would be more opportunities and excellence． |
| C．Children from poor families would be able to change their schools． |
| D．Children's job opportunity would be affected by their school reputation． |
The opponents of the examination system will agree that____．
| A．jobs should not be assigned by systematic selection |
| B．computers should be selected to take over many jobs |
| C．special classes are necessary to keep the school standards |
| D．schools with academic subjects should be done away with |
The passage mainly focuses on ____．
| A．schools and certificates | B．examinations and equality |
| C．opportunity and employment | D．standards and reputation |