Astronauts’ meals have come a long way from the free-dried powders and semi-liquid pastes of decades ago，now US scientists want to grow vegetables in mini-greenhouses on the moon．
Scientists say they are looking forward to a time when residents of future lunar or even Martian outsteps will be able to dine on fresh vegetables．Paragon Space Development Corporation has unveiled what it called the first step toward growing flowers——and eventually food—on the moon.
This is a sealed greenhouse that looks like a bell jar encased in a 46-cm triangular aluminium frame(三角铝框架)．It is designed to safely land a laboratory plant on the lunar surface，and protect it while it grows．
The miniature greenhouse is to be launched into space by Odyssey Moon Ltd, a participant in the Google Lunar X Prize. This competition offers $20 million to any entrant(参加者) who can launch，land and operate a rover（漫游）on the lunar surface.
Paragon officials say future testing of the“Lunar Oasis”will be driven by Odyssey’s flight schedule，which will not happen until 2012 at the earliest．
When it does lift off the greehouse will contain the seeds of Brassica, a hardy plant related to Brussels sprouts and cabbage．Because Brassica goes from seed to flower in just 14 days，it can complete its life cycle in a single lunar night
“Colonizing the Moon or Mars seems so far away，but it is important that we do this research now，” Paragon president Jane Poynter said．
“It takes a long time to get a lot of research，and to get integrated，reliable efficient systems before colonists move in．”she said．
1. The article is written mainly to _________.
A. predict the astronauts’meals in the future
B. introduce an experiment“Lunar Oasis’’
C. tell us the future development of astronomy
D. focus on the human’s great progress
2. The article implies that __________.
A. astronauts ean grow flowers in space at present
B. Paragon and NASA will carry out the test separately
C. Lunar Oasis is a series of experiments carried out in space
D. the earliest testing of the Lunar Oasis may be in 2012
3. The underlined word “colonists”in the last paragraph probably has the meaning of _______.
A. plants B. wild beasts C. human beings D. scientists
4. The seeds of Brassica will be contained in the greenhouse mainly because _______.
A. their life cycle is much shorter
B. they are more nutritious than other food
C. they are related to Brussels sporouts and cabbage
D. they are very delicious
I grew up in a small town. My father raised chickens and ran a construction company. I was barely 10 years old when my dad gave me the responsibility (责任) of feeding the chickens and cleaning up the stable. He believed it was important for me to have those jobs to learn responsibility. Then, when I was 22, I found a job in Natchbill at a country music club called the Natchbill Palace, I washed dishes and cooked from 4: 00 pm to 9: 00 pm and then went on stage and sang until 2:00 in the morning. It wasn’t long before I became known as a singing cook. I had been rejected so many times by record companies that it was hard not to be discouraged. One night, a woman executive (懂事) from a company named Warner Brothers Records came to hear me sing. When the show was over, we sat down and talked and after she left, I said to myself it was one more rejection. A few weeks later, my manager received a phone call — Warner Brothers wanted to sign me to a record deal. Soon after, I released my first record in June 1986. It sold over 2 million copies. My best efforts had gone into every job I’ve ever held. It was the sense of responsibility that made me feel like a man. Knowing that I had done my best filled me with pride. I still feel that way today, even though I have become a well-known singer.
Why was the writer once known as the singing cook?
| A．Because he was a cook at a country-music club. |
| B．Because he sang for guests while he worked as a cook. |
| C．Because he often sang while cooking. |
| D．Because he liked singing better than cooking. |
Who first recognized his talents and helped make his career successful?
| A．Wamer Brothers. | B．His manager. |
| C．His father. | D．A businesswoman. |
What made the writer proud of himself?
| A．His ability to live independently. |
| B．His sense of responsibility in whatever he did. |
| C．His courage in the face of rejections. |
| D．His hard work in his early days. |
Downing the last drop of an expensive famous brand H2O as well as remembering to throw the empty bottle in the recycling bin, makes you feel pretty good about yourself, right? It shouldn’t. Even when the bottles are recycled, there are all kinds of other consequences of swallowing bottled water, says Melissa Peffers, the air-quality program manager for Environmental Defense.
The containers are often filled in faraway lands, then shipped from abroad, and storedin refrigerators at your local store. Compare that with the influence on environment of turning on your tap, filling a glass, and drinking up!
Anyone who is choosing bottled water for health reasons is misguided, says Peffers, “Most bottled water is just tap water.” And what comes out of your tap is carefully monitored to follow the strict rules. Consider another fact that bottled water is surprisingly expensive, especially when compared with the alternative, which is almost free, and it is astonishing that America’s desire for bottled water seems impossible to satisfy, reaching nearly 30 billion bottles a year.
“My parents’ generation never had bottled water,” says Isabelle Silverman, an Environmental Defense legal adviser. She has made a commitment to going bottle free. “You don’t need to fetch it home from the store, and it’s cheaper,” she adds.
Bottled water’s role as a status symbol needs to change, Peffers points out. So when a waiter at an expensive restaurant offers “And what’s your drink?” that’s no reason to forget your conviction（信念）. “Don’t be afraid to say, ‘I’ll have tap.’ Say it loud enough that the other tables nearby can hear you,” Peffers says. “And then spend that money on a dessert.”In the first paragraph, the underlined sentence “It shouldn’t.” suggest that people _______.
| A．shouldn’t feel pleased with finishing the water in the bottle |
| B．shouldn’t feel good about drinking an expensive brand H2O |
| C．shouldn’t be content with just recycling empty bottles |
| D．shouldn’t be satisfied with drinking only bottled water |
According to the author, tap water is _______.
| A．as safe as bottled water |
| B．morel likely to be polluted |
| C．healthier than bottle water |
| D．less convenient than bottled water |
The underlined part “going bottle free” (in Para. 4) means “_______”.
| A．making bottled water free |
| B．abandoning bottled water |
| C．recycling use water bottles |
| D．providing free water containers |
Why does Peffers ask people to say “I’ll have tap.” Loudly?
| A．To encourage them to set an example for others to follow. |
| B．To advise them to save the money for one more dessert. |
| C．To remind them to be aware of their social status. |
| D．To persuade them to speak confidently in public. |
One morning a few years ago, Harvard President Neil Rudenstine overslept. For this busy man, it was a sort of alarm: after years of non-stop hard work, he might wear himself out and die an early death.
Only after a week’s leave—— during which he read novels, listened to music and walked with his wife on a beach—— was Rudenstine able to return to work.
In our modern life, we have lost the rhythm between action and rest. Amazingly, within this world there is a universal but silly saying: “I am so busy.”
We say this to one another as if our tireless efforts were a talent by nature and an ability to successfully deal with stress. The busier we are, the more important we seem to ourselves and, we imagine, to others. To be unavailable to our friends and family, and to be unable to find time to relax—— this has become the model of a successful life.
Because we do not rest, we lose our way. We miss the guide telling us where to go, the food providing is with strength, the quiet giving us wisdom.
How have we allowed this to happen? I believe it is this: we have forgotten the Sabbath, the day of the week—— for followers of some religions—— for rest and praying. It is a day when we are not supposed to work, a time when we devote ourselves to enjoying and celebrating what is beautiful. It is a good time to bless our children and loved ones, give thanks, share meals, walk and sleep. It is a time for us to take a rest, to put our work aside, trusting that there are larger forces at work taking care of the world.
Rest is s spiritual and biological need; however, in our strong ambition to be successful and care for our many responsibilities, we may feel terribly guilty when we take time to rest. The Sabbath gives us permission to stop work. In fact, “Remember the Sabbath” is more than simply permission to rest; it is a rule to obey and a principle to follow.The “alarm” in the first paragraph refers to “_______”.
| A．a signal of stress |
| B．a warning of danger |
| C．a sign of age |
| D．a spread of disease |
According to Paragraph 4, a successful person is one who is believed to _______.
| A．be able to work without stress |
| B．be more talented than other people |
| C．be more important than anyone else |
| D．be busying working without time to rest |
Some people feel guilty when taking time to rest because they _______.
| A．think that taking a rest means lacking ambitions |
| B．fail to realize that rest is an essential part of life |
| C．fail to realize that religions force them to rest |
| D．think that taking a rest means being lazy |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．We should balance work with rest. |
| B．The Sabbath gives us permission to rest. |
| C．It is silly for anyone to say “I am busy.” |
| D．We should be available to our family and friends. |
One August afternoon, Richard Allen dropped off his last passenger, Mrs. Carey. Lifting two grocery bags, he followed her across the yard and stood on the step of her house. Glancing up, he saw a large wasp（黄蜂） nest under the roof. Allen had heard that wasps can become more likely to sting (sting, sting, stung蜇) in summer. He mentioned this to Mrs. Carey, who had opened the door.
“Oh, they don’t bother me,” she said lightly. “I go in and out all the time.”
Anxiously, Allen looked at the nest again—— to see the wasps flying straight at him. “Hurry!” he shouted to Mrs. Carey. “Get in!”
She stepped quickly inside. Allen ran for his mini-bus. Too late; they were upon him. Just as he jumped aboard, half a dozen red spots showed on his arm, and he felt more on his back and shoulders.
As he was driving down the road, Allen felt as if something was burning at the back of his neck, and the “fire” was spreading forward toward his face. And immediate anxiety took hold of him. Allen knew that stings could cause some persons to die. But he had been stung the previous summer and the after-effects soon passed. However, what he didn’t know what that the first sting had turned his body into a time bomb waiting for the next to set off an explosion.
Miles from the nearest medical assistance, Allen began to feel his tongue thick and heavy and his heartbeat louder. Most frightening, he felt his breathing more and more difficult. He reached for the radio mike（话筒）, trying to call the mini-bus center, but his words were hardly understandable. Signals were also poor that far out. He knew a rescue team was on 24-hour duty at the Amherst Fire Department’s north station. So his best chance was to make a run for it.
Rushing down the mountain, Allen tried not to panic, focusing his mind on each sharp turn. He was almost through the last of them when he felt sure he was going into shock（休克）. Just then he reached for the radio mike again.
“Call fire station,” he shouted, concentrating to form the words. “Emergency. Bee sting. Emergency. There in ten minutes.”
“Five-ten,” the center replied.
Hold on, Allen thought. Keep your eyes open. Breathe. Keep awake.
At last he reached the station. Two firemen ran out. Allen felt their hands grasp him before he hit the ground. You made it, he thought.It is mentioned in the passage that wasps are more likely to attack when _______.
| A．there are huge noises |
| B．strangers are approaching |
| C．the air is filled with food smell |
| D．the hottest season comes around |
Allen didn’t know that if stung by wasps again, he would _______.
| A．have no after-effects |
| B．suffer from sharper pain |
| C．surely lose his life |
| D．become more sensitive |
Allen failed at his first attempt to send his message to the mini-bus center because _______.
| A．he was unable to speak clearly |
| B．his radio equipment was poor |
| C．he was in a state of shock |
| D．no one was on duty |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Allen, A Helpless Driver |
| B．Wasps, Bloody Killers |
| C．A Race Against Death |
| D．War Against Wasps |
Kathy started at my nursery school at the age of three. She settled into the group easily, and would be first on the slide and highest up the climbing frame. She could put on her coat without help and not only fasten her own buttons but other children's too.
She was a lovely child but unfortunately a scratcher. If anyone upset her or stood in her way, her right hand would flash out fast and scratch down the face of her playmates. Children twice her age would fly in fear from her.
This must have been very rewarding for Kathy but obviously it had to be stopped. All the usual ways failed and then I remembered an account by G Atkinson Highfield School, of how fights in the playground had been stopped. No punishment had been given, but the attacker had been ignored and the victims rewarded. So I decided to try out on Kathy.
With a pocketful of Smarties I followed Kathy around. She was so quick that it was impossible to prevent her scratching, but I was dertermined to stay within arm's length all afternoon.
All was peaceful but then I saw Kathy's hand moved and heard the scream. Gently I gathered up the little hurt one in my arms and said "Nice, nice sweetie" and then looked puzzled when she got nothing.
Soon came another scream, this time from John. While holding him in my arms, I said, "Look, Kathy, a nice Smartie for John" and put it into John's mouth.
A smile of understanding flashed across Kathy's face. Minutes later, she came to me and said loudly, "Give me a Smartie! I have hurt my finger!"
"No," I replied, "you'll get it if someone hurts you."
On purpose, she turned and scratched a nearby boy, Tom, and waited quietly while I mothered and rewarded him, then she walked away.
She has never scratched a child since.
Parents who find older children bullying younger brothers and sisters might do well to replace shouting and punishment by rewarding and giving more attention to the injured ones. It's certainly much easier and more effective.
| 1． |
From the passage, we know that Kathy is
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| 2． |
Kathy scratched Tom because
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| 3． |
According to the passage, the underlined word "bullying" is closest in meaning to"".
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| 4． |
The writer of this passage aims to recommend an approach to.
|