For more than twenty years scientists have been searching for signs of life on other planets. Most of these searches have been done over the radio. The hope is that someone in outer space may be trying to get in touch with us. Scientists also have sent radio and television messages on spaceships traveling through space, on the chance that someone may be receptive to such messages.
Scientists are using powerful radio telescopes to listen to signals from about 1,000 stars, all within 100 light years of earth. In addition, they will scan the entire sky to “listen” for radio messages from more distant stars. Using a computer, they will be able to monitor more than eight channels at one time. Scientists are looking for any signal that stands out from the background noise.
Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy (银河星系), scientists find that 5% are like our sun. Perhaps half of them have a planet like earth. Such a planet would be a reasonable distance from the star for temperatures to be right for the evolution (进化) of life. Based on the inhabitable (that can be lived in) planets in our galaxy, most scientists agree that chances are likely that one or more of these planets support some life.
However, many scientists wonder whether intelligent (智能的) life exists on other planets. Some believe that twenty years of searching without any intelligible messages shows that no one is out there. They say that the evolution of intelligence comparable to ours is unlikely.
Other scientists believe that our search hasn’t been long enough to rule out the possibility that intelligent life exists in our galaxy. Although our sun family is only about five billion years old, our galaxy is about 20 billion years old. In that time, some scientists think it is likely that civilization much more advanced than ours have developed. Perhaps these civilizations send us no signals; perhaps we have not recognized the signals they have sent us. If we hope to find intelligent life, these scientists believe that we have to keep looking. According to the passage, how many planets in our galaxy might be inhabitable?
A.5 billion. | B.10 billion. | C.15 billion. | D.200 billion |
The first paragraph in this passage is mainly about ________ .
A.how scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets |
B.why scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets |
C.where scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets |
D.when scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets |
Which of these statements is True based on the information in the passage?
A.The earth is one of the oldest planets in our galaxy. |
B.Most scientists believe that there is intelligent life on other planets. |
C.Scientists don’t believe that there might be life on other planets. |
D.Scientists are trying different ways to find signs of life on other planets. |
Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurants for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners(小餐馆)for these reasons. In fact, many people in the States still go to diners today for the same reasons.
A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. It wasn’t a real diner. It was only a food cart. People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late-night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and a late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich or boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools, and people sat down while they ate.
Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in diner at any time. Diners changed in other ways, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favorite dishes, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.
Diners today look similar to the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually buildings with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, and tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner.
Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. Why is the word “diner” in quotation marks(引号)?
A.Because it is spelled differently from “ dinner” |
B.Because diner was a new word |
C.Because the first diner was not what it is now |
D.Because it is a special kind of restaurant |
According to paragraph 3, diners changed in __________
A.Two ways | B.four ways |
C.three ways | D.five ways |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.Diners existed before a fast-food restaurant |
B.The menu included more food than sandwiches and coffee |
C.Sandwiches became bigger |
D.Burger King is a fast-food restaurant |
The main idea of the passage is that ______________.
A. Samuel Johns built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside |
B. The diner is a traditional , popular place to eat in the United States |
C. American diners serve many types of food 24 hours a day to their customers |
D. Diners are different from fast-food restaurants in many ways |
One day an old woman was traveling alone in the mountains. Suddenly she saw something shining in the stream. When she came close, she found it was a precious stone. She put the stone into her bag and went on with her trip.
The next day the old woman met a young man, who was also a traveler in the mountains. The young man looked very hungry, so the old woman opened her bag to share her food. The hungry traveler saw the precious stone and asked carefully, “The stone is beautiful. Would you like to give it to me?”
“Sure. Why not?” the woman said, and handed the stone to him.
The young man left happily with the stone. He knew it was worth enough to give him security for a lifetime. But a few days later he came back to return the stone to the woman.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said. “I know how valuable the stone is, but I give it back and hope that you can give me something even more precious. Give me what you have within your bag.”
The woman opened her bag. It was almost empty. She looked at the young man and smiled, “I have nothing special in my bag, but I do have something precious — the joy of giving!” The young man felt ashamed and left silently. How did the young man find the precious stone?
A.He found it in his food. |
B.He dug it out in a valley. |
C.He saw it in the woman’s bag. |
D.He noticed it shining in the stream. |
What does the underlined word “security” in Paragraph 4 probably mean?
A.Money. | B.Worry. | C.Health. | D.Trouble. |
The man returned the stone to the woman because ______.
A.he found the stone was not precious |
B.he understood the real meaning of joy |
C.he felt embarrassed at taking away the stone |
D.he wanted to get something even more precious |
Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
A.A special stone |
B.The joy of giving |
C.A woman and a young man |
D.An experience in the mountains |
One of the most important things in the world is friendship. In order to have friends, you have to be a friend. But how can you be a good friend at school?
Listen — Listen when they are talking. Don't say anything unless they ask you a question. Sometimes it's not necessary for you to have anything to say; they just need someone to talk to about their feelings.
Help them — If your friend is ever in need of something, be there to help them. You should try to put them first, but make sure you don't do everything they want you to do. Try to take an extra (额外的) pencil or pen with you to classes in case (以防) they forget one. Have a little extra money in your pocket in case they forget something they need.
Be there for them — Try to make something for your friend to help make them feel better in hard times. Making cards and encouraging them are among the nicest things you can do for a friend. Marilyn Monroe, a famous U.S. actor, once said, “I often make mistakes. Sometimes I am out of control. But if you can't stay with me at my worst, you are sure not to deserve (值得) to be with me at my best.” Always remember this! If you don't want to stay with your friends when they're in hard times, then you don't deserve to be with them when they're having a good time!
Make plans — Try to make plans with your friends. Go shopping, go for ice cream, have a party, go to a movie and so on. Take time to know each other even better by doing something you both enjoy. By planning things together, you both can have a good time. And you'll remember these things when you're all old!While your friend is talking to you about his or her feelings, you should ________.
A.give him or her some advice |
B.calm him or her down |
C.just listen unless asked |
D.share your feelings as well |
When we provide help for our friends, we should_______
A.put them before ourselves | B.try to do everything for them |
C.Change their bad habits first | D.ignore their faults |
What can we learn from Marilyn Monroe’s words?
A.Life without a friend is death. |
B.A friend is easier lost than foud |
C.A man is known by his friends |
D.A friend in need is a friend indeed. |
What is the passage mainly about?
A.How to find a good friend. |
B.How to be a good friend. |
C.How to help friends in trouble. |
D.How to make more friends. |
A group of graduates, successful in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor.Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.
Before offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and a variety of cups — porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking and cheap, some extremely expensive — telling them to help themselves to the coffee.
When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress.The fact is that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee.In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously(有意识地) went for the best cups...And then you began eyeing each other's cups.
Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups.They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not change the quality of life we live.Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us."God makes the coffee, not the cups.Enjoy your coffee!"The happiest people don't have the best of everything.They just make the best of everything."
Live simply.Love generously.Care deeply.Speak kindly.Leave the rest to God.What does the underlined word "it" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A.the nice-looking cup |
B.the ordinary-looking cup |
C.the coffee of good quality |
D.the coffee of poor quality |
Why did the professor offer his students coffee with varieties of cups?
A.To give his students many more choices. |
B.To teach his students how to enjoy coffee. |
C.To tell his students the right attitude to life |
D.To show the students his collection of cups. |
According to the professor, the happiest people are the ones who _____.
A.get the best type of coffee cups |
B.care about social status and wealth |
C.have a wide range of coffee cups |
D.make the best of what they have |
Life affects (影响) friendships. As we grow, marry, fight in wars, move across the country or change jobs, old friendships fall away and new ones form. As long as we live, the things around us change, and as long as things change, friendships are affected.
When we were children we had best friends. No matter what happened we were still friends. We live our lives, however, and do what life calls for us to do, and as we get older, memories fade (逐渐消失), faces blur (变得模糊不清), and even friends' names from childhood are forgotten.
Do you have a question about friendship? Do you wonder what to do with a friend who is no longer friendly? Perhaps you will see that you can't control others. If someone wants to be your friend, it is their choice. All you can do is treat them well and do the best for them when you are with them. Then you wish them well when they leave.
You can talk to old timers and they will tell you that life is full of incredible (难以置信的) joy and incredible sorrow, and that what bothers you today will one day become a memory and the sting (痛苦) will be gone. Seniors might tell you that you will learn more as you get older. They will tell you that friendships come and friendships go.Sometimes when they go it will hurt, but you will be okay with it.It's the way life works, after all. The text is most probably taken from a __________
A.science newspaper | B.novel |
C.health magazine | D.Psychology book |
What can we learn about friendship, according?
A.Friends in childhood are sometimes forgotten by bus. |
B.Friends are always around us and will never go away. |
C.Friends in childhood ae the best no matter what happens. |
D.Friendship can not be easily affected by one’s family. |
What does the underlines words “old timers” mean in the last paragraph?
A.Rich people | B.Old People |
C.Kind People | D.Smart People |
The text mainly tells us__________
A.How to deal with unfriendly People |
B.that childhood friendship is valuable |
C.how to face the change in friendship |
D.how to share happiness with friends |