Many scientists are now exploring the idea of going to live on Mars. Some other scientists from the MASA AMES Center(美国宇航局) have already started the creation of a “Mars town” and many others are in fact already experimenting with it. Of course, these experiments are done on Earth itself but this “Mars town” has an environment practically like that of Mars.
The astronauts working in these towns wear their space suit and also do everything they would really have to carry out if they ever go to Mars in the future.
But Mars would be like Earth, a temporary（临时的） place for humans. When the Sun starts swallowing up(吞掉) the planets, Mars will disappear only hours after Earth. So Mars only seems to be the ideal place to spread the human beings. It is also a good location to send humans if ever there is a disaster on Earth. By saying disaster, I mean asteroids(小行星) hitting and things like that.
If we humans do not want to disappear when Earth or Mars gets swallowed up, we will have to go and live beyond the solar system. But are there any planets outside our solar system prepared to support life? Astronomers’ answer is:
“If Earth can support life, why can’t other planets do the same too? Astronomers have already discovered a Jupiter(木星)- like planet orbiting a Sun-like star, so why not an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star?
To achieve this goal though, many other problems have to be taken into consideration. How do we transform(改造) a dusty planet like Mars into one more or less like our Earth? How should we go on? There is still a long way to go. The “Mars town” mentioned in the passage is ___________
| A．a research base on Mars. |
| B．an experimental lab built on Earth. |
| C．a strange place on Mars . |
| D．a town existing in scientists’ imagination |
We can know from the passage that astronomers probably think ____________
| A．it is impossible to transport humans to other planets. |
| B．there may be an Earth-like planet outside the solar system |
| C．humans will move to the new-found Jupiter-like planet |
| D．there’s no need for humans to move beyond the solar system. |
Why would Mars only be a temporary(临时) place for humans?
| A．The conditions there would be too hard for the human beings |
| B．There would be more disasters like asteroids hitting. |
| C．It would disappear when Earth disappeared. |
| D．It would be too hot to live on. |
The underlined word “orbiting” in the fifth paragraph is closest in meaning to “________”
| A．moving around | B．getting close to |
| C．passing by quickly | D．going through |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Mars Town | B．Living on Mars |
| C．The Future of Earth | D．Where to live in the Future |
Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier, have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal advisors give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants (被告). But in the executive（主管的）circle, beauty can become a disadvantage.
While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder, it is harmful to a woman. Handsome male executives were considered having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to lead to their success. Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was attributed not to ability but to factors such as luck.
All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Interestingly, though, the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was connected more to personal relationships and less to ability than was that of attractive overnight successes.
Why are attractive women not thought to be able? An attractive woman considered to be more feminine (女性的) has an advantage in traditionally female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally manly position appears to lack the “manly” qualities required.
This is true even in politics. “When the only clue is how he or she looks, people treat men and women differently,” says Anne Bowman, who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates. She asked 125 undergraduates to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of women, in order of attractiveness. Then the students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.
The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men, but the women who had been ranked most attractive invariably (无例外地) received the fewest votes.In traditioally female jobs, attractiveness ______.
| A．adds to thne female qualities required |
| B．makes women look more honest and capable |
| C．is of primary importance to women |
| D．often enables women to succeed quickly |
Bowman’s experiment shows that when it comes to politics, attractiveness ______.
| A．turns out to be a disadvantage to men |
| B．is more of a disadvantage than an advantage to women |
| C．has as little effect on men as on women |
| D．affects men and women alike |
The author writes this passage to ______.
| A．emphasize the importance of appearance |
| B．give advice to job-seekers who are attractive |
| C．demand equal rights for women |
| D．discuss the negative aspects of being attractive |
A Beautiful Mind
A mathematician who goes mad is not a subject most directors consider commercially attractive, but then Ran Howard isn’t among most directors. Despite an impressive list of credits, A Beautiful Mind is his most successful work to date, combining a psychological drama with a moving love story to produce a film that is as interesting as it is entertaining.
The Oscar winning Russell Crowe has put himself in line for further honors with his acting John Nash, the Nobel Prize winning mathematician troubled by schizophrenia (精神分裂症). A Beautiful Mind pictures Nash as an unusual hero，not just because of his academic achievements but also because of the courage he displays while battling his illness．
In 1947, Nash was one of many great young minds at Princeton. “To find a truly original idea is the only way to distinguish myself,” the proud and determined student declared. His exploration of such an idea afforded him little time for the normal socializing. His shyness and straight forward approach brought him few friends.
After finally hitting on a revolutionary new idea, Nash’s career took off and his reputation as secured. He balanced research work with teaching, which is where he met the bright and beautiful student Alicia (played by Jennifer Connelly). Things in his life were going well when his talent for code breaking brought him to the attention of the military that employed him during the early stage of the cold war with Russia. However, the stress of his work made Nash’s illness develop．
Crowe’s performance is perfect. He and Connelly ignite (make something exciting) the film’s passionate love story and Connelly’s wonderful performance makes the audience moved by Alicia, whose courage, strength and faith in her husband are the primary reasons for his recovery.This passage is most probably ________．
| A．a book review | B．a movie review | C．a movie poster | D．an advertisement |
Which can replace the underlined phrase “hitting on” in the fourth paragraph?
| A．coming up with | B．coming on | C．putting on | D．putting up with |
The following statements are true EXCEPT that _______．
| A．John Nash did not go mad totally |
| B．Ran Howard is an outstanding director |
| C．the stress of the academic work caused Nash’s illness |
| D．Nash’s concentration on his work and his shyness brought him few friends |
We can infer from the text that _______．
| A．John Nash volunteered to serve in the army in spite of his illness |
| B．John Nash gave up his career when troubled by schizophrenia |
| C．Russell Crowe won another Oscar Award after this movie |
| D．without Alicia, John Nash wouldn’t have recovered from his illness |
Reading poems is not exactly an everyday activity for most people. In fact, many people never read a poem once they get out of high school.
It is worth reminding ourselves that this has not always been the case in America. In the nineteenth century, a usual American activity was to sit around the fireplace in the evening and read poems aloud. It is true that there was no television at the time, nor movie theatres, nor World Wide Web, to provide diversion. However, poems were a source of pleasure, of self-education, of connection to other people or to the world beyond one’s own community. Reading them was a social act as well as an individual one, and perhaps even more social than individual. Writing poems to share with friends and relations was, like reading poems by the fireside, another way in which poetry had a place in everyday life.
How did things change? Why are most Americans no longer comfortable with poetry, and why do most people today think that a poem has nothing to tell them and they can do well without poems?
There are, I believe, three culprits (肇事者): poets, teachers and we ourselves. Of these, the least important is the third: the world surrounding the poem has betrayed (背叛) us more than we have betrayed the poem. Early in the twentieth century, poetry in English headed into directions hostile (不利的) to the reading of poetry. Readers decided that poems were not for the fireside or the easy chair at night, that they belonged where other difficult-to-read things belonged.
Poets failed the readers, so did the teachers. They want their students to know something about the craft (技巧) of a poem, and they want their students to see that poems mean something. Yet what usually occurs when teachers push these concerns on their high school students is that young people decide poems are unpleasant crossword puzzles. Reading poems is thought to be a social act in the nineteenth century because _______.
| A．it built a link among people | B．it helped unite a community |
| C．it was a source of self-education | D．it was a source of pleasure |
The underlined word “diversion” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _______.
| A．diversity | B．change | C．amusements | D．happiness |
In the last paragraph, the writer questions _______.
| A．the difficulty in studying poems |
| B．the way poems are taught in school |
| C．students’ wrong ideas about poetry |
| D．the techniques used in writing poems |
According to the passage, what is the main cause of the great gap between readers and poetry?
| A．Poems have become difficult to understand. |
| B．Students are poorly educated in high school. |
| C．TV and the Internet are more attractive than poetry. |
| D．Students are becoming less interested in poetry. |
A gentle breeze blew through Jennifer’s hair. The golden red sun was setting. She was on the beach, looking up at the fiery (火红的) ball. She was amazed by its color, deep red in the middle, softly fading into yellow. She could hear nothing but the waves and the seagulls flying up above in the sky.
The atmosphere relaxed her. After all she had been through, this was what she needed. “It’s getting late,” she thought, “I must go home. My parents will be wondering where I am.”
She wondered how her parents would react, when she got home after the three days she was missing. She kept on walking, directing herself where she spent every summer holiday. The road was deserted. She walked slowly and silently. Just in a few hundred meters she would have been safe in her house.
It was really getting dark now. The sun had set a few minutes before and it was getting cold too. She wished she had her favorite sweater on: it kept her really warm. She imagined having it with her. This thought disappeared when she finally saw her front door. It seemed different. Nobody had taken care of the outside garden for a few days. She was shocked: her father was usually so strict about keeping everything clean and tidy, and now... It all seemed deserted. She couldn’t understand what was going on.
She entered the house. First, she went into the kitchen where she saw a note written by her father. It said: “Dear Ellen, there is some coffee ready. I went looking.” Ellen was her mother but — where was she? On the right side of the hallway was her parents’ room. She went in. Then she saw her. Her mother, lying on the bed, was sleeping. Her face looked so tired, as if she hadn’t slept for days. She was really pale. Jennifer would have wanted to wake her up but she looked too tired. So Jennifer just fell asleep beside her. When Jennifer woke up, something was different... she wasn’t in her mother’s room and she wasn’t wearing the old clothes she ran away in. She was in her cozy bed in her pajamas (睡衣).
It felt so good being back home. Suddenly she heard a voice, “Are you feeling better now, dear? You know you got us very, very scared.” The writer describes the beautiful sunset to show Jennifer’s ______.
| A．love of the natural beauty | B．desire of getting back home |
| C．intention of becoming independent | D．depression of being alone |
What does the underlined phrase “This thought” most probably mean?
| A．The idea of going back home. |
| B．Her anxiety about her parents. |
| C．The feeling of being warm in her favorite sweater. |
| D．The feeling of getting back home safely. |
Her father didn’t take care of the garden because ______.
| A．he was busy looking for her |
| B．he had to look after his wife |
| C．he was not strict with his job |
| D．he no longer enjoyed working in the garden |
What can we infer from this passage?
| A．In fact Jennifer’s mother had been sick for several days. |
| B．When she found the garden deserted, she realized she was wrong. |
| C．As Jennifer walked towards home, she became increasingly scared. |
| D．Having experienced a lot outside, Jennifer felt home was safest for her. |
"But Ijust paid 1．69 for this bottle of wine last week．How is it that the price is 2.25?"
There are at least three things going on that have caused the price of wine to rise．All haveto do with the supply and demand factors of economics．
The first factor is that people are drinking more wine than ever before．This demand formore wine has increased wine sales in America at the rate of 15 percent a year．
The second factor is that the supply of wine has stayed relatively the same, which meansthat the same number of bottles is produced each year．Wine producers are trying to open upnew land to grow more grapes．But in at least three wine producing areas of the world-France,Germany, and California --- new vineyards（葡萄园）will not be useable in the near future．Wines are produced in other countries, such as Italy, Spain, and Portugal, as well as Argentine,Australia, Austria, and Chile．And these wines will be seen more often on the American market．But none of these countries will be able to fill the good wines．
The third factor is that costs of wine production are soaring．The workers who make wineare asking for more money, and the machinery needed to press the grapes is becoming moreexpensive．
When the demand for something is greater than the supply, prices go up．When productioncosts, meaning the price of labor and machinery rise, the producer adds this increase to theprice of the wine．For these reasons, that bottle of wine now costs 2．25 instead of 1．69．What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Every year people drink more wine． |
| B．Countries won't be able to fill the demand for good wines． |
| C．The prices of things go up when the demand for them is greater than the supply． |
| D．The supply of wine will always be less than demand． |
This passage is written to．
| A．describe where wine is produced |
| B．persuade people drink more beer |
| C．explain why the price of wine is rising |
| D．describe why wine is a favorite drink to many Americans |
Theunderlined word "soaring" means"___ .
| A．adding quickly | B．reducing fast |
| C．demanding badly | D．increasing fast |