Terraforming (Earth-forming) other planets, also known as planetary engineering (行星工程), seems like a task still centuries away for mankind to accomplish. However, it is a vigorous topic that attracts both popular and scientific interest. Why should the possibility of terraforming other planets be studied when it may be centuries before we know enough to even decide if it’s a good idea?
Mankind is getting more and more hard facts about other planets. The atmosphere of Venus has been explored; robots have surveyed the surface of Mars; Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn have been studied by spacecraft. Speculations have been answered; new questions have been raised, and enough hard data is right now becoming available to allow us to make the first attempt of planetary engineering.
In the past, people with excellent ideas about terraforming have kept them to themselves, or buried them in a desk drawer because they did not realize that anyone else was interested. But now, a wide circle of people has begun to do this kind of work. For instance, NASA funded a project on transforming Mars.
There are several strong reasons which demand that the possibilities of terraforming be studied carefully. First, it’s an exciting idea of a possible future for human beings. Such thinking has a valuable role in providing options for our future directions. Secondly, the techniques of terraforming will also help contemporary technologies in weather and climate control. Thirdly, such study may assist us in detecting any possible existence of extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI, The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, 地外文明搜索) and alien (异己的) civilizations on other planets.
Though the mission is far beyond our reach at the moment, we should at least keep our options open. Through debate and study on this subject, the possibility of rebuilding other planets to make them suitable homes for people may come true some day in the future..
. According to the context, what’s the meaning of the word “speculation” in paragraph 2?
| A．The act of discussing something with a group of people. |
| B．The act of studying and researching. |
| C．The act of guessing without knowing all the facts about something. |
| D．The acting of writing letters to a certain organization. |
.
Why did people keep the idea of terraforming to themselves in the past?
| A．They thought no one else would show interest in the idea. |
| B．They gradually came to find the idea crazy. |
| C．They thought the idea would never come true. |
| D．They had few resources for further study on this topic. |
.
. Which is NOT the reason to support the study of terraforming?
| A．Even if we don’t succeed in terraforming, such study may help us to better understand technologies such as climate and weather control. |
| B．Such study may explore a new direction of development for human beings. |
| C．Such study may enable us to find the lives on other planets. |
| D．As the resources on Earth are being drained, it’s very urgent to study how to migrate (迁移) to other planets。 |
.
What’s the main idea of the article?
| A．It’s highly possible that terraforming other planets will come true so we should increase investing in this program. |
| B．Even if the idea of terraforming other planets may take centuries to realize, we have many reasons to support such studies. |
| C．Terraforming other planets is the best option for human being’s future. |
| D．More and more people are taking planetary engineering as their occupation. |
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Hillary Clinton, 59, with her famous "I'm 
in, and I'm in to win "2008 Race, began her email to supporters, saying "I want you to join me not for the campaign but for a conversation about the future of our country．Let's talk,let's chat. "
Mrs．Clinton said that she would focus on"practical changes"in foreign, domestic, and national security policy,such as finding"a right end"to the Iraq war,expanding health insurance, pursuing greater energy independence and strengthening Social Security and Medicare, which satisfies many American people．
In her statement, Mrs Clinton also frankly talked about an issue that worries her a lot．Whether she can, in fact, win the presidency, some voters still associate her most with the Clinton government．
"I have never been afraid to stand up for my beliefs, "Mrs Clinton said on the Website．"After nearly $ 70 million spent against my campaigns in New York and two wins, I can say I know how Republicans think, how they operate, and how to beat them．"
If successful, she would be the first female nominee （被提名的） of a major American political party, and the first wife of a former president to seek a return to the White House．President Bill Clinton left office in 2000 after two terms marked by economical expansion and a series of official examinations of his personal life and the Clintons' business dealings．But the successes and shadows of those years will likely affect Mrs Clinton, who was once an important adviser and caused some disagreements in his government．
Yet Mrs Clinton has become a major political figure in America．
56．By saying" I'm in to win" Hillary probably means that _____．
A．she is online to get people's support to run for presidency
B．she is going to run for election and work hard to win
C．she is online to get more support and she's sure she will win
D．she has decided to run for president and work hard to win
57．It can be inferred from the passage that _____．
A．Clinton left office only because of his personal life
B．Hillary was once deeply involved in her husband's government
C．all her voters strongly support her and believe in her
D．the whole election campaign costs Hillary nearly $ 70 million
58．What many American people are deeply concerned about is _____．
A．what practical things Hillary will do for them
B．when and how to find a proper solution to the Iraq War
C．how to solve the energy problem
D．how to strengthen Social Security and Medicare
59．The author's attitude toward Hillary is _____．
A．critical B．positive C．negative D．objective
Drunken driving(sometimes called America’s socially accepted form of murder)has become a national epidemic．Every hour of every day about three Americans on average are killed by drunken drivers,adding up to an incredible 250,000 over the past ten years．A drunken driver is usually referred to as one with O.1O -blood alcohol content or roughly three beer glasses of wine or shots of whisky drunk within two hours．Heavy drinking used to be an acceptable part of the America manly image and judges were lenient in most courts ,but the drunken killing has recently caused so many well-publicized tragedies ,especially concerning young children ,that public opinion is no longer so tolerant
Twenty states have raised the legal drinking age to 21，reversing trend(逆转潮流)in the 1960s to reduce It to 18.After New Jersey lowered it to 18，the number of people killed by 18-20-year-old drivers more than doubled ,so the state recently upped it back to 21．
Reformers，however ,fear raising the drinking age will have little effect unless accompanied by educational programs to help young people to develop “responsible attitudes” about drinking and teach them to resist peer pressure to drink
Though new laws have led to increased arrests and tests many areas already ,to a marked drop in accidents，some states are also punishing bars for serving customers too many drinks．A bar in Massachusetts was fined for serving six or more double brandies to a customer who was“obviously drunk” and later drove the road, killing a nine-year-old boy ．
As the accidents continue to occur daily in every state , some Americans are even beginning to speak well of the 13 years national prohibition(禁令)of alcohol that began in 1919，which President Hoover called the“noble experiment”。They forgot that legal prohibition didn't stop drinking ,but encouraged political corruption(腐败)and organized crime．As with the booming drug trade generally ,there is no easy solution．
73．What can be inferred from the fact of the traffic accidents in New Jersey?
A．Young drivers were usually bad．
B．The legal drinking age should be raised．
C．Some drivers didn't surprise the legal drinking age．
D．Drivers should not be allowed to drink．
74．The underlined word“lenient”in the first paragraph means
A．merciful B．cruel C．serious D. determined
75. As regards drunken driving , public opinion has changed because
A. judges are no longer lenient
B．new laws are introduced in some states
C．drivers do not appreciate their manly image
D．the news media have raised public attention of the problem
Shopping is not as simple as you may think! There are all sorts of tricks at play each time we reach out for that particular brand of product on the shelf.
Coloring, for example, varies according to what the producers are trying to sell. Health foods are packaged in greens, yellows or browns because we think of these as healthy colors. Ice cream packers are often blue and expensive goods, like chocolates, are gold or silver.
When some kind of pain killer was brought out recently, researchers found that the colors turned the customers off because they made the product look weak and ineffective. Eventually, it came on the market in a dark blue and white package ----blue, because we think of it as safe, And white as calm.
The size of a product can attract a shopper. But quite often a bottle doesn’t contain as much as It appears to.
It is believed that the better –known companies spend, on average, 70 per cent of the total cost of the product itself on packaging!
The most successful producers know that it’s not enough to have a good product. The founder of Pears soap, who for 25 years has used pretty little girls to promote their goods, came to the conclusion: “Any fool can make soap, but it takes a genius to sell it.”
69. Which of the following may trick a shopper into buying a product according to the text?
A. The cost of its package B. The price of the product
C. The color of its package D. The brand name of the product
70. The underlined part “the color turned the customers off” (in para.3) means the colors__.
A. attracted the customers strongly
B. had weak effects on the customers
C. tricked the customers into shopping
D. caused the customers to lose interest
71. Which of the following is the key to the success in product sales?
A. The way to promote the goods.
B. the discovery of a genius
C. The team to produce a good producer
D. The brand name used by successful producers.
72. Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
A. Choice of good products B. Disadvantage of products
C. Effect of packaging on shopping D. Brand names and shopping
Nickname: Hawaii’s Island of Adventure Size: 4,028 square miles
Population: 148,677. The most heavily populated areas are Hilo on the east side and Kailua-Kona on the west.
Temperature: Averages between 71°F and 77°F year around (expect the mercury (水银柱) to drop at higher heights).
Beaches: 47 Golf Courses: 20 Highest Peak: Mauna Kea, 13,796 feet.
Agriculture: The bulk of Hawaii’s farming products are grown and processed on the Big Island, including coffee, macadamia nuts and papaya.
Lodging: 9,655 rooms total; Nightly rates range from$ 35—$ 5,000.
Airports: Hilo International Airport on the east side and Kona International Airport on the west side.
Rental Cars: All of the nationally known rental car companies have locations at Hilo International and Kona International Airports as well as many resorts. In addition, Hilo, Kona and the major resort areas are serviced by taxis.
Resources: Call (800) 648—2441 to order a video, poster, brochures and maps from the Big Island Visitors Bureau. See www.bigisland.org for Updated information.
Shopping: The large shopping centers are in Hilo, Kona, Waimea and the Kohala Coast.
64．The passage is intended to be read by _______.
A．students B．businessmen C．tourists D．immigrants
65．The average population per square mile on the island is about _________.
A．28 B．32 C．37 D．44
66．What does the underlined part “expect the mercury to drop at higher heights” mean?
A．Things are easy to lose weight at higher places.
B．Dropping things from higher places is expected.
C．Temperature is expected to be lower at higher places.
D．Temperature is expected to be higher at higher places.
67．Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a traffic means to get around the Big Island?
A．By train. B．By air. C．By rental car. D．By taxi.
68．What can we infer from the passage?
A．You can see www.bigisland.org for updated information.
B．You can call (800) 648 – 2441 to order some food.
C．You can find some counts to play tennis on the island.
D．You may pay a high price for spending one night on the island.
Barack Obama has never been shy about comparing himself with Abraham Lincoln. He did so when he announced his presidential election in Illinois, where both he and Lincoln served in the legislature (立法机关). "The life of a tall, thin, self-made Springfield lawyer tells us that a different future is possible." Obama said. "He tells us that there is power in words and that there is power in hope." Such comparisons have continued on big and small occasions, but the most important similarity, in Obama's mind, is how he plans to govern if elected.
Obama says he admires Doris Kearns Goodwin' s wonderful Lincoln biography, Team of Rivals. "He talks about it all the time." says a top assistant. "He is particularly interested in the idea that Lincoln successfully won the hearts of many people who had run against him for President, some of them even disagree with him firmly." "The lesson is that you shouldn't let your hatred get in the way of hiring absolutely the best people." says Obama. "I think American people are practical and so I have an interest in casting a wide net, seeking out people with a wide range of expert knowledge, including Republicans, for the highest positions in the government."
"I don't want to have people who just agree with me." He says. "I want people who are continually pushing me forward and I'd be very interested in having those sorts of Republicans in my government, especially people who can speed up a responsible and logical conclusion to the Iraq war."
60. According to Barack Obama, the biggest similarity between Lincoln and himself is ______.
A. they both lived Illinois B. they served in the same office
C. both of them are black D. they have the same idea in governing
61.Obama is willing to cooperate with those who disagree with him because_______.
A. he is interested in Republicans' ideas
B. he doesn't want to show his hatred to the public
C. they have the highest positions in the government
D. they may push him to make the right decisions
62. The author wrote the passage to _________.
A. compare Obama and Lincoln
B. help Obama to win more support
C. tell us something about Obama
D. announce Obama's political ideas
63. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Obama is a member of the Republicans.
B. The passage was written after the presidential election.
C. Doris Goodwin is one of Obama’s assistants.
D. In the end Lincoln was able to get the support of the people who once hated him.