NASA’s twin Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, have been exploring the Red Planet since 2004. But a little more than a year ago, NASA lost contact with Spirit. The space agency has tried several ways to make contact with the rover, but Spirit has not sent back any signals.
Spirit landed on Mars on January 4, 2004. Three weeks later, Opportunity arrived. Soon after, the rovers went to the opposite side of Mars. Spirit’s original mission was only designed to last for three months, but Spirit has worked for more than five years doing additional missions. Both rovers have made important discoveries about ancient Mars. They have taken thousands of images and found evidence in the rocks of a water, warmer past in Mars’ history.
Spirit is solar-powered. It got stuck in a sand trap in April 2009, trapped deep into the soil and with its wheels turning around and around but not able to move forwards or backwards. Spirit had to agree that there is nothing that can be done to change the situation—it’s never going to move again. However, even if it is a not moving station, it can still study the planet’s atmosphere and deep interior.
NASA has been concentrating on trying to position its solar panels to get as much energy from the sun as
possible, or to get the rover leaning in a manner that will allow the most amount of sunlight falling on its solar panels, in order to keep it alive during the coming winter months. Engineers have planned to rock the vehicle back and forth to acquire a more favorable position. However, no matter how many efforts have been made, Spirit still could not get out of the soft soil and could not lean itself toward the sun as the Martian winter approached. Without enough
energy reaching its solar panels and with so little energy in its batteries, it went into hibernation, just like a polar bear, and has not communicated with Earth since March 22, 2010.
Whatever the future holds for Spirit, its mission has been an outstanding success. When it landed on the Red Planet in January 2004, no one was really sure how long it would continue working in the cold and dusty environment. As a matter of fact, three months was its original goal.
After so many fruitless efforts, NASA scientists are losing hope of ever reconnecting with Spirit, but they will give it one more try. Ground controllers are contacting Spirit over a range of frequencies and at different times during the day in case its internal clock stopped working and it lost track of time. They also are commanding the rover to turn on its backup radio transmitter in case the main one is dead.
If this final effort to connect isn’t successful, NASA will shift the focus to its twin robot, Opportunity, which is in a different part of Mars. Opportunity is still on the move and continues to travel freely to this day. It has traveled 16.6 miles so far, and is currently rolling towards another crater it has yet to explore.
NASA has spent more than $900 million on the project but shows no sign of giving up on these determined and hard-working robots. The rovers are, though, experiencing gradual wear and tear, the expected damage to something caused by using it repeatedly over a period of time. Even before Spirit got trapped, one of its wheels had failed. And NASA says it’s just a matter of time before both robots break down completely.According to the passage, what can we know about Spirit?
| A．It had explored Mars several times. |
B．Its original mission was to work for five years. |
| C．It landed on Mars three weeks later than Opportunity. |
| D． It discovered that Mars was once a warm and wetter place. |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT what NASA did?
| A．Try to lean Spirit to make it get as much sunlight as possible. |
| B．Rock Spirit back and forth to make it acquire a more favorable position. |
| C．Make efforts to help Spirit get out of the soft soil where it is stuck. |
| D．Contact and order Spirit to turn on its backup radio transmitter. |
The reason why Spirit failed to communicate with the Earth is that ________.
| A．it didn’t have enough energy | B．it had finished its task |
| C．something was wrong with its wheels | D．it met an unidentified creature |
By saying “NASA will shift the focus” in Paragraph 7, the author means that ______.
| A．NASA will move the center of Spirit out of the sand |
| B．NASA will depend on Opportunity to do the exploration |
| C．NASA will do nothing but wait for some opportunity |
| D．NASA will make opportunity help Spirit |
The last paragraph mainly informs us that _______.
| A．NASA has planned to spend more money on Spirit |
| B．Spirit will be brought back to Earth |
| C．Spirit will stop operating totally in the future |
| D．Spirit will cause damage to Mars |
What’s the text mainly about?
| A．NASA makes the last effort to contact Spirit. |
| B．Spirit has made many important discoveries on Mars. |
| C．How Spirit got stuck and couldn’t move on Mars. |
| D．Why NASA tried many ways to contact Spirit. |
Bend over, take a deep breath and drink some water! This is just one of the hundreds of tips you might get if you have the hiccups(打嗝). Hiccups are so mysterious. We really don’t know why they start and why they stop.
Everyone has a favorite cure for a case of the hiccups. Some people think that a good scare is necessary to get well. Others eat a teaspoon of sugar. Still others drink a glass of water with a knife in it.
An American man named Jack O’Leary claimed to have hiccupped 160 million times over a period of eight years. He tried 60,000 cures, but none of them worked. Finally he prayed to Saint Jude, the saint of Hopeless cases, and his hiccupping stopped immediately.
It took a British plumber eight months to cure his hiccups. People from all over the world wrote him letters with suggestions for getting well. He tried them all, but the hiccups continued. Finally, he drank a “secret’’mixture someone had sent him. By that evening his hiccups were gone. Why did these cures work for these two men? No one really knows. But people who have studied many cases of hiccups have an idea. Hiccups usually go away if you believe in the cure.
________might be the best cure for hiccups.
| A．Special pills | B．A spoonful of salt | C．Cold water | D．What you believe in |
The plumber spent________in stopping his hiccups.
| A．4 hours | B．2 days | C．8 months | D．8 years |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．We know why the hiccups start, but we don’t know how to stop them. |
| B．Saint Jude is an expert in curing the hiccups. |
| C．The British plumber drank a secret mixture given by an experienced doctor and then became well. |
| D．Some people think that a good scare is a cure for a case of hiccups. |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Different ways to stop hiccups | B．What makes hiccups happen |
| C．How to get hiccups | D．Jack O’Leary’s hiccups |
Walking down a path through some woods in Georgia, I saw a small pool of water ahead on the path．I angled my direction to go around it on the part of the path that wasn't covered by water or mud．As I reached the pool, I was suddenly attacked! Yet I did nothing for the attack．It was so unpredictable and from somewhere totally unexpected．I was surprised as well as unhurt though I had been struck four or five times．I backed up a
foot and my attacker stopped attacking me．Had I been hurt I wouldn't have found it amusing．And I was laughing．After all, I was being attacked by a butterfly!
Having stopped, laughing, I took a step forward．My attacker rushed me again．He charged towards me at full speed, attempting to hurt me but in vain．For a second time, I took a step backwards while my attacker paused．I wasn't sure what to do．After all, it's just not everyday that one is attacked by a butterfly．I stepped back to look the situation over．My attacker moved back to land on the ground．That's when I discovered why my attacker was charging me only moments earlier．He had a mate and she was dying．
Sitting close beside her, he opened and closed his wings as if to fan her．I could o
nly admire the love and courage of that butterfly in his concern for his mate．He had taken it up on himself to attack me for his mate's sake （缘故）, even though she was clearly dying and I was so large．He did so just to give her those extra few precious moments of life, should I have been careless enough to step on her．His courage in attacking something thousands of times larger and heavier than himself just for his mate's safety seemed admirable．I couldn't do anything other than reward him by walking on the more difficult side of the pool．He had truly earned those moments to be with her, undisturbed．
Since then, I've always tried to remember the courage of that butterfly whenever I see huge barriers facing me..
Why did the writer change his direction while walking down a path?
| A．To get close to a butterfly. | B．To look over the bad situation. |
| C．To escape a sudden attack. | D．To avoid getting his shoes dirty. |
.
What made the man feel funny?
| A．Making the attacker pause. | B．Being attacked by a butterfly. |
| C．Being stepped on by his mate. | D．Discovering the energetic butterfly. |
.
From this experience the man learned.
| A．what he should do when faced with trouble |
| B．people should show sympathy to the weak |
C．how he should deal with a ttacks |
| D．people should protect butterflies |
.
Which of the following words can best describe the butterfly?
| A．Careless． | B．Amusing． | C．Courageous． | D．Aggressive. |
New technology that can “ see ” through clothing and detect what ’ s underneath can now be used to scan crowds, making it a potentially effective tool to prevent terrorist attacks in public places.
The Thru Vision T5000 camera picks up Terahertz rays ，or T-rays, which are naturally sent out by all objects and can pass through clothes or even walls. The camera can then detect metallic and nonmetallic objects hidden under clothing on still or moving subjects without showing any body detail.
While similar technology is seen at airports around the world, the T5000 is designed to be used in large, open areas. With a range of 25 meters, the T5000 can screen people in public places, thus avoiding bottle-necks at border crossing or security checkpoints. It also means people can be screened without knowing it.
The technology develops from British astronomers ’ work in studying dying stars. Astronomers use T-ray cameras to see through dust and clouds in space. The company sees uses for its camera at other sites where political or business activities take place.
For privacy concerns，Thru Vision Chief Executive Clive Beattie said the image produced by the camera did not show detailed parts of the body. ” It's almost a shining light bulb(灯泡）.“ Beattie said. "You don' t see the detail that people might be concerned about. “ In London' s busy Piccadilly Circus—which is already filled with closed -circuit surveillance (监视）cameras— reaction to the new technology was mixed. Some said the camera was going too far and violating privacy，but others said they are willing to put safety before privacy concerns. “ There ’ s surveillance everywhere anyway, “ said one commuter. “I don' t think it’ s much of a difference. I don' t care that they can see through me because they can see me anyway.“
Some experts said the privacy violation of the camera was not worth the benefit. “ What we should consider is how much we want to lose our privacy in order to obtain a sort of national security，” said David Murakami Wood，director of the Surveillance Studies network，which deals with surveillance and privacy problems. “ In most cases this isn' t real security—it ’ s a sense of safety that has very little real effect. ”.
What can we learn about T5000?
| A．It can detect metallic and nonmetallic objects underneath. |
B．It can see through  clothing or walls by sending out T-rays. |
| C．It was first used to observe stars by astronomers. |
| D．It is widely used at airports around the world. |
.
What is the most probable purpose of the new invention?
| A．To improve people ’ s life standard. | B．For scientific research. |
| C．For commercial benefits. | D．For safety reasons. |
.
Which is most probably the opinion of people on using the new camera?
| A．Some agree to its use as it is new technology to protect privacy. |
| B．Some agree to its use because safety is the most important. |
| C．Some don' t agree to its use because it makes no difference. |
| D．Some people don' t care because they know little about it. |
.
What' s the main idea of the last paragraph?
| A．Safety is more important than privacy. |
| B．T5000 is more beneficial than harmful. |
| C．T5000 does not really provide security. |
| D．It's not worth giving up privacy for safety. |
Getting your teen to think beyond his own immediate needs can be more difficult than cracking a nut with a plastic fork．But don't worry．It's not impossible．There are many ways to encourage your teen to care about th
ose outside his immediate circle of friends．As he begins to have responsibility towards others, he will realize he feels even better about himself．
"Teens are thinking about career, college, an
d what their future might look like," explains Michelle Maidenberg, a clinical director of Westchester Group Works, a center for group treatment in New York．"This is very challenging and just one of the reasons why they are so focused on their own
world．" Once teens participate in community service, however, they begin to look beyond their personal needs．They also learn firsthand about the challenges others face, and they experience a sense of authority as they realize they can make a real difference in others' lives．
Not sure how to convince a teen to get away from the cell phone and into a community project? Teens buy into community service when the project or program is in an area of their interest．
"Finding something in an area of interest for them keeps them motivated and inspired," Maidenberg says．For instance, if he is interested in culinary （烹饪） school, he could volunteer in a soup kitchen or bake for a project that supports families in need．Volunteer projects in your teen's area of interest will build her knowledge base as well as help others．
Parents can do their part by participating i
n community service themselves．Teens can learn directly from their parents that personal enjoyment is not ,all that matters．
Let teens know the benefits they will obtain．“Give them every reason in the world to volunteer," Maidenberg advises．She says that working on 
community service projects builds confidence．"By working with others, teens improve managerial, interpersonal and communication skills．Community service helps to approach maturity when they take a step back to see the needs of other people," she adds．Another reward: service hours look great on a resume!.
According to Michelle Maidenberg, it's hard to get teens to think beyond their own immediate needs partly because ______．
| A．they care more about their circle of friends |
| B．they have no interest in doing anything |
| C．they have to work hard for college |
| D．they are facing many challenges |
.
The underlined phrase "buy into" in Paragraph 3 probably means ______．
| A．agree to join in | B．spend money on |
| C．get away from | D．are interested in |
.
The writer mentions the benefits in the last paragraph in order to ______．
| A．make teens feel much better about themselves |
| B．encourage teens to care about his own needs |
| C．help parents reason teens into volunteering |
| D．get parents to do more community service |
My students often tell me that they don’t have “enough time” to do all their schoolwork.
My reply is often a brief “You have as much time as the president.” I usually carry on a bit about there being twenty-four hours in the day for everyone, and suggest that “not enough time” is not an acceptable explanation of not getting something done.
Once in graduate school, I tried to prove to one of my professors by 
say
ing that I was working hard. His answer to me was, “That’s irrelevant (无关的). What’s important is the quality of your work.” Since then I have had time to think carefully about the “hard worker” dodge (诀窍), and I have come to some conclusions — all relevant to the problem of how much time we have.
If you analyze the matter, you can identify two parts of the problem: There is, of course, the matter of “time”, which we can think of as fixed. Then there is the problem of “work” during that time. But, as my professor suggested, it’s not how hard one works but the quality of the product that’s important.
That led me to a new idea: the quality of the work. That concept is perhaps best explained by a sign I once saw on the wall in someone’s office: “Don’t work harder. Work smarter.” There is a lot of sense in that idea.
If you can’t get more time, and few of us can, the only solution is to improve the quality of the work. That means thinking of ways to get more out of the same time than we might otherwise get. That should lead us to an analysis of our work habits. Since “work” for students usually means “homework”, the expression “work habits” should be read as “study habits”.
Then, as a smart student, you will seek to improve those skills that you use in study, chiefly reading and writing. If you learn to read better and write better, there are big benefits that pay off in all your studies..
From the passage, we know that the author is probably ______ .
| A．a poet | B．an educator | C．a novelist | D．an engineer |
.
We can infer from the 2nd paragraph that we students still _____ .
| A．have enough time | B．can meet the president |
| C．get everything done well | D．should accept the explanation |
.
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The author’s students make good use of their time to do all their homework. |
| B．The author tried to tell the professor that he/she (author) had done a good job. |
| C．You can’t improve the quality of the work if you can’t get more time. |
| D．You’ll try to improve your skills in reading and writing if you’re a clever student. |
.
What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．Students don’t have enough time. | B．Don’t work harder; work smarter. |
| C．No one can get more time. | D．Read better and write better. |