NASA’s Mars detector (探测器), Opportunity, succeeded in finding signs that water once existed on the planet. Opportunity landed on Mars in January. Scientists now believe that the planet could once have supported life.
This discovery was chosen by Science, one of the world’s leading magazines, as the most important scientific achievement of 2004 last Friday.
“This little, wheeled, one-armed box went around another planet and has done something no human has ever managed,” according to Science. “It has discovered another place in the universe where life could once have existed.”
“Although we still can’t say that life could have existed in this environment, it is now certain that there was water on Mars,” said Steve Squyres, one of the scientists working on the Mars mission. The evidence comes from pictures and chemical readings taken by Opportunity. It includes marks on rocks like those caused by flowing water on Earth and salty chemicals like those found in dried-out sea-beds. Scientists said the new evidence proved beyond doubt that water has existed on Mars. But it is still unknown whether the water on Mars was like an ocean or justice.
While Opportunity has not found any signs of life, the presence of water means life is possible. “In everything we know about life on Earth, there is no example without liquid water,” Squyres said. “So water is important for the search for life on Mars.”
Researchers agree that a future mission (任务) should bring back physical samples (样品). But some scientists worry about the risk that this could introduce dangerous foreign creatures to Earth. “The problem here is how to get the samples back,” Squyres replied. “I think it is our responsibility to limit any risk.”________ prove that water existed on Mars.
| A．The physical samples with salty chemicals |
| B．The marks on rocks and salty chemicals |
| C．Scientific achievements of 2004 |
| D．Creatures from Mars |
Which of the following is TURE according to the text?
| A．It is now certain that there was water on Mars. |
| B．The water on Mars was like an ocean. |
| C．Evidence of life on Mars has been found. |
| D．Search for life on Mars is a great risk to humans. |
How did scientists draw the conclusion that there was water on Mars?
| A．The world’s leading magazine has announced the fact. |
| B．Scientists have taken many pictures and chemical readings on the Mars. |
| C．Astronauts have got some rocks from Mars. |
| D．Scientists have made a study of the pictures and readings sent back by Mars detector. |
It can be inferred that, if the creatures from Mars came to Earth, ________.
| A．they would be kind to humans |
| B．they would be cruel to humans |
| C．they would be a great danger to Earth |
| D．it would be hard to say whether it would be a good news or bad news |
第三部分 阅读理解（共两节。满分30分）
第一节：（共11小题；每小题2分，满分22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。
On a recent morning in Clearwater, Florida, Maja Kazazic jumped down into water. From a distance, the dolphin seemed friendly enough. Still, Kazazic felt a little panic slide into her excitement. In spite of her fear, she felt strong wearing her new leg.
In second grade in Bosnia, Kazazic lost her cousin, Jasmina. Kazazic promised she would honor Jasmina by swimming with a dolphin, an animal that both girls loved. “Jasmina never got the chance to do it,” says Kazazic, “so I decided that someday I’d do it for her.”
However, in 1993, during the Bosnian civil war, Kazazic was badly injured. Her left leg was cut just below the knee and she received her first artificial(人工的) leg in the US. Because there was so little bone left, and with her right leg also damaged, walking was rather painful, but she managed to graduate from college. She was able to play golf or tennis.
Then one day a young dolphin, Winter, who had lost her tail, caught Kazazic’s eye. Trainers were fitting Winter with a high-tech tail. When they were done, Winter dashed off through the water.
Kazazic was excited. If she can do this, there’s no way I can’t, she thought. Within ten days, she had a new leg with the help of the inventor. Eight months later, Kazazic was ready to keep the promise. “After being in a war, this should be a piece of cake,” Kazazic said as she lowered herself into the tank. Then and there the two went on an hour-long swim around the pool.
When Kazazic climbed out, she quietly said, “I feel like I owed(欠) somebody something, and now I’ve paid my debt.” Out in the parking lot, she got into her car and cried till she lost her voice.
52. Which of the following might serve as the best title of the passage?
A. Kazazic’s Promise. B. Jasmina’s Death.
C. Kazazic’s Debt. D. A Dolphin’s Tail.
53. What does the underlined word “panic” mean in the first paragraph?
A. Fear. B. Surprise. C. Excitement. D. Satisfaction.
54. Which is the correct order of the following events?
a. Kazazic was treated and received a new leg in the US.
b. Kazazic made a promise to swim with a dolphin.
c. Jasmina died in Bosnia when Kazazic was in second grade.
d. Kazazic overcame difficulties and carried out her promise.
e. Kazazic was badly injured in her legs during the war.
A. b, c, e, a, d B. b, e, c, d, a C. c, b, e, a, d D. c, e, b, d, a
55. Kazazic cried in her car after she swam with the dolphin because ______.
A. she was sad her cousin couldn’t do it with her.
B. she was excited her promise had come true.
C. she was afraid she would lose the other leg.
D. she was proud she didn’t owe money to anybody.
Advice to “sleep on it” could be well founded, scientists say. After a good night’s sleep, a problem, which couldn’t be solved the night before, can often seem more manageable, although the evidence until now has been anecdotal (个人体验的). But researchers, at the University of Luebek in Germany, have designed an experiment that shows a good night’s sleep can improve insight (顿悟) and problem-solving.
“If you have some newly-got memories in your brain, sleep acts on these memories and restructures (重新组织) them, and as a result, after sleep, the insight into problem which you could not solve before increases,” said Dr Jan Born, a neuroscientist (神经科学家), at the university.
To test the theory, they taught volunteers two simple rules to help them turn a string of (一连串) numbers into a new order. There was also a third, hidden rule, which could help them increase their speed in solving the problem. The researchers divided the volunteers into two groups: Half were allowed to sleep after the training, while the rest were forced to stay awake. Dr Jan Born and his team noticed that the group that had slept after the training were twice as likely to figure out (想出) the third rule as the other group.
“Sleep helped,” Born said in a telephone interview. “The important thing is that you have to have a memory representation (描绘，表现) of the problem you want to solve in your brain and then you sleep, so it can act on the problem.” But Born admitted that he and his team don’t know how restructuring of memories occurs or what governs it.
Pierre Maquet and Perrine Ruby of the University of Liege in Belgium said the experimental evidence supports the anecdotal suggestions that sleep can help develop creative thinking. Although the role of sleep in human creativity will still be a mystery, the research gives people good reason to fully respect their periods of sleep, they added.
57. The underlined phrase “sleep on it” in Paragraph 1 probably means ______.
A. to delay deciding something until the next day
B. to get as much sleep as possible
C. to go on sleeping without being disturbed
D. to sleep till after the time you usually get up in the morning
58. Jan Born and his team carried out the experiment through ______.
A. comparison B. interview C. survey D. imagination
59. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.
A. people should sleep so long as they have time
B. sleep is the only way to solve hard problems
C. people have various periods of sleep
D. people know how sleep reconstructs memories
60. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. How Sleep Works B. Sleep Helps Solve Problems
C. No Evidence, But Well Founded D. Born’s Discovery On Sleep
Summer Holiday Fun 2010 !
The summer holidays are upon us again. Here is our guide to summer holiday fun in Peterborough!
Peterborough Museum
The Age of the Dinosaurs is the museum’s main attraction this summer. Get up close to prehistoric creatures via some great hands—on exhibits! Watch out for monsters lurking around every ember! The museum is open from 10: 00am to 5: 00pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12: 00pm to 4: 00 pm on Sundays in August.
Call 01733 864663 for details
Saxon Youth Club
School holiday fun: Young people aged 13-19 will be able to produce their own music, compete in spots activities, or try their hand at cooking at Saxon Youth Club，Saxon Community Centre, Norman Road. Peterborough every Monday and Wednesday from 3: 00pm. Moreover, an aero ball tournament will take place on Thursday 12th August between 3: 30pm and 6: 30pm.
Call 0135 3720274 for details
Houghton Mill
Alice through the Looking Class—a new production of the family favorite on Monday 30th August. Bring rugs or chairs to sit on and a picnic if you wish to eat during the play. Gates open 5: 30pm, performance 6: 30pm—8: 30pm. Tea room will be open until end of the interval. Adult ￡10. Child￡7. Family ￡20.
Booking advisable on 0845 4505157.
Farmland Museum and Denny Abbey
Farmland Games: From Wellie Wading to Pretend Ploughing matches, come and join the Farmland Team. Collect your sporting stickers and create a colorful rosette that is fit for a winner！No need to book, just turn up between 12: 00pm and 4: 00pm on Thursday 19th August. Suitable for children aged four and above, each child should be accompanied by an adult and all activities are included in the normal admission price Tickets Cost￡7 per child.
For further information, call 01223 810080.
53. If you are interested in cooking, you can go to______.
A. Peterborough MuseumB. Houghton Mill
C. Saxon Youth Club D. Farmland Museum
54. You want to watch the new play with your parents, so it will cost you______.
A. ￡7B. ￡17 C. ￡27 D. ￡20
55. Which of the following activities needs parents’ company?
A. Playing farmland games B. Watching a new play．
C. Competing in spots activities． D. Visiting the dinosaur exhibition．
56. If Tom comes to Peterborough for amusement on August 19, he will have ______activities to choose from for himself.
A. one activity B. two activities C. three activities D. four activities
A gadget (器具) which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave.
Using the same technology as a dehumidifier (除湿器), the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water because it can always get it from an unlimited source—the air.
The company behind the machine says not only does it offer an alternative to bottled water in developed countries, but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage.
The machine works by drawing in wet air through a filter (过滤器) and over a cooling instrument which changes it into water drops. It can produce up to 12 liters a day. The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the amount of water which is contained in the air increases. In keeping with its eco-development, the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three lights.
Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said: “The demand for water is off the chart. So people are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable.”
The machine, which is about 3 feet wide, is likely to cost ￡800 when it goes on sale here in the spring. Its maker, Canadian Firm Element Four, roughly (粗略地) calculates that a litre of water cost around 20p to produce.
Environmentalists state that half the world’s population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080. One in five is said to lack access to safe drinking.
The Water Mill is not effective in areas where the amount of water contained in the air is below about 30 percent, but in Britain that won’t be much of a problem.
49. What does the underlined word “it” refer to?
A. Drinking water. B. Invention. C. Microwave. D. Water Mill.
50. What do we learn about the machine?
A. It works in the same way as microwaves.
B. It is very expensive for families to afford.
C. It absorbs steam and turns it into water.
D. It helps to make the water clean to drink.
51. What does the passage lead us to believe?
A. The cost of water will go up. B. Bottled water will disappear sooner.
C. The machine is energy saving. D. The machine will be popular worldwide.
52. What’s the best title for the passage?
A. A New Way to Solve Water Problem. B. A Machine to Make Water out of Air.
C. A Dehumidifier to Produce Water. D. An Absolutely New Invention
Why People Get Tattoos
Jack lay, quiet and unmoving, for thirty minutes while a stranger repeatedly stabbed (刺) him with sharp needles, causing blood to pour steadily out of his leg. Jack was getting a tattoo. His friend Tony had recently gotten a tattoo, and Jack was so impressed by it that he decidedto get one too. Peer pressure, media influence, and personal expression are some of the common reasons for wearing tattoos today.
The desire to be accepted by one’s friends or peers can have a great influence on what a person does. Sometimes, wearing a tattoo can be a sign that you belong to a certain group. Gangs often use special clothes and tattoos to identify their particular group. Some of these groups wear only brand–name clothes. Others wear tattoos. When a person’s friends are all doing something, that person is more likely to do the same thing.
The media is another big influence behind the popularity of tattoos in North America. A wide variety of media images (人物，图像) show tattoos－people appearing in commercials selling expensive cars, famous sports heroes with tattoos in magazines, fashion models wearing designer clothes that show their bodies tattooed with detailed and colorful patterns. These media images link tattoos to ideas of wealth, success, and status. As a result, many people decide to get a tattoo for its fashion and status value.
Many people decide to wear tattoos in order to express their artistic nature, their beliefs, or their feelings－in other words, to show their individuality (个性). A musician in a rock band may get a tattoo of a guitar on the arm. Some environmentalists may tattoo pictures of endangered animals on their shoulders. A tattoo can be a public sign to show what is important in a person's life.
As you can see, there are many reasons why young North Americans get tattoos. A tattoo can be part of a group's uniform, a sign of fashion or an expression of individuality. The decision to get a tattoo is most often a result of the influence of friends or media or the desire to express oneself. For Jack, it was a mixture of all three.
45. Jack has got tattoos in order to ______.
A. show his great bravery B. gain a special experience
C. make himself more healthy D. be different from others
46. According to the passage, media images are linked to ______.
A. traditional lifestyle B. social position C. cultural background D. public interest
47. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. some people get tattoos out of pressure
B. tattoo is related to religious belief
C. getting tattoos costs a lot of money
D. most people with tattoos are artists
48. Which of the following shows the structure of the passage?
 |
CP: Central Point P: Point Sp: Sub – point (次要点) C: Conclusion