Many people watched the lift-off of the space shuttle Columbia on March 21, 1982. But none watched more closely than eighteen-year-old Ted, as Ted’s insects were on board the shuttle.
The Shuttle Student Involvement Program invited students to make a science experiment. The experiment would be done by astronauts on the space shuttle.
Ted had always been interested in space and flight. Insect flight especially interested him. Ted noticed that insects need gravity to take off and land. They need gravity to fly in a straight line. But in space, there is no gravity. Could insects fly in zero gravity? That is what Ted wanted to find out.
Ted made an experiment called “Insect in Flight Motion Study”. He entered his experiment and soon news came that it was a winner.
A large team of scientists and engineers helped Ted get his experiment ready to fly. There were many questions to be answered first. What kind of insects would Ted use in his experiment? The insects would have to be strong enough to live on the shuttle for nine days without much food. What kind of container would hold the insects? Would the insects die during the shuttle flight?
After months of hard work, the “insectronauts” were chosen. A group of moths, flies, and honeybees were put into a special box and put onto the space shuttle. When Columbia flew into space, it was carrying insect passengers.
On March 24, astronauts Gordon Fullerton and Jack Lousma took out the box that held the insects. They began filming the insects with a special video camera.
When the space shuttle landed Ted was able to watch the video film of insects. Just as he thought, most of the insects did have trouble flying in zero gravity. The flies did well. But the moths’ flight seemed “uncontrolled”. They would often just hang in the air. The bees had the most trouble. They couldn’t fly at all! The film showed bees spinning around in all directions. Others were just floating about in the box.
Ted learned the answer to his question about insects’ flight in zero gravity. But he also learned a lot more. He learned about the hard work needed in making a successful experiment.What does the underlined sentence “it was a winner” mean?
| A．Ted could fly in space. | B．Ted won a prize. |
| C．Ted’s experiment was accepted. | D．Ted won in a race. |
What did Ted want to find out?
| A．Whether the insects could fly in space. |
| B．Whether the insects could fly in a straight line. |
| C．Whether the insects could land after flying for a while. |
| D．Whether the insects could take off after resting for a while. |
Of the three kinds of insects sent into space, which one flew worst in zero gravity?
| A．The flies. | B．The honeybees. | C．The insects. | D．The moths. |
Who did the experiment?
| A．Ted himself. |
| B．Ted’s friend. |
| C．A large team of scientists and engineers. |
| D．Two astronauts on the space shuttle. |
How did Ted learn the answer to his question about insects’ flight in zero gravity?
| A．By asking the scientists and engineers. |
| B．By studying a book written by the astronauts. |
| C．By going into space and watching the insects’ flight himself. |
| D．By watching the video film made by the astronauts. |
At one time, computers were expected largely to remove the need for paper copies of documents because they could be stored electronically. But for all the texts that are written, stored and sent electronically, a lot of them are still ending up on paper.
It is difficult to measure the quantity of paper used as a result of use of internet-connected computers, although just about anyone who works in an office can tell you that when e-mail is introduced, the printers start working overtime. “I feel in my bones this revolution is causing more trees to be cut down,” says Ted Smith of the Earth Village Organization.
Perhaps the best sign of how computer and internet use pushes up demand for paper comes from the high-tech industry itself, which sees printing as one of its most promising new markets. Several internet companies have been set up to help small businesses print quality documents from a computer. Earlier this week Hewlett-Packard Co. announced a plan to develop new technologies that will enable people to print even more so they can get a hard copy of a business document, a medical record or just a one-line e-mail, even if they are nowhere near a computer. As the company sees it, the more use of the internet the greater demand for printer.
Does all this mean environmental concerns have been forgotten? Some activists suggest people have been led to believe that a lot of dangers to the environment have gone away. “I guess people believe that the problem is taken care of, because of recycling,” said Kelly Quirke, director of the Rainforest Action Network in San Francisco. Yet Quirke is hopeful the high-tech may also prove helpful. He says printers that print on both sides are growing in popularity. The action group has also found acceptable paper made from materials other than wood, such as agricultural waste.
1.The growing demand for paper in recent years is largely due to _______.
A.the rapid development of small businesses B. the opening up of new markets
C.the printing of high quality copies D. the increased use of the internet
2. Environmentalists believe one possible way of dealing with the paper situation is______.
A. to encourage printing more quality documents
B. to develop new printers using recycling paper
C. to find new materials for making paper
D. to plant more fast-growing trees
3.Hewlett-Packard Co. has decided to develop new technologies because ________.
A. people are concerned about the environment
B. printers in many offices are working overtime
C. small companies need more hard copies
D. they see growing market for printers
4. What would be the best title for the text?
A. Computers and Printers B. E-mail and the Business World
C. Internet Revolution and Environment D. Modern Technology and New Markets
The meal you eat after exercising matters! No matter what time of day you exercise, the key is to follow the exercise up with meals that supply enough nutrition. For the best results, eat within thirty to sixty minutes after exercising, when the muscles are at the best time to take in nutrients.
Here are some ideas for meals after exercising:
Home-made sports—recovery drink
Mix banana, milk, and yogurt to make a fresh and satisfying sports—recovery drink. Dairy products like milk and yogurt work double duty, providing both protein and carbohydrates. A cup of coffee, on the other hand, is a poor choice.
Protein—packed sandwich
You can’t go wrong with a sandwich after exercising—it’s got everything in a hand—held package. Sandwiches provide the salt you need to replace what you have lost by sweating, while the tomatoes in them supply plenty of Vitamin C. Try using whole—wheat bread to give yourself more fiber. The cheese and fresh vegetables in sandwiches are also great for helping tired muscles recover.
Power breakfast
An egg sandwich is a perfect post—exercise breakfast. There’s protein in both the yolk(蛋黄) and the white of the egg. This recipe increases your protein intake while keeping calories and fat under control. Eggs also contain zinc(锌), which helps protect against disease.
Plant—based protein
Beans are an amazing source of plant—based protein and carbohydrates. Make a large bowl of bean salad in the beginning of a week, and you’ll have a great post—exercise meal that is ready whenever you need it.
1.Why does the author advise eating a protein—packed sandwich after exercising?
A.It helps increase the protein in your body. B.It has plenty of fat and calories.
C.The things in it help you recover. D.It is an amazing source of carbohydrates.
2.What should you do when your muscles feel tired?
A.Eat cheese and fresh vegetables.
B.Drink as much milk and yogurt as possible.
C.Eat whole—wheat bread instead of a sandwich.
D.Eat and drink as soon as possible.
3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A.It’s the best time for muscles to take in nutrients within 30 to 60 minutes after exercising.
B.It’s best for you to have an egg sandwich after exercising.
C.A cup of coffee will help you recover after exercising.
D.Bean salad is another great meal for post—exercising.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The healthy eating habits of athletes. B.The best time for exercising.
C.How to warm up before exercising. D.What to eat after exercising.
Houston, Texas (June 8. 2002)–in 2004, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will send two robots to separate places of Mars to seek out past or present signs of water. It is an exciting idea to send two robots driving over very different places of Mars at the same time, to be able to see what is on the other side of the hill.
Last month, NASA announced it was sending one robot to Mars, but after two weeks, it decided there was enough money for two. The robots will be sent up within two weeks of each other in May and June of 2003 from Kennedy Space Center. If all goes well, the two spacecraft will touch down on Mars, after a seven-and –a-half-month space flight, on January 2 and 20, 2004.
The robots, each weighing 150 kilograms, can cover 100 meters per day. They are designed to be able to examine the mineral content of the soil, and their special camera will take pictures of the lands and hills. Although they will be under control from the earth, the robots are able to move more freely compared to those sent up before them.
The actual landing points have not been determined yet, but the scientists say it will be in areas where they hope to find water.
1.According to the news report, scientists plan to send robots up to Mars to _____.
A.find out whether there is water on Mars B.see if robots can find minerals there
C.test how fast robots can drive there D.prove that robots can work on Mars
2.How long in between will the two robots be sent to Mars?
A.1 year B. 7.5 months C. 2 months D. 2 weeks
3. One of the important jobs for the robots on Mars is to _______.
A.study the soil B. walk everywhere
C.test the new camera D. find a suitable landing point
4. We can infer from the last sentence that scientists ________.
A. have changed the landing points many times
B. hope to land the robots on the surface of water
C. are still working on the plan
D. know where they can find water
Some scientists say that animals in the ocean are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings. The noise that affects sea creatures comes from a number of human activities. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines. Such noises are added to natural sounds. These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves.
Decibels(分贝) measured in water are different from those measured on land. A noise of one hundred and twenty decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decibel level of one hundred and ninety-five would have the same effect.
Some scientists have suggested setting a noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels in oceans. They have observed that noises at that level can frighten and confuse whales.
A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that loud noises can seriously injure some animals. The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing. This seriously affected the whales’ ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died. The explosions had caused their ears to bleed and become infected.
Many researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds object to a limit of one hundred and twenty decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research.
Scientists do not know how much and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists suspect that noise is a greater danger than they believed. They want to prevent noise from harming creatures in the ocean.
1.According to the passage, which of the following is increasingly dangerous to sea creatures?
A. The man-made noises. B. The noises made by themselves
C. The sound of earthquakes D. The sound of the ice-breaking
2. Which of the following is discussed in the second paragraph?
A. Different places with different types of noises.
B. The very human ears sensitive to all types of noises.
C. The same noise measured differently on land and in the ocean.
D. The ocean animal’s reaction to noises.
3. As to the influence of noises on whales, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. They are deaf to noises. B. Noises at a certain level may hurt them.
C. They are easily confused by noises D. Noises will limit their ability to reproduce
4. According to the passage, what will scientists most probably do in the future?
A. They will try their best to decrease noise.
B. They will work hard to cut down noise pollution.
C. They will study the effect of different noises.
D. They will protect animals from harmful noises.
第二部分阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45分）
第一节阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在
答题卡上将该项涂黑。
When I was about 12, I had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings. Week by week her list grew: I was very thin, I wasn’t a good student, I talked too much, I was too proud, and so on. I tried to bear all this as long as I could. At last, I became very angry. I ran to my father with tears in my eyes.
He listened to me quietly, and then asked. “Are the things she says true or not? Jane, didn’t you ever wonder what you’re really like? Well, you now have that girl’s opinion. Go and make a list of everything she said and mark the points that are true. Pay no attention to the other things she said.”
I did as he told me. To my great surprise, I discovered that about half the things were true. Some of them I couldn’t change (like being very thin), but a good number I could – and suddenly I wanted to change. For the first time I got a fairly clear picture of myself.
I brought the list back to Daddy. He refused to take it. “That’s just for you,” he said. “You know better than anyone else the truth about yourself. But you have to learn to listen, not just close your ears in anger and feeling hurt. When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you. Our world is full of people who think they know your duty. Don’t shut your ears. Listen to them all, but hear the truth and do what you know is the right thing to do.”
Daddy’s advice has returned to me at many important moments. In my life, I’ve never had a better piece of advice.
1.Which do you think would be the best title for this passage?
A. Not an Enemy, but the Best Friend B. The Best Advice I’ve Ever Had
C.My Father D. My Childhood
2.What does “Week by week her list grew” mean?
A. Week by week she discovered more shortcomings of mine and pointed them out to me.
B. She had made a list of my shortcomings and she kept on adding new ones to it so that it was growing longer and longer.
C. I was having more and more shortcomings as time went on.
D. Week by week, my shortcomings grew more serious.
3.Why did her father listen to her quietly?
A. Because he believed that what her daughter’s “enemy” said was mostly true.
B. Because he had been so angry with his daughter’s shortcomings that he wanted to show this by keeping silent for a while.
C. Because he knew that his daughter would not listen to him at that moment.
D. Because he wasn’t quite sure which girl was telling the truth.
4. What did the father do after he had heard his daughter’s complaint?
A. He told her not to pay any attention to what her “enemy” had said.
B. He criticized her and told her to overcome her shortcomings.
C. He told her to write down all that her “enemy” had said about her and pay attention only to the things that were true.
D. He refused to take the list and have a look at it.