September 21, 2050----At a press conference today it was announced that the first tourist heading for Mars will be the 38-year-old US businessman Patrick Clifford. He will leave the earth in the launching window of June 2052 and set his foot on the surface of Mars in November, together with the other 6 astronauts assigned for the mission to further explore the planet.
Patrick has now two years of training ahead of him to get ready for the trip. Not only will he spend five months in getting to Mars, but another 600 days there before he can go back home. Patrick was of course very excited, “ This has been my dream since I was four, and seeing the first man on Mars 20 years ago made me realize that it was possible.”
To be able to pay the $ 1. 3 billion for his ticket for the trip Patrick sold his majority stake (股份) in the company his father had built. “I know that my father would have been proud of me if he had still been alive today, he knew what this means to me”, says Patrick. There is no risk though that you will find Patrick begging in your street corner when he comes back, but it is said that he was paid twice as much for his part of the company.
So, how is he going to spend his 600 days on the red planet? “Well, since I don’t have a job when I get back after selling the company, I have plenty of time to come up with a new business idea”, he says and laughs. If he brings a shovel（铁锹）he can start building the first hotel there, but maybe he shouldn’t expect too many guests until someone can offer a cheaper ticket.How long will Patrick Clifford be away before he comes back?
| A．About five months | B．About two years | C．About 600 days | D．About 750 days |
The underlined part in Paragraph 3 means that .
| A．the trip will turn Patrick into a beggar |
| B．Patrick will get much money from the trip |
| C．we needn’t worry about Patrick’s economic condition |
| D．it’s likely that Patrick will be very poor after he comes back |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Patrick is an optimistic man |
| B．A total of six people will go to Mars |
| C．Patrick’s father felt excited at the news |
| D．Patrick will spend all his money on the trip |
On October 12, 1989, some Chinese scientists were working at the computers to look for information they needed. Suddenly they saw a lot of very bright spots crossing the computers’s screens. At the same time the computers were working much slower. To find out what was happening they stopped their work to check some parts of the computers. To their horror, they found out that most of their stored information was got rid of by computer viruses ! Obviously all these computers had been infected by computer viruses.
It is said that the computer viruses were made by a group of young men fond of playing tricks. They all had excellent education. They created the viruses just to show their intelligence . These kinds of computer viruses are named Jerusalem（耶路撒冷）Viruses. These viruses can stay in computers for a long time. When the time comes they will attack the computers by lowering the functions , damaging their normal programs or even getting rid of all the information.
We now come to know that Jerusalem Viruses often attack computers on Fridays and that they are spreading to a lot of computers. Among the countries that suffered computer viruses last year are Britain, Australia, Switzerland and the U.S. But fill now , how to get rid of the terrible viruses remains a problem.The group of young men created the virus to________.
| A．damage the computers |
| B．test their ability |
| C．tell the world that they were intelligent |
| D．play a trick on operators of the computers |
According to the passage, computer viruses seem to________.
| A．have been in nature for years |
| B．exist in any computers |
| C．be difficult to get rid of at present |
| D．be able to be got rid of in the near future |
The most serious damage caused by the viruses is that________.
| A．the computer’s functions are lowered |
| B．the normal programs are damaged |
| C．all the information stored in the computers is gone |
| D．the computers infected by the viruses can no longer be used |
It happened to me recently that I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s DreamsfromMyFather and how it had changed my views of the current US president.The person I was talking to agreed with me that it was，in his words，“a wonderfully written book”. However，he then proceeded to talk about Mr Obama in a way that suggested he had no idea of his background at all.I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.
And it seems that he is not the only one.Clearly two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t.In the World Book Day survey，DreamsfromMyFather is at number 9.The survey lists top ten books，and various authors，which people have lied about reading.As I’m not one to lie too often，I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire ten books.But I am pleased to say that I have read the book at number one，GeorgeOrwell’s 1984.I think it’s absolutely outstanding.
Asked why they lied，the most common reason was to impress someone they were speaking to.This could be difficult if the conversation became more indepth!
The World Book Day survey also has some other interesting information in it.It shows that many people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen，the Bronte sisters，Charles Dickens and so on.But when asked which authors they actually enjoy，they named J．K.Rowling，Jilly Cooper，and Stephen King (ah，the big sellers，in other words)．Fortyone percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story.
So which books have you lied about reading—if any—and which is your favourite?The main reason why people lie about reading is to________.
| A．make fun of the listener |
| B．impress the listener |
| C．please the listener |
| D．interest the listener |
The underlined word“proceeded” in the passage probably means “________”.
| A．wanted | B．happened |
| C．continued | D．stopped |
What does the World Book Day survey show?
| A．Nearly half of the people surveyed didn’t read through a whole classical book. |
| B．People don’t like DreamsfromMyFather and GeorgeOrwell ’s 1984. |
| C．Few people lie about having read classical works by Jane Austen. |
| D．People usually enjoy reading books by Charles Dickens. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Are You a Book Liar? | B．Readers Are All Liars |
| C．World Book Day | D．Dreams from My Father |
In Yemen, you always see one type of vehicle on the road: the water truck.They travel mountain roads and cross deserts to bring Yemenis the goods more valuable than oil.It is one that only the rich can afford, with the supply regularly being cut off.Others must rely on scarce rain or charity to fight thirst.
Experts say Yemen is going to be the first country in the world to run out of water.The capital, Sanaa, will run out of drinking water as early as 2025，says a report by the World Bank.
Hannan, an 18yearold from Lahej, said that only the rich could prepare for cuts in supply.“In a good week we’ll have a water supply all week but then the following week there will be water only for a day or two, ” she said.
She and her husband, a factory worker, pay 3,000 riyals (99 yuan) for a week’s supply of water from a touring water truck when the taps run dry.With an income of only 20,000 riyals (660 yuan) a month，this means the family often spend half their money on water.
“There are a lot of people who can’t afford it and they have to rely on their neighbors to help，” she said.
The average person in Yemen survives on onefifth of what the World Health Organization considers to be enough water.
In Taiz, in the south，tap water is available only once every 45 days.In the mountainous Malhan district in the north，women and children climb a 1,500m mountain to collect water from a spring, often in the small hours to avoid long queues.
Yemen is located in Southwest Asia，bordering the Arabian and Red Sea.Yemeni people have lived on scarce water supplies for thousands of years but that problem has been made serious by conflict in the area，the fastgrowing population and the use of water to grow a drug called qat.With one of the world’s highest rates of population growth—3.46 percent, Yemen is the poorest Arab country.
The government is considering desalinating (淡化) seawater，but this would be expensive and it may now be too late.The only other solution is to cut down on farming, but that means importing even more food.The passage aims to________.
| A．analyze the reasons why Yemen lacks water |
| B．suggest some solutions to the water issue in Yemen |
| C．present how serious the water problem is in Yemen |
| D．encourage the world to help Yemenis who are suffering from water shortages |
When Hannan said that only the rich could prepare for cuts in supply，she meant that________.
| A．rich people drank more water than the poor |
| B．rich people could buy water from the water trucks if there was a water supply cut |
| C．she had a rich neighbor who often helped her during water supply cuts |
| D．the rich were not affected by water supply cuts |
Which of the following may be a reason why Yemen is short of water?
| A．The country has had no rain for a long time. |
| B．The population of Yemen is growing fast. |
| C．The government has failed to reduce farming. |
| D．People can’t afford the water from government water trucks. |
The best title for the passage is “________”．
| A．Never take water for granted |
| B．The water truck—the commonest sight in Yemen |
| C．The first country to run out of water in the world |
| D．No water for Yemen |
Marriages improve after children grow up and move out，according to an academic study, which suggests an “empty nest” is not always a bad thing.
Popular wisdom has it that parents’ relationships may suffer once their young fly the coop, because they feel they have lost their purpose in life.However, a new study by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that many couples actually feel happier when their children leave home because they are able to enjoy spending time together.
In total,123 American mothers born in the 1930s were tracked for 18 years and asked to rate their satisfaction levels shortly after marrying, when they were bringing up babies, once their children reached their teenage years and finally at age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”．
Although not all said they were happier in general, most claimed their marriages had improved since their children had left home. Researchers believe this is not just because the spouses were spending more time together, but because they were able to enjoy each other’s company more.
One of the participants in the study，which is published in the journal Psychological Science，said：“Once the kids grow up...there’s some of that stress removed...that responsibility removed，so things are a little more relaxed.”
Psychologist Sara Gorchoff，who carried out the investigation，said: “The takehome message for couples with young children is ‘hang in there’．” Her coauthor Oliver John added：“Don’t wait until your kids leave home to schedule quality time with your partner.”
However, Dr Dorothy Rowe，from the British Psychological Society，said the effects of living in an “empty nest” will depend on the parents’ relationship with their children.“If you’re just waiting for them to leave home so you can get on with your life，then of course you’ll be pleased to see them go,” she said, “But if you’ve built your life around your children you’ll be terribly lonely.For some parents，their world falls apart when their children leave.”It is commonly believed that___________.
| A．marriages improve after children leave home |
| B．an “empty nest” is always a happy thing |
| C．parents’ relationships may suffer once their young grow up and move out |
| D．parents will be pleased after their children leave home |
When did many couples feel happier according to the study?
| A．At age 61, when almost all had “empty nests”. |
| B．Shortly after marrying. |
| C．Once their children reached their teenage years. |
| D．When they were bringing up babies. |
Marriages improve after children fly the coop not because___________.
| A．many couples are able to spend time together |
| B．many couples are able to enjoy each other’s company |
| C．things are a little more relaxed |
| D．many couples needn’t work at all |
The author of the passage tends to agree that____________.
| A．parents should build their life around their kids |
| B．parents should schedule quality time with each other before kids leave home |
| C．parents’ relationship with their kids has no effect on marriages at all |
| D．parents should be pleased to see their kids leave home |
Most people give little thought to the pens they write with, especially since the printers in modern homes and offices mean that very things are hand written. All too often, people buy a pen based only on
, and wonder why they are not satisfied
they begin to use it. However, buying a pen that you’ll enjoy is not
if you keep the following in mind.
First of all, a pen should fit comfortably in your hand and be to use. The thickness of the pen is the most important characteristic
comfort. Having a small hand and thick fingers, you may be comfortable with a thin pen. If you have a
hand and thicker fingers, you may
a fatter pen. The length of a pen can
influence comfort. A pen that is too
can easily feel top-heavy and unstable.
Then, the writing point of the pen should the ink to flow evenly（均匀地）while the pen remains in touch with the paper.
will make it possible for you to create a
line of writing. The point should also be sensitive enough to
ink from running when the pen is lifted. A point that does not block the
may leave drops of ink,
you pick the pen up and put it down again.
, the pen should make a thick, dark line. Fine-line pens may
bad handwriting, but fine lines do not command
next to printed text, as,
, a signature on a printed letter. A broader line, on the other hand, gives an impression of confidence and authority（权威）.
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