Life on Mars could become a reality and it could happen in your lifetime.
A welcoming planet
Scientists say Earth’s neighbor Mars, a bright red planet about half Earth’s size, is the most likely to support human life. Mars even has frozen water on its surface.
Since the late 1990s, NASA has been exploring Mars using remote-controlled vehicles（装置）. Most recently Curiosity, a car-size vehicle, traveled through space on an unpiloted spacecraft(航天器) and landed on Mars in August 2012. Directed by NASA scientists , the vehicles move on the surface, taking pictures , collecting and analyzing soil, and looking for signs of life.
But what about human explorers? Plans are already in the works to send astronauts to Mars as soon as the mid-2030s.
_____________________________________
But before you start packing your bags, let’s consider the challenges. For starters, Mars is far away. Just getting there could take up to 10 months.
Scientists already know that time away from Earth’s gravity harms the human body. Bones and muscles get weaker. The body produces less blood. What damage would months and months of living in space do?
And then there is the matter of water, oxygen, food and fuel. Scientists will have to find solutions to these problems, or the first humans on Mars won’t survive very long in their new home.
Tiny Dangers
There’s another tinier risk. It’s so tiny that you can’t even see it: germs.
Some scientists believe that our germs could pollute the whole planet of Mars. Potentially killing Martian life before we have the chance to discover it. Worse, there is a small but terrifying chance that any microscopic life already there might be harmful to us .
Worse still, if any of those Martian germs(火星细菌) were brought back to Earth, the result could be disastrous. Animals, plants, and people could be wiped out.
Worth the $$$?
A more practical concern is the cost. The price could approach $ 1 trillion(万亿). How can we justify spending that much when so many problems—poverty, disease—could use the cash here on Earth?Which of the following is TRUE according to the “A welcoming planet” part?
| A．Mars is a little bigger than Earth. |
| B．There are flowing rivers on Mars. |
| C．People haven’t been to Mars so far. |
| D．Scientists have discovered signs of life on Mars. |
Which of the following can best fill in the blank in the passage?
| A．Living in space. | B．Limited resources. |
| C．Extreme conditions. | D．Interesting challenges. |
By “Tiny dangers” the author means ________________.
| A．there is no serious danger |
| B．people won’t be in any danger |
| C．it’s difficult for people to realize the danger |
| D．the danger may be caused by very small things |
Which may cause the biggest danger?
| A．Martian germs may be different from those on Earth. |
| B．Martian germs may be brought back to Earth. |
| C．People may carry germs to Mars. |
| D．There may be germs on Mars. |
Which section of a newspaper is the passage most probably taken from?
| A．People | B．History | C．Science | D．Business |
Can trees talk? Yes, but not in words. Scientists have reason to believe that trees do communicate (交际) with each other. Not long ago, researchers learned some surprising things. First a willow tree attacked in the woods by caterpillars (毛虫) changed the chemistry of its leaves and made them taste so terrible that they got tired of the leaves and stopped eating them. Then even more astonishing, the tree sent out a special smell---a signal (信号) causing its neighbors to change the chemistry of their own leaves and make them less tasty.
Communication, of course, doesn’t need to be in words. We can talk to each other by smiling, raising our shoulders and moving our hands. We know that birds and animals use a whole vocabulary of songs, sounds, and movements. Bees dance their signals, flying in certain patterns that tell other bees where to find nectar (花蜜) for honey. So why shouldn’t trees have ways of sending message?It can be concluded from the passage that caterpillars do not feed on leaves that ______.
| A．are lying on the ground | B．have an unpleasant taste |
| C．bees don’t like | D．have an unfamiliar shape |
The willow tree described in the passage protected itself by ______.
| A．growing more branches | B．communicating with birds and bees |
| C．changing its leaf chemistry | D．shaking caterpillars off |
According to the passage, the willow tree was able to communicate with other trees by ______.
| A．waving its branches | B．giving off a special smell |
| C．dropping its leaves | D．changing the colour of its trunk |
According to this passage, bees communicate by ______.
| A．making special movement | B．Telling one another |
| C．smelling one another | D．making unusual sound |
Reading can provide lots of fun for children and teens during summer vacation. Children who read during the summer are better prepared for school when they return to classes in the fall. Public libraries throughout Wisconsin will host summer events to encourage children and young adults to include reading in their summer fun.
●All Star Readers
The Milwaukee Public Library will host its 2007 Summer Reading Club for kids from 3 to 18. Signing up starts on June 1 at all Milwaukee public libraries and bookmobile sites.
Children aged 6 to 12 are invited to become “All Star Readers” at the Milwaukee library when they sign up for the Summer Reading Club. Children can score a point by reading 10 books or 1,000 pages. When they reach the reading goal, they will win a bag full of prizes.
●Sparkey Spots the Ball
Children up to 5 years old can join the read-to-me club, “Sparkey Spots the Ball”. They will receive their own reading folders to record the books read to them by parents, brothers and sisters or relatives. Once they have listened to 20 books, they will win a baseball and a coupon（优惠券）for McDonald’s ice cream.
●X-treme Read
Teens between the age of 13 and 18 can join in their own reading program called “X-treme Read”. Teens can read to win movie passes, CDs and more.
The library also plans extreme bike races by C4BMX at four libraries in June and July. Check with your local library or Milwaukee Journal Sentinel for the exact dates, times, and places of the demonstrations (集会).Students who take part in the reading club can _________.
| A．take part in extreme bike races |
| B．get a good mark in the final exam |
| C．get better prepared for the new term |
| D．finish their homework ahead of time |
In order to become “All Star Readers” and win a lot of prizes, you _________.
| A．should be 19 years old |
| B．should be at least 5years old |
| C．must read at least 1,000 pages or 10 books |
| D．should listen to 20 books. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
| A．Children up to 5 can not join in the read –to- me club. |
| B．Children can score two points by reading 10 books or 1,000 pages.. |
| C．Teens between the age of 6 and 12can join in “X-treme Read”. |
| D．There are extreme bike races by C4BMX at four libraries in June and July. |
In which club will they win a baseball and a coupon for McDonald’s ice cream.?
| A．2007 Summer Reading Club | B．Sparkey Spots the Ball |
| C．X-treme Read | D．All Star Readers |
A year ago, at the annual pre-Grammy party, Whitney Houston, the great star, walked on stage and closed the evening with a brilliant performance．
Last Saturday, Houston was once again the focus before the Grammy, but her presence was a regrettable one．Earlier that day, the pop music's former queen was found dead in her hotel room．She was 48．This, no doubt, is sad news to the whole music industry and her fans all over the world．
At her peak(巅峰), Houston was the golden girl of the music world．From the mid-1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists．She impressed audiences with her effortless, powerful and peerless performance．
Besides multi-million record sales, Houston made countless hits such as The Greatest Love of All, I Have Nothing, and the mostly famous I Will Always Love You．She also influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey．
But by the end of her career, there was a shocking fall for this superstar．Houston had been addicted to(上瘾) drugs．Her album sales declined (下降) and the hits stopped coming and her once beautiful voice became hoarse （嘶哑的）, unable to hit the high notes as she used to．
In 2009, Houston staged a successful comeback with the album I Look To You, which fell on top of the charts．But hoarse voice, canceled concerts, and continuous illness-Houston's comeback trail wasn't smooth at all．In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2009, Houston admitted: "It (show business) is too much for me and I wanted out．"
Now that Houston has finally taken a break from all the chaos(混乱), may she rest in peace．Whitney Houston died ______．
| A．shortly before the Grammy this year | B．earlier last Sunday |
| C．a year ago | D．at the annual pre-Grammy party |
The underlined word "peerless" in Paragraph 3 most probably means ______．
| A．having no power | B．having no equal |
| C．requiring no effort | D．leaving no impression |
The cause of the fall of Whitney Houston was that _____．
| A．her album sales declined |
| B．show business was too much for her |
| C．her fans no longer love her |
| D．she had been addicted to drugs |
According to the passage, which is not Houston’s achievement?
| A．She made countless hits such as I Have Nothing. |
| B．She influenced a generation of younger singers. |
| C．She became the focus before the Grammy this year. |
| D．She staged a successful comeback in 2009. |
Here is the Eight O’clock News.
…
Chinese people spent about 120 billion yuan during the first three days of the May Golden Week last year. This year it has increased to 140 billion yuan.
The children of Beijing No.2 Middle School sang with students from Toronto in Canada to celebrate（庆祝）the 20th anniversary. They had been sister schools since 1986. They spent about two weeks together in Beijing. They visited the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. They took a lot of photos in Beihai Park.
Have you ever got tired of heavy shopping bags? A new shopping assistant robot which was invented by a Japanese company could be the answer. The helpful robot can follow you around and carry several bags. The robot was tested at a shopping center in February 2006.
About 500 people from different countries were in the 2006 “Rock Paper Scissors (剪刀)” World Match in Canada. This event was founded in 1842. It is said that playing this game is fun, and also a good way to solve problems among people.
…
And now it’s time for Morning Music.The students from Canada and Beijing No. 2 Middle School didn’t _________.
| A．take photos | B．visit places of interest |
| C．sing songs | D．have a football match |
Which of the following is NOT talked about in the news?
| A．The robot can help with shopping bags. |
| B．A Japanese company invented the robot. |
| C．The robot was tested at a shopping centre. |
| D．There are such robots in people’s homes now. |
The underlined word “anniversary” means_________.
| A．No.2 Middle School |
| B．yearly return of the date of an event |
| C．university |
| D．the new beginning of something important |
Which of the following is a game?
| A．Shopping assistant robot. | B．May Golden Week. |
| C．Rock Paper Scissors. | D．A visit to the school. |
Have you ever thought of taking a train and having an adventure？Riding the train can be a real adventure. That is how I feel every time I take Amtrak. I often take a four-hour trip to visit my children. Every time I take this trip I never know what will happen.
Last week when I was on the train, there was a man sitting by himself in the back of the train carrying on a mobile phone conversation—in another language. It was loud and disturbed most of the people on the train. I think it was annoying.
Fortunately I sat next to a wonderful old lady who was taking a two-day trip by train. She said her two daughters were worried at the thought of driving for three days to reach her home, although she had no trouble driving. The train ride was the only choice for her. She loved to look out of the window and watch the world go by on the train.
She was fun to talk to and asked me when my children started being parents. That is a very good question. Both of us are old and have children. She asked that same question from time to time.
There are always many people on the train from all walks of life, different countries, and many languages. Riding the train is a great way to increase your knowledge and learn all kinds of cultures. If you get hungry, you can buy food in the food car at any time. If you need to use the restroom, there is always one for you.
It surely beats driving the car, which has to stop for food and restrooms. And it is better than taking the bus.According to the passage, the purpose of the author’s train ride was ______.
| A．to do business | B．to see her children |
| C．to visit places of interest | D．to see her old friends |
In the author’s opinion, on the train Amtrak ______.
| A．the services are quite good | B．the food is terribly expensive |
| C．all the passengers are polite | D．all the passengers are American |
What is the best title for this passage?
| A．A painful experience on the train | B．A wonderful lady |
| C．Train ride—a cultural experience | D．The history of Amtrak |