At first sight the planet Mars(火星)does not appear very welcoming to any kind of life. It has very little oxygen and water, the temperature at night is below 50 degrees and winds of 100 miles(161 kilometers)per hour cause severe dust storms. However, the surface of the planet seems to show that water flowed across it at some time in the past, and it is believed that there would be enough ice at the poles to cover the planet with water if it melted. Although there is no life on the Mars now, some scientists think there may have been some form of life a long time ago. At that time, the planet had active volcanoes(火山); the atmosphere was thicker and warmer; and there was water. In fact, in some ways the Mars may have been similar to the Earth, where life exists.
Some people believe that the Mars could support life in the future if the right conditions were produced. The first step would be to warm the planet using certain gases which trap the Sun’s heat in the planet’s atmosphere. With warmth, water and carbon dioxide, simple plants could begin to grow. These plants could slowly make the Mars fit to live on. It is judged that the whole process might take between
100, 000 and 200, 000 years. In the meantime, people could begin to live on the planet in a special closed environment. They would provide a lot of useful information about conditions on the Mars and the problems connected with living there. According to the passage, the planet Mars has no on it.
A.winds | B.dust |
C.mountains | D.animals |
It is believed that on the Mars now .
A.there is a large amount of ice at the poles |
B.there is a thicker and warmer atmosphere |
C.there are some kinds of simple plants |
D.there are many active volcanoes |
What is the topic of Paragraph 2?
A.Certain gases should be used to warm the Mars. |
B.Plants should be grown to make the Mars fit to live on. |
C.The Mars could support life on right conditions in the future. |
D.People could live on the Mars in a special closed environment. |
The most suitable title for the passage is .
A.No Life on the Mars |
B.Study of the Mars |
C.The Possibility of Life on the Mars |
D.Future Conditions on the Mars |
Neumann was the oldest of 3 children of a banker, and his speed of learning new ideas and of solving problems stood out early. At 17, his father tried to persuade him not to become a mathematician because he may lead a poor life being a mathematician, and so Neumann agreed to study chemistry as well. In 1926, at 23, he received a degree in chemical engineering and a Ph. D. in mathematics. From then on, mathematic provided well enough for him, and he never had to turn to chemistry.
In 1930, Neumann visited Princeton University for a year and then became a professor there. His first book was published in 1932. In 1933, the Institute for Advanced Study was formed, and he became one of the 6 full-time people in the School of Mathematics (Einstein was one of the others).
World War II hugely changed Neumann’s areas of interest. Until 1940 he had been a great pure (纯粹的) mathematician. During and after the war, he became one of the best mathematicians who put mathematics theories into practice. During the last part of the war he became interested in computing machines and made several contributions. After the war, Neumann continued his work with computers, and was generally very active in government service. He received many awards, was president of American Mathematical Society and was a member of the Atomic Energy Commission. He died in 1957 of cancer.
Neumann really was a legend(传奇) in his own time, and there are a number of stories about him. His driving ability is a part of this legend. He reported one accident this way: “I was driving down the road. The trees on the right were passing me in an orderly fashion at 60 miles per hour. Suddenly one of them stepped in my path.”According to the text, Neumann’s father believed that __________.
A.a mathematician needed a good memory |
B.a mathematician couldn’t earn a lot of money |
C.Neumann has a gift for solving problems at a high speed |
D.Neumann had the ability to learn two subjects at the same time |
How did World War II affect Neumann?
A.He lost interest in chemistry. |
B.He realized the importance of engineering. |
C.He began to research how to put mathematics into practice. |
D.He left college and served at the government department. |
Which of the following is true of Neumann?
A.He had three children. |
B.He died from an accident. |
C.He received many awards in his life. |
D.He and Einstein were classmates in Princeton University. |
From the last paragraph, we can infer Neumann was ________.
A.humorous | B.calm | C.intelligent | D.brave |
In a movie, a woman reads a storybook to her friend’s daughter. As they approach the last page, she reads, “… and Cinderella and the prince lived happily ever after.” She closes the book and looks at the young girl, adding, “ You know, things don’t always happen like this in real life, I just think you should know that now.”
We were all raised on fairy tales with glass slippers, brave princes and magic! It didn’t take too long to realize that stories like that aren’t necessarily true. In real life, you learn that glass slippers are really uncomfortable, no prince is perfect and magic doesn’t always work.
So what do you do when the way you planned things is not the way they turned out?
Know that parts of your fairy tale have already been written, and sadly, there’s not much you can do about those first few chapters. You didn’t get the best start. Your trust was unexpectedly betrayed (背叛). You didn’t get the job. Whatever falls and failures happened in your past, there’s still more to the story.
Your life has a lot of contributors (投稿者), and you are the editor-in-chief. You take what’s there and create the masterpiece (杰作). All the good pages and the bad can come together to make a beautiful adventure.
When you find yourself wishing your life was more like the fairy tales, remember that in some ways it already is. There will be dragons, bad witches, great romances, winding roads and friends to help you along the way. Live your life carefully and positively as if you are writing a long story. Whether it’s a comedy, tragedy or a little of both, the pen is in your hand. How it ends is all up to you.According to the first paragraph, we know the woman is __________.
A.wise | B.cruel | C.brave | D.patient |
Why does the author raise the question in Paragraph 3?
A.To compare different ideas |
B.To express the doubts of life. |
C.To introduce points for discussion. |
D.To describe the conditions in real life |
Which of the following may NOT often appear in fairy tales?
A.Glass slippers | B.Winding roads |
C.Sad endings | D.Bad witches. |
What is the message expressed in the passage?
A.Be positive about life |
B.Write your own stories. |
C.Parents should tell fairy tales to their kids |
D.There are many problems in school education |
Oldest , Youngest , or in the Middle ?
Were you the first or last child in your family? Or were you a middle or the only child? Some people think it matters where you were born in your family. But there are different ideas about what birth order means.
Some people say that oldest children are smart and strong-willed. They are very likely to be successful. The reason for this is simple. Parents have a lot of time for their first child. They give him or her a lot of attention. So this child is very likely to do well. An only child will succeed for the same reasons.
What happens to the other children in a family? Middle children don’t get so much attention. So they don’t feel that important. If a family has many children, the middle ones sometimes get lost in the crowd. The youngest child, though, often gets special treatment. He or she is the “baby”. Often this child grows up to be funny and charming.
Do you believe these ideas about birth order? A recent study saw things quite differently. This study found that the first children believed in family rules. They didn’t take many chances in their lives. They usually followed their own ideas . They took chances. And they often did better in life.
Which theory about birth order do you believe? Look at your own family or you friends’ families. Decide which idea fits what you see.This passage is about __________.
A.why the oldest children in a family usually succeed |
B.why some children refuse to follow orders |
C.ways in which birth order may affect how children grow up |
D.how people have a lot of trouble agreeing about ideas |
The statement that middle children “ sometimes get lost in the crowd” means that _________.
A.they have a poor sense of direction |
B.they don’t get a lot of attention |
C.they have a strong desire to be leaders |
D.they can’t get along with others |
The underlined word “ theory “ means ________.
A.idea | B.comparison | C.evidence | D.surprise |
There is an old saying about volunteer work that goes like this: “ No one can do everything, but everyone can do something.”
Today, many people volunteer their time and energy to help others. There are a lot of ways to meet other people’s needs. For example, some volunteers provide help after a disaster. Others are happy to get dirty while repairing homes or planting trees or flowers in poor neighborhoods. Young people see suffering and loneliness around them and find ways to help. And history lovers help archeologists(考古学家) search for ancient objects to help deepen our knowledge of the past.
Volunteers work in many areas around the world, including Haiti. More than two years have passed since a 7.0 earthquake shook the nation. The exact number of people who died may never be known. Thousands of survivors of the Haitian earthquakes still live in temporary(临时的) shelters. Last year, former American President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn joined five hundred volunteers in the town of Leogane to build houses.
Organizations do not have to be large to get volunteers. An activist group in Dharamsala, India is a good example, Jodie Underhill from England arrived in northern India several years ago. She planned to volunteer for an environmental project. She could almost not believe how much rubbish was ruining some of the area’s most beautiful sights. Jodie Underhill learned about how to deal with the rubbish while taking part in other volunteer projects. But soon enough she formed her own group, Mountain Cleaners. Jodie Underhill says the work is very hard. But she praises the group’s efforts as a wonderful experience. The young Englishwoman says the Indian media started calling her “Garbage Girl”. And she says she was pleased with the name.
American teenagers also volunteer in many ways .The first paragraph serves as a(n) ___________.
A.explanation | B.introduction |
C.comment | D.background |
What did former American President Jimmy Carter do as a volunteer?
A.He planted trees and flowers in Haiti. |
B.He gave some money to the poor in Haiti. |
C.He helped archeologists search for ancient objects. |
D.He helped to build houses after the earthquake in Haiti |
What can we learn from the text?
A.It is difficult for small organizations to get volunteers. |
B.The number of people died in Haiti’s earthquake is unclear. |
C.Most of the volunteers are good at collecting money. |
D.History lovers mainly learn about history from ancient objects. |
What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
A.How to join in a volunteer group |
B.Why people offer their services to others |
C.The benefits that volunteers can gain |
D.The volunteer work that American teenagers do. |
Wildlife faces threats ( 威胁 ) from habitat destruction, pollution, and other human actions. Although protecting wildlife may seem too hard at times, even small actions in your own neighbourhood can help protect many different animals. Here are some tips on how to protect wildlife through small actions.
1.Create wildlife friendly areas in your backyard.
When trying to make your garden more beautiful , you can choose plants that can provide food and shelter to native wildlife . This will also help cut down on pollution . Add bird or bat houses to your yard or garden to attract and shelter these species.
2. Avoid harming the natural ecosystem ( 生态系统 ) in your area.
Some plants from other places can kill or harm native plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife.
3. ________________________________________________.
By using less water and fewer fuels, you will be helping to protect the wildlife around you . Take buses or the subway when you can, turn off electric devices when you’re not using them , take shorter shower, and keep your room temperature at or below 68 degrees during the winter.
4. Buy products that are wildlife friendly
Don’t buy products that are made from endangered animals. Keep in mind that some endangered animals are killed by traps , catches or hunters who are after other wildlife within the same habitat.
5. Donate money or time to organizations that protect wildlife and their habitats.
You can give money to organization or groups that protect wildlife species in your neighborhood.We infer that the purpose of this passage is to ________.
A.tell us why protecting wildlife is extremely important now |
B.suggest that we protect wildlife through actions |
C.explain why protecting wildlife is not as hard as people think. |
D.give us some tips on how to protect wildlife through small actions |
Which of the following threats to wildlife is NOT mentioned in the passage ?
A.Animal diseases | B.Loss of habitat |
C.Pollution | D.Hunters |
What’s the best title for the third point ?
A.Have a greener lifestyle. |
B.Use less water and fewer fuels. |
C.Take a bus when you go out . |
D.Try a new kind of life. |
In which section of a newspaper would you most probably read this passage ?
A.Environment | B.Teaching |
C.Business | D.Geography |