A black hole is a place in space where gravity pulls so much that even light cannot get out. The gravity is so strong because matter has been squeezed into a tiny space. This can happen when a star is dying.
Because no light can get out, people can’t see black holes. Space telescopes with special tools can help find black holes. The special tools can see how stars that are very close to black holes act differently from other ones.
Black holes can be big or small. Scientists think the smallest black holes are as small as just one atom. These black holes are very tiny but have the mass of a large mountain. Mass is the amount of matter, or “staff”, in an object.
Another kind of black hole is called “stellar”(星球黑洞). Its mass can be up to 20 times more than the mass of the sun. There may be many stellar mass black holes in Earth’s galaxy. Earth’s galaxy is called the Milky Way.
The largest black holes are called “supermassive”(超大质量黑洞). These black holes have masses that are more than one million suns together. Scientists have found proof that every large galaxy contains a supermassive black hole at its center. The supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way galaxy has a mass equal to about four million suns and would fit inside a very large ball that could hold a few million Earths.
Scientists think the smallest black holes formed when the universe began. Stellar black holes are made when the center of a very big star falls in upon itself, or falls apart. When this happens, it exploded part of the star into space. Scientists think supermassive black holes were made at the same time as the galaxy they are in.
A black hole can not be seen because strong gravity pulls all of the light into the middle of the black hole. But scientists can see how the strong gravity affects the stars and gas around the black hole. Scientists can study stars to find out if they are flying around, or orbiting a black hole.
When a black hole and a star are close together, high-energy light is made. This kind of light cannot be seen with human eyes. Scientists use satellites and telescopes in space to see the high-energy light.The gravity of a black hole may become so strong that light cannot get out when ____________.
| A．the star is going to die |
| B．special tools are used on it |
| C．other stars come close to it |
| D．it is seen from the space telescopes |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．A black hole can be very tiny but extremely heavy. |
| B．The gravity of a black hole holds all light in its center. |
| C．Scientists observe high-energy light through their own eyes. |
| D．Some small black holes came into being as early as the universe. |
Which can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Every galaxy must have a black hole. |
| B．A galaxy is the center of the universe. |
| C．A galaxy consists of a large group of stars and planets. |
| D．Earth’s galaxy is called the Milky Way. |
What does the last sentence in Paragraph 5 suggest?
| A．Neither the sun nor the earth is as heavy as a black hole. |
| B．There is only one supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way. |
| C．The supermassive black hole had existed before the Milky Way was formed. |
| D．There is a reason why the large black holes are called “supermassive”. |
The last two paragraph mainly focus on the question of _________.
| A．what a black hole is |
| B．how black holes form |
| C．how big black holes are |
| D．how scientists know about black holes |
"Colour" and "color"，"favourite" and "favorite"... Have you ever wondered why Americans spell those words without a "u"? Is it because they are lazy?
Of course not. In fact，the difference in spelling was created by Noah Webster (1758-1843). He is a teacher who reformed English to make American identity stronger. Linguists (语言学家) celebrated his 250th birthday on October 16. After the Revolutionary War (1775~ 1783)，Webster believed that Americans should have their own dictionary，rather than rely on British versions (版本). He dropped the British "u" in some words. And he changed "centre" into "center" for children to learn English by spelling words more like they sounded.
Webster wasn't shy about expressing his opinions. In defining (定义) preposterous (unreasonable)，he wrote: "A republican government in the hands of females is preposterous."
Webster spent 28 years on the project before completing the 70,000-word dictionary in 1828 with his American-style spellings. He also added local words. His dictionary was widely used in schools. Linguists believed it helped a new nation achieve unity and cultural independence at a time when most were focused on political freedom.
"He was the shaper of our language and the shaper of American identity，"said Joshua Kendall，who is working on a biography (传记) about Webster. "He at last bonded (联合)us through our language." Which of the following would probably be the best title for the passage?
| A．The shaper of American English. |
| B．American identity. |
| C．Webster's dictionary. |
| D．Spelling differences between American and British English. |
According to the passage，when he worked on his dictionary, Noah Webster did all of the following EXCEPT.
| A．voicing his opinion | B．changing "centre" into "center" |
| C．adding local words | D．dropping "u" in all the British words |
Which of the following word can best describe Noah Webster’s work?
| A．Interesting. | B．Meaningful. | C．Unfinished. | D．Boring. |
Why did Noah Webster create these differences in his dictionary?
| A．Because he wanted to make English simple and easy. |
| B．Because he wanted to show that the USA is stronger than the UK. |
| C．Because he wanted to achieve political freedom. |
| D．Because he wanted American English to have its own characteristics. |
When did Noah Webster probably begin his project of the dictionary?
| A．In 1758. | B．In 1783. | C．In 1800. | D．In 1828. |
Started in 1636, Harvard University is the oldest of all the many colleges and universities in the United States. Yale, Princeton, Columbia and Dartmouth were opened soon after Harvard.
In the early years, these schools were much alike. Only young men went to college. All the students studied the same subjects, and everyone learned Latin, Greek and Hebrew. Little was known about science then, and one kind of school could teach everything that was known about the world. When the students graduated, most of them became ministers or teachers.
In 1782, Harvard started a medical school for young men who wanted to become doctors. Later, lawyers could receive their training in Harvard's law school. In 1825, besides Latin and Greek, Harvard began teaching modern languages, such as French and German. Soon it began teaching American history.
As knowledge increased, Harvard and other colleges began to teach many new subjects. Students were allowed to choose the subjects that interested them.
Today, there are many different kinds of colleges and universities. Most of them are made up of smaller schools that deal with（涉及）special fields of learning. There's so much to learn that one kind of school can't offer it all.The oldest university in the US is _________.
| A．Yale | B．Harvard | C．Princeton | D．Columbia |
From the second paragraph, we can see that in the early years,______.
| A．those colleges and universities were the same |
| B．people, young or old, might study in the colleges |
| C．students studied only some languages and science |
| D．when the students finished their school, they became lawyers or teachers |
Modern languages the Harvard taught in 1825 were ________.
| A．Latin and Greek |
| B．Latin, Green, French and German |
| C．American history and German |
| D．French and German |
As knowledge increased, colleges began to teach_______.
| A．everything that was known |
| B．law and something about medicine |
| C．many new subjects |
| D．the subjects that interested students |
On the whole, the passage is about___________.
| A．how to start a university |
| B．the world-famous colleges in America |
| C．how colleges have changed |
| D．what kind of lesson each college teaches |
“Can I see my baby？” the happy new mother asked. When the bundle was in her arms and she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped. The doctor turned quickly and looked out of the tall hospital window. The baby had been born without ears.
Time proved that the baby’ s hearing was perfect. It was only his appearance that was imperfect. When he rushed home from school one day and threw himself into his mother’s arms, she sighed(叹息), knowing that his life was to be unfortunate. He cried to his mum “A boy, a big boy... called me a freak (怪人)．”
He grew up, handsome. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift, a talent for literature and music. “But you might communicate with other young people，” his mother blamed him, but felt a kindness in her heart.
Two years went by. One day, his father said to the son, “You’ re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’ s a secret.” The operation was a great success, and a new person appeared.
Later he married and became a lawyer. One day, he asked his father, “Who gave me the ears? Who gave me so much? I could never do enough for him or her.” “I do not believe you could，” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know... not yet.”
The years kept their secret, but the day did come. He stood with his father over his mother’ s casket棺材. Slowly, tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish brown hair to show the mother had no outer ears.
“Mother said she was glad she never let her hair be cut，” his father whispered gently, “and nobody ever thought Mother less beautiful, did they？”Why did Mother gasp when she saw her newborn baby?
| A．Because her son had a tiny face. | B．Because she saw her son crying. |
| C．Because her son was born imperfect. | D．Because her son was in her arms. |
Which word can describe Mother’ s feeling when the son threw himself into her arms?
| A．Nervous. | B．Sympathetic. | C．Proud. | D．Angry. |
We can infer that the person who donate the ears is_____.
| A．A doctor. | B．His father. | C．His mother. | D．A stranger. |
From the passage we know the followings are True except________
| A．the mother felt sorry for the son without ears |
| B．the doctor didn’t like the baby |
| C．the boy meant everything to the mother |
| D．the father kept the secret until mother died |
The best title for the passage would be ________.
| A．Mother’s hair | B．An unforgettable memory |
| C．Who gave me the ears? | D．Who is my best respectable person? |
We all know what it is like to be unable to turn your head because of a cold in the muscles (肌肉) of your neck, or because an unexpected twist（扭曲）has made your neck ache. The slightest move makes you jump with pain. Nothing could be worse than a pain in the neck.
That is why we use the phrase to describe some people who give you the same feeling. We have all met such people.
One is the man who always seems to be clapping his hands—often at the wrong time—during a performance in the theater. He keeps you from hearing the actors.
Even worse are those who can never arrive before the curtain goes up and the play begins. They come hurrying down to your row of seats. You are comfortably settled down, with your hat and heavy coat in your lap. You must stand up to let them pass. You are proud of yourself-control after they have settled into their seats…Well, what now…God, one of them is up again. He forgot to go to the men’s room, and once more you have to stand up, hanging on to your hat and coat to let him pass. Now, that is “a pain in the neck”.
Another, well—known to us all, is the person sitting behind you in the movies. His mouth is full of popcorn (爆米花); he is chewing（嚼）loudly, or talking between bites to friends next to him. None of them remain still. Up and down, back and forth, they go—for another bag of popcorn, or something to drink.
Then, there is the man sitting next to you at lunch, smoking. He wants you to enjoy it too, and blows smoke across your food into your mouth.
We must not forget the man who comes into a bus or subway and sits down next to you, just as close as you will let him. You are reading the newspaper and he gets closer so that he can read the paper with you. He may even turn the paper to the next page before you are ready for it.
We also call such a person a “rubber neck”, always getting close to where it does not belong, like neighbors who watch all your visitors. They enjoy learning about your personal business. People have a strong dislike for “rubber necks”. They hate being watched secretly.Where can you find this passage?
| A．In a medicine dictionary. | B．in a kids’ story book. |
| C．In a social science book. | D．In a science textbook. |
According to the passage, how do you feel when late comers walk back and forth in front of you in a cinema?
| A．disturbed. | B．bored. | C．ignored. | D．relaxed. |
A “rubber neck” often __________________ .
| A．says bad words behind people. | B．quarrels face to face with neighbors. |
| C．bargains with salespeople over the price | D．asks about other people’s business |
Which of the following persons CANNOT be described as a “pain in the neck”?
| A．Someone who often claps at the wrong time during a performance. |
| B．Someone who feels ache in his neck due to a cold in the muscles. |
| C．Someone who sits next to you smoking, which you never enjoy. |
| D．Someone who keeps eating or talking all through the movies. |
What is the main purpose of the author?
| A．To tell people what might be bad manners in public. |
| B．To criticize (批评) the people who might be a “pain in the neck” |
| C．To show anger to those who are described as a “pain in the neck”. |
| D．To tell people how to stop the pain in the neck. |
Animals like the lion are known as carnivorous (meat-eating) animals. They feed on smaller animals. But many other animals eat grass or plants. They are called herbivorous (plant-eating) animals.
You may be surprised to learn that there are carnivorous plants as well as carnivorous animals. Plants that grow in poor soil need other food. They trap (catch by a trick) small insects (昆虫) and take their bodies as food.
The pitcher plant (猪笼草) is a common carnivorous plant. This plant has a clever trap like a pitcher or jar. It even has a lid to keep out of the rain. The mouth of the pitcher is covered with something sweet like honeydew(蜜露). Insects come to the plant to feed on the honeydew. When they have eaten all that is round the mouth, they go into the pitcher to look for more. There is more honeydew deep in the pitcher and they go down to feed on it. The inner wall of the pitcher is covered with fine hairs. These hairs point downwards so that the insects cannot climb out of the pitcher. They are trapped in it. They die there, and their bodies are taken as food by the plant.Animals are divided into two kinds.
| A．carnivorous animals and meat-eating animals |
| B．herbivorous animals and plant-eating animals |
| C．carnivorous animals and herbivorous animals |
| D．meat animals and plant animals |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Tigers, lions and other meat-eating animals are called carnivorous animals. |
| B．Zebras, elephants and common farm animals are known as herbivorous animals. |
| C．All plants get food only from the soil. |
| D．It is something like honeydew in the pitcher that insects come to food on. |
From this passage, we can mainly learn that .
| A．Not all plants are carnivorous |
| B．All plants are herbivorous |
| C．Not all animals are carnivorous |
| D．Carnivorous plants can also be found |
The text mainly talks about ___________________.
| A．carnivorous animals | B．herbivorous animals |
| C．small insects | D．pitcher plants |
What kind of magazine can we find the text?
| A．Biology | B．Geography | C．Physics | D．Chemistry |