The world’s astronomers came to their senses yesterday and approved a new definition of the word “planet” that would drop tiny Pluto from the club and relegate it instead to a lesser realm of “dwarf planets.” It was a welcome step away from a proposal that would have kept Pluto as a planet but meantime opened the door for dozens of small, icy bodies on the fringes of the solar system.
The important vote came after fierce debate at a meeting of the International Astronomical Union, which had been considering a proposal to define a planet as any object that orbits a star and is large enough for its own gravity to pull it into a spherical (球形的) shape. That definition was scientifically precise but led to results that offended common sense. An asteroid, a small moon, and another icy ball like Pluto would suddenly have risen to planet-hood, swelling the number of planets to 12, with many more icy rocks likely to qualify as more was learned about them.
Fortunately, the astronomers have now added another requirement to the definition. Planets must not only be large enough to be round, they must also have cleared out the neighborhood around their orbits. Pluto would not qualify — it orbits in a belt of icy debris on the edge of the solar system. Neither would an icy rock nicknamed Xena, which orbits in that same zone, nor Ceres, a big asteroid that marches in the company of other asteroids. Pluto’s moon, Charon, which had qualified under the first proposal, is also out of the running.
Pluto, with its small size and oddball orbit, should never have been deemed a planet in the first place. Henceforth there will be eight planets, at least three dwarf planets, and tens of thousands of “smaller solar system bodies,” like comets and asteroids. Our only regret is that the astronomers chose the name “dwarf planets” for Pluto’s new category instead of abandoning the word entirely when discussing these less-than-planetary bodies. We can know from the passage that the new definition of planet __________.
| A．has been welcomed by all walks of life |
| B．will kick the Pluto out of the planet group in the solar system |
| C．still makes the Pluto as a planet |
| D．will enlarge the number of planets in our solar system into permanently 12 |
After the new definition of “planet” was put forward, all of the following are regarded as planet except________.
| A．Venus |
| B．Ceres |
| C．Mars |
| D．Jupiter |
The writer’s attitudes towards the new definition of “planet” is________.
| A．welcome |
| B．indifferent |
| C．hostile |
| D．neutral |
If the original definition of “planet” had not been changed, there would be the following consequences except that ________.
| A．thousands of icy rocks in space will be classified as planets |
| B．some asteroids big enough to pull itself into a spherical shape will be regarded as planets. |
| C．the Pluto will be relegated to “dwarf planet” |
| D．there will be at least twelve or even more planets in the solar system. |
第三部分阅读理解(共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
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。
A
Jeanne Calment, a French woman, became a record breaker on 17 October, when at the age of 120 years and 238 days, she became the longest lived human being on record. A Japanese man died in 1986 at the age of 120 years and 237 days.
Jeanne Calment lives in a small old people’s home in the south of France; her husband, her only child and her grandson have all died. She is nearly blind and deaf and is always in a wheelchair, but her doctor describes her as being more like a 90-year-old woman in good health than someone of 120. She still has a lively sense of humor. When asked on her 120th birthday what she expected of the future, she replied: A very short one. She also remarked that she thought the good Lord had forgotten all about her.
So what is the key to a long life? According to some doctors, diet, exercise and no smoking are the three important factors. Jeanne Calment has followed two of the tips. She has always eaten a healthy diet, and she used to do exercises every day until she broke her leg at the age of 115. However, until recently she drank two glasses of strong red wine a day, and she does smoke (now only a little). Besides, Jeanne Calment might have got very good genes (基因) from her parents. Her father lived to the age of 94 and her mother to 86.
A local lawyer bought her house when she was 80 under an agreement that he would pay her some money every year until her death. It must have seemed a good move at the time, but so far the lawyer has paid her at least three times the value of the house. Every year on her birthday Jeanne Calment sends him a card saying: Sorry, I’m still alive!
56.How does Jeanne Calment feel about her old age?
A. She is miserable and unhappy.
B. She is cheerful and humorous.
C. She would like to live much longer.
D. She feels she is going to die very soon.
57.We can owe Jeanne Calment’s good health and long life to _____.
A. smoking only a little every day
B. her giving up smoking and drinking
C. drinking two glasses of strong red wine every day
D. the good genes from her parents, a healthy diet and some exercises
58.Which of the following word could best replace the word “move” in the fourth paragraph?
A. deal B. trick C. march D. sport
59.Why does Jeanne Calment say “Sorry, I'm still alive” to the local lawyer every year on her birthday?
A. Because she had an agreement at 80 with the lawyer which was to her advantage. B. Because she has asked the lawyer to pay her more rent than they first agreed.
C. Because the lawyer has paid her much more money than the value of the house.
D. Because the house she sold to the lawyer isn’t worth the money he has already paid.
第三节：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
A woman and a man were involved in a car accident on a snowy cold Monday
morning. Both of their cars became totally damaged. But amazingly neither of them was hurt. God works in mysterious ways.
After they got out of their cars, the woman said, “So you are a man. That’s interesting. I’m a woman. Wow, just look at our cars ! There is nothing left, but we’re unhurt. This must be a sign from God that we should meet and be friends and live together in peace for the rest of our days.”
Flattered, the man replied, “Oh yes, I agree with you completely. This must be a sign from God!”
The woman continued, “ and look at this, here is another miracle. My car is completely destroyed but this bottle of wine doesn’t break. Surely God wants us to drink this wine and celebrate our good fortune.” Then she handed the bottle to the man.
The man nodded his head in agreement, opened it and drank half the bottle and then handed it back to the woman. The woman took the bottle and immediately put the cap on, and handed it back to the man.
The man asked, “Aren’t you having some?”
The woman replied, “No, I think I’ll just wait for the police---”
56. What is the result of the accident?
A.The drivers were badly hurt.
B. The cars were completely destroyed
C. the police arrived and saved the drivers.
D. the drivers became good friends
57. The woman told the man to drink the wine to ________.
A. thank God’s helpB. accept her apology
C. celebrate their survivalD. calm down and get relaxed
58. Which of the following words can best describe the woman?
A. tricky B. friendly C. generous D. Optimistic
E
Tired of Working in Your Country!
With over 500 instructors and 20 years of experience, we are the leader in the field of teaching foreign languages. We now have positions open in Osaka starting September/October 2004 for instructors of English, German, Spanish and French.
• Teach many different kinds of classes using the latest technology in small classes of up to 3 students.
•Accommodation (住宿), and other necessary documents (文件) will be ready before you leave.
• Applicants will teach their first language only.
• Excellent teacher training programs.
If you are young with a university degree and are willing to experience different cultures, apply (申请) now. Experience in teaching is an advantage but not specially required. Knowledge of the Japanese language is not necessary but good English skills and practical computer knowledge are basic requirements.
Apply with C. V. and send letters to:
NOVA France, Mr. Sampy (IHT3/2)
34, Bd. Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France
Fax: 33148014804
Or visit our website: www. teadyp. com
The manager expects to meet and talk with successful applicants in Paris in June and July.
73. What is the purpose of the text?
A. To introduce a language school in Japan.
B. To hire language teachers to work in Japan.
C. To describe working conditions in Japan.
D. To make clear the requirements for Japanese teachers.
74. Before going to Japan, you need _______.
A. to see the manager of NOVA France
B. to take some computer courses
C. to write a letter to Japan
D. to find a place to live
75 If you want to work in Japan you should _______.
A. have some working experience
B. know how to use computers
C. present good teaching plans
D. speak several languages
D
I love charity(慈善) shops and so do lots of other people in Britain because you find quite a few of them on every high street. The charity shop is a British institution, selling everything from clothes to electric goods, all at very good prices. You can get things you won't find in the shops anymore. The thing I like best about them is that your money is going to a good cause and not into the pockets of profit-driven companies, and you are not damaging the planet, but finding a new home for unwanted goods.
The first charity shop was opened in 1947 by Oxfam. The famous charity's appeal to aid postwar Greece had been so successful it had been flooded with donations(捐赠物). They decided to set up a shop to sell some of these donations to raise money for that appeal. Now there are over 7,000 charity shops in the UK. My favourite charity shop in my hometown is the Red Cross shop, where I always find children's books, all 10 or 20 pence each.
Most of the people working in the charity shops are volunteers, although there is often a manager who gets paid. Over 90% of the goods in the charity shops are donated by the public. Every morning you see bags of unwanted items outside the front of shops, although they don't encourage this, rather ask people to bring things in when the shop is open.
The shops have very low running costs: all profits go to charity work. Charity shops raise more than ￡110 million a year, funding（资助）medical research, overseas aid, supporting sick and poor children, homeless and disabled people, and much more. What better place to spend your money? You get something special for a very good price and a good moral sense. You provide funds to a good cause and tread lightly on the environment.
69. The author loves the charity shop mainly because of _______.
A. its convenient locationB. its great variety of goods
C. its spirit of goodwill D. its nice shopping environment
70. The first charity shop in the UK was set up to ____.
A. sell cheap products B. deal with unwanted things
C. raise money for patients D. help a foreign country
71. Which of the following is TRUE about charity shops?
A. The operating costs are very low.
B. The staff are usually well paid.
C. 90% of the donations are second-hand.
D. They are open twenty-four hours a day.
72. Which of the following may be the best title for the passage?
A. What to Buy a Charity Shops.
B. Charity Shop: Its Origin & Development.
C. Charity Shop: Where You Buy to Donate.
D. The Public's Concern about Charity Shops.
C
The days of elderly women doing nothing but cooking huge meals on holidays are gone. Enter the Red Hat Society －a group holding the belief that old ladies should have fun.
“My grandmothers didn’t do anything but keep house and serve everybody. They were programmed to do that,” said Emils Comette, head of a chapter of the 7-year-old Red Hat Society.
While men have long spent their time fishing and playing golf, women have sometimes seemed to become unnoticed as they age. But the generation now turning 50 is the baby boomers (生育高峰期出生的人), and the same people who refused their parents’ way of being young are now trying a new way of growing old.
If you take into consideration feminism (女权主义), a bit of spare money, and better health for most elderly, the Red Hat Society looks almost inevitable(必然的). In this society, women over 50 wear red hats and purple (紫色的) clothes, while the women under 50 wear pink hats and light purple clothing.
“The organization took the idea from a poem by Jenny Joseph that begins: “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple. With a red hat which doesn’t go,” said Ellen Cooper, who founded the Red Hat Society in 1998. When the ladies started to wear the red hats, they attracted lots of attention
“The point of this is that we need a rest from always doing something for someone else,” Cooper said. “Women feel so ashamed and sorry when they do something for themselves.” This is why chapters are discouraged from raising money or doing anything useful. “We’re a ladies’ play group. It couldn’t be more simple,” added Cooper’s assistant Joe Heywood.
64.The underlined word “chapter” in paragraph 2 means __________.
A．one branch of an organization B．a written agreement of a club
C．one part of a collection of poems D．a period in a society’s history
65．From the text, we know that the “baby boomers” are a group of people who
A．have gradually become more noticeable
B．are worried about getting old too quickly
C．are enjoying a good life with plenty of money to spend
D．tried living a different life from their parents when they were young
66．It could be inferred from the text that members of the Red Hat Society are____________.
A．interested in raising money for social work
B．programmers who can plan well for their future
C．believers in equality between men and women
D．good at cooking big meals and taking care of others
67．Who set up the Red Hat Society ?
A．Emily Cornette .B．Ellen Cooper . C．Jenny Joseph .D．Joe Heywood .
68．Women join the Red Hat Society because_______________.
A．they want to stay young
B．they would like to appear more attractive
C．they would like to have fun and live for themselves
D．they want to be more like their parents