Six seconds after its launch in Virginia, US, an unmanned rocket bound for the International Space Station (ISS) exploded, disappointing people both on Earth and in space.
Hundreds of millions of dollars worth of cargo was destroyed in the Oct. 28 explosion due to An“equipment failure”, said Orbital Sciences, the company hired by NASA for the resupply mission.
The rocket was carrying a cargo ship loaded with 2,200 kilograms of supplies such as food, tools, parts, and experiments. Roughly a third of the cargo was a series of scientific investigations. Some of them were from high school students in the US. For example, 10 students from the Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School of Houston were conducting experiments about microgravity and put their samples on the rocket. “I know that failure is a part of science, but I really feel sorry for my students," science teacher Greg Adragna told the Houston, Chronicle .
Astronauts at the ISS felt a more urgent disappointment, however. The cargo included 617kg of food. Now they will have to rely on supplies from a Russian launch on Oct. 29.
Launched in 1998 and involving the US, Russia, Canada, Japan, and the member countries of the European Space Agency, the ISS is one of the most ambitious international collaborations in history. Currently, there are six astronauts at the station, five male and one female. Three are from Russia, two are from the US, and one is from Germany. They have lived together for about six months. The station gets regular resupplies from Earth, using unmanned spacecrafts. Food is always a big part of the supplies. Most of the food is frozen and ready to eat, and often tastes bad-somewhat like trying to eat when you have a heavy cold.
To make space life better, however, scientists have made breakthroughs. Earlier this year, Russian astronauts managed to grow a variety of crops aboard the station. Next year they are going to try to grow rice and other plants. And, as transporting water to space is expensive, astronauts are looking for ways to recycle water. "Astronauts on board the ISS already drink water distilled from sweat and urine<尿) ," Russian news agency RIA Novosti reported.
Is that the reason the astronauts were so disappointed not to get the water from the failed resupply mission, by any chance? What is the author-s main purpose in writing the article?
A.To explain what caused the explosion of NASA-s unmanned rocket. |
B.To inform us of the explosion of NASA-s unmanned rocket and its effects. |
C.To tell us about astronauts lives at the International Space Station. |
D.To tell us how the world reacted to the explosion of NASA-s unmanned rocket. |
The underlined word “cargo” in the second paragraph is closet in meaning to
A.goods | B.equipment |
C.food supply | D.investigation |
How did teacher Greg Adragna feel about the explosion of the rocket?
A.Angry. | B.Anxious. |
C.Frustrated. | D.Unconcerned. |
We can conclude from the article that the situation seemed for astronauts on board the ISS when the rocket exploded.
A.hopeless | B.interesting |
C.depressing | D.dangerous |
Which of the following statements is TRUE about the ISS, according to the article?
A.Half of the astronauts at the ISS are from the US. |
B.The ISS was set up by four countries. |
C.The water that astronauts at the ISS drink is mainly made by recycling. |
D.Most of the food astronauts eat at the ISS is frozen and tastes bad. |
Do you know of anyone who uses the truth to deceive(欺骗)? When someone tells you something that is true, but leaves out important information that should be included, he can give you a false picture.
For example, someone might say, “I just won a hundred dollars on the lottery(彩票). It was great. I took that dollar ticket back to the store and turned it in for one hundred dollars!”
This guy is a winner, right? Maybe, maybe not. We then discover that he bought $ 200 worth of tickets, and only one was a winner. He’s really a big loser!
He didn’t say anything that was false, but he left out important information on purpose. That’s called a half-truth. Half truths are not technically lies, but they are just as dishonest.
Some politicians often use this trick. Let’s say that during Governor Smith’s last term, her state lost one million jobs and gained three million jobs. Then she seeks another term. One of her opponents says, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state lost one million jobs!” That’s true. However, an honest statement would have been, “During Governor Smith’s term, the state had a net gain of two million jobs.’’
Advertisers will sometimes use half-truths. It’s against the law to make false statements so they try to mislead you with the truth. An advertisement might say, “Nine out of ten doctors advised their patients to take Yucky Pills to cure toothache.” It fails to mention that they only asked ten doctors and nine of them work for the Yucky Company.
This kind of deception happens too often. It’s a sad fact of life: Lies are lies, and sometimes the truth can lie as well.We may infer that the author believes people should ________.
A.buy lottery tickets if possible |
B.make use of half-truths |
C.be careful about what they are told |
D.not trust the Yucky Company |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.Using half truths is against the law. |
B.Technically, half truths are in fact lies. |
C.Yucky Pills is a very good medicine for toothache. |
D.Governor Smith did a good job during her last term. |
Which of the following best expresses the main idea of the passage?
A.He’s really a big loser! |
B.Sometimes the truth can lie as well. |
C.Advertisers will sometimes use half truths. |
D.It’s against the law to make false statements. |
Fort Scott High School English teacher Emily Rountree has been working this semester to raise money for Charity Water, a nonprofit organization , which uses 100 percent of public donations to help fund water projects in places without access to clean drinking water. Her goal was to motivate her students to use their writing in class to make a real world difference. Twelve students got top grades on the project and their articles will be published in the Tribune and online. The money from their writing is of great help.
"Did you know that there are many countries around the world that don't have access to safe drinking water? Just think, that could be your someone in your family. in my English three classes, we are trying to .raise money for Charity Water. Charity 'Water is 3n organization that helps people get water in countries where there is no safe drinking water" , said Tanner Johnson, a student attending Fort Scott High School. clean drinking water. In Africa alone, people spend 40 billion hour every year just walking for water .Women and children are the ones that mainly do the walking. They could he attacked, or get hurt. Whenever they get home the water that they have brought home is unsafe water that. 'has been in swamps, ponds, or rivers .if they had safe drinking water they wouldn’t have that to worry about and they wouldn't be wasting hours of their day. Unsafe drinking water causes many different kinds ofdiseases that could lead to death.
You could help save someone's life by donating $ 20 so you could help get them some safe drinking water. You can easily donate online at, mycharitywater. org/fshsenglish, or you can send a check payable to Fort Scott High School to Emily Rountree .if you don't help these people then who will?Emily Rountree is working for Charity water ____
A.to set up a nonprofit organization about water |
B.to help discover where clean drinking water is |
C.to find access to using the public donations |
D.to encourage her students to help those in need |
How can the students bring differences to the world?
A.By donating all their pocket money. |
B.By collecting money in their spare time. |
C.By giving away their money from writing. |
D.By conducting themselves well in class. |
What does the third paragraph imply?
A.Africa is lacking in water resources. |
B.Women do nothing but getting water. |
C.People in Africa live a hard life. |
D.Rivers in Africa have been polluted. |
1t can he inferred from the last paragraph that _
A.only a few people participate in the donation |
B.it is easy to lend a hand to those in need |
C.staff at the website will collect money |
D.it is convenient to pay off your check |
You may have heard that a young man named Abner Doubleday invented the game known as baseball in Cooperstown, New York, during the summer of 1839. Doubleday then went on to become a Civil War hero, while baseball became America's beloved national pastime. Not only is that story untrue, it's not even in the ballpark( place for baseball).Doubleday was still at West Point in 1839, and he never claimed to have anything to do with baseball.
In 1907, a special commission(委员会) created by the sporting goods merchant and former major league player A. J. Spalding used weak evidence-namely the claims of one man, mining engineer Abner Graves-to come up with the Doubleday origin story. Cooperstown businessmen and major league officials would rely on the myth's lasting power in the 1930s, when they established the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in the village.
As it turns out, the real history of baseball is a little more complicated than the Doubleday legend. References to games resembling(相似) baseball in the United States date hack to the 18th century .its most direct ancestors appear to be two English games: rounder a( a children's game brought to New England by the earliest colonists) and cricket. By the time of the American Revolution, variations(演变) of such games were being played on schoolyards and college campuses across the country. They became even more popular in newly industrialized cities where men sought work in the mid-19th century-.In September 1845, a group of New York City men founded the New York Knickerbocker Baseball Club .One of them would make a new set of rules that would form the basis for modern baseball.
Cartwright's changes made the game faster-paced and more challenging from older games like cricket. In 1846, the Knickerbockers : played the first official game of baseball against a team of cricket players, beginning a new, uniquely American tradition.What can we know according to the first paragraph?
A. Baseball was really invented by Abner Doubleday.
B, Abner Doubleday fought against slaves in the Civil War.
C. Doubleday stayed at West Point for some reason.
D. Doubleday said he had much to do with baseball.Why did the Doubleday origin story come up?
A.Because a special commission was founded. |
B.Because Doubleday provided false evidence. |
C.Because Abner Craves told a Doubleday story. |
D.Because Abner Craves worked with Doubleday. |
The real history of baseball is _____
A.much simpler than the Doubleday legend |
B.that baseball comes from two English games |
C.that a children’s game came from New England |
D.more interesting than rounder and cricket |
It can be inferred from the passage that____
A.Doubleday is the most respected in the USA |
B.Doubleday must have been an army officer |
C.Doubleday in fact came from Britain |
D.Doubleday invented rounder and cricket |
For years, I thought that my mother would become a Centenarian (百岁老人) , but after 98 years and eight months, she recently died of old age. As it was with my father, her funeral took place in the most peaceful setting of the countryside of rural Washington County. Even after my father died, we continued to think of our parents as one. They were a team in the traditional sense. Church and family were their life- lines. They worked hard, never complaining. They expected to earn their daily bread by the sweat of their brow.
Once during a conversation with Tom Brokaw, who wrote the best- selling hook The Greatest Generation, I told him, "You left out my parents." They didn’t go off to war, but they belonged to the Greatest Generation. They, too, were part of the foundation that made America truly great. They kept the home fires burning.
Our mother gloried in being a housewife and mother. Having been a teacher in her early adult years, when education was more important than anything else, she gave up her job to raise a family .She was an excellent cook, but she had to cook on a wood stove. There was no refrigerator, nothing electric. But nobody was ever better at making do. In addition to all the household chores and responsibilities, she went to the fields every day to help produce a crop to pay the rent and to provide for the family. She and my dad worked hard to save every penny possible.
They saved ever7 penny to buy a farm late in life. They also saved enough money to live out their respective live with home care without taking up residency in a nursing home. They were fiercely independent. If you had suggested they accept a government transfer payment, they would have spit in your eye.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A.Mother played a great pan in the family. |
B.Mother died at the age of 98 years old. |
C.Mother was buried by the side of father. |
D.Mother survived father by many years. |
The underlined part "one" in the passage means____ .
A.parent | B.Centenarian |
C.hero | D.entirety |
What do we know about Tom Brokaw?
A.He is one of the author's parents' friends. |
B.He likes talking with the author's parents. |
C.He takes up a position as a writer. |
D.He is good at managing a home. |
How does the author find his parents?
A.Brave and hardworking. |
B.Modest and warmhearted. |
C.Economical and independent. |
D.Respective and satisfied. |
When you get a job interview, it is the chance that you impress them employer and prove you really are the right person for the job. The following key points may he the important steps you can take to ensure you make a good impression from the get-go
Be Prepared
Research the company thoroughly before the job interview. Read through the company website to gain a thorough understanding of what“ does its values, clients or audience and any technologies it uses. You should also Google the company and read any press releases. Note important issues or points you can discuss at the interview. Take copies of the job description with you to the interview. Don't he afraid of showing off, you can bet the other candidates won't be holding back!
Interview Questions
All this preparation work will go a long way to helping you for questions you might be asked during the interview. As well as preparing for the standard questions, you also need to come up with relevant questions to ask the interviewer about the company and your role. You may want to ask something along the lines of "what's it like to work here?",
“what are the career prospects l like?"
Timekeeping
Plan your route in advance and make a dry run to the interview location a few days beforehand to make sure you're clear on where you're going. Print out directions and maps from sites like Google Maps and make sure you should he there without any problems
After the Interview
If you're unsuccessful, use it as an opportunity to improve. Ask for feedback from the interviewer. This will improve your future interview success chances; the interviewer might consider you for future vacancies at the company based on this action aloneWhat should you do at a job interview?
A.Recognize who is the right employer |
B.Have a good impression of the employer |
C.Find a chance to show your talent off |
D.Impress the employer with good behavior. |
Which question can you ask the interview?
A.What interests you when you work? |
B.What is the information about your clients? |
C.What is the promising future of the company? |
D.What advice will you offer to the interviewees? |
It can be inferred form the passage that____.
A.the interviewer can help you through the back door |
B.a polite attitude can help you find a way out |
C.it is impossible to get a job at the first interview |
D.it is important to keep cautious about an interview |