【原创】There are no signs of little green men on Mars. But new discoveries offer a bit more hope that some form of life existed there in the past --- and perhaps is still there in the present. Methane gas(甲烷) and water have been found on the Red Plane. The presence of both suggests at least the possibility of life.
According to a new report in the journal, Science, the Mars rover, Curiosity, has detected spikes of methane in the Martian atmosphere. This gas is also found in the Earth’s atmosphere, and comes from animal and plant life, as well as from the environment itself. If there’s methane in Mar’s atmosphere, where is it coming from? Scientists aren’t sure. But it marks a big change. In September 2013, Curiosity found almost no traces of methane in the Martian air. Just weeks later, however, the rover picked up a whiff of(一点点) the gas.
The scientists don’t know whether the methane spikes are caused by some form of biological matter or by the geology of the planet. Christopher Chyba, a professor of astrophysics and international affairs at Princeton, says it’s best not to be too hopeful about biology on the Red Planet. “Hopes for biology on Mars have had a way of disappearing once Martian chemistry has been better understood,” he says. “But figuring out what’s responsible for the methane is clearly a key astrobiological objective --- whatever the answer turns out to be.”
The discovery of water on Mars is nothing new. For decades, scientists have had evidence that it flowed across the surface of the planet billions of years ago. But according to another new report in Science, while the surface water on Mars seems to be long gone, there’s a lot more of it left than most of people realize.
This report is also based on findings from Curiosity. Paul Mahaffy, of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland, led the study. He says there is enough water on Mars “to cover the surface to a depth of about 165 feet.”
It is not easy to reach this water. Most of it is locked up in ice at the planet’s poles.Why do scientists think there might be life on Mars?
| A．Because the Mars rover has detected water on the planet. |
| B．Because there is evidence that little green men exist on the planet. |
| C．Because the Mars rover has found some plants on the planet. |
| D．Because both methane and water have been found on the planet. |
What is the attitude of professor Christopher Chyba towards life on Mars?
| A．Optimistic | B．Negative |
| C．Neutral | D．Indifferent |
The water on Mars _______________.
| A．still flows on its surface |
| B．covers the whole planet |
| C．is locked up in ice at the planet’s poles |
| D．only existed on it billions of years ago |
In which column of a website can we read this text?
| A．Culture | B．Entertainment |
| C．Science | D．Education |
An election year is one in which all four numbers can be divided by four (1944, 1948, etc.). Since 1840, American presidents elected in years ending in zero have been noticed to die in office. William H. Harrison, the man who served the shortest term, died of a kind of deadly illness several weeks after he took office.
Abraham Lincoln was one of the four presidents who were murdered. He was elected in 1860, and his death came just five years later.
James A Garfield, a former Union Army general from Ohio, was shot during his first year in
office (1881) by a man to whom he wouldn't give a job.
While in his second term of office (1901), William McKinley, another Ohioan, attended the
Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, New York. During the reception, he was killed while shaking hands with some of the guests.
Three years after election in 1920, Warren G. Harding died in office. Although it was never
proved, many believed he was poisoned.
Franklin D. Roosevelt had been elected four times (1932, 1936, 1940, and 1944), the only man to serve so long a term. He had suffered from poliomyelitis(小儿麻痹)in 1921 and died of the illness in 1945.
John F. Kennedy, the last of the line, was shot in 1963, only three years after his election.
67. Which of the following was an election year?
A. 1962 B. 1928 C. 1890 D. 1846
68. served the shortest term in office.
A. Abraham Lincoln B. Warren G. Harding
C. William McKinley D. William H. Harrison
69. Which of the following statements is true?
A. All presidents elected in years ending in zero have died in office.
B. Only presidents from Ohio have died in office.
C. Franklin D. Roosevelt completed four times as president.
D. President Abraham Lincoln died in the year of 1865
70. How many presidents elected in years ending in zero since 1840 have died in office?
A. 7 B. 6 C. 5 D. 4
Educating girls quite possibly produces a higher rate of return than any other investment(投
资)available in the developing world．Women’s education may be an unusual field for experts On economy(经济)，but improving women’s contribution to development is actually as much all economic as a social business．And economics provides an explanation for why so many girls are
deprived of an education．
Parents in low-income countries fail to invest in their daughters because they do not expect them to make all economic contribution to the family：girls grow up only to marry into somebody
else’s family and bear children．Girls are thus seen as less valuable than boys and are kept at home to do housework while their brothers are sent to school．Ignoring women’s education is therefore in a bad circle．
An educated mother, on the other hand, has greater earning abilities outside the home and faces an entirely different set of choices．She is likely to have fewer but healthier children and can insist on the development of all her children, making sure that her daughters are given a fair chance．The education of her daughters then makes it much more likely that the next generation of girls，as well as of boys，will be educated and healthy．The bad circle is thus changed into a good
circle．
Educating women has great social benefits and great economic advantages as well．Most obviously, there is the direct effect of education on the wages of female workers．Wages rise by 10 to 20 per cent for each additional year of schooling．Such big returns are impressive by the standard of other available investments，but they are just the beginning．Educating women also has a significant effect on health practices, including family planning．
63．The author argues that educating girls in developing countries is．
A．troublesome B．labor-saving C．rewarding D．expensive
64．The author believes that a bad circle can turn into a good circle when．
A. women care much more about education
B. girls can gain equal access to education
C. a family has fewer but healthier children
D. parents can afford their daughters' education
65．What does the underlined phrase“deprived of”mean in Paragraph One?
A．supplied with B． included in C．kept away from D．devoted to
66．The passage mainly discusses .
A. unequal treatment of boys and girls in developing countries
B. the potential earning power of well-educated women
C. the major contributions of educated women to society
D. the economic and social benefits of educating women
Big football matches are always exciting affairs．Besides the action on the field, the noise the crowd makes really creates the unique atmosphere．At this summer’s World Cup, you can be sure that every country’s fans will be in full voice，supporting their teams．
The football chant(口号)is as old as the sport itself．It’s a way for fans to express their support for their team．It’s not uncommon for the noise of supporters to provide the encouragement for a team to win a match．Most agree that a chant is for building a great atmosphere and to support the team．
One of the most famous football songs is the Liverpool club anthem(颂歌)You’Never Walk Alone，originally from a 1945 Broadway show，which was adopted by Liverpool and is sung
before every match．It has been said that as soon as the opposite hears the song，they become
aware of how tough winning at Anfield (Liverpool’s stadium)will be．
The key to a good football song is that it should be simple．It has to he easy for all fans to
sing along with．When I went to watch Beijing Guo’an last season, I could join in one chant
though I could only speak a little Chinese．“Beijing wo ai ni。”the Guo'an fans sang—you
didn't have to be gifted to work out what that meant.
At the World Cup，the first songs you’ll hear at matches will he the national anthems．Fans and players join together to sing the anthems before each match, and it is considered a mark of
respect that the opposite remains silent while each team's an them is being sung．
So, even though I’ll be supporting England from home in the summer, you can be sure I'll be
chanting at my TV：“En-ger-land, En-ger-land, En-ger-land!”
59．From the passage we can learn that．
A．a good football chant is usually very long
B．the football chant can express support to the team
C．the football chant appears later than football itself
D．a fan is talented to learn foreign languages
60．What can fans do to support their team?
A．To kick the ball on the field．
B．To fight with the opposition fans．
C．To provide encouragement with chants．
D．To donate money to the players．
61．Why the national anthems of both the teams can be heard at the world Cup?
A．Because it is a sign to show the respect to each other．
B．Because it is sung for the leaders of the host country．
C．Because it represents encouragement from their fans．
D．Because either team senses the support from country．
62．Which of the following is the best title?
A．You’ll Never“Cheer”Alone
B．National Anthems at Matches
C．You’ll Never Walk Alone
D．Football—A Popular Sport
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56．If you want to find more information about hotels with breakfast, which of the following websites can you go to ?
A．www.HIExpress. Com/HongKong B．www.agoda.com/Hong-Kong-hotels
C．Four Seasons.com/hongkong D．Booking.com/hotels-hong-kong
57．At a discounted hotel, how much can you save for a room for HK$200per night?
A．HK$150 B．HK$100 C．HK$50 D．HK$75
58．From the ads above we know that
A．Hong Kong Hotels guarantee low rates and free computers
B．guests can give reviews on the hotel they have lived in
C．booking a hotel online is quite a special offer
D．experience in Hong Kong is an expensive night
Dear Economist,
My newly-wedded wife and I are deeply in love. There is, however, one issue that threatens the happiness of our marriage. I absolutely insist on shopping at Walmart. My wife, meanwhile, would rather avoid Walmart at all costs.
I have recently tried to convince her that not only does Walmart offer the lowest prices known to man, but that the chain is also a force for good―lower prices mean better standards of living for all consumers, increased global trade means a tighter-knit(紧密团结的) international community, and efficient operations translate into higher productivity growth for the economy. My wife complains about poor labour policies, the “fact” that Walmart squeezes suppliers, and that it puts local shops out of business.
Who is right? Will our marriage survive?
Brian Gee
Dear Brian,
I have to agree with you about Walmart. Jason Furman, then an economist at New York University, now an adviser to President Obama, famously argued in 2005 that Walmart was unwittingly (不知不觉地) a progressive success story. The chain’s prices don’t much affect me (I prefer Whole Foods) but Furman estimated that they benefited low-and-middle-income Americans to the sum of around $250 billion a year.
Walmart does not pay much, so it may depress wages. Then again, it may increase wages by offering jobs to the otherwise-unemployed. Either way, the benefits of low prices to Walmart shoppers far outweigh any seemingly reasonable costs to Walmart employees. And while it is true that Walmart employees tend to be poor, the same is true of Walmart shoppers.
Armed with this information you can face your wife with confidence. You are sure to win the conversation. The divorce is likely to be more argued.
Economist
68. What concerns Brian Gee so much that he wrote the letter?
A. His wife refuses to shop at Walmart.
B. They are faced with a divorce.
C. They can’t afford the costs of shopping at Walmart.
D. They are in conflict about shopping at Walmart.
69. Brian Gee’s wife tends to hold the opinion that _________.
A. it is wrong for Walmart to depress its employees’ wages
B. consumers’ lives have improved thanks to Walmart
C. Walmart’s business operation increases productivity in economy
D. Walmart’s business increases global trade
70. What can be inferred from the reply letter?
A. Some employees accept the low pay to keep the job.
B. Walmart appeals to only poor consumers and poor employees.
C. Employees suffer from Walmart’s low prices more than consumers.
D. Jason Furman, a New York University economist, spoke highly of Walmart.