Is there intelligent (有智力的) life on other planets? For years, scientists said “no.” or “we don’t know.” But today this is changing. Seth Shostak and Alexandra Barnett are astronomers(天文学家). They believe intelligent life exists (存在) somewhere in the universe. They also think we sill soon contact these beings(人；生物).
Why do Shostak and Barnett think intelligent life exists on other planets? The first reason is time. Scientists believe the universe is about 12 billion years old. “This is long enough for other planets to have intelligent life,” say Shostak and Barnett. The second reason is size—the universe is huge. “Tools like the Hubble Telescope(哈勃望远镜) have shown that there are at least 100 billion galaxies,” says Shostak. “And our galaxy, the Milky Way, has at least 100 billion stars. Some planets going around these stars might be similar to Earth.”
In the past, it was hard to look for signs of intelligent life in the universe. But now, powerful telescopes(高倍望远镜) allow scientists to discover smaller planets—the size of Mars or Earth—in other solar systems. These planets might have intelligent life.
Have beings from space already visited Earth? “Probably not,” says Shostak. “It’s a long way away. However, intelligent beings may contact us in other way, such as radio signals(信号). In fact, they may be trying to communicate with us now, but we don’t have the right tools to receive their messages. However, this is changing. By 2025, we could make contact with other life forms in our universe and we might help each other.”
Seth Shostak and Alexandra Barnett are _____.
| A．astronomers | B．farmers |
| C．singers | D．drivers |
What is the best title for Paragraph 2?
| A．The Age and Size of Earth |
| B．Our Galaxy: The Milky Way |
| C．Why Intelligent Life Might Exist |
| D．Earth: The Only Planet with Intelligent Life |
Why was it hard to look for signs of intelligent life in the universe in the past?
| A．There were not any smaller planets. |
| B．There were not any powerful telescopes. |
| C．The astronomers were not interested in them. |
| D．The Milky Way didn’t exist at that time, |
Why haven’t beings from space visited us yet according to Shostak?
| A．They’re afraid of us. |
| B．It’s a long way away. |
| C．They don’t want to see us. |
| D．They don’t know how to use radio signals. |
A team of US psychologists(心理学家) have found that talking to another person for ten minutes a day helps with memory.
“Socializing(交际) is just as effective as more traditional kinds of mental exercise in boosting memory and intellectual(智力的) performance,” Oscar Ybarra, a psychologist at the University of Michigan Institute for Social Research, said in a statement.
In one investigation, they analyzed data on 3610 people, aged 24 to 96.
They found that the higher their level of social interaction(交流), the better their cognitive(认知的) functioning. Social interaction includes getting together or having phone chats with relatives, friends and neighbors.
In another experiment, the researchers conducted laboratory tests on 76 college students, aged 18 to 21, to evaluate(评估) how social interactions and intellectual exercises affected the results of memory and mental performance tests.
The students were divided into three groups: the social interaction group had a discussion of a social issue for 10 minutes before taking the tests; the intellectual activities group completed three tasks (including a reading comprehension exercise and a crossword puzzle) before the tests; and a control group(对照组) watched a 10-minute clip(电影片段) of the Seinfeld television show.
“We found that short-term social interaction lasting for just 10 minutes improved participants’ (参与者) intellectual performance as much as engaging in (从事) so-called ‘intellectual’ activities for the same amount of time,” Ybarra said.
The study was expected to be published in the February issue of the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.What does the underlined word “boosting” in the second paragraph probably mean?
| A．Improving. | B．Reducing. |
| C．Preventing. | D．Training. |
Which is not included in social interaction?
| A．Having a talk with a neighbor. |
| B．Attending a birthday party. |
| C．Watching TV at home alone. |
| D．Calling your classmates. |
What’s the purpose of the experiment on 76 college students?
| A．To judge the effect of social interaction on memory and intelligence. |
| B．To find out what is real social interaction. |
| C．To learn how much time is needed for social interaction. |
| D．To show the function of people's cognition. |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Intellectual exercises make your memory better. |
| B．Different people have different ways of communication. |
| C．Communicating with others keeps you healthy. |
| D．Social interaction makes you smart. |
We don’t know how different our future will be in the future. We can only try to imagine it.
At first we think about human relationship. In the year 2050, we will use computers almost every day we will be making new friends through the Internet—even our husbands or wives will be met in this way. It will be much faster and easier for us. On the other hand, our relationships with people won’t be as important as they are today—we will feel a little lonely.
Computers will also help us in many other activities in 2050. For example, they will be used by the children at school to make their learning easier. In addition, there will be much more other machines which will play a similar role as computers, like robots which will do the homework for us.
Spending holidays will also be completely different. Traveling to other planets or to the moon will be available for everyone. Means(方式) of transport will, of course, change, too. We will be using solar-powered cars, which will be much cleaner.
We could expect that the faster technological progress would lead to a more polluted environment. But it isn’t true. We will pay more attention to protecting the environment. And, scientists will probably find cures for many dangerous diseases, like cancer or AIDS. Therefore, our surroundings as well as health will be in better condition.
Although we can’t predict(预测) the exact changes which will be made in the world, we often think about them. We worry about our and our children’s future; we have expectations, hopes as well as fears. But I think we should be rather sanguine(乐观的) about our future. We should be happy and believe good things will happen.Why will people probably feel a little lonely in 2050?
| A．Because the number of people will become much smaller． |
| B．Because there will be less face-to-face communication |
| C．Because people won’t like making friends with each other |
| D．Because people won’t communicate with each other much often． |
According to the passage, which of the following will happen in 2050?
| A．The relationship between people will be more important than today. |
| B．The way of spending holidays will be the same as that of today. |
| C．It won’t be difficult for people to travel to other planets. |
| D．Our environment will be much more polluted with a growing number of cars. |
What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．How people will communicate in the year 2050. |
| B．What our life will be like in the year 2050. |
| C．How people will travel and spend their holidays in the year 2050. |
| D．What high technology will appear in the year 2050. |
A few minutes before six o’clock, Mr. Smith decided to leave. He was about to start the car when a gunman jumped up from the back seat. He held a gun to Mr. Smith’s head. “Drive me to Paris!” he shouted.
“All right”, Mr. Smith answered. He started the engine, pulled away from the side of the street and drove down. Being eighty-one years old, he knew he could not fight the gunman. He knew he needed help. Where were the police? As he drove through a crossing, he looked up and down the side streets, hoping to meet a police car. But he could see nothing. “Just my luck,” he thought, “If I was driving too fast, there would be a police car on every corner.”
Suddenly he pushed his foot down on the accelerator(油门), and the car ran much faster. “What are you doing?” shouted the gunman. “Keeping off the police,” Mr. Smith answered. “I thought I saw a police car back there.”
He ran lights, drove the wrong way on one-way streets. On two-way streets he drove on the wrong side of the road. Not one policeman saw him. Again Mr. Smith’s plan was not working. He had to try a new plan. He turned a corner and saw the police station in front. Then he drove his car as fast as he could towards the police gate. The car hit a police motorbike down and stopped. Mr. Smith shouted, “Help! Help!” Then he reached back to grab(夺) the man’s gun. At the same time the policeman heard the noise and quickly caught the gunman. Why did Mr. Smith drive much faster suddenly?
| A．Because he wanted to keep off the police. |
| B．Because he saw a police car behind his. |
| C．Because his plan was working. |
| D．Because he wanted the police to see him. |
Which of the following is not TRUE?
| A．Mr. Smith ran lights, drove the wrong way on one-way streets. |
| B．Mr. Smith knew he didn’t need any help. |
| C．Mr. Smith drove his car as fast as he could towards the police gate. |
| D．Mr. Smith looked up and down the side street, hoping to meet a police car. |
From the passage, what can we infer(推测)?
| A．Mr. Smith is a strong man. |
| B．Mr. Smith is a shy man. |
| C．Mr. Smith is a wise man. |
| D．Mr. Smith is a stupid man. |
What do you think Americans in the early twentieth century (1900--1925) did on weekends? What do they do on weekends now?
| Then Once upon a time, people spent lots of time at home on weekends. Then, new inventions changed the weekends. People used electric(电动的) streetcars to travel in cities. On weekends, they rode the streetcars to parks. Young people liked roller coasters. The first movie lasted only one minute. Soon movies lasted longer. In the 1920s, movie theaters sold millions of tickets each week. In 1927, movies had sound. Sometimes, people stayed at home instead, and listened to another new invention — radio. People in cities worked indoors during the week, so they wanted to be outdoors on weekends. Bicycling became a popular activity. |
| Now With more time, money and inventions, people have many more choices. They can visit large parks like Disney World and ride modern roller coasters that go higher and faster than ever before. They can choose from lots of different movies at a multiplex (a building with many movie theaters) or watch a video at home. Many people jog, bicycle, work out at the gym, or play sports. Others turn on their TV and watch sports. |
Which of the following do you know is the newest invention now?
| A．Radio | B．Bicycle | C．Movie | D．Video |
What do you know about the first movie?
| A．It had no sound. | B．It got longer. |
| C．It sold well. | D．It lasted minutes. |
Which is the best title of the text?
| A．Many More Choices |
| B．The New Invention |
| C．The Popular Activities |
| D．The Changing Weekend |
The Internet can show you lots of jobs all over the world. If you want to find a job on the Internet, use the words "job search" or "employment(职业)" to find the websites you need. You only need to type in what you want and where you want to work. In a few seconds, a list of jobs will appear on the screen. You can also type in the name of a company to learn about jobs there. Many websites list full-time and summer jobs.
Job search websites can help you in other ways, too. They show you how to write a good resume(履历) and how to get ready for an interview(面试). They also tell you what to say to an interviewer on the telephone. Some websites give you interview conversations to practice. One website even has a dictionary of interview words. A good employment website can be a big help in your job search.
Good luck with your job-hunting.What should you do first if you want to find a job on the Internet?
| A．To type in "job search" or "employment" to find the websites. |
| B．To write a good resume. |
| C．To get ready for an interview. |
| D．To get an English dictionary. |
Some employment websites tell you how to have a job interview _______.
| A．face to face | B．in an e-mail |
| C．in a letter | D．on the telephone |
The underlined word “job-hunting” means “____________”.
| A．searching for a job | B．giving a job |
| C．doing a job | D．changing a job |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．The Internet lists a large number of companies. |
| B．You can find many websites on the Internet. |
| C．It’s about how you can use the Internet to find a job. |
| D．There are many different ways for you to look for jobs. |