NASA has a new job listing, and it’s no joke. The US space agency is looking for a “joker” to join their planned mission to Mars.
A mission to Mars is no laughing matter. On average, the red planet is 140 million miles (225 million kilometers) away from Earth. A trip there would take around eight months in a small spacecraft. And Mars has a communications delay of 20 minutes. This means that astronauts will have to wait 20 minutes for a reply, when an emergency happens.
“When you’re living with others in a confined space for a long period of time, such as on a mission to Mars, problems are likely to occur,” Jeffrey Johnson, a scientist at the University of Florida, told the Guardian.
This is probably why NASA wants an astronaut with a sense of humor. “These are people that have the ability to pull everyone together,” Johnson said.
In stressful situations, perhaps humor is a way to know we aren’t alone. By laughing together, we share our stress. Then we can focus on our jobs instead of just worrying.
There are other examples of team “clowns”. One example is the journey to the South Pole led by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen. It was a difficult journey, full of danger. Adolf Lindstrom, a cook at Amundsen’s team, was a “clown”. He made people laugh through the whole journey. Amundsen later wrote that Lindstrom was the most valuable member of the team.
But if you’re hoping that your favorite TV comedian will fly to Mars, that probably won’t happen.
“Being funny won’t be enough to land somebody the job,” Johnson said. “They also need to be an excellent scientist and engineer.”
Besides, they must be in top physical condition.
1.What is NASA’s new job listing?
A. A funny engineer. B. A talented clown.
C. A good cook. D. A popular comedian.
2.What does “a confined space” in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A. A crowded space. B. An empty space.
C. An open space. D. A small space.
3.How does the author think humor can help astronauts?
A. It can stop them from feeling worried.
B. It can encourage teamwork on a mission.
C. It can help them feel less homesick.
D. It can help them know themselves better.
4.What point does the author want to make with the example of the cook?
A. What explorers eat on their journey is very important.
B. An amateur can play a more important role than a professional.
C. Humorous people can cheer people up in difficult situations.
D. A mission to Mars is more difficult than a journey to the South Pole.
5.What could be the best title of the passage?
A. Keeping the Spirits Up
B. A Mission to Mars
C. A New Job Listing of NASA
D. Humorous Astronauts in NASA
Russian police have started a new attempt to get drivers to slow down at zebra crossings by having painted horses as zebras walk across on the busiest streets in some of the big cities in an attempt to improve road safety and raise awareness among Russia’s notoriously (臭名昭著地) careless drivers.
The light grey horses, painted with black stripes, carried signs on their backs reading: “Careful, children are on their way to school.” The police sent the “zebras” to several different locations in the Russian capital, where officials in orange vests walked them over zebra crossings and handed out leaflets (传单) to passing drivers.
Some held up rainbow-coloured umbrellas over the painted animals to protect them from the rain. Russian roads are notoriously dangerous and drivers still rarely take the initiative (主动采取措施) to avoid pedestrians. Nearly half of all traffic accidents in the country’s big cities are caused by cars hitting pedestrians, and a third of those occur on crossings, according to traffic police figures published last month.
In the first six months of this year, 378 people were killed and more than 6, 600 injured on pedestrian crossings in Russia, according to police. In Moscow alone, 43 people were killed, including two children.
Though police officials said that only safe paint would be used on the animals, animal rights activists still disagreed with the idea, accusing the police of “treating animals like garbage”.
“Children understand that paints are bad for animals,” the Interfax news agency quoted president of Vita animal rights group Irina Novozhilova as saying.
Let’s hope this part of the campaign is over and animals are left out of future attempts to raise pedestrians’ awareness.
1.Why do Moscow police have “zebras” walk across on the busiest streets?
A. To make a call on protecting animals.
B. To remind people zebras are in danger of extinction.
C. To tell people it is dangerous to cross streets.
D. To raise drivers’ awareness of road safety.
2.What does the underlined word “them” in paragraph 2 refer to?
A. The zebras. B. The horses.
C. The policemen. D. The drivers.
3.From the text we can learn that ________.
A. most Russian drivers have realized the seriousness of the problem
B. Russian drivers often ignore traffic lights
C. Russian drivers seldom give way to pedestrians
D. the driving skills of Russian drivers are bad
4.What do animal rights activists think of the new attempt?
A. Drivers must slow down at pedestrian crossings.
B. These animals are ill-treated by the police.
C. The paints used on the horses are safe.
D. Road safety should be improved.
5.Which word can best describe the author’s attitude towards the campaign?
A. Critical. B. Reserved.
C. Doubtful. D. Positive.
Cocoa Beach / Jupiter Surf Camp — Summer |
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1.Where does this passage probably come from?
A. A newspaper. B. A magazine.
C. A website. D. A guide book.
2.If the Smiths with their 11-year-old son want to join in the Summer Surf Camp, they’d better go there on ________.
A. June 10th B. June 23rd
C. July 29th D. July 22nd
3.Who are allowed to take part in Session 5 and Session 8?
A. Mr Johnson and his wife.
B. A couple without children.
C. Mr Black and his 19-year-old son.
D. Mrs Black and her 21-year-old daughter.
4.If Mr and Mrs Brown have a “CAMP5” coupon and want to join in the Summer Surf Camp from June 30th to July 3rd, how much should they pay?
A. $760. B. $600.
C. $800. D. $950.
5.What can we know from the form?
A. The campers are supervised all day.
B. A couple can sign up and join in the Camp by fax.
C. Parents can take part in Session 3 together with their children.
D. An adult can join in the Summer Surf Camp on any day in June.
I felt gloomy (沮丧的) the other day. The weather had been dark and rainy, and I just didn’t feel so _______.
As I was sitting at my desk I _______ it was the birthday of a dear long-time friend — a single middle-aged woman who has devoted the past 30 years to nursing and loves her _______. Knowing that she doesn’t have family in town I _______ to give her a call. Sure enough she was on B-shift, _______ to work late into the evening and wouldn’t have much of a birthday this year. As always, _______, she sounded cheerful and was happy that I _______.
After I hung up I couldn’t _______ the feeling that she would really appreciate a little attention on her special day. _______ feeling a little gloomy myself, I tried to put it out of my ________, but as the day passed I couldn’t shake the thought. I ________ gave in, and that evening set off to the hospital with a card, a cheese cake, and some balloons. My friend’s grateful smile and joyful surprise ________ me I’d done the right thing and were a generous ________ for the little effort it had taken.
When I got home I realized that not only had I cheered up a ________ friend on her birthday but my own gloomy feelings had also ________. Making her day had made my own!
That’s true ________ we take the time and make the effort to do something for someone else. It’s like the little saying “Loving kindness is twice blessed; it blesses him who gives, and him who ________.”
Cheering up people on their birthdays isn’t the only thing we can do to make their day. Life constantly presents us with ________ to take an extra step or do a kind deed that will make a ________ to someone. And the ________ thing is that as we do, it changes things for the better for us too.
1.A. special B. positive C. nervous D. proud
2.A. explained B. complained C. remembered D. informed
3.A. family B. study C. life D. work
4.A. decided B. continued C. failed D. refused
5.A. surprised B. disappointed C. bored D. prepared
6.A. though B. besides C. therefore D. otherwise
7.A. admitted B. called C. succeeded D. apologized
8.A. get on with B. put up with C. get rid of D. take hold of
9.A. Almost B. Even C. Never D. Still
10.A. opinion B. image C. mind D. expectation
11.A. luckily B. finally C. unhappily D. hardly
12.A. convinced B. advised C. promised D. reminded
13.A. demand B. desire C. reward D. share
14.A. guilty B. lonely C. weak D. curious
15.A. existed B. deepened C. wasted D. disappeared
16.A. when B. because C. though D. if
17.A. tries B. receives C. loves D. cares
18.A. experiences B. dreams C. choices D. opportunities
19.A. difference B. connection C. discovery D. decision
20.A. normal B. similar C. wonderful D. practical
______, his ideas was accepted by all the people at the meeting.
A. Strange as might it sound B. As it might sound strange
C. As strange it might sound D. Strange as it might sound
—What about your self-drive trip yesterday?
—Tiring! The road was being widened, and we ________ a rough ride.
A. had B. have
C. would have D. have had
