The planet Mars is the 1.(close) and most similar planet to Earth. It is very interesting to scientists. For example, Mars has seasons with different weather, but other planets have 2. same temperatures all year round. Was there l3. on Mars?
T4. find out, scientists need to know if Mars ever had water. In 2004, two robot explorers(探测器), or ‘rovers’， called Spirit and Opportunity were sent to look for5.(sign) of water. These rovers can drive over rocks 6. all kinds of rough ground. They can also use cameras and send photos back to Earth. 7.(one), the two rovers found chemicals and patterns(图纹) in the rocks that were probably 8.(make) by water. Then, they moved to another area and found other rocks w9. may have been created by water. Now scientists think there was probably water on the planet long ago. Today they are still not sure if there was life on Mars. They 10.(real) need more information to decide. The discoveries of the two rovers answered some old questions, but they also brought up many new ones.
One of the hottest places on the earth is Death Valley. It's a desert valley in North America. The animals in Death Valley don't use technology to keep cool. They have special abilities that help them live there.
The kangaroo rat is one of the animals that live in Death Valley. During the day in Death Valley, it gets hotter than 100°F. The kangaroo rat rests all day in a hole in the ground. It covers the hole with grass to keep out the heat. The kangaroo rat comes out at night when it is cooler. This little rat is also very good at conserving(节约) water. It gets all the water it needs from the food it eats. Some kangaroo rats never take a drink of water in their whole lives.
The sun makes the desert sand very hot. Animals, like snakes, get too hot if they lie on the hot sand too long. One snake, called the sidewinder, can solve this problem. When it travels, the sidewinder bends its body into a “W” shape. Then it uses the bottom parts of the “W” like legs and walks sideways (向一侧). That way it touches only a little of the sand at a time, so the hot sand doesn't burn the snake. This strange way of moving is how the sidewinder got its name.
Most of water in the desert is too salty for most animals to drink. All water has some salt in it. As the desert heat dries up pools of water, the salt is left behind. The remaining water in these pools can be much saltier than those in the ocean. One kind of fish, the desert pupfish, can live in these salty pools because it can drink the salt water.
14题完成句子；15、16题简略回答问题；17题用英语简要概括本文的主旨大意；18题将文中画线句子译成汉语。
1.The animals in Death Valley have ____________ that can help them live there.
2.Why does the kangaroo rat cover the hole with grass?
________________________________________________________________________
3.What kind of shape does sidewinder bend itself into?
________________________________________________________________________
4.The passage mainly tells us about ______________ in Death Valley.
5.________________________________________________________________________
Do you know what makes lightning(闪电)? Why does lightning strike(击打)?
Lightning strikes happen when ice and water in clouds rub(摩擦) together, and cause atmospheric(大气层的) changes. When this happens, it creates a static charge(静电). Lightning can strike inside the cloud, between two clouds or between a cloud and Earth. It's the last kind of strike that is the most dangerous for humans.
Lightning can be very dangerous. Every year, lightning kills people because it can start big fires or because it reaches a temperature of 28，000℃. About 1，000 people are hit by lightning every year in the United States, and about 100 of them die as a result.
Lightning makes people shocked, and it happens all over the world! Scientists think that there are more than three million lightning strikes every day in the world—that's thirty strikes every second. An American man, Roy Sullivan, who worked in a park, survived from the most lightning strikes. Between 1942 and 1983, he was hit seven times! And he keeps the highest world record.
Lightning is sure not something to play with. When lightning strikes, it's best to stay inside a large building. To stay safe, do not stand under trees, on hills or near water. Also, do not lie down on the ground, or the electricity may go through you and cause a heart problem.
1.Lightning strikes ________．
A.happen thirty times each day
B.happen when there are big fires
C.can reach a very high temperature
D.can kill all those who work in a park
2.What does the underlined word “survived” mean in Chinese?
A.幸存 B.选择 C.遇难 D.失忆
3.How many people hit by lightning die every year in America?
A.About 1, 000 people.
B.About 28, 000 people.
C.About one tenth of people.
D.About one fourth of people.
4.Where's the safest place to stay when lightning strikes?
A.Under a tree. B.Near a river. C.On the top of a hill. D.Inside a building.
(2019原创)It is ________ to break in when others are speaking.
A.soft B.rude C.quick D.gentle
(2019原创)Don't ________ too much time playing computer games. Try to do something meaningful.
A.think B.save C.pollute D.waste
(2019原创)His father is a worker. He works in a ________ where it is near their home.
A.factory B.bank C.hospital D.library
