For centuries people dreamed of going into space. This dream began to seem possible when high-flying rockets were built in the early 1900s.
In 1903 a Russian teacher named Konstantin Tsiolkovsky figured out how to use rockets for space travel. His plan was the first one in rocket science to use correct scientific calculation. About 30 years later, a U.S. scientist named Robert Goddard built the first rockets that could reach high altitudes. During World War II, German scientists built large rockets that could travel very far and carry dangerous explosives. After the war, scientists from Germany went to the United States and the Soviet Union to help those countries build space rockets.
These two countries were soon racing to get to space first. Each of these countries wanted to prove that it was stronger and more advanced than the other one. Both countries also had powerful bombs. People in the United States were worried when the Soviets were first to launch a space satellite, which was called Sputnik. The Soviets were also first to send a person into space. Yury Gagarin orbited the earth in the Vostok I spaceship in 1961.
The US government set a goal for its space program to be the first country to put a person on the Moon. The U.S. space program built a series of Apollo spaceship. These vehicles were powered by huge Saturn 5 rockets. In 1969 Apollo II took three men to the moon successfully. Nell Armstrong became the first person to walk on the Moon.
The Soviets may have lost the race to fly people to the Moon, but they built the first space station in 1971. The United States also built a space station. The space stations allowed people to live and work in space. Then the Soviet Union and the United States cooperated to hook two spaceships together in space. This action ended the "space race". Today a much larger space station, built by several countries together, orbits Earth.
Another new way to go to space is by space shuttle. A space shuttle, first made in the United States in 1981, looks like an airplane. Astronauts who fly spaceships have used shuttles to help put satellites into space.
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The (1) ▲ of Space Travel |
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Time |
Events |
Information concerned |
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Early 1900s |
High-flying rockets were built. |
It made the ancient dream of going to space possible to come（2) ▲ |
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1903 |
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky (3) ▲ a way to use rockets for space travel. |
He planned to put correct scientific calculation to use in rocket science. |
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Around 1933 |
Robert Goddard built new rockets. |
The rockets could fly very(3) ▲ in the sky. |
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During and after World War II |
German scientists built large rockets that could travel very far and carry dangerous explosives. |
Germany was ahead of all the other countries in building space rockets and later it even offered5) ▲ to the Soviet Union and the United States |
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The Soviet Union and the United States competed to get to space first. |
The Soviet Union became the6 ▲ of the race when it launched the first satellite and sent the first astronaut into space. |
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1969 |
The United States (7 ▲ in putting a person on the moon. |
In one way, it 8) ▲ the Soviet Union by becoming the first country to fly people to the moon. |
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1970s |
The Soviets built the first space station and was soon followed by Americans. And they finally ended the "space race" by (9) ▲ |
Astronauts can live and work in space stations. |
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1980s-- |
Space shuttles are used as new vehicles for space （10) ▲ . |
Shuttles are also used to help put satellites into space. |
1.The two girls spent one whole class sitting on the playground, a______ in conversation.
2.His test in presenting RealCine encouraged him to become more c______ of himself.
3. The boat floated down with the water, too fast to e______, which made the girl in terror.
4.I felt really g______ after breaking my promise, but still I hesitated to apologize to him.
5.When I was young, my grandma often reminded me of table m_______.
6.She was really upset and ______（发誓）that she hadn’t told anyone.
7.Our festival is part of a large festival which celebrates _______ （当代）art.
8.It would be beneficial to teach people about ______ （环境上）friendly ways of living.
9.Some people think of greedy businessmen hiding from their ________(责任) and only worrying about money.
10.Join me in ______ （祝愿）all of you a success in the final examination.
In the past industries had more freedom than they have now，and they did not need to be as careful as they must today. They did not need to worry a lot about the safety of the new products that they developed. They did not have to pay much attention to the health and safety of the people who worked for them. Often new products were dangerous for the people who used them；often conditions in the work place had very bad effects on the health of the workers.
Of course sometimes there were real disasters which attracted the attention of governments and which showed the need for changes．Also scientists who were doing research into the health of workers sometimes produced information which governments could not ignore．At such times， there were inquiries into the causes of the disasters or the problems. New safety rules were often introduced as a result of these inquiries；however, the new rules came too late to protect the people who died or who became seriously ill.
Today many governments have special departments which protect customers and workers. In the US, for example, there is a department which takes charge of new airplanes and gives warnings about possible problems. It also makes the rules that aircraft producers must follow. Another department controls the foods and drugs that companies sell．A third department looks at the places where people work，and then reports any companies that are breaking the laws which protect the health and safety of workers. Of course，new government departments and new laws cannot prevent every accident or illness，but they are having some good results. Our work places are safer and cleaner than before. The planes and cars which we use for travel are better. Producers are thinking more about the safety and health of the people who buy and use their products．
1.The main topic of the passage is_________.
A. conditions in the work place
B. the freedom of industries in the past
C. the safety and health of workers and customers
D. changes in industrial production
2. It can be inferred from the passage that in the past_________.
A. industries were as careful in management as they are today
B. companies were free to put out any products they wanted to
C. many people were killed by dangerous products
D. workers often got ill because of the poor working conditions
3. It is implied in the passage that_________.
A. in the past no safety laws were introduced by governments
B. governments paid little attention to the safety of products
C. government officials often did not listen to scientists
D. governments and companies had different opinions about the safety of products
4.The special departments protect customers and workers in many ways EXCEPT by____.
A. testing new products B. designing new products
C. controlling the sale of products D. inspecting work places
In the West, advertisements are the fuel that makes mass media work. Many TV stations, newspapers, magazines, radio stations are privately owned. The government does not give them money. So where does the money come from? From advertisements. Without advertisements, there would not be these private businesses.
Have you ever asked yourself what advertising is? Through the years, people have given different answers to the question. For some time it was felt that advertising was a means of “Keeping your name before the public”. And some people thought that advertising was “truth well told”. Now more and more people consider it in this way: Advertising is the paid, non-personal, and usually persuasive presentation of goods, services and ideas by some certain sponsors (发起人) through various media.
First, advertising is usually paid for. Various sponsors pay for the advertisements we see, read, and hear over the various media. Second, advertising is non-personal. It is not face-to-face communication. Although you may feel that a message in a certain advertisement is aimed directly at you, in reality, it is directed at large groups of people. Third, advertising is usually persuasive. Directly or indirectly it asks people to do something. All advertisements try to make people believe that the product, idea, or service advertised can benefit them. Fourth, the sponsors of the advertisement must show their names. From the advertisement, we can see if the sponsor is a company, or a single person. Fifth, advertising reaches us through old and modern mass media. Included in the old media are newspapers. magazines, radio, television, and films. Modern media include emails, matchbox covers, and boards on top of buildings.
1.The existence of the privately owned mass media depends on the support of_________.
A. the government B. advertisements
C. their owners’ families D. the TV stations
2.The passage seems to say that different ideas of advertising are given due to __________.
A. the subject of the advertisements B. the change of time
C. people's age difference D. peoples’ different opinions
3.Which of the following is considered modern mass media?
A. Emails. B. Newspapers C. Magazines. D. Films.
4. According to the passage, which of the following statements about advertisements is NOT true?
A. The sponsors are always mentioned.
B. Advertising is meant for large groups of people.
C. There is the description of things advertised
D. Advertising must be honest and humorous
Are you looking for something different this summer? We’ve lined up a list of some unusual camps.
Learn to fly a jet(喷气式飞机)
This is the real training that all fighter and test pilots have. Learn the cockpit(驾驶室) and how to put your plane through its paces . Finally, you fight a mock battle with your teammates.
It’s held at the US Space &Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alaska. There are both weekend and summer camps for anyone 9 and up. Kids 7 to 12 also can pair with a parent. The cost is $749 for kids-only camps and $349 each for parent /child camp.
Be Steven Spielberg
At Film Camp, you will get to write, direct, shoot and edit your own movie.
Run by the New York Film Academy, you can choose from a variety of camp locations: New York, Disney-MGM Studios in Florida, Universal Studios in Los Angeles, Harvard University, Paris or Florence, Italy.
Everyone helps one another by working behind the camera. Tuition for a one-week camp is $1,500, while a four or six week training run $5,900 to $6,900.
Join the circus
At Circus Smirkus you can learn how to ride a unicycle, and throw a pie in someone’s face . Kids 8 to 16 can choose between one—or two-week sessions, with the two-week camp ending in a circus show for the families.
The camp is located in Craftsbury Common, Vermont. The cost is $825 for one week ($300 extra with a parent ) and $1,500 for two weeks ( $ 500 extra with a parent).
Live the ultimate (终极的)summer fantasy
Learn to ride the waves this summer and tour one of the world’s only sea turtle hospitals at Surf Camp. The week long camp also includes trips to local islands.
Surf Camp is located at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina.The cost is $475 per week for kids 8 to 12, $595 per week for teens 12 to 18. Check it out at wbsurfcamp. Com.
Strike a chord(弦)
At Power Chord Academy, teens 12 to 18 will be placed in a band that best meets their age, experience and style. You will lead the life of a band member: recording in a studio, playing a concert and making a video.
1.Which camps can you join if you want your father to be able to take part?
A. Circus Smirkus and Surf Camp
B. The Power Chord Academy and Film Camp
C. The camp at the US Space & Rocked Center and Film Camp
D. The camp at the US Space &Rocket Center and Circus Smirkus
2.How much do you have to pay if you want to attend a 2- week circus camp with your mom?
A. $ 2000 B. $ 1500 C. $ 3000 D. $ 2250
3.Surf Camp can provide the following for campers EXCEPT______.
A. care for sea turtles B. surfing
C. meeting with lovers of surfing D. travel to local islands
4.What does the underlined word “mock” mean ?
A. real B. fierce C. pretended D. shooting
As we know, on Saturday, millions of people around the world will celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, which honors Patron Saint (or main religious figure) of Ireland. Communities across the United States will host parades, parties, and other festivities to mark the occasion.
This year, cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago have organized massive events celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. In New York City, hundreds of thousands of people will gather to watch the Saint Patrick’s Day parade—the nation’s largest. It is one of the most watched parades in the world. Last year, almost 2 million spectators and more than 150,000 participants filled the streets. The parade, first held in 1776, is also one of the oldest.
Chicago also throws a big celebration. Every year, the Chicago River, which crosses the city, glows green as event organizers dump about 40 pounds of fluorescence, a powerful dye, into the water.
Boston keeps its parade rolling for three hours or more. It is the nation’s second-largest parade. The city will also salute one of its most famous former residents, President John F. Kennedy, by opening the exhibit "A Journey Home: John F. Kennedy and Ireland," at his official library.
Patron Saint lived in Britain in the early fifth century, when it was still part of the Roman Empire. He was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland when he was only 16．He eventually escaped slavery and turned to a life of religious devotion. He trained to become a minister and set out to spread Christianity throughout Ireland. After 30 years as a religious leader, Patrick died on March 17, 1461．Saint Patrick’s Day is always celebrated on March 17．In Ireland, it is an official holiday.
1. What’s the best title of the passage?
A. Celebrations across the Country
B. An Official Holiday in US
C. The Largest Parade in the World
D. History of Saint Patrick’s Day
2.The last paragraph is mainly about _____.
A. the cruel slave trade. B. Saint Patrick’s contribution.
C. Ireland’s Patron Saint D. activities during Saint Patrick’s Day
3. Which of the following is not correct according to the passage?
A. Parade is a most important event to observe Saint Patrick’s Day.
B. Saluting the former president has become a main event on the occasion.
C. Saint Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday.
D. The Saint Patrick’s Day parade has a history of over 230 years.
