Directions: Read the following text and choose the most suitable heading from A – F for each paragraph. There is one extra heading which you do not need.
E．Past disastrous asteroid strikes． F．The cause of asteroid strikes． |
76._________________
Astronomers estimate that there are about l,100 asteroids--or space rocks--with the potential to cause a planet-wide disaster in a collision with Earth．And since large asteroids have collided with Earth many times in the past，scientists say it is certain that Earth will be hit again．It is only a question of when．
77. _________________
The asteroid that ended the age of the dinosaurs hit the Earth 65 million years ago．It was at least six miles(10 kilometers)wide．But smaller asteroids can also devastate （毁坏）the earth．Scientists estimate that a collision with an asteroid even one—tenth this size would kill at least 25 per cent of Earth’s population．Less than a hundred years ago，for example，an asteroid only 330 feet(100 meters)wide exploded in Siberia．It completely destroyed half a million acres of forest．
78．_________________
Asteroids come from a belt of tens of thousands of space rocks in orbit around the sun．They normally travel between Mars and Jupiter，but some smaller rocks are affected by the gravitational pull of Mars，Jupiter or Saturn and their orbits are stretched．Sometimes this change puts them on a path that crosses Earth’s orbit．This sets up the possibility of collision with Earth．
79．_________________
In l986，a potentially dangerous asteroid missed Earth by only six hours．Scientists only found out about the danger after it had passed．Many more asteroids have collided with Earth over the years．We can still see their marks today — large craters in the ground．
80．_________________
NOW there is a new--found seriousness about asteroid strikes．Astronomers are engaged in a painstaking search for all asteroids that threaten Earth．And the United States has a project called NEAR that involves orbiting and studying the asteroid Eros，the second largest asteroid near Earth．Studying the composition of the asteroid provides important information hat may allow an asteroid to be exploded or knocked of course to prevent it from colliding with Earth．
Music has often been used in movies to create mood and add dimension to the images which the audience sees on the screen. One man who is famous for his ability to write powerful and highly effective music for movies is John Williams. Mr. Williams has been writing music for movies since 1960, but he is perhaps best known for his award-winning scores for movies such as Jaws, Star Wars, and Schindler's List. Before he began writing music for the movies, Mr. Williams dreamed of being a concert pianist. He studied at both the University of California, Los Angeles and Juilliard School. During the 1950s, Mr. Williams was into jazz and he worked in New York City with many jazz artists. Later, he moved back to Los Angeles where he continued to play the piano for jazz musicians. He also got a job writing music for television shows. It was this television job that led him into movies.
Throughout the 1960s, Mr. Williams wrote the music that can be heard in more than 20 movies. Most of these movies were light comedies. Then, in 1975, the director of the movie Jaws, Steven Spielberg, hired Mr. Williams. The director thought that Mr. William's music added so much to the scary （引起恐慌的）scenes of the movie that he insisted on working with Mr. Williams in all of his future movies. Other directors and Hollywood film studios also demanded to work with Mr. Williams, and his career as a composer of movie soundtracks took off. Many of these movies have soundtracks that are still available in music stores today. They include The Deer Hunter, Raiders of the Lost Ark, ET, and Jurassic Park.
In 1980, Mr. Williams had another chance to expand his musical experience. He was chosen to be the new conductor for the Boston Pops Orchestra when Arthur Fiedler retired. Mr. Williams gladly accepted the position because it only required that he conduct the orchestra during the summer. This left him free to continue writing music for the movies during the rest of the year. Mr. Williams conducted the Boston Pops for more than 12 years before he decided to retire and write music full-time. Along with the many movie music scores he has written, Mr. Williams has also written two symphonies, a flute concerto, and a violin concerto. Up to now, Mr. Williams has written music for more than 60 movies. It is no wonder that he is today's most famous Hollywood composer.
69. What is John Williams most famous for?
A. Conducting. B. Making movies.
C. Playing jazz. D. Writing music for movies.
70. What happened to Mr. Williams in 1975?
A. He began writing music for movies. B. He moved to Hollywood.
C. He worked with Steven Spielberg. D. He worked for the Boston Pops.
71. Which of the following things has Mr. Williams not done?
A. Conducted an orchestra. B. Directed a movie.
C. Played jazz piano. D. Writing classical music.
Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each bank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
As Christmas drew near, Ursula was faced with just that problem. She had come to live in an American home and learn English. 50 , she would mind the children and do anything she was asked.
One of her tasks was to keep track of 51 Christmas presents. Ursula did this faithfully, but she became increasingly worried. What could she buy for her 52 with the little money she had that would compare with the gifts she was recording daily? 53 ,even without any of the gifts , her employer seems to have everything.
Ursula _ 54 _ long and hard. On Christmas Eve, she went to a store. She moved slowly through crowds of shoppers, 55 things in her mind. Finally she bought a baby dress. She immediately called 56 . “Excuse me, please, can you help me find a poor family with a baby?” “A poor family?” said the 57 driver. “Yes, a very poor family.” Ursula told the man of what she was trying to do. He 58 in silence, and then said, “I know a family who 59 just about everything.”
|
When they reached a 60 the driver said, “They live on the third floor.” Ursula shook her head, “Would you take this dress to them and tell them it’s from someone …someone who has everything.”
Early the next day, Ursula 61 everyone for the presents she received. Then, she began to 62 why there seemed to be none from her. She told about what she did the night before. When she finished, there was a long 63 . “You see,” she added, “I try to do a kindness in your 64 . And this is my Christmas present to you.”
50. A. In return B. As a result C. By the way D. In a sense
51. A. delivering B. mailing C. arriving D. sending
52. A. American family B. own family C. friends D. classmates
53. A. Otherwise B. Therefore C. Besides D. However
54. A. talked B. worked C. waited D. thought
55. A. selecting B. matching C. remembering D. organizing
56. A. a shop B. a taxi C. her employer D. her parents
57. A. delighted B. anxious C. surprised D. respectful
58. A. noticed B. listened C. got out D. carried on
59. A. buys B. has C. uses D. needs
60. A. garage B. building C. station D. yard
61. A. thanked B. encouraged C. praised D. admired
62. A. settle B. repeat C. argue D. explain
63. A. delay B. silence C. time D. break
64. A. case B. opinion C. memory D. name
Directions: Complete the following passage by using the words in the box. Each word can only be used once. Note that there is one word more than you need.
F. explosive G. easily H. rushed I. injuries J. caught |
Each year around 800 people – most of them children – need treatment in hospital for injuries caused by fireworks. A third of the accidents take place at back garden firework parties and about a third of the 41 are to children under the age of 13. The cost of medical treatment after firework accidents can be as much as ￡20 million a year.
Martin Pearcey, 11, is one of the lucky ones: he could have been 42 in one eye.
Like hundreds of others on November 5（Guy Fawkes’s Night）, Martin went to his 43 park to see the fireworks display. He was with his brothers, John and Dave.
“A gang of kids had taken the 44 material out of several fireworks and had put it in a pile on the ground,” remembers John.
“When they lit it, it went off and 45 Martin in his eye.”
John 46 Martin to their grandmother’s house nearby, where the eye was immediately bathed in cold water. He was then taken to hospital, where a sterilized（消毒的） patch was put over it.
“At first he couldn’t see a thing because the eye was so swollen(肿胀的),” says Martin’s elder sister, Pat. “It was weeks before it would open 47 again.”
His dad agrees. “He was lucky not to lose the sight of that eye.”
“Little kids shouldn’t be able to get hold of fireworks,” adds Pat. “I think organized 48 are much safer.”
And young Martin now says, “I don’t mind fireworks when grown – ups are 49 , but I don’t like it when little kids have them. I think fireworks are a bit stupid, really.”
__________ into consideration, they believed themselves more and returned to their positions.
|
A．Nothing to take |
B．Everything taking |
|
C．Nobody to be taken |
D．Everything taken |
Recently, the Chinese government gave some examples of _______ Dalai Lama’s visiting foreign countries had affected China.
|
A．that |
B．what |
C．how |
D．whether |
