Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked.
Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup(基因构成) as human beings. What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival. Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible.
Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger. With knowledge, we can lessen its effects.
Exploration also allows minerals and other potential (潜在的) resources to be found. Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later. Resources may be more than physical possessions. Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration. The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives. We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems. Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products (副产品) of technological developments in the space.
While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us. While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers. The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive. Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.
While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets. It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future.
1.Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph 1?
A. To express his doubts. B. To compare different ideas.
C. To introduce points for discussion. D. To describe the conditions on Earth.
2. What is the reason for exploring space based on Paragraph 2?
A. Humans are nature-born to do so.
B. Humans have the tendency to fight.
C. Humans may find new sources of food.
D. Humans don’t like to stay in the same place.
3.The underlined word “spin-offs” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to______.
A. survival chances B. unexpected benefits
C. potential resources D. physical possessions
4.What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets?
A. The adaptive ability of humans. B. Resources on the earth..
C. Our genetic makeup. D. By-products in space exploration.
5.Which of the statements can best sum up the passage?
A. Space exploration has created many wonders.
B. Space exploration provided the best value for money.
C. Space exploration can benefit science and technology.
D. Space exploration may help us avoid potential problems on Earth.
An idea that started in Seattle's public library has spread throughout America and beyond. The concept is simple: help to build a sense of community in a city by getting everyone to read the same book at the same time.
In addition to encouraging reading as a pursuit(追求) to be enjoyed by all, the program allows strangers to communicate by discussing the book on the bus, as well as promoting reading as an experience to be shared in families and schools. The idea came from Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl who launched(发起) the "If All of Seattle Read the Same Book " project in 1998. Her original program used author visits, study guides and book discussion groups to bring people together with a book, but the idea has since expanded to many other American cities, and even to Hong Kong.
In Chicago, the mayor(市长) appeared on television to announce the choice of To Kill a Mockingbird as the first book in the "One Book, One Chicago" program. As a result, reading clubs and neighborhood groups sprang up around the city. Across the US, stories emerged of parents and children reading to each other at night and strangers chatting away on the bus about plot and character.
The only problem arose in New York, where local readers could not decide on one book to represent the huge and diverse population. This may show that the idea works best in medium-sized cities or large towns, where a greater sense of unity can be achieved. Or it may show that New Yorkers rather missed the point, putting all their energy and passion into the choice of the book rather than discussion about a book itself.
Ultimately, as Nancy points out, the level of success is not measured by how many people read a book, but by how many people are enriched by the process, or have enjoyed speaking to someone with whom they would not otherwise have shared a word.
1.What is the purpose of the project launched by Nancy?
A. To invite authors to guide readers.
B. To encourage people to read and share.
C. To involve people in community service.
D. To promote the friendship between cities.
2. Why was it difficult for New Yorkers to carry out the project?
A. They had little interest in reading.
B. They were too busy to read a book.
C. They came from many different backgrounds.
D. They lacked support from the local government.
3.According to the passage, where would the project be more easily carried out?
A. In large communities with little sense of unity.
B. In large cities where libraries are far from home.
C. In medium-sized cities with a diverse population.
D. In large towns where agreement can be quickly reached.
4. The underlined words “shared a word” in Paragraph 5 probably mean .
A. exchanged ideas with each other
B. discussed the meaning of a word
C. gained life experience
D. used the same language
5.According to Nancy, the degree of students of the project is judged by .
A. the careful selection of a proper book
B. the growing popularity of the writers
C. the number of people who benefit from reading
D. the number of books that each person reads
As a young girl growing up in the 1930s, I always wanted to fly a plane, but back then it was almost unheard of for a woman to do that. I got a taste of that dream in 2001, when my husband arranged for me to ride in a hot air balloon for my birthday. But the experience turned out to be very dull. Around that time, I told my husband that I wanted to skydive. So when our retirement community announced that they were having an essay competition and the topic was an experience of a lifetime that you wanted to have, I decided to write about my dream.
In the essay, I wrote about my desire to skydive, stating George Brush Sr. did it at age 80. Why not me? I was just 84 and in pretty good health. A year went by and I heard nothing. But then at a community party in late April 2009, they announced that I was one of the winners. I just couldn’t believe it. Inspired by this, I decided to realize my dream, even though some of my family members and my doctor were against it.
On June 11, 2009, nearly 40 of my family and friends gathered in the area close to where I would land while I headed up in the airplane. My instructor, Jay, guided me through the experience. The plane was the noisiest one I had ever been in, but I wasn’t frightened—I was really just looking forward to the experience. When we reached 13,000 feet, Jay instructed me to throw myself out of the plane. When we first hit the air, the wind was so strong that I could hardly breathe. For a second I thought, “What have I gotten myself into?” But then everything got calmer. We were in a free fall for about a minute before Jay opened the parachute（降落伞）, then we just floated downward for about five minutes. Being up in the clouds and looking at the view below was unlike anything I have ever felt—much better than the hot air balloon. I was just enjoying it.
Skydiving was really one of the greatest experiences of my life. I hope other people will look at me and realize that you don’t stop living just because you are 84 years old. If there’s something you want to experience, look into it. If it’s something that is possible, make it happen.
1.What happened to the author in 2001?
A. She flew an airplane.
B. She entered a competition.
C. She went on a hot air balloon ride.
2.The author mentioned George Bush Sr. in her essay to .
A. make her argument persuasive
B. show her admiration for him
C. compare their health condition
D. build up her own reputation
3. How did the author feel immediately after she jumped out of the plane?
A. Excited. B. Regretful. C. Nervous. D. Scared.
4.What did the author enjoy most when she was skydiving?
A. The beautiful clouds. B. The wonderful view.
C. The company of Jay. D. The one-minute free fall.
5.What is the best title of the passage?
A. Impossible is nothing. B. A dream made come true.
C. An unforgettable skydiving. D. I Went Skydiving at 84!
When milk arrived on the doorstep
When I was a boy growing up in New Jersey in the 1960s, we had a milkman delivering milk to our doorstep. His name was Mr. Basille. He wore a white cap and drove a white truck. As a 5-year-old boy, I couldn’t take my eyes off the coin changer fixed to his belt. He noticed this one day during a delivery and gave me a quarter out of his coin changer.
Of course, he delivered more than milk. There was cheese, eggs and so on. If we needed to change our order, my mother would pen a note----“Please add a bottle of buttermilk next delivery”----and place it in the box along with the empty bottles. And then, the buttermilk would magically appear.
All of this was about more than convenience. There existed a close relationship between families and their milkmen. Mr. Basille even had a key to our house, for those times when it was so cold outside that we put the box indoors, so that the milk wouldn’t freeze. And I remember Mr. Basille from time to time taking a break at our kitchen table, having a cup of tea and telling stories about his delivery.
There is sadly no home milk delivery today. Big companies allowed the production of cheaper milk, thus making it difficult for milkmen to compete. Besides, milk is for sale everywhere, and it may just not have been practical to have a delivery service.
Recently, I saw an old milk box in the countryside. I took it home and planted it on the back porch （门廊）. Every so often my son’s friends will ask what it is. So I start telling stories of my boyhood, and of the milkman who brought us friendship along with his milk.
1.Mr. Basille gave the boy a quarter out of his coin changer____.
A. to show his magical power
B. to pay for the delivery
C. to satisfy his curiosity
D. to please his mother
2.What does “this” in the third paragraph refer to?
A. The milkman’s magic power
B. The milkman’s kindness to me
C. The note to change an order
D. The home delivery service
3.What can be inferred from the fact that the milkman had the key to the boy’s house?
A. He wanted to have tea there.
B. He was a respectable person.
C. He was treated as a family member.
D. He was fully trusted by the family.
4.Why does home milk delivery no longer exist?
A. Nobody wants to be a milkman now.
B. It has been driven out of the market.
C. Its service is getting poor.
D. It is forbidden by law.
5.Why did the author bring back home an old milk box?
A. He missed the good old days.
B. He wanted to tell interesting stories.
C. He missed it for his milk bottles.
D. He planted flowers in it.
There are times when people are so tired that they fall asleep almost anywhere. We can see there is a lot of sleeping on the bus or train on the way home from work in the evenings. A man _____1_____(fold) the newspaper, and seconds later, ______2______ appears as if he is trying to eat it. Or he will fall asleep on the shoulder of the stranger _____3______ (sit) next to him. Another place where unplanned short sleep goes on is in the lecture hall _____4______ a student will start snoring（打鼾）so ____5______(loud) that the professor has to ask another student to keep the sleeper awake. _____6_____ more embarrassing situation occurs when a student starts falling into sleep and the weight of the head pushes the arm off the desk, and the ____7______ (move) carries the rest of the body along. The student wakes up on the floor ___8_____ no memory of getting there. The worst time to fall asleep is when driving. Police reports are full of accidents that occur when people fall into sleep and go __9____ the road. If the drivers are lucky, they are not seriously hurt. When people are really tired, _10____ will stop them from falling asleep ---- wherever they are.
Get Yourself Lost
Travelers to new cities are often told to start their trip with a bus tour. The thinking is that they can then ____1____ to the places that interested them. Nonsense! What you see from the____2____ of a moving bus is unreal and completely removed from the authentic sights, sounds and ____3____ outside.
Be adventurous! The best way to experience any place is ____4____ and with absolutely no travel ____5____. Simply go wherever your feet and your ____6____ lead you. You eventually will get to the same sites that are on the bus tour - the museums, the monuments city hall- but will have ____7____ much more. You will have felt the contemporary life of the city.
“But what if I get lost?” People might ask. No one gets ____8____ lost in a major city. Eventually, you can find your way back to a well-known location. If it frightens you to be “lost”, just find a taxi and go back to where you____9____. However, the nicest things can happen if you get lost. You stop at a sidewalk café to ____10____ and relax. You ask instructions of the local people at the ____11____ table. And even if they don’t speak your language, your trip becomes more ____12____ because of the experience.
So next time you see a poster advertising an introductory bus tour, ____13____ your money. Instead, wander on your own. I ____15____ you a time you’ll remember with great pleasure.
1.A. return B. come C. walk D. drive
2.A. backside B. inside C. outlook D. outlet
3.A. grasses B. flowers C. smells D. feelings
4.A. by car B. on foot C. by bike D. by plane
5.A. plan B. map C. money D. ticket
6.A. nose B. mouth C. habits D. interests
7.A. observed B. touched C. seen D. watched
8.A. uncertainly B. unluckily C. carelessly D. hopelessly
9.A. started B. went C. enjoyed D. left
10.A. talk B. stop C. laugh D. sit
11.A. next B. window C. front D. back
12.A. forgettable B. memorable C. reasonable D. acceptable
13.A. get B. spend C. save D. Waste
14.A.However B.So C.Instead D.Take it easy
15.A. wish B. give C. hope D. promise
