As the first woman Chancellor(总理) in German’s history, Angela Merkel topped Forbes magazine’s list of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.She has even been compared to Margaret Thatcher and many people called her “Iron Lady”．
Merkel was born in Hamburg, West Germany, on July 17, 1954.Six weeks after she was born, her family moved to Templin. As a small child, Merkel quickly learned to speak but took longer to walk. “I was a stupid person when it came to moving？” Merkel said. “A normal person could do something naturally, but I had to think about it in my mind and practice.” As a teenager, she was the top student and graduated from high school with perfect marks. In 1973, Merkel went to the University of Leipzig, where she studied physics. At 32, she got her doctor’s degree in physics.
She stepped_into_politics in 1989.In her first big political job as Minister for the Environment in 1994, her scientific background and strong will proved very useful. In 2005 she became Germany’s Chancellor. She has been reelected to a second term as German Chancellor on September 27, 2009.
Through her political career, Merkel’s persistence (坚持) and patience helped her a lot. “She’s bright and openminded,” said Hubert Markl. “She is the person who wants to know exactly what is going on, and how never giving up will influence our society and future.”
1.As a small child, Merkel was slow in ________.
A．speaking B．walking C．learning D．thinking
2.The underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 most probably means “________”．
A．fought the government B．began her scientific career
C．offered political guidance D．became a government official
3.We can infer from the passage that Angela Merkel ________.
A．is a powerful woman with a strong will and determination
B．got her doctor’s degree in politics in University of Leipzig
C．has worked as German Chancellor since Sep.27, 2009
D．showed her best talent as Minister for the Environment
4.In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express ________.
A．one must be brave in the political career
B．one should be patient when making decisions
C．persistence can help one’s dream come true
D．one can have a strong will when others haven’t
5.What’s the author’s attitude toward Angela Merkel?
A．Admiring. B．Thankful. C．Pitiful . D．Dull.
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 industry!
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 Paragraph1?
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 Paragraph2?
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．potential resources C．unexpected benefits D．physical possessions
4.What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets?
A．Our genetic makeup． B．Resources on the earth．
C．The adaptive ability of humans． 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.
Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. She was kind. People always seemed to feel comfortable in her presence. For years, she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home with her where she taught a ceramic class.
On one summer day, Mama told me to get changed and meet her at the car.
I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? I imagined the cool lake water. Irritated, I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. We sat in silence. I was too upset to make conversation.
“Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?” Mama asked calmly.
“No,” I said.
“We are going to volunteer at a children’s shelter today. I have been there before and I think it would benefit you,” she explained.
When we reached the shelter, Mama rang the doorbell. Moments later, we were greeted by a woman. She led us to the front room where all of the children were playing. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with iron marks. I was told it was because she wouldn’t stop crying. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars. Others hid their emotional wounds.
As I took in my surroundings, I felt a gentle tug on my shirt. I looked down to see a little girl looking up at me. “Hi. You want to play dolls with me?” she asked. I looked over at Mama for reinforcement. She smiled and nodded. I turned back and said, “Sure.” Her tiny hand reached up and held mine, as if to comfort me.
My mom taught me a valuable lesson that summer. I returned to the shelter with her several times. During those visits, some of the children shared their troubled pasts with me and I learned to be grateful for what I had. Today as I strive to instill (逐渐灌输) these values in my own child, I reflect back to that experience. It was a time that I will never forget.
1.The author admired her mom for ________.
A．her kindness to others B．her excellent teaching
C．her quality of honesty D．her positive attitude to life
2.According to Paragraph 3, when she was asked to go out with her mom, the author was ________.
A．excited B．angry C．surprised D．worried
3.From the passage we learn most children in the shelter ________.
A．were often punished by staff B．weren’t allowed to go outside
C．were once treated badly D．all suffered from mental illness
4.The underlined word “reinforcement” in the passage is closest in meaning to “________”.
A．truth B．help C．comfort D．support
5.What lesson did the author learn from her experience?
A．To value what you take for granted. B．To play with children is fun.
C．To love others is to love yourself. D．To do as what your parents do.
Long long ago, there was a small village．This village had a 31 tradition．At the beginning of every year, any boy who had reached the age of majority (成年) was given land and money to build a home．The boy had to 32 his home before winter．If his home failed to endure the cold weather in winter, the villagers could not 33 him in any way．
One 34 , Paul and Marc reached their majority．They 35 their land and money and decided to search nearby villages for ideas on building their homes．In each village, they found the nicest 36 and talked to the owners．Each owner gladly offered 37 ．
After Marc saw several homes, he 38 the best ideas and went back to his own land．Paul, however, continued collecting more ideas．Soon he had so many great ideas that he began to 39 some of them．But he always believed he could find even better ideas in the next village．
Marc began building his home．He had several false starts, 40 his home gradually rose from his land．By fall, Marc had finished his home．It wasn't perfect，but it was strong and he could 41 it later. Paul enjoyed all the beautiful homes and 42 with home owners．The first snow came and Paul, realizing he was running out of time, 43 back to his land．He built the best home he could in the time he had, but it was weak．The first winter storm destroyed his home and he froze to 44 ．The villagers mourned for him．
Marc survived the winter．Each year, Marc searched for other good ideas he could use to make his own home look better．He became a leader in the village, 45 a family, and lived a happy, content life．
1. A．strange B．hopeful C．literary D．cultural
2. A．find B．make C．complete D．buy
3. A．help B．encourage C．scold D．persuade
4. A．winter B．summer C．autumn D．spring
5. A．exchanged B．received C．recognized D．advice
6. A．girls B．jobs C．houses D．presents
7. A．rooms B．drinks C．attention D．advice
8. A．expected B．gathered C．created D．understood
9. A．forget B．believe C．replace D．doubt
10. A．because B．although C．but D．so
11. A．repair B．rebuild C．sell D．improve
12. A．conversations B．achievements C．struggles D．arguments
13. A．drove B．rushed C．flew D．moved
14. A．blindness B．death C．sadness D．illness
15. A．brought B．earned C．contacted D．raised
Mr. Smith suggested the student ___ to be given a prize.
A．refer B．referred C．referring D．would refer
Nobody in our class but Tom and I ___ that our monitor is going abroad for further education.
A．know B．am to know C．have known D．knows
