How the Grand Canyon (大峡谷) was created remains one of the geology’s greatest mysteries. Some evidence suggests that the process was a gradual one in which the Colorado River (which runs through the canyon) slowly cut deeper and deeper into the ground over millions of years. But volcanic rock samples taken from the canyon now suggest that the canyon was down-cut instead.
Down-cutting is when a flood of water rushes over a landscape (地形) with enough force to cut deeply into the ground and leaves behind a canyon. Such a flood is usually released when a natural or man-made dam (堤坝) bursts.
Robert Webb, a research geologist, says natural dams seem to have formed and broken across the Colorado River several times during the last million years. The dams were built when lava(熔岩) from the eruptions of nearby volcanoes flowed into the river. The lava hardened into hard rocks and blocked the river, causing it to back up and form a lake. Each time the lake grew so huge that it broke the rock dam, releasing a flash flood
that furthered the down-cutting process and deepened the canyon.
Down-cutting is not just an earthly event. Satellite photos sent back from Mars suggest th
at the process has happened there, too, say many other researchers.
The photos, taken by the Mars Global Surveyor, indicate that an enormous lake existed on Mars 3.5 billion years ago. The lake spilled into a large nearby hole. One edge of the hole broke, releasing a flash flood that quickly carved out a grand canyon.
The existence of down-cutting on Mars is just one more piece of evidence that the cold, dry planet was once warm and wet.
1.In the past, deep canyons were believed to have formed _______.
A. as a result of a sudden break of volcanoes
B. due to river flows over millions of years
C. owing to the burst of artificial dams
D. thanks to our ancestors’ creative work
2.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TURE?
A. Several volcanoes broke out on Mars directly creating grand canyons.
B. Several great lakes existed on the upper parts of the Colorado River.
C. People built high dams on the upper parts of the Colorado River.
D. The Colorado River crossed the Grand Canyon to form down-cutting.
3.From the last three paragraphs we learn that _______.
A. there are great lakes on Mars
B. there are active volcanoes on Mars
C. there might be cities on Mars
D. there might be life on Mars
4.The passage can be titled as _______.
A. Lakes on Earth and Mars
B. The Cause of Lake Formation
C. The Force of Dam Breaking
D. Canyons—Results of Flood Cutting
A man, who sometimes takes my bus, is in rags. His life seems different from that of the others. He looks exhausted and carries nothing. He appears along a downtown street, seemingly out of nowhere. We sometimes want to know where he sleeps at night.
A few weeks ago he boarded the bus. A few stops later, a young woman boarded. She swiped (刷) her bus-card, only to find the machine would not accept it. The driver told her to pay the $2.25 fare. “I just bought this card,” she said. “I paid the money...”
The driver said she could take the card back to the sales office and explain the problem. In the meantime she would have to pay the fare for that day. The woman became confused and distressed. The rest of us just watched, wondering how the problem would be solved. Suddenly the man rose from his seat, dropped a few coins into the fare box.
“You’re lucky,” the bus driver said quietly. “He paid for you.” Silence fell over the bus. The rest of us had watched the woman’s discomfort, but he felt it. We lawyers, journalists and business people headed downtown to help fix the world. He fixed her world.
I haven’t seen him since that day. Some people believe angels occasionally drop down and move among us. All I know is that I have a new respect for the simple act of kindness. It speeds us along on our way.
1.According to the fir
st paragraph, the author _______.
A. thinks highly of the manB. often gives the man some help
C. knows the man very wellD. considers the man strange
2. What does the underlined word “distressed” probably mean?
A. exitedB. generous C. bored D. anxious
3.What did the writer learn from the man?
A.to show concern for other people.
B.to lead a happy life like the man.
C.to share what he has with us.
D.to believe that people are born kind.
假设你是红星中学高三（1）班的学生李华。下面四幅图描述了上周一你和同学在上学路上发生的一个真实故事。请根据图片的先后顺序，为校刊“英语园地”写一篇短文。词数不少于60。
你的英国朋友Tom打算明年来北京学汉语，来信向你咨询如何才能学好汉语。请你根据以下提示回信。
1. 上中文课，跟老师和同学学习；
2. 多开口说，多与人交流；
3. 看中文电视，阅读中文书籍和报纸。
注意：1. 词数不少于50。
2. 可适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3. 开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。
Dear Tom,
____________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Mass Migration
Look up at the sky one autumn day and you might see a flock of birds in V-formation. 1. All summer, they have lived in the north where they made their nests, laid their eggs, hatched, and raised their young. Soon, snow and ice will cover all their northern breeding grounds, so they must migrate south where food is easier to find. It is necessary to create worldwide bird sanctuaries(保护区) before many of these species become extinct（灭绝）.
2. The Arctic tern travels 10,625 miles from one polar region to the other. This may be the longest migration of any animal on Earth. Not all birds migrate. Some are able to adapt to winter by changing their diets. 3. For most species, however, it is easier to migrate to climates that are not as severe.
Somehow, migrating birds know exactly where they are going and how to get there. It is amazing to think about how birds are able to return to the same place year after year. 4. Other scientists believe that migratory birds navigate by following certain coastlines, mountains, and rivers. However they do it, these amazing creatures always arrive in the right place at the right time. In the spring, they return to their nesting grounds up north to lay their eggs and care for their young.
It is important for the people of the world to protect the estuaries (河口)and wetlands . 5. With so many species of birds’ habitats threatened worldwide, our children may never be able to enjoy the beauty of these migrating wonders.
A. These birds stay in the same place all year.
B. They are important to endangered species.
C. Some birds travel great distances, crossing entire continents and oceans.
D. They are flying south where there is warmth and food during the winter.
E. Birds fly around the world according to the weather year around year.
F. Some scientists think it is possible for birds to use the stars to find their way.
G. The birds that migrate south in winter return to different places when weather is warm.
Did you know that there are actually people who have paid for a flight to the moon? In the future, there will be a lot more opportunities to travel to faraway places than now… perhaps even as far as the moon. As people adventure further and further away and as planes, trains, cars, and rocket ships become faster, is it safer to have these vehicles controlled by humans or by computers?
While many flights by plane are controlled automatically by machines, most people today wouldn’t let their car drive itself. That’s because currently the autopilot function on your car can only keep it on the same course you are travelling on. It won’t turn the car right or left. It won’t stop if an animal jumps in the way. However, cars today can sense when something is too close and warn the driver with flashing lights and alarms. Many cars also have GPS（global positioning systems） that tell drivers which road to take and when to turn. These systems, unlike human drivers, never get lost. In the future, it is easy to believe that your car will be better able to drive itself with the aid of computers that can determine the position of your car and the speed it should travel at.
In addition to computers being ‘smarter’ than people regarding the best way to go or knowing how close another vehicle is, computers don’t get sick, tired, or angry. This means they won’t make the same mistakes that people make when they are not having a good day. While responding with emotion is a good thing when choosing the best way to deal with a friend’s personal problem, it may not be such a good thing when deciding what to do at the wheel of a fast-moving vehicle.
So what are the disadvantages of autopilot systems? Maybe one disadvantage is that a small computer problem could cause a serious accident. It could also be argued that in unexpected situations, computers might not be able to respond appropriately; some decisions require human emotions. Another problem might be that if everything were controlled by computers or robots, people wouldn’t have any jobs.
1.What is the best title for the passage?
A. The Development of Autopilot
B. Technology of Future Travel
C. A New Driving System
D. Computerized Cars
2.Which of the following is the disadvantage of an autopilot system?
A. It won’t make the same mistakes as people do.
B. It can point out the best route for the driver.
C. It might not respond properly to unexpected situations.
D. It does not have human emotions to influence its function.
3.If some falling rocks roll down toward your car, the autopilot on your car will_______.
A. inform you of the danger
B. turn the car right or left
C. do nothing about it
D. stop the car
4.What’s the author’s attitude towards the autopilot?
A. Approving. B. Objective. C. Negative. D. Doubtful.
