The earth is the only planet that scientists think has life. Why does the earth have life while the other planets (行星) don't? For one thing, the earth is just the right temperature. As the_third_planet from the sun, the earth seems to be just the right distance away. The planets which are closer to the sun are hot that their surfaces bake (烘烤) in the sun. The farthest planets are cold balls.
When the earth developed — which scientists believe may have happened about 4 billion years ago — many gases covered the earth. The gases caused the earth to be hot. But something wonderful happened. The temperature was just right for thick clouds to form. It rained very hard for a very long time. This gave the earth its oceans. Water made it possible for plants to grow. The plants created oxygen in the atmosphere. Oxygen is the gas that humans and animals breathe.
Only one other planet in the solar system seems to be something like the earth. That planet is Mars (火星). Mars is smaller than the earth, and it is quite a bit cooler. But it is not too cold for humans. On some days, the temperatures are as low as a winter day in the northern United States. If you wore a special space suit, you could walk around on Mars. You would have to bring your own air to breathe, the air on Mars is too thin to breathe.
Mars has the largest volcano (火山) in the solar system. It is sixteen miles high. The highest volcano on the earth is five miles high. The most unexpected (未预测到的) sight on Mars is dried up river beds. Scientists believe that Mars was once much better than it is now. Does this mean there could have been living things on Mars? Scientists are not sure, but there has been no sign so far.
1.Which of the following is NOT the reason that the earth has life?
A. The earth is just the right temperature.
B. The volcanos on earth are lower than those on Mars.
C. There is oxygen in the atmosphere of the earth.
D. The earth seems to be just the right distance away from the sun.
2.The underlined phrase “the third planet” in the first paragraph refers to ________.
A. the Sun B. the Moon
C. the Earth D. the Mars
3.Which of the following about the Mars is NOT true?
A. There could have been living things on Mars.
B. Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system.
C. There is almost no oxygen in the air on Mars.
D. Mars is smaller than the earth, and it is quite a bit cooler.
There are a number of different ways to study a language, each of which has advantages and 
disadvantages. You may find a combination of these is a best choice for you.
If you can find a course in the language you want to learn in your country, this is quite a good way to study. A variety of courses are usually available, including part-time and full-time courses. If you look around, you can probably find a course that suits your needs.
The main advantage of such courses is that you’ll have a teacher to provide you with instructions, support and with whom to practice your language. You will also be studying with others who are at more or less the same level and you can exchange ideas with them and help one another.
One choice is to study a language in a country where it’s spoken. There are many schools teaching English, French, Spanish, Italian and German, but far f
ewer teaching other languages. The main advantage of studying abroad is that you are totally in the language, not just in class, but the rest of the time as well. As a result, you can make rapid progress.
The main disadvantage of studying abroad is the cost, not just of your course, but also of your food and travel. However, if you’re a native speaker of English, you could get a job teaching English in a country where the language you want to learn is spoken.
Studying online is also a good choice. There are plenty to choose from a lot of languages. Many are free but there are some you have to pay for. Some of the paid ones provide support from teachers via email, chat programs, video conferencing, telephone or even face to face.
1.Studying in your country has many advantages except that _____.
A. there are many courses to choose from
B. you can study with others of the same level
C. all the courses are free of charge
D. the teacher can offer you instructions and practice
2.Compared with two other ways, the obvious disadvantage of studying abroad lies in its _____.
A. various courses B. high cost C. studying time D. job chances
3.The online courses ________.
A. are all free of charge
B. can’t be found everywhere
C. can be easily taken on the Internet
D. are all supported by teachers
4.What can we learn from this passage? ________
A. Studying abroad is the only good way to study English.
B. All the online courses are very easy to study.
C. If you study a language in your own country, you can study with more partners of the same level.
D. You can get any job you like after studying abroad.
February has long been a month of romance. With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine’s Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in the third century Rome. When the emperor (皇帝) decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn’t allow marriage. But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret. When his actions were discovered, the emperor sentenced him to death. While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard. Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”, an expression that is still in use today. Valentine died for what he believed in and so he was made a Saint (圣徒), as well as becoming one of history’s most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine’s Day is also popular among Chinese young people. Some students are planning to make Valentine’s cards for parents, teachers and friends. Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart-shaped cakes. The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St. Valentine.
1.Why did the emperor in Rome not allow marriage in his country?
A. 
Because there were few women in his country at that time.
B. Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers.
C. Because there wasn’t enough food for so many people.
D. Because he wanted to control the birth rate.
2.Valentine was put into prison because ______.
A. he killed one of the soldiers
B. he stole a lot of food
C. he didn’t obey the emperor’s order
D. he didn’t want to be a soldier
3.The last paragraph mainly tells us ______.
A. students in China send cards to their teachers
B. it is a good idea to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
C. it is interesting to celebrate Valentine’s Day in China
D. Valentine’s Day is also popular in China now
4.The best title for this passage should be ______.
A. Valentine’s Day B. A Brave Priest
C. Valentine’s Day in China D. A Romantic Man
阅读下面短文, 从短文后所给各题的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出可以填入空白的最佳选项。
The Voice of America began during the World WarⅡ. When Germany was broadcasting a radio program to get international , American officials believed they should the German broadcast with words that they thought were the facts of world events. The first VOA news report began with words in . “The may be good or bad, but we shall tell you the truth.” Within a week, other VOA were broadcasting in Italian, French and English.
After the World WarⅡended in 1945, some Americans felt VOA’s had to be changed, the Soviet Union became enemy of America．They wanted to Soviet listeners. Then VOA began broadcasting in Russian.
In the early years VOA began adding something new to its broadcast that was “ Music USA”. Another new idea came along in 1959．VOA knew that many listeners did not know English to completely understand its English broadcast. So VOA a simpler kind of English, uses about 1,500 words and is spoken of course, it is special English.
In the of most VOA listeners, the most program is the news report. News from around the world into the VOA news rooms in Washington 24 hours a day. It comes from VOA reporters in cities and also from other like BBC．VOA writers and editors use these materials to news reports, which are being broadcast in 43 languages.
1.A．business B．culture 
C. support D．information
2.A．reply B．answer C．join D．interrupt
3.A．same B．short C．English D．German
4.A．news B．problems C．effects D．opinions
5.A．stations B．news C．announcers D．officials
6.A．home B．position C．purpose D．results
7.A．if B．supposing C．considering D．in order that
8.A．reach B．satisfy C．attack D．support
9.A．known B．reported C．called D．printed
10.A．American B．British C．standard D．enough
11.A．normal B．fast C．good D．exact
12.A．invented B．discovered C．taught D．stopped
13.A．it B．who C．which D．that
14.A．slowly B．rapidly C．normally D．loudly
15.A．pleasure B．course C．opinion D．advice
16.A．difficult B．important C．various D．common
17.A．flies B．sends C．delivers D．pasts
18.A．all B．major C．American D．news
19.A．broadcasts B．forms C．newspapers D．countries
20.A．broadcast B．announce C．translate D．prepare
— I failed my driving test again.
— Don't be discouraged. You'll be successful ________.
A. at times B. at one time C. on time D. in time
The question was so ________ that there was a ________ expression on the teacher's face.
A. puzzled; puzzling B. puzzled; puzzled
C. puzzling; puzzled D. puzzling; puzzling
