Mars(火星) appears to be flowing with small streams of salty water, at least in the summer, scientists reported Monday. “It suggests that it would be possible for there to be life today on Mars,” NASA’s science mission chief, John Grunsfeld, said at a news conference on September 28, 2015.
The streams are about 12 to 15 feet wide and 300 feet or more long, scientists said. “What we’re dealing with is wet soil, thin layers of wet soil, not standing water,” said Aifred McEwen of the University of Arizona at Tueson, the principal scientist for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s high-resolution imaging experiment.
Because liquid water is essential to life, the findings could have major implications for the possibility of Martian life. The researchers said further exploration is needed to determine whether microscopic life exists on the planet.
The presence of liquid water could also make life easier for astronauts visiting or living on Mars. Water could be used for drinking and for creating oxygen and rocket fuel. NASA’s goal is to send humans there in the 2030s.
The evidence of flowing water consists largely of dark, narrow streaks(条痕) on the surface that tend to appear and grow during the warmest Martian months and fade the rest of the year.
Mars is extremely cold even in summer, and the streaks are in places where the temperature is as low as minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit. But salt can lower the freezing point of water and melt ice.
The source of the water is a mystery. Scientists noted it could be melting ice. It could be an underground aquifer, which is rock or sand that can hold water. It is possibly water vapor from the thin Martian atmosphere. Or it may be a combination Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA’s Mars exploration program, said the only definitive way for now to determine whether there’s life on Mars is to collect rocks and soil for analysis on Earth—something a U. S. lander set for lift-off in 2020 will do.
1.According to John Grunsfeld, there seems to be on Mars.
A.salty water B.standing water
C.rocket fuel D.human beings
2.Scientists are uncertain about the of the water on Mars．
A.state B.source
C.temperature D.taste
3.What matters to the existence of liquid water on Mars?
A.The distance from the sun B.The favorable climate
C.The gravity of the earth D.The salt in it
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A.Streams of Water Spotted on Mars
B.Astronauts will Land on Mars
C.NASA’s Mars Exploration Program
D.A Breakthrough in the Exploration of Mars
Joanna Cole, born on August 11, 1944 in Newark, New Jersey, has been credited to be one of the most popular children’s authors of all time. She has written over 250 books and is famous for writing one of the most popular children's book series. She knew as early as 5th grade that she was interested in writing and science. Cole has owed a large part of her passion to one of her elementary school teachers.
Joanna Cole continued her education by attending the University of Massachusetts and Indiana. She would eventually earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the City College of New York in 1967; after graduation Cole decided to take some education courses to become a librarian at a Brooklyn elementary school in 1967. Eventually, she would take jobs working for Newsweek, Seesaw book club.
Cole’s passion for writing and science was still alive and well during this time. In 197l she decided to write her first book, Cockroaches. She did some research and discovered there had never been a book written for children about cockroaches. So she thought she would be the first.
Cole struck gold when she wrote the first Magic School Bus in 1985. The book would go on to be published the following year and quickly became book series and cartoon series due to its success.
Cole continued to write both non-fiction and fiction books for children. She writes in a way that will hopefully inspire children to think like a scientist. She does this by writing ideas instead of just facts. She also tries to ask questions in her books that require children to think and discover the answers as they read. This creates an engaging experience for children, so it is no wonder why younger readers are hooked on her books.
1.When Joanna Cole was young, she ________.
A. was very popular with children
B. got inspired by one of her teachers
C. began her career of writing novels
D. knew what she would do in the future
2.What does the underlined phrase probably mean?
A. Made a fortune. B. Made a promise.
C. Got ideas. D. Obtained help.
3.What do we know about Joanna Cole?
A. She is the most famous woman writer in America.
B. She writes novels not only for kids but for adults.
C. She is an expert at getting science across to readers.
D. She has made great contributions to science.
4.What kind of person is Cole in the passage?
A. Positive and brave. B. Popular and reliable.
C. Serious and honest. D. Talented and creative.
Book: No Looking Back
Author: Shivani Gupta
Shivani had thrown a party one evening and awoke the next morning in hospital because of a car crash. It took Shivani years of pain, struggle and determination to regain control of her life and her body. Then tragedy struck again. As the newly-married Shivani drove to Manali with her family, a truck crashed into her car. Shivani refused to give in-she wouldn’t let her injury keep her from achieving her ambitions.
Book: Courage Beyond Compare
Author: Sanjay Sharma
The 10 sportspersons in the book are champions in diverse fields like athletics, swimming, and badminton, who have brought glory to the country. They overcame their physical limitations to reach the top of their chosen fields.
Book: Face to Face
Author: Ved Mehta
Blind since the age of four, the author led a lonely childhood in India until he was accepted to the Arkansas School for the Blind, to which he flew alone at 15. America and the school changed his life, leading him to degrees at Oxford and Harvard and a fruitful writing career.
Book: This Star Won’s Go Out
Author: Lori and Wayne Earl
Diagnosed with cancer at 12, Esther Earl was a bright and talented, but very normal teenager. She lived a hope-filled and generous life. A cheerful, positive and encouraging daughter, sister and friend, Esther died in 2010, shortly after turning 16, but not before inspiring thousands through her growing online presence.
1.The book No Looking Back mainly talks about________.
A.an unlucky girl who experienced two car accidents
B.10 disabled athletes who are champions in sports field
C.a successful author who was blind during his childhood
D.an inspiring teenager who died of cancer
2.When reading the book written by Sanjay Sharma, we will______.
A.find the author is a sports lover B.get inspired by the sportspersons’ spirits
C.be proud to be a sportsperson D.find sportspersons are full of power
3.In which book does the author tell of himself?
A.Face to Face B.This Star Won’t Go Out
C.Courage Beyond Compare D.No Looking Back
阅读下面短文，根据所给情节进行续写，使之构成一个完整的故事。
It was 1st January, the first day of the year and a holiday for me. What luck! I decided to withdraw some money from the bank, The bank person, an elderly gentleman with a white beard, replied indifferently as usual to my polite “Happy New Year.” He nodded and I sat in front of him.
Minutes passed but he didn’t raise his head.
Then very hesitantly I put my form and booklet in front of him. He was busy filling up entries in his register. After a few minutes he took my form and from his cabinet he took out a very thick file, from which he started filling in my details, I sat there wondering why we had computerized banking if we were still filling in forms and register.
After waiting for a few more minutes, in which I showed all signs of being impatient, I asked him if my work was done. The moment I said the words, I felt as if a bomb had fallen on him. He shouted, “Nothing is done, it will take time!”
Just then I saw his morning cup of tea which had been lying there for the last ten minutes, untouched. The tea had tuned almost cold while he was doing his work. Suddenly I felt what this man, who had been working at this counter for the last God-knows-how-many years, must be feeling when customers like me come who are always in a hurry to get their work done. We do not even feel the need to thank them for being there, He must be feeling so anxious that “here comes another person who will push me for doing his work first.”
注意：
1. 所续写短文的词数应为150左右；
2. 至少使用5个短文中标有下划线的关键词语；
3. 续写部分分为两段，每段的开头语已为你写好；
4. 续写完成后，请用下划线标出你所使用的关键词语。
Paragraph 1:
Thinking of this, I told him, “Sir, you please hare your tea, I am not in a hurry.”
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:
What he said really touched my heart.
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假定你是学生会主席李华，你校英语社团排练的话剧 The Million Pound Note在市话剧比赛中获得一等奖。请给已回国的外教 Susan写封邮件，内容包括：
1. 表达感谢；
2. 回顾 Susan的指导；
3. 表达祝愿。
注意：1. 词数80左右；
2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
参考词汇：排练： rehearse vt.
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阅读下面材料，在空白处填入1个适当的内容或括号内单词的正确形式。
With fewer than 2, 000 giant pandas left in the wild, the sighting of one of the lovely animals is a cause for 1. (celebrate). However, the one recently spotted walking through a bamboo forest in China’s Sichuan Province is even more so, 2. (consider) that it is the worlds first known all-white panda!
It 3. (spot) by an infrared (红外线的) camera set up to monitor the wildlife in the Wolong National Nature Reserve on May 25, 2019, 4. is also home to China’s first giant panda breeding and research center. Wolong officials estimate the panda, whose sex is hard 5. (determine) from the photo, is between one and two years old.
6. is generally believed that the giant pandas unique black and white coloring allows it to blend in with the snow during winter or to hide in the shade during summer. Some 7. (scientist) also believe the dark circles around the eyes help the panda bears recognize each other. 8. (lucky), the lack of markings does not seem to have affected the all-white panda so far.
The researchers say albino (白化病) animals are rare in general. That’s because it can only happen if both parents carry the gene. With so few specimens of panda bears left in the world, the possibility of that happening is almost next 9. impossible. Researchers believe if its offspring can be photographed, it will be 10. (value) for further research.
