Participants in an online forum were asked whether space exploration was worthwhile. Here are some of the comments they posted:
Planet Girl 7.17 pm
Our world is damaged by war, hunger and poverty. Billions of people struggle just to survive from day to day. Meanwhile the US space agency has US $16 billion to play with every year. We must deal with the world’s urgent problems. Space exploration is a luxury we cannot afford.
Dragon 7.18 pm
That $16 billion spent on space is nothing compared to the $370 billion spent on the military.
JJ 7.20 pm
Exploring space is investing in the future. Everyone knows we’re running out of resources. There’s massive over-population too. The solar system has heaps of resources we can use for mining, and maybe we can explore other planets. If we don’t do it now, it might be too late.
Planet Girl 7.22 pm
We have to settle problems of over-population and resource consuming here on Earth, instead of chasing science fiction dreams. Otherwise we will just export our unsustainable lifestyle to another planet. We might consume the whole universe!!
JJ 7.23 pm
Space explorers rock! They know what they are in for, and they still do it anyway. That’s what I call courage! We humans have always struggled to expand our horizons. We want to know what else is out there. Who knows, maybe we’ll discover the solution to all our problems out there!
Switched-on 7.25 pm
Space exploration has had a huge effect on our lives. Want to talk to someone halfway around the world? Sure. Get the weather forecast? Coming right up. Check exactly where you are? Absolutely. It’s all possible, thanks to satellite technology, global positioning systems, and the rest. If there was no space exploration, we’d be sitting around in the dark, not talking online!
Penny 7.50 pm
Satellites are launched by private companies — for profit. Planet Earth doesn’t always benefit. Exploring remote planets certainly does not contribute to life on Earth.
1.The underlined sentence (Par.2) means that space exploration is_________.
A.expensive but necessary
B.expensive and unnecessary
C.very important but too expensive
D.not very important but affordable
2.What is Dragon’s opinion?
A.The cost of space exploration is too much.
B.Planet Girl’s idea is acceptable.
C.Space exploration is worthwhile.
D.The military is more useful than space exploration.
3.What is the most likely reason that JJ does not discuss the cost of space exploration?
A.He agrees that space exploration costs too much.
B.He does not know how much space exploration costs.
C.He thinks space exploration is worthwhile, whatever the cost.
D.He knows Planet Girl is wrong about the cost of space exploration.
4.Which aspect of space exploration does Switched-on mainly write about?
A.Its cost to the community.
B.Its effect on environment.
C.Its contribution to technology in everyday life.
D.Its capacity to serve people in their everyday life.
5.What is one point that Planet Girl and JJ are most likely to agree about?
A.Living on other planets is a real possibility.
B.Spending money on war is unnecessary.
C.Space exploration encourages creativity.
D.Earth’s resources are fast disappearing.
One student took a box of chicken to class. Another carried on a cell-phone_______, and still another whistled loudly every time the_______turned his back. Reform school? No. College.
More and more, professors say, they are _______ across rude students in their classrooms. Many of today’s young scholars arrive late, leave_______, talk loud or take care of personal _______ such as paying bills during class.
Why are the students behaving badly? “Because they can,” said a student of University of North Texas. “A lot of the time, the professors _______them get away with it.”
Some educators say it is time to bring politeness back to their classrooms — and even_______taking some of the blame for bad behavior. They say that_______ students are by no means the majority but that one of them can ruin an entire_______.
People are ________when they learn that impolite behavior is becoming more and more common in ________education, says Dr. Gerald Amanda, a counselor at City College of San Francisco. They ________ some high school students to misbehave but think those who get to ________ will behave more politely.
Dr. Amanda believes that society in ________ has become more tolerant of rude behavior ________ that people in power, including professors, no longer ________ standards for politeness. That leads to a growing imprudence among some college________. “There’s a great ________ of bad behavior in the world around them, and young people see it and ________ disrespect,” said Dr. Amanda, ________ that sometimes students have no idea that they are being rude.
1.A.look B.news C.picture D.conversation
2.A.professor B.chick C.monitor D.classmate
3.A.getting B.coming C.cheating D.moving
4.A.alone B.early C.happily D.quietly
5.A.appearance B.interest C.computer D.affairs
6.A.let B.ask C.persuade D.lead
7.A.risk B.mind C.avoid D.start
8.A.rude B.poor C.beautiful D.good
9.A.lesson B.classmate C.subject D.class
10.A.moved B.inspired C.surprised D.encouraged
11.A.lower B.junior C.higher D.younger
12.A.expect B.want C.forbid D.warn
13.A.profession B.school C.knowledge D.college
14.A.motion B.time C.charge D.general
15.A.but B.so C.or D.and
16.A.set B.change C.break D.reach
17.A.teachers B.professors C.leaders D.students
18.A.deal B.number C.kind D.sum
19.A.prepare B.respect C.develop D.escape
20.A.speaking B.warning C.adding D.wishing
His food ______, the man had to come out of his hiding place.
A.run out B.was run out
C.running out D.using up
My mother’s health ______ under the pressure of a big project and she had to see the doctor.
A.broke up B.broke away C.broke out D.broke down
— Shall we set out at five sharp in the morning?
— No, don’t ring me up that early. I ______ .
A.sleep B.will be sleeping C.am sleeping D.will sleep
Oh, it’s so hot in here . Somebody ______ the window, please.
A.opens B.open C.shall open D.will open
