NASA’s Mars detector (探测器), Opportunity, succeeded in finding signs that water once existed on the planet. Opportunity landed on Mars in January. Scientists now believe that the planet could once have supported life.
This discovery was chosen by Science, one of the world’s leading magazines, as the most important scientific achievement of 2004 last Friday.
“This little, wheeled, one-armed box went around another planet and has done something no human has ever managed,” according to Science. “It has discovered another place in the universe where life could once have existed.”
“Although we still can’t say that life could have existed in this environment, it is now certain that there was water on Mars,” said Steve Squyres, one of the scientists working on the Mars mission. The evidence comes from pictures and chemical readings taken by Opportunity. It includes marks on rocks like those caused by flowing water on Earth and salty chemicals like those found in dried-out sea-beds. Scientists said the new evidence proved beyond doubt that water has existed on Mars. But it is still unknown whether the water on Mars was like an ocean or just ice.
While Opportunity has not found any signs of life, the presence of water means life is possible. “In everything we know about life on Earth, there is no example without liquid water,” Squyres said. “So water is important for the search for life on Mars.”
Researchers agree that a future mission (任务) should bring back physical samples (样品). But some scientists worry about the risk that this could introduce dangerous foreign creatures to Earth. “The problem here is how to get the samples back,” Squyres replied. “I think it is our responsibility to limit any risk.”
1.________ prove that water existed on Mars.
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A．The physical samples with salty chemicals |
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B．The marks on rocks and salty chemicals |
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C．Scientific achievements of 2004 |
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D．Creatures from Mars |
2.Which of the following is TURE according to the text?
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A．It is now certain that there was water on Mars. |
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B．The water on Mars was like an ocean. |
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C．Evidence of life on Mars has been found. |
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D．Search for life on Mars is a great risk to humans. |
3.How did scientists draw the conclusion that there was water on Mars?
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A．The world’s leading magazine has announced the fact. |
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B．Scientists have taken many pictures and chemical readings on the Mars. |
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C．Astronauts have got some rocks from Mars. |
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D．Scientists have made a study of the pictures and readings sent back by Mars detector. |
4.It can be inferred that, if the creatures from Mars came to Earth, ________.
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A．they would be kind to humans |
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B．they would be cruel to humans |
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C．they would be a great danger to Earth |
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D．it would be hard to say whether it would be a good news or bad new |
Maybe it is true that we do not know what we have got until we lose it, but it is also true that we do not know what we have been missing until it arrives.
It takes an hour to like someone, and a day to love someone, but it takes a lifetime to forget someone. Giving someone all your love is never an assurance that they will love you back. Do not expect love in return; but if it does not, be content it has grown in yours. Do not rely on one’s appearance; it can trick you. Do not rely on wealth; even that fades away. Rely on someone who makes you smile, because it takes only a smile to make a dark day seem bright.
There are moments in life when you miss someone so much that you just want to pick them from your dreams and hug them. Dream what you want to dream; go where you want to go; be what you want to be, because you have only one life and one chance to do all the things you want to do.
The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past. You cannot go on well in life until you let your past failures and heartaches go off. May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trails to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy. The happiest of people do not necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. Happiness waits for those who cry, those appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives. Always put yourself in others’ shoes. If you feel that it hurts you, it probably hurts the other person, too.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that when you die, you are the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.
1.In this passage, the writer wants to tell us ______.
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A．what to do in our life |
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B．where to go with other persons |
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C．how to treat our life |
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D．how to get on well with other persons |
2.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
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A．If you give someone your love, you are sure to receive love in return. |
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B．We often don’t know what we have lost until it happens someday. |
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C．It is wise not to rely on anybody because you are likely to be cheated. |
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D．If it takes you a short time to love someone, you will easily forget the person. |
3.If you put yourself in another person’s position, ______.
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A．you shouldn’t do what will hurt other people |
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B．you should put on other people’s shoes |
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C．you should believe in other people |
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D．you should depend on your imagination |
4.In the last paragraph the writer is actually telling us that a person in the world should be one who ______.
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A．can accept the suggestions made by others |
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B．can live happily and forget the past |
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C．does good to other people and is respected and loved by them |
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D．has made a lot of money for himself before he dies |
TheUnitedStateshasaround475,000schoolbuses.Eachdaytheycarrymorethan25million children,halfofalltheschoolchildreninthecountry.
Thesebuses,onaverage,use4litersofdiesel(柴油)fueltotravellessthan16kilometers. When theschoolyearbeganlastfall,dieselaveraged55centsaliternationally.Thepricenearlydoubledby theendofschool inJune.
BobRileyisthespokesmanfortheAmericanSchoolBusCouncil.Hesaysfuelpricesnegotiated(商议) for schools arenot lower thanothers have to pay. Asaresult,schoolsarelookingfor waystoreducetransportationcosts.Busroutesarebeing redrawnor,insomecases,canceled.Someareas arebuyingbusesthatuse naturalgas orother alternativefuels.
Otherstepsincludefewerfieldtrips andlesstravel bysports teams.Someschool districtsmayend any busservicenotrequiredby law.
Studiesshowthatschoolbusesarethesafestform oftransportationtoandfrom school.
The AmericanSchoolBus Councilsayscutsinbus serviceare badfor childrenandpossiblythe environment.Itsaysremovingbusesfromtheroadwillmeananincreaseinothervehiclestransporting students. Spokesman Bob Riley saysanotherconcern is thatreducing busservicemightreduce attendance.
It couldalso getmorechildren to walkor bicycle to school.That wouldsurely makepeople happy attheNationalCenterforSafeRoutestoSchool.Morekidswalkingorbikingsafelytoschoolisthe aimofa3-year-oldfederal program,partofaninternationalmovement.Thegoalis toincreasephysical activity and reduce air pollution.
1.Inthesecondparagraph,theauthorwantsto provethat .
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A．toomany schoolchildren takebuses every day |
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B．thecost offuelhasincreased |
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C．theschoolbusesconsumemorefuelthanaverage |
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D．the school busesusuallygoon long routes |
2.Inthe thirdparagraph,what doesBobRiley mean'?
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A．Thefuel pricesforschool busesneed to be negotiated again. |
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B．High fuelprices are also affecting the efficiency of their services. |
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C．The fuelprices for school are much higher thanothers pay. |
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D．TheAmericanSchool BusCouncilshould workforstudents’benefit. |
3.Whatistheadvantage ofreducingschoolbusserviceaccordingto thepassage?
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A．Morefuelwillbesaved. |
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B．Studentscangotoschool inasaferway. |
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C．Studentscanexercisebywalkingorriding toschool. |
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D．Trafficjams willbereducedduringrushhour. |
4.Whatisthesixth paragraphmainly about?
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A．Bob Riley's concern about the resultsof reducing school buses. |
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B．Theconvenience brought by school buses. |
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C．Thebad effectsofreducingschool buses. |
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D．Thestudiesabout students'choicescarried out by theAmericanSchool BusCouncil. |
Traffic TV
Avoid the jams — see where tailbacks are before you set off and while on the move. Traffic TV is free to use on your personal computer and only £4 per month (see below for other network charges) on your mobile.
How does it work?
Over 7,500 Trafficmaster cameras monitor traffic flow on over 8,000 miles of motorways and roads across the UK keeping you up to date 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Traffic TV on your mobile
This downloadable application lets you see where jams are building up, the speed of vehicles at hotspots, and live pictures from thousands of roadside cameras.
Traffic TV is £4 a month for Orange mobile customers, after a 30 day free trial. On other networks Traffic TV is £5 a month, after a 7 day free trial.
Listen to live traffic news
Don’t want the download? Then simply dial the numbers below from your mobile to hear the latest traffic updates.
＊Orange mobile users call 177 (calls cost up to 55p a minute)
＊Other mobile users call 1740 (calls cost up to 59p a minute)
Help friends avoid jams
Simply enter your friend’s email address to send them a link to this service.
1.You may read this advertisement most probably ___________.
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A．in a travel guide |
B．on a web page |
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C．on a road sign |
D．in a newspaper |
2.How long may a customer use the service if his/her network is Orange and pays £20?
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A．About 120 days. |
B．About 127 days. |
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C．Five months. |
D．Six months. |
3.What is the purpose of this advertisement?
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A．To provide readers with live traffic information. |
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B．To help Orange customers to avoid traffic jam. |
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C．To attract mobile users to buy Traffic TV service. |
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D．To explain how Traffic TV and live traffic news work. |
4.How can users get live traffic information?
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A．By telephone or through Internet. |
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B．By watching a TV programme. |
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C．By listening to the radio report. |
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D．By 7,500 Trafficmaster cameras. |
More than a hundred adults and kids gather for the Star Party on a cold evening, chattering excitedly as they stand in the dark on a Virginia hillside. The odd thing is, no one has turned on a flashlight, and no streetlights or house lights wink(闪烁) on around them.
These people have traveled to the countryside more than an hour from Washington, D. C., to get away from the glow of city lights. That's because they are attending a star party. Star parties are gatherings where professional and amateur astronomers set up their telescopes and invite people to come learn about the night sky. Getting away from light pollution, or artificial skylight from buildings for example, helps stargazers (看星星的人) see objects in the sky much better.
At this star party, Sean O'Brien of the National Air and Space Museum’s Einstein Planetarium starts off by asking the crowd to simply look up and take in all they can see. He points out plenty of things that can be seen without special equipment. Stars, satellites, and even the Andromeda galaxy(仙女座) can be found if you know where to look.
After that, several dozen astronomers offer close-up views. Each has focused their telescope on a different part of the sky. As kids take a look, the owner gives a mini-lesson.
O’Brien says you can have your own star party at home and learn a lot just by paying attention to what's happening up above. "Watch the sky as the seasons pass, and you will see that it changes," he says. "Or start with the moon. Notice when and where you are seeing it—maybe even in the early morning while you wait for the school bus. "
1.What was it special about the Star Party ?
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A．It was organized by the local authority. |
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B．It was carried out without any lights. |
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C．It was so cold that people chatted to cheer up. |
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D．It was held in the town center of Virginia |
2.According to the passage, who were involved in the activity ?
a. some invited guests
b. some government officials
c. some experts in astronomy
d. those who were interested in astronomy
e. students who were major in agriculture
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A．a, c, d |
B．a, d, e |
C．b, d, e |
D．c, d, e |
3.From the passage, we can infer that if you want to see the objects in the sky .
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A．you'd better escape from pollution and sunlight |
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B．you'd better follow Sean O'Brien's guidance |
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C．you'd better buy some advanced equipment |
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D．you'd better make use of your imagination |
4.Which of the following can be best describe what O'Brien says about discovering the stars'?
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A．Roman is not built in a day. |
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B．No pains, no gains. |
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C．All roads lead to Roman. |
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D．Time and tide wait for no man. |
A farm planted levels or floors is called a vertical（垂直的）farm. A skyscraper type building can house a vertical farm. Since the garden is built upwards，rather than outwards，it requires much less space than a conventional farm.
The world is quickly running out of room for conventional farming. Vertical farms could be a key to this situation. An 18story vertical farm could feed as many as 50,000 people，all in an area which is the size of the average city block. Vertical farms in the city could cut down on transportation costs as well. Think about the amount of fuel it takes to transport food from farmland to city. The resources saved would be surprising. Besides saving travel time，food would be delivered in fresher condition and with less damage.
There is a growing concern about the use of pesticides(杀虫剂) in agriculture today. But the vertical farm would be a greenhouse type environment, avoiding the need for a large number of pesticides. Vertical farms can be built in a contained space，therefore they are an excellent solution for living well in an environment far different from our own. Hydroponics(水耕法) could be a big part of vertical gardening. This would reduce the amount of soil needed to grow food. Of course，not all food does well with this type of planting，but there are many crops that actually seem to do better.
In some climates，a lack of sunlight creates a short growing season. The solar power option may not work as well here. The addition of grow lights would make it possible to grow crops in vertical gardens in these areas .In other words，we could grow crops in areas where we never could before.
Vertical farms may just be a concept for now，but they are a concept that will solve many of our problems in the future.
1.According to the passage, a vertical farm________.
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A．is mainly built outwards |
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B．is dependent on solar power |
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C．is planted on levels upwards |
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D．is only an environmental friendly farm |
2.Compared to the conventional farm, the vertical farm can________.
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A．depend far less on sunlight |
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B．greatly increase the use of soil |
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C．help to protect the limited gardens |
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D．reduce the use of harmful pesticides |
3.It can be learned from the passage that vertical farms________.
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A．have been put into use |
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B．only use hydroponics to grow food |
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C．need less room than conventional farms |
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D．may increase the transportation costs |
4.What would be the best title for the passage?
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A．Vertical farms for our future |
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B．Ways to deal with future problems |
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C．Vertical farms and green skyscrapers |
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D．Making Full Use of Our Limited Land |
