One of the qualities that most people admire in others is the willingness to admit one's mistakes. It is extremely hard sometimes to say a simple thing like “I was wrong about that,”and it is even harder to say,“I was wrong,and you were right about that.”

I had an experience recently with someone admitting to me that he had made a mistake fifteen years ago. He told me he had been the manager of a certain grocery store in the neighborhood where I grew up,and he asked me if I remembered the egg cartons (箱子).Then he related an incident and I began to remember clearly the incident he was describing.

I was about eight years old at the time,and I had gone into the store with my mother to do the weekly grocery shopping. On that day,I must have found my way to the dairy (乳品的) food department where the incident took place.

There must have been a special sale on eggs that day because there was an impressive display of eggs in dozen and halfdozen cartons. The cartons were stacked(堆放) three or four feet high.I must have stopped in front of a display to admire the stacks. Just then a woman came by pushing her grocery cart and knocked off the stacks of cartons. For some reason,I decided it was up to me to put the display back together,so I went to work.

The manager heard the noise and came rushing over to see what had happened.When he appeared,I was on my knees examining some of the cartons to see if any of the eggs were broken,but to him it looked as though I was the criminal.He severely scolded me and wanted me to pay for any broken eggs.I protested(抗议)my innocence and tried to explain,but it did no good. Even though I quickly forgot all about the incident,obviously the manager did not.

1.The author was ________ when he wrote this article.

A.about 8 B.about 18

C.about 23 D.about 15

2.Who should have been blamed for knocking off the stacks of cartons?

A.The author. B.The manager.

C.The woman. D.The author's mother.

3.When the manager scolded him,the author ________.

A.was frightened and cried

B.felt the manager was right

C.did not say anything

D.tried to explain

4.It can be inferred that the author ________.

A.regrets arguing with the manager for what he didn't do

B.has forgiven the manager for what he did to him fifteen years ago

C.would like to tell people never to be fooled by an egg sale

D.expects the woman to say sorry to him for the mistake she made

Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth?These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked.

Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup as human beings. What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival. Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible.

Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger. With knowledge, we can lessen its effects.

Exploration also allows minerals and other potential resources to be found. Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later. Resources may be more than physical possessions. Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration. The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives. We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems. Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products of technological developments in the space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.

While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us. While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers. The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive. Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.

While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets. It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future.

1.What is the reason for exploring space based on Paragraph2?

A. Humans are nature-born to do so.

B. Humans have the tendency to fight.

C. Humans may find new sources of food.

D. Humans don’t like to stay in the same place.

2.The underlined word“spin-offs” in Paragraph 4 probably refers to______.

A. survival chances B. potential resources

C. unexpected benefits D. physical possessions

3.What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets?

A. Our genetic makeup.

B. Resources on the earth..

C. The adaptive ability of humans.

D. By-products in space exploration.

4.Which of the statements can best sumun the passage?

A. Space exploration has created many wonders.

B. Space exploration provided the best value for money.

C. Space exploration can benefit science and technology.

D.Space exploration may help us avoid potential problems on Earth.

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