题目内容

An astronomer is making a case for launching pop singer Justin Bieber into suborbital(亚轨道的)space aboard a private rocket ship. The idea is not to rid the world of the Canadian teenager — he would come back down to Earth eventually, after all — but rather to help jump-start the emerging suborbital spaceflight industry.
It would generate a lot of public interest, which would help commercial spaceflight pick up some much-needed momentum, said Seth Shostak, senior astronomer at the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute in Mountain View, California. “If there’s more interest, there are more customers. If there are more customers, there's more technical development. It's a positive feedback loop, and obviously that's good.”
Such missions would return to Earth without completing a full lap around the planet. Instead, the flights would hit the edge of space about 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth, experience a few minutes of weightlessness, then re-enter the atmosphere and land back at a spaceport.
None of these firms are ready to fly customers yet, but some are getting close. For instance, Virgin Galactic hopes to begin powered test flights of its SpaceShipTwo vehicle later this year, with commercial operations perhaps beginning in 2013 or 2014. It is SpaceShipTwo that reportedly grabbed the attention of Beyonce and Jay-Z.
Virgin Galactic has collected deposits from nearly 500 customers willing to pay $200,000 for a ride aboard SpaceShipTwo, and both Virgin and XCOR have inked deals to fly scientists and their experiments on research flights. So a suborbital market already exists — but Shostak is thinking about ways to make it grow.
A celebrity launch isn't Shostak’s only idea. Suborbital firms should also promote their activities aggressively via social media, Shostak said, and they should make sure their spaceships are bristling(充满)with cameras both inside and out, to give the public dramatic views of every mission.
Some observers view commercial suborbital spaceflight as a potentially transformative industry, saying it could serve as a stepping stone to the exploration and exploitation of space on an unprecedented scale. While the industry’s success is far from assured, Shostak offered some reason for optimism: The American public remains keen on space

  1. 1.

    Why may Justin Bieber be sent into suborbital space?

    1. A.
      To show his bravery and make him a role model for teenagers
    2. B.
      To arouse the American public’s interest
    3. C.
      To help reform the spaceflight industry
    4. D.
      To film an advertisement about space
  2. 2.

    What can we learn about suborbital spaceflight?

    1. A.
      A trip will return to Earth before finishing a lap
    2. B.
      The whole trip will leave passengers weightless
    3. C.
      Each trip can take 500 passengers
    4. D.
      The trip will be too expensive even for celebrities
  3. 3.

    What can we infer from the text?

    1. A.
      SpaceShipTwo will be the first to fly
    2. B.
      Famous people will be the main passengers in the future
    3. C.
      The space trip is still in preparation
    4. D.
      Every space trip will be made into a film
  4. 4.

    The last paragraph suggests that _________

    1. A.
      space is too mysterious to explore
    2. B.
      the suborbital market is promising
    3. C.
      the spaceflight industry is more successful than people think
    4. D.
      developing the industry is risky
  5. 5.

    What is the main purpose of the text?

    1. A.
      To predict a change in the space market
    2. B.
      To discuss a recent launch
    3. C.
      To introduce the status of the spaceflight industry
    4. D.
      To remove public doubt about the spaceflight industry
BACBC
试题分析:本文主要介绍了亚轨道航天工业的suborbital spaceflight industry的现状和前景。
1.B 细节题。根据文章第一段The idea is not to rid the world of the Canadian teenager — he would come back down to Earth eventually, after all — but rather to help jump-start the emerging suborbital spaceflight industry.说明这样做是为了引起人们对亚轨道航天工业的兴趣。故B正确。
2.A 细节题。根据文章第三段Such missions would return to Earth without completing a full lap around the planet. Instead, the flights would hit the edge of space about 62 miles (100 kilometers) above Earth, experience a few minutes of weightlessness, then re-enter the atmosphere and land back at a spaceport.可知在这样的飞行中,人们并没有完全绕地球飞行一圈,然后就返回了地面。故A正确。
3.C 推断题。根据文章倒数第三段None of these firms are ready to fly customers yet, but some are getting close.可知这样的飞行并没有真正实现,只是在慢慢接近。故C项正确。
4.B 推理题。根据文章最后2行While the industry’s success is far from assured, Shostak offered some reason for optimism: The American public remains keen on space.
课虽然现在这种行业还没有取得成功,但是前景很乐观,因为美国人对于太空旅游很感兴趣。这个行业还是有很大的潜力的,故B正确。
5.C 主旨大意题。根据文章第一段内容中所举Justin Bieber的例子,就是为了向我们介绍
方兴未艾的 suborbital spaceflight industry.故C正确。
考点:考查科普类短文阅读
点评:本文主要介绍了亚轨道航天工业的suborbital spaceflight industry的现状和前景。
考查科普类短文阅读,此类文章的最大的障碍是词汇以及考生对阅读内容的不熟悉,需要考生在阅读的时候有足够的耐心。要养成在上下文串联中猜测词义的能力,根据上下文中出现的同义词,近义词,反义词,以及词义的解释来理解生词。同时要抓住文章的中心,不要受其他信息的影响。要根据题目及选项以及文章的上下文串联合理的判断推理。
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Apple Inc co-founder and former CEO Steve Jobs, counted among the greatest American CEOs of his generation, died on Wednesday at the age of 56, after years-long and highly public battle with cancer.Mourners ( 哀悼者 ) gathered outside his house in Palo Alto, California, and Apple stores around the world.
Steve Jobs made technology fun.As tech leaders, they're really happy if they have one hit in their life.Steve Jobs has the Apple II, the Mac, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad and Pixar.
Steve Jobs was a college dropout.He was adopted by a machinist and his wife, an accountant. They supported his early interest in electronics.He and his friend Steve Wozniak started Apple Computer —now just called Apple —in 1976.They stayed at the company until 1985.That year, Steve Wozniak returned to college and Steve Jobs left in a debate with the chief executive.
Mr.Jobs then formed his own company, called NeXT Computer.He rejoined Apple in 1997 after it bought NeXT.He helped remake Apple from a business that was in bad shape then to one of the most valuable companies in the world today.However, Steve Jobs stepped down as Apple's chief executive in August because of his health.He died a day after the company released a new iPhone version that met with limited excitement.Steve left behind a company that only he could have built, and his spirit will forever be the foundation of Apple.
President Obama said in a statement: by building one of the planet's most successful companies from his garage, Steve Jobs exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity (独创性的).By making computers personal and putting the Internet in our pockets, he made the information revolution not only accessible, but intuitive (有直觉力的) and fun.
The fact that he was able to redesign American business top to bottom and across is really stunning.He probably will be considered an industrial giant on the scale of Thomas Edison and Henry Ford, so one of the greatest of all time.Steve Jobs not only revolutionized technology, he also revolutionized American business.Steve Jobs was remembered as a "great visionary and leader" and a " marketing genius".

  1. 1.

    According to the second paragraph, the author wants to show that _____.

    1. A.
      Steve Jobs owns many computer companies in America
    2. B.
      Steve Jobs has a lot of inventions in the field of computers
    3. C.
      tech leaders will be really happy when they have one hit in their life
    4. D.
      Steve makes great contributions to mankind in the field of computers
  2. 2.

    Which of the following statements about Steve Jobs is TRUE ?

    1. A.
      He left Apple in 1985 because he and the CEO had different opinions.
    2. B.
      He built a company called NeXT Computer with his friend Steve Woaniak.
    3. C.
      He died a day after he stepped down as Apple's chief executive.
    4. D.
      He was remembered as the founder of Apple and the Internet.
  3. 3.

    The underlined word "stunning" in the last paragraph probably means ______.

    1. A.
      effective
    2. B.
      brilliant
    3. C.
      practical
    4. D.
      interesting
  4. 4.

    This passage is mainly about _____.

    1. A.
      the inventions of Steve Jobs
    2. B.
      the childhood of Steve Jobs
    3. C.
      a brief introduction of Steve Jobs
    4. D.
      the death of Steve Jobs

I paid a visit to Cambridge last January.  Though the trip took me 5 hours and it rained the whole day with strong winds there, the town deserved a visit.
The bus started at 6:10 a. m. It stopped at 4 airports before we finally arrived,which wasted more time than we expected. Tired with long sitting,one passenger stood up to relax his numbed legs. The driver asked him to sit down but in vain. So he pulled up and said seriously, “Either you get off or sit down.” To him, safety is the first policy.
Cambridge consists of over thirty colleges. The oldest part of the university was built in the 13th century while the newest was founded in the mid 1960s.The number of the students is so great that many students live in lodgings(出租房)and move into college for their final year.
Cambridge is called a university town because there is no clear separation between the university buildings and the rest of the city. The university is not just one part of the town;it is all over the town. The heart of Cambridge has shops,pubs,and supermarkets,but most of it is university-colleges,departments,libraries,clubs and other places for university staff and students. Students fill the shops,cafes,banks and churches,making these as well part of the university.
With over 10,000 undergraduates and postgraduates, the town is a busy place indeed. Students here are not allowed to keep cars. If you happen to be walking in the street during a break,better stop a moment to avoid the boiling sea of bicycles hurrying in all directions,carrying students from one college or lecture room to another

  1. 1.

    The writer believed that the trip took more time because of________

    1. A.
      bad weather
    2. B.
      unexpected stops of the bus
    3. C.
      one passenger
    4. D.
      an accident on the way
  2. 2.

    Why is Cambridge called a university town?

    1. A.
      It has 10,000 undergraduates and postgraduates
    2. B.
      There are over thirty colleges in the town
    3. C.
      All the students and staff live in the town
    4. D.
      The university and town are fully combined
  3. 3.

    It can be inferred that most Cambridge students take _______as their first means of transport

    1. A.
      boats
    2. B.
      cars
    3. C.
      bicycles
    4. D.
      buses

I heard many parents complaining that their teenage children are rebelling(叛逆).I wish it were so.At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents.You should be learning to stand on your own feet.But take a good look at the present rebellion.It seems that teenagers are taking the same way of showing that they disagree with their parents.Instead of striking out boldly on their own, most of them are clutching(紧握)at one another's hands for reassurance.
They claim they want to dress as they please.But they all wear the same clothes. Then set off in new directions in music.But somehow they all end up with listening to the same record together.Their reason for thinking or acting in thus-and-such a way is that many people are doing it.They have come out of their cocoon(茧) into a larger cocoon.
It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and go his or her own way.Industry has firmly carved out a teenage market.These days every teenager can learn from the advertisements what a teenager should have and be. 
And many of today's parents have come to award high marks for the popularity of their children.All this adds to a great barrier(障碍) for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.
But the barrier is worth climbing over.The path is worth following, You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party.You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records.You may have some thoughts 'that you don't care to share with your classmates at once, well, go to it.Find yourself.Popularity will come-with the people who respect you for who you are.That is the only kind of popularity that really counts.

  1. 1.

    In this passage, the author wants to tell         

    1. A.
      teenagers how to learn to decide things for themselves
    2. B.
      readers how to be popular with people around
    3. C.
      parents how to control and guide their children
    4. D.
      people how to understand and respect each other
  2. 2.

    According to the author, many teenagers think they are brave enough to act on their own, but in fact, most of them            

    1. A.
      have much difficulty understanding each other
    2. B.
      lack confidence
    3. C.
      dare not cope with (处理) problems single-handed
    4. D.
      are much afraid of getting lost
  3. 3.

    Which of the following is true according to the passage?

    1. A.
      There is no popularity that really counts.
    2. B.
      What many parents are doing is helping their children find their own paths.
    3. C.
      It is bad for a teenager to disagree with his or her classmates.
    4. D.
      Most teenagers claim that they want to do what they like to, but they are actually doing the same.
  4. 4.

    What does the author think of advertisements?

    1. A.
      Convincing.
    2. B.
      Influential
    3. C.
      Instructive.
    4. D.
      Authoritative(权威的).
  5. 5.

    During the teenage years, one should learn to       

    1. A.
      differ from others in as many ways as possible
    2. B.
      get into the right reason and become popular
    3. C.
      find one's real self
    4. D.
      rebel against parents and the popularity wave

Modern science suggests that a healthy lifestyle matters much to how long you can live and how well you live. Here are some tips for you to form a healthy lifestyle.
Keep a scientific diet. Keep in mind that sugar can be removed from our diet completely. Over intake of sugar is one of the main reasons for getting fat. Over intake of protein or fat and low intake of fiber can also lead to getting fat. We need only a few grams of protein every day to keep our body in order. Like rain to crops, not the more the better.
Be always in a good mood. There is a relationship between the mood and health. A good mood keeps you in high spirits. Thanks to the Internet, we can enjoy and learn much without going out. Take a look at some online shops and pick up some bargains, enjoy music and movies and chat with some good friends. Just keep happy.
Enough sleep. Two studies show the reasons why teens and adults don’t have enough sleep. With teens, a major reason is mobile phone use; with adults, it’s work. Meanwhile, a third study of young children shows that a lack of sleep in early life may lead to serious problems in future. Everyone needs at least 8-hour sleep to recover from tiredness and the hurt caused by hard work in the daytime.
Proper exercise. Do exercise to keep away from fatness. Because of the quick pace of modern life, you don’t have time to do exercise every day, but at least three times a week and 45 minutes each time

  1. 1.

    The author wrote the passage to _______

    1. A.
      tell the readers how to take proper exercise every day
    2. B.
      provide some advice on how to form a healthy lifestyle
    3. C.
      ask people to care about their health rather than their work
    4. D.
      make some surveys among those who have health problems
  2. 2.

    Which of the following can lead to getting fat according to the passage?

    1. A.
      low intake of protein
    2. B.
      low intake of fat
    3. C.
      over intake of fiber
    4. D.
      over intake of sugar
  3. 3.

    The main reason why teenagers don’t have enough sleep is that they _______

    1. A.
      use mobile phones too much
    2. B.
      have too much homework
    3. C.
      eat too much sugar every day
    4. D.
      don’t have enough exercise
  4. 4.

    How many minutes do you need to do exercise at least every week?

    1. A.
      45 minutes
    2. B.
      90 minutes
    3. C.
      115 minutes
    4. D.
      135 minutes
  5. 5.

    What can we conclude from the passage?

    1. A.
      We must take in much sugar for our body’s functioning well
    2. B.
      The Internet leads to more health problems
    3. C.
      The least sleep time needed for adults is less that that of teens
    4. D.
      We need to do many things to form a healthy lifestyle

The differences between men and women's friendships
Betty and Harold have been married for years. But one thing still puzzles (困扰) old Harold. How is it that he can leave Betty and her friend Joan sitting on the sofa, talking, go out to a ballgame, come back three and a half hours later, and they're still sitting on the sofa and talking?
What old Harold cannot understand or explain is the fact that women have so much to share.
Betty shrugs. Talk? We're friends.
Researching this matter called friendship, psychologist Lillian Rubin spent two years interviewing more than two hundred women and men. the results were completely clear: women have more friendships than men. Rubin's study shows that for emotional support a married woman is more likely to turn to a female friend.
"In general," writes Rubin in her new book, "women's friendships with each other lie on shared emotions and support, but men's relationships are marked by shared activities.”
“ Men keep their innermost(内心深处的) feelings to themselves. " Rubin writes, " Whereas(然而) a woman's closest female friend might be the first to tell her to leave a failing marriage. However, a man by society doesn’t complain about his marriage trouble. it wasn't unusual to hear a man say he didn't know his friend's marriage was in serious trouble until he appeared one night asking if he could sleep on the sofa. "

  1. 1.

    What old Harold cannot understand or explain is the fact that ________

    1. A.
      he is treated as an outsider rather than a husband
    2. B.
      women have so much to share
    3. C.
      women show little interest in ballgames
    4. D.
      he find his wife difficult to talk to
  2. 2.

    Rubin's study shows that for emotional support a married woman is more likely to turn to _________

    1. A.
      a male friend
    2. B.
      a female friend
    3. C.
      her parents
    4. D.
      her husband
  3. 3.

    What do women's friendships with each other lie on in general?

    1. A.
      shared emotions
    2. B.
      support
    3. C.
      shared activities
    4. D.
      shared emotions and support
  4. 4.

    According to the last paragraph, which type of behavior is NOT expected of a man by society?

    1. A.
      Ending his marriage without good reason
    2. B.
      Spending too much time with his friends
    3. C.
      complaining about his marriage trouble
    4. D.
      going out to ballgames too often
  5. 5.

    What is the article about? ________

    1. A.
      happy and successful marriages
    2. B.
      friendships of men and women
    3. C.
      emotional problems in marriage
    4. D.
      interactions between men and women

After the Summer Olympics are over, when all the athletes have gone home and the television audience has switched off, another group of athletes and fans will arrive at the host city, and another competition will begin. These are the Paralympics, the games for athletes with a disability. But in Beijing in 2008, for the first time, one of the greatest Paralympics athletes did not take part.
She is a British athlete by the name of Tanni Grey-Thormpson. Born with spine hifida (脊椎裂) which left her paralysed from the waist. Tanni used a wheelchair from the age of 7. at first, she did not like sports, apart from horse-riding, which gave her a sense of freedom. But in her teens, she started taking sports more seriously. She tried swimming, basketball and tennis. Eventually she found she began to love athletics, and never looked back.
Indeed, Tanni’s athletic career took off . In 1984, when she was 15, she pulled off a surprise victory in the 100metres at the Junior National Wheelchair Games.
In 1988, Tanni went to her first Paralympic Games in Seoul. She won bronze in the 400 metres. Even greater success followed at the 1992 Barcelonn. Paralympics. Tanni won gold in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 metres relay, setting two world records in the process. In the same year she achieved the first of her six London Wheelchair Marathon victories.
Tanni’s success had been part motivation(动机), part preparation, “The training I do that enables me to be a good sprinter(短跑运动员) enables me to be good at a marathon too. I train 50 weeks of the year and that keeps me prepared for whatever distance I want to see…. I am still competing at a very high level, but as I get older, things get harder and I want to retire before I fall apart.”
Indeed Tanni retired finally after the Visa Paralympic World Cup in 2007. Her wish is to coach young athletes for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
In spite of ups and downs, she never takes her fate lying down. In her splendid life, she has won an amazing eleven gold medals, four silvers and one bronze in series of Paralympics- a top level athletic career covering two decades. She has won the London Wheelchair Marathon six times, more than any other competitor, and she has set over thirty world records.
What advice does she have for young athletes? “Work hard at your studies, and then train, train and train again.”

  1. 1.

    Which of the following sports did Tanni like before thirteen?

    1. A.
      Basketball
    2. B.
      Swimming
    3. C.
      Tennis
    4. D.
      Horse-riding
  2. 2.

    When did Tanni win her first Olympic gold medal?

    1. A.
      In 1984
    2. B.
      In 1988
    3. C.
      In 1992
    4. D.
      In 2007
  3. 3.

    The underlined word “that” in the 5th paragraph refers to ______.

    1. A.
      fifty weeks’ training
    2. B.
      being a good sprinter
    3. C.
      training almost every day
    4. D.
      part motivation and part preparation
  4. 4.

    What can we learn from Tanni’s success?

    1. A.
      Union is strength
    2. B.
      Never too late to learn
    3. C.
      Well begun is half done
    4. D.
      No pains, no gains

Full face transplants are no longer science fiction fantasy, a leading surgeon has said, adding that they are technically practical but ethically(道德地)complex.
Peter Butler from London’s Royal Free Hospital called for a debate on the ethics of such an operation made possible by new drugs which stop the body’s immune (免疫)system rejecting a transplanted face. “It is not ‘can you do it?’ but ‘should we do it?’” he told the BBC. “The technical part is not complex, but I don’t think that’s going to be the very great difficulty. The ethical and moral debate is obviously going to have to take place before the first facial transplantation.”
The British Association of Plastic Surgeons will discuss the microsurgical procedure (微型外科技术), which could give new skin, bone, nose, chin, lips and ears from deceased donors to patients disfigured(毁容的)by accidents, burns or cancer. But surgeons could have trouble finding enough willing donors. Butler said his survey of doctors, nurses and members of the public showed most would accept a face transplant but few were willing to donate their own after dying.
Despite a number of ethical concerns, Christine Piff, who founded the charity Let’s Face It after suffering a rare facial cancer 25 years ago, welcomed the possibility of face transplants. She rejected the idea that the procedure would mean people would end up living with a dead person’s face. “There are so many people without faces, I have half a face… but we are all so much more than just a face… you don’t take on their personality. You are still you,” she told reporters. “If we can donate other organs of the body then why not the face. I can’t see anything wrong with it.”

  1. 1.

    The underlined word “deceased” in the third paragraph probably means _________

    1. A.
      living
    2. B.
      dead
    3. C.
      diseased
    4. D.
      dying
  2. 2.

    When Christine Piff says “There are so many people without faces…”, she refers to the people _________

    1. A.
      who are dishonorable and shameless
    2. B.
      who disagree with the full face transplant
    3. C.
      who are seriously injured by an accident
    4. D.
      who are disfigured by accidents, burns and cancer
  3. 3.

    According to the passage, what makes it likely to carry out a facial transplantation?

    1. A.
      Drugs are available to stop the body’s immune system rejecting a transplanted face
    2. B.
      There are some people who are willing to donate their faces after dying
    3. C.
      Most people accept the idea of face transplants
    4. D.
      It’s morally practical, though technically complex
  4. 4.

    What is implied but not stated in the passage?

    1. A.
      Christine Piff has been the first lucky patient to receive a face transplant
    2. B.
      Surgeons have difficulty finding enough willing donors
    3. C.
      The main difficulty with the operation lies in the matter of ethics and morality
    4. D.
      Nobody other than Christine Piff is quite in favor of the donation of organs
  5. 5.

    What would be the best title for the text?

    1. A.
      First Facial Transplantation
    2. B.
      Debate on the Ethics of Transplant
    3. C.
      Face Transplant No Longer Science Fantasy
    4. D.
      Let’s Face It

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