While all my classmates seen to be crazy about a one-way ticket to Mars(火星), I’d rather say Mars is totally unsuitable for human existence. People won’t have enough food supplies there, and the terrible environment would make it impossible for them to live a long life. Besides, the journey won’t be safe. Can anybody explain to me just why people would go to Mars, never to return?

Steve Minear, UK

Here are the things you can think of: the desire to explore a foreign and unique environment, the excitement of being the first humans to open up a new world, the expectation of fame and glory…For scientists there is another reason. Their observations and research will probably lead to great scientific achievements.

Donal Trollop, Canada

There are already too many people on the Earth. I think that sometime before the end of the century, there will be a human colony(殖民地)on Mars. It will happen when people finally realize that tow-way trips to the red planet Mars are unnecessary. Most of the danger of space Flight is in the launches(发射) and landings. Cutting the trip home would therefore reduce the danger of accidents, save a lot of money, and open the way to building an everlasting human settlement on another world.

Enough supplies can be sent on ahead. And every two years more supplies and more people will needs, and Mars is far more pleasant than the other planets in the outer space.

Paul Davies. USA

The main purpose of Steve Minear’s writing is     .

   A. to report his classmates’ discussion   B. to invite an answer to his question

   C. to explain the natural state of Mars    D. to show his agreement on going to Mars

Which of the following best states Donal Trollop’s idea?

   A. There is a plan to send humans to Mars.

   B. There are many reasons for going to Mars.

  C. Scientists become famous by doing research on Mars.

  D. It is possible to build an Earth-like environment on Mars.

Paul Davies points out that      .

  A. humans need only a one-way ticket to Mars.

  B. two-way trips to Mars will be made safe soon

  C. it is easy to reduce the danger and cost of flights to Mars

  D. it is cheap to build an everlasting human settlement on Mars

What does Paul Davies think of human existence on Mars?

  A. Humans will have to bring all they need from the Earth.

  B. Humans will find Mars totally unsuitable for living.

  C. Humans can produce everything they need.

  D. Humans can live longer in the colony on Mars

Since the end of World War I(WWI) in 1918, Canadians, and millions of others around the world have paused at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to honour the sacrifice our soldiers have made in different ways, fighting for the freedoms that we all enjoy today.

Known as Remembrance Day, the day originated as a tribute to the soldiers of WWI, a dark period for our young country, which claimed the lives of over 60,000 military personnel and civilians and over 16 million dead worldwide. As there are no more surviving soldiers of WWI, today we rely on the wisdom and words of those soldiers who fought in the wars that followed and this day now also recognizes their heroic contribution. They tell us to always remember what those brave souls fought for, and all they ask in return is that we never forget.

  That’s why we wear the red poppy(罂粟花);that’s why when we see a soldier in uniform we should stop him or her and say “Thank you”; that’s why we take a pause from our busy lives for two short minutes today to honor that request. Yet this message is fading away, year after year. Take for example the terrible decision to allow parents to excuse students from Remembrance Day ceremonies at school. Not only is this disrespectful, it distances the student from his or her classmates.

   It is difficult to understand why any Canadian parent would want to remove their child from the time-honored tradition of reading the poem in Flanders Fields, while a wreath of poppies is laid. It is more important than ever to teach school-aged children about our history, no matter how violent it was. Sheltering them from the realities of war is a great disservice. Understanding why conflicts happened, or happen today can help shape choices and decisions they make as adults.

   Of course, because we live in a free society, we cannot force an individual to do something. It is unfortunate, but some parents now have their child “opt-out” of the services. These people should be reminded they are free to make such choices only because of the men and women the rest of us are remembering.

1.Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a Remembrance Day activity today?

A. Stopping at 11a.m. to remember the war dead.

B. Listening to stories told by WWI soldiers.

C. Wearing a red poppy to show respect.

D. Showing gratitude to soldiers in uniform.

2.What can we learn from the passage?

A. War history is too violent for school children

B. The writer was once a soldier in the Canadian army

C. Few students are willing to take part in Remembrance Day ceremonies.

D. More parents are keeping their children away from frightening war stories.

3. The underlined word “It” in the last paragraph probably refers to_______.

A. the death of so many soldiers in wars

B. the fact that there were so many wars after WWI.

C. people’s ungratefulness for the freedom they have.

D. removing children from Remembrance Day events.

4.The writer believes that ______.

A. the sacrifice of the soldiers should always be remembered.

B. Remembrance Day is becoming less important for soldiers.

C. school no longer think Remembrance Day is necessary.

D. people should be forced to learn about the realities of war.

 

I went through a training program and became a literacy volunteer last surnmen The training

I received, though excellent, did not tell me how it was to work with a real student, however. When I began to discover what other people's lives were like because they could not read, I realized the true importance of reading.

My first student Marie was a 44-year-old single mother of three. In the first lesson, I found out she walked two miles to the nearest supermarket twice a week because she didn't know which bus to take. When I told her I would get her a bus schedule, she told me it would not help because she could not  read it. She said she also had difficulty once she got to the supermarket,because she couldn't always remember what she needed. Since she did not know words, she could not write out a shopping list. Also, she could only recognize items by sight, so if the product had a different label, she would not recognize it as the product she wanted.

As we worked together, learning how to read built Marie's self-confidence,which encouraged her to continue her studies. She began to make rapid progress and was even able to take the bus to the supermarketelt. After this successful trip, she reported how self-confident she felt. At the end of the program, she began helping her youngest son,Tony, a shy first grader with his reading. She sat with him before he went to sleep and together they would read bedtime stories. When his eyes became wide with excitement as she read, pride was written all over her face. As she described this experience, I was proud of myself as well. I found that helping Marie to build her self-confidence was more rewarding than anything I had ever done before.

As a literacy volunteer, I learned a great deal about teaching and helping others. In fact, I may have learned more from the experience than Marie did.

1.What did the author do last summer?

A.She worked in the supermarket

B.She helped someone to learn to read

C.She gave single mothers the help they needed

D.She went to a training program to help a literacy volunteer

2.Why didn’t Marie go to the supermarket by bus at first?

A.Because she liked to walk to the supermarket

B.Because she lived far away from the bus stop

C.Because she couldn’t afford the bus ticket

D.Because she couldn’t find the right bus

3.How did Marie use to find the goods she wanted in the supermarket?

A.She knew where the goods were in the supermarket

B.She asked others to take her to the right place

C.She managed to find the goods by their looks

D.She remembered the names of the goods

4.What did the writer think of her work as a literacy volunteer?

A.Interesting                            B.Meaningful

C.Tiring                                D.Touching

 

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