题目内容
When Geoff Marcy was 14, his parents bought him a telescope. Every night, he would go onto the roof outside his window to see the wonders of the sky.
“What excited me most was whether there were planets in other solar systems where life might exist,” he says. “I decided to try to find planets orbiting other stars like our Sun.”
And he did. “My fellow researcher, Paul Butler, and I found our first planet in 1995,” Dr. Marcy says. “We worked for ten years without finding anything! But we stuck with it and our patience paid off.”
Since then, the two scientists have discovered 65 of the more than 100 planets found orbiting other stars. Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler also spotted the first “family” of three planets. In June 2002 they announced another discovery: a Jupiter-like planet orbiting star 55Cancri.
At first, the two researchers found only planets that orbit close to stars. Recently, the scientists found planets farther out. The planet orbiting 55Cancri is a major breakthrough: it is the first sighting of a large gas planet about same distance from the star as Jupiter is from the Sun.
Why is this important ? Scientists think that life on Earth may exist because of two special features in our solar system. The first is Jupiter.
“Because it’s so big, Jupiter pulls comets and asteroids(小行星), or they all come and hit the Earth.” Dr. Marcy explains. “Without Jupiter , life on Earth would likely have been destroyed.”
A second feature is that Earth is a rocky planet where liquid water, which is necessary for life , can exist. Unlike gas planets, rocky planets like Earth have surfaces where water can gather in pools and seas, which may support life. A huge space exists between the Jupiter-like planet and two other planets that lie close to 55Cancri. Is there an Earth-like planet in the space, too small for us to notice? If so, says Dr. Marcy, “We would have two striking similarities to our solar system: a Jupiter-like planet and an Earth-like planet. And there may be life!”
1.What can we learn about Dr. Marcy from the passage?
A. He is fond of watching Jupiter.
B. He is from a scientist family.
C. He dislikes working with Paul Butler.
D. He is interested in finding life in outer space.
2.Which of the following is true of the recent discovery?
A. The planet is not as protective as Jupiter.
B. The planet is close to star 55Cancri.
C. The planet proves to be a gas planet.
D. The planet is as large as Jupiter.
3.Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler began to find new planets in ____.
A.1995 B.1985 C.2002 D.1981
4.Dr. Marcy thinks that life may exist in the 55Cancri system because ____.
A. he has found the system similar to the solar system.
B. he has discovered an Earth-like planet there.
C. he has discovered a rocky planet there.
D. he has found signs of life in the system
5.“But we stuck with it”( in Paragraph 3) means ____.
A. they felt discouraged B. they carried on with it
C. they failed in their attempt D. they made some progress
We arrived in Spain for the _36_ time a few weeks ago and I decided to buy a car because we had sold _37_ we had in England before leaving. Yesterday the _38_ office rang us to tell the car was ready. I had _39_ out a model like it before but as I was not yet used to _40_ in this city, my wife did not want me to collect it on my own, so we went _41_ to fetch it. We paid for the car and _42_ the papers. They told us there was enough _43_ to take us to a garage, where we could fill up. (加油)The nearest garage to the _44_ was about 100 yards away and we got there _45_ .But when I turned into the main road I suddenly saw a lot of _46_ racing towards me .I got out of their way as _47_as I could by backing into the garage once more and the man behind _48_ at me . “It’s such a _49_ to remember to drive on the right, isn’t it?” My wife said.“Yes, if only I had _50_ a few lessons for practice,” I replied . “You’d better go carefully on the way_51_ ,” my wife said. “You ’d be _52_ if you had an accident _53_ the first day, wouldn’t you ?” While we were talking, the man behind _54_ out of his car and said in good English, “Would you mind telling me when you are thinking of leaving , _55_ are you going to sit in your car all the day?”
1. A．second B．first C．third D．other
2. A．ours B．one C．the one D．it
3. A．police B．manager’s C．sales D．garage
4. A．tried B．found C．picked D．sold
5. A．living B．running C．driving D．staying
6. A．together B．out C．on foot D．slowly
7. A．wrote B．bought C．signed D．showed
8. A．time B．water C．power D．petrol
9. A．station B．office C．buliding D．house
10. A．on time B．safely C．in time D．quickly
11. A．cars B．people C．buses D．horses
12. A．fast B．soon C．slowly D．hurriedly
13. A．smiled B．shouted C．laughed D．looked
14. A．problem B．trouble C．rule D．way
15. A．taught B．learned C．found D．heard
16. A．home B．to the garage C．to work D．up
17. A．lucky B．glad C．sorry D．clever
18. A．for B．on C．in D．during
19. A．climbed B．stole C．jumped D．got
20. A．so B．or C．therefore D．but
Bare foot and dirty, the girl just sat and watched the people go by in the park. She never tried to 36 . She never said a word. Many people passed, 37 never did one person stop.
The next day I decided to go back to the 38 , curious if the little girl would still be there. Right in the very 39 as she was yesterday, she sat with the 40 look in her eyes. 41 I began walking towards her, I could see the back of the little girl’s dress indicated a disability. I guessed maybe that was the 42 the people just passed by and made no effort to help. But I wanted to help her, so I 43 to let her know it was OK. I sat down beside her and 44 with a simple “hello”.
The little girl was 45 and replied a “hi” in a low voice. I asked the girl why she was so sad. The little girl looked at me and said, “Because I’m 46. ” I immediately said, “That you are!”and smiled. The little girl acted 47 sadder, and she said, “I know.”
“Little girl,” I said, “you 48 me of a sweet angel.” She looked at me and smiled. Slowly she stood to her 49 , and said, “Really?”
“Yes, dear, you’re 50 a little guardian angel (守护神) sent to watch over (守护) all those people walking by.”
She 51 her head “yes”. Then she spread her wings and said, “I am. I’m your guardian angel.” I was 52 by what I was seeing. She continued to say, “Because you think of someone other than (而不是) yourself, my job here is done.” Immediately, I also 53 to my feet and said, “Wait, so why did 54 stop to help an angel?” She looked at me and smiled, “You’re the only one who could see me, and you 55 an angel in your heart.”
1. A．work B．help C．study D．speak
2. A．and B．but C．unless D．nor
3. A．park B．school C．home D．garden
4. A．street B．time C．place D．room
5. A．happiest B．poorest C．richest D．saddest
6. A．Before B．As C．Since D．Until
7. A．excuse B．plan C．reason D．hope
8. A．smiled B．offered C．refused D．devoted
9. A．closed B．ended C．left D．opened
10. A．pleased B．shocked C．worried D．excited
11. A．necessary B．important C．different D．positive
12. A．even B．ever C．rather D．never
13. A．tell B．warn C．ask D．remind
14. A．arms B．feet C．legs D．shoes
15. A．like B．with C．for D．by
16. A．shook B．moved C．nodded D．turned
17. A．interested B．surprised C．satisfied D．tired
18. A．stood B．ran C．jumped D．swam
19. A．someone B．anyone C．no one D．everyone
20. A．recite B．forgive C．forget D．believe
A
There were smiling children all the way. Charily they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight, Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave hack.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug (拥抱). I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car. I looked forward to the return journey.
1.The author expected the train trip to be _______.
A．adventurous B．pleasant
C．exciting D．dull
2.What did the author remember most fondly of her train trip?
A．The friendly country people.
B．The mountains along the way.
C．The crowds of people in the streets.
D．The simple lunch served on the train.
3.Which of the following words can best take the place of the word“relish”in the second paragraph?
A．choose B．enjoy
C．prepare for D．carry on
4.What can we learn from the story?
A．Comfort in traveling by train.
B．Pleasure of living in the country.
C．Reading gives people delight.
D．Smiles brighten people up.
Sandra Cisneros was born in Chicago in 1954 to a Mexican American family. As the only girl in a family of seven children, she often felt like she had “seven fathers,” because her six brothers, as well as her father, tried to control her. Feeling shy and unimportant, she retreated(躲避) into books. Despite her love of reading, she did not do well in elementary school because she was too shy to participate.
In high school, with the encouragement of one particular teacher, Cisneros improved her grades and worked for the school literary magazine. Her father encouraged her to go to college because he thought it would be a good way for her to find a husband. Cisneros did attend college, but instead of searching for a husband, she found a teacher who helped her join the famous graduate writing program at the University of Iowa. At the university’s Writers’ Workshop, however, she felt lonely----a Mexican American from a poor neighborhood among students from wealthy families. The feeling of being so different helped Cisneros find her “Creative voice.”
“It was not until this moment when I considered myself truly different that my writing acquired a voice. I knew I was a Mexican woman, but I didn’t think it had anything to do with why I felt so much imbalance in my life, but it had everything to do with it! That’s when I decided I would write about something my classmates couldn’t write about.”
Cisneros published her first work, The House on Mango Street, when she was twenty-nine. The book tells about a young Mexican American girl growing up in a Spanish-speaking area in Chicago, much like the neighborhoods in which Cisneros lived as a child. The book won an award in 1985 and has been used in classes from high school through graduate school level. Since then, Cisneros has published several books of poetry, a children’s book, and a short-story collection.
1.Which of the following is TRUE about Cisneros in her childhood?
A．She had seven brothers. B．She felt herself a nobody.
C．She was too shy to go to school. D．She did not have any good teachers.
2.The graduate program gave Cisneros a chance to _____.
A．develop her writing style B．run away from her family
C．make a lot of friends D．work for a school magazine
3.According to Cisneros, what played the decisive role in her success?
A．Her early years in college. B．Her training in the Workshop.
C．Her childhood experience D．Her feeling of being different.
4.What do we learn about The House on Mango Street?
A．It wasn’t success as it was written in Spanish.
B．It is the only book ever written by Cisneros.
C．It is quite popular among students.
D．It won an award when Cisneros was twenty-nine.
