题目内容
NASA is moving ahead with plans to put a long-armed Lander on Mars’ icy North Pole to search for clues for water and possible signs of life.
The $386 million Phoenix Mars is planned to touch down in the Martian arctic in 2008. The stationary probe will use its robotic arm to dig into the icy land and pick up soil samples to analyze. In 2002, the Mars Odyssey orbiter spotted evidence of ice-rich soil near the arctic surface.
Scientists hope the Phoenix mission will find clues to the geologic history of water on the Red Planet and determine whether microbes existed in the ice.
Phoenix will be the first mission of the Mars Scout program, a renewed, low-cost effort to study the Red Planet. “The Phoenix mission explores new territory in the northern plains of Mars analogous to the permafrost regions on Earth,” Peter Smith said.
True to its name, Phoenix rose from the ashes of previous missions. The lander for Phoenix was built to fly as part of the 2001 Mars Surveyor program. But the program broke down after the well-known disappearance of the Mars Polar Lander in 1999. The Polar Lander lost contact during a landing attempt near the planet’s south pole after its rocket engine shut off prematurely, causing the spacecraft to fall about 130 feet to almost certain destruction.
The Phoenix probe had been in storage at a Lockheed Martin clean room in Denver before it was reused for its present mission. It will carry science instruments that were designed for the Mars Surveyor program including an improved panoramic camera and a trench-digging robotic arm. Phoenix will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in August 2007 and land on the planet nine months later.
46. The passage mainly tells readers that _________.
A. clues of water will be found in Phoenix
B. Phoenix will be sent to find clues of water on Mars
C. August 2007 will see Phoenix lift off
D. the Mars Scout program will be carried out
47. The underlined word “prematurely” (paragraph 5) means _________.
A. on time B. behind the time C. out of work D. ahead of time
48. According to the passage, we know Phoenix will land on Mars _________.
A. in May 2008 B. in August 2007
C. in August 2008 D. in September 2008
49. According to the passage, the name “Phoenix” is after the meaning of _________.
A. rebirth B. death C. energy D. hope
50. After Phoenix lands on Mars, we can infer it will firstly _________.
A. find soil samples and send them to the earth
B. look for the icy land to dig for the soil samples
C. take photos and send them to the earth
D. find the remains of the Mars Polar Lander
【小题1】B
【小题2】D
【小题3】A
【小题4】A
【小题5】B
第Ⅱ卷 (两部分,共35分)
第一部分 任务型阅读(共10小题;每小题1分,满分10分)
请认真阅读下列短文,并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。
注意:每空限填1个单词。
Don’t complain in the NBA
The NBA has a new rule this season. It’s called “zero tolerance”. NBA referees are not letting players complain too long or too loudly about a referee’s call. A player who does can be given a technical foul (犯规). Two technical fouls, and the player is out of the game.
The players don’t like the new rule and want the NBA to change it. They think it’s only natural to get angry during a close, hard-fought game if a call goes against you.
But I like the “zero tolerance” rule and wish other sports would follow the NBA’s example. Wouldn’t it be more enjoyable if football, soccer and tennis players stopped arguing the calls and just played the game?
The biggest reason I like the new rule is that it sets a good example to younger players. When kids see stars such as Rasheed Wallace of the Detroit Pistons shouting at the referees and arguing every call, they think it’s part of the game. But shouting at referees and arguing calls should never be part of any kid’s games. Kids should be taught to forget about the referees’ calls and pay attention to improving their skills and play their best.
All players need to learn that you control only one thing in a game, and that’s your own performance. You can’t control what the other players or trainers do. And you certainly can’t control the calls the referees make.
Finally, everyone from NBA all-stars to 8-year-olds should remember that being a basketball referee is a hard job. The referee has to make dozens of sudden calls. No hesitation. No second chances. Not even the best referee gets every call right.
Maybe if the players, trainers and fans who shout at the referees had to wear a whistle and call a few games, there wouldn’t be as many complaints about the “zero tolerance” rule.
The new rule | The players are not (71) ▲ to complain too much about a referee’s call, (72) ▲ he might be (73) ▲ out of the court. |
The players’ opinion | They (74) ▲ the new rule and wish it to be changed. |
They think it’s natural for them to get angry during a close game if there is a call (75) ▲ against them. | |
The writer’s opinion | He likes the “zero-tolerance” rule and wishes it to be followed by other sports and it would be more enjoyable if players (76) ▲ arguing the calls. |
The new rule does (77) ▲ a good example to younger players. | |
Shouting at referees and arguing calls shouldn’t be part of any kid’s games and kids should pay attention to (78) ▲ up their skills and play their best. | |
All players can control nothing else except their own (79) ▲ . | |
Everyone should keep in mind that it’s (80) ▲ to be a basketball judge. |