An astronomer is making a case for launching pop singer Justin Bieber into suborbitalspace aboard a private rocket ship. The idea is not to rid the world of the Canadian teenager

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.Why may Justin Bieber be sent into suborbital space?

A．To show his bravery and make him a role model for teenagers.

B．To arouse the American public’s interest.

C．To help reform the spaceflight industry.

D．To film an advertisement about space.

2.What can we learn about suborbital spaceflight?

A．A trip will return to Earth before finishing a lap.

B．The whole trip will leave passengers weightless.

C．Each trip can take 500 passengers.

D．The trip will be too expensive even for celebrities.

3.What can we infer from the text?

A．SpaceShipTwo will be the first to fly.

B．Famous people will be the main passengers in the future.

C．The space trip is still in preparation.

D．Every space trip will be made into a film.

4.The last paragraph suggests that _________.

A．space is too mysterious to explore

B．the suborbital market is promising

C．the spaceflight industry is more successful than people think

D．developing the industry is risky

5.What is the main purpose of the text?

A．To predict a change in the space market.

B．To discuss a recent launch.

C．To introduce the status of the spaceflight industry.

D．To remove public doubt about the spaceflight industry.

【答案】

1.B

2.A

3.C

4.B

5.C

【解析】

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。

练习册系列答案

相关题目

　I found out one time that doing a favor for someone could get you into a lot of trouble. I was in the eighth grade at the time, and we were having a final test. During the test, the girl sitting next to me whispered something, but I didn’t understand. So I leaned over her way and found out that she was trying to ask me if I had an extra pen. She showed me that hers was out of ink and would not write. I happened to have an extra one, so I took it out of my pocket and put it on her desk.

Later, after the test papers had been turned in, the teacher asked me to stay in the room when all the other students were dismissed（解散）. As soon as we were alone she began to talk to me about what it meant to grow up; she talked about how important it was to stand on your own two feet and be responsible (负责任) for your own acts. For a long time, she talked about honesty and emphasized（强调） the fact that when people do something dishonest, they are really cheating（欺骗） themselves. She made me promise that I would think seriously（认真地） about all the things she had said, and then she told me I could leave. I walked out of the room wondering why she had chosen to talk to me about all those things.

Later on, I found out that she thought I had cheated on the test. When she saw me lean over to talk to the girl next to me, it looked as if I was copying answers from the girl’s test paper. I tried to explain about the pen, but all she could say was it seemed very very strange to her that I hadn’t talked of anything about the pen the day she talked to me right after the test. Even if I tried to explain that I was just doing the girl a favor by letting her use my pen, I am sure she continued（继续） to believe that I had cheated on the test.

The story took place（发生） exactly ____ .

A. in the teacher’s office B. in an exam room

C. in the school D. in the language lab

The girl wanted to borrow a pen, because ____ .

A. she had not brought a pen with her B. she had lost her own on her way to school

C. there was something wrong with her own D. her own had been taken away by someone

The teacher saw all this, so she asked the boy ____ .

A. to go on writing his paper B. to stop whispering

C. to leave the room immediately D. to stay behind after the exam

The thing(s) emphasized in her talk was(were) ____ .

A. honesty B. sense of duty C. seriousness D. all of the above

The boy knew everything ____ .

A. the moment he was asked to stay behind B. when the teacher started talking about honesty

C. only some time later D. when he was walking out of the room

Tick, tock, tick, tock. I’m sitting here, watching the movements of my existence pass slowly away. My house has been 36 for such a long time，and I’m lonely and forgotten. Sitting here, by myself, all that I can do is 37 and think about my past. I could tell you stories that only 38 would know. But walls can’t speak.

I came to this place many years ago，along with an old man…. 39 , he was with me for on1y three short years before he passed on….

For a time, I was left alone, while people came and 40 the house…. Then, one day a nice couple moved in with a young son. 41 , their son Danny liked to stay with me, and I was completely 42 with him. He always looked as if he loved the stories I told, most of which began with. ‘‘Back in my day…” and ‘‘When I was 43 .…” I sometimes had the kind of idea that he didn’t really understand what I was saying, but it felt good to be 44 . When Danny went off to college，my heart broke. Soon afterward, 45 sold the house.…

New owners came and 46 . Then, One day it so happened that I was in when a new family was moving into the house. You can’t even imagine my 47 when, unexpectedly, Danny walked through the front door. He had a 48 and kids now. I was so overjoyed when I saw him that I put all my 49 into my daily activities. ... I spent the next twenty years watching his kids grow up, with a mixture of pride and 50 about what would happen next.

The kids finally became 51 and Danny sold the house. That was about five years ago…. Some of the local kids have started the rumor that the house is haunted（闹鬼的）--- and, in a way, it is. It is haunted by 52 of all the people who have lived in it. Every second has 53 me so much. I have been 54 them all day and they are almost up for me.... I hope that someday somebody will 55 me, and drop in on me again. Maybe then I’ll get a new home and an opportunity for a whole new set of memories.

A. crowded B. empty C. painted D. sold

A. look back B. enjoy food C. have a dream D. chat with friends

A. friends B. learners C. neighbors D. walls

A. Luckily B. Happily C. Sadly D. Surprisingly

A. looked at B. settled in C. bought in D. sold out

A. At last B. At one time C. In the end D. From the beginning

A. tired B. friendly C. taken D. fond

A. older B. healthier C. better D. younger

A. loved B. told C. disliked D. believed

A .Danny B. I C. his parents D. the old man

A. settled B. went C. lived D. greeted

A. pity B. pride C. surprise D. sadness

A. friend B. daughter C. son D. wife

A. energy B. time C. life D. ideas

A. happiness B. dream C. anxiety D. disappointment

A. old B. impatient C. adults D. tired

A. families B. furniture C. houses D. memories

A. impressed B. surprised C. encouraged D. inspired

A. putting B. copying C. recalling D. taking

A. call B. remember C. visit D. attend

When 47-year-old volunteer Susan Boyle stepped onto the stage of Britain’s Got Talent and announced she was unemployed, had never been married and “never been kissed, actually”, few in the audience would have wondered why. This Ms Boyle, looking unfashionable, from a village in Scotland, shocked the three judges and the audience with the song I dreamed a dream from the musical Les Miserables on a show of Britain’s Got Talent, one of the hottest reality shows in Britain.

She couldn’t hide the awkwardness when walking to the center of the stage in a housedress, and everyone — including the judges — seemed laughing at her when she said she wanted to be as successful as Elaine Paige. As soon as she began singing, however, everyone in the auditorium fell silent, then rose within seconds to applaud her incredible voice as the celebrity judges sat open-mouthed, and remained standing to the end.

After her performance, one of the judges Piers Morgan said, “Without doubt that was the biggest surprise I’ve had in three years of this show. When you stood there everyone was laughing at you. No one is laughing now. That was amazing.” Actress Amanda Holden followed, “I’m so thrilled because I know that we everybody were against you. I honestly think that we were all being very cynical (愤世嫉俗的) and I think that’s the biggest wake up call ever.”

Susan obviously won over the hearts of millions around the world with sensation spreading across the Atlantic. Hollywood actors Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore — who between them have nearly 1.5 million followers — speak highly of her. Kutcher posted a link to the video clip (片段). The Scottish talent made her live American debut via satellite connection on CBS’s The Early Show, doing an interview and singing live from her room. And she already accepted an invitation from talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

Now Boyle has become one of the world’s hottest celebrities. The video clip of her performance has been viewed more than 50 million times on Youtube, becoming a hit on the Internet.

We learn from the passage that Susan Boyle ______.

A. rose from a low social class

B. had an unhappy marriage

C. lived with a dog alone on a farm

D. won the championship in the Britain’s Got Talent show

At the beginning of the show, almost everybody ______.

A. looked forward to her wonderful performance

B. was attracted by her beautiful dress

C. looked down upon her

D. placed great hope on her

We can infer that ______ contributed most to her global popularity.

A. the judges B. the Internet C. the newspaper D. the advertisement

The 4^th paragraph intends to tell us ______.

A. how Susan Boyle achieved her success

B. the comment made by American actor Ashton Kutcher

C. Susan Boyle’s influence in the USA

D. Oprah Winfrey’s invitation to Susan Boyle

Self-employed private physicians who charge a fee for each patient visit are the foundation of medical practice in the United States. Most physicians have a contract relationship with one or more hospitals in the community. They send their patients to this hospital, which usually charges patients according to the number of days they stay and the facilities(operating room, tests, medicines that they use). Some hospitals belong to a city, a state or, in the case of veteran's hospitals, a federal government agency. Others are operated by religious orders(教会) or other non-profit groups.

Some medical doctors are on salary. Salaried physicians may work as hospital staff members, or residents, who are often still in training. They may teach in medical schools, be hired by corporations to care for their workers or work for the federal government's Public Health Service.

Physicians are among the best paid professionals in the United States. In the 1980s, it was not uncommon for medical doctors to earn incomes of more than $ 100 000 a year. Specialists, particularly surgeons, might earn several times that amount. Physicians list many reasons why they deserve to be so well rewarded for their work. One reason is the long and expensive preparation required to become a physician in the United States. Most would be physicians first attend college for four years, which can cost nearly $ 20 000 a year at one of the best private institutions. Prospective physicians then attend medical school for four years. Tuition alone can exceed $ 10 000 a year. By the time they have obtained their medical degrees, many young physicians are deeply in debt. They still face three to five years of residency(实习阶段) in a hospital, the first year as an apprentice physician. The hours are long and the pay is relatively low.

Setting up a medical practice is expensive, too. Sometimes several physicians will decide to establish a group practice, so they can share the expense of maintaining an office and buying equipment. These physicians also take care of each other's patients in emergencies.

Physicians work long hours and must accept a great deal of responsibility. Many medical procedures, even quite routine ones, involve risk. It is understandable that physicians want to be well rewarded for making decisions which can mean the difference between life and death.

1. According to the passage, it is very unlikely that an American hospital is owned by _______.

A. a church B. a corporation C. a city D. a state

2. The expenses for becoming a doctor are spent on _______.

A. schooling and retraining B. practice in a hospital

C. facilities he or she uses D. education he or she receives

3. According to the passage, how long does it take for a would-be physician to become an independent physician in the USA?

A. About seven years. B. Eight years.

C. Ten years. D. About twelve years.

4. Sometimes several physicians set up a group medical practice mainly because _______.

A. there are so many patients that it is difficult for one physician to take care all of them

B. they can take turns to work long hours

C. facilities may be too much of a burden for one physician to shoulder

D. no one wants to assume too much responsibility

5. Which of the following statements could fully express the author's view towards physicians’ payment in the USA?

A. For their expensive education and their responsibility, they deserve a handsome pay.

B. It is reasonable for physicians to have a large income because their work is very dangerous.

C. Physicians should be better paid because they work long hours under bad conditions.

D. Physicians have great responsibility, so it is understandable that they should be well rewarded.

NEW YORK - People who keep doing some work in their field after they retire may enjoy better physical and mental health than those who stop work completely or switch to another area of work, according to a U.S. study.

Researchers from the University of Maryland said the findings suggest that prospective retirees should consider moving into so-called "bridge employment" as a transition to full retirement.

"In essence, if someone is in a field where part-time work or self-employment is possible, he or she should consider it as they plan for retirement," researcher Dr. Mo Wang, an assistant professor of psychology, told Reuters Health.

For their study, Wang and his colleagues used data on more than 12,000 workers in a U.S. health study begun in 1992. Participants, who were between the ages of 51 and 61 at the outset, were surveyed every two years over a six-year period.

Overall, Wang's team found, people who went into some form of bridge employment reported lower rates of major diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes and arthritis during the study period than their counterparts who went straight into full retirement.

The findings were not explained by older age or worse initial health among people who opted for full retirement, the investigators report in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology.

On top of their better physical health, "bridge" workers also tended to report fewer mental health problems, such as depression.

The same mental health benefits were not seen, however, when retirees took part-time work in other fields -- possibly, Wang said, because many of these people may have taken those jobs out of financial need rather than choice.

He noted that the lack of benefit could also stem from the fact that these retirees had to adjust to an unfamiliar job position or had to make lifestyle changes.

Bridge work, particularly in one's accustomed field, may benefit physical and mental health for a number of reasons, according to Wang.

In general, he explained, such work may help older adults maintain the active lifestyles they had during their careers and decrease any stress they might feel from the transition into retirement. wwwWang said when it comes to mental health, for instance, bridge work may help by allowing people to keep some of the "role identity" that they have formed over their careers.

Staying active in general, not only through work, can also benefit retirees' physical health, Wang noted. He added, however, that any mental health benefits are likely to depend on the type of activity -- whether it is something that the person truly enjoys, and that helps ease any stress of moving into retirement.

"These findings," Wang said, "suggest that for retirees and prospective retirees, carefully considering whether to engage in bridge employment -- and if so, what types of bridge employment -- is quite important."

What does the underlined phrase “at the outset” mean?__________

A. at least B. at least C. at the beginning D. at last

People who went into some form of bridge employment have less chances to get the following diseases, EXCEPT___________.

A. arthritis B. heart disease C. diabetes D. low blood pressure

Which of the following statement is WRONG?_________

A. As long as retirees move into “bridge employment”, they must be healthier than those who do not.

B. The participants in the study were between 51 and 61 years old.

C. The bridge workers are also less likely to get depression.

D. Staying active is beneficial to the retirees’ physical health.

What can we infer from the passage?________

A. The study was begun in 1992 and lasts for two 6-year periods

B. If a bridge worker is older than 61 years old, it does not mean that he will get a better health than others who enjoy full retirement.

C. Only by moving into “bridge employment” can the retirees enjoy better health both physically and psychologically.

D. Any activity can benefit the retirees’ mental health.

Which is the best title of the passage?

A. A US study

B. Bridge Work

C. Working after retiring can be good for your health

D. Stay active

试题分类