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。

 

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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

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

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

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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.

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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

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