For as long as they can remember Jynne Martin and April Surgent had both dreamed of going to Antarctica.This winter,they each made it to the icy continent as guests of the National Science Foundation(NSF).Bm they didn’t go as scientists.Martin is a poet and Surgent is an artist.They went to Antarctica as participants.in the NSF’s Artists and Writers program.The NSF is thegovernment agency that funds scientific research in Antarctica.But it also makes it possible for artists,including filmmakers and musicians,to experience Antarctica and contribute their own points of view to our understanding of the continent.

The mixing of science and art in Antarctica isn’t new.Some of the earliest explorersbrought along painters and photographers.Edward Wilson was a British painter,doctor,and bird expert who journeyed with RobertFalcon Soott on two separate Antamtic expeditionsmore than 100 years ago.Herbert Ponting was a photographer who also accompanied Scott on one of those expeditions.In hundreds of photos,Pontingcaptured the beauty of the continentand recorded the daily lives and heroic struggles of the explorers.

Today’s scientists write articles forscientificjournals.Unlike theearly explorers’journals,scientific papers can now be very difficult for non-scientists to understand.Writers in Antarctica workto explain the research to the public.Peter Rejcek is editor,writer,and photographer for the Antarctic Sun,an onlinemagazine devoted to news about the U.S.Antarctic Program.Rejeck began his career in the Antarctic in 2003 by spending a year at the South Pole.He has returned everyyear since,interviewing,scientists about research at Palmer,McMurdo,and South Pole stations.

There are also scientists in Antarctica who work hardto explain their research to the public.Scientist Diane McKnight wrote The Lost Seal,a children’s book that explains the research she and others are doing in an unusual ice-free area in Antarctica called the Dry Valleys.

Antarctica is full of stories and wonders that are scientific,historic.and personal. People such as Martin,Surgent,Rejcek,and McKnight are devoted to bringing those storiesto asmany peopleare they can.“Some people are going to be scientists,some people are goingto be journalists,some people are going to be artists,but we can all work together,’saysSurgent,“tocelebrate,thisextraordinary place.”

1.What do we know about the NSF?

A.It is a government agency.

B.It only funds scientists in Antarctica.

C.It encourages the understanding of human nature.

D.It enables the mixing of science and art for the first time.

2.Why didn’t some earliest explorers bring writers along?

A.Writers were not funded at that time.

B.Writing can’t capture the beauty of the continent.

C.Writers were not interested in popularizing science.

D.Early explorers’journals can be easily understood by the public.

3.By mentioning Diane McKnight,the author may try to suggest that_____.

A.scientists should explain their research to children

B.writers are not necessary since scientists can tell stories as well

C.telling stories to children is more important than knowing the truth

D.no matter what role we play,we can work together to appreciate Antarctica

4.What would be the best title for this article?

A.Antarctica:A Land for All

B.The NSF:A Program for All

C.Antarctica:A Land of Beauty and Stories

D.The NSF:A Program for Artists and Scientists

笫二节:完形填空(共20小题;每小题1分,满分20分)

在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

On Nov. 18, 1995, violinist Itzhak Perlman performed a concert at Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Stricken with polio (小儿麻痹症) as a child,Perlman walked with the aid of two crutches(拐杖)to a chair in the middle of the stage.He carefully laid the crutches on the floor, one leg forward and the other underneath his chair, picked up his instrument and nodded to the to begin.

But something went wrong. After only seconds of playing, one of the strings on his violin .The audience immediately knew what happened and fully expected the concert to be until another string or even another insrument could be found. But Perlman them. He quickly calmed down, closed his eyes and then the conductor to begin again.So the orchestra played from where they had and Perlman played on three strings. He played passion and power. All the time he worked out new fingering in his mind to make up for the string. A work that few people play well on four strings Perlman accomplished on three.

When he finished, a(n) silence hung in the room.And then as one, the crowd rose to their feet and wildly.Applause burst forth from every corner of the auditorium fans showed deep for his talent and his courage. Perlman smiled and wiped the sweat from his forehead.Then he raised his bow to the crowd and said, not proudly, but in a , quiet, holy tone, “You know. sometimes it is the artist's to find out how much music you can still make with what you have left.”

Such was Itzhak Perlman. a great violinist. Playing a concert on three strings is not unlike his philosophy of life -- he what he had left and still made music.And isn't that true with us?As for me I'm that the world, more than ever, needs the music only you and I can make.

1.A. hopefully B. painfully C. immediately D. eventually

2.A. exposed B. exported C. expanded D. extended

3.A. conductor B. audience C. assistant D. performer

4.A. burst B. erupted C. broke D. collapsed

5.A. continued B. paused C. proceeded D. organized

6.A. confused B. amused C. concerned D. surprised

7.A. signaled B. marked C. consulted D. indicated

8.A. cut off B. put off C. taken off D. left off

9.A. with B. for C. to D. of

10.A. original B. similar C. vague D. missing

11.A. might B. should C. could D. would

12.A. awesome B. deliberate C. subtle D. evident

13.A. pursued B. cheered C. responded D. observed

14.A. before B. until C. while D. as

15.A. reputation B. impression C. appreciation D. attention

16.A. delight B. emerge C. relax D.quiet

17.A. thoughtful B. tough C. blank D. weak

18.A. status B. explanation C. responsibility D. intelligence

19.A. got accustomed to B. gave way to C. looked forward to D. held on to

20.A. convinced B. reminded C. disappointed D. informed

For high school leavers starting out in the working world, it is very important to learn particular skills and practice how to behave in an interview or how to find an internship (实习). In some countries, schools have programs to help students onto the path to work. In the United States, however, such programs are still few and far behind.

Research shows that if high schools provide career-related courses, students are likely to get higher earnings in later years. The students are more likely to stay in school, graduate and go on to higher education.

In Germany, students as young as 13 and 14 are expected to do internships. German companies work with schools to make sure that young people get the education they need for future employment.

But in America, education reform programs focus on how well students do in exams instead of bringing them into contact with the working world. Harvard Education school professor Robert Schwartz has criticized education reformers for trying to place all graduates directly on the four-year college track. Schwartz argued that this approach leaves the country’s most vulnerable(易受影响的)kids with no jobs and no skills.

Schwartz believed that the best career programs encourage kids to go for higher education while also teach them valuable practical skills at high school. James Madison High School in New York, for example ,encourages students to choose classes on career-based courses. The school then helps them gain on-the-job

experience in those fields while they’re still at high school.

However, even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work, the job market is daunting. In the US, unemployment rates for 16-to-19-year-olds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row.

“The risk is that if teenagers miss out on the summer job experience, they will become part of this generation of teens who had trouble in landing a job,” said Michael, a researcher in the US.

1.In the author’s opinion, German high school leavers ______.

A. enjoy more career-related courses than that of US

B. need more career advice from their schools

C. perform better in exams than American students

D. are less brought into contact with the working world

2.According to Robert Schwartz, high school students should _________.

A. directly carry on higher education

B. get contact with the working world

C. focus on their performance in exams

D. not miss out on the summer job experience

3.The underlined word “daunting” in Paragraph 6 most probably mean “______”.

A. incredible B. motivating

C. impressive D. discouraging

4.What’s the main idea of the text?

A. Remarks on recent US high school education reform

B. Tips on finding jobs for high school leavers in US.

C. The lack of career-based education in US high schools.

D. The severe situation of unemployment in US.

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