New data from NASA's Curiosity rover indicate Mars Crater once held an enormous lake. This discovery suggests that the red planet may have been much wetter than scientists thought and raises the possibility that the planet was once habitable.

“The size of the lake and the length of time and series that water was showing up implies that there may have been sufficient time for life to develop.” NASA's Mars Exploration Program scientist Dr. Michael Meyer told Reuters.

Curiosity collected the new data on its five-mile drive to Mount Sharp, the prime destination on its mission to study Mars' climate and geography. The rover landed in Gale Crater in August 2012.

After reaching Mount Sharp in September, the rover spent two months studying rocks at the base of the three-mile-high mountain, discovering fine layers of mudstone--which tend to collect at the bottom of lakes. This shows how a mountain inside a Mars' Gale Crater might have formed.

“If our assumption for Mount Sharp holds up, it challenges the idea that warm and wet conditions were passing, local, or only underground on Mars,” Dr. Ashwin Vasavada said in a written statement. “A more radical explanation is that Mars' ancient, thicker atmosphere raised temperatures above freezing globally, but so far we don't know how the atmosphere did that.”

Vasavada said Curiosity will continue to study changes in the rock formation as it climbs Mount Sharp in the next few months, which should test the team's hypothesis.

“We'll also look at the chemistry of the rocks to see if the water that was once present would've been of the kind that could support microbial life, if it ever was present,” he said in a video released by NASA. “With only 30 vertical feet of the mountain behind us, we're sure there's a lot more to discover.”

1.What does this text mainly talk about?

A. How scientists explored Mars.

B. The ways Curiosity used to explore Mount Sharp.

C. Some data about Gale Crater.

D. The discovery of Curiosity rover on Mars.

2.The discovery of the lake proves that _____.

A. early Mars was ripe and ready for life

B. the climate on early Mars was hot

C. life once existed on Mars

D. humans can live on Mars

3. What is the height of Mount Sharp?

A. 5 miles B. 30 miles C. 3 miles D. 22miles

4.Where does this text probably come from?

A. A science fiction. B. A science report.

C. An environment report. D. An official announcement.

完形填空

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Mac was cycling along a road in Canada’s Yukon, halfway through a 2,750-mile bike tour to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. He was carrying a 30-pound camping bag, ________ he wasn’t moving very fast. Suddenly he heard loud breathing behind him. “Man, that’s a big dog!” he thought. He looked to the side, but to his great ________ , he saw that it wasn’t a dog, but a wolf, running hard to ________ him.

Mac’s heart jumped. He reached for the ________ from his bag. With one hand on the handle bar, he ________the spray. A bright red cloud covered the wolf ________ , and it fell back, shaking its head. But a minute later it was by his side again. He sprayed a second time, and the wolf fell________again, but only to quickly restart its ________ .

The wolf was getting closer and closer, ________a dozen yards away. Mac waved and yelled at passing motorists, but meanwhile ________ hard. He knew clearly that he must be ________ not to slow down. Otherwise, he would become a ________ of the wolf.

Paul and Becky were driving along the same road. From a distance, they spotted what they________ was a dog running after a man on a bike. As they got ________, they realized it was a wolf.

Mac heard a car coming up behind him, and he slowed down. The car veered (改变方向)around the ________ , then suddenly stopped in front of him. Mac ________ off his bike and dashed for the back ________ of the car. It was locked. Paul quickly ________ the door so as to let Mac in, and the ________ man dived in, shutting the door behind him.

It was quite a while before Mac became________ and cried out: “I thought I was going to die!” And Paul and Becky were glad that they had given a helping hand to people in need.

1.A. but B. so C. for D. or

2.A. regret B. disappointment C. fear D. anger

3.A. catch up with B. break away from C. give in to D. come back to

4.A. hammer B. stick C. gun D. spray

5.A. dropped B. fired C. threw D. held

6.A. in turn B. at last C. in time D. at random

7.A. back B. down C. behind D. over

8.A. flight B. race C. journey D. attack

9.A. still B. just C. also D. even

10.A. kicked B. rode C. hit D. pressed

11.A. crazy B. wrong C. careful D. fair

12.A. victim B. competitor C. killer D. protector

13.A. decided B. declared C. assumed D. found

14.A. faster B. closer C. stronger D. wiser

15.A. climber B. motorist C. cyclist D. runner

16.A. sent B. fell C. turned D. jumped

17.A. window B. seat C. door D. trunk

18.A. bent B. struck C. blocked D. unlocked

19.A. frightened B. worried C. discouraged D. confused

20.A. brave B. calm C. optimistic D. confident

Barack Obama was born on August 4, 1961 in Honolulu, Hawaii. His father came to America from Kenya, which is a country in Africa. His parents, Ann and Barack, met when they were students at the University of Hawaii. Since Barack had the same name as his father, young Barack went by the nickname “Barry”.

In 1979, after he finished high school, Barry went to Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. There, he started to learn about his African roots and decided to use his African name, Barack. After two years in L.A., he went to Columbia University in New York City to study politics.

After college, he moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he worked to help poor people in his city. He traveled to Africa to meet his grandmother and cousins for the first time. He went back many times over the years to visit with his family and learn about where he came from. At work, he met a lawyer named Michelle Robinson. They worked together in a big law firm. Then he left Chicago to go to Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He did very well in law school.

After he was done with school, Barack moved back to Chicago and in 1992 he married Michelle. He worked as a lawyer, devoted to helping poor people for free who had been treated unfairly. He worked hard to get the people he helped to vote(投票).

He made many people believe that their votes were important, and helped them feel like they could make a difference.

1. Barack Obama’s father was probably born in _________.

A. Hawaii. B. California. C. Illinois. D. Kenya.

2.Which of the following is the right order according to the text?

①Getting married to Michelle.

②Travelling to Africa to meet his grandmother.

③Going to Harvard Law School.

④Going to Columbia University.

⑤Working in a big law firm.

A. ④②⑤③① B. ④③②⑤① C. ③④①⑤② D. ②①⑤④③

3. How did Obama get people to vote?

A. By cheating them to do so.

B. By making a difference to people.

C. By showing them the importance of their votes.

D. By helping poor people who treat others unfairly

4.According to the text, which of the following words can best describe Barack Obama?

A. Humorous B. Polite C. Brave D. Kind-hearted

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