Before astronauts can go into space, they have to have the right suit. That’s why NASA(美国国家航天和航空局)scientists are developing a new kind of space suit——lighter and more flexible than before. These new space suits will have lots of mobility(灵活性) for the astronauts, but will not need much maintenance. NASA wants the suits to include new technology that can help astronauts be safe in outer space.

Right now, the American space suit weighs about 275 pounds and is big and massive. But the suit is also easy to work in for long periods of time. The Russian space suit is less complicated, but is used only a few times and then gets thrown away.

“Finding the right balance is always going to be a challenge,” said a long-time astronaut Jeff Williams. Williams has worn both types of suits. Space suits protect astronauts from both extreme heat and freezing temperatures. They carry life-packs with oxygen for the astronauts. They also shield astronauts from radiation, or particles that send out harmful rays.

Scientists are using computers to design the new suits. This allows them to change the design again and again, and to even test the design out before actually making anything. “There’s a lot more capable tools and technology to get the job done——a lot more knowledge, as well,” said Joe Kosmo. Kosmo helped design, develop, and test suits during the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and shuttle periods.

These new space suits will be much lighter and use a new kind of complex material. They also will have a smaller life support backpack, thanks to tiny electronics. NASA hopes to have the first prototypes(原型) in development by 2010 and certify(证明) the suit by 2012. This will be in time for the launch of the Orion spaceship in 2014.

What characteristic does the new space suit have?

A. The new space suit will need much maintenance.

B. The new space suit will be heavier than before.

C. The new space suit will have less mobility than before.

D. The new suit will use new technology to help astronauts be safe in outer space.

What’s the disadvantage of the Russian space suit?

A. The Russian space suit is big and massive.

B. The Russian space suit is much complicated.

C. The Russian space suit is merely used a few times.

D. The Russian space suit is easy to work in for long periods of time.

The underlined word “shield” in the third paragraph might mean_______.

A. harm          B. protect        C. help           D. warn

Why can scientists test the design out before actually making the new space suits?

A. Because designing the new space suit is not a complex task.

B. Because computers are being used to help scientists design the new space suits.

C. Because it needs little knowledge to design the new space suits.

D. Because the scientists only change the old space suits a little and make them into the new ones.

How long will it take scientists to put the new space suits from prototypes into the first practical use?

A. Two years.     B. Three years.     C. Four years.     D. Six years.

They huddled (挤在一起) inside the storm door – two children in dirty old coats.

“Any old __36___ , lady?”

I was __37__ with my household budget (预算). I wanted to say no --- until I looked down at their __38__ . Thin little sandals (凉鞋), __39__ through. “Come into the front room and I’ll make you a cup of hot __40__ .” There was no conversation. Their wet sandals left __41__ upon the hearthstone (壁炉的石头).

I __42__ them cocoa and bread with jam (果酱) to __43__ against the cold outside. Then I went back to the kitchen and started __44__ on my household budget.

I __45__ the silence in the front room and looked in. The girl held the empty __46__ in her hands, looking at it. The boy asked in a flat voice, “Lady ... are you rich?”

“Am I rich? No!”

The girl put her cup back in its saucer (碟子) – __47_ . “Your cups __48__ your saucers.” Her voice was old, with a __49__ that was not of the stomach.

They left then, holding their newspapers __50__ the wind. They hadn’t said __51__ . They didn’t need to. They had done more than that. Plain blue pottery cups and saucers. __52__ they matched. I tasted the potatoes and stirred (搅拌) the gravy (肉汁). Potatoes and brown gravy, a roof over our heads, my man with a good steady job – these things matched, too.

I moved the chairs back from the fire and cleaned the living room. The muddy prints of small sandals were __53__ wet upon my heart. I let them be. I want them there __54__ I ever forget again how very__55__ I am.

A. cups         B. newspapers       C. food         D. clothes

A. worried       B. excited          C. sad          D. busy

A. dress         B. faces            C. feet         D. socks

A. wet          B. cold             C. worn        D. broken

A. cocoa        B. soup             C. gravy        D. tea

A. snow         B. water            C. raindrops     D. marks

A. made         B. served           C. offered       D. sent

A. protect       B. warm            C. fight         D. beat

A. then         B. off               C. again        D. over

A. hated        B. wondered         C. found        D. noticed

A. spoon        B. cup              C. bowl         D. plate

A. carelessly     B. carefully          C. hurriedly     D. heavily

A. suit          B. fit               C. match        D. complete

A. hunger       B. hope             C. sound        D. anger

A. with         B. against           C. in           D. along

A. thank you   B. goodbye         C. nothing        D. sorry

A. Though     B. As              C. So            D. But

A. still        B. even             C. once          D. ever

A. because     B. even though       C. in case        D. as if

A. kind        B. happy            C. serious        D. rich

Typing Success in 20 Minutes a Day

— Teaching Your K-12 Students to Type in 20 Minutes a Day

Typing is fast becoming an important skill in our world. Making this skill available to your students is very important. Just 20 minutes of the following activities per day will give your students the finger strength and keyboard knowledge they need to be ready to include typing in their learning programs.

Step 1 Knitting (编织): You can try various styles until you find the one that best suits your students’ abilities. Finger knitting is a great way to start! It helps students focus on finger strength. Knitting with needles is a little more challenging but will suit some older    students. The more practice the fingers get the stronger they will become.

Step 2 Key board games: It helps your students become familiar with the keyboard. Students as young as four years old can practice finger placement, letter sounds and names using the keyboard of computers.

Step 3 Clay modeling: Many children develop the ability to be quick and skilful with their hands through creating clay models. The creative nature of this activity keeps children engaged for long periods of time. It helps keep fingers strong and supple.

Step 4 Lego (拼装玩具) building: Little fingers become strong when children pull apart little Lego time and time again. Because of the fun nature of this activity it helps build and does a lot to reinforce the ability to arrange things into an order — another important aspect in typing.

Choose an age-appropriate, interactive and engaging typing program. All students are different and with firm finger skills typing can be easily learned in 20 minutes a day with the use of a mixture of these different approaches.

All the following steps can make one’s fingers stronger EXCEPT ____.

A. Step4    B. Step3     C. Step2    D. Step1

The underlined word “it” in Step 4 refers to ____.

A. little Lego

B. the fun nature

C. the strength of fingers

D. Lego building

What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A. Activities listed in the text suit students of all ages.

B. Different students have different results after following the activities listed.

C. Only one activity can be used in a typing program for specific students.

D. Firm finger skills are important for learning to type.

Not so long ago almost any student who successfully completed a university degree could find a good career quite easily.Companies toured the academic institutions, competing with each other to select graduates.However, those days are gone, even in Hong Kong, and nowadays graduates often face strong competition in the search for jobs.

Most careers organizations highlight three stages for graduates to follow in the process of securing a suitable career:recognizing abilities, matching these to available jobs and presenting them well to possible employers.

Job seekers have to make a careful assessment of their own abilities.One area of assessment should be of their academic qualifications, which would include special skills within their subject area.Graduates should also consider their own personal values and attitudes.An honest assessment of personal interests and abilities such as creative skills, or skills acquired from work experience, should also be given careful thought.

The second stage is to study the opportunities available for employment and to think about how the general employment situation is likely to develop in the future.To do this, graduates can study job and position information in newspapers, or they can visit a careers office, write to possible employers for information or contact friends or relatives who may already be involved in a particular profession.After studying all the various options, they should be in a position to make informed comparisons between various careers.

Good personal presentation is essential in the search for a good career.Job application forms and letters should, of course, be filled in carefully and correctly, without grammar or spelling errors.Where additional information is asked for, job seekers should describe their abilities and work experience in more depth, with examples if possible.They should try to balance their own abilities with the employer’s needs, explain why they are interested in a career with the particular company and try to show that they already know something about the company and its activities.

When graduates go to an interview, they should prepare properly by finding out all they can about the possible employer.Dressing suitably and arriving for the interview on time are also important.Interviewees should try to give positive and helpful answers and should not be afraid to ask questions about anything they are unsure about.This is much better than pretending to understand a question and giving an unsuitable answer.

1.“Those days are gone, even in Hong Kong” in Paragraph 1 suggests that__________.

       A.finding a good career used to be easier in Hong Kong than elsewhere

    B.now everyone in Hong Kong has an equal chance of finding a good job

  C.graduates now face stronger competition in Hong Kong than elsewhere

    D.even in Hong Kong companies tour universities trying to select graduates

2.It is implied in Paragraph 3 that graduates should_____________.

    A.aim to give a balanced account of what the employer needs

    B.consider careers which suit their values, interests and abilities

    C.stress their personal attitudes and values in job applications

    D.recognize their own abilities regardless of what the employer looks for

3.According to Paragraph 4, graduates should______________.

    A.find a good position and then compare it with other careers

    B.ask friends or relatives to secure them a good job

    C.get information about a number of careers before making comparisons

    D.study the opportunities and the kinds of training that will be available

4.In the last paragraph, the writer seems to suggest that ________________.

    A.interviewees should appear humble if they can’t give an answer

    B.dressing properly is more important than being able to give an answer

    C.it is better for interviewees to be honest than to pretend to understand

D.it is a good idea for interviewees to be boastful in their answers

 

Have you ever thought about what you would like to do after school? Perhaps one of these rather different jobs will suit you.

TASTER: Food companies need people to taste the products that they are making. So many kinds of no bad-tasting food are put onto the supermarket shelves. All tasters do all day is take small bites of food. They make notes of what tastes good and what tastes bad. It is not a job for those who would like to stay thin.

SNAKE MILKER: This involves taking the poison out of a snake’s teeth. You hold the snake over a glass and make it open its mouth very wide. The poison will then drip from the back of the teeth into the glass; this is known as milking the snake. You have to be very brave if you want to try this.

GOLF BALL HUNTER: You will spend your day diving into waterholes at different golf courses to hunt for lost golf balls. You could be picking up as many as 5,000 balls a day. Many golfers are willing to buy used golf balls and you could be making a lot of money.

CLOCK CLEANER: Every day you will be climbing to the top of the clock towers in the city. Your responsibilities will be to oil, wind and repair the clocks. This is not a job for someone who is afraid of heights.

1. If you are a taster, you will          .

A. pick up golf balls                                   B. oil and repair the clocks

C. get some milk from snakes                              D. try different kinds of food

2. If you are afraid of heights, you’d better not choose the job as a          .

A. taster                  B. snake milker               C. clock cleaner                D. golf ball hunter

3. You can probably find this passage in a          .

A. newspaper       B. textbook                    C. report                            D. novel

 

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