It seems that we are one step closer to finding alien life and maybe a future home for humanity. Scientists from NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) have found a new solar system filled with planets that look like Earth and could even support life.

The group of seven planets, which orbits a star called Trappist-1, is 40 light years away from Earth in the constellation of Aquarius(水瓶座). And three of them are in the so-called “habitable (宜居的)zone” ----the area around a star where liquid water is most likely to be found. This is important because water is a necessary ingredient for life.

All of the planets were found using a method called “transit photometry.” This works by watching out for when a planet passes in front of its host start. This blocks out a small amount of light, allowing us to see the planet and learn about its size.

“This is an amazing planetary system---not only because we have found so many planets, but because they are all surprisingly similar in size to the Earth,” astronomer Michael Gillon from the University of Liege in Belgium told The Independent.

Trappist-1 is a “dwarf star (矮星)” which is colder and shines dimmer than our sun. If a person were on one of the seven planets, everything would look a lot darker than usual. The amount of light heading toward our eyes would be about 200 times less than we get from the sun, according to The Independent.

Because of that, Trappist-1, together with many other dwarf stars, was never on the list of places where scientists look for alien life. but Michael Gillon, lead researcher behind the discovery, decided to give dwarf stars a chance. He built a telescope in Chile to observe 60 of the closest dwarf stars, and it turned out that Trappist-1 was worthy of the effort.

The researchers hope that they can spend more time watching the newly found planets to learn more about them. Even though more research is needed before determining whether these planets could really support life, the discovery is still encouraging. It shows just how many Earth-size planets could be out there.

“The discovery gives us a hint that finding a second Earth is not just a matter of if, but when,” NASA scientist Thomas Zurbuchen told the Telegraph.

1.Which of the following statements is TRUE about the newly found planets?

A. It will take human beings about 40 years to travel to them

B. Some of them might have the proper conditions to support life

C. They are spread out in the habitable zone around Trappist-1

D. Underground ice has been found in some them

2.“Transit photometry” is a special method mainly used to ________.

A. tell apart different stars

B. test the brightness of stars

C. search for and measure planets

D. work out the distance between stars

3.We can infer from the article that _______.

A. scientists will soon find an Earth-like planet that can support human life

B. researchers know a little about the environment on the newly found planets

C. dwarf stars have long been a popular choice in the hunt for Earth-like planets

D. the size of a planet is the top concern when scientists search for a “second Earth”

4.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?

A. Life in space soon?

B. Any aliens in space?

C. Trappist-1, a dark dwarf star

D. New record, seven new solar systems

One day, a poor young man went to Paris to visit one of his father’s friends and ______ that his father’s friend could help him find a simple job for living.

“Are you good at math?” his father’s friend asked him.

The young man shook his head.

“How are your history and geography?”

The young man shook his head again.

“How about your law?”

The young man ______ his head embarrassedly.

His father’s friend asked again and again, ______ the young man could only shake his head and told him he himself couldn’t find out any ______. “Then write down your address first.”

The young man wrote down his address and turned to leave, but he was stopped by his father’s friend. “Your name is written very ______, which is your advantage. You shouldn’t satisfy yourself with finding a job only for ______.”

Years later, the young man wrote the classical works that won the world fame. He was Alexandre Dumas, a famous French writer of 18th century. One of his greatest works ______ The Three Musketeers was popular ______ a great number of readers.

There are many ordinary persons in the world who ______ have many advantages, but they are neglected (忽视) because of their self-abasement (自卑). In fact, there is a gold mine (矿) in every ordinary life. If you’re willing to dig, you will dig out treasures to ______ yourself.

1.A. wondered B. expected C. thought

2.A. touched B. lowered C. raised

3.A. so B. or C. but

4.A. ideas B. chances C. advantages

5.A. badly B. carefully C. beautifully

6.A. fun B. house C. living

7.A. written B. called C. read

8.A. with B. for C. by

9.A. both B. all C. every

10.A. surprise B. intent C. believe

All over the world people swim for fun. Swimming is enjoyed by people of _____ages, from the very young to the very old. There are many places for people to swim in swimming pools. Many schools, hotels and clubs have swimming pools. Some people have pools of______in their yards.

Swimming is one of____forms of exercise. It can____ hearts and bodies strong. It can also help blood circulate(循环). Handicapped people can keep their bodies in better condition by swimming_____they can't enjoy sports.

____ is a good idea for parents to see to it(务必做到) that their children learn to swim____an early age. So their children will_____it for the rest of their lives.

There are many rules for water safety. These rules can help save not only your life_____the life of a friend. First of all, know_____. Many schools____ swimming lessons to children. Adults(成人) can learn to swim at public pools. _____ rule to remember is never to swim ____. Always swim with a friend and know ___ in the water at all times. It is best to swim ____ in safe places if you are beginners. If every one learned to swim and obeyed the rules for water safety, most drawing(溺水) could be avoided.

1.A. all B. any C. some D. both

2.A. themselves B. their own C. theirs own D. their own’s

3.A. good B. better C. best D. the best

4.A. help B. let C. make D. show

5.A. though B. as C. so D. until

6.A. That B. There C. This D. It

7.A. over B. during C. at D. on

8.A. learn B. enjoy C. stop D. know

9.A. and aim B. still C. and yet D. but also

10.A. how to swim B. why swimming C. how swimming D. why to swim

11.A. have B. take C. give D. make

12.A. The other one B. Other C. An other D. Another

13.A. alone B. yourself C. lonely D. together

14.A. who what person is B. where that person is C. who is that person D. where is that person

15.A. nearly B. hardly C. almost D. only

The next time you get caught jumping on your bed you can tell your parents with a straight face that you are not playing, simply getting ready got a promising career in “Mattress Jumping”. Believe it or not, there are some people who actually get paid to do that! According to Reuben Reynoso, a professional mattress tester at San Francisco’s McRoskey Mattress Factory that still makes every mattress by hand, it is real work and needs some training. For a start, it’s not all about jumping to new heights or doing tricks like professional athletes, but rather about feeling each area of the mattress carefully to detect the filling. In order to do it right, every bit of the mattress has to be tested slowly and deliberately.

Over the years, Reynoso has figured out the perfect routine. He begins by placing a protective mat over the mattress so that it doesn’t get dirty or absorb the smell from his feet. Then begins the fun---he steps to the middle of an edge and then takes five steps back and five steps forward. In this way, he slowly but surely, covers the entire surface. The key according to him is to find the perfect number of jumps---Too many and he will end up destroying the mattress completely. Too few And it will not fit into the giant machine for that final sewing! Who knew a job that sounds so simple could have so many skills!

While Reuben will not reveal how he got into this profession, he will admit that it is more fun than being a carpenter, roofer, construction worker and railroad engineer---all jobs he has tried previous to finding his true profession!

1.We learn from the text that the McRoskey Mattress Factory ______.

A. is the world’s oldest mattress factory

B. make mattresses for sports

C. produces mattresses by hand

D. hires athletes as mattress testers

2.The protective mat is used to ______.

A. prevent the tester getting hurt

B. keep the mattress as clean as possible

C. protect the mattress from being destroyed

D. make the mattress fit into the sewing machine

3.According to Reynoso, the most important thing in his work is ______.

A. the timing of his jumps B. the height of his jumps

C. the number of his jumps D. the frequency of his jumps

4.We can learn from the text that Reynoso ______.

A. has been injured several times in his work

B. liked mattress jumping in his childhood

C. didn’t choose mattress testing as his first job

D. dreamt about becoming a jumping athlete

If you are a fruit grower—or would like to become one—take advantage of Apple Day to see what's around. It's called Apple Day but in practice it's more like Apple Month. The day itself is on October 21, but since it has caught on, events now spread out over most of October around Britain.

Visiting an apple event is a good chance to see, and often taste,a wide variety of apples. To people who are used to the limited choice of apples such as Golden Delicious and Royal Gala in supermarkets, it can be quite an eye opener to see the range of classical apples still in existence, such as Decio which was grown by the Romans. Although it doesn't taste of anything special,it's still worth a try,as is the knobbly(多疙瘩的) Cat's Head which is more of a curiosity than anything else.

There are also varieties developed to suit specific local conditions. One of the very best varieties for eating quality is Orleans Reinette, but you'll need a warm, sheltered place with perfect soil to grow it, so it's a pipe dream for most apple lovers who fall for it.

At the events, you can meet expert growers and discuss which ones will best suit your conditions, and because these are family affairs, children are well catered for with apple?themed fun and games.

Apple Days are being held at all sorts of places with an interest in fruit, including stately gardens and commercial orchards(果园).If you want to have a real orchard experience, try visiting the National Fruit Collection at Brogdale,near Faversham in Kent.

1.What can people do at the apple events?

A. Attend experts' lectures.

B. Visit fruit?loving families.

C. Plant fruit trees in an orchard.

D. Taste many kinds of apples.

2.What can we learn about Decio?

A. It is a new variety.

B. It has a strange look.

C. It is rarely seen now.

D. It has a special taste.

3.What does the underlined phrase “a pipe dream” in Paragraph 3 mean?

A. A practical idea.

B. A vain hope.

C. A brilliant plan.

D. A selfish desire.

4.What is the author's purpose in writing the text?

A. To show how to grow apples.

B. To introduce an apple festival.

C. To help people select apples.

D. To promote apple research.

I still remember that summer before college.There were plans and ideas about what my college experience was going to be like, but none of them worked out as planned.1..

●Use the mental health services available to you.

That first night at college was memorable. There was scare and homesickness. Missing things from home wasn't the only reason why I felt down. The academic pressure to succeed and the social pressure to fit in are too much for some people, which don't just happen in the freshman year.2.. Close friends always guided me, which was important because talking helps—even if it's just with a friend. Don't be afraid to take that extra help.

3..

I had been ready to major in politics, philosophy and economics, in preparation for a law degree.Things changed.

You meet new people and discover new interests.4.. So, don't worry if you haven’t figured out exactly what you're going to major in. It will likely change anyway.

●You're there to get a degree, but a little fun won't hurt.

As time goes by, I'm not going to remember the grades I got on papers or the late nights spent studying. Instead, lifelong memories will include playing video games with my roommate at 3:00 am, or late-night runs with my friends after a night out. Apart from doing well inside the classroom, there are also internships(实习期) and other pressures. Employers might weigh internships more heavily than your GPA.5..

A. It's OK to change your mind about your major.

B. You don't want to get tired of your college life early.

C. Everyone says that college is the best four years of your life.

D. Here are the things I wish I had known before my freshman year.

E. It’s normal to be a little unsure of your plans once you start taking classes.

F. Getting internships and having fun with friends are also of great importance.

G. For me, there were upsets long after the days that required a map to go anywhere.

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