Astronomers (天文学家) say they are on the point of finding planets like Earth orbiting other stars, which is a key step in determining if we are alone in the universe.
A top NASA official and other leading scientists say that within four or five years they should discover the first Earth-like planet where life could develop, or may have already. A planet close to the size of Earth could even be found sometime this year.
At the annual American Astronomical Society conference this week, each discovery involving  so-called “exoplanets” —those outside our solar system — pointed to the same conclusion：Quiet planets like Earth where life could develop probably are plentiful.
NASA’s Dew Kepler telescope and a lot of new research from the suddenly hot and competitive exoplanet field caused noticeable buzz at the meeting．Scientists are talking about being at “an incredible special place in history” and closer to answering the question. “Are we alone? For the first time, there’s an optimism that sometime in our lifetimes we’re going to get to the bottom of that,” said Simon Worden，an astronomer who heads NASA’s Ames Research Center. “If I were a betting man, which I am, I would bet we’re not alone.”
“These are big questions that reflect upon the meaning of the human race in the universe,” the director of the Vatican Observatory, the Rev. Jose Funes, said Wednesday in an interview at this week’s conference.
Worden told The Associated Press: “I would certainly expect in the next four or five years we’d have an Earth-sized planet in the habitable (可居住的) zone.”

  1. 1.

    What is very important in determining if we are alone in the universe?

    1. A.
      Finding an Earth-like planet
    2. B.
      Orbiting other stars
    3. C.
      Developing new telescopes
    4. D.
      Finding more exoplanets
  2. 2.

    What’s an exoplanet?

    1. A.
      It’s a planet like Earth
    2. B.
      It’s a planet outside our solar system
    3. C.
      It’s a planet orbiting the sun
    4. D.
      It’s a planet where life have developed
  3. 3.

    The underlined phrase “get to the bottom of” probably means “__________”

    1. A.
      understand fully
    2. B.
      make full use of
    3. C.
      search for
    4. D.
      do more research on
  4. 4.

    From the passage we can learn that __________

    1. A.
      an Earth-like planet has been found
    2. B.
      it’s been proved we are not alone in the universe
    3. C.
      Jose Funes has found the meaning of the human race in the universe
    4. D.
      the discovery of an Earth-like planet could happen in the near future

When looking back at the scary situation that happened to him on Saturday, Patrick Canney said he couldn’t still believe that it was true. It was a situation that could have ended with a tragedy for Patrick, his father and his sister. But it didn’t really happen thanks to Patrick.
That morning, Patrick’s father was driving down busy Interstate 95 in Peabody, Massachusetts. The car started going really slowly, which seized Patrick’s attention. And then he realized that something was wrong. At that point, Patrick found his father was having a seizure （中风）.
“It was really scary,” he said. “It was unlike anything that had ever really happened to me.” But Patrick didn’t act scared. He took control of the situation and got behind the wheel of the SUV. He turned the key off and pulled the car over to the breakdown lane （车道）. He then stopped the SUV, grabbed a cell phone out of his dad’s pocket and called 911 for help.
Patrick’s 9-year-old sister was in the SUV, too. He told his little sister not to worry about it. Then he opened the door and stood right next to the guard rail. Thanks to Patrick’s description of their location during the 911 call, Massachusetts State Police were able to locate the Canneys within minutes -- and get them all to safety.
“A 12-year-old boy’s clear thinking and decisive action actually saved this family from a tragedy,” said state police spokesman David. “That’s Patrick. He is cool and collected. I couldn’t imagine what would be the result if he were panicked （惊慌失措）.”
Patrick’s father was expected to recover fully from the seizure. And thanks to Patrick, all of the Canneys are still alive. “The word hero may be overused in our society,” said David. “But Patrick is surely that -- and then some.”

  1. 1.

    As soon as he found his father had a seizure, Patrick ________

    1. A.
      told his sister not to worry
    2. B.
      called the police for help at once
    3. C.
      tried his best to save his father
    4. D.
      managed to take control of the car
  2. 2.

    The underlined word “collected” in Paragraph 5 means “_________”

    1. A.
      confused
    2. B.
      positive
    3. C.
      calm
    4. D.
      serious
  3. 3.

    What did David think of Patrick?

    1. A.
      Patrick should learn from real heroes in society
    2. B.
      Patrick was a cool boy who matched the word hero
    3. C.
      Patrick should be rewarded for his behavior
    4. D.
      Patrick should protect his family carefully in the future
  4. 4.

    Which of the-following best expresses the main idea of the passage?

    1. A.
      A kid made every effort to survive in a car crash
    2. B.
      A kid turned into a lifesaver after his father was ill
    3. C.
      A kid learned how to become a hero by using his wisdom
    4. D.
      A kid saved his sister when they drove on a highway

Consult the page adapted from an English dictionary and do Questions 1--3

  1. 1.

    Fill in the blank in the sentence “I can’t believe this is Daniel—he’s ______ since we last met! Much taller than the other boys of his age!”

    1. A.
      shot up
    2. B.
      shot out
    3. C.
      shot through
    4. D.
      shot down
  2. 2.

    When you are talking about unimportant things, we say you are ______.

    1. A.
      shooting yourself in the foot
    2. B.
      shooting your mouth off
    3. C.
      shooting the breeze
    4. D.
      shooting questions at somebody
  3. 3.

    Choose a word to complete the sentence “The ______, which killed a policeman and wounded a passer-by(路人), was reported to have lasted only 13 seconds.”

    1. A.
      shooter
    2. B.
      shoot
    3. C.
      shot
    4. D.
      shooting

So there are four of them in this car heading north from Coleman in the heart of Texas to the town of Abilene (阿比林), some 53 miles away. It is a hot day, and the drive is dusty and boring. Someone has had the bright idea to interrupt a nice family game of dominoes (多米诺) to go on a four-hour round-trip to eat at a really not very good restaurant.
When they are back home again, one family member admits that she hasn’t enjoyed herself all that much. One by one they all confess that they would rather have stayed at home. “I only went along with it because I thought the rest of you wanted to go,” says everyone. No one wanted to go to Abilene. It had just happened.
This story was first told by Professor Jerry Harvey in an article published in 1974 called The Abilene Paradox (悖论) and other meditations on management. It offers a wonderful insight into the way that decisions can sometimes just emerge, without ever being consciously “made”.
Whether they mean to or not, groups exert a pressure to conform (顺从). A senior management team can find itself a long way down the track to a bad decision without realizing that the idea has very little support around the table.
Close-knit (组织严密的) teams are easily influenced by the pull of groupthink. The late Professor Janis suggested several ways in which teams can avoid it. Two key steps are to invite experts from outside into meetings, and to appoint at least one person to the role of “devil’s advocate” — a role that should be played by different people in different meetings

  1. 1.

    The four family members have decided to go on a four-hour round-trip to the town of Abilene because _______

    1. A.
      they really like the restaurant they are going to
    2. B.
      they are tired of the game they have been playing
    3. C.
      they have not been to Abilene for a long time
    4. D.
      everyone thinks all the other family members want to go
  2. 2.

    When they are back home, they find that______

    1. A.
      they have not really trusted each other
    2. B.
      they have all enjoyed the trip except one family member
    3. C.
      they would have had a better time if they had stayed at home
    4. D.
      they have all had a good time although none of them wanted to go
  3. 3.

    A senior management team can make a bad decision because ______

    1. A.
      the idea has the support of everyone around the table
    2. B.
      everyone on the team is too tired to think clearly
    3. C.
      the group puts a pressure to conform
    4. D.
      they understand what each member means
  4. 4.

    According to Professor Janis, at least one person should be appointed to the role of “devil’s advocate ” at each meeting so that _______

    1. A.
      the pull of groupthink can be avoided
    2. B.
      each member will play a different role
    3. C.
      team members can agree with each other more easily
    4. D.
      experts from the outside can be invited into meetings

Like every language, American English is full of special expressions, phrases that come from the day-to-day life of the people and develop in their own way.
Our expression today is “to face the music”. When someone says, “Well, I guess I’ll have to face the music,” it does not mean he’s planning to go to the concert. It is something far less pleasant, like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this and did that, and why you didn’t do this or that. Awful music indeed, but it has to be faced. At sometime or another, every one of us has to face the music, especially as children. We can all remember father’s angry voice, “I want to talk to you.” and only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was!
The phrase “to face the music” is familiar to every American, young and old. It is at least 100 years old. And where did this expression come from? The first explanation comes from the American novelist, James Fenimore Looper. He said, in 1851, that the expression was first used by actors while waiting to go on the stage. When they got their cue(提示) to go on, they often said, “Well, it’s time to face the music.” And that was exactly what they did—facing the orchestra(管弦乐队) which was just below them. And an actor might be frightened or nervous as he moved on to the stage in front of an audience that might be friendly or perhaps hostile, especially if he forgot his lines. But he had to go out. If he did not, there would be no play. So the expression “to face the music” came to mean “having to go through something, no matter how unpleasant the experience might be, because you knew you had no choice.”
Other explanations about the expression go back to the army. When the men faced an inspection(视察) by their leader, the soldiers would be worried about how well they looked. Was their equipment clean, shiny enough to pass the inspection? Still the men had to go out and face the music of the band as well as the inspection. What else could they do?
Another army explanation is more closely linked to the idea of facing the results and accepting the responsibility for something that should not have been done. For example, when a man is forced out of the army because he did something terrible, he is dishonored. The band does not play. Only the drums tap a sad, slow beat. The soldier is forced to leave, facing such music as it is and facing the back of his horse

  1. 1.

    How many ways does the phrase “to face the music” comes from?

    1. A.
      1
    2. B.
      2
    3. C.
      3
    4. D.
      4
  2. 2.

    What’s the meaning of “to face the music”?

    1. A.
      To face something far less pleasant
    2. B.
      To face the stage
    3. C.
      To face the back of one’s horse
    4. D.
      To face one’s leader
  3. 3.

    The underlined word “hostile” means ________

    1. A.
      unfriendly
    2. B.
      dislike
    3. C.
      unkind
    4. D.
      unnecessary

When children learn a language, they learn the grammar as well as words or vocabulary. No one teaches them; children just “pick them up”.
Before babies begin to produce words, they produce sounds. Some of these sounds will remain if they occur in the language being learned, and others will disappear. This is called the “babbling stage”.
A child does not learn the language “all at once”. The child first speaks only one-word “sentences”. After a few months, the two-word stage arises. During this stage, the child puts two words together. These two-word sentences have definite patterns and express grammatical and meaningful relationships. Still later, in the telegraphic stage, the child will produce longer sentences. These longer sentences are mainly made up of content words. The child’s early grammar lacks many of the rules of the adult grammar, but gradually it will become perfect.
All normal children everywhere learn language. This ability is not dependent on race, social class, geography, or even intelligence (智力). This ability is uniquely (独特的) for human

  1. 1.

    This passage is mainly about ___________

    1. A.
      differences between a child’s language and an adult’s
    2. B.
      ways of teaching babies to talk
    3. C.
      children’s learning of the mother language
    4. D.
      the importance of learning foreign languages
  2. 2.

    The phrase “pick them up” means____________

    1. A.
      raise them from the ground
    2. B.
      learn them without much effort
    3. C.
      use hands to help carry them
    4. D.
      study very hard and remember them
  3. 3.

    During the “babbling stage”, babies ___________

    1. A.
      can only produce sound
    2. B.
      learn to work without falling over
    3. C.
      can understand people’s talk
    4. D.
      begin to produce two-word sentences
  4. 4.

    The two-word sentences produced by babies __________

    1. A.
      are simpler than those produced in the “babbling stage”
    2. B.
      are much more difficult than those produced in the telegraphic stage
    3. C.
      are strictly grammatical
    4. D.
      are meaningful and have function
  5. 5.

    The passage implies that any children can learn a language as long as he is ___________

    1. A.
      well-educated
    2. B.
      clever enough
    3. C.
      unique
    4. D.
      physical normal

The Winter Olympics is also called the White Olympics. At this time, many colorful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamps marking the opening came out on January 25, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule.
During the 4th Winter Olympic Games a group of stamps were published in Germany in November 1936. The five rings of Olympics were drawn on the front of the sportswear. It was the first time that the rings had appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics.
In the 1950’s, the stamps of this kind became more colorful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries as well as the non-host countries published stamps to mark those Games. China also published four stamps in February 1980, when the Chinese sports men began to take part in the White Olympics.
Japan is the only Asian country that has ever held the White Olympics. Altogether 14,500 million stamps were sold to raise money for this sports meet.
Different kinds of sports were drawn on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of some sportsmen

  1. 1.

    We can infer from the passage that ______

    1. A.
      No stamps were printed in the first two White Olympics
    2. B.
      The first stamps marking the opening came out for the 3rd White Olympics
    3. C.
      The 3rd White Olympics was in the USA
    4. D.
      The 3rd White Olympics were held in 1932
  2. 2.

    The world made it a rule to publish stamps to mark the great world games _____

    1. A.
      after the year 1936
    2. B.
      after the 3rd White Olympics
    3. C.
      before the 3rd White Olympics
    4. D.
      before the year 1932
  3. 3.

    The Winter Olympics is held once _______

    1. A.
      every two years
    2. B.
      every three years
    3. C.
      every four years
    4. D.
      every five years
  4. 4.

    Which of the following is TRUE?

    1. A.
      Only the host countries can publish stamps to mark those Games
    2. B.
      Only the non-host countries can publish stamps to mark those Games
    3. C.
      All the countries can publish stamps to mark those Games
    4. D.
      Japan can’t publish stamps to mark those Games
  5. 5.

    What may appear on the stamps of the White Olympics?

    1. A.
      Basketball
    2. B.
      Table tennis
    3. C.
      Football
    4. D.
      Skating

After years of hearing drivers complain about scratches on their cars, Japan’s Nissan Motor Company has officially announced the next big thing— a paint that not only resists scratches and scrapes, but actually repairs itself within a few days.
The new material, developed by Nippon Paint Company, contains an elastic rubbery-like resin (弹性树脂) that is able to heal minor marks caused by car wash equipment, parking lot encounters, road debris (石头碎片) or even on-purpose destruction.
The automaker admits its results vary depending on the temperature and the depth of the damage, but adds this is the only paint like it in the world, and tests prove it works.
Minor scratches, the most common type, are said to slowly fade over about a week. And once they’re gone, there is no trace that they were ever there.
The special paint is said to last for at least three years after it is first applied, but there is no word yet on whether more can be added after that period.
Nissan claims car washes are the worst offenders for this type of damage, accounting for at least 80 percent of all incidents.
But the complete auto-healing won’t come without scratching your wallet. The vehicle maker notes the special paint adds about $100 US to the price of a car.
It plans to use its new chemical mixture only on its X-Trail SUVs in Japan for now, as it looks for a more widespread presentation. And while plans to offer the feature overseas haven’t been made yet, if it’s a hit there, you can be almost sure market forces will drive it to these shores, as well

  1. 1.

    From the article, we can find that _________

    1. A.
      the paint has already been used on cars by now
    2. B.
      it beats other products of its kind in its lengthy effect
    3. C.
      car damage is mainly caused by scratches and scrapes
    4. D.
      marketing this paint in Europe is not under way
  2. 2.

    The paint used on cars can _________

    1. A.
      last 3 years before it is reapplied again
    2. B.
      fade only in a few days
    3. C.
      help to protect minor paint damage
    4. D.
      reduce car scrape incidents to 20 percent
  3. 3.

    What does the underlined part refer to?

    1. A.
      certain models of Nissan
    2. B.
      name for one kind of paint
    3. C.
      somewhere in Japan
    4. D.
      a word standing for a car-dealer store
  4. 4.

    What can be inferred from the article?

    1. A.
      The paint was developed by Nissan Motor Company
    2. B.
      The paint might work better in summer than in winter
    3. C.
      The mark on the car could disappear as soon as the pain is applied
    4. D.
      The paint is very popular in Japan

Ann was on her first package trip in Rosas, Spain.
At the hotel, she checked in, and then went to her room to change before dinner. She was just ready to go downstairs when she found that her Spanish money wasn’t in her handbag. She carefully looked in all her luggage, but she couldn’t find it. All she had was a small purse with ten English pound notes in it!
Ann found a place to change her English money. She had very few pesetas(西班牙货币单位), and she would be here for two weeks. On her way back to the hotel, Ann bought some cheese, some bread and some oranges. When she got back, she told the manager that her doctor had told her not to eat Spanish food; she’d just have breakfast each day, as she knew the price of hotels included breakfast.
For the rest of her holiday, Ann swam in the hotel swimming pool, or lay on the beach and got a sunbath. When the other tourists went to interesting places, she always said she wasn’t well. In fact, her holiday wasn’t bad, except that she was always hungry. After all, a piece of fruit for lunch, and bread and cheese for supper isn’t very much.
Late in the afternoon of their last day, a girl, Jane, asked her why she never ate with them in the hotel restaurant. Ann told her about her money problems. Jane looked at her for a minute, and then said, “But didn’t you know? The price of this holiday includes everything!”

  1. 1.

    “A package trip” probably means _________

    1. A.
      a free trip
    2. B.
      a long journey
    3. C.
      a pleasant trip
    4. D.
      a trip that includes the cost of all the tickets and services
  2. 2.

    Ann didn’t eat dinners in the restaurant of the hotel because _________

    1. A.
      she was afraid that she couldn’t pay for them with her little money
    2. B.
      her doctor told her not to eat them
    3. C.
      she wasn’t well
    4. D.
      she wasn’t hungry
  3. 3.

    Why did Ann buy some cheese, some bread and some oranges?

    1. A.
      Because they were good for her health
    2. B.
      Because she planned to eat them instead of lunch and supper
    3. C.
      Because she liked them more than dinners in the hotel restaurant
    4. D.
      Because she is afraid that she couldn’t eat enough in the hotel restaurant
  4. 4.

    How do you think Jane would feel after she heard Ann’s answer?

    1. A.
      Angry
    2. B.
      Happy
    3. C.
      Surprised
    4. D.
      Excited

Art theft is an ancient and complicated crime. When you look at some of the most famous cases of art thefts in history, you see thoroughly planned operations that involve art dealers, art fakers, mobsters, ransoms, and millions of dollars. Here you can read about some of the most famous cases of art theft in the history.
The First Theft:  
The first documented case of art theft was in 1473, when two panels of altarpiece of the Last Judgment by the Dutch painter Hans Memling were stolen. While the triptych was being transported by ship from the Netherlands to Florence, the ship was attacked by pirates who took it to the Gdansk cathedral in Poland. Nowadays, the piece is shown at the National Museum in Gdansk where it was recently moved from the Basilica of the Assumption.
The Most Famous Theft:
The most famous story of art theft involves one of the most famous paintings in the world and one of the most famous artists in history as a suspect. In the night of August 21, 1911, the Mona Lisa was stolen out of the Louver. Soon after, Pablo Picasso was arrested and questioned by the police, but was released quickly.
It took about two years until the mystery was solved by the Parisian police. It turned out that the 30×21 inch painting was taken by one of the museum employees by the name of Vincenzo Peruggia, who simply carried it hidden under his coat. Nevertheless, Peruggia did not work alone. The crime was carefully conducted by a notorious con man, Eduardo de Valfierno, who was sent by an art faker who intended to make copies and sell them as if they were the original painting.
While Yves Chaudron, the art faker, was busy creating copies for the famous masterpiece, Mona Lisa was still hidden at Peruggias’ apartment. After two years in which Peruggia did not hear from Chaudron, he tried to make the best out of his stolen good. Eventually, Peruggia was caught by the police while trying to sell the painting to an art dealer from Florence, Italy. The Mona Lisa was returned to the Louver in 1913.
The Biggest Theft in the USA:
The biggest art theft in United States took place at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. On the night of March 18, 1990, a group of thieves wearing police uniforms broke into the museum and took thirteen paintings whose collective value was estimated at around 300 million dollars. The thieves took two paintings and one print by Rembrandt, and works of Vermeer, Manet, Degas, Govaert Flinck, as well as a French and a Chinese artifact.
As of yet, none of the paintings have been found and the case is still unsolved. According to recent rumors, the FBI are investigating the possibility that the Boston Mob along with French art dealers are connected to the crime

  1. 1.

    How long did it take to put back the stolen Mona Lisa in Louver ?___

    1. A.
      Thirty six months
    2. B.
      Thirty months
    3. C.
      Half a year
    4. D.
      Around two years
  2. 2.

    What does the underlined sentence, “he tried to make the best out of his stolen good” mean?

    1. A.
      Chaudron wanted to sell the stolen painting
    2. B.
      Peruggia thought he didn’t need to work for Chaudon any more and wanted to market the painting
    3. C.
      Valfierno was tired of waiting
    4. D.
      Peruggia wanted to study the painting carefully
  3. 3.

    Which case among those mentioned in the passage is still a mystery?

    1. A.
      Mona Lisa case
    2. B.
      Last Judgment case
    3. C.
      Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum thirteen paintings case
    4. D.
      none
  4. 4.

    People from the country of _____ is not involved in the passage

    1. A.
      China
    2. B.
      France
    3. C.
      Dutch
    4. D.
      Vantican
  5. 5.

    Which statement is WRONG according to this article?

    1. A.
      Picasso was ever considered a art theft suspect
    2. B.
      Art thieves normally not work alone
    3. C.
      The first documented case of art theft was conducted by pirates
    4. D.
      The mastermind of Mona Lisa was an art faker who wanted to sell copies
  6. 6.

    The passage is not finished, which subtitle could be the next?

    1. A.
      The Economic Value of Art Theft
    2. B.
      The Loss to Art Lovers
    3. C.
      The Most Sought After Painting
    4. D.
      Boston Mob and French Art Dealers
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