My name is Clara. I still remember that chilly December day, sitting in science class. I’d finished a worksheet early and picked up a TIME for Kids magazine. A piece of news caught my eyes: NASA was holding an essay contest to name its Mars rover (火星探测器). Before I even knew anything else about it, a single word flooded my 11-year-old mind: Curiosity.

I couldn’t wait for the bell to ring so I could get started in my essay. That afternoon, I raced home, sat down at the computer, and typed until my fingers ached. “Curiosity is an everlasting flame that burns in everyone’s mind…

Five months later, my mom received a phone call, and immediately, a wide smile spread across her face.

On August 5, 2012, at 10:31 p.m., the rover named Curiosity touched down safely on the surface of Mars, and I was honored to have a front-row seat in NASA.

Curiosity is such an important part of who I am. I have always been fascinated by the stars, the planets, the sky and universe. I remember as a little girl, my grandmother and I would sit together in the backyard for hours. She’d tell me stories and point out the stars. Grandma lived in China, thousands of miles away from my home in Kansas, but the stars kept us together even when we were apart. They were always there, yet there was so much. I didn’t know about them. That’s what I love so much about space.

People often ask me why we go to faraway places like Mars. My answer is simple: because we’re curious. We human beings do not just hole up in one place. We are constantly wondering and trying to find out what’s over the hill and beyond the horizon.

56. How did Clara get the news about the essay contest? (no more than 10 words)

57. Why did Clara have a front-row seat in NASA? (no more than 10 words)

58. What does Clara remember about the time spent with Grandma? (no more than 15 words)

59. What does the underlined phrase “hole up” mean? (1 word)

60. In your opinion, why is curiosity important? (no more than 20 words)

When asked about happiness, we usually think of someth.ng extraordinary, an absolute delight, which seems to get rarer the older we get.

For kids, happiness has a magical quality. Their delight at winning a race or getting a new bike is unreserved (毫无掩饰的).

In the teenage years the concept of happiness changes. Suddenly it's conditional on such things as excitement, love and popularity. I can still recall the excitement of being invited to dance with the most attractive boy at the school party.

In adulthood the things that bring deep joy—love, marriage, birth—also bring responsibility and the risk of loss. For adults, happiness is complicated(复杂的).

My definition of happiness is "the capacity for enjoyment". The more we can enjoy what we have, the happier we are. It's easy to overlook the pleasure we get from the company of friends, the freedom to live where we please, and even good health.

I experienced my little moments of pleasure yesterday. First I was overjoyed when I shut the last lunch-box and had the house to myself. Then I spent an uninterrupted morning writing, which 1 love. When the kids and my husband came home, 1 enjoyed their noise after the quiet of the day.

Psychologists tell us that to be happy we need a mix of enjoyable leisure time and satisfying work. I don't think that my grandmother, who raised 14 children, had much of either. She did have a network of close friends and family, and maybe this is what satisfied her.

We, however, with so many choices and such pressure to succeed in every area, have turned happiness into one more thing we've got to have. We're so self-conscious about our "right" to it that it's making us miserable. So we chase it and equal it with wealth and success, without noticing that the people who have those things aren't necessarily happier.

Happiness isn't about what happens to us―it's about how we see what happens to us. It's the skillful way of finding a positive for every negative. It's not wishing for what we don't have, but enjoying what we do possess.

51. As people grow older, they ______.

A. feel it harder to experience happiness

B. associate their happiness less with others

C. will take fewer risks in pursuing happiness

D. tend to believe responsibility means happiness

53. What can we learn about the author from Paragraphs 5 and 6?

A. She cans little about ha own health

B. She enjoys the freedom of trawling

C. She is easily pleased by things in daily life.

D. She prefers getting pleasure from housework

53. What can be inferred from Paragraph 7?

A. Psychologists think satisfying work is key to happiness

B. Psychologists* opinion is well proved by Grandma's case.

C. Grandma often found time for social gatherings

D. Grandma's happiness came from modest expectations of life,
54. People who equal happiness with wealth and success

A. consider pressure something blocking their way

B. stress their right to happiness too much

C. arc at a loss to make correct choices

D. arc more likely to be happy

55. What can be concluded from the passage?

A. Happiness lies between the positive and the negative.

B. Each nun is the master of his own fate

C. Success leads to happiness.

D. Hippy is he who is content.

Poet William Stafford once said that we are defined more by the detours(绕行路) in life than by the narrow road toward goals. I like this image. But it was quite by accident that I discovered the deep meaning of his words.

For years we made the long drive from our home in Seattle to my parents' home in Boise in nine hours. We traveled the way most people do: the fastest, shortest, easiest road, especially when I was alone with four noisy, restless kids who hate confinement(限制) and have strong opinions about everything.

Road trips felt risky, so I would drive fast, stopping only when 1 had to. We would stick to the freeways and arrive tired.

But then Banner, our lamb was bent. He was reeled by h, mama days before our planned trip to Boise, I had two choices: leave Banner with my husband, or take him with me. My husband made the decision for me.

That is how I found myself on the road with four kids, a baby lamb and nothing but my everlasting optimism to see me through. We took the country roads out of necessity. We had to stop every hour, let Banner shake out his legs and feed him. The kids chased him and one another. They'd get back in the car breathless and energized, smelling fresh from the cold air.

We explored side roads, catching grasshopper in waist-high grass. Even if we simply looked out of the car window, at baby p.gs following their mother, or fish leaping out of the water, it was better than the best ride down the freeway. Here was life. And new horizons(见识).

We eventually arrived at my parents' doorstep astonishingly fresh and full of stories.

I grew brave with the trip back home and creative with my disciplining technique. On an empty section of road, everyone started quarreling. I stopped the car, ordered all kids out and told them to meet mc up ahead. I parked my car half a mile away and read my book in sweet silence.

Some road trips are by necessity fast and straight. But that trip with Banner opened our eyes to a world available to anyone adventurous enough to wander around and made me realize that a detour may uncover the best part of a journey-and the best part of yourself.

46. Why did the author use to take freeways to her parents' home?

A. It was less tiring.

B. It would be fester and safer.

C. Her kids would feel less confined.

D. She felt better with other drivers nearby.

47. The author stopped regularly on the country roads to ______.

A. relax in the fresh air

B. take a deep breath

C. take care of the lamb

D. let the kids play with Banner

48. What does the author discover from the trip according to Paragraph 6?

A. Freeways are where beauty hides.

B. Getting close to nature adds to the joy of life.

C. Enjoying the beauty of nature benefits one's health.

D. One should follow side roads to watch wild animals.

49. Why did the author ask the kids to get out of the car on their way back home?

A. To give herself some time to read.

B. To order some food for them

C. To play a game with them

D. To let them cool down.

50. What could be the best title for the passage?

A. Charm of the Detour

B. The Road to Bravery

C. Creativity out of Necessity

D. Road Trip and Country Life

Us, night's meteor (流星) shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothschild. Emerald Valley's mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city's lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.

"My family was so frustrated." admitted town resident Daune Cosby.” We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointment.”

Astronomers—scientists who study stars and planets—have been complaining about this problem for decade, They say that light pollution prevents from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.

There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consist of birds, bats, frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating(迁徙的) birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association, “100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers.”

Countless more animal casualties(伤亡) result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings, but some scientists think it can be harmful to humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase a person's chances of getting cancer.

Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years. Flagstaff, Arizona, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.

41. It happened last night that ______.

A. the city's lights affected the meteor watching

B. the meteors flew past before being noticed

C. the city light show attracted many people

D. the meteor watching ended up a social outing

42. What do the astronomers complain about?

A. Meteor showers occur less often than before.

B. Their observation equipment is in poor repair.

C. Light pollution has remained unsolved for years.

D. Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting

43. What is the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?

A. Birds may take other migration paths.

B. Animals' living habits may change suddenly.

C. Varieties of animals will become sharply reduced.

D. Animals' survival is threatened by outdoor lighting.

44. Lighting regulations in Flagstaff. Arizona are put into effect to

A. lessen the chance of getting cancer

B. create an ideal observation condition

C. ensure citizens a good sleep at night

D. enable all creatures to live in harmony

45. What message does the author most want to give us?

A. Saving wildlife is saving ourselves.

B. Great efforts should be made to save energy.

C. Human activities should be environmentally friendly.

D. New equipment should be introduced for space study.

Guide to Stockholm University Library

Oar library offers different types of studying places and provides a good studying environment.

Zones

The library is divided into different zones. The upper floor is a quiet zone with over a thousand places for silent reading, and places where you can sit and work with your own computer. The reading places consist mostly of tables and chairs. The ground floor is the zone where you can talk. Here you can find sofas and armchairs for group work.

Computers

You can use your own computer to connect to the wi-fi specially prepared for notebook computers, you can also use library computers, which contain the most commonly used applications, such as Microsoft Office. They are situated in the area known as the Experimental Field on the ground floor.

Group-study Places

If you want to discuss freely without disturbing others, you can book a study room or sit at a table on the ground floor. Some study rooms are for 2-3 people and others can hold up to 6-8 people. All rooms arc marked on the library maps.

There are 40 group-study rooms that must be booked via the website. To book, you need an active University account and . valid University card You can use a room three hours per day, nine hours at most per week.

Storage of Study Material

The library has lockers for students to store course literature. When you have obtained at least 40 credits(学分), you may rent a locker and pay 400 SEK for a year's rental period.

Roles to be followed

Mobile phone conventions are not permitted anywhere in the library. Keep your phone on silent as if you were in a lecture and exit the library if you need to receive calls.

Please note that food and fruit are forbidden in the library, but you are allowed to have drinks and sweets with you.

36. The library's upper floor is mainly for students to

A. read in a quiet place

B. have group discussions

C. take comfortable scats

D. get their computers fixed

37. Library computers on the ground floor

A. help students with their field experiments

B. contain software essential for schoolwork

C. arc for those who want to access the wi-fi

D. arc mostly used for filling out application forms

38. What condition should be met to book a group-study room?

A. A group must consist of 8 people.

B. Three-hour use per day is the minimum

C. One should first register at the university.

D. Applicants must mark the room on the map.

39. A student can rent a locker in the library if he      

A. can afford the rental fee

B. attends certain courses

C. has nowhere to put his books

D. has earned the required credits

40. What should NOT be brought into the library-?

A. Mobile phones.

B. Orange juice.

C. Candy.

D. Sandwiches.

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