Comets(彗星) are parts of our solar system. Like the planets, they go around the sun.
But comets are not made of solid rocks like planets. A comet is a ball of dust, stones, and ice. Many people call comets dirty snowballs.
The “snowball” may be only a few miles across. But when the sun heats the “snowball,” much of it is changed to gases. The gases spread out and form the comet’s head, which may be thousands of miles across.
A comet moves fast in its trip around the sun. But when we see it, the comet does not seem to move. That’s because it is so far away. The moon moves fast, but when you look at it, you can’t see any motion(运动). That’s because the moon is far away.
Each year astronomers(天文学家) discover new comets. Some of them are seen only once. They make one trip around the sun and then go away out into space. The sun’s gravity cannot hold them.
Other comets, like Halley, keep returning. They have been captured by the sun. Halley’s earliest visit was probably 3,000 years ago. It may keep returning for another 3,000 years.
But every time a comet goes around the sun, the comet loses part of itself. Gases and dust are pulled out of the comet. That’s why Halley is now dimmer（暗淡的） than it used to be. Next time it visits us, in 2062, it may be even dimmer. Each visit it may get dimmer and dimmer, until it finally disappears.

1. 1.

   What is this passage mostly about?

   1. A.
      Comets and the sun.
   2. B.
      Why comets are like snowballs.
   3. C.
      Who discovered the first comet.
   4. D.
      Facts about comets.
2. 2.

   How does the writer help the reader understand what a comet looks like?

   1. A.
      By telling about a famous one.
   2. B.
      By explaining how far away it is.
   3. C.
      By describing how fast it moves.
   4. D.
      By describing it as a dirty snowball.
3. 3.

   What is the most likely reason the writer wrote this passage?

   1. A.
      To give information about comets.
   2. B.
      To tell readers about famous comets.
   3. C.
      To explain the importance of comets.
   4. D.
      To encourage readers to look for comets.

When I crossed a small road on my first day in Kolkata, I was surprised because I heard a bell-not a horn (喇叭),  It was a tiny man pulling a rickshaw, He stopped and picked up two children from the front door of their house and pulled them to school. For many people, the rickshaw in Kolkata has many advantages. When the traffic is bad, rickshaws find a way through the traffic. If your miss your bus and there aren't any taxis, you can always find a rickshaw in Kolkata. Rickshaws are from your house to the market and waits for you. Then he loads (装载)all your things, drops you off outside your home and helps you unload, No other type of public transport offers this kind of service.
From June to September, Kolkata gets heavy rain. Sometimes it rains for 48 hours without a break. In some parts of the city, the roads flood (水淹), and anything with an engine(发动机) is useless, But the rickshaw drivers never stop working, even with water all around them.
But not everyone thinks rickshaws are a good thing. The local government want to ban rickshaws. They believe it is wrong for one man to pull another person when there is modern transport in the city. However, there is a problem with this plan. Many of the rickshaw drivers come from the countryside. The only job they can find in Kolkata is pulling a rickshaw, If the city bans rickshaws, these men won't have a job. So for the moment, the people of Kolkata still go by rickshaw.
【小题1】What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?

When I crossed a small road on my first day in Kolkata, I was surprised because I heard a bell-not a horn (喇叭),  It was a tiny man pulling a rickshaw, He stopped and picked up two children from the front door of their house and pulled them to school. For many people, the rickshaw in Kolkata has many advantages, When the traffic is bad, rickshaws find a way through the traffic. If your miss your bus and there aren't any taxis, you can always find a rickshaw in Kolkata. Rickshaws are from your house to the market and waits for you. Then he loads (装载)all your things, drops you off outside your home and helps you unload, No other type of public transport offers this kind of service.

    From June to September, Kolkata gets heavy rain. Sometimes it rains for 48 hours without a break. In some parts of the city, the roads flood (水淹), and anything with an engine(发动机) is useless, But the rickshaw drivers never stop working, even with water all around them.

    But not everyone thinks rickshaws are a good thing. The local government want to ban rickshaws. They believe it is wrong for one man to pull another person when there is modern transport in the city. However, there is a problem with this plan. Many of the rickshaw drivers come from the countryside. The only job they can find in Kolkata is pulling a rickshaw, If the city bans rickshaws, these men won't have a job. So for the moment, the people of Kolkata still go by rickshaw.

1.What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?

A. The rickshaw drivers carry things for local people in Kolkata.

B. Parents need rickshaws for taking children to school in Kolkata.

C. Rickshaws can find a way through the bad traffic in Kolkata.

D. Rickshaws are very useful for the people' s daily life in Kolkata.

2.What does the underlined word "ban" mean?

A. make       B. increase     C. forbid      D. collect

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A. The rickshaws in Kolkata have loud horns.

B. The rickshaw is still a part of public transport in Kolkata.

C. The local government offer many other jobs to the rickshaw driven.

D. The people in Kolkata are supposed to take rickshaws instead of cars.

When I crossed a small road on my first day in Kolkata, I was surprised because I heard a bell-not a horn (喇叭),  It was a tiny man pulling a rickshaw, He stopped and picked up two children from the front door of their house and pulled them to school. For many people, the rickshaw in Kolkata has many advantages. When the traffic is bad, rickshaws find a way through the traffic. If your miss your bus and there aren't any taxis, you can always find a rickshaw in Kolkata. Rickshaws are from your house to the market and waits for you. Then he loads (装载)all your things, drops you off outside your home and helps you unload, No other type of public transport offers this kind of service.

From June to September, Kolkata gets heavy rain. Sometimes it rains for 48 hours without a break. In some parts of the city, the roads flood (水淹), and anything with an engine(发动机) is useless, But the rickshaw drivers never stop working, even with water all around them.

But not everyone thinks rickshaws are a good thing. The local government want to ban rickshaws. They believe it is wrong for one man to pull another person when there is modern transport in the city. However, there is a problem with this plan. Many of the rickshaw drivers come from the countryside. The only job they can find in Kolkata is pulling a rickshaw, If the city bans rickshaws, these men won't have a job. So for the moment, the people of Kolkata still go by rickshaw.

1.What is the main idea of Paragraph 1?

A．The rickshaw drivers carry things for local people in Kolkata.

B．Parents need rickshaws for taking children to school in Kolkata.

C．Rickshaws can find a way through the bad traffic in Kolkata.

D．Rickshaws are very useful for the people's daily life in Kolkata.

2.Which type of transport may you take when the roads flood in Kolkata?

A．A bus.            B．A taxi.            C．A car.             D．A rickshaw.

3.What does the underlined word "ban" mean?

A．make             B．increase          C．forbid            D．collect

4.What can we learn from the passage?

A．The rickshaws in Kolkata have loud horns.

B．The rickshaw is still a part of public transport in Kolkata.

C．The local government offer many other jobs to the rickshaw driven.

D．The people in Kolkata are supposed to take rickshaws instead of cars.