From the first use of the rocket to carry satellites into space to the setting up of space stations, human beings have been putting great effort into space research. And so far, we have achieved many successes. But there are still numerous tasks in front of us and we should not stop trying to progress.

The international space station (ISS) is an important step we should take in space exploration. It is not only helpful but also essential. It provides a proper space environment for many experiments that we have wanted to do for a long time. It is also a base for the observations of the earth and the universe. It could also be an important base for later travel to the moon and Mars. In a word, if we want to explore space more, the first thing we should do is to set up a space station.

As the space station costs a lot of money, it is hard for one country alone to establish one. The USA seems to be the only country that has the ability to build a space station alone，and it has tried to do so, but not very successful. So it aggregated many other countries to work on it together. Though it is still extremely expensive, it is much cheaper than doing it alone. It is really a job that needs everyone’s effort and will benefit everyone.

Led by the U.S. and Russia, the ISS is a joint project between six space agencies involving 16 countries. Called the greatest achievement in human cooperation, the ISS has come to the end of a ten-year’s hard work in construction. China has applied for participation in (taking part in) the project many times. Unfortunately all the applications were rejected, which drove China onto the path of independent development. As the Long March Ⅱ-F/T1 carrier rocket blasted off (leave the ground) and successfully carried the Tiangong-1 into space on September 29, 2011, China takes a big step toward its Space Station Era.

Some West media suggested that the successful launch of Tiangong-1 would disturb the balance of global space power, raising concerns (关注) about “China threat”. China’s space project is not designed for military (军事的) purpose but for developing space technology to explore space resources and make use of them for mankind’s well-being.

1.From Paragraph 2 we learn that ________.

2.Which of the following is NOT a reason for countries’ cooperation in building the international space station?

3.The underlined word “aggregated” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by “________”．

4.China wants to build its space station in order to __________.

任务型阅读（共10小题;每小题1分，满分10分）

请认真阅读下列短文，并根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入最恰当的单词。

注意：每空一词。

It is an all too familiar story. A natural disaster strikes in a remote part of the world, causing destruction and suffering. Villages are flattened and people are forced into camps. It is now happening in China, after the earthquake of magnitude（里氏）8 that was centered on Wenchuan but shook the entire country.

Actually, in the past centuries, there were hundreds of thousands of earthquakes in different parts of the world. In Sept. 1923, Tokyo and Yokohama were both destroyed by an earthquake and the fires that followed it. They had to be completely rebuilt. One of the most serious earthquakes was in China’s Shanxi Province in 1556. It claimed almost one million people.

We measure an earthquake’s strength on the Richter scale. The Richter scale was introduced in 1935 in Southern California in the USA. It measures earthquakes on a scale of one to ten. Any earthquake measuring five or more is usually serious.

The earth’s crust (地壳) is made up of layers of rock called plates. As these plates move, they sometimes crash against each other, causing the crust to quake. In cities such as Tokyo, where small quakes happen quite often, many modern buildings are designed to be flexible so when the earth moves, they move with it.

Earthquakes can also break up gas or oil pipes. This can cause fires to break out, which can do as much damage as the earthquake itself.

Another effect of the earthquakes is tsunamis (海啸). These are huge waves created by earthquakes beneath the sea. They can be many meters high and cause great damage to costal towns and cities.

China, Japan, Russia and the USA have the highest occurrence of earthquakes in the world.

The words “timetable” and “schedule” make most final year students want to eat their own vomit(呕吐物). Unfortunately, the harsh reality is that final year students must develop a timetable. If you don’t have a schedule or plan for studying, you will have no way of allocating your valuable time when the unexpected arises. A well-thought-out timetable can be a lifesaver. It is up to you to learn how to develop a schedule that meets your needs .Change it if necessary, but most important, follow it. All timetables should be made with the idea that they can be changed. A good one will keep you from wandering off course.

       A good timetable should make every hour count—every class, social event and other activity you engage in .You must focus on the other “free time” available and how you will use it. Make a weekly schedule and divided each day into one-hour increments. Indicate times for classes, socializing, and work time. Also block off a period for sleeping every day. In the precious hours left over, plan time for study. This gives you a rough road map of the time available. Of course, you can change your schedule as circumstances need.

       The timetable you develop should guide you in how to distribute the available time in the most productive manner. Sticking to your schedule can be tough, but don’t dribble away valuable time. Avoiding study is the easiest thing in the world. It is up to you to follow the schedule you’ve prepared. A good deal of your success in high school and with any future study depends on this simple truth.

       Remember, there is a learning curve. You learn the most in the first 30 minutes of study; after that, it progressively deteriorates（减弱）. After four or five hours of studying the same material in the same way, you are learning virtually nothing. The solution is to keep switching subjects and study styles.

1.What is the best title of the passage?

       A．Advantages of starting a timetable  B．Keep to it, and you will succeed

       C．Make a schedule, and follow it      D．Learn to love your timetable

2.What does Paragraph 2 talk about?

       A．Tips for making a schedule.            B．Significance of a scientific timetable.

       C．Requirements for making a timetable.    D．Importance of following one’s schedule.

3.The following are characteristics of a good timetable EXCEPT that     .

       A．it can be changed            B．it is flexible

       C．it is of many periods           D．it can save our time

4.From this passage, we can learn if we wish to achieve high learning efficiency, we’d better     .

       A．shift subjects and use different methods regularly

       B．devote to the same material continuously

       C．turn to teachers for help if necessary

       D．have a break every thirty minutes

There was one thought that air pollution affected only the area immediately around large cities with factories and heavy traffic．At present, we realize that although these are the areas with the worst air pollution, the problem is really worldwide．On several occasions over the past decade，a heavy cloud of air pollution has covered the east of the United States and brought health warnings in distant areas away from any industrial cities．In fact，the very climate of the entire earth may be infected by air pollution．Some scientists consider that the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the air resulting from the burning of fossil fuels(coal and oil)is creating a “greenhouse effect”—— keeping heat reflected from the earth and raising the world’s average temperature．If this view is correct and the world's temperature is raised only a few degrees, much of the polar ice cap will melt and cities such as New York，Boston，Miami，and New Orleans will be in water．

Another view, less widely held, is that increasing particular matter in the atmosphere is blocking sunlight and lowering the earth’s temperature—a result that would be equally disastrous．A drop of just a few degrees could create something close to a new ice age，and would make agriculture difficult or impossible in many of our top farming areas．Today we do not know for sure that either of these conditions will happen．Perhaps，if we are lucky enough，the two tendencies will offset each other and the world's temperature will stay about the same as it is now．Driven by economic profits, people ignore the damage on our environment caused by the “advanced civilization”．Maybe the air pollution is the price the human beings have to pay for their development．But is it really worth-while?

1.People used to think that air pollution_________ .

A．caused widespread damage in the countryside

B．affected the entire eastern half of the United States

C．had a very bad effect on health

D．existed merely in urban and industrial areas

2.As to the greenhouse effect, the author_________.

A．shares the same view with the scientists．

B．is uncertain of its occurrence

C．rejects it as being ungrounded

D．thinks that it will destroy the world soon

3.The underlined word “offset” in the second paragraph could be replaced by_______.

A．counter-act    B．break from     C．get along    D．communicate

4.This passage is primarily about________ .

A．the greenhouse effect                    

B．the burning of fossil fuels

C．the potential effect of air pollution        

D．the possibility of a new ice age

About 97% of the world's water is salty and is found in our oceans and seas. But, as we can't drink seawater, how can it be important?

Every part of our seas and oceans contains an amazing number of animals and fish that live at different ocean depths. Most of the different species of animals and fish depend on simple plants for their food. These simple plants called algae (海藻) drift near the surface of the ocean and use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into food and oxygen. In fact, algae produce over half of the oxygen people breathe. How important seawater is!

Each plant or animal in our seas and oceans is an important link in a food chain. The algae are eaten in large amounts by microscopic animals, which are in turn consumed by larger animals. These food chains are delicately balanced.

The bad news about the food chains in the oceans is that they are under threat because of man. People once thought that the oceans were so big that it didn't matter if we dumped rubbish into them or caught huge quantities of fish and whales for food. But we now know this is not true and fish stocks in the oceans have started to drop.

Thankfully, the world is taking steps to protect the future of our oceans by introducing international agreements to protect marine habitats. Most countries have introduced fishing restrictions to protect fish stocks in the oceans and new techniques are being pioneered to cope with pollution. Finally, the importance of protecting oceans is being made known to more people. This is just the beginning of a long process to protect the oceans for our future. We depend on the oceans for fish which are an important part of the human diet. How important seawater is!

1.People used to think that the rubbish thrown into the sea ________.

A．wouldn't harm the fish in the sea

B．would change the balance of the food chain

C．would be broken down in the sea

D．wouldn't do much harm to the sea

2.From the passage, we learn that ________. 

A．most fish and sea animals live at the surface of the seas

B．it is very difficult to break the balance of a food chain

C．excessive fishing has caused the decrease in fish stock

D．it won't be long before the problems concerning oceans will be solved

3.Which of the following is NOT a way being used to protect oceans?

A．The use of international agreements.

B．Forbidding fishing to protect fish stocks.

C．The use of new techniques.

D．Raising people's awareness of the need to protect oceans.

4.What would be the BEST title of the passage?

A. The importance of seawater.

B. Life in the oceans.

C. How to protect food chains.