Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked．

Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup（基因构成） as human beings．What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of' a species, the better its chance of' survival． Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible． Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for． Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger． With knowledge, we can lessen its effects．

Exploration also allows minerals and other potential（潜在的） resources to be found．Even if' we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later． Resources may be more than physical possessions． Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration．The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives．We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems． Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products （副产品） of technological developments in the space．

While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of' space us．While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers． The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive． Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist．

While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets． It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future．

1.Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraphl ?

    A．To express his doubts．

    B．To introduce points for discussion．

    C．To compare different ideas．

    D．To describe the conditions on Earth．

2.What is the reason for exploring space based on Paragraph2 ?

    A．Humans are nature-born to do so．

    B．Humans have the tendency to fight．

    C．Humans may find new sources of food．

    D．Humans don't like to stay in the same place．

3.The underlined word “spin-offs” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to        ．

    A．survival chances        B．potential resources

    C．unexpected benefits     D．physical possessions

4.What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets'?

    A．Our genetic makeup．         B．The adaptive ability of' humans．

    C．Resources on the earth．     D．By-products in space exploration．

5.Which of the following statements can best sum up the passage'?

    A．Space exploration has created many wonders．

    B．Space exploration provided the best value for money．

    C．Space exploration can benefit science and technology．

    D．Space exploration may help us avoid potential problems on Earth．

完形填空（共20小题；每题1.5分，满分30分）

   阅读下面短文，从后面各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项的标号涂黑。

High school seems bigger.There are  36  kids and it’s a totally new environment. It could be a  37  time for new students,  38  ,in fact,it isn’t really that bad.

The first day of course is always terrifying,but,then again,the first day of middle school was probably the  39  .Of course you might get lost during the first few days  40  your classes,but after a while what seems like a large school really isn’t.

One thing that’s really cool about high school is that there are so many more classes that you can  41  .For example,if you like  42  ,there are many art classes.At the same time,there are  43  classes,which you can’t take in middle school  44  photography and psychology(心理学).There are many new things in high school that make it much more  45  .

In high school,you’re able to join more clubs,play more sports,and take part in more  46  ,and at the same time make new friends with kids with the same  47  as you.Also, these activities can give you a  48  to learn something that you might not have had the opportunity to learn in  49  .

High school is different  50  everyone,but there’s one thing that’s  51  .You’re going to have just as much fun here as you  52  before.But having fun isn’t enough though! You’re  53  so you have to be more responsible.Everything changes when you get  54  ,but the changes aren’t that bad.You  55  worry too much about growing up.

1..A.less           B.few               C.more              D.many

2.A.terrible        B.popular           C.good              D.worried

3.A.but             B.and               C.while             D.or

4.A.different       B.same              C.rich              D.difficult

5.A.attending to    B.looking for       C.finding out       D.knowing of

6.A.take            B.join              C.give              D.learn

7.A.dancing         B.sports            C.art               D.singing

8.A.other           B.another           C.others            D.the other

9.A.without         B.like              C.except            D.as

10.A.fun            B.boring            C.busy              D.tiring

11.A.activities     B.classes           C.lectures          D.groups

12.A.customs        B.classes           C.ages              D.interests

13.A.chance         B.time              C.place             D.space

14.A.your home      B.middle school     C.society           D.primary school

15.A.in             B.from              C.on                D.for

16.A.sure           B.certain           C.doubtful          D.believable

17.A.did            B.created           C.remembered        D.made

18.A.taking classes B.growing up        C.joining activities D.making friends

19.A.older          B.cleverer          C.taller            D.wiser

20.A.can’t         B.mustn’t          C.shouldn’t        D.won’t

It is hardly surprising that clothing manufacturers （生产商） follow certain uniform standards for various features （特征） of clothes. What seems strange, however, is that the standard adopted for women is the opposite of the one for men. Take a look at the way your clothes button. Men's clothes tend to button from the right, and women's from the left. Considering most of the world's population—men and women—are right-handed, the men's standard would appear to make more sense for women. So why do women's clothes button from the left?

History really seems to matter here. Buttons first appeared only on the clothes of the rich in the 17^th century, when rich women were dressed by servants. For the mostly right-handed servants, having women's shirts button from the left would be easier. On the other hand, having men's shirt button from the right made sense, too. Most men dressed themselves, and a sword drawn from the left with the right hand would be less likely to get caught in the shirt.

Today women are seldom dressed by servants, but buttoning from the left is still the standard for them. Is it interesting? Actually, a standard, once set, resists change. At a time when all women's shirts buttoned from the left, it would have been risky for any single manufacturer to offer women's shirts that buttoned from the right. After all, women had grown so used to shirts which buttoned from the left and would have to develop new habits and skills to switch. Besides, some women might have found it socially awkward to appear in public wearing shirts that buttoned from the right, since any one who noticed that would believe they were wearing men's shirts.

1.What is surprising about the standard of the clothing industry?

A. It has been followed by the industry for over 400 years.

B. It is different for men's clothing and women's.

C. It works better with men than with women.

D. It fails to consider right-handed people.

2.Women's clothes still button from the left today because.

A. adopting men's style is improper for women

B. manufacturers should follow standards

C. modern women dress themselves

D. customs are hard to change

3.The passage is mainly developed by_______.

A. analyzing causes

B. making comparisons

C. examining differences

D. following the time order

You probably know you should say “please” and “thank you” at restaurants. You probably know the rules of a library. You know you should respect and be nice to your classmates. But do you have music manners?

Keep It Down! You have to notice the volume of your music. You should not play your music so loud that everyone around you can hear it. Some people might even get angry. Usually, when you play the music loud on an MP3 player, other people can’t hear the words of the song. They just hear a loud sound. No one wants to listen to this. Very loud music can also be bad for your ears. So even if you are alone when listening to our MP3 players, you shouldn’t turn it up too high.

Take Them Off! You need to know when to turn your MP3 off and put it away. Libraries, and schools don’t allow MP3 players. There are other places, like museums, that don’t have rules, but it would be rude to have your MP3 player on. Sometimes, it doesn’t make sense to listen on your MP3 player at event. Why would you listen to music at a play, a movie or a sporting event? You would miss what is going on and others would wonder why you even came.

Take One Out! Once in a while it’s okay just to take out one earphone and not other. Imagine you are listening on your MP3 player when someone asks you the way. It would not be rude to take out one earphone, tell him the way, and put back the earphone and continue listening. You can also do this when you order food at a fast-food restaurant or when you answer the telephone and it’s not for you.

It’s Your Choice! There are times when you need to decide what is best. For example, some people can listen to music on their MP3 players when reading books, while others think it is disturbing. In cases like this, you need to do what seems right for you.

1.The underlined word “volume” in Paragraph Two probably means “_________.”

A. the type of music                       B. the amount of a sound

C. the length of a song                   D. the colour of an MP3 player

2.No one wants to listen to_________from others’ MP3 players.

A. a loud sound     B. sad stories    

     C. a long movie      D. the words of a song

43. We should turn down the music when we are alone because loud music_________.

A. is not enjoyable       B. makes us tired  

C. is bad for MP3 players  D. hurts our ears

3. If we listen to our MP3 player at a play, _________.

A. the theatre won’t allow it               B. the actors will get angry

C. others won’t hear the play well            D. we will miss part of the play

4.We can take one earphone out when we _________.

A. show others the way                     B. talk to friends on the phone

C. watch a sporting event                   D. have dinner with our parents

The new automobile fuel economy standards formally adopted by the Obama administration on Thursday will produce a series of benefits: reduced dependence on foreign oil, fewer greenhouse gas emissions(排放), and consumer savings at the pump.

This was truly a moment to celebrate. But it was tempered by the fact that some in Congress are trying to cancel the laws that made the new standards possible.

The standards will require automakers to build passenger cars, sport-utility vehicles and minivans that average 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016 — a 30 percent increase over today’s cars, and the biggest single jump in fuel economy since the original standards were adopted in the 1970s. Cars will cost more, but the government estimates that consumers will save an average of $3,000 in fuel over the life of a new vehicle.

The standards will also place the first-ever limits on automobile greenhouse gas emissions, and are expected to reduce emissions by 21 percent by 2030 compared with what the output would have been without the standards. Because emissions from passenger vehicles represent about one-fifth of America’s greenhouse gases, this is a step forward for the planet.

The automakers, who fought the rules until they went broke（破产）, have come to accept this as a step forward as well. A single national standard provides regulatory certainty, and they’ve got to get more efficient to survive.

However, some in Congress seemed determined to roll back the laws that got us here. Senator Lisa Murkowski, a Republican from Alaska, and several other senators have added a challenge to the federal government’s authority to regulate greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act — not just from automobiles but from other sources. The Supreme Court gave the Environmental Protection Agency that authority three years ago, and the new emissions standards would have been impossible without it.

There has also been talk in the Senate of eliminating California’s special authority under the Clean Air Act to set more aggressive motor vehicle standards than the federal limits. California used that authority to pass a law in 2002 setting greenhouse gas emissions limits for cars sold there. It was the first law of its kind in this country, and it provided the drive and the foundation for the new nationwide standards.

What all of these opponents mean to do is to roll back history and the hard-won environmental protections it has produced. That would be a huge mistake.

66. The following are the benefits of the new automobile economy standards EXCEPT ________.

A. reduced dependence on foreign oil

B. cancelling some of the laws

C. fewer greenhouse gas emissions

D. consumer savings at the pump

67. What goal is set for the year 2016?

A. Cars will cost more so fewer people will buy them.

B. There is a 30 percent increase in car manufacturing.

C. An average vehicle can go 35.5 miles with one gallon of gas.

D. Consumers will save an average of $3,000 in fuel per car.

68. The underlined word “it” in paragraph six refers to ________.

A. The Clean Air Act

B. The Supreme Court

C. The Environment Protection Agency

D. The federal government’s authority

69. What seems to be the root of the new automobile fuel economy standards?

A. California’s motor vehicle standards.

B. The Environment Protection Agency.

C. Some Senators, like Lisa Murkowski.

D. Greenhouse gas emissions.

70. According to the writer, the new automobile fuel economy standards will probably lead to the result that ________.

A. everyone wins

B. more cars will be sold

C. it would be a big mistake

D. nobody agrees