Sixty-five million years ago, an asteroid (小行星) that crashed on Earth led to the disappearance of the largest animals that have ever walked our planet – the dinosaurs. At least, this is what some scientists believe. But that accident happened so long ago. People have come to believe that we are free of threats from asteroids and everything else from space.

However, what happened on Feb 15 , 2013 was a reminder that we’re just as vulnerable as the dinosaurs once were. Two objects from space – a meteor (陨石) and an asteroid called 2012 DA14 –  visited Earth’s atmosphere on the same day. The former fell in Russia, injuring 1,200 people, while the latter passed by Earth at a record-setting close distance.

Scientists had been expecting the asteroid since last year, but the meteor was a surprise. NASA’s telescope system only detects asteroids at least 50 meters in diameter (直径), which is just about the size of 2012 DA14. But the meteor was much smaller, which made it harder to spot.

But what if we do spot an asteroid that is headed right for Earth? There are several possible ways in which dangerous asteroids could be made to change its orbit. Which method is best depends on several factors and most importantly  –  how much time we have to stop it.

If there is enough time before the hit, we can send off a heavy spacecraft to travel alongside the asteroid. The gravity from the spacecraft would gradually change the rock’s orbit. Besides that, scientists could one day use sun-powered lasers to either make asteroids disappear or change their course. If there’s not enough time, we’ll have to go after the asteroid with a spacecraft and change its orbit with a crash. Finally, if things are truly desperate, there will be only one choice left –  to use a nuclear bomb. That could turn the asteroid into a meteor shower, which would be even more dangerous.

1.The author mentioned the asteroid that led to the dinosaurs’ dying out to ______.

A. show that asteroids fall from space frequently

B. alert people about the possible danger of objects falling from space

C. inform readers about the constant threats the Earth faces

D. suggest that there are still many mysteries about the universe

2.The underlined word “vulnerable” in the second paragraph probably means ______.

A. unprotected                  B. lonely            C. stupid            D. self-important

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE about the meteor that fell to the Earth in Russia?

A. It passed by the Earth at a close distance.

B. It was spotted by NASA’s telescope system a year ago.

C. It is about the same size as the asteroid that passed by the Earth.

D. It fell to the Earth and caused great damage to the local community.

4.What is the main idea of the article?

A. Learning about asteroids and meteors.

B. The threats of objects from space and possible solutions.

C. NASA’s latest technology to discover visitors to the Earth from space.

D. How to measure the damage of collisions from asteroids and meteors.

“Christmas comes but once a year” is a familiar phrase，and indeed for many people the 25th of December is the highlight of the calendar.

But for one British man once a year is not enough.Andy Park，who is better known by his nickname Mr.Christmas，has celebrated Christmas every single day for the last 14 years.

The 44?year?old electrician claims to have eaten a full roast dinner every day for the last decade and a half，having his way through over 5,000 turkeys,117,000 Brussels sprouts，and around 30,000 roast potatoes in the process.He also sends himself a Christmas card every day and looks forward to opening a present he has bought himself each evening，while watching the Queen's Speech.

Mr.Park estimates (估价) his festive fetish costs him ￡150 (1,570 yuan) a week.This year，however，the divorcee says he is feeling the pinch (拮据) due to the global financial crisis，and is decreasing his celebrations.His Christmas habit is putting a strain on more than just his wallet.Mr.Park was previously warned by his doctor that his Christmas addiction could kill him.His daily over?cost has caused his weight up to 19 stone (121kg)．

“I'll never forget the day it started，” said Mr.Park.“The sun was shining，but I was just feeling fed up and bored，so I went home and put the decorations up.Suddenly I was happy.I thought，this is fun.So I did it again the next day，and the day after that.”

And Mr.Park has not been content to keep his Christmas cheer to himself.In 2005 he released a song which was called “It's Christmas Every Day”，but has yet to find chart success.

1．How old was Mr.Park when he first celebrated his daily Christmas?

A．44. 　　　　　　　　 B．24.

C．22. 　　　　　　　　 D．29.

2．The doctor warned him because________.

A．he spent too much money on Christmas

B．his addiction and diet did harm to his health

C．he ate too much and became poor

D．Mr.Park felt bad and worried

3．He did many things to celebrate daily Christmas EXCEPT________.

A．buying a Christmas card for himself

B．inviting friends to his home

C．setting many decorations at home

D．having a big meal

4．How will Mr.Park deal with his pinch?

A．By decreasing Christmas decoration.

B．By canceling his daily Christmas.

C．By recording a Christmas song.　

D．By seeing his doctor.

.Being examined twice a year is the rule that every driver     obey in the city .

       Christopher Thomas, 27, was a writer by night and a teacher by day when he noticed he was always tired and was losing weight fast．Diagnosed with diabetes（糖尿病）, Thomas would need to inject himself with insulin（胰岛素） three times a day for the rest of his life or risk nerve damage, blindness, and even death．And if that weren't bad enough, he had no health insurance．

       After a month of feeling upset, Thomas decided he'd better find a way to fight back．He left Canton, Michigan for New York, got a job waiting tables, nicknamed himself the Diabetic Rockstar, and created diabeticrockstar.com, a free online community for diabetics and their loved ones — a place where over 1,100 people share personal stories, information, and resources．

       Jason Swencki’s son, Kody, was diagnosed with type diabetes at six．Father and son visit the online children's forums（论坛） together most evenings．"Kody gets so excited, writing to kids from all over," says Swencki, one of the site's volunteers. “They know what he's going through, so he doesn't feel alone.”

       Kody is anything but alone: Diabetes is now the seventh leading cause of death in the United States, with 24 million diagnosed cases．And more people are being diagnosed at younger ages．

These days, Thomas's main focus is his charity, Fight It, which provides medicines and supplies to people — 225 to date — who can't afford a diabetic's huge expenses．Fight-it．org has raised about $23,000 — in products and in cash．In May, Thomas will hold the first annual Diabetic Rockstar Festival in the Caribbean．

Even with a staff of 22 volunteers, Thomas often devotes up to 50 hours a week to his cause, while still doing his full-time job waiting tables．"Of the diabetes charities out there, most are putting money into finding a cure," says Bentley Gubar, one of Rockstar's original members. “But Christopher is the only person I know saying people need help now.”

Which of the following is true of Christopher Thomas?

       A．He needs to go to the doctor every day．

       B．He studies the leading cause of diabetes.

       C．He has a positive attitude to this disease．

       D．He encourages diabetics by writing articles．

Diabeticrockstar.com was created for ________．

       A．diabetics to communicate                     B．volunteers to find jobs

       C．children to amuse themselves                  D．rock stars to share resources．

According to the text, Kody ________．

       A．feel lonely because of his illness                   B．benefits from diabeticrockstar.com

       C．helps create the online kid’s forums                     D．writes children’s stories online

What can we learn about Fight It?

       A．It helps the diabetics in financial difficulties．

       B．It organizes parties for volunteer once a year．

       C．It offers less expensive medicine to diabetics．

       D．It owns a well-known medical website．

The last paragraph suggests that Thomas ________．

       A．works full-time in a diabetes charity           B．employs 22 people for his website

       C．helps diabetics in his own way                         D．tries to find a cure for diabetes

Being examined twice a year is the rule that every driver    obey in the city．

A．shall             B．can              C．ought to          D．need