The International Space Station，one of the most ambitious space projects ever and a key launching board for exploration of the solar system，turns l0 years old Thursday．

    On Nov．20，1998，the first part of the space station was launched by the Russians from Kazakhstan．NASA followed up two weeks later with Piece No 2 carried up by a space shuttle．

    The space station has grown into a giant outpost(前哨)355 km up，home to three people at any given time—soon to be six．

    Thanks to the newly arrived shuttle Endeavour，the space station now has five sleep stations，two baths，two kitchens and two mini—gyms．Ahogether， there are nine rooms，three of which are full scale labs．

    The United States has financed the main part of the project，estimated to cost some 100 billion dollars．Fifteen other countries have also contributed， including Russia，Japan，Canada，Brazil anti eleven nations belonging to the  European Space Agency．

    Fhe space station has traveled 2．1 billion km，orbited Earth more than 57，300 times，hosted 167 people from 15 countries，and served up more than l 9，000 meals

    “The ISS is the largest ever expenment in international technological cooperation，” said John Logsdon。a historian at the National Air and Space Museum in US．

    “1 think it’s a necessary stepping stone to long—term human activities in new Areas of operations，”Logsdon said．The station is“off the planet and it’s the first Step outward—not all end in itself，but a step along the way．”

1.The passage is mainly about              ．

A the construction of the International Space Station

B．the history of the International Space Station．

C the tenth anniversary of the International Space Station．

D．the eountries that help establish the International Space Station．

2.Piece No 2 of the ISS was put into orbit oil             

A．Nov．6，1998       B．Nov．24，1998

C．Dec．8，1998       D．Dec．9，1998

3.Which of the following is true about Endeav our according to the passage?

A．Endeavour is a newly built shuttle

B．Endeavour is part of the space station

C．Endeavour didn’t get close to the space station

D．Endeavour carried a lot of equipment for the apace station

4.Which of the following country has not made a contribution to the eonstruction of the International space station according to the passage?

A．USA．    B．Japan．    C．Korea．    D．Spain

All parents know that one of their most important tasks is to prepare their children for an independent life, but any parent can tell you that it’s hard to let go of your children. That balance between keeping your children safe and allowing them to learn from their own mistakes can be heartbreaking. Years of experience means that parents often do know best, but on the other hand, the young, being less bound by tradition, are often more creative, more able to find new solutions to old problems. Revolutions are led by the young.
Good teachers make the growth of critical (批判性的) thinking easier in their students, only to find that this can lead to a questioning of the teachers’ basic beliefs. Schools encourage parents to become involved, but are often embarrassed when parents have reservations about some of the educational methods being used. Governments encourage unimportant groups to empower themselves in order to participate fully in the development process. And they are often surprised when the new leaders of these groups turn around and attack the policies of that same government. The rebellions (叛逆的)young and the newly unimportant groups are important in social development. They are not necessarily representatives of those they want to represent or not realistic in their demands, but their voices must be heard.
Good parents know that just forbidding particular behaviors does not prevent their children from finding ways to engage in these forbidden activities. Indeed, sometimes the forbidden fruit is more inviting, just because it is not accepted by authority. Parents must work with their children to educate them on the facts, know as much as possible about he lives of their children, provide a good example, encourage more wholesome activities but also support their children when they don’t follow what is expected of them. But the most important point is that they also need to learn how to let go.
【小题1】By saying “Revolutions are led by the young”, the author indicates that young people are more     .

Scientists discovered 163 new species in Southeast Asia’s Greater Mekong region last year，but all are at risk of extinction due to climate change，the WWF said in a report released Friday.

The newly discovered creatures include a bird?eating frog with fangs (毒牙)，a bird that would rather walk than fly and a gecko (壁虎) whose alien appearance inspired the report’s title of “Close Encounters”，the conservation group said.

The report was released ahead of major UN talks on climate change in Bangkok next week，which are being held before a make?or?break summit in Copenhagen this December.

“Some species will be able to adapt to climate change，and many will not，potentially resulting in massive extinction，” Stuart Chapman，director of the WWF Greater Mekong program，said in the report.“Rare and endangered species like those newly discovered are especially vulnerable (易受伤害的) because climate change will further shrink their already restricted habitats，” he said.

“The new discoveries in 2010 include 100 plants,28 fish,18 reptiles,14 amphibians,2 mammals and a bird，”the WWF report said.The area spans Cambodia，Laos，Myanmar，Thailand，Vietnam and China’s Yunnan Province.

“Among the new species is the bird?eating fanged frog，which remains hidden in a protected area of Thailand despite the fact that scientists are studying there for 40 years，” the report said.

The tiger?striped pit viper was discovered accidentally on an island off the coast of Vietnam when a scientist was looking? for a lizard and his son pointed out that his hand was on a rock right next to? the snake’s fangs.“We caught the snake and the gecko and they both proved to be new species，” researcher Lee Grismer of La Sierra University in California was quoted as saying in the report.The leopard gecko，found on another Vietnamese island，has the coloring of a leopard and bizarre orange，cat?like eyes and thin legs.

The Greater Mekong region has proved a rich area? for scientists.The WWF said in December 2010 that it had found 1,068 new species there between 1997 and 2009.

1. What is special about the newly discovered bird?

A．It usually walks.

B．It likes walking and flying.

C．It can eat other birds.

D．It can eat frogs.

2. Stuart Chapman believes that________.

A．most of the newly discovered species can adapt to climate change

B．climate change can cause massive extinction of the newly discovered species

C．the newly discovered species are not so vulnerable to climate change

D．many species have already died out because of climate change

3. When Lee Grismer discovered the tiger?striped pit viper，he probably felt________.

A．frightened? B．disappointed

C．excited? D．puzzled

4.What does the passage mainly tell us?

A．The Greater Mekong region is a rich area for scientists.

B．Many rare species remain to be discovered in the Mekong region.

C．Scientists have discovered many new species in the Mekong region.

D．Climate change threatens Mekong new species.

BEIJING - China's railway rates for freight and passenger transport will continue to be set by the government, announced a senior official with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's top economic planner, on Friday.

Cao Changqing, head of the NDRC's department of price, said that the country will continue to implement government-set or government-guided prices for the railway sector after the China Railway Corporation (CRC), a State-owned company that takes over the commercial functions of the former Ministry of Railways (MOR), went into business on March 17.

Cao said the railway sector, constituting China's main public transport facilities, is a key basic industry. Its pricing scheme is concerned with both the sector's normal operation and development, as well as the daily traveling and vital interests of the general public.

The state will be very cautious in making any price adjustment in the railway sector, taking into account various factors including operation, construction, public acceptance and coordinated development with other modes of transport, according to the NDRC official.

Under Chinese law and regulations, hearings will be held before adjustments in the basic passenger train ticket fare, Cao said.

In China's latest railway reform, endorsed at the just-concluded annual session of the country's top legislature, the former MOR was dismantled into two parts, with the newly created CRC carrying out business functions and a state railways administration fulfilling administrative functions.

1.What does this passage mainly talk about?

A．China’s railway pricing scheme unchanged

B．A State-owned company takes over the commercial functions of MOR.

C．China’s latest railway reform

D．The former MOR was divided into two parts

2.What does Cao mean according to the passage?

A．There will be adjustment in the basic passenger train ticket

B．China’s railway rate for passenger will not be changed forever

C．Hearing will be held before adjustment of railway price

D．The price adjustment are being considered

3.What can we infer from the fourth paragraph?

A．The public will be very curious about the price adjustment

B．Various factors are taken into account by the state before adjustment

C．Public acceptance is the most important factor

D．NDRC should coordinate railway development with other modes of transport

4.Why will hearings be held before adjustments in the basic passenger train ticket fare?

A．The public request it

B．Under Chinese laws and regulations

C．According to the order from leaders

D．Because it will cause a lot of problem

5.We would most probably read this passage on the newspaper about________

A．News             B．Entertainment      C．Society           D．Financial

With so many difficult problems ______, the newly-elected president, Obama, is to have a hard time。