网址:http://m.1010jiajiao.com/timu3_id_2563322[举报]
The world is not coming to an end on December 21st, 2012, the US space agency announced to dispel (消除)widespread rumors fueled by the Internet and a new Hollywood movie.
The latest big screen 2012 was based on stories according to the Mayan calendar.It showed that by the end of 2012, a Planet X will collide (碰撞) with the earth.
Some websites accuse NASA of hiding the truth on the planet's existence, but the US space agency considered such stories as tricks."There is no basis in fact for these claims," NASA said in its website."If such a collision were real, scientists would have been tracking it for at least the last decade, and we would see it with our eyes now.Obviously, it doesn't exist and there will be no threat to the earth in 2012," it insisted."After all, our planet has been getting along just well for more than four billion years," added NASA.
There is another planet, Eris, floating in space.But the small planet will remain safely fixed in the outer solar system and it can come no closer than four billion miles to the earth, according to NASA.
And even if the planets were to line up as some have forecast, the effect on our plant would be very little."And while comets and asteroids (小行星) have always hit the earth, big hits are very rare," NASA noted.The last major collision was believed to be 65 million years ago, resulting the end of dinosaurs (恐龙).
"We are sure that there are no threatening asteroids as large as the one that killed the dinosaurs," the space agency said.
【小题1】What played a key role in the spread of the rumors?
| A.The Internet and the film 2012. | B.The Mayan calendar. |
| C.The US space agency. | D.The television screen. |
| A.the collision | B.the threat | C.the Planet X | D.the NASA website |
| A.the film 2012 is well accepted in the science field |
| B.scientists have been tracking Planet X for over ten years |
| C.the earth will exist for more than four billion years |
| D.the rumors caused a panic among some people |
| A.It doesn't exist in the universe. |
| B.It won't threaten the earth. |
| C.It is too far to be seen. |
| D.It is similar to the earth. |
In the world today, there are millions of surveillance cameras, or “spy cams”, watching and monitoring our daily activities. There are some benefits of course, as people who are breaking laws can be watched and caught using cameras and this helps keep our society and public places safe. These cameras are everywhere and most are openly visible on roads, in airports, businesses, shopping centers and government buildings and even in lifts. Even schools have started using spy cams to watch student activity and behaviour.
The cameras are so common now that we hardly ever even notice them. But the problem lies with the ones that are hidden away from our eyes and are unseen. Technology has helped develop tiny cameras that can be very well hidden and they can “spy” on shoppers, workers, babysitters and people in hotels and clubs without the people even knowing.
It is these spy cams that people feel are an invasion of privacy. Recently, in the US, there have been a number of court cases against babysitters whose actions have been recorded by their employers on hidden cameras.
The number of cameras in public and private areas is on the increase and with rising crime rates and the recent terrorist attacks, more and more surveillance cameras are being used to watch us. This means that we all have to be aware that our employers, department stores, police and even some of our friends could be spying on us at any time!
【小题1】In the writer’s opinion, surveillance cameras _______. .
| A.do more good than wrong |
| B.are overused |
| C.should be very popular |
| D.ought to be more widely used |
| A.By helping keep social safety. |
| B.By monitoring the employees. |
| C.By watching the students in class. |
| D.By spying on customers. |
| A.object to |
| B.agree to |
| C.feel happy about |
| D.are fearful of |
| A.all people want to spy |
| B.of the invasion of privacy |
| C.people enjoy being watched |
| D.of terrorist attacks |