We're fully_______ that we'll solve all problems and finish our task in time

A．confident         B．generous          C．urgent            D．nervous

“ Just sign here, sir,” the deliveryman said as he handed Oscar Reyna a packet.

The package consisted of a long, narrow box   36  wrapped in brown paper.   37  the box, Oscar saw an umbrella inside—a very old one with a beautifully carved wooden handle.   38  he had not seen it in more than 20 years, he recognized it   39 .

Oscar was 16 when he first saw the   40  umbrella. He had gone to a concert with his grandparents. As they were leaving, he noticed an umbrella on an empty seat. Impressed by its   41  Oscar felt a strong desire to find its   42 .

Oscar   43  the manager to look in the record of advance ticket sales. Just as he thought, a man matched the seat   44  Oscar had found the umbrella. The name was Mrs. Katie O’Brien.

Oscar talked his grandparents into going by Mrs. O’Brien   45  on their way home. He rang the bell, the door opened, and an elderly woman appeared. “May I   46  you?” she asked.

“I’d like to return it if it’s yours,” Oscar said,   47  the umbrella as if presenting a   48  that had long been wished for.

“ Why, yes ! It’s mine,” replied Mrs. O’Brien with a   49  smile and shining eyes. “It was given to me by my father years ago. Thank you so much for returning it. May I offer you a reward for your   50 ?

“No, ma’ma, ”he said , “My grandmother says that a good deed is its own reward.”

“Well, that’s   51  what my father used to say. What is your name, young man?”

Years later Oscar was staring at the finely carved handle of the umbrella as he remembered Mrs. O’ Brien. It was in perfect condition, considering how   52  it was. Why had it arrived here today?

As if   53  , a note fell from the paper. It read：Mrs. O’Brien wanted you to   54  this umbrella as a present for a kind,   55  gesture long ago.

1.                A．strictly         B．carefully        C．roughly   D．casually

2.                A．Opening        B．Seizing         C．Observing D．Searching

3.                A．After          B．When          C．Since D．Although

4.                A．clearly         B．fully           C．immediately   D．suddenly

5.                A．average        B．unusual         C．plain D．typical

6.                A．beauty         B．shape          C．origin    D．history

7.                A．designer        B．seller          C．user D．owner

8.                A．convinced      B．forced          C．encouraged   D．advised

9.                A．until           B．before         C．which    D．where

10.               A．family          B．theatre         C．house D．neighborhood

11.               A．invite          B．help           C．bother    D．know

12.               A．putting up      B．turning out      C．picking up D．holding out

13.               A．chance         B．fact            C．gift   D．result

14.               A．wide           B．confident       C．proud D．shy

15.               A．patience        B．kindness        C．courage   D．determination

16.               A．obviously       B．naturally        C．exactly    D．probably

17.               A．old            B．rare           C．precious   D．nice

18.               A．in contrast      B．in return        C．in exchange    D．in answer

19.               A．possess        B．accept         C．carry D．value

20.               A．attractive       B．significant       C．unselfish  D．sympathetic

1.Parents who want to help their children with mathematics may buy

A．Virtua Striker 3ver．2013         B．Racing Car Kiddy Ride

C．Happy Doctor Monkey           D．Happy Zoo DX

2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the ads?

A．Kiddy Ride is a new machine worth EURO$1 150．

B．Virtua Striker 3 ver．2013 is a latest version of software．

C．Virtua Striker 3 ver．2013 may be popular among basketball fans．

D．Happy Zoo DX will help children in their study of music and art．

3.If you use Virtua Striker 3 ver．2013，you can_____.

A．watch the World Cup 2013 live

B．greatly improve your football skill

C．change players’ data whenever you want

D．feel World Cup fever more intensely

4.It is obvious that people can read the ads_____.

A．on a board          B．on TV

C．in a newspaper       D．on the Internet

_____ is certain is ______ the mystery of Stonehenge has never been fully explained.

A．It, that                                B．What, what

C．It, what                               D．What, that

Next Stop: Planet Mars

Fly me to the moon? That’s not far enough. On September 14, 2011, NASA released designs for a superrocket, the Space Launch System (SLS). This time the final destination will be Mars.

The SLS is a huge, liquid-fuelled rocket. If it is fully developed, it will be the most powerful rocket ever built. Its lift capability will be much bigger than that of the space shuttle of Saturn 5, the rocket that sent the Apollo missions to the moon.

NASA is planning to launch its first unmanned test flight in 2017. It is hoped that the first crew will fly in 2021 and astronauts will make it to a nearby asteroid(小行星) in 2025. NASA hopes to send the rocket and astronauts to Mars from the asteroid by the 2030s, according to the Associated Press (AP).

NASA used liquid rockets to send Apollo, Gemini and Mercury into space, but later changed to solid rockets boosters(助推火箭) because they were cheaper. Tragically, however, a booster flaw(缺陷) caused the space shuttle Challenger to crash in 1986. The new project plans to return to liquid fuel.

According to AP, the rockets will at first be able to carry 77 to 110 tons of payload(净载重量). Eventually they will be able to carry 143 tons into space, maybe even as many as 165 tons, NASA officials said. By comparison, the Saturn 5 booster could lift 130 tons and the space shuttle just 27 tons.

However, unlike reusable shuttles, these powerful rockets are mostly one use only. New ones have to be built for every launch. This will be very costly.

NASA estimates that it will cost about $3 billion (19 billion yuan) per year, or $18 billion until the first test flight in 2017. NASA hopes to make money by allowing private companies to send astronauts to the International Space Station like giant taxi services, so that the program can be “sustainable”.

“This is perhaps the biggest thing for space exploration in decades,” said Senator Bill Nelson, a former astronaut. “The goal is to fly humans safely beyond low-Earth orbit(轨道) and deep into outer space where we cannot only survive, but one day also live.”

1.What is the outstanding feature of the SLS?

A．It’s equipped with an advanced control system.

B．It’s the first unmanned space shuttle in the world.

C．It’s the only vehicle that can fly astronauts to the moon.

D．It can send a lot more goods and passengers into space.

2.What is Saturn 5?

A．An aircraft that had a deadly flaw and crashed in 1986.

B．A series of rockets that once sent astronauts to the moon.

C．An unmanned space shuttle that was once famous in the world.

D．A kind of launch vehicle that will be used to carry astronauts to Mars.

3.NASA plans to use liquid fuel in the new project because ______ than solid rockets boosters.

A．it is less costly

B．it is much safer

C．it can last longer

D．it is more environmentally friendly

4.According to NASA’s schedule, it will take ______ years to fully complete the SLS program.

A．about 6                               B．about 10

C．less than 14                            D．more than 19

5.It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A．the SLS program is planning to make reusable rockets

B．the goal of the SLS program is to enable humans to live on the moon

C．the US government may not have provided enough money for the SLS program

D．NASA will use SLS as a space taxi between the Earth and Mars