Before astronauts can go into space, they have to have the right suit. That’s why NASA（美国国家航天和航空局）scientists are developing a new kind of space suit——lighter and more flexible than before. These new space suits will have lots of mobility(灵活性) for the astronauts, but will not need much maintenance. NASA wants the suits to include new technology that can help astronauts be safe in outer space.

Right now, the American space suit weighs about 275 pounds and is big and massive. But the suit is also easy to work in for long periods of time. The Russian space suit is less complicated, but is used only a few times and then gets thrown away.

“Finding the right balance is always going to be a challenge,” said a long-time astronaut Jeff Williams. Williams has worn both types of suits. Space suits protect astronauts from both extreme heat and freezing temperatures. They carry life-packs with oxygen for the astronauts. They also shield astronauts from radiation, or particles that send out harmful rays.

Scientists are using computers to design the new suits. This allows them to change the design again and again, and to even test the design out before actually making anything. “There’s a lot more capable tools and technology to get the job done——a lot more knowledge, as well,” said Joe Kosmo. Kosmo helped design, develop, and test suits during the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and shuttle periods.

These new space suits will be much lighter and use a new kind of complex material. They also will have a smaller life support backpack, thanks to tiny electronics. NASA hopes to have the first prototypes(原型) in development by 2010 and certify(证明) the suit by 2012. This will be in time for the launch of the Orion spaceship in 2014.

1. What characteristic does the new space suit have?

A. The new space suit will need much maintenance.

B. The new space suit will be heavier than before.

C. The new space suit will have less mobility than before.

D. The new suit will use new technology to help astronauts be safe in outer space.

2.What’s the disadvantage of the Russian space suit?

A. The Russian space suit is big and massive.

B. The Russian space suit is much complicated.

C. The Russian space suit is merely used a few times.

D. The Russian space suit is easy to work in for long periods of time.

3.The underlined word “shield” in the third paragraph might mean_______.

A. harm          B. protect        C. help           D. warn

4.Why can scientists test the design out before actually making the new space suits?

A. Because designing the new space suit is not a complex task.

B. Because computers are being used to help scientists design the new space suits.

C. Because it needs little knowledge to design the new space suits.

D. Because the scientists only change the old space suits a little and make them into the new ones.

5.How long will it take scientists to put the new space suits from prototypes into the first practical use?

A. Two years.     B. Three years.     C. Four years.     D. Six years.

Several animal species including gorillas in Rwanda and tigers in Bangladesh could risk extinction if the impact of climate change and extreme weather on their habitats is not addressed, a UN report showed on Sunday.

Launched on the sidelines of global climate negotiations in Durban, the report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization shows how higher temperatures, the rise in sea levels, deforestation and excessive land use have damaged the habitats of certain species, especially in Africa.

“Many ecosystems have already been stressed by increasing population, historical and recent deforestation, unsustainable management practices and even invasive (入侵的) species,” Eduardo Rojas-Briales, assistant director general at the FAO's forestry department, said at the launch of the report.

The most affected areas include mountains, isolated islands and coastal areas, which limit the possibilities for animals to migrate elsewhere and create new habitats.

“The remaining populations become surrounded in very small ecosystems, they have inbreeding (近亲交配) problems ... and at the end these species may disappear,” he added.

Other examples of affected animals included elephants in Mali, lions in the Serengeti and crocodiles in Malawi.

The report said an estimated 20-30 percent of plant and animal species will be at higher risk of extinction due to global warming and a significant proportion of native species may become extinct by 2050 as a consequence.

Other consequences could include the spread of invasive species and infectious diseases, it said.

The report urges more focus on restoration of damaged ecosystems, especially those key to dealing with climate change such as mangroves(红树林), inland waters, forests, savannahs(非洲大草原) and grasslands.

The FAO also called for the creation of migration corridors for animals in areas where their movement was limited.

The organization said while more resources were flowing to biodiversity conservation, more action at the government and policy level was needed.

It also urged local communities to develop projects that mitigate the impact of climate change on wildlife, naming eco-tourism activities as an example.

1.What does the author tell us in Paragraph 2?

A．The theme of global climate negotiations in Durban.

B．The subject of research done by Eduardo Rojas.

C．Causes of damage done to ecosystems.

D．Harmful effects of damage done to ecosystems.

2.Why are animals living in mountains, islands and coastal areas most affected?

A．They are frequently attacked by invasive species and infectious diseases.

B．They have difficulty finding enough food for survival.

C．They can hardly find mates to produce their young.

D．They have little chance of moving to other places.

3.To avoid extinction of some animal species, the UNFAO suggested all the following ways EXCEPT ______.

A．restoring damaged ecosystems

B．limiting world population growth

C．creating movement channels for animals

D．urging governments and local communities to take action

4.What does the underlined word “mitigate” in the last paragraph mean?

A．increase or further improve something.

B．Make full use of something.

C．Make something become less serious.

D．Move from one place to another.

5.What would serve as the best title for the passage?

A．Animals at risk due to climate change.

B．Global warming and its consequences.

C．Climate change and ecotourism.

D．Solutions to animal distinction.

    Riding a London subway, a person from China will notice one major difference; in London, people do not look at each other. In fact, eye contact is avoided at all time. That's not rudeness— people are just too busy to bother looking.
Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they're certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet reflection（沉思）.Nor are they reading a book. New techology has replaced quiet habits. Today the only acceptable form of book on the London Underground is an e-book.
Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters（乘车上下班的人）. Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40,000-yes, that's 40,000-"apps"(programs downloaded for the iPhone)have been designed.
Commuters love them because they are the perfect time-filler. One "app"，called iShoot, is a game that features tanks. Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination（目的地）. ISteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone. You can then write in the "steam" on your phone screen.
For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be the distraction（消遣）of choice. It's not just teenagers who "plug in" to their music-iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages.
And if games, e-books and music aren't enough to keep you occupied. Then perhaps you would prefer a film? The development of palm（掌上）DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV show or film on the way to work. With all this distraction, it's amazing that people still remember to get off the train.
【小题1】People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because they are busy    .

A．iShoot

B．Tube Exits

C．iSteam

D．iPod

If you thought sports stars Yao Ming and Liu Xiang or Internet entrepreneurs Zhang Chaoyang and Ding Lei would automatically be on the list of the” Men of Our Time”，then you could be behind the times．

       The surprise in the list of 10 men released by the All-China Women’s Federation yesterday is that it contains no celebrities- and the guiding factors seem to be care and sympathy for the opposite sex．

       In fact，Liu and Yao，as well as actor Pu Cunxin—the image ambassador for China’s anti-HIV，AIDS campaign—appeared in a booklet given out at the contest’s launch ceremony in January．The federation wouldn’t say why they are not in the final list．

       The winners，with an average age of 47．5，were selected by women officials and journalists of the nine women’s newspapers in China，whose standard was men promoting equality between the sexes．

       Li Zhong hua, a 46-year—old air force officer who test-flies planes，said he thought he was chosen because” he takes good care of his family，and is a gentleman”．

       ”Gentlemen get more respect in our society．They should be like those in the movie Titanic，who let women and children lave first in life rafts。”he told China Daily．

       Shi Hua shan，a 48-year-old policeman in Gui xi of Jiangxi Province，said that he became a”man in the eyes of women” because” women love stories of heroes saving beauties"．

       His team has rescued more than 180 women who were taken away by force and sold as wives in the mountain regions of Fujian Province．

       Some other” Men of Our Time” are：

       Lang Jinghe，67，gynecologist at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing，who has made breakthroughs in ovarian cancer；

       Ma Li，33，official in Xuzhou of Jiangsu Province，whose shelter has helped 196 victims of domestic violence；Li Mingshull，43，lawyer in Beijing，who is active in campaigns against family violence；Liu Ri，51，a mine worker in Lu’an of Shanxi Province，who took care of his paralyzed

parents·in-law for 23 years with his wife．

Which of the following statements is right?

       A．Liu Xiang, a sports star, was on the list of the “Men of Our Time”．

       B．LiZhonghua was a man in the eyes of women because he was an excellent air force officer．

       C．Shi Huashan rescued women from forced marriages

       D．The honor was given to Pu Cunxin at the launch ceremony in January．

Who is among the“Men of Our Time”?

       A．Yao Ming    B．Ma Li           C．Pu Cunxin       D．Liu Xiang

The underlined word “celebrities” in the second paragraph most probably means______．

       A．famous scientists         B．famous actors

       C．well-known people       D．well．known sports stars

This passage is most probably taken from——．

       A．a science magazine      B．an advertising booklet

       C．a travel brochure        D．a newspaper

Riding a London subway, a person from other countries will notice one major difference: in London, people do not look at each other．In fact, eye contact is avoided at all times. That’s not rudeness ― people are just too busy to bother looking．

　　Busy doing what, you ask? Well, they’re certainly not using the time for a moment of quiet thinking．Nor are they reading a book．New technology has replaced quiet habits．Today the only acceptable form of book on the London underground is an e-book．

　　Apple must earn a fortune from London commuters（使用月票上下班者）. Since the launch of the iPhone in 2007, over 40, 000 ― yes, 40, 000 “apps” have been designed．

　　Commuters love them because they are the perfect time - fillers. One “app”, called iShoot, is a game that features tanks．Another one, Tube Exits, tells passengers where to sit on the train to be closest to the exit of their destination. iSteam clouds the iPhone screen when you breathe into the microphone. You can then write in the “steam” on your phone screen．

　　For those without an iPhone, another Apple product, the iPod, may be the distraction (消遣) of choice. It’s not just teenagers who “plug in” to their music － iPods are a popular way to pass the time for all ages．

　　And if games, e-books and music aren’t enough to keep you occupied, then perhaps you would prefer a film? The development of palm DVD technology means many commuters watch their favorite TV shows or films on the way to work．With all these distractions, it’s amazing that people still remember to get off the train．

1.Those who want to save time to reach where they go can download ________ to their iPhones

A. iShoot                         B. Tube Exits         C. iSteam               D. iPod

2.People in London do not make eye contact on the subway because ________．

A. they are going to work and have no time to communicate with each other

B. they love reading books and do not want to be disturbed

C. they feel sleepy because of getting up early

D. they’re busy playing games, reading e-books, listening to music or watching films

3.The underlined word “apps” in the third paragraph means ________．

A. computers

B. programs downloaded for the iPhone

C. computer companies

D. fortune from London commuters

4.The main idea of the passage is that ________．

A. London commuters are unfriendly to strangers

B. Apple has earned a lot of money from selling 40, 000 apps

C. technology is changing how London commuters spend their traveling time

D. riding a London subway is a must when visiting London