Every child has written their names on the beach at some point.

But whereas most people’s “handwriting” is washed away, one super-rich Arab sheikh(酋长) has ensure that his graffiti(胡写乱画) will last a little longer.

Hamad Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, 63, has scrawled his name in sand on an island he owns with letters so big that they be seen from space.

The word “HAMAD” measures 1,000 meters high and is a staggering two miles long from the “H” to the “D” on the Al Futaisi Island.

And rather than allow the writing to be washed away by the ocean, the letters actually form waterways that absorb the encroaching(渗入) tide. The ruler’s name is even visible on Google’s map service.

Hamad dreamed up the idea and had his workmen work hard for weeks to craft the enormous piece of sand graffiti. It is not known how much it cost to make.

However, the sheikh boasts a personal fortune second to the Saudi king’s.

Hamad, also known as the “Rainbow Sheikh”, is a member of the Abu Dhabi Ruling Family.

He is understood to have some 200 cars including seven Mercedes 500 SELs painted in different colors of the rainbow which he stores in a giant pyramid.

The Arab sheikh had a taste for doing things on a large scale. He built the world’s largest truck—eight times the size of the Dodge Power Wagon, with four bedrooms inside the cabin.

Hamad constructed a motor home in the shape of a giant globe which is exactly 1 millionth the size of the actual earth.

Alongside his displays of wealth he has become a well-known philanthropist(慈善家) in medicine and supplied a complete Kinney stone operating theatre to a public hospital in Morocco where he continues to fund its stuff.

1.Which of the following in NOT true according to the passage?

2.In what way could Hamad make his handwriting last longer?

A. The word “HAMAD” measures 1,000 meters wide and high.

B The word “HAMAD” is a staggering two miles long from the “H” to the “D”.

C. The word “HAMAD” actually forms huge waterways that absorb the encroaching tide.

D. The word “HAMAD” cost his workmen a lot of hard work for several weeks.

3.Why does Hamad have his seven Mercedes-Benz500 SELs painted in different colors?

4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

Astronauts on shorter shuttle missions（使命）often work very long days.  Tasks are scheduled so tightly that break times are often used to finish the day’s work.  This type of schedule is far too demanding for long missions on the International  Space Station（ISS）.  ISS crewmembers usually live in space for at least a quarter of a year. They work five days on and two days off to mimic the normal way they do things on Earth as much as possible . Weekends give the crew valuable.  Weekends give the crew valuable time to rest and do a few hours of  housework.  They can communicate with family and friends by email , internet phone and through Private video conferences.
While astronauts cannot go to a baseball game or a movie in orbit, there are many familiar activities that they can still enjoy . Before a mission.  The family and friends of each ISS crewmember put together a collection of family photos, messages, videos and reading material for
The astronauts to look at when they will be floating 370 kilometers above the Earth.  During their mission, the crew also receives care packages with CDs, books, magazines, photos and letters . And as from early 2010, the internet became available on the ISS , giving astronauts the chance to do some “web surfing （冲浪）”in  their personal time.  Besides relaxing with these more common entertainments, astronauts can simply enjoy the experience of living in space.
Many astronauts say that one of the most relaxing things to do in space is to look out the window and stare at the universe and the Earth’s vast land mass and oceans.
【小题1】What does the word “mimic ”in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

From space, the earth looks blue. This is ???? about seventy-one percent of its surface is covered by water.

A. why? ????????????? B. how ????????????? C. because?? ????????????? D.? whether

(2013·高考安徽卷)From space，the earth looks blue.This is ________ about seventy?one percent of its surface is covered by water.

A．why??? B．how

C．because?? D．whether

Scientists have found what look like caves on Mars, and say they could be protecting life from the planet’s terrible environment.

The first caves appear as seven mysterious black dots （点） on the pictures which were sent back by NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter. Each as large as a football field, they may be openings into natural caves below the Martian surface.

“If there is life on Mars, there is a good chance that you’d find it in caves,” said Jut Wynne, one of the researchers who noticed the features (特征) while working on a US Geological Survey Mars Cave Detection Program.

Jonathan Clarke, a geologist with the Mars Society of Australia, yesterday described the discovery as exciting.

One photo taken at night by an infrared imager(红外线成像器) showed one hole to be unusually warm, suggesting hot air may be flowing out.

“I said: ‘Wow, that’s a cave’” Dr. Clarke said excitedly. “People have been looking for these for a long time; now we have found them.”

He agreed such caves could be perfect places to search for life escaping from the bitterly cold, radiation-soaked(充满辐射的), dry surface.

“Tiny drops of water could collect inside,” he said. “If there are gases coming out, they could provide energy for a whole range of bacteria (细菌). A cave is also a protection from radiation; the surface of Mars is exposed to high levels of space radiation.”

The caves probably formed when tube-shaped lava flows(管状岩浆流) spread across the planet long ago. The outside of the tubes cooled, forming solid walls, while something hotter inside allowed the remaining to flow out, forming caves.

1. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. How the caves were formed on Mars.

B. How NASA sent the pictures back to earth

C. Caves on Mars may be full of hot air or a sign（迹象）of life.

D. Scientists have completely recognized the surface of Mars.

2. We can learn from the passage that __________.

A. water has already been found on Mars

B. the scientists found all the caves at night

C. it is certain that there is life in these caves

D. the surface of Mars is bitterly cold, radiation-soaked and dry

3. According to the passage, Dr. Clarke was so excited because ________.

A. such caves could provide energy for life

B. they had finally found the caves on Mars

C. such caves would be perfect places to search for life

D. There would be life on Mars.

4. Necessary conditions for life on Mars mentioned in the passage may include_________.

A. lava and energy          B. water and radiation from space

C. gases and lava           D. water and protection from radiation

5. what does the underlined word “ the planet” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A. the Mars     B. the earth      C. the caves       D. radiation