More than a hundred adults and kids gather for the Star Party on a cold evening, chattering excitedly as they stand in the dark on a Virginia hillside. The odd thing is, no one has turned on a flashlight, and no streetlights or house lights wink(闪烁) on around them.
These people have traveled to the countryside more than an hour from Washington, D. C., to get away from the glow of city lights.  That's because they are attending a star party. Star parties are gatherings where professional and amateur astronomers set up their telescopes and invite people to come learn about the night sky. Getting away from light pollution, or artificial skylight from buildings for example,  helps stargazers (看星星的人) see objects in the sky much better.
At this star party, Sean O'Brien of the National Air and Space Museum’s Einstein Planetarium starts off by asking the crowd to simply look up and take in all they can see. He points out plenty of things that can be seen without special equipment. Stars, satellites, and even the Andromeda galaxy(仙女座) can be found if you know where to look.
After that, several dozen astronomers offer close-up views. Each has focused their telescope on a different part of the sky. As kids take a look, the owner gives a mini-lesson.
O’Brien says you can have your own star party at home and learn a lot just by paying attention to what's happening up above. "Watch the sky as the seasons pass, and you will see that it changes," he says. "Or start with the moon. Notice when and where you are seeing it—maybe even in the early morning while you wait for the school bus. "

1. 1.

   What was it special about the Star Party ?

   1. A.
      It was organized by the local authority.
   2. B.
      It was carried out without any lights.
   3. C.
      It was so cold that people chatted to cheer up.
   4. D.
      It was held in the town center of Virginia
2. 2.

   According to the passage, who were involved in the activity ?
   a. some invited guests
   b. some government officials
   c. some experts in astronomy
   d. those who were interested in astronomy
   e. students who were major in agriculture

   1. A.
      a, c, d
   2. B.
      a, d, e
   3. C.
      b, d, e
   4. D.
      c, d, e
3. 3.

   From the passage, we can infer that if you want to see the objects in the sky            .

   1. A.
      you'd better escape from pollution and sunlight
   2. B.
      you'd better follow Sean O'Brien's guidance
   3. C.
      you'd better buy some advanced equipment
   4. D.
      you'd better make use of your imagination
4. 4.

   Which of the following can be best describe what O'Brien says about discovering the stars'?

   1. A.
      Roman is not built in a day.
   2. B.
      No pains, no gains.
   3. C.
      All roads lead to Roman.
   4. D.
      Time and tide wait for no man.

More than a hundred adults and kids gather for the Star Party on a cold evening, chattering excitedly as they stand in the dark on a Virginia hillside. The odd thing is, no one has turned on a flashlight, and no streetlights or house lights wink(闪烁) on around them.
These people have traveled to the countryside more than an hour from Washington, D. C., to get away from the glow of city lights.  That's because they are attending a star party. Star parties are gatherings where professional and amateur astronomers set up their telescopes and invite people to come learn about the night sky. Getting away from light pollution, or artificial skylight from buildings for example,  helps stargazers (看星星的人) see objects in the sky much better.
At this star party, Sean O'Brien of the National Air and Space Museum’s Einstein Planetarium starts off by asking the crowd to simply look up and take in all they can see. He points out plenty of things that can be seen without special equipment. Stars, satellites, and even the Andromeda galaxy(仙女座) can be found if you know where to look.
After that, several dozen astronomers offer close-up views. Each has focused their telescope on a different part of the sky. As kids take a look, the owner gives a mini-lesson.
O’Brien says you can have your own star party at home and learn a lot just by paying attention to what's happening up above. "Watch the sky as the seasons pass, and you will see that it changes," he says. "Or start with the moon. Notice when and where you are seeing it—maybe even in the early morning while you wait for the school bus. "
【小题1】What was it special about the Star Party ?

More than a hundred adults and kids gather for the Star Party on a cold evening, chattering excitedly as they stand in the dark on a Virginia hillside. The odd thing is, no one has turned on a flashlight, and no streetlights or house lights wink(闪烁) on around them.

These people have traveled to the countryside more than an hour from Washington, D. C., to get away from the glow of city lights.  That's because they are attending a star party. Star parties are gatherings where professional and amateur astronomers set up their telescopes and invite people to come learn about the night sky. Getting away from light pollution, or artificial skylight from buildings for example,  helps stargazers (看星星的人) see objects in the sky much better.

At this star party, Sean O'Brien of the National Air and Space Museum’s Einstein Planetarium starts off by asking the crowd to simply look up and take in all they can see. He points out plenty of things that can be seen without special equipment. Stars, satellites, and even the Andromeda galaxy(仙女座) can be found if you know where to look.

After that, several dozen astronomers offer close-up views. Each has focused their telescope on a different part of the sky. As kids take a look, the owner gives a mini-lesson.

O’Brien says you can have your own star party at home and learn a lot just by paying attention to what's happening up above. "Watch the sky as the seasons pass, and you will see that it changes," he says. "Or start with the moon. Notice when and where you are seeing it—maybe even in the early morning while you wait for the school bus. "

1.What was it special about the Star Party ?

2.According to the passage, who were involved in the activity ?

a. some invited guests

b. some government officials

c. some experts in astronomy

d. those who were interested in astronomy

e. students who were major in agriculture

3.From the passage, we can infer that if you want to see the objects in the sky            .

4.Which of the following can be best describe what O'Brien says about discovering the stars'?

Suppose you don’t need your car today. And suppose, as it happens, that a stranger in your area does need a car. Would you be willing to rent yours out?

Several car-sharing start-ups, including Getaround, RelayRides and JustShareIt, are eager to connec????????t car owners with renters this way. The companies have different rules, but participating

o?wner??s receive, generally speaking, about two??-thirds of the rental earnings. RelayRides says an owner of a midsize, late-model sedan who rents out a car for 10 hours a week could expect to clear about ＄3,000 a year.

Peer-to-peer car sharing remains in the trial stage; it can be found in San Francisco and a few other places. It has a long way to go before it becomes the auto equivalent of Airbnb, the surprise success story for peer-to-peer sharing of space in apartments and houses.

Shelby Clark, founder of RelayRides, says potential investors in his company have been concerned that owners will be afraid to hand their car over to strangers. To address that, he points to Airbnb, saying, “Letting people sleep in your living room is much more of a disturbance into your personal space than letting someone use your car.”

All of these companies offer their own insurance coverage for their renters, which are supposed to put owners’ minds at ease. But only two states—California and Oregon—have passed laws to clarify that an owner will not suffer any consequences should a car-sharing renter have an accident.

“In all the other states, legal ambiguity remains,” Shelby Clark says. “If a renter should be involved in a serious accident in those states, the victim can be expected to go after every party possible, including the car’s owner.”

Also to remove the worries of car owners, the driving records of renters are checked for recent serious violations.

36. What does the underlined word “sedan” in Paragraph 2 probably refer to?

A. A kind of car.　　 B. An owner of a car.

C. A renting company.　 D. A car-??sharing renter.

37. Which of the following is true of Airbnb?

A. It cares little about personal privacy. 　　 B. It deals with house-sharing successfully.

C. It is a very popular car-sharing company.　　　 D. Its ideas are being tried out in some states.

38. If a car-sharing renter should have an accident in California, the car’s owner　　　 .

A. has to take legal responsibility　 　　 B. will not suffer the consequence

C. is not covered by health insurance D. must pay the insurance for the renter

39. According to the text, more car-owners will participate in the service, if .

A. legal ambiguity is clarified in all the states

B. renters are warned not to violate traffic rules

C. more money is given to participating owners

D. people are aware of the importance of sharing

40. It can be learned from the text that car-sharing .

A. makes no profit B. remains in popularity

C. is against the state law 　 D. is a new business model

More than a hundred adults and kids gather for the Star Party on a cold evening, chattering excitedly as they stand in the dark on a Virginia hillside. The odd thing is, no one has turned on a flashlight, and no streetlights or house lights wink(闪烁) on around them.

These people have traveled to the countryside more than an hour from Washington, D. C., to get away from the glow of city lights.  That's because they are attending a star party. Star parties are gatherings where professional and amateur astronomers set up their telescopes and invite people to come learn about the night sky. Getting away from light pollution, or artificial skylight from buildings for example,  helps stargazers (看星星的人) see objects in the sky much better.

At this star party, Sean O'Brien of the National Air and Space Museum’s Einstein Planetarium starts off by asking the crowd to simply look up and take in all they can see. He points out plenty of things that can be seen without special equipment. Stars, satellites, and even the Andromeda galaxy(仙女座) can be found if you know where to look.

After that, several dozen astronomers offer close-up views. Each has focused their telescope on a different part of the sky. As kids take a look, the owner gives a mini-lesson.

O’Brien says you can have your own star party at home and learn a lot just by paying attention to what's happening up above. "Watch the sky as the seasons pass, and you will see that it changes," he says. "Or start with the moon. Notice when and where you are seeing it—maybe even in the early morning while you wait for the school bus. "

72. What was it special about the Star Party ?

A. It was organized by the local authority.              B. It was carried out without any lights.

C. It was so cold that people chatted to cheer up.          D. It was held in the town center of Virginia

73. According to the passage, who were involved in the activity ?

a. some invited guests                  b. some government officials

c. some experts in astronomy      d. those who were interested in astronomy

e. students who were major in agriculture

A. a, c, d                   B. a, d, e                   C. b, d, e                 D. c, d, e

74.  From the passage, we can infer that if you want to see the objects in the sky            .

A. you'd better escape from pollution and sunlight

B. you'd better follow Sean O'Brien's guidance

C. you'd better buy some advanced equipment

D. you'd better make use of your imagination

75. Which of the following can be best describe what O'Brien says about discovering the stars'?

A. Roman is not built in a day.           B. No pains, no gains.

C. All roads lead to Roman.             D. Time and tide wait for no man.