Sixty-five million years ago, an asteroid (小行星) that crashed on Earth led to the disappearance of the largest animals that have ever walked our planet – the dinosaurs. At least, this is what some scientists believe. But that accident happened so long ago. People have come to believe that we are free of threats from asteroids and everything else from space.

However, what happened on Feb 15 , 2013 was a reminder that we’re just as vulnerable as the dinosaurs once were. Two objects from space – a meteor (陨石) and an asteroid called 2012 DA14 –  visited Earth’s atmosphere on the same day. The former fell in Russia, injuring 1,200 people, while the latter passed by Earth at a record-setting close distance.

Scientists had been expecting the asteroid since last year, but the meteor was a surprise. NASA’s telescope system only detects asteroids at least 50 meters in diameter (直径), which is just about the size of 2012 DA14. But the meteor was much smaller, which made it harder to spot.

But what if we do spot an asteroid that is headed right for Earth? There are several possible ways in which dangerous asteroids could be made to change its orbit. Which method is best depends on several factors and most importantly  –  how much time we have to stop it.

If there is enough time before the hit, we can send off a heavy spacecraft to travel alongside the asteroid. The gravity from the spacecraft would gradually change the rock’s orbit. Besides that, scientists could one day use sun-powered lasers to either make asteroids disappear or change their course. If there’s not enough time, we’ll have to go after the asteroid with a spacecraft and change its orbit with a crash. Finally, if things are truly desperate, there will be only one choice left –  to use a nuclear bomb. That could turn the asteroid into a meteor shower, which would be even more dangerous.

1.The author mentioned the asteroid that led to the dinosaurs’ dying out to ______.

A. show that asteroids fall from space frequently

B. alert people about the possible danger of objects falling from space

C. inform readers about the constant threats the Earth faces

D. suggest that there are still many mysteries about the universe

2.The underlined word “vulnerable” in the second paragraph probably means ______.

A. unprotected                  B. lonely            C. stupid            D. self-important

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE about the meteor that fell to the Earth in Russia?

A. It passed by the Earth at a close distance.

B. It was spotted by NASA’s telescope system a year ago.

C. It is about the same size as the asteroid that passed by the Earth.

D. It fell to the Earth and caused great damage to the local community.

4.What is the main idea of the article?

A. Learning about asteroids and meteors.

B. The threats of objects from space and possible solutions.

C. NASA’s latest technology to discover visitors to the Earth from space.

D. How to measure the damage of collisions from asteroids and meteors.

填空（共10小题；每小题1分，满分l0分）

    阅读短文，根据所读内容在表中的空格处填上适当的单词或短语。注意：每空不超过3个单词。

What causes traffic jams? Too many cars，right? No! Some Brits are now saying that trafficlights are to blame for much of the congestion.

They suggest that traffic lights be removed at busy roads．They believe people are a better judge of when it’s safe to go，not a traffic light programmed by an absent regulator．

A report from the Institute of Economic Affairs，a UK think tank（智囊团），argues that

abolishing traffic signals would decrease congestion，reduce exhaust（废气）emissions（排放）and improve safety．

The report said that removing lights should also prevent other bad behavior caused by signals．such、as speeding up to catch a green light It would also avoid the wasted time when drivers have to sit at a red light even if no one is using the green

The idea may sound strange，but it’s not new．Seven cities and regions in Europe are experimenting with no-lights roads．

Drachten in the Netherlands has gotten rid of 16 of its traffic light crossings and changed the other two to roundabouts under a“shared space”scheme．At crossings, cyclists dutifully raise their arm when they want to make a turn，and drivers follow a first．arrived，first．through approach and communicate by hand signs，nods and waving．The result? Typical journey time has been cut in half and accidents and congestion have mostly disappeared．

There have been small collisions but no problem，said Hans Monderman，creator of the scheme．“We want small accidents，in order to prevent serious ones．It works well because it’s dangerous．The driver has to be responsible for his or her own risk

 “The many rules take away the ability to be considerate”Monderman added．“We’re losing our responsibility for socially responsible behavior．”

 So far，Drachten’s locals have called the experiment a success．“I am used to it now，”said Helena Spaanstra．24．“You drive more slowly and carefully．but somehow you seem to get around town quicker．

    Tony Ooostward，70，was equally enthusiastic．“I am a walker and now you are the boss at the crossroads，everyone waits for you．But at the same time walkers wait until there are a number of people wanting to cross at the same time．”

    Owen Paterson，UK’s Shadow Transport Minister。visited Drachten．He said Britain should learn from the model．“The idea is to create space where there is mild anxiety among everyone so they all behave cautiously．No one drives fast along a busy street thinking that they have right of way．”

The model is being tested in London’s Kensington neighborhood．

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
  【小题1】  
Home is a place where one feels safe and secure but unfortunately, it is also a place where you may have serious accidents. The biggest single cause of accidents is human error! So you must take care of yourself!
Causes of home accidents.
  【小题2】   Balconies, fireplaces, staircases, ponds, glass doors or kitchens can all increase the risk of accidents. Hot water, household chemicals, fireplaces, matches, alcohol and sharp objects are also potential dangers. Loosing balance, clumsiness and being tired or careless can be the reasons for these accidents. What’s more, if you are under stress or when a routine is changed, you may also be under the risk of home accidents.
Most common types of accidents.
You can see many dangerous home accidents happening around you. The most common ones are slips, falls and collisions. They are not fatal but often result in broken bones. The second most common types of accidents are burns, swallowed objects or breathed in chemicals.
  【小题3】   Some other possible dangers at home are poisioning, choking, drowning, electric shocks, and animal bites. Some of these accidents may even result in death.
The importance of education.
Sometimes the simplest precaution protects you from the greatest harm.    【小题4】   The Ministry of Health can train professionals to educate nursing staff, ordinary people, voluntary workers, teachers, nursery staff and parents in home accident prevention and control. When people know first aid, they can reduce the risk of serious injuries.
  【小题5】   
You must take measures to make your home a safer place. For instance, keep knives and other sharp objects in a safe drawer. Wipe up any liquids on the floor immediately in order not to slip or fall. Keep hot objects away from the reach of children. You also mustn’t leave children unattended near a bath that has water in it. If you keep furniture away from windows, you may prevent possible harm. Store all medicines, household chemicals, and so on, preferably in a locked box and do not forget to keep all dangerous substances in their orginal containers. In brief, if you want to protect yourself, be careful not to be sorry!

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

  1.  

Home is a place where one feels safe and secure but unfortunately, it is also a place where you may have serious accidents. The biggest single cause of accidents is human error! So you must take care of yourself!

Causes of home accidents.

  2.   Balconies, fireplaces, staircases, ponds, glass doors or kitchens can all increase the risk of accidents. Hot water, household chemicals, fireplaces, matches, alcohol and sharp objects are also potential dangers. Loosing balance, clumsiness and being tired or careless can be the reasons for these accidents. What’s more, if you are under stress or when a routine is changed, you may also be under the risk of home accidents.

Most common types of accidents.

You can see many dangerous home accidents happening around you. The most common ones are slips, falls and collisions. They are not fatal but often result in broken bones. The second most common types of accidents are burns, swallowed objects or breathed in chemicals.

  3.   Some other possible dangers at home are poisioning, choking, drowning, electric shocks, and animal bites. Some of these accidents may even result in death.

The importance of education.

Sometimes the simplest precaution protects you from the greatest harm.    4.   The Ministry of Health can train professionals to educate nursing staff, ordinary people, voluntary workers, teachers, nursery staff and parents in home accident prevention and control. When people know first aid, they can reduce the risk of serious injuries.

  5.   

You must take measures to make your home a safer place. For instance, keep knives and other sharp objects in a safe drawer. Wipe up any liquids on the floor immediately in order not to slip or fall. Keep hot objects away from the reach of children. You also mustn’t leave children unattended near a bath that has water in it. If you keep furniture away from windows, you may prevent possible harm. Store all medicines, household chemicals, and so on, preferably in a locked box and do not forget to keep all dangerous substances in their orginal containers. In brief, if you want to protect yourself, be careful not to be sorry!

A．Is home really safe?

B．Nursing home injuries.

C．Ways of preventing accidents.

D．The design of houses can cause accidents.

E. Accidents can be avoided at home.

F. They especially affect children and need hospital attendance.

G. Therefore, it is important that we should educate people.

As motorways become more and more blocked up with traffic, a new generation on flying cars will be needed to ferry people along skyways. That is the conclusion of engineers from the US space agency and aeronautical firms, who envision future commuters traveling by “skycar”.
These could look much like the concept skycar shown in the picture, designed by Boeing research and development. However, such vehicles could be some 25 years from appearing on the market. Efforts to build flying vehicles in the past have not been very successful. Such vehicles would not only be expensive and require the skills of a trained pilot to fly, but there are significant engineering challenges involved in developing them. “When you try to combine them you get the worst of both worlds: a very heavy, slow, expensive vehicle that’s hard to use,” said Mark Moore, head of the personal air vehicle(PAV) division of the vehicle systems program at Nasa’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, US. But Boeing is also considering how to police the airways-and prevent total pandemonium(吵杂狂乱的喧闹)-if thousands of flying cars enter the skies.
“The neat, gee-whiz part is thinking about what the vehicle itself would look like,” said Dick Paul, a vice president with Phantom Works, Boeing’s research and development arm. “But we’re trying to think through all the consequences of what it would take to deploy(散开) a fleet of these.”
Past proposals to solve this problem have included artificial intelligence systems to prevent collisions between air traffic. Nasa is working on flying vehicles with the initial goal of transforming small plane travel. Small planes are generally costly, loud, and require months of training and lots of money to operate, making flying to work impractical for most people. But within five years, Nasa researchers hope to develop technology for a small plane that can fly out of regional airports, costs less than $100,000(£55,725), is as quiet as a motorcycle and as simple to operate as a car.
Although it would not have any road-driving capabilities, it would bring this form of travel within the grasp of a wider section of people. The new technology would automate many of the pilot’s functions. This Small Aircraft Transportation System(Sats) would divert pressure away from the “hub-and-spoke(中心辐射型)” model of air travel. Hub-and-spoke refers to the typically US model of passengers being processed through large “hub” airports and then on to secondary flights to “spoke” airports near their final destinations.
【小题1】The best title for this text would be      .