Asia is home to more than half of the world's population and three of the four most crowded countries are in Asia. China, India, and Indonesia alone have more than 2.5 billion people.
Until recently, most Asian nations fell behind the western countries in many fields. Government reform(改革), however, has led to important progress in each of these Asian countries. Across the area, education systems have been improved and economies（经济） have been growing. Most Asian countries now have a system of compulsory(义务的) education. Many countries have recently allowed private universities to be built, which was not allowed before. There are more chances for students to go to university now.
However, in Asia, there are still not enough chances for students to get higher education and many people prefer to go abroad for further study. As a result, India, China, South Korea, Japan and other Asian countries send thousands of students to study in the United States and Europe each year.
Part of the people in Asian countries can speak English, and English has become the most important language for business across the area. The percentage(百分比) is the largest in Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, SriLanka and South Korea. Many people in China, India and Malaysia can also speak English. Some countries have made English part of the primary and secondary education program. In some countries, children begin to study English even at the age of 4 or 5.
【小题1】The population of Asia is about__________         .

A) 根据首字母及所给中文提示或英文解释，写出句中所缺单词。
1. All the doctors and nurses on the ORBIS plane are v_____________.
2. Do you know the saying, “ ________(真正地).
3. K____________ is power, and we should try to learn as much as we can.
4. It’s very important for us to form team s________ during the charity walk..
5. The old man has nowhere to live, so he is h________.
6. We have done a lot of ________(研究) on teenage problems.
7. They are receiving t_______ in playing table tennis.
8. You should pay ___________(注意) to your writing,Hellen.
B) 根据句意，用所给词的适当形式填空。
9. The heavy work ________________(affect) his health, so he looks much older.
10. Can I have a _______________(medicine) examination today? I don’t feel well.
11. Dr. Brown felt tired because he had two_______________(operate) in the day.
12. With the ____________  (develop) of the modern medicine, many cases can be cured or prevented.
13. The 2012 Olympic Games will ____________ (hold) in London.
14. If you get to a new place,you may get______(lose).
15. Many parents send their children to the USA for _________(far) study.

It is very important for people to         paper to save trees.

Thousands of years ago, people didn’t know that the Earth moved. They thought the sun really did move across the sky. The Greek god Helios was said to drive the sun around the sky with his chariot（战车）. But now, these ideas have all changed. Nowadays, it is the sun that drives our “chariot” around the sky.

So what does all this mean? Well, quite simply, there is now a plane （or “chariot”） that is powered by the sun. It has special parts in its wings. These parts absorb power from the sun. They absorb so much power that they can carry on flying at night. In the Greek myths（希腊神话）, Helios had to take a break at night. It seems we’re finally even more efficient than the gods themselves.

This plane is called Solar Impulse （“太阳驱动”号）. It will fly across the US in May. This is very important for the future of the world.

So why is solar energy so good for us? Well, other kinds of energy cause a few problems. If you live in China, you’ve probably noticed the pollution. This is caused by burning coal or gas to make energy. The heat and chemicals（化学制品）from this make things work. But if we use the heat from the sun, we don’t have to burn anything, and there’s no pollution.

Solar energy is not all there yet. It needs to be improved. But the best thing about it is that, unlike coal and gas, it doesn’t run out. Solar Impulse could keep flying forever. Well, actually, the sun will run out too, one day, but not for another 5 billion years. That’s a pretty long flight.

1.What does “chariot” really refer to in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?

A．The Earth.         B．The Greek god.     C．Solar Impulse.      D．Birds.

2.Which of the following is TRUE of Solar Impulse?

A．It can only fly at night.                    B．It has already flown across the US.

C．It is powered by the sun.                  D．It needs gas to work.

3.In the passage, what is mentioned as the cause of pollution in China?

A．Overpopulation.                        B．Burning coal or gas.

C．Using solar energy.                      D．Heavy traffic.

4.What does the writer mean by “That’s a pretty long flight”?

A．It takes a lot of time to get Solar Impulse going.

B．Solar Impulse moves very slowly.

C．Solar Impulse will be in use for a long time.

D．Solar Impulse has a long way to go to take the place of the sun.

5.The passage is most probably taken from___________.

A．a Greek myth      B．a science fiction     C．a story-book       D．a science magazine