On August 5 at 10:31 p.m. PST, a rover（探测器）named Curiosity touched down safely on the surface of Mars, and I was lucky enough to have a front-row seat.
My name is Clara, and when I was in Grade 6, I won the essay contest NASA held to name its next Mars rover. The essay I wrote was not even 250 words long, but somehow it was enough to change my life.
I still remember that cold December day, sitting in a science class. I’d finished a worksheet early and decided to get a Time for Kids magazine off Mrs. Estevez’s bookshelf. It was the 2008 Invention Issue, but that wasn’t the only thing that caught my eye. In the magazine, there was an article about a girl who named the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. The article also talked about the essay contest NASA was holding to name its next Mars rover. Before I even knew anything else about it, a single word flooded my 11-year-old mind: Curiosity.
I couldn’t wait for the bell to ring so I could get started on my essay. That afternoon, I raced home from the bus stop, sat down at the computer and typed until my fingers ached. It turned out that I was just in time. A few days later, and the contest would have closed.
Five months later, shortly after I had turned 12, I was watching a National Geographic special on mammoths when the phone rang. My mom answered, and immediately, a wide smile spread across her face. When she told me that I had won, I was happier than I could ever remember being, I screamed and ran up and down the stairs and all around the house. I completely forgot about the mammoths and did not even remember to turn off the TV until it was really late.
Curiosity is such an important part of who I am. I have always been fascinated by the stars, the planets, the sky and the universe. I remember as a little girl, my grandfather and I would sit together in the backyard for hours. He’d tell me stories and point out the stars.
My grandfather lived in China, thousands of miles away from my home in Kansas. I loved the stars because they kept us together even when we were apart. They were always there, yet there was so much I didn’t know about them. That’s what I love so much about space. No matter how much we learn, it will always possess some mystery.
In the past, space exploration may have been a competition to see who got somewhere first or the fastest. But now, it is one of the few things that bring people together. Science is a language that needs no translation. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you look like – you just have to have a thirst for knowledge and a passion for learning in order to succeed.
People often ask me why we go to faraway places like Mars. Why do we explore? My answer to that is simple: because we can; because we’re curious; because we as human beings do not just stay holed up in one place. We are constantly wondering and trying to find out what’s over the hill and beyond the horizon.
The curiosity rover is more than just a robot. It is more than just a titanium body and aluminum wheels. Curiosity represents the hard work, passion, love and commitment of thousands of people from all over the world who were brought together by science. Science is so awesome. It is breathtaking and mind-blowing; and sometimes, it’s just a little bit crazy. The discoveries we make about our world are incredibly humbling. They move us forward and have the potential to benefit all of mankind.
This December it will be four years of my life that have been tied to Curiosity in some way. I’ve met so many amazing people through this experience, from scientists to engineers to administrators to volunteers. Their devotion and enthusiasm inspire me greatly. My journey with Curiosity and the MSL mission team has shaped the person that I am today, as well as the person I would one day like to become.
I am deeply grateful to everyone who made it possible for me to have this amazing adventure.
And to you, I hope your curiosity takes you far.
【小题1】 The method the writer uses to begin the passage is _____.

A．telling a story	B．giving an example
C．offering an explanation	D．describing a scene

【小题2】Why did the writer hurry home to finish the essay for the contest NASA held?

A．She had just gathered enough information from Time for Kids

B．She wanted to write down what flashed through her mind in time.

C．She knew from Mrs. Estevez the deadline for the contest was approaching.

D．She was afraid she might miss the chance to compete with the former winner.

【小题3】 The writer mentions her grandfather in order to show that ______.

A．she missed him very much.

B．he knew a great deal about space

C．he influenced her to love the stars

D．she treasured their happy moments

【小题4】Which of the following serves as a summary of Paragraph 11?

A．The writer was inspired to be a volunteer by the people she met.

B．The writer owed her success to her team members’ encouragement.

C．The writer met many difficulties in her four-year life with Curiosity.

D．The writer has benefited a lot from her experience tied to Curiosity.

【小题5】Which best describes the writer’s tone in the passage?

【小题6】What is conveyed in the passage?

A．Curiosity is important to human beings.

B．A thirst for knowledge helps one grow up.

C．Entering a contest is a way to achieve success.

D．Curiosity changes people’s attitude towards science.

查看习题详情和答案>>

On August 5 at 10:31 p.m. PST, a rover（探测器）named Curiosity touched down safely on the surface of Mars, and I was lucky enough to have a front-row seat.

My name is Clara, and when I was in Grade 6, I won the essay contest NASA held to name its next Mars rover. The essay I wrote was not even 250 words long, but somehow it was enough to change my life.

I still remember that cold December day, sitting in a science class. I’d finished a worksheet early and decided to get a Time for Kids magazine off Mrs. Estevez’s bookshelf. It was the 2008 Invention Issue, but that wasn’t the only thing that caught my eye. In the magazine, there was an article about a girl who named the Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity. The article also talked about the essay contest NASA was holding to name its next Mars rover. Before I even knew anything else about it, a single word flooded my 11-year-old mind: Curiosity.

I couldn’t wait for the bell to ring so I could get started on my essay. That afternoon, I raced home from the bus stop, sat down at the computer and typed until my fingers ached. It turned out that I was just in time. A few days later, and the contest would have closed.

Five months later, shortly after I had turned 12, I was watching a National Geographic special on mammoths when the phone rang. My mom answered, and immediately, a wide smile spread across her face. When she told me that I had won, I was happier than I could ever remember being, I screamed and ran up and down the stairs and all around the house. I completely forgot about the mammoths and did not even remember to turn off the TV until it was really late.

Curiosity is such an important part of who I am. I have always been fascinated by the stars, the planets, the sky and the universe. I remember as a little girl, my grandfather and I would sit together in the backyard for hours. He’d tell me stories and point out the stars.

My grandfather lived in China, thousands of miles away from my home in Kansas. I loved the stars because they kept us together even when we were apart. They were always there, yet there was so much I didn’t know about them. That’s what I love so much about space. No matter how much we learn, it will always possess some mystery.

In the past, space exploration may have been a competition to see who got somewhere first or the fastest. But now, it is one of the few things that bring people together. Science is a language that needs no translation. It doesn’t matter where you’re from or what you look like – you just have to have a thirst for knowledge and a passion for learning in order to succeed.

People often ask me why we go to faraway places like Mars. Why do we explore? My answer to that is simple: because we can; because we’re curious; because we as human beings do not just stay holed up in one place. We are constantly wondering and trying to find out what’s over the hill and beyond the horizon.

The curiosity rover is more than just a robot. It is more than just a titanium body and aluminum wheels. Curiosity represents the hard work, passion, love and commitment of thousands of people from all over the world who were brought together by science. Science is so awesome. It is breathtaking and mind-blowing; and sometimes, it’s just a little bit crazy. The discoveries we make about our world are incredibly humbling. They move us forward and have the potential to benefit all of mankind.

This December it will be four years of my life that have been tied to Curiosity in some way. I’ve met so many amazing people through this experience, from scientists to engineers to administrators to volunteers. Their devotion and enthusiasm inspire me greatly. My journey with Curiosity and the MSL mission team has shaped the person that I am today, as well as the person I would one day like to become.

I am deeply grateful to everyone who made it possible for me to have this amazing adventure.

And to you, I hope your curiosity takes you far.

1. The method the writer uses to begin the passage is _____.

A．telling a story B．giving an example

C．offering an explanation D．describing a scene

2.Why did the writer hurry home to finish the essay for the contest NASA held?

A．She had just gathered enough information from Time for Kids

B．She wanted to write down what flashed through her mind in time.

C．She knew from Mrs. Estevez the deadline for the contest was approaching.

D．She was afraid she might miss the chance to compete with the former winner.

3. The writer mentions her grandfather in order to show that ______.

A．she missed him very much.

B．he knew a great deal about space

C．he influenced her to love the stars

D．she treasured their happy moments

4.Which of the following serves as a summary of Paragraph 11?

A．The writer was inspired to be a volunteer by the people she met.

B．The writer owed her success to her team members’ encouragement.

C．The writer met many difficulties in her four-year life with Curiosity.

D．The writer has benefited a lot from her experience tied to Curiosity.

5.Which best describes the writer’s tone in the passage?

A．Sharp. B．Proud. C．Aggressive. D．Enthusiastic.

6.What is conveyed in the passage?

A．Curiosity is important to human beings.

B．A thirst for knowledge helps one grow up.

C．Entering a contest is a way to achieve success.

D．Curiosity changes people’s attitude towards science.

查看习题详情和答案>>

听力测试(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)

第一节?

听下面5段对话。每段对话后有一个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关小题和阅读下一小题。每段对话仅读一遍。

M：Hi．Are you here on vacation or business?

W：I’m here on vacation．I think Taiwan is beautiful．

1．What is the woman here for?

A．For an interview．

B．On business．

C．On vacation．

M：I can come to your house and pick you up in half an hour．Is that all right?

W：Good．That means you will be here at 8∶30．

2．What time is it now?

A．Nine o’clock．

B．Eight o’clock．

C．Seven thirty．

W：Do you think that every language has a spoken form?

M：Certainly I do, but not every language has a written form．

3．Which form comes first, written or spoken?

A．Either the written form or the spoken one comes first．

B．The written form appears before the spoken one．

C．The spoken form comes before the written one．

M：I have seen the film Three Men and a Baby twice．I still really enjoy it．

W：That’s nothing．I’ve seen it four times．My brother has seen it five．

4．How many times has the woman seen the film Three Men and a Baby?

A．Two times．

B．Three times．

C．Four times．

M：I like these coats．How much are they?

W：40 dollars each, or two for 70 dollars．

5．How much will each one cost if you buy two coats?

A．30 dollars．

B．35 dollars．

C．40 dollars．

第二节?

听下面5段对话或独白。每段对话或独白后有几个小题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出最佳选项。听每段对话或独白前，你将有时间阅读各个小题，每小题5秒钟；听完后，各个小题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。每段对话或独白读两遍。

听第6段材料，回答第6～8题。

W：Hey, Karl!Why all this hurry?

M：Hi, Amber．How’s everything?

W：Really good．I’ve been really busy all day．How about you? I haven’t seen you for a while．

M：Yeah, today it has just been crazy for me too．I’ve been working like a mad man all day．

W：There just isn’t enough time．I haven’t even done a tenth of my paperwork．

M：It’s no joke, is it?I’ve still got a ton of paperwork to do, too．

W：I had a million things to do today, and only managed to finish a few．

6．What do both the man and the woman most probably do?

A．They are dustmen．

B．They are sportsmen．

C．They are office workers．

7．What do we know about today’s work?

A．Both of them have been busy with the work all day．

B．The man has been busier than the woman．

C．The man could spare a few minutes to relax．

8．What do we know from the conversation?

A．Both of them have finished their today’s work．

B．They have been so busy that they haven’t seen each other recently．

C．Both of them are joking．

听第7段材料，回答第9～10题。

M：What are you going to do tonight, Betty?

W：I’m going to eat at the new Chinese restaurant, just opposite your office．It’s not far from my house, about fifteen minutes’ walk．

M：Really? I was there last night, with some friends of mine．

W：Were there many people there?

M：Yes, a lot．

W：How was the food there?

M：It was great, really delicious．The vegetables were very fresh．But the service was not good enough, I’m afraid．

9．What are the speakers talking about?

A．What they’re going to do．

B．What they did．

C．A restaurant．

10．What is NOT mentioned about the Chinese restaurant in the talk?

A．Food．

B．Price．

C．Where it is．

听第8段材料，回答第11～13题。

M：Now some doctors are strongly encouraging arm exercises．

W：Arm exercises?Is that because arms are too fat or soft?

M：Actually that’s not the main reason．They say that arm exercises can make you physically healthy．

W：But I was told that arm exercises could raise your blood pressure．

M：Yes, but the article I read suggests some ways to make up for that．

W：Really?How?

M：By adding leg exercises, so that the arms don’t do all the work．

W：And in return I’m sure that there’s a good chance of losing weight．

M：Sounds right to me．

W：So what exercises do the experts suggest?

M：They mentioned quite a few exercises, but one of the most popular ones is riding a bike．

W：Good．I will try that．

11．Why are some doctors strongly encouraging arm exercises now?

A．Because our arms are often too fat．

B．Because our arms are often too soft．

C．Because arm exercises can build our health．

12．How will your blood pressure act when you have arm exercises?

A．Slow down．

B．Rise．

C．Keep normal．

13．What should arms exercises be done with?

A．Head exercises．

B．Neck exercises．

C．Leg exercises．

听第9段材料，回答第14～17题。

M：Miss Helen, can you tell me a little bit about where you have worked before?

W：Well, my last job was with Enron．

M：And when did you start with them?

W：Two years ago．

M：I see．So why did you decide to leave?

W：Well, perhaps you have heard that the company closed down earlier this year．

M：Yes, we’ve heard about it．And where did you work before Enron?

W：The ABC Motor Company．

M：How long did you work for them?

W：For five years, as a secretary．

M：And why did you leave that job as a secretary?

W：Well, I felt I needed a change．I think I learnt all I could do there．

M：OK, that’s enough on your working experience．Thank you．

14．What is the man asking about?

A．The woman’s last job．

B．The ABC Motor Company．

C．The woman’s working experience．

15．How many companies has the woman worked for?

A．2．

B．3．

C．4．

16．Why did the woman leave Enron?

A．She needed a change．

B．She had a quarrel with her boss．

C．The company closed down．

17．How many years did the woman work for the ABC Motor Company?

A．Two years．

B．Five years．

C．Seven years．

听第10段材料，回答第18～20题。

　　The 28th Olympic Games were held in its birthplace Athens this year again．But do you know how we got from the Ancient Olympics to the Modern Games?Now let me tell you something．

　　Although the ancient Games were held in Olympia, Greece, through 776 BC to 393 AD, it took 1503 years for the Olympics to return．The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896．The man responsible for its rebirth was a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who presented the idea in 1894．His original thought was to hold the first modern Games in 1900 in Paris, but delegates from 34 countries were so devoted to the idea of holding it in Athens that they made him give up his original thought and move the Games up to 1896 and have Athens serve as the first host．

18．When did the ancient Olympics stop?

A．776 BC．

B．393 AD．

C．After 1503．

19．Who first came up with the idea of the rebirth of the Olympics?

A．The Greeks．

B．A Frenchman．

C．The Olympic Committee．

20．Why did delegates from 34 countries insist on having Athens serve as the first host?

A．Because the Olympic Games were born in Greece．

B．Because Paris is farther to other countries than Athens．

C．Because the Olympic Games should return to its hometown．

查看习题详情和答案>>

听力(共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分)

第一节

M：Hi．Are you here on vacation or business?

W：I’m here on vacation．I think Taiwan is beautiful．

1．What is the woman here for?

A．For an interview．

B．On business．

C．On vacation．

M：I can come to your house and pick you up in half an hour．Is that all right?

W：Good．That means you will be here at 8∶30．

2．What time is it now?

A．Nine o’clock．

B．Eight o’clock．

C．Seven thirty．

W：Do you think that every language has a spoken form?

M：Certainly I do, but not every language has a written form．

3．Which form comes first, written or spoken?

A．Either the written form or the spoken one comes first．

B．The written form appears before the spoken one．

C．The spoken form comes before the written one．

M：I have seen the film Three Men and a Baby twice．I still really enjoy it．

W：That’s nothing．I’ve seen it four times．My brother has seen it five．

4．How many times has the woman seen the film Three Men and a Baby?

A．Two times．

B．Three times．

C．Four times．

M：I like these coats．How much are they?

W：40 dollars each, or two for 70 dollars．

5．How much will each one cost if you buy two coats?

A．30 dollars．

B．35 dollars．

C．40 dollars．

第二节

听第6段材料，回答第6～8题。

W：Hey, Karl! Why all this hurry?

M：Hi, Amber．How’s everything?

W：Really good．I’ve been really busy all day．How about you? I haven’t seen you for a while．

M：Yeah, today it has just been crazy for me too．I’ve been working like a mad man all day．

W：There just isn’t enough time．I haven’t even done a tenth of my paperwork．

M：It’s no joke, is it? I’ve still got a ton of paperwork to do, too．

W：I had a million things to do today, and only managed to finish a few．

6．What do both the man and the woman most probably do?

A．They are dustmen．

B．They are sportsmen．

C．They are office workers．

7．What do we know about today’s work?

A．Both of them have been busy with the work all day．

B．The man has been busier than the woman．

C．The man could spare a few minutes to relax．

8．What do we know from the conversation?

A．Both of them have finished their today’s work．

B．They have been so busy that they haven’t seen each other recently．

C．Both of them are joking．

听第7段材料，回答第9～10题。

M：What are you going to do tonight, Betty?

W：I’m going to eat at the new Chinese restaurant, just opposite your office．It’s not far from my house, about fifteen minutes’ walk．

M：Really? I was there last night, with some friends of mine．

W：Were there many people there?

M：Yes, a lot．

W：How was the food there?

M：It was great, really delicious．The vegetables were very fresh．But the service was not good enough, I’m afraid．

9．What are the speakers talking about?

A．What they’re going to do．

B．What they did．

C．A restaurant．

10．What is NOT mentioned about the Chinese restaurant in the talk?

A．Food．

B．Price．

C．Where it is．

听第8段材料，回答第11～13题。

M：Now some doctors are strongly encouraging arm exercises．

W：Arm exercises? Is that because arms are too fat or soft?

M：Actually that’s not the main reason．They say that arm exercises can make you physically healthy．

W：But I was told that arm exercises could raise your blood pressure．

M：Yes, but the article I read suggests some ways to make up for that．

W：Really? How?

M：By adding leg exercises, so that the arms don’t do all the work．

W：And in return I’m sure that there’s a good chance of losing weight．

M：Sounds right to me．

W：So what exercises do the experts suggest?

M：They mentioned quite a few exercises, but one of the most popular ones is riding a bike．

W：Good．I will try that．

11．Why are some doctors strongly encouraging arm exercises now?

A．Because our arms are often too fat．

B．Because our arms are often too soft．

C．Because arm exercises can build our health．

12．How will your blood pressure act when you have arm exercises?

A．Slow down．

B．Rise．

C．Keep normal．

13．What should arms exercises be done with?

A．Head exercises．

B．Neck exercises．

C．Leg exercises．

听第9段材料，回答第14～17题。

M：Miss Helen, can you tell me a little bit about where you have worked before?

W：Well, my last job was with Enron．

M：And when did you start with them?

W：Two years ago．

M：I see．So why did you decide to leave?

W：Well, perhaps you have heard that the company closed down earlier this year．

M：Yes, we’ve heard about it．And where did you work before Enron?

W：The ABC Motor Company．

M：How long did you work for them?

W：For five years, as a secretary．

M：And why did you leave that job as a secretary?

W：Well, I felt I needed a change．I think I learnt all I could do there．

M：OK, that’s enough on your working experience．Thank you．

14．What is the man asking about?

A．The woman’s last job．

B．The ABC Motor Company．

C．The woman’s working experience．

15．How many companies has the woman worked for?

A．2．

B．3．

C．4．

16．Why did the woman leave Enron?

A．She needed a change．

B．She had a quarrel with her boss．

C．The company closed down．

17．How many years did the woman work for the ABC Motor Company?

A．Two years．

B．Five years．

C．Seven years．

听第10段材料，回答第18～20题。

The 28th Olympic Games were held in its birthplace Athens this year again．But so you know how we got from the Ancient Olympics to the Modern Games? Now let me tell you something．?

18．When did the ancient Olympics stop?

A．776 BC．

B．393 AD．

C．After 1503．

19．Who first came up with the idea of the rebirth of the Olympics?

A．The Greeks．

B．A Frenchman．

C．The Olympic Committee．

20．Why did delegates from 34 countries insist on having Athens serve as the first host?

A．Because the Olympic Games were born in Greece．

B．Because Paris is farther to other countries than Athens．

C．Because the Olympic Games should return to its hometown．

查看习题详情和答案>>

Now that you’ve got so far with the work, you ________ finish it as well．

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