As we know, it is not easy to build a satellite.Building a traditional satellite normally takes years.The costs can be as high as $ 250 million or more.Most members of the design teams have worked in the field for a long time.They hold advanced degrees in math, science, or engineering.
But things are changing.High costs, unusual educational requirements and long start-up times are no longer an obstacle to space exploration.The scientists at Stanford University have developed a new type of tiny, inexpensive earth-orbiting satellites that go from ideas to launch(发射)in a year.
So far, college students have built and launched several cube-shaped satellites, or Cubesats.At least 15 more are ready to go.Those already in orbit(轨道)take pictures, collect information and send it back to the earth, just as regular satellites do.
But you might not even have to wait until you get to college to start designing and building your own satellite.A new program called KatySat aims to get teenagers to take part.Once kids understand what satellites can do, says Ben Yuan, an engineer at Lockheed Martin in Menlo Park, Calif, the kinds of applications they’ll come up with may be countless.
“We’d like to put this technology(技术)in your hands,” he tells kids.“We’re going to teach you how to operate a satellite.Then we want to turn it over to you as a sandbox for you to play in.We want you to take the technology into new directions that we haven’t thought of yet.”
Education isn’t the only goal of CubeSats.Because these tiny, technology-filled boxes are relatively inexpensive to build and can be put together quickly, they’re perfect for testing new technologies that might one day be used on major space tasks.
The biggest challenge now is to find ways to bring the satellites back to the earth after a year or two.Otherwise, major highways of space junk could gradually increase as CubeSats become more common.
Nowdays challenge and high school students are getting a chance to learn what it takes to explore in space.Someday-perhaps a lot sooner than you imagine-you might get to design, build and launch your own satellite.If you do, you’re sure to have fun.And you might also get crazy about science for life.
(1)
Compared with the traditional ones, the new satellites ________.
[ ]
A.
need long start-up times
B.
are low-cost and small-sized
C.
are very hard to operate
D.
collect more information in orbit
(2)
What does the underlined word “obstacle” mean?
[ ]
A.
An aim to achieve in the near future.
B.
An imagination that kids usually have.
C.
Something dangerous to terrify people.
D.
Something difficult that stands in the way.
(3)
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
[ ]
A.
CubeSats could possibly cause pollution in space.
B.
A few kids will send applications for the project.
C.
Scientists designed CubeSats for kids to play with.
D.
Students can’t design satellites without college education.
(4)
What’s the purpose of the author writing the passage?
[ ]
A.
To show that high technology brings a big change in kids’ life.
B.
To show that kids lead the space research into a new direction.
C.
To tell us that satellite technology can also be learned by kids.
D.
To tell us that kids must study hard to learn satellite technology.
A:Thanks a lot.Here is the change (找的零钱) for you.Do you need a bag?
B:Yes,please.
A:Here you are.
B:Thank you very much.
A:Thank you,too.
(1)
The customer wants ______.
A.to get a discount (折扣)
B.to use a credit card
C.one bag for each item
D.to pay with a check (支票)
[ ]
(2)
How much does the cashier give the customer?
A.¥20.00. B.¥10.50. C.¥10.00. D.¥6.50.
[ ]
(3)
The tax is ______.
A.less than a dollar
B.10% of the total
C.fifty dollars
D.more than a price of a notebook
[ ]
(4)
“Here you are.” is the same as“______”.
A.This is for me.
B.Please leave.
C.This is your bag.
D.The door is over there.
[ ]
(5)
Which of these sentences is true?
A.The store doesn't have any bags.
B.A tape costs more than a pen.
C.The person buys six things.
D.The store doesn't take credit cards.
[ ]
阅读理解
Most American children eat potatoes.But many children don't know what of the potato is the best for food.Take a knife and cut from the middle of the potato a piece as thin as paper.Hold the piece between your eyes and light.You will see that the potato has skin(皮),an outside rim(边缘) and an inside part.The outside rim which is right under the skin of the potato,is the most valuable part of all.But this is often thrown away with the skin.Even the skin itself is better for food than the inside.When eating a cooked potato,if you choose the inside and leave the outside,you are throwing the best part of it.If you can't eat the whole potato,eating the outside rim and leaving the inside will do.
(1)
How many parts does the potato have?
A.It has only one part,outside rim.
B.It has two parts,skin and outside rim.
C.It has three parts,skin,outside rim and an inside part.
D.It has four parts,middle,skin,outside rim and an inside part.
[ ]
(2)
What is the best part of a potato?
A.Outside rim. B.Inside part. C.Middle. D.Skin.
[ ]
(3)
What should you eat first if you can't eat the whole potato?
A.Skin only. B.Inside. C.Outside rim. D.Part of it.
[ ]
(4)
In fact the skin is ______.
A.no good at all
B.better than the inside part
C.better than the outside rim
D.as good as the outside rim
[ ]
(5)
What does this passage tell about potatoes?
A.How to cook them.
B.How to plant them.
C.What is made up of a potato.
D.How to eat them.
[ ]
阅读理解
You will have a lot of reading to do in this grade this year.You can do more of it in less time if you learn to read rapidly.
Perhaps you have been told about some habits (习惯) which keep a person from reading fast and have been strongly asked to break those habits which you might have.
Do you still have any of these bad habits?Check yourself by answering“yes”or“no”to these questions.
(1) Do you move your lips (嘴唇) when reading silently?
(2) Do you point to words with your finger as you read?
(3)Do you move your head from side to side as you read?
(4)Do you read one word at a time?
If you answer“yes”to any of these questions,start at once to break the habit.If you move your tips,hold your fingers over them,or hold a piece of paper be-tween your lips while you are reading.Then if your lips move,your will know it and can stop them.
If you point to words,hold the two sides of your book,one side with your left hand,the other side with your right hand.Then you won't have a free finger to use in pointing while reading.If you move your head,place your chin (下巴) in one hand and hold your head still (静止不动的).
If you read no more than one or two or three words at a time,you need to work very hard in learning to take in (吸收) more words at each glance (一瞥) as your eyes travel across the lines of words.
Even if you do rather fast now,you can learn to read even faster.As you probably have been told,the secret of fast reading is to take in whole groups of words as each glance.Read in through groups and force (迫使) your eyes along the lines of words as fast as you can to make them go.Anyone who practices doing these things will he able to read faster.
(1)
You may hold your fingers over your lips while reading so as ______.
A.to tell others to be silent
B.to feel whether your lips move or not
C.to hold a piece of paper between them
D.to keep yourself from talking to others
[ ]
(2)
When you read,______.
A.don't keep your head still
B.don't hold your books with your hands
C.don't stand up near a desk
D.don't use your finger to point to words
[ ]
(3)
If you learn to read fast,______.
A.you can read more in less time
B.you can write faster
C.you can understand better
D.you can read less in more time
[ ]
(4)
You must _______ those habits that we are talking about in this reading.