While all my classmates seem to be crazy about a one-way ticket to Mars, I’d rather say Mars is totally unsuitable for human existence. People won’t have enough food supplies there, and the terrible environment would make it impossible for them to live a long life. Besides, the journey won’t be safe. Can anybody explain to me just why people would go to Mars, never to return?

Steve Minear, UK

Here are the things you can think of: the desire to explore a foreign and unique environment, the excitement of being the first humans to open up a new world, the expectation of fame and glory…For scientists there is another reason. Their observations and research will probably lead to great scientific achievements.

Donal Trollop, Canada

There are already too many people on the Earth. I think that sometime before the end of the century, there will be a human colony(殖民地)on Mars. It will happen when people finally realize that two-way trips to the red planet Mars are unnecessary. Most of the danger of space Flight is in the launches(发射) and landings. Cutting the trip home would therefore reduce the danger of accidents, save a lot of money, and open the way to building an everlasting human settlement on another world.

Enough supplies can be sent on ahead. And every two years more supplies and more people will be sent to the new colony. Mars has all the materials for a colony to produce or make everything it needs, and Mars is far more pleasant than the other planets in the outer space.

Paul Davies. USA

72. The main purpose of Steve Minear’s writing is     .

A. to report his classmates’ discussion

B. to invite an answer to his question

C. to explain the natural state of Mars

D. to show his agreement on going to Mars

73. Which of the following best states Donal Trollop’s idea?

A. There is a plan to send humans to Mars.

B. There are many reasons for going to Mars.

C. Scientists become famous by doing research on Mars.

D. It is possible to build an Earth-like environment on Mars.

74. Paul Davies points out that      .

A. humans need only a one-way ticket to Mars.

B. two-way trips to Mars will be made safe soon

C. it is easy to reduce the danger and cost of flights to Mars

D. it is cheap to build an everlasting human settlement on Mars

75. What does Paul Davies think of human existence on Mars?

A. Humans will have to bring all they need from the Earth.

B. Humans will find Mars totally unsuitable for living.

C. Humans can produce everything they need.

D. Humans can live longer in the colony on Mars.

What do you hear? Sounds all around you! You can hear the sound of traffic, the wind in the trees, a dog barking, your own breathing and lots of other things.

But what is sound? Sound happens when something vibrates(振动)or shakes. We can make something vibrate by hitting it. Try this experiment. Put your ruler on your desk so that part of it sticks out(伸出)over the edge . Put your hand on the part of the ruler that is on the desk. Now pull the part that is sticking out over the edge down, and then let it go. The part you let go will vibrate. It will move up and down very quickly, and give out sound.

The part of the ruler sticking out over the edge of the desk produced the sound. If you make that part longer, you will hear a lower sound. When you shorten it, you will hear a higher sound. Why does this happen?

When you shorten the ruler, it will vibrate more quickly. When something vibrates more quickly it produces a higher sound. If you lengthen the ruler, it will vibrate more slowly. When something vibrates more slowly, it produces a lower sound.

61. How does sound happen?

A. When something vibrates.                          B. When something shakes.

C. When a ruler is put at the edge of the desk.  D. A and B.

62. We can hear a        sound if we make the part of the ruler sticking out over the edge of the desk longer.

A. higher              B. lower                  C. strong                D. nice

63. The word “lengthen” in the passage means“        ”.

A. 加长                     B. 缩短                  C. 敲击                       D. 摇动

64．The best title of the passage is“          ”.

A. An Experiment                                    B. A Way of Making Sound

C. Sounds Are Around Us                        D. Sounds

Lang Lang is a world-class young pianist who grew up in Shenyang. He went to a piano school in Beijing when he was just eight. “You need  41  ,” his father said. “But if you don’t work hard, no fortune will come.”

What made him sad was  42   his piano teacher in Beijing didn’t like him. “You have no talent . You will never be a pianist.”  43  a nine-year-old boy, Lang Lang was badly  44  .He decided that he didn’t want to be a   45   any more. For the next two weeks, he didn’t touch the piano.  46  , his father didn’t push, but waited. 

Luckily, the day came when his teacher asked him to   47   some holiday songs. He didn’t want to, but as he placed his fingers on the piano keys, he   48   that he could show others that he had talent  49   . That day he told his father  50    he had been waiting to hear---that he wanted to study with a new teacher.  51   that point on, everything turned around.

He started   52  competitions. In the 1994 International Young Pianists Competition, when it was   53   that Lang Lang had won, he was too   54   to hold back his tears. Soon   55   was clear that he couldn’t stay in China forever---he had to play on the world’s big   56  . In 1997 Lang Lang   57   again, this time to Philadelphia, U.S. There he spent two years practising, and by 1999 he had worked hard enough for fortune to take over. After his    58    performance at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, gigs (特邀演出) in Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall started   59   in. Lang Lang finally worked to reach the place where fortune spots him, and lets him   60  .

--I’ve got a cough and this place hurts. I’m afraid of getting a deadly disease.

--__________. We’ll have you examined.

A. Don’t mind                                    B. You should learn to protect yourself 

C. Keep calm. You’ll recover soon.      D. Take it easy

If they __________ earlier than expected, they __________ here now.

A. had started, would be                            B. started, might be

C. had started, would have been                  D. will start, might have been

It was about 600 years ago__________ the first clock with face and an hour hand was made.

A. that                         B. until            C. before                     D. when

__________ it __________ for your help, I couldn’t have made any progress.
A. Had ; not been   B. Should; not been   C. Did; not           D. Were; not

--I’d like to find a job in the library.
-- Good idea, __________ it doesn’t affect your studies.

A. unless               B. as long as          C. now that                 D. even if

He suggested that we __________ the plan later, which suggested that he __________ against it.

A. discussed; was                           B. would discuss; should be                

C. discuss; was                              D. should discuss; should be

We would not allow her __________ across the enemy line.

A. to risk going          B. risking to go      C. to risk to go          D. risk going