On August 5 at 10:31 p.m. PST, a rover（探测器）named Curiosity touched down safely o

题型：不详难度：来源：

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?

A．Sharp.

B．Proud.

C．Aggressive.

D．Enthusiastic.

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.

答案

小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:C
小题4:D
小题5:B
小题6:A

解析

试题分析：文章介绍作者为火星探测器命名的事情经过，她是怎么有这个想法的，和她对太空的喜爱，以及“好奇号”给她带来的益处。
小题1:细节题：从第一段的句子：On August 5 at 10:31 p.m. PST, a rover（探测器）named Curiosity touched down safely on the surface of Mars, 可知作者是描述了一个场景。选D
小题2:细节题：从第四段的句子：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.可知作者想把脑子里面闪过的想法写下来。选B
小题3:细节题：从第六段的句子;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.可知爷爷对作者热爱星星的影响很大。选C
小题4:推理题：从第11段的句子：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.可知作者从“好奇号”中受益很多。选D。
小题5:推理题：从这篇文章作者的语气和最后一段的句子I am deeply grateful to everyone who made it possible for me to have this amazing adventure.可知作者很自豪。选B。
小题6:归纳题：从最后一段的句子：And to you, I hope your curiosity takes you far.可知好奇对人类是很重要的。选A
点评：本文细节题推断题居多，答题时在文章找到对应的地方，用笔进行标记，这有利于后期有时间检查时可以立刻找到答案的位置。仔细理解作者所讲的意思，再结合选项，通过排除法和自己对全文的把握，选出正确答案。

举一反三

Early this morning, I got up to make a batch of Rice Krispie Treats for my neighbor across the hall. She barely greets me when we see each other, and her sweet little boy, who"s now four, has picked up her mother"s manner and will not talk to me, either．
Last Monday, she had called the firefighters when a pan I"d forgotten on the stove caused my flat to fog up while I was out taking a walk. When I came home, the street in front of our apartment house was blocked by a police car, a fire truck and an ambulance! The instant I saw them, I remembered the pan! Luckily, nothing serious had happened, and all my neighbors agreed with the firefighter who said, "It could have happened to anyone．" When I thanked the neighbor who had called the firefighters-let"s call her Ivy-and apologized for causing the trouble, she just asked if my cats were all right．When I said they were fine, she said, "Well, that"s ok then," and turned into her flat．l felt strangely safe, knowing that even though we don"t get along, she"d done the right thing and didn"t blame me．So, the Rice Krispie Treats．
Last Christmas, my neighbor carelessly let it out that she was holding a grudge （怨恨） towards me because of an incident we"d had four years ago．I had particularly apologized and asked if there was anything I could do to improve our relationship. She would not accept my apology．
It had taken me a lot of courage to apologize and ask that question instead of insisting that we both shared responsibility for what had happened．Her flat-out refusal to make amends（补偿） really shocked and saddened me．After that, I decided I"d just leave her be-a relationship takes two to work．So, you see, I was really scared she was going to refuse my offer again, leaving me standing on her doorstep, facing the closed door and holding my plate of treats． I know some people have a hard time understanding how the possibility of rejection can make an adult so afraid, but that"s just the way I felt．
Then, I reminded myself of how loving and good I had felt yesterday when I"d done some random acts of kindness （thanks to helpothers．org）, after telling myself: Feet the fear, and do it anyway! So I put the squares of Rice Krispie Treats on a beautiful plate, opened my apartment door-and there she was, standing in the hallway．I smiled and said, "Hi," but when she saw me, she turned on her heels and went back inside, even though she seemed to have just stepped out．I went after her, regardless, and quickly said, "I"m sorry, I"ve got something for you ! I just wanted to tell you how grateful I am that you were paying attention on Monday．" When she heard me speaking, she turned around． As I held the plate towards her, explaining these were very sweet American treats, and that she could just try and see whether she and her family would like them, her eyebrows winged up-and she took the plate．l was so happy and excited．We then talked a bit about how she"d become aware of the smoke in my flat, and parted ways．
Back in my place, I did a "happy dance", because I had dared to be kind even though I hadn"t been sure at all my kindness would be welcome．I do hope that our relationship will slowly get better; I know I was and still am biased（存有偏见）towards her at times, but even if we don"t make amends, I want to be able to be kind without depending on other people"s behaviors and reactions .
小题1:The neighbor held a grudge towards the writer most probably because_____．

A．the writer"s cats disturb her neighbor frequently

B．the writer didn"t thank her for calling the firefighters

C．the writer never apologized to her for her misbehaviors

D．the writer had an unpleasant experience with the neighbor long ago

小题2: From Paragraph 4, we can learn that the author_____.

A．was afraid of being rejected again by her neighbor

B．didn"t know how to get along with her neighbor

C．didn"t admit it was her fault in the last incident

D．refused to forgive her neighbor"s rude behavior

小题3: After the writer said "Feel the fear, and do it anyway!", she decided to_____.

A．do an act of kindness

B．leave her neighbor be

C．apologize to her neighbor once more

D．do something to let her neighbor down

小题4:What can we learn about the writer?

A．She was a professional dancer．

B．She often had quarrels with her neighbor．

C．She had a bias against her neighbor sometimes．

D．She had an unpleasant experience at Christmas this year．

小题5: What does the author try to tell us?

A．Don"t punish yourself because of other"s mistakes．

B．We should be kind to others, regardless of their behavior．

C．We must keep a good relationship with our neighbors．

D．When we make a mistake, we should have the courage to admit it．

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

Last Christmas was a very difficult time for me. My family and all of my close friends were back home in Florida, and I was all alone in a rather cold California. I was working too many hours and became very sick.
I was working a double shift at the Southwest Airlines ticket counter, it was about 9:00 PM on Christmas Eve, and I was feeling really miserable inside. There were a few of us working and very few customers waiting to be helped. When it was time for me to call the next person to the counter, I looked out to see the sweetest-looking old man standing with a cane. He walked very slowly over to the counter and in the faintest voice told me that he had to go to New Orleans. I tried to explain to him that there were no more flights that night and that he would have to go in the morning. He looked so confused and very worried. I tried to find out more information by asking if he had a reservation or if he remembered when he was supposed to travel, but he seemed to become more confused with each question. He just kept saying, “She said I have to go to New Orleans.”
After much time, I was able to at least find out that this old man had been dropped off at the curb on Christmas Eve by his sister-in-law and told to go to New Orleans, where he had family. She had given him some cash and told him just to go inside and buy a ticket. When I asked if he could come back tomorrow, he said that she was gone and that he had no place to stay. He then said he would wait at the airport until tomorrow. Naturally, I felt a little ashamed. Here I was feeling very sorry for myself about being alone on Christmas, when this angel named Clarence MacDonald was sent to me to remind me of what being alone really meant. It broke my heart.
Immediately, I told him we would get it all straightened out, and our Customer Service agent helped to book him a seat for the earliest flight the next morning. We gave him the senior citizen’s fare, which gave him some extra money for travelling. About this time he started to look very tired, and when I stepped around the counter to ask him if he was all right, I saw that his leg was wrapped in a bandage. He had been standing on it that whole time, holding a plastic bag full of clothes.
I called for a wheelchair. When the wheelchair came, we all stepped around to help him in, and I noticed a small amount of blood on his bandage. I asked how he hurt his leg, and he said that he had just had bypass surgery and an artery was taken from his leg. Can you imagine? This man had had heart surgery, and then shortly afterward, was dropped off at the curb to buy a ticket with no reservation to fly to New Orleans, alone!
I never really had a situation like this, and I wasn’t sure what I could do. I went back to ask my supervisors if we could find a place for him to stay. They both said yes, and they obtained a hotel voucher for Mr. MacDonald for one night and a meal ticket for dinner and breakfast. When I came back out, we got his plastic bag of clothes and cane together and gave the porter a tip to take him downstairs to wait for the airport shuttle. I bent down to explain the hotel, food and itinerary (行程) again to Mr. MacDonald, and then patted him on the arm and told him everything would be just fine.
As he left he said, “Thank you,” bent his head and started to cry. I cried too. When I went back to thank my supervisor, she just smiled and said, “I love stories like that. He is your Christmas Man.”
小题1:Last Christmas the writer had a miserable time because ______.

A．there were more customers than usual waiting to be helped

B．it was freezing cold in California at Christmas time

C．she was working all alone at the ticket counter

D．she was far away from her family and friends

小题2:The writer’s first impression of the old man was that he was ______.

A．gentle-looking and weak	B．tired out and worried
C．confused and very sick	D．sad and anxious

小题3:The old man wanted to fly to New Orleans to ______.

A．see his friends there

B．spend the Christmas with his family

C．visit his sister-in-law

D．undergo heart surgery

小题4:On hearing the old man say that he would wait at the airport the whole night, the writer felt a bit ashamed. This is because ______.

A．she felt sorry that she couldn’t do the old man a favor

B．she realized that someone was even more miserable than she felt

C．it took her a long time to find out how helpless the old man was

D．the old man was like an angel in the writer’s eyes

小题5:The writer called for a wheelchair for the old man because ______.

A．the old man had broken his leg when he was dropped off at the curb

B．the old man could spend the whole night on it at the airport

C．the old man was carrying a whole lot of clothes

D．the old man had had surgery just before and was very weak by then

小题6: By calling the old man the writer’s Christmas Man, the writer’s supervisor implied that ______.

A．the old man had told the writer a love story on Christmas

B．the old man had caused a lot of trouble for the writer on Christmas

C．the old man was the best gift the writer could have received on Christmas

D．the old man was the only customer the writer had served on Christmas

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames．Some people called him Bagamo．They said his mouth looked like a large bag． Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music．
Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor, but lived among great musicians．Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth．Armstrong often said, "Jazz and I grew up together．"
Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet (短号) at a boy"s home．In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician．He played in parades, clubs, and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River．At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians．Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal．
In 1922 he went to Chicago．There, the tale of Louis Armstrong begins．From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went．Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song．
His cornet playing had a deep humanity (仁爱) and warmth that caused many listeners to say, "Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over．" He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world．His death, on July 6, 1971, was headline news around the world．
小题1:Armstrong was called Pops because he ．

A．looked like a musician

B．was a musician of much influence

C．showed an interest in music

D．traveled to play modern music

小题2:Which statement about Armstrong is true?

A．His tale begins in New Orleans．

B．He was born before jazz was invented．

C．His music was popular with his listeners．

D．He learned popular music at a boy"s home．

小题3:Which would be the best title for the text?

A．The Invention of the Jazz Music

B．The Father of the Jazz Style

C．The Making of a Musician

D．The Spread of Popular Music

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

“Your honor(法官大人)！Let me say a few words for myself. What they have told you is just not true. I was not trying to kill anyone, and it was hardly possible to try to kill three strong young men at the same time. I didn"t have anything to tell people that night and was quite alone. I didn"t know them and needn"t hate them. I was attacked by them, and I knocked one of them down. It"s true, but I was made to do it, or I might be killed by them. I did this not because I hated the white men as they said. I just had to do so. While I was beaten in the dark street by the three men, a policeman came, caught me and took me here. I know why I was beaten. I have just moved into a house next to these three white men. I have felt that I am not welcome and I have tried to be quiet. I think, as an American, I have the right to choose where to live. I am guilty. What makes me guilty is my color opposite to theirs and I can"t enjoy justice(公正). Yes, I"m not guilty. This is all I want to say. Thank you, your honor.”
小题1:Why did he speak for himself?

A．He wanted to live in the house next to the whites.

B．He wanted to have the right to choose where to live.

C．He wanted to show he was not guilty.

D．He wanted to show he didn"t hate the whites.

小题2:The speaker was caught because________.

A．the policeman wanted to save him

B．he was black and was fighting with the whites

C．he killed the three men in a dark street

D．he lived in a house next to the whites

小题3:What"s the right order of the story?
a. The speaker said something for himself.
b. The three men said something.
c. The speaker knocked down one of the three men.
d. The speaker was beaten by the three men.
e. He was caught by the policeman.
f. The speaker moved into a house near the whites.

A．abfdce

B．bafcde

C．fdceba

D．fcdeab

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案

Years ago people could hardly accept the ideas of a woman"s being a doctor.In order to get into medical school in 1847，Elizabeth Blackwell was asked to keep it a secret that she was a woman.This was contrary to her beliefs，and she refused to do it.After entering medical school，Elizabeth often had to summon(鼓起) all her courage to free the unkindness of teachers and classmates.By her great efforts，she was able to complete her studies.Many people came to her graduation just to have a look at a woman doctor.Doctor Blackwell soon found that most people were not as ready as to go to a woman doctor.She had to struggle to make a living.Then came the great day when she was offered a job as a doctor in a hospital.She did so well that she was asked to organize a new hospital and medical college.The United States can now be proud of thousands of women doctors.
小题1:How do you think Elizabeth was treated in the medical school?

A．Kindly.

B．Unfairly.　

C．Normally.　

D．Cruelly.

小题2:Many people came to see Elizabeth when she graduated ______.

A．because they wanted to congratulate her on being a doctor

B．because they didn"t believe she would be famous in the future

C．because they wanted to find out the secret of her success

D．because they weren"t sure that she could manage to finish her schooling

小题3:The underlined word “contrary” most probably means______.

A．against

B．familiar

C．wrong

D．similiar

小题4:When she was at the medical school，Blackwell ______.

A．had to pretend to be a boy student in class

B．was discouraged by the others" critical looks

C．felt sorry that she was a woman

D．made great efforts to do well in her lessons

题型：不详难度：| 查看答案