The first flights of the new airlines that will take tourists into space are rea
题型：不详难度：来源：
The first flights of the new airlines that will take tourists into space are ready to take off in 2012, and getting a seat on one is not all that different from booking a trip someplace on Earth. You can sign up on the website of, say, Virgin Galactic，the most wellknown of the new space tourism companies, or go to an approved travel agency and put down a large deposit. Soon you will be able to buy travel insurance，just as you can for any other vacation.
Until now，space tourism has been limited to the ultrawealthy. Just seven people have paid tens of millions of dollars each for a trip to the International Space Station aboard a Russian rocket.
But that could change this year, when Virgin Galactic intends to start offering flights just beyond the space barrier on a rocket ship it has built, featuring five minutes of weightlessness during a twoandahalfhour tour. At $ 200,000 a seat, this will open the final frontier to far more people.
At least two other specialty airlines have jumped in as well, taking reservations and deposits for future space flights.Allianz, the big insurer, will introduce an insurance product in 2012, lending space tourism the trappings of the regular travel industry.
“Just to be able to sell space travel as a regular part of your business, really, just how cool is that？” said Lynda Turley Garrett, president of Alpine Travel of Saratoga, Calif.，who is one of 58 accredited space agents for Virgin Galactic in the United States.
In five years，Ms.Garrett has sold three seats. But she expects that to change once passengers start going up and coming down to tell their friends. “By 2017，it"ll be just like scheduling a flight to L．A.，” Ms.Garrett predicted.
小题1:If you want to book a flight to space in 2012, you can________.| A．go to any travel agency | | B．telephone Virgin Galactic | | C．pay a visit to Allianz | | D．sign up on the website of Virgin Galactic |
小题2:From Paragraph 2 we can know that ________.| A．only the extremely rich people can afford the space trip | | B．seven people have paid tens of millions of dollars for a space trip | | C．Russia is the first country to build the space station | | D．ordinary people are not allowed to take space tour |
小题3:Which of the following is true of Virgin Galactic?| A．It is one of the approved space agencies. | | B．It is a famous space tourism company. | | C．It sells insurance products to space tourists. | | D．Its rocket has carried space passengers successfully. |
小题4:What does the underlined word “trappings” in Paragraph 4 probably refer to?| A．Standard uniforms. | | B．Traditional decorations. | | C．Symbolic signs. | | D．Personal belongings. |
小题5:What does Ms. Garrett think of the future space travel?| A．Common. | B．Changeable. | | C．Flexible. | D．Reasonable. |
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答案
小题1:D
小题2:A
小题3:B
小题4:C
小题5:A |
解析
在不久的将来，太空旅行对普通游客而言不再是梦想。人们可以在网上报名，也可以到旅行社报名，来实现自己的太空旅行计划。
小题1:解析 细节理解题。从文章第一段中的“You can sign up on the website of，say，Virgin Galactic，the most wellknown of the new space tourism companies，or go to an approved travel agency and put down a large deposit.”可知，答案选D。答案 D
小题2:解析 细节推断题。从文章第二段可推知，只有极富有的人才能支付得起太空旅行的费用，故A项正确。答案 A
小题3:解析 细节理解题。从文章第一段中的“Virgin Galactic，the most wellknown of the new space tourism companies”可知答案选B。答案 B
小题4:解析 猜测词义题。从文章第三、四段可知，太空旅行会向更多人敞开大门，而保险公司Allianz将推出一种保险产品，这使太空旅行成为旅游业的标志，故C项正确。答案 C
小题5:解析 推理判断题。从文章最后一段最后一句话可推知，Ms.Garrett认为未来太空旅行会像计划坐飞机去洛杉矶一样司空见惯，故选A。答案 A |
举一反三
Many people think of the brain as a mystery.They don"t know much about intelligence and how it works.When they do think about what intelligence is，many people believe that a person is born smart，average，or dumb—and stays that way in the whole life.But new research shows that the brain is more like a muscle—it changes and gets stronger when you use it.And scientists have been able to show just how the brain grows and gets stronger when you learn.
Everyone knows that when you lift weights，your muscles get bigger and you get stronger.A person who can"t lift 20 pounds when he/she starts exercising can get strong enough to lift 100 pounds after working out for a long time.That"s because the muscles become larger and stronger with exercise.And when you stop exercising，the muscles shrink and you get weaker.That"s why people say “Use it or lose it！”
But most people don"t know that when they practice and learn new things，parts of their brain change and get larger a lot like muscles do when they exercise. Inside the cortex(皮层)of the brain are billions of tiny nerve cells，called neurons. The nerve cells have branches connecting them to other cells in a complicated network. Communication between these brain cells is what allows us to think and solve problems. When you learn new things，these tiny connections in the brain actually multiply and get stronger.The more you challenge your mind to learn，the more your brain cells grow.Then，things that you once found very hard or even impossible to do—like speaking a foreign language or doing algebra(代数)—seem to become easy after learning them for a period of time.The result is a stronger，smarter brain.
Scientists started thinking that the human brain could develop and change when they studied animals"brains.They found out that animals that lived in a challenging environment were more perspicacious—they were better at solving problems and learning new things.
小题1:According to the first paragraph，________.| A．the function of our brain is like that of the muscle | | B．until now it"s impossible to explain the brain"s mystery | | C．many people believe one"s intelligence is naturally determined | | D．one"s brain grows stronger as the age increases |
小题2:Training muscles is compared to ________.| A．using the brain | | B．connecting things in your brain | | C．lifting weights | | D．doing research about the brain |
小题3:What does the underlined word“perspicacious”in the last paragraph probably mean?| A．Strong. | B．Smart. | | C．Popular. | D．Active. |
小题4:The following paragraph will most probably talk about ________.| A．the differences between animals"brains and humans"brains | | B．the relation between human brains and muscles | | C．scientists" findings about animals" brains | | D．how to make your brain smarter through selfdevelopment |
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Many people are concerned about the state of the earth in terms of its energy supplies and changing climate.The clear message broadcast by all responsible governments is that every person has a part to play.Here are some detailed instructions.
1．Prevent pollution by disposing(清理) of all your litter and waste in the correct，legal way，such as using onstreet waste receptacles(容器) when you are out and about，or putting it in your domestic rubbish can when you"re at home.Follow local procedures for normal waste disposal.Contact your local authority for advice on disposing of unusual waste items，such as paint and computer parts.
2．Recycle all materials that can be processed by your local authority.Place plastics，metals，paper and glass in the correct collection receptacles.Donate unwanted items to the charities that are happy to accept good condition clothing，furniture and even automobiles.
3．Look after reserves of water by making sure you turn off the tap after use and by repairing leaks(渗漏) and drips.Purchase waterefficient appliances.Take showers instead of baths.Gather rainwater for garden use and use your lawn sprinkler less often or not at all.
4．Save energy by choosing Energy Star products.Turn these off，as well as lights，when you don"t need them to be on.Use air condition and heating less often.Make sure your home is insulated correctly to maintain a steady temperature.
5．Reduce the amount of the material you use.Print emails occasionally or not at all rather than printing them every time.You buy new things when you actually need them rather than on a whim(心血来潮)．Organize a car pool with friends to use fuel efficiently.
In a word，we should try to use the world"s resources efficiently to protect the environment.
小题1:When you have a walk in the park，you________．| A．can throw away the waste freely | | B．had better take along the waste | | C．can throw the waste into rubbish can | | D．should put the waste in your domestic rubbish can |
小题2:Which can"t be recycled according to the passage?| A．Metal. | B．Glass. | | C．Automobiles. | D．Paint. |
小题3:Why should you take showers instead of baths?| A．Because it is comfortable. | B．Because it can save lots water. | | C．Because it can gather water. | D．Because it is convenient to use. |
小题4:What"s the main idea of the whole passage?| A．How to protect the environment? | | B．Reduce the amount of the material you use. | | C．Some instructions in energy supplies. | | D．Why should each play a part in saving energy? |
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A person should eat right，get some exercise，or he or she will look terrible in 25 years.And if the person drinks and smokes? Even____．That"s the message from Blue Cross Blue Shield.The ____，called “Future You”，uses a digital camera and computer to compare a person"s current image with his or her future ____ without changes in bad habits.
“Smoking can ___ your skin，” said Anna，a creative operation manager，“You can see what the results of the toxins(毒素) and the chemicals in____are.” Along with the potentially____sight of one"s older self，Future You offers sciencebased____on what to eat，how much to exercise and other ways to ____ your health.But will it work? Too ____ to tell was the verdict(意见) of Anna.“I want to see some data！” she said.
Generally，Anna said，men show____concern about their appearance than women.“Women say，‘That looks like my ____on the screen，’” she said.“Men are more likely to ____，‘Yeah，go ahead.Put it on Facebook.’” The project was raised more than a year ago to improve the overall(总体的) health of the people who are ____ of this company.In addition，the growth in the ranks of ____customers would bring down the overall cost of health care.In coming weeks，two new ones will be ___ in locations such as the American Tobacco Campus and the Museum of Natural Science.If users ____，their information will be stored as secrets without names to create a database of good and bad ___．
The process is free and the response is not ____，at least according to Valencia Robertson，one of a line of people who waited to ____ the instrument on Thursday.“I"m good，” Robertson said after ____ her future image.“It"s not going to be a big difference.”
| 小题1: | | A．easier | B．happier | C．bitter | D．worse |
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| 小题2: | | A．instrument | B．picture | C．place | D．structure |
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| 小题3: | | A．wealth | B．character | C．appearance | D．education |
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| 小题4: | | A．reflect | B．bother | C．ruin | D．affect |
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| 小题5: | | A．cigarette | B．beers | C．medicines | D．foods |
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| 小题6: | | A．confusing | B．convincing | C．depressing | D．exciting |
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| 小题7: | | A．opinion | B．plans | C．thought | D．advice |
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| 小题8: | | A．break | B．damage | C．preserve | D．change |
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| 小题9: | | A．possible | B．natural | C．early | D．clear |
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| 小题10: | | A．deeper | B．less | C．higher | D．stronger |
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| 小题11: | | A．son | B．father | C．daughter | D．mom |
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| 小题12: | | A．guess | B．say | C．doubt | D．wonder |
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| 小题13: | | A．customers | B．managers | C．secretaries | D．cleaners |
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| 小题14: | | A．cautious | B．smart | C．careless | D．generous |
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| 小题15: | | A．showing up | B．thought out | C．sold out | D．dying out |
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| 小题16: | | A．know | B．agree | C．come | D．listen |
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| 小题17: | | A．habits | B．choices | C．methods | D．plans |
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| 小题18: | | A．nice | B．cool | C．strange | D．bad |
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| 小题20: | | A．drawing | B．viewing | C．picturing | D．imaging |
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Hu Li"s heart sank due to the color of the air.Driving 140 kilometers from Tianjin City to Beijing last week，she held her breath as the air became a charcoal grey haze(炭灰色的阴霾)．The 39yearold businesswoman has lived in Beijing for a decade，and this past month，she said，brought the worst air pollution she has ever seen.It gave her husband a cough and left her sevenyearold daughter housebound(足不出户)．“My husband as well as I is working here，so we have no choice，” she said.“But if we had a choice，we"d like to escape from Beijing.”
The extended heavy pollution over the last month，which caused punishment in return for a day last week－called the “airpocalypse” by internet users－ has largely changed the way that Chinese think about the country"s air.On one day，pollution levels were 30 times higher than levels considered safe by the World Health Organization (WHO)．Flights were cancelled.Roads were closed.One hospital in east Beijing reported they had treated more than 900 children for breathing issues.Bloomberg found that for most of January，Beijing"s air was worse than that of an airport smoking area.
The smog"s(烟雾) most threatening aspect is its high concentration(浓度) of PM 2.5 － particulate matter that is small enough to breathe deep into the lungs and enter the bloodstream，causing breathing infections，lung cancer and possibly damaging children"s development.The WHO has estimated that outdoor air pollution accounts for two million deaths per year，65% of them in Asia.
小题1:Which conclusion can we draw from the first paragraph?| A．Hu Li is living in Beijing. | | B．Hu Li traveled to Tianjin for business. | | C．The haze is harmful to people. | | D．The pollution is the worst in Beijing"s history. |
小题2:The haze affected people mainly in________．| A．the way they traveled | | B．the opinion about national air | | C．the way they lived their life | | D．the life style of internet |
小题3:From the passage we know high concentration of PM 2.5________．| A．can lead to choke | | B．can cause heart cancer | | C．will damage children"s development | | D．will damage people"s organ |
小题4:What"s the best title for the passage?| A．Hu Li"s attitudes to Beijing"s haze | | B．The damages of Beijing"s haze | | C．WHO suggests improving Beijing"s air | | D．What caused air pollution in Beijing |
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In the past，people usually believed what newlyborn babies wanted was food and to be kept warm and dry.They thought babies were not able to ____ things until they were five or six months old.____ the researchers in the United States now believe babies begin learning on their first ____ of life.They say babies are strongly ____ by their environment and one baby will ____ if his or her mother does something that the baby likes.
A baby learns to get the best care possible by smiling to ____ her mother.This is how babies start to learn to ___ and communicate with other people.The researchers say this ability to learn ___ in a baby even before birth.They also ____ the idea that newlyborn babies can ____ and understand sounds they heard while they were still ____ inside their mothers.
Recently，an American study ____ 112 babies found babies learned better when they were ____.The babies appeared to learn well whether they were sitting up on their own，sitting in seats or __ to sit up.The researchers say keeping that kind ____ had what they called a ____ effect on the babies" ability to learn about objects.They say the body position may be linked to development in the ____．One ____ says babies can pay more attention to ___ an object if they do not have to be worried about their balance.
| 小题1: | | A．eat | B．know | C．remember | D．learn |
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| 小题2: | | A．Besides | B．While | C．But | D．Therefore |
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| 小题4: | | A．influenced | B．accepted | C．disturbed | D．moved |
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| 小题6: | | A．annoy | B．love | C．notice | D．please |
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| 小题7: | | A．live | B．connect | C．speak | D．smile |
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| 小题8: | | A．disappears | B．informs | C．exists | D．happens |
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| 小题9: | | A．infer | B．support | C．deny | D．instruct |
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| 小题10: | | A．recognize | B．realize | C．receive | D．record |
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| 小题11: | | A．sleeping | B．delivering | C．shaping | D．developing |
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| 小题12: | | A．helping | B．raising | C．involving | D．containing |
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| 小题13: | | A．sleeping soundly | B．lying down | C．awaking clearly | D．sitting up |
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| 小题14: | | A．assisted | B．forced | C．asked | D．mentioned |
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| 小题15: | | A．hobby | B．gesture | C．decoration | D．purpose |
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| 小题16: | | A．negative | B．unmarked | C．significant | D．side |
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| 小题17: | | A．language | B．feeling | C．brain | D．body |
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| 小题18: | | A．psychologist | B．mother | C．doctor | D．researcher |
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| 小题19: | | A．exploring | B．finding | C．feeling | D．discovering |
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| 小题20: | | A．anxious | B．confident | C．worried | D．curious |
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