Next Stop: Planet MarsFly me to the moon? That’s not far enough. On September 14
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Next Stop: Planet Mars
Fly me to the moon? That’s not far enough. On September 14, 2011, NASA released designs for a superrocket, the Space Launch System (SLS). This time the final destination will be Mars.
The SLS is a huge, liquid-fuelled rocket. If it is fully developed, it will be the most powerful rocket ever built. Its lift capability will be much bigger than that of the space shuttle of Saturn 5, the rocket that sent the Apollo missions to the moon.
NASA is planning to launch its first unmanned test flight in 2017. It is hoped that the first crew will fly in 2021 and astronauts will make it to a nearby asteroid(小行星) in 2025. NASA hopes to send the rocket and astronauts to Mars from the asteroid by the 2030s, according to the Associated Press (AP).
NASA used liquid rockets to send Apollo, Gemini and Mercury into space, but later changed to solid rockets boosters(助推火箭) because they were cheaper. Tragically, however, a booster flaw(缺陷) caused the space shuttle Challenger to crash in 1986. The new project plans to return to liquid fuel.
According to AP, the rockets will at first be able to carry 77 to 110 tons of payload(净载重量). Eventually they will be able to carry 143 tons into space, maybe even as many as 165 tons, NASA officials said. By comparison, the Saturn 5 booster could lift 130 tons and the space shuttle just 27 tons.
However, unlike reusable shuttles, these powerful rockets are mostly one use only. New ones have to be built for every launch. This will be very costly.
NASA estimates that it will cost about $3 billion (19 billion yuan) per year, or $18 billion until the first test flight in 2017. NASA hopes to make money by allowing private companies to send astronauts to the International Space Station like giant taxi services, so that the program can be “sustainable”.
“This is perhaps the biggest thing for space exploration in decades,” said Senator Bill Nelson, a former astronaut. “The goal is to fly humans safely beyond low-Earth orbit(轨道) and deep into outer space where we cannot only survive, but one day also live.”
小题1:What is the outstanding feature of the SLS?| A．It’s equipped with an advanced control system. | | B．It’s the first unmanned space shuttle in the world. | | C．It’s the only vehicle that can fly astronauts to the moon. | | D．It can send a lot more goods and passengers into space. |
小题2:What is Saturn 5?| A．An aircraft that had a deadly flaw and crashed in 1986. | | B．A series of rockets that once sent astronauts to the moon. | | C．An unmanned space shuttle that was once famous in the world. | | D．A kind of launch vehicle that will be used to carry astronauts to Mars. |
小题3:NASA plans to use liquid fuel in the new project because ______ than solid rockets boosters.| A．it is less costly | | B．it is much safer | | C．it can last longer | | D．it is more environmentally friendly |
小题4:According to NASA’s schedule, it will take ______ years to fully complete the SLS program.| A．about 6 | B．about 10 | | C．less than 14 | D．more than 19 |
小题5:It can be inferred from the passage that ______.| A．the SLS program is planning to make reusable rockets | | B．the goal of the SLS program is to enable humans to live on the moon | | C．the US government may not have provided enough money for the SLS program | | D．NASA will use SLS as a space taxi between the Earth and Mars |
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答案
小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:B
小题4:D
小题5:C |
解析
试题分析：本文介绍了美国国家航空航天局发布的设计一个超级火箭（SLS），其目的地是火星。目标是使人类在低地轨道安全飞行，深到外层空间，在那我们不仅仅只是幸存，但是有一天还在那生活。
小题1:从第二段Its lift capability will be much bigger than that of the space shuttle of Saturn 5及第五段the rockets ... Eventually they will be able to carry 143 tons into space, maybe even as many as 165 tons,By comparison, the Saturn 5 booster could lift 130 tons and the space shuttle just 27 tons可以推断SLS的最显著特点是容量大，故选D
小题2:从第二段句子the space shuttle of Saturn 5, the rocket that sent the Apollo missions to the moon可以得知选B
小题3:从第四段Tragically, however, a booster flaw(缺陷) caused the space shuttle Challenger to crash in 1986可以得知固体火箭助推器不够安全，所以改用液态燃料。
小题4:从第三段NASA is planning to launch its first unmanned test flight in 2017... send the rocket and astronauts to Mars from the asteroid by the 2030s,简单的计算一下可得知大约10年。
小题5:从最后一段NASA hopes to make money by allowing private companies to send astronauts to the International Space Station like giant taxi services, so that the program can be “sustainable”暗示美国政府可能没有提供足够多的钱给 SLS项目。另外，A答案文章中未提及，B答案是文章中的直接信息，不能入选。D答案是错误表述。
点评：本文介绍了美国国家航空航天局发布的设计一个超级火箭（SLS），其目的地是火星。科普类说明文因为与学生日常生活距离较远，专业词汇比较多，给考生造成一定的困扰。因此，在平时备考过程中应该多加强练习，增强对科普类的感知能力和应试技巧。 |
举一反三
Britain’s seed(种子) bank, the only one in the world aiming to collect all of the planet’s wild plant species, has reached its goal of banking 10 percent by 2010.
The Millennium Seed Bank Project, run by Kew Gardens—one of the oldest botanical(植物的) gardens—will officially place the 24,200th species on Thursday, a pink, wild banana from China.
More than 50 countries are now on board with Kew"s giant task but vast places of the globe, including India and Brazil, still need to join in and donate seeds, director Paul Smith said.
The seed bank is one of the largest and most diverse(多样的) in the world with more than 1.5 billion seeds. Its goal is to help protect the planet’s bio-diversity during a time of climate change.
The wild banana seed is under threat of extinction(灭绝) in southwest China from agricultural development. It is a vital food source for Asian elephants and important for growing bananas for human eating.
Stored at minus-20 degrees centigrade, so they can last for thousands of years, the seeds await the day that scientists hope never comes—when the species no longer exist in the wild.
It is a race against time, Smith said, because in the last ten years alone, 20 plants held in the bank have already been wiped out in the wild. He estimates that between a third and a quarter will become extinct this century.
"It is pressing and it is happening now. An area, the size of England, is cleared of primary vegetation（植被）every year." Smith said.
Because most of the world"s food and medicines come from nature, protecting wild plant species is quite important, scientists say. There are already many other seed banks safeguarding food crops, which only account for 0.6 percent of plant diversity.
For Kew"s next goal—to collect a quarter of wild varieties（种类）by 2020—the botanists need 10 million pounds a year, or a further 100 million pounds on top of the 40 million they have already been granted.
小题1:What’s the final purpose of the Britain’s seed bank?| A．To collect enough money for the project. | B．To safeguard food crops. | | C．To protect wild plants from extinction. | D．To help scientists study wild plants. |
小题2:We can learn from the passage that _______.| A．the seeds in the bank can be used now and then all over the world | | B．India and Brazil haven’t joined in the Seed Bank Project at present | | C．there is only one seed bank in the world at present | | D．the wild plants in places like India and China will never die out |
小题3:What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 7 refer to?| A．The extinction of plant species. | | B．The Millennium Seed Bank Project. | | C．Britain’s seed bank. | | D．Kew Gardens’ next goal. |
小题4:Which of the following isn’t spoken about in the passage?| A．The global partnership of collecting wild plant species. | | B．The temperature condition of the wild plant species in the bank. | | C．The government’s support for the seed bank project by giving money. | | D．Scientists’ concern on the extinct wild plant species. |
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Shyness is the cause of much unhappiness for a great many people. Shy people are anxious and self-conscious; that is, they are over concerned with their own appearance and actions. Worrisome thoughts are constantly occurring in their minds: what kind of impression am I making? Do they like me? Do I sound stupid? Am I wearing unattractive clothes?
It is obvious that such uncomfortable feelings must affect people unfavorably. Adperson’s self concept is reflected in the way he or she behaves and the way a person behaves affects other people"s reactions. In general, the way people think about themselves has a deep effect on all areas of their lives. Shy people ,have low self-esteem(自尊), are likely to be passive and easily influenced by others. They need reassurance（再保证，放心） that they are doing “the right thing”. Shy people are very sensitive to criticism. It makes them feel inferior(自卑).They also find it difficult to be pleased by praises because they believe they are unworthy of praise . A shy person may respond to a praise with a statement like this one:” You’re just saying that to make me feel good .I know it"s not true.” It is clear that, while self-awareness is a healthy quality, overdoing it is harmful. Can shyness be completely got rid of ,or at least reduced? Fortunately, people can overcome shyness with determination. It is important for people to accept their weaknesses as well as their strengths, for example, not fair for them to label themselves inferior because they have to be realistic. Living on the impossible leads to absence of inferiority. Each one of us has his or her own characteristics. We are interested in our own personal ways. The better we understand ourselves. the easier it becomes to live up to our chances for a rich and fulfilling life.
小题1:The first paragraph is mainly about ________. | A．the thoughts of shy people | | B．the cause of shyness | | C．the effect of shyness on people | | D．the questions in the minds of shy people |
小题2:According to the wirter, self-awareness is _________. | A．harmful to people | B．a weak point of shy people | | C．the cause of unhappiness | D．a good characteristic |
小题3:What is the shy people"s reaction to praise?| A．They are pleased by it | B．They feel it is not true | | C．They are very sensitive to it | D．They feel they are worthy of it |
小题4:We can learn from the passage that shyness can _________. | A．help us to live up to our full development | | B．enable us to understand ourselves better | | C．block our chances for a successful life | | D．have nothing to do with lack of self esteem |
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根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Each year there is an increasing number of cars on roads and streets as millions of new cars and trucks are produced. One out of every six Americans works at putting together the parts of cars, driving trucks, building roads or filling cars and trucks with gas. 1
Most Americans would find it hard to imagine what life would look like without cars. 2 . The polluted air becomes poisonous and dangerous to health.
3 . That’s what several of the large car factories have been trying to do. But to build a clean car is easier said than done. Progress in this field has been slow.
Another way is to take the place of the car engine by something else. 4 . Many makers believe that it will take years to develop a practical model that pleases man.
To prevent the world from being polluted by cars, we’ll have to make some changes in the way many of us live. Americans, for example, have to cut down on the number of their total cars. They are encouraged to travel and go to work by bicycle. Bicycling is thought to help the air clean. But this change does not come easily. A large number of workers may find themselves without jobs if a car factory closes down. 5 .
Although cars have led us to a better life, they have also brought us new problems. | A．Thus the problem of air pollution would become less important than that of unemployment. | | B．Americans know cars very well. | | C．However, some have realized the serious problems of the air pollution that is caused by cars. | | D．One way to get rid of the polluted air is to build a car that does not pollute. |
E. However, the number of vehicles has continued to increase in recent years.
F. Americans won’t live without cars!
G. Inventors are now working on steam cars as well as electric cars. |
Nature is full of color, from rainbows and roses to butterfly wings and peacock tails. Even the fruits and vegetables you eat have different colors: blue blueberries, red strawberries, green broccoli, and orange carrots.
Plant and animals often use color to attract attention. The substances responsible for these colors belong to a class of chemical called antioxidants(抗氧化物). Plants make antioxidant to protect themselves from the sun’s ultraviolet(UV)(紫外线)light.
Ultraviolet light causes chemicals called free radicals(自由基)to form within plant cells. They can destroy parts of plant. Free radicals also have damaging effects on human beings. Some of these effects like wrinkled skin can be seen. The damage is caused by the free radicals attacking cells in our bodies. Certain cancers and heart disease are linked to free radicals.
Our bodies have natural defences for fighting off free radicals. While we are young, our defences are pretty strong. However, they get weaker as we get older. The body’s built-in defences can only go so far without extra help.
The key to fighting free radicals with fruits and vegetables is to mix and match colors. It’s like sunscreen(防晒霜)for the inside of your body. Go for a range of very bright colors. Colorful foods contain hundreds of healthy chemicals not found anywhere else.
Research into how chemicals in blueberries affect the brain’s function in rats suggests that these chemicals may help our own brains work more efficiently.
Don’t just blame the sun. Ultraviolet light isn’t the only source of free radicals. If you breathe polluted air such as smog, automobile exhaust(废气), or wasted gas from a factory, you take in chemicals that also cause such damage. And, the body itself produces free radicals as it processes food.
小题1:Which of the following not true?| A．Antioxidants are responsible for plant colors | | B．Plants use color to attract attention | | C．Antioxidants can protect plants from UV light | | D．Antioxidants help free radicals to attack plants |
小题2:In which order do the following facts occur?
a Wrinkled skin can be seen
b UV light causes free radicals to form
c Free radicals damage cells in our bodies
d The sun gives out UV light| A．a,b,c,d | B．d,b,c,a | | C．c,a,d,b | D．d,b,a,c |
小题3:We need extra help for fighting off free radicals from fruits and vegetables because ____.| A．our bodies’ defences are not natural | | B．we are too young to defend ourselves | | C．our defences get weaker as we get older | | D．our bodies’ built-in defences can only go away |
小题4:Which of the following can not cause free radicals to form?| A．Colorful food | B．UV light from the sun | | C．Polluted air | D．The body itself |
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根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项多余选项。
It’s not news that we spend more time than ever texting and online.1 Yes, that’s right: a 2010 study shows that more teens are reading good old-fashioned, ink-on-paper books.
Reading is a good way to discover the next big thing and to learn a little more about yourself while you’re at it.2 Here are some tips.
Start with your interests
Reading on your own isn’t like reading for school. You can pick something that’s all about your interests, whether it’s ancient martial arts, computers, or fashion design.
Reading the blurbs(简介)
The reviews and quotes on the back and inside covers of many books are called “blurbs”. 3if you find a book you really like, take a minute to read the quotes(if there are any) and see which authors praised the book. Often, they’ll have similar styles and you might find you like books by those authors too.
Ask an expert
4 Explain your interests--- rock stars, sports teams, historical events, humors, whatever you’re into—and any writers you like, and your librarian can point you toward books that you’ll love.
Finally, you’ll probably enjoy what you’re reading a lot more if you find a quiet place and make time for the book.5 You can put on some good music(ideally without lyrics), get yourself some tea and a comfy spot, and let yourself be carried away by the book.
You’ll see that time does fly when you are reading something you love!| A．Join a group with your friends and people you trust. | | B．But do you know how to pick a book you’ll really like? | | C．But did you know that we also spend more time reading? | | D．Your local library can hook you up with a whole lot of great book ideas. |
E. What was your mother’s favorite book when she was your age or your dad’s?
F. We all multitask, but most reading is best enjoyed when you can concentrate and focus on it.
G. They give you an idea of what the book is about, and can also help you pick future books too. |
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