The run-up to the launch of China"s first lunar orbiter at the end of this month

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The run-up to the launch of China"s first lunar orbiter at the end of this month has caught the country"s imagination, with more than two thirds of the nation hoping to see the launch live on TV, according to a survey.
According to the survey by China Youth Daily and www.qq.com, almost the entire nation hopes to catch images of the event at some point, with 99 percent of the 10358 respondents saying they expected to witness the satellite launch and 68.9 percent said they were certain to watch the live broadcast of the launch. On www.qq.com and www.sina.com, two popular web portals in the country, internet users have contributed some 2,000 poems and 5000 drawings on the theme of Chang"e I.
"The satellite launch means much more than just saying "hello" to the moon. Maybe in the future we could also send some people to accompany sister "Chang"e"," said a college student in the survey.
Remarkably, many people expect to visit the moon one day, with 93.4 percent of respondents saying they expected to do so.
Chang"e I is named after Chang"e, a famous character from Chinese mythology. She ascended from earth to live on the moon as a celestial being after drinking an elixir.
There is also another connection between the moon and China. In the 1970s, a crater on the moon was named after a Chinese stargazer, Wan Hu, who is said to be the first astronaut in human history.
Legend says about 600 years ago, around the middle of the Ming Dynasty, Wan Hu, a local government official, tried to fly into space with the help of a chair, two big kites and 47 self-made gunpowder-filled rockets. According to the legend after the rockets were lit there was a huge bang and lots of smoke. When the smoke cleared Wan was nowhere to be found.
China"s first astronaut flew into space in 2003 with the launch of the Chinese-made spaceship Shenzhou V. China became the third country, after the Soviet Union and the United States, to carry out manned space missions.
小题1:Which is true according to the passage?

A．According to a survey, two thirds of the nation are hoping to see the launch live on TV,

B．The internet users have drawn some 5000 pictures of ‘Chang’e’.

C．Wan Hu, a Chinese stargazer(n. 看星星的人,占星师,天文学家) , was dead after the huge bang and a lot of smoke.

D．China’s first astronaut flew into space in 2003 in the spaceship Shenzhou VI.

小题2:What’s the meaning of the underlined word in paragraph 5?

A．a kind of medicine for long life.	B．a kind of medicine to make you light enough to fly in the air.
C．a kind of wine	D．a kind of alcohol.

小题3:Why was Wan Hu said to be the first astronaut in human history?

A．Because a crater on the moon was named after his name.

B．Because he was the first to go to the moon in his own “spaceship”.

C．Because of his courage for scientific experiment to the moon.

D．Because he made the first rocket in human history.

答案

小题1:C
小题2:A
小题3:C

解析

小题1:综合细节题A错，因为more than two thirds of the nation are hoping to see the launch live on TV.B错，因为所画的不是5000张嫦娥的图像，而是以嫦娥为主题的图片。D错，应该是神州5号。
小题2:猜测词义题。嫦娥偷吃的是长生不老药。
小题3:推理判断题。万户并没有去月球，而是死了，他具有的是为科学探索献身的精神和勇气，故此人们把他称为人类的第一位宇航员。

举一反三

Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand. Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States.
Long ago, the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”— the land of fire. Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story. Today Death Valley has been declared a National Monument(纪念碑) and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.
Here nature created a lot of surprising, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most astonishing and variable parts of Death Valley is the Devil’ s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams. Sand sculptures(沙雕) stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.
小题1:_______ is the lowest place in the desert.

A．Tomesha	B．Death Valley
C．Nevada	D．Badwater

小题2:The name of the valley comes from _______.

A．an Indian name	B．the death of the miners
C．the local people	D．a National Movement

小题3:From the passage we can learn that _______.

A．no one had ever known the desert before the miners

B．it’s still not easy to travel across the desert

C．people can find gas-stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

D．people have changed the natural sight of the desert

小题4:Devil Golf Course is famous for _______.

A．the frequent wind	B．the colors of the sand
C．dream-like sights	D．the sand sculptures

小题5:From the passage we can see that the writer _______ the Death Valley.

A．appreciates	B．is fearful of
C．dislikes	D．is tired of

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The Erie Canal was the first important national waterway built in the US. It crossed New York from Buffalo on Lake Erie Troy to Albany on the Hudson River. It joined the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. The canal served as a route over which industrial goods could flow into the west, and materials could pour into the east. The Erie Canal helped New York develop into the nation’s largest city.
The building of the canal was paid for entirely by the state of New York. It cost $ 7 143 789, but it soon gained its price many times over. Between 1825, when the canal was opened, and 1882, when toll charges(过运河费) were stopped, the state collected $121 461 891.
For a hundred years before the Erie was built, people had been talking about a canal which could join the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. The man who planned the Erie Canal and carried the plan through was De Witt Clinton. Those who were against the canal laughingly called it “Clinton’s Ditch(沟)”. Clinton talked and wrote about the canal and drew up plans for it. He and Governor Morris went to Washington in 1812 to ask for help for the canal, but they were unsuccessful.
Clinton became governor of New York in 1817, and shortly afterwards, on July 4, 1817, broke ground for the canal in Rome, N.Y. The first part of the canal was completed in 1820. As the canal grew, towns along its course developed fast. The length of the canal is 363 miles.
小题1:We can see that the Erie Canal ________.

A．joined the Great Lakes together

B．crossed New York from north to south

C．played an important part in developing New York City

D．was the first waterway built in the US

小题2:It can be inferred that ________ into the Atlantic Ocean.

A．the Great Lakes flow	B．the Hudson River flows
C．Lake Erie flows	D．the Erie Canal flows

小题3:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．The Erie Canal brought profits of over $114, 000, 000.

B．It’s 363 miles from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean.

C．The West was more advanced than the East when the canal was built.

D．Many other states helped New York built the canal.

小题4:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Clinton broke ground for the canal at both ends.

B．Clinton started building the canal before he became governor.

C．All parts of the canal were completed at the same time.

D．Construction of the canal took eight years.

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The flag, the most common symbol(象征) of a nation in the modern world, is also one of the most ancient. With a clear symbolic meaning, the flag in the traditional form is still used today to mark buildings, ships and other vehicles related to a country.
The national flag as we know it today is in no way a primitive(原始的)artifact. It is, rather, the product of thousands of years" development. Historians believe that it had two major ancestors, of which the earlier served to show wind direction.
Early human beings used very fragile houses and boats. Often strong winds would tear roofs from houses or cause high waves that endangered travelers .People"s food supplies were similarly vulnerable. Even after they had learned how to plant grains, they still needed help from nature to ensure good harvests. Therefore they feared and depended on the power of the wind, which could bring warmth from one direction and cold from another.
Using a simple piece of cloth tied to the top of a post to tell the direction of the wind was more dependable than earlier methods, such as watching the rising of smoke from a fire. The connection of the flag with heavenly power was therefore reasonable. Early human societies began to fix long pieces of cloth to the tops of totems(图腾) before carrying them into battle. They believed that the power of the wind would be added to the good wishes of the gods and ancestors represented by the totems themselves.
These flags developed very slowly into modern flags. The first known flag of a nation or a ruler was unmarked: The king of China around 1000 B.C. was known to have a white flag carried ahead of him. This practice might have been learned from Egyptians even further in the past, but it was from China that it spread over trade routes through India, then across Arab lands, and finally to Europe ,where it met up with the other ancestor of the national flag.
小题1:The best title for the passage would be______.

A．Power of the National Flag	B．Uses of Flag
C．Types of Flags	D．Development of the National Flag

小题2:The underlined word “vulnerable” in Paragraph 3 means_____

A．impossible to make sure of	B．difficult to find
C．likely to be protected	D．easy to damage

小题3: The earliest flags were connected with heavenly power because______

A．they were believed to stand for natural forces

B．they could bring good luck to fighters

C．they were handed down by the ancestors

D．they could tell wind direction

小题4:What does the author know of the first national flag?

A．He thinks it came from	B．He believes it was made in Egypt
C．He doubts where it started.	D．He knows when it was sent to Europe

小题5: What was the author most probably talk about next?

A．The role of China in the spread of the national flag.

B．The second ancestor of the national flag.

C．The use of modern flags in Europe

D．The importance of modern flags

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When in 1789, George Washington became the first president of the United States, there was no permanent capital in which to house the government. During the Revolutionary War several different cities had served as the national capital. In addition, members of congress could not agree as to where this permanent capital should be located. Some officials wanted it in the north, others wanted it in the south. Each of the states hoped that the capital might lie within its own state lines. At last it was decided that the capital should occupy a section by itself, separate from any of the states. The place chosen was situated on the Potomac River. The land belonged originally to the state of Maryland, but Maryland agreed to the national government. The section was named the Washington. Work was begun on the new capital in 1791. in the year 1899 Congress occupied the new capital building at the same time the White House was opened as the home of all future presidents.
小题1:Before the year 1800, the capital of America had been located in _______.

A．Maryland	B．Washington
C．New York	D．several cities

小题2:Why was it decided that the capital should be separated from any of the states? Because ________.

A．the District of Columbia was on the borders of several states

B．the District of Columbia was in the center of America

C．Maryland insisted that the capital lie in its own state

D．Each of the states wanted the capital might lie within its own state

小题3:The capital was named after _______.

A．an explorer, who first found the place

B．the place where it occupied

C．the first president of the United States of America

D．a famous general who fought in the war

小题4:Presidents of the United States live in ________.

A．the capital building	B．Maryland
C．New York	D．the White House

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The largest-ever chariot pit (战车坑) of relics with carts and horse bones has been discovered in Henan Province. It may lead to the uncovering of chariot pit groups that could be a key to understanding Chinese civilizations that existed more than 2,000 years ago.
Experts said the relics are dated more than 300 years earlier than the famous warriors (武士) in Shaanxi Province. What excited the experts were two other projects that located two huge pits with similar features.
“It is absolutely a miracle. These relics indicate that there could be a tomb group in this area, which is likely to be important for China’s archaeological (考古学的) studies,” said Ma Juncai, a leading relic researcher in the province.
In ancient China, carts, sheep, spoons and so on were buried to ensure that dead people had a happy afterlife. The number and quality of the sacrifices indicated the social status of the dead. The custom was carried into the Qin Dynasty. Emperor Qinshihuang’s tomb, located near Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province, is accompanied by thousands of wood or clay figures of warriors and horses. The tomb is probably the most well-known.
The discovered pit measures 10.4 meters long, 8.4 meters wide and 5 meters deep. It holds 20 carts in different sizes. The smallest one is 1.05 meters long and 1.3 meters wide.
Experts think that 40 horses are likely to be found as well. Careful plans need to be made to deal with the demanding uncovering. “The clay is very weak and a small misstep can destroy the whole project. That’s why we need to take every step very carefully to protect these cherished cultural relics,” Ma said.
小题1: What’s the passage mainly about?

A．The dead people’s sacrifices in ancient China.

B．China’s archaeological studies.

C．The discovery of a large chariot pit in Henan.

D．The history of Chinese civilizations.

小题2:According to Ma Juncai, the uncovering of the three pits is a miracle because _______.

A．it shows there may be a tomb group there

B．it’s helpful in discovering Emperor Qinshihuang’s tomb

C．the relics are dated such a long time ago

D．the relics are more than 300 years older than the ones in Shaanxi

小题3:It can be inferred from Paragraph 4 that ______.

A．all dead people had sacrifices in ancient China

B．the discovered pit is the most well-known in the world

C．the discovered pit dates back to the Qin Dynasty

D．Emperor Qinshihuang wanted to maintain his power after death

小题4:Careful plans for the uncovering are needed because ______.

A．another 40 horses are likely to be found as well

B．the whole uncovering could be destroyed easily

C．experts are too busy to spare time for it

D．the government hasn’t agreed to it

小题5:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The discovery has drawn the leading experts’ attention.

B．A lot of cultural relics have been discovered in Henan.

C．40 horses have been discovered together with the chariot pit.

D．The discovered carts in the chariot pit are similar in size.

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