For hundreds of years humans have dreamt of finding life on distant planets. Now the hope of discovering real evidence of life has greatly increased
NASA’s Mars detector (探测器), Opportunity, succeeded in finding signs that water once existed on the planet. Opportunity landed on Mars in January. Scientists now believe that the planet could once have supported life.
This discovery was chosen by Science, one of the world’s leading magazines, as the most important scientific achievement of 2004 last Friday
“This little, wheeled, one-armed box went around another planet and has done something no human has ever managed,” according to Science. “It has discovered another place in the universe where life could once have existed.”
“Although we still can’t say that life could have existed in this environment, it is now certain that there was water on Mars,” said Steve Squyres, one of the scientists working on the Mars mission. The evidence comes from pictures and chemical readings taken by Opportunity. It includes marks on rocks like those caused by flowing water on Earth and salty chemicals like those found in dried-out sea-beds. Scientists said the new evidence proved beyond doubt that water has been existed on Mars. But it is still unknown whether the water on Mars was like an ocean or just ice.
While Opportunity has not found any signs of life, the presence of water means life is possible. “In everything we know about life on Earth, there is no example without liquid water,” Squyres said. “So water is important for the search for life on Mars.”
Researchers agree that a future mission (任务) should bring back physical samples (样品). But some scientists worry about the risk that this could introduce dangerous foreign creatures to Earth. “The problem here is how to get the samples back,” Squyres replied. “I think it is our responsibility to limit any risk.”
1. ________ prove that water existed on Mars.
A. The physical samples with salty chemicals
B. The marks on rocks and salty chemicals
C. Scientific achievements of 2004
D. Creatures from Mars
2. Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. It is now certain that there was water on Mars.
B. The water on Mars was like an ocean.
C. Evidence of life on Mars has been found.
D. Search for life on Mars is a great risk to humans.
3. How did scientists draw the conclusion that there was water on Mars?
A. The world’s leading magazine has announced the fact.
B. Scientists have taken many pictures and chemical readings on the Mars.
C. Astronauts have got some rocks from Mars.
D. Scientists have made a study of the pictures and readings sent back by Mars detector.
4. It can be inferred that, if the creatures from Mars came to Earth, ________.
A. they would be kind to humans
B. they would be cruel to humans
C. they would be a great danger to Earth
D. it would be hard to say whether it would be a good news or bad news
Basic Study Manual(Hard cover):$37.50
Future success depends on the ability to learn. Here are the answers to the questions most often asked by students. Read the book and learn:
*What the three barriers(障碍) to study are and what to do about them.
*What to do if you get tired of a subject you are studying.
*Twenty-six simple drills to help you learn how to study easily, rapidly and with full understanding. Buy and read the Basic Study Manual and use it to dramatically improve your ability to study.
Study Skills for Life(Hard cover): ＄31.99
L. Ron Hubbard’s study technology for teenagers opens the door to their future success by giving them advice on how to study and learn. Fully illustrated(插图)for easy comprehension.
Learning How to Learn(Hard cover):＄24.99
The basics of effective study for 8 to 12-year-olds, fully illustrated. Children who read and apply the materials in this book can regain the liking for study. Get this book for a child you want to see win at his studies!
How to Use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children(Hard cover):＄34.90
In spite of billions of dollars spent on “educational research”, children are not taught the most basic skills of learning: how to use a dictionary. Written for children 8 to 12 years old, this fully illustrated book will teach your children:
*How to find words in a dictionary.
*The different ways that words are used.
*How to use a dictionary to correctly pronounce words.
At last, you’ll just pay 50% for these books before January 1,2015.
| A．Teachers | B．Children | C．Adults | D．Parents |
| A．Basic Study Manual |
| B．Study Skills for Life |
| C．Learning How to Learn |
| D．How to Use a Dictionary Picture Book for Children |
| A．$91.88 | B．$129.38 | C．$46 | D．$156.98 |
| A．introduce new books to readers |
| B．guide readers to choose books |
| C．encourage people to buy the books |
| D．contribute these books to those who are interested in them |
Saving money is easy when you don’t have anything to spend it on, but what happens when things come suddenly that demand some of your hard-earned money? These are called expenses (开销).
Chances are, most of your basic living expenses — food, shelter, clothing, medical care — are covered by your family. But perhaps you and your family have agreed that you’ll pay for certain other expenses out of your own money, such as cell phone bills, after-school snacks, jewelry, or club fees (费用).
Expenses that happen regularly, like every week or month, are called “fixed” expenses. The good news is that because you know when these expenses are coming, you can plan for them. But life is full of surprises, and sometimes these surprises turn into expenses, too. You might have an emergency like fixing a flat tire on your bike, or something unusual like the class trip to Six Flags. These are called “unexpected” expenses and if you are smart with your money, you’ll plan for these as well.
Here’s a secret when it comes to saving money: if you think of it as a regular expense, it’ll be easier to put a certain amount aside. Tell yourself that the $20.00 you are trying to save up every month is something you must do, and there’s no getting around it.
What kinds of fixed expenses do you have? Can you think of any unexpected expenses that have come up for you in the past? Can you think of any you might have now or in the near future?
| A．Money spent on medicine. | B．Money spent on clothing. |
| C．Money spent on sports. | D．Money spent on meals. |
| A．Changing a new tire. | B．House rent. |
| C．Buying snacks. | D．Paying for cell phone bill. |
| A．Trying your best to prevent emergencies. |
| B．Earning as much as you can after class. |
| C．Cutting most of your expenses. |
| D．Putting some money aside as a regular expense. |
| A．you can’t let out this secret |
| B．there is no other choice |
| C．you have other solutions to it |
| D．there’s no point in arguing about it |
I was very disappointed not to be able to go to the jazz concert last Friday. The advertisement in the paper said that you could buy tickets at the theatre box in Richland Hills any day between 10:00 and 4:00. Since I work from 9:00 to 5:30, the only time I could go to the theatre was during my 45-minute lunch break. Unfortunately, the theatre is on the other side of the town, and the bus service between my office and Richland Hills is not very good. But if you are lucky, you can make the round trip in 45 minutes.
Last Monday, I stood at the bus stop for fifteen minutes waiting for the bus. By the time I saw one come around the corner, there was not enough time left to make the trip. So I gave up and went back to the office. The same thing happened on Tuesday, and again the next day. On Thursday, my luck changed. I got on a bus right away and arrived at the theatre in exactly twenty minutes.
When I got there, however, I found a long line of people at the office. I heard one man say he had been waiting in line for over an hour. Realizing I would not have enough time to wait in line, I caught the next bus and headed back across the town. By Friday I realized my only hope was to make the trip by taxi. It was expensive, but I felt it would be worth it to hear the concert. The trip by taxi only took 10 minutes, but it felt like an hour to me. When I got to the theatre, I was relieved to see that nobody was waiting in line. The reason, however, I quickly discovered, was that they had already sold all the tickets.
| A．once | B．twice |
| C．three times | D．four times |
| A．forty-five minutes | B．ten minutes |
| C．just twenty minutes | D．over an hour |
| A．pleased | B．sorry | C．puzzled | D．surprised |
| A．complaints of the public transportation (交通) |
| B．anger for buying the ticket |
| C．efforts to buy the ticket |
| D．disappointment at the concert |
It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas. While most people were warming up their cars, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries, saving us from having to walk a long distance from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that, several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had an amazing effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity(人性)as a whole. And it has influenced us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how big or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.
| A．The man’s job was bike racing. |
| B．It was their only possession(财产). |
| C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed. |
| D．They used it for work and daily life. |
| A．the couple worked 60 hours a week |
| B．people were busy before Christmas |
| C．life was hard for the young family |
| D．the stranger brought over the bike |
| A．From radio broadcasts | B．From a newspaper. |
| C．From TV news. | D．From a stranger. |
| A．Strangers are usually of little help. |
| B．One should take care of his bike. |
| C．News reports make people famous. |
| D．An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
Deserts are found where there is little rainfall or where rain for a whole year falls in only a few weeks' time. Ten inches of rain may be enough for many plants to survive if the rain is spread throughout the year. If it falls, within one or two months and the rest of the year is dry, those plants may die and a desert may form.
Sand begins as tiny pieces of rock that get smaller and smaller as wind and weather wear them down. Sand dunes (沙丘) are formed as winds move the sand across the desert. Bit by bit, the dunes grow over the years, always moving with the winds and changing the shape. Most of them are only a few feet tall, but they can grow to be several hundred feet high.
There is, however, much more to a desert than sand. In the deserts of the southwestern United States, cliffs (悬崖) and deep valleys were formed from thick mud that once lay beneath a sea more than millions of years ago. Over the centuries, the water dried up. Wind, sand, rain, heat and cold all wore away at the remaining rocks. The faces of the desert, mountains are always changing—very, very slowly —as these forces of nature continue to
work on the rock.
Most deserts have a surprising variety of life. There are plants, animals and insects that have adapted to life in the desert. During the heat of the day, a visitor may see very few signs of living things, but as the air begins to cool in the evening, the desert comes to life. As the sun begins to rise again in the sky, the desert once again becomes quiet and lonely.Many plants may survive in deserts when___________.
| A．the rain is spread out in a year |
| B．the rain falls only in a few weeks |
| C．there is little rain in a year |
| D．it is dry all the year round |
Sand dunes are formed when___________.
| A．sand piles up gradually |
| B．there is plenty of rain in a year |
| C．the sea has dried up over the years |
| D．pieces of rock get smaller |
The underlined sentence in the third paragraph probably means that in a desert there is .
| A．too much sand |
| B．more sand than before |
| C．nothing except sand |
| D．something else besides sand |
It can be learned from the text that in a desert____________.
| A．there is no rainfall throughout the year |
| B．life exists in rough conditions |
| C．all sand dunes are a few feet high |
| D．rocks are worn away only by wind and heat |
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