NASA is moving ahead with plans to put a long-armed Lander on Mars’ icy North Pole to search for clues for water and possible signs of life.
The $386 million Phoenix Mars is planned to touch down in the Martian arctic in 2008. The stationary probe will use its robotic arm to dig into the icy land and pick up soil samples to analyze. In 2002, the Mars Odyssey orbiter spotted evidence of ice-rich soil near the arctic surface.
Scientists hope the Phoenix mission will find clues to the geologic history of water on the Red Planet and determine whether microbes existed in the ice.
Phoenix will be the first mission of the Mars Scout program, a renewed, low-cost effort to study the Red Planet. “The Phoenix mission explores new territory in the northern plains of Mars analogous to the permafrost regions on Earth,” Peter Smith said.
True to its name, Phoenix rose from the ashes of previous missions. The lander for Phoenix was built to fly as part of the 2001 Mars Surveyor program. But the program broke down after the well-known disappearance of the Mars Polar Lander in 1999. The Polar Lander lost contact during a landing attempt near the planet’s south pole after its rocket engine shut off prematurely, causing the spacecraft to fall about 130 feet to almost certain destruction.
The Phoenix probe had been in storage at a Lockheed Martin clean room in Denver before it was reused for its present mission. It will carry science instruments that were designed for the Mars Surveyor program including an improved panoramic camera and a trench-digging robotic arm. Phoenix will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in August 2007 and land on the planet nine months later.
46. The passage mainly tells readers that _________.
A. clues of water will be found in Phoenix
B. Phoenix will be sent to find clues of water on Mars
C. August 2007 will see Phoenix lift off
D. the Mars Scout program will be carried out
47. The underlined word “prematurely” (paragraph 5) means _________.
A. on time B. behind the time C. out of work D. ahead of time
48. According to the passage, we know Phoenix will land on Mars _________.
A. in May 2008 B. in August 2007
C. in August 2008 D. in September 2008
49. According to the passage, the name “Phoenix” is after the meaning of _________.
A. rebirth B. death C. energy D. hope
50. After Phoenix lands on Mars, we can infer it will firstly _________.
A. find soil samples and send them to the earth
B. look for the icy land to dig for the soil samples
C. take photos and send them to the earth
D. find the remains of the Mars Polar Lander
All plant cells are capable of taking up water. Even dead ones do to a certain degree. Absorption（吸收）of water by dead cell walls makes wood become larger. In common land plants, the living cells of roots take up most of the water. Land plants without roots do exist, however. Those greenish-yellow lichens（苔藓）you see on rocks in the high mountains have no roots. Half a billion years ago, when water plants started to enter the land, the first land plants did not have roots.
Even among the flowering plants, one finds rootless forms. These flowering plants are “the higher plants” because they evolved（进化）recently and are thus considered higher on the evolutionary scale（进化度）. In the Peruvian desert, there grows one of these rootless higher plants, a bromeliad. It is a relative of the pineapple. Even if this plant had roots, they would be of no use, because where the plant grows, it never rains. The plant gets its water only from the dew（露水）it collects at night, when its leaves cool off. Such rootless plants, of course, can be moved with ease, but they will only grow when they are placed out in the open. If they are placed too near a house, the radiation from the heat of the house prevents the leaves from cooling and so prevents dew from forming, and the plant dies. In the southern United States and in Puerto Rico, one sees bromeliads growing high above the streets on the insulation（绝缘物）of electric wires. These plants get their water from rain, and the only soil they ever come in contact with is the dust that may blow on their leaves.
64．From the passage we know that the evolutionary scale is graded according to _______ .
A. evolutionary
cycles B. heights and depths
C. time D. kinds
65．The “bromeliad” is a plant that _______ .
A．has useless roots B. is a pineapple
C．can grow anywhere D. takes up water through its leaves
66．The most suitable title for this passage is “_______ ”.
A. Absorption of water by plants B. Rootless plants
C. Plants in the desert D. Higher plants
The resounding film Avatar has been very popular in the UK and around the world, becoming the fastest film ever to earn $1bn(7bn yuan) in ticket sales.
But as well as being an entertaining feast for the eyes, the sci-fi epic（叙事诗）also introduces the audience to a brand new language invented especially for the film.
The movie is set on an alien planet called Pandora which is inhabited by many strange species. The most humanoid of the planet’s inhabitants are the Na’vi, and it is th
e struggle between the Na’vi and human invader that forms the main story of the film.
The film has been released in 2D and 3D versions.
In order to add a sense of reality to his vision of an alien race the film’s director James Cameron asked a professor of language form the University of Southern California to invent a language for the Na’ vi.
Professor Paul Frommer worked with James Cameron for four years to build upon the original 30 words or so that the director had already come up with for the language.
According to Professor Frommer, the most important aspect of the Na’ vi language was that it could be pronounced.
“This is an alien language but obviously it has to be spoken by human actors,” Professor Frommer told the BBC, “it has to be sounds that human beings are comfortable producing.”
The language currently has around 1,000 words but Professor Frommer hopes to expand it in possible sequels（续集）to the film and in video games.
The professor hopes that one day his creation will have a high level of the Klingon alien language from the Star Trek films.
“There’s a translation of Hamlet into Klingon,” says Professor Frommer.
“If anything happened like this with Na’vi, I’d be delighted.”
60. The underlined word “resounding” in Paragraph 1 means _______ .
A. later B. scientific C. hit D. surprising
61. Which of the following is Right according to the passage?
A. A kind of new language was invented especially for the film.
B. The film Avatar is as good as a film as the Star Trek.
C. The creation in Alien Language is different from that in human beings.
D. Avatar is one of an excellent films invented by Pandora.
62. The most challenging part in the creation of the language is _______ .
A. that Professor Frommer needs to create 1,000 words for the film Avatar by himself
B. that the language is based on that of the Alien planet called Pandora
C. that James Cameron introduces a new style of language to the audience
D. that an Alien language is created to be spoken by human beings
63. We can infer from the passage that _______ .
A. the film Avatar has been released in 2D and 3D versions
B. the most important aspect of the Na’vi language was that it could be pronounced
C. Professor Paul Frommer believes his language creation in the film Avatar is very successful
D. Professor Paul Frommer worked with James Cameron for four years for a sense of reality of the film
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题，每小题2分，满分40分）
Welcome to the National Maritime Museum！
The National Maritime Museum is the largest of its kind in the world, with over two million items in its collections. Twenty galleries display some of the finest sea affairs in historic buildings, which were formerly a school for the sons of seamen.
Opening times
10:00 – 17:00 Winter hours
10:00 – 18:00 Summer hours
Last admission is thirty minutes before closing. Smoking is not allowed in the museum. Eating and drinking are only allowed in the designated areas. Photography and video are not permitted inside the building.
Bookings
Our Central Booking Group handles all group visit enquiries, from schools, group organizers and tour operators.
Education and Interpretation（解说）
Schools’ programs operate in term-time. Programs of talks, tours, work-shops, storytelling, living history and interpretation are run throughout the year, especially at weekends and during school holidays.
E-library
Facilities are provided for electronic access to the Museum’s collections. Please ask a member of staff for directions to the nearest terminals (终端). These facilities are also available from the comfort of your own home.
56. This passage mainly tells us _______ the museum.
A. the way to get to B. the purpose to build
C. a brief introduction to D. a detailed description of
57. Which of the following is certainly forbidden according to the passage？
A. Trying to enter the museum after 5：00 p.m.
B. Taking pictures in front of the museum.
C. Talking loudly when you enjoy the collections.
D. Eating and drinking wherever you are.
58. From the passage we can learn that _______ .
A. the museum runs a school and has students of its own
B. students can receive different kinds of education here
C. part of school education has to be done in the museum
D. school programs are only run at weekends and on holidays
59. It can be inferred from the passage that _______ .
A. the museum is very popular among visitors
B. things from ancient times are more attractive
C. the most valuable things are displayed in the museum
D. the museum is anxious to make more money
A week ago, I had the great pleasure of reading an e-book, When Money Talks, Listen! by Rich Ezzo. It took only about an hour to read.
When I first received a copy, I thought it was a Get Rich Quick-type of publication. Nothing is wrong with Getting Rich Quick, but my mind just doesn't chase after dreams of wealth. I think that if God ever wants me to be rich, he knows where to find my purse.
When I began reading When Money Talks, Listen! I was overjoyed to find that Rich Ezzo isn’t money hungry either. He, too, is hungry for things far more important than money.
Since I love this e-book so much, why wait a week to write the review (书评)? Simple. I wanted to see if the effect it had on me was a keeper. After reading the last word of the e-book, I totally agreed with the subtitle which promised to forever change the way we thought about money. I had so many thoughts running around my mind that 1 had to install (安装) a stop light to stop some while others made their way into the picture, then I yield (使让路) them as a few new ones arrived in town. I had a mental traffic jam, which only goes to show how slow the traffic usually is.
It has been a week and the effect is the same. I truly do look at money different and have even done a few things differently this week. This is an e-book you'll want to read, I promise. I often recommend boos to my daughters, and this is one that I didn't just "suggest" – I left it open at the bottom of the computer and told each one, "Read it you'll love it."
I would never point someone in a direction I wouldn't go myself. I urge you to visit the author’s website, Myster Money, and to download the e-book. You won’t regret it.
72. What's the purpose of this passage?
A. To strongly recommend an e-book. B. To show the author’s attitude towards money.
C. To introduce the general idea of an e-book. D. To point out Rich Ezzo isn’t money hungry.
73. The author didn't write the review as soon as he finished reading tile book because ________.
A. he was too excited to write anything
B. he was not sure whether he liked the book
C. he had to wait for Rich Ezzo's permission
D. he wondered if the book would influence him
74. By saying the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4, the author probably ________.
A. shows that the book brought him many new thoughts
B. shows how bad the traffic is in town
C. describes the difficulty in understanding the book
D. explains it's hard to change one ' s attitude to money
75. Which of the following is supported by the passage?
A. The author has known Rich Ezzo before.
B. The author hasn't dreamed of getting rich immediately.
C. The author always prefers e-books to paper books.
D. The author likes Get Rich Quick-type of publications.
The United States has about 475,000 school buses -- all painted yellow. Each day they carry more than 25,000,000 children, half of all schoolchildren in the country. But these buses, on average, use four liters of diesel (柴油) fuel to travel less than sixteen kilometers. When the school year began last fall, diesel averaged 55 cents a liter nationally. The price nearly doubled, to a dollar and 8 cents, by the end of school in June.
Bob Riley speaks for the American School Bus Council. He says fuel prices for schools arc not much lower than others have to pay. As a result, schools are looking for ways to reduce transportation costs. Bus routes are being redrawn or, in some cases, canceled. Some areas are buying buses that use natural gas or other alternative fuels. Other steps include fewer field trips and less travel by sports teams. And some school districts may end any bus service not required by law.
Studies show that school buses are the safest form of transportation to and from school. The American School Bus Council says cuts in bus service are bad for children and possibly the environment. It says removing buses from the road will mean an increase in other vehicles transporting students. Spokesman Bob Riley says another concern is that reducing bus services might reduce attendance.
But it could also get more children to walk or bicycle to school. And that would surely make people happy at the National Center for Safe Routes to School. More kids walking or biking safely to school is the aim of a three-year-old federal program, part of an international movement. The goal is to increase physical activity and reduce air pollution. The United States will celebrate Walk to School Day on October eighth this year. But for some students, high fuel prices could make every day a walk-to-school day.
68. What does this passage mainly tell us?
A. High fuel prices' influences on school buses. B. New measures to transport school students.
C. The safest form of student transportation. D. The origin of Walk to School Day.
69. Which of the following information is implied in the first paragraph?
A. There are too many school buses in the United States.
B. There are too many students in the US.
C. Diesel prices are going up too rapidly in the US.
D. School buses consume too much diesel in the US.
70. In order to cut down transportation cost, many schools take the following measures EXCEI _____.
A. changing some bus routes B. stopping some bus routes
C. asking parents to drive children to school D. using other types of fuels
71. The National Center for Safe Routes to School encourages more children to walk or bike to school in order to ________.
A. save more fuels and diesel for the country.
B. keep the children safe on their way to school
C. make the children live a simple life
D. keep the children healthy and the environment clean
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