Searching for life on other planets
For more than thirty years scientists have been searching for signs of life on other planets. Most of these searches have been done over the radio. The hope is that someone in outer space may be trying to get in touch with us. Scientists also have sent radio and television messages, as well as messages on spaceships traveling through space, on the chance that someone may receive such messages.
Scientists are using powerful radio telescopes to “listen” to signals from about 1,000 stars, all within 100 light years of Earth. In addition, they will scan the entire sky to listen for radio messages from more distant stars. Using a computer, they will be able to monitor more than eight million channels at a time. Scientists are looking for any signal that stands out from the background noise.
Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy, scientists find that five percent are like our sun. Perhaps half of them have a planet like Earth. Such a planet would be a reasonable distance from the star for temperatures to be right for life. Based on the planets in our galaxy, most scientists agree that one or more of these planets may support some life.
However, many scientists wonder whether intelligent life exists on other planets. Some believe that thirty years of searching without any intelligible messages shows that no one is out there. They say that intelligence comparable to ours is unlikely.
Other scientists believe that our search hasn’t been long enough to rule out the possibility that intelligent life exists in our galaxy. Although our sun family is only about five billion years old, our galaxy is about 20 billion years old. In that time some scientists think it is likely that civilizations much more advanced than ours have developed. Perhaps these civilizations send us no signals; perhaps we have not recognized the signals they have sent us. If we hope to find intelligent life, these scientists believe that we have to keep looking.To look for signals from distant stars, scientists _____.
| A．have sent up spaceships to other planets |
| B．have sent radio and television messages to outer space |
| C．are listening to the radio messages all the year round |
| D．will use computers to pick up background noise |
According to the passage, how many planets in our galaxy might be inhabitable?
| A．5 billion. | B．10 billion. | C．15 billion. | D．200 billion. |
Some scientists believe no other planet has life because ______.
| A．most of the researches have been done over the radio |
| B．thirty years of searching doesn’t have any result |
| C．we didn’t send messages on spaceships |
| D．none of the other stars is right for life |
Some scientists think there might be more advanced civilizations on other planets because _____.
| A．some planets support more advanced civilizations |
| B．some civilizations have sent us signals we can’t recognize |
| C．the evolution of intelligence on other planets is unlike ours |
| D．some planets in our galaxy are much older than the earth |
Which of these statements is true based on the information in the passage?
| A．The earth is one of the oldest planets in our galaxy. |
| B．Most scientists believe that there is intelligent life on other planets. |
| C．Scientists are trying different ways to find signs of life on other planets. |
| D．More advanced civilization than ours have developed on other planets. |
A small piece of fish each day may keep the heart doctor away. That’s the finding of a study of Dutch men in which deaths from heart disease were more than 50 percent lower among those who consumed（消费） at least an ounce of salt water fish per day compared to those who never ate fish.
The Dutch research is one of three human studies that give strong scientific support to the long held belief that eating fish can provide health benefits, particularly to the heart.
Heart disease is the number-one killer in the United States, with more than 550,000deaths occurring from heart attacks each year. But previous research has shown that the level of heart disease is lower in cultures that consume more fish than Americans do. There are fewer heart disease deaths, for example, among the Eskimos of Greenland, who consume about 14 ounces of fish a day, and among the Japanese, whose daily fish consumption averages more than 3 ounces.
For 20 years, the Dutch study followed 852 middle-aged men, 20 percent of whom ate no fish.
At the start of the study, average fish consumption was about two-thirds of an ounce each day, with more men eating lean fish than fatty fish.
During the next two decades, 78of the men died from heart disease , The fewest deaths were among the group who regularly ate fish, even at levels far lower than those of the Japanese of Eskimos, This relationship was true regardless of other factors such as age, high blood pressure, or blood cholesterol(胆固醇)levels.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．The Dutch research has proved that eating fish can help to prevent heart disease. |
| B．People who regularly eat fish never suffer from heart disease. |
| C．Heart disease causes more deaths in America than any other disease. |
| D．There is a low level of heart disease in such countries as Japan and Greenland. |
The passage is mainly about______.
| A．the changes in people’s diet |
| B．the daily fish consumption of people in different cultures. |
| C．the high death rate of disease in some countries. |
| D．the effect of fish eating on people’s health |
We can infer from the passage that there are fewer heart disease deaths____.
| A．in Dutch |
| B．in America |
| C．in countries with high consumption of fish |
| D．in countries with good production of fish |
The phrase“this relationship (paragraph 6) refers to the connection between ____ and the level of heart disease.”
| A．the amount of fish eaten |
| B．regular fish-eating |
| C．the kind of fish eaten |
| D．people of different areas |
I was 230 pounds this spring and I decided to get down to a healthier 200.In a house full of food，including snacks bought for my 7yearold sons，I had a hard time cutting calories. Then I noticed my neighbors were having diet meals (减肥餐)．I decided to do the same，knowing I would never be able to stick to a diet if I had to do the buying and cooking myself. I was looking for food that I could afford but I might take a diet more seriously if it hurt me in the wallet.
After online searches，I decided to compare the offerings of four companies：Zone Manhattan，Chefs Diet，NuKitchen and eDiets. All four would send the meals to my door. Three send food daily，while eDiets sends a large package once a week. There were dozens of companies I could have chosen.Research suggests that the economic crisis has made diet programs less tempting.Consumers prefer doityourself diets with foods bought from the supermarket.
NuKitchen regards itself as the “personal chef”．I ordered the fiveday plan ($230.53) and the taste was disappointing. I neither lost nor gained weight on the food.
eDiets promises “healthy，delicious meals sent to your door”．I ordered five breakfasts，five lunches and five dinners. My total cost was $119.70，or less than $25 a day. Overall，the food from eDiets was better than that from NuKitchen.
Chefs Diet charged $380.99 for seven days，making it the most expensive of the four services.I never tasted anything terrible，but I never tasted anything that made me want to renew for a second week.
Zone Manhattan charged $349.80，with tax，for a week’s supply of food，or about $50 a day.I liked the food so much that I lost six pounds in the first four days on the diet.When the author began to have diet meals，she________.
| A．was 200 pounds |
| B．didn’t have any children |
| C．worked as a cook in a company offering diet meals |
| D．didn’t believe she could stick to a diet if she had to cook herself |
What does the underlined word “tempting” in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．Attractive. | B．Expensive. | C．Delicious. | D．Useful. |
Which of the four companies’ food cost the least daily?
| A．Zone Manhattan’s. | B．Chefs Diet’s. |
| C．NuKitchen’s. | D．eDiets’． |
We can learn from the passage that________.
| A．the author gained weight on the food from Nukitchen |
| B．the author would choose the food of Zone Manhattan |
| C．the food from eDiets was the worst of the four |
| D．Zone Manhattan sends food once a week |
Many parents watch the news or other shows as children play nearby. But new research shows that even when the television is just background noise，it may be disruptive to a child’s normal development.
It’s estimated that 75 percent of very young children in the United States live in homes where the television is on most of the time，even though the kids often aren’t watching it. The University of Massachusetts researchers recently studied how TV background noise might affect young children. The study looked at 50 1，2and 3yearolds. Each child came to a lab with a parent and was allowed to play for an hour with various toys. For half the time，a television was on in the room，showing the adult game show as well as advertisements. During the other half hour，the TV was turned off.
As expected，the children paid little attention to the adult television show，glancing at it for less than a few seconds at a time，and less than once a minute. Even so，the distraction (分心) of the background noise had a significant effect on how children at every age played. When the television was on，the children played with each toy for far shorter periods of time，and focused attention during play was also shorter compared to how they played when the TV was off.
Researchers said that even though the children aren’t interested in the show，background TV affects their ability to do various types of play. The finding is important because many wellmeaning parents who wouldn’t let their young children watch television may not realize that even adult programs that don’t interest children still can have an effect.
“Background TV is potentially a chronic (长期的) environmental risk factor affecting most American children，” said the lead author of the study. “Parents should limit their young children’s exposure (接触)．”We know from the passage that________.
| A．background TV noise has little effect on adults |
| B．most young children in America live in homes exposed to TV noise |
| C．the effect of background TV noise on children is immediate |
| D．most parents in America wouldn’t let their children watch TV |
The underlined word “disruptive” in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to________.
| A．harmful | B．important | C．similar | D．related |
In the study，the children________.
| A．were all 3yearolds | B．were asked to watch adult TV shows |
| C．played for an hour while the TV was on | D．played with more than one toy |
What does the study show?
| A．Children pay much attention to adult TV shows. |
| B．Children should be allowed to watch TV for kids only. |
| C．The background TV noise affects children’s ability to focus. |
| D．The more toys a child has，the shorter time he plays with each one. |
London Underground
The world’s first subway was built in London in 1863. At the time，the government was looking for a way to reduce traffic problems in the city of London. The poor areas of the city were so crowded with people that it was almost impossible for horse carriages to get through. The city officials were interested in trying to make it possible for workers to live outside of London and travel easily to work each day. If people had a cheap and convenient way that they could depend on to go to and from work， they would relocate their homes outside of the city. This would help ease(减轻) the pressure of too many people living in the poor parts of London. From these problems，the idea of the London Underground，the first subway system，was born.
The plans for building the Underground met with several problems and delays，but the fast track was finally opened in January 1863. A steam train pulled the cars along the fast underground track which was 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) long. About 30，000 people got on the subway the first day. Riders were treated to comfortable seats (standing up while the train was moving was not allowed)， and pleasant decorations inside each of the cars. However， the smoke from the engine soon filled the air in the tunnels with ash and soot(煤灰)， as well as chemical gases. Fans had to be put in the tunnels later to keep the air clean enough for people to breathe. Even with its problems，riding in the Underground did catch on. It carried 9 million riders in its first year.How did the London Underground solve the smoke problem？
| A．It made the tunnels larger. |
| B．It put fans in the tunnels. |
| C．It cleaned the chemical gases in the tunnels. |
| D．It reduced the number of passengers riding in the train. |
What led the British government to build the London Underground？
| A．Traffic jams and pollution. |
| B．Population and pollution. |
| C．Overcrowding and traffic jams. |
| D．The poverty and subway problems. |
Which of the following is TRUE？
| A．To relocate the workers’ homes outside London，the government built the subway. |
| B．There were so many problems and delays that in 18th century the first subway opened. |
| C．The subway greatly eased the pressure of traffic. |
| D．There were not enough seats for the passengers the first day the subway opened. |
The underlined phrase “catch on” most probably means “______”.
| A．be troublesome | B．become popular and fashionable |
| C．keep up with | D．seize |
For a long time, a boy wondered why his next-desk-pal was always the first in the class, whereas he could only rank the 21st. At home, he asked his mom, “Am I more stupid than other kids? How come I always lag behind? I just can’t come up with an answer.” Mom was aware that her son’s self-respect had been damaged by the ranking system, but she didn’t know what to say to help.
She was tempted (想要) to say that intelligence differs and that yes, her son’s friend really was the smarter boy. But that would have so upset her son. Thank goodness she resisted the temptation to say it.
Her son and his friend went on to high school that year, but despite trying as hard as he could, her son’s friend still outdid him. But she was proud of her boy for his hard work, sincerely proud. It was around this time she decided to take him on a trip to the seaside. On the trip, she at last found an answer for him.
Today her son no longer cares about rankings. He doesn’t have to, for he himself is now the top of the class – at the top national university he attends. Invited to speak to his old high school, he mentioned a valuable childhood experience: “Once, on a trip to the sea, my mother and I were lying on the beach. She pointed to the sea and said to me: ‘Do you see the seabirds fighting for food out there? When a wave comes near, the little birds rise quickly. The “clumsy” seagulls (海鸥) are far less agile (灵活的) and have to struggle to get away from the wave. But these “clumsy” birds prove to have the biggest, strongest wings, which open the widest and allow the bird to travel the furthest. When the season changes, they leave for foreign shores, leaving the little birds behind. Son, I have a feeling that you are one of those seagulls.” From the first paragraph, we could conclude the mother ______.
| A．knew her son was not bright enough |
| B．saw the negative effects of the ranking system |
| C．decided to help with her son’s school work |
| D．was troubled by her son’s low rankings |
The mom was glad she didn’t give an answer at first because ______.
| A．she knew her son would forget his rankings soon |
| B．she felt intelligence doesn’t mean everything |
| C．she knew he was not strong enough for the truth |
| D．she wanted to avoid another blow to her son’s self-respect |
The story conveys the message that ______.
a. only rankings show intelligence
b. hard work and confidence can lead to a change in rankings
c. parents should see children’s strengths and encourage them
d. competition between students is good for society
| A．bc | B．cd | C．abc | D．bcd |
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