Scientists have found what look like caves on Mars, and say they could be protecting life from the planet’s terrible environment.
The first caves appear as seven mysterious black dots （点） on the pictures which were sent back by NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter. Each as large as a football field, they may be openings into natural caves below the Martian surface.
“If there is life on Mars, there is a good chance that you’d find it in caves,” said Jut Wynne, one of the researchers who noticed th
e features (特征) while working on a US Geological Survey Mars Cave Detection Program.
Jonathan Clarke, a geologist with the Mars Society of Australia, yesterday described the discovery as exciting.
One photo taken at night by an infrared imager(红外线成像器) showed one hole to be unusually warm, suggesting hot air may be flowing out.
“I said: ‘Wow, that’s a cave’” Dr. Clarke said excitedly. “People have been looking for these for a long time; now we have found them.”
He agreed such caves could be perfect places to search for life escaping from the bitterly cold, radiation-soaked(充满辐射的), dry surface.
“Tiny drops of water could collect inside,” he said. “If there are gases coming out, they could provide energy for a whole range of bacteria (细菌). A cave is also a protection from radiation; the surface of Mars is exposed to high levels of space radiation.”
The caves probably formed when tube-shaped lava flows(管状岩浆流) spread across the planet long ago. The outside of the tubes cooled, forming solid walls, while something hotter inside allowed the remaining to flow out, forming caves. What does the passage mainly talk about?
| A．How the caves were formed on Mars. |
| B．How NASA sent the pictures back to earth |
| C．Caves on Mars may be full of hot air or a sign（迹象）of life. |
| D．Scientists have completely recognized the surface of Mars. |
We can learn from the passage that __________.
| A．water has already been found on Mars |
| B．the scientists found all the caves at night |
| C．it is certain that there is life in these caves |
| D．the surface of Mars is bitterly cold, radiation-soaked and dry |
According to the passage, Dr. Clarke was so excited because ________.
A．such caves could provide energy for life |
| B．they had finally found the caves on Mars |
| C．such caves would be perfect places to search for life |
| D．There would be life on Mars. |
Necessary conditions for life on Mars mentioned in the passage may include_________.
| A．lava and energy | B．water and radiation from space |
| C．gases and lava | D．water and protection from radiation |
what does the underlined word “ the planet” in paragraph 1 refer to?
| A．the Mars | B．the earth | C．the caves | D．radiation |
Tom Becker has won the 2007 Waterstone's children's book prize with his first novel, Darkside, receiving a cheque for £1,000 and the promise of display in branches of the book store across the country.
The 25-year-old author described winning as an "unbelievable feeling". "I didn't think my book would be on the shortlist and stood a chance of winning, and it's amazing to receive such an important award at the beginning of my writing career. Needless to say I am absolutely made up." he said.
The novel, inspired by film noir（黑色电影）, fantasy（幻想）and a fascination（迷恋）with the dark side of the 19th century, is for children between the ages of nine and 12. It tells the story of a boy, Jonathan Stirling, who discovers a similar world filled with vampires（吸血鬼）and werewolves（狼人）. This alternative reality has a clearly Victorian air, and is ruled by a descendant（后裔）of Jack the Ripper. Soon hunters from the other side begin searching for Jonathan, who finds himself driven into their world.
Waterstone's head children's buyer, Wayne Winstone, thought highly of Becker's "huge" achievement. He said: "Tom Becker's writing style attracts you in the same way that Darren Shan's does with his mix of adventure and the supernatural.
"I have a feeling that Tom has real potential（潜能）and could be one of the big names in children's writing in the future."
This year's shortlist also included Michael Broad's Jake Cake, Philip Caveney's Sebastian Darke and Siobhan Dowd's A Swift Pure Cry. Last year's prize was won by Julia Golding with The Diamond of Drury Lane.
How did Tom Becker feel at the news that he had won the prize?
| A．He was proud of his ability of making up stories. |
| B．He was shocked and didn’t believe it was true. |
| C．He was very surprised and delighted. |
| D．He had expected he would win the prize. |
Why was Tom Becker’s novel successful according to Wayne Winstone?
| A．Because his novel was inspired by film noir, fantasy and a fascination. |
| B．Because the novel was about the dark side of the 19th century. |
| C．Because his novel was intended for teenagers between the ages of nine and 12. |
| D．Because his writing style is attracting with the mix of adventure and the supernatural |
Which of the following is WRONG according to passage?
| A．The novel Darkside is Tom Becker’s first novel. |
| B．The novel Darkside will be on display all over the country. |
| C．Philip Caveney also won the prize in 2007. |
| D．Jonathan is a major character in the novel Darkside. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Tom Becker is likely to be a most promising novelist in children’s writing in the future. |
| B．Darren Shan’s novels are all very popular with children between the ages of 9 and 12. |
| C．The Waterstone’s children’s book prize is an important prize for young novelists. |
| D．The novels of Michael Broad, Philip Caveney and Siobhan Dowd will be on the shortlist next year. |
The best title for the passage is probably_______.
| A．Tom Becker— a great writer for children |
| B．First-time author wins children’s fiction prize |
| C．An imaginary big prize |
| D．Tom Becker's writing style |
She is widely seen as proof that good looks can last for ever. But, at nearly 500 years of age, time is catching up with the Mona Lisa.
The health of the famous picture, painted by Leonardo da Vinci in 1505, is getting worse by the year, according to the Louver Museum(卢浮宫) where it is housed.
“The thin, wooden panel on which the Mona Lisa is painted in oil has changed shape since experts checked it two years ago,” the museum said. Visitors have noticed changes but repairing the world’s most famous painting is not easy. Experts are not sure about the materials the Italian artist used and their current chemical state.
Nearly 6 million people go to see the Mona Lisa every year, many attracted by the mystery of her smile. “It is very interesting that when you’re not looking at her, she seems to be smiling, and then you look at her and she stops,” said Professor Margaret Livingstone of Harvard University. “It’s because direct vision(视觉) is excellent at picking up details, but less suited to looking at shadows. Da Vinci painted the smile in shadows.”
However, the actual history of the Mona Lisa is just as mysterious as the smile. Da Vinci himself loved it so much that he always carried it with him, until it was eventually sold to France’s King Francis I in 1519.
In 1911, the painting was stolen from the Louver by a former employee, who took it out of the museum, hidden under his coat. He said he planned to return it to Italy. The painting was sent back to France two years later. During World War Ⅱ, French hid the painting in small towns to keep it out of the hands of German forces.We can infer from the text that_______
| A．the Mona Lisa is proved to be able to last another 500 years |
| B．Mona Lisa’s beauty is fading gradually with 500 years passing by |
| C．the Mona Lisa has been catching people’s wide attention in the past 500 years |
| D．Mona Lisa does not look out of date though painted 500 years ago |
Which of the following is true about the Mona Lisa?
| A．It was once taken away and hidden up by German forces. |
| B．Its painter himself loved it greatly and always kept it in a shade. |
| C．Mona Lisa stops smiling when you look at her wanting to see her smiles. |
| D．King Francis I bought it and then returned it to Italy. |
Choose the right order about the happenings onto Mona Lisa.
a. It was stolen from the Louver.
b. Its painter sold it to King Francis I
c. Its state of health was checked.
d. It was returned to France and housed in the Louver Museum.
e. It was hidden and protected against Germans.
| A．b-a-d-e-c | B．d-e-c-b-a | C．d-a-e-c-b | D．b-c-a-d-e |
It may add to the difficulty in repairing the painting that_____.
| A．experts haven’t noticed changes in its shape as visitors do |
| B．it is likely to be stolen again when it’s under repair |
| C．it is uncertain which country, Italy of France, should take charge |
| D．experts aren’t sure about the materials and the chemical state of its oil paint |
A severely handicapped teenager who cannot walk, talk or hold a
paintbrush has won a place at Oxford to study fine art. Hero Joy Nightingale, 16, who communicates through hand movements, is to be given assistants to paint and sculpt(雕塑) in place of her .Her mother Pauline Reid “translated” for her daughter during interviews for the place at Magdalen College.
The teenager is the most severely handicapped student ever to be given a place at Oxford. She suffers from a terrible disease caused by brain damage that makes her unable to speak and her body useless.
She is unlikely ever to be able to walk, feed or care for herself but, thanks to the efforts of her mother. She can communicate. When Hero was four, Pauline designed a system of hand gestures that is equal to the alphabet.
By dictating to the her mother , Hero has created an internet magazine, From the window, which contains by George Carey, Melvyn Bragg, Margaret Atwood and Kofi Annan — all of whom are invited to write for her.
A spokesperson for Oxford said, “The university welcomes applications from students with disabilities. In cases where students are profoundly disabled, there may be many issues(问题) that need to be carefully talked about before an individual can take up a place, such as fixing firmly how the student can best be taught and examined.”
Hero, who suffers almost daily epileptic fits and has a hole in her heart, has not attended school since she was six. She has been taught at home by her mother and father, who work at Kent University.
Peter Giles, her art tutor until last year, said she has a gift for art. “She is ferociously gifted. We would sit together and her mother would grab her daughter’s hand and then we would begin work,” he said.
Together, they built several modern sculptures from plaster and metal. “The instructions would talk a while to decipher(解释，解密). But finally, they would come, and finally make sense.”
Hero’s classes will be held at the Ruskin School Drawing and Fine Art.According to the passage, which of the following statement is NOT TRUE?
| A．Oxford University has taken in other handicapped students besides Hero. |
| B．Hero’s mother is the only person who can understand her fairly well. |
| C．Hero can not create any art works without her fairly well. |
| D．Only through her hand movement, is Hero able to paint and sculpt. |
In the sentence: “But finally, they would come and finally make sense.”, the word “they” refers to _______.
| A．the assistants | B．the mother and the assistants |
| C．Hero’s instructions | D．the mother’s instructions |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Disabled Hero and her Mother |
| B．Disabled Hero Wins Oxford Place |
| C．Oxford University Welcome Disabled Students |
| D．Disabled Students Living in Oxford University |
BEIJING, Oct. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- A recent sudden temperature drop in most areas of China has set off fears of a possible return of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and the country has mobilized to prepare for another outbreak.
North China's Tianjin Port resumed a temperature reporting system on Sunday. Any passengers through the port with a temperature above 38 degrees Celsius would be provided medical observation and reported to relevant authorities.
Zhong Nanshan, a well-known anti-SARS scientist during the last outbreak, said it was unlikely the SARS virus would die out naturally and it would definitely come back, but predicted no widespread epidemic outbreak and the epidemic would not cause serious damage again.
Caught unprepared this spring, Chinese authorities have learned to act quickly before the epidemic can take a hold.
Chinese Vice-Premier Wu Yi Thursday urged strictly implementing the daily SARS epidemic reporting system and warned that people delaying reporting or hiding the true situation would be severely punished.
In Beijing, the disease control center in Dongcheng District has recovered a 24 hour schedule for possible epidemic breakout. Every afternoon before 3:00 o'clock, the center receives SARS reports from every hospital in the district and then reports to the Beijing municipal disease control center and health bureau.
In Beijing Xiehe Hospital, plans are ready for fever patients to receive treatment in a special section. Doctors in that ward, wearing protective clothing, will observe patients for any possible respiratory diseases. Patients with high fever and symptoms of respiratory diseases are required to be observed for one or two weeks.
North China's Shanxi Province and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, the two other hardest-hit areas in the last SARS crisis, have both set up an emergency response mechanism and mobilized all concerned departments. The system has also been set up in rural Inner Mongolia.
People are urged to pick up again the healthy habits they formed during the last SARS outbreak. Zhong Nanshan said the most important way to prevent SARS was to play more sports and maintain good ventilation. Spitting in public and eating wild animals were very dangerous, said Zhong. This passage is mainly about_______.
| A．Zhong Nanshan, a well-known anti-SARS scientist |
| B．What happened during the first outbreak of SARS |
| C．How well China is prepared for another likely outbreak of SARS |
| D．What hospitals in Beijing have done |
Which isn’t included in the measures taken by the Chinese?
| A．A temperature reporting system. | B．The daily SARS epidemic reporting system. |
| C．A 24-hour schedule for possible epidemic breakout. | |
| D．An emergency response mechanism all over the country. |
Which doesn’t belong to Beijing’s reaction to the possible epidemic?
| A．SARS reports must be given to the disease control center and health bureau. |
| B．Fever patients receiving special sections are ready. |
| C．High fever patients are to be observed for 3 weeks. |
| D．Doctors treating high fever patients will wear protection clothes. |
Mass media are tools of communication. They allow us to record and pass information rapidly to a large, scattered audience. They extend our ability to each other by helping us overcome limits caused by time and space. Mass media can be divided into two groups: print media and electronic media. By print media, we mean books, newspapers and magazines. Electronic media include television, radio and movie.
There are a number of ways in which mass media make daily life easier for us. First, they inform and help us keep a watch on our world. They gather and pass on information we would be unlikely or unable to gain on our own.
Second, mass media help us to arrange our time and life. What we talk about and what we think about are greatly influenced by the media. When people get together, they tend to talk about certain happenings on the newspapers or on TV. Because we are provided with differing points of view through different kinds of media every day, we are able to comment on all sides of a certain issue.
Third, mass media help us to connect with various groups in society. Through mass media, we are able to keep in contact with politicians in the world; with famous actors and actresses, and with our beloved singers.
Fourth, the media help to socialize us. We learn about the preferred behavior and values from the people we meet as well as from the media. Through portrayals of people, the media tell us what proper behaviors are. By doing so, they teach us standards of behavior and values, and help us in our daily life.
Fifth, the media are used to persuade people. A good example is advertisements through the media. Newspapers, magazines and TV are filled with all kinds of colorful, persuasive advertisements. Though many advertisements may not say openly that they want you to buy a certain product, they describe their products in such a way that you may want to but them.
Sixth, the media entertain. All of the media make some effort trying to entertain their audience. For example, even though the newspaper is a main medium of information, it also contains entertainment features. Many newspapers offer their readers at least some of the following: comics, fiction books and puzzle games, televisions and magazines are devoted mainly to entertainment. It is guessed that in the future, the entertainment function of mass media will become even more important than it is now.They underlined word “scattered” in paragraph 1 means______.
| A．faraway | B．nearly | C．a small number of | D．small and far apart |
The underlined word “portrayal” in Paragraph 5 means ______.
| A．photograph | B．words | C．description | D．clothes |
According to the passage, which of the following statements isn’t true about medium?
| A．Mass media have an effect on our speech and thoughts. |
| B．Mass media keep us informed and connected. |
| C．Mass media persuade us into buying what we don’t need at all. |
| D．Mass media help us spend time with others in a friendly way. |
Which of the following isn’t included about mass media in the passage?
| A．entertainment | B．sports | C．famous people | D．advertisements |
______ is an old form of mass media now.
| A．Mobile phone | B．Computer | C．Radio | D．Television |
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