Have you ever had that fantasy to visit the moon, grab a rock and throw it into space so it would float forever? Soon, if you have got the cash, you can!
Enter the Artemis Project. This new and exciting project is a private one that will “establish a permanent, self-supporting manned lunar base,” which translates into a community on the moon for people to live in. “It’s not a question of whether it’ll work, but rather how long it will take.” according to Gregory Bennett, the founder of the Artemis Project
On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon. That moment became a great achievement in both the space community and for humanity itself. Despite the significance of occasion, almost certainly when viewers saw images of his weightless, bouncing (弹跳) figure they thought, “That looks like fun!”
So the Artemis team is taking realistic approach to a human fantasy: they are marketing the project of a lunar base as pure entertainment.
Veronis, Suhler & Associates are investment bankers for the communications and media industry. Their research found that Americans spent over 40 billion dollars to be entertained in the movies, through home videos and television in 1999.
California investor, Dennis Tito, recently took a trip to the International Space Station, after donating $20 million dollars to the Russian Space program. Wealthy celebrities like Canadian director James Cameron and the brothers of rock band Oasis have also voiced their interest to visit the big ball in the sky. In the same report by Veronis, Suhler & Associates, consumers spent close to 4 billion dollars on video-game software alone. So, for $1.42 billion dollars the Artemis Project is a drop in the entertainment bucket.
University student, Al Dharsee says, “I would certainly go to the moon, if given the opportunity, so that I could look at the earth and laugh. But with the way we treat our own planet, I don’t think we deserve to set foot on any planets or moons for that matter.
However, if you’re one of those ready to book a flight, don’t pack your bags quite yet, your flight is not scheduled to depart for at least a couple of decades.What is the Artemis Project aimed at?
| A．Maintaining a manned lunar base. |
| B．Providing a new kind of entertainment. |
| C．Offering some community-based facilities. |
| D．Finding facts about the first exploration to the moon. |
What did Veronis, Suhler& Associates find through their research?
| A．Wealthy celebrities donated a lot of space programs. |
| B．The Artemis Project would cost less than $1.42 billion dollars. |
| C．Americans paid a large amount of money for entertainment. |
| D．More than $40 billion are spent on communications and media industries in 1999. |
What does Al DHarsee imply?
| A．Most planets deserve to be employed. |
| B．Human beings may destroy the moon. |
| C．It costs too much to destroy the environment. |
| D．The trip to the moon doesn’t appeal to him. |
This text may be taken from .
| A．a fiction story. |
| B．an advertisement. |
| C．an entertainment report. |
| D．a business survey. |
People can be addicted to different things— e．g．alcohol, drug, certain foods，or eventelevision．People who have such an addiction are compulsive: they have a very powerfulpsychological need that they feel they must satisfy．According to psychologists, many peopleare compulsive spenders．They feel that they must spend money．This compulsion, like mostothers, is impossible to explain reasonably．For compulsive spenders who buy on credit, chargeaccounts are even more exciting than money．In other words, compulsive spenders feel thatwith credit, they can do anything．Their pleasure in spending large amounts is actually greaterthan the pleasure that they get from the things they buy．
There is even a special psychology of bargain hunting．To save money, of course, mostpeople look for sales, low prices, and discounts．Compulsive bargain hunters，however, oftenbuy things that they don't need just because they are cheap．They want to believe that they arehelping their budgets, but they are really playing an exciting game．When they can buysomething for less than other people, they feel that they are winners．Most people, expertsclaim, have two reasons for their behavior: a good reason for the things that they do and thereal reason．
It is not only scientists, of course, who understand the psychology of spending habits, butalso business people．Stores, companies, and advertisers use psychology to increase business．They consider people's needs for love, power, or influence, their basic values, their beliefs andopinions, and so on in their advertising and sales methods．
Psychologists often use a method called "behavior therapy（疗法）"to help individuals solvetheir personality problems．In the same way, they can help people who feel that they haveproblems with money．According to psychologists, a compulsive spender is one who spends large amounts ofmoney ．
| A．and takes great pleasure from what he or she buys |
| B．in order to satisfy his or her basic needs in life |
| C．just to meet his or her strong psychological need |
| D．entirely with an irrational eagerness |
According to the passage, compulsive bargain hunters are often in search of the lowest possible prices .
| A．because they feel satisfied if they spend less money than others |
| B．because they like to show off their success in getting things for less money |
| C．because they have money problem |
| D．because they want to save money to help heir budget |
The passage is mainly talking about．
| A．the psychology of money-spending habits |
| B．the purchasing habits of compulsive spenders |
| C．a special psychology of bargain hunting |
| D．the use of the psychology of spending habits in business |
From the passage we may safely conclude that compulsive spenders or compulsive bargainhunters .
| A．are really unreasonable |
| B．need special treatment |
| C．can't be cured |
| D．can never get any help to solve their problems with money |
Dr．Sylvia Earle wants you to stop eating fish．It's not because fish are endangered，thoughwild fish stocks in many oceans are very low．It's not because they're bad for you, though fishin many areas are exposed to poisonous substances in the water．It's because they're smart．
"Fish are sensitive, they have personalities’，says the marine biologist．For Earle, eating afish would be like eating a dog or a cat．“I would never eat anyone I know personally.”
There's a lot more to fish than meets the eye: they talk to each other, they like to betouched, and they engage in behavior that can seem very human．They can remember thingsand learn from experience．Earle and a growing number of animal rights activists see these asstrong arguments against eating fish altogether．
The activists also point out that fish feel pain and fish suffer horribly on their way fromthe sea to the supermarket．“While it may seem obvious that fish are able to feel pain, likeevery other animal, some people think of fish as swimming vegetables，” says Dr. LynneSneddon. “Really，it's kind of a moral question．Is the enjoyment you get from fishing （oreating fish） more important than the pain of the fish?”
Fishermen and （fried） fish lovers are doubtful．"I've never seen a smart fish," says MarieSwaringen as she finishes off a plate of fish at a Seattle seafood restaurant．“If they were verysmart, they wouldn't get caught．"
“For years, everyone's been telling us to eat fish because it's so good for us，” says anotherdiner．‘‘Now I've got to feel guilty while I'm eating my fish? What are they going to think ofnext? Don't eat salad because cucumbers have feelings?"Dr．Sylvia Earle discourage people from eating fish because ．
| A．there are not that many wild fish in the ocean |
| B．fish actually are sensitive and have personalities |
| C．some ocean fish contain poisonous substances |
| D．fish are like dogs or cats that people know personally |
We can infer from the passage that ．
| A．all people don't agree with the idea to stop eating fish |
| B．people will be persuaded not to eat fish in the future |
| C．stopping eating fish will lead to people's not eating vegetables |
| D．we shouldn't care too much about the feeling of fish |
By saying "There's a lot more to fish than meets the eye, "the writer means．
| A．there are far more fish than other animals in the world |
| B．there are more fish in the world than people can see |
| C．people can see more fish if they pay more attention |
| D．fish are not that simple as they appear to people's eyes |
What is the writer's attitude towards people eating fish?
| A．Neutral． | B．Indifferent． | C．Approving． | D．Opposed． |
Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meetings, fundingcuts, and many other administrative chores and started to dream of retirement．Sitting in trafficon a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering．I would imagine spending time withmy grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books．Itold myself that I wouldn't sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anythingrequiring a schedule．
My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me,leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends．On thesecond day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper …On the third day, ...This is retirement? Itried to tell myself that it was just the transition, that those golden moments were right roundthe corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough．But something was missing．
A former colleague asked a favor．A group of students was going to Jamaica to work withchildren in the poorest neighbourhood．Would I interrupt my newfound "happiness" and returnto the students, just this once? One trip．That's all．My bags were packed and by the door．
The trip was very inspiring．I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by thesense of responsibility of the young people on the trip．When I returned home, I offered to workone day a week with a local youth organization．The experience was so positive that I was soonvolunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them intheir voluntary work．
Now，it seems, the tables have turned ．Some days I am the teacher, other days I am thestudent．These young people have reawakened my commitment to social justice issues bychallenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poorand suffer because of greed, corruption and war．Most importantly, they have given me theopportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions．In return, I help them do theircharitable projects overseas．I've gone from running one school to helping oversee theconstruction of schools in twenty-one countries!What did the writer expect to do after he retired?
| A．To stay away from busy schedules． | B．To write some great books． |
| C．To do some voluntary work． | D．To plan for his future． |
Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?
| A．He missed his students in that country． |
| B．He couldn't reflise his colleague's favor． |
| C．He was concerned about the people there． |
| D．He was not satisfied with his retired life． |
The underlined part "the tables have turned" （Paragraph 5 ） means that thewriter ．
| A．improved the situation in his school | B．felt happy to work with students again |
| C．became a learner rather than a teacher | D．changed his attitude toward his retired life |
What does the writer think of his retired life now?
| A．Disappointing． | B．Troublesome． |
| C．Promising． | D．Meaningful． |
People say teenagers are no good. They make too much noise in shopping malls; they drive recklessly（不顾一切地） up and down America’s main streets; they carry chips on their shoulders as big as the Sears Tower. And at least some of the time those things are true. But we shouldn’t forget that there are hard moments in the life of a teenager too.
I watched such a moment not long ago at a woman’s funeral. I didn’t expect the event to affect me. Through much of the ceremony, in fact, I remained unmoved.
The teenage grandson stepped forward. With his very first deep breath, every heart in that church was achingly reminded of something we had all forgotten. Softly he began: “I want to share a few values that Nana taught me. She never failed to see light in any situation. When our family dog would truely attract her, what would Nana say? ‘oh, what beautiful barking that dog has!’ That was Nana. ”
“She was a strong woman who often lived in the shadow of my grandpa, who was a successful businessman in this city. But she was the one behind the scenes who provided the strength and support for my grandpa’s career,” he said, with a voice now trembling, “That was Nana’s way.”
Through a low sob, he continued, “Whenever she did anything worth recognition, you ’d have to hear about it from a different source, because she was never one to show off.”
Finally, in a voice breaking free of sorrow, he looked up and said, “Nana taught me courage. She put up an incredible fight to the end, when she died peacefully, which is how she lived her life. That was Nana’s way, and I hope I can carry on in the same manner.”
There are no hearts as sensitive as those of teenagers, because everything is happening to them for the first time. The trouble with teenagers is that they haven’t learned to be controlled.
When that boy rose to speak about the woman who surely had been his truest and dearest friend, his honest voice dragged each of us out into the open where we could no longer hide in the calm ceremony . He exposed us to the truth about this very real woman who believed in a boy who probably tried the patience of many adults. He reminded us that his grandmother was more than another dot on the chart of life and death.
All over again we felt those powerful losses crossing our own hearts, and we knew that when you say good-bye to something happy, something young in yourself. And that something never really returns, and the pain never really goes away.In the first paragraph, the writer gave some examples to_____.
| A．support his idea that young people are no good. |
| B．introduce his point of view about young people. |
| C．tell people every coin has its two sides. |
| D．young people often make mistakes. |
From the boy’s speech, we know _____.
| A．his grandmother had great influence on him. |
| B．they had a dog which often attacked people |
| C．people had forgotten her until the boy appeared.. |
| D．his grandmother was so weak that she is always living in the shadow of his grandpa |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The boy ‘s speech moved no one present at the funeral except the writer. |
| B．The boy’s being good at expressing himself enabled him to draw everyone’s attention. |
| C．The boy was too grieved to accept the fact that his grandmother had passed away. |
| D．The writer didn’t expect the event would affect him. |
What words can best describe grandmother’s quality?
A. weak, mild and modest.
B.. easygoing, cautious and considerate
C. sensitive and hard on others.
D, patient, optimistic, strong and helpful. The passage tells the readers____.
| A．facing certain bitter facts help young people to grow. |
| B．young people have to control themselves |
| C．the adults should learn from the young. |
| D．the adults should teach the young how to be brave |
I started winning competitions. We still had very little money -- my father had to borrow $5,000 to pay for a trip to the International Young Pianists Competition in Ettlingen, Germany, in 1994, when I was 12. I realized later how much pressure he was under. Tears streamed down his face when it was announced that I'd won -- earning enough money to pay back our loan.
It was soo n clear I couldn't stay in China forever. To become a world-class musician, I had to play on the world's big stages. So in 1997, my father and I moved again, this time to Philadelphia, so I could attend The Curtis Institute of Music. Finally our money worries were easing. The school paid for an apartment and even lent me a Steinway（斯坦威钢琴）.At night, I would sneak into the living room just to touch the keys.
Now that I was in America, I spent two years practicing, and by 1999 I had worked hard enough for fortune to take over. The Chicago Symphony orchestra heard me play and liked me, but orchestra schedules were set far in advance. I thought I might join them in a few years.
The next morning, I got a call. The great pianist Andre Watts, who was to play the "Gala Benefit Evening" at Chicago's Ravinia Festival, had become ill. I was asked to replace him. That performance was, for me, the moment. After violinist Isaac Stern introduced me, I played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. My father's mouth hung open throughout the entire song.
I played until 3:30 a.m. I felt something happening. Sure enough, it was a great success. Still, my father kept telling me, "You'd better practice!" But living in America with me was beginning to relax him. In Beijing I'd been fat -- he made sure I ate -- and he'd been skinny. Now I was getting thin. He wasn't.
My father and I had often practiced a piece called "Horses," a fun version for piano and erhu. One night in Carnegie Hall, after I played Chopin and Liszt, I brought Dad out on the stage, and we played our duet（二重奏）. People went crazy -- they loved it. My father couldn't sleep for days. He was too happy to sleep.
There have been lots of concerts in Carnegie Hall, but for me playing there was especially sweet when I remember the cold days in Beijing. Together, my father and I worked to reach the lucky place where fortune spots you, and lets you shine.In the first paragraph his father cried when it was announced that he'd won mainly because__________.
| A．his father was excited that his son succeeded at last. |
| B．his father was under too much pressure. |
| C．they could pay back the loan with the prize. |
| D．his father was proud of him. |
Tell the order of the events.
a. He and his father moved to Philadelphia.
b. He was asked to replace the great pianist Andre Watts.
c. He and his father played “Horses” together.
d.The Chicago Symphony orchestra heard his performance.
e. The Curtis Institute of Music lent him a Steinway
| A．a, e, c, b, d | B．b, e, a, d, c | C．d, a, e, b, c | D．a, e, d, b, c |
Which of the following statements agrees with the author?
| A．The writer’s father had been very fat before they went to America. |
| B．The writer thought he would be one of them soon when he knew the Chicago Symphony orchestra heard him play and liked him. |
| C．The Curtis Institute of Music finally eased their money worries. |
| D．One can achieve his dream if he is lucky enough. |
The underlined word there in the last paragraph refers to_________.
| A．America | B．Beijing. | C．Carnegie Hall | D．All the places he went to. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．I Took Off! | B．When Fortune Spots Me. |
| C．No Pain, No Gain. | D．My father and I |
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