We live on Planet Earth, the third planet from the sun. But think about this, what if we lived on the fourth planet from the sun—Mars? Earth and Mars both belong to the solar system. There are many things about them that are the same and different. Let’s compare them and think about how different things would be if we lived on Mars.
| Facts |
Earth |
Mars |
|||
 Orbit(轨道) around the sun |
Moves at about 99,999 kilometers per hour Takes 365 days to make one trip around the sun Earth always keeps the same distance from the sun |
Moves at 87,226 kilometres per hour Takes 687 Earth days to make one trip around the sun Mars is not always the same distance from the sun. It is 205,996,032 kilometres from the sun when it is closest. It is 249,448,320 kilometres from the sun when it is furthest away. |
|||
| Seasons |
Autumn |
about 90 days |
146 days |
||
| Winter |
about 90 days |
160 days |
|||
| Spring |
about 90 days |
199 days |
|||
| Summer |
about 90 days |
90 days |
|||
| Length of Day |
24 hours |
24 hours, 7 minutes |
|||
| Gravity |
A 45-kilogram person on Earth would feel 62% lighter in weight because there is less gravity at the Martian surface. That is about 17 kilograms. |
||||
| Atmosphere |
21% oxygen |
95% carbon dioxide – no oxygen |
|||
| Number of Moons |
One |
Two |
|||
How many kilometers does Earth move every hour?
| A．99,999. | B．87,226. | C．205,996,032. | D．249,448,320. |
How many Earth days does it take Mars to make a trip around the sun?
| A．365. | B．322. | C．687. | D．1052. |
．On Mars and Earth, which season has the same length?
| A．Spring. | B．Summer. | C．Autumn. | D．Winter. |
A person feel lighter on Mars than on Earth because .
| A．there is less gravity on Earth |
| B．there is less gravity on Mars |
| C．there is more oxygen on Earth |
| D．there is more oxygen on Mars |
The following facts are mentioned to compare Earth to Mars except .
| A．Length of Day | B．Numbers of Moons |
| C．Orbit around the sun | D．Size of Earth and Mars |
Angela Zou hardly writes text messages now. Sitting at her office desk, Zou asks her iPhone, where they should go to eat. When it buzzes seconds later, she lifts it to her ear for her friend's reply. The conversation goes back and forth through these pieces of words before they decide on the place for lunch. 
Like millions of others across Asia, Zou is using WeChat, a smartphone app（应用程序）developed in China, to send voice messages, snapshots（快照）and emoticons（表情符号）to her friends. Now that its walkietalkie-style（对讲机式）messages have become everywhere, she said typing feels like hard work.
WeChat's popularity has grown quickly since it came into use in 2011. Tencent, the company that developed the app, announced in September that its users had doubled in six months to 200 million. Most users are in China, though WeChat is being used across Asia and already has users in the US and the UK.
Historically, it has proved difficult for Chinese internet firms to develop in foreign countries. But WeChat is becoming the first Chinese social media application with the possibility to go to the whole world.
WeChat is similar to the popular US-based mobile messaging service WhatsApp, but it does more. It comes in eight languages including English, Arabic and Russian.
"I used WhatsApp before I came back to China from studying abroad and found all my friends were using WeChat," said Zou, who is 25. "Now when I want to contact someone I use WeChat first." The app's features include Look Around, which allows users to chat to strangers nearby, while Moments works like Instagram（图片分享）.Why does Angela Zou hardly write text messages now?
What is WeChat used to do?
Which company of China developed WeChat?
Where is WeChat used?
What do you think of WeChat?
Here is your best chance to travel around the UK in 2014: More than 200 B&Bs（bed & breakfast）across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are chosen to offer you amazing services for your stay at their lowest prices! Don’t miss it. Just collect the vouchers（活动券）in our B&B Daily printed from 01/04/2014 to 07/04/2014 and book the stays for your travel following the terms and conditions below:
● The offer includes a room for the night and a breakfast the next morning.
● The offer is of two kinds: ￡20 per room, valid（有效的）during stay period of 02/04/2014—31/05/2014 and then again 01/09/2014—31/10/2014；￡35 per room, per night, valid during stay period of 01/06/2014—31/08/2014.
● The offer is valid for a basic twin or double room only.
● The stay must be booked directly with the chosen B&Bs before 28/04/2014.
● Each voucher can only be used by the holder to book one room for one night.
● If voucher holders book either the ￡20 or ￡35 per room per night, any additional（附加的） services such as lunch, evening meal or activities may require an extra charge. But these are not required in order to take up the offer. Please check directly with your chosen B&Bs to see what extra services are available.
● Vouchers must be presented（提交）on arrival. If no vouchers are presented, the B&Bs may reserve（保留）the right（权利）to charge（收费）at full price for every night of stay.
● Vouchers may not be used together with any other offer.
● The voucher holders must pay for the stay in full at the time of booking. Additional ￡10 may be paid to confirm the booking and will be returned on arrival.
● The B&Bs reserve the right to refuse voucher holders’ bookings for people under the age of 18.The voucher can be used for a stay at the chosen B&B on ______.
| A．09/01/2014 | B．04/02/2014 | C．01/03/2014 | D．28/04/2014 |
How much should be paid for a two-night stay in October 2014 at a chosen B&B?
| A．￡70 | B．￡40 | C．￡35 | D．￡30 |
What right do the B&Bs reserve?
| A．To charge another ￡10 for bookings with no vouchers. |
| B．To refuse bookings for guest under the age of 18. |
| C．To charge at full price for stays which are not confirmed. |
| D．To request extra charges as tips. |
By taking up the offer, the voucher holders can choose to ______ .
| A．book either a basic twin or double room at the chosen B&Bs |
| B．have lunch or evening meal without paying extra money |
| C．use the B&B offer together with other offers |
| D．book the stays through B&B Daily |
Some people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel as if you have known them half your life. These people have something in common. And once we know what it is, we can try to do it ourselves.
How is it done? Here are several skills that good talkers have. If you follow the skills, they'll help people feel relaxed and make friends with them quickly.
First of all, good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question. One well-known businesswoman says, "At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. It's a common question, but it will get things going." From there you can move on to other matters—sometimes to really personal questions. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.
Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers. This point seems clear, but it isn't. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what sort of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully and attentively. Real listening at least means some things. First it means not to change the subject of conversation. If someone sticks to one topic, you can take it as a fact that he's really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones of voice. If the voice sounds dull, then, it's time for you to change the subject.
Finally, good talkers know well how to deal with the moment of parting. If you're saying good-bye, you may give him a firm handshake and say, "I've really enjoyed meeting you." If you want to see that person again, don't keep it a secret. Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away feeling as if they've known you half their life.Asking questions might be a quite good and suitable way _______.
| A．for you to make more and more new friends |
| B．to begin your business talks |
| C．to get the conversation going smoothly |
| D．for you to make a deep and lasting impression on others |
After having asked somebody a question, it'll be polite of you to _______.
| A．make clear what kind of person he is |
| B．listen to his reply attentively |
| C．wait quietly and patiently for his answer |
| D．go on asking him more questions |
Generally speaking, good talkers are persons who _______.
| A．are good at making any topic interesting |
| B．never talk too much or too little |
| C．always speak in a gentle way |
| D．know how and when they should change the topic of the talk |
If you really want to meet someone again, _______.
| A．you may take him as your lifelong true friend |
| B．it seems necessary for you to let him know it |
| C．it's proper for you to give him a second handshake |
| D．it'll be helpful for you to have further understanding of him |
People enjoy taking trips. But what are the reasons they leave home? One reason is for education. People travel because they want to learn more about other people and other places. They are curious about other cultures. When people are tourists, they get a quick look at different ways of living. Even a short look at another kind of lifestyle is an important lesson. On a trip, a person can learn directly by visiting museums and historic spots. What does a tourist learn who sees the art museums, visits the historical palaces and other scenic spots in Paris and shops along the River Seine? He gets a vivid picture, a real life of one of the French people. He learns about their attitudes（态度）, how they feel about business, beauty and history.
What about the tourist who goes to Hong Kong? Does he get the same information that he could get from a book? He might read that Hong Kong is crowded, that there is less than 200 square meters of space for each person. But seeing and feeling the lack of space will impress him much more. He might read that there are nearly 200 vehicles for every kilometer of roadway. But the sight of so many vehicles parked along the roadside would be a much more vivid lesson. The tourist to Hong Kong will never forget the contrasts(对比，对照): the straight vertical lines of tall modern buildings and the moving lines of boats that people live in.Why do people leave home to travel according to the passage?
| A．For education. |
| B．For adventure. |
| C．To enjoy themselves. |
| D．To look for a different lifestyle. |
What do we learn from the passage about Paris?
| A．It has a large population. |
| B．It has many tall buildings. |
| C．There are 200 vehicles for every kilometer of roadway. |
| D．There are many museums and palaces. |
What impression will a tourist get of Hong Kong?
| A．It has many big and beautiful parks. |
| B．It is very crowded. |
| C．It has many historical spots. |
| D．It is an important industrial center. |
What does the passage tell us about traveling?
| A．It makes our life more interesting. |
| B．It enables us to get first-hand knowledge. |
| C．It helps develop our personalities. |
| D．It brings about changes in our lifestyle. |
Six people are talking about two pie shops in a TV program.
Lily: I’ve been going to Pie House for twenty years. Now Marie’s son is taking care of the business, and he makes pies as good as his mother’s. I enjoy my stay there as before. My family also like the pies. We feel relaxed while staying there.
◇◇◇
Olive: I went to Pie Corner once. Their pies were great, too. But I feel more comfortable at Pie House. I am used to the taste there, which makes me feel happy. I’m really a fan of Pie House.
◇◇◇
Ned: Uncle Roy used to work for my mom. Later he opened Pie Corner on the next block after he got married. At the beginning, it’s not easy for him, but it is becoming more and more popular especially among young people. They think Pie Corner can often give them a surprise.
◇◇◇
Marie: Roy was already quite avant-garde when working with me. I mean he had different, sometimes even strange, ideas about pies. There were times I thought his pies wouldn’t taste good, but they turned out magically delicious. He is really creative and can always make new pies, which attract many people.
◇◇◇
Lee: Ned has done quite well with Pie House. His pies make you feel warm. But if you want to try something interesting, you should go to Pie Corner.
◇◇◇
Chuck: The two pie shops are really different from each other. If eating Roy’s pies is like taking an exciting trip, then Ned’s pies are just like a sweet home you go back to after a long trip. Which one to go to depends on what you like.What do we know about the six people?
| A．They all have been to both pie shops. |
| B．They all talked about what the pies taste like. |
| C．Some of them are the shopkeepers of the pie shops. |
| D．Some of them talked about how the shopkeepers treated their workers. |
Which is true about the pie shops?
| A．Pie House is a family business. |
| B．Pie Corner is next to Pie House. |
| C．Pie Corner has a longer history than Pie House. |
| D．Pie House gives people a place to stay for the night. |
What does ‘avant-garde’ mean in the reading?
| A．Having a new and surprising way of thinking. |
| B．Trying to find out where the problems come from. |
| C．Trying to act like someone who knows everything. |
| D．Having many exciting life experiences. |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号