| 1. 难度：中等 | |
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Move Earth—It’s Not Science Fiction
LONDON—Scientists have found an unusual way to prevent our planet from overheating: move it to a cooler spot. All you have to do is send a few comets(彗星)in the direction of Earth, and its orbit will be changed. Our world will then be sent spinning into a safer, colder part of the solar system. This idea for improving our climate comes from a group of US National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA)engineers and American astronomers. They say their plan could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet—effectively doubling its working life. The plan put forward by Dr. Laughlin, and his colleagues Don Korycansky and Fred Adams, needs carefully directing a comet or asteroid so that it passes close by our planet and sends some of its gravitational energy to Earth. “Earth’s orbital speed would increase as a result and we would move to a higher orbit away from the Sun, ”Laughlin said. Engineers would then direct their comet so that it passed close to Jupiter or Saturn. The comet would pick up energy from one of these giant planets. Later its orbit would bring it back to Earth, and the process would be repeated. In the short term, the plan provides an ideal way to global warming, although the team was actually concerned with a much greater danger. The Sun is certain to heat up in about a billion years and so“seriously compromise” our biosphere(生物圈)—by cooking us. That’s why the group decided to try to save Earth. The plan has one or two worrying aspects, however. For a start, space engineers would have to be very careful about how they directed their asteroid or comet towards Earth. The smallest miscalculation(误算)in orbit could fire it straight at Earth—with deadly consequences. There is also the question of the Moon. As the current issue of Scientific American magazine points out, if Earth was pushed out of its current position, it is“most likely the Moon would be stripped away from Earth”. This would greatly change our planet’s climate. 1.What makes the scientists plan to move Earth? A. A few comets are moving to the direction of Earth. B. Earth’s working life is coming to an end soon. C. Earth will become too hot for mankind to keep alive. D. The moon is moving farther and farther away from Earth. 2.If the plan is successful, Earth will have a working life of years. A. 12 billion B. 6 billion C. 18 billion D. 24 billion 3.What serious problems might the plan cause according to the passage? A. The comet might hit Earth and man might lose the Moon. B. Earth might be moved too far away and man might be frozen to death. C. The comet might hit Jupiter or Saturn and never return to Earth. D. Earth’s working life might be greatly shortened. 4.What does the underlined word“compromise”mean? A. Provide. B. Benefit. C. Share. D. Endanger.
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| 2. 难度：中等 | |
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Every time Lionel Messi breaks a record, it seems appropriate to compare him to the legends that came before him.
In 2012, he rewrote soccer history on multiple occasions, and his latest record came when he scored his 86th goal of the calendar year, breaking Gerd Muller’s previous mark, before wrapping up the year with 91 goals. All statistics indicate that Messi is currently the best player in the world, and that he will go down in history as the top footballer of his generation. But when he is judged against all-time greats like Pele and Diego Maradona, he still has work to do. We don’t know whether the Barcelona striker will have another year in which he records more than 90 goals, but he must still sustain(维持)a similar level of production for the next several seasons. Messi has already taken part in three of Barcelona’s victorious Champions League(冠军联赛)campaigns, and he played an important role in two of them. In order to firmly establish himself as the greatest club football player in history, he must win the tournament a few more times. Most importantly, the Argentine(阿根廷人)needs to win on the international stage. Regardless of what Messi does for Barcelona, his legacy will be incomplete if he cannot win the World Cup with Argentina. Both Pele and Maradona led their countries to the top of international soccer during their careers, and Messi’s performances for his country have been severely disappointing. While he was still a teenager in 2006-and his lackluster(平淡的)showing is excusable due to his youth-he cannot brush off the disappointment that characterized Argentina’s performance in 2010. But the 4-0 loss to Germany in the 2010 World Cup Quarter Final seems to have sparked Messi. He scored 12 times for Argentina last year, and the next World Cup could finally be Messi’s breakout performance in blue and white stripes. Due to all of his accomplishments, it is easy to forget that the extraordinary footballer is just 25 years old. If he can avoid injury or lengthy slumps(低潮状态)until his speed and skills start to decline due to age, he may continue to break records and win trophies. 1.What will Messi have to do in order to be complete in his soccer career? A. He must win the World Cup with Argentina. B. He must win the tournament a few more times. C. He must defeat Pele and Maradona. D. He must avoid injury or lengthy slumps. 2.How was Messi’s performance in 2010 World Cup? A. Excellent. B. Inspiring. C. Disappointing. D. Normal. 3.What can we infer from the passage? A. Messi has firmly established himself as the greatest club soccer player in history. B. Messi will try his best to win the next World Cup with Argentina. C. Messi can avoid injury and lengthy slumps to break records and win trophies. D. Pele and Maradona led their countries to the top of international soccer during their careers. 4.What is the best title of the passage? A. Lionel Messi, the Best Soccer Player of All Time B. Lionel Messi, the Greatest Soccer Player in History C. Barcelona and Lionel Messi D. World Cup and Lionel Messi
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| 3. 难度：中等 | |
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NO matter which tourist destination you visit, chances are you’ll see Lonely Planet guidebooks in the hands of travelers.
Lonely Planet is one of the world’s largest travel guide brands, publishing more than 500 different guides in eight languages. This year marks the company’s 40th anniversary. The popular brand also produces television shows, websites and podcasts, all dedicated to travel. Some people praise Lonely Planet books because they make traveling easy and affordable. They save you time and keep you from missing the very best things in a place. And of course, their reviews of hostels, hotels and restaurants, in addition to ticket information about your destination, are useful. This can be great if you’re a nervous traveler, or if you haven’t traveled by yourself before. If you’re in a country where you don’t speak the language, sometimes there’s nothing better than getting into a taxi and opening up a guidebook. You simply point to a map, directing the taxi driver to a hostel that’s cheap and clean, with friendly staff and cold beer. But others criticize Lonely Planet and other travel guide publishers. They say guidebooks take the fun and spontaneity(自发性)out of traveling, and that part of the enjoyment of travel comes from the fact that anything can happen. They also lament(哀叹)that if you follow a guidebook, you’ll end up doing the same things and having the same experiences as everyone else. You might end up seeing the same group of people over and over, because everyone is reading the same book and following the same trail. Another criticism of travel guides is that they have an overly(过度的)large influence on local communities. For example, some locals dedicate their lives solely(仅仅)to behaving in ways that attract tourists. They fake a traditional lifestyle, wear traditional clothes and live in traditional houses just to attract tourists’ dollars. 1.The Lonely Planet guidebook can bring you the following advantages EXCEPT that . A. it can help you to save time and money when traveling B. you will not miss the best things without having to make choices C. it provides a lot of useful information about your destination D. you can easily find a nice place to stay in a strange city 2.Who will find a Lonely Planet guidebook very useful? A. Someone who always takes a taxi when traveling. B. A tourist who likes to repeat others’ experiences. C. A person who’s nervous touring an unfamiliar place. D. A native traveler who is traveling alone. 3.People criticize the guidebook because . A. the guidebook is not as useful as most travelers expect B. travelers using it will be bored with meeting the same people on their journey C. travelers using it may not get the chance to have unexpected adventures D. local people keep their old lifestyle under the guidebook’s influence 4.What does the underlined word“fake”in the last paragraph probably mean? A. mistake B. learn C. pretend D. create
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