Imagine the situation. You are driving along a desert or on a mountain. You have no idea where you are. You passed the last house two hours ago. Then your car breaks down. It is night and it is cold. You have no mobile phone. What do you do? Well, next time take a GPS with you. This invention may be able to help you. It is a device (装置) which uses satellites (卫星) to find the user’s position (位置). It can find your position to within 20 metres. A GPS cannot start your car, but at least you will know where you are.
GPS, which means Global Positioning System, is a small radio receiver. It looks like a mobile phone. It is sometimes put into a watch or a telephone. We also find GPS devices in cars, planes, or boats. Some of these devices have electronic maps, so you know where you are. For example, in a city they can tell you the name of the street.
There are three parts to the Global Positioning System. The first part is the receiver. You can hold it in your hand, or have it fixed into your car, plane, etc. The second part is a group of satellites orbiting(环绕…运行) the Earth. The receiver contacts at least four of the satellites and calculates its position. The third part of the system is a network of ground stations. They are all over the world. They control the satellites and make sure they are working well.
Some people think that in the future the GPS will be as common as the mobile. They are becoming cheaper and more and more accurate. Also there will be new uses for the GPS. Perhaps they will become like watches. Everyone will have one and you will never be lost anywhere.
1.GPS can help you find your position, can’t it?
2.What does a GPS look like?
3.How many things are mentioned that GPS devices can be put into?
4.Why do some people think GPS devices will be popular in the future?
5.What is the use of ground stations?
6.What is the author’s purpose of writing this passage?
The Myth of crop circles
Have you ever heard of the crop circles? It’s a magic event: crops in the field get curved（弯曲的）over one night and show different patterns（图案）. Most times, they show simple circles or circles with rings. So they are named “crop circles”.
It’s not a m_______ event. But in ancient times, people couldn’t see these patterns, because you need to see them from some h_______ places and there were no tall buildings in the fields. With the invention of planes, a lot of aerial（航空的）p_______ let people see the crop circles with their own eyes.
Some people say they are the work of tornado（龙卷风）; and some believe supernatural（超自然的）power c_______ them. But most people think it’s just a trick played by artists. According to some research, 80 percent of the crop circles may be man-made. But some facts are undeniable. At Stonehenge（英国巨石阵）in 1996, a pilot r_______ seeing nothing while flying above the place. Fifteen minutes later, a huge 900-foot pattern of 149 circles a_______. This took eleven scientists more than five hours to survey. How could human beings finish it in just 15 minutes? No one has a certain answer.
1.m________
2.h________
3.p________
4.c________
5.r________
6.a________
It may be difficult to imagine by the year 2100, we will live on Mars. Our own planet, the Earth is becoming more and more _______ and polluted. Luckily, we can start again and build a better world on Mars.
First of all, transport should be much better. _______, our spaceships are too slow to carry large numbers of people to Mars - it takes months. However, by 2100, Spaceships can travel at half the speed of light. It might take us two or three days to get to Mars.
Secondly, humans need food, water and air to live. Scientists should be able to develop plants that can be grown on Mars. These plants will _______ the food and the air that we need.
There is still another _______ for us to live on Mars. Mars makes us much lighter than the Earth does. This will be dangerous because we could easily jump too high and fly slowly away into space. To _______ this, humans on Mars have to wear special shoes to make themselves lighter.
Life on mars may be better than that on the Earth in many ways. People will have more space. Living in a large building with 10 bedrooms is highly _______. Many people believe that robots will do most of our work.
However, life on Mars may not be better than that on the Earth today. Meals will probably be in the form of pills and space travel will make many people feel ill.
1.A.crowded B.modern C.developed D.serious
2.A.At times B.At last C.By the way D.At present
3.A.destroy B.produce C.grow D.support
4.A.hope B.chance C.problem D.mistake
5.A.refuse B.prevent C.realize D.repair
6.A.changeable B.responsible C.possible D.impossible
June 11, 2013 was another big day for Chinese space exploration. Shenzhou X, China’s fifth manned spacecraft, was sent into space. Three astronauts stayed in space for two weeks.
Tiangong-1 is China’s first space module（舱）. It was sent into space in 2011. Shenzhou X first docked（对接）with Tangong-1 on June 13, 2013. It docked twice during the 15 days.
The US, Russia, Japan, Canada and Europe are working together on the International Space Station（ISS）. China wanted to join the ISS but was refused by the US. China decided to build its own space station.
Shenzhou X flew around the Tianggong-1 lab for the first time. The astronauts did repair work experiments on the Tiangong-1.
Wang Yaping, China’s second woman astronaut, taught high school and primary school students about space science. Her teaching helped the students understand some physics ideas better. The lessons aimed to encourage more students to learn about the universe（宇宙）and science.
The three astronauts followed a work and rest schedule（作息时间）that is similar on the Earth. They had Chinese dishes, such as Kung Pao Chicken and fried rice. The food was kept in special bags. At the time of the Dragon Boat Festival, they had Zongzi.
1.Shenzhou X, China’s fifth manned spacecraft was sent into space _________.
A.on June 11, 2013. B.on June 13, 2013. C.on June 11, 2011. D.on June 13, 2011.
2.How long will the three astronauts stay in the space _________.
A.33 days B.14 days C.11 days D.13 days
3.Tiangong-1 is _________ which was sent into space in 2011.
A.a space station B.a manned spacecraft C.a space module D.a space lab
4.China decided to build its own space station because _________.
A.China was very rich B.the US refused China to join the ISS
C.Chinese scientists wanted to do experiment in space D.the astronauts wanted to stay there
5.Wang Yaping taught the lesson to encourage students to _________.
A.become the next Newton
B.experience micro-gravity
C.learn more about the universe and science
D.know more about the life of astronauts.
6.From the last paragraph, we can learn that the three astronauts _________.
A.had a different time schedule in space
B.cooked Chinese food for dinner
C.celebrated Dragon Boat Festival by having Zongzi
D.slept in special sleeping bags
Complete the following sentences as required（根据所给要求，完成下列句子）：
1.The spaceship landed on an unexplored planet after 2 days’ flight. （改为一般疑问句）
_________ the spaceship _________ on an unexplored planet after 2 days’ flight?
2.The wooden horse is so big that they couldn’t take it away. （保持句意基本不变）
The wooden horse is _________ big for them _________ take away.
3.The foreign student has stayed here for nearly three years. （对划线部分提问）
_________ _________ has the foreign student stayed here?
4.our planet, the aliens, more than, visited, on, have, twenty, cities（连词成句）
______________________________________________________.
-Jack, you’re going for an outing tomorrow.Shall we prepare lunch for you?
-____ I’ve got it ready.
A. That’s a good idea. B. That’s very kind of you.
C. Yes, I’d like to D. No, thanks.
