Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids now，one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it，say some scientists.
Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids(流星)that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don't threaten us. But there are also thousands whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.
Buy $ 50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $ 10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one，the scientists say，we'll have a way to change its course.
Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons. But the cost wouldn't be cheap. Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) How likely the event is; and 2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500,000 years. Sounds pretty rare-but if one did fall，it would be the end of the world. “If we don't take care of these big asteroids，they'll take care of us,” says one scientist. “It's that simple.”
The cure，though，might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “The world has less to fear from doomsday(毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them，” said a New York Times article.
1.What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?
A. They are heavenly bodies different in composition.
B. They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.
C. There are more asteroids than meteoroids.
D. Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.
2. What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth?
A. It is very unlikely but the danger exists.
B. Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.
C. Collisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.
D. It's still too early to say whether such a collision might occur.
3. What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids?
A. It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.
B. It may create more problems than it might solve.
C. It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.
D. Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.
4.We can conclude from the passage that ________ .
A. while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world
B. asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future
C. the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen in our lifetime
D. workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth.
5.Which of the following best describes the author's tone in this passage?
A. Optimistic. B. Critical. C. Objective. D. Subjective.
Young adult filmmakers all hope to show their works in international festivals like Sundance and Toronto. But what about really young filmmakers who aren’t in film school yet and aren’t, strictly speaking, even adults?
They are at the heart of Wingspan Arts Kids Film Festival, tomorrow, in a setting any director might envy: Lincoln Center. Complete with “red carpet” interviews and various awards, the festival has much in common with events for more experienced moviemakers, except for the age of the participants: about 8 to 18.
“What’s really exciting is that it’s film for kids by kids,” said Cori Gardner, managing director of Wingspan Arts, a nonprofit organization offering youth arts programs in the New York area. This year the festival will include films not only from Wingspan but also from other city organizations and one from a middle school in Arlington, Virginia. “We want to make this a national event,” Ms. Gardner added.
The nine shorts to be shown range from a Claymation biography of B. B. King to a science fiction adventure set in the year 3005. “A lot of the material is really mature,” Ms. Gardner said, talking about films by the New York City branch of Global Action Project, a media arts and leadership-training group. “The Choice is about the history of a family and Master Anti-Smoker is about the dangers of secondhand smoke. Dream of the Invisibles describes young immigrants’(移民) feelings of both belonging and not belonging in their adopted country.”
The festival will end with an open reception at which other films will be shown. These include a music video and a full-length film whose title is Pressures.
1. Wingspan Arts Kids Film Festival ______.
A. is organized by a middle school
B. is as famous as the Toronto Festival
C. shows films made by children
D. offers awards to film school students
2.Which of the following is true of Wingspan Arts?
A. It helps young filmmakers to make money.
B. It provides arts projects for young people.
C. It’s a media arts and leadership-training group.
D. It’s a national organization for young people.
3. The underlined word “shorts” in Paragraph 4 refers to ______.
A. short trousers B. short kids C. short films D. short stories
4. Movies to be shown in the festival ______.
A. cover different subjects B. focus on kids’ life
C. are produced by Global Action Project D. are directed by Ms. Gardner
5.At the end of this film festival, there will be ______.
A. various awards B. “red carpet” interviews
C. an open reception D. a concert at Lincoln Center
I began working in journalism(新闻工作) when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.
“ How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“ None.”
“ Where did you go?”
“ The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“ What did you do?”
“ Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“ You just stood there?”
“ Didn’t sell a single one.”
“ My God, Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in, “ Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel(五分镍币). It was the first nickel I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence(自信), and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“ If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “ you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.
1.Why did the boy start his job young?
A. He wanted to be famous in the future.
B. The job was quite easy for him.
C. His mother had high hopes for him.
D. The competition for the job was fierce.
2. From the dialogue between the boy and his mother, we learn that the mother was _______.
A. excited B. interested C. ashamed D. disappointed
3.What did the mother do when the boy wanted to give up?
A. She forced him to continue. B. She punished him.
C. She gave him some money. D. She changed her plan.
4.What does the underlined phrase “this battle”(last paragraph) refer to?
A. The war between the boy’s parents.
B. The arguing between the boy and his mother.
C. The quarrel between the boy and his customers.
D. The fight between the boy and his father.
5.What is the text mainly about?
A. The early life of a journalist.
B. The early success of a journalist.
C. The happy childhood of the writer.
D. The important role of the writer in his family.
阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Using All Your Strength
A young boy was walking with his father along a country road. When they came across a large tree branch 11 the pathway, the boy asked, “Do you think I could 12 it?”
His father answered, “If you use all your strength, I am sure you can.”
The boy tried 13 to lift, pull and push the branch, but it wouldn’t budge. 14 , he said, “Dad, you were wrong. I can’t do it alone.”
“Try again,” his dad said.
This time, as the boy struggled, his father 15 him. Together they pushed the 16
aside.
“Son, the first time you didn’t use all your strength,” his father said. “You didn’t ask me to help.”
This is a valuable 17 . There are many things we can’t do alone, but that doesn’t mean we can’t get them done. We are 18 by resources that can be mobilized (调动) to help us
19 our goals including family, friends and faith.
Sometimes we 20 to ask for help because of 21 or stubbornness. Sometimes we think it is a sign of 22 to admit we need a hand. Sometimes we don’t even 23
asking for help. Whatever the reason is, it is a waste.
It’s 24 that we learn to use all our strength. This includes inner resources such as discipline, courage, and even love. It also includes 25 resources. Just as we should be willing to help others, we should be willing to ask others for help.
1..
A. falling B. stopping C. blocking D. cutting
2..
A. lift B. move C. carry D. throw
3..
A. mightily B. carefully C. hardly D. painfully
4..
A. Excited B. Surprised C. Discouraged D. Unexpected
5..
A. taught B. joined C. pushed D. praised
6..
A. stone B. branch C. road D. tree
7..
A. job B. way C. lesson D. resource
8..
A. hidden B. cheated C. covered D. surrounded
9..
A. set B. change C. achieve D. discover
10..
A. try B. fail C. manage D. stop
11..
A. pride B. mood C. pity D. strength
12..
A. politeness B. slightness C. kindness D. weakness
13..
A. use up B. refer to C. think about D. carry out
14..
A. important B. likely C. possible D. acceptable
15..
A. another B. outer C. natural D. further
If you have decided to study abroad, you might be looking for effective ways to prepare your language skills before you depart. Some students attend ESL (English as a Second Language) classes at local schools while others practice with 1 conversational partner. However, for those in situations 2 these two options are not available, studying ESL online might be the next alternative.
During the past decade, many websites have sprung up on the Internet, 3 (provide) ESL activities to help people practice the major language skills 4 grammar, reading, and vocabulary. Perhaps the 5 (great) interests for students are websites that focus on listening and speaking skills. In the past, listening to audio online was a very slow process, but since high-speed connections appeared, things 6 (change) greatly. A simple Internet search using the term “ESL” will bring up thousands of relevant websites out there, but not all the sites are the same. 7 you want to find a site that is suitable for you, you should look among those that combine good contents with a user-friendly interface and style.
Finally, no matter which site you end up visiting, you should set some goals 8 your study. 9 might include the number of vocabulary you want to learn, specific grammar structures you want to review, 10 even how many minutes you want to read aloud from a newspaper in English.
阅读下面的短文，然后按照要求写一篇150词左右的英语短文。
A young ensign (海军少尉) was given the opportunity to prepare his ship to “set sail”. Soon the ship was driven slowly out of the channel. The ensign’s efficiency was remarkable. In fact, the talk was that he had set a new record for getting the ship underway. Later he was handed a radio message from the captain.
“My personal congratulations on completing the sail with amazing speed,” it read, “but next time wait until your captain goes aboard before getting underway!”
What good is a ship without the captain? The ensign did all the right things, but he never did the most important thing!
It is a matter of priorities (优先). You may accomplish a great deal every day. But are you accomplishing the truly important things? Have you put first things first?
In work and study, in the areas of mental, physical and spiritual health, are you truly doing the important things?
Today, will you put first things first? And how about tomorrow? And the next day? If so, you will one day discover that you are building a life that counts.
【写作内容】
以 Put first things first为题，写一篇读后感。
1. 以约30个词概括所读文章的内容；
2. 以约120个词表达你对该主题的见解，并包括如下要点：
(1) 对该主题发表你的看法；
(2) 以你自己或他人成长的经历说明你的感受。
【写作要求】
1. 作文中可以使用自己的亲身经历或虚构的故事，也可以参照阅读材料的内容但不得 直接引用原文中的句子
2. 文中不能出现真实姓名和学校名称。
【评分标准】 概括准确，语言规范，内容合适，篇章连贯
