【推荐1】On July 11th Virgin Galactic (维珍银河)finally realized the promise that it would take passengers on life-changing trips in its spaceships. For 4 minutes, its 6 temporarily weightless passengers, including the firm’s co-founder, Sir Richard Branson, saw the planet’s curvature (曲度)against the blackness of outer space. He may have been pleased to beat Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s retired boss, who would go slightly higher for slightly less time in a vehicle built by his own company, Blue Origin, on July 20th.

The two are among a growing group of fans who believe space travel’s time has come. Suborbital (亚轨道的) tourism is part of a broader space economy that has boomed over the past decade thanks to technological advances. Those at Morgan Stanley expect the entire space economy to bring in $1 trillion by 2040, from $350 billion today. UBS expects the entire space economy to produce $800 billion by the end of this decade. Space travel, it thinks, will make “a big contribution” to that total.

But that is highly unlikely. For example, space travel is not even Blue Origin’s main goal. The company is focusing on developing a large new rocket for launching satellites, on selling advanced rocket engines to other companies and on winning NASA contracts such as that for a system to land humans on the Moon. In the long run, Mr. Bezos doesn’t see Blue Origin as a provider of services to thrill-seekers.

The business can be promising once regular flights begin to offset (抵消)the rockets’ development costs. But how fast and by how much is uncertain. Without tourist-friendly places to visit, space travel, with its far higher ticket prices, will not be a huger earner.

Another challenge—also the biggest uncertainty—relates to safety. History has shown that a disaster can set progress back by years. Even with no accidents, problems may come up. Strict top-down rules could mean that industry will no longer have the freedom to pursue new approaches to improving safety.

Space travel may remain a hobby for a few super-rich with a desire to take risks and lots of time to spare. Not exactly a mass market, then, for the time being.

1. Why is the event of Sir Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos mentioned?

A．To describe a debate between them.

B．To introduce the topic of space travel.

C．To prove Virgin Galactic’s development.

D．To draw our attention to the two super-rich.

2. The underlined word “boomed” in Paragraph 2 probably means________.

A．increased

B．recovered

C．slowed

D．weakened

3. What does Blue Origin mainly focus on?

A．Flying the super-rich to space.

B．Improving the safety of space travel.

C．Selling facilities to other companies.

D．Developing the most advanced satellites.

4. Why is space travel not a mass market now?

A．Super-rich people are unwilling to pay for it.

B．There are too many travel places to choose from.

C．Problems of safety and costs remain to be solved.

D．Only the super-rich are allowed by the strict rules.

【推荐2】 Mars appears to be flowing with small streams of salty water, at least in the summer,scientists reported Monday. “It suggests that it would be possible for there to be life today on Mars,” NASA’s science mission chief, John Grunsfeld, said at a news conference on September 28, 2015. The streams are about 12 to 15 feet wide and 300 feet or more long, scientists said.

“What we’re dealing with is wet soil, thin layers of wet soil, not standing water,” said Aifred McEwen of the University of Arizona at Tueson, the principal scientist for the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter's high-resolution imaging experiment.

Because liquid water is essential to life, the findings could have major implications for the possibility of Martian life. The researchers said further exploration is needed to determine whether microscopic life exists on the planet.

The presence of liquid water could also make life easier for astronauts visiting or living on Mars. Water could be used for drinking and for creating oxygen and rocket fuel. NASA’s goal is to send humans there in the 2030s.

       The evidence of flowing water consists largely of dark, narrow streaks on the surface that tend to appear and grow during the warmest Martian months and fade the rest of the year.

Mars is extremely cold even in summer, and the streaks are in places where the temperature is as low as minus 10 degrees Fahrenheit. But salt can lower the freezing point of water and melt ice.

The source of the water is a mystery. Scientists noted it could be melting ice. It could be an underground aquifer, which is rock or sand that can hold water. It is possibly water vapor from the thin Martian atmosphere. Or it may be a combination Michael Meyer, lead scientist for NASA’s Mars exploration program, said the only definitive way for now to determine whether there’s life on Mars is to collect rocks and soil for analysis on Earth — something a U. S. lander set for lift-off in 2020 will do.

1. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Streams of Water Spotted on Mars	B．Astronauts will land on Mars
C．NASA’s Mars Exploration Program	D．A Breakthrough in the Exploration of Mars

2. According to John Grunsfeld, there seems to be              on Mars.

A．salty water

B．standing water

C．rocket fuel

D．human beings

3. Scientists are uncertain about the               of the water on Mars.

A．state

B．source

C．temperature

D．taste

4. What matters to the existence of liquid water on Mars?

A．The distance from the sun.	B．The favorable climate.
C．The gravity of the earth	D．The salt in it.

【推荐3】Man has been to the moon. It has been the first step towards future exploration in space. When compared with the distances between Earth and the other planets, the distance between the Moon and Earth is very short indeed. Mars, the nearest planet to Earth is millions of miles away! Traveling to the planets will be man’s next step. Such travels will be more challenging than the trip to the moon and certainly more exciting and dangerous. Recently, two American spaceships, Viking 1 and 2, landed on Mars trying to discover whether that planet has any life on it. So far the signs of life on Mars has neither been confirmed nor ruled out (排除). Russians have discovered that the surface of Venus is so hot that it is almost certain that there is no life there. Also the atmosphere of Venus is extremely dense and the pressure is nearly a hundred times greater than that of the Earth’s atmosphere. Scientists believe man may find planets which have the same conditions as those we have on Earth, but man should realize Earth will be his only home for a long time and begin to love and care for it.
1. Based on the passage, traveling to the planets will be ___________.

A．man’s first step

B．much easier and even more interesting

C．for more exciting and dangerous

D．man’s final aim

2. Which of the following is Not true?

A．Mars is nearer to the earth than the moon.

B．The moon is much nearer to the earth than Mars.

C．Of all the planets, Mars is the nearest to the earth.

D．All the planets are much farther to the earth than the moon.

3. Man can live in a place under the conditions of ___________.

A．the same pressure as we get on earth

B．much too hot surface

C．normal atmosphere as we have on earth

D．Both A and C

4. Scientists think we should take care of our earth because   ___________.

A．the only home of man will be the earth for a long time

B．the dream to find another home for man will come true

C．no other planets are to take the place of the earth

D．everything needed is provided by the earth

【推荐1】Fauja Singh, 109, who broke marathon records and was called “Superman” before hanging up his running shoes six years ago, will be the subject of a Bollywood film, Fauja, tracing his remarkable career.

Mr. Singh, born in India in 1911, was a keen amateur runner in his youth, but gave it up. After a series of personal tragedies including the deaths of his wife and two of his children, he returned to his former passion in his eighties.

He moved to the UK soon after and now lives in Ilford, cast London, He arrived for his first training session in Redbridge in a three-piece suit, and his first race was the London marathon in 2000. Three years later in Toronto, he broke the world record for the 90-plus. In 2011, when he turned 100, Mr. Singh set eight world records in a day. He ran the 100m in 23.14, then added the 200m, 400m, 800m, 1,500m, the mile, the 3000m and 5,000m world records. Three of the events had never been attempted by anyone over the age of 100 before. Days later, he became the first centenarian(百岁老人) to complete a marathon, once again in Toronto, with a time of 8:25:27.

Mr. Singh retired from competitive running in 2013 but continued jogging for pleasure. He owed his extraordinary longevity (长寿) to a vegetarian diet and avoiding smoking, alcohol and fried food.

Of marathon running he has said, “The first 20 miles are not difficult. As for the last six miles, I keep talking to myself, ‘Keep it up, old boy!’”.

1. Which title is suitable for the text?

A．Fauja Singh Turns 109!	B．A Lifelong Runner
C．Fauja Singh Hangs up his Shoes!	D．A Centenarian Runner

2. What do you know about Fauja Singh?

A．He ran his first marathon in his nineties.	B．He starred in the Indian film, Fauja.
C．He set nine world records in 2011.	D．He has no family members to live with.

3. What’s the third paragraph mainly about?

A．Mr. Singh’ s race achievements.	B．Mr. Singh’ s practice in the U.K.
C．Mr. Singh’ s training experience.	D．Mr. Singh’ s attempts at sports.

4. What contributes to his long life in the view of Mr. Singh?

A．His passion for marathon,	B．His healthy lifestyle.
C．Competitive running.	D．Smoking less.

【推荐3】Although she died more than twenty-five years ago, many Americans still argue about Ayn Rand. People also continue to talk about her ideas and her interesting life.

As a young child, Alisa loved books. She began to write her own stories when she was only seven. She took classes in politics, history, law and writing . In 1926, she traveled to the United States and decided she would never leave. She also decided to change her name to “Ayn Rand.” Newly named, Rand moved to Hollywood, California to work in the movie business. Throughout the 1930s, she published two books, but did not earn much critical or popular recognition.

Then, in1943, Rand's famous book“The Fountainhead”was published. It took her seven years to write the novel. Twelve publishers rejected the book. However, a man named Archibald Ogden loved the story and convinced the Bobbs-Merrill company to publish it. “The Fountainhead”became a huge success around the world. It has sold more than six million copies. It continues to sell about one hundred thousand copies each year.

“The Fountainhead” tells the story of a young building designer named Howard Roark. Roark wants   to   build interesting, modern-looking buildings. However, most people only want to see traditional designs. Roark loves designing and building more than anything in the world. But he refuses to compromise and make buildings he hates. Several people work against Roark and his goals. But in the end, Roark succeeds.

“The Fountainhead ”is an unusual novel for many reasons. It is more than 700 pages long, far longer than most books people read for entertainment. More importantly, it also includes discussions of philosophy, which are not usually found in popular books. Most critics did not like “ The Fountainhead”. But readers loved it. In 1949,it was made into a popular movie.

She lived quietly in New York City until she died in 1982. She is still one of the most loved, and hated, American thinkers and writers.

1. When did Alisa decide to change her name to Ayn Rand?

A．When she began to write her own stories.	B．When she took classes in politics and writing.
C．When she decided to settle in the US.	D．When she moved to Hollywood, California.

2. Which of the following is true of Rand's famous book The Fountainhead?

A．It cost the author eight years to complete.	B．It was loved by all the twelve publishers.
C．It was finally published by Archibald Ogden.	D．It was a great success around the world.

3. What can we learn about Howard Roark?

A．He wants to build interesting, traditional buildings.

B．He loves designing and building anything in the world.

C．He has to give in and make buildings he hates.

D．He achieves his goals and eventually gains success.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The life and writing of Ayn Rand.	B．The interesting life of Ayn Rand.
C．Rand's famous book“The Fountainhead”.	D．Different attitudes towards Rand's book.