【推荐1】After traveling ten years and hundreds of millions of kilometers, a small probe (探测器) called Philae has for the first time landed on the surface of a comet, a solar system object made of ice and rock.

Philae was sent from the European Space Agency’s main Rosetta spaceship early Wednesday, November 12, 2014. Originally, the mission of the spaceship was to target Comet 46P but when the launch was delayed due to problems with the Ariane 5 launch vehicle, the mission was redirected to Comet 67P, to study the appearance and materials that make up Comet 67P.

The Philae research probe left its mother ship Rosetta and then began a trip toward the comet and landed on its surface hours later. The effort to land on the comet was considered dangerous because just before the planned landing, scientists identified problems in Philae’s active descent system thruster (推进器) used to land the probe.

Rosetta has been orbiting Comet 67P since August 2014. However, it was sent up into space in March of 2004. The spaceship circled the sun until it was in position to meet with the comet.

Comets are the most primitive (原始的) objects in the solar system. Scientists think that they have kept a record of the physical and chemical processes that occurred during the early period when planets were formed. By studying Comet 67P’s make-up and history, scientists wish to unlock the secret of the solar system and even the origin of human lives.

The Philae probe did a series of scientific experiments. Philae examined the materials that make up the comet looking for organic, or carbon-based materials, and inorganic materials. It lasted until March 2015, when the comet was too close to the sun and the surface temperature was too high for Philae to operate.

1. What was Rosetta launched to do?

A．To send Philae to Comet 67P safely.

B．To study the appearance of Comet 46P.

C．To collect information about Comet 67P.

D．To research on the make-up of the solar system.

2. Why was it hard for Philae to land on Comet 67P?

A．Due to technological issues.

B．As a result of power failure.

C．Because of lack of experience.

D．Due to problems in radio systems.

3. What do scientists think of the research on comets?

A．Challenging.

B．Satisfying.

C．Meaningful.

D．Impractical.

4. What may be the best title for the text?

A．Philae landing on Comet 67P

B．Another comet found in space

C．One step further in geography research

D．Great improvement in spaceship design

【推荐2】A new study suggests Earth could have lost up to 60 percent of its atmosphere in the collision of space objects that created the moon. Most scientists believe this event happened about 4 billion years ago when Earth was still developing. They think a massive object, possibly the size of the planet Mars, hit the Earth, sending vaporized particles （颗粒）into space. Gravity is believed to have brought these particles together to form the moon.

The study presents evidence that this collision might have caused Earth to lose between 10 to 60 percent of the atmosphere it had. A report on the study appeared in the publication Astrophysical Journal Letters. The researchers‘ impact assumption is one of three leading theories of how the moon was formed. The others suggest the moon was either created at the same time as Earth, or that it was captured by Earth's gravitational field as it traveled through space.

The researchers decided to explore how massive collisions of objects affected rocky planets with thin atmospheres. To do this, they carried out more than 300 “supercomputer simulations （模拟）The experiment considered the positions at which the objects hit the planet, the speed of the impacts, as well as the size and mass of the colliding objects. Earlier research suggested that impact collisions during the latter stages of the formation of a planet can affect its atmosphere. The computer models in this study expanded on this idea. They showed that a collision like the one that may have formed the moon likely took a large part of Earth's atmosphere.

1. What do most scientists believe?

A．Earth has lost its atmosphere in the collision.

B．The moon was created in the collision of space objects.

C．The planet Mars hit Earth about 4 billion years ago.

D．The collision of space objects caused the atmosphere to increase.

2. What can we infer from Paragraph 2?

A．The collision of Earth and the moon affected gravity.

B．The atmosphere on Earth is the cause of the collision.

C．Scientists hold different points on how the moon was formed.

D．An agreement on the formation of the moon has been reached.

3. What does the passage talk about?

A．The process of the moon's being formed.

B．The heated debate among different scientists.

C．The supercomputer experiment of planets’ collision.

D．The collision of space objects affected Earth's atmosphere.

4. What is the purpose of the passage?

A．To inform.

B．To persuade.

C．To debate.

D．To warn.

【推荐3】A newly discovered planet looks just right for life as we know it, according to an international group of astronomers. Orbiting a star about 500 light-years away, the planet called Kepler-186f is about the same size as Earth. It orbits its star at the right distance for liquid water on the surface. That is a necessary condition for life as we know it.

But it is not exactly like Earth, NASA planetary scientist Elisa Quintana said. "It's more of an Earth's cousin. It's not an Earth's twin. It shares the same characteristics as Earth, but their parent stars are very different," said Quintana.

Kepler-186f orbits a star that is smaller and cooler than our sun. But, writing in the journal Science, the astronomers say the planet appears to be a closer relative than   most of the hundreds of others discovered so far. Some are massive gas-covered giants with thick, crushing atmospheres. Others orbit too close to their stars and are too hot for life.

Two planets discovered last year are in the right orbit and might be good candidates for life, Quintana says, but they are a bit bigger than Earth. "For the first time, we can actually say we now have a planet that is both Earth-sized and orbits in its star's habitable zone," she said.

It may be the first time, but it probably is not the last, says Massachusetts Institute of Technology astrophysicist Sara Seager. "We've been waiting decades to understand how common habitable planets might be, and it's looking like they're really common. And this gives us excitement and motivation to take the next step," said Seager.

The next step would be to look for signs of life in the atmospheres of these distant   worlds. That would take a more sophisticated (高端的；复杂的) space telescope. But budget cuts threaten that mission, says University of California at Los Angeles astrophysicist Ben Zuckerman, "In principle, we could do this in the next few decades. But in practice, because there's no money, it's not gonna happen. It's not gonna happen in my lifetime, for example."

Leaving earthbound concerns behind, NASA's Elisa Quintana believes that when the next-generation space telescope is launched, it will find that we are not alone in the universe.

1. What does the underlined word "That" (Paragraph 1) refer to________

A．The right distance.	B．Liquid water.
C．The right size.	D．A star.

2. According to Elisa Quintana, Kepler-186f ________

A．is more of an Earth's cousin than an Earth's twin

B．has a lot in common with Earth, including their parent stars

C．is a lot bigger than Earth

D．is smaller and cooler than our sun

3. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage？

A．Where there is water, there is life

B．A planet exactly like Earth found

C．Life discovered on Kepler-186f

D．New Earth-size planet found

【推荐2】Melbourne, Australia

Melbourne is a popular tourist city, and it's easy to see its beautiful beaches and busy city life.

Why it's a great choice: Australia as a whole is considered a safe destination for international travel, and because of that, many solo travelers go there. As an English-speaking country, you won't be faced with any language barriers(障碍). Melbourne is easy to get around because you can walk or bike practically anywhere!

Thailand

Thailand is great for solo travelers — perhaps because it is one of the Buddhist mindsets (佛教的心态), which promote equality among the sexes.

Why it's a great choice: Thailand is known for its friendly atmosphere, and as a popular tourist country, there are plenty of chances to meet other like-minded travelers. It is well known for being very cheap, especially in the north. It's a good choice if you want to get away on a budget. Thailand has a lot to offer, from the party-central Bangkok to beautiful beaches and tropical jungle(热带丛林)．

Bali, Indonesia

Bali is a spiritual place with yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches. The friendly people and attractive culture have made Bali one of the most popular places.

Why it's a great choice: you won't be the only solo traveler in Bali. Everyone is known for being friendly and you're sure to meet some good people along the way. As a Hindu island, Bali is the perfect place for a relaxing and spiritual retreat(静修). The Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud is fantastic—if you like monkeys, anyway.

1. Where can you enjoy beautiful beaches with convenient transport?

A．Melbourne, Australia.	B．Thailand.
C．Bangkok.	D．Bali, Indonesia.

2. Which of the following statements is TRUE about Thailand?

A．Travelling in Thailand may not cost you quite a lot.

B．Women are not treated equally in Thailand.

C．You will not have the chance enjoying the tropical scenery.

D．People in Thailand are not friendly enough.

3. What have made Bali one of the most popular places?

A．Yoga, spas, healthy food and beaches.

B．Meeting some good people along the way.

C．Friendly people and attractive culture.

D．Fantastic monkeys in the Sacred Monkey Forest.

4. What type of writing is this text?

A．A travel journal.	B．A business report.
C．A news advertisement.	D．A travel guide.

【推荐3】"Robots help people by making their lives easier, safer, and more fun," says engineer Omar Abdelwahed. Lately, engineers have been developing new kinds of humanoid robots. These high-tech machines are designed to lend a hand everywhere from hotels to disaster areas.

A robot named Petter has been on the job at the Mandarin Oriental hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. When guests have questions or need directions, they can ask Petter. They can also use the robot's touch screen to find the information they need. Petter is able to talk with guests and entertain them with stories too. It can even tell what kind of mood they are in. "Petter provides our guests with information in an exciting and new way," says the hotel manager Donald Bowman.

For a kid, being in the hospital can be boring and even scary. But a small robot called NAO is helping to make hospital stays easier. It was designed to keep people company.

A Tennessee doctor named Phil Parker bought a NAO robot three years ago. He programmed it to talk to and play with young patients. He brought it to hospitals to help sick kids. When kids get medical tests, NAO explains what is going on. The robot also reads to kids and plays games with them like rock, paper, scissors. "The robot has got many kids to smile since they were in the hospital," Parker says.

Other robots are being developed to help in places where it's hard or risky for people to go. Engineers in Japan are building a robot called E2-DR to go into those dangerous areas, searching for and rescuing the people who are trapped or injured.

1. What is special in the way Petter helps guests?

A．It is easier and safer.

B．It is more friendly and considerate.

C．It is more relaxing and fun.

D．It is more exciting and newer.

2. What do we know about NAO?

A．It was programmed by its designer.

B．It was donated to the hospital.

C．It is popular with young patients.

D．It attracts more people to hospital.

3. Where will E2-DR be probably used?

A．In the hotels.

B．In the hospitals.

C．In disaster areas.

D．In the factories.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．The part robots play in our life.

B．The development trend of robots.

C．The appearances of robots.

D．The future of robots.

【推荐1】Tourism probably started in Roman times, Rich Romans visited friends and family who were working in another part of the Roman Empire. But when the Empire broke down, this kind of tourism stopped.

In the early 17th century, the idea of the “Grand Tour” was born. Rich young English people sailed across the English Channel. They visited the most beautiful and important European cities of the time, including Paris in France, and Rome and Venice in Italy. Their tours lasted for two to four years, and the tourists stayed a few weeks or months in each city. The “Grand Tour” was an important part of young people’s education—but only for the rich.

In the 18th century, tourism began to change. For example, people in the UK started to visit some towns, such as Bath to “take the waters”. They believed that the water there was good for their health. So large and expensive hotels were built in these towns.

In the 19th century, travel became much more popular and faster. When the first railways were built in the 1820s, it was easier for people to travel between towns, so they started to go for holidays by the sea. And some started to have holidays in the countryside as cities became larger, noisier and dirtier.

Traveling by sea also became faster and safer when the first steamships were built. People began to travel more to far-away countries.

The 20th century saw cars become more and more popular among ordinary people. Planes were made larger, so ticket prices dropped and more people used them. Thus tourism grew. In 1949, Russian journalist Vladimir Raitz started a company called Horizon Holidays. The company organizes everything—plane tickets, hotel rooms, even food—and tourists pay for it all before they leave home. The package tour and modern tourist industry was born.

The first travel agency in China was set up as early as 1949. But tourism did not take off until 1978. In 2002, the industry was worth 500 billion yuan and became an important part of China’s social development.

1. Which of the following is true?

A．The young men learned little from Grand Tour.

B．Tourism became faster and safer when the first railways were built in the 18th century.

C．More people chose ships for its cheap price.

D．In 2002, tourism became a significant part of China’s social development.

2. We can infer from the passage that ________ played the most important role in the tourism development.

A．transportation	B．education
C．money	D．people’s ideas

3. Modern tourism was born ________.

A．in 1978	B．in Roman times
C．in the early 17th century	D．in 1949

4. The underlined phrase “take off”(in the last paragraph) means ________.

A．plane rising into the air	B．bring down the prices
C．remove hats and clothes	D．develop very fast

【推荐2】Tired of seeing so much garbage along the bank of River Schie in Rotterdam, Dutch artist Tommy Kleyn decided to step up and do something about it. He alone organized a cleanup of the entire bank without leaving any garbage, proving that anyone can indeed make a difference if they want to.

Kleyn would cycle past a part of the Rotterdam riverway and see so much garbage along the bank. The situation troubled him, so he decided to spend 30 minutes every day cleaning the place up, filling one garbage bag a time. And when he posted pictures of his work on Facebook, a few of his friends volunteered to join as well. In five weeks, they had a 100-meter riverbank clean and completely rubbish-free.

Kleyn's action has received great support online, and he has managed to turn it into a small movement. He has set up a Facebook page through which he challenges people to spend 30 minutes a year to fill a garbage bag with rubbish. "It feels great and you'll make a big difference," he wrote. "People are free to share their 'before' and 'after' pictures on the page. The challenge has attracted people in countries. The people came from as far as China to respond with their own photos and stories!"

"I want to show how easy it is to remove rubbish," he added. "Hopefully there will come a time when makers are thoughtful and their goods are no longer wrapped in layers of plastic."

Local officials praised Kleyn's work on the riverbank and helped him raise money for future projects as well. "People can sign up to help me one day a year. For this, they received a coupon, like going to a local restaurant at the lowest price. You can imagine what I've managed to do in 22 days, and what 22 men could do in a day." he said.

1. What happened after Kleyn posted pictures of his work on Facebook?

A．Some of his friends were forced to join him.

B．The whole riverbank was completely rubbish-free.

C．His pictures received little attention from foreigners.

D．His work on the bank of River Schie started to pay off.

2. What do we know about Kleyn's action?

A．It has influenced many people.	B．It is opposed by local officials.
C．It is difficult for Chinese to accept.	D．It has made people stop using layers of plastic.

3. Kleyn decided to make a difference by       ·

A．collecting rubbish bags	B．taking pictures of River Schie
C．cleaning up the banks of River Schie	D．sharing pictures on the Internet

4. What is the main idea of the passage?

A．River pollution in Dutch has been solved by Tommy Kleyn.

B．A Dutch eco-hero proves that one man can make a difference.

C．Environmental protection needs support from the government.

D．Facebook plays an important role in environmental protection.

【推荐3】Mountain-biking

You can choose from guided downhill or cross-country mountain biking to road cycling and families can enjoy peaceful, slower paths and farm trails.

Extra activities include hiking, water park.

GO: Five-night B&B packages including transfers and guided biking, from £374 per person. Bike hire from around £15 a day. See wizzair. com.

Camping

Get back to basics on a campsite with none of that fancy glamping. The pitches are large so you can light your own campfire at night. Walkers are in heaven here, hiking among the limestone hills filled with traditional stone walls.

Also a great destination for fishing, sailing and windsurfing on nearby Lake Semerwater.

GO: Non—electric grass tent pitches from £20 a night. Tipi already pitched from £70 a night. See pitchup.com.

Whale-watching

Scotland’s west coast, one of Europe’s best places to catch sight of whales, has launched a new whale trail. It features 30 top places offering opportunities to see the wildlife and showcases whale heritage sites.

GO: Accommodation along the trail is reasonable including B&B in a double room at Torran in Ullapool from £70 a night. See bandbullapool. co. uk.

1. How much might you pay for two days’ bike-hiring in Mountain-biking?

A．£15.

B．£20.

C．£30.

D．£374.

2. What will you do in Camping?

A．Hunt for animals.	B．Enjoy challenging camping.
C．Visit traditional stone walls.	D．Climb an across-country mountain.

3. Where can you find coastal B&Bs?

A．At bandbullapool. co. uk.	B．At pitchup. com.
C．At wizzair. com.	D．At aurora zone. com.

【推荐1】Saturday, March 24^th

We have arrived in the hot, wet city of Bangkok. This our first trip to Thailand. All the different smells make us want to try the food. We are going to eat something special for dinner tonight. The hotel we are staying in is cheap, and very clean. We plan to stay here for a few days, visit some places in the city, and then travel to Chiang Mai in the North.

Tuesday, March 27^th

Bangkok is wonderful and surprising. The places are interesting. We visited the famous market which was on the water, and saw a lot of fruits and vegetables. Everything is so colorful, and we have taken hundreds of photos already! Later today we will leave for Chiang Mai. We will take the train north, stay in Chiang Mai for two days, and then catch a bus to Chiang Rai.

Friday, March 30^th

Our trip to Chiang Rai was long and boring. We visited a small village in the mountains. The village people here love the quiet life ---no computers or phones. They are the kindest people I have ever met. They always smile and say " hello “. Kathy and I can only speak a few words of Thai, so smiling is the best way to show our kindness. I feel good here and hope to be able to come back next year.

1. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．Chiang Mai is a beautiful city in the south of Thailand.

B．The writer left Chiang Mai for Chiang Rai by bus.

C．The writer is traveling alone in Thailand.

D．The writer will take a bus to Chiang Mai.

2. The people in the village of Chiang Rai______

A．are friendly to others

B．like speaking English

C．hope to live in the cities

D．live a very busy life

3. What is the best title for the whole diary?

A．My First Travel	B．The Outside World
C．Traveling in Thailand	D．My Trip to Chiang Mai

【推荐2】A student is learning to speak British English. He wonders (想知道): Can I communicate with Americans? Can they understand me? Learners of English often ask: What are the differences between British and American English? How important are these differences?             Certainly! there are some differences between British and American English. „There are a few differences in grammar. For example, speakers of British English say “in hospital” and “Have you a pen?” Americans say “in the hospital!” and “Do you             have a pen?”. Pronunciation is sometimes different. Americans usually sound the“ir”s in words like “bird” and “hurt”. Speakers of British English do not sound theirs in these words. There are differences between British and American English in             spelling and vocabulary. For example, “colour” and “honour” are British, “color” and honor” are American. These differences in grammar, pronunciation, spelling and vocabulary are not important, however. For the most part, British and American             English are the same language.
1. American English and British English are different in ___ _____.

A．spelling	B．pronunciation
C．grammar	D．all of the above

2. What is not mentioned (提及) in the passage?

A．Whether there are differences between British English and American English.

B．Whether British English and American English are one language or two.

C．How the differences between British English and American English came about.

D．How important the differences are.

3. Most _____ say “Do you have a watch?”

A．British people	B．Americans
C．children	D．teachers

4. According to this passage, British people and Americans have _______ difficulty in understanding each other.

A．little

B．much

C．some

D．great

【推荐3】A 67-year-old man tried to rescue his dog from a cliff in California and died tragically. Actually,he is not the only pet owner who has risked his life saving an animal. There are many equally brave pet owners whose names are on the same list.

It's a scene from a famous TV series, when at a very important moment the 67-year-old Jack ran back into the family's burning house to save his daughter's dog He later died from cardiac arrest(心脏停搏) caused by taking in too much smoke.

After all that is not real, some might think. But similar stories are not difficult to find, in which the pet owners paid the ultimate price for saving their pets.

Recently, a 61-year-old Florida man was hit by a train with his dog after running out to save it from the railway. One month earlier, a woman in California died in the flames of a wildfire while trying to rescue her dog from a car. And in Texas after a hurricane, a 25-year-old man died from an electric shock after trying to save his sister's cat from her flooded home.

There have been many studies on humans attachment to pets, and there have been results associating health benefits with caring for animals. According to those studies, owning a pet can help lower blood pressure, reduce stress and relieve anxiety or depression.

According to one survey of American Pet Products Association, about 68 percent of the US families own a pet. And of all the pet owners, about 95 percent consider their pets part of the family.

1. What happened to the old man in paragraph 1?

A．He saw a tragedy last week.

B．He climbed a cliff.

C．He lost his life as a result of saving his dog.

D．He joined a growing list of courageous pet owners in an activity.

2. Paragraph 4 is mainly developed by_______.

A．comparing

B．giving examples

C．analyzing

D．giving a definition

3. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Jack's death was a result of heat in the smoke.

B．There aren't other pet owners who choose to do the same as Jack in real life.

C．Humans shouldn't take the risk of saving their pets.

D．There is scientific evidence that having a pet is good for people's health.