1 . Round and Round They Go
Space is becoming more crowded. On December 3, a Falcon 9 rocket made by Space X thundered into the sky. On board were 64 small satellites, more than any American company had launched before in one go. They have a variety of uses, from space-based- radar to the monitoring of radio-frequency- emissions.
These objects are part of the latest breed of low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites. This launch is just taste of what is planned. Space X and One Web, a communications firm, plan to launch satellites in their thousands, not hundreds. The pair are set to double the total number of satellites in orbit by 2027.
That promises to change things dramatically on Earth. LEO satellites can bring internet connectivity to places where it is still unavailable or unaffordable. This will also be a lasting source of new demand for the space economy. Morgan Stanley, a bank, projects that the space industry will grow from $350 billion in 2016 to more than $1. I trillion by 2040. New internet satellites will account for a half this increase.
For that to happen, however, three worries must be overcome. Debris(碎片)is the most familiar concern. As long ago as 1978, Donald Kessler, a scientist at NASA, proposed situation in which, when enough satellites were packed into low-Earth orbits, any collision could cause a chain reaction which would eventually destroy all space craft in its orbital plane(平面). The syndrome which bears Mr. Kessler's name weighs heavily on the minds of executives at the new satellite firms. Debris could cause entire tracts(广阔的一片) of space to be unusable for decades.
Solutions exist. One is to grab malfunction satellites and pull them down into Earth's atmosphere. Another is to monitor space more intensively for debris; a US Air Force program me called Space Fence is due to start in 2019. But technology is only part of the answer. Rules are needed to govern the safe disposal(清除) of old satellites from low-Earth orbit. The United States' Federal Communications Commission is revising its regulations with this in mind. Other countries should follow suit.
Cyber-security is a second, long-standing worry. Hackers could take control of a satellite and seal intellectual property, redirect data flows or cause a collision. The satellite industry has been slow to respond to such concerns. But as more of the world's population comes to rely on the infrastructure of space for access to the internet, the need for action intensifies.
The third issue follows from the first two. If a simple mistake or a cyber-attack can cause a chain reaction which wipes out hundreds of billions of dollars of investment, who is liable? Underwriters(保险商) are studying the plans of firms that wish to operate large numbers of satellites. But there is a long way to go before the risks are well understood, let alone priced.
As space becomes more commercialized mind-bending prospects open up: packages moved across the planet in minutes by rocket rather than by plane, equipment sent to other small planets, passengers launched into orbit and beyond. All that and more may come, one day. But such activities would raise the same questions as LEO satellites do. They must be answered before the space economy can truly develop.
1. What can we learn about LEO satellites from the passage?| A．They are supposed to limit the space economy. |
| B．They are expected to increase in large numbers. |
| C．They are designed to move beyond the Earth as far as possible. |
| D．They are mainly intended to bring internet connectivity to remote areas. |
| A．depending entirely on the modern technology |
| B．monitoring the movement of spaceships carefully |
| C．strengthening rules to remove old satellites safely |
| D．destroying all the satellites with problems instantly |
| A．Measure. | B．Increase. | C．Spread. | D．Repeat. |
| A．Lack of satellite regulations. |
| B．Loss of intellectual property. |
| C．Crisis of confidence in the field. |
| D．Slow response of satellite industry. |
| A．It should be further confirmed for its ownership. |
| B．It should be continued because of its advantages. |
| C．It should be done carefully to avoid potential risks. |
| D．It should be stopped in face of the space economy. |
2 . Everybody says that youth is the best time for our lives. Being young means romance, love and new discoveries, but it is also the most difficult time, because you have to make some very important decisions, which will influence your future life.
Things are not easy nowadays even for adults, but for teenagers, Who have to find their own place in society, it’s even difficult. It is necessary not only to adapt to society, but also to be confident of your position in five, ten or even twenty year’s time.
For the future it is important to have a good job. In order to get a really good job, you have to be well educated.
Emotional problems for young people can be very important, too. The first teenager problem is that “nobody understands me”. Some parents often continue to treat their children as little children when they are starting to consider themselves to be adults.
There are also some global problems. Young people in all countries are facing these problems. Let’s start with smoking. According to studies, at the age of 16, almost 72% of all boys and 37% of all girls in Russia have already tried smoking. Smoking is not a natural need.It’s just that teens try it when they want to appear to be more like adults.
Drugs are also a serious problem. Students know the names of drugs well enough. 32% say they have tried drugs at least once, mainly because they were having fun, their friends influenced them to, they wanted to relax or they wanted to seem “cool”. That’s too bad.
So, you see, problems do happen and they can’ t be ignored. We should pay much attention to them.
1. The author doesn’t think that youth is ________.| A．the best time of our lives | B．the most difficult time of our lives |
| C．the time to make some important decisions | D．the time to get a job |
| A．they are seldom understood by others |
| B．they become confident of their position |
| C．they still seem little in some parents’ eyes |
| D．They still consider themselves to be children |
| A．理解 | B．理睬 | C．忽视 | D．发现 |
| A．They consider it to be a natural need. |
| B．Their friends advise them to do so. |
| C．They wish to be “cool”. |
| D．They want to relax themselves. |
3 . Have you ever wanted to stop eating something sweet but you just couldn’t? Is it the first thing you do when you get home from school to look in the biscuit tin? Can you eat a huge bar of chocolate all by yourself? Can you say “no” to sweets at parties? If you can’t, then there is a reason … perhaps you are a sugar addict! Does that sound funny? Well, doctors say that people who eat sweets regularly can easily become addicted to sugar. What’s more, most sugar addicts don’t even realize that they are addicted! Sugar addiction is serious because it can really damage your health. Doctors say that we should eat food which is healthy such as fresh fruits and vegetables, and that we shouldn’t eat a lot of sugar, fat or fast food. But sugar addicts can’t follow this advice. They know they must stop eating sweet food, but they can’t.
So what can you do if you think you are addicted to the taste of sugar? Well, here is some advice:
Eat some fresh fruits when you really want something sweet to eat.
Cut down some sweet food slowly.
Don’t try to stop eating it at once.
You have to tell your parents. If they know, they will help you.
1. What does the underlined word “damage” mean?| A．be harmful to | B．be good for | C．be kind to | D．be sorry for |
| A．Fresh fruits are the best food for us. | B．We shouldn’t eat sugar to keep healthy. |
| C．It’s necessary to stop eating sweet food at once. | D．Parents may help you to give up bad eating habits. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
4 . No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own efforts.
I learned this lesson from an experience many years ago. I took the head coaching job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program.
It was a tradition for the school's old team to play against the new team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no couch, and they didn't even practice to prepare for the Game. Being the coach of the new team, I was excited because I knew we were going to win, but to my sadness we were beaten. I couldn't believe I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I came to realize that my team might not be the number one team in Georgia, but they were depending on me. I had to change my attitude about their ability and confidence.
I stared doing anything I could to help them build a little pride. Most important,I began to treat them like winners. That summer, when the other teams enjoyed their vacations. We met every day and practiced passing and kicking the football.
Six months after suffering our failure on the spring practice field. we won our first game and our second, and continue to improve .Finally, we faced the number one team in the state.I felt that it would be a victory for us even if we lost the game. But that wasn't what happened. My boys beat the best team in Georgia, giving me one of the greatest thrills of my life !
From the experience I learned a lot about how the attitude of the leader can influence the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and encouraged them. I helped them to see themselves differently, and they built themselves into winners.
Winners are made, not born.
1. Who did the author think would become the winners at first?| A．The old team. | B．Their own team. |
| C．The number one team. | D．The other team |
| A．Before their training. | B．During the spring practice. |
| C．At the start of the vacation. | D．Six months after their failure. |
| A．Interests | B．Fears | C．Excitements | D．Concerns |
| A．By building up their confidence. | B．By giving them a lecture. |
| C．By buying them a book. | D．By changing the leader. |
| A．Time is money. | B．Winners are born. |
| C．Losers are always beaten. | D．Practice makes perfect. |
5 . When my father was getting ready for work,our house was ruled by knocks and words.He used to come downstairs to breakfast.
The morning paper lay beside his plate.He always read the “Deaths” first,and then he knocked once on the table.One of my sisters brought his bread,already buttered for him.Usually he said nothing,but once I heard him say,“I love you very much,Edith.I would love more if you buttered my bread on both sides.”He read the paper all through breakfast.
Two knocks on the table meant “I am ready for my tea.”If a single knock followed that meant,“More bread,please.”
After breakfast he said,“Boots.”The paper was spread(展开) for him over the back of an armchair.Yesterday’s paper was put on the chair for his feet,and his boots were brought to him,freshly cleaned.He read standing at the same time putting on his boots.With one boot finished he said,“Bus.”At that point one of the girls went outside to the garden gate and waited there.Her job was to stop a bus when it came.It came early sometimes and it had to wait for my father. “Overcoat,hat.”One of my sisters had already brushed his overcoat.Now she held it open for him.Another girl came with his hat,nicely brushed.“Handkerchief,pipe(烟斗).”They were brought and put,with his tobacco(烟草),into his pocket.He looked out of the window and said either “Walking stick” or “Umbrella”.It was handed to him.Ready now,he was still reading the paper.He didn’t put it down until he heard the shout “Bus coming!” Then he kissed my mother and went out.The girls breathed freely.
How lucky a man was to have a wife and five daughters at home!
1. When the father made the first knock,he meant .| A．he had begun to read the morning newspaper | B．he was made to feel sad by the “Deaths” news |
| C．he would start to read the other parts of thepaper | D．his breakfast should begin |
| A．A kind of bread. | B．One of the writer’s sisters. |
| C．The writer. | D．The writer’s mother. |
| A．their father never helped them |
| B．their father always gave different instructions at the same time |
| C．each of them had to start and finish her job just on time |
| D．they were not clever or quick enough to do their jobs |
| A．Reading newspapers. | B．Having bread buttered on both sides. |
| C．Giving instructions. | D．Being clean and tidy. |
| A．the father was so lazy that he hardly did anything |
| B．the father was the “centre” of the family |
| C．every girl in the family was afraid to do wrong because they didn’t know clearly enough what to do |
| D．the father was hated by all his daughters |
6 . A thief who dropped a winning lottery ticket at the scene of his crime has been given a lesson in honesty.His victim,who picked up the ticket and then claimed the $25,000 prize,managed to trace him,and handed over the cash.The robbery happened when maths professor Vinicio Sabbatucci,58,was changing a tire on an Italian motorway.Another motorist,who stopped “to help”,stole a suitcase from his car and drove off.The professor found the dropped ticket and put it in his pocket before driving home to Ascoli in eastern Italy.
Next day,he saw the lottery results on TV and,taking out the ticket,realized it was a winner.He claimed the 60 million lire(里拉) prize.Then he began a battle with his conscience.Finally,he decided he could not keep the money despite having been robbed.He advertised in newspapers and on the radio,saying,“I’m trying to find the man who robbed me.I have 60 million lire for him—a lottery win.Please meet me.Anonymity(匿名) guaranteed.”
Professor Sabbatucci received hundreds of calls from people hoping to trick him into handing them the cash.But there was one voice he recognized and he arranged to meet the man in a park.The robber,a 35-year-old unemployed father of two,gave back the suitcase and burst into tears.He could not believe what was happening.“Why didn’t you keep the money?”he asked.The professor replied,“I couldn’t because it’s not mine.”Then he walked off,spurning the thief’s offer of a reward.
1. The underlined sentence “Then he began a battle with his conscience.” in Paragraph 2 implies all of the following except that .| A．he knew what he should do as soon as he saw the lottery results |
| B．he hesitated about keeping the money for sometime |
| C．he thought for a moment of avenging himself on the robber |
| D．he came to realize that honesty is more important than money |
| A．wanted to make fun of him | B．hoped to get the money |
| C．knew who the robber was | D．lost the lottery ticket |
| A．Excited. | B．Frightened. |
| C．Ashamed. | D．Incredible. |
| A．accepting | B．claiming |
| C．rejecting | D．cancelling |
| A．A Thief’s Lucky Day | B．A Popular Maths Professor |
| C．A Magic Lottery | D．A Reward of Honesty |
7 . The South American country of Bolivia has a highly varied climate which ranges from hot and moist in the east to high and cool in the west.In fact,the one missing element is a sea breeze,since Bolivia has no coastline.
The population of Bolivia is about three and a half million.Three-fourths of the people live in the mountainous regions,where the altitude varies from 8,000 to over 13,000 feet.The highest mountains are over 21,000 feet high.
About one-tenth of the total population is white.Some of these white citizens are descendants of the Spanish conquerors who came to South America with Pizarro in the sixteenth century.Others white citizens migrated to Bolivia from Europe and the United States because of their interest in trade.The white people in Bolivia control the government and the industries.
About one-fourth of the Bolivians are mixed Indian and white.They usually work as shopkeepers or government employees.More than half of the Bolivians are full-blooded Indians.They are the descendants of the people who made up the Inca Empire.The Inca rulers claimed that they come from a mythical race living on an island in Lake Titicaca.This lake is the largest in South America and one of the highest lakes in the world.
When the Spanish soldiers conquered the Incas,they imposed their own government on the country.They also tried to force the people to practice Roman Catholicism and to speak Spanish.However,even today,most of the Indians still speak their own languages.
1. Which of the following statements is true according to Paragraph 1?| A．West of Bolivia is the Pacific Ocean. | B．East of Bolivia is the Atlantic Ocean. |
| C．North of Bolivia is the Arctic Ocean. | D．There is no ocean around Bolivia. |
| A．2,625,000 | B．3,500,000 | C．1,750,000 | D．875,000 |
| A．English | B．French |
| C．Spanish | D．their own language |
| A．forefathers | B．offspring |
| C．ancestors | D．grandfathers |
| A．about 875,000 Bolivians are mixed Indian andwhite |
| B．some Bolivians serve as shopkeepers or government employees |
| C．Lake Titicaca is one of the highest lakes in the world |
| D．the blood relation of Bolivians |
8 . A 14-year-old killer whale named Wilkie has learned how to “speak” to humans. Wilkie, who lives at a whale aquarium（水族馆）in France, is able to imitate（模仿）a human saying “hello”, “bye-bye” and “one, two” after working with a team of researchers from the UK, Spain, Chile and Germany.
“Killer whales use their blowholes to make noises, almost like speaking out of your nose, so we were not expecting it to be perfect,” Jose Abramson, the lead author, told The Independent. “But we were surprised by how close it was.”
This isn’t the first time animals have learned how to imitate human sounds. Scientists have already made a record of animals like elephants，parrots，dolphins and beluga whales all imitating our words and noises, but it marks a first for killer whales.
Wilkie had already been trained to imitate the actions of a fellow killer whale. Once the scientists made her again learn how to mimic an action; they had her repeat four familiar sounds made by her 2-year-old calf（幼鲸），Moana. Next, they had her make five killer whale sounds she had never heard before, like a noise of opening the door. Then the researchers had Wilkie imitate the sounds made by a human and，finally，words like “ah ha” and her trainer’s name, “Amy”.
Wilkie was quickly able to imitate all the sounds and words, and she was even able to imitate some on the first try. Researchers said they had the first evidence that killer whales might be learning sounds by imitation, but they had no evidence that the killer whales understood what their “hello” stood for.
1. What is the main idea of the text?| A．Killer whales are the first to imitate humans. |
| B．Killer whale Wilkie has been used to test other animals. |
| C．Killer whales are able to imitate the sounds of their children. |
| D．Killer whale Wilkie has learned to imitate some human sounds. |
| A．Wilkie enjoyed human sounds. |
| B．Wilkie lived so close to humans. |
| C．Wilkie made sounds different from human voices. |
| D．Wilkie made sounds quite close to those of humans. |
| A．Change. | B．Copy. |
| C．Arrange. | D．Compare. |
| A．Quick. | B．Kind. |
| C．Honest. | D．Brave. |
| A．whether Wilkie can make human sounds |
| B．whether killer whales can tell voices from noises |
| C．whether Wilkie can understand the words like “hello” |
| D．whether other killer whales can do the same as Wilkie |
9 . Bears can exactly make another bear’s facial expressions. Sun bears open their mouths to match their playmates (伙伴) when they are doing things with others face to face. Researchers believe that such facial mimicry (模仿) has not been seen outside humans and gorillas (大猩猩). In the behavioral study, they found that bears were able to use facial expressions to communicate with others in a similar way to humans and gorillas.
The researchers studied 22 sun bears in the wild for more than two years. In total, 21 matched the open-mouthed expressions of their playmates during face-to-face communications. When they were facing each other, 13 bears made expressions within one second of observing a similar expression from their playmates.
The bears, aged 2-12, were housed in a natural center in Malaysia in which the areas were large enough to allow bears to choose whether to communicate or not. Although they prefer to live alone in the wild, the bears in this study took part in hundreds of games. Among them there were more gentle plays than rough ones.
The research was done by Doctor Ross in the University of Portsmouth. She believes that copying other bears’ facial expressions plays a great part in sun bears’ daily life.
1. How do sun bears respond to others in face to face communication?| A．Touching. | B．Smiling. | C．Opening their mouths. | D．Kissing on the face. |
| A．2. | B．12. | C．21. | D．22. |
| A．Quiet. | B．Violent. | C．Soft. | D．Fair. |
| A．Important. | B．Interesting. | C．Simple. | D．Joyful. |
| A．Most bears can live up to twelve years. |
| B．Most bears prefer to live a social life in the forest. |
| C．Sun bears can copy other bears’ facial expressions to communicate. |
| D．Sun bears are among the animals acting out expressions of human beings. |
10 . Welcome to your future life.
You get up in the morning and look into the mirror. Your face is firm and young-looking. In 2035, medical technology is better than ever. Many people of your age could live to 150, so, at 40, you aren't old at all. And your parents just had an anti-aging(抗衰老）treatment.Now,all three of you look the same age.
You say to your shirt, “Turn red.” It changes from blue to red. In 2035,“smart clothes” contain particles(粒子） much smaller than the cells(细胞）in your body. They can be programmed to change your clothes' color or pattern.
You walk into the kitchen. You pick up the milk from the fridge, but a voice says, “You shouldn't drink that!” Your fridge has read the smart chip(芯片）that contains information about the milk, and it knows the milk is old. In 2035,every article of food in the grocery store has such a chip.
It's time to go to work. In 2035, cars drive themselves. Just tell your “smart car" where to go. On the way, you can call a friend using your jacket sleeves. Such＂smart technology" is all around you.
So will all these things come true?"For new technology to come early,"says scientist Andrew Zolli,“much has to be done so that new things will replace what we have today."The Internet is an example-what will be the next?
1. What is the theme of the text?| A．The Internet. | B．The future life. |
| C．The anti-aging technology. | D．The ways of transportation. |
| A．Clothes. | B．Cells. | C．Colors. | D．Particles. |
| A．It can change its color. | B．It can tell you where to go. |
| C．You can, just tell it where to go. | D．You can call your friend to drive it for you. |
| A．Nothing is impossible. |
| B．Every coin has two·sides. |
| C．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| D．Never count the chicken before they are hatched(孵化）。 |
| A．Science. | B．Health. | C．Fashion. | D．Advertisement. |
