Our beloved dog, Poppy,
2 . SPACE: THE FINAL FRONTIER
“Are we alone? What’s out there?” Looking up at the stars, people have always wanted to learn more about space, and scientists work hard to find answers. They make vehicles to carry brave people into space to find out the secrets of the universe. They also really wish to discover other planets that are suitable enough to support life.
Apollo 11 Moon Landing
Before the mid-20th century, most people felt travelling into space was an impossible dream. However, some scientists were determined to help humans realise their dream to explore space. After many experiments, they succeeded in making rockets that could escape Earth’s gravity. On 4 October 1957, the Sputnik 1 satellite was launched by the USSR and successfully orbited around Earth. Afterwards, the USSR focused on sending people into space, and on 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person in the world to go into space. Over eight years later, on 20 July 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon, famously saying, “That’s one small step for [a] man, one giant leap for mankind.” Following this, many more goals were achieved. For example, America’s NASA space agency launched Voyager 1 on 5 September 1977 to study deep space, and it still transmits data today.
Although scientists try to make sure nothing goes wrong, accidents can still happen. All the astronauts on the USSR’s Soyuz 11 and America’s Challenger died during their missions. These disasters made everyone sad and disappointed, but the desire to explore the universe never died. This is because people believe in the importance of carrying on space exploration despite the huge risks. An example of this ongoing work is the International Space Station. It orbits Earth and has astronauts from different countries on board, providing a continuous human presence in space.
Challenger after the accident
China’s space programme started later than those of Russia and the US, but it has made great progress in a short time. China became the third country in the world to independently send humans into space in 2003, when Yang Liwei successfully orbited Earth in the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft. Then Shenzhou 6 and 7 completed a second manned orbit and the first Chinese spacewalk, followed by the vehicle Jade Rabbit being sent to the moon to study its surface. After that, China launched the Tiangong 2 space lab into space and Tianzhou 1 to dock with it. This signalled one step further in China’s plan to establish a space station in the future. More recently, China has sent Chang’e 4 to explore the surface of the far side of the moon to make measurements and observations.
Jade Rabbit
The future of space exploration remains bright. Europe, the US, and China all have plans to further study and explore planets like Mars and Jupiter. Despite the difficulties, scientists hope future discoveries will not only enable us to understand how the universe began, but also help us survive well into the future.
1. 将每一段与其主旨大意相匹配。| A. Plans to further study. B. The risk of exploring the space. C. The development of space exploration. D. Human’s desire to explore the space. E. China’s space programme. |
Para. 2
Para. 3
Para. 4
Para. 5
2. 阅读第二到第四段并填写表格。
| The development of space exploration | On 4 October 1957, the USSR |
| On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the | |
| On 20 July 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong | |
| On 5 September 1977, America’s NASA space agency | |
| The risk of exploring the space | All the astronauts on the USSR’s Soyuz 11 and America’s Challenger were |
| The desire to | |
| People believe in the | |
| China’s space programme | In 2003, Yang Liwei successfully |
| Then Shenzhou 6 and 7 completed a second manned orbit and the first Chinese | |
| China launched the Tiangong 2 space lab into space and Tianzhou 1 to | |
| More recently, China has sent Chang’e 4 to explore the |
（2）
（3）
（4）
（5）
（6）
（7）
（8）
（9）
（10）
4. 根据课文内容填空。
From the passage, we know that people have
1．公园垃圾乱扔的现象；
2．捡垃圾的意义；
3．报名方式及截止日期。
注意：1.写作词数应为80左右；
2．开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数；
3．可适当添加细节，以使行文连贯。
Dear fellow students,
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Students’ Union
①由于人类活动，许多濒临灭绝的野生动物正面临着灭绝的危险。
②为使它们有一个安全的栖息地，应采取以下措施。
③应制定污染标准以减少空气中的毒物。
④为了与自然和谐相处，国家公园应该被视为野生动物的保护区。
⑤只有为保护野生动物做出贡献，我们才能与自然共存。(倒装句)
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
WELCOME TO CHINATOWN!
The Chinatown in San Francisco is the biggest in America, and also the oldest. It is a very popular tourist draw that receives more visitors each year than even the Golden Gate Bridge. The climate is mild all year round, meaning it is always a good time to visit.
Historically, Chinese immigrants settled in the area during the railroad construction and gold rush period. What started as a residential area for Chinese immigrantsthen turned into a centre for Chinese culture. The majority of residents in Chinatown are still ethnic Chinese, many of whom do not speak English fluently. This allows visitors to experience a real taste of China.
Most of Chinatown was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake, but the city and residents rebuilt it, taking care to include lots of Chinese architecture. Traditionally, visitors enter Chinatown through the legendary Dragon Gate, which was built using materials donated from China. Other famous sites include the Tin How Temple and Bank of Canton, to name but a few. Visitors can also spend hours just exploring the interesting sights, smells, and sounds of China. Portsmouth Square is also a key site, being the centre of Chinatown.
It has a long and famous history, with the author Robert Louis Stevenson having spent much time writing there. These days, the square is a great place to see traditional Chinese culture in real life, such as games of Chinese chess, and people practising tai chi.
The stores in the Chinatown offer a unique range of souvenirs, goods, and clothing. All kinds of traditional Chinese herbal medicine can be found, too, and there are Chinese tea stores, where visitors can taste and buy varieties of Chinese tea.
But perhaps what many tourists and San Franciscans treasure most about Chinatown is its food. There is Chinese food to suit everyone’s taste, with traditional dishes from all over China.
Chinatowns are an important part of the diverse culture of the USA. They allow visitors who have never been to China to experience traditional Chinese culture first hand.
1. Fast readingThe text is mainly about the profile of
2. Careful reading
True or False
1. The weather in the Chinatown in San Francisco is very changeable all year round.
2. The residents in the Chinatown are all Chinese.
3. After the 1906 earthquake, the Dragon Gate in Chinatown was built using materials donated from China.
4. The Portsmouth Square is now a great place to see traditional Chinese culture in real life.
5. All kinds of traditional Chinese herbal medicine can be bought in the Chinatown.
6. Many tourists and San Franciscans treasure the stores most about Chinatown.
3. Postreading
Analyse the sentences
1. The climate is mild all year round, meaning it is always a good time to visit.
[分析] meaning it is always a good time to visit是现在分词短语作
[翻译]
2. What started as a residential area for Chinese immigrants then turned into a center for Chinese culture.
[分析] What started as a residential area for Chinese immigrants是
[翻译]
3. Traditionally visitors enter Chinatown through the legendary Dragon Gate, which was built using materials donated from China.
[分析] which was built using materials donated from China是
[翻译]
TSUNAMI HITS ASIA: OVER 6,500 DEAD
The most powerful earthquake in the past 40 years caused a tsunami that crashed into coastlines across Asia yesterday,
In Sri Lanka, some 1,600 kilometres west of the quake centre, the number of deaths stood
Thousands of people are still missing, and the number of deaths is expected
The Great Barrier Reef is almost the size of Japan, which can be seen from outer space. The reef is made up of living coral
The candidates are supposed to find out
The job was finally offered to Ben Southall from the UK. Ben did a lot when he worked as
On 27 December 2004, a tsunami caused by the
THE NIGHT THE EARTH DIDN’T SLEEP
Strange things were happening in the countryside of northeastern Hebei. For several days, the water in the village wells rose and fell, rose and fell. There were deep cracks that appeared in the well walls. At least one well had some smelly gas coming out of it. Chickens and even pigs were too nervous to eat, and dogs refused to go inside buildings. Mice ran out of the fields looking for places to hide, and fish jumped out of the water. At about 3:00 a.m., on 28 July 1976, bright lights were seen in the sky outside the city of Tangshan and loud noises were heard. But the city’s one million people were asleep as usual that night.
At 3:42 a.m., everything began to shake. It seemed as if the world were coming to an end! Eleven kilometres directly below the city, one of the most deadly earthquakes of the 20th century had begun, a quake that even caused damage more than 150 kilometres away in Beijing. Nearly one third of the whole nation felt it! A huge crack, eight kilometres long and 30 metres wide, cut across houses, roads, and waterways. Hard hills of rock became rivers of dirt. In less than one minute, a large city lay in ruins. Two thirds of the people who lived there were dead or injured. Thousands of children were left without parents. The number of people who were killed or badly injured in the quake was more than 400,000.
Everywhere survivors looked, there was nothing but ruins. Nearly everything in the city was destroyed. About 75 percent of the city’s factories and buildings, 90 percent of its homes, and all of its hospitals were gone. Bricks covered the ground like red autumn leaves, but no wind could blow them away. Most bridges had fallen or were not safe to cross. The railway tracks were now useless pieces of metal. Tens of thousands of cows, hundreds of thousands of pigs, and millions of chickens were dead. Sand now filled the wells instead of water. People were in shock—and then, later that afternoon, another big quake shook Tangshan again. Even more buildings fell down. Water, food, and electricity were hard to get. People began to wonder how long the disaster would last.
But hope was not lost. Soon after the quakes, the army sent 150,000 soldiers to Tangshan to dig out those who were trapped and to bury the dead. More than 10,000 doctors and nurses came to provide medical care. Workers built shelters for survivors whose homes had been destroyed. Hundreds of thousands of people were helped. Water and food were brought into the city by train, truck, and plane. Slowly, the city began to breathe again.
Tangshan started to revive itself and get back up on its feet .With strong support from the government and the tireless efforts of the city’s people, a new Tangshan was built upon the earthquake ruins. The new city has become a home to more than seven million people, with great improvements in transportation, industry, and environment. Tangshan city has proved to China and the rest of the world that in times of disaster, people must unify and show the wisdom to stay positive and rebuild for a brighter future.
1. What’s the main idea of the text?| A．A terrible earthquake of Tangshan. | B．Before the earthquake of Tangshan. |
| C．During the earthquake of Tangshan. | D．Damages of the earthquake of Tangshan. |
| A．The rescue work. B．The revival of the city. C．Warning signs before the earthquake. D．The happening of the big earthquake. E．The bad effects of the earthquake. |
3. Why were people asleep as usual before the earthquake?
| A．Because they didn’t notice anything strange happening. |
| B．Because they knew well about earthquakes. |
| C．Because something strange happened in many places. |
| D．Because they realized the arrival of an earthquake. |
| A．To stress the damage levels of the earthquake. | B．To explain the details of the earthquake. |
| C．To show the speed of the earthquake. | D．To describe the people’s helplessness. |
| A．People who were trapped came to life. |
| B．The trees turned green. |
| C．The animals began to breathe. |
| D．The city returned to normal gradually. |
| A．Calm. | B．Pessimistic(悲观的)． |
| C．Serious but hopeful. | D．Heartbroken but cautious(谨慎的)． |
(1)Hard hills of rock became rivers of dirt.
(2)It seemed as if the world were coming to an end.
(3)Tangshan started to revive itself and get back up on its feet.
10 . TSUNAMI HITS ASIA: OVER 6,500 DEAD
By Robert Woodhouse Monday, 27 December 2004
The most powerful earthquake in the past 40 years caused a tsunami that crashed into coastlines across Asia yesterday, killing more than 6,500 people in Indonesia, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and at least four other countries. Fishermen, tourists, hotels, homes, and cars were swept away by huge waves caused by the strong earthquake that reached a magnitude of 9.0. The undersea quake struck around 7:00 am. Sunday off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra Island. In that area alone, at least 1,870 people were killed.
In Sri Lanka, some 1,600 kilometres west of the quake centre, the number of deaths stood at 2,498, and one million more were affected by the tsunami, government officials said. Indian officials said as many as 1,900 had been killed along the southern coast. Another 254 were found dead in Thailand and 54 in three other countries. In southern Thailand, 1,900 people were hurt and many more were missing, local officials said. “I was having breakfast with my three children when water started filling my home. We had to leave everything and run to safety,” said Chandra Theeravit, a local Thai woman.
Thousands of people are still missing, and the number of deaths is expected to grow even higher over the next few days. Foreign aid is being organised for the tsunamihit countries. However, dangerous conditions and damaged roads will make it difficult to deliver food and supplies.
1. Where can this passage most probably be seen?| A．A monthly magazine. | B．A daily newspaper. |
| C．A travel brochure. | D．A government website. |
| A．A drought. | B．A flood. | C．A volcanic eruption. | D．An earthquake. |
| A．Indonesia | B．Sri Lanka | C．India | D．Thailand |
| A．There were no enough trucks. |
| B．It was still raining heavily. |
| C．The people in these areas were not willing to accept these food and supplies. |
| D．The roads to these areas were blocked. |
