Geography is the study of Earth and its climates. Scientists use it to study global warming and track the weather. Governments use it to learn where people live and work and to plan what to do with the land. It is now easier than ever to use geography because of a science called space technology.

The United States launched its first satellite in 1958. Some space missions that followed were geographical studies. In fact, earth science is a big part of the work of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Astronauts looked out of the space shuttle. They decided to take photographs of Earth from their vantage point. Over the years, picture quality improved. Shuttle photography now shows land features, such as rivers. It can even show the streets of large cities. Photos of the same places at different times show how the land is changing.

NASA does not use just photographs, though. In 1958 it launched TIROS (the Television Infrared Observation Satellite). This first use of a satellite to study Earth was effective in giving weather forecasts. It led to the creation of new space tools to use in geography.

The Landsat Program began in 1972. This satellite sent detailed views of Earth from space. The pictures were so precise that scientists could count the number and kinds of crops in a field. Landsat showed where Earth’s surface had faults along which earthquakes might happen. This information helped in the planning of new cities and factories. Landsat also made discoveries. In Antarctica it located ranges of unknown mountains. It pinpointed small lakes in Virginia that were no ton maps. Landsat, now more advanced, still flies today.

Another space tool is Earth Observing-1 (EO-1). This spacecraft flies right behind Landsat. It takes pictures of the same sites. The two sets of pictures, viewed together, show how cities grow and how other places, such as rain forests, become smaller over time. This helps scientists learn how people affect geography.

One of the newest space tools is the Geographical Information Systems (GIS). GIS is computer software that helps scientists to study Earth. GIS is different from earlier space tools. Businesses, schools, and even average people — not just the government —can use it to show them how changes in the planet might affect them.

1.Why do governments study geography according to the passage?

A. To improve the environment.

B. To make the land use plan.

C. To make new discoveries.

D. To count the crops in a field.

2.Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. The U.S. satellite program began in 1972.

B. Landsat was able to take pictures of other planets.

C. TIROS was successful in giving weather forecasts.

D. GIS can only be used by the government.

3.EO-1 takes photographs of the same places as Landsat because __________.

A. the two groups of pictures can show the changes of Earth

B. EO-1 is practicing for future photography missions

C. Landsat is out of date and new pictures are needed

D. Landsat can’t send detailed views of Earth from space

4.From the passage, we can infer that ___________.

A. GIS is the newest computer to study Earth

B. NASA only depends on photos to study Earth

C. satellite pictures can give more detailed information

D. recent U.S. satellites are as advanced as the old ones

Over the last 70 years, researchers have been studying happy and unhappy people and finally found out ten factors that make a difference. Our feelings of well-being at any moment are decided to a certain degree by genes. However, of all the factors, wealth and age are the top two.

Money can buy a degree of happiness. But once you can afford to feed, clothe and house yourself, each extra dollar makes less and less difference. Researchers find that, on average, wealthier people are happier. But the link between money and happiness is complex. In the past half-century, the average income has sharply increased in developed countries, yet happiness levels have remained almost the same. Once your basic needs are met, money only seems to increase happiness if you have more than your friends, neighbors and colleagues.

“Dollars buy status (social position), and status makes people feel better,” say some experts, which helps explain why people who can seek status in other ways, scientists or actors, for example, may happily accept relatively poorly-paid jobs.

In his research, Professor Alex Michalos found that the people whose desires, not just for money, but for friends, family, job, health, rose furthest beyond what they already had, tended to be less happy than those who felt a smaller gap. Indeed, the size of the gap predicted happiness about five times better than income alone. “The gap measures just blow away the measures of only income.”says Michalos.

Another factor that has to do with happiness is age. Old age may not be so bad “Given all the problems of aging, how could the elderly be more satisfied?” asks Professor Laura Carstensen. In one survey, Carstensen interviewed 184 people between the ages of 18 and 94, and asked them to fill out an emotion questionnaire. She found that old people reported positive emotions just as often as young people. Some scientists suggest older people may expect life to be harder and learn to live with it, or they’re more realistic about their time running out. Older people have learned to focus on things that make them happy and let go of those that don’t.

“People realize not only what they have, but also that what they have cannot last forever,” she says. “A goodbye kiss to a husband or wife at the age of 85, for example, may bring far more complex emotional responses than a similar kiss to a boy or girl friend at the age of 20.”

1.Some actors would like to accept poorly-paid jobs because the jobs__________.

A. make them feel much better

B. provide chances to make friends

C. improve their social position

D. satisfy their professional interests

2.Professor Alex Michalos found that people feel less happy if _________.

A. the gap between reality and desire is bigger

B. they have a stronger desire for friendship

C. the hope for good health is much greater

D. their income is far below their expectation

3.We can infer from the passage that older people _________.

A. would like to have more goodbye kisses than young people

B. are used to living a hard life because they are kind to others

C. express their positive opinions just as some young people do

D. find it easier to feel happy because they are more realistic

4.According to the passage, the feeling of happiness _________.

A. increases gradually with age

B. is controlled partly by desires

C. has little to do with wealth

D. is decided mostly by genes

Although cliff diving may bring great excitement, it’s a very dangerous sport that people should be careful about. It is completely wrong to think that the diver is cushioned by the water below—this could not be further from the truth. When jumping from a cliff that is over 70 feet high, a diver hits the water at over 46 mph (miles per hour). Such high speeds make the point of contact feel like a wall, so the diving skills are very important.

Professional divers are trained and well-prepared to make dives. However, non-professionals should never dive because a diver’s body position at the time of contacting water is very important to his or her safety. Because of the great danger, divers should always seriously think about their skills before trying any moves.

Although there is no truly safe way to jump off a cliff, non-professional divers are encouraged to pencil dive. To do a pencil dive, the jumpers leap their feet first off the cliff, keep arms at their sides with legs together and pointing downward. The diver should keep the body tight and vertical. This is safer because it makes the point of contact smaller when the diver enters the water and puts less stress on the body.

Wearing a wet suit while diving will result in less pain. So it is wise for new divers to wear wet suits. But professional divers suggest staying away from water shoes. Although wearing shoes might seem like a good idea, they actually increase the force of impact because they increase the surface area of the diver at impact. The increased force of impact puts stress on a diver’s body and can lead to broken bones. Without a doubt, diving without shoes is the safer way to go.

Besides the height, speed, water depth and body position, it is also important for divers to make wise decisions when they are thinking about diving. Cliff diving tests both a person’s physical and mental skills, so it is never a good idea to jump with a sudden idea. A person needs to be of sound mind and in good health to even think about a dive. One should never try a dive if he has drunk wine. What’s more, a person should never make someone who is not feeling 100% confident dive.

1.What does “this could not be further from the truth” mean?

A. There’s no doubt that this idea is definitely true.

B. This idea is thought to be completely wrong.

C. It depends on the real situation on the spot.

D. Nobody knows whether this idea is true or not.

2.Why didn’t professional divers suggest wearing shoes?

A. Because wearing shoes can put more weight on to the diver

B. Because wearing shoes can cause the diver to feel uncomfortable

C. Because wearing shoes can make the point of contact bigger

D. Because wearing shoes can certainly lead to broken bones

3.According to the passage, a good cliff diver should be __________.

A. well-prepared and skillful B. professional and strong

C. creative and smartyD. confident and brave

Ethiopian children are crazy about football but few of them have footballs of their own. They have to play with a paper football.

Like all children, they find time to play but they also have to do a lot of work. Some children have to help their parents look after younger brothers or sisters from the age of five. Many young boys have to look after animals and the girls have to help their mothers carry water.

At present only one third of small children go to primary school because there are so many children and so few schools. The classes have to be very large. In one school I went to there were 90 children in a class!

Traditionally the Ethiopians do not eat many vegetables. This is very bad for children, so many schools have their own garden where youngsters can grow their own vegetables.

There is no public transport, so children have to walk to school. One child I spoke to had to walk for even six hours! Many walk for two or three hours. But the Ethiopians love going to school because they know how important education is.

The Ethiopian government wants more children to go to school, and organizations like UNICEF are helping them. Many of the children want to be doctors and they will have to work hard but they know that they are Ethiopia’s hope for the future.

Ethiopia n. 埃塞俄比亚

UNICEF = United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund

1.Do Ethiopian children like playing football?

__________________________________________________________________

2.How many Ethiopian children can go to primary school?

__________________________________________________________________

3.What is Ethiopians’ bad eating habit?

__________________________________________________________________

4.Who are helping Ethiopian children to get education?

__________________________________________________________________

5.What can you learn about Ethiopia from the passage?

__________________________________________________________________

1.我和妈妈都不喜欢红色，所以选择了蓝色的。

______________________________ like red, so we chose the blue one.

2.你最好每天运动一小时，这样你才能通过考试。

_____________ do exercise for an hour a day and you can pass the exam.

3.同学们都在忙着为考试做准备。

All the students ______________________preparing for the exams.

4.快点, 该睡觉了。

Come on. _________________________ go to bed.

5.他年龄太小了，不能自己购物。

He is ________________________ go shopping by himself.

6.我上周用了两天时间为妈妈选了一件礼物。

______________________________ find a present for Mom last week.

7.我一到上海就给你打电话。

I’ll call you ____________________________________ I arrive in Shanghai.

8.今天下午没课，为什么不出去玩玩呢？

We don’t have class this afternoon. ____________________ go out to have fun?

9.我的电脑出问题了，你能帮我修一修吗？

___________________________ my computer. Can you help me repair it?

10.杰克会和同学们相处得很好。

Jack will _________________________ his classmates.

11.北京的冬天和纽约一样冷。

The winter in Beijing is ___________________________ that in New York.

12.你征求老师的意见了吗?

Did you ___________________________________________________?

13.纽约以其摩天大楼驰名。

New York _____________________________________ its skyscrapers.

14.她喜好打网球。

She _________________________________________________________.

15.老师要我们今天把这本书看完。

The teacher ______________________________________ this book today.

16.我真的认为这不是个好主意。

I really _____________________________________________________.

17.香山公园是北京最有名的景点(tourist sight)之一。

Xiangshan Park is ________________________________________ in Beijing.

18.黄河是中国第二长河。

The Yellow River is _____________________________________ in China.

19.永远不要停止梦想。

Never __________________________________________________.

20.他过去常常在早上跑步。

He _____________________________ in the morning.

Lily and I are good friends, often help each other.

A. You B. We C. They D. She

— Do you want something to drink?

— Yes. , please.

A. Some bread B. Some tea C. A hamburger D. Some rice

March is month of the year.

A. third B. three C. the three D. the third

My father will be back May.

A. in B. at C. on D. from

Nina, you look much than when I saw you last year.

A. tall B. taller C. tallest D. the tallest