Sometime early in the next century, human beings will move to Mars. They will live there for about a year, and then will be replaced with another group of pioneers. Building the base on Mars will advance our knowledge of the solar system and aid in our understanding of the earth.
We already know that Mars resembles the earth in many aspects: general size, presence of water, length of day, range of temperatures. These resemblances have caused many people to consider a centuries-long project: to terraform Mars. Terraforming means altering a planet’s surface so that Earth’s life forms can survive there. This concept, previously found only in science fiction is now being seriously considered by scientists.
Terraforming Mars is theoretically simple: add nitrogen and oxygen to the atmosphere; pump water to the surface; and add the earth’s plants and animals in the order in which they developed on Earth. But it will take at least 300 years.
Some people think that such a project is too huge for humans to undertake, but there are very good reasons to make the attempt. The earth now contains some 6 billion people, and no one has any idea of how many humans the earth can support. Our very existence and numbers are threatening many other species. We also have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: altering the landscape, the atmosphere and the climate. Currently terraforming earth has become a wiser activity as we try to control global warming, air and water pollution, and preserve some natural living places.
While the possibility of such a project is small, it is not impossible .Even if earth –bound societies come and go in the next 300 years, the project can continue through the work of the Mars settlers without the need for constant backing from the earth.
The future existence of all the people in our world may very well depend upon our ability to terraform Mars.
【小题1】What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Terraforming Mars. | B．Saving the Earth |
| C．Travelling to Mars. | D．A Newly-found Place |
| A．Warming. | B．Changing. | C．Planting. | D．Building |
| A．do some scientific research work |
| B．find out its similarity to earth |
| C．avoid the dying away of many other species |
| D．find on Mars living place for the increasing human beings |
| A．there are some resemblances between Earth and Mars. |
| B．terraforming Mars is theoretically simple |
| C．we have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: Earth |
| D．the development of science and technology is very rapid |
| A．Optimistic. | B．Negative |
| C．Sceptical（怀疑的） | D．Objective. |
【小题1】A
【小题2】B
【小题3】D
【小题4】A
【小题5】A
解析试题分析：本文围绕着人类移民火星而展开论述。首先从火星与地球的相似之处讲到移民火星在理论上的 可行性以及搬迁过程，继而又谈论了人类因人口的急剧增加而向外空发展的必要性。最后分析了人类科技的发展和成就大大增加了使火星适合人类居住和人类移民火星的可能性。
【小题1】A主旨大意题。文章首段提出human beings will move to Mars，然后围绕此话题展开论述，所以文章中心应该是将火星地球化问题。所以A选项正确。
【小题2】B词意猜测题。由后句so that Earth’s life forms can survive there.可判断为了让地球上的生命能在火星上存活，就要改变火星上的条件以便更适合地球上生命的生长，所以alter应该是改变的意思。
【小题3】D推理判断题。由第二段Terraforming means altering a planet’s surface so that Earth’s life forms can survive there.可知使火星地球化的目的是让地球上生命能在火星上存活，故D选项正确。
【小题4】A细节理解题。文章第二段Mars resembles the earth in many aspects。。。和 These resemblances have caused many people to consider a centuries-long project: to terraform Mars.，由此可知A选项正确。
【小题5】A推理判断题。A 乐观的；B 否定的；消极的；C 怀疑的；D 客观的。从文章倒数第二段While the possibility of such a project is small, it is not impossible可知作者对此事持乐观态度。
考点：考查科学知识类短文阅读。
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
C
When an ant dies, other ants take it out of the nest, often within an hour after its death. This behavior interests scientists and they wonder how ants know for sure--and so soon--that another ant is dead.
One scientist recently came up with a way to explain this ant behavior. Dong-Hwan Choe is a biologist, a scientist who studies animals and plants. He found that ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other ants, “I’m dead--take me away” when it is dead.
One scientist recently came up with a way to explain this ant behavior. Dong-Hwan Choe is a biologist, a scientist who studies animals and plants. He found that ants have a chemical on the outside of their bodies that signals to other ants, “I’m dead---take me away” when it is dead.
But there's a question to answer: As we know, if an ant is dead, it stops moving. But when an ant is sleeping or knocked unconscious, it is also not moving. However, other ants don't move the living ant out of the nest. How do they know this ant is not dead? Choe found that ants have another chemical on their bodies, which tells nearby ants something like, “Wait—I'm not dead yet” when it is not dead. Choe suspects that when an ant dies, the chemical that says, “Wait— I'm not dead yet” quickly goes away. When other ants detect the “dead” chemical without the “not dead yet” chemical, they move away the body.
To test his theory, Choe and his team put different chemicals on ants. When the scientists used the “I'm dead” chemical, other ants quickly moved the treated ant away. When the scientists used the “Wait—I'm not dead yet” chemical, other ants left the treated ant alone. Choe believes this behavior shows that the “not dead yet” chemical overrides the “dead” chemical when picked up by other ants. And that when an ant dies, the “not dead yet” chemical fades away. Other nearby ants then detect the remaining “dead” chemical and remove the body from the nest.
Understanding this behavior can help scientists figure out how to stop ants from invading new places and causing problems.
【小题1】What is the function of the first paragraph?
| A．Leading the following paragraphs. |
| B．Showing the main idea of the passage. |
| C．Introducing the background of the passage. |
| D．Giving a summary of the passage. |
| A．is weaker than | B．is stronger than | C．is better than | D．is worse than |
| A．Living ants can also be taken away when they are not moving. |
| B．When an ant dies, it can tell others using a certain chemical. |
| C．A living ant can pretend to be dead using a special chemical. |
| D．Ants often use chemicals to communicate with each other. |
| A．Choe did this study in order to stop ants from invading new places. |
| B．Choe is a biologist who is only interested in animals, especially in ants. |
| C．Choe first came up with an idea to explain this ant behavior，and then did some tests to prove his theory. |
| D．Choe did the research on this ant behavior on his own. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Conservationists have unveiled plans to preserve and protect the world's most important species of coral, in a response to increasing threats that they say will lead to "functional extinction" within decades．
Led by scientists at the Zoological Society of London, the Edge Coral Reefs project has identified 10 coral species in most urgent risk of becoming extinct．The scientists say that reefs are under pressure from a variety of threats including rising sea temperatures due to climatic instability, increased acidity（酸性）, overfishing and pollution．
The Edge plan, which focuses on the most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species , will take a regional approach to conservation．This means focusing on the "coral triangle" around the Philippines, the West Indian Ocean around the Mozambique channel, and in the Caribbean channel．
"Coral reefs are threatened with functional extinction in the next 20-50 years, due predominantly to global climatic instability," said Catherine Head, coordinator of the reefs project．"In these regions, we'll be supporting and training in-country conservationists to carry out research and implement targeted conservation actions," she said．"Their projects will last initially for two years．We provide them with a whole host of tools to carry out their projects including funding and intensive training．" She added．
Coral reefs are the planet's most diverse marine ecosystem（生态系统）, known as the rainforests of the oceans．Despite taking up under 0．2% of the ocean floor, they provide food and shelter for almost a third of all sea life．If we lose the ecosystems, we lose not only the biodiversity （生物多样性）, but we also lose the capability of people to obtain income and food from coral reefs．
Climatic instability, which leads to rising sea temperatures, causes corals to bleach．Bleaching occurs when sea temperatures rise and this causes the coral tissue to expel their symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae - these are what give the coral their colour．Bleached corals often die if the stress continues．Among the 10 species chosen to start the Edge project are the pearl bubble coral, a food source for the hawksbill（玳瑁）turtle, and the Mushroom coral, which supports at least 15 brightly colored fish．
【小题1】What does the first paragraph mean in the passage ?
| A．Conservationists planned to preserve and protect some extinct corals years ago． |
| B．Conservationists have banned plans to protect endangered corals for years． |
| C．Conservationists are going to protect corals that are dying out in several ten years． |
| D．Conservationists have made plans to protect corals from being extinct in ten years． |
| A．Decrease． | B．Losing functions |
| C．Disappearance． | D．Existence |
| A．The Edge Coral Reefs project was carried out by American scientists． |
| B．The plan concentrates on the channels to protect the endangered species． |
| C．The Conservationists have carried out the Edge plan for many years to protect the corals． |
| D．Ten coral species chosen by the project are at the greatest risk of becoming extinct． |
| A．We will keep the balance of the marine ecosystems． |
| B．About one third of the marine species can't survive． |
| C．Man can benefit more from corals． |
| D．We will lose the rainforests on our earth． |
| A．Climatic Instability and Coral Extinction |
| B．Reasons for Coral Functional Extinction． |
| C．A Plan to Save Coral from Extinction |
| D．A Research about Endangered Coral Reefs． |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Every time you go to the supermarket, you come away with your purchases in plastic bags. But wouldn’t it be kinder to the environment if you asked for paper bags instead?
The answer is not the easy as it might seem. Environmentalists say there are drawbacks to using both plastic bags and paper bags.
According to the American Plastics Council 80 percent of groceries in the US are packed in plastic bags.
“The numbers are becoming huge,” said Vincent Cobb, a businessman from Chicago who set up “reusable bags. com” on the Internet. He notes that consumers use between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags per year worldwide.
Some experts believe that all these bags harm the environment. Plastic takes hundreds of years to break down and, as it does so, poisonous materials are released into the water and soil.
Further damage is caused if plastic bags enter the sea. For example, endangered sea turtles cannot tell the bags from jellyfish(水母), their main source of food, and often choke on them.
Floating plastic bags have been spotted as far north as the Arctic Ocean and as far south as the southern end of South America. One expert predicts that, within ten years, plastic bags will wash up in Antarctica!
However, this kind of bag does have its advantages.
“Plastic grocery bags are some of the most reused things around the house,” explained Laurie Kusek of the American Plastics Council.
According to the Film and Bag Federation, a trade group in the US plastics industry, paper bags use more energy and create more waste than plastic bags. Plastic bags require 40 per cent less energy to produce and cause 70 per cent less air pollution, the group explained. They also release as much as 94 percent less waste into the water than paper ones.
But paper bags do break down more quickly than plastic bags. They don’t endanger wildlife, either.
So what should we do? One possible solution would be to use biodegradable(能被生物分解的)plastic bags. But until biodegradable technology improves, it might be easier to pack things you buy in reusable cloth bags.
【小题1】The best title of the passage is _____.
| A．Paper Causes Less Pollution |
| B．Plastic Causes Less Pollution |
| C．Paper and Plastics Cause Pollution |
| D．Paper Bags Break Down More Quickly |
| A．Advantages | B．disadvantages | C．air pollution | D．waste |
| A．Plastic takes longer to break down than paper. |
| B．Sea turtles usually mistake the plastic bags for jellyfish. |
| C．Paper bags require less energy than plastic bags. |
| D．You’d better pack things in reusable cloth bags. |
| A．Paper bags take less time to rot. |
| B．Paper bags cause less air pollution. |
| C．Paper bags are more reusable. |
| D．Paper bags cause less water pollution. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
It’s 8:30, time for John to start work. So he turns on his radio. Then he eats breakfast. As he eats, he reads his e-mail and reviews his to-do list. Then he sits on the sofa and thinks about an article he needs to write ... Wait a minute! Radio? Breakfast? Sofa? What kind of workplace is this? Well, actually it is John’s house, and he is a telecommuter — he works at home, communicating with the workplace through the Internet.
Like John, millions of people — and their employers — are finding that telecommuting is a great way to work. Telecommuters can follow their own timetables. They work in the comfort of homes, where they can also look after young children or elderly parents. They save time and money by not traveling to work. Their employers save, too, because they need less office space and furniture. Studies show that telecommuters change jobs less often. This saves employers even more money. Telecommuting helps society, too, by reducing pollution and traffic problems.
Jobs that are suited to telecommuting include writing, design work, computer programming and accounting. If a job is related to working with information, a telecommuter can probably do it.
【小题1】From the passage we can learn that John does his job .
| A．by telephon | B．through the Internet |
| C．in his office | D．away from home |
| A．work for several employers | B．enjoy a lot of traveling |
| C．get along well with other workers | D．work on your own schedule |
| A．their employers can save money |
| B．their employers will give them a higher pay |
| C．they can get more work experience |
| D．they will have a longer paid holiday |
| A．acceptable for | B．bad for | C．difficult for | D．fit for |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked.
Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup(基因构成) as human beings. What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival. Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible.
Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for. Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger. With knowledge, we can lessen its effects.
Exploration also allows minerals and other potential (潜在的) resources to be found. Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later. Resources may be more than physical possessions. Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration. The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives. We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems. Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products (副产品) of technological developments in the space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.
While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us. While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers. The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive. Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist.
While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets. It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future.
【小题1】Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph1?
| A．To express his doubts |
| B．To compare different ideas. |
| C．To introduce points for discussion |
| D．To describe the conditions on Earth. |
| A．Humans are nature-born to do so. |
| B．Humans have the tendency to fight. |
| C．Humans may find new sources of food. |
| D．Humans don’t like to stay in the same place. |
| A．Our genetic makeup. |
| B．Resources on the earth.. |
| C．The adaptive ability of humans. |
| D．By-products in space exploration. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
As most university students are packing their bags，boarding trains or flying home for the Spring Festival，some will stay behind to spend the holiday on campus．
Zhou Yunyun，22，a senior finance major at Jilin University，has decided that instead of traveling to Hainan province，he will kill the time by playing computer games with his online friends．
“I'm used to chatting and playing with them every day．It’s just fun to make friends this way，”he said．“When I returned home in past years，my relatives always asked me a lot of questions about my plans after graduation．They had high expectations of me，which made me feel stressed，” said Zhou．
The campus，usually lively，will probably turn into a death town，with most restaurants，shops and student centers closed during the break．But there are also a few advantages，according to Jia Debao，2 1，a junior majoring in administration at China Agricultural University．“I might feel a bit lonely，but at least I can stay away from my parents’ complaining and enjoy the peaceful and quiet stay，” he said．“More importantly，I can enjoy the high speed of the Internet，I can always find empty seats in classrooms，and I don’t have to wait to use the bathroorm” But education experts recommend students who stay on campus to come up with more interactive plans．That’s because communication on the Internet can’t replace real life interpersonal relationships．
Society has promoted a kind of“couch potato" or close-in culture among some young people, according to Shi Tongyu, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. He warned that this kind of lifestyle can damage students’ mental and physical development.
“When you constantly stare at a computer screen and type on your keyboard，you gradually lose the ability to socialize and survive normally，"said Shi．“A human’s most important task is to survive，which cannot be completed by staying at home all the time． Instead，it must be achieved through real life experience and communication．”
【小题1】What can we learn about Zhou Yunyun?
| A．He feels very lonely on campus． |
| B．He will promote close-in culture． |
| C．He will spend the Spring Festival with relatives． |
| D．He will spend the Spring Festival with on-line friends． |
| A．he will miss his parents a little bit |
| B．there will be more seats in classrooms |
| C．he will have a quiet and peaceful break |
| D．the speed of the Internet will get faster |
| A．inactive person | B．close friend |
| C．sociable student | D．addicted gamer |
| A．To do some traveling． |
| B．To stay more with families． |
| C．To find empty seats in classrooms． |
| D．To experience real lire and communication． |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The medical world is gradually realizing that the quality of the environment in hospitals may play a significant role in the process of recovery from illness.
As part of a nationwide effort in Britain to bring art out of the galleries and into public places, some of the country's most talented artists have been called in to transform older hospitals and to soften the hard edges of modern buildings. Of the 2,500 National Health Service hospitals in Britain, almost 100 now have significant contemporary art in corridors, waiting areas and treatment rooms.
These recent initiatives(首创) owe a great deal to one artist, Peter Senior who set up his studio at a Manchester hospital in northeastern England during the early 1970s. He felt the artist had lost his place in modern society and that art should be enjoyed by a wider audience.
A typical hospital waiting room might have as many as 5,000 visitors each week. What a better place to hold regular exhibitions of art! Senior held the first exhibition of his own paintings in the outpatients waiting area of the Manchester Hospital in 1975. Believed to be Britain's first hospital artist, Senior was so much in demand that he was soon joined by a team of six young art school graduates.
The effect is striking. Now in the corridors and waiting rooms the visitor experiences a full view of fresh colors, playful images and restful courtyards.
The quality of the environment may reduce the need for expensive drugs when a patient is recovering from an illness. A study has shown that patients who had a view onto a garden needed half the number of strong pain killers compared with patients who had no view at all or only a brick wall to look at.
【小题1】The underlined part "to soften the hard edges of modern buildings" in Paragraph 2 means"________".
| A．to decorate hospitals with art collections |
| B．to make the corners of hospital buildings round |
| C．to change people's attitude toward hospitals |
| D．to replace the old buildings with modern buildings |
| A．doctor interested in arts |
| B．artist who refuses to hold art exhibitions in hospitals |
| C．pioneer in introducing art into hospitals |
| D．artist who owns a great deal of property |
| A．making it unnecessary to give drugs to patients |
| B．helping the modern artists regain their status in society |
| C．calling in more talented artists to hospitals |
| D．helping patients recovering from illness |
| A．suspicious | B．positive | C．neutral(中立的) | D．unfavorable |
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