Move Earth — it’s no science fiction

LONDON — Scientists have found an unusual way to prevent our planet from overheating: move it to a cooler spot. All you have to do is send a few comets（彗星）in the direction of Earth, and its orbit will be changed. Our world will then be sent spinning into a safer, colder part of the solar system.

This idea for improving our climate comes from a group of US National Aeronautics and Space Administration（NASA） engineers and American astronomers. They say their plan could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet—effectively doubling its working life.

The plan put forward by Dr Laughlin, and his colleagues Don Korycansky and Fred Adams ,needs carefully directing a comet or asteroid so that it passes close by our planet and sends some of its gravitational energy to Earth.

“Earth’s orbital speed would increase as a result and we would move to a higher orbit away from the Sun,” Laughlin said.

Engineers would then direct their comet so that it passed close to Jupiter or Saturn. The comet would pick up energy from one of these giant planets. Later its orbit would bring it back to Earth, and the process would be repeated. In the short term, the plan provides an ideal way to global warming, although the team was actually concerned with a much greater danger. The sun is certain to heat up in about a billion years and so “seriously compromise” our biosphere（生物圈）— by cooking us.

That’s why the group decided to try to save Earth.

The plan has one or two worrying aspects, however. For a start, space engineers would have to be very careful about how they directed their asteroid or comet towards Earth. The smallest miscalculation（误算）in orbit could fire it straight at Earth—with deadly consequences.

There is also the question of the Moon. As the current issue of Scientific American magazine points out, if Earth was pushed out of its current position it is “most likely the Moon would be stripped away from Earth,” it states. This would greatly change our planet’s climate.

What makes the scientists plan to move Earth?

A. A few comets are moving to the direction of Earth.

B. Earth’s working life is coming to an end soon.

C. Earth will become too hot for mankind to keep alive.

D. The moon is moving farther and farther away from Earth.

If the plan is successful, Earth will have a working life of ______years.

A.12 billion                  B.6 billion                    C.18 billion                  D.24 billion

What serious problems might the plan cause according to the passage?

A. The comet might hit Earth and man might lose the moon.

B. Earth might be moved too far away and man might be frozen to death.

C. The comet might hit Jupiter or Saturn and never return to Earth.

D. Earth’s working life might be greatly shortened.

What does the underlined word “compromise” mean?

A. provide                    B. benefit                   C. share                     D. endanger

Which of the following best shows how the plan would work?

三． 阅读 (共两节，满分40分)

第一节 阅读理解 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并填写在答题卡上。

  Linda often asked Luke to dinner. Linda loved Luke, but Luke loved Linda’s cooking, not Linda herself. Linda accepted that for the time being. But she felt that, with enough meals and enough time, she would get her man.

Luke rarely stayed more than ten minutes past the last bite of dessert. Linda would ask luke if he wanted to watch TV, or play cards or chess, or take a walk around the neighborhood, but Luke always declined. He always said, “ I’ve got to go.” They both knew that Luke didn’t have to go anywhere. All he ever did was to go back to his apartment and read books or go online.

Tonight was probably going to be more of the same. But Linda was a patient woman. She loved to cook, and she loved to watch people eat her cooking. Tonight she prepared shrimp, fresh green beans, mashed potatoes, and asparagus(芦笋). Luke ate everything. Then she brought out her homemade cheesecake with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

Luke asked, “ Are you trying to fatten me up for something? Every time I come over here, I have to eat celery(芹菜) and lettuce for a week to get back down to my normal weight. Or maybe I should start going to the gym more often. Nah, I’m too lazy for that.”

“Oh, stop exaggerating(夸张).” Linda replied. “ You enoy every mouthful. And besides, I don’t think you lazy at all.”

“ You’re right. I apologise. I love your cooking, and if you didn’t invite me over here, I’d be hurt and hungry.”

Linda watched contentedly(满足地) as Luke devoured the cheesecake and ice cream. Someday, she thought, I will be his dessert.

41. Which of the following were included in the meal Linda made for Luke.

   A. Shrimp, tomatoes and ice cream.

   B. Mashed potatoes, ice cream and cheesecake.

   C. Bean, fried potaties and asparagus.

   D. Shrimp, green peas and cheesecake.

42. What can be inferred from this passage?

   A. Linda will eventually capture Luke’s heart.

   B. Luke is often a very busy man.

   C. Linda prefers fat men.

   D. Both Luke and Linda are single.

43. According to the passage which of the following is NOT true about Luke?

   A. He owns a computer.

   B. He enjoys reading.

   C. He prefers ice cream to cheesecake.

   D. He has had dinner with Linda before.

44. What would be the best title for this passage?

   A. My Foolish Heart.

   B. The Way to a Man’s Heart is Through his Stomach.

   C. The Fatter the Better.

   D. The Food of Life.

45. Why did Luke always decline Linda’s invitations to do other things besides eating?

   A. He was often busy at work.

   B. He only liked Linda’s cooking.

   C. He preferred being alone most of the time.

   D. He was very shy.

       The child tiptoed quietly to the bird, _____ into the forest when he was about to catch it.

A. Flew it away              B. Away flew it     C. Away it flew            D. Flew away it

Mr. Bush is on time for everything．How         it be that he was late for the opening

    ceremony?

    A．could                         B．should                 C．may                       D．must

_____from lightweight materials，the robots are about the size of a human arm or

    smaller．

    A．To build              B．Being built           C．Having built           D．Built

 Evelyn is supposed to attend church soon, but nobody is sure whether she        or not.

A. does                        B. is                            C. had                         D. will

第二节 完形填空 (共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分)

请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A mother and daughter living in my community are two of the most unfriendly people I have ever come across in my life. They are totally separated, mixing with   36  . As they drive past   37   they keep their eyes looking away and make no sign of acknowledgement. The only fame they have is making a nuisance (讨厌的人) of themselves to the local police station by   38   music played too loud, dogs barking more than once a day and any other petty   39   gripe (把柄).

On moving into this neighborhood, I was   40   of these two but decided I would make up my own mind. This proved quite a   41   to me as more than once either the mother or the daughter would knock on my door and blast (猛烈抨击) me with some   42   or other.

I   43   answered politely and made sure I   44   as they went past my place and also made the effort now and then to make a kind remark about their garden or pets.

Time passed and in October, as part of the kindness rock give (送爱心石活动), Maureen and I   45   to place a kindness rock in their garden. Their   46   remained unchanged, however, and I continued to be as friendly as possible. During the Easter give, we decided once again to   47   these two unhappy ladies to our list and left a packet of cookies on their   48  . Imagine my   49   when two days later they   50   at my gate and jokingly said they are considering hanging their Christmas stocking on their gate, and they   51   me a bunch of flowers!

So, my fellow gifters, do not   52   on your random gifts of kindness. You may never know just what this   53   to others, nor how many broken or   54   hearted people you may just change with a simple act of   55  .

36. A. nobody                 B. someone                C. anyone          D. nothing

37. A. ladies                B. neighbors              C. friends                  D. relatives

38. A. composing             B. requesting             C. reporting        D. explaining

39. A. important              B. easy                   C. interesting            D. little

40. A. accused                  B. warned                C. reminded        D. convinced

41. A. challenge                B. job                   C. task            D. matter

42. A. jokes                   B. advice                C. explanation    D. complaint

43. A. seldom                 B. never                  C. always           D. sometimes

44. A. waved                  B. stared                 C. noticed       D. laughed

45. A. started                  B. continued             C. mentioned      D. decided

46. A. smile                   B. attitude           C. decision        D. anger

47. A. add                     B. recommend           C. reduced        D. drove

48. A. place                   B. roof                 C. gate           D. fence

49. A. interest                 B. smile                 C. surprise        D. face

50. A. whispered             B. stopped              C. shouted          D. wandered

51. A. brought                 B. wished              C. threw         D. expected

52. A. take in                  B. take up               C. give in         D. give up

53. A. refers                  B. means               C. relates        D. contributes

54. A. kind                    B. light                C. hard           D. warm

55. A. sorrow                       B. hope                     C. imagination           D. kindness

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●You are still in full contact with the college via Telephone, Email and Post, so you won’t be out of touch with the latest training techniques.

60. You can learn how to ______ at the Australian Institute of Applied Sciences College of Natural

Medicine.

A. apply science to our life                        B. operate on various patients

C. adjust one’s diet or breath                      D. look after mentally-ill people

61. One of the reasons for your choice of going to the college is that _______.

A. it is the oldest college of this type in Australia

B. it offers more courses than any other college

C. you may find the best art facilities there

D. you will get accredited certificate or diploma

62. If you take the courses at home, you are more likely to _______.

A. focus on your own interests               B. adjust your study schedules

C. get any help from instructors             D. keep up with new techniques

第四部分: 第一节: 根据首字母或汉语提示，在答题卷上写出完整的单词拼写

66. Some people think it’s wrong to spend money on ______________(探索) space.

67. Fans showed their d_____________ by waiting for hours to get tickets for their concerts.

68. In class you should pay a_________________ to what your teacher is saying..

69.A____________ to a UN report, some 844 animals and plants have disappeared.

70. He is f_______________ with Chinese ancient history. He is a history teacher..

71. Peter is c_______________ of winning the post as the assistant to the managing director.

72. Although I was young I could _________________(简化 ) difficult sums.

73. If he wants to succeed by ______________(假装) , he is wrong.

74. He is now interviewing Li Yan, a v____________ for the 2008 Olympic Games.

75. The traffic accidents in the city d______________ last year.

Taste is such a subjective matter that we don’t usually conduct preference tests for food. The most you can say about anyone’s preference is that it’s one person’s opinion. But because the two big cola companies—Coca-Cola and Pepsi Cola—are marketed so aggressively, we’ve wondered how big a role taste preference actually plays in brand loyalty. We set up a taste test that challenged people who identified themselves as either Coca-cola or Pepsi fans: Find your brand in a blind tasting.

       We invited staff volunteers who had a strong liking for either Coca-Cola Classic or Pepsi, Diet Coke, or Diet Pepsi. These were people who thought they’d have no trouble telling their brand from the other brand.

       We eventually located 19 regular cola drinkers and 27 diet cola drinkers. Then we fed them with four unidentified samples of cola one at a time, regular colas for the one group, diet versions for the other. We asked them to tell us whether each sample was Coke or Pepsi; then we analyzed the records statistically to compare the participants’ choices with what mere guesswork could have accomplished.

       Getting all four samples right was a tough test, but not too tough, we thought, for people who believed they could recognize their brand. In the end, only 7 out of 19 regular cola drinkers correctly identified their brand of choice in all four trials. The diet-cola drinkers did a little worse—only 7 out of 27 identified all four samples correctly.

       Both groups did better than chance would predict, but nearly half the participants in each group made the wrong choice two or more times. Two people got all four samples wrong. Overall, half the participants did about as well on the last round of tasting as on the first, so tiredness, or taste burnout, was not a factor. Our preference test results suggest that only a few Pepsi participants and Coke fans may really be able to tell their favorite brand by taste and price.

71. According to the passage the preference test was conducted in order to ________.

A. show that a person’s opinion about taste is mere guesswork

B. compare the ability of the participants in choosing their drinks

C. find out the role taste preference plays in a person’s drinking

D. reveal which cola is more to the liking of the drinkers

72. The statistics recorded in the preference tests show that________.

A. there is not much difference in taste between Coca-Cola and Pepsi

B. few people had trouble telling Coca-Cola from Pepsi

C. people’s tastes differ from one another

D. Coca-Cola and Pepsi are people’s two most favorite drinks

73. It is implied in the first paragraph that________.

A. the competition between the two colas is very strong

B. blind tasting is necessary for identifying fans

C. the purpose of taste test is to promote the sale of colas

D. the improvement of quality is the chief concern of the two cola companies

74. The underlined word “burnout” here refers to the state of________.

A. being seriously burnt in the skin            

B. being badly damaged by fire   

C. being unable to burn for lack of fuel      

D. being unable to function because of too much use

75. The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to________.

A. emphasize that taste and price are closely related to each other

B. recommend that blind tasting be introduced in the quality control of colas

C. show that taste preference is highly subjective

D. argue that taste testing is an important marketing strategy