Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids(小行星) now, one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it , say some scientists.

　 Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids(流星) that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don’t threaten us. But there are also thousands of asteroids whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.

　 Buy $ 50 million worth of new telescopes right now, Then spend $ 10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one, the scientists say , we’ll have a way to change its course.

　 Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons. But the cost wouldn’t be cheap.

　 Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) How likely the event is; 2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500 000 years. Sounds pretty rare-but if one did fall, it would be the end of the world. “ If we don’t take care of these big asteroids, they’ll take care of us,” says one scientist. “ It’s that simple.”

　 The cure, though , might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “The world has less to fear from doomsday(毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them,” said a New York Times article.

1. What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids? _________.

A. They are heavenly bodies different in composition

B. They are heavenly bodies similar in nature

C. These are more asteroids than meteoroids

D. Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids

2. What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth? _______.

A It is unlikely but the danger exists

B. Such a collision might occur once every 25 years

C. Collision of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected

D. It’s still too early to say whether such a collision might occur

3. What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids? _______.

　 A. It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem

　 B. It may create more problems than it might solve

　 C. It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely

　 D. Further research should be done before it is proved applicable

4. We can conclude from the passage that________.

　 A. while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world

　 B. asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future

　 C. the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlikely to happen in our lifetime

　 D. workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth

　 TAIBEI—Increasing numbers of Taiwanese students are joining the island’s “China rush”, seeking education on the Chinese mainland.

　 According to official Chinese figures, the number of Taiwanese students admitted into college and postgraduate(研究生)programmes on the mainland totaled 461 in 1996, 928 in 1997 and 839 in 1998. Although no latest official numbers were available, Netbig.com said this number had risen between 30 to 50 percent annually in the past two years with well over 1000 entering mainland campuses last year.

　 The Internet site, based in the Chinese city of Shenzhen, provides education service and information on Chinese mainland colleges and universities . “Many Taiwanese believe a Chinese education giving more knowledge about the people and culture in the mainland will increase their chances in the Chinese job market”, Netbig.com vice-president Ingrid Huang said. “I believe it will give me hands-on experience in the business field in the Chinese mainland and a better understanding of the Chinese mainland people,” said Lydia Chang, a 19-year-old majoring in journalism at Shih Shin University. Chang plans to go on to get a master’s degree in business administration in Shanghai, which she says offers the best environment for such studies.

　 A journalism graduate student, surnamed Lin, at the National Taiwan University said he would like to study law on the Chinese mainland since “there will be better career prospects now that more Taiwanese companies are going there.”

　 Some business executives were sending their children to study in the Chinese mainland. “They hope the children could build up connections which could later become useful in their business operations,” said Yang Ching-yao, professor of the Chinese mainland studies. A Netbig.com survey showed the campuses favored by Taiwanese students included Beijing, Qinghua and Renmin universities in Beijing, and Jinan and Zhongshan universities in Guangzhou. The most popular studies were law, business and Chinese medicine.

　 At present, Chinese Taibei doesn’t recognize diplomas earned in the Chinese mainland nor help with any inquiries about studying there. But recognizing the trend, education authorities are giving a final form to a policy accepting certificates(证书)from selected universities.

1. More Taiwanese students study on the Chinese mainland because____.

　 A. Taiwan will reunite with the mainland sooner or later

　 B. the fees asked for are lower than those of Taiwan

　 C. what they have learned on the mainland will bring them a bright future

　 D. there are many famous universities for them to choose

2. Some business executives were sending their children to study in the Chinese mainland so that their children____.

　 A. could receive better education

　 B. could learn more about the policy there

　 C. could do well in the business operations

　 D. could make more friends there

3. The underlined word “it ”(para 3)refers to ____.

　 A. Netbig.com

　 B. a Chinese education on the mainland

　 C. the Chinese job market

　 D. the university

4. The author wrote the article to tell us____.

　 A. more Taiwanese students are studying on the mainland

　 B. the number of Taiwanese students going to universities on the mainland had been

increasing year after year

　 C. education on the mainland is more attractive compared with Taiwan

　 D. Taiwan and the mainland should cooperate with each other in every field

我不熟悉你所讲的内容。（be familiar with）

My teacher's words have great _________ my studying science at college.

A. influence in　 B. effect in　 C. influence on　 D. affect on

Mother told Jim to watch the milk until it boiled and then _________ off the gas.

　 A. turn　　　　　 B. turning　 C. turned　　　　 D. having turned

The blind man _____ the elephant’s trunk. It ______ like a snake.

A. felt ; was feeling 　 B. felt ; felt

C. was feeling; felt 　 D. was feeling; was feeling

If you want to post your letter, you should put it into an e _____ first.

________ the Suez Canal was dug, the Arabs no longer live only on their crops.

A. The spot　 　B. Where　

C. When　　 　D. There