Boeing said Wednesday that it was entering the space tourism business, an announcement that could bolster（增强）the Obama administration’s efforts to transform the National Aeronautics and Space Administration into an agency that focuses less on building rockets and more on nurturing a commercial space industry.
The flights, which could begin as early as 2015, would most likely launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida to the International Space Station. The Obama administration has proposed turning over to private companies the business of taking NASA astronauts to orbit, and Boeing and Bigelow Aerospace of Las Vegas won an $18 million contract this year for preliminary (初步的)development and testing of a capsule that could carry seven passengers.
Current NASA plans call for four space station crew members to go up at a time, which would leave up to three seats available for space tourists. The flights would be the first to give nonprofessional astronauts the chance to go into orbit aboard a spacecraft launched from the United States. Seven earlier space tourists have made visits to the space station, riding in Russian Soyuz capsules.
“We’re ready now to start talking to possible customers,” said Eric C. Anderson, co-founder and chairman of Space Adventures, the space tourism company based in Virginia that would market the seats for Boeing.
Boeing and Space Adventures have not set a price, although Mr. Anderson said it would be competitive with the Soyuz flights, which Space Adventures arranged with the Russian Space Agency. Guy Laliberté, founder of Cirque du Soleil, paid about $40 million for a Soyuz ride and an eight-day stay at the space station last year. But the possibilities that anyone buying a ticket will get to space on an American vehicle depend on discussions in Congress about the future of NASA.
【小题1】 Which of the following is most probably a private travel company?
A. Boeing.                     B. Space Adventure.
C. NASA.                       D. Russian Space Agency.
【小题2】 How many people can be carried along on a capsule to the space station?

A．3.

B．4.

C．7.

D．11.

【小题3】 What can be inferred from the passage?

A．The American space tourism company is located in Virginia.

B．Russia has already taken lead in working on the space tourism business.

C．NASA has decided to focus less on building rockets because of the financial crisis.

D．In 2015, America would be the first country in the world to run the space tourism business.

【小题4】What’s the best title of the passage?

A．Taking NASA Astronauts to Orbit.	B．Living in the Space Station Space.
C．Ticket Price under Discussion.	D．Boeing Could Fly You to Orbit by 2015.

  What is art? According to one definition, it is the creation of something that appeals to our sense of beauty. This definition may include painting, drawing, sculpture, and architecture, or performing arts such as music and drama. Cultural and historical influences, as well as one’s own consciousness of what is aesthetically(审美地 )pleasing, play a role in what one believes to be art. To some people, art is the description of an object--- a painting or sculpture of a person, for example. For others, art may be a blank canvas, or a piece of chalk.
In order to talk about the different artistic styles that have existed over time, art historians have classified these styles into different periods and organized them in chronological order. The works of art produced within each period mirror the culture and events of that time.
The earliest forms of art, from the prehistoric era(时代), include simple cave paintings and figures made from stone. These were followed by the sculptures and carvings of Ancient Civilizations era. Styles of the later Classical era (800 B.C. to 200 A.D.), reflect the culture of the time--- one that favored simplicity and balance. The period of the Middle Ages followed, and was succeeded by a revival（复兴） of classical styles in the Renaissance era, beginning around 1400. Well-known artists of this time include Michelangelo and da Vinci. One hundred years of Baroque style, and then fifty years of Rococo followed the 200-year Renaissance. The start of the nineteenth century saw the rise of the Premodern era, followed by the Modern era, a period that lasted until 1945. This was followed by Postmodern era that characterizes the present day.
In addition to differences in artistic styles between eras, there are also differences within each era. The Postmodern era, for example, has featured innovative（创新） artistic styles such as Pop Art ( which includes work by Andy Warhol), Minimalism, and Conceptualism. Since the 1960s, Conceptualism has grown in popularity. This style focuses more on the idea or ‘concept’ of art using realistic objects, rather than on art that is created using traditional materials such as paint, canvas, stone, or clay. Whereas Warhol used a can of beans as the basis for a painting, for example, a conceptual artist might say that the can itself is a work of art.
Conceptualism has become an increasingly controversial（有争议的） art style, particularly as result of numerous conceptual artists winning the Turner Prize. This ￡20,000 award is presented annually to a British artist under the age of fifty, in recognition of an outstanding work. Sponsored by the Tate Gallery of Britain, it is recognized as one of Europe’s most prestigious awards for visual arts. Its aim is to promote discussion about contemporary British art. In 2002, pop music icon Madonna presented the Turner Prize to conceptual artist Martin Creed.
【小题1】 One of the artistic styles that many people today discuss and arguing about is ______.

A．classic style

B．Conceptualism

C．Pop art

D．Baroque style

【小题2】 Which statement is NOT true according to the passage? 

A．Pop Art, Minimalism and Conceptualism are styles that developed in the Postmodern era.

B．Some of the world’s earliest art was created in caves.

C．History, culture and one’s concept of beauty affect what a person believes to be art.

D．Art historians refer to today’s artistic period as the Modern era.

【小题3】 According to the passage, art historians have classified these styles into ____ periods.

A．7

B．8

C．10

D．12

【小题4】If the passage continues, the following paragraph will be probably about_________.

A．Martin Creed’s winning works	B．Madonna’s outstanding art style
C．the status of Conceptualism	D．the conclusion of art

Some people love eating food right after it is cooked. I prefer food just take out from the freezer. Fruit, candy, nuts, chocolate, cake with butter cream frosting(糖霜),even peas, all of them taste delicious when frozen. In fact, I often eat them that way.
I was a kid when I picked up the habit. In my family, lots of things were thrown into the freezer —finally, two freezers—to prevent them from going bad. Among them were some of the candies my sisters and I had collected on Halloween.
If we eat when they are still warm, we’ll find ourselves taking the cookies more than we should. It’s better if we can put them into the freezer and wait. That way we’ll eat less and enjoy them more because they are hard and chewing becomes a slower, more patient effort. That’s the point about frozen butter-cream frosting. Put it in your mouth at room temperature, and it’s gone very quickly. But when it’s frozen, you can enjoy the taste much longer as it melts(融化) in your mouth.
The freezer treats a lot of fruits kindly. Take frozen grapes for example, I keep a bowl of grapes in my freezer. They become a little icy, and somehow their sweetness is improved. They are perfect and healthy dessert(点心).This is the same with oranges, apples, bananas…You might think bananas would get super-hard when frozen. Wrong! They become cool, creamy and sweet. If you have wisely covered some or all of the bananas with melted chocolate before putting them into the freezer, they will have a double taste.
As long as you aren’t eating anything that truly has to be hot, go ahead and experiment.
【小题1】 What is the passage intended to tell us ____________.

A．Fruit should be frozen before one eats it.	B．Frozen food is better than hot food.
C．The author prefers frozen food.	D．Hot food is not healthy.

【小题2】The author began to enjoy frozen food when he _________.

A．was young

B．learned cooking

C．got married

D．got a fever

【小题3】 Why does the author NOT advise us to take hot cookies?

A．Because they need more time to prepare.

B．Because the taste is not good when they are hot.

C．Because they are too delicious to avoid our overeating.

D．Because we may eat them quickly and enjoy them less.

【小题4】What does the underlined word “it” in the third paragraph refer to?

A．The taste

B．Butter cream

C．The cookie

D．Frozen butter cream frosting

【小题5】 Which of the following is the advice the author gives on eating fruit?

A．Make bananas hard.	B．Keep grapes in a bowl.
C．Mix kinds of fruits together.	D．Add melted chocolate to bananas.

Most of us long for relationships in which we are loved and accepted. Our hearts’ desire is to give and receive love in relationships that make us feel that even if others disagree with what we do or say, they still love us, accept us, and appreciate what we give to the world. While it would be wonderful to have these types of relationships with all people, we know that’s hard to do. However, we can have such relationships with some others, but only when we first have them with ourselves—and, strangely, this is often the hardest relationship of all.
Do you love yourself? You may think you do, but do you really? There’s only one way to find out— by taking a close look at what you think, say, and do. You may not like some of what you find, but if you are serious about really loving yourself, you can use this insight to do some positive inner work. Here’re three ways for gaining greater personal insight for deeper love:
Listen Closely to Your Thoughts
Your thoughts will determine your actions. One thing helping you to listen to your thoughts is keeping a journal. It is not necessary for you to write in it every day, but it helps to record various insights you gain as you go about your life. Instead of using a big notebook, you might use a small notepad that you can keep in your pocket for easy access to record your thoughts as they occur to you. Whichever method you choose, what’s most important is that you write your thoughts down. It will help you know what’s in your heart.
Be Honest with Yourself
To do this, you should pay attention to your actions. Actions speak louder than words, and they always tell the truth. If you say you love your job, but your actions say otherwise, which do you think is more reliable? On the other hand, if you say you’re not good at a certain job, but your actions say otherwise, that’s also important. What do you do with this insight? You can use it to make more positive choices in your life. By being honest with yourself, you will act according to truth instead of just what you tell yourself.
Take Quiet Time to Listen to Your Inner Voice
This is similar to the first point, but it takes a step further— beyond the natural mind to the heart that cannot be seen. You may want to use your quiet time to think deeply. However you use this time, the key is to shut out all of the noise around you by focusing deep within yourself. Breathing deeply during quiet time will also help you focus. I know it’s hard to find quiet time during a particularly busy day, but it’s so important— even if it’s just 10 minutes a day and you have to hide somewhere to get it. Quiet time can really make a difference in your life.
Despite what your mind may be telling you, you can have love with no limits. The key is to unconditionally love yourself first.
【小题1】. By looking deep into what we think, say, and do, we can         .

A．know whether we really love ourselves

B．appreciate what we give to the world

C．realize what type of relationship we long for

D．know whether we are loved and accepted by others

【小题2】.An important way for gaining personal insight is to         .

A．do some positive inner work

B．keep a journal wherever you go

C．look closely at what others say about us

D．pay attention to our thoughts

【小题3】.The insight we gain from our actions can help us         .

A．focus our attention on our jobs

B．make more positive choices in our life

C．act according to the truth

D．tell the differences between our words and our actions

【小题4】.It can be learned from the passage that if we want to have love without limits, we must first of all          .

A．be honest with ourselves anytime

B．give our love to others generously

C．love ourselves unconditionally

D．take quiet time and think deeply

These days no car show is complete without an electric car, and the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, US, which ran from January 10 to 23, was no exception.
Among the fully electric vehicles on display were the Ford Focus Electric and the Honda Fit EV. BMW and Volvo also had prominent displays at the show, proving that they can produce practical, yet spacious family-oriented electric cars.
Industry insiders at the show claimed that more efficient batteries, improved performance and greater consumer acceptance could make 2011 the “year of electric car”.
It’s long been clear that electric cars score heavily for convenience. They are, for instance, much easier to maintain than gasoline-powered cars. When the battery runs out, you simply replace it or recharge it, just like you would for a cell phone or a laptop.
This is also a much cheaper method than filling your tank with gasoline. Better yet, electric cars don’t emit exhaust fumes. As a result, they don’t produce environmentally damaging greenhouse gases.
It appears that improved technology is making electric cars and their maintenance much more user-friendly. So, what are the obstacles which are preventing electric cars from becoming popular and fashionable?
Home charging for electric cars could be extremely convenient for users. However, it is also a potential obstacle. For a start, installing charging stations in owners’ homes will be a challenge, particularly for those who have to park several blocks away from their homes.
Also, charging the car’s battery still takes quite a long time. It may be some time yet before you can recharge an electric car in the same time as you can refill your gas tank.
Another problem is that many electric vehicles have limited ranges that may only allow for journeys of 50 miles (80 km) or less between charges. In cases where a driver wishes to charge the car primarily at home (perhaps overnight), this limits their daily driving to the range of their vehicle.
This may be one reason why hybrid cars are now becoming more popular. A hybrid car has more than one energy source, usually a traditional gasoline fuel tank and an electric battery. It’s like a more practical version of an electric car: It’s greener than a conventional vehicle, with fewer CO2 emissions, yet it also doubles as a conventional vehicle.
“I would say that hybrid is a transition to fully electronic,” Road and Track magazine editor Richard Horman told Detroit News during the show. “The trend is for lighter, smarter, more economical cars. Of course, electronic vehicles are meant to be that way.”
This sounds promising, particularly in light of the fact that the show featured more electric cars from big manufacturers than ever before.
However, it seems that the technology associated with electric cars is not yet able to fully meet people’s expectations. Don’t expect gasoline-powered cars to disappear from roads just yet.
【小题1】 What made electric cars more convenient?   

A．Easier maintenance.	B．High scores on the show.
C．Practicality and large space.	D．Much lower prices.

【小题2】 Which of the following could NOT act as a potential obstacle of electric cars?

A．It is rough work to install charging stations at home.

B．It is time-consuming to charge the batteries.

C．The ranges between charges are limited.

D．There’s no need to fill the tank with petrol.

【小题3】In Paragraph 10, the underlined word “hybrid” is probably closest in meaning to ________.

A．gasoline

B．electric

C．combined

D．separated

【小题4】The writer’s purpose in writing this passage is to_________.

A．introduce the 2011 Auto Show in US	B．get readers informed of electric cars
C．comment on different types of cars	D．advertise for electric cars

Temperature is measured by means of a thermometer (温度计). One general form of thermometer depends upon the fact that most solids and liquids expand as their temperature rises. There are one or two exceptions. There is, for instance, a kind of steel called invar (from “invariable”) which does not change its dimensions as temperature changes; it is valuable for making pendulums (钟摆), since, if the length of a pendulum changes, its time of vibration changes. It is also used for making very accurate measuring scales. In both cases, then, changes of atmospheric temperature have no effect if invar is used.
Another exception is that very odd liquid, water, which has many strange properties (特性). As water gets colder it contracts (收缩), which is ordinary behavior, until it reaches the temperature of 30℃. above freezing point. After that, as it gets colder, it expands. This is fortunate---for considering the freezing of a pond. As the water on top gets colder, it shrinks; and so, volume for volume, it becomes heavier and sinks. This goes on until all the pond is at 30℃, but after that, as the water becomes colder it expands. Therefore the colder water stays on top and freezes, covering the pond with ice. If the water went on contracting down to the freezing point, the pond would become a solid block of ice in the end. This would not worry people who live in hot climates, but it would be very serious for those who live in cold climates, especially for those who want to break the ice and catch fish which live in the cold water beneath.
【小题1】 Invar is valuable for making pendulums because _______.

A．it can hardly change its shape or size as temperature changes.

B．it will change its dimensions without the change of temperature.

C．its time of vibration doesn’t change if its length changes.

D．its time of vibration does not change if its length changes.

【小题2】 As water gets colder after reaching the temperature of 30℃. it will _______.

A．contract

B．shrink

C．expand

D．freeze

【小题3】 Which of the following statements is true, according to this passage?

A．Only invar can be used to make a thermometer.

B．Only water can be used to make a thermometer.

C．Both invar and water can be used to make a thermometer.

D．Neither invar nor water can be used to make a thermometer.

【小题4】The best title of this passage is most likely to be  _____.

A．Temperature Measurement	B．Two Exceptions
C．Uses of Invar	D．Properties of Water

  Annealing is a way of making metal softer by heating it and then letting it cool very slowly. If metal is heated and then cooled very quickly, for example by dipping (浸) it in water, it will be very hard but also very brittle (脆) —that is , it will break easily. Metal that has been annealed is soft but does not break as easily. It is possible to make metal as hard or as soft as is wished, by annealing it. The metal is heated, and allowed to cool slowly for a certain length of time. The longer the heated metal takes to cool slowly, the softer it becomes. Annealing can also be used on other materials, such as glass.
【小题1】 Annealing can make metal      

A．hard and tough (韧).	B．hard but brittle.
C．soft but tough.	D．soft and brittle.

【小题2】Why do people put hot metal in water?

A．To make it hard.	B．To make it soft.
C．To make it cool.	D．To make it brittle.

【小题3】As suggested by the text, how can glass be made less brittle?

A．It can be heated and then cooled quickly.

B．It can be cooled and then heated slowly.

C．It can be heated and then cooled slowly.

D．It can be cooled and then heated quickly.

On the day Apple debuted the often-delayed white-colored iPhone 4, the company's marketing department gave a nod to the product's troubled history．
"Finally．" read the big headline Thursday above a picture of the white phone on the homepage of Apple．com．
The white model was supposed to ship alongside the black one at the iPhone 4's launch（推出） last June．But design and manufacturing complications delayed the process by 10 months, catching Apple off guard, executives say．
As CNN reported last month, earlier test models of the white iPhone 4 produced unclear photos, especially when the flash（闪光灯） was used．Its whiteness confused the proximity sensor （距离传感器） , which detects when the phone is held next to someone's head and turns off the touch screen to save battery life．
These problems weren't present in older iPhones that came in white because they didn't have flash photography; the proximity sensor was unaffected because the front side of previous models was black．
"We thought we were there a year ago, or less than that, when we launched the iPhone 4, and we weren't," Philip Schiller, Apple's chief marketing executive, said in an interview．"It's not as simple as making something white．There's a lot more that goes into both the material science of it —how it holds up over time…but also in how it all works with the sensors．"
Ticonderoga Securities analyst Brian White predicts that the white model could help drive sales of Apple's phones．He says Apple could sell 1 million to 1．5 million every three months until the next iPhone model is unveiled, which is expected to be this fall．
Forty-five people were lined up at Apple's flagship New York store Thursday morning to buy white iPhones, according to a CNN Money report．
【小题1】The reason why white-colored iPhone 4 was delayed by 10 months is that _______．

A．it's always sold out due to its popularity

B．it met some problems concerning design and manufacture

C．it lacked white manufacturing materials

D．its proximity sensor can't save battery life

【小题2】According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．There are multi-colored models of iPhone 4．

B．The same design problems were also found in older white iPhones．

C．IPhone4 will be launched this fall．

D．Originally designers thought they could solve the problems before iPhone 4 was launched．

【小题3】What would be the best title for this passage?

A．Why the White iPhone 4 Took So Long

B．The History of iPhone 4

C．The Attraction of White iPhone 4

D．The Design and Manufacture of iPhone 4

While drunken driving may be on the decline, traffic safety experts remain puzzled over how to deal with another alcohol related danger: drunken pedestrains.
Pedestrians struck and killed by cars often are extremely drunk. In fact, they are intoxicated(喝醉的) more frequently and with higher blood alcohol levels than drunken drivers who are killed in accidents, various studies have shown. Forty percent of adult pedestrians involved in fatal crashes have a blood alcohol level of at least 0.10 which by law in most states signifies intoxication compared to only 25 percent of drivers in deadly accidents, according to recent federal data.
Some types of pedestrain accidents have been declining nationally, especially those involving children, but the number of adult pedestrians who are drunk when killed in traffic has remained relatively steady at 2500 a year. The total number of pedestrians killed annually in U.S. traffic accidents is at least 7000, or one of every seven highway accidents resulting in death.
“We’re dealing here, we think, with a very severe drinking problem that leads to a severe highway safety problem,” said Richard Blomberg, president of Dunlap and Associates Inc, in Norwalk, Coon.
Blomberg, whose consulting company found a very high rate of alcohol involvement in a controlled study of pedestrian accidents in New Orleans, was among several researchers who spoke on the topic at the annual meeting of the Research council’s Transportation Research Board(TRB)  in Washington in January.
Pedestrian accidents have not received enough attention in the past, according to Kay Colpitts, who chairs the board’s committee on pedestrians. Few methods exist to monitor walking habits, she said, and researchers have been mystified（迷惑不解） about how to prevent disasters.
【小题1】Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Traffic Safety.	B．Drunken Drivers
C．Drunken Pedestrian Accidents.	D．A Severe Highway Safety Problem.

【小题2】Among the causes of walkers’ accidents, the most serious problem is .      

A．long delays in traffic signals that may make people cross streets ignoring traffic rules

B．alcohol

C．a lack of adult keeping eyes on many children involved in accidents

D．former drunken drivers whose licenses are not allowed to use for a time

【小题3】According to recent federal data, drunken drivers with an over 0.10 blood alcohol level in deadly accidents .      

A．are 15 percent less than drunken adult walkers with the same level

B．are 2500 a year

C．are at least 7000 in US traffic accidents

D．make up one seventh of highway accidents

【小题4】According to the passage, what is Blomberg?

A．A researcher.

B．A specialist in traffic safety.

C．A clerk of a consulting company.

D．A government official

One of the most widely accepted, commonly repeated assumptions (假设) in our culture is that if you exercise, you will lose weight. I exercise all the time, but I still have got fat that hangs over my belt when I sit. Why isn’t all the exercise getting rid of it?
It’s a question many of us could ask. More than 45 million Americans now belong to a health club, up from 23 million in 1993. We spend some $19 billion a year on gym memberships. Of course, some people join and never go. Still, as one major study — the Minnesota Heart Survey — found, more of us at least say we exercise regularly.
And yet obesity (肥胖) figures have risen sharply in the same period: a third of Americans are obese, and another third count as overweight by the Federal Government’s definition. Yes, it’s entirely possible that those of us who regularly go to the gym would weigh even more if we exercised less. But like many other people, I get hungry after I exercise, so I often eat more on the days I work out than on the days I don’t. Could exercise actually be keeping me from losing weight?
The popular belief that exercise is essential for weight control is actually fairly new. As recently as the 1960s, doctors routinely advised against too much exercise, particularly for older adults who could injure themselves. Today doctors encourage even their oldest patients to exercise, which is sound advice for many reasons: People who regularly exercise are at significantly lower risk for all manner of diseases — those of the heart in particular. They less often develop cancer and many other illnesses. But the past few years of obesity research show that the role of exercise in weight loss has been wildly over-evaluated.
“In general, for weight loss, exercise is pretty useless,” says Eric Ravussin, exercise researcher at Louisiana State University. Many recent studies have found that exercise isn’t as important in helping people lose weight as you hear so regularly in gym advertisements or on shows like The Biggest Loser — or from magazines like this one.
【小题1】 From the passage we learn that ____.

A．some Americans join a health club but never go there

B．the number of overweight people has doubled since 1993

C．more than 45 million Americans now go to the gym regularly

D．Americans waste too much money each year on sports

【小题2】 According to the passage, exercise ____.

A．has long been believed to be good for older adults

B．is not properly advertised as an effective way to lose weight

C．was first recognized as an effective way to lose weight in the 1960s

D．is less effective in preventing heart disease than what doctors believe

【小题3】 According to the writer, people might gain weight because ____.

A．they have the habit of going to the gym regularly

B．they eat the same food when they do not exercise

C．they exercise less than required by doctors

D．they eat more after they exercise

【小题4】 What may be the best title for this passage?

A．Overweight Is Not Good for Your Health

B．Exercise Won’t Make You Thin

C．Gym Is Part of American Lifestyle

D．Obesity Is a Social Problem in America