Space is where our future is — trips to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Most people would think that aside from comets(彗星) and stars, there is little else out there. But, since our space journey started we have left so much trash（垃圾） there that scientists are now concerned that if we don't clean it up, we may all be in mortal （致命的）danger.
The first piece of space junk was created in 1964, when the American satellite Vanguard I stopped operating and lost its connection with the ground center. However, since it kept orbiting around the Earth without any consequences, scientists became increasingly comfortable abandoning（抛弃） things that no longer served any useful purpose in space.
It is estimated （估计）that there are now over 500,000 pieces of man-made trash orbiting the Earth at speeds of up to 17,500 miles per hour. The junk varies from tiny pieces of paint chipped off rockets to cameras, huge fuel tanks, and even odd items like the million-dollar tool kit that astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn Piper lost during a spacewalk.
The major problem with the space trash is that it may hit working satellites and damage traveling spacecraft(飞船). Moreover, pieces of junk may collide（碰撞） with each other and break into pieces which fall back to the Earth. To avoid this, scientists have invented several ways for clearing the sky. Ground stations have been built to monitor larger pieces of space trash to prevent them from crashing into working satellites or space shuttles. Future plans include a cooperative effort among many nations to stop littering in space and to clean up the trash already there.
【小题1】What was the first piece of man-made space trash­?

A．A camera.	B．A tool kit.
C．A fuel tank.	D．A broken satellite.

【小题2】Why were scientists NOT concerned about space trash in the beginning?

A．It no longer served any useful purpose.

B．It was millions of miles away from the Earth.

C．It did not cause any problems.

D．It was regarded as similar to comets and stars.

【小题3】 Which of the following statements is true about space junk?­

A．It is huge, heavy machines.

B．It never changes position.

C．It floats slowly around the Earth.

D．It may cause problems for space shuttles.

【小题4】 What has been done about the space trash problem­?
A, Scientists have cleaned up most of the trash.
B. Large pieces of space trash are being closely watched.
C. Many nations have worked together to stop polluting space.
D. Ground stations are built to help store the trash properly in space.

One reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation（毁林） is a blank stare that asks the question, "Since I don't live there, what does it have to do with me?"
The answer is that your way of life, wherever you live in the world, is tied to the tropics in many ways. If you live in a house, wash your hair, eat fruits and vegetables, drink soda, or drive a car, you can be certain that you are affected by the loss of tropical forests.
Biologically, we are losing the richest regions on earth when, each minute, a piece of tropical forest, the size of ten city blocks, disappears. As many as five million species of plants, animals, and insects (40 to 50 percent of all living things) live there, and are being lost faster than they can be found and described. Their loss is immeasurable.
Take rubber for example. For many uses, only natural rubber from trees will do. Synthetics are not good enough. Today over half the world's commercial rubber is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, while the Amazon's rubber industry produces much of the world's four million tons. And rubber is an important material in making gloves, balloons, footwear and many sporting goods. Thousands of other tropical plants are valuable for their industrial use.
Many scientists strongly believe that deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect -- or heating of the earth from increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we destroy forests, we lose their ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Carbon dioxide levels could double within the next half-century, warming the earth by as much as 4.5 degrees. The result? A partial melt-down of polar ice caps, raising sea levels as much as 24 feet; even 15 feet could threaten anyone living within 35 miles of the coast. Unbelievable? Maybe. But scientists warn that by the time we realise the severe effects of tropical deforestation, it will be 20 years too late.
Can tropical deforestation affect our everyday lives? Now, you should have got the answer.
【小题1】The underlined word "synthetics" probably means_________.

A．natural rubber	B．tropical materials
C．man-made material	D．commercial rubber

【小题2】According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．The forests are losing their function in turning carbon dioxide into oxygen.

B．Many of our daily uses are related to the tropical forests.

C．Tropical plants can be used to make industrial products.

D．High carbon dioxide levels will make the earth warmer.

【小题3】The author's attitude towards the tropical deforestation is _________ .

A．puzzling	B．cold
C．supporting	D．opposed

【小题4】Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A．Tropical Forests	B．The Value of Tropical Forests
C．Tropical Forests and Our Life	D．The Greenhouse Effects

The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means. Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago, but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest problems is pollution. To pollute means to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in one place, man moved to another place. But this is no longer true.
Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.
Air pollution is still the most serious. It’s bad for all living things in the world, but it is not the only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from putting dirty smoke into the air. Pollution by SO2 is now the most dangerous kind of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. We are sure that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must take care of the rise in pollution at the same time.
【小题1】 _______, our world is becoming much smaller.

A．Because of the rise in pollution

B．Thanks to science development

C．Because the earth is being polluted day and night

D．Because the earth is blown away by the wind every year

【小题2】Hundreds of years ago, life was __________ it is today.

A．much easier than	B．as easy as
C．much harder than	D．as hard as

【小题3】 Pollution comes in many ways. We can even hear it. Here “it” means _______.

A．rubbish（垃圾）	B．noise pollution
C．air pollution	D．water pollution

【小题4】 Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Many countries are making rules to fight pollution.

B．The pollution of the earth grows as fast as the world population does.

C．The problem of pollution is not so serious because there are not so many people living on the earth.

D．If people could go to work by bus or bike instead of car or motorbike, it would be helpful in fighting against the problem of SO2.

In the north of Scotland there is a lake called Loch Ness. It is the biggest lake in Britain. It is over thirty kilometres long and in places nearly 300 meters deep. It is cold and dark and not many people went there until after 1930. Then a road was made around the lake. Holiday makers began to use the road, and this was when the stories began.
Someone said that he had seen a monster in the lake. He said it was twelve meters long. It had a long neck and a small head. Then someone else said he had seen it. Others said the same thing and in 1933 a London doctor took a photo. It looked like a monster with a long neck and a thick body but the photo was not dear. The newspapers printed the picture and called it the Loch Ness monster, or "Nessie".
Then the argument began. Some people, however, were certain there was something living in the lake. Others said there was nothing there.
In 1961, a lot of people joined together to make a real effort to see and photograph the monster if there was one! Several times people thought they saw something but after ten years there was still no real proof.
Later underwater television cameras were used, but no one found any real proof. However, they did find something interesting: a huge underwater cave. It was big enough to be home of a monster, but of course, this was not a proof.
In 1975, however, some American scientists formed a search group. They used an underwater camera. It took pictures every seventy seconds. Some of the pictures seemed to show a red-brown creature. Its body was about four meters long and had a very ugly head on the end of a four meter neck. Many people then began to believe in the monster. But even today we can not be certain.
【小题1】Before 1930, ____.

A．few people went to Loch Ness Lake

B．many people had been there

C．nobody went to the lake

D．nobody knew about the lake

【小题2】What did the monster look like?

A．It looked like a horse.

B．It was a creature with a long neck and a small head.

C．It looked beautiful.

D．It was tiny and pretty.

【小题3】Who first took a photo of the monster?

A．An American

B．A television camera

C．A holiday-maker

D．A doctor from London

【小题4】A search group formed by some American scientists.

A．found the monster itself

B．found a huge cave under water

C．believed that there wasn't any monster at all

D．took some pictures which seemed to show a monster

Far from the land of Antarctica, a huge shelf of ice meets the ocean. At the underside of the shelf there lives a small fish, the Antarctic cod.
For forty years scientists have been curious about that fish. How does it live where most fish would freeze to death? It must have some secret. The Antarctic is not a comfortable place to work and research has been slow. Now it seems we have an answer.
Research was begun by cutting holes in the ice and catching the fish. Scientists studied the fish’s blood and measured its freezing point.
The fish were taken from seawater that had a temperature of -1.88℃ and many tiny pieces of ice floating in it. The blood of the fish did not begin to freeze until its temperature was lowered to -2.05℃. That small difference is enough for the fish to live at the freezing temperature of the ice-salt mixture.
The scientists’ next research job was clear: Find out what in the fish’s blood kept it from freezing. Their search led to some really strange thing made up of a protein never before seen in the blood of a fish. When it was removed, the blood froze at seawater temperature. When it was put back, the blood again had its antifreeze quality and a lowered freezing point.
Study showed that it is an unusual kind of protein. It has many small sugar molecules held in special positions within each big protein molecule. Because of its sugar content, it is called a glycoprotein. So it has come to be called the antifreeze fish glycoprotein. Or AFGP.
【小题1】What is the text mainly about?

A．The terrible conditions in the Antarctic.

B．A special fish living in freezing waters.

C．The ice shelf around Antarctica.

D．Protection of the Antarctic cod.

【小题2】Why can the Antarctic cod live at the freezing temperature?

A．The seawater has a temperature of -1.88℃.

B．It loves to live in the ice-salt mixture.

C．A special protein keeps it from freezing.

D．Its blood has a temperature lower than -2.05℃.

【小题3】 What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．A type of ice-salt mixture.	B．A newly found protein.
C．Fish blood.	D．Sugar molecule.

【小题4】What does “glyco-” in the underlined word “glycoprotein” in the last paragraph mean?

A．sugar	B．ice
C．blood	D．molecule

Last night’s meteor(流星) shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding answers. According to Gabe Rothsclild, Emerald Valley’s mayor, people gathered in the suburbs of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightened by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.
“My family was so frustrated,” admitted town resident Duane Cosby, “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointments.”
Astronomers---scientists who study stars and planets----have been complaining about this problem for decades.They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.
There is yet a population besides professional and amateur star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds,bats frogs,snakes,etc. For example,outdoor lighting severely affects migrating(迁徙的)birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association. “100 million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes with lighted buildings and towers.”
Countless more animals casualties(伤亡）result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings,but some scientists think it can be harmful for humans,too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase person’s chances of getting cancer.
Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of hight pollution. For years, Flagstaff,Arizona, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to help astronomers at the Lowell Observatory. Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.
【小题1】It happened last night that __________ .

A．the city light show attracted many people

B．the meteors flew past before being noticed

C．the city’s lights affected the meteor watching

D．the meteor watching ended up a social outing

【小题2】What do the astronomers complain about?

A．Light pollution has remained unsolved for years

B．Their observation equipment is in poor repair

C．Meteor showers occur less often than before

D．Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting

【小题3】What the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?

A．Birds may take other migration paths

B．Animal’living habits may change suddenly

C．Varieties of animals will become sharply reduced

D．Animals’survival is threatened by outdoor lighting

【小题4】Lighting regulations in Flagstaff,Arizona are put into effect to__________.

A．Lessen the chance of getting cancer

B．ensure citizens a good sleep at night

C．create an ideal observation condition

D．enable all creatures to live in harmony

【小题5】What message does the author most want to give us?

A．Saving wildlife is saving ourselves

B．Human activities should be environmentally friendly

C．Great efforts should be made to save energy

D．New equipment should be introduced for space study

The deserts of the world are not all covered with sand. Many of them have surfaces of rock or clay or small stones. They are not flat, either. They often have high hills and deep valleys. There is some plants’ life in many parts of the desert. There is little rain in the desert, but it does fall often enough for most plants.
The deserts of the world are not uninhabited(not lived by people). People also live outside oases(绿洲), but these people are not farmers. They have camels, goats, donkeys, sheep, etc. These animals can live on the desert plants and do not need much water.
The people of the desert have to move constantly from place to place, they must always look for grass or desert plants for their animals. They usually live in tents. When there is no more food for their animals, they fold up their tents, pat them on their camels and donkeys, and move to another place. In good years, when there is enough food for their animals, they trade their skins and their goats and camel hairs with the people of oases for wheat and fruit. But in bad years, when there is not enough food for their animals, the people of the desert would attack the oases people. But they are also hospitable, no man in the desert would ever refuse to give a stranger food and water.
【小题1】According to the passage, deserts are mostly made up of _______.

A．clay	B．rock
C．stones	D．sand

【小题2】 The underlined word “hospitable” has the meaning of being _______.

A．brave	B．cruel
C．strange	D．kind

【小题3】In the desert _______.

A．it rains in spring only

B．there is some rain, but far from enough

C．it rains for a short time every month

D．the rainfall is just enough for the plants

【小题4】People live _______.

A．only inside the oases

B．only outside the oases

C．both inside and outside the oases

D．in places with regular rainfalls

【小题5】From the passage we know that life _______.

A．is hard in deserts

B．is happy in deserts

C．is impossible in deserts

D．in deserts in much better now

Bend over, take a deep breath and drink some water! This is just one of hundreds of tips you might get if you have the hiccups(打嗝). Hiccups are so mysterious. We really don’t know why they start and why they stop.
Everyone has a favorite cure(治愈方法) for a case of the hiccups. Some people think that a good scare(惊恐) is necessary to get well. Others eat a teaspoon of sugar. Still others drink a glass of water with a knife in it.
An American man named Jack O’Leary said he had hiccupped 160 million times over a period of eight years. He tried 60,000 cures, but none of them worked. At last he prayed to Saint Jude, the saint of Hopeless cases, and his hiccupping stopped immediately.
It took a British plumber eight months to cure his hiccups. People from all over the world wrote him letters with suggestions for getting well. He tried them all, but the hiccups continued. Finally, he drank a “secret” mixture someone had sent him. By that evening his hiccups were gone.
Why did these cures work for these two men? No one really know. But people who have studied many cases of hiccups have an idea – hiccups usually go away if you believe in the cure.
【小题1】. How did Jack O’Leary stop his hiccups?

A．He took a deep breath.	B．He prayed to Saint Jude
C．He ate a teaspoon of sugar.	D．He drank a “secret” mixture.

【小题2】. The British plumber spent         in stopping his hiccups.

A．4 hours	B．2 days
C．8 months	D．8 years

【小题3】.         might be the best cure for hiccups according to the passage.

A．Cold water	B．A spoonful of salt
C．Special pills	D．What you believe in

【小题4】. From this passage, we can learn         .

A．Saint Jude is an expert in curing the hiccups

B．the reason why the hiccups start and why the hiccups stop

C．some people think that a good scare is a cure for a case of hiccups

D．the British plumber drank a “secret” mixture given by an experienced doctor and then became well

【小题5】. What is the main idea of this passage?

A．Different ways to stop hiccups.

B．What makes hiccups happen.

C．How to get hiccups.

D．Jack O’Leary’s hiccups.

People in several American states may be surprised to see cars on city streets without a driver. Experimental driverless vehicles now are legal in Florida, Nevada and California. They are pointing the way to a future that is not far down the road. The high-tech company Google has a number of self-driving cars, which had covered 480,000 kilometers by August. Volvo is among the companies doing road tests and says it plans to sell driverless cars by 2020.
In September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed an act to allow autonomous vehicles on the roads of his state. “Today we’re looking at science fiction becoming tomorrow’s reality—the driverless car.” The technology for these cars includes cameras, radar and motion sensors. The systems have been improved through competitions sponsored by the US government agency DARPA. Engineer Richard Mason of the Rand Corporation helped design driverless vehicles for DARPA challenge races.
“Cars have become much more fuel-efficient, and new electronic features are making Hondas safer,” said Angie Nucci of Honda America. “A camera on the passenger-side mirror actually engaged on your guiding screen so you can safely change lanes.” Other safety features include warning systems on the front and the sides of the cars. These systems help drivers, but don’t replace them. Curator Leslie Kendall of the Petersen Automotive Museum said autonomous cars will make the high ways safer．
“By taking out drivers, you also remove most risks of an accident,” Kendall said. He said consumers, however, may be unwilling to lose control. “It may take them time to come to realize that the technology is indeed reliable, but it will have to prove itself first.”
Mason said the technology already works and the biggest challenge now is getting down the cost for driverless vehicles from hundreds of thousands of dollars to something more affordable. He said this will happen as the technology is improved.
【小题1】What can we learn from Paragraph l?
A. Volvo will be the first to sell driverless cars.      
B. Driverless cars are pointing us a faraway future.
C. Driverless vehicles are now legal in the whole USA.
D. Google’s self-driving cars have covered a long distance.
【小题2】We learn that Governor of California Jerry Brown_________.

A．helped design self-driving cars

B．supports self-driving cars on roads

C．considers self-driving cars science fiction

D．improved the self-driving car systems

【小题3】According to Richard Mason, what is the biggest challenge for driverless cars?

A．They are not allowed to run on the road.

B．Their technical problems remain to be solved.

C．They are now too expensive for consumers.

D．They are more dangerous for people on the street.

【小题4】Which is the best title for the passage?

A．The Benefits of the Self-driving Cars

B．The Biggest Challenge of the Self-driving Cars

C．Safer or More Dangerous Self-driving Cars

D．Self-driving Cars—Science Fiction Future Is Near

A Southampton University team found that people who were vegetarians by 30 had recorded five IQ points higher on average at the age of 10. Researchers said it could explain why people with a higher IQ were healthier as a vegetarian diet was linked to lower heart disease and obesity rates. The study of 8,179 people was reported in the British Medical Journal.
Twenty years after the IQ tests were carried out in 1970, 366 of the participants said they were vegetarians — although more than 100 reported eating either fish or chicken.
Men who were vegetarians had an IQ score of 106, compared with 101 for non-vegetarians; while female vegetarians averaged 104, compared with 99 for non-vegetarians. There was no difference in the IQ scores, between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarians but reported eating fish or chicken.
Researchers said the findings were partly related to better education and higher class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors.
Vegetarians were more likely to be female, to be of higher social class and to have higher academic or vocational qualifications than non-vegetarians. However, these differences were not reflected in their annual income, which was similar to that of non-vegetarians.
Lead researcher Catharine Gale said, “The findings that children with greater intelligence are more likely to report being vegetarians as adults, together with the evidence on the potential benefits of a vegetarian diet on heart health, may help to explain why a higher IQ in childhood or adolescence is linked with a reduced risk of coronary heart disease in adult life.
But Dr Frankie Phillips of the British Dietetic Association said，“It is like the chicken and egg. Do people become vegetarians because they have a very high IQ or is it just that they are clever enough to be more aware of health issues？”
【小题1】What’ s the result of the research mentioned in the text?

A．Children with a higher IQ are less likely to have heart disease later in life.

B．Intelligent children are more likely to become vegetarians later in life.

C．Intelligent children tend to belong to higher social class later in life.

D．Children with a healthier heart tend to have a higher IQ later in life.

【小题2】It was found in the research that________.

A．most of the participants became vegetarians 20 years after the IQ tests were carried out

B．female vegetarians were more likely to have higher annual income than non-vegetarians

C．vegetarians who ate fish or chicken were of similar intelligence with strict vegetarians

D．vegetarians were more likely to have higher annual income than non-vegetarians

【小题3】Catharine Gale talked about “being vegetarians” in a(n)________way.

A．doubtful	B．favorable
C．negative	D．objective

【小题4】What’ s the best title for the text?

A．Get more IQ points!

B．Be a vegetarian, please!

C．A high IQ is linked to being a vegetarian

D．Vegetarian diet cuts heart risk