I didn’t think I had a passion(激情). I would sit in front of the TV all day, thinking about nothing but the next show. It was not long ago that I first learned how important having a passion is to life.
That day I went with my mum to drive my sister to the gym. I was bored. Then, as my mum stopped at a red light, someone on the side of the road caught my eye（吸引我的世界）. It was a man dressed in rags (衣衫褴褛). He was homeless. That didn’t interest me, for I had seen many like him before.
But in some ways he was different. This man was not sitting down with a sad expression(表情). He had a radio in his hand and was dancing happily to the music. The radio seemed to be the most precious(珍贵)thing he had.
“Mum, why does that man have a radio even thought（尽管） he’s homeless?” I asked.
“He bought it,” she replied. I was still unable to understand.
“But if he’s homeless, why doesn’t he use the money to buy food or clothes? He wasted it on something he doesn’t need.”
“Well, Sarah, sometimes food and clothes aren’t the most important things. We need happiness, too.”
The man must care too much about music to buy a radio instead of food clothes. I soon realized（意识到）that happiness is the key to life. Without it, there’s nothing to look forward to.
Since then I’ve never gone a day without thinking of what’s truly important. A home, a meal, clothes—these things are only part of the picture. What’s often forgotten is that we all need a pleasure, a light in a dark day. We all need a passion.
小题1:How would Sarah spend her days long ago?

A．She watched TV all day.

B．She used to read a lot.

C．She did nothing but thinking.

D．She was always sleeping.

小题2:Who caught Sarah’s eye when her mum stopped the car at a red light?

A．A man dressed in rags.

B．A man dressed in new clothes.

C．A man sitting down with a sad expression.

D．A man singing happily to the music.

小题3: Why was the man different?

A．He wore new clothes.

B．He was sitting with a sad expression.

C．He was homeless.

D．He lived an active life though he was very poor.

小题4:What did Sarah do after she understood the fact?

A．She thought all day without doing anything.

B．She bought a radio just like the man’s.

C．She had a passion with everything from then on.

D．She always danced to the music on the radio.

小题5: What can we learn from the passage?

A．Sometimes food and clothes are the most important things in our life.

B．Happiness is the key to life and it is what we are looking forward to.

C．Music is more important than food or clothes.

D．Money is the most important thing for a person.

“Yes, ladies and gentlemen, welcome aboard NASA’s Space Elevator. We’re going to leave soon. The entire ride will take about five hours, so sit back and enjoy the trip. As we rise, be sure to look out the window. You’ll see the sky change from deep blue to black. It is one of the most wonderful views（景色）you will ever see! ”
Does this sound like the Sci-Fi Channel? Well, it’s not. Scientists are thinking that a “space elevator” will be possible toward the end of the 21st century. A space elevator will consist of a long cable (电缆) from the Earth’s surface into space to an altitude(高度) of about 35,786 km. “Elevators” will travel along the cable and move people and loads between Earth and space. One of the greatest advantages is that the cost will be much less. Researchers estimate (估计) that a passenger with baggage at 150 kg might cost only $222! Compare that to today’s cost of around $3.3 million for the same weight. It would make “cheap” space travel possible. Scientists believe carbon nanotubes (纳米管) may be used to make high-strength materials for the cables, although they are still being studied.
It was Arthur C. Clarke who brought this idea to the general public. In his science fiction novel Fountains of Paradise, engineers build a space elevator on top of a mountain peak on an island. One day, Clarke was asked a question by a student during his speech. The student asked when the space elevator would become a reality. Clarke answered, “Probably about 50 years after everybody stops laughing.” He’s got a point. When we stop thinking of something as impossible, then we start working on its development.
小题1:Why should passengers in a space elevator look out the window while they are moving into space?

A．Because the blue sky is very beautiful.

B．Because the view outside is wonderful.

C．Because the sky changes from black to blue.

D．Because the trip will take about seven hours.

小题2:Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Scientists haven’t used carbon nanotubes to make the cables.

B．Traveling in space elevators will cost much less in the future.

C．Passengers will be able to travel in space elevators with baggage.

D．Space elevators will travel for 35,786 km around the Earth’s surface.

小题3:What is the best title for this passage?

A．Possible Now: Space Travel	B．Cheap Space Travel
C．Going into Space in an Elevator	D．Space Travel — Impossible