For more than twenty years scientists have been searching for signs of life on other planets. Most of these searches have been done over the radio. The hope is that someone in outer space may be trying to get in touch with us. Scientists also have sent radio and television messages on spaceships traveling through space, on the chance that someone may be receptive to such messages.

　　Scientists are using powerful radio telescopes to listen to signals from about 1, 000 stars, all within 100 light years of earth. In addition, they will scan（扫视）the entire sky to “listen” for radio messages from more distant stars. Using a computer, they will be able to monitor more than eight channels at one time. Scientists are looking for any signal they stands out from the background noise.

　　Of the 200 billion stars in the Milky Way galaxy（银河星系）, scientists find that five percent are like our sun. Perhaps half of them have a planet like earth. Such a planet would be a reasonable distance from the star for temperatures to be right for the evolution（进化）of life. Based on the inhabitable（that can be lived in）planets in our galaxy, most scientists agree that chances are likely that one or more of these planets support some life.

　　However, many scientists wonder whether intelligent（有智力的）life exists on other planets. Some believe that twenty years of searching without any intelligible messages shows that no one is out there. They say that the evolution of intelligence comparable to ours is unlikely.

　　Other scientists believe that our search hasn’t been long enough to rule out the possibility that intelligent life exists in our galaxy. Although our sun family is only about five billion years old, our galaxy is about 20 billion years old. In that time, some scientists think it is likely that civilization（文明）much more advanced than ours have developed. Perhaps these civilizations send us no signals; perhaps we have not recognized the signals they have sent us. If we hope to find intelligent life, these scientists believe that we have to keep looking.

According to the passage, how many planets in our galaxy might be inhabitable?

　　A. 5 billion．　　　　　　　　　　 B. 10 billion.

　　C. 15 billion.　　　　　　　　　　　D. 200 billion

The first paragraph in this passage is mainly about ________ .

　　A. how scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets

　　B. why scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets

　　C. where scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets

　　D. when scientists are looking for signs of life on other planets

The underlined word “monitor” in the passage means“ ________ ”.

　　A. find　　　　　　　　　　　　　B. follow

　　C. check　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. form

Which of these statements is true based on the information in the passage?

　　A. The earth is one of the oldest planets in our galaxy.

　　B. Most scientists believe that there is intelligent life on other planets.

　　C. Scientists are trying different ways to find signs of life on other planets.

D. Scientists don’t believe that there might be life on other planets.

完形填空

Hidden passengers travelling in ships, trains, or even cars can be a terrible trouble——especially when they are insects. As for this, there is a great _____1_____ between human beings and insects. The former _____2_____ every possible effort to avoid being discovered ,while the latter quickly _____3_____ attention to themselves.

　　We can only show mercy to the _____4_____ man who had to stop his car soon after _____5_____ from a country village to drive to London. Hearing a strange noise from the _____6_____ of the car, he naturally got out to _____7_____ the wheels carefully, but he found nothing wrong, so he _____8_____ his way. Again the noise began _____9_____ and became even louder. Quickly _____10_____ his head, the man saw what appeared to be a great _____11_____ loud following the car. When he stopped at a village further on, he was told that a queen bee must be hidden in his car as there were thousands of bees_____12____ .

　　On learning this, the man drove away as quickly as possible. After an hour's _____13_____ driving, he arrived safely in London. Where he parked his car outside a _____14_____ and went in. It was not long _____15_____ a customer who had seen him arrive _____16_____ in to inform him that his car was _____17_____ with bees. The poor driver was _____18_____ that the best way should be to call a _____19_____. In a short time the man arrived. He found the unwelcome passenger hidden near the wheels at the back of the car. Very thankful to the driver for this _____20_____ gift, the bee-keeper took the queen and her thousands of followers home in a large box.

I remember my first Christmas party with Grandma．I remember the day when my big sister dropped the bomb: “There is no Santa Claus,” she laughed．“Even dummies know that!”
　　I fled to Grandma because I knew she always told me  21 ．After I told her everything, she said “No Santa Claus? Don’t believe it. Now,  22 your coat, and let’s go.”
　　“Go? Go where?” I asked．
　　“Where” 23  to be the General Store．As we walked through its doors, Grandma   24 me ten dollars．That was a lot in those days．“Take this money and buy something for  25 needs it．I’ll wait for you in the car．”
　　The store seemed big and  26 , full of people hurrying to finish their Christmas shopping．For a few moments I just stood there, 27  , holding that bill, wondering what to buy, and who on earth to buy it for．
　　Suddenly I thought of Bobbie who sat right behind me．I remembered he didn’t have a coat．I fingered the bill with growing  28 ．I would buy Bobbie a coat．
　　“Is this a Christmas present for someone?” the lady behind the   29  asked me kindly, as I laid my ten dollars down
　　“Yes,” I replied shyly．“It’s…for Bobbie.”
　　The nice lady smiled at me．I didn’t get any  30 , but she put the coat in a bag and wished me a Merry Christmas．
　　That evening, Grandma helped me  31  the coat and wrote, “To Bobby, From Santa Claus” on it．Then she  32 me over to Bobbie’s house．
　　Grandma parked down the street from Bobbie’s house, and she and I crept 33 and hid in the  34 ．Then Grandma gave me a sign．“All right, Santa Claus, get going．”
　　I took a deep 35 , dashed for his front door, threw the present down, pounded his doorbell and flew back to the safety．Together we  36 breathlessly in the darkness for the front door to open．Finally it  37 , and there stood Bobbie．
Forty years haven’t dimmed the thrill of those  38 spent shivering, beside my grandma, in Bobbie’s bushes． 39 ,  I realized: Santa was alive and well, and we were  40  his team．

完形填空 （共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

Michel is a young girl who works for the police  16  a handwriting expert. She has helped 17  many criminals(罪犯) by using her special talents (天才).

　　When she was fourteen, Michel was already  18   interested in the differences in her friends'  19  that she would spend hours  20  them. After  21  college she went to France for a   22  two-year class in handwriting at the School of Police Science.

　　Michel says that it is  23   for people at hide their handwriting. She can discover  24  of what she needs to know simply  25  looking at the writing with her own eyes,  26   she also has machines   27  help her make  28  different kinds of paper and ink. This knowledge is often  29  great help to the police.

　　Michel believes that handwriting is a good  30  of what kind of person the  31  is. "I wouldn't go out with a fellow  32  I didn't like his handwriting. " She says. But she  33  she fell in love with her future husband, a young policeman  34  she studied his handwriting. It is later proved to be  35  , however.

　A. with 　　　　B. by 　　　        C. like 　　    D. as

　A. search　　 　B. follow 　　   C. catch 　　  D. extra

　A. so　　　　　 B. too 　　　　 C. quite 　　   D. extra

　A. books　　 B. letter　　　     C. tongues 　  D. handwriting

　A.writing 　　　B. studying　        C. settling 　 D. uncovering

　A.attending　　     B. finishing    C. starting D. stepping into

　A. powerful 　　B. natural 　　 C. special　  　    D. common

　 A.main 　　　   B. safe 　　　  C. easy 　      D.impossible

　A. most 　　　   B. nothing　　  C. little 　　      D. sight

　A. with 　　　   B. by 　　　　 C. of　　　     D. about

　A. so 　　　　   B. for 　　　　     C. thus 　　 　 D. but

　A. they 　　　  B. in which 　      C. that 　　  　    D. those

　A. up 　　　　 B. out 　　　　   C. for 　　  　 D. into

　A. of 　　　　 B. to　　　　 　  C. with 　　　 D. for

　A. test 　　　  B. sign(标记)　 C. means 　 　  D. habit

A. thief 　　 　B. criminal　  　  C. writer 　　 D. policeman

　A. whether 　　B. unless 　　    C. if 　　　　 D. after

A. adds 　　　    B. tells 　　　     C. repeats 　  D. cries

　A. before 　 　 B. after 　　 　 C. shyly 　　       D. and

　A.necessary　 　B. all right     C.important 　  D. quite easy

—I’m afraid I can’t finish the magazine within the required time.

—　　　.

A.Please go ahead　　　　　　　　　　　B.That’s right

C.Not at all　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D.Take your time