The plan: turn Mars into a blue world with streams and green fields, and then fill it with creatures (生物) from the earth. This idea may sound like something from a science fiction (科幻小说), but it is actually being taken seriously by many researchers.

　　This suggested future for the “red planet” will be the main topic for discussion at an international conference hosted by NASA (美国宇航局) this week. Leading researchers as well as science fiction writers will attend the event. It comes as NASA is preparing a multi?billion?dollar Mars research programme. “Turning Mars into a little earth has long been a topic in science fiction,”said Dr Michael Meyer, NASA’s senior scientist for astrobiology (太空生物学). “Now, with scientists exploring the reality, we can ask what are the real possibilities of changing Mars.”

  Most scientists agree that Mars could be turned into a little earth, although much time and money would be needed to achieve this goal.

　　But many experts are shocked by the idea. “We are destroying our own world at an unbelievable speed and now we are talking about ruining another planet,” said Paul Murdin, of the Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, UK. Over the past months, scientists have become increasingly confident they will find Martian life forms. Europe and America’s robot explorers have found proof that water, mixed with soil, exists in large amounts on the planet.

  In addition, two different groups of scientists announced on March 28 that they had found signs of methane (甲烷) in the Martian atmosphere (大气). The gas is a waste product of living creatures and could be produced by microbes (微生物) living in the red planet’s soil.

　　But scientists such as Dr Lisa Pratt, a biologist at Indiana University, say that these microbes will be put in danger by the little earth project. “Before we have even discovered if there is life on Mars, we are talking about carrying out projects that would destroy all these native lifeforms, all the strange microbes that we hope to find buried in the soil,” said Dr Pratt. This view is shared by Monica Grady, a planetary scientist at the Natural History Museum, London. “We cannot risk starting a global experiment that would wipe out the precious information we are looking for.” she said， “This is just wrong.”

5. The passage is about________.

A. a plan turning Mars into a little earth

B. the necessity of changing Mars

C. Mars supporting life

D. finding water in the Mars

6. Which of the following is NOT the reason why some scientists are against the plan?

A. The project would wipe out all the native lifeforms on the Mars.

B. The project will cost too much money and work.

C. We would ruin Mars.

D. We are destroying our own world at an unbelievable speed. 

7. We can infer from the passage that________.

A. water is a crucial factor for life

B. the project will have little effect on the native lifeforms supposed to live on the Mars

C. Monica Grady is in favour of carrying out the little earth project

D. the idea turning Mars into a little earth is nothing but a science fiction

8. Which of the following supports the conclusion of microbes living in the Mars’s soil?

A. Scientists found liquid water in the Mars.

B. Scientists found signs of methane in the Martian atmosphere.

C. Scientists found a lot of good soil on the Mars.

D. Scientists found some creatures living on the Mars.

　Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for yeas. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.

　　The first kind of loneliness is temporary（暂时的）. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation-for example, family problem, the death of a loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year.

　　The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, chronic（长期的）usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.

Psychologists agree that one important factor in loneliness is a person's social contacts, e.g. friends, family members, co-workers, etc. we depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families give us emotional support, our parents and teachers give us guidance, and our friends share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found that, though lonely people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They question their popularity.

　　Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be normal, healthy part of life, chronic loneliness can be a sad, and sometimes dangerous condition.

How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage?

　　A. Talk to friends              B. Just ignore it  

    C. Go to see a doctor      D. Ask your teachers for guidance

"It" in the last sentence of the second paragraph refers to _____.

　　A. temporary loneliness 　　    B. situational loneliness

　　C. a new place　　      D sleeplessness

The topic of the 4th paragraph is that____.

　　A. one problem of loneliness is a person's social contacts

　　B. we depend on various person for different reasons

　　C. lonely people don't have many social problems

　　D. lonely people don't have many friends

Why do psychologists want to help chronically lonely people?

　　A. Chronic loneliness can cause family problems　　 B. Chronic loneliness can cause serious illness

　　C. Chronic loneliness can not be overcome　　   D. A, B and C are all correct

What is the best title for the passage?

　　A. Three Kinds of Loneliness    B. Loneliness and Diseases

　　C. Loneliness and Social Contacts   D. Chronic Loneliness

B
　　China is likely to surpass the U.S. to become world’s largest online game market this year, according to a recent report by market research firm iResearch. China’s online game market generated revenue(总收入) of 20.8 billion yuan($3.04 billion) in 2008, up 52.2% over the previous year. Over 80% of the revenue came from big, multiplayer online games, with the rest generated from Web games and mobile games.
　　The overall market is expected to keep growing at an average annual rate of 20% in the coming five years. And iResearch forecasts that the Chinese online market will be worth more than 68 billion yuan by 2012, which will account for almost half of the global market by then. At present, U.S., China and Korea are the world’s top three largest online game markets, making up about 29%, 27% and 21% respectively of the global online game market, according to the report.
　　U.S. game companies derive a major part of their revenue from sales of games overseas. South Korea’s online game industry generates half of its revenue from games in its home market. In China, however, most of the money comes directly from its own game players. Negatively influenced by the global economic downturn, both the U.S. and Korea markets will see a drop in game exporting, iResearch estimates.
　　In China, the enormous base and fast growing of online gamers will further boost China’s online game industry, said the report. China is currently home to 55.5 million online game players, according to the latest stats by the China Internet Network Information Center(CNNIC). In its report, iResearch found that figures for gamers under 18 and above 40 grew at their fastest rate yet last year, though it didn’t disclose specifics.
55．The second and third paragraphs show that ________.
A．The global online game market will be worth more than 136 billion yuan in 2012.
B．China’s online game market increased by 20% in 2008.
C．China’s online game market will become 60% less in 2009.
D．US, China and Korea together account for 90% of the global online game market.
56．China’s online game industry is different from that of the US and Korea because it’s ________.
A．made up of online, Web and mobile games
B．easily affected by the global economy
C．mainly based upon its home market
D．among the three largest online game markets
57．Which of the following things is mentioned as a factor in the rapid development of China’s online game industry?
A．The rapid growth of online gamers in China.
B．A drop in game imports to China.
C．The global economic downturn.
D．The development of technology in China.
58．According to the last paragraph, which of the following is TRUE?
A．CNNC and iResearch worked together on the report.
B．Gamers under 18 were one of the age groups which grew the fastest last year.
C．At present there are 55.5 million online game providers in China.
D．The statements of CNNC and iResearch are contradictory.

第三部分阅读理解（共两节，满分40分）
第一节（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
　　阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
　　Soon it may be harder to stop and smell the roses.
　　Growing levels of air pollution from power plants and automobiles have reduced flower fragrances (芬芳) by up to 90 percent in the US.That is compared with pre-industrial levels,a new study has found.
　　The trend is unpleasant for human noses,but may be life - threatening for bees and butterflies.
　　"Many insects find flowers by folowing the scent(香味) produced by those flowers," said the studies lead author Jose D.Fuentes,an environmental scientist at the University of Virginia.
　　"The increasing pollution makes it difficult for them to locate the flowers and feed on their nectar(花蜜)."
　　Scientists have alrady known that flowers produce scent molecules(分子) that bond with pollutants.The process breaks down the plants' sweet smell.
　　With more pollution in the air,the scent molecules don't remain effective as long and travel shorter distances on the wind.
　　The new study suggests that in the mid - 19th century,when pollution levels were first recorded,scent molecules would have been able to travel some 1,000 to 1,200 meters.
　　Today,in the polluted air found downwind of large cities,scentst may only make it some 200 to 300 meters.
　　The report was recently published in the journal,Atmospheric Environment.
　　Bee farmers have reported that bee populations are dropping dramatically in many parts of the world in recent years. Could these missing scents be a factor?
　　Scientists trying to hind the cause of bee population declines have blamed bacteria,pesticides,and even cellphone radiation.
　　Jay Evans,an entomologist(昆虫学者) at the US Department of Agriculture's bee research laboratory,was interested in the new study.But he says he hasn't seen bee behavior that suggests trouble with scents.
　　"Over the last couple of summers I don't think the bees in this area were bringing in much less food,"he said.
　　"It might be that they had to work harder,but it seems like as long as there were bees to collect food they were finding flowers somewhere."
　　But Fuentes fears that the fading smell of flowers may stress insects that are already faced with other threats.
　　"The effects shown in these studies will simply exacerbate whatever the bees are going through right now,"he said.
　　"It's something that is really worthwhile paying attention to."
　　56.What's the passage mainly about?
　　　A.How greatly air plooution affects our lives.
　　　B.Effects of air pollution on bee populations.
　　　C.Measures to fight air pollution.
　　　D.The rapid decline of bee populations in the world.
　　57.According to the passage,Jay Evans probably agrees that ______ .
　　　A.bees are the insect that suffers most from air pollution
　　　B.bees are at risk of dying out owing to air pollution
　　　C.the fading smell of flowers doesn't affect bees so greatly as was thought
　　　D.as is often the case,bees fail to locate the flowers because of the missing scents
　　58.The word"exacerbate" in the last paragraph but one probably means ______.
　　　A.worsen B.improve C.get rid of D.decrease
　　59.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
　　　A.The more air pollution there is in a region,the greater the destruction of the flower scents.
　　　B.Bacteria,pesticides,and cellphone radiation are blamed for causing the decline of bees.
　　　C.The scent molecules produced by flowers in a less polluted environment oculd travel longer and farther.
　　　D.Air pollution does more harm to insects such as bees and butterflies than human beings.

Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier, have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal advisors give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants. But in the executive（主管的） circle, beauty can become a liability.

　　While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder, it is harmful to a woman.

　　Handsome male executives were considered having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to lead to their success.

　　Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was connected not with ability but with factors such as luck.

　　All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Interestingly, though, the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was connected more to personal relationships and less to ability than that of the attractive overnight successes.

　　Why are attractive women not thought to be able? An attractive woman is considered to be more feminine has an advantage in traditionally female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally manly position appears to lack the "manly"qualifies required.

　　This is true even in politics, "When the only clue is how he or she looks, people treat men and women differently, " says Anne Bowman, who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates（候选人）. She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of women, in order of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.

　　The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men, but the women who had ranked most attractive unchangeably received the fewest votes.

　　The word "liability" most probably means ________.

　　A. disadvantage　B. advantage　　　C. misfortune　　 D. trouble

　Bowman's experiment shows that when it comes to politics, attractiveness________

　　A. turns out to　be a disadvantage to men

　　B. is more of a disadvantage than an advantage to women

　　C. has as little effect on men as on women

　　D. affects men and women alike

　　It can be inferred from the passage that people's views on beauty are often________.

　　A. practical　　　B. supportive　　 C. old - fashioned　D. one - sided

　　The author writes this passage to ________.

　　A. give advice to job - seekers who are attractive

　　B. discuss the disadvantages of being attractive

　　C. demand equal rights for women

　　D. state the importance of appearance