1 

October 31, 2009, California

     Tsien Hsue-shen, PhD'39, one of the founders of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, died on October 31, He was 98.

     Tsien, born in the eastern Chinese city of Hangzhou, graduated from the National Qinghua University in 1934 and in August of 1935 he left China to study at the Massachusetts Institute Technology. In 1936 he went to the California Institute of Technology to commence graduate studies .Tsien obtained his doctor degree in 1939 and would remain at Caltech for 20 years, becoming the Goddard Professor and establishing a reputation as one of the leading rocket scientists in the United States.

   In 1943, Tsien and two others in the Caltech rocketry group drafted the first document to use the name Jet Propulsion Laboratory. During the Second World War, he was amongst the other scientists participated the "Manhattan Project" .After World War II he served as a consultant to the  United States Army Air Force. During this time, Conlonel Tsien worked on designing an intercontinental space plane. His work would inspire the X--20Dyna-Soar which would later be the inspiration for the Space Shuttle. In1945 Tsien Hsue--shen married Jiang Ying, the daughter of Jiang Baili--one of the Chinese nationalist leader Chiang Kai--shen's leading military strategists. But in 1950, the Chinese-born scientist was accused of harboring Communist sympathies and stripped of his security clearance.

   In September 1955 he was permitted to leave for China, where Tsien resumed his research, founded the Institute of Mechanics, and went on to become the father of China's missile program, a trusted member of the government and Party's inner circle, and the nation's most honored scientist, Tsien retired in 1991 and has maintained a low public profile in Beijing, China. The PRC government launched its manned space program in 1992 and used Tsien's research as the basis for the Long March rocket which successfully launched the Shenzhou V mission in October of 2003.The elderly Tsien was able to watch China's first manned space mission on television from his hospital bed.

   In his late years, since the 1980s, Tsien devoted himself to spirituality research, and advocated scientific investigation of traditional Chinese medicine, Qigong and "special human body functions".

【小题1】           The underlined word "commence" in this passage probably means ____

A. make up    B. get    C. begin   D. promise

【小题2】           Tsien Hsue--shen got married at the age of ______

A.45          B.28     C. 24      D.34

【小题3】           What is the right order of the events related to Tsien Hsue--shen ?

a. his later life   

b. return to China   

c. career in the U.S.A 

d. his early life and education 

A. a-b-c-d    B. d-c-b-a     C. d-b-c-a     D. c-b-d-a

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

A. Tsien Hsue--shen got a doctor's degree in 1939.

B. Tsien Hsue--shen married Jiang Ying, the daughter of Chinese nationalist leader Chiang Kai-shen.

C. Tsien Hsue-shen has made a contribution to the Space Shuttle.

D. Tsien Hsue-shen was interested in traditional Chinese medicine, qigong and "special human body functions" in his later life.

For many in the United States,Arab-Americans are an invisible part of the population．Though Arab-Americans as a community have made great contributions to American society in fields from literature to politics to medicine,many Americans know very little about Americans of Arab backgrounds．

    Arab history in the United States goes back to the late 1800’s when large numbers of Arab immigrants first began making their journey to a land known simply as“Amreeka”．

    Historians generally describe Arab immigration to America in two waves．The first wave took place between 1860 and 1924．The first wave consisted of Lebanese and Syrian,and some Egyptian immigrants．These new immigrants,who were mostly Christian,came to America in search of better opportunities．Even the doomed Titanic,which set sail for America in 1912,had close to a hundred Arab passengers aboard．The majority of Arab-Americans today are descendents of the first wave of immigrants;they are the third or more generation Americans．

    The second wave of immigrants followed after World War Ⅱ,caused by political unrest in the Middle East．This second wave of immigrants consists of mainly Arab Muslims（穆斯林）and continues to this day．

    Arab-Americans make up 3 million of the population in the United States,according to demographers．And quite different from popular belief,64 percent of them are American-born．Eighty-two percent of Arab-Americans are US citizens．

    Arab-Americans are beyond the national average in both education and income．Education is important among Arab-Americans;82 percent have high school diplomas,36 percent have bachelor’s degrees or higher,and 15 percent have graduate degrees．The-median（中位数的） average income among Arab-Americans is $39 580,which is higher than the US average．

What would be the best title for the text?

    A．Arabs in America．   B．The Two Arab Immigration Waves to America．

    C．Arab-Americans,Contributions to America  D．Arab-Americans,Education and Income．

The first wave of immigrants took place because______．

    A．all Arabs were Christian at that time    B．Arabs wanted to hunt for a better development

    C．the Second World War broke out   D．Arabs wanted to gain higher income

The writer of this passage mentioned Titanic______．

    A．to tell us that taking ship at that time was dangerous

    B．because Titanic became a well-known disaster

    C．to show us there were many Arabs flocking into America at that time

    D．to inform us that Arabs are brave enough

From the last paragraph we can infer that______．

    A．Arab-Americans are much more clever than native Americans

    B．Arab-Americans are hard-working people

    C．the higher education you receive,the higher income you will get in America

    D．Arab-Americans play the most important role in the American average in both education and income

American cities are similar to other cities around the world: American cities are changing, just as American society is changing. After World War Two, the population of most large American cities decreased; however, the population in many Sun Belt cities increase. Los Angeles and Houston are cities where population shifts (转移) to and from the city reflect the changing values of American society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, city residents became wealthier. They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs.
Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into the city. They prefer the city to the suburbs because their jobs are there; or they just enjoy the excitement and possibilities that the city offers.
This population shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poor people must leave their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.
Only a few years ago, people thought that the older American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright, new future. Others see only problems and conflicts. One thing is sure: many dying cities are alive again.
【小题1】What does the author think of cities all over the world?

American cities are similar to other cities around the world; In every country. Cities reflect the values of the culture. American cities are changing， just as American society is changing.

After Wolld Wa Ⅱ,the population of most large American cities decreased; bowever. The populaton In omthe Sun Belt cities increased. Los Angeles and Houston are eitit where populatfon shife（转移）to and from the oity reflect the changing values of Amorican society. In the late 1940s and early 1950s,city residents（居民）became wealthier. They had more children so they needed more space, They moved out of their apartments in the city to buy their own homes. They bought houses in the suburbs（郊区）.

Now things are changing. The children of the people who left the cities in the 1950s are now adults. Many, unlike their parents, want to live in the cities. They continue to move to Sun Belt cities and older ones of the Northeast and Midwest. Many young professionals are moving back into city. They prefer the city to the burbs because their jobs are there; or they jus enjoy the excitement and possibii that the city offers.

his  people     shift is bringing problems as well as benefits. Countless poot people  must leave  their apartments in the city because the owners want to sell the buildings or make apartments for sale instead of for rent. In the 1950s, many poor people did not have enough money to move to the suburbs; now many of these same people do not have enough money to stay in the cities.

Only a few years ago, people though that the older  American cities were dying. Some city residents now see a bright,  new fiture,  Others see only problems and comfiels the thing is sure many dying cities are alive again.

1. What does the author  think of cities all over the world?

A. They are alive.                        B. They are hopeless.

C. They are similar.                            D. They are different.

2.Why did American city residents want to live in the suburbs after World War Ⅱ?

A. Because older American cities were dying.

B. Because they were richer and needed more space.

C. Because cities contained the wont pare of society.

D. Because they could hardly afford a live in the city.

3. According to the 4th paragraph, a great many poor people in American cities_________.

A. are faced with housing problems

B. are forced to move to the suburbs

C. want to sell their buildings

D. need more money for daily expenses

4. We ear comude  from the text that ________.

A. American cities are changing far the worse

B. people have different views on American cities

C. many people are now moving from American cities

D. the population is decreasing in older American cities

根据文章内容，从方框A-F选项中，选出每一段的小题或能概括主题思想的最佳选项，选项中有一项为多余选项。

1．
Paris, the capital and the largest city of the country, is in north central France． The Paris contains nearly 20% of the nation’s population and is the economic, cultural, and political center of France． The French government have historically favored the city as the site for all decision making, thus powerfully attracting nearly all of the nation’s activities．
2．
Paris has grown steadily since it was chosen as the national capital in the late 10th century． With the introduction of the Industrial Revolution, a great number of people moved to the city from the country during the 19th century． The migration(移居) was especially stimulated（增强） by the construction of railroads, which provided easy access（通路） to the capital． After World War II more and more immigrants（移民） arrived．
3．
The city is the centralized（集中的） control point of most national radio and television broadcasting． It is a place of publication of the most prestigious（有威望的）newspapers and magazines and an international book publishing center． With more than 100 museums, Paris has truly one of the greatest concentrations of art treasures in the world． The Louvre, opened as a museum in 1793, is one of the largest museums in the world．
4．
In the late 1980s about 4．1 million pupils annually attended about 47,000 elementary schools． In addition, about 5．4 million students attended some 11,200 secondary schools． Approximately 1．2 million students were enrolled annually at universities and colleges in France in the late 1980s． French centers of learning have served as academic models throughout the world．
5．
Paris is the leading industrial center of France, with about one quarter of the nation’s manufacturing concentrated in the metropolitan area． Industries of consumers goods have always been drawn to Paris by the enormous market of the big population; and modern, high-technology industries also have become numerous since World War II． Chief manufactures are machinary, automobiles, chemicals and electrical equipment．