20．The best title of this passage should be 　　　　　　.

　　　　 A．Why Can’t Teacher Set Us Books that Are Fun ?

　　　　 B．I don’t Like Reading on the Vacation

　　　　 C．Teachers , don’t Set Us Any Reading Assignments　　 D．Teachers , Set us Free

19．In the opinion of the author of this passage a good write should be 　　　　　　.

　　　　 A．one who describes events and characters in different ways

　　　　 B．one who uses a way of describing that makes the reader wish to know what to happen next　　　　 C．one who is learned　　　　 D．one who is full of imagination

18．The authour listed such books as The Friends of Eddie Coyle because he/she thinks　 　.

　　　　 A．they can change his/her opinion 　　　　　　　 B．he/she can learn a lot more from them

　　　　 C．they are of literary value , and enjoyable D．he/she has to do as teachers tell

17．What can make students interested in August reading ought to be 　　　　　　.

　　　　 A．romantic 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．out of date

　　　　 C．entertaining and educational 　　　　　　　　　　 D．pure

16．The author thinks he/she will have a difficult August because 　　　　　　.

　　　　 A．he/she doesn’t like reading in summer vacation

　　　　 B．he/she is to read the books , boring and not right for kids .

　　　　 C．he/she hates the English teacher assigning homework .

　　　　 D．he/she hates August .

15．The US$ 820 million project at least includes 　　　　　　rovers .

　　　　 A．2　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．3　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．4　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．5

E

August has always been difficult for me . It is the time when I realize that the books my English teacher assigned (布置)to me are not going to read themselves and that I have a difficult month in front of me .

You might think that I don’t want to spend my summer reading , but that’s not the problem : I love reading . On the first day of my summer holiday this year , I went to the library and got “ A Gathering of Old Men” by African-American writer Ernest Gaines . I enjoyed it very much . I read all the magazines that my parents subscribe to (订阅)and spend about 30 minutes every day with the morning paper .

So why do I hate summer reading for school ? Because the books on summer reading lists are often slow-going and just uninviting (不吸引人). Teachers and librarians don’t understand that summer reading can be entertaining as well as educational . They choose books that a friend of my mother’s calls “spinach books” : good for you , but not much fun to take in . Every summer , I read them , hate them and get bitter about the experience .

This bitterness started three years ago when I was about to begin high school . As preparation , my English teacher told me to read “ The Age of Innocence” (《纯真年代》)by American author Edith Wharton .I’m sure there are many people who enjoyed “The Age of Innocence” --some might even say it’s their favourite book .

But I don’t think any of these people read it as a 14-year-old boy on his summer vacation .

“The Age of Innocence” is the story of a forbidden romance in New York 100years ago . At 14, my only experience with romance was my love for baseball .I couldn’t imagine being in love , much less being in love in 1900. “The Age of Innocence” was totally different to my life .

Most of my required summer reading has been like that--books written in a style that plays up the adjectives and plays down the verbs . I guess teachers don’t think exciting plots make for “good literature” . To me , though , a good writer describes events and characters in a way that makes the reader want to know what happens next .

If I ware making up a summer reading list , it would include “The Friends of Eddie Coyle” by George V. Higgins , “The Right Stuff” by Tom Wolfe , and “Into Thin Air” by Jon Krakauer . These are all books that have literary value but , just as important , can also entertain kids on vacation . If the teachers could stand a little fun in the books they assign , my Augusts would be a lot more enjoyable .

14．Mars is 　　　　　　according to the first images from Spirit .

　　　　 A．a rocky bed of an ancient lake that once contained life

　　　　 B．a flat , wind-damaged surface dotted with small rocks

　　　　 C．a flat stretch of the hole that once contained a lake

　　　　 D．a landing site once covered with water

13．What is inferred in the passage ?

　　　　 A．NASA is pleased with its rover .　　　　　　　　　 B．NASA is disappointed with its rover .

　　　　 C．NASA is curious about its rover 　　　　　　　　 D．NASA is sad about its rover

12．From the passage we know George E. Elliot , Jr once mainly did 　　　　　kinds of jobs .

　　　　 A．1　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B．2　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C．3　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D．4

D

Excited by the successful landing of the rover (探测机器人) on Mars , scientists from NASA( the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration ) have spent the last few days studying data (数据)from the robot and working on getting it ready to roll .

Spirit made a dangerous , but safe , landing on Mars on Sunday on what scientists believe is the rocky bed of an ancient lake that once may have contained life .

Just three hours later , the six-wheeled rover began sending black-and –white photos of its surroundings back 170 million kilometers to Earth . The rover sent back a few colour photos on Monday .

The scientists were overjoyed by the success . Two of every three past purpose of landings on Mars have failed .

“It’s a big step forward for all humanity . Now we have another rover on another planet , exploring a new world . What more could you ask for ?” said Charles Elachi, director of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory .

The first images from Spirit show a flat , wind-damaged surface dotted with small rocks . The scene made scientists eager to send the rover around the planet in search of evidence (证据)that the landing site was once covered with water .

The US$ 820 million project also includes a twin golf cart-sized rover called Opportunity , set to land on Mars’ other side on January 24.

The dozens of initial(开始的),low-resolution(分辨能力)photos show Spirit landed upright (垂直的),level and facing south on a flat stretch of the hole the scientists believe once contained a lake .

It will be about a week before the six-wheeled robot is ready to roll off its lander and move around Mars .

Spirit’s successful landing has ended the trend of failed missions to Mars . NASA’s last attempt to land on Mars , in 1999 , ended in failure . Its last successful landing was in 1997 , when Pathfinder carried the tiny Sojourner rover to the surface of Mars .

Over the next three months , the robot will use a range of instruments to look for evidence of past water activity in the rocks and soil of the planet .

11．The word “ brushed aside” in the 3^rd paragraph means 　　　　　.

　　　　 A．accepted 　　　　　 B．loved 　　　　　　 C．detected 　　　　　　　 D．refused to pay attention to