In June,2007,a group of students from eight high schools in Winnipeg,the capital of Canada’s Manitoba province,will begin test-launching(试发射)a satellite the size of a Rubik’s cube.
The one-kilogram Win-Cube satellite,named for its home city and its shape,will be put into low orbit.Once in space,it can perform for a few months or up to several years,communicating information that could help find the early signs of earthquakes.

There are 80 similar satellite projects worldwide,but this is the first high-school based program of its kind in Canada.30 Manitoba high school students are having a hand in designing and building the satellite,in cooperation with aerospace(航空航天的)experts and 10 students from the University of Manitoba,and with support from two other organizations.
The Win-Cube project is not something that goes on a piece of paper,it is real-world engineering,allowing high school students to have an opportunity to learn more about the exciting world of engineering through their participation in this challenging program.It is also taken as a wonderful example of the unique partnerships within Manitoba.Designing,building and lauching a satellite with high-school participation will bring this world-class educational project into reality and Manitoba closer to space.
“These Manitoba high school students deserve congratulations for their enthusiasm, innovation(创新)，and a strong love for discovery,”said Education,Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjornson.“We want to make science more relevant(相关的),interesting and attractive to high school students by showing them how classroom studies can relate to practical experience in the workplace or,in this case,in space,”Bjornson added.
The Win-Cube program is mainly aimed at inspiring a strong desire for discovery on the part of the students.It also shows Manitoba’s devotion to research and innovation and the development of a skilled workforce—all important drivers of knowledge-based economic growth.
【小题1】According to the passage,the Win-Cube satellite is_______.

   In June, 2007, a group of students from eight high schools in Winnipeg, the capital of Canada’s Manitoba province, will begin test-launching (试发射) a satellite the size of a Rubik’s cube.

   The one-kilogram Win-Cub satellite, named for its home city and its shape, will be put into low orbit. Once in space, it can perform for a few months or up to several years, communicating information that could help find the signs of earthquakes.

   There are 80 similar satellite projects worldwide, but this is the first high-school based program of its kind in Canada. 30 Manitoba high school students are having a hand in designing and building the satellite, in cooperation with aerospace (航空航天的) experts and 10 students from the University of Manitoba, and with support from two other organizations.

   The Win-Cube project is not something that goes on a piece of paper; it is real-world engineering, allowing high school students to have an opportunity to learn more about the exciting world of engineering through their participation in this challenging program. It is also taken as a wonderful example of the unique partnerships within Manitoba. Designing, building and launching a satellite with high-school participation will bring this world-class educational project into reality and Manitoba closer to space.

   “These Manitoba high school students deserve congratulations for their enthusiasm, innovation (创新), and a strong love for discovery,” said Education, Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjomson. “We want to make science more relevant (相关的), interesting and attractive to high school students by showing them how classroom studies can relate to practical experience in the workplace or, in this case, in space,” Bjomson added.

   The Win-Cube program is mainly named at inspiring a strong desire for discovery on the part of the students. It also shows Manitoba’s devotion to research and innovation and the development of a skilled workforce―all important drivers of knowledge-based economic growth.

56. According to the passage, the Win-Cube satellite is _________.

   A. named after Manitoba and its shape                B. intended for international communication

   C. designed like a Rubik’s cube both in shape and size

   D. challenged by university students around the world

57. According to Mr. Bjomson, ___________.

   A. those Manitoba high school students are worth praising

   B. the study of space can be practically made in classrooms

   C. Manitoba high schools are famous for the study of space

   D. scientific research is too far away from high school students

58. The primary purpose of the project is to _________.

   A. find the early signs of earthquakes             B. relate studies to practical

   C. help high school students study real-world engineering

   D. inspire a strong desire for discovery among the students

59. The best title for this passage may be ________.

   A. Manitoba School        B. Win-Cube Program         

C. Space Co-operation      D. Satellite Launching

    In June, 2007, a group of students from eight high schools in Winnipeg, the capital of Canada’s Manitoba province, will begin test-launching (试发射) a satellite the size of a Rubik’s cube.

    The one-kilogram Win-Cub satellite, named for its home city and its shape, will be put into low orbit. Once in space, it can perform for a few months or up to several years, communicating information that could help find the signs of earthquakes.

    There are 80 similar satellite projects worldwide, but this is the first high-school based program of its kind in Canada. 30 Manitoba high school students are having a hand in designing and building the satellite, in cooperation with aerospace (航空航天的) experts and 10 students from the University of Manitoba, and with support from two other organizations.

    The Win-Cube project is not something that goes on a piece of paper; it is real-world engineering, allowing high school students to have an opportunity to learn more about the exciting world of engineering through their participation in this challenging program. It is also taken as a wonderful example of the unique partnerships within Manitoba. Designing, building and launching a satellite with high-school participation will bring this world-class educational project into reality and Manitoba closer to space.

    “These Manitoba high school students deserve congratulations for their enthusiasm, innovation (创新), and a strong love for discovery,” said Education, Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjomson. “We want to make science more relevant (相关的), interesting and attractive to high school students by showing them how classroom studies can relate to practical experience in the workplace or, in this case, in space,” Bjomson added.

    The Win-Cube program is mainly named at inspiring a strong desire for discovery on the part of the students. It also shows Manitoba’s devotion to research and innovation and the development of a skilled workforce—all important drivers of knowledge-based economic growth.

56. According to the passage, the Win-Cube satellite is _________.

   A. named after Manitoba and its shape               

  B. intended for international communication

   C. designed like a Rubik’s cube both in shape and size

   D. challenged by university students around the world

57. According to Mr. Bjomson, ___________.

   A. those Manitoba high school students are worth praising

   B. the study of space can be practically made in classrooms

   C. Manitoba high schools are famous for the study of space

   D. scientific research is too far away from high school students

58. The primary purpose of the project is to _________.

   A. find the early signs of earthquakes             B. relate studies to practical

   C. help high school students study real-world engineering

   D. inspire a strong desire for discovery among the students

59. The best title for this passage may be ________.

   A. Manitoba School        B. Win-Cube Program         C. Space Co-operation

   D. Satellite Launching

In June,2007,a group of students from eight high schools in Winnipeg,the capital of Canada’s Manitoba province,will begin test-launching(试发射)a satellite the size of a Rubik’s cube.

The one-kilogram Win-Cube satellite,named for its home city and its shape,will be put into low orbit.Once in space,it can perform for a few months or up to several years,communicating information that could help find the early signs of earthquakes.

There are 80 similar satellite projects worldwide,but this is the first high-school based program of its kind in Canada.30 Manitoba high school students are having a hand in designing and building the satellite,in cooperation with aerospace(航空航天的)experts and 10 students from the University of Manitoba,and with support from two other organizations.

The Win-Cube project is not something that goes on a piece of paper,it is real-world engineering,allowing high school students to have an opportunity to learn more about the exciting world of engineering through their participation in this challenging program.It is also taken as a wonderful example of the unique partnerships within Manitoba.Designing,building and lauching a satellite with high-school participation will bring this world-class educational project into reality and Manitoba closer to space.

“These Manitoba high school students deserve congratulations for their enthusiasm, innovation(创新)，and a strong love for discovery,”said Education,Citizenship and Youth Minister Peter Bjornson.“We want to make science more relevant(相关的),interesting and attractive to high school students by showing them how classroom studies can relate to practical experience in the workplace or,in this case,in space,”Bjornson added.

The Win-Cube program is mainly aimed at inspiring a strong desire for discovery on the part of the students.It also shows Manitoba’s devotion to research and innovation and the development of a skilled workforce—all important drivers of knowledge-based economic growth.

According to the passage,the Win-Cube satellite is_______.

A.named after Manitoba and its shape

B.intended for international communication

C.designed like a Rubik’s cube both in shape and size

D.challenged by university students around the world

According to Mr.Bjornson,_______.

A.those Manitoba high school students are worth praising

B.the study of space can be practically made in classroom

C.Manitoba high schools are famous for the sutdy of space

D.scientific research is too far away from high school students

The primary purpose of the project is to_______.

A.find the early signs of earthquakes

B.relate studies to practical experience

C.help high school students study real-world engineering

D.inspire a strong desire for discovery among the students

The best title for this passage may be_______.

A.Manitoba School                                           B.Win-Cube Program

C.Space Cooperation                                        D.Satellite Launching

第二部分：阅读理解（共20小题;每小题2.5分，满分50分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Proper arrangement of classroom space is important to encouraging interaction. Most of us have noticed how important physical setting is to efficiency and comfort in our work. College classroom space should be designed to encourage the activity of critical thinking.
We have entered the 21st century, but step into almost any college classroom and you step back in time at least a hundred years. Desks are normally in straight rows, so students can clearly see the teacher but not all their classmates. The message behind such an arrangement is obvious. Everything of importance comes from the teacher.
With a little imagination and effort, unless desks are fixed to the floor, the teacher can correct this situation and create space that encourage interchange among students. In small or standard-size classes, chairs, desks, and tables can be arranged in a variety of ways. The primary goal should be for everyone to be able to see everyone else. Large classes, particularly those held in lecture halls, unfortunately, allow much less flexibility.
Arrangement of the classroom should also make it easy to divide students into small groups for discussion or problem-solving exercises. Small classes with movable desks and tables present no problem. Even in large lecture halls, it is possible for students to turn around and form groups of four to six. Breaking a class into small groups provides more opportunities for students to interact with each other, think out loud, and see how other students’ thinking processes operate all essential elements in developing new modes of critical thinking.
In courses that regularly use a small group format, students might be asked to stay in the same small groups throughout the course. A colleague of mine, John, allows students to move around during the first two weeks, until they find a group they are comfortable with. John then asks them to stay in the same seat, with the same group, from that time on. This not only creates a comfortable setting for interaction but helps him learn students’ names and faces.
1. The primary purpose of desk rearrangement is _______.
A. for the teacher to divide students into small groups.
B. to make it possible for students to interact with each other.
C. for the teacher to find out how students think.
D. to give students more opportunities to practice speaking.
2. The expression “step back in time at least a hundred years” in Paragraph 2 is intended to convey the idea that _______.
A. there is not much change in educational idea over the past hundred years
B. critical thinking was encouraged even a century ago
C. college classrooms often remind people of their college life
D. a hundred years ago, desk arrangement in a classroom was quite different
3. The greatest advantage in allowing each student to find his own group might be that________
A. learning is made comfortable in this way
B. the teacher can easily remember students’ names and faces
C. the teacher saves the trouble in doing that
D. brighter students can help slower ones.
4. It is implied in the passage that ______.
A. students are allowed to changed groups throughout the course in John’s class
B. classroom interaction between students is essential to the teachers
C. a comfortable environment leads to higher working efficiency
D. new kinds of desks and chairs should be made
5. The author mentioned John in the last paragraph in order to ________
A. create a comfortable setting for interaction
B. introduce an approach of learning students’ names and faces easily
C. give an example that students stay in the same seat throughout the course.
D. describe a good seat-arrangement mode in courses with small group format.