题目列表(包括答案和解析)
It is always hard for a small fish to live in a big pond. Pluto's recent departure from the classical planet family clearly proves that size really matters.
Astronomers voted on August 24 to create the first scientific definition of the word planet, and Pluto obviously didn't make the cut. It turned out to be only a "dwarf planet" (矮行星). After weeks of heated debate, over 2,500 astronomers from 73 countries voted on the definition of a "planet" at a conference of the international Astronomical Union (IAU). According to the definition, a planet must have a clear neighborhood around its orbit. Pluto has widely been considered a planet since its discovery in 1930. Unfortunately, it has a special orbit which overlaps with Neptune's. It is all because, compared with Neptune, Pluto is very small. It is attracted by Neptune's gravity when the two planets get closer.
According to IAU, a "dwarf planet" should have an orbit around the Sun. It will not have a clear neighborhood around its orbit, and must not be a satellite. The new classification means that the science textbooks will have to be updated. The solar system is now made up of the eight "classical planets," together with a number of dwarf planets. The classical planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The debate over Pluto's status started in 1992. After an advanced telescope was sent into space, astronomers started find a belt of objects, which lies beyond Neptune. The belt contains nearly 1,000 objects, including Pluto. As they continued the exploration, scientists recently discovered at least 41 dwarf planets at the edges of the solar system. There are at least two objects of a similar size to Pluto.
It seems that even if the IAU had kept Pluto's status as a planet, the classical theory of nine planets in the solar system would have had to be changed, but the other way around. More dwarf, planets of a similar size to Pluto would join the family of planets. Scientists will probably find many more dwarf planets.
1.According to the passage, Pluto is .
|
A．a planet which has a clear neighborhood around its orbit |
|
B．a satellite of Neptune which was discovered in 1930 |
|
C．the smallest planet in the solar system |
|
D．a planet which has an orbit around the sun |
2.The sentence "It is always hard for a small fish to live in a big pond" quoted in the beginning of the passage is used to .
|
A．tell us a small fish can hardly survive in the big pond |
|
B．tell us the size of an object really matters |
|
C．mean that a small planet can hardly exist in the solar system |
|
D．explain the disappearanee of Pluto in the solar system |
3.From the last paragraph we can infer that if IAU kept Pluto's status as a planet, the number of planets in the solar system would be .
|
A．eight |
B．nine |
C．less than nine |
D．more than nine |
4.Which of the following statements is NOT true aceording to the passage?
|
A．According to definition of a "planet", if Pluto were bigger it would not have left the classic planet family. |
|
B．It's quite possible for dwarfs to lose if they compete with big men |
|
C．Pluto has a special orbit which overlap with Neptune's, because it is so small as to be attraeted by Neptune's gravity when the two planets get closer |
|
D．A "dwarf planet", which can not be a satellite without a clear neighborhood around its orbit, should have an orbit around the Sun. |
IT is always hard for a small fish to live in a big pond. Pluto’s recent departure(离开) from the classical planet family clearly proves that size really matters.
Astronomers voted on August 24 to create the first scientific definition of the word “planet”, and Pluto obviously didn’t make the cut. It turned out to be only a “dwarf planet”(矮行星).
After weeks of heated debate, over 2,500 astronomers from 75 countries voted on the definition of a “planet” at a conference of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). According to the definition, a planet must have a clear neighborhood around its orbit(轨道). Pluto has widely been considered a planet since its discovery in 1930. Unfortunately, it has a special orbit which overlaps with Neptune’s. It is all because, compared with Neptune, Pluto is very small. It is attracted by Neptune’s gravity when the two planets get closer.
According to IAU. a “dwarf planet” should have an orbit around the Sun. It will not have a clear neighborhood around its orbit, and must not be a satellite. The new classification means that the science textbooks will have to be updated. The solar system is now made up of the eight “classical planets,” together with a number of dwarf planet. The classical planets are: Mercury; Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The debate over Plates status started in 1992. After an advanced telescope was sent into space, astronomers started to find a belt of objects, which lies beyond Neptune. The belt contains nearly 1,000 objects, including Pluto. As they continued the exploration, scientists recently discovered at least 41 dwarf planets at the edges of the solar system. There are at least two objects of a similar size to Pluto.
It seems that even if the IAU had kept Pluto’s status as a planet, the classical theory of nine planets in the solar system would have had to be changed, but the other way around. More dwarf planets of a similar size to Pluto would join the family of planets. Scientists will probably find many more dwarf planets.
1．According to the passage, Pluto is ___________.
A．a planet which has a clear neighborhood around its orbit
B．a satellite of Neptune which was discovered in 1930
C．is the smallest planet in the solar system
D．a planet which has an orbit around the sun
2．The sentence “IT is always hard for a small fish to live in a big pond” quoted in the beginning of the passage is used to _______________.
A．tell us small fish can hardly survive in the big pond
B．tell us the size of an object really matters
C．mean that small planet can hardly exist in the solar system
D．explain the disappearance of Pluto in the solar system
3．From the last paragraph we can infer that if IAU kept Pluto’s status as a planet, the number of planets in the solar system would be ________________.
A．eight B．nine C．less than nine D．more than nine
4．Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
A．According to definition of a “planet”, if Pluto were bigger it would not have left the classic planet family.
B．More dwarf planets of a similar size to Pluto would join the family of planets. Many more dwarf planet will be found by the scientists in the future.
C．Pluto has a special orbit which overlaps with Neptune’s because it is so small as to be attracted by Neptune’s gravity when the two planets get closer.
D．A “dwarf planet”, which must not be a satellite without a clear neighborhood around its
orbit, should have an orbit around the Sun.
“Soon, you’re going to have to move out!” cried my neighbor upon seeing the largest tomato plant known to mankind, or at least known in my neighborhood.
One tiny 9-inch plant, bought for $1.25 in the spring, has already taken over much of my rose bed, covering much of other plants, and is well on its way to the front door.
Roses require a good deal of care, and if it weren’t for the pleasure they give, it wouldn’t be worth the work. As it is, I have a garden full of sweet-smelling roses for most of the year. Bushes must be pruned(剪枝) in early spring, leaving ugly woody branches until the new growth appears a few weeks later. It was the space available in the garden that led me into planting just one little tomato plant. A big mistake.
Soil conditions made just perfect for roses turn out to be even more perfect for tomatoes. The daily watering coupled with full sun and regular fertilizing (施肥) have turned the little plant into a tall bush. The cage I placed around it as the plant grew has long disappeared under the thick leaves.
Now the task I face in harvesting the fruit is twofold; First, I have to find the red ones among the leaves, which means I almost have to stand on my head, and once found I have to reach down and under, pick the tomatoes and withdraw(缩回) my full fist without dropping the prize so dearly won. I found two full-blown white roses completely hidden as I picked tomatoes in June. But they were weak and the leaves already yellow for lack of light.
Here I am faced with a painful small decision: To tear up a wonderful and productive tomato plant that offers up between ten and twenty ripe sweet tomatoes each day or say goodbye to several expensive and treasured roses. Like Scarlett in Gone With the Wind, I’ll think about that tomorrow.
【小题1】What are the requirements for the healthy growth of rose?
| A．Frequent pruning and fertilizing. | B．A lot of care and the right soil. |
| C．Tomato plants grown alongside. | D．Cages placed around the roots. |
| A．there was room for it in the garden |
| B．the soil was just right for it |
| C．it cost only $1.25 |
| D．the roses’ branches needed to be covered |
| A．removed from the rose bed |
| B．largely hidden under the tomato plant |
| C．mostly damaged by too much sunlight |
| D．picked along with the tomatoes |
| A．express her liking for the roses |
| B．show the hardship of growing the roses |
| C．show the difficulty in picking the tomatoes |
| D．express her care for the tomatoes |
| A．the writer has a daily harvest of tomatoes |
| B．the roses cost the writer little money |
| C．someone will help the writer make the decision |
| D．the writer can now enjoy both the roses and tomatoes |
A fire broke out in the neighborhood last night. By the time the firemen arrived, it .
A．had been put out B．would put out
C．has been put out D．was putting out
She took up skating at age 85, made her first movie appearance at age 114, and held a concert in the neighborhood on her 121st birthday.
When it comes to long life, Jeanne Calment is the world’s recordholder. She lived to the ripe old age of 122. So is 122 the upper limit to the human life span（寿命）? If scientists come up with some sort of pill or diet that would slow aging, could we possibly make it to 150－or beyond?
Researchers don’t entirely agree on the answers. “Calment lived to 122, so it wouldn’t surprise me if someone alive today reaches 130 or 135, ”says Jerry Shay at the University of Texas.
Steve Austad at the University of Texas agrees. “People can live much longer than we think, ”he says. “Experts used to say that humans couldn’t live past 110. When Calment blew past that age, they raised the number to 120. So why can’t we go higher? ”
The trouble with guessing how old people can live to be is that it’s all just guessing. “Anyone can make up a number, ”says Rich Miller at the University of Michigan. “Usually the scientist who picks the highest number gets his name in Time magazine. ”
Won’t new anti-aging techniques keep us alive for centuries? Any cure, says Miller, for aging would probably keep most of us kicking until about 120. Researchers are working on treatments that lengthen the life span of mice by 50 percent at most. So, if the average human life span is about 80 years, says Miller, “adding another 50 percent would get you to 120. ”
So what can we conclude from this little disagreement among the researchers? That life span is flexible（有弹性的）, but there is a limit, says George Martin of the University of Washington. “We can get flies to live 50 percent longer, ”he says. “But a fly’s never going to live 150 years. ”Of course, if you became a new species （物种）, one that ages at a slower speed, that would be a different story, he adds.
Does Martin really believe that humans could evolve （进化）their way to longer life? “It’s pretty cool to think about, ”he says with a smile.
1. What does the story of Jeanne Calment prove to us?
A．People can live to 122.
B．Old people are creative.
C．Women are sporty at 85.
D．Women live longer than men.
2. According to Steve Austad at the University of Texas, ______.
A．the average human life span could be 110
B．scientists cannot find ways to slow aging
C．few people can expect to live to over 150
D．researchers are not sure how long people can live
3. Who would agree that a scientist will become famous if he makes the wildest guess at longevity?
A．Jerry Shay. B．Steve Austad
C．Rich Miller D．George Martin
4. What can we infer from the last three paragraphs?
A．Most of us could be good at sports even at 120.
B．The average human life span cannot be doubled
C．Scientists believe mice are aging at a slower speed than before.
D．New techniques could be used to change flies into a new species
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