B

Want to take an out-of-this-world trip? Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic plans to make that possible. Beginning in 2009, people should have the opportunity to become space tourists, traveling at about 3,000 mph to heights about 75 miles above Earth. Branson has high hopes for his latest plans. "It is just the start of what we believe will be a new age in the history of mankind—one day making the affordable exploration of space by human beings a real possibility," he said.

At the start, though, the trip won’t be cheap. Seats aboard Virgin’s first craft—VSS Enterprise—will cost about $200,000. Prices could drop after the first hundred space flights. Despite the current ticket cost, more than 30,000 people—including celebrities(名人) Sigourney Weaver and Victoria Principal—have expressed interest in getting onboard.  

People who don't have an extra $200,000 still have a chance to get a seat aboard the craft. A computer game contest and a reality television show are in the works. Those who can’t afford a ticket will have an opportunity to win a seat.    

Virgin is expected to be the first commercial spacecraft. It will hold six passengers and two pilots. Passengers will be able to see the Earth from many different viewpoints. The cabin will include 15 floor-to-ceiling windows, allowing for views that extend about 1,000 miles in any direction.

Passengers will have three days of preflight preparation. On the big day, the spacecraft will take off from the Mojave Spaceport in the California desert. The craft will rocket passengers into space at four times the speed of sound. The journey will last about 2 1/2 hours. Passengers will wear spacesuits and helmets(头盔). They will be able to float around the cabin and do somersaults(空翻) during the five minutes of weightlessness they will experience in zero gravity. At the end of the flight, the craft will land on a runway.

1. Virgin Galactic could be _____.

A. the engineer of the first commercial spacecraft

B. the name of a series of spacecrafts

C. the company of the first commercial spacecraft

D. a passenger aboard the first commercial spacecraft

2. The space passengers will do all the following except that _____.

A. they will receive a three-day training course

B. they will wear spacesuits and helmets

C. they will take about $200,000 with them

D. they will experience weightlessness

3. Which statement is true according to the passage?

A. More than 30,000 people have got to travel in spacecraft.

B. Many people signed up for space travel in spite of the high ticket cost.

C. Those without much money could also go space travel without occupying the seats.

D. The first commercial spacecraft will have six persons on board.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A. The exciting moment of the spacecraft’s launching.

B. The living condition of space tourists in the craft.

C. Preparations for a space travel.

D. Plans for the first commercial space flight.

A few weeks after my first wife, Georgia, was called to heaven, I was cooking dinner for my son and myself. For a 　31 , I had decided on frozen peas. As I was cutting open the bag, it 32 from my hand and crashed to the floor. The peas, like marbles (弹珠), 　33 everywhere. I tried to use a broom (扫帚), 　34 with each swipe they just rolled across the kitchen.

For the next week, every time I was in the 　35 , I found a pea — in a corner, or behind a table leg. They kept 　36 . Eight months later I pulled out the refrigerator to clean behind it, and 37 twelve frozen peas hidden underneath (在底下)．

At the time I found those few remaining 　38 , I was in a new relationship with a wonderful 　39 I’d met in a support group. After we married, I was reminded of those peas 40 the refrigerator, and realized that my 　41 had been like that bag of frozen peas. It had shattered (破碎). My wife had died; I was in a new city with a busy job, and with a son having trouble 　42 his new surroundings and the 　43 of his mother. I was a bag of spilled frozen peas; my life had come apart and scattered (散开)．

When life gets you 　44 , when everything you know comes apart, and when you think you’ll never make it, 　45 that it’s just a bag of scattered frozen peas. The peas can be 46 , and life will move on. You’ll find all the peas eventually, including the ones that are hardest to 　47 . And when you’ve got them 　48 , you’ll start to feel whole again.

The life you know can break apart at any time. But you’ll have to 　49 , and how fast you collect your peas depends on you. Will you keep scattering them around with a broom, 50 will you pick them up one by one and put your life back together?

31. A. vegetable　　　　　 B. fruit　　　　　　　　 C. drink　　　　　　　　 D. meat

32. A. moved　　　　　　　 B. walked　　　　　　 C. ran　　　　　　　　　 D. slipped

33. A. rubbed　　　　　　　 B. rolled　　　　　　　 C. grew　　　　　　　　 D. existed

34. A. but　　　　　　　　　　 B. and　　　　　　　　　 C. although　　　　　 D. so

35. A. bedroom　　　　　　 B. living room　　　 C. kitchen　　　　　　 D. storeroom

36. A. getting up　　　　　 B. turning up　　　　 C. taking up　　　　　 D. using up

37. A. found　　　　　　　　 B. ate　　　　　　　　　 C. left　　　　　　　　　 D. planted

38. A. presents　　　　　　　　　　 B. cans　　　　　　　　 C. vegetables　　　　 D. peas

39. A. man　　　　　　　　　 B. child　　　　　　　　 C. woman　　　　　　 D. boy

40. A. under　　　　　　　　 B. above　　　　　　　 C. for　　　　　　　　　 D. beside

41. A. wife　　 　　　　　 B. life　　　　　　　　　 C. son　　　　　　　　　 D. friend

42. A. turning to　　　　　 B. leading to　　　　　 C. getting used to　 D. adding to

43. A. thank　　　　　　　　 B. love　　　　　　　　 C. help　　　　　　　　 D. loss

44. A. down　　　　　　　　 B. near　　　　　　　　 C. close 　　　　　　 D. wide

45. A. realize　　　　　　　　 B. remember　　　　 C. regret　　　　　　　 D. hope

46. A. grew　　　　　　　　 B. bought　　　　　　　　　　 C. collected　　　　　 D. frozen

47. A. find　　　　　　　　　 B. eat　　　　　　　　　 C. cook　　　　　　　　 D. get

48. A. both　　　　　　　　　 B. all　　　　　　　　　　 C. either 　　　　　　 D. each

49. A. call on　　　　　　　 B. move on　　　　　 C. bring on　　　　　 D. put on

50. A. while　　　　　　　　 B. because　　　　　　 C. since　　　　　　　　 D. or

A "secret" message, unseen for almost 150 years and making the start of the U.S. Civil War (1861-1865), has been uncovered in Abraham Lincoln's gold pocket watch, U.S. media reported on Wednesday.

"Lincoln never knew of the message he carried in his pocket," Brent D. Glass, director of the National Museum of American History said in a statement.

The message, which was engraved by an Irish immigrant and watchmaker named Jonathan Dillon, is dated April 13, 1861, and reads in part: "Fort Sumpter [sic] was attacked by the rebels" and "thank God we have a government."

"It's a personal side of history about an ordinary watchman being inspired to record something for posterity," Glass said.

The museum decided to open the watch after being contacted by the watchmaker's great-great-grandson, Doug Stiles, who had received a letter from a relative in Ireland. It said that the family had found a letter Dillon had written about the purported (据说的) message in the watch.

Then Stiles, a 57 -year-old real estate lawyer in Waukegan, Illinois, searched on the Internet and found a New York Times article from 1906, where Dillon told the story at the age of 84.

During the interview, Dillon said that he unscrewed the dial of the watch and wrote on the metal as soon as he heard the news about the first shot of the Civil War. "The first gun is fired. Slavery is dead. Thank God we have a President who at least will try."

However, the actual message that the museum found is different from what Dillon recalled. It reads, "Jonathan Dillon, April 13－1861, Fort Sumpter [sic] was attacked by the rebels on the above date J Dillon, April 13 -1861, Washington, thank God we have a government, Jonth Dillon."

61．Who wrote the message in Abraham Lincoln's pocket watch?

A．Lincoln himself．                                B．Brent D．Glass．

C．Jonathan Dillon．                                D．Doug Stiles.

62．The message was about ________.

A．the start of the U.S．Civil War              B．Abraham Lincoln's daily life

C．the slavery in the U.S．                        D．the ending of the U.S．Civil War

63．Doug Stiles first knew about the message from _________.

A．a relative in Ireland                              B．a report of New York Times

C．the Internet                                        D．Brent D．Glass

64．The underlined word "posterity" in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to "________".

A．historical research                                B．entertainment

C．his children                                         D．friendship

65．Which of the following can be inferred from the message?

A．Jonathan Dillon was sure of the victory of the government.

B．Jonathan Dillon lost all hopes about the government.

C．Jonathan Dillon thought that rebels would beat the government.

D．Jonathan Dillon believed that slavery would be abolished.

They are young, but ____ they made it.

   A. after all                    B. in all     C. above all                D. for all

　A man named Smith was sitting on his roof during a flood, and the water was up to his feet. Before long a fellow in a canoe passed and shouted, "Can I give you a lift to higher ground?"

　　"No, thanks," said Smith. "I have faith in God and he will save me."

　　Soon the water rose to Smith's waist. At this point a motor boat pulled up and someone called out, "Can I give you a lift to higher ground?"

　　"No, thanks, I have faith in God and he will save me."

　　Later a helicopter flew by, and Smith was now standing on the roof with water up to his neck. "Grab the rope, "shouted the pilot. "I'll pull you up."

　　"No, thanks," said Smith. "I have faith in God and he will save me. "But after hours of struggling with water, poor exhausted Smith drowned and went to his reward. As he arrived at the Pearly Gates, Smith met God and complained about this. "Tell me, God, "he said, "I had such faith in you to save me and you let me drown. What happened?"

　　To which God replied, "What do you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter."

　When the pilot asked Smith to grab the rope, ______.

　　　　A. Smith pulled the pilot up　　　　　 B. Smith did so

　　　　C. Smith didn't do so　　　　　　　　 D. Smith didn't hear him

At last, poor exhausted Smith drowned and ______.

　　　　A. went to his reward　　　　　　　　B. passed away

　　　　C. went to heaven　　　　　　　　　 D. all of the above

　What do we know about Smith? ______.

　　　　A. He was a lazy man

　　　　B. He was a lucky man who believed in God

　　　　C. He was a poor man

What do you think of this passage? This passage is very ______.

　　　　A. moving　　　　B. humorous　　　C. depressing　　　D. surprising

　　　　　D. He was a silly man who believed in God