On Friday, May 4, millions of kids throughout the world will celebrate Space Day. Space Day recognizes achievements in space exploration and promotes（促进）education in the fields of science, math, and technology.

This year’s theme is “50 years in space…and still having a blast（强劲）!” It commemorates the 1957 launch of the Sputnik satellite by the former Soviet Union. Sputnik was the world’s first man-made satellite; it marked the start of space exploration.

Events will be held throughout the US to celebrate Space Day. One major event is the Space Day Design Challenge competition. Winning teams will attend a ceremony at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia.

For the competition, students in grades 4-8 had to come up with creative ways of solving space problems. The competition is sponsored（赞助）by Lockheed Martin. Schools and communities are also organizing space programs locally. You can visit the Space Day website and list your school or community event.

Space Day first got its start in 1997. Lockheed Martin started the day as part of an education program. Their goal is to use kids’ love for space to encourage student involvement in technology, math, and science. In 1997, Lockheed Martin also launched the Student Signatures（签名）in space program as a part of Space Day. This program allows elementary and middle school kids to send their signatures to space on a NASA（美国航天局）shuttle（航天飞机）mission. Since 1997, over 2. 5 million students from North America and in 32 other countries have participated!

“In l0 years, there will be a major work force gap in technical industries, if we do not strengthen the interest today’s young people have in math, science, technology and engineering,” said Bob Stevens, chairman of Lockheed Martin.

69. The underlined word “commemorates” in paragraph 2 could be replaced by ________.

A. controls           B. designs         C. educates           D. honors

70. It can be inferred from the passage that Lockheed Martin is ________.

A. a man-made satellite launched to space in 1997

B. a program strengthening the interest of the kids in science

C. a company involved in space research and development

D. a company designing space shuttles for NASA

71. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. The launch of the Sputnik satellite marked the start of Space Day.

B. Space Day has a history of 50 years of the celebration.

C. The Student Signatures is one of the events to be held in this year’s Space Day.

D. Space Day is celebrated in many countries as well as America.

72. The purpose of promoting space education in kids is ________.

A. to reserve（储备）strength for future space exploration

B. to attract their attention to the space exploration

C. to make them realize the importance of launching satellites

D. to ask them for creative ways of solving space problems

第三部分：阅读理解 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

China launched its first manned spaceship at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, becoming the third country in the world to send a person into orbit after the former Soviet Union and the United States. Astronaut Yang Liwei became China’s first space man.

With a column of beautiful smoke, the Shenzhou V craft cut across a bright northwest China sky at exactly 9:00 a.m. Wednesday and went into orbit 10 minutes later.

China Central Television’s Channel One cut into its regular programming to announce the launch. The station later showed the Shenzhou V streaking(moving very fast)into the sky and disappearing, its tracer billowing (to fill with air and become larger)behind it.

Minutes after the launch, a CCTV announcer said that Shenzhou V and 38-year-old Yang Liwei, an air force pilot since 1983, had “entered orbit at 9:10.” It reported Yang was “reading a flight manual(手册) in the capsule of the Shenzhou V spacecraft and looked composed and at ease.”

The Shenzhou V launch came after four test launches of unmanned capsules that orbited the earth for nearly a week before parachuting back to China’s northern grasslands. Reports said the manned flight was expected to last about 22 hours.

President Hu Jintao watched the launch at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China’s Gansu Province.

Hu called the launch “the glory of our great motherland and a mark for the initial victory of the country’s first manned space flight and for the significant, historic step of the Chinese people in the advance of climbing over the peak of the world’s science and technology.”

He said that: “The Party and the people will never forget those who have set up the outstanding merit(贡献) in the space industry for the motherland, the people and the nation.”

“The launch of the Shenzhou V is long-awaited by the Chinese people,” Foreign Minister spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said on Tuesday. She said the flight was a key step in the “Peaceful development of space.”

NASA Administrator Sean O’ Keefe also congratulated on China’s first successful human space flight.

41. The following are countries succeeded in sending man into space EXCEPT ____

A. China          B. Germany      C. America             D. the former Soviet Union

42. The underlined word “composed” in paragraph 4 means_____

A. happy      B. nervous        C. calm        D. excited

43. According to the passage which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. It’s the first time that China has sent up its first manned spaceship.

B. Before the Shenzhou V launched, four test launches of it had moved around the earth.

C. The 38-year-old astronaut was sent into space by China’s ShenzhouⅤspacecraft and landed safely the next day.

D. Yang Liwei is China’s first astronaut in space.

44. The writer quoted(引用) Foreign Minister spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue’s words to express ________.

A. the Chinese have been expecting the successful space launch and it’s a great contribution to the peaceful development of space.

B. a lot of Chinese people are waiting for the launch.

C. this launch is the first time in China.

D. China’s manned spaceship made a peaceful development of space.

45. The description of Yang Liwei tells us that _______.

A. Yang didn’t know what to do and he was looking up a flight manual

B. it’s 10 years since he became an air force pilot

C. Yang entered orbit at exactly 9:00 a.m.

D. Yang trained himself well and felt very satisfied with everything in the space craft

 

第三部分：阅读理解 (共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分)

    阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

China launched its first manned spaceship at 9:00 a.m. Wednesday, becoming the third country in the world to send a person into orbit after the former Soviet Union and the United States. Astronaut Yang Liwei became China’s first space man.

With a column of beautiful smoke, the Shenzhou V craft cut across a bright northwest China sky at exactly 9:00 a.m. Wednesday and went into orbit 10 minutes later.

China Central Television’s Channel One cut into its regular programming to announce the launch. The station later showed the Shenzhou V streaking(moving very fast)into the sky and disappearing, its tracer billowing (to fill with air and become larger)behind it.

Minutes after the launch, a CCTV announcer said that Shenzhou V and 38-year-old Yang Liwei, an air force pilot since 1983, had “entered orbit at 9:10.” It reported Yang was “reading a flight manual(手册) in the capsule of the Shenzhou V spacecraft and looked composed and at ease.”

The Shenzhou V launch came after four test launches of unmanned capsules that orbited the earth for nearly a week before parachuting back to China’s northern grasslands. Reports said the manned flight was expected to last about 22 hours.

President Hu Jintao watched the launch at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China’s Gansu Province.

Hu called the launch “the glory of our great motherland and a mark for the initial victory of the country’s first manned space flight and for the significant, historic step of the Chinese people in the advance of climbing over the peak of the world’s science and technology.”

He said that: “The Party and the people will never forget those who have set up the outstanding merit(贡献) in the space industry for the motherland, the people and the nation.”

“The launch of the Shenzhou V is long-awaited by the Chinese people,” Foreign Minister spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue said on Tuesday. She said the flight was a key step in the “Peaceful development of space.”

NASA Administrator Sean O’ Keefe also congratulated on China’s first successful human space flight.

41. The following are countries succeeded in sending man into space EXCEPT ____

A. China          B. Germany      C. America              D. the former Soviet Union

42. The underlined word “composed” in paragraph 4 means_____

A. happy      B. nervous        C. calm         D. excited

43. According to the passage which of the following statements is NOT true?

A. It’s the first time that China has sent up its first manned spaceship.

B. Before the Shenzhou V launched, four test launches of it had moved around the earth.

C. The 38-year-old astronaut was sent into space by China’s ShenzhouⅤspacecraft and landed safely the next day.

D. Yang Liwei is China’s first astronaut in space.

44. The writer quoted(引用) Foreign Minister spokeswoman Zhang Qiyue’s words to express ________.

A. the Chinese have been expecting the successful space launch and it’s a great contribution to the peaceful development of space.

B. a lot of Chinese people are waiting for the launch.

C. this launch is the first time in China.

D. China’s manned spaceship made a peaceful development of space.

45. The description of Yang Liwei tells us that _______.

A. Yang didn’t know what to do and he was looking up a flight manual

B. it’s 10 years since he became an air force pilot

C. Yang entered orbit at exactly 9:00 a.m.

D. Yang trained himself well and felt very satisfied with everything in the space craft