More than a hundred adults and kids gather for the Star Party on a cold evening, chattering excitedly as they stand in the dark on a Virginia hillside. The odd thing is, no one has turned on a flashlight, and no streetlights or house lights wink(闪烁) on around them.
These people have traveled to the countryside more than an hour from Washington, D. C., to get away from the glow of city lights.  That's because they are attending a star party. Star parties are gatherings where professional and amateur astronomers set up their telescopes and invite people to come learn about the night sky. Getting away from light pollution, or artificial skylight from buildings for example,  helps stargazers (看星星的人) see objects in the sky much better.
At this star party, Sean O'Brien of the National Air and Space Museum’s Einstein Planetarium starts off by asking the crowd to simply look up and take in all they can see. He points out plenty of things that can be seen without special equipment. Stars, satellites, and even the Andromeda galaxy(仙女座) can be found if you know where to look.
After that, several dozen astronomers offer close-up views. Each has focused their telescope on a different part of the sky. As kids take a look, the owner gives a mini-lesson.
O’Brien says you can have your own star party at home and learn a lot just by paying attention to what's happening up above. "Watch the sky as the seasons pass, and you will see that it changes," he says. "Or start with the moon. Notice when and where you are seeing it—maybe even in the early morning while you wait for the school bus. "

1. 1.

   What was it special about the Star Party ?

   1. A.
      It was organized by the local authority.
   2. B.
      It was carried out without any lights.
   3. C.
      It was so cold that people chatted to cheer up.
   4. D.
      It was held in the town center of Virginia
2. 2.

   According to the passage, who were involved in the activity ?
   a. some invited guests
   b. some government officials
   c. some experts in astronomy
   d. those who were interested in astronomy
   e. students who were major in agriculture

   1. A.
      a, c, d
   2. B.
      a, d, e
   3. C.
      b, d, e
   4. D.
      c, d, e
3. 3.

   From the passage, we can infer that if you want to see the objects in the sky            .

   1. A.
      you'd better escape from pollution and sunlight
   2. B.
      you'd better follow Sean O'Brien's guidance
   3. C.
      you'd better buy some advanced equipment
   4. D.
      you'd better make use of your imagination
4. 4.

   Which of the following can be best describe what O'Brien says about discovering the stars'?

   1. A.
      Roman is not built in a day.
   2. B.
      No pains, no gains.
   3. C.
      All roads lead to Roman.
   4. D.
      Time and tide wait for no man.

More than seven hundred students will serve for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games not as volunteers but as interns(实习生), working for months before the event and during the Games to help ensure its success.

A co-operation agreement was signed between the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (GOCOG) and 16 Beijing-based universities and colleges. The schools will prepare the students to be interns.

Although the interns will work without pay, they are considered different to volunteers, who will also provide services for the Games.

Well-known schools such as Peking University, Tsinghua University, Renmin University of China, Beijing Normal University and Beijing Jiaotong University are included on the list.

The interns will work much longer than the Games’ volunteers, since they have to begin their work at BOCOG as early as one year before the Games start, while most of the volunteers work only during the 16 days of the Games. They have to finish the required lessons of their universities first and then learn more in their specialities to qualify to work for the BOCOG. They will take some special classes on Olympic knowledge and certain professional lessons outside the university to meet the needs of serving in the Olympics.

The 706 interns will be made up of 446 postgraduates, 118 undergraduates and 142 higher vocational students. They will come from such majors as foreign languages, media and communications, logistics and legal affairs.

According to university officials, the undergraduates will be students who have been admitted to college this year (2005) while the postgraduates will be those who enter next year.

The interns will be chosen from __________.

A．students whose homes are in Beijing          B．students studying in Beijing

C．only 6 famous schools                      D．schools all over China

What’s the difference between the interns and the volunteers?

A．The volunteers receive no pay.             B．The interns work during the Games.

C．The volunteers come mainly from universities. D．The interns provide longer, more specialized services.

The chosen students will be busy because they have to __________.

A．learn both in and outside the university     B．graduate ahead of time

C．look for part-time jobs                  D．learn many extra subjects at college

A chosen undergraduate will begin to work for BOCOG __________.

A．in his or her first college year            B．in his or her second college year

C．in his or her third college year                  D．in his or her fourth college year

  More than 6000 children were expelled(开除)from US schools last year for bringing  guns and bombs to school, the US Department of Education said on May 8. 

The department gave a report on the expulsions (开除)as saying handguns accounted for 58 percent of the 6093 expulsions in 2005—2006, against 7 percent for rifles(步枪)or shotguns and 35 percent for other types of firearms.

“the report is a dear sign that our nation’s public schools are cracking down” on students who bring guns to school, ” Education Secretary Richard Riey said in a statement. “We need to be tough-minded about keeping guns out of our schools and do everything to keep our children safe.”

In March 2006, a 1l-year-old boy and a 13-year-old boy using handguns and rifles shot dead four children and a teacher at a school in Jonesboro, Arkansas. In October, two were killed and seven wounded in a shooting at a Mississippi school. Two months later, a 14-year-old boy killed three high school students and wounded five in Daducab, Kentucky.

“Most of the expulsions, 56 percent were from high schools, which have students from about age 13, 34 percent were from junior high schools and 9 percent were from elementary schools”, the report said.

From the first paragraph we can infer that in the US schools______.

A．students enjoy shooting               B．students are eager to be soldiers

C．safety is a problem                   D．students can make guns

The report from the US Department of Education shows that______.

A．the number of the expulsions is not large      B．the number of the expulsions is wrong

C．there are soldiers hiding among the students D．guns are out of control in US schools

The main idea of paragraph four shows us______.

A．some examples of shootings in US school   B．the Americans’ feeling

C．some famous schools         D．that some teachers were killed by students

How many students were shot dead in 2006 in US schools?

A．10            B．9                C．12               D．22

From this passage we know that______.

A．every American cannot have guns     B．only soldiers and police can have guns

C．every American citizen can own guns  D．teachers have no money to buy guns

More than 10 years ago, it was difficult to buy a tasty pineapple. The fruits that made it to the UK were green on the outside and, more often than not, hard with an unpleasant taste within. Then in 1996, the Del Monte Gold pineapple produced in Hawaii first hit our shelves.

       The new type of pineapple looked more yellowy-gold than green. It was slightly softer on the outside and had a lot of juice inside. But the most important thing about this new type of pineapple was that it was twice as sweet as the hit-and-miss pineapples we had known. In no time, the Del Monte Gold took the market by storm, rapidly becoming the world’s best-selling pineapple variety, and delivering natural levels of sweetness in the mouth, up until then only found in tinned pineapple.

       In nutrition(营养) it was all good news too. This nice-tasting pineapple contained four times more vitamin C(维生素C) than the old green variety. Nutritionists said that it was not only full of vitamins, but also good against some diseases. People were understandably eager to be able to buy this wonderful fruit. The new type of pineapple was selling fast, and the Del Monte Gold pineapple rapidly became a fixture in the shopping basket of the healthy eater.

       Seeing the growing market for its winning pineapple, Del Monte tried to keep the market to itself. But other fruit companies developed similar pineapples. Del Monte turned to law for help, but failed. Those companies argued successfully that Del Monte’s attempts to keep the golden pineapple for itself were just a way to knock them out of the market.

60. We learn from the text that the new type of pineapple is ______.

   A. green outside and sweet inside

   B. good-looking outside and soft inside

   C. yellowy-gold outside and hard inside

   D. a little soft outside and sweet inside

61. Why was the new type of pineapple selling well?

   A. It was rich in nutrition and tasted nice.

   B. It was less sweet and good for health.

   C. It was developed by Del Monte.

   D. It was used as medicine.

62. The underlined word “fixture” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to something ______.

   A. that people enjoy eating             B. that is always present

   CV. that is difficult to get               D. that people use as a gift

63. We learn from the last paragraph that Del Monte ______.

   A. allowed other companies to develop pineapples

   B. succeeded in keeping the pineapple for itself

   C. tried hard to control the pineapple market

   D. planned to help the other companies

    More than 10 years ago, it was difficult to buy a tasty pineapple (菠萝). The fruits that made it to the UK were green on the outside and, more often than not, hard with an unpleasant taste within. Then in 1966, the Del Monte Gold pineapple produced in Hawaii first hit our shelves.

    The new type of pineapple looked more yellowy-gold than green. It was slightly softer on the outside and had a lot of juice inside. But the most important thing about this new type of pineapple was that it was twice as sweet as the hit-and-miss pineapples we had known. In no time, the Del Monte Gold took the market by storm, rapidly becoming the world’s best-selling pineapple variety, and delivering natural levels of sweetness in the mouth, up until then only found in tinned pineapple.

    In nutrition (营养) it was all good news too. This nice tasting pineapple contained four times more vitamin C(维生素C) than the old green variety. Nutritionists said that it was not only full of vitamins, but also good against some diseases. People were understandably eager to be able to buy this wonderful fruit. The new type of pineapple was selling fast, and the Del Monte Gold pineapple rapidly became a fixture in the shopping basket of the healthy eater.

    Seeing the growing market for its winning pineapple, Del Monte tried to keep market to itself. But other fruit companies developed similar pineapples. Del Monte turned to law for help, but failed. Those companies argued successfully that Del Monte’s attempts to keep the golden pineapple for itself were just a way to knock them out the market.

    介绍一种产于夏威夷的可口的、营养丰富的菠萝。

60. We learn from the text that the new type at pineapple is __________.

   A. green outside and sweet inside

   B. good-looking outside and soft inside

   C. yellowy-gold outside and hard inside

   D. a little soft outside and sweet inside

61. Why was the new type of pineapple selling well?

   A. It was rich in nutrition and tasted nice.

   B. It was less sweet and good for health.

   C. It was developed by Del Monte.

   D. It was used as medicine.

62. The underlined word “fixture” in Paragraph 3 probably refers to something _________.

   A. that people enjoy eating         B. that is always present

   C. that is difficult to get            D. that people use as a gift

63. We learn from the last paragraph that Del Monte _________.

   A. slowed other companies to develop pineapples

   B. succeeded in keeping the pineapple for itself

   C. tried hard to control the pineapple market

   D. planned to help the other companies