One Canada, Two Languages
Canada is one of the few nations in the world to have two official languages: English and French. There are 10 provinces in the country but only one of these—Quebec is known as “French Canada”. This is because it was founded by French explorers while British adventurers discovered the rest.
Canada left the British empire(帝国) in 1867 to become an independent country and English and French have been recognized as the official languages ever since.
Most people speak English as their first language and the two national television networks broadcast in English throughout the country. Apart from in Quebec and a few places on the east coast, French television is very rare.
The same goes for traffic signs and menus, for example, outside of Quebec, there are only a few places where you’ll see traffic signs in French. In restaurants, it’s almost impossible to find French on the menu unless you are in the heartland (中心地带) of French Canada. However, all products sold in Canada must, by law, have labels (标签) and instructions in both languages.
In Canada’s English speaking provinces, official bilingualism (双语) means that students can choose to complete a special French language course. Under this program, they are taught most of their subjects in French.
If a student begins the course in kindergarten (幼儿园) or Grade One, it is likely that all their lessons will be in French. However, if they start at junior high school, 25 percent of the teaching will continue to be in English.
59. How many provinces are there in Canada?
A. Ten. B. Nine. C. Eleven. D. Two.
60. Which country controlled Canada before its independence?
A. France. B. Britain. C. America. D. Germany
61. Where can you watch French television programs?
A. Only in Quebec.
B. In Quebec and a few other places.
C. From the two national television networks.
D. All over Canada
62. What do we know about the education in Canada?
A. In English speaking provinces only English courses are offered.
B. If you choose a special French language course, most of the subjects are taught in French.
C. The courses in primary school are all taught in English.
D. Most of the courses in junior high schools are taught in English.
第三部分 阅读理解（共两节20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
第一节：阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Shane Thomas is a 10-year-old pianist from England. He’s being called the next Mozart because of his amazing abilities.
He has only been having piano lessons for four months, and practices four hours a week, but he has already played difficult classical pieces. He was just seven when he sat down at the piano, and could play at once. He also says he never gets nervous.
When Shane was three years old, he said that he could play the piano, but nobody took him seriously. At school, he could listen to the teacher and do his work while composing (作曲) in his head. Shame remembers all the melodies（旋律）,and when he gets home he plays them on the piano, while his father records them. Shane loves playing the piano, and when he grows up he wants to be a composer.
His tutor, Richard Goffin-Lecar, says he is like Amadeus Mozart, who lived during the 18th century in Salzburg, Austria, and was one of the most famous composers ever. Mr. Goffin-lecar says, “I don’t teach Shane very much. I just give him directions, then sit back and watch.”
His father, a single parent with two other children, says that although he has little money, he wants to send Shane to a good music school. “I’m a single father, but I have this gifted child. I don’t have much money, but I want to give him the best teachers, and also take him into a studio to record.”
56. When did Shane tell others that he could play the piano?
A. At age three. B. At age ten. C. At age seven. D. At age four.
57. Which of the following is TRUE about Shane?
A. He feels nervous while playing the piano
B. He can compose in his head while doing his work.
C. He wants to be a piano tutor when he grows up.
D. He doesn’t like to listen to the teacher at school.
58. What do we learn about Shane’s father?
A. He also plays the piano well.
B. He’s a single father with two children.
C. He believes in Shane’s talent for music and will support him.
D. Not having enough money, he will ask the teachers for help
第三部分 阅读理解 (共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
TIJUANA, Mexico – A powerful earthquake swayed (摇动) buildings from Los Angeles to Tijuana, killing two people in Mexico, blacking out cities and forcing the evacuation (疏散) of hospitals and nursing homes. One California city closed off its downtown due to unstable buildings.
The 7.2-magnitude quake centered just south of the US border near Mexicali was one of the strongest earthquakes to hit region in decades.
"It sounds like it's felt by at least 20 million people," USGS seismologist Lucy Jones said. "Most of Southern California felt this earthquake."
Sunday afternoon's earthquake hit hardest in Mexicali, a commerce center along Mexico's border with California, where authorities said the quake was followed by at least 20 smaller aftershocks, including ones of magnitudes 5.1, 4.5 and 4.3.
"It has not stopped trembling in Mexicali," said Baja California state Civil Protection Director Alfredo Escobedo on Monday.
Escobedo said one man was killed when his home collapsed just outside of Mexicali and another died when he rushed into the street in panic and was struck by a car. At least 100 people were injured in the city, most of them struck by falling objects. Power was out in virtually the entire city.
Susan Warmbier was putting away groceries in the San Diego suburb of Chula Vista when her husband asked, "Is the house moving?"
Elsewhere in San Diego, there were reports of shattered windows, broken pipes and water main breaks in private buildings, but no reports of injuries, San Diego Fire-Rescue Department spokesman Maurice Luque said. Coronado Bridge over San Diego Bay was briefly closed as a precaution.
Across the border in Tijuana, Mexico, the quake caused buildings to sway and knocked out power in some areas. No tsunami warning was issued, but hundreds of people on Tijuana's crowded beach feared the worst and fled when they felt the ground shake.
56. What's the best title of the passage?
A. A strong quake in Mexico, but no tsunami
B. A strong quake kills 2 in Mexico, frightens US states
C. A strong quake, downtowns closed off
D. A strong quake, buildings collapses
57. The 7.2-magnitude quake___________
A. centered just south of the Mexico
B. was felt by 20 million people in Mexico
C. was felt by most of Southern California
D. was the strongest earthquakes to hit region in centuries
58. Which is NOT true according to the passage?
A. Some cities had power failure after the quake.
B. One of the cities closed off its downtown because of the swaying buildings.
C. Many smaller quakes happened after the 7.2-magnitude one.
D. Hundreds of people on the beach died because of the tsunami.
59. People got injured mostly ___________
A. because they were in panic
B. because the power was out in the whole city
C. because of the falling objects
D. because they were buried under the falling objects
60. Coronado Bridge over San Diego Bay was briefly closed___________
A. to avoid further dangers
B. by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department
C. as a reminding of the quake
D. to prevent the bridge from destroying
Exposure to the radio frequently fields（射频场）generated by mobile phones does not cause head pain or increase blood pressure, according to a Norwegian study. Instead, people
who experience such symptoms（征兆）do so because they expect that they will occur, the findings suggested.
Dr Gunnhild Oftedal and colleagues at the Norway University of Science and Technology in Trondheim experimented on 17 subjects who “ regularly experienced pain or discomfort in the head during or shortly after mobile phone calls lasting between 15 and 30 minutes.”
The participants were tested during mobile phone radiofrequency exposure and sham exposure（假性辐射）, without knowing which sessions was which. Each session lasted 30 minutes. and 65 pairs of trials were conducted.
As reported in the medical magazine Cephalalgia, the subjects said they felt an increase in pain or discomfort during 68 per cent of all trials. The degree of not associated with the order of trials.
The researchers observed no significant correlations between actual exposures and the subjects’ reports of symptoms, and no effects of exposure on changes in heart rate or blood pressure.
Oftedal’s team concludes that the most likely explanation for the headaches and discomfort reported by the subjects “is that the symptoms are due to negative expectations.”
67. According to the report, people using mobiles feel affected by exposure to the radiofrequency fields because __________
A. they have merely imaginary expectations
B. some symptoms just occur in their body
C. there are negative effects produced by mobiles
D. radiofrequency generated by mobiles is too high
68. Which word in the report refers to the same as the underlined word “subjects”?
A. researchers B. symptoms C. trials D. participants
69. Dr Gunnhild Oftedal and his colleagues _______.
A. find effects of exposure on changes in heart rate or blood pressure
B. test the participants in two different situations
C. feel an increase in pain or discomfort during most trials
D. conclude that the symptoms do result from the radiofrequency fields
70. We can infer from the report that _____.
A. Dr Gunnhild Oftedal and his colleagues are strongly against the use of mobiles
B. the subjects share the same discomfort in both mobile radiofrequency exposure and sham exposure
C. the subjects are told in advance which section they will be in and which order they will follow
D. Dr Gunnhild Oftedal and his colleagues fail to find the side effects caused by exposure to the radiofrequency fields
I have studied in the boarding school in UK for about two years, and I really like it very much.
I always wanted to run a business of some sort; and finally I got such a good chance to do
so at the beginning of the summer term. The business project is called Young Enterprise, where we set up a small company called “Limitless” and sold the products to the school and public. I was appointed deputy director and financial director of the company, in which my role was to manage the financial activities.
I have learn so much from this experience, for I could put what I has learnt into practice in a real life and learn to work with different people, which improved my skills in management and communication.
In this school we students can organize out own activities if we want to, and the school is usually highly supportive: so this term I have organized an Engineering Society in school, which arranges regular visits to local industries. So far, the society which has only 10 members has proved to be really “popular”. Well, it is always the quality, not the quantity, that matters, isn’t it?
I have had many opportunities to challenge myself since I got to the school, and I do think it is all of these challenges that make me more and more mature. Perhaps one of the most important lessons I have learned in this school is to have the initiative (主动) to look for any possible challenges.
63. Why does the writer like this boarding school so much?
A. Because he has learned there for about two years.
B. Because he ran a business of his own.
C. Because he has many opportunities to look for any possible challenges initiatively.
D. Because he was promoted to be deputy director and financial director of the company.
64. What’s the writer’s duty in the small company called “Limitless”?
A. To be in charge of the finance of the business.
B. To put what he has learned into practice.
C. To work with people from different backgrounds.
D. To find out how the consumers bought their products.
65. He has learnt a lot about _______ from the experience of running a small company.
A. what the teacher don’t know B. what can’t be learned from books
C. financial knowledge D. management and communication skills
66. From the passage, we know that ________.
A. the school usually supports the students activities
B. all of the students’ activities are supported by the school.
C. the school usually organize the students’ activities directly
D. the writer is not the organizer of the Engineering Society in the school
You check in the fridge for something to eat, but you are out of food. Time to go shopping . But where’s a pencil for the shopping list? Luckily, there’s a gadget that will let you dictate it.
Hit a button on the SmartShopper and say what you need in to its built-recognition software will turn your words into text.
SmartShopper recognizes 2,500 item names and common errands (including “dry cleaners” and “post office”), and lets you add items of your own. It also shows each new entry so you can correct it if it is wrong.
When you are going out to shop, it prints out the list, in alphabetical order. Errands are followed by your list of things to get.
SmartShopper can be set on a table, hung on the wall or magnetically attached to a refrigerator－wherever you are most likely to be when you realize something is running low. Available from www.smartshopperusa.com .The cool new gadget costs $149.95 and comes with three rolls of paper, It also needs four AA batteries.
60.The SmartShopper can _________.
A. help you to remember and make a shopping list
B. go to the post office for you
C. turn all your words into te
D. help you to dry your clothes
61.The new gadget is designed mainly for ________.
A. students B. housewives C. managers D. shop assistants
62.. If you would like to buy a SmartShopper, you can contact at_____.
A. www.smartshopperusa.com B. four AA batteries
C. the supermarket D. the post office
IV. 阅读理解(共15小题;每小题2分，满分30分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
After working a whole day, when Lois, a nurse for thirty years, left the hospital, she was asked to take part in a rescue of a car accident.
They soon arrived at the accident site. While doctors attended to an injured man in one car, Lois checked a woman sitting in the other vehicle. There was no blood or visible sighs lf injury and the woman said nothing, but stared at Lois with vacant eyes.
On the way to the hospital, Lois held the patient’s hands and comforted her by telling her that everything was going to be fine.
The following morning Lois entered the room and introduced herself. “I’m Lois, your nurse. How are you feeling?”
The patient blinked her eyes and her face turned white. “Are you real or am I hallucinating?”
“Oh, I’m real, I assure you.” Lois gently held the woman’s hand and checked her pulse.
“A…are you sure you are not a …an angle?”
Lois smiled, “Nurses are often referred to as angels of mercy.”
Her patient continued to stare at Lois and whispered, “I mean a real angel.”
Lois raised her eyebrows. “A pair of wings would be handy, but, believe me, I’m just as human as you are,”
The woman shook her head. “Last night I was in an auto accident and thought I might die. Suddenly an angel appeared. When she touched me, I knew God sent her to
reassure me that I’d live.” She held Lois’ hands tightly. “You look and sound exactly like her except that you don’t have wings!”
56.According to the passage, what was Lois?
A. An angel sent to the human world by the God.
B. The woman’s daughter.
C. A passerby on the road.
D. A nurse who has worked for many years.
57．We can infer from the passage that _____.
A. the doctor were treating an injured man
B. the woman got badly hurt.
C. the car accident happened two years ago
D. Lois treated the woman kindly and carefully
58．The underlined phrase “ referred to” has the same meaning as ______.
A. thought of B. talked about C. looked up D. said
59．What’s the main idea of the passage________.
A. One should do good deeds and helped others like angels.
B. One should become an angel with two wings.
C. After work one should arrived at the accident site.
D. One should be a nurse to help others
There is an English saying that “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter can really improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their hearts, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works on several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effects of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programs. The group that tolerated（忍耐）the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny program. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.
66．According to the passage, which of the following statements is WRONG?
A．Laughter is good for health
B．Laughter can make you become old quickly
C．Laughter helps to reduce pain.
D．Laughter, just like physical exercise, is good for our body.
67．The underlined word “diminishes” in the third paragraph means “________”.
A．delays B．prevents C．increases D．reduces
68．Why do some doctors hold laughter clinics?
A．Because they want to earn more money.
B．Because they think they will heilp the patients recover from illnesses.
C．Because they want to improve their patients’ condition.
D．Because they want their patients to practice how to laugh
69．According to the author, we should ________.
A．laugh as much as possible
B．watch more funny films
C．smile all the time
D．spend more time in laughter clinics
70．What would be the best title for this passage?
A．Both laughter and physical exercise are good for health
B．Laughter clinics help patients improve their condition
C．Laughter can reduce the effects of pain
D．Laughter is the best medicine.’
There are some kinds of detectives who do not wear a uniform, like Hausman, solve endless mysteries every year. There is, for example, the dust detective. Tiny bits of dust stick to your clothes, your fingernails, your hair, or your shoes. They catch in your nose and in your ears. They tell where you have been and what you have done lately. The dust detective often helps catch a criminal by proving that he has been on the scene of the crime（罪案）.
Then there is the wood detective. By studying a piece of wood he can tell what kind of tree the piece of wood came from. He can tell where it was grown, and how old it is. He can even tell you what the weather was like at a certain place the year Columbus landed in America. The growth rings on a tree tell him.
64．According to the selection, by studying a piece of wood, a wood detective can tell you________.
A．what the weather was like the year Columbus landed in America.
B．what the weather was like last year in the mountain
C．what the weather was like last month in your hometown
D．what kind of tree the piece of wood came from
65．What does the underlined word “they”(para. 1) mean?
A．Your clothes B．Your finger-nail
C．Tiny bits of dust D．Your shoes
“Some day, there will be no Americans left in the NBA.” Said 12-year-old Xing Tao, who joined his school’s team two years ago, after watching Yao in a televised NBA game. “The players will all be Chinese, like Yao!”
To China Yao is a home-grown superstar who helped make the world’s first basketball league closer to Chinese players. To the NBA, the 2.23-metre centre offers an opening of a different sort into the world’s largest new market.
Yao’s NBA first appearance against the Indiana Pacers in October reached 287 million households in China. By contrast （对照）, there are only about 105 million households in the US. That game might have been a bit of a let down to Yao’s fans. He played just 11 of the 48 minutes, had two rebounds and got no points.
Compare that with his performance on December 19, and also against Indiana, Yao won 29 points and 10 rebounds. “This was one of the most exciting games I’ve had,” Yao said after Houston’s 95-83 victory.
“Yao Ming has brought the NBA closer to the Chinese,” said NBA spokeswoman Cheong Sau Ching, who is based in Hong Kong. “That makes the dream seem achievable for other people in China.”
The 22-year-old Yao is not the country’s first player in the NBA; Wang Zhizhi broke down that wall as a player with the Dallas Mavericks（小牛队）in April 2001. But Yao’s combination of modesty and his skills make him a favourite back home.
60．What’s the direct reason for Xing Tao to join the school’s basketball team?
A．He watched an NBA game
B．He liked basketball
C．He hoped to play for Houston Rockets
D．He had a dream that he would become a basketball star.
61．What’s the main idea of this passage?
A．Middle school students want to play basketball
B．Yao Ming makes NBA closer to China
C．There’ll be no Americans left in the NBA
D．There are many new stars from China in the NBA
62．What does “letdown” in paragraph six mean?
A．failure B．surprise C．disappointment D．sadness
63．Why does Yao Ming win more popularity than Wang Zhizhi at home?
A．He has performed excellently B．He is modest
C．His height D．A ＆ B
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，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项。
Thirty years ago I worked in a company. My job was to sell the cars. I was young and strong and I had been to most parts of the world and I spent one fifth of my time in the trains or planes. I liked such a life and sometimes I called myself “traveler”.
But one day I got into trouble. It was a cold morning. It blew heavily and the ground was covered with thick snow outside. I was still in bed though it was nine. I finished a long journey the day before and decided to have a good rest. Suddenly the telephone rang and my manager told me to fly to New York to take part in an important meeting. I had to get up and after a quick breakfast I hurried to the airport. The taxi went slowly and I missed the first flight. I had to take the next one. It meant I would wait for nearly five hours in the waiting-room. But five hours later a passenger said the information showed there was a bomb in our plane and the policemen were looking for it. And another five hours passed and most passengers lost their patience before we were allowed to get on the plane. At the entrance each passenger and their baggage had to be examined. A young man who seemed a soldier shouted at the policemen at the entrance, “If I had a gun in my baggage, I would shoot you two hours ago!”
56．The writer called himself “traveler” because he________
A．sold cars for his company B．often took trains and cars
C．traveled all over the world D．liked traveling in many places
57．He didn’t get up until the phone rang because he________
A．felt very cold outside B．wanted to have a rest that day
C．was going to have a meeting D．was waiting for the manager’s call
58．The taxi went slowly because________
A．there was much snow on the road
B．it was very cold that morning
C．the driver didn’t know he would fly to New York
D．the manager told him not to hurry
59．The young man became angry because he________.
A．wouldn’t be examined
B．had a gun in his baggage
C．waited for a long time at the airport
D．hated the policemen at the entrance
“Image is everything.” An entire industry has been built upon the precondition that image is everything, but when it comes down to it, an appealing image is not enough. If there is no substance(物质) behind the image, the product, service or person will fail at length.
First of all, one should consider how important image is in the selling of products and services. Advertising agencies have raised the art of creating an image to a state of near perfection. Public concept of that product or service is certainly managed by the images created by the advertising agencies. But if the product or service does not live up to the image that was created, the customer will be very dissatisfied and possibly ask for their money back. For example, the Arthur Andersen accounting firm had spent decades building up an image of trustworthiness. But the recent scandal (丑闻) showed that behind that image, it had dishonest business practices. Despite the previous positive image, the firm is being accused of criminal actions and it will probably not survive as a business unit. Although the image had been nearly perfect, the reality behind the image has led to the downfall of the world famous accounting firm.
Similarly, personal consultants can build up a public image for politicians and movie stars. Putting out positive news releases, making sure that only the best photographs are published, and ensuring that the person is seen in all the right places can build up a very positive image in the view of the general commons. But once again, history is filled with examples of both politicians and movie stars that fell from grace(体面) like the story of the Hollywood actor giving in to the pressures of fame and fortune. With people, just as with products and services, image is certainly important, but without positive substance behind the image, failure is close.
To summarize, it is clear that an appealing image is extremely important to success, whether that image is related to selling a product or service or to the “selling” of a person. But image is only half of the equation. What lies behind that image is every bit as important as the image itself —— the person or product must deliver on that image or there is little chance for long-term success.
72.The downfall of the Arthour Andersen accounting firm is due to ________.
A. its dishonesty in business B. its previous images
C. its bad management D. its poor service
73.Why did some famous people fall from grace?
A. Their images were not well built up
B. They failed to live up to their images.
C. They felt much pressure from the public
D. They paid little attention to fame and fortune.
74.The structure of the passage is ________.
A: Argument B: Point C: Conclusion
75.The author tries to argue that _________.
A. image creates everything
B. image is the key to success
C. truth is unlikely ever to be equalled
D. truth and image are equally important
Alone in the wilderness. Nothing but jungle. A world of shadow with the rays of light falling like blonde hair from the crowns of the giant trees. Jungle in the midday sun. Every- thing motionless. Not a sound from sky or earth. Complete silence. Only some coconuts falling, at long intervals, very far away. The world reduced to the soft touch of cool grass along my naked back, and a sweet smell of rich soil and vegetation. Stretched out with closed eyes beside my heavy burden of fruit and firewood, I enjoyed the feeling of fresh blood streaming through every part of my body and fresh jungle air filling every corner of my lungs.
Resting motionless, I could see the sun through my closed eyelids, alone in the sky, as lonely as I, and as motionless and silent as everything else. The earth had surely stopped turning and somewhere on this planet there was supposed to be roaring traffic in busy streets. What a crazy, unbelievable thought!
Another coconut fell, to make the world come to a complete standstill. I had to roll over onto my stomach to feel that at least I could move and make noises. Then I found company. A little brown ant was struggling to find its way with a bit of dry straw through the jungle of leaves and grass below my nose. I wondered if I could give the little fellow a lift with its burden, but it showed not the slightest sign of tiredness and struggled on with all six legs, head first or head last, waving its feelers energetically as if the trip had just started. Who ever saw a tired ant? Tiredness, disagreeable tiredness, is restricted to hunted animals, slaves and modern man. It is as great an effort for an office clerk to walk five blocks with a loaded briefcase as it is for a jungle-dweller to cross a valley with a goat on his back. It is as hard to get up and climb or run when you have been seated for years as it is to get up and walk when you have been in bed for months. The body is strange. Spare it, and you get really tired for almost nothing; use it, and almost nothing makes you really tired.
I rose to my feet. I had heard a horse neighing down in the valley. Above me, on the open highland plains, there were wild horses. But down in the valley there was never a horse unless there was a man on it. Somebody was making his way up the valley and my wife was alone.
68.The author mentions “coconuts falling” in the first paragraph to ________.
A. show his loneliness B. add beauty to the jungle
C. express his love of nature D. stress the absolute silence
69.How does the author feel about the ant?
A. He admired its attitude toward work.
B. He was shocked at its tireless efforts.
C. He showed sympathy for the little ant.
D. He was content to have it as a companion.
70.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author would probably _______.
A. work harder than before B. talk to the man on the horse
C. make his way home D. stay in the valley
71.We can learn from the passage that the author ________.
A. enjoyed being alone B. had an unforgettable adventure
C. missed his busy life in the city D. experienced a world of quietness
Last week, we explained that the planet Mars had passed “opposition.” It passed a point opposite the Sun. This week, we tell about the planet’s surprising motion among the stars.
For thousands of years, people have recognized that planets travel among the stars. The planets generally follow the path taken by the Sun through the sky. The Sun’s path is called the ecliptic. The groups of stars along the ecliptic are called the Zodiac(黄道带).
The motion of the planets can be confusing at times. Everyone knows the Sun rises in the east and sets in the west. But this is caused by the turning motion of the Earth. Planets generally move from west to east.
However, Mars will appear to move backward for about two months this year. This happens because the Earth is overtaking Mars on its way around the Sun. Mars began its backward, or westward, motion on May 11th. It will start moving eastward again on July 19th.
Mars’ apparent motion has been a mystery to astronomers for hundreds of years. Most early theories of tilt solar system argued that the Sun and planets turned around the Earth. But the sudden westward motion of Mars presented problem. Why would Mars move west for two months when it nears “opposition”?
In 1543, a Polish church worker named Nicolas Copernicus published a different theory. His theory said the Earth and planets moved around the Sun in perfectly circular orbits. Copernicus’ theory was simpler. But his Sun-centered system still did not explain the observed motion of Mars very well.
Finally, a German mathematician named Johannes Kepler published a complete theory of the motion of the planets in 1619. He had carefully studied the motion of Mars for many years.
Johannes Kepler discovered that the planets do not move in circular orbits around the Sun. Instead, they travel in flattened orbits called ellipses(椭圆). Mars’ elliptical orbit is the cause of its unusual brightening this year and its apparent large size.
During the next several weeks, you can see for yourself why the mysterious motion of Mars has caused so many people to wonder.
64.From the passage we can learn that _________.
A. the sun and planets generally travel westward
B. Kepler studied the orbit of the planets in 1619
C. Copernicus’ theory well explained the motion of Mars
D. the Earth’s turning motion causes the sun to rise in the east
65.On July 19th Mars _______.
A. will pass the “opposition”
B. appears to change its direction again
C. will begin to move westward
D. appears to change its orbit again
66.Why does Mars appear to be bigger and brighter when it passes “opposition”?
A. It is overtaking the earth B. It follows the path of the sun
C. It moves in an elliptical orbit D. It travels in a circular orbit.
67.What is the best title for the passage?
A. The Recent Research into Mars B. The Surprising Motion of Mars
C. The Great Discovery on Mars D. The Wonderful Mystery of Mars
When someone gives you advice, listen without judgment, try to find value in what you’re hearing, and say: “Thank you”. This wise advice is easy to understand yet hard to practice. I’ll give you an example from my life when I totally blew it in term of practicing what I teach.
In my work I travel constantly. I always put off going to the airport until the last second. My wife, Lyda, was sitting next to me in the front seat. I was racing along and not paying much attention. Lyda cried out: “Look out! There is a red light up ahead.”
Being a trained behavioral science professional—who teaches others the value of encouraging advice—I naturally screamed at her: “I know there is a red light up ahead! Don’t you think I can see?” When we arrived at the airport, Lyda didn’t speak to me. I wondered why she seemed mad at me.
During the flight to New York, I did a cost-benefit analysis. I asked myself: “What was the cost of just listening when Lyda called out the warning? Zero.” I then reasoned: “What was the potential benefit? What could have been saved?” Several potential benefits came to mind, including her life, my life, and the lives of other people.
I landed in New York feeling ashamed of myself. I immediately called Lyda and told her my cost-benefit story. I convinced her: “The next time you help me with my driving, I am just going to say, ‘Thank you!’”
A few months passed, and I had long forgotten the incident. Again, I was racing off to the airport, when Lyda cried out: “Look out for the red right!” I was embarrassed, and then shouted: “Thank you!”
I’m a long way from perfect, but I’m getting better. My suggestion is that you get in the habit of asking the important people in your life how you can do things better. And be ready for an answer. Some people may tell you things like “Look out for the red light.” When this happens, remember that there is possibly some potential benefit. Then just say: “Thank you.”
60.What do we know about the author?
A. He is expert at behavioral science.
B. He is gifted in cost-benefit analysis.
C. He seldom takes his wife’s advice.
D. He often runs the red traffic light.
61.The underlined part “blew it ” in Paragraph 1 probably means “_______”.
A. became annoyed with the adviser B. forgot the practical method
C. failed to say “Thank you” D. lost personal judgment
62.It can be inferred from the passage that people _________.
A. tend to be defensive when given advice
B. intend to follow others’ suggestions
C. had better study behavioral science
D. should give their opinions patiently
63The purpose of the passage is to advise people to ________.
A. do a cost-benefit analysis in daily life
B. treasure others’ suggestions
C. learn from the author’s experiences
D. discover potential benefits
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