Not long ago, few little girls imagined they could grow up to be astronauts. In 1983, that changed. Sally Ride made history by becoming the first American woman to travel into space.

Ride died at the age of 61. “Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model,” President Barack Obama said in a statement.

Ride became interested in space when she was a kid. “If you asked me when I was 12 whether I wanted to be an astronaut, I’m sure I would have said yes,” she told TFK in a 2010 interview. “But I didn’t even think about that as a possible career.”

After studying physics in college and graduate school, Ride got her chance. She was accepted into NASA’s astronaut training program in 1978, and then chosen to be the first American female in space. In 1983, she blasted into space aboard the Challenger shuttle. “There is no amusement park ride on Earth that even comes close. It can’t be more wonderful,” she said.

Ride returned to space on the Challenger a second time in 1984. In the two missions, she spent a total of 343 hours in orbit. After that, she remained involved with the space program and also worked to share her passion for space with kids. She wrote five science books about space for children, and started her own science education company.

Ride knew that she held a unique place in history. “I realized how important it was for a woman to break that barrier and open the door for other women to be able to do the same exciting things that men had been doing,” she said.

Since Ride’s historic trip, more than 40 other American women have traveled to space. They all had Ride to thank for opening the door to the final frontier.

1.Which of the following is true?

A. Sally was the first person to travel to space in America.

B. Sally wanted to be an astronaut even when she was a pupil.

C. Sally was interested in space, so she chose astronautics as her major.

D. Sally graduated from college and first traveled to space in 1983.

2.From the fifth paragraph, we know that Sally .

A. was good at doing business

B. wanted to be rich by doing business

C. became a famous writer at last

D. had a lasting interest in space

3.What can we infer from the text?

A. Sally inspired many American women to travel to space.

B. Sally made great contributions to American economic development.

C. Women astronauts used to be looked down upon in American history.

D. The government did not allow women to become astronauts in the past.

4.Which of the following could be the best title for the text?

A. Sally Ride’s first space trip

B. A national hero flying in space

C. Sally Ride, a successful businesswoman

D. Sally Ride, a real educator for kids

Big Blue Whale

Nicola Davies

Illustrated(為……作插圖) by Nick Maland

Nicola Davies provides a look at nature’s largest living creature in Big Blue Whale. The text often uses examples from the child’s world to help youngsters understand this great creature. For example, the blue whale’s skin is “smooth like a hard-boiled egg” and its eye is “big as a teacup”. Nick Maland’s pen-and-ink illustrations capture the majesty of the blue whale, of which only 10,000 remain.

Ages 3 to 8, $ 19.99.

Life in the Coral Reef

Bobbie Kalman & Niki Walker

Photographed by Tom Stack

This educational book has outstanding photographs and illustrations. The bright colors are attention grabbing. The importance of the coral reefs(珊瑚礁) in the ecology of the earth is explained as well as how the coral reefs are being harmed and destroyed. The author then offers solutions and suggestions to help prevent the destruction of these beautiful natural resources.

Ages 7 up, $ 16.95.

North American Endangered Species

Colleayn O. Mastin

Illustrated by Jan Sovak

This is a beautifully illustrated book by the award winner Jan Sovak featuring fifteen North American animals that are in danger of becoming extinct. Each animal is introduced with a short poem, followed by factual information and why the species is considered to be endangered.

Ages 6 up, $ 9.95.

Whale

Vasilli Papastavrou

Photographed by Frank Greenaway

This reference book takes a close look at the fascinating world of majestic sea mammals including whales, dolphins, seals, and sea lions. The author describes how whales adapt to sea life and explores whale communication, socialization, behaviors and reproduction, life cycles, habitats and physical characteristics.

Ages 10 up, $ 19.00.

1.What do we learn from Big Blue Whale?

A. The number of the blue whale is increasing.

B. Many animals are in danger of dying out.

C. There used to be more than 10,000 blue whales.

D. The blue whale has strong survival abilities.

2.What is special about North American Endangered Species?

A. It uses examples from the child’s world.

B. The author introduces animals with poems.

C. It contains bright colors.

D. It takes a close look at sea animals.

3.Who has won an award as an illustrator or a photographer?

A. Nick Maland. B. Tom Stack.

C. Jan Sovak. D. Frank Greenaway.

4.A child who wants to learn about how whales communicate will buy .

A. Big Blue Whale B. Life in the Coral Reef

C. North American Endangered Species D. Whale

Everyone has those nights-you lie in your bed for hours, tossing and turning, totally unable to fall asleep. You wish you could just turn your brain off as if it were a light. That would make things much easier, wouldn’t it?

Now it looks like you are one step closer to this wild dream of yours-scientists from Oxford University, UK have just discovered the “switch” that tells the brain to go to sleep, reported Forbes.

To understand the study, you first need to know that there are two mechanisms(機能) that regulate sleep. There’s one that we’re already familiar with —our body clock, which works in a 24-hour cycle based on the light changes throughout the day.

The other one is what scientists call the sleep “homeostat(動態(tài)平衡系統(tǒng))”. This mechanism has nothing to do with daylight. Instead, it keeps track of the brain’s waking hours and urges it to rest if it has been awake for a long time. “It is similar to the thermostat(自動調溫器) in your home. A thermostat measures temperature and switches on the heating if it’s too cold,” Professor Gero Miesenbock, who led the study, told The Telegraph.

Our bodies use both of the mechanisms to regulate sleep. “The body clock says it’s the right time, and the sleep thermostat has built up pressure during a long waking day,” explained Miesenbock.

There is no way that scientists can trick the body clock. But with the sleep homeostat, there might be something they can do.

The researchers found that the sleep homeostat works by activating a specific group of nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. They tested their theory on fruit flies by removing the neurons from the insects’ brains. And as expected, they found that the flies without the homeostat neurons did not keep a regular sleep pattern anymore.

Now that scientists have pinpointed the exact place in the brain— or, the “switch”—that regulates sleep, they can begin investigating how to activate these cells at any given time so that people can be sent to sleep instantly.

More importantly, figuring out how sleep mechanisms work may also help us to one day unravel one of the oldest mysteries of all: why do we need to sleep in the first place?

1.What is the article mainly about?

A. A new way to treat sleep disorders.

B. The discovery of the sleep “homeostat”

C. Advice on what to do when you fail to fall asleep.

D. A comparison of the two mechanisms that regulate sleep.

2.How does the author explain the function of the sleep homeostat?

A. Through examples.

B. With comparisons.

C. Through cause and effect analysis.

D. By presenting research findings.

3.What can we conclude from the article?

A. Generally, the sleep homeostat has less effect on people during the day than at night.

B. There is little scientists can do to affect the way the sleep homeostat works.

C. What makes us go to sleep at night is probably a combination of the two mechanisms.

D. The more homeostat neurons there are in one’s brain, the more easily one can fall asleep.

4.The underlined word “unravel” in the last paragraph is closest in meaning to .

A. put up with B. figure out

C. keep track of D. take notice of

Here is a task for you: try to make as many kinds of facial expressions as you can. How many can you come up with?

Facial expressions are like a window to your emotions inside. Scientists used to believe that we only have six basic emotions-happy, sad, fearful, angry, surprised and disgusted-and ,therefore, each of our facial expressions falls into one of the six categories.

But it turns out that this is just the tip of the iceberg. In a recent study, scientists from Ohio State University, US, mapped 21 different facial expressions, more than tripling(是……的三倍) the original number, reported Science Daily.

Restricting emotions to just six categories is like “painting only using primary colors”, said Aleix Martinez, the lead researcher. He believed that human emotions are much richer than that, which is why he and his team decided to use advanced computer technology for further investigation.

In the experiment, scientists photographed 230 volunteers-100 male and 130 female-while they made faces in response to different words such as “you smell a bad odor(氣味)”. They then closely studied the images by examining key muscles on volunteers’ faces, such as the corners of the mouth or the outer edge of the eyebrow, and finally identified 21 different expressions. These included what seem to be contradictory emotions such as “happily disgusted” and “sadly angry”, which scientists call “compound(混合的) emotions”.

Take “happily disgusted” as an example.” Putting on a happy face is usually done by drawing up the cheeks and smiling while a disgusted face often involves a scrunched-up(皺起的) nose and eyes. So the “happily disgusted” emotion created an expression that combined the smile of happy with the scrunched-up eyes and nose of disgusted. It was the emotion test subjects felt when something “gross(惡心的)” happened that was also funny-for example, when people spill(灑出) a lot of food on their clothes.

Similarly, “happily surprised” is an expression for receiving unexpected good news. “Sadly angry” is the face we make when someone we care about makes us angry.

According to Martinez, the researchers’ next step is to study the pathways and chemicals in the brain that activate(激活) and recognize those emotions. He believes that this could lead to effective treatments for people who suffer from conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder(PTSD,創(chuàng)傷后應激障礙), which involves a lack of recognition of other people’s emotions.

1.The underlined part “this is just the tip of the iceberg” in Paragraph 3 probably means .

A. this is a truth known to us all

B. this is the total amount of something

C. this is easily seen or discovered

D. this is only the smallest and most obvious part of something

2.How does the author explain the definition of “compound emotions” in the article?

A. With comparisons.

B. Through examples.

C. Through cause and effect analysis.

D. By presenting research findings.

3.According to the article, people are likely to become happily disgusted when .

A. they receive unexpected good news

B. someone they don’t care about makes them happy

C. something unpleasant but also funny happens

D. they successfully escape from a dangerous situation

4.What can we conclude from the article?

A. There are several contradictory emotions we tend to overlook.

B. Females have more contradictory emotions than males do.

C. The chemicals in the brain that activate emotions are easy to identify.

D. Martinez’s next goal is to find an effective cure for people who suffer from PTSD.

Up to two-fifths of a food crop is often wasted because it is “ugly”, a report on food waste has shown.

Produce grown in the UK that does not meet retailer(零售商) standards on appearance is often given to animals or thrown out even though it is healthy to eat.

The report from the UK’s global food security program also showed that the average household throws away more than 5kg of food a week, and nearly two-thirds of that waste is avoidable.

The waste costs ? 480 a year per household on average, and ? 680 per family.

Households throw away a fifth of the food they buy, wasting it for reasons ranging from cooking too much to not using it before it goes bad, the study showed.

Consumption is the top area where food is wasted in the UK, the study said.

Farmers respond to consumer demands for high-quality food with standards that can lead to the crop being wasted. Some supermarkets have started marketing “odd shapes and sizes” of fruit and vegetables, though.

Also, more UK consumers are prepared to accept “ugly” fruit and vegetables, amid concerns over sustainability(可持續(xù)發(fā)展) and food prices, the research said.

In developing countries, much of the loss of food occurs during post-harvesting storage, processing and packaging.

Tackling waste globally is necessary to feed a growing world population sustainably. One in eight people worldwide doesn’t have enough food, the report said.

Around a third of food produced globally is lost or wasted.

Professor Tim Benton, an expert on food security at the University of Leeds, said: “Over 5 million people in the UK live in poverty, where basic food provision is a daily challenge.”

Nearly 400,000 people used food banks last year, according to the Trussell Trust.

“At the same time, 15 million tons of food is wasted annually, with nearly half thrown away within UK households. Reducing the scale(范圍) of losses and waste throughout the food system is a crucial step.”

The report highlights priorities(優(yōu)先事項) for research to help reduce food waste, including improving harvesting and packaging technologies and seasonal weather prediction.

1. Food waste in developing nations is mainly due to .

A. fast growing populations

B. huge demand for high-quality foods

C. poor technology in food industries

D. people’s lack of concern about food shortages

2.We can conclude from the article that .

A. over half of the food produce in the UK is wasted within households

B. “ugly” fruits and vegetables are becoming more and more popular in the UK

C. avoiding food waste could, by itself, solve food shortage problems around the world

D. developing better farming and packaging technologies is key to reducing food waste

3.Which of the following statements might Professor Tim Benton agree with?

A. British farmers should keep up with their high growing standards.

B. The number of people living in poverty is growing too fast in Britain.

C. There is still much to do to improve British people’s awareness of food sustainability.

D. British supermarkets should be encouraged to sell food of odd shapes and sizes.

4.What is suggested in the report?

A. Cutting food prices.

B. Using different approaches to reduce food waste.

C. Improving the appearance of food.

D. Cooking at home more often.

閱讀下面短文，根據以下提示：1）漢語提示，2）首字母提示，3）語境提示，在每個空格內填入一個適當的英語單詞，所填單詞要求意義準確，拼寫正確。

People around the world have been praying for the passengers of MH370 and 1. h for a miracle.

The Boeing 777 took 2. from Malaysia’s largest city, Kuala Lumpur, in the early hours of March8, 3. it never showed up at its4. (目的地), Beijing.

There were 239 people on board the Malaysia Airlines flight, 154 Chinese 5. i . As of March 13, 12 different 6. , such as China, Vietnam and the US, were still searching for the plane.

Between 1—2 hours after liftoff, the plane suddenly 7. (失去) contact with people on the ground. The pilots didn’t place any distress calls (求救信號). No debris(殘骸) was found in the area8. the flight last made contact.

People are talking about a possible hijacking(劫機) on March 9. At 9.l two passengers on the flight used10. （偷） passports to get on board.

“We are looking for at all possibilities. We can’t jump the gun(草率行事),” said Malaysian Transport Minister Hussein.

目前，對于我國的英語學習狀況，有兩種截然不同的觀點：

1、應加強英語學習，以適應當前的國際發(fā)展形勢。2、僅為考試而學習英語，大部分人畢業(yè)后根本不使用英語，因而沒必要再學。

請以Learn English or Not為題，寫一篇短文，首先簡述以上兩條建議，然后表明你的觀點，并說明理由，詞數120左右。

Once upon a time, there was an island where 1. great number of feelings lived: Happiness, Sadness, Knowledge, and others, including Love. One day, they 2. (tell) that the island would sink (下沉), so they all began packing things and left except Love.

Love was the only one that stayed. She wanted to stay 3. the last possible moment.

When the island had almost sunk, Love was concerned 4. her safety and decided to ask for help.

Richness was passing by in a grant boat. Love asked, “Richness, can you take me with you?”

Richness answered, “No, I can’t. My gold and silver is 5. (important) than you.”

Love asked Vanity (虛榮) for help but was refused again.

Then love asked Sadness and Happiness for help, neither of 6. was willing to help.

Suddenly, there was a voice, “Come, Love, I will take you.” It was an elder. When 7. (hear) that, Love was so happy that she even forgot to ask 8. the elder’s name was. When they arrived on land, the elder went on her own way. As it was the first time that Love 9. (meet) the elder, she asked Knowledge, another elder, “Who helped me?”

“It was Time,” Knowledge answered.

“Time?” asked Love. “But why?”

Knowledge smiled and said, “because it is only Time 10. is able to understand how valuable(有價值的) Love is.”

A long time ago there lived a poor slave （奴隸）whose name was Aesop. He was a man with a large head and bright big eyes. When Aesop was about 20, his master (主人) a lot of money and had to sell his slaves. To do this, he to take them to a large where there was a slave market. The city was far away. The slaves must the whole distance and there were a number of bags for them to carry. “ your bags, boys,” said the master. “There is one for each of you.”

Aesop at once chose the one. The other slaves laughed at him and said he was . But he threw it upon his shoulders and seemed very . The next day, the laugh was the other way. For the bag Aesop had chosen was filled with the for the whole party. After all had eaten three meals from it, it was much lighter. And before the end of the journey Aesop had nothing to carry the other slaves were suffering under their heavy bags.

“This is a fellow,” said the master. “The man who will buy him must pay a price.”

A very rich man, named Xanthus, Aesop and took him to his home in Samos. Soon the little slave became known for his . He often told some funny stories that taught some great truth to his master and his master’s friends. They how Aesop could have thought of them.

His master was so much with him that he gave him . Aesop was no longer a slave. Many great men were glad to call him their friend, and kings asked his advice and were amused by his stories.

1.A. small B. strong C. tall D. weak

2.A. spared B. borrowed C. spent D. lost

3.A. happened B. decided C. agreed D. hoped

4.A. community B. country C. city D. village

5.A. cover B. recognize C. finish D. walk

6.A. Find B. Choose C. Check D. Prepare

7.A. largest B. most useful C. most important D. lightest

8.A. strange B. careless C. foolish D. selfish

9.A. worried B. uncomfortable C. angryD. confident

10.A. goods B. food C. water D. clothes

11.A. while B. although C. until D. because

12.A. calm B. grateful C. wise D. dishonest

13.A. low B. fair C. frequent D. high

14.A. saved B. bought C. accepted D. knew

15.A. cleverness B. bravery C. work D. skills

16.A. encourage B. amuse C. change D. help

17.A. ignored B. imagined C. wondered D. guessed

18.A. bored B. impatientC. strict D. pleased

19.A. freedom B. attention C. praise D. expression

20.A. yet B. ever C. even D. still

English, as we all know, is considered as the universal language. It is spoken all over the world. However, you will also notice that people all over the world are using different types of English. Let’s take a closer look at these two popular types: UK and US English. Even if both types of English are wildly used, there are some differences that will be worth knowing to find out the type of English that you are using.

US English is what we know as the American English which is wildly used in the United States. UK English, on the other hand, is known as the British English. Some also call it the BBC English since it is the English used by British reporters, and another name for it is the Queen’s English.

In terms of vocabulary, some words in US English may mean something different in the UK English. For example, the word biscuit for the British means baked sweet or salty cake that is hard when baked and softened over time; while in the US it is a quick bread served with salty foods.

With regards to pronunciation, American English is more nasal (鼻音的). Stress (重音) is also another difference to consider. Just like in the word princess, British stress the second syllable (音節(jié)) while Americans stress the first.

Spelling is another area of difference. American English spelling is more simple. Example of which includes, color for the US and colour for the UK, same goes with honor and honour. The doubling of letters in words is another good example. It will be traveler in the US and traveller in the UK. The use of “-og” instead of “-ogue” in word such as dialog and dialogue or catalog and catalogue.

1.What can be the best title for the passage?

A.Similarity between US English and UK English

B.Difference between US English and UK English

C.The future of US English and UK English

D.The history of US and UK English

2.What does the underlined word “it” refer to according to Paragraph 2?

A The British English.

B The American English.

C The BBC.

D The Queen of UK.

3.he word biscuit in UK English refers to the cake which may be finally.

A.sweet and hard

B.salty and sweet

C.hard and salty

D.salty and soft

4.Which of the following may belong to UK English?

A. Color. B. Traveler.

C. Dialog. D. Catalogue.