D

A mysterious machine found in a 2,000-year-old Greek shipwreck may have been used to calculate the positions of planets, predict when eclipses (日、月蚀) were to occur, and study other parts of astronomy (天文学). When it was found underwater about 100 years ago, the machine was in poor shape. Its metal pieces had become one mass (堆), and then broke into pieces.

When the researchers began to study what was left of the machine, they thought it might have something to do with astronomy. To find out more, they recently used advanced imaging methods, including X-ray computer tomography (断层摄影术), to look inside the metal parts and to check for ancient writing on the machine.

According to their research, the researchers believed that this machine could have been used to compute eclipses of the sun and moon and was also able to show the movements of planets. A user could pick a day in the future and, work out a planet’s position on that date by moving some sort of crank (曲柄) on the machine.

Besides, the researchers discovered that the machine had at least 30 bronze gears (齿轮) with as many as 225 teeth, likely all cut by hand.

With all the collected information, the researchers came up with a new model for how the machine operated. The model has 29 of the 30 known gears and five more that were probably there but never found. Also，the new picture adds a previously undiscovered spiral dial (螺旋刻度盘) to the back of the machine near the bottom. A hand moving around the dial could have pointed to eclipses over a period of 18 years.

71. The passage is most probably taken from _____.

A. a short-story collection

B. a popular science magazine

C. a political report

D. an old personal diary

72. What is the passage mainly about?

A. New research on calculating the positions of planets.

B. A popular way of computing eclipses of the sun and moon.

C. Scientists’ interest in the secrets of a 2,000-year-old Greek shipwreck.

D. A mysterious machine which could be used for astronomical research.

73. What do we learn from the third paragraph of the passage?

A. The machine might have been used to calculate the positions of the planets.

B. Scientists made great progress in predicting eclipses of the sun and moon.

C. The researchers discovered some secrets in the Greek shipwreck.

D. The machine can be of great help for people working out the sizes of planets.

74. The researchers made a new model because they____.

A. wished to repair the broken machine

B. wanted to study the shipwreck more conveniently

C. hoped to know how the machine worked

D. expected it to be used in modern scientific research

75. Which of the following statements is TRUE about the old machine?

A. It has 35 gears on it.

B. It has a spiral dial.

C. It was invented about 100 years ago.

D. Its gears have many teeth.

Last weekend, I _____ my washing machine ______.

A．had; repair        B．had; repairing      C．had; repaired      D．had; to repair

A gadget which makes water out of air could become the greatest household invention since the microwave. http://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/

Using the same technology as a dehumidifier（除湿器），the Water Mill is able to create a ready supply of drinking water because it can always get it from an unlimited source—the air．http://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/

The company behind the machine says not only does it offer an alternative to bottled water inhttp://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/

developed countries, but it is a solution for the millions who face a daily water shortage．http://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/

The machine works by drawing in wet air through a filter（过滤器）and over a cooling instrument which changes it into water droplets．It can produce up to 12 liters a day．The Water Mill will also produce more water when storms pass over, as the amount of water which is contained in the air increases. In keeping with its eco-development, the machine uses the same amount of electricity as three lights.     Inventor Jonathan Ritchey said, “The demand for water is off the chart. So people are looking for freedom from water distribution systems that are shaky and unreliable.”

The machine, which is about 3 feet wide, is likely to cost ￡800 when it goes on sale here in the spring. Its maker, Canadian Firm Element Four, roughly calculates that a liter of water costs around 20 pence to produce.

Environmentalists state that half the world’s population will face water shortage because of climate change by 2080. One in five is said to lack access to safe drinking.

The Water Mill is not effective in areas where the amount of water contained in the air is below about 30 percent, but in Britain that won’t be much of a problem.

1.What does the underlined word “it” refer to?

A．Drinking water.  B．Invention.                     C．Microwave.              D．Water Mill.

2.What do we learn about the machine?

A．It works in the same way as microwaves.

B．It is very expensive for families to afford.

C．It absorbs wet air and turns it into water.

D．It helps to make the water clean to drink. http://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/

3.What does the passage lead us to believe? http://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/

A．The cost of water will go up.                            B．Bottled water will disappear soon.

C．The machine is energy saving.                         D．The machine will be popular worldwide.

4.What’s the best title for the passage? http://www.7caiedu.cn/gaokao/beijing/

A．A New Way to Solve Water Problem.          B．A Machine to Make Water out of Air.

C．A Dehumidifier to Produce Water.                  D．An Absolutely New Invention

–What’s that noise?
–Oh, I forgot to tell you. The new machine ______.

--- Hey, what’s up? Water is everywhere. What can I do for you?

   --- Oh, great. I ______ how to operate this damn new machine.

A. just wondered                  B. was just wondering     

C. had just wondered               D. have just wondered