Unless we spend money spotting and preventing asteroids(小行星) now, one might crash into Early and destroy life as we know it, say some scientists.

Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids(流星) that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don’t threaten us. But there are also thousands of asteroids whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.

Buy $50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one, the scientists say, we’ll have a way to change its course.

Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons.  But the cost wouldn’t be cheap. Is is worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: (1)How likely the event is; and (2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500 000 years. Sounds pretty rare-but if one did fall, it would be the end of the world. “If we don’t take care of these asteroids, they’ll take care of us,”says one scientist.  “It’s that simple.”

 The cure, though, might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “The world has less to fear from doomsday(世界末日) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against it,” said a New York Times article.

9.What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?

A.They are heavenly bodies different in composition.

  B.They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.

C.There are more asteroids than meteoroids.

D.Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.

10.What do scientists say about the collision of an asteroid with Earth?

A.It is very unlikely but the danger exists.

B.Such a collision might occur once every 25 years.

C.Coilisions of smaller asteroids with Earth occur more often than expected.

  D.lt’s still too early to say whether such a collision might occur.

11.What do people think of the suggestion of using nuclear weapons to alter the course of asteroids?

A.It sounds practical but it may not solve the problem.

B.It may create more problems than it might slove.

C.It is a waste of money because a collision of asteroids with Earth is very unlikely.

D.Further research should be done before it is proved applicable.

12.We can conclude from the passage that .      

A.while pushing asteroids off course nuclear weapons would destroy the world

B.asteroids racing across the night sky are likely to hit Earth in the near future

C.the worry about asteroids can be left to future generations since it is unlike to happen in our    lifetime.

D.workable solutions still have to be found to prevent a collision of asteroids with Earth

Unless we spend money to spot and prevent asteroids now，one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it，say some scientists.
Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids(流星)that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and don't threaten us. But there are also thousands whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.
Buy $ 50 million worth of new telescopes right now. Then spend $ 10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one，the scientists say，we'll have a way to change its course.
Some scientists favor pushing asteroids off course with nuclear weapons. But the cost wouldn't be cheap. Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are: 1) How likely the event is; and 2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500,000 years. Sounds pretty rare-but if one did fall，it would be the end of the world. “If we don't take care of these big asteroids，they'll take care of us,” says one scientist. “It's that simple.”
The cure，though，might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “The world has less to fear from doomsday(毁灭性的) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them，” said a New York Times article.
【小题1】What does the passage say about asteroids and meteoroids?

A．They are heavenly bodies different in composition.

B．They are heavenly bodies similar in nature.

C．There are more asteroids than meteoroids.

D．Asteroids are more mysterious than meteoroids.

A house in Clarktown caught fire on Christmas Eve,1982. The    1    who lived in the house was already in    2   .Being in poor health, she had trouble in    3    even when things were fine.    4    her house burning down around her, she was not able to go    5   .The smoke    6   her choke(窒息) .The fire was very hot. Without quick help she would have   7   .

Fire fighters    8    the house. They started to put the fire out. They did not know the old woman was still    9   .The people    10   her crying for help. The fire was still very hot    11    there was lots of smoke.

A man    12    like Santa Claus(圣诞老人) was passing by. He was on his way to give gifts to poor families.   13    had he heard the old woman’s cry when he ran into the    14    

house. After a while he rushed out with the old woman on his back and came to her safety. Then, as

   15    as he had done that, the man left. No one knew the real name of the hero who had saved the old woman’s life.

The man went on and took the gifts to the poor children. He did not return home    16   it was dark. He told his   17    what had happened. She decided that she did not    18    to keep the story a secret. She told people that Santa Claus was    19    David Rodriguez, her husband. Mr. Rodriguez is a music teacher    20    he is not playing Santa Claus.

1. A. hero　　　　 　　 B. woman　　　　　　　　　　 C. child　　   　　　　    D. man

2. A. the eighty　　   B. eighties 　　　　　　　　   C. her eightieth　　    D. her eighties

3. A. walking　　　　 B. speaking 　　　　　　　　 C. thinking　　　　     D. laughing

4. A. Because　　　　 B. For　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. With　　　　  　　   D. During

5. A. everywhere　　  　　   B. nowhere 　　　　　　　　 C. anywhere　　　　 D. somewhere

6. A. suffered　　      B. broke 　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. forced　　    　　    D. made

7. A. lived　　　　 　　 B. died　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. left　　　　  　　　　 D. stayed

8. A. looked for　　   B. searched through 　　 C. got to　　　　 　　　　　　  D. set up

9. A. out of doors　　 B. in the open air　　　　   C. outside　　　　 　　 D. inside

10. A. heard　　　　  　　   B. stopped 　　　　　　　　  C. felt　　　　  　　　　 D. kept

11. A. but　　　　 　　  B. and　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. or　　　　 　　　　    D. though

12. A. dressed  　　   B. chosen 　　　　　　　　  C. looked　　　　      D. acted

13. A. Only　　    　　 B. Hardly 　　　　　　　　    C. Never　　　　  　　 D. Badly

14. A. empty　　　　  B. crowded 　　　　　　    C. burnt　　　　  　　  D. burning

15. A. bravely　　　　 B. carefully　　　　　　　　  C. quickly　　　　 　　 D. proudly

16. A. until　　    　　  B. unless　　　　　　　　　　  C. while　　    　　　　 D. or

17. A. friend　　       B. son 　　　　　　　　　　    C. daughter　　　　  D. wife

18. A. want　　    　　 B. like　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. refuse　　　　  　　 D. need

19. A. nearly　　　　 B. really 　　　　　　　　　　  C. impossibly　　　　 D. probably

20. A. so that  　　　　B. even if 　　　　　　　　  C. when　　　　  　　  D. since

Fire fighters    8    the house. They started to put the fire out. They did not know the old woman was still    9   .The people    10   her crying for help. The fire was still very hot    11    there was lots of smoke.

A man    12    like Santa Claus(圣诞老人) was passing by. He was on his way to give gifts to poor families.   13    had he heard the old woman’s cry when he ran into the    14    

house. After a while he rushed out with the old woman on his back and came to her safety. Then, as

   15    as he had done that, the man left. No one knew the real name of the hero who had saved the old woman’s life.

The man went on and took the gifts to the poor children. He did not return home    16   it was dark. He told his   17    what had happened. She decided that she did not    18    to keep the story a secret. She told people that Santa Claus was    19    David Rodriguez, her husband. Mr. Rodriguez is a music teacher    20    he is not playing Santa Claus.

1. A. hero　　　　 　　 B. woman　　　　　　　　　　 C. child　　   　　　　    D. man

2. A. the eighty　　   B. eighties 　　　　　　　　   C. her eightieth　　    D. her eighties

3. A. walking　　　　 B. speaking 　　　　　　　　 C. thinking　　　　     D. laughing

4. A. Because　　　　 B. For　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. With　　　　  　　   D. During

5. A. everywhere　　  　　   B. nowhere 　　　　　　　　 C. anywhere　　　　 D. somewhere

6. A. suffered　　      B. broke 　　　　　　　　　　　　    C. forced　　    　　    D. made

7. A. lived　　　　 　　 B. died　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. left　　　　  　　　　 D. stayed

8. A. looked for　　   B. searched through 　　 C. got to　　　　 　　　　　　  D. set up

9. A. out of doors　　 B. in the open air　　　　   C. outside　　　　 　　 D. inside

10. A. heard　　　　  　　   B. stopped

 　　　　　　　　  C. felt　　　　  　　　　 D. kept

11. A. but　　　　 　　  B. and　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. or　　　　 　　　　    D. though

12. A. dressed  　　   B. chosen 　　　　　　　　  C. looked　　　　      D. acted

13. A. Only　　    　　 B. Hardly 　　　　　　　　    C. Never　　　　  　　 D. Badly

14. A. empty　　　　  B. crowded 　　　　　　    C. burnt　　　　  　　  D. burning

15. A. bravely　　　　 B. carefully　　　　　　　　  C. quickly　　　　 　　 D. proudly

16. A. until　　    　　  B. unless　　　　　　　　　　  C. while　　    　　　　 D. or

17. A. friend　　       B. son 　　　　　　　　　　    C. daughter　　　　  D. wife

18. A. want　　    　　 B. like　　　　　　　　　　　　  C. refuse　　　　  　　 D. need

19. A. nearly　　　　 B. really 　　　　　　　　　　  C. impossibly　　　　 D. probably

20. A. so that  　　　　B. even if 　　　　　　　　  C. when　　　　  　　  D. since

Ever since Stephanie’s 13th birthday we have been receiving comments from other adults expressing their sympathies because our daughter is now a teenager．We’ve heard everything from，“Sure she’s a good kid，but just wait，now that she’s teenager…”to the ever inspiring，“Well，all kids are rotten when they are teenagers，just try to go through it the best way you can．”What’s more upsetting is that many of these insensitive adults feel the need to share their negative predictions well within the hearing of both our daughters．
I know that teenagers can be moody（闷闷不乐）and difficult at times，but I’m 38 and I can also be difficult and moody．We worry about the future and want today’s kids to know that we care for them and that there are opportunities that wait for them．However, at the very point they set out on that journey toward adulthood we stand there watching them disapprovingly（不赞成），just waiting for them to make mistakes．“just like we knew they would．”We tell them to respect themselves and to say no to drugs，yet we fail to set a positive example by treating them with kindness and consideration，demonstrating（示范）our respect for them．
I have，at times been guilty of this behavior but am now realizing that the more I see each person as a person，the more I am pleasantly surprised in some way or another. For example，a few weeks ago my husband and I were having dinner at our favorite restaurant and two teenage boys came in and sat down right beside us．I must admit that my first thought was，“perfect，there goes our quiet, peaceful dinner．”I was so wrong! These young men were well behaved．quiet and left a nice tip for the waitress．Once I looked beyond the jeans so loose they were practically falling off and the multi-colored hair, I saw what fine people these kids were．
Many of the people who，perhaps unknowingly, treat teens with disrespect are unhappy about the fact that pop singers and sports stars are our children’s heroes. I feel that unless we give them something better to go after, we really shouldn’t complain．

1. 1.

   When their children reach their teens，parents usually expect_________．

   1. A.
      trouble
   2. B.
      sympathy
   3. C.
      congratulations
   4. D.
      inspiring comments
2. 2.

   In the author’s opinion，the trouble with parents is that________．

   1. A.
      they are too watchful of their teenage children
   2. B.
      they are too concerned about their children’s future
   3. C.
      they fail to treat teenagers with enough kindness and respect
   4. D.
      they speak ill of their children within their hearing
3. 3.

   When two teenagers came into the restaurant and sat beside the author, her first thought was that__________．

   1. A.
      they were wrong to have chosen this restaurant for dinner
   2. B.
      something interesting was going to happen over dinner
   3. C.
      her quiet dinner with her husband would be ruined
   4. D.
      she and her husband were going to have a pleasant surprise
4. 4.

   What does the author think of the two teenage boys?

   1. A.
      They may become nice people if they are willing to change their lifestyle．
   2. B.
      They are typical of teenagers who wear ill-fitting clothes and dye their hair．
   3. C.
      They’re fine young men despite their loose jeans and multi-colored hair．
   4. D.
      They will respect you if you respect them．