D

Move Earth—it’s no science fiction

LONDON—Scientists have found an unusual way to prevent our planet from overheating: move it to a cooler spot. All you have to do is send a few comets(彗星)in the direction of Earth, and its orbit will be changed. Our world will then be sent spinning into a safer, colder part of the solar system.

This idea for improving our climate comes from a group of US National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) engineers and American astronomers. They say their plan could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet—effectively doubling its working life.

The plan put forward by Dr Laughlin, and his colleagues Don Korycansky and Fred Adams is designed to carefully direct a comet or asteroid(小行星) so that it passes close by our planet and sends some of its gravitational energy to Earth.

“Earth’s orbital speed would increase as a result and we would move to a higher orbit away from the Sun,” Laughlin said.

Engineers would then direct their comet so that it passed close to Jupiter or Saturn. The comet would pick up energy from one of these giant planets. Later its orbit would bring it back to Earth, and the process would be repeated.

In the short term, the plan provides an ideal way to global warming, although the team was actually concerned with a much greater danger. The sun is certain to heat up in about a billion years and so “seriously compromise” our biosphere(生物圈)by cooking us.

That’s why the group decided to try to save Earth.

The plan has one or two worrying aspects, however. For a start, space engineers would have to be very careful about how they directed their asteroid or comet towards Earth. The smallest miscalculation(误算)in orbit could fire it straight at Earth—with deadly consequences.

There is also the question of the Moon. As the current issue of Scientific American magazine points out, if Earth was pushed out of its current position, it is “most likely the Moon would be stripped(剥去) away from Earth,” it states. This would greatly change our planet’s climate.

32. What makes the scientists plan to move Earth?

A. A few comets are moving to the direction of Earth.

B. Earth’s working life is coming to an end soon.

C. Earth will become too hot for mankind to keep alive.

D. The moon is moving farther and farther away from Earth.

33. If the plan is successful, Earth will have a working life of ______ years.

A.12 billion   B.6 billion   C.18 billion   D.24 billion

34. What serious problems might the plan cause according to the passage?

A. The comet might hit Earth and man might lose the moon.

B. Earth might be moved too far away and man might be frozen to death.

C. The comet might hit Jupiter or Saturn and never return to Earth.

D. Earth’s working life might be greatly shortened.

35. What does the underlined word “compromise” mean?

A. provide   B. benefit        C. share         D. endanger

第二节 (共5小题，每小题2分，满分10分)

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。

Happy birthday! Do birthdays really makes people happy?     36      Birthdays celebrates the day when we were born. Besides, that extra candle on the cake suggest another year of growth and maturity(成熟)—or so we hope.We all like to imagine that we are getting wiser and not just older.Most of us enjoy seeing the wonder of growth in others, as well.For instance, seeing our children develop and learn new things makes us feel proud.For Americans, like people in most cultures, growing up is a wonderful process.But growing old?

37

Growing old is not exactly for people in youth-oriented(以年轻人为中心)American culture.    38      As the old saying goes, “You’re young as you feel.” Older people joke about how many years young they are, rather than how many years old.People in some countries value the aged as a source of experience and wisdom.But Americans seem to favor those that are young, or at least “young at heart”.

Many older Americans find the “golden years” to be anything but golden.Economically, “senior citizens” often struggle just to get by.Retirement at the age of 65 brings a sharp decrease in personal income.Social security benefits usually cannot make up the difference.Older people may suffer from poor nutrition, medical care, and housing.   39     American sociologist Pat Moore once dressed up like an older person and wandered city streets.She was often treated rudely--even cheated and robbed.However, dressed as a young person, she received much more respect.

40   Why? People are living longer.Fewer babies are being born.And middle-aged “baby boomers” are rapidly entering the group of the elderly.America may soon be a place where wrinkles(皱纹)are “in”.Marketing experts are already noticing this growing group of consumers.

A.That is a different story.

B. Most people in America like the young.

C. Of course they do.

D. Some even experience age discrimination(歧视).

E. People in America grow larger every year.

F. Most Americans like to look young, act young and feel young.

G. Unfortunately, the elderly population in America is increasing fast.

第三部分  英语知识运用(共两节， 满分45分)

第一节 完形填空(共20 小题;每小题1.5分，满分30分)

阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A, B, C, D)中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

On August 26, 1999, New York City experienced a torrential downpour. The rain caused the streets to __41__ and the subway system almost came to a stop.

Unfortunately, this happened during the morning rush hour. Many people who were going to work were __42__ to go home. Some battled to __43__ a taxi or to get on a bus. Still others faced the __44__ bravely, walking miles to get to work.

I __45__ to be one of the people on the way to work that morning. I went from subway line to subway line only to find that most __46__ had stopped. After making my way __47__ crowds of people, I finally found a subway line that was __48__. Unfortunately, there were so many people waiting to __49__ the subway that I could not even get down the stairs to the __50__. So I took the train going in the opposite direction, and then switched back to the downtown train. Finally, after what seemed like an forever, the train __51__ my stop. Then I had to walk several blocks in the increasingly heavy rain. When I finally got to my office, I was __52__ through, exhausted and __53__.

My co-workers and I spent most of the day drying off. When it was 5:00 pm，I was ready to go home. I was about to turn off my computer __54__ I received an email from Garth, my Director:

I would like to thank all of you who made the effort and __ 55__ reported to work. It is always reassuring(令人欣慰), at times like these, when employees so clearly show their __56__ to their jobs. Thank you.

Garth’s email was short, but I learned more from that __57__ message than I ever did from a textbook. The email taught me that a few words of __58__ can make a big difference. The rainstorm and the traffic __59__ had made me tired and upset. But Garth’s words immediately__60__ me and put a smile back on my face.

41. A. break   B. flood   C. sink   D. crash

42. A. forced   B. refused  C. adjusted  D. gathered

43. A. order   B. pay   C. call   D. search

44. A. weather      B. scenery     C. storm      D. burden

45. A. used   B. promised  C. deserved     D. happened

46. A. practice   B.demand  C. process     D. service

47. A. to    B. through  C. over   D. for

48. A. operating  B. cycling  C. turning  D. rushing

49. A. check   B. carry   C. find   D. board

50. A. street   B. ground  C. floor   D. platform

51. A. paused   B. crossed  C. reached  D. parked

52. A. wet   B. weak   C. sick   D. hurt

53. A. ashamed  B. discouraged  C. surprised  D. puzzled

54. A. while   B. when   C. where   D. after

55. A. hardly   B. casually     C. absolutely  D. finally

56. A. devotion     B. reaction  C. investigation D. relation

57. A. accurate   B. vital         C. brief      D. humorous

58. A. promise      B. appreciation C. advice         D. guidance

59. A. troubles   B. signals      C. rules      D. signs

60. A. corrected  B. supported  C. amazed     D.refreshed

第二卷

第三部分   英语知识运用(共两节，满分45分)

第二节(共10小题：每小题1.5分，满分15分)

阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容(不多于3个单词)或括号内单词的正确形式。

First aid is of _____61____ (important) in our life. There is no doubt ____62___ it is necessary to know some knowledge of first aid as dangers lie everywhere and accidents happen from time to time. If a person has an accident, he needs medical care before a doctor can____63___(find) . But in the process of first aid,    64    the injured will be properly treated ___65______(depend) on your knowledge of first aid . As _______66__ famous journalist, Yansong leads a very simple life. But he not only has a good nose ____67_____ news, but also has ____68____(admire) professional first aid skills, because he thinks if we know _____69____about first aid, perhaps a life can be saved.

Everybody should know some first aid in order to save other people's lives. Let’s take delight in _______70___(acquire) skills of first aid.

第四部分  写作(共两节，满分35分)

第一节 短文改错(共10小题;每小题1分，满分10分)

假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处错误，每句中最多有两处，每处仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(^)，并在其下面写出该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线()划掉。

注意：1. 每处错误及其修改均仅限一词;

2. 只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。

Dear Tracy,

I want to make friends with those who have same interests, but I am continually disappointing. No one I know have the same interests as I. Mine include read books and newspapers, watching news programmes, listening music and so on. But my friends were only interested in talking about the best way to make lots of money and what they will buy with them. That you know, friends are very important, so I don’t know where and how to find the friends I want. Can you offer me some suggestion?

Li Mei

第二节   书面表达(满分25分)

河南省实验中学校园里的南边有一座建于二十世纪五十年代的旧楼，充当教学楼近五十年。最近就该楼的存废学校师生进行了激烈的讨论。请你就以下讨论内容以李华的名义给实验著名校友施一公教授写一封英文信，同时征求他的意见.

主张拆除:  1. 与周边的建筑物不协调    2. 给现代化的教学楼让位

主张保留:  1. 见证了实验兴衰  2. 可以充当校史馆，让每个师生都能从中找到美好的回忆.

注意：1.词数100左右 2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯  3.开头语已为你写好

与.....和谐in harmony with

Dear Professor,

_____________________________________________________________________

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