On a clear night, the sky is a wonderful thing. Is there life out there somewhere? Is there another place like Earth where life might exist? If so, where is it? And how far away is it?
Recently, the American Kepler spacecraft found "22b" , a planet about six hundred light years away. It is the first planet in a " habitable zone" outside the solar system. That means the planet orbits a star like our Sun, but it is not too close to it, nor too far away. Because of this position, scientists say Kepler22b might have water, one of the main things needed for life.
The newly-discovered planet is about two and a half times larger than the Earth. It is closer to its star than we are to the Sun, but 22b's sun is smaller than ours, and doesn’t produce as much heat. Scientific instruments show the new planet could be made of gases, rocks or some kinds of liquids.
The Kepler spacecraft was named in honor of Johannes Kepler, the seventeenth century German astronomer. It was designed to examine a small part of the Milky Way galaxy and search for places like the Earth. It was made to inspect over 150,000 stars and measure how bright they are. It looks to see if a star's brightness gets less over a short time.
If a planet passes between Kepler and the star, it blocks out part of the light. That is what suggested to scientists that there is at least one planet orbiting the star. The instruments on Kepler show the new planet as a small, black dot moving across its sun. An important part of the Kepler experiment is on the Earth. After the spacecraft gathers information, scientists use the space telescopes on the ground.
Scientists have found over 2,300 new planets since Kepler was launched. About 200 of these are about the size of the Earth. Most are much larger, but it is the new planet's distance from its star that is important. For life to possibly exist there, the planet's temperature must not be too hot or too cold.
63. What can we learn about Kepler-22b?
A. Water must have been existed on it.
B. It takes humans about 600 years to get there.
C. It is made of gases, rocks and many kinds of liquids.
D. It is the first planet in outer space where life may survive.
64. The Kepler spacecraft was sent into space to ______.
A. show honor to Johannes Kepler
B. look for Earth-like planets in the sky
C. observe the changes of a star's brightness
D. measure the brightest star among 150,000 stars
65. In Paragraph 5 the author mainly tells us______.
A. how the Kepler system works
B. if the Kepler system sees a new planet
C. how the Kepler system uses the space telescopes
D. why an important part of the Kepler system remains on the Earth
66. What can we infer from the passage?
A. Life may exist on the new planet in another form.
B. It is colder on the new planet because its sun is smaller.
C. Life can't exist on planets which are much larger than the Earth.
D. The new planet's distance from its star decides on the possibilitv of life existence.
【参考答案】63—66\DBAD
第11组
阅读理解A
BORDER
CROSSINGS
While there are no restrictions on the amount of money that you can bring across the border. You must report to both the US and Canadian border services amounts equal to or greater than $10.000.
PERSONAL EXEMPTIONS(免税)ON PURCHASES
AMERICANS RETURNING TO THE US
Less than 48 hours: $ 200 US
48 hours or more: $ 800 US duty-free personal exemption.
next $ 1.000 US at 3%
Including up to 100 cigars and 100 cigarettes.
CANADIANS RETURNING TO CANADA
Less than 24 hours: $ 50 CAN
48 hours or more: $ 400 CAN
Including up to 100 cigars and 200 cigarettes.
7 days or more: $ 750 CAN
Including up to 100 cigars and 200 cigarettes.
DOCUMENTATION NEEDED FOR
BORDER CROSSING
LAND OR SEA TO THE US(INCLUDING FERRIES)
A valid passport or passport card, or a NEXUS card.
(A NEXUS card is a Trusted Traveler Program that provides quick travel for pre-approved, low risk travelers through special lanes.)
A recent Washington State, New York or BC driver’s license.
Note: Children 15 years of age and younger require only a birth certificate or copy. (Certified copies are not required but are advised.)
AIR TRAVEL TO THE US
A valid passport, an Air NEXUS card, or a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant
Marine Document. ( ) 1. If a Canadian who is on a 7-day trip to New York buys $ 800 CAN worth of goods, how much should he pay tax on when returning home?
A. $ 800 CAN B. $750 CAN C. $ 400 CAN D. $ 50 CAN
选D。 根据文中Canadians Returning To Canada 的要求$750 CAN是免税的，所以只需交$50 CAN的关税
( ) 2. For an American citizen on a 2-day tour of Canada, how much tax does he have to pay on $ 1.600 US worth of purchases when returning to the US?
A. $ 24 US B. $ 48 US C. $52 US D. $ 200 US
选A. 根据文中Americans Returning To the US 的要求$800 US 免税，而next $1000US at3% 得知除800以外的800到1000以内需交3% 800乘以3%=24
( ) 3. What documentation should a couple with a 7-year-old child carry when they drive a car from Canada to America?
A. A BC driver’s license, an Air NEXUS card, and a birth certificate.
B. An Air NEXUS card, a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document, and a birth certificate.
C. Two valid passport cards and a certified copy of a birth certificate.
D. A NEXUS card, a U.S. Coast Guard Merchant Marine Document, and a certified copy of a birth certificate.
选C 根据题目中they drive a car from Canada to America，用排除法可排除两项A,B,而D错在a certified copy
B
Imagine，one day，getting out of bed in Beijing and being at your office in Shanghai in only a couple of hours，and then，after a full day of work，going back home to Beijing and having dinner there.
Sounds unusual，doesn't it? But it's not that unrealistic，with the development of China’s high—speed railway system.And that’s not a11.China has an even greater high—speed railway plan—to connect the country with Southeast Asia，and eventually Eastern Europe.
China is negotiating to extend its own high·-speed railway network to up to 17 countries in 1 0 to 15 years，eventually reaching London and Singapore.
China has proposed three such projects.The first would possibly connect Kunming with Singapore via Vietnam and Malaysia.Another could start in Urumqi and go through Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan，and possibly to Germany.The third would start in the northeast and go north through Russia and then into Western Europe.
If China’s plan for the high-speed railway goes forward，people could zip over from London to Beijing in under two days.
The new system would still follow China’s high—speed railway standard.And the trains would be able to go 346 kilometers an hour，almost as fast as some airplanes.
China’s bullet train(高速客车)，the one connecting Wuhan to Guangzhou，already has the World’s fastest average speed.It covers 1,069 kilometers in about three hours.
Of course，there are some technical challenges to overcome.There are so many issues that need to be settled，such as safety，rail gauge(轨距)，maintenance of railway tracks.So，it’s important to pay attention to every detail.
But the key issue is really money.China is already spending hundreds of billions of yuan on domestic railway expansion.
China prefers that the other countries pay in natural resources rather than with capital investment.Resources from those countries could stream into China to sustain development.
It’11 be a win-win project. For other countries，the railway network will definitely create more opportunities for business，tourism and so on，not to mention the better communication among those countries.
For China，such a project would not only connect it with the rest of Asia and bring some much-needed resources，but would also help develop China’s far west.We foresee that in the coming decades，millions of people will migrate to the western regions，where the land is empty and resources unused.With high-speed trains，people will set up factories and business centers in the west once and for a11.And they’11 trade with Central Asian and Eastern European countries.
( ) 1. China’s new high-speed railway plan will be a win-win project because .
A. China will get much-needed resources and develop its western regions
B. China and the countries involved will benefit from the project in various ways
C. China will develop its railway system and communication with other countries
D. the foreign countries involved will develop their railway transportation，business and tourism
选B在文章倒数第二段中有明确答案
( ) 2. According to the passage，the greatest challenge to the new high-speed railway plan is .
A. technical issues
B. safety of the systemw_w w.
C. financial problems
D. maintenance of railway tracks
选C . 在文章第8段看到 There are so many issues that need to be settled...及第9节中 But the key issue is really money
( ) 3. Which of the following words best describes the author’s attitude towards China’s high-speed railway plan?
A. Critical. B. Reserved. C. Doubtful D. Positive.
选D . 尽管在文章第8，9段中 提到存在的问题，但从最后两段中不难看出作者是持支持的态度
( ) 4. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
A. New Railway Standards
B. Big Railway Dreams
C. High—speed Bullet Trains
D. International Railway Network
选B. 贯穿全文须知这只是一个梦想
