Many scientists are now exploring the idea of going to live on Mars. Some other scientists from the NASA Ames Research Centre(美國航空航天局艾姆斯研究中心) have already started the creation of a "Mars town" and many others are in fact already experimenting with it. Of course, these experiments are done on Earth itself but this " Mars town" has an environment practically like that of Mars.

  The astronauts working in these towns wear their spacesuits and also do everything they would really have to carry out if they ever go to Mars in the future.

  But Mars would be like Earth,a temporary place for humans. When the Sun starts swallowing up the planets,Mars will disappear only hours after Earth. So Mars only seems to be the ideal place to spread the human beings. It is also a good location to send humans if ever there is a disaster on Earth. By saying disaster,I mean asteroids(小行星) hitting and things like that.

  If we humans do not want to disappear when Earth or Mars gets swal?lowed up,we will have to go and live beyond the solar system. But are there any planets outside our solar system prepared to support life? Astronomers' answer is:

  "If Earth can support life,why can't other planets do the same too? As?tronomers have already discovered a Jupiter(木星) -like planet orbiting a Sun?like star,so why not an Earth-like planet orbiting a Sun-like star?"

  To achieve this goal though，many other problems have to be taken into con?sideration. How do we transform a dusty planet like Mars into one more or less like our Earth? How should we go on? There is still a long way to go.

6.The "Mars town" mentioned in the passage is________ .

   A.a research base on Mars

   B.an experimental lab built on Earth

   C.a strange place on Mars

   D.a town existing in scientists' imagination

7.We can know from the passage that astronomers probably think________ .

   A.it is impossible to transport humans to other planets

   B.there may be an Earth-like planet outside the solar system

   C.humans will move to the new-found Jupiter-like planet

   D.there's no need for humans to move beyond the solar system

8.Why would Mars only be a temporary(臨時(shí)) place for humans?

   A.The conditions there would be too hard for the human beings.

   B.There would be more disasters like asteroids hitting.

   C.It would disappear when Earth disappeared.

   D.It would be too hot to live on.

9.The underlined word "orbiting" in the fifth paragraph is closest in meaning to ________" ”.

    A. moving around   B. getting close to

   C. passing by quickly   D. going through

10. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage? 

     A. Mars town       B. Living on Mars

   C. The future of Earth   D. Where to live in the future

 My happy place is my home in central Auckland. I travel quite a lot. Last year I went to Europe and the United States a couple of times and I had a few other trips but part of the reason why I love to travel is that I get to come home afterwards. It's really nice to come home and go out into my garden and wander around my plants and my flowers.

  I get a feeling of happiness when I come home,knowing I can just sit on my couch and read a book. I write in my study and in the garden as well. It's really relaxing being in my own space. Fve been here for three or four years. It takes a while to get everything exactly as you like in a house. Now my study is set up as how I want it,my garden is how I want it,and I have a library room where I have all my books. It's really comfortable.

  When I moved into the house,one of the first things I did was to get wall-to-wall shelves built in the library for all my books. For a long time my books were in storage in my parents' garage. I love going into my library. It's a real?ly calm place. It has not only got many books, but also has got things I've picked up during my travelling.

  There's a lot of me in that room and there's a lot of me in my study as well because I spend most of the day there. I love my desk―I've had it since I was a teenager. And I have a thesaurus(分類詞典) I've had for so many-years. I have my maps, my dictionary,my research notes,my pens and pa?per,my notes and my own books.

  When I'm writing and when I'm deep into a book,I tend to disappear for a while. I'm able to be absent-minded wherever I am―if I'm stuck in an air?port ,I'll find myself a little corner and go for it. But my favourite place to write is home. I'm happy when I'm here.

1.We can infer from the passage that the author________.

   A.has a large house and a big garden

   B.is interested in reading and writing

   C.feels tired of travelling around the world

   D.enjoys collecting strange stones

2.How will the author feel when he gets back home? 

    A. Lonely.   B. Comfortable.   C. Stressed.   D. Upset.

3.How is the author's study arranged?

   A.It has much furniture in it.

   B.It is decorated with many beautiful pictures.

   C.It is designed by the author's parents.

   D.It is set up just as the author expected.

4.Which of the following things are kept in the author's study? 

     A. Travelling backpacks.   B. A lot of books.

   C. A lot of treasures.   D. A lot of boxes.

5.Where does the author like to write most?

    A. At the airport.   B. In a hotel.

   C. At home.   D. In his garden.

 Mr Jones woke early one morning. It was a beautiful morning, so 1.________ went to the window and looked out. He was surprised to see a neatly dressed,middle-aged professor, 2.      worked in the university near his house. He had grey hair and thick glasses，and was carrying 3.     umbrella, a morning newspaper and a bag. Mr Jones thought that he must 4.    (arrive) by the night train and decided to walk to the university instead of 5.     a taxi.

  Mr Jones had a big tree in his garden,and the children had tied a long rope to one of its branches,so that they could swing on it.

  Mr Jones was surprised to see the professor stop and look 6.       (care) up and down the road. 7.    he saw that there was nobody in sight,he stepped into the garden (there was no fence) , put his umbrella,newspaper,bag and hat neatly on the grass and took hold of the rope. He

pulled it hard 8.    (see) whether it was strong enough to take his weight, then 9.       (run) as fast as he could and swung into the air on the end of the rope.

  At last the professor stopped and continued on his way 10.________, the university,looking as quiet and correct as one would expect a professor to be.

[account for, in panic ,be curious about, pour into, run away from]

1.Shoppers fled the street       after two bombs exploded in central London.

2.If you       the city,just read the book.

3.In developing countries people________ overcrowded cities in great numbers.

4.His illness________his absence.

5.―OK,I've had enough of it. I give up.

―You can't       your responsibilities.

10. The worker left the boss' office angrily, ________(determine) never to come back again.

9.Don't handle the vase as if it________(make) steel.

8.If only he________(lie) quietly as the doctor instructed,he would not suffer so much now.

7.Mary had difficulty in         ( understand) the man's spoken English.

6.The boy was seen ________(knock) down by a car.

5.To my         (astonish) ，she recognized me at once.