Terraforming (Earth-forming) other planets, also known as planetary engineering (行星工程), seems like a task still centuries away for mankind to accomplish. However, it is a vigorous topic that attracts both popular and scientific interest. Why should the possibility of terraforming other planets be studied when it may be centuries before we know enough to even decide if it’s a good idea?
Mankind is getting more and more hard facts about other planets. The atmosphere of Venus has been explored; robots have surveyed the surface of Mars; Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn have been studied by spacecraft. Speculations have been answered; new questions have been raised, and enough hard data is right now becoming available to allow us to make the first attempt of planetary engineering.
In the past, people with excellent ideas about terraforming have kept them to themselves, or buried them in a desk drawer because they did not realize that anyone else was interested. But now, a wide circle of people has begun to do this kind of work. For instance, NASA funded a project on transforming Mars.
There are several strong reasons which demand that the possibilities of terraforming be studied carefully. First, it’s an exciting idea of a possible future for human beings. Such thinking has a valuable role in providing options for our future directions. Secondly, the techniques of terraforming will also help contemporary technologies in weather and climate control. Thirdly, such study may assist us in detecting any possible existence of extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI, The Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence, 地外文明搜索) and alien (異己的) civilizations on other planets.
Though the mission is far beyond our reach at the moment, we should at least keep our options open. Through debate and study on this subject, the possibility of rebuilding other planets to make them suitable homes for people may come true some day in the future.
【小題1】.
. According to the context, what’s the meaning of the word “speculation” in paragraph 2?

A．The act of discussing something with a group of people.

B．The act of studying and researching.

C．The act of guessing without knowing all the facts about something.

D．The acting of writing letters to a certain organization.

【小題2】.
Why did people keep the idea of terraforming to themselves in the past?

A．They thought no one else would show interest in the idea.

B．They gradually came to find the idea crazy.

C．They thought the idea would never come true.

D．They had few resources for further study on this topic.

【小題3】.
. Which is NOT the reason to support the study of terraforming?

A．Even if we don’t succeed in terraforming, such study may help us to better understand technologies such as climate and weather control.

B．Such study may explore a new direction of development for human beings.

C．Such study may enable us to find the lives on other planets.

D．As the resources on Earth are being drained, it’s very urgent to study how to migrate (遷移) to other planets。

【小題4】.
What’s the main idea of the article?

A．It’s highly possible that terraforming other planets will come true so we should increase investing in this program.

B．Even if the idea of terraforming other planets may take centuries to realize, we have many reasons to support such studies.

C．Terraforming other planets is the best option for human being’s future.

D．More and more people are taking planetary engineering as their occupation.

For thousands of years, the most important two buildings in any British village have been the church and the pub. Traditionally, the church and the pub are at the heart of any village or town, where the people gather together to socialize and exchange news.
As a result, British pubs are often old and well preserved. Many of them have become historic sites. The most famous example is the pub in the city of Nottingham called “Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem”, which dates back to the year 1189 AD and is probably the oldest pub in England.
However, British pubs are not just for kings and queens; they welcome people from all classes and parts of society. On a cold night, the pub’s landlord or landlady can always find a warm place for you by the fire. There is always honest and hearty food and plenty of drink available at an affordable price.
That’s how things used to be. Things are beginning to change. It is said that the credit crunch(信貸緊縮) is causing 39 British pubs a week to go out of business. People do not have enough spare money to spend on beer. Recently, the UK government banned smoking in all pubs, and that may also have affected the number of customers going to pubs.
This decline is happening despite the fact that in 2005 the UK government started to allow pubs to stay open after 1l pm. Previously, with 1l pm as closing time, customers would have to drink quite quickly, meaning they sometimes got more drunk than they would if allowed to drink slowly. The British habit of drinking a lot very quickly is known as “binge drinking”, and it causes long-term health problems for people and problems with violent crime for communities.
In order to save their businesses, pubs are trying to change with the market. British pubs now offer something for everyone. A lot of pubs used to be “Working Men's Clubs”, meaning that women could not usually enter. Today, however, women can freely enter 99% of pubs without experiencing any problems. Perhaps things are changing for the better after all.
【小題1】. The passage mainly tells us something about       

A．the past and present of British pubs	B．the decline of British pubs
C．the long history of British pubs	D．the importance of British pubs

【小題2】. Which may not be the cause of the decline of British pubs?

A．The credit crunch.	B．The present closing time.
C．The ban of smoking.	D．Having no spare money.

【小題3】.. We can infer from the passage that       

A．British people used to like drinking slowly

B．closing the pubs early will reduce social problems

C．binge drinking means drinking less beer

D．British government aims to discourage people from binge drinking

【小題4】. We can see from the last paragraph that the author ________

A．is against the admission of too many women to the pubs

B．holds an optimistic attitude towards the British pubs

C．thinks that women in the pubs will cause less social problems

D．thinks that British pubs should offer everything you need

With large and small keyboards everywhere, neither children nor adults need to write much of anything by hand. That’s a big problem. Study after study suggests that handwriting is important for brain development — helping kids get fine motor skills and learn to express and create ideas. Yet the time devoted to teaching penmanship in most schools has shrunk to just one hour a week. Is it time to give up handwriting? Have a look at the link between the brain and penmanship, and you may get the answer.
A test among students in grades 2, 4 and 6 found that they not only wrote faster by hand than by keyboard, but also created more ideas when composing essays with handwriting. And other research shows that the finger movements required to write by hand activate brain areas involved with thought, language, and short-term memory.
A recent Indiana University study had one group of children practice writing letters by hand while a second group just looked at those letters. Then, both groups of kids entered a functional MRI (核磁共振)that scanned their brains as the researchers showed them the same letters. Researchers found that the brain activity in the first group was far more advanced and “adult-like”.
Handwriting also affects other people’s way they think of adults and children. Several studies have shown that the same average essay will score much higher if written with good penmanship and much lower if written out in poor handwriting. These studies have also found that people judge the quality of a person’s ideas based on his or her handwriting. And the consequences are real: On standardized tests with handwritten sections, like the SAT, all essay that is considered hard to recognize gets a big zero.
Studies show that this isn’t only an English-language phenomenon. Chinese and Japanese youths are suffering from “character amnesia”. They can’t remember how to write characters, thanks to computers and text messaging. Some experts fear that Chinese writing and reading are so closely linked in the brain that China’s reading ability as a nation could suffer.
【小題1】.
What does the Indiana University study imply?

A．Children should practice writing letters

B．Handwriting can increase brain activity

C．It’s good for children to enter a functional MRI.

D．Letters should often be shown to children

【小題2】.
What does the 4th paragraph mainly talk about?

A．Handwriting affects both adults and children.

B．Handwriting helps a person write better essays.

C．SAT should be done with good handwriting.

D．Good handwriting makes a person seem smarter.

【小題3】.
Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Essays written with keyboards will get lower scores.

B．The quality of your ideas depends on your handwriting.

C．Chinese and Japanese youths don’t know how to write.

D．Less handwriting may affect China’s reading ability.

【小題4】.
The passage tries to tell us that __________________.

A．keyboards are more popular than handwriting

B．we shouldn’t judge people by their handwriting

C．handwriting is of great importance

D．it’s time to give up using keyboards

Whether I’m looking for a good chat with some old Mends or a quiet place to meet a colleague, the pub will be the place I always choose.
I could, of course, go to a bar. But a pub, I always find, is far more comfortable and has a more relaxed atmosphere.
Many people in the UK also have a favorite pub at the end of the road where they live or nearby to where they work. I can almost always guarantee that I’ll bump into someone I know at my “l(fā)ocal”, as we British call our nearest pub.
In fact, many people from the UK say that the pub is a cornerstone (基礎) of British life. Coming together over a drink, usually of beer, is generally con­sidered the best way to catch up with friends. For those who are a little reserved (內(nèi)向的), as the British sometimes are, it’s the best way to open up and get chatting.
However, this habit is slowly changing among some British people. According to a survey completed in August by UK trade magazine The Publican, eating, rather than drinking, has become the main source of income for our 52,000 pubs.
The gastropub (美食酒吧), with its greater emphasis on food, is primarily responsible. All over the country, this more expensive type of pub has been springing up, providing a place for more formal meetings with business partners. Wine is often drunk instead of the traditional beer.
But not everyone’s happy. Many people hate the fact that some local pubs are closing because new gastropubs are proving more profitable. “Beer sales are sinking and many pubs are struggling to survive,” Rob Haward, of the British Beer and Pub Association, told UK newspaper The Daily Mail.
For my part, I’m going to do all I can to keep the local British pub alive. It will be the first place I visit when I go back home.
【小題1】.  The article is mainly about         .

A．the British pub losing popularity	B．the author’s love of pubs
C．how the British socialize	D．the local British pub

【小題2】. Many British people say that the pub is a cornerstone of British life because         .

A．it is nearby and convenient

B．it is a great place for meeting friends

C．it is far more comfortable than a bar to have a drink

D．it is easy to bump into people they know in a pub ,

【小題3】. From the text, we can conclude that gastropubs         .

A．will replace the local pubs

B．a(chǎn)ttach more importance to drinks

C．a(chǎn)re somewhere between a restaurant and a bar

D．a(chǎn)ttract beer lovers as well as wine lovers

【小題4】.  Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?

A．The author is in favor of gastropubs.

B．Wine is thought to show one’s class and taste.

C．British people do not go to pubs as often as be­fore.

D．Local pubs are being seriously affected by gastropubs.

The days of elderly women doing nothing but cooking huge meals on holidays are gone. Enter the Red Hat Society—a group holding the belief that old ladies should have fun.
“My grandmother didn’t do anything but keep house and serve everybody. They were programmed to do that,” said Emily Cornette, head of a chapter of the 7-year-old Red Hat Society.
While men have long spent their time fishing and playing golf, women have sometimes seemed to become unnoticed as they age. But the generation now turning 50 is the baby boomers (生育高峰期出生的人), and the same people who refused their parents’ way of being young are now trying a new way of growing old.
If you take into consideration feminism (女權(quán)主義), a bit of spare money, and better health for most elderly, the Red Hat Society looks almost inevitable (必然的). In this society, women over 50 wear red hats and purple (紫色的) clothes, while the women under 50 wear pink hats and light purple clothing.
“The organization took the idea from a poem by Jenny Joseph that begins: “When I am an old woman, I shall wear purple. With a red hat which doesn’t go,” said Ellen Cooper, who founded the Red Hat Society in 1998. When the ladies started to wear the red hats, they attracted lots of attention.
“The point of this is that we need a rest from always doing something for someone else,” Cooper said. “Women feel so ashamed and sorry when they do something for themselves.” This is why chapters are discouraged from raising money or doing anything useful. “We’re a ladies’ play group. It couldn’t be more simple,” added Cooper’s assistant Joe Heywood.
【小題1】. The unlined word “chapter” in Paragraph 2 means ___.

A．one branch of an organization	B．a(chǎn) written agreement of a club
C．one part of a collection of poems	D．a(chǎn) period in a society’s history

【小題2】. From the text, we know that the “baby boomers” are a group of people who ___.

A．have gradually become more noticeable	B．a(chǎn)re worried about getting old too quickly
C．a(chǎn)re enjoying a good life with plenty of money to spend
D．tried living a different life from their parents when they were young

【小題3】. It could be inferred from the text that members of the Red Hat Society are ___.

A．interested in raising money for social work	B．programmers who can plan well for their future
C．believers in equality between men and women	D．good at cooking big meals and taking care of others

【小題4】.. Who set up the Red Hat Society?

A．Emily Cornette

B．Ellen Cooper

C．Jenny Joseph

D．Joe Heywood

【小題5】.. Women join the Red Hat Society because ___.

A．they want to stay young	B．they would like to appear more attractive
C．they would like to have fun and live for themselves	D．they want to be more like their parents

Read the following reviews for movies that are showing at the moment. And then answer questions.
Happiness(Romance) ★★★★
Happiness tells the story of two people (Lisa Turbot and Danny Roy) who work for different advertising companies. They talk on the phone all the time and don't like each other. But then they correspond by email and fall in love. This movie will be very popular with teenagers and people who like romances. It also has beautiful music.
I Scream (Thriller) ★★
In I Scream, Paul (Colin Jacks) is a young man who joins a thriller club. Each of the members tries to frighten the others. Paul is told to stay in an old house for the night. Everyone who has tried to stay in the house before has died. This movie is very frightening but also quite silly. It doesn't make sense for Paul to stay in the house when things start to go wrong. Only for people who like thrillers.
Paul's Heroes (Comedy) ★★★
This is a very funny war movie set in World War Two. Six soldiers (including Sammy Turblow) have to get to Italy to take secret messages to the American army there. During the movie, they dress up as women and fight with Italian workers. You can guess the ending, but it's great fun getting there.
______________ (Drama) ★★★★
This is a very good drama with Jack Ross, who pays a hard-working truck driver. His wife becomes ill and he has to find a doctor who can help her. In his travels he meets Dr. Lloyd (Phil Driver) who has found the cure for the illness, but Jack Ross has only twelve hours to get the medicine back to his wife on the other side of America. This is an excellent movie, which is very exciting.
【小題1】.Which of the four movies is the least popular with people?

A．The 1st one.

B．The 2nd one.

C．The 3rd one.

D．The 4th one.

【小題2】. The underlined word "correspond" can be replaced by ______________.

A．date

B．exchange

C．write

D．communicate

【小題3】.A thriller is most probably a film which tells something _______________.

A．frightening

B．instructive

C．humorous

D．interesting

【小題4】. Which of the following is the best title for the fourth film?

A．A Hard-working Truck Driver.	B．Medicine.
C．A Strange Illness.	D．Twelve Hours.

Bolivia has a population of three and a half million. About one tenth of the total population are white; one-fourth are mixed Indians and white; and more than half are full-blooded Indians. The government and the industries are under the control of the white people.
The Indians today live in much the same way as their ancestors. Most of them are farmers. Many work in the mines, for mining is the most important industry on Bolivia’s. Of all the mining products, tin is the most important, which makes up three-fourths of all Bolivia’s exports. The eastern slopes of the Andes, since there are very few roads there, are fertile but not highly developed. The two primary means of transportation are river boats and porters. East of the hill region is the great plains where tropical plants are grown. A serious problem for Bolivia is the transport of food from the warm regions, where it is grown to the mountainous regions, where most of the people live.
Bolivia gained its independence from Spain about a hundred years ago. It has been slow in developing, but its rich resources promise a better future in it.
【小題1】.
The majority of the Bolivian population are        .

A．full-blooded Indians	B．mixed Indian and white
C．white citizens	D．a(chǎn)ll whites and mixed-blooded people

【小題2】.
. The Indian’s way of life today is       .

A．quite different from that of their ancestors	B．quite interesting
C．a(chǎn)lmost the same as their ancestors’	D．very exciting

【小題3】.
The main product Bolivia exports is        .

A．tropical plants

B．gold and silver

C．tin

D．food

【小題4】.
Bolivia has been slow in developing, but it has hope for a better future because of its        .

A．mining products	B．rich resources
C．independence from Spain	D．two primary means of transportation

Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but there have only been few players who were truly great. How did these players get that way---was it through training and practice, or are great players “born, not made”? First, these players came from places that have had famous stars in the past---players that a young boy can look up to and try to imitate(模仿). In the history of soccer, only seven countries have ever won the World Cup---three from South America and four from western Europe. There has never been a great national team---or a really great player---from North America or from Asia. Second, these players have all had years of practice in the game. Alfredo Di Stefano was the son of a soccer player, as was Pele. Most players begin playing the game at the age of three or four.
Finally, many great players come from the same kind of neighbourhood---a poor, crowded area where a boy’s dream is not to be a doctor, lawyer, or businessman, but to become a rich, famous athlete or entertainer(藝人). For example, Liverpool, which produced the Beatles, had one of the best English soccer teams in recent years. Pele practiced in the street with a “ball” made of rags(破布). And George Best learned the skills that made him famous by bouncing the ball off a wall(對著墻壁踢球) in the slums(貧民窟) of Belfast.
All great players have a lot in common, but that doesn’t explain why they are great. Hundreds of boys played in those Brazilian streets, but only one became Pele. The greatest players are born with some unique quality that sets them apart from all the others.
【小題1】According to the writer, which of the following statements is true?

A．Soccer is popular all over the world, but truly great players are few.

B．Millions of people all over the world are playing soccer, but only seven countries have ever had famous stars.

C．Soccer is played by millions of people all over the world, but only seven countries from South America and western Europe have ever had great national teams.

D．Soccer is one of the most popular games all over the world, but it seems the least popular in North America and Asia.

【小題2】The Brazilian streets are mentioned to illustrate that ______.

A．famous soccer players live in slum areas

B．people in poor areas are born with some unique quality

C．children in poor areas start playing football at the age of three or four

D．a(chǎn) great soccer player may be born in a slum area

【小題3】In the last paragraph the statement “…but only one became Pele” indicates that ______.

A．Pele is the greatest soccer player

B．the greatest players are born with some unique quality

C．Pele’s birthplace sets him apart from all the others

D．the success of a soccer player has everything to do with the family background

【小題4】. The writer mentions all the factors that may affect a soccer player’s success except ______.

A．his family background

B．his neighbourhood

C．his character

D．his practice

The American book Who Moved My Cheese has been a bestseller all over the world. It teaches people how to face changes in their lives. Now its author Spence Johnson has written a book just for teens. The book tells us that when facing change in our lives, like a new school or new friends, don't be afraid. Instead, use this change to make a better life. The book gives an example of a change at school. A school is changing from having two terms to three terms because there are too many students.
Several teens are talking about this. Most of them are unhappy and worried. But Chris is not. He laughs and tells a story about two mice, two “l(fā)ittle people” and some cheese.
The four are in a maze looking for the cheese. Here, cheese means something important in life, like moving to a new class or getting into college. But they find the cheese is gone. The mice realize that they can’t change what has happened and have to find more cheese. This means finding different dreams. The little people, however, can’t do this. They are afraid of change so they find no cheese.
After Chris finishes the story, the friends understand one thing: to get more cheese, move in a new direction quickly. His friends understand how this can be used in the changes all teens face, such as doing well at school or having good relationships or just feeling good about yourself.
【小題1】The book Who Moved My Cheese is __________.

A．written all over the world	B．read across the world
C．sold only in America	D．loved only by teens

【小題2】What does the text mainly discuss?

A．Never change in our life.	B．Change whenever you like .
C．Change with the changes.	D．Pay attention to the changes,

【小題3】 The underline word “four”（paragraph 3） refers to __________.

A．mice and little people	B．students
C．cheese	D．readers

【小題4】 In our lives, we should learn from __________.

A．mice

B．little people

C．Chris

D．Spence Johnson

In the United States, friendships can be close, constant, intense, generous, and real, yet fade away in a short time if things change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may exchange Christmas greeting for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while—then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship where it's left off and are delighted.
In the States, you can feel free to visit people's homes and share their holidays without fear that you are taking on a lasting obligation. Do not hesitate to accept hospitality because you cannot give it in return. No one will expect you to do so for they know you are far from home. Americans will enjoy welcoming you and be pleased if you accept their hospitality easily.
Once you arrive there, the welcome will be full and warm and real. Most visitors find themselves easily invited into many homes there. In some countries it is considered inhospitable to entertain at home, offering what is felt as "merely" home cooked food, not "doing something" for your guest. It is felt that restaurant entertaining shows more respect and welcome. Or for various other reasons, such as crowded space, language difficulties, or family custom, outsiders are not invited into homes.
In the United States, both methods are used, but it is often considered more friendly to invite a person to one's home than to go to a public place, except in pure business relationships. So, if your host or hostess brings you home, do not feel that you are being shown inferior treatment.
【小題1】.
. In the United States, friendships might ________ if things become different.

A．disappear little by little	B．last forever
C．be heartbreaking	D．end suddenly

【小題2】.
All the following factors but ________ prevent people from inviting their friends home for
dinner according to the passage.

A．different languages	B．naughty children
C．different customs	D．small houses

【小題3】.
. We can infer that ________ in America according to this passage.

A．friendships are difficult to get but easy to lose

B．it is hard for a person to pick up the friendship when he comes across his long lost friend

C．you might be considered as a person hungry for social activities if you accept an invitation too easily

D．people care little about where they are invited to go for dinner

【小題4】.
. Why is giving a dinner party at home considered less hospitable in some countries?

A．Because eating at the restaurant is a sign of respect.

B．Because having dinner at home seems less friendly.

C．Because dishes prepared at home are less delicious.

D．Because a dinner at the restaurant is more expensive.