When Geoff Marcy was 14, his parents bought him a telescope. Every night, he would go onto the roof outside his window to see the wonders of the sky.
“What excited me most was whether there were planets in other solar systems where life might exist,” he says. “I decided to try to find planets orbiting other stars like our Sun.”
And he did. “My fellow researcher, Paul Butler, and I found our first planet in 1995,” Dr. Marcy says. “We worked for ten years without finding anything! But we stuck with it and our patience paid off.”
Since then, the two scientists have discovered 65 of the more than 100 planets found orbiting other stars. Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler also spotted the first “family” of three planets. In June 2002 they announced another discovery: a Jupiter-like planet orbiting star 55Cancri.
At first, the two researchers found only planets that orbit close to stars. Recently, the scientists found planets farther out. The planet orbiting 55Cancri is a major breakthrough: it is the first sighting of a large gas planet about same distance from the star as Jupiter is from the Sun.
Why is this important ? Scientists think that life on Earth may exist because of two special features in our solar system. The first is Jupiter.
“Because it’s so big, Jupiter pulls comets and asteroids(小行星), or they all come and hit the Earth.” Dr. Marcy explains. “Without Jupiter , life on Earth would likely have been destroyed.”
A second feature is that Earth is a rocky planet where liquid water, which is necessary for life , can exist. Unlike gas planets, rocky planets like Earth have surfaces where water can gather in pools and seas, which may support life. A huge space exists between the Jupiter-like planet and two other planets that lie close to 55Cancri. Is there an Earth-like planet in the space, too small for us to notice? If so, says Dr. Marcy, “We would have two striking similarities to our solar system: a Jupiter-like planet and an Earth-like planet. And there may be life!”
小題1:What can we learn about Dr. Marcy from the passage?
A．He is fond of watching Jupiter.
B．He is from a scientist family.
C．He dislikes working with Paul Butler.
D．He is interested in finding life in outer space.
小題2:Which of the following is true of the recent discovery?
A．The planet is not as protective as Jupiter.
B．The planet is close to star 55Cancri.
C．The planet proves to be a gas planet.
D．The planet is as large as Jupiter.
小題3:Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler began to find new planets in ____.
A．1995B．1985C．2002D．1981
小題4:Dr. Marcy thinks that life may exist in the 55Cancri system because ____.
A．he has found the system similar to the solar system.
B．he has discovered an Earth-like planet there.
C．he has discovered a rocky planet there.
D．he has found signs of life in the system
小題5:“But we stuck with it”( in Paragraph 3) means ____.
A．they felt discouragedB．they carried on with it
C．they failed in their attemptD．they made some progress

小題1:D
小題2:C
小題3:B
小題4:A
小題5:B

試題分析：文章介紹Geoff Marcy從小就對(duì)探索太空中的生命感興趣，他和同事Paul Butler一起努力探索，發(fā)現(xiàn)了66個(gè)新的行星而且還發(fā)現(xiàn)兩個(gè)和太陽(yáng)系很相似的星系，從而證明太空有可能有生命的存在。
小題1:推理判斷題。根據(jù)第二段的首句“What excited me most was whether there were planets in other solar systems where life might exist,”可知他對(duì)探索太空中的生命感興趣。選D
小題2:細(xì)節(jié)題：根據(jù)第五段的最后一句The planet orbiting 55Cancri is a major breakthrough: it is the first sighting of a large gas planet about same distance from the star as Jupiter is from the Sun.可知這個(gè)行星是一個(gè)氣狀體的行星。選C
小題3:細(xì)節(jié)題：從第三段的句子：And he did. “My fellow researcher, Paul Butler, and I found our first planet in 1995,” Dr. Marcy says. “We worked for ten years without finding anything!可知他們是在1995年發(fā)現(xiàn)新的行星的，但是他們努力了10年了，所以是1985年開始尋找新行星的，選B
小題4:推理判斷題。根據(jù)最后一段的We would have two striking similarities to our solar system: a Jupiter-like planet and an Earth-like planet. And there may be life!”可推出在太空中可能存在兩個(gè)類似于太陽(yáng)系的星系，可能會(huì)有生命存在。選A
小題5:詞義理解題：從第三段的句子：“We worked for ten years without finding anything! 可知“But we stuck with it”是“繼續(xù)”的意思，選B
練習(xí)冊(cè)系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

The olinguito（小尖吻浣熊）is new to science. Although lt has been living in the cloud forests of South Amcrica for some time.
Scientists say the olinguito is the first new carnivore（食肉動(dòng)物）discovered In the Americas in more than 30 years. It is a hairy orange-brown creature with a sweet face and big eyes The animal has small. rounded ears and lives in the trees An adult weighs one kilogram and measures about 75 centimeters. with half of those centimeters taken up by its ringed tail Most of the time. it likes to eat fruit, although it also eats meat. Active at night, the animal has lived in Colombia and Ecuador for a long time. But the olinguito did not exist in science books before now.
Kristofer Helgen, director at the National Museum in Washington, led the research team that confirmed the existence of the olinguito. It had been mistaken more than a century ago for a look-alike animal -- a similar but larger olingo(尖吻浣熊). Mr. Helgen had been studying olingos in a museum for ten years. At that time. he observed a difference in the size and shape of the heads and teeth. That led him on an effort to prove he was looking at an animal never before described by science. He got lucky when he communicated with a zoologist in Ecuador. The animal expert there made a short video that shows an olinguito in the trees. The video confirms that the oiinguito is different from the olingo     Mr. Helgen says tens of thousands of olinguitos live in the wild and are not in danger of disappearing forever. Human beings, however, are moving closer to the olinguito habitat in the Andean cloud forests. The research team estimates that 42 percent of historic olinguiio habitat has been removed
小題1:Comparcd with most carnivores. the olinguito may seem more _____.
A．terrbleB．fierceC．cleverD．lovely
小題2:The onlinguito was unknown to people in the past because ____
A．it was mistaken for another species
B．it was active in the eveing
C．it was too small to be seen clearly
D．it covered itself by its long tail
小題3:What does the underlined word "That" in Paragraph 3 refer to?
A．Having been studying olingos for ten years.
B．The short video the animal expert made.
C．His communication with an expert in Ecuador.
D．Differences between olingos and olinguitos.
小題4:We can infer from the text that ______.
A．the olinguito could be made full use of
B．the number of olinguitos is in the conutrol
C．the clinguito is a completely new species up to now
D．people know more and more about animals

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

What do college teachers think of high school English teachers’English teaching? And how should we see it? Let’s read the following.
A teacher from a community college addressed a sympathetic audience. Heads nodded in agreement when he said, “High school English teachers are not doing their jobs.” He described how weak his students were—all high school graduates who can use language only at a Grade 9 level.
My topic is not standards nor its decline（降低）. What the speaker was really saying is that he is no longer young; he has been teaching for sixteen years, and is able to think and speak like a mature adult.
My point is that the frequent complaint of one generation about the one immediately following is natural. It is also human nature to look for the reasons for our dissatisfaction. Before English became a school subject in the late nineteenth century, it was difficult to find the target of the blame for language deficiencies（缺陷）. But since then, English teachers have been under constant attack.
The complainers think they have hit upon an original idea. As their own command of the language improves, they notice that young people do not have this same ability. Unaware that their own ability has developed through the years, they assume the new generation of young people must be hopeless in this respect. To the eyes and ears of sensitive adults, the language of the young always seems inadequate.
Since this concern about the decline and fall of the English language is not seen as a generational phenomenon but rather as something new and peculiar(特有的) to today’s young people, it naturally follows that today’s English teachers cannot be doing their jobs.
小題1:The speaker believed that ________.
A．he was an excellent language teacher because he had been teaching English for sixteen years
B．the younger generation was as likely as not worse at language than the older generation
C．high school English teachers should be responsible for their students’ poor command of English
D．The fact that the students didn’t work hard enough contributed to their poor command of English
小題2: In the author’s opinion, the speaker ________.
A．had exaggerated (夸大) the language problems of the students
B．was right in saying English teachers were not doing their jobs
C．gave a correct judgment of the English level of the students
D．thought and spoke in a wise and responsible way
小題3:What can we conclude from the passage?
A．Language learning and improving needs time and effort.
B．The author disagrees with the speaker over the standard of English at Grade 9 level.
C．It is reasonable to include English as one of the high school subjects.
D．The English language teaching is by no means an easy job for college teachers.
小題4:The author’s attitude towards the speaker’s remarks is ________.
A．neutral（中立的）B．critical
C．positiveD．compromising(妥協(xié)的)

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

All around the world, shoppers flock to Wal-Mart to buy everything. In Texas, they come for another reason: to see the wind turbine（渦輪機(jī)）, which supplies 5% of the store’s electricity. It along with other facilities, such as exterior walls coated with heat-reflective paint, makes this Wal-Mart a green giant.
The laws of economics suggest that Wal-Mart, with 5, 200 stores worldwide, influences everything including the price of all kinds of goods. It throws its weight behind environmental responsibility, and the impact could be amazing. “One little change in product packaging could save 1, 500 trees,” says Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott．“If everybody saves 1, 500 trees or 50 barrels of oil, at the end of the day you have made a huge difference.”
Scott wants Wal-Mart to do its part too. He has promised to cut the existing greenhouse-gas emissions（排放）over the next few years and promised to construct new stores that are more efficient. He wants Wal-Mart’s fleet of more than 7, 000 trucks to get twice as many miles per gallon by 2015. Factories that show Wal-Mart they’re cutting air pollution will get preferential treatment in the supply chain. Wal-Mart says it’s working with consumer-product manufacturers to reduce their packaging and will reward them if they do so.
Some people may doubt it is a bid to attract attention from Wal-Mart’s controversial labor and health-insurance practices. But it’s not just window dressing, because Wal-Mart sees profits in                                                                                          going green. Scott says, “This is a business philosophy, not a social philosophy. We don’t go where we don’t think there’s a great interest in change.”
Like Bill Gates, who started his charitable foundation, Scott happens to be promoting Wal-Mart’s image at a time when his company’s reputation is declining. He acknowledges that he launched the plan partly to shield （保護(hù)）Wal-Mart from bad press about its contribution to global warming. “By doing what we’re doing today, we avoid the headline risks that are going to come for people who did not do anything,” he says. “At some point businesses will be held responsible for the action they take.” Meanwhile, should Wal-Mart succeed at shrinking its environmental footprint and lowering prices for green products, both the planet and the company will profit.
小題1:We can infer from the passage that ______.
A．Lee Scott is Wal-Mart’s CEO
B．there are 5, 200 stores in the world
C．Wal-Mart has a great influence on the world market
D．Wal-Mart has more than 7, 000 trucks all over the world
小題2:What does the underlined sentence “This is a business philosophy, not a social philosophy.” mean in the fourth paragraph?
A．Wal-Mart predicts huge profits in its green activity.
B．Wal-Mart’s green activity is just window dressing.
C．Wal-Mart aims to solve its health-insurance practices.
D．Wal-Mart doesn’t have any social responsibility at all.
小題3:What will Wal-Mart probably do in the future?
A．Reduce air pollution in its present stores.
B．Give favorable treatment to its consumers.
C．Ask the factories to reduce their packaging.
D．Demand the fleet of trucks to use more fuel than before.
小題4:What is the main idea of the last paragraph?
A．Provide the background of the green plan.
B．Stress the purpose of Wal-Mart’s green plan.
C．Present the risk that Wal-Mart is facing nowadays.
D．Analyze the similarity between Bill Gates and Scott.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

If the eyes are the romantic’s window into the soul, then the teeth are an anthropologist’s ( 人類學(xué)家 ) door to the stomach.
In a study published last month in the journal Science, Peter Ungar of the University of Arkansas and his partner, Matt Sponheimer of the University of Colorado, US, examined the teeth of our early human ancestors to find out what they were really eating.
They already knew that different foods cause different marks on teeth. Some cause scratches, while others cause pits (坑).The carbon left on teeth by different foods is also different. Tropical grasses, for example, leave one kind of carbon, but trees leave another kind because they photosynthesized ( 光合作用 ) differently.
Traditionally, scientists had looked at the size and shape of teeth and skulls ( 頭骨 ) to figure out what early humans ate. Big flat teeth were taken to be signs that they ate nuts and seeds, while hard and sharp teeth seemed good for cutting meat and leaves. But this was proven wrong.
The best example was the Paranthropus (傍人), one of our close cousins, some of which lived in eastern Africa. Scientists used to believe Paranthropus ate nuts and seeds because they had big crests(突起)on their skulls, suggesting they had large chewing muscles and big teeth. If this had been true, their teeth should have been covered with pits like the surface of the moon. They would also have had a particular type of carbon on their teeth that typically comes from tree products, such as nuts and seeds.
However, when the two scientists studied the Paranthroupus, it turned out to have none of these characteristics. The teeth had a different kind of carbon, and were covered with scratches, not pits. This suggests they probably ate grass, not nuts and fruit stones. It was the exact opposite of what people had expected to find.
Carbon “foodprints” give us a completely new and different insight into what different species ate and the different environments they lived in. If a certain species had the kind of carbon on its teeth that came from grasses, it probably lived in a tropical grassland, for example.
小題1:The underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 probably means that _____.
A．a(chǎn)nthropologists can study the structure of human stomachs by studying their teeth.
B．a(chǎn)nthropologists can study the diet of early humans by studying their teeth
C．a(chǎn)nthropologists can learn whether humans were healthy by looking at their teeth
D．a(chǎn)nthropologists can get the most useful information about humans from their teeth
小題2:According to Paragraph 3 to 5, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．Scratches on teeth are caused by eating nuts or seeds.
B．Pits on teeth are caused by eating grass or leaves.
C．Early humans with hard and sharp teeth ate meat and leaves.
D．Different foods leave different marks and carbon on teeth.
小題3:The example of the Paranthropus was mentioned in the article in order to _____.
A．tell readers that they are one of our close cousins living in eastern Africa
B．tell readers they had different eating habits from modern humans
C．prove that size and shape of skulls does not show accurately what early humans ate
D．tell readers that living environment makes a difference to skull structure

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

In a recent study, researchers have estimated the energy required to produce bottled water, including the energy required to manufacture plastic, make the plastic into bottles, process the water, fill and seal the bottles, transport the bottles, and chill the bottles for use. Combining all the energy input totals for treatment and distribution, researchers found that producing bottled water requires between 5.6 and 10.2 million joules(焦耳) of energy per liter, depending on transportation factors. That's up to 2, 000 times the energy required to produce tap water.
To break down the energy requirements, researchers found that producing the plastic bottles and transporting the bottles greatly dominated(控制) the energy input. Although some companies are experimenting with producing lightweight bottles or using recycled materials, the researchers calculated that the manufacturing cost is about 4 million joules of energy per plastic bottle weighing 38 grams, and the cap weighing 2 grams.
“Our previous work had suggested that bottled water production was an energy­ intensive process, but we were surprised to see the results, ” the researchers said.
Transportation costs vary depending on the distance and mode of transport and both factors depend on the type of bottled water. There are two main kinds of bottled water in the US:” spring water” which comes from an underground spring and “purified water”,which is city tap water that has received further treatment. For purified water distributed locally by truck within Los Angeles, the total transportation energy is about 1.4 million joules per liter. In the second situation, spring water shipped from Fiji (such as Fiji Spring Water) across the Pacific to Los Angeles, and then delivered locally by truck requires about 4 million joules per liter for transportation. For the spring water, the transportation energy equaled (in the case of Fiji) the energy required to produce the bottle.
With this data, the researchers hope that future studies will have the ability to make specific estimates for different situations, and possibly find ways to cut energy costs.
小題1:From the first Paragraph we can know that the energy required to ______.
A．produce bottled water includes the energy required to drink it
B．distribute bottled water includes the energy for producing the bottles
C．distribute bottled water is much smaller than the energy for treating it
D．produce bottled water is much smaller than the energy for producing tap water
小題2:To reduce the energy required to produce bottled water, some companies are trying ______.
A．to fill tap water into the plastic bottles directly
B．to replace the plastic bottles with metal containers
C．to produce lightweight bottles with recycled materials
D．to use bicycles to transport and deliver bottled water locally
小題3:What's Paragraph 4 mainly talking about?
A．Treatment of bottled water needs no energy input at all.
B．Bottled water production is an energy­ intensive process.
C．Transportation of bottled water takes up the most energy input.
D．Production of the plastic bottles greatly dominated the energy input.
小題4: We can infer from the passage that ______.
A．there are two main kinds of bottled water in the US
B．world consumption of bottled water has been increasing
C．transportation costs have something to do with the mode of transport
D．bottled water produced in Spring is more expensive than purified water
小題5: What's the main purpose of the passage?
A．To help consumers themselves make more environmentally sustainable choices.
B．To advise the government to take severe measures to stop producing bottled water.
C．To urge the consumers to drink tap water instead of bottled water for the sake of the earth.
D．To try the best to find ways to produce bottled water cheaply and quickly for the companies.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It is true that people with better education are usually able to get better paying jobs. In other words, they have more chances to choose a good job while people with little or no education don’t. It seems that the purpose of education is to make people get jobs. But this isn’t accepted by all people.
Some people may think that a person should spend the best years of his life to get education only for a way of living. This was probably one of the earliest reasons of education. In fact, if education is just a way of making a living, people don’t need to spend so much time in school. People can get education for a living in a short time. Subjects like history and geography need not be taught to everyone. Even language and mathematics need not be taught in detail(詳細(xì)地), either. Here it is clear that education is much more than teaching a man to get a way of living.
Education is well-rounded and it is mainly for improving a man. It is not only to teach him to speak, read and write, but also to develop his creative thinking and other abilities. After that, it is to make him a wise man and thankfully enjoy the achievements of human. Education is to make a man lead a better life. Educated people are expected to be able to listen to good music, read good books, watch plays and most of them take an interest in the world.
I would agree that making a good living is an important reason for education, but certainly not the most important or the main reason.
小題1:People with little education usually ____.
A．spend a long time in school
B．have a good chance to get a job
C．spend the best years to choose jobs
D．have fewer chances to get a good job
小題2:The earliest education was probably to ______.
A．make a man lead a better life
B．teach a man to write and think
C．make people get a way of living
D．teach people to read good books
小題3:It is expected that educated people will be able to _____.
A．a(chǎn)ccept education as a way of living
B．take an interest in the whole world
C．develop their abilities to make plays
D．learn subjects like language and math

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

A portable lung which could help those with breathing problems lead a normal life is being developed by scientists.
The Swansea University scientists say it could take many years before the device(裝置) , the size of a spectacle box (眼鏡盒) , is available . Lung patients , who have seen how it would work , have welcomed the research.
Its research suggests that one person in every seven in the UK is affected by lung disease---- this equates to approximately 8 million people. As of 6 March 2009, 217 people were on the waiting list for a lung transplant（移植） according to figures by NHS Blood and Transplant .
Now scientists in Swansea are developing a portable artificial lung which could transform (改觀) the lives of patients . Researchers claim that in the long term the device could offer an alternative to lung transplant , giving hope to those who suffer from conditions such as emphysema(肺氣腫) and cystic fibrosis.
The device mimics the function of a lung---by getting oxygen into and carbon dioxide out of the blood stream . Professor Bill Johns came up with the idea after his son died of Cystic Fibrosis . It is important that we make something that will help people , who instead of being confined (局限) to a wheelchair with an oxygen bottle , can actually walk around and do things for themselves , he said.
Although the research has been welcomed by leading charities(慈善) , caution has also been voiced over the length of time it will take before a portable lung will become available .
“We have to stress that this is several years away from being used , even in a trial stage,” said Chris Mulholland , head of the British Lung Foundation.
Patient Elizabeth Spence from Swansea has been refused the double lung transplant she needs but remains hopeful that one day the new device could save her . “ My body will reject the lungs , so this possibly could be an answer--- another way of getting new lungs without actually having the transplant,” she said.
小題1:Which of the following about the portable lung would the author agree?
A．It can help a lot in lung transplants
B．It was once on display
C．It works differently from the normal one in the body
D．It’s just like an oxygen bottle.
小題2:It seems as if _______ really matters before the portable lung is put into use.
A．supportB．moneyC．timeD．trial
小題3:What’s the author’s attitude towards the portable lung ?
A．Negative.B．Doubtful.C．Curious.D．Objective.
小題4:Which edition can you probably find the passage ?
A．Science.B．Culture.C．Economy.D．Education.

查看答案和解析>>

科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic (流行病) sweeping across Americas farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, such as flood, rising fuel prices and crop-eating insects. The country's farmers are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place. National agricultural census (普查) figures show that the fastest-growing group of farmers is the part over 65. Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the 2012 statistics are completed.
Merrigan, a former college professor, is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture. Aside from trying to stop the graying of America's farmers, her work is made tougher by a recent blog posting that put agriculture at No.1 on a list of "useless" college degrees. Top federal agriculture officials are talking about the posting, and it has the attention of agricultural organizations across the country.
“There couldn't be anything that's more incorrect," Merrigan said. "We know that there aren't enough qualified graduates to fill the jobs that are out there in American agriculture.
In addition, a growing world population that some experts predict will require 70% more food production by 2050, she said.
“I truly believe we're at a golden age of agriculture. Global demand is at an all-time record high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows," said Matt Rush, director of the Texas Farm Bureau. "Production costs are going to be valuable enough that younger people are going to have the opportunity to be involved in agriculture”.
The Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at developing more farmers and at increasing interest in locally grown food. The National Young Farmers' Coalition has also been pushing for state and federal policy changes to make it easier for new fermers.
Ryan Best, president of Future Fanners of America, has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the country and visiting with high school students about careers in agriculture. The 21 -year-old Best hopes his message-that this is a new time in agriculture-will motivate the next generation to turn around the statistics.“Never before have we had the innovations (創(chuàng)新）in technology which have led to agriculture in this country being the most efficient it has ever been” he said. “There’s really a place for everybody to fit in”
小題1:What is the new challenge to American agriculture?
A．Fewer and older farmers.B．Higher fuel prices.
C．More natural disasters.D．Lower agricultural output.
小題2:Why is Merrigan visiting universities across the country?
A．To draw federal agriculture officials' attention
B．To select qualified agriculture graduates.
C．To clarify a recent blog posting.
D．To talk more students into farming careers
小題3:According to Matt Rush, American agriculture will provide opportunities for younger people because__________.
A．the government will cover production costs
B．global food supplies will be even lower
C．investment in agriculture will be profitable
D．America will increase its food export
小題4:What do the underlined words "to turn around the statistics" in the last paragraph mean?
A．To re-analyze the result of the national census.
B．To increase production.
C．To bring down the average age of farmers.
D．To invest more in agriculture.

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊(cè)答案