填空题下面的短文有5处空白，短文后有6个句子，其中5个取自短文，请根据短文内容将其分别放回原有位置，以恢复文章原貌。 Why Do People Shrink? Did you ever see the movie Honey, I shrunk the kids? It's about a wacky(乖僻的) dad (who's also a scientist) who accidentally(偶然的) shrinks his kids with his homemade miniaturizing(使小型化) invention. Oops ! The kids spend the rest of the movie as tiny people who are barely visible while trying to get back to their normal size. {{U}} (46) {{/U}} It takes place over years and may add up to only one inch or so off of their adult height (maybe a little more, maybe less), and this kind of shrinking can't be magically reversed, although there are things that can be done to stop it or slow it down. But why does shrinking happen at all? {{U}} (47) {{/U}}. As people get older, they generally lose some muscle and fat from their bodies as part of the natural aging process. Gravity (the force that keeps your feet on the ground) take hold, and the bones in the spine, called vertebrae(椎骨), may break down or degenerate, and start to collapse into one another. {{U}}(48) {{/U}}. But perhaps the most common reason why some older people shrink is because of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis(骨质疏松症) occurs when too much spongy(海绵) bone tissue (which is found inside of most bones) is broken down and not enough new bone material is made. {{U}}(49) {{/U}}. Bones become smaller and weaker and can easily break if someone with osteoporosis is injured. Older people -- especially women, who generally have smaller and lighter bones to begin with -- are more likely to develop osteoporosis. As years go by, a person with osteoporosis shrinks a little bit. Did you know that every day you do a shrinking act? You aren't as tall at the end of the day as you are at the beginning. {{U}}(50) {{/U}}. Don't worry, though. Once you get a good night's rest, your body recovers, and the next morning, you're standing tall again. A. They end up pressing closer together, which makes a person lose a little height and become shorter. B. That's because as the day goes on, water in the disks of the spine gets compressed (squeezed) due to gravity, making you just a tiny bit shorter. C. Over time, bone is said to be lost because it's not being replaced. D. Luckily, there are things that people can do to prevent shrinking. E. For older people, shrinking isn't that dramatic or sudden at all. F. There are a few reasons.

填空题 The Value of Motherhoed In shopping malls, the assistants try to push you into buying "a gift to thank her for her unselfish love". When you log onto website, a small pop-up invites you to book a bouquet for her. Commercial warmth and gratitude are the atmosphere being spread around for this special Sunday in May. {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}The popularity of Mother's Day around the world suggests that Jarvis got all she wanted. In fact, she got more—enough to make her horrified. {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}They buy, among other things, 132 million cards. Mother's Day is the No. 1 holiday for flower purchases. Then there are the various commodities, ranging from jewelry and clothes to cosmetics and washing powder, that take advantage of the promotion opportunities. Because of this, Jarvis spent the last 40 years of her life trying to stop Mother's Day. One protest against the commercialization Mother's Day even got her arrested—for disturbing the peace, interestingly. {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}As Ralph Fevre, a reporter at the UK newspaper The Guardian, observe, traditionally "motherhood is something that we do because we think it's right." But in the logic of commercialism, people need something in exchange for their time and energy. A career serves this purpose better. {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}So they work hard and play hard. Becoming a mother, however, inevitably handicaps career anticipation. {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}According to The Guardian, there are twice as many child-free young women as there were a generation ago. Or, they put off the responsibility of parenting until later in their lives. So, Fevre writes that the meaning of celebrating Mother's Day needs to be updated: "It is to persuade people that parenting is a good idea and to honor people for their attempt to be good people." A．Commercial warmth and gratitude are the atmosphere being spread as early as 1905, by Anna Jarvis, as a way of recognizing the real value of motherhood. B．But what's more, commercialism changes young people's attitude towards motherhood. C．Obviously, the best girl will be a phone call or a visit. D．According to a research by the US card company Hallmark, 96 percent of American consumers celebrate the holiday. E．As a result, motherhood has suffered a huge drop in status since the 1950s. F．In addition, women are being encouraged to pursue any career they desire.

填空题AIDS As a science writer, I don't have to wear emotional armor very often. Before I went to Zimbabwe for a visit, I had talked to other reporters (46) . All told me to get prepared for the orphans, many of whom had caught the AIDS virus from their mothers and the strong desire to make everything all right for them. Then again, nothing could have prepared me for the visit to creche (育婴堂) for AIDS orphans in Harare, where one sick, smiling four-year-old boy tried to keep up with the other kids playing ring-around-the-rosy but (47) , or meeting a 25-year-old unmarried girl who cared for her nephew (48) . The boy who called his aunt "Mama" was too weak even to take the piece of banana I offered. Meanwhile photo journalist Karin Retief was visiting a room at the hospice (济贫院 ) (49) . At first she did not see anyone on the bed and was about to say he must be elsewhere, when suddenly she spotted his tiny arm in the air, his body lost in the folds of the bedclothes. Recently Karin wrote to me that she had been able to keep our assignment from taking too great an emotional suffering at the time. " (50) , could I mourn the people I met", she continued. "I sat in church and wanted to ask the priest to pray for the people with AIDS in Zimbabwe and all over the world. Then all the people's faces, pain and suffering became so real, I could not get the words out. I broke down and cried and cried for them".A. where she had been told a particularly sweet orphan boy stayedB. who had spent time in AfricaC. Only when I got back about a week laterD. even though her only income was from growing and selling a few vegetables at the local marketE. was so weak he kept falling to the floorF. while we were visiting the orphans

填空题 下面的短文后有2项测试任务：(1)第23～26题要求从所给的6个选项中为第2～5段每段选择1个最佳标题：(2)第27～30题要求从所给的6个选项中为每个句子确定1个最佳选项。 {{B}}The Science of Sport{{/B}}1 At the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the Chinese athlete Liu Xiang equaled the world record for the 110 metres hurdles (跨栏) when he ran the race in 12.91 seconds. This record time had been set in 1993 by British sprinter (短跑运动员) Colin Jackson and 9 years went by before another athlete was able to run as fast.2 Record-breaking in all track events is slowing down and we appear to be moving much closer to the limits of human performance. Nevertheless, every four years, records which were previously thought to be unbeatable are broken. So what's behind this never-ending improvement in performance? And how long can we keep breaking records? is there a limit to human performance or will athletes continue to gain seconds?3 Most experts agree that it isn't the athletes' bodies which have changed but the huge advances in sport science which have enabled them to improve their performances. The individual athlete obviously has to have the necessary skill and determination to succeed, but the help of science and technology can be significant. Research has brought a better understanding of the athlete's body and mind but the advances in sports equipment technology have also had an important impact on human performance.4 Scientists have shown that an athlete's body's needs vary according to the type of sport. This research has helped top sports people to adapt their training programme and diet better to their particular needs. Running the marathon and cycling, for example, are endurance (耐力) sports and require a different parathion (硝苯硫磷脂) to that of a 100-metra sprinter. In some sports, changes in techniques have significantly improved performance.5 But in any sport, a player's success or failure results from a combination of both physical and mental abilities. Most coaches use psychological techniques to help their athletes cope with stress and concentrate on their performance. For example, the English football team listens to music in the changing rooms before a game to help the players relax and not feel so nervous. Before a difficult match, tennis players are encouraged to use visualization (想象) techniques to build confidence and this is almost as good as practice.6 But as science begins to dominate sport, are we in danger of losing sight of the heart of the competition, the sporting challenge? What's more, are all these advantages fair?

填空题False Fear of Big Fish Many people believe sharks (鲨鱼) are dangerous and will always try to hurt or even kill humans. 1 A shark exhibition at the National Aquarium (水族馆) in Baltimore, U.S., proves this. Visitors can touch young sharks, see their eggs develop and watch a dozen different species swim smoothly around a huge tank. Most people fail to realize that shark attacks don"t happen very often. Humans are more likely to be killed by lightning than by a shark. 2 There, kids can learn, from an early age, not to fear sharks. "People fear what they don"t know," said Nancy Hotchkiss, an organizer of the exhibition. "Sharks have been around for 400 million years and play an important role in the ocean"s food chain. We want people to discover that sharks are amazing animals that need our respect and protection. " 3 A study, published in January in the U.S. magazine, Science, found that almost all recorded shark species have fallen by half in the past 8 to 15 years. Thousands of sharks are hunted in Asia for special foods, such as shark fin (鱼翅) soup. And many others get caught in nets, while fishermen are hunting other fish. 4 "Some fishing methods are actually cleaning out the ocean for sharks," said Dave Schofield, the manager of the aquarium"s ocean health programme. 5 A. They can watch them develop inside their eggs and feel the skin of the older swimmers. B. A shocking 100 million sharks are killed every year around the world by humans. C. In fact, 94 percent of the world"s 400 species are harmless to humans. D. It is a worrying situation and some areas have put measures in order to protect these special fish. E. And to make this point clear, the museum has set up a special touching pool for children. F. More than half of the sharks caught are smaller than 1 meter long.

填空题The Importance of Agriculture in China The development of agriculture and the balance between food and population are China"s fundamental economic problems. The classical histories praise emperors for devotion to agriculture and much of China"s modern history is 1 , which has been growing steadily. Today, although agriculture accounts for only a quarter of the Gross National Product, it is still the main determinant of the standard of living and the principal occupation of at least 70 percent of the population. Agriculture also 2 because industry needs both agricultural raw materials and food for its work force. The failure of agriculture to supply raw materials and food halted and later reversed the industrial progress of the 1950"s. After 1960 new emphasis was placed on agriculture, and the slogan "Agriculture is the foundation of the economy" has remained a central Chinese economic policy ever since. 3 , there is an indirect link due to the relationship between agriculture and foreign trade. Many of China"s exports are 4 or consumer goods based on them. Flourishing agriculture, therefore, promotes exports. It also reduces the need to spend foreign exchange on imports of grain and cotton, therefore 5 A. determines the progress of industry B. the story of the unfolding struggle to feed a peasant population C. either agricultural raw materials D. enlarging the capacity of the economy to import machinery and commodities for industry E. In addition to the direct links between agriculture and industry F. thus promoting both import and export

填空题Understanding Autism 1．Autism (孤独症) is a life-long developmental disability that prevents individuals from properly understanding what they see, hear and other senses. This results in severe problems of social relationships, communication and behavior. Individuals with autism have to painstakingly (费力地) learn normal patterns of speech and communication, and appropriate ways to relate to people, objects and events, in a similar manner to those who have had a stroke. 2．The cause of autism is still unknown. Some research suggests a physical problem affecting those parts of the brain that process language and information coming in from the senses. There may be some imbalance of certain chemicals in the brain. Genetic (遗传的) factors may sometimes be involved. Autism may indeed result from a combination of several "causes". 3．Most people with mental retardation (智力迟钝) show relatively even skill development. Individuals with autism, however, typically show uneven skill development, with deficits (欠缺) in certain areas—most frequently in their ability to communicate and relate to others—and distinct skills in other areas. It is important to distinguish autism from mental retardation or other disorders, since diagnostic (诊断的) confusion may lead to inappropriate and ineffective treatment techniques. 4．In general, individuals with autism perform best at jobs which are structured and involve a degree of repetition. Some people who have autism are working as artists, piano tuners, painters, farm workers, office workers, computer operators, dishwashers, assembly line workers, or employees of sheltered workshops or other sheltered work settings.

填空题Ahead and Act Globally The world economy has run into a brick wall. Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need to address a potential hunger crisis in poor countries and an energy crisis worldwide, world leaders failed to think ahead. The result is a global food crisis. Wheat, corn and rice prices have more than doubled in the past two years. And oil prices have increased more than three times since the start of 2004. These food price increases, combined with increasing energy costs, will slow if not stop economic growth in many parts of the world and will even affect political stability. Practical solutions to these problems do exist, but we"ll have to start thinking ahead and acting globally. Here are three steps to ease the current food crisis and avoid the potential for a global crisis. The first is to promote the dramatic success of Malawi, a country in southern Africa, which three years ago established a special fund to help its farmers get fertilizer and seeds with high productivity. Malawi"s harvest doubled after just one year. An international fund based on the Malawi model would cost a mere $10 per person annually in the rich world, or $10 billion altogether. Second, the US and Europe should abandon their policies of paying partly for the change of food into biofuels. The US government gives farmers a taxpayer-financed payment of 51 cents per gallon of ethanol (乙醇) changed from corn. There may be a case for biofuels produced on lands that do not produce foods—tree crops, grasses and wood products—but there"s no case for the government to pay to put the world"s dinner into the gas tank. Third, we urgently need to weather-proof the world"s crops as soon and as effectively as possible. For a poor farmer, sometimes something as simple as a farm pond—which collects rainwater to be used in dry weather—can make the difference between a good harvest and a bad one. The world has already committed to establishing a Climate Adaptation Fund to help poor regions climate-proof vital economic activities such as food production and health care but has not yet acted upon the promise.

填空题阅读下面的短文，文章中有5处空白，文章后有6组文字，请根据文章的内容选择5组文字，将其分别放回文章原有位置，以恢复文章原貌。 The sun is a star.{{U}} (46) {{/U}}That is because it is near us; but the other stars are far away. The sun shines because it is very hot, but the moon shines because it reflects the sun's light. 'It is like a big mirror. If we visited the moon, we should see the earth.{{U}} (47) {{/U}}. Sometimes the earth moves between the sun and the moon. Then the earth's shadow falls on the moon; no light from the sun can then reach the moon. The moon gets dark because it cannot reflect the sun's light.{{U}} (48) {{/U}}. Does the sun ever get dark during the say? It does so when the moon hides it. Sometimes the moon goes in front of the sun. We can watch its edge when it slowly crosses the sun's disc. Everything gets darker and darker; then, at last, we cannot see any part of the sun' s disc. The moon is hiding it completely. That is a total eclipse of the sun; sometimes only part of the sun's disc is hidden; that is not a total eclipse.{{U}} (49) {{/U}}. {{U}} (50) {{/U}}There was a total eclipse of the moon on January 9, 2001. That event was visible from Europe, Africa and Asia. There were about 20 total eclipses of the sun between 1970 and 1999. The latest was seen on June 21 this year in Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Madagascar. A. Eclipses are not seen in every part of the world. B. The earth's shadow was beginning to move away. C. We call this an eclipse of the moon. D. It appears to be bigger than any other star. E. It is also like a mirror and it reflects the light of the sun. F. It is a partial eclipse of the sun.

填空题Obesity Causes Global Warming The list of ills attributable to obesity keeps growing.. Last week, obese people were accused of causing global warming. This conclusion comes from Sheldon Jacobson of the University of Illinois, US, and a doctoral student, Laura McLay. Their study calculates how much extra gasoline is needed to haul fat Americans around. The answer, they say, is a billion gallons of gas per year. 1 There have been calls for taxes on junk food in recent years. 2 We tax cigarettes partly because of their health cost, Schmidt said. Similarly, leading a lazy lifestyle will end up costing taxpayers more. US political scientist Eric Oliver said his first instinct was to laugh at these gas and fast food arguments. But such claims are getting attention. At the US Obesity Societies annual meeting, one person correlated obesity with car accident deaths, and another correlated obesity with suicides. 3 The funny thing was that everyone took it seriously, Oliver said. In a 1960"s study, children were shown drawings of children with disabilities and without them, and a drawing of an obese child. They were asked which they would want for a friend? 4 Three researchers recently repeated the study using college students. Once again, almost no one, not even obese people, liked the obese person. Obesity was stigmatized, the researchers said. But, researchers say, getting thin is not like quitting smoking. People struggle to stop smoking, and, in the end, many succeed. Obesity is different, but not because obese people don"t care. 5 Genes also play a part. A. Three researchers recently repeated the study using college students. B. It means an extra 11 million tons of carbon dioxide. C. The obese child was picked last. D. US economist Martin Schmidt suggests a tax on fast food delivered to people"s cars. E. Science has shown that they have limited personal control over their weight. F. No one asked whether there was really a cause-and-effect relationship.

填空题 Every Dog Has Its Say Kimiko Fukuda, a Japanese girl, always wondered what her dog was trying to say. Whenever she put on makeup, it would pull at her sleeve. {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}When the dog barks, she glances at a small electronic gadget (装置). The following "human" translation appears on its screen: "Please take me with you." "I realized that's how he was feeling." said Fukuda. The gadget is called Bowlingual, and it translates dog barks into feelings. People laughed when the Japanese toymaker Takara Company made the world's first dog human translation machine in 2002. But 300.000 Japanese dog owners bought it. {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}"Nobody else had thought about it," said Masahiko Kajita, who works for Takara. "We spend so much time training dogs to understand our orders; what would it be like if we could understand dogs?" Bowlingual has two parts. {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}The translation is done in the gadget using a database (资料库) containing every kind of bark. Based on animal behaviour research, these noises are divided into six categories: happiness, sadness, frustration, anger, declaration and desire. {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}}In this way, the database scientifically matches a bark to an emotion, which is then translated into one of 200 phrases. When a visitor went to Fukuda's house recently, the dog barked a loud "bow wow". This translated as "Don't come this way" {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}}The product will be available in U.S. pet stores this summer for about U.S. $120. It can store up to 100 barks, even recording the dog's emotions when the owner is away. A. A wireless microphone is attached to the dog's collar, which sends information to the gadget held by the owner. B. Nobody really knows how a dog feels. C. It was followed by "I'm stronger than you" as the dog growled (嗥叫) and sniffed (嗅) at the visitor. D. More customers are expected when the English version is launched this summer. E. Now, the Japanese girl thinks she knows. F. Each one of these emotions is then linked to a phrase like "Let's play", "Look at me", or "Spend more time with me"

填空题 下面的短文有5处空白，短文后有6个句子，其中5个取自短文，请根据短文内容将其分别放回原有位置，以恢复文章原貌。 {{B}}How Did She Conquer the Americans?{{/B}} African-American talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is the world's most powerful celebrity, according to Forbes magazine.{{U}} (46) {{/U}}. Winfrey, 51, draws 30 million viewers weekly in the United States. Her talk show reaches 112 countries. She earned US＄225 million over the past 12 months to rank second in celebrity riches. The annual Forbes list gives most weight to annual earnings.{{U}} (47) {{/U}} "After 21 years, her exciting chat show still rules the airwaves. It created new celebrities and hundreds of millions of dollars in profits," the magazine said. Winfrey is most popular with her popular talk show "The Oprah Winfrey Show". She can always attract the superstars and let them open up to her intimate interviewing style. Last month, American actor Tom Cruise, 42, surprised fans when he celebrated his new romance with 26-year-old actress Katie Holmes. Fie jumped up and down, shouting "I'm in love." Only a few years ago, Cruise and his ex-wife Nicole Kidman appeared separately on the same show telling the news of their divorce. {{U}}(48) {{/U}} Winfrey's approach appears to be simple. She is in pursuit of self-improvement and self-empowerment (自强). This has proved to be just what people, especially women, want. Winfrey often talks about her personal secrets on her show. That pulls in viewers. For example, she revealed that she had been sexually abused as a child, and has spoken freely of her struggle with her weight. Winfrey was born to a poor family in Mississippi in 1954.{{U}} (49) {{/U}}At the age of 19, she became the youngest person and the first African-American woman to anchor (主持) a news programme, Her success has not just been on the screen. Her media group includes a women's TV network and websites for women. Winfrey's work has extended to social change.{{U}} (50) {{/U}}. She testified before the US Senate to establish a national database of dangerous child abusers. President Bill Clinton later signed "Oprah Bill" into law.A But it also looks at the celebrity's presence on the Internet and in the media.B In 1991, she did a lot of work for the National Child Protection Act.C She was not a very successful woman.D She began broadcasting while still at high school.E It placed Winfrey at the top of its annual ranking of the 100 people last week.F The couple had been tight-lipped about their break-up.

填空题A It is not beneficial for people to keep mentally active. B Intellectual activity can strengthen people's mental health regardless of their age. C Old people should engage in both mental and physical 'activities. D Old people only need to engage in physical activities individually. E People, with an active mind are more cognitively healthy in their old age. F Many experts are putting the theory to work in their own lives.

填空题Why Do People Shrink? Did you ever see the movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids ? It"s about a wacky dad (who"s also a scientist) who accidentally shrinks his kids with his homemade miniaturizing invention. Oops! 1 For older people, shrinking isn"t that dramatic or sudden at all. It takes place over years and may add up to only an inch or so off of their adult height (maybe a little more, maybe less). And this kind of shrinking can"t be magically reversed, although there are things that can be done to stop it or slow it down. 2 There are a few reasons. As people get older, they generally lose some muscle and fat from their bodies as part of the natural aging process. Gravity (the force that keeps your feet on the ground) takes hold, and the bones in the spine, called vertebrae, may break down or degenerate, and start to collapse into one another. 3 But perhaps the most common reason why some older people shrink is because of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis occurs when too much spongy bone tissue (which is found inside of most bones) is broken down and not enough new bone material is made. 4 Bones become smaller and weaker and can easily break if someone with osteoporosis is injured. Older people—especially women, who generally have smaller and lighter bones to begin with—are more likely to develop osteoporosis. As years go by, a person with osteoporosis shrinks a little bit. Did you know that every day you do a shrinking act, too? You aren"t as tall at the end of the day as you are at the beginning. That"s because as the day goes on, water in the disks of the spine gets compressed (squeezed) due to gravity, making you just a tiny bit shorter. Don"t worry, though. 5 A. They end up pressing closer together, which makes a person lose a little height and become shorter. B. Once you get a good night"s rest, your body recovers, and the next morning, you"re standing tall again! C. Over time, bone is said to be lost because it"s not being replaced. D. Luckily, there are things that people can do to prevent shrinking. E. The kids spend the rest of the movie as tiny people who are barely visible while trying to get back to their normal size. F. But why does shrinking happen at all?

填空题 Ants as a Barometer of Ecological Change At picnics, ants are pests. But they have their uses. In industries such as mining, farming and forestry, they can help gauge the health of the environment by just crawling around and being antsy. It has been recognized for decades that ants—which are highly sensitive to ecological change—can provide a near-perfect barometer of the state of an ecosystem. Only certain species, for instance, will continue to thrive at a forest site that has been cleared of trees. {{U}} {{U}} 1 {{/U}} {{/U}}And still others will move in and take up residence. By looking at which species populate a deforested area, scientists can determine how "stressed" the land is. {{U}} {{U}} 2 {{/U}} {{/U}}Ants are used simply because they are so common and comprise so many species. Where mine sites are being restored, for example, some ant species will recolonize the stripped land more quickly than others. {{U}} {{U}} 3 {{/U}} {{/U}}Australian mining company Capricorn Coal Management has been successfully using ant surveys for years to determine the rate of recovery of land that it is replanting near its German Creek mine in Queensland. Ant surveys also have been used with mine-site recovery projects in Africa and Brazil, where warm climates encourage dense and diverse ant populations. "We found it worked extremely well there," says Jonathan Majer, a professor of environmental biology. Yet the surveys are perfectly suited to climates throughout Asia, he says, because ants are so common throughout the region. As Majer puts it: "That's the great thing about ants." Ant surveys are so highly-regarded as ecological indicators that governments worldwide accept their results when assessing the environmental impact of mining and tree harvesting. {{U}} {{U}} 4 {{/U}} {{/U}} Why not? Because many companies can't afford the expense or the laboratory time needed to sift results for a comprehensive survey. The cost stems, also, from the scarcity of ant specialists. {{U}} {{U}} 5 {{/U}} {{/U}} A. This allowed scientists to gauge the pace and progress of the ecological recovery. B. Yet in other businesses, such as farming and property development, ant surveys aren't used widely. C. Employing those people are expensive. D. They do this by sorting the ants, counting their numbers and comparing the results with those of earlier surveys. E. The evolution of ant species may have a strong impact on our ecosystem. F. Others will die out for lack of food.

填空题A Events That Took place Before the Earth Existed B Power of the Telescope C Details of Eta Carinae D Invention of a Time Machine E Biggest Telescope F Ultraviolet Laser Rays

填空题阅读下面这篇短文，短文后有2项测试任务：(1)第23～26题要求从所给的6个选项中为规定段每段选择1个正确的小标题；(2)第27～30题要求从所给的6个选项中选择4个正确选项，分别完成每个句子。 As early as kindergarten we' re taught that there are nine planets, but 200 years ago, even scholars were sure there were only six planets.2. As recently as the 1700s, people still believed that the planet Saturn was at the farthest extent of the solar system. That there might be other planet wasn't even a respectable idea.3. In 1781 a self-taught astronomer, William Herschel, was "sweeping the skies" with his telescope. By March, he had reached the section including the constellation Gemini, and he spotted an object that appeared as a disk rather than a glowing star. Because it moved slightly from week to week, Herschel thought it was a comet. After a few mouths, however, he decided the orbit was circular'" and came to the shocking conclusion that it wasn't a comet, but an unknown planet.4. People were astonished. No one since ancient times had anyone named a planet. Herschel felt that is should be called "Georgium Sirius" (George's Star) after George Ⅲ, the king of England, some wanted to name it "Herschel" after its discoverer. But one influential astronomer suggested "Uranus", after the Greek god of the heavens. That made sense, since it was thought to be the limit of the solar system.5. Could there be another planet affecting Uranus? A century earlier, Isaac Newton had come up with laws describing the effects that the gravitational forces of planets have on one another. Using Newton's laws, two young scientists, Jean Leverrier and John Couch Adams set out independently in 1840 to find the unknown planet whose gravitational forces might be pulling on Uranus. Both hoped the unknown planet would be where their calculations said they could find it. Adams finished his calculations first, in September 1845. The following August, Leverrier completed his.6. Leverrier traveled to the Berlin Observatory in Germany, and the young assistant mana get, Johann Gottfried Galle, agreed to help search for the planet. That was September 23, 1846. That night, Galle looked through the telescope, calling out stars and their positions while a young student astronomer, Heinrich Louis d' Arrest, looked at a star chart, searching for the stars Galle described. Finally Galle called out an eighth-magnitude star that d' Arrest couldn't locate on the charts. They had found the unknown planet! It had taken two years of research—but only a half hour at the telescope. The honor of the discovery belongs to both Adams and Leverrier, who had essentially discovered the new planet with just a pen and a new set of mathematical laws. The greenish planet was named after Neptune, god of the sea.

填空题US Signs Global Tobacco Treaty The United States has taken the first step toward approving a global tobacco treaty that promises to help control the deadly effects of tobacco use throughout the world. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson signed the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) this week at the United Nations. 1 The FCTC was developed by the World Health Organization and approved by members of the World Health Assembly, including the United States, last year. 2 For instance, cigarettes sold in those countries would have to have health warnings on at least 30% of the front and back of every pack. 3 It also requires bans on tobacco advertising, though there are some exceptions for countries like the United States, where the Constitution prohibits such an outright ban. 4 The World Health Organization estimates that tobacco use kills nearly 5 million people worldwide every year. In the US alone, about 440,000 people die each year from tobacco-related illnesses; about one-third of all cancers in the US are caused by tobacco use. If current trends continue, WHO estimates, by 2025 tobacco will kill 10 million people each year. The treaty must be ratified by at least 40 countries before it can take effect. 5 A. Tobacco stocks also perked up as investors discounted fears of litigation (诉讼) from the US. B. So far, 109 countries have signed it, and 12 have ratified it. C. The impact of the treaty could be huge. D. Countries that ratify (批准) it would be required to enact strict tobacco control policies. E. The treaty calls for higher tobacco taxes, restrictions on smoking in public places, and more promotion of tobacco prevention and cessation programs. F. The Senate must still approve the treaty before the US can implement its provisions.

填空题 A. a lot of money B. national people C. morning D. local people E. national issues F. local issues

填空题Caribbean Islands What would you see if you took a cruise to the Caribbean Islands? Palm trees and coconuts (椰子)? White beaches and clear, blue ocean? Colorful corals (珊瑚) and even more colorful fishes and birds? You bet. There are thousands of islands in the Caribbean Sea. They are famous for their warm, tropical Climate and great natural beauty. The Caribbean Islands form a chain that separates the Caribbean Sea from the rest of the Atlantic Ocean. 1 Many of the islands were formed by the eruption (爆发) of ancient volcanoes (火 山). Others are low-lying coral islands that gradually rose from the ocean. The Caribbean Islands are known by several names. 2 The explorer Christopher Colum- bus called the islands the Indies in 1492 because he thought he was near the coast of India. Later, Spain and France called the islands the Antilles. There are four large islands in the Caribbean Sea. 3 These four islands are often called the Greater Antilles. Together, they account for about 90 percent of the land area of the Caribbean Islands. The rest of the Caribbean Islands are much smaller. 4 You can see why pirates such as the famous Blackbeard sailed these waters. There are countless small islands to bury treasure or hide on. The weather of the Caribbean Sea is almost always warm and sunny. Sandy beaches line the coasts of many islands. 5 Many tourists arrive on cruise ships. A. But life on the Caribbean Islands is not always paradise. B. The earliest name used by Europeans is the Indies, later changed to the West Indies. C. They"re like a long necklace that stretches between North and South America. D. They are Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Hispaniola. E. This is why millions of tourists visit the islands each year. F. Some of these islands are no more than tiny slivers (小片) of exposed coral.