1、UNIT 4 SPACE EXPLORATIONSection Reading and Thinking (1)阅读理解AHowever exciting space exploration sounds, theres a necessary and important point about it that needs to be considered: food supplies. Right now, astronauts typically rely on dry food in airtight bags and cans, since there are strict weigh
2、t limits on items taken into space. Foods that we take for granted, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, are out of the question for space explorers. For those whove made an effort to try to grow food during space flights, theyve faced many difficulties, including the absence of gravity, and a lack o
3、f soil, air and humidity(湿度). However, growing food to add and minimise(最小化) the food that must be carried to space will be increasingly important on long-duration flights into space. Great efforts have been made to explore the concept(idea) of space farming. Recently, a team led by Federico Maggi a
4、t the University of Sydney in Australia have worked out how plants can absorb nutrients from human urine(尿), as was reported by New Scientist on March 27. After over 20 years of experiments, the results suggested that human urine could supply three to four out of the six nutrients that plants need.
5、The researchers also found out that urine-fertilised plants produce no harmful by-products, such as carbon dioxide or ammonia. According to New Scientist, human urine is 95 percent water, with the other 5 percent made from nutrients which are harmful to the human body but not to plants. The advantag
6、e of this urine-fueled life support system is obvious: By recycling liquid waste and producing food, an efficient cycle will be created. And most importantly, said New Scientist, the duration of space flights will be greatly extended to “20 years of flight”, meaning we may be soon sending astronauts
7、 on flights to Mars, or even beyond. 1. What does the underlined part “out of the question” in the first paragraph probably mean?A. Impossible.B. Unnecessary.C. Unimportant.D. Uncertain.解析: 词义猜测题。根据上文“Right now, astronauts typically rely on dry food in airtight bags and cans, since there are strict
8、weight limits on items taken into space.”可知,目前宇航员通常依赖于装在密封的袋子和罐子里的干燥食品,因为带进太空的物品有严格的重量限制。故可推测我们认为理所当然的食品,如新鲜水果和蔬菜对于太空探索者来说是“不可能的;难以实现的”。impossible不可能的;unnecessary不必要的;unimportant不重要的;uncertain不确定的。故选A。答案:A2. What can we learn from the research by the University of Sydney?A. Human urine is harmless t
9、o plants. B. Human urine provides six necessary nutrients for plants. C. Urine fertiliser is safer and more productive than chemical fertiliser. D. Urine-fertilised plants only release a small amount of carbon dioxide. 解析: 细节理解题。根据第三段中“The researchers also found out that urine-fertilised plants prod
10、uce no harmful by-products, such as carbon dioxide or ammonia.”可知,研究人员发现尿肥植物不产生有害的副产品,如二氧化碳或氨。由此可知将人类尿液用于太空农业的最大优势是它对植物无害。答案:A3. What is the biggest advantage of using human urine for space farming, according to New Scientist?A. It does little harm to the environment in space. B. It could create con
11、ditions for long-term space flights. C. It will greatly reduce the cost of farming in space. D. Urine-fertilised plants are healthier and taste better. 解析: 细节理解题。根据最后一段可知,最重要的是,太空飞行的时间会延长,到更远的行星探索成为可能。故选B。答案:B4. Whats the text mainly about?A. The significance of space farming. B. Problems faced by a
12、stronauts on long-term space flights. C. How to use human urine to produce food in space. D. A possible new way to grow food in space. 解析: 主旨大意题。根据第二段中“Recently, a team led by Federico Maggi at the University of Sydney in Australia have worked out how plants can absorb nutrients from human urine, as
13、 was reported by New Scientist on March 27.”可知,本文主要介绍了一种使在太空上种植植物成为可能的新方式。答案:DBThe full moon climbs over the eastern horizon(地平线) and hangs like a huge orange globe in the sky. After a few hours, the moon is overhead but seems to have changed. The huge orange globe has become a small silver disk. Wh
14、at has happened? Why has the orange colour disappeared? Why does the moon seem so much smaller and farther away now that it is overhead?The moon appears orange on the horizon because we view it through the dust of the atmosphere. The overhead moon does not really shrink(缩小) as it moves away from the
15、 horizon. Our eyes inform us that the overhead moon is farther away. But in this position the moon is actually closer to our eyes than when it is near the horizon. The change in size is a trick our eyes and minds play on us. When the moon is low in the sky, we can compare its size with familiar obje
16、cts. It is easy to see that the moon is much larger than trees or buildings, for example. When the moon is high in the sky, however, it is hard to compare it with objects on Earth. Compared to the vastness of the sky, the moon seems small. There is another reason why the moon seems to shrink. We are
17、 used to staring at objects straight ahead of us. When an object is difficult to see, our eyes have to try to focus on it. When we move our heads back to look up, we will try hard again. Looking at something from an unaccustomed position can fool you into believing an object is smaller or farther aw
18、ay than it is. However, scientists do not yet understand completely why the moon seems to shrink as it rises in the sky. 5. What makes us puzzled when the moon is high in the sky?A. It becomes large. B. It looks different. C. Its colour disappears. D. Its shape changes. 解析: 推理判断题。根据第一段中的“After a few
19、 hours, the moon is overhead but seems to have changed. The huge orange globe has become a small silver disk. What has happened? Why has the orange colour disappeared? Why does the moon seem so much smaller and farther away now that it is overhead?”可知,当月亮高挂天空的时候,它的颜色、大小都变了,看起来不同了。答案:B6. What really
20、happens when the moon floats farther away from the horizon?A. It comes nearer. B. It turns orange. C. It goes farther. D. It gets through dust. 解析: 细节理解题。根据第二段中的“The overhead moon does not really shrink as it moves away from the horizon. Our eyes inform us that the overhead moon is farther away. But
21、 in this position the moon is actually closer to our eyes than when it is near the horizon.”可知,当月亮离地平线远的时候,其实它离我们更近。答案:A7. What can we infer from the text?A. The size of the moon often changes. B. The moon is in fact a huge orange globe. C. The moon is beginning to shrink much. D. We do not see the
22、moon as it really is. 解析: 推理判断题。根据最后一段最后一句“However, scientists do not yet understand completely why the moon seems to shrink as it rises in the sky.”可知我们没有看清月亮的“真面目”。答案:DCTelevision has changed our lives in many ways. Many people now spend more time watching TV than doing anything else. Researchers
23、have estimated(估计) that when most students leave school they have spent 11,000 hours in the classroom and 22,000 hours watching television.8?Benefits of television:1. Television helps us to learn more about the world and to know and see many new things. Television can offer present information to us
24、 in a more effective way than books. 9. 2. It entertains us. It is an enjoyable way to relax ourselves. For millions of people around the world, television is a source of companion-ship and helps them to cope with everyday life. 3. It has increased the popularity of sports and arts. 4. 10. In 2000,
25、for example, 1.5 million people in 147 countries watched a TV pop concert and helped to collect more than $100 million for people in Africa. Dangers:1. Television makes us passive(被动的). 11.2. It encourages us to buy unnecessary things sometimes. There are many advertisements on television, 12. 3. It
26、 takes time away from activities such as reading, conversation, and games. 4. Some critics(批评家) say that television makes people violent. A ten-year study showed that children who watch television programmes are more likely to be violent themselves. A. Television makes us activeB. But what effect do
27、es this haveC. It can also make things more memorableD. We dont have to think and our brains become lazyE. however, this kind of advertisement might not be suitableF. Television has made us aware of our globalresponsibilitiesG. the main purpose of which is to make customers spend money答案:8.B9.C10.F1
28、1.D12.GReading and Thinking (2)基础测评. 单句语法填空1. I work during my spare time, which gives me (independent) from my family. 2. My parents desire me (behave) well at school. 3. From the (disappoint) voice, we knew he failed the exam. 4. The fish (leap) out of water and landed on the shore. 5. As we all k
29、now, (satellite) have been used for communica-tion as well as weather forecasts. 6. During our free time, well be able to travel to places of interest in new (vehicle) like flying cars. 7. The government is taking measures to prevent the (transmit) of the disease. 8. The (frontier) of medical knowle
30、dge are being pushed forwards as time goes on. 9. We are not sure when universe came into being. 10. He stood up, signalling the officer that he had finished with his client. 答案:1. independence2. to behave3. disappointed4. leaped/leapt5. satellites6. vehicles7. transmission8. frontiers 9. the10. to.
31、 完成句子1. 你是第一个将这项工作做得这么好的人。You are _ _ _ _ _ the work so well. 2. 虽然战士们已经工作了15个小时,但他们仍继续在废墟中寻找幸存者。Though the soldiers had been working for fifteen hours, they _ _ for survivors in the ruins. 3. 攀登者们继续前进,希望尽最后的努力到达山顶。The climbers kept up _ _ _ _ reaching the top with the last effort. 4. 人们相信努力工作就能成功。I
32、t is believed that working hard can success. 5. 微笑不仅仅让我们高兴,还能愉悦别人。Smiling can make us happy, please others. 答案:1. the first person to do2. carried on looking3. in the hope of4. lead to5. not only; but also. 语法填空1. _(look) up at the stars, people have always wanted to learn more about space, and scie
33、ntists work hard to explore space. On 12 April 1961, Yuri Gagarin became the first person in the world 2. _(go) into space. Over eight years later, on 20 July 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon, famously saying, “Thats one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”
34、 Following this, many more goals 3. (achieve). 4. _scientists try to make sure nothing goes wrong, accidents can still happen. All the 5. _(astronaut) on the USSRs Soyuz 11 and Americas Challenger died during their missions, which made everyone sad and 6. _(disappoint). Despite the huge risks, peopl
35、e carry 7. exploring space. Chinas space programme started later than those of Russia and the US, but it 8. _(make) great progress in a short time. China became the third country in the world to 9. _(independent) send humans into space in 2003. Now China as well as Europe and the U.S. has plans to f
36、urther study and explore planets like Mars 10. _ Jupiter. 答案: 1. Looking2. to go3. were achieved 4. Although/Though5. astronauts6. disappointed 7. on8. has made9. independently 10. and提升测评. 阅读理解Three days before Christmas in 1968, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and Bill Anders had adventured out to the mo
37、on, becoming the first human beings to reach and orbit our closest neighbour in space. On Christmas Eve, they pointed a TV camera out of the window of Apollo 8 and showed a global audience(观众) of 1 billion the ancient moon moving slowly below their spaceship. “I didnt choose it,” Anders said, when a
38、ll three astronauts met to mark the 50th anniversary(周年) of their moon flight, at Chicagos Museum of Science and Industry, where their spaceship is displayed. When the three men returned to Earth on December 27, they were surrounded by a sea of joy. That kind of collective(集体的) joyborn of collective
39、 effortcan seem beyond us now. From the factory floor to the three men in the spaceship, an estimated 400,000 people had a hand in making the moon flight possible. Behind the joy there was also a dark danger Apollo 8 might face. If the astronauts made it into the moon orbit but their engine failed t
40、o fire when it was time to return, rescue would be impossible. They would circle the moon forever. But the astronauts did come home, and in the process they gave the world another gift: the celebrated photograph that came to be known as Earthrise. Even fifty years later, Borman and Lovell continued
41、to play jokes on Anders, 85 then. “Im still trying to figure out who did it,” said Borman, with a wink(眨眼睛). “You did it, I think,” Lovell answered. “Bill did it,” Borman admitted. “He didnt want me to take it at first,” Anders said. “I have never said it before publicly,” said Borman, “but Im just
42、proud that I was able to fly with these two talented guys. You did a really good job.”1. The men pointed a camera out of the window of Apollo 8 to _. A. show the moon to the worldB. read some sentences to the audienceC. do some research into the ancient moonD. record what they were doing in the spac
43、ecraft解析: 细节理解题。根据文章第一段中的“On Christmas Eve, they pointed a TV camera out of the window of Apollo 8 and showed a global audience of 1 billion the ancient moon moving slowly below their spaceship.”可知他们把照相机伸出Apollo 8的窗外,是为了向世界展示月球。答案:A2. How old was Bill Anders when he reached space?A. 27. B. 30.C. 35.
44、D. 50. 解析: 推理判断题。根据文章第四段“Even fifty years later, Borman and Lovell continued to play jokes on Anders, 85 then.”可知,甚至在50年后, Borman 和 Lovell仍然继续拿当时已经85岁的Anders开玩笑。由此推断出,Bill Anders到达太空时的年龄是:85-50=35,故选C。答案:C3. What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 5 refer to?A. The flight. B. Earth. C. The r
45、eading. D. The picture. 解析: 推理判断题。上文“But the astronauts did come home, and in the process they gave the world another gift: the celebrated photograph that came to be known as Earthrise.”提到,宇航员们确实回家了,在这个过程中,他们给了世界另一份礼物那张后来被称为地出的著名的照片,由此推断出“it”指代的是上文提到的“照片”。答案:D. 完形填空I took an airplane to Beijing in F
46、ebruary, on an Air Canada Boeing 777. 1 all were seated, I used my computer for a while. Ahead of me to my right, a kid was 2. I went up to a Chinese woman. She had in her arms a kid that 3 crying. I told the mother that the kid needed to be walked and then she would 4 and sleep. I knew this because
47、 I am a father of four 5 children. The woman, who was from North York, said she was too tired as she had been 6 the whole night before. I 7 to walk the kid so she could get some sleep. As I took the kid in my arms, I 8 her for the kids name and age. I then started 9 walking up to the front of the ec
48、onomy section. The kid immediately fell to sleep. When I got back to the mothers10, I found her fast asleep. I kept walking for over six hours and walked slowly11. Since it was a 13-hour flight, I walked halfway to China12 a kid. Women on board would 13 me during my long walk, wanting to see the kid
49、. One woman asked me some questions like “How many14 do you have?” “Four,” I said. She looked 15 at my wrinkled(有皱纹的) face and white hair (I was almost 60) and said, “Well, I hope this is your 16 one.” She thought I was Marys17. I just 18 and walked on. When I was back to the mother, the mother 19.
50、I gave Mary back to her, who 20 sound asleep. 1. A. BeforeB. AfterC. ThoughD. Unless解析: 大家都坐好后,“我”用了一会儿电脑。before在之前;after在之后;though尽管;unless除非。答案:B2. A. singingB. talkingC. sleepingD. crying解析: 根据下段中的“She had in her arms a kid that 3 crying.”可知一个孩子在哭。sing唱歌;talk谈论;sleep睡觉;cry哭。答案:D3. A. keptB. start
51、edC. practisedD. stopped解析: 结合语境可知,孩子一直在哭。keep doing sth 一直做某事。keep保持;start开始;practise练习;stop停止。答案:A4. A. break downB. go aheadC. settle downD. set off解析: 根据上文可知孩子一直在哭,所以“我”告诉那位母亲,孩子需要有人抱着走走,然后她就会安心睡觉。break down发生故障;go ahead前进,进行;settle down安定下来,专心于;set off出发,引起。答案:C5. A. grownB. energeticC. curious
52、D. slim解析: “我”知道需要抱着那个在哭的孩子走走,是因为“我”有经验,“我”是四个成年孩子的父亲。grown成年的;energetic精力充沛的;curious好奇的;slim苗条的。答案:A6. A. downB. backC. awayD. up解析: 根据“she was too tired”可知她前一晚都没睡。up表示“未上床”。答案:D7. A. deservedB. offeredC. pretendedD. agreed解析: “我”主动提出抱孩子走走,这样她就能睡一会儿了。deserve值得;offer主动提出;pretend假装;agree同意。offer to d
53、o sth 主动提出要做某事。答案:B8. A. requestedB. commandedC. askedD. consulted解析: 根据for the kids name and age可知是在“问”孩子的名字和年龄。request请求;command命令;ask问;consult请教。答案:C9. A. slowlyB. quicklyC. calmlyD. strongly解析: 根据后面的“The kid immediately fell to sleep.”可知,“我”在哄孩子睡觉,所以是开始慢慢地走到经济舱的前面。slowly慢慢地;quickly迅速地;calmly冷静地;
54、strongly强壮地。答案:A10. A. homeB. seatC. sectionD. room解析: 作者把孩子哄睡了,自然要送回到妈妈那里,也就是回到妈妈的“座位”。home家;seat座位;section部分;room房间。答案:B11. A. upside downB. inside outC. day and nightD. up and down解析: 作者本想把睡着的孩子送给孩子的妈妈,但孩子的妈妈也睡了,所以作者就抱着孩子来回走。upside down颠倒的;inside out 彻底地,里面翻到外面;day and night日日夜夜;up and down来来回回,上
55、上下下。答案:D12. A. watchingB. carryingC. trickingD. seeking解析: 根据上文“As I took the kid in my arms, I 8 her for the kids name and age.”可知在去中国的航班上作者有一半的时间抱着一个孩子。watch观看;carry抱着;trick戏弄;seek寻找。答案:B13. A. spotB. remindC. stopD. award解析: 根据“wanting to see the kid”可知航班上的女士们要看孩子,因为作者抱着孩子来回走,所以她们要让作者停下来。spot发现;r
56、emind提醒;stop停止;award授予。答案:C14. A. customersB. passengersC. membersD. children解析: 根据上文“I knew this because I am a father of four5 children.”并结合答语“Four”可知她们在问作者有多少孩子。customer顾客;passenger旅客;member成员;children孩子。答案:D15. A. obviouslyB. confidentlyC. closelyD. firmly解析: 此处指她仔细看着“我”满是皱纹的脸。obviously明显地;confi
57、dently自信地;closely紧密地,仔细地;firmly坚定地。答案:C16. A. lastB. activeC. naughtyD. troubled解析: 此处指这位女士说希望这是作者最后一个孩子。last最后的,最新的;active积极的;naughty淘气的;troubled不安的。答案:A17. A. motherB. teacherC. fatherD. nurse解析: 结合上文中的“I know this because I am a father of four 5 children.”可知,她认为“我”是孩子的父亲。mother妈妈;teacher教师;father
58、父亲;nurse护士。答案:C18. A. refusedB. smiledC. apologisedD. sighed解析: “我”只是微笑着继续来回走。refuse拒绝;smile微笑;apologise道歉;sigh叹息。答案:B19. A. wokeB. leftC. wanderedD. shouted解析: 根据下文的“I gave Mary back to her”可知孩子的妈妈醒了。wake醒来;leave离开;wander徘徊;shout大喊。答案:A20. A. turnedB. fellC. remainedD. looked解析: “我”把玛丽送还给她,孩子仍然在熟睡。turn变成;fall开始变成;remain保持,仍然;look看起来。答案:C
