Scientists have found what look like caves on Mars, and say they could be protecting life from the planet’s terrible environment.
The first caves appear as seven mysterious black dots （点） on the pictures which were sent back by NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter. Each as large as a football field, they may be openings into natural caves below the Martian surface.
“If there is life on Mars, there is a good chance that you’d find it in caves,” said Jut Wynne, one of the researchers who noticed th e features (特征) while working on a US Geological Survey Mars Cave Detection Program.
Jonathan Clarke, a geologist with the Mars Society of Australia, yesterday described the discovery as exciting.
One photo taken at night by an infrared imager(红外线成像器) showed one hole to be unusually warm, suggesting hot air may be flowing out.
“I said: ‘Wow, that’s a cave’” Dr. Clarke said excitedly. “People have been looking for these for a long time; now we have found them.”
He agreed such caves could be perfect places to search for life escaping from the bitterly cold, radiation-soaked(充满辐射的), dry surface.
“Tiny drops of water could collect inside,” he said. “If there are gases coming out, they could provide energy for a whole range of bacteria (细菌). A cave is also a protection from radiation; the surface of Mars is exposed to high levels of space radiation.”
The caves probably formed when tube-shaped lava flows(管状岩浆流) spread across the planet long ago. The outside of the tubes cooled, forming solid walls, while something hotter inside allowed the remaining to flow out, forming caves.
小题1: What does the passage mainly talk about? | A．How the caves were formed on Mars. | | B．How NASA sent the pictures back to earth | | C．Caves on Mars may be full of hot air or a sign（迹象）of life. | | D．Scientists have completely recognized the surface of Mars. |
小题2: We can learn from the passage that __________. | A．water has already been found on Mars | | B．the scientists found all the caves at night | | C．it is certain that there is life in these caves | | D．the surface of Mars is bitterly cold, radiation-soaked and dry |
小题3: According to the passage, Dr. Clarke was so excited because ________. A．such caves could provide energy for life | | B．they had finally found the caves on Mars | | C．such caves would be perfect places to search for life | | D．There would be life on Mars. |
小题4: Necessary conditions for life on Mars mentioned in the passage may include_________. | A．lava and energy | B．water and radiation from space | | C．gases and lava | D．water and protection from radiation |
小题5: what does the underlined word “ the planet” in paragraph 1 refer to?| A．the Mars | B．the earth | C．the caves | D．radiation |
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| 小题1:C小题1:D小题1:B小题1:D小题1:A |
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核心考点
试题【Scientists have found what look like caves on Mars, and say they could be protec】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
There are some very good things about open education. This way of teaching allows the students to grow as people, and to develop their own interests in many subjects. Open education allows students to be responsible for their own education, as they are responsible for what they do in life. Some students do badly in a traditional classroom. The open classroom may allow them to enjoy learning. Some students will be happier in an open education school. They will not have to worry about grades or rules. For students who worry about these things a lot, it is a good idea to be in an open classroom.
But many students will not do well in an open classroom. For some students, there are too few rules. These students will do little in school. They will not make good use of open education. Because open education is so different from traditional education, these students may have a problem getting used to making so many choices. For many students it is important to have some rules in the classroom. They worry about t he rules even when there are no rules. Even a few rules will help this kind of students. The last point about open education is that some traditional teachers do not like it. Many teachers do not believe in open education. Teachers who want to have an open classroom may have many problems at their schools.
You now know what open education is. Some of its good points and bad points have been explained. You may have your own opinion about open education. The writer thinks that open education is a good idea, but only in theory. In actual fact, it may not work very well in a real class or school. The writer believes that most students, but of course not all students, need some structure in their classes. They want and need to have rules. In some cases, they must be made to study some subjects. Many students are pleased to find subjects they have to study interesting. They would not study those subjects if they did not have to.
小题1:Open education allows the students to .A．grow as the  educated | B．be responsible for their future | | C．develop their own interests | D．discover subjects outside class |
小题2:Open education may be a good idea for the students who .| A．enjoy traditional learning | B．worry about grades | | C．do well in a traditional classroom | D．are responsible for what they do |
小题3: Some students will do little in an open classroom because .| A．there are too few rules | B．they hate activities | | C．open education is meaningless | D．they worry about the rules |
小题4:Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?| A．Some traditional teachers do not like it. | | B．Many teachers do not believe in open education. | | C．Teachers may have problems in open classrooms. | | D．Teachers’ feelings and attitudes are important to students. |
小题5:Which of the following best summarizes the passage?| A．Open education is a really complex idea. | | B．Open education is better than traditional education. | | C．Traditional teachers don’t believe in open education. | | D．The writer thinks open education is practical. |
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完形填空（共20小题；每题1.5分，满分 30分）
阅读下面短文，从后面各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项的标号涂黑。
High school seems bigger.There are 36 kids and it’s a tot ally new environment. It could be a 37 time for new students, 38 ,in fact,it isn’t really that bad.
The first day of course is always terrifying,but,then again,the first day of middle school was probably the 39 .Of course you might get lost during the first few days 40 your classes,but after a while what seems like a large school really isn’t.
One thing that’s really cool about high school is that there are so many more classes that you can 41 .For example,if you like 42 ,there are many art classes.At the same time,there are 43 classes,which you can’t take in middle school 44 photography and psychology(心理学).There are many new things in high school that make it much more 45 .
In high school,you’re able to join more clubs,play more sports,and take part in more 46 ,and at the same time make new friends with kids with the same 47 as you.Also, these activities can give you a 48 to learn something that you might not have had the opportunity to learn in 49 .
High school is different 50 everyone,but there’s one thing that’s 51 .You’re going to have just as much fun here as you 52 before.But having fun isn’t enough though! You’re 53 so you have to be more responsible.Everything changes when you get 54 ,but the changes aren’t that bad.You 55 worry too much about growing up.
小题1:.| 小题2: | | A．terrible | B．popular | C．good | D．worried |
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| 小题4: | | A．different | B．same | C．rich | D．difficult |
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| 小题5: | | A．attending to | B．looking for | C．finding out | D．knowing of |
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| 小题6: | | A．take | B．join | C．give | D．learn |
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| 小题7: | | A．dancing | B．sports | C．art | D．singing |
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| 小题8: | | A．other | B．another | C．others | D．the other |
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| 小题9: | | A．without | B．like | C．except | D．as |
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| 小题10: | | A．fun | B．boring | C．busy | D．tiring |
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| 小题11: | | A．activities | B．classes | C．lectures | D．groups |
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| 小题12: | | A．customs | B．classes | C．ages | D．interests |
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| 小题13: | | A．chance | B．time | C．place | D．space |
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| 小题14: | | A．your home | B．middle school | C．society | D．primary school |
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| 小题16: | | A．sure | B．certain | C．doubtful | D．believable |
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| 小题17: | | A．did | B．created | C．remembered | D．made |
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| 小题18: | | A．taking classes | B．growing up | C．joining activities | D．making friends |
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| 小题19: | | A．older | B．cleverer | C．taller | D．wiser |
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| 小题20: | | A．can’t | B．mustn’t | C．shouldn’t | D．won’t |
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Topping the class academically was certainly an advantage. For Nigel, studying was a piece of cake. The reward was certainly much bigger compared to the little effort Nigel had made. It all began when he was selected to help the teachers in the computer laboratories. And the peak of his school career came not when he topped the class but when he was selected for the nationwide competition.
Unlike everyone else, Nigel wanted to join in the contest because he liked playing with the Lego sets(乐高积木) and making something out of them. Nigel spent two months building his robot. It was during the time that Nigel found out about the big prize for the competition as well as a competitive rival(对手), Alicia, from a neighboring school. His early intentions were forgotten. Getting the thousand-dollar prize was more important th an anything else. Nigel decided to make friends with Alicia. Unaware of his intentions, she told him all about the robot that she had been building for the competition. He even helped her to put the finishing touches(收尾工作) to her robot. He was glad with the way things had progressed. His robot looked even better than Alicia"s and it was able to play a ball with its arm, something Alicia had failed to do.
On the day of the competition, he saw Alicia. Everything became clear the minute she saw him among the competitors. She stared at him, puzzled at first, then angry and finally a look of helplessness came over her.
The flashbulbs (闪光灯) of the camera exploded in Nigel"s face. The robot had performed actions so unique and different that the specialists" judgments were the same. Nigel was so pleased with himself that he did not even notice the girl standing a few feet away from him. Without her, he would never have won the competition.
小题1:What reward did Nigel receive for doing well in his school work?| A．He was offered a part-time job. | B．He was honored with a scholarship. | | C．He helped his teachers build a robot. | D．He helped in the computer laboratories. |
小题2:Nigel"s original intention of joining the contest was to ___ . | A．win honor for his school | B．be the top student of the school | | C．build a robot with the Lego sets | D．win the thousand-dollar prize |
小题3:Why did Nigel help Alicia finish her robot?| A．He intended to help her. | B．He was fond of building robots. | | C．He wanted to be her real friend. | D．He didn"t want her to suspect (怀疑) him. |
小题4:What is the author"s attitude towards Nigel"s actions?| A．Favorable | B．Critical (批评的) | C．Doubtful | D．Sympathetic |
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As children face their final month of revision before the exam season starts, many parents are looking for the words to motivate their offspring．But could they be mistakenly praising the value of ability over effort, asks Matthew Syed．
Take a glance at these expressions of encouragement:
"You learned that so quickly, you"re so smart!"
"Look at that drawing．Are you -the next Picasso or what?"
They appear as the kind of confidence-boosting statements that should be given to children or, indeed, anyone else．Such phrases are used in homes and classrooms every day, particularly with exams approaching．
Intelligence-based praise leads the receiver towards the fixed thought —it suggests to them that intelligence is of primary importance rather than the effort through which intelligence can be transformed．
Let"s take a quick second look into the science of expertise, and ask a question．Where does excellence come from? For a long time, it was thought the answer to this depended, to a large degree, on genetic inheritance．Or, to put it another way, it is all about talent．
It turns out that this is mistaken．Dozens of studies have found that top performers—whether in maths, mi sic or whatever—learn no faster than those who reach lower levels of achievement—hour after hour, they improve at almost the same rates．
The difference is simply that high achievers practice for more hours．Further research has shown that when students seem to possess a particular gift, it is often because they have been given extra tuition at home by their parents．
This is not to deny that some kids start out better than others—it is merely to suggest that the starting point we have in life is not particularly relevant．
Why? Because, over time, with the right, kind of practice, we change so dramatically．It is not just the body that changes, but the brain．The question of talent versus effort would not matter terribly much if it as merely theoretical．But it is so much more than that．It influences the way we think, feel, and the way we engage with our world．
小题1:What is the best title of this passage?| A．The Words That Could Encourage Your Child | | B．Intelligence Says All | | C．High and Low Achievers | | D．Start Early, Learn More |
小题2:Which statement is intelligence-based praise?| A．"You"re so brilliant - you passed that exam without really studying!" | | B．"With more efforts, you can achieve more!" | | C．" You combine study with entertainment so well!" | | D．"You study so hard even when you are so good at it!" |
小题3:The writer thinks the answer to the question of talent versus effort is _____．| A．simple | B．complicated | C．obvious | D．mysterious |
小题4:Why do some people have higher achievements?| A．Because they are born with great talent. | | B．Because they start better than others. | | C．Because they spend more of their spare time practicing what they have learnt. | | D．Because they improve themselves at almost the same rates. |
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A new study has found that it may be possible to train people to be more intelligent, increasing the brainpower they had at birth．
Until now，it has been widely assumed that the kind of mental ability that allows us to solve new problems without having any relevant previous experience—what psychologists call fluid intelligence—is innate and cannot be taught（though people can raise their grades on tests of it by practicing）．
But in the new study，researchers describe a method for improving this skill，along with experiments to prove it works．
The key, researchers found, was carefully structured training in working memory—the kind that allows memorization of a telephone number just long enough to dial it．This type of memory is closely related to fluid intelligence，so the researchers reasoned that improving it might lead to improvements in fluid intelligence．
First they measured fluid intelligence of volunteers using standard tests．Then they trained each in a complicated memory task—the child’s card game，in which they had to recall a card they saw and heard．During the course, they needed to ignore irrelevant items, monitor ongoing performance，manage two tasks at the same time and connect related items to one another in space and time．
The four groups experienced a half-hour of training daily for 8, 12, 17 and 19 days, respectively．To make sure they were not just improving their test-taking skills，the researchers compared them with control groups that took the tests without the training．
The results, published Monday in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences，were striking．Improvement in the trained groups was a lot greater．Moreover，the longer they trained, the higher their scores were．All performers，from the weakest to the strongest，showed significant improvement．
“Our results show you can increase your intelligence with proper training．” said Dr Jaeggi, a co-author of the paper．“No one knows how long the gains will last after training stops,” he added, “and the experiment’s design did not allow the researchers to determine whether more training would continue to produce further gains．”
小题1:.The researchers thought the key to improving the intelligence was ______________．| A．memorizing telephone numbers | B．improving working memory | | C．training in concentration | D．recalling a card |
小题2:.The following aspects of the training help increase intelligence EXCEPT___________．| A．ignoring irrelevant items | B．monitoring ongoing performance | | C．managing two tasks at the same time | D．using previous experience |
小题3:.When the experiment was conducted, the researchers______________．| A．trained the four groups for the same period of time | | B．only made comparisons between the four groups | | C．compared the four groups with control groups | | D．trained the four groups together |
小题4:.By writing the article，the writer intends to ______________．| A．inform the readers of a new study | | B．call on people to be trained to increase intelligence | | C．prove one’s born brainpower can be improved | | D．tell people the improved intelligence will last forever |
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