Sixty-five million years ago, an asteroid (小行星) that crashed on Earth led to the disappearance of the largest animals that have ever walked our planet – the dinosaurs. At least, this is what some scientists believe. But that accident happened so long ago. People have come to believe that we are free of threats from asteroids and everything else from space.
However, what happened on Feb 15 , 2013 was a reminder that we’re just as vulnerable as the dinosaurs once were. Two objects from space – a meteor (隕石) and an asteroid called 2012 DA14 –  visited Earth’s atmosphere on the same day. The former fell in Russia, injuring 1,200 people, while the latter passed by Earth at a record-setting close distance.
Scientists had been expecting the asteroid since last year, but the meteor was a surprise. NASA’s telescope system only detects asteroids at least 50 meters in diameter (直徑), which is just about the size of 2012 DA14. But the meteor was much smaller, which made it harder to spot.
But what if we do spot an asteroid that is headed right for Earth? There are several possible ways in which dangerous asteroids could be made to change its orbit. Which method is best depends on several factors and most importantly  –  how much time we have to stop it.
If there is enough time before the hit, we can send off a heavy spacecraft to travel alongside the asteroid. The gravity from the spacecraft would gradually change the rock’s orbit. Besides that, scientists could one day use sun-powered lasers to either make asteroids disappear or change their course. If there’s not enough time, we’ll have to go after the asteroid with a spacecraft and change its orbit with a crash. Finally, if things are truly desperate, there will be only one choice left –  to use a nuclear bomb. That could turn the asteroid into a meteor shower, which would be even more dangerous.
小題1:The author mentioned the asteroid that led to the dinosaurs’ dying out to ______.
A．show that asteroids fall from space frequently
B．a(chǎn)lert people about the possible danger of objects falling from space
C．inform readers about the constant threats the Earth faces
D．suggest that there are still many mysteries about the universe
小題2:The underlined word “vulnerable” in the second paragraph probably means ______.
A．unprotected B．lonely C．stupid D．self-important
小題3:Which of the following statements is TRUE about the meteor that fell to the Earth in Russia?
A．It passed by the Earth at a close distance.
B．It was spotted by NASA’s telescope system a year ago.
C．It is about the same size as the asteroid that passed by the Earth.
D．It fell to the Earth and caused great damage to the local community.
小題4:What is the main idea of the article?
A．Learning about asteroids and meteors.
B．The threats of objects from space and possible solutions.
C．NASA’s latest technology to discover visitors to the Earth from space.
D．How to measure the damage of collisions from asteroids and meteors.

小題1:B
小題2:A
小題3:D
小題4:B

試題分析：本文是一篇科技說明文。文章介紹了小行星和隕石可能對人類造成的傷害，以及人類為消除危害可能采取的措施和方法。
小題1:考查推理判斷。根據(jù)文章第一段中的Sixty-five million years ago, an asteroid (小行星) that crashed on Earth led to the disappearance of the largest animals that have ever walked our planet – the dinosaurs.可知，作者引用小行星撞擊地球?qū)е驴铸垳缃^這個(gè)事實(shí)，來警示人們小行星和隕石可能對地球造成嚴(yán)重危害的嚴(yán)重性。故選B。
小題2:考查推測詞義。根據(jù)文章第二段中的we’re just as vulnerable as the dinosaurs once were.可知，我們就像從前的恐龍一樣無助而滅絕。所以A正確。
小題3:考查細(xì)節(jié)理解。根據(jù)文章第二段中的The former fell in Russia, injuring 1,200 people可知，前一顆隕石落在了俄羅斯，造成1200受傷。因此和D項(xiàng)內(nèi)容吻合。
小題4:考查主旨大意�？v觀全文可知：第一段通過恐龍滅絕的事實(shí)，引起人們對小行星和隕石對人類造成的危害重視；第二段談下落在俄羅斯的隕石造成的危害；第三、四、五段談目前人類的觀測技術(shù)及我們應(yīng)對隕石危害的方法和措施。所以B項(xiàng)正確。
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