iy China's first aircraft carrier began sea trials Wednesday,marking a milestone in the country's rapid military modernization and longterm strategy to challenge U. S. military su?premacy in Asia and project power far beyond Chinese shores.

The 300-meter-long carrier,based on an empty hull bought from Ukraine,sounded its horn three times as it ploughed through the morning fog around Dalian and headed out to sea,accord?ing to one witness writing on the military microblog of the staterun Xinhua News Agency.

The carrier,featuring its original skijump runway to launch fighters and a new engine and radar equipment,has been undergoing refurbishment (重新裝備) for the last decade in the north?eastern port.

Xinhua said the sea trials " would not take a long time”，without giving details of the exact duration or say what sort of tests would be carried out. " After returning from the sea trial,the aircraft carrier will continue refit and test work," it said.

The provincial Maritime Safety Authority said on its web site that all vessels will be barred (被禁止的) from entering a small section of sea off Dalian until 6 p. m. local time Aug. 14.

The launch had long been expected as final preparations of the vessel―which has yet to be named by China ― were visible from many points around Dalian and had been regularly photographed and documented online by amateur enthusiasts.

A Chinese company purchased the empty hull of a carrier called the Varyag from Ukraine in 1998 on the understanding that it would be used as a floating casino,but it was later towed (4& 曳) to Dalian via the Black Sea,the Mediterranean and the Straits of Malacca.

China officially acknowledged only last month that it was refurbishing the vessel,and tried to ease regional concerns by saying it would be used for "research,experiments and training" and would take a long time to become fully operational.

China is the only one of the five permanent members of the U. N.Security Council,which includes theU. S.，Britain,FranceandRussia,without an operational carrier.IndiaandThai?landhave a carrier each,whileJapanhas one that carries helicopters.

(   ) 1. The underlined word "milestone" in the first paragraph most probably means

   A. a significant event in one's life or in a project

   B. a special stone in a mile

   C. making an important discovery

   D. a mark showing the boundary of a piece of land

(   ) 2. Which of the following does the passage NOT cover?

   A. A Chinese company purchased the empty hull fromUkraineas a floating casino.

   B. The first aircraft carrier ofChinais already under construction at a shipyard in Shanghai.

   C. This aircraft carrier has not been named at present.

   D. Chinais one of the five permanent members of the U. N. Security Council.

(   ) 3. What can be inferred from the last but one paragraph?

   A. China officially acknowledged that it was refurbishing the carrier.

   B. "Research,experiments and training" are the purpose of this sea trial.

   C. Though intending to own its aircraft carrier,Chinawould not threat or challenge any country purposely.

   D. Chinastill has a long way to go to make the carrier fully operational.

(   ) 4. Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

   A. China Starts Aircraft Carrier Sea Trial

   B. China Has Built Its First Aircraft Carrier

   C. China Would Take a Long Time Sea Trials This Time

   D. China Has Already Developed a Fully Operational Carrier Group

Atlantis left the International Space Station on Tuesday and slipped away after a partial lap around the station. Ten pairs of eyes 1        against the windows,four in the shuttle and six in the 2       .

All that remains of NASA's final shuttle voyage is the touchdown,targeted for the 3       hours of Thursday back home in Florida. Its return 4        the 30-year run of a vessel that kept US astronauts flying to and from 5        longer than any other rocketship.

"Get her 6        safely and enjoy the last couple days in space shuttle Atlantis," the station's Mission Control 7        commander Christopher Ferguson and his crew.

Replied Ferguson： " It's been an incredible ride."

As a final salute,the space station rotated to provide never-before-seen views of the com?plex. Atlantis flew halfway around the outpost,cameras whirring aboard 8        craft to record the historic event.

Flight controllers savored (欣賞，品味) the dual TV images. "It must 9        pretty spectacu?lar," Ferguson said.

And it 10       ：Atlantis sailing serenely (寧?kù)o地，平靜地) against the black void of space,its pay load (有效載重，負(fù)載) bay wide open,and the space station,its huge 11        wings glow?ing golden 12        the sunlight.

As the lead team of flight controllers signed off for the very 13        time,the voice emanating (發(fā)出) from the shuttle's Mission Control cracked with emotion. Another team would take over late Tuesday for 14       .

To ensure their 15        return,the crew 16        one final survey of the shuttle,using the robotic arm and a lasertipped extension. Experts scrutinized (仔細(xì)檢查，細(xì)看) the images for signs of micrometeorite damage.

Atlantis 17       8 days at the space station and left behind a year's worth of supplies,insur?ance in the event commercial providers 18        delays in launching their own cargo ships.

It was the 37th shuttle 19      ,over more than 12 years,dedicated to building and 20        the space station ― the largest structure ever to orbit the planet.

(   ) 1. A. put   B. pressed   C. looked   D. squeeze

(   ) 2. A. home   B. station   C. base   D. airplane

(   ) 3. A. predawn   B. daytime   C. at dusk   D. midnight

(   ) 4. A. starts   B. closes   C. ends   D. begins

(   ) 5. A. space   B. universe   C. sky   D. orbit

(   ) 6. A. home   B. here   C. forward   D. straight

(   ) 7. A. recommended   B. told   C. suggested   D. advised

(   ) 8. A. all   B. some   C. every   D. both

(   ) 9. A. sound   B. seem   C. look   D. feel

(   ) 10. A. did   B. worked   C. accounted   D. acted

(   ) 11. A. beautiful   B. metallic   C. useful   D. solar

(   ) 12. A. under   B. beneath   C. in   D. against

(   ) 13. A. last   B. first   C. key   D. proper

(   ) 14. A. arrival   B. taking off   C. flying   D. landing

(   ) 15. A. secure   B. safe   C. reliable   D. harmless

(   ) 16. A. fulfilled   B. achieved   C. conducted   D. carried

(   ) 17. A. spent   B. took   C. paid   D. expend

(   ) 18. A. meet   B. face   C. encounter   D. contact

(   ) 19. A. purpose   B. mission   C. business   D. assignment

(   ) 20. A. preserving   B. possessing   C. supporting   D. maintaining

 請(qǐng)根據(jù)下表內(nèi)容提示寫(xiě)一篇題為"Guinness in China"的短文。詞數(shù):120左右。

  Millions of women use cosmetics,often called "makeup". The cosmetics industry is one of the biggest in the world. Most large stores sell cosmetics,and there are always shops at air?ports selling them cheaply. The word "cosmetics" refers to anything that people put on their faces to make them look better. Lipstick,face powder and cream,and eye makeup are the most popular. Although more women than men use cosmetics,there are cosmetics for men as well as women.

Some people even have cosmetic surgery to make their faces look different. They have the shape of their noses and eyes changed.

The most widely used cosmetic is probably lipstick,as many women who do not wear any other makeup will often put on a little lipstick.

Lipstick is made by mixing together different oils and colors. This mixture is then allowed to get hard and is cut into the shape of a small pencil. When a woman presses the lipstick to her lips,the end of it becomes soft,and some of it sticks to her lips,giving them extra color.

Cosmetics were probably first used in India,but it was the Egyptians,six thousand years ago,who made the most use of them. Rich Egyptian women painted their eyes green and black. They used a red color to paint pretty designs on their fingernails,the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet. Pictures of Cleopatra always show her wearing a lot of makeup.

The Romans also used cosmetics. They liked to make their skin very white and to paint their eyes. They also used a kind of lipstick.

In England at one time,very rich women had baths in milk to make their skin beautiful. They also used a lot of sweetsmelling powder to stop people smelling their bodies,which were often very dirty because they did not wash very often or change their clothes.

At one time,some cosmetics were not safe. They were bad for the skin,and some of the lipsticks and powders that people used were even poisonous. Nowadays,people in the cosmetics industry take great care to make sure that everything they use is completely safe.

(   ) 5. Which of the following cosmetics is probably most widely used?

   A. Lipstick. B. Face powder. C. Cream. D. Surgery.

(   ) 6. For what reason do people use cosmetics?

   A. Only to have a good feeling. B. Only to color their face. C. To make themselves look better. D. Instead of surgery.

(   ) 7. From the passage we know that in earlier times,          .

   A. all cosmetics were harmful to people

   B. people never used cosmetics on the eyes

   C. poisonous cosmetics were never used on the skin

   D. not all cosmetics were harmful to the skin

(   ) 8. What is the main meaning of the passage?

   A. Cosmetic surgery is the only method to make people different.

   B. People,women or men,ancient or present,love to be different.

   C. Cosmetics were probably first used by the Egyptians six thousand years ago.

   D. All cosmetics are safe so we should not be careful to use them.

S Rifca Stanescu gave birth to her daughter Maria when she was only 13 !And now at 12 ,Maria is a mother to a 2-year-old boy.

Despite Rifca Stanescu's pleas for her daughter Maria to stay in school,the 11-year-old girl ran away,got married and got pregnant with her husband's baby. That's right,she was only 11 !History repeats itself.

At the age of 11,Rifca ran away with her now husband Ionel,who was only 13 at the time. The pair got married and conceived Maria. "I am happy to be a grandmother but I wished something else for Maria,and something else for me," Rifca tells the The Sun. "Ion is a good boy,and he is already engaged to a girl aged 8. Boys are always good to have,they don't have to suffer as much girls I think."

Already engaged? Seems weird right,but in Romanian gypsy culture that's normal. Rifca was promised to be married to someone else at the age of two,but once she met Ionel,she de?nied her family's wishes and ran away with him. "I wanted to marry him,so I agreed,and of course after we had spent the night together then there was no way anyone could separate us”， Rifca explains.

In gypsy culture,virginity is greatly prized and girls marry young so that their new hus?bands are assured they are virgins. If a woman loses her virginity before marriage,the deal is off. After Maria's birth,Ionel's family paid Rifca's father a dowry (嫁妝) and so that everything could be settled.

So when Maria decided at the age of 11 to get married,Rifca couldn't really do anything about it. "I did not try to stop my daughter getting married because this is the tradition," she says, "it's what happens."

(   ) 1. Which of these is the best definition of the word " conceived"？

   A. Think carefully about. B. Take into consideration.

   C. The process of giving birth. D. Become pregnant.

(   ) 2. Why do the girls marry so young in Romanian gypsy culture?

   A. Because their families are really so poor.

   B. This is the traditional custom.

   C. The girls want to look for their better life.

   D. Their husbands want to identify they are virgins.

(   ) 3. Which of the following is the right order of the story?

a. Ion is engaged to a girl aged 8.

b. Rifca ran away with her now husband Ionel at the age of 11.

c. Maria got married and got pregnant at the age of 11.

d. Rifca gave birth to her daughter Maria when she was only 13.

e. Rifca was promised to be married to someone at the age of two.

f. Maria is a mother to a 2-year-old boy,Ion.

   A. ecfabd   B. ebdcfa   C. bedfca   D. bdcefa

(   ) 4. What is the main meaning of the passage?

   A. The world youngest granny ― only twentythree years old this year.

   B. In gypsy culture,virginity is greatly prized.

   C. Rifca,the 11-year-old girl,ran away,got married and got pregnant with her husband's baby.

   D. Rifca gave birth to her daughter Maria when only 13 ,and now at 12 ,Maria is a mother to a 2-year-old boy.

Attention to detail is something everyone can and should do―especially in a tight job mar?ket. Bob Crossley,a humanresources expert notices 1        in the job applications that 2        his desk every day. "It's 3       how many candidates eliminate themselves," he says.

"Resumes (簡(jiǎn)歷) 4       with stains. Some candidates don't 5        to spell the company's name correctly. Once I see a mistake,I eliminate the candidate," Crossley concludes, "If they cannot take care of these 6       ,why should we 7        them with a job?"

Can we pay too much attention to details? Absolutely. Perfectionists struggle 8        little things at the cost of something larger they work toward. "To keep 9        losing the forest for the trees," says Charles Garfield,associate professor at the University of California,San Fran?cisco ,"we must constantly ask ourselves 10        the details we're working on 11        into the larger picture. If they don't,we should 12        them and move to something else."

Garfield compares this process 13        his work as a computer scientist at NASA. "The Apollo II moon 14        was slightly offcourse 90 percent of the time," says Garfield. "But a successful landing was still likely because we knew the exact 15        of our goal. This allowed us to 16        adjustments as necessary."Knowing where we want to go 17        us judge the im?portance of every task we undertake.

Too often we believe 18        accounts for others' success is some special secret or a lucky break (機(jī)遇) .But rarely is success so mysterious. Again and again,we see that by doing 19        things within our grasp well,large rewards 20       .

(   ) 1. A. that   B. this   C. it   D. which

(   ) 2. A. come true   B. come into being   C. come over"   D. come across

(   ) 3. A. exciting   B. puzzling   C. amazing   D. interesting

(   ) 4. A. start   B. go   C. arrive   D. get to

(   ) 5. A. bother   B. like   C. agree   D. concern

(   ) 6. A. parts   B. things   C. matters   D. details

(   ) 7. A. give   B. trust   C. offer   D. believe

(   ) 8. A. against   B. with   C. over   D. for

(   ) 9. A. from   B. away   C. on   D. up

(   ) 10. A. why   B. what   C. whether   D. how

(   ) 11. A. suit   B. fit   C. get   D. adapt

(   ) 12. A. change   B. correct   C. drop   C. give in

(   ) 13. A. to   B. with   C. by   D. of

(   ) 14. A. launch   B. fire   C. start   D. project

(   ) 15. A. purpose   B. arrangement   C. determination   D. coordinates

(   ) 16. A. have   B. make   C. get   D. take

(   ) 17. A. benefits   B. causes   C. helps   D. assists

(   ) 18. A. what   B. that   C. which   D. as

(   ) 19. A. large   B. great   C. few   D. little

(   ) 20. A. succeed   B. follow   C. bring   D. produce

10.                    that Mrs. Williams knew nothing about it. (not ... until)

直到我告訴她，威廉夫人才知道此事。

9. I've decided to learn photography                      the beauty of nature. (appreciate)

我決定學(xué)攝影以便能更好地欣賞自然的美。

8.         ，the qualities of our living are by no means satisfactory(as)

雖然我們的國(guó)家很富有，但是我們的生活質(zhì)量卻令人很不滿意。

7. Several companies                      the contract to build the bridge.(bid)

有幾家公司在投標(biāo)爭(zhēng)取承包建橋工程。