2022-2023年四川省遂宁市大学英语6级大学英语六级模拟考试(含答案)

2022-2023年四川省遂宁市大学英语6级大学英语六级模拟考试(含答案)学校:________班级:________姓名:________考号:________

一、2.ReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(20题)1.

Thepriceofnaturalgasischeaperandmorestablethanthatofgasoline.

A.YB.NC.NG

2.

Itiseasiertocontrolthetrustin______thaninalargeorganization.

3.

TheInternetAddictionSupportGrouphasbeenestablishedtotreat______.

4.TheWonderfulWorldofSmall

There'saquietrevolutiongoingon,anditsnameisnanotechnology.Ahostofinnovationsarecomingourway.Someseemalmostmagical,likethenewmaterialcreatedin2004byRayBaughman,aprofessorattheUniversityofTexas.It'sstrongerthansteel,transparent,very,verylight.Ahectare-sizesheetwouldweighjust280grams.

Whentheprofessorannouncedthathehadn'tdecidedwhattocallit,hestartedtogetemailsfromaroundtheworldsuggestingnames.Sinceitwassolightandstrong,peoplestartedcallingit"mithril"—thenameofahighlyprizedtypeofarmorusedinTheLordofRings.

Thereareotherdiscoveriestoo—perhapsnotsoastounding,butpracticalandpleasant.Nowtherearesocksthatdon'tgetsmelly,pantsthatresiststains,windowsthatrepeldirtandtoiletsthatcleanthemselves.Allthisresultsfromexploringtheworldofthevery,verysmall.

NanocomesfromtheGreekwordfromdwarf.Usuallynanotechnologyisdefinedasthestudyandmanipulationofmattersmallerthan100nanometers(纳米)—that'sthescaleofthingslikemoleculesandviruses.Tenhydrogenatomspressedtogetheragainsteachotherarejustonenanometerlong.Andonemillionnanometersfitintoamillimeter.Hardtograsp?Thinkofitthisway:IfeveryoneinManilawereananometerwide,theentirepopulation,standingshouldertoshoulder,wouldfitonyourthumbnail.

StunningUsesofNanotechnology

LikeAliceinWonderland,researchersinNanolandfindthemselvesinaworldwhereoldrulesdon'tapply.Smallthingsbehavedifferently.Thisisbehindseveralinnovations,includingtheself-cleaningtoilet.Thetoiletbowlissealedwithasuper-smoothglaze(涂层)thathasmicroscopicholesunder30nanometers.Becausethey'resmallerthanbacteriaorothertinyparticles,there'snotenoughroomfordirttogetstuckinthesurface.Flushingisbasicallyalltheworkyouhavetodo.

ResearchersinNanolandarealsomakingreally,reallysmallthingswithastonishingproperties—likethecarbonnanotube.ChrisPapadopoulosoftheUniversityofVictoria,says,"Thecarbonnanotubeistheposterboyfornanotechnology."

Inyourpencil,carbon,intheform.ofgraphite(石墨),issoftandeasilybroken.Butacarbonnanotubeistoughasnails—muchtougherinfact.It'sverythinsheetgraphitethat'sformedintoatube.Thesetinystraw-likecylinders,whichcanbeassmallashalfananometerwide,areupto100timesstrongerthansteelandsixtimeslighter.Theyarethehardest,stiffest,strongestmaterialsknownandareamongtheworld'sbestconductorsofheatandelectricity.Theycancarrysome1,000timesmoreelectricitycurrentthancopperwire:Everybodywantsthem,butuntilnowthey'vebeeninshortsupplyandpricey.Thecurrentannualproduction,worldwide,isonly300kilograms.At＄860agram,carbonnanotubescost50timesmorethangold.

Whenitcomestofindingusesforcarbonnanotubes,therangeishuge.TheNationalResearchCouncilCanada(NRC)islookingatharnessingtheirstrengthbyembeddingtheminconstructionmaterials,amongotherapplications.TheBoeingCompanythinksnanotubesmaybethesourceoffututeimprovementsforhigh-performanceaircraft.SomeofthemoststunningusescomeoutofRayBaughman'sresearch.Employingwhathecallsthe"ancienttechnologyofspinning",Baughrnanandhisteamdevelopedawayofspinningcarbonnanotubesintofibersthatarefourtimestougherthanspidersilk,thetoughestnaturalfilament(细丝).Sincetheyalsoconductelectricity,thefuturisticyarnscouldbewoveninto"smart"clothingthatstoreselectricity,ispotentiallybulletproofandincorporatessensorscapableofadjustingthetemperatureofgarment.Thefiberscouldalsobemadeintocablesforsuspensionbridgesmuchlong

A.YB.NC.NG

5.

______paintiseasiertoapply,coversbetterandlastslonger.

6.

TheworldrestartedtheOlympicGamesin1896,buttherestartoftorchrelaywaslaterthanthat.

A.YB.NC.NG

7.

Thedecisionsofscript.andactorsaredeterminedby______.

8.

Enteringriversby______,phosphatesandnitratesasfertilizerscanresultineutrophication.

9.

Thetraditionalideathatcompetitivesportsbuildcharacterhasapparently______intoday'sU.S.

10.

Thetwopollutantsthatcauseaciddepositionare______andnitrogenoxides(NOx).

11.

Aftershegotanewjob,LisaPerezregrettedthatshehadnotdonevolunteeringworkearlier.

A.YB.NC.NG

12.

ThepopularityofGrandTheftAuto3willstimulateproducerstoinvestmoreviolentvideogamesbecausetheyare______.

13.

Inallcoastalcities,cellphonenetworkscouldnotkeepupwithdemand.

A.YB.NC.NG

14.Whatistheforceoftheriseoftwotrendswhichappearoppositetoeachother?

A.Thedevelopmentofpopradio.

B.Photoshopthatcanedithumanvoice.

C.AvocalsoftwarecalledAuto-Tune.

D.ThepopularityofapopsingernamedCher.

15.IsStressMakingYouFat?

TheTriggerThatCausestheMostTrouble

Ourancestorsatetosurvive.Theyatebecausetheywerehungryormaybetocelebrateavictoryoverawarringtribe.Weeatbecausewe'rehungry,too,butalsowhenwe'restressed,angry,bored,depressed,frustrated,andbusy.

Stressmayactuallybetheeatingtriggerthatcausesthemosttrouble.Manyofushavehighlevelsofchronicstress,whetherit'sfromwork,relationshiptroublesorto-doliststhatarelongerthanRoute66.Ourbodiesrespondtothisstressthesamewayourancestors'bodiesdid:triggering"fightorflight"chemicalsinthebrainthatleadtocalorieaccumulationandfatstorage.Butthedifferenceisthatwehaveplentyoffoodatourdisposal.Soweendupcontinuallyupgradingthesizeofourstorageunit.

Whenyouhavechronicstress,yourbodystepsupitsproductionofcortisol(皮质醇)andinsulin(胰岛素).Yourappetiteincreases,andsodothechancesyou'llengageineatingintheform.ofhigh-caloriesweetsandfats.That,inturn,makesyoustoremorefar,pumpingevenmoreofitintotheliver.Thiscreatesaresistancetoinsulin,whichmakesyousecrete(分泌)moreinsulintocompensate.Andthatmakesyouhungrierthanamuzzledwolf.

Whenyoutrytocombatstresswithfood,youactivatetherewardcenterofyourbrain.Butafterthatinitialfeel-goodsystemwearsoff,you'llreachagainforthesamethingthatmadeyoufeelgood,calmandrelaxedinthefirstplace:morefood.That'swhyit'samyththatovereatingistriggeredmainlybyextremehunger.It'samyththatcravingsaredictatedbyourtastebuds.Andit'samyththatwecanresisttemptationsifwejustputourmindstoit.

Yourgoal:tokeepyourfeel-goodhormones(荷尔蒙)level.Thatwillprovideasteadystateofsatisfactionsothatyouneverexperiencethosehugehormonalhighsandlowsthatmakeyousearchforgood-for-your-brain,badfor-your-bellyfoods.Thefollowingtipswillhelp.

MakeFoodsWorkinYourFavor

Foodshavedifferenteffectsonyourstomach,yourbloodandyourbrain.Herearesomethatmayhelpyourhungerandthebrainchemicalsthataffectit.

Fishandwalnutsarerichinfattyacids,whichhavelongbeenknownascholesterolclearers.Butthey'vealsobeenshowntohelpwithdepressioninpregnantwomen.Depressioncontributestoemotionalovereating.Eatingfoodsthatcontainthefattyacidsmayhelpliftourspirits.

Greenteacontainscatechins(儿茶酚),thoughttoinhibitthebreakdownoffatsaswellastheproductionofasubstancethatcantriggerhunger.Onestudyshowsthatdrinkingthreeglassesofgreenteaadaycanhelpyoureducebodyweightbyalmostfivepercentinthreemonths.

SleepYourselfSlim

Whenyourbodydoesn'tgettheseventoninehoursofsleepitneedseverynighttobecomerefreshed,itlooksforotherwaystocompensateforyourbrainnotsecretingthenormalamountsoffeel-goodchemicals.Howdoesittypicallydothis?Bycravingsugaryfoodsthatwillgiveyouanimmediatereleaseofthesechemicals.

Thelackofsleepthrowsoffyourentiresystem.Itcanbecomeanevenbiggerfactorasyouage.Somakesureyougetenoughshut-eye.Itcanhelpkeepyouthin.

Variety:TheSpiceofLife?

Varietymaybethespiceoflife,butitcanalsoleadtoovereating.Whenyouhavealotofchoicesforameal,it'seasiertoslipoutofgoodeatinghabitsandintobadones.Whenyousitdownatadinnerandarepresentedwithamenuthat'sthesizeofaphonebook,it'seasytogivein.

Onewaytohelp:Eliminatethechoicesforatleastonemealaday.Pickthemealyourushthroughmost.Formostpeople,it'slunch.Sofindahealthylunchyoureallylike—saladwithchickenandoliveoil,orturkeyonwhole-grainbread—andha

A.YB.NC.NG

16.

MarkTwainactuallymeans______.

17.InwhatwayisDancingRabbitEcovillageradicalinitsdevelopment?

A.It'sthefirstecovillagetoestablishthecommunitywebsite.

B.Thevillagewantstobeindependentbycirculatingitsowncurrency.

C.ThevillageallowsasmoreasI000residentstolivethere.

D.Thevillagetendstobeself-reliantbycreatingallitneeds.

18.

Whenarrestingsomeone,thearrestingofficershadbetter______incaseofidentitytheft.

19.Awedding-planningworkermaybethesourceofhiscolleague'sangerbecause______.

A.thelatterisjealousoftheformer'shappiness

B.thelatterhastodosomeoftheformer'swork

C.theformermayforcethelattertohelpwiththewedding

D.thelattertendstomakemistakesundertheformer'sinfluence

20.

ResearchhasshownthatforeigncigarettesdotastebettertoAsiansmokersthannativebrands.

A.YB.NC.NG

二、3.ListeningComprehension(20题)21.

【B6】

22.

【B5】

23.听力原文：W:I'mdisappointedthatSusandidn'tmakeittothemeeting.

M:IsawheracoupleofhoursagoIguesssomethingcameupatthelastminute.

Q:WhatcanbeinferredaboutSusan?

(14)

A.Shetoldthewomanshecouldn'tcometothemeeting.

B.Shethoughtthemeetingwouldendsoon.

C.Shehadplannedtoattendthemeeting.

D.Shelookedforthewomanafterthemeeting.

24.

【B10】

25.(35)

A.Eastern.B.Southern.C.Northern.D.Western.

26.听力原文：W:Ican'tgetoverthewayyoutreatedmeatourowndinnertable.

M:Iwasirritatedatsomethingelse.IsaidIwassorry.Dowehavetogothroughallthatagain?

Q:Whathappenedtothewomantheotherday?

(19)

A.Shewashurtbytheman.

B.Shelosthertemper.

C.Shedidn'tspeaktoherhusband.

D.Shemissedthedinnerparty.

27.听力原文：W:Tellmealittlebitaboutyourself,please.

M:MynameisDavidandIliveinShanghai.Iwasbornin1980,andmymajorincollegewaselectricalengineering.

W:(19)Iseebyyourresumethatyouhavebeenworking?

M:Yes,IhaveworkedfortwoyearswithanAmericancompany.

W:MayIaskwhyyoulefttheformercompany?

M:IwouldliketogetajobinwhichIcanfurtherdevelopmycareerandseeknewchallenges.

W:Tellmewhatyouknowaboutourcompany,please.

M:IlearnedsomeinformationofyourcompanyviaInternet.AndIknowthatthecompanywasfoundedinNewYorkin1950byMarkWard,whowasalsothefirstpresident.Ithas2billiondollarsincapital;itemploys15,000people,anditisthelargestcompanyinitsfieldintheStates.

W:Whatdoyouknowaboutourproductsandourshareofthemarket?

M:(20)Yourcompany'sproductsaremostlymarketedinEuropeandtheUnitedStates,butparticularlyhassoldverywellhereinChina.SoIthinkinthefutureyou'llfindChinatobeaprofitablemarketaswell.

W:Whatkindofpersonalitydoyouthinkyouhave?

M:Well,Iapproachthingsveryenthusiastically,Ithink,andIdon'tliketoleavethingshalf-done.I'mveryorganizedandcapable.

W:Whatwouldyousayareyourweaknessesandstrengths?

M:Well,I'mafraidI'mapoorspeaker;however,I'mfullyawareofthis,soI'vebeenstudyinghowtospeakinpublic.(21)IsupposemystrengthsareI'mpersistentandafast-learner.

(20)

A.Professorandstudent.

B.Bossandemployee.

C.Interviewerandinterviewee.

D.Presidentandadviser.

28.

【B9】

29.(22)

A.9eachyear.

B.24eachyear.

C.12eachsemester.

D.9eachsemester.

30.

【B3】

31.

【B8】

32.SectionA

Directions:Inthissection,youwillhear8shortconversationsand2longconversations.Attheendofeachconversation,oneormorequestionswillbeaskedaboutwhatwassaid.Boththeconversationandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Aftereachquestiontherewillbeapause.Duringthepause,youmustreadthefourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD,anddecidewhichisthebestanswer.

听力原文：W:DoyouhaveanaddresswhereIcanwritetoyou?

M:No,I'llbeoffcampinginthemountainsmostofthetime.Butifyouwritetomeatmyuncle'shouse,he'llholdmymailuntilIgetthere.

Q:Whatwillthemanprobablydo?

(12)

A.Campinthemountains.

B.Stayathisownhouse.

C.Writetohisgirlfriend.

D.Holdhisuncle'smails.

33.SectionA

Directions:Inthissection,youwillhear8shortconversationsand2longconversations.Attheendofeachconversation,oneormorequestionswillbeaskedaboutwhatwassaid.Boththeconversationandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Aftereachquestiontherewillbeapause.Duringthepause,youmustreadthefourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD,anddecidewhichisthebestanswer.

听力原文：W:Lookwhatamessyou'vemade!I'vetoldyouseveraltimes,butyoujustturnadeafeartome.Canyoulistentomywordsforonce?

M:Shutup!You'redrivingmemadwithyourconstantcomplaining.

Q:Whatdoesthewomancomplainabouttheman?

(12)

A.Hedoesnothaveagoodhearing.

B.Hehasbeendrivingmadlyforayear.

C.Henevertakeswhatshesaysseriously.

D.Heisalwaysimpatientwithher.

34.听力原文：W:Doyouthinkyoucouldcallataxitotakemetothetrainstation?

M:Callataxi?I'llgiveyouaridemyself.

Q:Whatisthemangoingtodo?

(18)

A.Callataxiforthewoman.

B.Rideahorsewiththewoman.

C.Takethewomantothebusstation.

D.Drivethewomantothetrainstation.

35.SectionA

Directions:Inthissection,youwillhear8shortconversationsand2longconversations.Attheendofeachconversation,oneormorequestionswillbeaskedaboutwhatwassaid.Boththeconversationandthequestionswillbespokenonlyonce.Aftereachquestiontherewillbeapause.Duringthepause,youmustreadthefourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD,anddecidewhichisthebestanswer.

(12)

A.Hehashurthishand.

B.Hecan'tfixit.

C.Heisverybusyatthemoment.

D.Hewantsthewomantogivehimahand.

36.听力原文：M:Ihadadreamaboutparrotstheothernight.AwholeflockofparrotswasflyingaroundasIwasclimbingupthestreambed.It'sratherworrying.

W:Wouldyoudescribethatasanightmare?

Q:Whatkindofdreamdidthemanhave'?

(13)

A.Anexcitingdream.

B.Afunnydream.

C.Afrighteningdream.

D.Ahappydream.

37.

【B4】

38.(36)

A.BebopreflectedthestateoftheAmericaneconomy.

B.Bebopmadetheperformancetaximposed.

C.Bebopdevelopedbecauseoftheperformancetax.

D.Bebopsufferedfromtheperformancetax.

39.听力原文：W:Hello.15thDistrictOfficerMaryspeaking.

M:Help.Yeah,uh,itwaswild,Imeanreallyweird.

W:Calmdown,sir!Now,whatdoyouwanttoreport?

M:Well,I'dliketoreportaUFOsighting.

W:Awhat?

M:Whatdoyoumean"what"?Anunidentifiedflyingobject!

W:Walt,tellmeexactlywhatyousaw.

M:Well,Iwasdrivinghomefromapartyaboutdimehoursago,soitwasabout2:00a.m.,whenIsawthisbrightlightoverhead.

W:Okay.Andthenwhathappened?

M:Oh,man.Well,itwasoutofthisworld.Istoppedtowatchthelightwhenitdisappearedbehindahillaboutakilometeraheadofme.

W:Alright.Thenwhat?

M:Well,IgotbackinmycarandIstarteddrivingtowardwheretheUFOlanded.

W:Now,howdoyouknowitwasaUFO?Perhapsyouonlysawthelightsofanairplaneortheheadlightsofanapproachingcar.Thingslikethathappen,youknow.

M:Well,ifitwasthat,howdoyouexplain"thebeast"?

W:Whatdoyoumean,"thebeast"?

M:Okay.Ikeptdrivingforaboutfiveminuteswhenallofasudden,thisgiant,hairycreaturejumpedoutinfrontofmycar.

W:Oh,yeah.Thenwhat?

M:Well,then,thebeastpickedupthefrontofmycarandsaid,"Getoutofthecar.I'mtakingyoutomymaster!"Somethinglikethat.

W:Wow?AhairycreaturewhocanspeakEnglish!Comeon!

M:I'mnotmakingthisup,if.that'swhatyou'resuggesting.Then,whenIdidn'tgetoutofthecar,thebeastopenedthecardoorandcarriedmeonhisshoulderstothisround-shapedflyingobject,andwell,that'swhenIwokeupalongsidetheroad.Thebeastmusthaveknockedmeoutandleftmethere.

W:Well,that'sthebeststoryI'veheardallnight,sir.Now,haveyonbeentakinganydrugsoralcoholinthelast24hours?Youmentionedyouwenttoaparty.

M:What?Well,Ididhaveafewbeers,butI'mtellingthetruth.

W:Okay,okay.Wehaveagreatpsychologistthatdealswiththesekindsofcases.

M:I'mnotcrazy.

W:Well,we'lllookintoyourstory.Thankyou.

(20)

A.Hewasreturninghomefromaparty.

B.HejustgotoffworkwhenhesawtheUFO.

C.Hewasdrivinghomefromarestaurant.

D.Hewascominghomefromapolicestation.

40.(28)

A.Ithadastrangeaccent.

B.Itwasdifficulttounderstand.

C.IthadastrongItalianaccent.

D.Itwaseasytounderstand.

三、4.ReadingComprehension(ReadinginDepth)(20题)41.

whatistheauthor'sattitudetowardsTekXam?

A.Objective.B.Hesitant.C.Supportive.D.Negative.

42.

Itcanbeinferredfromthepassagethatabearisgoingtogainmoneyif______.

A.thestockpriceisrising

B.thestockpriceisdropping

C.thebullsarewithdrawing

D.otherbearsarelosingmoney

43.

An18-year-oldisbelievedtotakeameaningfulgapyearwhenhe/she______.

A.livesuptohis/herparents'expectations

B.spendstimebeinglazyanddoingnothing

C.learnsskillsbyspendingparents'money

D.earnshisorherlivingandgainsworkingexperience

44.SectionA

Directions:Inthissection,thereisashortpassagewith5questionsorincompletestatements.Readthepassagecarefully.Thenanswerthequestionsorcompletethestatementsinthefewestpossiblewords.

Plantingtreesmightnotbesuchagoodideainthefightagainstglobalwarming—leastnotinhighlatitudes(纬度).That'stheimplicationofnewresearchthatfindsthatforestsinpartsofCanada,Siberia,andScandinaviacouldabsorbenoughsunlighttowarmthoseareassome10degreesFahrenheit(5.5degreeCelsius)overthenextcenturycomparedtoifthoseforestsdon'texist.Theyruncountertolong-standingargumentsthatplantingtreesanywhereintheworldisaneffectivewaytocombatglobalwarming.Thenewstudysupportsthepracticeinrainforestzones,wheremoretreesabsorbmorecarbondioxidefromtheatmosphere.Tropicalplantsalsoproducemorewatervapor,addingtothethickcloudcoverthatreflectssunlightbackintospace.Butthedarkcanopies(树冠)ofnorthernforestsabsorbthesun'sraysandcoverthesnowthatwouldreflectlight,creatingaregionalwarmingeffect.

"Ifyoulookdownfromanairplane,whereyouhaveseasonalsnowcoverandyoudon'thaveaforest,it'sallwhite,andthatsnowishighlyreflective,"saidstudyco-authorGovindasamyBala,anatmosphericscientistatLawrenceLivermoreNationalLaboratory."Ifyouplantnewtrees,thecanopycoversthatsnowandverylittlesunlightisreflected.That'swhywhenyouplanttreesthereisapotentialforlocallywarmingaplace."

Forestpreservationandreforestationeffortsarestillcriticalforlesseningglobalwarming,Balaandcolleaguescaution.But"ourfirsthypothesiswasthatthebenefitofplantingtreescannotbeuniform.everywhere".Inadditiontotheirconclusionaboutnorthernforests,theteamfoundthatplantingmoretreesinmid-latitudelocales-includingmostoftheUnitedStatesandEurope—mayhavelittleeffectonclimatechange.

"Plantingtreesinthetropicsgivesyouthemaximumbenefitifyouwanttoslowdownglobalwarming,"saidBala,"Fromtheperspectiveofbiodiversityandconservation,tropicalforestsarethemostbiologicallyimportantrealestateanywhere."Sofromthatperspectiveit'sgoodnewstohighlighteffortsforprotectingthoseforests.

Bala'steamnotesthattheirresearchisonlyafirststeptowardunderstandingtherolesofforestsincomplexclimaticprocesses.Theyalsostressthatwidespreaddeforestationwouldcauseecologicaldestructionandisnotafeasibleoptionforkeepingglobalwarmingincheck."Thedestructionofecosystems(生态系统)topreventglobalwarming,"theteamwroteintheirpaper,"wouldbeacounterproductiveandridiculousstrategy."

Theideaof______mightworsentheproblemofglobalwarmingisdifferenttothetraditionalideathatplantingtreescanslowdownglobalwarming.

45.

Whatfoundbelowthewaterscouldshowthatthecitieswereoncethedestinationsforreligiouspilgrims?

46.Toseehowstatesofmarriageinfluencedsleep,researchersinstalledsomeequipmentinsubjects'hometomonitortheir______andrecordhowtheirrelationshipswent.

47.SectionB

Directions:Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD.Youshoulddecideonthebestchoice.

Thediscoveryofplanetsarounddistantstarshasbecomelikespace-shuttlelaunchesnewsworthybutjustbarely.Withsome50extra-solarplanetsundertheirbelt,astronomershavetoannouncesomethingreallystrangetogetanyone'sattention.

Lastweektheydidjustthat.StandinginfrontofcolleaguesandreportersattheAmericanAstronomicalSociety'ssemiannualmeetinginSanDiego,theworld'spremierplanet-huntingteamastronomerGeoffreyMarcyoftheUniversityofCalifornia,Berkeley,andhiscolleagues,presentednotonebuttworemarkablefinds.Thefirstisapairofplanets,eachaboutthemassofJupiter(木星),thatwhirlaroundtheirhomestar15light-yearsfromEarthinperfectlockstep.Onetakes30daystocompleteanorbit,theotherexactlytwiceaslong.Nobodyhaseverseensuchaconfiguration.Buttheseconddiscoveryisfarstrangerasolarsystem123light-yearsaway,intheconstellationSerpens(巨蛇座),thatharborsone"ordinary"planetandanothersohuge17timesasmassiveasJupiterthatnobodycanquitefigureoutwhatitcanbe."Itis,"saysMarcy,"abitfrightening."What'sfrighteningisthatthesediscoveriesmakeitclearhowlittleastronomersknowaboutplanets,andtheyaddtothedawningrealizationthatoursolarsystemandbyimplicationPlanetEarthmaybeacosmicoddball.Foryearstheoristsfiguredthatotherstarswouldhaveplanetsmoreorlessliketheonesgoingaroundthesun.Butstartingwiththe1995discoveryofthefirstextra-solarplanetagassymonsterlikeJupiterbutorbitingseventimesasclosetoitsstarasMercury(水星)orbitsaroundoursuneachnewfindhasseemedstrangerthanthelast.Searchershavefoundmore"hotJupiters"likethatfirstdiscovery.Theseincludehugeplanetsthatcareeraroundtheirstarsnotincircularorbitsbutinelongatedones;theirgravitywouldsendanyEarthlikeneighborsflyingoffintospace.SaysPrincetonastronomerScottTremaine:"Notasinglepredictionforwhatwe'dfindinothersystemshasminedouttobecorrect."

Lastweek'sgiantwasthemostunexpecteddiscoveryyet.Conventionaltheorysuggeststhatitmusthaveformedlikeastar,fromacollapsingcloudofinterstellargas.Itssmallercompanion,onlyseventimesJupiter'smass,isalmostcertainlyaplanet,formedbythebuildupofgasanddustleftoverfromastar'sformation.Yetthefactthatthesetwoorbsaresoclosetogethersuggeststosometheoriststhattheymusthaveformedtogethersomaybethebiggeroneisaplanetafterall.Ormaybeastronomerswillhavetorethinktheirdefinitionof"planet".Justbecauseweputheavenlyobjectsintocategoriesdoesn'tmeanthedistinctionsarenecessarilyvalid,asTremaineputsit,"Whenyourclassificationschemesstartbreakingdown,youknowyou'relearningsomethingexciting.Thisiswonderfulstuff."

TheauthorcitestheexampleofGeoffreyMarcy'sfindstoillustrate______.

A.astronomershavegreatbreakthroughinthediscoveryofplanets

B.thediscoveryofplanetshastobeextraordinarytoarouseattentions

C.it'sbeneficialtoencouragefrequentcommunicationinscientificstudy

D.astronomersknowfarfromenoughaboutplanetsarounddistantstars

48.SectionB

Directions:Thereare2passagesinthissection.Eachpassageisfollowedbysomequestionsorunfinishedstatements.ForeachofthemtherearefourchoicesmarkedA,B,CandD.Youshoulddecideonthebestchoice.

Picasso'sartwasnotjustapleasantdistraction.Theartistbelievedthatarthelpstopenetratefurtherintotheworldandintomenforunderstanding.Withhisunusuallyacutesenses,withhisintense,blackeyes,Picassosaweverysubjectasnooneelsedid.Hetriedtoexpresstheessenceofhissubject.Heshowedpeoplehowtograspanewconceptofbeauty.Hemadethemrealizethatbeautycanhaveadiversityofforms."Nowisthetimeinthisperiodofchangeandrevolutiontousearevolutionarymannerofpaintingandnottopaintlikebefore."ThatwasPicasso'sidea.Believingitistheartist'sfunctiontodiscovernewformsofexpression,heliberatedartandmadeourfeelingsaboutitmoreacute.

Picassokeepsallofartalive.Hisworkencompasses'allofthepastandforetellsthefutureofart.Hisearlypaintingsweresoberandsensible,intheacademicstyle.ButPicassowasamongthefirstartiststoappreciatethevitalityoftheprimitiveAfricanmasksandidolsthathesawinexhibitionsinParisbeforetheFirstWorldWar.Later,heexperimentedinrecreatingtheartist'sworldasCezannehadanalyzedit,"Youmustseeinnaturethecylinder,thesphere,thecone"—"thelittleCubes,"asoneartistcalledthem.ThisCubistvisionoftheworldintroducedanewperiodinthehistoryofartandinfluencedalltheformsofself-expressioninthefirsthalfofthetwentiethcentury:sculpture,architecture,ballet,t