It is always hard for a small fish to live in a big pond. Pluto's recent departure from the classical planet family clearly proves that size really matters. Astronomers voted on August 24 to create the first scientific definition of the word planet, and Pluto obviously didn't make the cut. It turned out to be only a "dwarf planet" . After weeks of heated debate, over 2,500 astronomers from 73 countries voted on the definition of a "planet" at a conference of the international Astronomical Union (IAU). According to the definition, a planet must have a clear neighborhood around its orbit. Pluto has widely been considered a planet since its discovery in 1930. Unfortunately, it has a special orbit which overlaps with Neptune's. It is all because, compared with Neptune, Pluto is very small. It is attracted by Neptune's gravity when the two planets get closer. According to IAU, a "dwarf planet" should have an orbit around the Sun. It will not have a clear neighborhood around its orbit, and must not be a satellite. The new classification means that the science textbooks will have to be updated. The solar system is now made up of the eight "classical planets," together with a number of dwarf planets. The classical planets are: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. The debate over Pluto's status started in 1992. After an advanced telescope was sent into space, astronomers started find a belt of objects, which lies beyond Neptune. The belt contains nearly 1,000 objects, including Pluto. As they continued the exploration, scientists recently discovered at least 41 dwarf planets at the edges of the solar system. There are at least two objects of a similar size to Pluto. It seems that even if the IAU had kept Pluto's status as a planet, the classical theory of nine planets in the solar system would have had to be changed, but the other way around. More dwarf, planets of a similar size to Pluto would join the family of planets. Scientists will probably find many more dwarf planets. Which of the following statements is NOT true aceording to the passage? A) According to definition of a "planet", if Pluto were bigger it would not have left the classic planet family. B) It's quite possible for dwarfs to lose if they compete with big men C) Pluto has a special orbit which overlap with Neptune's, because it is so small as to be attraeted by Neptune's gravity when the two planets get closer D) A "dwarf planet", which can not be a satellite without a clear neighborhood around its orbit, should have an orbit around the Sun.
B
From birth to death, the word kick has been given an important part in expressing human experience. The proud and happy mother feels the first signs of life kicking inside her body. And that same life------many years later------ comes to its end in a widely-used expression, to kick the bucket( ) . The expression to kick the bucket is almost 200 years old. One belief is that it started when an English stableman killed himself by hanging while standing on a bucket. He put a rope around his neck and tied it to a beam in the ceiling, and then kicked the bucket away from under him. Another old expression that comes from England is to kick over the traces. Traces were the chains that held at horse or mule to a wagon or plow. Sometimes, an animal refused to obey and kicked over the traces. Kick around is an expression that is heard often in American English. A person who is kicked around is someone who is treated badly. Usually he is not really being kicked by somebody's foot. He is just not being treated with the respect that all of us want. A person who has kicked around for most of his life is someone who has spent his life moving from place to place. In this case, kicking around means moving often from one place to another. Kick around has another meaning when you use it with the word idea. When you kick around an idea, you are giving that idea some thought. There is no physical action when you kick a person upstairs, although the pain can be as strong .You kick a person upstairs by removing him from an important job and giving him a job that sounds more important, but really is not. Still another meaning of the word kick is to free oneself of a bad habit, such as smoking cigarettes. Health campaigns urge smokers to kick the habit. What does the idiom "kick over the traces" in "All kids seem to want to kick over the traces and do what they like to" means _ . A) disobey the commands B) obey the traditions C) ride a horse or mule D) punish animals strictly
A
*Question*
A group of people from Denmark have formed the B-Society. According to them, human beings are divided into types: A-People, and B-People. A-People have no problem getting up in the morning, and operate much better earlier in the day. However, B-people are better later in the day. "I'm useless early in the morning," says one of the members of the B-Society."All I can do is drink coffee, and stare into space. People used to get up early because they had to feed the animals. But I haven't got any cows or chickens, so I can sleep late," She adds. Since the society was set up, the B-Society has welcomed several thousand members. Right now, the B-Society is fighting hard for businesses to join its B-certification list. Companies that are "B-certified" basically give their employees the opportunity to come in when they want. In some companies, employees arrive at any time up to 3:30 pm --- each to their own rhythm . And it is not just businesses that are benefiting from this. Teenagers who can't get out of bed in the morning, and parents who never quite get the kids to school on time, can now benefit from B-classes. From next year, a school in Copenhagen will offer classes which start later in the day (at 10 instead of eight). And even the government seems to like the idea. The B-Society was founded by Camilla Kring, a professor from the University of Copenhagen. On her website, she says, "When B-people's work rhythms are considered at the work place, their productivity and quality of life is increased, which can increase productivity for the entire organization." She adds that, "B-Society will create a new daily rhythm in schools and other institutions as an alternative to the current rhythm of 'early at work and early at home'. We are working for the establishment of kindergartens, primary and secondary schools as well as universities that open between 10 am and 8 pm." Would you like to work for a B-certified company? The author's purpose in writing this text is to _ . A) stress the importance of getting up early B) express his attitude towards the B-Society C) introduce a group having a special daily rhythm D) call on people to work for B-certified companies
**Answer**
C