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 discovered beyond the Earth appear as seven mysterious black dots on the pictures 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 you'd find it in caves," said Jut Wynne, one of the researchers who noticed the features 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 showed one hole to be unusually warm, suggesting hot air trapped during the day is 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 would be perfect places to hunt for life escaping from the bitterly cold, radiation-soaked , 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. 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 lave flows spread across the planet long ago. The outside of the tubes cooled, forming solid walls, while something hotter inside allowed the remaining have to flow out, forming caves. 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
D
When I was a seven-year-old girl, I used to go door-to-door with my mother to ask the residents for donations to the American Lung Association. Some would give a few coins; others, on rare occasions, a whole dollar; but most would silently shake their heads. No matter what the amount was, my mother always thanked the givers, wrote their names and addresses on her large envelope, and placed the money inside. And then we returned to our apartment, and my mother counted the money. The yield didn't match the effort: I don't think she collected more than $10. Still, she sent the collection to the organization. Even as a child, I knew my mother's actions were great, which aroused my pride in her. Asking poor people to give to an organization which aimed to help others wasn't what you did. Other charities gave to these folks; you didn't ask them to give. To them , her efforts likely seemed foolish. But to me, her efforts had an influence on me as I grew up. Although my charitable giving is modest, I faithfully and regularly donate to the organization which is aimed at fighting AIDS; to stop hunger, and homelessness; to support public broadcasting, the arts, and public education; and to heal families. And I volunteer my time to teach little girls and fix our badly broken public schools. I do these things because I believe I've been given much, so much is required of me. I never asked my mother why she collected those donations, and, besides, the lung cancer that killed her twenty-one years ago prevents me from asking now. But had I asked, my mother's response would have been simple:"Because I can."That's what she would have said. But from that look in her eyes and her daily efforts to make life a bit brighter, I know she also acted on hope that tomorrow would be better and that her actions somehow would make a difference. When the author's mother asked for donation from door to door,_. A) she would collect more than 100 dollars every time B) many people wished to be remembered by others. C) the author understood how terrible their life was D) most people were not able to offer their help
D
Q: Kasey Kaczmarek: When I read "Would my dad love me?" by Martha, I related to how Martha felt about her father. I always wondered if my dad cared about me, or if he even loved me. All the kids would be with their dads and they would ask me where my dad was, and I would tell them that he was out of town. For all you kids who have a dad, tell him how much you love him because there are plenty of kids who would love to have a dad. Armen Abidian: This article describes everything about me and my life. When I was about 3 years old, my mother and father had a big argument and got divorced. Now I'm 13 years old and I haven't seen my father for 10 years. Just like Martha, I don't know what he looks like now, whether or not he's got married to a different woman, or if he has another child. Emma Ramirez: When Martha talked about how "most girls have dads who take them to their practices, buy them things and play with them", I thought I was one of those girls. I never stopped to think about how there are girls who have always dreamed of having those things but don't have a father. After reading what Martha wrote, I told myself I would always appreciate the days I spend with my dad because I am very lucky to have a dad who does so much for me. Stephanie Felix: This article reminded me of how much I missed my dad when I was younger. I really relate to this article because I used to always wonder about my dad, but not any more. Life without my father has made me more independent and responsible. By reading this article I remember all of this and I was able to understand what the writer was talking about. The above four passages are most probably _ . A) comments on a book about a girl who has no father B) comments on Martha's opinion about parents' love C) four people's thoughts after reading Martha's article D) letters to Martha to comfort her
A: C
(Question)
Do you want to know something about the history of weather? Don't look at the sky. Don't look for old weather reports. Looking at tree rings is more important. Correct weather reports date back only one century, but some trees can provide an exact record of the weather even further back. It is natural that a tree would grow best in a climate with plenty of sunlight and rainfall. It is also expected that little sunlight and rainfall would limit the growth of a tree. The change from a favorable to an unfavorable climate can be determined by reading the pattern of rings in a tree trunk. To find the weather of ten years ago, count the rings of a tree trunk from the outside to the inside. If the tenth ring is far from the other rings, then it is certain that plenty of sunny and rainy weather occurred. If the rings are closed together, then the climate was bad for the tree. Studying tree rings is important not only for the history of weather, but also for the history of man. In a region of New Mexico you can find only sand---no trees and no people. However, many centuries ago a large population lived there. They left suddenly. Why? A scientist studied patterns of dead tree rings which had grown there. He decided that the people had to leave because they had cut down all the trees. Trees were necessary to make fires and buildings. So, after the people destroyed the trees, they had to move. In this instance studying tree rings uncovers an exciting fact about the history of man. The scientists are interested in studying tree rings because they can tell _ . A) whether in that area the climate was favorable or not B) whether a particular tree was healthy or not C) whether people took good care of the trees or not D) how old the trees were
(Answer)
A