外研版高中英语必修三Module 4 3

　　3. The Hubble Space Telescope has been racing around Earth for 19 years. Over that time, it has collected a lot of important data and changed our understanding of space.

　　“In recent months, the historic telescope has been suffering from technical difficulties. These problems are not all that surprising,” says Frank Summers, an astronomer in Baltimore. “The Hubble has already lived longer than it was originally expected to,” he says.

　　When scientists first designed the Hubble Space Telescope, they expected it to last for 15 years. In 2010, it will reach twenty years. The spacecraft recently completed its 100,000th orbit (绕轨道飞行) around Earth. The reason the Hubble has lasted so long is that people have been able to go up and fix it when parts break. Repairs are common on ground telescopes, but the Hubble is the only space telescope that receives these kinds of visits.

　　Hubble’s problems also show how important the telescope has been to astronomy in the last twenty years. Scientists have used the telescope to watch moons around planets and planets around stars. It has taught scientists about black holes and dark matter. And it has taken images of exploding stars, dust storms and more. “It is the best telescope in history,” Frank Summers says. “There are things we can do with the Hubble that we can’t do with anything else. It provides us with a bird’s eye view of the universe.”

　　46. Why has the Hubble lasted longer than scientists expected?

　　A. The environment has changed a lot.

　　B. It used the most advanced technology.

　　C. People have been able to fix it.

　　D. It can be sent back to Earth for checks. 47. What happened to the Hubble recently?

　　A. It ran away from its orbit. B. It nearly ran out of energy.

　　C. It was hit by a small comet. D. It had some technical problems.

　　48. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “images” in Paragraph 4?

　　A. Appearances.

　　B. Pictures.

　　C. Impressions.

　　D. Opinions.

　　49. What does Frank Summers think of the Hubble?

　　A. It looks like a bird flying in the universe. B. It can not be replaced by anything else now.

　　C. It will be the best telescope for a long time. D. It is much more useful than other telescopes.

　　50. We can learn from the text that the Hubble　　.

　　A. is the only space telescope in the universe

　　B. has moved around Earth one million times

　　C. has helped scientists learn about black holes

　　D. is mainly used for taking pictures of the universe

　　4.The Washington National Zoo is a 163-acre (英亩) zoo located in the Woodley Park section of Washington D.C. Unlike most zoos, visiting the National Zoo is free of charge. Founded in 1889, the National Zoo was first supposed to perform as an institute to breed (培育) endangered American animals and to educate Americans about such animals.

　　At first, the zoo grew slowly and nearly closed. In the 1930’s, the zoo began to import more rare non-American animals such as giraffes, tigers, and lions. In addition, the zoo’s focus shifted from simply showing animals to establishing programs to help ensure their futures. It wasn’t until the late 1950’s when the zoo’s first full-time veterinarian was employed! In 1958, Friends of the National Zoo (FONZ) was founded in an effort to shift the economic burden of supporting the zoo to the Smithsonian Institute. This enabled the zoo to obtain the funding it needed to grow and develop. Today, FONZ has 40,000 contributing members.

　　Soon, the National Zoo became more than just a popular tourist destination — it became a center of research, education, science, and breeding biology. In 1972, the National Zoo exhibited its flagship species, the Giant Panda, for the first time. In 1975, the zoo bought 3,200 acres near Front Royal, Virginia where rare animals such as the Maned Wolf and Mongolian Wild Horses are free to live in endless enclosures (围场) where biologists carefully study their habits, behaviors, biological needs, and breeding success.

　　Today, the National Zoo is an incredible experience for people of all ages. It features amazing animal exhibitions. Visitors can experience the wonders of the Amazon Rainforest and view rare animals from there. Numerous endangered species are exhibited in the zoo.

　　51. The National Zoo was originally built to　　.

　　A. let people visit it free of charge

　　B. show people how animals perform

　　C. save endangered American animals

　　D. educate endangered animals in America

　　52. What can we learn from the second paragraph?

　　A. People couldn’t see giraffes in the zoo before the 1930’s.

　　B. People showed more interest in visiting the animals in the zoo.

　　C. The zoo had not any veterinarians until the late 1950’s.

　　D. The Smithsonian Institute got support from FONZ.

　　53. The underlined word “obtain” in Paragraph 2 probably means “　　”.

　　A. borrow

　　B. get

　　C. establish

　　D. save

　　54. Which of the following rare animals is the zoo most proud of?

　　A. The lion.

　　B. The Giant Panda.

　　C. The Maned Wolf.

　　D. The Mongolian Wild Horse.

　　55. What’s the best title of the passage?

　　A. The Washington National Zoo

　　B. Saving endangered animals

　　C. The foundation of Friends of the National Zoo

　　D. Experiencing rare animals