广东省“十二校”2014届高三第二次联考英语试题试卷(3)

Scientists think the smallest black holes formed when the universe began. Stellar black holes are made when the center of a very big star falls in upon itself, or falls apart. When this happens, it exploded part of the star into space. Scientists think supermassive black holes were made at the same time as the galaxy they are in.
A black hole can not be seen because strong gravity pulls all of the light into the middle of the black hole. But scientists can see how the strong gravity affects the stars and gas around the black hole. Scientists can study stars to find out if they are flying around, or orbiting a black hole.
When a black hole and a star are close together, high-energy light is made. This kind of light cannot be seen with human eyes. Scientists use satellites and telescopes in space to see the high-energy light.
31. The gravity of a black hole may become so strong that light cannot get out when ____________.
A. the star is going to die           B. special tools are used on it
C. other stars come close to it       D. it is seen from the space telescopes
32. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
A. A black hole can be very tiny but extremely heavy.
B. The gravity of a black hole holds all light in its center.
C. Scientists observe high-energy light through their own eyes.
D. Some small black holes came into being as early as the universe.
33. The underlined word “galaxy” in Paragraph 5 means __________.
A. a black hole                       B. the Milky Way
C. a series of stars                    D. a planet near the earth
34. What does the last sentence in Paragraph 5 suggest?
    A. Neither the sun nor the earth is as heavy as a black hole.
    B. There is a supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way.
    C. The supermassive black hole had existed before the Milky Way was formed.
    D. There is a reason why the large black holes are called “supermassive”.
35. The last two paragraph mainly focus on the question of _________.
    A. what a black hole is         B. how black holes form
    C. how big black holes are      D. how scientists know about black holes
                                C
The computer keyboard helped kill shorthand—a system of rapid handwriting, and now it’s threatening to finish off handwriting as a whole. When handwritten essays were introduced on the SAT exams for the class of 2012, just 15% of the most1.5 million students wrote their answers in cursive(草写字母). The rest? Block letters.
And those college hopefuls are just the first edge of a wave of US students who no longer get much handwriting instructions in the primary grades, frequently 10 minutes a day or less. As a result, more and more students struggle to read and write cursive.
At Keene Mill Elementary School in Springfield, all their poems and stories are typed. Children in Fairfax County schools are taught keyboarding beginning in kindergarten. Older students who never mastered handwriting say it doesn’t affect their grades.
There are those who say the culture is at a crossing, turning from the written word to the typed one. If handwriting becomes a lost form of communication, does it matter?
It was at University Virginia that researchers recently discovered a previously unknown poem by Robert, written in his unique script. Handwritten documents are more valuable to researchers, historians say, because their authenticity(真实性) can be confirmed. Students also find them more fascinating.
The loss of handwriting also may be  a cognitive(认知的) opportunity missed. Several academic studies have found that good handwriting skills at a young age can help children express their thoughts better—a lifelong benefit.
It doesn’t take much to teach better handwriting skills. At some schools in Prince George’s County, elementary school students use a program called Handwriting Without Tears for 15 minutes a day. They learn the correct formation of manuscript letters through second grade, and cursive letters in third grade.
There are always going to be some kids who struggle with handwriting because of their particular neurological(神经系统的) writing, learning issues or poor motor skills. Educators often point to this factor in support of keyboarding.
36. What is the author concerned about after 2012 Sat exams?
    A. Keyboarding.      B. Shorthand.      C. Handwriting.     D. Block letters.
37. A poem by Robert mentioned in the passage is used to ____________.
    A. prove how valuable handwriting is   B. explain what a famous poet he is
C. show how unique his poem is         D. stress how fascinating the documents are
38. The example of Handwriting Without Tears helps to argue that _____________. 
    A. the schools are responsible for the loss of handwriting
    B. the loss of handwriting is a cognitive opportunity missed
    C. it doesn’t take much to teach better handwriting skills
    D. the culture is turning from the written word to the typed one
39. According to the author, when is a perfect time to learn handwriting?