The year 2006 was a busy one for space and technology workers. A planet lost its status and space flights caught the imagination of people around the world.
The following is a short list of the major events of the year:____________
IBM has built a chip that runs about 100 times faster than the ones we have now. The development could lead to faster computers. The chip was first made in June. It can run at a speed of 500 gigahertz (千兆赫).
Pluto loses face
The International Astronomical Union created the first scientific definition (定义) of the word "planet" in August. Under the new rules, Pluto is no longer called a planet but a "dwarf planet" (矮行星).
Pluto had been considered a planet since its discovery in 1930. For now, there are only the eight "classical" planets in the solar system (太阳系): They are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune.
Woman space tourist
The first woman space tourist was launched on a Russian rocket from Kazakhstan on September 18. The flight carried a businesswoman, named Anousheh Ansari, along with a fresh crew for the International Space Station (ISS). Ansari is a 40-year-old American. She has paid at least US$20 million for the trip. She returned on September 28 after her eight-day stay at the International Space Station.
Discovery sent up
The US space shuttle Discovery took seven astronauts on a 12-day repair mission (任务) to the International Space Station on December 9. It was the first night launch by NASA in four years. The last one ended in the failure of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003.
小题1: The sub-title of the second paragraph probably would be _______.
A．IBM
B．The development of computers
C．The first chip born
D．Faster computer chip小题2:The US space shuttle Discovery was sent up mainly to ________.
A．do some research
B．do some repairs
C．be in memory to Columbia shuttle.
D．build a space station.小题3:Which of the following statements is WRONG?
A．Pluto is no longer a real planet according to the new theory.
B．People have been dreaming about space flight.
C．Anousheh Ansari was the first women space tourist.
D．The US space shuttle Discovery is the first one launched by NASA at night.小题4:The passage is written mainly to tell us_______.
A．exciting new science of the year of 2006.
B．space flight full of wonders.
C．the major events of the year of 2006.
D．science and technology is the first productive.
