初中英语阅读理解.doc

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1、初中英语阅读理解（2） 21. Unless we spend money to spot(认出，发现) and prevent asteroids(小行星) now, one might crash into Earth and destroy life as we know it, say some scientists.Asteroids are bigger versions of the meteoroids(流星体) that race across the night sky. Most orbit the sun far from Earth and dont threaten

2、 us. But there are also thousands of asteroids whose orbits put them on a collision course with Earth.But $500 million worth of new telescopes right now, then spend $10 million a year for the next 25 years to locate most of the space rocks. By the time we spot a fatal one, the scientists say, well h

3、ave a way to change its course.Is it worth it? Two things experts consider when judging any risk are (i) How likely the event is; (2) How bad the consequences if the event occurs. Experts think an asteroid big enough to destroy lots of life might strike Earth once every 500,000 years. Sounds pretty

4、rare but if one did fall. It would be the end of the world. “If we dont take care of these bid asteroids, theyll take care of us,” says one scientist. “its that simple.”The cure, though, might be worse than the disease. Do we really want fleets(舰队，车队) of nuclear weapons sitting around on Earth? “the

5、 world has less fear from doomsday(毁灭性) rocks than from a great nuclear fleet set against them.” Said a New York Times article.The law says that women should have the chance of doing the same jobs as men and earn the same as them.The reality is very different. Women lose because, 25 years after the

6、Equal Pay Act, many of them still get paid less than men.They lose because they do lower-paid jobs which men just wont consider. And they lose they are the ones who interrupt a career to have children.All this is reported in an independent study ordered by the Governments womens unite.The biggest pr

7、oblem isnt equal pay in work places such as factories. It is a sort of work women do.Make a list of low-paid of jobs_ then consider who does them.Try nurses, secretaries, cleaner, clerks, teachers in primary schools, dinner ladies, and child care helpers. Not a lot of men among that group, are there

8、?Yet some of those jobs are really important. Surely no one would deny that about nurses and teachers, for a start.So why do we reward the people who do them so poorly? There can be only one answer- because they are women.This is not going to be put right overnight. But the Government, which employs a lot of them, and other bosses have to make a start.It is disgraceful(可耻的) that we have gone into the 21st Century still treating women like second-class citizens.