托业考试阅读模拟文六篇.docx

托业考试阅读模拟文六篇.docx

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托业考试阅读模拟文六篇

Iraqiconstitutionmaybepostponed

Theannouncementcamehoursbeforethe71-memberdraftingcommitteewastosaywhetheritwouldneedanextensiontofinishthedocument.Thecommitteechairman,HumamHammoudi,saidtherewasan"80percentchance"hisgroupwouldaskforaone-monthextension.

TheUnitedStateshasbeenpushingtheIraqistomeetthedeadlinetomaintainpoliticalmomentumseenascrucialtodefeatingtheinsurgencyandenablingU.S.andotherforeigntroopstobeginleavingIraqnextyear.Mainpointsindisputeincludesuchissuesasfederalism,dualnationalityandtheroleofIslam.

"Ibelieve,accordingtowhatIheardfromtheheadofthedraftingcommitteeandothermembers,thatthereisbigchancethatwhathasbeenagreeduponwillbedraftedwhilepointsofdisagreementwillbepostponedtoafuturedate,"spokesmanLaithKubbatoldreporters.

ASunnimemberofthecommittee,Salehal-Mutlaq,suggestedpostponingadecisiononthemosttroublesomeissuesuntilaftertheDec.15generalelections.

"Wewillwaitfordraftingpointsofdisagreementuntilthereisabetteratmosphere,"Kubbasaid.TheconstitutionshouldbeapprovedbyparliamentbyAug.15andsubmittedtothevotersinareferendumtwomonthslater.

FramersofIraq'snewconstitutionexpecttosubmitadraftintimeforparliamenttomeetanAug.15deadlineforapproval,butdecisionsonsomekeypointsmaybedeferreduntillater,thegovernmentspokesmansaidSunday.

Astronautstakeoutthetrash

AstronautsonSundayexchangedsuppliesfortrashthathasaccumulatedontheinternationalspacestationsinceshuttlesweregroundedafterthe2003Columbiatragedy.TheyalsopreparedforasecondspacewalksetforMonday.

SpaceshuttleDiscovery,whichdockedattheorbitingoutpostThursday,becamethefirstshuttletoreturntoorbitlastweek.Amongthemission'sgoals:

Resupplythestationandremovethemoundsoftrashthathaveaccumulatedinrecentyears.

"Itiskindofjustlikeworkinginyourclosetsandyourgarage,"stationflightdirectorMarkFerringsaid."It'salotofwork."

Theastronautsareunloading15tonsofcargo.TheyexpecttoreturntoEarthwith13tonsoftrashandotheritemsthatarenolongerneededonthestation.

Whenthestation'stwo-mancrewawokeSunday,theyweretoldthattheirsevenDiscoveryguestswouldremainatthestationforanadditionalday.

"Hopefullyitisnotgoingtobeliketherelativeswhomisstheirflightandhavetostayanotherday,"CharlesHobaugh,whoworksinthestation'smissioncontrol,toldcrewmembersbyradio.

AninthdayatthestationwasapprovedlateSaturday,daysafterNASAdecidedtogroundfutureshuttlemissionsbecauseanalmostone-poundpieceoffoambrokefreeofDiscovery'sexternalfueltank.ThepieceoffoammissedDiscovery,butwasahauntingreminderofColumbia.

A1.67poundchunkoffoamshedfromColumbia'sexternaltankhittheshuttle'sleftwingandcausedaholethatallowedthesearinggasesofre-entrytomeltthewingfromtheinsideout.TheshuttledisintegratedoverTexasasitreturnedtoFlorida.Allsevenastronautsdied.

NASAspenthundredsofmillionsofdollarsover2{yearsredesigningtheexternaltank,butsaidlastweekitdidnotsolvetheproblemandmoreworkisneeded.

BillGerstenmaier,thestation'sprogrammanager,saidDiscoverywillleavethestationinmuchbettershapethanwhenitarrived.Waterwillbeleftbehind,aswellaslaptops,washcloths,aprinter,drywipes,floppydisks,foodandnitrogen.

"Wearegoingtobeinverygoodshapethroughtheendoftheyear,"Gerstenmaiersaid.

Shuttlesareneededforthesupplyingandcontinuedconstructionofthestation.

WhenNASA'sshuttlesweregroundedin2003,theagencybeganrelyingonRussianvehiclestodeliversuppliestothestation.However,theRussiancargoshipProgresscannothaultheweightyitemstheshuttlecan.ThenextdeliverybyProgressisscheduledforSeptember.

Gerstenmaiersaidstationmanagerspreparedforascenarioinwhichtherewouldbenoshuttleflightsthisyear.Despitethat,hesaidthegroundingoffutureshuttlemissionsopensthestationtorisk.

"Wearestillsusceptibletosomelargefailureofsomecomponentthatcanonlybedeliveredbytheshuttlethatwedon'thavealikespareonstation,"hesaid.

AmongthetasksDiscovery'sastronautsperformedforthestationwasthereconfiguringofagyroscope,whichfailedinMarch.Fourgyroscopes,eachweighing660pounds,areintendedtosteerthestation,butonlytwohavebeenworkinginrecentmonths.

OnMonday,duringtheirsecondspacewalk,DiscoveryastronautsStephenRobinsonandSoichiNoguchi,plannedtoreplacetheotherfailedgyroscope,whichhasnotworkedsince2002.

ThepairplannedtogooverproceduresforinstallingthegyroscopeonSundaywithastronautAndrewThomas,whowassettodirectMonday'sreplacement.

AstheybeganspacewalkpreparationsSunday,RobinsoninformedMissionControl'sStephenFrickthatthingsmightproceedslowerthananticipated.

"Ifyousawwhatourmid-decklookslikerightnow,you'dseewhy,"Robinsonsaidashiscolleaguestransferreditemsbetweentheshuttleandstation."It'sahightrafficzone."

"I'mafraiditwouldbealittletoofrightening,"Frickrespondedwithachuckle.

NHL'sCrosbyerabeginsasPenguinsdraftphenomfirst

OTTAWA—ItwasSidneyCrosby'sdraft,andyetitwasclearlytheAmericans'daywhentheNHLofficiallyrelaunchedcompetitionwithascaled-downversionofitsannualamateurdraft.

ThecelebrationofCrosby,pickedfirstoverallbythePittsburghPenguins,wasthemainstorylineofaleaguetryingtorecoverfromaseasonlosttoalockout.Crosby,17,isconsideredthemostmarketableprospectsincePenguins'owner/playerMarioLemieuxwasdraftedin1984.

"Thisisamazing,"CrosbytoldtheAP."I'mjustreallyrelieved.It'sunbelievable.I'msohappyrightnow."

Crosby,whoturns18nextweek,isa5-foot-11,193-poundforwardwithsurprisingstrengthandmasterfulvisionontheice.Aprolificscorer,CrosbywonnearlyeverytrophythelasttwoseasonsintheQuebecMajorJuniorHockeyLeague.

Hehad66goalsand102assistsin62games,afterarookiecampaignthatfeatured54goalsand81assistsin59games,andwastheCanadianmajorjuniorplayeroftheyearbothseasons.

"Hecreatesalotofexcitement,"saidLemieux,Crosby'snewbossandpossiblelinematewiththePenguins."Hehasallthetoolstobeagreatplayer.Heseestheicewell,he'sagreatskater.Hesaysheneedstoworkonhisshot,butitlooksprettygoodtome."

CrosbywillsharethespotlightinPittsburghwithLemieux,theNo.1pickin1984,andwillbelookedupontorescuethefranchisethathasn'tmadetheplayoffssince2001anddesperatelyneedsanewarenainwhichtoplay.

Pittsburgh'sluckalreadyseemstobechangingasthePenguinswonlastweek'sdraftlotterythatdeterminedthepickingorderofthefirstround.

"I'mnotreallythinkingaboutitrightnow,"Crosbysaidoftheexpectations."IwanttocomeandplayintheNHLnextyear.That'smygoal,that'smyfocusrightnow.I'mgoingtoputeverythingintothatandtrytomoveonfromthere."

AsidefromtheCrosbyfocus,theU.S.hockeyprogramgrabbedashareofthespotlightwhenarecordeightAmericanswerechoseninthefirstround,includingtwoofthefirstthreepicks.AfterCrosbywaschosen,theMightyDucksofAnaheimchosepowerforwardBobbyRyan（Camden,N.J.）andhard-hittingdefensemanJackJohnson（Indianapolis）wastakenbytheCarolinaHurricaneswiththethirdpick.Johnson,whoplayedprep-schoolhockeyinMinnesotawithCrosby,planstoenrollattheUniversityofMichigan.SpeedyJackSkille（Madison,Wis.）wentseventhtotheChicagoBlackhawksanddefensemanBrianLee（Fargo,N.D.）wasgrabbedninthbytheOttawaSenators.

"Thedevelopmentprogramhasworkedvery,verywellandyouareseeingsomesignsofthat,"saidCarolinageneralmanagerJimmyRutherford."Andpeoplequestioneditatthetime（itwasintroducedin1996）.Butguysaregoingthroughthatprogramandgettingdraftedhigherandhigher.

RutherfordwasreferringtotheU.S.NationalDevelopmentPrograminAnnArbor,Mich.Intheory,theprogramwasdesignedtobringthecountry'sbestteenageplayerstoplaytogetherontheUnder-17andUnder-18NationalTeams.PlayersfromaroundthecountryallliveandtraininAnnArbor.JohnsonandSkillebothcamedirectlyoutoftheUnder-18program.TheAmericanswontheUnder-18WorldChampionshipthispastwinter.

"Thissaysalot,"saidJohnsonwhosepricklyplayingstylehasdrawncomparisonstoChrisChelios."We'retryingtobuildupwithothercountries,likeCanada."

SkillecameintotheU.S.NationalDevelopmentProgramasa185-poundplayerandhasgrownintoa205-pound,hard-drivingwinger."Theweightliftingprogramtherewasawesome,"Skillesaid.

Theprogramhasn'talwaysbeenaneasysellbecauseitisexpensivetooperate,butUSAHockeyPresidentRonDeGregoriosays"thisisanindicationthatUSAHockey'sdevelopmentprogramsareworking."

ThefourAmericansinthefirstninepicksrepresentedthebestU.S.top-endshowingsince1983whenhighschoolsensationBrianLawtonwaschosenfirstoverallbytheMinnesotaNorthStars,PatLaFontainewentthirdtotheNewYorkIslandersandTomBarrassowaschosenfifthbytheBuffaloSabres.

St.LouisBluesgeneralmanagerLarryPleauwasoneofthefewAmericansintheNHLduringthe1960s,andhecertainlyhadsomepridehelpingtheAmericanssetanewrecord.Withthe24thpick,PleauchoseplaymakingcenterT.J.OshieofWarroad（Minn.）HighSchool.Oshieproduced99pointsin31gamesthisseason.Somescoutssayhepossessedthebesthockeysenseinthedraft."He'sver