It is midnight on September 22, 2012. The sky above Manhattan，New York is filled with a curtain of colorful light. New Yorkers are fascinated by the beautiful aurora (极光). However, their fascination is short-lived.
Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker (闪烁), then become unusually bright for a few seconds. Then all the lights go out. Within 90 seconds, the entire eastern half of the US is without power.
Besides the US, Europe, Japan and China are also hit by the same terrible event. It is a violent solar flare (太阳耀斑) ,150 million kilometers away on the surface of the sun.
Science fiction? No. A report funded by NASA and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences in January this year says it could happen.
A massive solar flare is most likely on a spring or autumn night in 2012, according to the report.
Solar flares are huge explosions on the surface of the sun. In a matter of just a few minutes they heat material to many millions of degrees and release as much energy as a billion megatons (百万吨) of TNT explosives. Solar flares release a stream of charged high-energy particles (粒子). They are called “solar winds”.
If one solar “wind” should hit the Earth’s magnetic shield (磁场), the result could be terrible for humans.
But there’s no need to run for cover from solar winds. They do not harm life on Earth, they only affect the way we live, especially since we depend so much on modern technology. They can pump extra electricity into power lines and pipelines, causing blackouts and fuel leaks. Solar winds are also known to affect mobile phone operations and may disrupt wireless Internet services.
Moreover, solar winds can prevent normal satellite operations, and disrupt radio communications and navigation systems such as the Global Positioning System.
Auroras are powered by solar wind. This wind blows past the Earth at about 400-700 km per second and creates storms in the Earth’s magnetic environment. In the polar regions these explode into southern or northern polar lights.
The most serious solar storm that hit Earth in history happened in 1859. It caused the failure of telegraph systems in Europe and North America.
So, for humans, the sun is a double-edged sword. Without the sun, there would be no life on Earth. Without the sun, Earth would be a frozen dark ball floating in space. However, on the other hand, the sun can disorder our lives from time to time.
56. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. It introduces to readers the advantages and disadvantages of the sun.
B. It describes a science fiction set in Manhattan on 22 September 2012.
C. It shows readers the way in which solar winds form inside the sun.
D. It explains what solar flares are and their effects on human life.
57. The first two paragraphs are written ____.
A. to show a beautiful scene in a true story
B. to describe the beautiful scenery of Manhattan
C. to describe the power problem around the world
D. to introduce the topic of this passage
58. What can we conclude from the passage?
A. Solar flares will do great harm to those who are using the Internet.
B. Solar flares cannot reach as far as the polar regions.
C. Solar flares are huge explosions that happen inside the sun.
D. But for our reliance on technology, solar flares wouldn’t
affect us so much.
59. Solar winds will likely affect us in the following ways EXCEPT that ____.
A. normal satellite operations will be stopped
B. the lights in the areas affected will go out at the same time
C. people on the streets will be struck to death
D. some navigation systems will be out of order

    It is midnight on September 22, 2012. The sky above Manhattan，New York is filled with a curtain of colorful light. New Yorkers are fascinated by the beautiful aurora (极光). However, their fascination is short-lived.

    Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker (闪烁), then become unusually bright for a few seconds. Then all the lights go out. Within 90 seconds, the entire eastern half of the US is without power.

          Besides the US, Europe, Japan and China are also hit by the same terrible event. It is a violent solar flare (太阳耀斑) ,150 million kilometers away on the surface of the sun.

          Science fiction? No. A report funded by NASA and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences in January this year says it could happen.

    A massive solar flare is most likely on a spring or autumn night in 2012, according to the report.

    Solar flares are huge explosions on the surface of the sun. In a matter of just a few minutes they heat material to many millions of degrees and release as much energy as a billion megatons (百万吨) of TNT explosives. Solar flares release a stream of charged high-energy particles (粒子). They are called “solar winds”.

    If one solar “wind” should hit the Earth’s magnetic shield (磁场), the result could be terrible for humans.

    But there’s no need to run for cover from solar winds. They do not harm life on Earth, they only affect the way we live, especially since we depend so much on modern technology. They can pump extra electricity into power lines and pipelines, causing blackouts and fuel leaks. Solar winds are also known to affect mobile phone operations and may disrupt wireless Internet services.

    Moreover, solar winds can prevent normal satellite operations, and disrupt radio communications and navigation systems such as the Global Positioning System.

    Auroras are powered by solar wind. This wind blows past the Earth at about 400-700 km per second and creates storms in the Earth’s magnetic environment. In the polar regions these explode into southern or northern polar lights.

    The most serious solar storm that hit Earth in history happened in 1859. It caused the failure of telegraph systems in Europe and North America.

    So, for humans, the sun is a double-edged sword. Without the sun, there would be no life on Earth. Without the sun, Earth would be a frozen dark ball floating in space. However, on the other hand, the sun can disorder our lives from time to time.

56. What is the main idea of the passage?

         A. It introduces to readers the advantages and disadvantages of the sun.

         B. It describes a science fiction set in Manhattan on 22 September 2012.

         C. It shows readers the way in which solar winds form inside the sun.

         D. It explains what solar flares are and their effects on human life.

57. The first two paragraphs are written ____.

         A. to show a beautiful scene in a true story

         B. to describe the beautiful scenery of Manhattan

         C. to describe the power problem around the world

         D. to introduce the topic of this passage

58. What can we conclude from the passage?

         A. Solar flares will do great harm to those who are using the Internet.

         B. Solar flares cannot reach as far as the polar regions.

         C. Solar flares are huge explosions that happen inside the sun.

         D. But for our reliance on technology, solar flares wouldn’t

affect us so much.

59. Solar winds will likely affect us in the following ways EXCEPT that ____.

         A. normal satellite operations will be stopped

         B. the lights in the areas affected will go out at the same time

         C. people on the streets will be struck to death

         D. some navigation systems will be out of order

阅读下面短文，从短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

What would life be like without television? Would you spend more time  36  , reading, or studying? Well, now it’s your chance to turn off your TV and  37  ! TV-Turnoff Week is here.

  The goal of TV-Turnoff Week is to let people leave their TV sets  38   and participate in activities  39   drawing to biking. The event was founded by TV-Turnoff Network, a non-profit organization which started the event in 1995. In the  40  , only a few thousand people took part. Last year more than 7.6 million people participated,  41   people in every state in America and in more than 12 other countries! This is the 11^th year in which  42   are asking people to “turn off the TV and turn on  43  .” .w.^w.k.&s.5*u.c.#om.

  According to the TV-Turnoff Network, the average  44   in the US spend  45   time in front of the TV (about 1,023 hours per year) than they do in school (about 900 hours per year). Too much TV  46   has made many kids grow fat.  47  , in 2001’s TV-Turnoff Week, US Surgeon General David Satcher said, “We are raising the most  48   generation of youngsters in American history. This week is about saving lives.”

  Over the years, studies have shown that watching a lot of TV  49   poor eating habits, too little exercise, and violence. Frank Vespe of the TV-Turnoff Network said that turning off the TV “is or  50  , part of a healthy lifestyle”. .w.^w.k.&s.5*u.c.#om.

  “One of the great lessons of  51   TV-Turnoff Week is the realization that  52   I turn on the TV, I’m deciding not to do something else,” Vespe said.

  TV-Turnoff Week seems to be making a  53   . Recent US Census（人口普查）data  54   that about 72 percent of kids under 12 have a limit on their TV time. That’s  55   about 63 percent ten years ago. .w.^w.k.&s.5*u.c.#om.

A. drinking               B. sleeping                   C. washing            D. playing outside

A. find out          B. go out                   C. look out            D. keep out

A. away              B. alone                       C. on                    D. beside

A. like                B. as                            C. from                 D. such as

A. end                B. event                       C. beginning          D. total

A. besides           B. except for                 C. including           D. except

A. governments   B. parents                     C. organizers      D. businessmen

A. the light         B. the radio                  C. life                   D. the Internet

A. grown-ups      B. kids                         C. clerks          D. parents

A. less                     B. enough                     C. little                 D. more

A. programmes  B. screen                   C. hours                D. watching

A. However       B. On the contrary      C. In fact            D. As a result

A. overweight  B. overeaten                 C. overgrown     D. overseeing

A. leads to         B. results from                  C. develops            D. keeps away

A. will be          B. should be                 C. may be              D. could be

A. organizing    B. taking part in            C. participating      D. asking for

A. wherever      B. every day                 C. every time     D. this time

A. living           B. choice                   C. difference          D. sense

A. shows           B. says                         C. reads                 D. writes

A. rising           B. down from            C. up to                 D. up from