Once again, rumors are spreading．Judgement Day, this time, is set to happen on December 21st, 2012．The date originated from the Mayan calendar, but actually gained popularity through the hit movie, "2012"．

How will the world end? And how do we know the exact date? There are many theories: A meteoroid from outer space; a solar storm; a shift in the earth's poles; bla bla bla．They all supposedly pointed to the date of December 21st, 2012．Unfortunately, none of it is true．

Zhu Jin, director of Beijing Planetarium, said, "For earth itself, the end will be billions of years away from now．And for us humans, there is a very small chance that we may be affected by some astronomical factors．However, we don't have the ability to foresee such events so far．So when someone tells you the world is going to end on an exact date, it must be fake．"

But the truth hasn't stopped people from believing．In the sci-fi movie "2012", the director imagined the end of the world based on the Mayan calendar．The film earned nearly 770 million US dollars worldwide. Ning Hong, Hebei Province, said．"The movie 2012 did get one thing right．There are arks  eing made in China, But they're not being built secretly inside the mountains．They are constructed here in

the courtyard of a factory．"

In April, Liu Qiyuan quit his furniture business and devoted himself to developing these huge round balls．He doesn't believe the end is near, but he wants to be prepared just in case．

Liu Qiyuan, the "Ark" builder, said, "The concept originated twenty years ago．The Tangshan earthquake had flattened our house, so I wanted to build a shelter that wouldn't fall．Then in 2004, I saw the tsunami in Indonesia that killed so many people．Then I realized it should be something that could withstand the earthquake and float on water．"

Liu is hoping to use his invention as a life boat on the sea．He's planning to test his product on the water next year．

It turns out that rumour, though false, is good for business．Doomsday discounts and products are hot on many online stores．While it's surely attracted attention, many complain that it misleads consumers．

Their purpose is to promote products．If they believe the world is going to end．who would buy things? Money would be useless, too．

41．The purpose of the movie "2012" was                 .

       A．to popularize scientific knowledge for the viewers

       B．to make a profit from the viewers

       C． to tell the viewers an interesting factual story

       D．to warn the viewers of a disastrous event

42．The word "fake" in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to        ．

       A．a joke             B．a lie               C．untrue             D．terrifying

43．Liu Qiyuan quit his job and built his "ark" because _________．

       A．he believed that the world was going to end on Dec．21,2012

       B．he was tired of making money from his furniture business

       C．he was almost killed in Indonesia in 2004

       D．he wanted to make preparations for destructive natural disasters

44．Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?

       A．Ruinous were created by businessmen to promote their products．

       B．The movie "2012" was very popular and a great many people watched it．

       C．One theory said that the earth was to shift its two poles on Dec．21,2012．

       D．Liu Qiyuan's ark was intended to survive earthquakes and terrible floods．

45．We can infer from the passage that _________．

       A．Tune and time again people spread rumours about the world's end for one reason or another．

       B．The Maya's prediction about the world's end has failed．

       C．In the movie 2012 big arks were built secretly inside the mountains

       D．Liu Qiyuan was bom before 1976 and is at least 36 years old．

Once again, rumors are spreading．Judgement Day, this time, is set to happen on December 21st, 2012．The date originated from the Mayan calendar, but actually gained popularity through the hit movie, "2012"．

How will the world end? And how do we know the exact date? There are many theories: A meteoroid from outer space; a solar storm; a shift in the earth's poles; bla bla bla．They all supposedly pointed to the date of December 21st, 2012．Unfortunately, none of it is true．

Zhu Jin, director of Beijing Planetarium, said, "For earth itself, the end will be billions of years away from now．And for us humans, there is a very small chance that we may be affected by some astronomical factors．However, we don't have the ability to foresee such events so far．So when someone tells you the world is going to end on an exact date, it must be fake．"

But the truth hasn't stopped people from believing．In the sci-fi movie "2012", the director imagined the end of the world based on the Mayan calendar．The film earned nearly 770 million US dollars worldwide. Ning Hong, Hebei Province, said．"The movie 2012 did get one thing right．There are arks  eing made in China, But they're not being built secretly inside the mountains．They are constructed here in

the courtyard of a factory．"

In April, Liu Qiyuan quit his furniture business and devoted himself to developing these huge round balls．He doesn't believe the end is near, but he wants to be prepared just in case．

Liu Qiyuan, the "Ark" builder, said, "The concept originated twenty years ago．The Tangshan earthquake had flattened our house, so I wanted to build a shelter that wouldn't fall．Then in 2004, I saw the tsunami in Indonesia that killed so many people．Then I realized it should be something that could withstand the earthquake and float on water．"

Liu is hoping to use his invention as a life boat on the sea．He's planning to test his product on the water next year．

It turns out that rumour, though false, is good for business．Doomsday discounts and products are hot on many online stores．While it's surely attracted attention, many complain that it misleads consumers．

Their purpose is to promote products．If they believe the world is going to end．who would buy things? Money would be useless, too．

41．The purpose of the movie "2012" was                 .

       A．to popularize scientific knowledge for the viewers

       B．to make a profit from the viewers

       C． to tell the viewers an interesting factual story

       D．to warn the viewers of a disastrous event

42．The word "fake" in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to        ．

       A．a joke             B．a lie               C．untrue             D．terrifying

43．Liu Qiyuan quit his job and built his "ark" because _________．

       A．he believed that the world was going to end on Dec．21,2012

       B．he was tired of making money from his furniture business

       C．he was almost killed in Indonesia in 2004

       D．he wanted to make preparations for destructive natural disasters

44．Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?

       A．Ruinous were created by businessmen to promote their products．

       B．The movie "2012" was very popular and a great many people watched it．

       C．One theory said that the earth was to shift its two poles on Dec．21,2012．

       D．Liu Qiyuan's ark was intended to survive earthquakes and terrible floods．

45．We can infer from the passage that _________．

       A．Tune and time again people spread rumours about the world's end for one reason or another．

       B．The Maya's prediction about the world's end has failed．

       C．In the movie 2012 big arks were built secretly inside the mountains

       D．Liu Qiyuan was bom before 1976 and is at least 36 years old．

Once again, rumors are spreading．Judgment Day, this time, is set to happen on December 21st, 2012．The date originated（起源于） from the Mayan calendar, but actually gained popularity through the hit movie, "2012"．

How will the world end? And how do we know the exact date? There are many theories: A meteoroid （流星体）from outer space; a solar storm; a shift（变换） in the earth's poles; bla bla bla．They all supposedly pointed to the date of December 21st, 2012．Unfortunately, none of it is true．

Zhu Jin, director of Beijing Planetarium, said, "For earth itself, the end will be billions of years away from now．And for us humans, there is a very small chance that we may be affected by some astronomical factors．However, we don't have the ability to foresee such events so far．So when someone tells you the world is going to end on an exact date, it must be fake．"

But the truth hasn't stopped people from believing．In the sci-fi movie "2012", the director imagined the end of the world based on the Mayan calendar．The film earned nearly 770 million US dollars worldwide. Ning Hong, Hebei Province, said．"The movie 2012 did get one thing right．There are arks  being made in China, But they're not being built secretly inside the mountains．They are constructed here in the courtyard of a factory．"

In April, Liu Qiyuan quit his furniture business and devoted himself to developing these huge round balls．He doesn't believe the end is near, but he wants to be prepared just in case．

Liu Qiyuan, the "Ark" builder, said, "The concept originated twenty years ago．The Tangshan earthquake had flattened our house, so I wanted to build a shelter that wouldn't fall．Then in 2004, I saw the tsunami in Indonesia that killed so many people．Then I realized it should be something that could withstand（抵挡） the earthquake and float on water．"

Liu is hoping to use his invention as a life boat on the sea．He's planning to test his product on the water next year．

It turns out that rumour, though false, is good for business．Doomsday discounts and products are hot on many online stores．While it's surely attracted attention, many complain that it misleads consumers．

Their purpose is to promote products．If they believe the world is going to end．who would buy things? Money would be useless, too．

67．The purpose of the movie "2012" was                 .

       A．to popularize（普及） scientific knowledge for the viewers

       B．to make a profit from the viewers

       C． to tell the viewers an interesting factual story

       D．to warn the viewers of a disastrous(灾难性的) event

68．Liu Qiyuan quit his job and built his "ark" because _________．

       A．he believed that the world was going to end on Dec．21,2012

       B．he was tired of making money from his furniture business

       C．he was almost killed in Indonesia in 2004

       D．he wanted to make preparations for destructive natural disasters

69．Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?

       A．Rumors were created by businessmen to promote their products．

       B．The movie "2012" was very popular and a great many people watched it．

       C．One theory said that the earth was to shift its two poles on Dec．21,2012．

       D．Liu Qiyuan's ark was intended to survive earthquakes and terrible floods．

70．We can infer from the passage that _________．

       A．Time and time again people spread rumours about the world's end for one reason or another．

       B．The Maya's prediction about the world's end has failed．

       C．In the movie 2012 big arks were built secretly inside the mountains

       D．Liu Qiyuan was born before 1976 and is at least 36 years old．

Just recently I had been wondering if there was much point in doing little acts of kindness. So often they get   36 , and occasionally they come back to bite you!

    Then, just last week, after a long travel, I found myself   37   at a bus station. The bus was four hours late! So, I guess I wasn’t in a good   38  .

    That’s when a woman asked me if I had any spare   39   to help her get a bus ticket.

   “Oh, sure,” I said sarcastically (挖苦地). “How much would you like?”

    As I spoke, I mentally kicked myself for my  40   and reached into my bag for some money. As I handed her five dollars, I heard low sounds from her stomach because of real    41  .

    I reached back into my bag and brought out a   42   I had bought earlier. I handed it to her with a(n)   43   that I hoped would make up for my earlier tone of voice. Getting a   44   look at her now, I realized she was extremely tired, like she had had several months of   45   days!

    As she took the food, a look of   46   washed over her. In return, she tried to give me a Milwaukee bus ticket! I don’t live in Milwaukee and the ticket will probably   47   be used, but I took it.

    A few minutes later she came back over, apologized, and told me she was still  48   of five dollars. I took some singles out of my bag and slipped a twenty in there as well.   49 , the voice in my head told me I was being a fool.

Five minutes later she came back again and tried to   50   my twenty. When I said it was for her so she could get something else to   51 , and that I was completely serious and I wasn’t taking it   52  , she started crying and hugged me.

    From now on, when I wonder if it is   53   trying to help someone, I will remember that woman. Maybe I am really making a   54   for someone. So, sure, sometimes my efforts might not be noticed, and sometimes they might come back to bite me, but they might actually   55   another human being!

1.A. ignored                 B. appreciated               C. acknowledged              D. forgiven

2.A. examined            B. trapped               C. confused                      D. delayed

3. A. habit                   B. place                  C. mood                        D. situation

4.A. change                  B. time                   C. hand                       D. energy

5. A. appearance             B. attitude                   C. selfishness                   D. experience

6.A. pain                 B. anxiety                    C. hunger                     D. fear

7.A. souvenir            B. ticket                  C. gift                       D. cake

8.A. shout                B. smile                  C. apology                    D. praise

9.A. quick                B. gentle                 C. good                        D. cold

10.A. dark                B. tough                  C. mysterious                 D. special

11. A. relief                 B. regret                 C. doubt                      D. anger

12. A. once               B. often                  C. sometimes                  D. never

13. A. ashamed               B. aware                  C. short                           D. proud

14. A. Eventually            B. However                C. Therefore                  D. Besides

15.A. return             B. show                   C. share                      D. earn

16.A. do                  B. trade                  C. add                         D. eat 

17.A. away                B. out                    C. back                       D. over

18.A. hard                B. fun                    C. useless                        D. worth

19.A. difference             B. profit                     C. decision                       D. suggestion 

20.A. excite                  B. help           C. educate                        D. inspire

    A 500 kg．three-meter-tall ape(猿)lived alongside humans for more than a million years，according to a new study．

    Fortunately for early humans，the huge primate’s(灵长类动物)diet consisted mainly of bamboo．

  Scientists have known about Gigantopithecus(巨猿)since some of its teeth were discovered on sale in a Hong Kong pharmacy about 80 years ago．The idea of a giant ape aroused the interest of scientists around the world，but It remained unclear when this beast became extinct．

    Now Jack Rink，a geochronologist(地质年代学家)at McMaster University in Canada，has used a high-precision absolute-dating method to determine that this ape－the largest primate ever―roamed Southeast Asia for nearly a million years before the species died out 100，000 years ago．By this time，humans had existed for a million years．

    “Gigantopithecus is a primate that co-existed with humans at a time when humans were undergoing a major evolutionary change，”said Rink．

      Some of Gigantopithecus fossils(化石)were found in Guangxi．It is the region where some believe the modem human race originated．according to Rink．Scientists have been able to piece together a description of Gigantopithecus using just a handful of teeth and a set of jawbones．

    “The size of these specimens―the crown of the molar，for instance，measures about an inch (2．54 cm)across―helped us understand the extraordinary size of the primate，”Rink said．

    Scientists can only guess at what killed off a beast this size．Some scientists believe that a diet of bamboo combined with increasing competition from more nimble humans eventually led to its extinction．

    While most scientists agree that Gigantopithecus died out long ago，some people―Big-foot(大足怪)and Yeti(喜马拉雅雪人)enthusiasts in particular－believe that this ape is the source of tales of giant，hairy beasts living in the woods．

    Even though mainstream scientists dismiss these claims，it isn’t impossible．The coelacanth a type of fish thought to have died out millions of years ago-was discovered swimming off the coast of Africa in 193&

53．We can gain some information about Gigantopithecus EXCEPT      ．

A．their diet                                                  B．their appearances        

C．their habitats                                             D．their language(s)

54．What’s the best title for the passage?

    A．The Death of the Largest Primate                 B．The Huge Ape Appears Again

    C．The New Findings of Giant Apes                 D．A Yeti．500 kg＆3-Meter-Tall

55．What can we learn from the third & the fourth paragraphs of the passage?

    A．Great apes lived along with ancient men．

    B．Jack Rink is the greatest geochronologist．

    C．The largest apes once lived in Southeast Asia for nearly 1 00，000 years．

    D．The largest apes had existed as long as human beings．

56．Which of the following description about the huge apes is right?

    A．They died from the bad habitats．            

    B．They died out long time ago．

  C．They died of hunger．                               

    D．These giant hairy beasts，living in the frost，are legends．