When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety. But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm. These people are willing to risk (冒……危险) being killed by floods or 100-kilometer-an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up.

　　“Storm chasing (追逐) ” is becoming an increasingly popular hobby (喜好), especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July. A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to 1 000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop.

　　Although anyone can do it, storm chasing is extremely dangerous. The power of a big storm can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds. Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain. If you are a beginner,it is much safer to join a group for storm-chasing vacations during the storm season.

　　Even then, storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement. “Storm chasing is 95% driving, ” says Daniel Lynch, who spends most of his summer storm-chasing. “Sometimes you can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen, and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers. ”

　　However, for storm chasers, it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm, it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life, ”says Jasper Morley. “Every storm is an example of the power of nature. It is the greatest show on Earth. ”

(1) For storm chasing, the first thing storm chasers do is to________.

[　　]

A．head straight for the center of the storm

B．get into the car for safety

C．wait patiently for the storm to develop

D．collect information about a coming storm

(2) Beginners of storm chasing are advised

[　　]

A．not do drive in a heavy rain

B．to do it in an organized way

C．not to get too close to a storm

D．to spend more time on it in summer

(3) By saying “it is all worth it” in the last paragraph, the author means that________.

[　　]

A．storm chasing costs a lot of money

B．storm chasing is worth hours of wait-ing

C．efforts in storm chasing are well paid

D．a storm presents the greatest show on Earth

(4) What can we learn from the text?

[　　]

A．Sometimes storm chasers get nothing but disappointment.

B．Many storm chasers get killed in the storms.

C．Storm chasing is becoming popular around the world

D．Storm chasing is only fit for young peo-ple.

A
There were smiling children all the way. Charily they knew at what time the train passed their homes and they made it their business to stand along the railway, wave to complete strangers and cheer them up as they rushed towards Penang. Often whole families stood outside their homes and waved and smiled as if those on the trains were their favorite relatives. This is the simple village people of Malaysia. I was moved.
I had always traveled to Malaysia by plane or car, so this was the first time I was on a train. I did not particularly relish the long train journey and had brought along a dozen magazines to read and reread. I looked about the train. There was not one familiar face. I sighed and sat down to read my Economics.
It was not long before the train was across the Causeway and in Malaysia. Johore Baru was just another city like Singapore, so I was tired of looking at the crowds of people as they hurried past. As we went beyond the city, I watched the straight rows of rubber trees and miles and miles of green. Then the first village came into sight, Immediately I came alive; I decided to wave hack.
From then on my journey became interesting. I threw my magazines into the waste basket and decided to join in Malaysian life. Then everything came alive. The mountains seemed to speak to me. Even the trees were smiling. I stared at everything as if I was looking at it for the first time.
The day passed fast and I even forgot to have my lunch until I felt hungry. I looked at my watch and was surprised that it was 3:00 pm. Soon the train pulled up at Butterworth. I looked at the people all around me. They all looked beautiful. When my uncle arrived with a smile, I threw my arms around him to give him a warm hug (拥抱). I had never done this before. He seemed surprised and then his weather-beaten face warmed up with a huge smile. We walked arm in arm to his car. I looked forward to the return journey.
【小题1】The author expected the train trip to be _______.

ALBANY，New York—Students who rely on working at night to improve their

grades might want to sleep on that strategy: A new survey in the US says those who never study all night have slightly higher grades than those who do.

A survey of 120 students at St.Lawrence University found that students who had never pulled an all??nighter on average had higher grades than those who had. The survey found those who did not study through the night had a grade point average of 3.2 compared to 2.95 for those who did.

The study, by assistant professor of psychology Pamela Thacher, is to be included in the January issue of Behavioral Sleep Medicine.

“It's not a big difference，but it's pretty striking, ” Thacher said, “I am primarily a sleep researcher and I know nobody thinks clearly at 4∶00 in the morning. You think you can do，but you can't.”

Many college students, of course, have inadequate or irregular sleep, for reasons ranging from excessive caffeine to poor time management.

“A lot of students were under the impression that all??nighters were a very useful tool for accomplishing work, and that caffeine intake was very useful in meeting deadlines and stuff like that, ”said Mr Chatani, who had a 3.4 grade point average last term.

Dr Howard Weiss, a physician at St.Peter's Sleep Center in Albany, said the study results made sense.

“Certainly that data is out there showing that short sleep duration absolutely interferes with concentration and performance on objective testing, ”he said.

“Some night owls do get good grades, of course，which may be explained by circadian (昼夜节律的，生理节奏的) rhythms, ”Weiss said, “Some people have different 24??hour body clocks from others, and may do better depending on classes and testing time.”

The purpose of the passage is to tell us 　　　　

  A. the bad effects of pulling an all??nighter

  B. pulling an all??nighter leads to sleep problems

  C. Thacher's doubt about all??nighters

  D. all??nighters influence students' grades

According to Thacher's study，around 4 o'clock in the morning is a time when 　　　　.

  A. one can think more clearly

  B. one has his/her best memory

  C. one can't learn efficiently

  D. one's brain falls into a period of deep sleep

What can we know from Dr Howard Weiss' words？

  A. Thacher's study is not convincing enough.

  B. He believes in Thacher's study.

  C. Thacher's study makes no sense.

  D. Thacher should take exceptions into consideration.

When a storm is coming, most people leave the area as quickly as possible and head for safety…But there are a few people who will get into their cars and go straight for the center of the storm．These people are willing to risk being killed by floods or 100-Kilometer- an-hour winds for the excitement of watching the storm close up．
　 “Storm chasing (追逐)”is becoming an increasingly popular hobby，especially in the Midwest of the United States, where there are frequent storms between March and July．A storm chaser begins the day by checking the Internet for the latest weather reports, and then drives up to l,000 kilometers to where the storm will be and waits for it to develop．
　  Although anyone can do it，storm chasing is extremely dangerous．The power of a big storm  can throw a cow into the air or destroy a whole house in seconds．Storm chasers are also often hurt in accidents caused by driving in a heavy rain．If you are a beginner, it is much safer to join a group for storm - chasing vacations during the storm season．
　  Even then，storm chasing is not all adventure and excitement．“Storm chasing is 95％driving，”says Daniel Lynch，who spends most of his summer storm-chasing．“Sometimes you
Can sit around for hours waiting for something to happen，and all you get is blue sky and a few light showers.”
　  However，for storm chasers，it is all worth it. “When you get close to a storm，it is the most exciting sight you will ever see in your life，”says Jasper Morley．“Every storm is an example of the power of nature．It is the greatest show on Earth．”
【小题1】For storm chasing，the first thing storm chasers do is to　　　 ．

Recently I paid a visit to Harvard University, where there are top class scientists and professors and the best academic system in the world.
I was pretty shocked when I first stepped onto the campus. Well, it's not even really a campus. It's more like a district in a small town.
Harvard's main buildings are from the 18th century. They look very old and simple. You might even say they're a little shabby. They don't fit the modern idea of university at all. The buildings are surrounded by grass and trees, so I felt as if I had walked into a medieval castle. But when I looked across the street, busy shops and in-fashion students made me feel like I was in the 21st century again. It creates a strong contrast and brings a special atmosphere to the school.
Our tour guide Gary took us around and told us: "You see this grass field in the center of the school? Here is where they host their graduation ceremony. They just set up tents and benches and have a very simple ceremony. Unbelievable! Who would think the most talented students just graduate on the lawn?
I saw some students put a blanket on the grass and lie down to read a book. When I listened to the soft sound of pages turning, along with chirping of the birds, I felt very calm. There was no competitive feeling at all.
Harvard has the world's first computer in its science center and there are hundreds of high-end computers too. Its religion and the literature departments are also among the best. It is the perfect mix of tradition and new technology. It makes Harvard a very attractive place to study in.
I hope one day I'll attend my dream school—Harvard.
45．The article is mainly about        . 
A．the author's campus life in Harvard     B．the author's impression of Harvard
C．Harvard's old buildings                              D．the academic system at Harvard
46．The author was most impressed by        , according to the article. 
A．Harvard's mix of tradition and new technology
B．the classes held on beautiful lawns at Harvard
C．Harvard students not taking their graduation ceremony seriously
D．the feeling of not living in modern society on the campus
47．What can we conclude from the article? 
A．Harvard campus is actually a district of a big city.
B．There are no competitions at Harvard University.
C．Graduation ceremonies are not complex at Harvard.
D．All Harvard buildings date back to the 18th century.
48．According to the article, in which fields is Harvard top in the world? 
A．Literature, arts, and law.              B．Religion, law and arts.
C．Literature, arts and computer science.   D．Religion, computer science and literature.