Linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean，the blue waters of the Gulf of Aden near Somalia are one of the most important trading routes in the world．But they are also the most feared．

Pirates（海盗）whose targets are ships and their crew often show up there．On September 25，a Ukrainian ship carrying 30 tanks became another victim．

The pirates have reportedly killed one of the crewmen and are now surrounded by the US Navy．But they are still demanding $20 million for the release of the ship．

This year alone，more than 50 ships have been attacked，25 hijacked（劫持），and 14 are currently being held．

Of course this is nothing new el[her．Ever since there has been water and ships there have been pirates．The earliest documented history of pirates dates back to the 13th century in the Mediterranean Sea．Even the famous Roman emperor Julius Caesar was kidnapped（绑架）by pirates at one time．

Piracy reached its peak in the early 1700s, especially in the Caribbean and off the coast of Africa．In the mid-20th-century，most pirates were common thieves．They used hooks to steal on board commercial ships，and took all that they could find．These pirates were more likely to flee than fight if met by the crew.

However，nowadays piracy has become a multi-million dollar business attracting many in poor countries such as Somalia．“The pirates are well funded and have all the latest equipment，including satellite phones，”said a top UN representative in Somalia．

In Asia，however，a trend started where pirates didn't just want to kidnap the stuff, they also wanted to control the ship．They would kill the crewmembers or kidnap them for ransom（赎金）. After the recent kidnapping of Ukrainian ship，people are also worrying that tanks and arms on board would fall into hands of terrorists.

Last week the UN called a meeting from all affected countries to fight piracy. “The international community is determined to stop these pirates who are weakening efforts to bring peace to Somalia. This cannot and will not be allowed to continue,” a representative said.

71．From the first four paragraphs，we can conclude that____________.

A．where there's fortune，there's greed

B．pirates in Somalia only attack ships that carry tanks

C．the pirates issue has become serious in recent year

D．navies have been effective in getting rid of pirates

72．Which of the following is T R U E about piracy?

A．It was recorded that pirates started to attack ships in Somalia in the 13th century．

B．Back in the mid-20th century pirates did not appear so harmful as today's．

C．Once a ship is attacked，it will be hijacked by pirates．

D．In the 13th century，pirates only targeted famous or important persons．

73．Unlike before. piracy nowadays_____________.

A．has spread to all corners of the world

B．is more like terrorism and disturbs，regional peace

C．has become a key business for some poor countries

D．has become the UN's top concern

74．We can infer from the passage that__________________.

A．it is impossible to fight with piracy

B．no country has the determination to fight with pirates

C．no ships will be found in the Somalia area before the disappearance of pirates

D．more measures will be taken to fight with pirates

75．The article is written to._________________.

A．draw your attention to the history of piracy

B．analyze how piracy has changed these years

C．give you a description of the development of piracy

D．inform you of the importance and necessity to fight piracy

　　　A film was at the Circle Five Ranch to film a Marlboro commercial. This is in 1868, before they prohibited cigarette ads from American television. Darrell Winfield was watching the crew set up the equipment. The scene included an actor crossing a river on horseback, but when the time came to shoot, the man was too drunk to ride. Someone from the crews saw Winfield and asked him if he would ride the horse for  50. “Hell, ” said Winfield, “for 50 bucks, I'll jump that damn horse over the moon!”

　　To people in many countries, Winfield is just a familiar but nameless face, a simple cowboy with an advertising message about a connection between the West and a brand of cigarettes. Few people know that he is advertising message about a connection between the West and a brand of cigarettes. Few people know that he is 55, a family man who’s been married to the same woman for 37 years and has 5 children and 7 grandchildren. Most surprisingly, he’s a real, working cowboy who raises horses in his ranch in Wyoming.

　　One of the most striking things about the Marlboro Man is that success hasn’t changed him much. He says that complete strangers sometimes come up to him and say, “I’ve met you. know you from somewhere. ”Whenever it happens, he says that he gets embarrassed.

　Which of the following statements is true?

　　A. Cigarette ads were prohibited in America.

　　B. Cigarette ads are prohibited on television in America.

　　C. Marlboro commercial was prohibited on television.

　　D. Marlboro commercial was produced on television.

　What does the word“prohibited”in the first paragraph mean?

　　A. broadcast　　　　　　　　　　　B. forbidden

　　C. produced　　　　　　　　　　　D. provided

　When they filmed the ad, ________.

　　A. Winfield was too drunk.

　　B. The actor in the ad was too drunk.

　　C. Winfield was setting up the equipmet.

　　D. Winfield was riding a horse.

　From the passage, we know that Winfield was ________.

　　A. an ordinary man

　　B. a superstar

　　C. an actor

　　D. a rich man

Many boys love reading about the legends of old pirates (海盗) and dreaming of their own wild adventures. But modern pirates are not a thing of the past. Last month Somali pirates did their boldest hijacking (劫持) to date. They seized the Saudi supertanker (超大型油轮) Sirius Star carrying crude oil worth about $100 million. They demanded $15 million to free the ship and its crew.

The pirates have kept hitting the headlines this year: 92 attacks have been attempted, with 36 successful hijackings and 268 crew members taken hostage (人质). The Chinese fishing ship Tianyu 8, with 17 Chinese and 8 foreigners on board, has been in their hands since November 14.

Of course piracy (海盗行为) is nothing new. Even since there has been water and ships there have been pirates. The earliest documented history of pirates dates back to the 13^th century in the Mediterranean Sea. Even the famous Roman emperor Julius Caesar was once kidnapped by pirates.

Piracy reached its peak in the mid-1700s. It was during this time in the Caribbean and off the coast of Africa that men like “Blackbeard the Pirate” made this profession attractive. But with the creation of stronger national Navies piracy became less popular around the world.

In the mid-20^th century, most pirates were petty (小规模的) thieves. They used hooks to sneak (偷偷摸摸) on board ships at anchor, and grabbed all that they could find. These pirates were more likely to flee than fight if faced by the crew.

However, nowadays piracy has become a multi-million-dollar business at tracting many in poor countries. Pirates are treated like heroes among local fishermen.

They use satellite phones and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Once they spot their target, they swarm the ship with fast boats and shoot it by firing AK-47s or even rocket-propelled grenades (火箭榴弹炮). Then they hold the ship and its crews for money.

“The world should take forceful actions together to fight piracy,” said leaders at the Asian and Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Peru.

“However, putting in anti-piracy army can only be half of the solution. We have to protect the fair chance of Somali fishermen to get a good living and keep them from the lure of easy money,” said Peter Lehr, a lecturer in terrorism studies.

1. When did piracy reach its peak?

A. In the 13^th century.                       B. In the mid-1700s.

C. In the mid-20^th century.               D. November 14, 2008.

2.What does the underlined sentence probably mean?

A. Pirates were very bold at first.      B. Pirates were very popular then.

C. Pirates were very attractive then.    D. Pirates were not so bold at that time.

3.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A. The pirates have committed 92 crimes successfully this year.

B. Piracy became more and more popular as the national Navies became powerful.

C. Nowadays, pirates are learning to use modern weapons to commit crimes at sea.

D. On November 18, a Chinese ship was attacked by a suspected pirate ship.

The captain ordered the crew to throw ____ the side of the ship all heavy guns and even stores in order to raise the boat in the water.

A. on    B. through    C. across      D. over

After an extra day in space,the crew of Discovery returned to Earth,landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California early on Tuesday morning.The shuttle and its crew spent two weeks in space,most of it aboard the International Space Station.It was the first flight of NASA's space?shuttle fleet since February 2003,when the shuttle Columbia came apart while re?entering Earth's atmosphere.?

NASA officials delayed Discovery's return for one day because of cloudy weather in Florida,where the shuttle was supposed to lanD. On Tuesday morning,mission controllers ?directed? Discovery to a landing site in California,where the skies were clear.The crew members will have to wait until Wednesday to see their families when they all meet together in Houston at the Johnson Space Center.?

Discovery had a very busy mission in space,compared to past missions.The space shuttle docked with the International Space Station most of the journey,delivering badly needed ?supplies? and repairing damaged parts.The crew spent a lot of time testing new repair techniques on their own shuttle,conducting three different spacewalks(where astronauts exit the space shuttle to do work outside).On the third spacewalk,astronaut Steve Robinson went underneath the shuttle to remove material sticking out from between the spacecraft's ?protective? tiles.?

There were concerns in the last remaining days of Discovery's mission that a torn heat blanket—another shield against overheating in the space shuttle—may pose a problem to crew members. NASA officials and technicians worked on ways that the crew could fix the problem, but later decided it was not a risk.?

With the shuttle and its crew safely back on firm ground, NASA is hailing this mission, labeled STS?114,as a huge success. “I hope this shows people that we're coming back,” NASA spaceflight chief Bill Readdy said after Discovery's successful landing. “We've got some more work to do. We know what we need to do and we'll do it.?

Which of the following isn't included in the jobs of the shuttle Discovery?

A. Delivering supplies to the International Space Station.?

B. Conducting different spacewalks.?

C. Testing new repair techniques.?

D. Finding the cause why the shuttle Columbia came apart.?

But for the cloudy weather, the shuttle Discovery would have landed_______.

A. in Florida a day earlier     B. in Florida a day later?

C. in California a day earlier D. in California a day later?

Which is the most probable period of time that Discovery was aboard the International Space Station?

A. Six days.    B. Two weeks.?

C. Nine days.  D. Two weeks and an extra day.?