Things similar continuously happened in Haiti and Chile．Thousands of people were

buried in the earthquake and lost their fives．What if we could have warned them? People are always trying hard to find a way of preventing building collapsing(坍塌)．Better materials and technology help，but are not a solution．Just like humans，a building has its own life circle from  “birth” to “death”．If we know when a building is going to collapse，we can repair it in advance or get out before it falls．

    Now, scientists at the University of Illinois have developed a material that turns red before it breaks．The invention could be used in things like climbing ropes，or bridge supports．The secret behind the color-changing material is a type of molecule(分子)．A molecule is a group of atoms held together by chemical bonds(化学键)．Imagine you and your friends standing in a circle，holding hands．Each person stands for one atom，your hands represent the bonds，and the entire circle represents a molecule．If one person lets go of his or her hands，the molecule changes color．The research team put the molecule into a soft material．When the researchers stretched(拉长) the material：it turned bright red a few seconds before it broke into two pieces．

When they repeatedly stretched and relaxed the material，without breaking it，it only turned a little red．

The major problem is，light can get rid of the red color．When the team shone a bright light on the molecule，the broken bond was fixed，and the color disappeared．If bright fight keeps the red color from appearing，the material’s warning system will be useless．Scientists still have a lot of work to do before the color-changing molecule can be used outside the lab．

The passage mainly about

A. a way of preventing building from breaking down

B. a series of earthquakes in Haiti and Chile

C. a way of warning before buildings collapse

D. a newly-discovered structure of a molecule

According to the passage，we can conclude that

A．there are problems to solve before putting the new material to use

B．scientists have found the life circle of buildings from “birth” to “death”

C．bright fight makes the red color visible to human eyes

D．the new material is unlikely to be used in building bridges

The color-changing molecule can

A．make building materials much stronger

B．help building materials get stretched if necessary

C．prevent the earthquake from killing people

D．remind people to leave buildings before they fall

The warning system is based on the fact that

A．red color won’t show up when it meets bright fight

B．a material with a certain type of molecule Can turn red when stretched etched

C．a building has its own life circle of “birth” to “death”

D．the broken bond will fix itself when a molecule meets bright fight

Some students get so nervous before a test, and they do poorly even if they know the material. Sian Beilock has studied these highly anxious test-takers.
Sian Beilock: “They start worrying about the consequences. They might even start worrying about whether this exam is going to prevent them from getting into the college they want. And when we worry, it actually uses up attention and memory resources. I talk about it as your cognitive horsepower that you could otherwise be using to focus on the exam.”
Professor Beilock and another researcher, Gerardo Ramirez, have developed a possible solution. Just before an exam, highly anxious test-takers spend ten minutes writing about their worries about the test.
Sian Beilock: “what we think happens is when students put it down on paper , they think about the worst that could happen and they reassess the situation. They might realize it’s not as hard as they might think it was before and, in essence, it prevents these thoughts from popping up when they’re actually taking a test.”
The researchers tested the idea on a group of twenty anxious college students. They gave them two short math tests. After the first one, they asked the students to either sit quietly or write about their feelings about the upcoming second test.
The researchers added to the pressure. They told the students that those who did well on the second test would get money. They also told them that their performance would affect other students as part of a team effort.
Professor Beilock says those who sat quietly scored an average of twelve percent worse on the second test. But the students who had written about their fears improved their performance by an average of five percent.
Next, the researchers used younger students in a biology class. They told them before final exams either to write about their feelings or to think about things unrelated to the test.Prefessor Beilock says highly anxious students who did the writing got an average grade of B+, compared to a B- for those who did not.
Sian Beilock: “What we showed is that for students who are highly test-anxious, who’d done our writing intervention, all of a sudden there was no relationship between test anxiety and performance. Those students most likely to worry were performing just as well as their classmates who don’t normally get nervous in these testing situations.”
But what if students do not have a chance to write about their fears immediately before an exam or presentation? Professor Beilock says students can try it themselves at home or in the library and still improve their performance.
【小题1】What may happen if students have the problem of test anxiety?

A．Test anxiety can improve students’ performance to some degree.

B．Students’ attention and memory resources run out when worried.

C．Students may not be admitted into their favorite college if worried

D．Test anxiety is sure to cause students to fail the test.

【小题2】Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The result in the math test agrees with that in the biology test.

B．In the first math test, students who sat quietly performed better.

C．In the second math test, students who wrote about their feelings did worse.

D．Some college students are highly anxious test-takers while others are not..

【小题3】What does the underlined phrase “popping up” mean?

A．Giving out	B．Fading away
C．Becoming clear	D．Appearing suddenly

【小题4】What is the main idea of the passage?

A．It is a common practice for students to get worried before a test.

B．Being worried before tests does harm to students’ performance.

C．Anxious students overcome test anxiety by writing down fears.

D．It is important for students to overcome test anxiety.

In July 1994 Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, was struck by 21 pieces of a comet（彗星）. When the fragment（碎片）landed in the southern part of the giant planet, the explosions were watched by scientists here on earth. But what if our own planet was hit by a comet?

The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth. Most of it will miss our plant, but two fragments will probably hit the southern part of the Earth. The news has caused panic.

On 17 July, a fragment four kilometers wide enters the Earth’s atmosphere with a huge explosion. About half of the fragment is destroyed. But the major part survives and hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and an enormous wave is created and spreads. The wall of water rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned. The wave moves into the Indian Ocean and heads towards Asia.

Millions of people are already dead in the southern part of the Earth, but the north won’t escape for long. Tons of broken pieces are thrown into the atmosphere by the explosions. As the sun is hidden by clouds of dust, temperatures around the world fall to almost zero. Crops are ruined. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later civilization has collapsed. No more than 10 million people have survived.

Could it really happen? In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth. The dinosaurs（恐龙）were on the Earth for over 160 million years. Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared. Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a space fragment. The dinosaurs couldn’t survive in the cold climate that followed and they became extinct. Will we meet the same end?

1.Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to the author’s description of the disaster in 2094?

A. The whole world becomes extremely cold.

B. All the coastal cities in African are destroyed.

C. The whole mankind becomes extinct.

D. The visit of the comet results in wars.

2.Why does the author mention dinosaurs at the end of the passage?

A. Because they could only live in the warm climate.

B. Because they once ruled the Earth.

C. Because their extinction shows future disasters.

D. Because dinosaurs and humans never live in the same age.

3.In writing the passage, the author intends to_________.

A. give an accurate description of the possible disaster in the future

B. prove that humans will sooner or later be destroyed

C. tell the historical development of the Earth

D. warn of a possible disaster in the future

4.It can be concluded that the passage is most probably part of a(n)________.

A. terror story                  B. news report

C. research paper               D. article of popular science

 

完形填空：（包括20个小题，每小题1。5分， 共30分）

It was a bitter, cold evening in northern Virginia many years ago. The old man was waiting for a ride across the   36  . The wait seemed   37  .

       At last he heard the slight, steady rhythm of approaching hooves (马蹄) coming along the frozen path. Anxiously, he   38   as several horsemen came around the bend (转角处). He let the first one   39  . Then another, and another. Finally, as the   40   rider neared the spot where the old man sat like a snow statue, the old man   41   the rider’s eye and said, “Sir, would you mind giving an old man a ride to the other side? There doesn’t appear to be a passage way by  42  .”

       The rider replied, “Sure.” Seeing the old man was unable to  43   his half-frozen body from the ground, the horseman got down and helped the old man onto the horse. The horseman took the old man not just across the river, but to his destination.

       As they neared the tiny but cozy (舒适的) cottage, the horseman’s   44   caused him to ask, “Sir, I notice that you let several other riders go by without making a(n)   45   to get a ride. Then I came up and you   46   asked me for a ride. I’m curious why, on such a bitter winter night, you would wait and ask the last rider.   47   I had refused and left you there?”

       The old man replied, “I’ve been   48   here for some time. I think I know people pretty good.” He continued, “I looked into the eyes of the other riders and immediately saw there was no   49   for my situation. But when I looked into your eyes,   50   was evident. I knew,   51  , that your gentle spirit would   52   the opportunity to give me help in my time of   53  .”

       Those heartwarming comments   54   the horseman deeply.

       “I’m most grateful for what you have said,” he told the old man. “May I never get too busy in my own affairs that I   55   to respond to the needs of others with kindness and compassion.”

       With that, Thomas Jefferson turned his horse around and made his way back to the White House.

A. town                     B. river                 C. country                    D. island

A. meaningless    B. useless              C. careless                    D. endless

A. watched          B. asked         C. waved                   D. approached

A. come over      B. get off                  C. pass by                     D. take off

A. coming           B. leaving              C. next                         D. last

A. missed            B. caught            C. avoided                    D. saw

A. bus                B. car                    C. foot                         D. horse

A. feel                      B. push                 C. lift                           D. stand

A. honesty          B. courage             C. enthusiasm            D. curiosity

A. choice          B. stop                  C. effort                       D. scene

A. immediately  B. hurriedly           C. friendly                    D. strangely

A. What about   B. What if             C. How come                D. If only

A. in                 B. out                   C. around                         D. beyond

A. concern       B. doubt                C. chance                         D. reason

A. meaning              B. kindness            C. seriousness            D. help

A. then and there                           B. for a moment 

            C. all of a sudden                 D. sooner or later

A. offer            B. create                C. find                         D. welcome

A. need             B. danger                  C. fortune                     D. happiness

A. influenced     B. excited              C. touched                    D. hit

A. happen         B. try                    C. disagree                   D. fail

Traveling can be a way to gain life experiences，especially during Spring Break—a week long school vacation in the United States. But what if you're a student and don't have enough money for a trip？Don't worry. Here are some useful suggestions.
Save：This probably is the most important preparation for traveling. Cut expenses to fatten your wallet so you'll have more choices about where to go and how to get there.
Plan ahead：Don't wait until the last minute to plan your trip. Tickets may cost more when bought on short notice. Giving yourself several months to get ready can mean security and savings.
Do your homework：No matter where you go，research the places you will visit. Decide what to see. Travel books will provide information on the cheapest hotels and restaurants.
Plan sensibly：Write down what you expect to spend for food and hotels. Stick to your plan or you may not have enough money to cover everything.
Travel in groups：Find someone who is interested in visiting the same places. By traveling with others you can share costs and experiences.
Work as you go：Need more money to support your trip？Look for work in the places you visit.
Go off the beaten path：Tourist cities may be expensive. You may want to rethink your trip and go to a lesser­known area. Smaller towns can have many interesting activities and sights.
Pack necessary things：The most important things to take are not always clothes. Remember medicine in case you get sick and snacks in case you cannot find a cheap restaurant.
Use the Internet：The net can help to save money. Some useful websites include www.bargains­lowestfare.com_and_www.Economictravel.com.
By planning sensibly，even students can enjoy the travel. Your travel experiences will be remembered for a lifetime.
【小题1】This passage is about________.

A．how to plan your travel

B．how to travel with enough money

C．how to make your travel interesting

D．how to get life experiences

【小题2】Before your trip，the first thing you should do is________.

A．to make a plan of the route

B．to get information from the Internet

C．to save money by spending less

D．to buy tickets in advance

【小题3】The writer advises you________.

A．to share costs with any other people

B．not to go to well­known places

C．not to visit dangerous places

D．to buy anything you want to buy

【小题4】During your trip，________.

A．you need more shoes than clothes

B．you shouldn't look for work all the way

C．you can gain valuable life experiences

D．you should forget to do your homework