Scientists who try to predict earthquakes have gotten some new helpers recently—animals.

　　That’s right, animals. Scientists have begun to understand what farmers have known for thousands of years. Animals often seem to know in advance that an earthquake is coming, and they show their fear by acting in strange ways. Before a Chinese quake in 1975, snakes awoke from their winter sleep early only to freeze to death in the cold air. Cows broke their halters (缰绳) and tried to escape. Chickens refused to enter their cage. All of this unusual behavior, as well as physical changes in the earth, warned Chinese scientists of the coming quake. They moved people away from the danger zone and saved thousands of lives.

　　One task for scientists today is to learn exactly which types of animal behavior predict quakes. It’s not an easy job. First of all not every animal reacts to the danger of an earthquake. Just before a California quake in 1977, for example, an Arabian horse became very nervous and tried to break out of his enclosure. The Australian horse next to him, however, remained perfectly calm. It’s also difficult at times to tell the difference between normal animal restlessness and “earthquake nerves”. A zoo keeper once called earthquake researchers to say that his cougar had been acting strangely. It turned out that the cat had an upset stomach.

　　A second task for scientists is to find out exactly what kind of warnings the animals receive. They know that animals sense far more of the world than humans do. Many animals can see, hear, and smell things that people do not even notice. Some can sense tiny changes in air pressure, gravity, or the magnetism of Earth. This extra sense probably helps animals predict quakes.

　　A good example of this occurred with a group of dogs. They were shut in an area that was being shaken by a series of tiny earthquakes. (Several small quakes often come before or after a large one.) Before each quake a low booming sound was heard. Each boom caused the dogs to bark wildly. Then the dogs began to bark during a silent period. A scientist who was recording quakes looked at his machine. It was acting as though there were a loud noise too. The scientist realized that the dogs had reacted to a booming noise. They also sensed the tiny quake that followed it. The machine recorded both, though humans felt and heard nothing.

In this case there was a machine to monitor what the dogs were sensing. Many times, however, our machines record nothing extraordinary, even though animals know a quake is coming. The animals might be sensing something we measure but do not recognize as a warning. Discovering what animals sense, and learning how they know it is a danger signal, is a job for future scientists.

Through the passage the writer hopes to explore __________.

A. why animals send a danger signal before an earthquake

B. how animals know when an earthquake is coming

C. why animals not men have good sense of danger

D. how much animals know about an earthquake

During an earthquake in China in 1975, _________.

A. chickens refused to go out of their cage

B. snakes were frozen to death in their caves

C. snakes awoke from their winter sleep earlier

D. cows broke their halters and escaped from their sheds

Which of the following is one of earthquake nerves according to the passage?

A. An Arabian horse tried to escape from his enclosure.

B. A cougar had an upset stomach unexpectedly.

C. An Australian horse was perfectly calm.

D. A cat acted very strangely in a zoo.

The scientists did an experiment with a group of dogs to _________.

A. find out that the machine could record unusual happenings

B. compare the reactions of animals and those of humans

C. prove that animals could sense more than humans

D. find out what exact warnings animals sent

.

Is there anything more important than health? I don’t think so. “Health is the greatest wealth(财富),” wise people say. You can’t be good at your studies or work well when you are ill.　　     

If you have a headache, toothache, backache, earache or bad pain in the stomach, if you complain of a bad cough, if you run a high temperature and have a bad cold, or if you suffer from high or low blood pressure, I think you should go to the doctor.　　

The doctor will examine your throat, feel your pulse, test your blood pressure, take your temperature, sound your heart and lungs, test your eyes, check your teeth or have your chest X-rayed. After that he will advise some treatment, or some medicine. The only thing you have to do is to follow his advice.　　

Speaking about doctor’s advice, I can’t help telling you a funny story.　　

An old gentleman came to see the doctor. The man was very ill. He told the doctor about his weakness, memory loss and serious problems with his heart and lungs. The doctor examined him and said there was no medicine for his disease.　   

He told his patient to go to a quiet place for a month and have a good rest. He also advised him to eat a lot of meat, drink two glasses of red wine every day and take long walks. In other words, the doctor advised him to follow the rule: “Eat at pleasure, drink with measure and enjoy life as it is.” The doctor also said that if the man wanted to be well again, he shouldn’t smoke more than one cigarette a day.　　

A month later the gentleman came into the doctor’s office. He looked cheerful and happy. He thanked the doctor and said that he had never felt a healthier man.　　

“But you know, doctor,” he said, “it’s not easy to begin smoking at my age.”

45. The writer thinks that_____________

health is more important than wealth    

B. work is as important as studies

C. medicine is more important than pleasure 

D. nothing is more important than money

46. The underlined part means “__________”.

he was feeling better than ever    B. he wasn’t a healthy man

C. he was feeling worse than before   D. he will be well again

47. From the last sentence of the passage, we learn the man__________before the doctor told him not to smoke more than one cigarette a day.

A. was a heavy smoker         B. didn’t smoke so much

C. didn’t smoke               D. began to learn to smoke

48. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. The doctor usually tests his/her blood pressure when a person is ill.

B. The man told the doctor he couldn’t remember things.

C. The man thanked the doctor.

D. The man didn’t follow the doctor’s advice.

第二节完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
　　阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
　　Columnist Dave Barry says this about his father:"My dad would try anything - carpentry(木匠活),electrical wiring,roofing and so on.From watching him,I learned a lesson that still 36 to my life today:no matter how difficult a task may seem, 37 you're not afraid to try it,you can do it."
　　I learned from my parents the value of "going for it"." 38 ventured(冒险),nothing lost" is the motto of too many of us.Many people are so afraid to 39 that they never venture beyond the familiar."Better to be safe than sorry",has 40 too many people in the cocoon(保护膜) of their 41 zones.
　　A delightful 42 tells that Col.Robert Johnson of Salem,New Jersey,announced that he would take a 43 risk.He let the town know that he would 44 a wolf peach on the steps of the country courthouse at noon on September 26,1820. "Why would he take such a chance?" asked the 45 people.
　　Scientists and doctors had long declared the wolf peach to be 46 .If the wolf peach was too ripe and warmed by the sun,they told him he would be exposing himself to brain fever.Should he somehow 47 the experience,the skin of the 48 would stick to the lining of his stomach(他的胃黏膜) and 49 cause cancer.
　　Nearly 2,000 people 50 the square to see Col.Johnson eat the "poisonous" peach - now known as the tomato.
　　Col.Johnson believed his 51 was small,but it must be take if the 52 about the peach were to be 53 .Who has accompished anything worthwhile 54 taking a risk?
　　Much like the tortoise it makes 55 only when it sticks its neck out.
　　36.A.refers         B.applies       C.tends          D.leads
　　37.A.if            B.since         C.although       D.unless
　　38.A.Anything      B.Something    C.Nothing        D.Everything
　　39.A.fail           B.win          C.succeed        D.leave
　　40.A.turned        B.trapped       C.forbidden      D.orced
　　41.A.comfortable    B.miserable     C.surprising     D.unimportant
　　42.A.novel         B.message      C.joke          D.story
　　43.A.private        B.public       C.secret        D.national
　　44.A.buy          B.sell          C.eat           D.cut
　　45.A.puzzled       B.disappointed   C.angry        D.happy
　　46.A.delicious       B.smelly        C.salty        D.poisonous
　　47.A.enjoy         B.survive         C.understand  D.know
　　48.A.wolf         B.seed           C.peach      D.body
　　49.A.eventually     B.firstly          C.lately       D.hardly
　　50.A.reached      B.decorated         C.surrounded  D.crowded
　　51.A.audience     B.risk            C.fruit        D.size
　　52.A.myths        B.ingredients    C.truths         D.prices
　　53.A.changed      B.adopted        C.removed      D.grasped
　　54.A.without      B.for            C.with         D.except
　　55.A.sense        B.trouble         C.room        D.progress

第二节完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

　　阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

　　Columnist Dave Barry says this about his father:"My dad would try anything - carpentry(木匠活),electrical wiring,roofing and so on.From watching him,I learned a lesson that still 36 to my life today:no matter how difficult a task may seem, 37 you're not afraid to try it,you can do it."

　　I learned from my parents the value of "going for it"." 38 ventured(冒险),nothing lost" is the motto of too many of us.Many people are so afraid to 39 that they never venture beyond the familiar."Better to be safe than sorry",has 40 too many people in the cocoon(保护膜) of their 41 zones.

　　A delightful 42 tells that Col.Robert Johnson of Salem,New Jersey,announced that he would take a 43 risk.He let the town know that he would 44 a wolf peach on the steps of the country courthouse at noon on September 26,1820. "Why would he take such a chance?" asked the 45 people.

　　Scientists and doctors had long declared the wolf peach to be 46 .If the wolf peach was too ripe and warmed by the sun,they told him he would be exposing himself to brain fever.Should he somehow 47 the experience,the skin of the 48 would stick to the lining of his stomach(他的胃黏膜) and 49 cause cancer.

　　Nearly 2,000 people 50 the square to see Col.Johnson eat the "poisonous" peach - now known as the tomato.

　　Col.Johnson believed his 51 was small,but it must be take if the 52 about the peach were to be 53 .Who has accompished anything worthwhile 54 taking a risk?

　　Much like the tortoise it makes 55 only when it sticks its neck out.

　　36.A.refers         B.applies       C.tends          D.leads

　　37.A.if            B.since         C.although       D.unless

　　38.A.Anything      B.Something    C.Nothing        D.Everything

　　39.A.fail           B.win          C.succeed        D.leave

　　40.A.turned        B.trapped       C.forbidden      D.orced

　　41.A.comfortable    B.miserable     C.surprising     D.unimportant

　　42.A.novel         B.message      C.joke          D.story

　　43.A.private        B.public       C.secret        D.national

　　44.A.buy          B.sell          C.eat           D.cut

　　45.A.puzzled       B.disappointed   C.angry        D.happy

　　46.A.delicious       B.smelly        C.salty        D.poisonous

　　47.A.enjoy         B.survive         C.understand  D.know

　　48.A.wolf         B.seed           C.peach      D.body

　　49.A.eventually     B.firstly          C.lately       D.hardly

　　50.A.reached      B.decorated         C.surrounded  D.crowded

　　51.A.audience     B.risk            C.fruit        D.size

　　52.A.myths        B.ingredients    C.truths         D.prices

　　53.A.changed      B.adopted        C.removed      D.grasped

　　54.A.without      B.for            C.with         D.except

　　55.A.sense        B.trouble         C.room        D.progress

Scientists who try to predict earthquakes have gotten some new helpers recently—animals.
　　That’s right, animals. Scientists have begun to understand what farmers have known for thousands of years. Animals often seem to know in advance that an earthquake is coming, and they show their fear by acting in strange ways. Before a Chinese quake in 1975, snakes awoke from their winter sleep early only to freeze to death in the cold air. Cows broke their halters (缰绳) and tried to escape. Chickens refused to enter their cage. All of this unusual behavior, as well as physical changes in the earth, warned Chinese scientists of the coming quake. They moved people away from the danger zone and saved thousands of lives.
　　One task for scientists today is to learn exactly which types of animal behavior predict quakes. It’s not an easy job. First of all not every animal reacts to the danger of an earthquake. Just before a California quake in 1977, for example, an Arabian horse became very nervous and tried to break out of his enclosure. The Australian horse next to him, however, remained perfectly calm. It’s also difficult at times to tell the difference between normal animal restlessness and “earthquake nerves”. A zoo keeper once called earthquake researchers to say that his cougar had been acting strangely. It turned out that the cat had an upset stomach.
　　A second task for scientists is to find out exactly what kind of warnings the animals receive. They know that animals sense far more of the world than humans do. Many animals can see, hear, and smell things that people do not even notice. Some can sense tiny changes in air pressure, gravity, or the magnetism of Earth. This extra sense probably helps animals predict quakes.
　　A good example of this occurred with a group of dogs. They were shut in an area that was being shaken by a series of tiny earthquakes. (Several small quakes often come before or after a large one.) Before each quake a low booming sound was heard. Each boom caused the dogs to bark wildly. Then the dogs began to bark during a silent period. A scientist who was recording quakes looked at his machine. It was acting as though there were a loud noise too. The scientist realized that the dogs had reacted to a booming noise. They also sensed the tiny quake that followed it. The machine recorded both, though humans felt and heard nothing.
In this case there was a machine to monitor what the dogs were sensing. Many times, however, our machines record nothing extraordinary, even though animals know a quake is coming. The animals might be sensing something we measure but do not recognize as a warning. Discovering what animals sense, and learning how they know it is a danger signal, is a job for future scientists.
【小题1】Through the passage the writer hopes to explore __________.