CHONGQING: A total

solar eclipse (日蚀） brought darkness to many places along the upper reaches of China’s

longest river, the Yangtze, at 9:15 am Wednesday. The moon’s shadow blocked out the sun, leaving only the solar corona (日冕) visible in west China’s Chongqing Municipality and Guang ’an City in neighboring Sichuan Province. The cities turned off many street lights to allow the public to better observe the total eclipse, which lasted about four minutes.

The July 22 eclipse is the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st Century. It is expected to pass across China from Tibet to the coastal city of Shanghai, where 300 million people live. Millions of eclipse-watchers crowded to the banks of the Yellow and Yangtze rivers early Wednesday to observe the spectacle. However, the weather in many Chinese cities along the full solar eclipse path is not favorable for observing the phenomenon, according to the China Meteorological Administration’s (气象局) forecast at 8 am.

Zhu Jin, head of the Beijing Astronomical Observatory (天文观测台), said although overcast (阴天) conditions blocked the view along the lower stream of Yangtze, the shadow of the moon was visible moving behind the clouds. The full solar blackout could be seen at 9:30 am from an observatory site in Anji, east China’s Zhejiang Province, a site chosen by Jay Pasachoff, head of the Solar Eclipse Working Group of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), and more 200 astronomers from more than 20 countries. “The weather is clear enough to observe the complete duration of the solar eclipse here in Anji. The forecast of the time of the eclipse proved to be accurate, ” said Zhang Hongqi, chief researcher of the National Astronomical Observatories.

It was raining in Shanghai, when the eclipse occurred at 9:35 am. The city put extra police on streets, and more than 30 police ships patrolled (巡逻) the coast. Only street lamps were left on, as the city turned off all landscape lighting to allow people to watch the solar eclipse.

1. Which of the following is RIGHT?

A. More than 20 foreign astronomers observed the eclipse.

B. The eclipse is the longest one in the history.

C. The eclipse brought darkness to many places in China.

D. The weather was clear enough for people to observe the eclipse.

2. The best place to observe the full solar blackout at 9:30 am could be in___________.

A. Chongqing　　　 B. Sichuan

C. Zhejiang　　 D. Shanghai

3. The following has the same meaning as the underlined word EXCEPT____________.

A. went somewhere in large numbers

B. moved in a large crowd

C. gathered together

D. talked with each other excitedly

4. You can see the passage in a (n)__________.

A. newspaper 　　　　 B. guidebook

C. advertisement　　　 D. magazine

5. What can we infer from the passage?

A. Many cities turned off the lights on the streets to observe better.

B. The weather in some places isn’t favorable to observe the eclipse.

C. Shanghai sent out the police to observe the eclipse.

D. The eclipse attracted many astronomers from all over the world.

E
President Obama’s meeting with the Dalai Lama has already made China extremely angry and stirred up Tibet advocates who thought it should have come sooner. China says Tibet is part of it, and that the meeting represents an unwanted intrusion(侵犯) into its own affairs. Many Americans still see the Dalai Lama as the representative of a people treated cruelly by Chinese rule. Many Tibetans are dissatisfied with Chinese rule, and this has led to widespread rioting(暴乱) over the past few years. Theywantself-determination; fair enough. But that seems to be the only story about Tibet that is ever told. The other story is — Looking at growth, standard of living, infrastructure(基础设施), and GDP, one thing is clear: China has treated Tibetans amiably.
Since 2001, Beijing has spent $45.4 billion on development in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). The effect: double-digit GDP growth for the past nine years. About a third of the money went to infrastructure investment, including the train connecting Beijing to Lhasa. The train provides an opportunity for Tibetan goods to be sold outside of the region and for a massive increase in number of tourists, reaching more than 5.5 million in 2009 — up from close to 2 million in 2005, the year before the train. While Tibetan independence groups like Free Tibet raise concerns about the increase in tourism, Hillman，a Tibet expert, points out that “tourism is an important industry that can benefit local Tibetans.”
Infrastructure improvements have not only helped grow the economy but also have aided in modernizing remote parts of Tibet, an area with 3 million people about twice the size of France.
Though Tibet is seriously puzzled by the "special contradiction" of the Dalai Lama, the central government stressed the need for Tibet to develop using the "combination of economic growth, well-off life, a healthy eco-environment, and social stability and progress" and The government is offering Tibetans the same bargain it has offered the rest of the country: in exchange for a great rise in living standards, the government requires citizens to stop having the right to free worship and free speech. Even if Tibetan residents never signed the contract, they have benefited from its policy—a fact Obama might keep in mind when he meets the Dalai Lama.
67. What does the underlined word “amiably” in the first paragraph mean?
A. rudely     B. kindly     C. politely         D. coldly
68. According to the writer’s viewpoint it can be inferred that         .
A. it doesn’t matter much to the Chinese government whether Tibetan problems exist
B. all the Americans agree with their president Obama’s meeting with the Dalai Lama
C. Hillman and Free Tibet hold different attitudes towards the increase in tourism
D. the Tibet Autonomous Region is an area of dense(稠密的) population
69. What can be learnt about the writer from the passage? The writer ______ .
A. urges the Chinese government to promote economy in Tibet
B. has an obvious political trend
C. describes what a happy life Tibetans are living to the public
D. states the facts as they are
70. The writer’s attitude towards the economical policy of the Chinese government in Tibet is ____ .
A. positive     B. negative     C. doubtful     D. pessimistic

阅读理解 (共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分)
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
On the snowy Tibet plateau, traditional elements have been mingled with modern life -- youths dressed in the latest fashion dancing "Guozhuang," office-ladies playing conventional Tibetan music while driving to work and Tibetan girls wearing superb folk costume displaying their nice figures.
"I used to go shopping or bar-hopping with my friends after work. But now I don't think it is advisable to continue following that living style," said Pasang, a young Tibetan girl who practices Yoga everyday at a fitness club in the eastern suburbs of Lhasa city.
Today, the conception to live in a healthy way has become more popular in Tibet's general public.
When the night falls, crowds of aged citizens dancing "Guozhuang," a traditional Tibetan group dance, to vigorous folk music can be seen in many residential communities. Among them, Pasang's mother Tseden Wangmo, 63, is undoubtedly one of the enthusiasts in such an outdoor team activity: "I like dancing Guozhuang very much, for it can make my body strong, bring me good mood and carry forward Tibetan ethnic culture as well."
Different from their elder generations, a swarm of teenagers play skateboard or roller-skating shuttle among groups of strollers on the squares in front of the Potala Palace and Norbulingka, the Dalai Lama's permanent residence.
The stylish dress, colored hairs, an earring on a single ear or an obscure tattoo -- all these signals have highlighted Tibet's younger generation's personality and their view on fashion.
Lhakpa Tashi, 16, will become a high-school student in the second half year. This adolescent is a typical fan at various kinds of modern novelties, such as surfing the net, online shopping and foreign Rap music.
【小题1】Which activity is not mentioned in the passage?.

第三部分：阅读理解（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中选出最佳选项。
The Yangtze River, the biggest river in China, starts with the Tuotuo River at the Roof of the World, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, takes in countless rivers, and flows eastward across the inner part of China. With a total length of more than 6,300 kilometers, it marches toward the East China Sea, singing the songs of the four seasons with its waves. The Yangtze River, only next to the Amazon and the Nile, is a cradle that breeds the ancient civilization of the Chinese nation.
The Three Gorges have showed the magic workings of nature with their beautiful mountains and waters. The peaks and rocks on the two sides are telling us the history of the region in the past billion years. Every year, many visitors around the world are attracted by the charming thousand-year-long history of the region, the great ancient relics of human civilization, and the mysterious folk tales.
Sandwiched between the mountains, the Three Gorges run across Fengjie and Wushan Mountain in Sichuan Province and Badong, Zigui and Yichang in Hubei Province, extending 193 kilometers long to include Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge and Xiling Gorge. The City of White Emperor in Fengjie is the important passage of the west part of the Three Gorges. Nanjinguan in Yichang is the important gateway of the east part. Along the banks of the Yangtze River, the high peaks, overhanging rocks tower, rise into the clouds, dangerous cliffs seem to reach the sky, waterfalls are spraying and sparkling, clouds and thin fogs are curling, rapids and torrents are boiling. On the whole, Xiling Gorge is dangerous for its shallow shores and rapid currents. However, Yichang is regarded by most people as the best start point to tour the Three Gorges.
56. The Yangtze River is important to Chinese people, mainly because _______.
A. it extends its way from the west to the east of China
B. the ancient Chinese civilization began here
C. the scenery on both sides is very beautiful
D. the Three Gorges is located on it
57. We can see the Three Gorges _______.
A. on Qinghai-Tibet Plateau    B. in Hubei Province
C. in Sichuan Province        D. Both A and B
58. According to the passage, which of the following statements is NOT true?
A. The Three Gorges have a total length of 193 kilometers.
B. The shapes of the Three Gorges are like sandwiches.
C. The Three Gorges is famous for beautiful scenery and relics.
D. The Xiling Gorge are very dangerous for ships to sail.
59. As a tourist, you’d better go to _______ to start your trip to the Three Gorges.
A. Nanjinguan      B. Wushan       C. Badong       D. Zigui