There are over one million superstitions(迷信), and most people believe at least one or two of　them.

Many people are superstitious about numbers. They think that there are lucky numbers and unlucky numbers.

The number 13 is often considered unlucky. In some parts of the world, buildings have no 13th floor and streets have no houses with the number 13. In Japan, "4" is considered unlucky because in Japanese the word "four" is pronounced the same as the word "death" .

Japanese never give gifts of four knives, four napkins, or four of anything.

What are the lucky numbers? Seven is a lucky number in many places, and "8" is considered a lucky number in Japan and China. In China, businesses often open on August 8, and many couples register to get married at eight past eight on August 8.

Superstitions about numbers are so widespread that some people--called numerologist--make a living by giving advice about numbers.

In 1937, when the Toyoda family of Japan wanted to form a car company, they asked a numerologist if "Toyoda" would be a good name for the company. The numerologist said it would not be. He explained that "Toyota" would be a better name for the company. The family took his advice. As a result, millions of people drive "Toyota" and not "Toyoda" .

There are many other kinds of superstitions. There are superstitions about eating, sleeping, sneezing and itching(抓痒). There are superstitions about animals and holidays and horseshoes.

There are even superstitions about superstitions. Those superstitions will tell people how to reverse bad luck.

When the Japanese bump heads, they immediately bump heads again. According to a Japanese superstition, the first-bump means their parents will die, but the second bump "erases" the first bump         

To reverse bad luck in general, people turn around three times, turn their pockets inside out, or put their hats on backwards.

In the United States, baseball players sometimes wear their caps backwards when their team is losing. It looks silly, but the baseball players do not mind if it helps them win the game.

1.It can be inferred that superstitions about numbers are          .

2.The underlined word "reverse" means          .

3.If a Japanese purposely bumps his head again after an accidental bump, we can be sure that     .  

4.The writer wrote this passage with the purpose of          .

第三节：阅读理解（共15小题，每小题2分，共30分）
请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
Strong winds, sand in the air, poor visibility (能见度), we all know the characteristics of a sandstorm. But what else do you know about them?
Did you know, for example, that the first sandstorm of 2009 hit north China’s Inner Mongolia autonomous region late February?
Sandstorms are today a feature of life in northern China because of desertification (沙漠化) and the retreat (退化) of the northern grasslands. They usually occur between February and May.
Fortunately, sandstorms this year should be fewer than in past years in north China, according to the National Meteorological Center (中央气象台).
And the chances of sandstorms hitting Beijing are small, because recent rain has stopped drought and reduced dry dirt and dust. Tree planting, and other measures taken by the government, has also helped decrease the chance of sandstorms in the city.
Sandstorms can be dangerous. However, there are measures you can take to protect yourself from harm.
﹡Wear a mask. Cover your nose and mouth with a mask that can keep out sand, or use a damp handkerchief.
﹡If you are driving and the storm is at a distance, it may be possible to outrun (超过) it. If it looks like you will be caught in the storm, stop and wait it out.
﹡Take a cover. If there is no shelter, then lie down. Keep eyes, nose and mouth covered. Cover your head with your arms or a backpack to protect yourself against flying objects.
If you are caught in a desert sandstorm, take the following actions.
﹡Mark your direction before lying down. It is easy to get lost in a desert.
﹡Keep plenty of water at hand. If you get lost, you need water to survive until you find your way or help arrives.
﹡Stay together if traveling in a group. Lock arms if caught in a sandstorm. The most useful measure would actually be to make sandstorms disappear forever. To make this goal come true, people should plant trees, and stop desertification.
Today, the straight-line distance between Tiananmen Square and a desert called Tianmo in Hebei province is only about 80km. If desertification is not stopped, environmental protection experts say, it will probably not be long before Beijingers can catch a camel to work.
56.According to the passage, which of the following statements is true?
A. So far in 2009 no sandstorm has happened.
B. Sandstorms usually happen in spring.
C. Sandstorms are a feature of life in China.
D. In sandstorms in cities, what you need to protect yourself from is just the sand in the air.
57.Which may not be the right action to take to protect yourself from harm in a sandstorm?
A. Finding a shelter.
B. Covering your head with a bag.
C. Lying down.
D. When driving, speed up and rush through the sandstorm.
58.What can we infer from the passage ?
A. North China has been suffering from sandstorms for several years.
B. The distance between Beijing and the desert has made the chances of sandstorms hitting Beijing small this year.
C. Planting trees can help make sandstorms disappear.
D. It is more dangerous to be caught in sandstorms in cities because there are more flying objects.
59.What’s the best title of the passage?
A. The realities of sandstorm                          B. The cause of sandstorm.
C. The influences of sandstorm                       D. The future of sandstorm.

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，共30分）

If you think you are sick, you are sick no matter what   41 says.   42 , if you believe in your doctor, and if he tells that you are going to feel better, you probably will. The  43  of the mind on the body does exist and sometimes can be powerful. It exists whether one is 44 of it or not.

Take the  45   of Mrs. Green, for example. She was unable to get to sleep at night and was too tired during the day to do some simple things that she   46  enjoy doing. She had headaches more often which   47  her from reading or watching TV. The more she thought about her conditions,  48  she felt. At last she went to   49  her doctor, whom she had known for years. The doctor listened to her and gave her a very   50  examination. Then he said to her, “ There is nothing  51  wrong with you physically, but I accept the fact   52  you don’t feel well. I’m going to give you some pills that should help. I want you to   53  one after dinner and one half an hour   54  you go to bed tonight. Call me tomorrow and tell me   55  you feel.

 56  Mrs. Green telephoned, “Doctor, I had the first   57  night’s sleep in two months. What is in this pills   58 ?” The doctor said, “It is an old formula（配方） I have  59 for years. Just   60  taking them for a week.” Turning to the nurse, he said, “It’s wonderful what a little baking soda（苏打） can do.”

101. In the _____ of my long life I’ve known many changes which took place in this village.