Once in a blue moon there is one on New Year's Eve. Revelers ringing in 2010 will be treated to a so-called blue moon. According to popular definition, a blue moon is the second full moon in a month. But don't 1 it to be blue - the name has nothing to 2 the color of our closest celestial（天体） neighbor.
A full moon 3 on December 2. It will appear again on Thursday in time for the New Year's countdown.
"If you're in Times Square, you'll see the 4 moon right above you. It's going to be that brilliant," said Jack Horkheimer, director emeritus of the Miami Space Transit Planetarium and host of a weekly astronomy TV show.
The New Year's Eve blue moon will be 5 in the United States, Canada, Europe, South America and Africa. For partygoers in Australia and Asia, the full moon does not show up 6 New Year's Day, making January a blue moon month for them.
However, the Eastern Hemisphere can celebrate with a partial lunar eclipse（月蚀） on New Year's Eve when 7 of the moon enters the Earth's shadow. The 8 will not be visible in the Americas.
A full moon occurs 9 29.5 days, and most years have 12. 10 , an extra full moon in a month - a blue moon - occurs every 2.5 years. The 11 time there was a lunar double take was in May 2007. New Year's Eve blue moons are rarer, occurring every 19 years. The last time was in 1990; the next one won't 12 again until 2028.
Blue moons have no astronomical 13 , said Greg Laughlin, an astronomer at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
"`Blue moon' is just a 14 in the same sense as a `hunter's moon' or a `harvest moon,'" Laughlin said in an e-mail.
The popular definition of blue moon 15 after a writer for Sky & Telescope magazine in 1946 misunderstood the Maine Farmer's Calendar and marked a blue moon as the second full moon in a month. In fact, the calendar 16 a blue moon as the third full moon in a season with four full moons, not the usual three.
Though Sky & Telescope corrected the 17 decades later, the definition caught on. For purists（语言纯正癖者）, however, this New Year's Eve full moon doesn't even qualify as a 18 moon. It's just the first full moon of the winter season.
In a tongue-in-cheek essay 19 on the magazine's Web site this week, senior contributing editor Kelly Beatty wrote: "If skies are clear when I'm 20 celebrating, I'll take a peek（眯着眼睛看） at that brilliant orb（天体） as it rises over the Boston skyline to see if it's an icy shade of blue. Or maybe I'll just howl."
( ) 1. A. wish B. wait C. hope D. expect
( ) 2. A. deal with B. do with C. develop with D. form into
( ) 3. A. occurred B. came C. ran D. went
( ) 4. A. full B. half C. bright D. part
( ) 5. A. out of sight B. visible C. big D. clear
( ) 6. A. until B. when C. before D. since
( ) 7. A. part B. all C. any D. none
( ) 8. A. moon B. eclipse C. sun D. shadow
( ) 9. A. each B. every C. either D. all
( ) 10. A. On the whole B. Generally speaking C. On average D. In addition
( ) 11. A. last B. next C. other D. another
( ) 12. A. go B. see C. come D. look
( ) 13. A. point B. evident C. theory D. significance
( ) 14. A. name B. object C. phenomenon D. tradition
( ) 15. A. created B. came about C. made D. copied
( ) 16. A. named B. called C. introduced D. defined
( ) 17. A. error B. name C. reality D. number
( ) 18. A. blue B. red C. yellow D. grey
( ) 19. A. published B. posted C. printed D. written
( ) 20. A. in B. out C. away D. on
A Strange Greeting, a True Feeling Last week I was invited to a doctor’s meeting at the Ruth hospital for incurables. Inoneof the wards a patient, an old man, got up shakily from his bed and moved towards me. I could see that he hadn't long to 1 , but he came up to me and placed his right foot close mine on the floor.
“Frank！” I cried in astonishment. He couldn’t 2, as I knew, but all the time 3his foot against mine.
My 4raced back more than thirty years to the 5days of 1941, when I was a student in London. The 6was an air-raid shelter, in which I and about hundred other people slept every night. Two of the regulars were Mrs. West and her son Frank.
7wartime problems, we shelter-dwellers got to 8each other very well. Frank West 9me because he wasn’t 10, not even at birth. His mother told me he was 37 then, but he had 11of a mind than a baby has. His “ 12” consisted of rough sounds——sounds of pleasure or anger and 13 more. Mrs. West, then about 75, was a strong, capable woman, as she had to be, of course, because Frank 14 on her entirely. He needed all the 15of a baby.
One night a policeman came and told Mrs. West that her house had been flattened by a 500-pounder. She 16 nearly everything she owned.
When that sort of thing happened, the rest of us helped the 17 ones. So before we 18that morning, I stood beside Frank and 19my right foot against his. They were about the same size. That night, then, I took a pair of shoes to the shelter for frank. But as soon as he saw me he came running and placed his right foot against mine. After that, his 20to me was always the same.
1. A. work B. stay C. live D. expect
2. A. answer B. speak C. smile D. laugh
3. A. covering B. moving C. fighting D. pressing
4. A. minds B. memories C. thoughts D. brains
5. A. better B. dark C. younger D. old
6. A. cave B. place C. sight D. scene
7. A. DiscussingB. Solving C. Sharing D. Suffering
8. A. learn fromB. talk to C. help D. know
9. A. needed B. recognized C. interested D. encouraged
10. A. normalB. common C. unusual D. quick
11. A. more B. worse C. fewer D. less
12. A. word B. speech C. sentence D. language
13. A. not B. no C. something D. nothing
14. A. fed B. kept C. lived D. depended
15. A. attention B. control C. treatment D. management
16. A. lost B. needed C. destroyed D. left
17. A. troublesomeB. unlucky C. angry D. unpopular
18. A. separatedB. went C. reunited D. returned
19. A. pushedB. tried C. showed D. measured
20. A. noddingB. greeting C. meeting D. acting
A few years ago I was at an international conference with nearly 700 participants. One afternoon I_31 a very crowded talk by a famous author. The hall filled quickly and soon there were no 32 left , so many dozens of people were standing around the edges.
I saw a very elderly man, stooped(驼背的) slightly with age,33 against the wall. I immediately got up, told those sitting beside me to34 the place for him and made my way to him. When I offered my seat to him , he looked 35 and started to refuse , but I would have 36 of that. He asked me my name and thanked me deeply, and then made his 37 back into my row and sat comfortably. Many people who 38 our exchange turned to say what a kind thing I had done. I kept saying , “it’s nothing 39 . I m from Canada, it’s normal for us to help other people!”
A few minutes later, the man sitting next to the elderly man 40 to leave the hall for another talk and the elderly man 41 to me to return and sit beside him. 42 I resisted, thinking someone else might need it more, but people sitting around him started to repeat my 43 , asking me to come and sit! So I returned and sat beside the gentleman for the 44 .
when the talk was over ,the man thanked me again and 45 asked if I knew who he was . I had no idea. He then looked quite delighted and 46 me a household name that I recognized immediately!
I was astonished to have been sitting next to him, 47 he was excited to think I had given up my seat for him 48 knowing who he was! Again I had to tell him where I come from , and it’s the 49 thing to do! I have felt more blessed to be a Canadian since that day, for seeing how easy it is to 50 someone and how rare it seemed to so many people.
31. A. missed B. gave C. expected D. attended
32. A. seatsB. rooms C. topicsD. rows
33. A. turning B. walking C. leaningD. lying
34. A. move B. spare C. takeD. hold
35. A. gladB. satisfied C. disappointed D. surprised
36. A. nothing B. noneC. somethingD. anything
37. A. livingB. fortuneC. directionD. way
38. A. witnessedB. confirmed C. remembered D. experienced
39. A. easyB. popularC. specialD. funny
40. A. agreedB. refusedC. choseD. forgot
41. A. sent B. signaled C. rolled D. said
42. A. At last B. At leastC. At most D. At first
43. A. action B. nameC. dream D. address
44. A. game B. discussionC. courseD. talk
45. A. quietly B. loudly. C. proudly D. angrily
46. A. shared B. told C. asked D. answered
47. A. as if B. even if C. so D .but
48. A. by B. without C. through D. after
49. A. strange B. secret C. normal D. hard
50. A. help B. accept C. praise D. trust
I was sure that I was to be killed. I became terribly nervous. I fumbled (searched) in my pockets to see if there were any cigarettes, which 1 their search. I found 2 and because of my shaking hands, I could 3 get it to my lips. But I had no matches, they had taken those. I looked 4 the bars at my jailer. He did not make eye contact with me. I 5 to him “Have you got a light?” He looked at me, shrugged and came over to light my cigarette. 6 he came close and lit the match, his eyes inadvertently locked with mine. At that moment, I 7 . I don't know why I did that. Perhaps it was 8 , perhaps it was because, when you get very, one to another, it is very 9 not to smile. In that instant, it was 10 a spark jumped across the gap between our two hearts, our two human souls. I know he didn't want to, but my smile leaped through the bars and generated smile on his lips, too. He lit my cigarette but 11 , looking at me directly in the eyes and continuing to smile.
I 12 smiling at him, now aware of him as a(n) 13 and not just a jailer. And his looking at me seemed to have a new 14 too. “Do you have kids?” he asked. “Yes, here, here.” I took out my wallet and nervously fumbled for the 15 of my family. He, too, took out the pictures of his family and began to talk about his plans and hopes for them. My eyes filled with tears. I said that I feared that I'd never see my family again, never have the chance to see them grow up. Tears came to his eyes, too. 16 without another word, he 17 my cell (牢房) and silently led me out．Out of the jail，quietly and by back routes，out of the town. There, at the edge of town, he released me. And without another word, he turned back toward the town.
“My life was 18 by a smile.” Yes, the smile—the unaffected, unplanned, 19 connection between people. I really believe that if that part of you and that part of me could 20 each other, we wouldn't be enemies. We couldn't have hate or envy or fear.
1. A. had lost B. had given C. had escaped D. had reached
2. A. them B. it C. that D. one
3. A. barely B. quickly C. possibly D. 1ikely
4. A. on tudyez.com B. through C. at D. up
5. A. whispered B. explained C. called out D. repeated
6. A. As B. before C. after D. until
7. A. cried B. shook C. refused D. smiled
8. A. anger B. nervousness C. bitterness D. sympathy
9. A. easy B. hard C. glad D. embarrassed
10. A. when B. as well asC. as though D. as long as
11. A. went away B. dropped out C. stayed far D. stayed near
12. A. kept B. stopped C. began D. forgot
13. A. stranger B. enemy C. opponent D. person
14. A. idea B. suggestion C. impression D. concept
15. A. cigarettes B. bags C. pictures D. wallet
16. A. Intentionally B. Unconsciously C. Unwillingly D. Suddenly
17. A. unfolded B. unlocked C. uncontrolled D. undefended
18. A. misled B. destroyed C. saved D. ignored
19. A. surprising B. natural C. different D. frequent
20. A. like B. expect C. notice D. recognize
I don't know what's your opinion about mountains.
It was only in the eighteenth century 
people in Europe began to 
that mountains were beautiful. 
that time, mountains were feared by the people 
on the plain, especially by the city people, 
they were wild and 
places 
one was easily 
or killed by terrible animals.
Slowly, however, 
people 
comfortably in the towns began to grow 
them. They began to feel 
looking for wild excitement, as their attention turned from the man-made town to the 
country; and to places 
dangerous and wild. So high mountains began to be 
for a holiday.
Then, mountain-climbing began to grow popular 
To some people, there is something 
about getting to the 
of a high mountain: a struggle against nature is finer than a battle 
other human beings. And after a difficult climb, what a 
reward it is to look down on everything within sight.
36．A. when B. which C. that D. and
37．A. regret B. seem C. hope D. think
38．A. After B. Before C. During D. At
39．A. lived B. living C. to live D. who living
40．A. whom B. for whom C. with whom D. to whom
41．A. danger B. dangerous C. dangerously D. dangerless
42．A. that B. which C. where D. in where
43．A. lost B. missed C. found D. searched
44．A. many B. much C. many the D. a lot
45．Ａ. that living B. who were living
C. that were lived D. who living
46．A. tiring with B. tiring of C. tired with D. tired of
47．A. interesting B. interest in C. interested D. interested in
48．A. untouched B. touched C. untouching D. touching
49．A. where was B. which were
C. which that was D. which it was
50．A. excited B. expensive C. popular D. terrible
51．A. for sport B. as a sport
C. with a sport D. like a sport
52．A. pleasure B. pleased
C. pleasant D. unpleasant
53．A. top B. middle C. bottom D. foot
54．A. about B. for C. without D. against
55．A. disappointed B. satisfied
C. satisfactory D. disappointing
Several years ago, while attending a communication course, I experienced a most unusual process. The instructor asked us to list ___36___ in our past that we felt ___37__ of, regretted, or incomplete about and read our lists aloud.
This seemed like a very ___38___ process, but there’ s always some ___39___soul in the crowd who will volunteer. The instructor then ___40___ that we find ways to ___41__ people, or take some action to right any wrong doings. I was seriously wondering how this could ever __42__ my communication.
Then the man next to me raised his hand and volunteered this story: “Making my __43__, I remembered an incident from high school. I grew up in a small town. There was a Sheriff __44__ of us kids liked. One night, my two buddies and I decided to play a __45___ on him. After drinking a few beers, we climbed the tall water tank in the middle of the town, and wrote on the tank in bright red paint: Sheriff Brown is a s.o.b.(畜生). The next day, almost the whole town saw our glorious __46__. Within two hours, Sheriff Brown had us in his office. My friends told the truth but I lied. No one ___47__ found out.”
“Nearly 20 years later, Sheriff Brown’s name __48__ on my list. I didn’t even know if he was still ___49__. Last weekend, I dialed the information in my hometown and found there was a Roger Brown still listed. I tried his number. After a few ___50___, I heard, “Hello?” I said, “Sheriff Brown?” Paused. “Yes.” “Well, this is Jimmy Calkins.”
“And I want you to know that I did it？”Paused. “I knew it!” he yelled back. We had a good laugh and a ___51__ discussion. His closing words were: “Jimmy, I always felt bad for you ___52__ your buddies got it off their chest, but you were carrying it __53___ all these years. I want to thank you for calling me...for your sake.”
Jimmy inspired me to ___54___ all 101 items on my list within two years, and I always remember what I learned from the course: It’s never too late to ___55__the past wrongdoings.
36. A. something B. anything C. somebody D. anybody
37. A. ashamed B. afraid C. sure D. proud
38. A. private B. openC. interesting D. funny
39. A. foolish B. polite C. simple D. brave
40. A. expected B. suggested C. ordered D. demanded
41. A. connect with B. depend on C. make apologize to D. get along with
42. A. improve B. continue C. realize D. keep
43. A. notes B. list C. plan D. stories
44. A. any B. most C. none D. all
45. A. part B. game C. trick D. record
46. A. view B. sign C. attention D. remark
47. A. alsoB. even C. still D. ever
48. A. appears B. considers C. presents D. remembers
49. A. angry B. happy C. doubtful D. alive
50. A. words B. rings C. repeats D. calls
51. A. cold B. plain C. nervous D. lively
52. A. in case B. so long as C. unless D. because
53. A. around B. out C. on D. away
54. A. build upB. make up C. clear up D. give up
55. A. regret B. forgive C. right D. punish