The world is not coming to an end on December 21, 2012, the US space agency insisted Monday in a rare campaign to dispel widespread rumors fueled by the Internet and a new Hollywood movie.
The latest big screen offering from Sony Picture, 2012, arrives in theaters on Friday, with a 200-million-dollar production about the end of the world supposedly based on myths backed by the Mayan calendar. It is claimed that the end of time will come as a Planet X---or Nibiru---heads toward or collides with the Earth.
Some websites accuse NASA of hiding the truth on the planet’s existence, but the US space agency condemned such stories as an “Internet hoax”. “There is no factual basis for these claims,” NASA said in a question-and-anwser posting on this website. “If such a cllision were real, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye. Obviously, it does not exist. Credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012,” it insisted. “After all, our planet has been getting along just well for more than four billion years,” added NASA.
There is another planet, Eris, floating in space. But the small planet similar to Pluto will remain safely fixed in the outer solar system and it can come no closer than four billion miles to the Earth, according to NASA.
Earlier theories set the disaster for May 2003, but when nothing happened the date was moved forward to the winter in 2012 to coincide with the end of a cycle of the ancient Mayan calendar.
NASA insisted the Mayan calendar in fact does not end on December 21, 2012, as another period begins immediately afterward.
And even if the planets were to line up as some have forecast, the effect on our planet would be “negligible(unimportant)”, NASA said
“And while comets and asteroids (小行星) have always hit the Earth, big hits are very rare,” NASA noted. The last major impact was believed to be 65 million years ago, resulting in the end of dinosaurs.
“We have already determined that there are no threatening asteroids as large as the one that killed the dinosaurs,” the space agency said.
49. ______ played a key role in the spread of the rumors.
A. A new book B. The Internet and a new Hollywood movie
C. NASA D. An Indian calendar
50. We can infer that ______.
A. people didn’t take the rumor seriously
B. Planet X --- or Nibiru does exist
C. astronomers have been tracking Planet X for over ten years
D. the rumor caused a panic among some people
51. NASA thinks that Eris ______.
A. might have a threat to the Earth
B. dosen’t have any threat to the Earth
C. is too fa
r away to be visible
D. is similar to our planet, where life might exist
52. Which of the following is the best title?
A. New Hollywood movie 2012
B. December 21, 2012, Not the end of the world
C. End of the ancient Mayan calendar
D. How rumors came into being
In late March, Southwest University became the first school in China to open a 24-hour hotline providing suicide-prevention counseling．
College suicide is a heart-breaking and argumentative topic．Chinese college students have long been the focus of public attention: their youth, education and, most importantly, bright futures make them the envy of society．
However, in recent years, we've read more reports of student suicides．Perhaps that's simply because of society's attention with youth．But it could also signify the increasing troubled mental state of college students．
Many studies have sought to find out the causes of student suicides．Not surprisingly, the top factors usually include psychological and physical sickness, emotional trouble and peer pressure．Despair about their futures is also quickly becoming a leading factor: many students say they feel hopeless and confused about the direction of their careers in a crowded job market．
Thankfully, more and more universities and colleges are providing counseling services to address students' mental and psychological problems．These at least offer some comfort to students facing tough job prospects and personal difficulties．
From appointing in-house student counselors to setting up hotlines and recruiting students to help their troubled peers, many universities are making efforts to fight student depression．There is no denying that much remains to be done, but such efforts are already working, helping students and saving lives．
However, the most important front in this battle lies with the students themselves．Whatever efforts school officials make, it is up to students to realize their problems and ask for help．Unfortunately, many students considering suicide refuse to seek help．By shutting themselves away, they can easily fall into vicious cycles (恶性循环), becoming even more easily hurt to personal
difficulties and the pressures of the outside world．
While establishing better on-campus psychological education and outreach programs as a step forward, students themselves must actively reach out for help．These dangers are a reality for every
student, not only those who feel confused and depressed．
63．Why are there so many students that commit suicide?
A．Because of psychological and physical sickness．?
B．Because they feel hopeless and confused about their future．
C．Because of the emotional trouble．
D．All of the above．
64．According to the article, all of the following are right except ____．
A．No university in China had a whole day hotline about suicide-prevention before March．
B．Many people envy the college students their bright futures．
C．The students who feel confused and depressed may need psychological education．
D．The problems of student suicides indicate the increasing troubled mental state of youths.
65．The key to avoid student suicides is that ____．
A．parents communicate with their children and understand them
B．colleges and universities offer more help to students
C．students themselves realize their problems and seek help from others
D．friends give more comfort and show more understanding to the problem students
66．Which of the following can be the main idea for this article?
A．Help is at hand for suicidal students．
B．More college students commit suicide．
C．How can students avoid committing suicide?
D．Why do college students feel depressed?
Federal regulators Wednesday approved a plan to create a nationwide emergency alert system using text messages delivered to cell phones．Text messages have exploded in popularity in recent years, particularly among young people．The wireless industryls trade association, CTIA, estimates more than 48 billion text messages are sent each month．
The plan comes from the Warning Alert and Response Network Act, a 2006 federal law that requires improvements to the nation's emergency alert system．The act tasked the Federal Communications Commission （FCC） by coming up with new ways to alert the public about emergencies．
"The ability to deliver accurate and timely warnings and alerts through cell phones and other mobile services is an important next step in our efforts to help ensure that the American public has the information they need to take action to protect themselves and their families before and during disasters and other emergencies," FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said following approval of the plan．
Participation in the alert system by carriers -telecommunications companies is voluntary, but it has received solid support from the wireless industry．The program would be optional for cell phone users．They also may not be charged for receiving alerts．
There would be three different types of messages, according to the rules．The first would be a national alert from the president, likely involving a terrorist attack or a nationwide disease．The second would involve "approaching threats," which could include natural disasters like hurricanes or storms or even university shootings．The third would be reserved for child kidnapping emergencies．The service could be in place by 2010．
59．What is the purpose of the approved plan?
A．To warn people of emergencies through messages．
B．To popularize the use of cell phones．
C．To estimate the monthly number of messages．
D．To promote the wireless industry．
60．According to the passage, cell phone users ____．
A．must accept the alert service． B．may enjoy the alert service for free．
C．must send the alerts to others D．may choose the types of messages
61．An alert message will NOT be sent if____．
A．a child gets robbed in the street B．a university shooting happens
C．a natural disaster happens D．a terrorist attack occurs
62．Which of the following can be the best title for the text?
A．Cell Phone Alerts Protecting Students
B．Cell Phone Alerts by Wireless Industry
C．Cell Phone Alerts of National Disasters
D．Cell Phone Alerts Coming Soon
He was an old man who fished alone in a boat in the Gulf Stream and he had gone eighty-four days now without taking a fish．hi the first forty days a boy had been with him．But after tony days without a fish the boy's parents had told him that the old man was now definitely salao and he finally would be so．The boy had gone at their orders in another boat which caught three good fish the first week．It made the boy sad to see the old man come in each day with his skiff empty and he always went down to help him carry either the coiled lines or the gaff （鱼钩） and harpoon （鱼叉） and the sail that was rolled around the mast （桅杆）．The sail was patched with flour bags and, rolled, it looked like tneflag of permanent defeat．
The old man was very thin with deep wrinkles in the back of his neck．The brown blotches（斑点）of the skin cancer the sun brings from its reflection on the tropic sea were on his cheeks．The blotches ran well down the sides of his face and his hands had the deep-creased scars from handling heavy fish on the cords．But none of these scars were fresh．They were as old as erosions in a fishless desert．Everything about him was old except his eyes and they were the same color as the sea and were cheerful and undefeated．
"Santiago," the boy said to him as they climbed the bank from where the boat was pulled up．"I could go with you again．We've made some money．" The old man had taught the boy to fish and the boy loved him．
"No," the old man said．"You're with a lucky boat．Stay with them."
"But remember how you went eighty-seven days without fish and then we caught big ones every day for three weeks．"
"I remember," the old man said．"I know you did not leave me because you doubted．"
"It was papa who made me leave．I am a boy and I must obey him．"
"I know," the old man said．"It is quite normal．"
"He hasn't much faith．"
"No," the old man said．"But we have．Haven't we?"
"Yes," the boy said．"Can I offer you a beer on the Terrace and then we'll take the stuff home．"
"Why not?" said the old man, "between fishermen．"
55．The underlined word "salao" in the first paragraph probably means ____．
A．lonely B．unlucky C．selfish D．stubborn
56．The boy left the old man and went in another boat to fish because ____．
A．the old man preferred to fish alone
B．the old man was poor
C．the boy's parents ordered him to
D．the old man's sail suggested a permanent defeat
57．After reading this passage, we may safely conclude that ____．
A．the old man was insistent and not afraid of failure
B．the boy's papa had confidence in everything
C．the old man caught big fishes during eighty-seven days
D．the boy obeyed his father because he had some doubts about the old man
58．What might happen after the last paragraph?
A．The old man and the boy might go to fish with other fishermen．
B．The old man might go to have a drink with the boy．
C．The old man and the boy might go to enjoy beer at the old man's home．
D．The old man might go to tell the boy's papa about the secrets between fishermen．
第三部分阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Too often we accuse others of not listening, pretending that we ourselves are faultless, yet in our hearts we know that many of the mistakes we make come about because we haven't listened carefully enough．We get things wrong because we haven't listened carefully enough．We get things wrong because we haven't quite understood what someone meant when they were talking to us．Anyone who has ever taken the minutes of a long meeting will know how hard it is to remember—despite the benefit of notes—exactly what everyone said．But success depends on getting things right—and that means listening．
Listening is not the same thing as hearing; it is not an effort actively．It demands attention and concentration．It may mean quizzing the speaker for additional information or for clarification—it is always better to ask than to continue regardless and get things wrong．However, if you allow your mind to wander onto something else, even for a few minutes, you'll miss what the speaker is saying—probably at the very moment when he or she is saying something critical．And not having heard, you won't know you've missed anything until it's too late．
The most common bad habit we have is to start thinking of what we are going to say about the subject long before the other speaker has finished．We then stop listening．Even worse, this often addsrudeness to inattentiveness, as once you have decided what to say there is a fair chance you will interrupt to say it．Good listeners don't interrupt, hi fact it is often worth explaining the main idea of what you have just been told before going on to make your own points．Nobody is offended by this and it shows that you have listened well．
Above all, be patient and accept that many people are not very good communicators．It's helpful to remember that the ways people move and position themselves while they are speaking can reveal a great deal about what they are saying．Equally important you should put yourself in the other person's place, both intellectually and emotionally; it will help you to understand what they are getting at and form a response．But don't be too clever．Faced with a know-all, many people keep quiet because they see no point in continuing．
51．Which is the best title for this passage?
A．Don't be too clever B．Be a good listener
C．Don't miss anything critical D．Think of the speaker
52．In the last paragraph, the underlined sentence"…what they are getting at…" means ____．
A．what they imply B．what they like．
C．what they attack - D．what they achieve
53．According to the passage, which of the following is the writer's opinion?
A．If you want to be a good listener, you should be very clever and emotional．
B．Speakers won't continue talking when their listeners explain what they've heard．
C．If you don't want to get things wrong, it's important to be a good listener．
D．It's hard to be a good listener because listening tests you on your intelligence．
54．What is the lesson we can learn from this passage?
A．Don't accuse others of not listening while talking with them．
B．Don't get anything wrong if you miss what the speaker is saying．
C．Listening inattentively may cost you the loss of your success．
D．Think carefully of what you're going to say before the speaker finishes．
Napoleon, as a character in Tolstoy’s War and Peace, is more than once described as having “fat little hands.’’ Nor does he “sit well or firmly on the horse.’’ He is said to be “undersized.’’ with“short legs’’ and a “round stomach”. The issue here is not the accuracy of Tolstoy’s description — it seems not that far off from historical accounts but his choice of facts：Other things that could be said of the man are not said. We are meant to understand the difference of a warring commander in the body of a fat little Frenchman. Tolstoy’s Napoleon could be any man wandering in the streets and putting a little of powdered tobacco up his nose — and that is the point.
It is a way the novelist uses to show the moral nature of a character. And it turns out that, as Tolstoy has it, Napoleon is a crazy man. In a scene in Book Three of War and Peace, the wars having reached the critical year of 1812, Napoleon receives a representative from the Tsar(沙皇), who has come with peace terms. Napoleon is very angry：Doesn’t he have more army? He, not the Tsar, is the one to make the terms. He will destroy all of Europe if his army is stopped. “That is what you will have gained by engaging me in the war!” he shouts. And then, Tolstoy writes, Napoleon “walked silently several times up and down the room, his fat shoulders moving quickly.’’
Still later, after reviewing his army amid cheering crowds, Napoleon invites the shaken Russian to dinner. “He raised his hand to the Russian’s … face,” Tolstoy writes, and “taking him by the ear pulled it gently ….” To have one’s ear pulled by the Emperor was considered the greatest honor and mark of favor at the French court. “Well, well, why don’t you say anything?’’ said he, as if it was ridiculous in his presence to respect any one but himself, Napoleon.
Tolstoy did his research, but the composition is his own.
51. Tolstoy’s description of Napoleon in War and Peace is ____ _______ ____.
A. far from the historical facts B. based on the Russian history
C. based on his selection of facts D. not related to historical details
52. Napoleon was angry when receiving the Russian representative because _________.
A. he thought he should be the one to make the peace terms
B. the Tsar's peace terms were hard to accept
C. the Russians stopped his military movement
D. he didn’t have any more army to fight with
53. What did Napoleon expect the Russian representative to do?
A. To walk out of the room in anger. B. To show agreement with him.
C. To say something about the Tsar. D. To express his admiration.
54. Tolstoy intended to present Napoleon as a man who is _____ ______ ____.
A. ill-mannered in dealing with foreign guests
B. fond of showing off his iron will
C. determined in destroying all of Europe
D. crazy for power and respect
55. What does the last sentence of the passage imply?
A. A writer doesn’t have to be faithful to his findings.
B. A writer may write about a hero in his own way.
C. A writer may not be responsible for what he writes.
D. A writer has hardly any freedom to show his feelings.