An earthquake happens when two plates（板块） rub (碰撞) together. The earth plates travel in different directions and at different speeds. If one plate is slowly forced underneath the other, pressure builds up until the plates break apart. This process causes the ground to move. It is an earthquake. In other words, earth-quakes are the shaking of the earth’s surface caused by the earth’s rocky outer layer as a result of the energy stored within the earth. The strain within the rocks is suddenly released (释放).
The damage an earthquake causes depends on where it is and the time it is happening. If an unpopulated region is struck, there will be low loss of life or property. If it hits a large city, there may be many in-juries and much destruction. Many of the areas at risk are largely populated now. Major earthquakes hitting those areas today could produce terrible damage.
Actually, there are several million small earth-quakes every year. Large earthquakes such as the 1964 Alaskan quake that measured 9.2 on the Richter scale, cause millions of dollars in damage. In the last 500 years, millions of people have been killed by earth-quakes around the world — including 240,000 in the 1976 Tangshan earthquake in China.
A 60-second or less earthquake can cause devastation that continues for years after the first tremor (小震). In 1972, a series of severe earthquakes struck Managua, Nicaragua. Fifteen years later, the city still looked the way it had a week after the earthquake hit, because the country did not have the necessary money to rebuild it.
The shaking of the earth is sometimes not the greatest disaster. It is in the ensuing fires and floods that often the greatest damage occurs. In the 1906 earthquake, it was the fires caused after it that did the majority of the damage. An earthquake can also destroy dams high above a city or valleys, causing floods to sweep down and sweep away everything in their path.
61.Which of the following is the main idea of the first paragraph?
A. An earthquake comes from inside the earth.
B. The earth has great energy in storage.
C. How the earth plates move.
D. How an earthquake happens.
62.How many examples are used in the passage to show the damage and destruction earthquakes cause?
A. Three. B. Four. C. Five. D. Six.
63. Which of the following is mentioned to show that an earthquake can kill too many people?
A. The 1964 Alaskan quake. B. The 1976 Tangshan earthquake.
C. The 1972 Managua earthquake. D. The 1906 earthquake.
64. The underlined word “ensuing” in the last paragraph probably means ______.
A. causing too much heat and great damage
B. causing many injuries and much destruction
C. happening as a result of another event
D. happening suddenly and unexpectedly
65. By giving the example in Paragraph 4, the author wants to show that ______.
A. an earthquake doesn’t last long B. the damage can last long
C. people in Managua suffered too much D. Nicaragua is still a poor country
A man once said how useless it was to put advertisements in the newspapers, “Last week,” said he, “my umbrella was stolen from a London church. As it was a present, I spent twice its worth in advertising, but didn't get it back.”
“How did you write your advertisement?” asked one of the listeners, a merchant.
“Here it is,” said the man, taking out of his pocket a slip cut from a newspaper. The man took it and read, “Lost from the City Church last Sunday evening, a black silk umbrella. The gentleman who finds it will receive ten shillings on leaving it at No. 10 Broad Street.”
“Now,” said the merchant, “I often advertise, and find that it pays me well. But the way in which an advertisement is expressed is often very importance. Let us try for your umbrella again. and if it fails, I'll buy you a new one.”
The merchant then took a slip of paper out of his pocket and wrote: “If the man who was seen to take an umbrella from the City Church last Sunday evening doesn't wish to get into trouble, he will return the umbrella to No. 10 Broad Street. He is well known.”
This appeared in the paper, and on the following morning, the man was astonished when he opened the front door. In the doorway lay at least twelve umbrellas of all sizes and colors that had been thrown in, and his own was among the number. Many of them had notes fastened to them saying that they had been taken by mistake and begging the loser not to say anything about the matter.
60. The result of the first advertisement was that ______.
A. the man got his umbrella back
B. the man wasted some money advertising
C. nobody found the missing umbrella
D. the umbrella was found somewhere near the Church
61. “If it fails, I’ll buy you a new one .” suggested that____.
A. he was quite sure of success
B. he was not sure whether he would get the umbrella hack
C. he was rich enough to afford a new umbrella
D. he did not know what to do
62. This is a story about _____.
A. a useless advertisement
B. how to make an effective(有效) advertisement
C. how the man lost and found his umbrella
D. what the merchant did for the umbrella owner
第四部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项
A car needs gas to run and your body also needs food to work for you. Eating the right kind of food is very important. It can help your body grow strong to take care of what you eat.
There are four main food groups altogether. The dairy group has food like milk, cheese and sour milk（酸奶）. The other three groups are the meat and fish group, the fruit and vegetable group, and the bread and rice group. Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups. With all these food together, you will be given enough energy during the day.
It is easy to get into bad eating habits. You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time. Or you may not have time for a good lunch. It may seem easy to finish your supper with fish and chips all the time. But you will find yourself tired in these days and you can not think quickly.
Watching what you eat will help keep your body healthy and strong. It is also good to take some exercise. It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air. Having a good eating habit with some exercise is the key to your health.
56. Which of the following is a good eating habit?
A. Going to school without any breakfast
B. Eating fish and chips for supper all the time..
C. Having at least one food from all four groups each meal.
D. Having different food from all four food groups.
57. In this passage the writer mainly tells us that _____.
A. every person needs food to grow well
B. taking exercise can keep your body strong
C. the right kind of food with exercise will keep you healthy
D. enough energy helps people think more quickly
58. The underlined word “dairy” in the second passage means _____.
A. the food made out of cows such as milk and butter
B. she shop that sells milk and butter
C. a farm where cows are kept
D. a place where milk products are made.
59. The best title for this passage is _____.
A. The Four Food Groups B. A Healthy Diet
C. Your Body And Food D. Food And Your Health
The United States will hold local, state and national elections this Tuesday. It seems that the Democrats (民主党) may be in a position to end Republican control of one or both houses of Congress.
Seventy percent of the fifty states will elect governors (地方长官). If the Democrats win four more of these than they have now, the Republicans would also lose their majority at the state level.
So both parties are fighting hard. Elections in America bring a flood of political advertising, especially on television. These messages are often negative (消极的) or attack ads.
Americans traditionally say they dislike negative ads, but political experts say these ads often work. In many cases, the candidates likely to gain from negative ads say that their own campaigns (活动) were not involved. Outside groups or national party committees often pay for these ads. Some are about issues, like a candidate’s position on the war in Iraq or immigration. But political ads increasingly seem to be attacking candidates personally.
Some political watchers say this year’s election has brought more negative ads than ever before. Whether this is true remains to be proven.
But some ads have made news, like a Republican National Committee ad against Harold Ford. The ad was based on the fact that last year he attended a Super Bowl party held by the men’s magazine Playboy. The ad showed an actress with bare shoulders saying she met him at the Play boy party. "Harold, call me," she says.
The ad might have seemed humorous, except that the woman is white and Mr. Ford is black.
63. The underlined word "some" in the fourth paragraph refers to ______.
A. campaigns B. Ads C. groups or party committees D. candidates
64. About political ads, the author ______.
A. doesn’t show his own opinion
B. thinks they are negative
C. considers them fair
D. disagrees with them
65. The author mainly discusses ______.
A. American elections
B. the ads campaign behind American elections
C. negative ads in the US
D. political advertising on TV
A new World Calendar is published every year, and provides the latest information about many places and things. For example, you can find the names of past academy-award winners, the names of award-winning athletes, and information about American cities and states.
The book also provides information about other nations. It includes world history, geography, business, science and technology and languages.
It presents the most important and most unusual news stories of the past year. And it gives interesting facts, such as the nation with the most refugees (难民) (Pakistan), the nation with the most vacation days each year (Italy), and the most popular breed (品种) of dog in the United States.
The New York World newspaper published the first World Calendar in 1868. The World Calendar website says the publication has even played a part in American politics. For example, in 1923, Calvin Coolidge was sworn (宣誓) in as president after the sudden death of President Warren Harding. Mr. Coolidge’s father, a judge, read the oath of office from a copy of the World Calendar. The website also says that several recent American presidents have used the book. It says there are photographs of presidents John Kennedy and Bill Clinton that show copies of the World Calendar on or near their desks.
The website also claims that the World Calendar is the best-selling American reference book of all time. It says that more than 80 million copies have been sold.
The World Calendar now also publishes a digital version (版本), as well as a separate calendar for children. The Kids Calendar provides information children might need for school reports. It also has games, puzzles and other activities children enjoy.
60. According to the passage, all the following are available in the new World Calendar EXCEPT ______.
A. information about famous awards in America
B. some interesting news stories
C. introductions to some American cities
D. Calvin Coolidge’s oath of office
61. Who is the owner of the World Calendar, according to the passage?
A. The New York World newspaper.
B. The World Calendar website.
C. John Kennedy.
D. The Kids Calendar.
62. According to the passage, the World Calendar has a history of about ______ years.
A. 140 B. 85 C. 55 D. 105
第三部分阅读理解(共10小题；每小题2分,满分20分)
How many times have you laughed today? Have you ever wondered what makes you laugh? In the whole animal kingdom, only we humans are capable (有能力的) of laughter. On average, we laugh about 17 times a day.
Laughter is a spontaneous reaction of the body to some-thing funny or pleasant. Have you noticed that when you laugh, many parts of your body respond (反应)? Your face changes expression, your breathing changes, and muscles throughout your body are affected.
An interesting story dates back to 1962. In a school in Tanganyika, in Africa, a group of schoolgirls started laughing uncontrollably over a joke. This laughter became epidemic (传染的), jumping from one person to the next, spreading across communities, and lasting for six months! So strong was the "laughter epidemic" that schools had to shut down till it ended.
How we laugh remains a mystery. Whatever the reasons, laughter, as the saying goes, "is the best medicine." In fact, science has proven that being happy and laughing can not only keep us healthy and fit but help deal with serious illnesses.
Laughing exercises all the important muscles, and keeps you fit. People have started forming laughter clubs that use laughter to treat illnesses. They meet at specific places at fixed times and laugh together. Laughter spreads, so this exercise works best in groups; once one person starts laughing, others automatically (自动地) join in.
56. The underlined word "spontaneous" in the second paragraph probably means "______".
A. perfect B. strange C. naturalD. terrible
57. People have formed laughter clubs to ______.
A. kill time B. relax C. meet others D. keep healthy
58. The best title for the passage would be ______.
A. A Laughter Epidemic
B. Laughter, What It Is, and What It Can Do
C. The Relationship Between Laughter and Health
D. How Laughter Helps Cure Disease
59. The passage is probably taken from a(n) ______.
A. ad B. novel C. magazine D. medical book