The announcements by the NASA，in the form of several Web site postings and a video posted on YouTube，were in response to worries that the world will end on Dec．21，2012．
The doomsday(末日) rumour reached a high point with the release of the new movie “2012”，directed by Roland Emmerich．In th
e movie，Yellowstone blows up, showering the continent with black ash．Tidal waves wash over the Himalayas，where the governments of the planet have secretly built a ship which a select 400，000 people can ride out the storm．There are hundreds of hooks devoted to 2012，and millions of Web sites，depending on what combination of“2012”and“doomsday”you type into Google．All of it，astronomers say, is nonsense．“Most of what's claimed for 2012 relies on wishful thinking and ignorance of astronomy．”Ed Krupp， an expert on ancient astronomy，wrote in an article in the November issue of Sky＆Telescope．
“I get angry at the way people are being influenced and frightened to make money,” Morrison said．“There is no right to frighten children to make a buck．”suggested David Morrison，an astronomer at the NASA Ames Research Center in Moffett Field，Calif．He said he had been getting about 20 letters and e—mail messages a day from people as far away as India scared out of their wits．Morrison said he did n
ot blame the movie for all this，as much as many other supporters of the Mayan prediction．But then，he said，“my doctorate is in astronomy，not psychology．”
In an e—mail exchange, Krupp said：“We are always uncertain about the future，and we always consume representations of it．We are always attracted by the romance of the ancient past．”A NASA spokesman，D
wayne Brown，said the agency did not comment on movies，leaving that to movie critics．But when it comes to science, Brown said, “we felt it was careful to provide a resource．”
If you want to worry，most scientists say，you should think about global climate change or nuclear war．But if ancient prophecies(预言)get you going，here are some things Morrison and the others think you should know．
64．Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A．Dr．Morrison blamed the Movie“2011”for the panic it aroused in the public around the world．
B．People who watched the movie were seared and firmly believed that the end of the world was coming．
C．In terms of science it was better to provide evidence and theory at the same time．
D．Dr．Morrison thought it was not right to make money by frightening people．
65．It can be inferred from the text that 
．
A．astronomers think that doomsday is likely to happen in the near future
B．the reason why the NASA posted web site postings was to make people interested in astronomy
C．scientists think we shouldn't worry about doomsday but show concern about environment protection
D．most astronomers agree that the world is not ending—at least anytime soon
66．Which of the following would be the best title?
A．A New Movie“2012” B．Is Doomsday Coming?
C．End-of-the-World Stories D．Astronomers Comment on Movies
67．What would the author probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?
A．Evidence that the Mayans thought something special would happen in 2012．
B．What will really happen in 2012．
C．The reason why there is no need to worry about doomsday．
D．Ancient stories about the end of the world．
三、阅读理解（4篇短文，选出正确选项，每题2分，共30分）
O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, but he managed to teach himself everything he needed to know.When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank. When some money went missing from the bank, O. Henry was believed to have stolen it. Because of that, he was sent to prison. During the three years in prison, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and continued writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the end, to the readers' surprise.
1. People enjoyed reading O. Henry's stories because
A.they had surprise endings.
B.they were easy to understand.
C.they showed his love for the poor.
D.they were about New York City.
2. O. Henry went to prison because
A.people thought he had stolen money from the newspaper.
B.he broke the law by not using his own name.
C.he wanted to write stories about prisoners.
D.people thought he had taken money that was not his.
3. What do we know about O. Henry before he began writing?
A.He was well-educated.
B.He was not serious about his work.
C.He was devoted to the poor.
D.He was very good at learning.
4. Where did O. Henry get most material for his short stories?
A.His life inside the prison.
B.The newspaper articles he wrote.
C.The city and people of New York.
D.His exciting early life as a boy.
Once I spoke at a high school. After the speech, I was asked to see a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me, and it would mean a great deal to him. I agreed.
He was Matthew. When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to see five, then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal weight lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles(障碍) and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain(抱怨). He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. He knew what he was talking about. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weight with me.
When we finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles（障碍） than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion（冠军）. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I got the news that Matthew had died and a letter Matthew had written me a few days before:
Dear Rick,
My mom said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. The doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live any more. But I still smile as much as I can.
I told you some day I was going to the Olympics and win a gold medal. But I know now I’ll never make it. But I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you.
Thank you for loving me.
Your friend,
Matthew
1. The boy wished to meet the writer because ________.
A. he wished to take part in the Olympics
B. he admired the author very much
C. he hoped to make friends with the author
D. he enjoyed going in for weighting lifting
2. Which of the statements is TRUE?
A. Matthew was good at weight lifting.
B. Rick had the similar disease as a child.
C. Rick encouraged the boy to become a champion.
D. Matthew never gave up in face of disease.
3. Why did the boy refuse the writer’s medal?
A. He didn’t need Rick’s pity.
B. Rick looked on the medal as the most important thing.
C. The gold medal was very dear to Rick.
D. He thought he was not worthy of it.
4. What can be inferred from Matthew’s letter?
A. Mathew was unhappy before death.
B. Mathew kept in touch with Rick .
C. Mathew sent some pictures to Rick.
D. Mathew got an Olympic gold medal.
During the Second World War, it was difficult to travel by plane, because the
seats were needed for important government officials and army officers. Mr Brown worked for the government during the war and he was doing very secret work. Nobody was allowed to know how important he was except very few people. One day he had to fly to London to give a talk to a few top people there, but an important army officer came to the airport at the last minute. Mr Brown’s seat was given to him, so he was not able to fly to the city to give his talk. When the important army officer reached the city , he found that the man whose seat he had taken was the one whose talk he had flown to hear.
1.Mr Brown was ___________.
A．an army officer B．a bad speaker
C．a government official D．a public speaker
2.Plane tickets were hard to get for _________.
A．ordinary people B．government officials
C．army officers D．secret workers
3.Mr Brown could not take the plane, because _________.
A．his secret work was discovered.
B．he wanted to change for another plane.
C．his seat was given to an important army officer.
D．he was unable to go by air.
4.What did the army officer discover in the end? ________.
A．He had taken a very important person’s seat.
B．Mr Brown’s talk was important
C．Mr Brown didn’t do important secret work
D．Mr Brown was a kind person.
On August 27, 1783, the people of the village of Gomesse, in France, looked up into the sky and saw a strange and terrible animal. It was huge and round, flying down from the sky. It landed in the field just outside the village. It was clear to the people of Gomesse that they had to defend themselves. The animal was clearly some kind of terrible “spirit”. They were afraid of the spirit but they were also very brave. They rushed out into the field and fought the animal with knives and sticks and farming tools. The “spirit” made terrible noises, like an animal that can breathe only with great difficulty.
But that was not the worst thing. When the villagers cut into the spirit's skin, it gave off a horrible smell, and even after the villagers had cut the thing open, it still moved. Finally the villagers tied it to a horse. The horse ran through the fields and the “Spirit” was torn to pieces. What was the terrible spirit? The answer is that it was one of the first “hot air balloons气球”. Its skin was made of silk and a kind of rubber. The terrible smell was the hot air inside the balloon. When the air got out through the cuts in the skin, it also caused the horrible noises.
1. The terrible noises were made because .
A. the spirit could hardly breathe
B. the spirit wanted to frighten the villagers
C. the spirit was afraid of the villagers
D. hot air got out through the skin
2. The terrible smell was .
A. the smell of silk and rubber
B. the hot air inside the balloon
C. the smell of burnt house
D. the smell of burnt crops
3. The spirit didn't stop moving until .
A. the hot air in it ran out completely
B. the villagers cut into its skin
C. the villagers cut it open
D. it gave off a horrible smell
4. The villagers tied the spirit to a horse .
A. shortly after they caught sight of the spirit
B. because it didn't stop moving though it was cut open
C. after it was torn to pieces
D. because the villagers wanted to take it away
第三部分阅读理解（共15小题，每小题2分，满分30分）
New York, September 15. During a heavy rainfall last night a bus carrying 42 passengers slipped off the road on Highway 28, killing 36 of the passengers and the driver.
A spokesman for the Highway Patrol (巡逻队) which arrived at the scene shortly after 11:30 p. m. estimated (估计) that the accident had happened about half an hour before. The injured and the dead were sent to the nearest town of Valley View.
At the point where the accident happened the road has a three-lane (三条行车线) highway with many curves (弯道). Cause of the accident has not been fully found out.
1．Which may be the cause of the accident ?
A．The careful driver
B．The nearest town of Valley View
C．Highway 28
D．That road with many curves
2．It was possible that the accident happened ________.
A． in the town of Valley View
B．September 15.
C．at or about 11: 00 p. m.
D．after 11: 30 p. m.
3．How many people died in the accident?
A．37 B．36 C．43 D．42