Scientists who try to predict earthquakes have gotten some new helpers recently—animals.
That’s right, animals. Scientists have begun to understand what farmers have known for thousands of years. Animals often seem to know in advance that an earthquake is coming, and they show their fear by acting in strange ways. Before a Chinese quake in 1975, snakes awoke from their winter sleep early only to freeze to death in the cold air. Cows broke their halters (缰绳) and tried to escape. Chickens refused to enter their cage. All of this unusual behavior, as well as physical changes in the earth, warned Chinese scientists of the coming quake. They moved people away from the danger zone and saved thousands of lives.
One task for scientists today is to learn exactly which types of animal behavior predict quakes. It’s not an easy job. First of all not every animal reacts to the danger of an earthquake. Just before a California quake in 1977, for example, an Arabian horse became very nervous and tried to break out of his enclosure. The Australian horse next to him, however, remained perfectly calm. It’s also difficult at times to tell the difference between normal animal restlessness and “earthquake nerves”. A zoo keeper once called earthquake researchers to say that his cougar had been acting strangely. It turned out that the cat had an upset stomach.
A second task for scientists is to find out exactly what kind of warnings the animals receive. They know that animals sense far more of the world than humans do. Many animals can see, hear, and smell things that people do not even notice. Some can sense tiny changes in air pressure, gravity, or the magnetism of Earth. This extra sense probably helps animals predict quakes.
A good example of this occurred with a group of dogs. They were shut in an area that was being shaken by a series of tiny earthquakes. (Several small quakes often come before or after a large one.) Before each quake a low booming sound was heard. Each boom caused the dogs to bark wildly. Then the dogs began to bark during a silent period. A scientist who was recording quakes looked at his machine. It was acting as though there were a loud noise too. The scientist realized that the dogs had reacted to a booming noise. They also sensed the tiny quake that followed it. The machine recorded both, though humans felt and heard nothing.
In this case there was a machine to monitor what the dogs were sensing. Many times, however, our machines record nothing extraordinary, even though animals know a quake is coming. The animals might be sensing something we measure but do not recognize as a warning. Discovering what animals sense, and learning how they know it is a danger signal, is a job for future scientists.Through the passage the writer hopes to explore __________.
| A．why animals send a danger signal before an earthquake |
| B．how animals know when an earthquake is coming |
| C．why animals not men have good sense of danger |
| D．how much animals know about an earthquake |
During an earthquake in China in 1975, _________.
| A．chickens refused to go out of their cage |
| B．snakes were frozen to death in their caves |
| C．snakes awoke from their winter sleep earlier |
| D．cows broke their halters and escaped from their sheds |
Which of the following is one of earthquake nerves according to the passage?
| A．An Arabian horse tried to escape from his enclosure. |
| B．A cougar had an upset stomach unexpectedly. |
| C．An Australian horse was perfectly calm. |
| D．A cat acted very strangely in a zoo. |
The scientists did an experiment with a group of dogs to _________.
| A．find out that the machine could record unusual happenings |
| B．compare the reactions of animals and those of humans |
| C．prove that animals could sense more than humans |
| D．find out what exact warnings animals sent |
四、阅读理解（本题有两节，共16小题，每小题2分，共32分）
第一节：阅读下列材料并做后面的题目。从每题多给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳答案。
A
I was walking along Orchard Road when I realized a tall young man wearing a jacket and tie was following me. I noticed him because not many people wear a jacket and tie in the middle of a hot summer day, and I had already seen this man four times that afternoon.
To make sure he was following me, I walked on quickly, turned right into a shopping center and then stopped to look in a shop window. Soon the man appeared and stopped at another shop window. I walked on and stopped several times. When I stopped, he stopped too.
I began to be rather worried and decided to try to lose this strange man. When I saw a taxi coming, I jumped into it. As I was telling the taxi driver where to go, I found the man get into another taxi, which then followed mine. As the two taxies slowly made their way along Orchard Road, I looked back at the taxi behind, and saw that the stranger was looking out at me. At MRT station, I told the taxi driver to stop and I got out. As I was paying my fare, I saw the man was getting out of his taxi.
By now I got angry, so I turned and walked straight to him. I asked him why he was following me. At first he said he was not following me at all, but when I threatened(威胁) to call the police, he admitted he was. He then told me that he was a news reporter and that he was writing an article on how elderly people in Singapore spend their time. He said he was observing me to gather materials for his article.
46. What is strange about the man who followed the writer?
A. He seemed to be wearing too much. B. He was out on such a hot day.
C. He walked quickly behind. D. He was a tall young man.
47. What did the stranger do when the writer jumped into a taxi?
A. He got into another taxi. B. He tried to stop the taxi.
C. He almost gave up following him. D. He made his way along Orchard Road.
48. How did the writer have the stranger admit(承认) he was following him?
A. He threatened to take him to the police. B. He called the police.
C. He said he would call the police. D. He talked to the police.
49. Why did the stranger follow the writer?
A. He was interested in elderly people. B. He often does such things.
C. He was writing a book about young people. D. He needed materials for his article.
“In only six days I lost seven pounds of weight.”
“Two full inches in the first three days!”
These are the kinds of statements used in magazine, newspaper, radio and television ads, promising new shapes and new looks to those who buy the medicine or the device. The promoters(推销员) of products say they can shape the legs, slim the face, smooth wrinkles, or in some other way to beauty or desirability.
Often such products are nothing more than money-making things for their promoter. The results they produce are questionable, and some are dangerous to health.
To understand how these products can be legally（合法地） promoted to the public, it is necessary to understand something of the laws covering their regulation. If the product is a drug, FDA（Food Drug Administration）can require proof (证明) under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act that it is safe and effective before it is put on the market. But if the product is a device, FDA has no authority(="right)" to require premarketing proof of safety or effectiveness. If a product already on the market is a danger to health, FDA can request the producer or distributor to remove it from the market voluntarily(主动地), or it can take legal action, including seizure (查封) of the product.
One notable case a few years ago involved an electrical device called the Relaxacisor, which had been sold for reducing the waistline. The Relaxacisor produced electrical shocks to the body through contact pads. FDA took legal action against the distributor to stop the sale of the device on the grounds that it was dangerous to health and life.
Obviously, most of the devices on the market have never been the subject of court proceedings (法律诉讼), and new devices appear continually. Before buying, it is up to the consumer(消费者) to judge the safety or effectiveness of such items.
72. It can be inferred that ads mentioned in the text are _________.
A. objective B. costly（昂贵的） C. unreliable D. illegal
73. FDA can ask for the proof of safety and effectiveness of a product _________.
A. if it is a drug B. if it is a device
C. if its consumers make complaints D. if its distributors challenge FDA’s authority
74. The Relaxacisor is mentioned as _________.
A. a product which was designed to produce electricity
B. a product whose distributor was involved in a legal case
C. a successful advertisement of a beauty product
D. an example of a quality beauty product
75. The author intends to _________.
A. make consumers aware of（意识到） the promoters’ false promises
B. show the weakness of the law on product safety
C. give advice on how to keep young and beautiful
D. introduce the organization of FDA
Most young architects—particularly those in big cities— can only dream about working in a building of their own. And making that dream come true often means finding a building no one else seems to want, which is exactly what happened to David Yocum and his parter, Brain Bell. Their building is a former automobile electrical-parts film in Atlanta. Form the outside, it looks too old, even something horrible, but open the door and you are in a wide, open courtyard, lined on three sides with rusting(生锈的)walls.
In 2000, Yocum and Bell found this building in the city’s West End. Built in 1947, the structure had been abandoned years earlier and the roof of the main building had fallen down. But the price was right, so Yocum bought it. He spent eight months of his off-hours on demolition(排除), pulling rubbish out through the roof, because it was too dangerous to go inside the building. The demolition was hard work, but it gave him time to think about what he wanted to do, and “to treasure what was there— the walls, the rust, the light.” Yocum said. “Every season, more paint falls off the walls and more rust develops. It’s like an art installation(装置) in there—a slow-motion show.”
Since the back building had been constructed without windows, an all-glass front was added to the building to give it a view of the courtyard, and skylights were installed in the roof. The back of the building is a working area and a living room for Yocum and his wife. A sort of buffer(缓冲) zone between the front and the back contains a bathroom, a kitchen and a mechanical room, and the walls that separate these zones have openings that allow views through to the front of the studio and the courtyard beyond.
Yocum and Bell, who have just completed an art gallery for the city, feel that the experience from the decoration of their building, focusing on the inside rather than the outside, has influenced their work. It has also given these architects a chance to show how they can make more out of less.
68. According to the passage, it is _______ for most young architects in big cities to work in a building of their own.
A. easy B. unnecessary C. unrealistic D. common
69. Yocum bought the old building because _____.
A. it was a bargain to him
B. it was still in good condition
C. it was located in the city center
D. it looked attractive from the outside
70. It can be inferred from the passage that Yocum and Bell _____.
A. benefited a lot from pulling down the roof
B. turned more old buildings into art galleries
C. got inspiration from decorating their old building
D. paid more attention to the outside of the art gallery
71. The main idea of the passage is that ______.
A. people can learn a lot from their failures.
B. it is worthwhile to spend money on an old building
C. people should not judge things by their appearance
D. creative people can make the best of what they have
I suddenly heard an elephant crying as though frightened．Looking down，I immediately recognized that something was wrong，and ran down to the edge of the near bank．There I saw Ma Shwe with her three-month-old calf(young elephant)struggling in the fast-rising water，and it was a life-and-death struggle．Her calf was floating and screaming with fear．Ma Shwe was as near to the far bank as she could get，holding her whole body against the rushing water，and keeping the calf pressed against her huge body．Every now and then the rushing water would sweep the calf away.
There was a sudden rise in the water and the calf was washed clean over the mother’s body and was gone ．Ma Shwe turned quickly to reach it and pressed the calf with her head and trunk(象鼻)against the rocky bank．Then with a huge effort，she picked it up in her trunk and tried until she was able to place it on a narrow shelf of rock．
Just at this moment．she fell back into the river．If she were carried down, it would be certain death．I knew，as well as she did，that there was one spot where she could get up the bank，but it was on the other side from where she had put her calf．While I was wondering what I could do next，I heard the sound of a mother’s love．Ma Shwe had crossed the river and got up the bank and was making her way back as fast as she could，roaring(吼叫)all the time，but to her calf it was music.
64．The moment the author got down to the river bank he saw．
A．the calf was about to fall into the river
B．Ma Shwe was placing the calf on the rock
C．the calf was washed away by the rising water
D．Ma Shwe was holding the calf against the rushing water
65．How did Ma Shwe manage to save her calf from the fast-flowing water?
A．By pressing it against her body．
B．By putting it on a safe spot．
C．By taking it away with her．
D．By carrying it on her back．
66．How did the calf feel about the mother elephant's roaring?
A．It was a great comfort. B．It was a sign of danger．
C．It was a call for help． D．It was a musical note．
67．What could be the best title for the text?
A．A Brave Act B．A Mother's Love
C．A Deadly River D．A Matter of Life and Death
When Li Jinyu went back from Brazil after years of hard training, he seemed to see a new starting point in front of him. Li, a key player of Jian Li Bao Football Team, has a round and lovely face. When talking to people, he often says, “I’ve got a lot of dreams, and the biggest one is to help to develop our national football.”
Li began to play football 17 years ago. In 1985 a football coach was looking for little players in a school. Li tried to win the coach’s favor. His father, a football fan, asked the coach to give his son another chance to have a test. This time, the coach agreed to take Li as a player. Every day, his father would take him to the training school, and carry him back when the training was over, whether it was raining or shining. With the help of his coach, Li quickly grew into a good young player. He is said to have the sharpest mind on the playground among all Chinese football players.
The only child of the family as he is, Li loves his parents as much as they love him. During the spare time of the training course or after a game, he has often called home to ask after his parents.
Li also enjoys good relations with his fans. He has received many letters from across the country, but he said he felt sorry because he could not answer every letter. “However, I have taken good care of every letter from my fans. This is perhaps the best way to show my thanks,” he said.
Now at the age of 24, Li likes to go shopping after days of hard training on the playground. He is also interested in bowling and tennis. Dreaming of becoming a first-class player, he is now working very hard on the road to success.
60. When did Li begin to play football?
| A．At the ege of 13. | B．At the age of 7. | C．Before starting school. | D．After leaving school. |
61. We can learn from the passage that Li’s father .
has been encouraging him to play football
taught him to play football in 1985
used to be a football player
was his first coach
62. It seemed that Li after years of hard training in Brazil.
had got sharp mind on the playground
had made much greater progress
was considered as the best player
began to play football
63. Li has worked hard at football so as to .
show his thanks to his parents
keep good relations with his fans
develop our national football
play abroad