Many people have been talking about the way in which the world will come to an end in 2012. Everybody wants to find out if December 21, 2012 is the last day of the earth. The rumor has already been spreading for a very long time. The Mayan’s prediction can acc
ount for the rumor. According to the rumor, the earth will experience dramatic changes in 2012 and the changes will be disastrous to all of the living creatures on earth. It is widely assumed that a Planet X will return to orbit the solar system. The return of Planet X will have a destructive effect on the solar system as well as on some planets including the Neptune, the Jupiter and the earth. Planet X will cross into their orbits. There’s a possibility that Jupiter will change into a little sun at this time, so folks will be well placed to see two suns in the sky in 2012.
The solar flares (耀斑) that occur in a 11-year cycle will reach their highest point in 2012. The powerful solar flares will affect the magnetic field of the earth and cause disasters. On December 21, 2012, the sun and the earth will line up in the same line at the equator(赤道). The winter solstice(冬至) only occurs once every 25,800 years. The events in the universe are signals that the world will come to an end. As a result of the solar flares, lots of disasters will happen that will destroy the face of the whole earth. Scientists are making the guess primarily based on the Mayan Long Count Calendar.
Many films have been made about the end of the world including End Game by Alex Jones and End Clock: Nostradamus 2012. The former provides insights about the way the world will become one state. After the world government is in place, it’s going to be easy to exterminate 80% of the people in the world. The rest will continue to live with assistance from advanced technology.
No one knows whether the world will end on December 21, 2012: There is no clear answer until the day arrives. Just as the Mayans claim, it will not be the time for the world to end. Instead, it will be the dawn of a fresh start.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Information about end-of-the-world predictions. |
| B．Different opinions about end-of-the-world predictions. |
| C．Some doubts about end-of-the-world predictions. |
| D．Destructive effects of the end of the world. |
Which of the following things will NOT happen if the end of the world really happens?
| A．Humans will see two suns at the same time. |
| B．The earth will look completely different. |
| C．The earth and the moon will line up in the same line. |
| D．The solar flares will become stronger than before. |
The underlined word “exterminate” in Paragraph 3 probably means “__________”.
| A．save | B．kill | C．help | D．rule |
What is the author’s attitude to the rumor that the world will end?
| A．Optimistic . | B．Sad. | C．Unconcerned. | D．Scared. |
Mother’s Day is the time you say “thank you” to your mom. Stop shopping at the store. Flowers and other things in stores are too common to mention. You can choose a special gift for Mother’s Day! Just try staying close to home—and heart —write a Mother’s Day poem for her.
Use your head. Think of special moments when you were a child, times you’ve shared with your mom, things she did for you, and why you love her. Write down how those moments influenced you. Write down everything you can think of. This is your inspiration for the poem.
Look at what you wrote and pick out those things that are connected(有联系的). See if any words rhyme(押韵). It’s fine to write a free poem(one without rhymes), but many people find poems with rhymes are easier to work with, easier to read and quite catchy(容易记住的). If no words rhyme but you want your poem to, try to find connecting words that can help connect memories.
Once you have a few sentences, put them in a good order. For example, you could start with a childhood memory and end with something you remember from last month.
Add a title that shows the feeling of the poem. Even something as simple as “For Mom” can work, although something more personal might be better.
Write it in pen if you have beautiful handwriting. Read the poem over breakfast on Mother’s Day, and then hand it to your mom. Let’s wait and see the smile and tears of happiness on her face.Why does the author suggest writing down everything you think of?
A. Because it will show your mother’s love.
B. Because it will bring you inspiration.
C. Because it can be shared with others.
C. Because it can help answer questions.It’s better to write a poem with rhymes because.
| A．it is easier to read and remember |
| B．it makes the poem more interesting |
| C．it shows the unforgettable moments |
| D．it shows how things are connected |
The best title for the poem should be one that.
| A．can be read easily and quickly |
| B．includes a few sentences |
| C．has some special words. |
| D．shows the feeling of words. |
The passage mainly tells us.
| A．what to do on Mother’s Day. |
| B．what to buy for Mother’s Day. |
| C．how to write a Mother’s Day poem. |
| D．how to write good poems for Christmas. |
A breathtaking trick potentially left over from our ancestors might be found in us — the ability to sense oxygen through our skin.
Amphibians, animals such as frogs that can live both on land and in water, have long been known to be capable of breathing through their skin. In fact, the first known lungless frog that breathes only through its skin was discovered recently in the rivers of Borneo.
Now the same oxygen sensors found in frog skins and in the lungs of mammals (哺乳动物) have unexpectedly been discovered in the skin of mice.
“No one had ever looked,” explained Randall Johnson, a biologist researcher.
Mice and frogs are quite distant relatives, so the fact they have these molecules (分子) in common in their skin suggests they might well be found in the skin of other mammals, such as humans.
“We have no reason to think that they are not in the skin of people too,” Johnson said.
These molecules not only detect oxygen, but help increase levels of vital red blood cells, which carry oxygen around the body. Normal mice breathing in air that is 10 percent oxygen—a dangerously low level similar to conditions at the top of Mount Everest, and about half that of air at sea level. However, mice that had the oxygen sensor HIF-1a genetically removed from their skin failed to produce this hormone (荷尔蒙) even after hours of such low oxygen.
These findings, if they hold true in humans, suggest one could raise the level of oxygen circulating inside the body. This could help treat lung diseases and disorders such as anemia (贫血症) without injecting drugs, which make up a multibillion-dollar market, Johnson said.
Athletes also often try to get more oxygen delivered to their muscles in order to improve their performance. They often do this by training at high altitudes or in low-oxygen tents. The new study suggests they might want to expose their skin as well as breathing in low-oxygen air to improve their performance. “It’s hard to say what exactly might be done, however—there’s a lot we don’t know yet,” Johnson explained.
The scientists detailed their findings in the April 18 issue of the journal Cell.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．It has long been expected oxygen sensors exist in mice’s skin. |
| B．People have to surf the Internet to read detailed findings. |
| C．It has been proved that these findings help treat lung diseases. |
| D．Johnson believes that Oxygen sensors also exist in human skin. |
One of the functions of the molecules mentioned above is _______.
| A． increasing level of oxygen | B．improving athletes’ performance |
| C．detecting oxygen | D．carrying oxygen around the body |
What is Johnson’s attitude to the application of the findings to the athletes’ training?
| A． Hesitating | B．Doubting | C．Positive | D．Negative |
The best title of the passage may be _______.
| A． Humans Might Sense Oxygen Through Skin |
| B．Frogs And Mice Are Distant Relatives |
| C．First Known Animal Breathes Through Skin |
| D．Great Findings Benefits Athletes A Lot |
Bad teeth can be painful -- and worse. They can even be deadly. Infections (感染) of the gums (牙龈) and the teeth can cause bacteria (细菌) to go into the blood system. Those bacteria can increase the chance of a heart attack and worsen the effects of other diseases. And adults are not the only ones at risk.
For example, in 2007, doctors in the Washington area said a boy died when a tooth infection spread to his brain. They said it might have been prevented had he received the dental care (牙齿保健) he needed. He was twelve years old.
Experts at the National Institutes of Health say good dental care starts at birth. Breast milk, they say, is the best food for the healthy development of teeth. Breast milk can help slow the growth of bacteria and acid production in the mouth.
But dentists say a baby's gums and early teeth should be cleaned after each feeding. Use a cloth with a little warm water. Do the same if a baby is fed with a bottle. Experts say if you decide to put your baby to sleep with a bottle, only give the child water.
When baby teeth begin to appear, you can clean them with a wet toothbrush. Dentists say it is important to find soft toothbrushes made especially for babies and to use them very gently.
The use of fluoride (氟化物) to protect teeth is common in many parts of the world. For example, it is often added to drinking water supplies. The fluoride mixes with enamel (珐琅质) , the hard surface on teeth, to help prevent holes from forming.Which of the following can be used as the title of the passage?
| A．Concerns for Healthy Teeth of the Young |
| B．Causes of Teeth Problem |
| C．Importance of Healthy Teeth of All |
| D．Solutions to Teeth Problem |
What's the main idea of paragraph 4 and 5?
| A．How to develop babies' teeth. | B．How to keep babies' teeth clean |
| C．Why to protect babies' teeth | D．Why to keep babies' teeth clean |
The passage indicates that ______.
| A．Enamel is most widely used to protect teeth in the world |
| B．Breast milk can cure babies' bad teeth |
| C．Bad teeth may affect the health of adults and the young |
| D．Babies' teeth should be brushed once per day |
The writer uses the boy's death as an example to show that ______.
| A．not only adults but the young may suffer from teeth problem |
| B．the doctors should be responsible for the case |
| C．babies with bad teeth can easily die |
| D．the boy was not fed with his breast milk |
The long, lonely voyage of the Japanese ghost ship is over.
A US Coast Guard cutter poured cannon fire into an abandoned Japanese ghost ship that had been drifting since last year’s tsunami (海啸), sinking the vessel into waters more than 305 meters deep in the Gulf of Alaska and removing the danger it posed to shipping and the coastline on Thursday.
The cutter’s guns tore holes in the 164-foot Ryou-Un Maru, and then it began to take on water and lean to one side. In about four hours, the ship disappeared into the sea, said Chief Petty Officer Kip Wadlow.
The ship had no lights or communications system, and its tank was able to carry more than 7,570 liters of diesel fuel. Officials, however, didn’t know exactly how much fuel was aboard.
“It’s less risky than it would be running into shore or running into other ships,” coast guard spokesman Paul Webb said.
The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency studied the problem and decided it is safer to sink the ship than let the fuel evaporate and pollute the sea environment.
Ryou-Un Maru was probably among the first wave of the 1.5 million tons of garbage of refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, roofs and fishing nets heading toward North America since last March when a magnitude-9.0 earthquake struck Japan.
As the coast guard was ready to fire on the vessel, a Canadian fishing vessel, the 19-meter Bernice C, claimed the rights to save the ghost ship in international waters.
Plans to sink it were paused so the Canadian crew could have a chance to take the stricken ship. A Canadian official with knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press that the Bernice C was unable to drag it.
Then the Canadian boat left, and once it was about 10 kilometers from the Japanese vessel, the Coast Guard began to fire, first with 25 mm shells, then a few hours later with ammunition (弹药)twice that size.
State officials have been working to test the danger of garbage including materials affected by a damaged nuclear power plant, to see if Alaska residents, seafood or wild animals could be affected.The plan to fire on the Japanese ghost ship was paused because ____________.
| A．the ghost ship was beyond the reach of the Coast Guard’s guns |
| B．state officials worried the ghost ship might give out radiation |
| C．the shells were not powerful enough to sink the ghost ship |
| D．a Canadian fishing boat wanted to save the ghost ship |
What’s the right order of the events related to the ship of Ryou-Un Maru?
a. Its long, lonely voyage came to an end.
b. The US Coast Guard sank it into the sea.
c. The ship began to float across the Pacific Ocean.
d. A big tsunami was caused by great earthquakes.
e. Bernice C claimed rights to save the ghost ship.
| A．d, c, e, b, a | B．a, b, d, c, e | C．c, e, d, a, b | D．b, a, d, c, e |
Which of the following could be the best title for the passage?
| A．Japanese ghost ship arriving at US |
| B．Tsunami garbage heading to US |
| C．Japanese ghost ship polluting the Pacific |
| D．Cannon fire sinking Japanese ghost ship |
Item 78431 The Video Camera Pen
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This is the pen that has a built-in video camera, capturing (拍摄，录制) videos or still images with a click of its button．Ideal for use while secured in a pocket, it can capture up to five hours of video. Its battery provides up to two hours of power before requiring a recharge．
Item 78098 The Wristwatch Camcorder
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This is the men’s watch with an unnoticeable camera located at the two-o’clock position, yet the watch’s hands never make it covered．So you’ll be always ready to capture a famous person or a pet’s ridiculous actions. The camera’s rechargeable battery provides up to two hours of use from a four-hour charge．
Item 77918 The only 55 Inch Widescreen Personal Movie Theater
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This is the only personal media viewer that provides a private viewing experience just like watching a widescreen 55 inch television from 10 meters away．It connects to a video iPod, iPhone, portable DVD player with two AA batteries providing up to six hours of continuous operation．
Item 77281 The Digital Phone Album Watch
$99．95 Available for Immediate Shipment; Order by Phone: 1-800-321-1484
This is the watch that vividly displays 120 of your favorite digital photographs．You can download digital photographs to the watch．The watch can be viewed in the Photo Album mode (模式) or digital mode （time and date view）．A six-hour charge provides up to 10 days of useWhat’s the purpose of this passage?
| A．To advertise some goods． | B．To show how fashionable the items are． |
| C．To teach how to operate the items． | D．To compare some goods． |
What do Item 78431 and Item 78098 have in common according to this passage?
| A．They both sell well． | B．They are both cheap． |
| C．They both have unusual appearances． | D．They both can take photos． |
If you’re a movie fan, you probably show strong interest in ________
| A．Item78098 | B．Item77918 |
| C．Item77281 | D．Item78431 |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．In fact, Item 78098 cannot tell time |
| B．All the items include rechargeable batteries． |
| C．In a way, Item 77281 is user-friendly． |
| D．Item 77918 works as a DVD player． |