The world is not coming to an end on December 21 ,2012, the US space agency insisted Monday in a rare campaign to dispel (消除)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-answer posting on this website. "If such a collision 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. ______ 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 |
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 |
NASA thinks that Eris ______ .
A.might have a threat to the Earth |
B.doesn't have any threat to the Earth |
C.is too far away to be visible |
D.is similar to our planet, where life might exist |
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 |
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days: Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June.
Mother’s Day was proclaimed a day for national observance by President Woodrow Wilson in 1915. Ann Jarvis from Grafton, West Virginia, had started the idea to have a day to honor mothers. She was the one who chose the second Sunday in May and also began the custom of wearing a carnation.
In 1909, Mrs. Dodd from Spokane, Washington, thought of the idea of a day to honor fathers. She wanted to honor her own father, William Smart. After her mother died, he had the responsibility of raising a family of five sons and a daughter. In 1910, the first Father’s Day was observed in Spokane. Senator Margaret Chase Smith helped to established Father’s Day as a national commemorative day, in 1972.
These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible citizens. They give love and care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead.Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery. On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day. These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
41.According to the passage, which of the following about the second Sunday in May is not true?
A.It is a day to show love to mothers
B.It is a day to wear carnations
C.It is a day for people to visit the cemetery
D.It is a day for many people to attend religious services
42.Choose the right time order of the following events.
a. The first Father’s Day was observed
b. Mother’s Day was proclaimed a day for national observance
c. Father’s Day became a day for national observance.
d. The idea of honoring fathers was bought up
A.a b c d B.d a b c C.b a c d D.d a c b
43.Who plays the most important role in Father’s Day becoming a national commemorative day?
A.Mrs. Do B.Margaret Chase Smith
C.Ann Jarvis D.Woodrow Wilson
44.From the passage, we know in the U.S. ________________.
A.one should wear a red carnation if one’s mother pass away
B.on Mother’s Day, families often go out to have barbecues
C.on Father’s Day, people often stay at home to celebrate the special day.
D.The purpose to have these two special days is to show love to parents
45.The author’s purpose of writing this passage is to __________
A.call on people to love and respect their parents.
B.introduce Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.
C.tell the difference between Mother’s Day and Father’s Day
D.show how important fathers and mothers are
one time that doing a favor for someone could get you into a lot of trouble. I was in the eighth grade at the time, and we were having a final test. During the test, the girl sitting next to me whispered something, but I didn’t understand. So I leaned over her way and found out that she was trying to ask me if I had an extra pen. She showed me that hers was out of ink and would not write. I happened to have an extra one, so I took it out of my pocket and put it on her desk.
Later, after the test papers had been turned in, the teacher asked me to stay in the room when all the other students were dismissed(解散). As soon as we were alone she began to talk to me about what it meant to grow up; she talked about how important it was to stand on your own two feet and be responsible (负责任) for your own acts. For a long time, she talked about honesty and emphasized(强调) the fact that when people do something dishonest, they are really cheating(欺骗) themselves. She made me promise that I would think seriously(认真地) about all the things she had said, and then she told me I could leave. I walked out of the room wondering why she had chosen to talk to me about all those things.
Later on, I found out that she thought I had cheated on the test. When she saw me lean over to talk to the girl next to me, it looked as if I was copying answers from the girl’s test paper. I tried to explain about the pen, but all she could say was it seemed very very strange to her that I hadn’t talked of anything about the pen the day she talked to me right after the test. Even if I tried to explain that I was just doing the girl a favor by letting her use my pen, I am sure she continued(继续) to believe that I had cheated on the test.
36. The story took place(发生) exactly ____________ .
A. in the teacher’s office
B. in an exam room
C. in the school
D. in the language lab
37. The girl wanted to borrow a pen, because ____________ .
A. she had not brought a pen with her
B. she had lost her own on her way to school
C. there was something wrong with her own
D. her own had been taken away by someone
38. The teacher saw all this, so she asked the boy ____________.
A. to go on writing his paper B. to stop whispering
C. to leave the room immediately D. to stay behind after the exam
39. The thing(s) emphasized in her talk was (were) ____________ .
A. honesty B. sense of duty
C. seriousness D. all of the above
40. The boy knew everything ____________.
A. the moment he was asked to stay behind
B. when the teacher started talking about honesty
C. only some time later
D. when he was walking out of the room
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day. “I was a clothes addict(迷),” he jokes. “I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled(皱的).” Today David wears casual clothes — khaki pants and a sports shirt — to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie. “I’m working harder than ever,” David says, “and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the changes from formal to casual office wear have been slow. In the early 1990s, many companies allowed their workers to wear casual clothes on Friday (but only on Friday).This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”. “What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for workers has really become an everyday thing,” said business adviser Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their workers to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new workers if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company, “so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study made by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that casual dress has a side effect on work. Supporters of casual office wear also say that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said. “For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
31. David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because ______________.
A. he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt
B. he couldn't stand a clean appearance
C. he wanted his clothes to look tidy and clean all the time
D. he didn’t want to spend much money on clothes
32. David Smith wears casual clothes now, because ______________.
A. they make him feel at ease when working
B. he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes
C. he looks handsome in casual clothes
D. he no longer works for any company
33. According to this passage, which of the following is FALSE?
A. Many workers don’t like a conservative dress code.
B. Comfortable clothes make workers more productive.
C. A casual clothes code is welcomed by young workers.
D. All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear.
34. According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A. Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago.
B. Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s.
C. “Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers.
D. Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people.
35. In this passage, the following advantages of casual office wear are mentioned EXCEPT ______________.
A. saving worker’s money
B. making workers more attractive
C. improving worker’s feeling
D. making workers happier
Ⅱ阅读(共两节,满分50分)
第一节: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A、B、C和D项中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
Everyone has got two personalities — the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real.You don’t show your secret personality when you're awake because you can control your behavior,but when you're asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you.In a normal night,of course,people frequently change their position.The important position is the one that you go to sleep in.
If you go to sleep on your back,you’re a very open person.You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by fashion or new ideas.You don’t like to upset people,so you never express your real feelings.You’re quite shy and you aren't very confident.
If you sleep on your stomach,you are a rather secretive(不坦率的)person.You worry a lot and you're always easily upset.You’re very stubborn(顽固的),but you aren't very ambitious.You usually live for today not for tomorrow.This means that you enjoy having a good time.
If you sleep curled up(卷曲),you are probably a very nervous person.You have a low opinion of yourself and so you’re often defensive.You're shy and you don't normally like meeting people.You prefer to be on your own.You're easily hurt.
If you sleep on your side,you have usually got a well-balanced personality.You know your strengths and weaknesses.You’re usually careful. You have a confident personality.You sometimes feel anxious,but you don't often get depressed.You always say what you think even if it annoys people.
26.According to the writer,you naturally show your secret and real personality __________.
A.only in a normal night
B.only when you go to sleep
C.only when you refuse to show yourself to the world
D.only when you change sleeping position
27.Which is NOT mentioned in the second paragraph about a person's personality?
A.He or she is always open with others.
B.He or she always likes new ideas earlier than others.
C.He or she is always easily upset.
D.He or she tends to believe in others.
28.Point out which sentence is used to show the personality of a person who is used to sleeping
on his or her stomach?
A.He or she is careful not to offend others.
B.He or she doesn’t want to stick to his or her opinion.
C.He or she can't be successful in any business.
D.He or she likes to bring others happiness.
29.Maybe you don’t want to make friends with a person who sleeps curled up.Why?
A.He or she would rather be alone than communicate with you.
B.He or she is rarely ready to help you.
C.He or she prefers staying at home to going out.
D.He or she wouldn’t like to get help from you.
30.It appears that the writer tends to think highly of the person who sleeps on one side because ________________.
A. he or she always shows sympathy for people
B. he or she is confident,but not stubborn
C. he or she has more strengths than weaknesses
D. he or she often considers annoying people
London--A morning train rides away, across the channel. English kids discuss the Liverpool's football team in a Paris pub.
Some Parisians have started to travel to work in London.
In the 19th century, Charles Dickens compared the two cities, London and Paris, in A Tale of Two Cities. These days, it might be A tale of One City.
As there are few jobs at home over recent years, perhaps 250,000 Frenchmen moved across the channel. With an undersea tunnel, they could travel between cities in three hours. The European Union freed them from immigration and customs.
Paris, rich in beauty, is more stylish. But London feels more full of life, and more fun until the pubs shut down.
“For me, the difference is that London is real, alive,” said Trevor Wheeler, a financial expert.
Chantal Jaouen, a professional designer, agrees. “I am French, but I’ll stay in London,” she said.
There is, of course, the other view. Julie Lenoux is a student who moved to London two years ago. “I think people laugh more in Paris,” she said.
“Both cities have changed beyond recognition,” said Larry Collins, an author and sometimes a Londoner. Like most people who know both cities well, he finds the two now fit together comfortably. “I first fell in love with Paris in the 1950s. Things are so much more ordered, and life is better.”
But certainly not cheaper. In some parts of London, rents can be twice those on Avenue Foch in Paris.
Deciding between London and Paris requires a lifestyle choice. Like Daphne Benoit, a French journalism student with perfect English, many young people are happy to be close enough so they don’t have to choose. “I love Paris, my little neighborhood, the way I can walk around a centre, but life is too organized,” she said. “In London, you can be whoever you want. No one cares.”
72..It can be inferred that ___________.
A.Paris and London are the two biggest cities in the world
B.In the 19th century, Dickens told his stories in the two cities
C.London and Paris used to be separated
D.Liverpool is a big city in France
73.According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.People feel it difficult to find a job in Paris.
B.People can't travel to London without a passport.
C.Living in France is more expensive than in London.
D.People can find any job in London.
74.The underlined phrase in Para9 most probably means “_____________”
A. beyond one’s imagination
B. so much that people don’t know them well again
C. so little that people still know them well
D. to people’s satisfaction
75.What’s the meaning of the last two sentences?
A.People can do everything in London.
B.People will feel lonely in London.
C.People in London enjoy living in different ways.
D.People in London enjoy a lawless life.