I was in the middle of the Amazon （亚马逊） with my wife，who was there as a medical researcher．We flew on a small plane to a faraway village．We did not speak the local language，did not know the customs，and more often than not，did not entirely recognize the food．We could not have felt more foreign．
We were raised on books and computers，highways and cell phones，but now we were living in a village without running water or electricity．It was easy for us to go to sleep at the end of the day feeling a little misunderstood．
Then one perfect Amazonian evening，with monkeys calling from beyond the village green，we played soccer．I am not good at soccer，but that evening it was wonderful．Everyone knew the rules．We all spoke the same language of passes and shots．We understood one another perfectly．As darkness came over the field and the match ended，the goal keeper，Juan，walked over to me and said in a matter﹣of﹣fact way，"In your home，do you have a moon too？" I was surprised．
After I explained to Juan that yes，we did have a moon and yes，it was very similar to his，I felt a sort of awe（敬畏） at the possibilities that existed in his world．In Juan's world，each village could have its own moon．In Juan's world，the unknown and undiscovered was vast and marvelous．Anything was possible．
In our society，we know that Earth has only one moon．We have looked at our planet from every angle and found all of the wildest things left to find．I can，from my computer at home，pull up satellite images of Juan's village．There are no more continents and no more moons to search for，little left to discover．At least it seems that way．
Yet，as I thought about Juan's question，I was not sure how much more we could really rule out．I am，in part，an ant biologist，so my thoughts turned to what we know about insect life and I knew that much in the world of insects remains unknown．How much，though？ How ignorant （无知的） are we？The question of what we know and do not know constantly bothered me．
I began collecting newspaper articles about new species，new monkey，new spider…，and on and on they appear．My drawer quickly filled．I began a second drawer for more general discoveries：new cave system discovered with dozens of nameless species，four hundred species of bacteria found in the human stomach．The second drawer began to fill and as it did，I wondered whether there were bigger discoveries out there，not just species，but life that depends on things thought to be useless，life even without DNA．I started a third drawer for these big discoveries．It fills more slowly，but all the same，it fills．
In looking into the stories of biological discovery，I also began to find something else，a collection of scientists，usually brilliant，occasionally half﹣mad，who made the discoveries．Those scientists very often see the same things that other scientists see，but they pay more attention to them，and they focus on them to the point of exhaustion（穷尽），and at the risk of the ridicule of their peers．In looking for the stories of discovery，I found the stories of these people and how their lives changed our view of the world．
We are repeatedly willing to imagine we have found most of what is left to discover．We used to think that insects were the smallest organisms （生物），and that nothing lived deeper than six hundred meters．Yet，when something new turns up，more often than not，we do not even know its name．
（1）How did the author feel on his arrival in the Amazon？
| A． |
Out of place． |
| B． |
Full of joy． |
| C． |
Sleepy． |
| D． |
Regretful． |
（2）What made that Amazonian evening wonderful？
| A． |
He learned more about the local language． |
| B． |
They had a nice conversation with each other． |
| C． |
They understood each other while playing． |
| D． |
He won the soccer game with the goal keeper． |
（3）Why was the author surprised at Juan's question about the moon？
| A． |
The question was too straightforward． |
| B． |
Juan knew so little about the world． |
| C． |
The author didn't know how to answer． |
| D． |
The author didn't think Juan was sincere． |
（4）What was the author's initial purpose of collecting newspaper articles？
| A． |
To sort out what we have known． |
| B． |
To deepen his research into Amazonians． |
| C． |
To improve his reputation as a biologist． |
| D． |
To learn more about local cultures． |
（5）How did those brilliant scientists make great discoveries？
| A． |
They shifted their viewpoints frequently． |
| B． |
They followed other scientists closely． |
| C． |
They often criticized their fellow scientists． |
| D． |
They conducted in﹣depth and close studies． |
（6）What could be the most suitable title for the passage？
| A． |
The Possible and the Impossible |
| B． |
The Known and the Unknown |
| C． |
The Civilized and the Uncivilized |
| D． |
The Ignorant and the Intelligent |
If you feel at present that you don’t have enough friends in your life，one reason may be that you have let yourself become too busy to make time for the relationships you already have．Starting and keeping friendship requires effort and commitment．
Many of us let our lives become so busy with work and other commitments that we don’t get around to scheduling time for pleasure and renewal（叙旧）with the friends，relatives and acquaintances we already have．
Making the effort to call your friends more regularly and to accept more of the invitations you receive from others can improve your social life in a hurry!
Are there any people you could call right now and be assured of a pleasant welcome? Are there people that you could count on to help you in time of difficulty? Can you have close talks with them? Do you have fun when you are together? Are you happy to have them in your life?
If you haven’t seen much of them lately。is it because you have become too busy? Have you grown apart? Was there an argument?
If the main reason you haven’t been getting together with the people you already know is that you have gotten too busy，take a good look at how you spend your time．Compare it with your real values and priorities（优先考虑的事）in life．Is your busy lifestyle really bringing you the quality of life that you want?
If you have become too busy for friends，why has this happened? Are you seeking material toys in your life at the expense of relationships with other human beings? Have you allowed your time to be over．committed because you never say“No”to anyone? Do you insist on doing things yourself that could be delegated to others? If so，why? Do you believe that everything depends on you?
Examine whether the way you are now spending your time accurately reflects your deepest values and priorities．Make sure that you schedule enough time for the things that are truly most important to you．
If you really want to keep friends in your lire，make a space in your schedule，and a space in your heart for them．In this passage the author mainly discusses．
| A．how to balance friendship and work |
| B．how to spend our spare time |
| C．whether we should keep friendship |
| D．whether we should invite friends to dinner |
Which of the following doesn’t indicate a good relationship?
| A．You have someone to count on when you are in trouble． |
| B．You have someone to have close talks with． |
| C．You feel depressed with others in life |
| D．You have fun when you are with someone |
The underlined word“delegated”probably means“ ”．
| A．appointed | B．replaced | C．declined | D．handled |
You hear this，“No wonder you are fat．All you ever d0 is eat．”You feel sad．“I skip my breakfast and supper．I run every morning and evening．What else can I do?”
Basically you can do nothing．Your genes，not your life habits，determine your weight and your body constantly tries to maintain it．
Albert Stunkard of the University of Pennsylvania found from experiments that“80 percent of the children of two fat parents become fat，as compared with no more than 14．percent of the children of two parents of normal weight．”
How can obese people become thinner through dieting? Well，dieting can be effective．but the health costs are great．
Jules Hirsch，a research physician at Rockefeller University，did a study of eight fat people．They were．given a liquid formula（配方）providing 600 calories a day．After more than 10 weeks，the subjects lost on average 45 kg．But after leaving the hospital，they all regained the weight．
The results were surprising：by metabolic（新陈代谢的）measurement，fat people who lost large amounts of weight seemed like they were starving．They had psychiatric problems．They dreamed of food or of breaking their diet They were anxious and depressed．Some wanted to kill themselves．They hid food in their rooms．
Researchers warn that it is possible that weight reduction doesn’t result in normal weight，but in an abnormal state lust like that of starved non．obese people．
Thin people, however，suffer from the opposite．They have to make a great effort to gain weight Ethan Sims of the University of Vermont got prisoners to volunteer to gain weight．In four to six months—they ate as much as they could．They succeeded in increasing their weight by 20 to 25 percent. But months after the study ended，they were back to normal weight and stayed there．
This did not mean that people are completely without hope in controlling their weight．It means that those who tend to be fat will have to constantly battle their genetic inheritance（遗传）if they want to significantly 1ower their weight．
The findings also provide evidence for something scientists thought was true—each person has a comfortable weight range．The range might be as much as 9kg．Someone might weigh 60--69kg without too much effort．But，going above or below the natural weight range is difficult.The body resists by feeling hungry or full and changing．the metabolism to push the weight back to the range it seeks．The story is mainly written to。
| A．point out the relations between our body and mind |
| B．warn us it’s extremely harmful to reduce or gain our weight |
| C．tell us that it’s difficult to make a significant change in our weight |
| D．stress that dieting 1s a recommended way to help you reach your desired weight |
Jules Hirsch’s study’found that．
| A．big weight loss could lead to mental problems |
| B．a person’s weight can be decided by their parents’ weight |
| C．only dieting cannot produce a desired result in weight reduction |
| D．big efforts to lose weight may result in a weight much heavier than one’s normal weight |
From the text，we know that the body can still feel comfortable
| A．when the weight goes up or down by 6 kg |
| B．when the weight goes up or down by l0 kg |
| C．when the weight is increased by 20 to 25 percent |
| D．when the weight is decreased by 20 to 25 percent |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．When it comes to weight，naturalness is the healthiest |
| B．Weight reduction could be both risky and painful． |
| C．Seek professional advice when reducing your weight． |
| D．There’s no hope and no point in controlling your weight． |
In a natural disaster—a hurricane,flood,tornado,volcanic eruption,or other calamity—minutes and even seconds of warning can be the difference between life and death.Because of this,scientists and government officials are working to use the latest technological advances to predict when and where disasters will happen.They are also studying how best to analyze and communicate this information once it is obtained.The goal is to put technology to effective use in saving lives and property when nature unleashes its power with devastating results.
On September 29,1998,Hurricane Georges made landfall in Biloxi,Mississippi,after devastating Haiti,the Dominican Republic,Puerto Rico,and several islands of the Caribbean with torrential rains and winds up to 160 km/h （100 mph）.Few people lost their lives along the Gulf Coast of the United States,although hundreds died in the Caribbean.
This was a very different outcome from 1900,when a powerful Gulf Coast hurricane made an unexpected direct hit on Galveston,Texas,killing at least 6 000 people.Vastly improved hurricane warnings explain the different circumstances at either end of the 20th century—residents of Galveston had no advance warning that a storm was approaching,while residents of Biloxi had been warned days in advance of Georges’s approach,allowing for extensive safety precautions.
At the same time that people in Biloxi were thankful for the advance warning,some residents of New Orleans,Louisiana,120 km to the west,were less satisfied.A day before Georges made landfall,forecasters were predicting that the hurricane had a good chance of striking New Orleans.Because much of New Orleans lies below sea level,the city is at risk for flooding.In addition,because New Orleans has a large population in vulnerable locations,emergency management officials must begin evacuations well before a storm strikes.But evacuation costs money:Businesses close,tourists leave,and citizens take precautionary measures.The mayor of New Orleans estimated that his city’s preparations for Georges cost more than 50 million.After the full fury of Georges missed New Orleans,some residents questioned the value of the hurricane forecasts in the face of such high costs.
The differing views on the early warnings for Hurricane Georges illustrate some of the complexities involved in predicting disasters.Disaster prediction is more than just forecasting the future with advanced technology—it is also a process of providing scientific information to the government officials and other decision makers who must respond to those predictions.
In general,the process has three phases.First,there is the challenge of forecasting the event itself.In the case of Georges,scientists worked to predict the future direction and strength of the hurricane days in advance.
A second important challenge is communicating the forecast to decision－makers.Because forecasts are always uncertain,a central factor in disaster predictions is communicating this uncertainty.Uncertainty is usually described in terms of odds or probabilities,much like daily weather forecasts.The media plays an important role in communicating predictions and their uncertainty to the public.
The third part of the process is the use of predictive information by decision makers.Even the most accurate information is of little value if the decision maker does not use it appropriately,for example in deciding whether to order an evacuation.If there is a breakdown in any of these three phases of prediction,the result is increased danger and a higher risk of loss of life.The underlined word“calamity”refers to ______.
| A．nature | B．thunderstorms | C．disaster | D．dangers |
According the passage,the purpose of disaster prediction is to______.
| A．demonstrate the power of advanced technology |
| B．bring out the truth between life and death |
| C．prevent such natural disasters from happening |
| D．reduce human casualties and loss of property |
Which of the following areas suffered the most severe damage?
| A．Biloxi,Mississippi. | B．Gulf Coast of U. S. |
| C．Galveston,Texas. | D．New Orleans. |
“Earthquake!”The word flashed in my brain.A roaring sound filled my ears.I tried to slide beneath my desk.The desk did a wild tap dance,slipping and sliding towards the centre of the room.I twisted my body and grabbed at the windowsill behind me,somehow kicking free of my dancing chair.I tried to stand.My legs skated away as if on a bucking escalator.
My fingers shook,grasped and held the windowsill tightly.Somewhere through the roar sounded the terrified scream of some wounded animal.I looked behind me and tried to steady my gaze on the other kids but the scene was a dizzy nightmare.Some of the class were sitting in the middle of the room,surrounded by chairs and desks.One girl was screaming.A boy was trying to claw his way across the floor to the door in a crazy overarm crawl.
My grip froze me to the windowsill.
I cried aloud,“I’m going to die.I’m going to die.Save me,I’m not ready to die,I’m not ready!”
I hunched forward on my knees and pressed my face against my clenched fingers.I looked at the backs of my fingers and stupidly noticed the fragile pale hairs growing out of the pores.The fingers would soon cease to exist.Somehow the impending horror of my death was too terrible to even cry about.
Suddenly,I became aware that the rocking had ceased.Perhaps I wasn’t going to die.The roaring sound was made by______.
| A．a wounded animal | B．people screaming |
| C．children running | D．an earthquake |
When the narrator clenches his fingers he is ______.
| A．afraid | B．angry | C．injured | D．impatient |
Paragraph two describes the______.
| A．injuries suffered by the narrator | B．effects of a bad nightmare |
| C．disorder in the classroom | D．narrator’s fear of death |
At the end of the passage there is a feeling of______.
| A．panic | B．hope | C．sorrow | D．excitement |
When newspapers and radio describe the damage caused by a hurricane named Hazel,girls named Hazel are probably teased by their friends.To keep out of trouble,the Weather Bureau says,“Any resemblance between hurricane names and the names of particular girls is purely accidental.”
Some women became angry because hurricanes are given their names,but many other women are proud to see their names make headlines.They don’t even care that they are the names of destructive storms.Because more women seem to like it than dislike it,the Weather Bureau has decided to continue using girl’s names for hurricanes.
In some ways a hurricane is like a person.After it is born,it grows and develops,then becomes old and dies.Each hurricane has a character of its own.Each follows its own path through the world,and people remember it long after it gone.So it is natural to give hurricanes’ names,and to talk about them almost if they were alive.What happens to girls named Hazel according to the passage?
| A．They suffer from hurricanes. |
| B．The Weather Bureau look for them. |
| C．Others often make fun of them. |
| D．They can’t find boyfriend. |
The underlined word“resemblance”probably means ______.
| A．trouble | B．difference | C．sameness | D．success |
According to the passage,which is more reasonable?
| A．Some women feel unhappy because hurricanes are given their names. |
| B．A lot of women complain of the Weather Bureau. |
| C．Many women want to be known. |
| D．All the hurricanes are caused by women. |
Public opinions make the Weather Bureau ______.
| A．consider the disagreement of some women |
| B．go on naming hurricanes after women |
| C．name hurricanes after men |
| D．look for a new method to name hurricanes |