The world is not coming to an end on December 21st, 2012, the US space agency announced to dispel （消除） widespread rumors fueled by the Internet and a new Hollywood movie．
The latest big screen 2012 was based on stories according to the Mayan calendar．It showed that by the end of 2012, a Planet X will collide （碰撞） with the earth．
Some websites accuse NASA of hiding the truth on the planet's existence, but the US space agency considered such stories as tricks．"There is no basis in fact for these claims," NASA said in its website．"If such a collision were real, scientists would have been tracking it for at least the last decade, and we would see it
with our eyes now．Obviously, it doesn't exist and there will be no threat to the earth in 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 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．
And even if the planets were to line up as some have forecast, the effect on our plant would be very little．"And while comets and asteroids （小行星） have always hit the earth, big hits are very rare," NASA noted．The last major collision was believed to be 65 million years ago, resulting the end of dinosaurs （恐龙）．
"We are sure that there are no threatening asteroids as large as the one that killed the dinosaurs," the space agency said．．What played a key role in the spread of the rumors?
| A．The Internet and the film 2012． |
| B．The Mayan calendar． |
| C．The US space agency． |
| D．The television screen． |
．The underlined word "it" in Paragraph Three probably refers to _ ___．
| A．the collision | B．the Planet X |
| C．the threat | D．the NASA website |
．We can conclude from the passage that __ __．
| A．the film 2012 is well accepted in the science field |
| B．scientists have been tracking Planet X for over ten years |
| C．the earth will exist for more than four billion years |
| D．the rumors caused a panic among some people |
．What do we know about Eris according to the passage?
| A．It doesn't exist in the universe． |
| B．It won't threaten the earth． |
| C．It is too far to be seen． |
| D．It is similar to the earth. |
Being sociable looks like a good way to add years to your life. Relationships with family, friends, neighbours, even pets, will all do the trick, but the biggest longevity (长寿) boost seems to come from marriage or an equivalent relationship. The effect was first noted in 1858 by William Farr, who wrote that widows (寡妇)and widowers were at a much higher risk of dying than their married peers. Studies since then suggest that marriage could add as much as seven years to a man’s life and two to a woman’s. The effect holds for all causes of death, whether illness, accident or self-harm.
Even if the odds are stacked against you, marriage can more than compensate. Linda Waite of the University of Chicago has found that a married older man with heart disease can expect to live nearly four years longer than an unmarried man with a healthy heart. Likewise, a married man who smokes more than a pack a day is likely to live as long as a divorced man who doesn’t smoke. There’s a flip side, however, as partners are more likely to become ill or die in the couple of years following their spouse’s death, and caring for a spouse with mental disorder can leave you with some of the same severe problems. Even so, the odds favour marriage. In a 30-year study of more than 10,000 people, Nicholas Christakis of Harvard Medical School describes how all kinds of social networks have similar effects.
So how does it work? The effects are complex, affected by socio-economic factors, health-service provision, emotional support and other more physiological (生理的) mechanisms. For example, social contact can boost development of the brain and immune system, leading to better health and less chance of depression later in life. People in supportive relationships may handle stress better. Then there are the psychological benefits of a supportive partner.
A life partner, children and good friends are all recommended if you aim to live to 100. The ultimate social network is still being mapped out, but Christakis says: “People are interconnected, so their health is interconnected.”William Farr’s study and other studies show that _________.
| A．social life provides an effective cure for illness |
| B．being sociable helps improve one’s quality of life |
| C．women benefit more than men from marriage |
| D．marriage contributes a great deal to longevity |
Linda Waite’s studies support the idea that _________.
| A．older men should quit smoking to stay healthy |
| B．marriage can help make up for ill health |
| C．the married are happier than the unmarried |
| D．unmarried people are likely to suffer in later life |
It can be inferred from the context that the “flip side” (Line 4, Para. 2) refers to _________.
| A．the disadvantages of being married |
| B．the emotional problems arising from marriage |
| C．the responsibility of taking care of one’s family |
| D．the consequence of a broken marriage |
What does the author say about social networks?
| A．They have effects similar to those of a marriage. |
| B．They help develop people’s community spirit. |
| C．They provide timely support for those in need. |
| D．They help relieve people of their life’s burdens. |
What can be inferred from the last paragraph?
| A．It’s important that we develop a social network when young. |
| B．To stay healthy, one should have a proper social network. |
| C．Getting a divorce means risking a reduced life span. |
| D．We should share our social networks with each other. |
It is pretty much a one-way street. While it may be common for university researchers to try their luck in the commercial world, there is very little traffic in the opposite direction. Pay has always been the biggest deterrent, as people with families often feel they cannot afford the drop in salary when moving to a university job. For some industrial scientists, however, the attractions of academia (学术界) outweigh any financial considerations.
Helen Lee took a 70% cut in salary when she moved from a senior post in Abbott Laboratories to a medical department at the University of Cambridge. Her main reason for returning to academia mid-career was to take advantage of the greater freedom to choose research questions. Some areas of inquiry have few prospects of a commercial return, and Lee’s is one of them.
The impact of a salary cut is probably less severe for a scientist in the early stages of a career. Guy Grant, now a research associate at the Unilever Centre for Molecular Informatics at the University of Cambridge, spent two years working for a pharmaceutical (制药的) company before returning to university as a post-doctoral researcher. He took a 30% salary cut but felt it worthwhile for the greater intellectual（知识的） opportunities.
Higher up the ladder, where a pay cut is usually more significant, the demand for scientists with a wealth of experience in industry is forcing universities to make the transition (转换) to academia more attractive, according to Lee. Industrial scientists tend to receive training that academics do not, such as how to build a multidisciplinary team, manage budgets and negotiate contracts. They are also well placed to bring something extra to the teaching side of an academic role that will help students get a job when they graduate, says Lee, perhaps experience in manufacturing practice or product development. “Only a small number of undergraduates will continue in an academic career. So someone leaving university who already has the skills needed to work in an industrial lab has far more potential in the job market than someone who has spent all their time on a narrow research project.”By “a one-way street” (Line 1, Para. 1), the author means ________.
| A．university researchers know little about the commercial world |
| B．there is little exchange between industry and academia |
| C．few industrial scientists would quit to work in a university |
| D．few university professors are willing to do industrial research |
The word “deterrent” (Line 2, Para. 1) most probably refers to something that ________.
| A．keeps someone from taking action |
| B．helps to move the traffic |
| C．attracts people’s attention |
| D．brings someone a financial burden |
What was Helen Lee’s major consideration when she changed her job in the middle of her career?
| A．Flexible work hours. |
| B．Her research interests. |
| C．Her preference for the lifestyle on campus. |
| D．Prospects of academic accomplishments. |
Guy Grant chose to work as a researcher at Cambridge in order to ________.
| A．do financially more rewarding work |
| B．raise his status in the academic world |
| C．enrich his experience in medical research |
| D．exploit better intellectual opportunities |
What contribution can industrial scientists make when they come to teach in a university?
| A．Increase its graduates’ competitiveness in the job market. |
| B．Develop its students’ potential in research. |
| C．Help it to obtain financial support from industry. |
| D．Gear its research towards practical applications. |
Cosmo Books Ltd., 14, Woodman Road,
Hertford Estate, Two Bridges,
Rickmansworth, West Sussex.
Middx.
25th February
Dear sir,
Just over six months ago, I saw an advertisement in the Morning Mail for a set of the complete works of William Shakespeare. Your company, Cosmo books Ltd., offered this set ( eight books of plays and two books of poetry) at what was claimed to be a ‘remarkable’ price: fifteen pounds and fifty pence, including postage and packing. I had wanted a set of Shakespeare’s plays and poems for some time, and these books, in red imitation leather, looked particularly attractive; so I sent for them.
Two weeks later, the books arrived, together with a set of the complete works of Charles Dickens which I had not ordered. So I returned the Dickens books to you, with a cheque for fifteen pounds and fifty pence for the works of Shakespeare. Two more weeks passed. Then there arrived on my door step a second set of the works of Shakespeare, the same set of novels by Dickens and a six book set of the plays of Moliere, in French. Since I do not read French, these were of no use to me at all. However, I could not afford to post all these books back to you, so I wrote to you at the end of August of last year, instructing you to come and collect all the books that I did not want, and asking you not to send any other books until further notice.
You did not reply to that letter. Instead you sent me a bill for forty two pounds , and a set of the plays of Schiller, in German. Since then, a new set of books has arrived every two weeks, the works of Goethe, the poems of Milton, the plays of Strindberg; I hardly know what I have. The books are still all in their boxes, in the garage, and my car has to stand in the rain outside.
I have no room for any more books, and even if I read from now until the Last Judgement, I should not finish reading all the books that you have sent me.
Please send no more books, send no more bills, send no more angry letters demanding payment. Just send one large lorry and take all the books away, leaving me only with the one set of the complete works of Shakespeare for which I have paid.
Yours faithfully,
SIMON WALKERSimon Walker wrote the letter to ________
| A．complain about sending him books he had not ordered. |
| B．urge Cosmo Books Ltd. to take away the books he had not ordered. |
| C．laugh at Cosmo Books Ltd.. |
| D．advise readers not to order books from Cosmo Books Ltd.. |
The advertisement that Mr. Walker saw in the Morning Mail was for ____
| A．unlimited number of Cosmo Books. |
| B．a set of 10 books of the works of Shakespeare. |
| C．a book containing all the plays and poems of Shakespeare. |
| D．fifteen pounds and fifty pence. |
Mr. walker answered the advertisement because ________
| A．he wanted a set of Shakespeare’s works, and this set was cheap, and looked attractive. |
| B．he claimed that the books were being offered at a remarkable price. |
| C．he had ordered the set and had been waiting for them to come for some time. |
| D．the set he already had was not particularly attractive. |
Cosmo Books have _______
| A．sent bills for books that they have not sent. |
| B．continued to send books that Mr. Walker did not order. |
| C．still not sent Mr. Walker the books that he ordered. |
| D．made a gift to Mr. Walker of several sets of books. |
The tone of the letter is that of _______
| A．bitterness | B．respect | C．annoyance | D．humor |
When Elizabeth Kenny was a little girl, she fell off a horse and hurt her arm. Mrs. Kenny took her to a doctor in Toowoomba, Queensland. In the doctor’s, Elizabeth saw many bottles of medicine standing in a row. Since then, she wanted to be a nurse. As soon as she was old enough, Elizabeth was trained in a hospital. After working for some time, she made a surprising discovery. Among her patients were some children who had lost the use of their legs because of polio ( 小儿麻痹症) . Kenny tried putting hot cloth on their legs and washing them in a special way. The results were great. The children were able to use their legs again.
Most doctors would not believe that children could get well in such a simple way. Gradually, however, she became famous. From 1993 on people from many parts of the world brought their children to Australia to receive treatment by this wonderful nurse. She was invited to America where her methods were used in many hospitals. Money was collected to build Kenny foundations which were for polio patients. Kenny died in 1952, but she will long be remembered for her fight against polio.Toowoomba is the name of _____.
| A．a famous doctor | B．a kind of disease |
| C．an Australian city | D．an Australian school |
The children who suffered from polio ____.
| A．couldn’t walk | B．couldn‘t work | C．couldn’t speak | D．lost their legs |
What was Kenny‘s surprising discovery?
| A．there were so many polio patients around her. |
| B．Polio children could recover in a simple way. |
| C．Children suffering from polio had refused to use arms |
| D．Among the children some of them suffered from polio. |
The best title (标题) of the text is most likely to be ____.
| A．Methods of Treating Polio | B．Kenny Foundations for Children |
| C．Elizabeth Kenny, the Wonderful Nurse | D．Hospitals for Polio Patients |
There was once a farmer who lived near a road. It was not a busy road,but from time to time,cars passed the farm.
Near the farm gate, there was a large hole in the road. this hole was always full of water, and the drivers of the cars could not see how deep the hole was. They thought it was probably not deep.So when they drove into the hole, they could not drive out because it was so deep.
The farmer did not spend much time working on his farm. He spent most time watching the hole. Whenever a car drove into it, he would pull the car out with his tractor and he would charge the drivers for much more money than they had expected.
One day, a driver of a car said to him, "You must have made a lot of money pulling cars out of this hole night and day."
"Oh no," the farmer said, "I don’t pull cars out of the hole at night. At night I fill the hole with water."Many cars went into the hole because the drivers_____.
| A．were going too fast to stop their cars | B．did not see the hole ahead of them |
| C．did not know the hole was very deep | D．liked very much driving through water |
The drivers were _____ to pay the farmer for pulling their cars out of the hole.
| A．glad | B．forced | C．ready | D．anxious |
Why did the farmer fill the hole with water at night?
| A．He was busy working on the farm during the day. |
| B．He spent much time watching the hole by day. |
| C．Some cars had driven into the hole at night. |
| D．Nobody would be able to find the secret out. |
What did the writer think of the farmer?
| A．He was selfish(自私). | B．He was clever. |
| C．He was foolish. | D．He was kind. |
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