The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added --- a communications blackout caused by solar storms.
After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a fresh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.
Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications (通信) satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.
“The Sun’s activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites,” said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the Sun’s atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged (带电) matter. “A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometers per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications,” Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.
Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.
Professor Richard Holdaway, the lab’s director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth “If we have advance warning, we’ll be able to reduce the damage. What you don’t want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what’s caused the problem,” he said.
The phrase underlined part in paragraph one most probably refers to _______ during the 2012 Olympics.
| A．the state of the Olympic torch being put out |
| B．the failure of broadcasting systems |
| C．the transportation breakdown in London |
| D．the destruction of weather satellites |
What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the pass
age?
| A．The most deadly matter from the corona falls onto Earth. |
| B．The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle. |
| C．It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth. |
| D．The number of sunspots decreases after coronal mass ejections. |
Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?
| A．Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer |
| B．Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger |
| C．Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race |
D． Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled |
We convince ourselves that life will be better once we are married, have a baby, then another．Then we get frustrated because our children are not old enough and that all will be well when they are older．Then we are frustrated because they reach teenage years and we must deal with them．Surely we'll be happier when they grow out of the teen years．
We tell ourselves our life will be better when our spouse （配偶） gets his/her act together, when we have a nicer car, when we can take a vacation, when we finally retire．The truth is that there is no better time to be happy than right now．If not, then when? Your life will always be full of challenges．It is better to admit as much and to decide to be happy in spite of it all．
For the longest time, it seemed that life was about to start—real life．
But there was always some obstacles （挫折） along the way, an ordeal （苦难） to get through, some work to be finished, some time to be given, a bill to be paid．Then life would start．It finally dawned on me that those obstacles were part of life．Little by little, that point of view also helped me see that there isn't any road to happiness．
Happiness is the road．So, enjoy every moment．And bear in mind that__________．So stop waiting for school to end, for a return to school, to lose ten pounds, to gain ten pounds, for work to begin, to get married, for Friday evening, for Sunday morning, waiting for a new car, for your mortgage（借款） to be paid off, for spring, for summer, for fall, for winter, for the first or the fifteenth of the month, for your song to be played on the radio, to die, to be reborn… before deciding to be happy．
Happiness is a voyage, not a destination．There is no better time to be happy than… NOW! Live and enjoy the moment．
60．The most proper title for the passage should be______．
A．Happiness Is a Frustration B．Happiness Is a Destination
C．Happiness Is a Dream D．Happiness is a Process
61．The first two paragraphs mainly tell us_______．
A．life is a worthwhile but challenging voyage
B．so long as you believe you can, you can
C．people tend to think the future will be brighter than now
D．people feel at a loss about their life
62．The writer thinks _______is a real happiness
A．setting our imagination free B．enjoying our present life
C．finding our own shortcut to success D．facing obstacles and challenges bravely
63．Which of the sayings can fill in the blank in the fourth paragraph?
A．Time waits for no one B．Time is money．
C．Tomorrow is another day． D．Time can work wonders．
第三部分：阅读理解（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项A、B、C和D中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
“Help! Help! Help!” a resident screamed over the phone, “I am being eaten alive by mosquitoes!”
Recent rainfalls have produced an early hit of blood-seeking mosquitoes．Once flooded, eggs laid during the drought along water banks hatch（孵化）quickly, flying off to seek hosts such as people, birds, and other animals．
The flood mosquitoes are big and aggressive．They chase you down, drill into your skin and take your blood, causing pain and itchiness．“I have lost a pint of blood to those suckers,” a Spring Hill resident claimed．“Mosquitoes are killing my kids,” a Ridge Manor woman shouted．
Residents are urged to protect themselves when going out, especially during the hours of dusk and dawn．Long-sleeve shirts, long pants, socks and hats will help keep mosquitoes at bay．
Mosquito Control has already received hundreds of service requests this month．When calling in, residents need to provide their name, address, phone number and nature of the problem．Technicians will respond by investigating the problem and making proper treatment and notification to resident．
Mosquitoes grow in almost any kind or amount of water．Controlling mosquito larvae（幼虫） is vital to mosquito control．Confined in their water habitat, larvae are treated and eliminated before they mature and “take to wing．” Field technicians check their areas searching for mosquitoes breeding in lakes, ponds, drainage ditches and they treat the water with a host of larvicides（杀幼虫剂）．
It is important to understand that mosquito control is much more than sending a spray truck （airplane or helicopter in other counties） to kill adult mosquitoes．Night-time spraying is actually the last defense after all the above procedures have been done, but there are still mosquitoes present in the area．
56．The author writes the first paragraph in order to _________．
A．make the public take action at once
B．attract readers to read the following contents
C．show that the people bothered by mosquitoes are helpless
D．criticize the government has done nothing
57．When do the eggs hatch according to the passage?
A．When the flood hits． B．During the drought．
C．After the flood leaves． D．When spring comes．
58．When are mosquitoes most dangerous?
A．At dawn and dusk． B．At noon．
C．In the late morning． D．At midnight．
59．When calling Mosquito Control, people should provide the following EXCEPT _________．
A．their name and address B．phone number
C．nature of the problem D．marriage and possessions
How Much to Tip
You’re out to dinner．The food is delicious and the service is fine．You decide to leave a big fat tip．Why? The answer may not be as simple as you think．
Tipping, psychologists have found, is not just about service．Instead, studies have shown that tipping can be affected by psychological reactions to a series of different factors from the waiter’s choice of words, to how they carry themselves while taking orders, to the bill’s total．Even how much waiters remind customers of themselves can determine how much change they pocket by the end of the night．
“Studies before have shown that mimicry （模仿） brings into positive feelings for the mimicker,” wrote Rick van Baaren, a social psychology professor．“These studies show that people who are being mimicked become more generous toward the person who mimics them．”
So Rick van Baaren divided 59 waiters into two groups．He requested that half serve with a phrase such as, “Coming up!” Those in the other half were instructed to repeat the orders and preferences back to the customers．Rick van Baaren then compared their take-home．The results were clear — it pays to mimic your customer．The copycat（模仿者） waiters earned almost double the amount of tips to the other group．
Leonard Green and Joel Myerson, psychologists at Washington University in St．Louis, found the generosity of a tipper may be limited by his bill．After research on the 1,000 tips left for waiters, cabdrivers, hair stylists, they found tip percentages in these three areas dropped as customers’ bills went up．In fact, tip percentages appear to plateau （达到稳定水平） when bills topped $100 and a bill for $200 made the worker gain no bigger percentage tip than a bill for $100．
“That’s also a point of tipping,” Green says．“You have to give a little extra to the cab driver for being there to pick you up and something to the waiter for being there to serve you．If they weren’t there, you’d never get any service．So part of the idea of a tip is for just being there．”
72．Apart from service, how many other factors affecting the customers’ tipping are mentioned in the passage?
A．1． B．2． C．3． D．4．
73．These studies show that _________．
A．tipping can be affected by physical reactions to many different waiter’s factors
B．people who are being mimicked usually tip less to the person who mimics them
C．the mimic waiters can get almost twice as much money as the other group
D．mimicry makes the mimicker feel bad
74．According to the passage, which of the following will be likely to show the right change of the tip percentages?
A B C D
75．We know from the passage that the writer seems to __________．
A．object to Mr Green’s idea about tipping
B．think part of Mr Green’s explanation is reasonable
C．give his generous tip to waiters very often
D．support the opinions of Mr Green and Rick van Baaren about tipping
For jet-setters, a new way to get a restful night
Many people hate the idea of having to sleep on a plane. But Swedish entrepreneur Oscar Dios thinks they can be persuaded otherwise and he has created a new kind of hotel to prove it.
Dios says it is the world’s first jumbo jet hostel, an actual jet-plane at’ Sweden’s main airport outside Stockholm which has been converted into a 25-robin guesthouse that sleeps as many as 72 people.
“I learned abo0t this plane that was-standing abandoned at Arlanda airport and I’ve been trying the concept of hostels in many different houses and buildings,” he told reporters. “I thought, ‘Why not a plane?’”
Jumbo Hostels opened for business on Thursday, giving customers the chance to check in and sleep in a room that can best be described as cozy.
“The most challenging part with this project is trying to build something inside a metal hull -- it’s just really, really tight.”
The jet, which was originally produced for Singapore Airlines, was taken out of service in 2002.
One thing the hostel has. going for it is price-a room starts al 35.0 Swedish crowns (about $4.1% which is a lot less than hotel rooms outside of major airports.
Another feature: customers can get married on the wing of the plane and reside in the plane’s more luxurious honeymoon room situated in the cockpit.
Instead of walking down the aisle, lovebirds can take what Jumbo Hotel calls the “wing walk,” where they can be joined in bliss at the wing tip. The hostel has someone ready to perform the ceremony.
But in some respects, this hostel remains a plane-most clients have to share the jet’s nine bathrooms and staff only wear air steward and stewardess outfits. The only room that has its own bathroom is the honeymoon suite.
68. Why does Oscar Dios make jet plane hotel?
A. Because he is fond of plane very much.
B. Because he is very curious
C. Because he wants to earn more money.
D. Because he likes trying the concept of hotel in many different things.
69. Which of the following statement is not true about the plane?
A. The plane was in service before 2002 .
B. Now the plane as hostel is at Arlanda airport.
C. The plane was first produced for Singapore Airline.
D. The metal of the plane is very hard.
70. For the customers who get married on the plane, _________.
A. they can live in the room situated in the cockpit.
B. They will have their own bathroom
C. They can walk down the aisle
D. The wedding ceremony will be performed by the person prepared by the hotel.
71. Which of the following is the disadvantage of the Jumbo Hotel?
A. It’s price is too high.
B. It hasn’t enough rooms.
C. Sleeping on it is not comfortable.
D. Most clients don’t have their own bathroom.
Some people worry about being the target of laughter. These people are frightened. They suffer from an emotional disorder called gelotophobia. That long name comes from the Greek language. The word Gelos means laugh, while photos means fear.
Victor Rubio is an expert on human behavior at the Autonomous University of Madrid. He says people laugh at others for many different reasons. He says being laughed at causes a fear response in the victim. That fear leads the victim to avoid social situations. Sadly, gelotophobia limits the way they lead their lives.
Victor Rubio was among researchers in a huge international study about laughter. The researchers wanted to understand the difference between normal shyness and true gelotophobia. Another goal was to measure the fear of being laughed at within different cultures.
A team from the University of Zurich led ninety-three researchers from many countries in search of answers.
The researchers surveyed more than twenty-two thousand people. They used questions provided in forty-two languages. Their findings were reported in the scientific publication Humor.
Some of the people questioned said they felt unsure of themselves in social situations. But they hid their feelings. Others said they avoided social situations where they had been laughed at before. People also admitted to differing levels of fear that they themselves were the targets of other people’s laughter. The researchers measured and compared all these reactions.
Fear of being laughed at, being made fun of, is a common emotion. But the researchers learned that these feelings differed from nation to nation.
For example, the study found that people in Turkmenistan and Cambodia are likely to hide insecure (不安) feelings when they are around others’ laughter. But people in Iraq, Egypt and Jordan who feel they have been victims before may avoid such situations.
People in Finland were the least likely to believe that people laughing in their presence were making fun of them. Only eight and a half percent of Finns said they would – compared to eighty percent of those questioned in Thailand.
64. The passage is mainly about______________.
A. a common emotion B. laughter
C. shyness D. gelotophobia
65. In which country are people most likely to avoid social situations where they have been laughed at before?
A. Turkmenistan B. Iraq C. Finland D. Thailand
66. According to the text the following is true EXCEPT that ________.
A. people suffer from gelotophobia because they are shy
B. not all the people questioned hid their feelings in social situations
C. perhaps Humor is a magazine
D. people in Finland are the least likely to suffer from gelotophobia
67. A person who suffers from gelotophobia will probably ______.
A. be active in social activities B. be easily laughed at
C. like to laugh at others D. like to stay alone
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