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.
小題1:The underlined word“calamity”refers to ______.

A．nature

B．thunderstorms

C．disaster

D．dangers

小題2: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

小題3: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.

No one can believe that the over 6 300-kilometer long Great Wall might disappear some day.Believe it or not,the Great Wall is being destroyed by people.Less than 20 percent of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty is still perfect,but about 80 percent is in danger.The Great Wall can be called “great” mostly because of its amazing length.But we should realize that the length was made up of one brick at a time.If we do nothing to save the Great Wall,it will become a series of separate wasteland rather than a historic site.
The Great Wall is actually a series of walls built and rebuilt by different dynasties over the past 2 000 years.It began in the rule of China’s first emperor,Qin Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221 BC～206 BC),and lasted into the Ming Dynasty.The parts built before the Ming Dynasty have nearly disappeared.People are familiar with sections such as Badaling in Beijing and Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu because they have been open to tourists for many years.But those sections far away from the public eyes have been almost forgotten.
Few local people knew the 3-meter-high walls made of earth and stones beside them are part of the Great Wall.The lack of knowledge is considered as one of the main reasons behind human.
The bricks on the Great Wall are carried off by countryside people to build their houses,sheep corral(畜欄) and pigsties(豬圈).Some were taken away to build roads.Bricks carved with people’s names are put away as remembrance.Rubbish is spread over the battlements(城垛).The bricks can be sold for 15 yuan per tractor load.Those who destroyed and are destroying the Great Wall know its name,but are not clear about its cultural meaning.It will take a long time to let them know this.The local farmers not only carried off the body of the Wall but dug out the entire base.
It is necessary to protect the Great Wall.First of all,the officials should be aware of theimportance of the Great Wall.Young Chinese should know more about the nation’s great civilization (文明)and learn to love it.
小題1:The main reason for which the Great Wall can be called“great”is__________.

A．it was made by brick	B．it was very wide
C．it was very long	D．it had a long history

小題2:Why does the author say the Great Wall might disappear?

A．It is useless from now on.	B．It will be replaced by a new one.
C．Some parts of it are being destroyed.	D．It’s too old to be used again.

小題3:The underlined part “those sections far away from the public eyes” refers to the parts of the Great Wall__________.

A．that are too difficult to understand	B．nobody can watch
C．that are too far to been seen	D．that are not well known to the public

小題4:What’s the main reason of the Great Wall’s being destroyed?

A．The local people are short of culture knowledge.

B．The local people need bricks and stones to build houses.

C．The local people think that the Great Wall is not important.

D．The local people are against the government.

After an extra day in space,the crew of Discovery returned to Earth,landing at Edwards Air Force Base in California early on Tuesday morning.The shuttle and its crew spent two weeks in space,most of it aboard the International Space Station.It was the first flight of NASA's space?shuttle fleet since February 2003,when the shuttle Columbia came apart while re?entering Earth's atmosphere.?
NASA officials delayed Discovery's return for one day because of cloudy weather in Florida,where the shuttle was supposed to lanD. On Tuesday morning,mission controllers ?directed? Discovery to a landing site in California,where the skies were clear.The crew members will have to wait until Wednesday to see their families when they all meet together in Houston at the Johnson Space Center.?
Discovery had a very busy mission in space,compared to past missions.The space shuttle docked with the International Space Station most of the journey,delivering badly needed ?supplies? and repairing damaged parts.The crew spent a lot of time testing new repair techniques on their own shuttle,conducting three different spacewalks(where astronauts exit the space shuttle to do work outside).On the third spacewalk,astronaut Steve Robinson went underneath the shuttle to remove material sticking out from between the spacecraft's ?protective? tiles.?
There were concerns in the last remaining days of Discovery's mission that a torn heat blanket—another shield against overheating in the space shuttle—may pose a problem to crew members. NASA officials and technicians worked on ways that the crew could fix the problem, but later decided it was not a risk.?
With the shuttle and its crew safely back on firm ground, NASA is hailing this mission, labeled STS?114,as a huge success. “I hope this shows people that we're coming back,” NASA spaceflight chief Bill Readdy said after Discovery's successful landing. “We've got some more work to do. We know what we need to do and we'll do it.?
小題1:Which of the following isn't included in the jobs of the shuttle Discovery?

A．Delivering supplies to the International Space Station.?

B．Conducting different spacewalks.?

C．Testing new repair techniques.?

D．Finding the cause why the shuttle Columbia came apart.?

小題2:But for the cloudy weather, the shuttle Discovery would have landed_______.

A．in Florida a day earlier	B．in Florida a day later?
C．in California a day earlier	D．in California a day later?

小題3:Which is the most probable period of time that Discovery was aboard the International Space Station?

A．Six days.	B．Two weeks.?
C．Nine days.	D．Two weeks and an extra day.?

小題4:What's the best title for the passage?

A．Another Huge Success of Discovery

B．Welcome Back, Discovery?

C．Discovery and International Space Station

D．Discovery Survives a Risk

IS THERE LIFE ON EARTH?
There was great excitement on the planet of Venus(金星) this week. For the first time Venusian scientists managed to land a satellite on the planet Earth, and it has been sending back signals as well as photographs ever since.?
The satellite was directed into an area known as Manhattan (named after the great Venusian astronomer Prof. Manhattan, who first discovered it with his telescope 20 000 light years ago).Because of excellent weather conditions and extremely strong signals, Venusian scientists were able to get valuable information as to feasibility(可行性) of a manned flying saucer(飛碟) landing on Earth.A press conference was held at the Venus Institute of Technology.?
“We have come to the conclusion,based on last week's satellite landing,” Pro. Zog said,“that there is no life on the Earth.”?
“How do you know this?” the science reporter of the Venus Evening Star asked. ?
“For one thing, Earth's surface in the area of Manhattan is composed of solid concrete(混凝土)and nothing can grow there. For another, the atmosphere is filled with carbon monoxide(一氧化碳) and other deadly gases and nobody could possibly breathe this air and survive.”?
“What does this mean as far as our flying saucer program is concerned?”?
“We shall have to take our own oxygen with us, which means a much heavier flying saucer than we originally planned. ”
“Are there any other hazards that you discovered in your studies?”?
“Take a look at this photo. You see this dark cloud floating over the surface of Earth? We call this the Consolidated Edison Belt. We don't know what it is made of, but it could give us a lot of trouble and we shall have to make further tests before we send a Venus Being there.”?
“If what you say is true, won't this set back the flying saucer program several years?”?
“Yes, but we shall proceed as soon as the Grubstart gives us the added funds.”?
“Prof. Zog, why are we spending billions and billions of zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth when there is no life there?”?
“Because if we Venusians can learn to breathe in an Earth atmosphere, then we can live anywhere.”
小題1:During the week of great excitement the Venusian scientists succeeded in getting important information on whether they can_______.

A．land a satellite with Venus astronauts on Earth

B．make a first?rate flying saucer?

C．get a Earth Being to Venus

D．direct a flying saucer into Manhattan?

小題2:According to Prof.Zog,the Venusians will have to take their own oxygen with them when they carry out their flying saucer program because_______.?

A．they need it on their way to the planet of Earth?

B．the Earth's atmosphere is filled with deadly gases?

C．oxygen is far from enough in the area of Manhattan where the saucer is to land?

D．there is no air on the planet of Earth?

小題3:The “dark black cloud” on the photograph refers to_______.?

A．the polluted air floating over the surface of Earth?

B．the mass of tiny drops of water floating above Earth?

C．the things that are unknown to everybody?

D．the dark clouds gathering before a storm breaks?

小題4:The author wishes to call our attention to the fact_______.?

A．that modern man has polluted his environment to such an extent that he might destroy himself if he went on like this?

B．that there is no point in spending billions and billions of zilches to land a flying saucer on Earth?

C．that pollution has become so serious a problem on Earth that even Venusians find life there unbearable?

D．that it is difficult, if not altogether impossible, to land a manned flying saucer on Earth

A peer is a person who is about the same age as you. Peers affect your life, whether you know it or not, just by spending time with you.
Peers can have a good effect on each other. Maybe another student in your science class taught you an easy way to remember the planets in solar system. Maybe you got others excited about your new favorite book, and now everyone's reading it.
However, sometimes peers affect each other in another way. For example, one kid in school might try to get another to cut class with him, your soccer friend might try to persuade you to be mean to another player and never pass him the ball, or a kid in the neighborhood might want you to shoplift with him.?
Some kids give in to peer pressure because they want to be liked, to fit in, or because they worry that other kids may make fun of them if they don't go along with the group.Others may go along because they are curious to try something new that others are doing. The idea that “everyone's doing it ” may influence some kids to leave their better judgments, or their common senses behind.
　　Peer pressure can be extremely strong and hard to get rid of. Experiments have shown how peer pressure can influence someone to change mind from what she knows for sure is a correct answer to the incorrect answer—just because everyone else gives the incorrect answer!That holds true for people of any age in peer pressure situations.
It can be hard to walk away from peer pressure, but it can be done. Pay attention to your own feelings and beliefs about what is right and wrong can help you know the right thing to do. Inner strength and self-confidence can help you stand firm, walk away, and resist doing something when you know better.
小題1:What is the main idea of the passage?

A．Peers have a good effect.

B．Children give in to peer pressure.?

C．Peer pressure is hard to stop.

D．Peer pressure.?

小題2:The underlined word “shoplift” probably means to_______.?

A．do shopping	B．carry goods for shops?
C．steal in the shop	D．take the lift upstairs in the shop?

小題3:The writer will NOT agree that_______.?

A．only children change their correct answers to incorrect ones because of peer pressure?

B．peers have an effect on each other?

C．peer pressure can be got rid of ?

D．peers will believe in themselves if there are other peers who agree with them?

小題4:The writer intends to _______ by writing the passage.?

A．warn peers to separate from each other?

B．tell peers to follow others?

C．show it is hard to walk away from peer pressure?

D．persuade peers to do what they think is the right thing??

Some kids can't sit still for long. They have a hard time paying attention to just one thing. They're easily distracted(分神).They can get very impatient. They hate standing in line or waiting for their turn in a game or activity. They get bored pretty fast. They may also be impulsive—saying the first thing that comes to mind or interrupting someone else who's talking.?
For certain kids, this problem is so severe(嚴重) that doctors have a name for it: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. Perhaps as many as 1 out of every 20 kids under the age of 18 have characteristics of ADHD. Often, these kids have trouble getting through school and face other difficulties later in life.?
Rizzo started developing the Virtual Classroom in 1999.He wanted to see if he could use it as a tool for testing and treating kids who have attention disorders.?
To diagnose(診斷) ADHD, doctors typically test patients by giving them tasks that require attention. As part of one classic test, you watch letters flashed on a computer screen. Every time you see the letter “A” followed by the letter “X”,you have to press the space bar. If you're paying close attention, you'll register all the times this combination occurs. If not, you'll miss some.?
The Virtual Classroom makes these tests more efficient, Rizzo says. In one experiment, he gave a group of kids the classic “A-X” test. Instead of looking at a computer screen in a doctor's office, though, the kids wore headsets that made it look like they were taking the test in a classroom.?
“Basically what we found,”Rizzo says,“is that, in 20 minutes of testing with virtual reality,?we? replicated(復(fù)制) a finding that usually requires a couple hours of standard testing with computer screens in the psychologist's office.”?
小題1:The first paragraph mainly tells us _______.?

A．how to find a patient with ADHD?

B．the behavior of some kids with ADHD?

C．kids with ADHD cannot sit still for a long time?

D．kids with ADHD are easily distracted

小題2: Perhaps as many as _______ kids have characteristics of ADHD. ?
A. one out of every twenty kids
B. five percent kids less than 18 years old?
C. one out of twenty kids at the age of 18
D. five percent kids more than age of 18
小題3: In the experiment, patients need to press the space bar, when _______.

A．see letters A following X	B．first see A then see B?
C．see letter X and A	D．see letters A followed by X

小題4:The main idea of the last paragraph is _______.

A．in virtual classroom, we finish the test in 20 minutes?

B．the standard test with computer screen usually costs several hours?

C．the experiment is easy to do?

D．the result of the experiment

Every year landslides {滑坡} cause 25 to 50 deaths and $1.5 billion in damage in the United States．They account for 15 percent of the deaths from natural disasters in Europe．And in Decem­ber, a single event killed more than 200 people in the Philippines．Sending workers to stabilize (加固) mountainsides using steel bars and cement (水泥) can help prevent disaster, but it introduces new difficulties．Shaking drills produce harmful dust and loosen heavy, dangerous debris (米屑)．"It's quite a risky job," says Giorgio Pezzuto of D'Appolonia, an engineering company in Italy.
D'Appolonia, working with eight other companies, may have an answer:  a three-ton robot called Roboclimber．"The idea is to operate a machine far away that can drill without a hu­man being on board,'" says Pezzuto, manager for the project, which is supported by the European Commission．Engineers claim that the machine will be faster and cheaper than manual labor．The robot, a large radio-controlled four-legged me­chanical spider (蜘蛛), has cost at least $2 mil­lion so far．The final product should be able to climb unstable mountainsides, drill holes, insert bars and cement, and collect data on the slope' s stability．Testing should begin in May.
小題1:The underlined word "event" (in Paragraph l) refers to ___.

A．landslide

B．machine

C．earthquake

D．flood

小題2:The purpose in writing this text is ___..

A．to tell people how serious the damage caused by landslides is

B．to tell people that sending workers to sta­bilize mountainsides is a risky job

C．to introduce a product that can be used to stabilize mountainsides

D．to show people how to use a new product

小題3:What does the robot look like?

A．A human being．

B．A spider．

C．A truck．

D．A drill．

小題4:The biggest advantage of this product is that_________.

A．it will be faster and cheaper than manual labor

B．it can climb mountainsides, drill holes, insert bars and cement

C．it can collect data on the slope’s stability

D．it can drill without a human being on board

Most worthwhile careers require some kind of specialized training．Therefore, the 3 6  of a job should be made even before the choice of a curriculum (課程)in high schoo1．Actually, 3 7 , most people make several job choices during their working lives， 38  because of economic and industrial changes and partly to improve  39 position．The“one perfect Job”does not exist. Young people should 40 enter into a broad flexible(靈活的)training program that Will 4 1 them for a field of work rather than for a single  42_．
Unfortunately many young people have to make career plans _43  benefit of help from a  44   vocational counselor(顧問)or psychologist Knowing  45 about the professional world，or themselves for that matter，they  46 their1ifework aimlessly．Some move from job to job．Others  47 to work in which they are unhappy and for which they are not  48
One common mistake is choosing an occupation for its real or imagined prestige (聲望) Too many high—school students—or their parents for them— choose the professional field, not  49   the relatively small proportion of workers in the professions or the extremely high educational and personal 50 . The imagined or real prestige of a profession or a "White-collar" job is  51   good reason for choosing it as life's work.   52 , these occupations are not always well paid.   53   a large proportion of jobs are in mechanical and manual work, the  54_ of young people should give serious __ 55_ to these fields.   
36．A．procedure    B．fate         C．college          D. choice
37．A．however     B. naturally       C．though          D. especially
38．A．entirely      B．mainly       C．partly           D. totally
39．A．its          B．his          C．our            D. their
40．A．since        B．therefore     C．furthermore      D. forever
41．A．make        B．prepare      C．take              D. leave
42．A．job          B．way         C．means            D. company
43．A．to          B．for           C．without           D. with
44．A．competitive         B．good        C．strict             D. terrible
45．A．1ittle        B．few          C．much           D. a lot
46．A．quit         B．choose        C．d ream           D. stop
47．A．a(chǎn)pply              B．a(chǎn)ppeal        C．stick             D. turn 
48．A．pleased       B．fit           C．interested        D. fond
49．A．spending     B．following     C．considering      D. making
50．A．preferences   B．requirements   C．tendencies         D．a(chǎn)mbitions
51．A．a(chǎn)            B．a(chǎn)ny           C．no             D. the．
52．A．Anyway      B．However      C．Nevertheless      D．Besides．
53．A．For          B．Since         C．Though           D．As if
54．A．majority      B．many         C．minority         D. much
55．A．proposal      B．suggestion     C．consideration      D. hesitation

A weather map is an important tool for geographers. A succession of three or four maps presents a continuous picture of weather changes. Weather forecasters are able to determine the speed of air masses and fronts. They are also able to determine whether an air mass is retaining its original characteristics or taking on those of the surface over which it is moving. Thus, a most significant function of the map is to reveal an synoptic picture(氣象圖) of conditions in the atmosphere at a given time.?
All students of geography should to interpret a weather map accurately. Weather maps contain an enormous amount of information about weather conditions existing at the time of observation over a large geographical area. They reveal in a few minutes what otherwise would take hours to describe. The United States Weather Bureau issues information about approaching storms, floods, frosts, droughts and all climate conditions in general. Twice a month it issues a 30-day “outlook” which is a rough guide to weather conditions likely to occur over broad areas of the United States. These outlooks are based on an analysis of the upper air levels.?
With the use of electronic instruments and satellites, enormous gains have taken place recently in identifying and tracking storms over regions which have but few meteorological stations(氣象站).Experiments are also in progress for weather modification studies, although few successful results such as artificial rainmaking have been achieved so far.?
小題1: Which is not mentioned in this passage in the following about one characteristic of weather?

A．Fronts.

B．Temperature change.

C．Wind speed.

D．Frost.?

小題2:The observation of weather conditions by satellites is advantageous because
_______.

A．it is modern and sophisticated?

B．it used electronic instruments?

C．it enables man to alter the weather?

D．it gives the scientists information not obtained readily otherwise?

小題3:The word “interpret” in Paragraph 2 most probably means _______

A．explain

B．present

C．modify

D．illustrate

Methods of training animals have changed greatly in recent years. Zoo keepers have always had problems getting the animals to leave their cages in order for the cages to be cleaned, and also training them to move indoors when appropriate. Another problem was that many of the large animals became listless and bored. In the last twenty years, scientists have done research on dolphins and whales, training them to obey commands. The scientists found they could get animals to obey by rewarding them with food and affection when they responded correctly.?
Proper training allows the animals to receive the care they need. It was very difficult to get untrained animals, especially the larger ones, to stay still when they needed medical attention. Now they can be trained, on command, to remain still and even to allow blood samples to be taken and shots administered. All this is accomplished through positive reinforcement, without the use of any force. Affection training, as this process is called, has been used with great success on a wide variety of zoo animals. Animal behavior experts have taught zoo keepers to train bears, tigers, monkeys, and many other species to behave in a way that provides for better animal-keeper interaction. This training also keeps the animals from becoming bored and inactive.?
Although some people proclaim(譴責) that this training is inhumance and cruel to animals, results have shown that captive(獵獲的)animals who previously were not doing well flourish under the new training procedures.?
小題1:The word “l(fā)istless” means _______.

A．countless	B．obedient
C．inactive	D．mysterious?

小題2: Which of the following is valid conclusion based on this passage?

A．It is safe to pet any animal.　?

B．Many animals respond favorably to rewards and affection.?

C．Animals in the wild can be trained.?

D．Animals should not be kept in zoos.?

小題3:The writer's purpose is to _______.

A．persuade people not to feed animals in the zoo?

B．show how easy it is to train animals?

C．explain method of training animals through rewards?

D．criticize zoo keepers?

小題4:Which of the following is an opinion??

A．Zoo keepers had problems in getting animals to leave their cages.?

B．Training is cruel to animals.?

C．Animals obey commands if they are trained to do so.?

D．Many animals can be trained, on commands, to remain still.