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 satellites and Internet links sending live 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 (日冕物質(zhì)拋射) occur
in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electricallycharged 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 hightech cameras that will capture images
of the solar flares (太陽(yáng)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.

1. The phrase "communications blackout" in Paragraph 1 most probably refers to________during the
     2012 Olympics.

A. the extinguishing of the Olympic torch
B. the collapse of broadcasting systems
C. the transportation breakdown in London
D. the destruction of weather satellites

2. What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?

A. The most fatal matter from the coronal 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 declines after coronal mass ejections.

3. According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to________.

A. take images of the solar system
B. provide early warning of thunderstorms
C. keep track of solar activities
D. improve the communications on Earth

4. 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

      I hated dinner parties.But I decided to give them another shot because I'm in London.And my friend
Mallery invited me.And because dinner parties in London are very different from those back in New
York.There, "I'm having a dinner party" means:"I'm booking a table for 12 at a restaurant you can't
afford and we'll be sharing the cheque evenly, no matter what you eat."Worse, in Manhattan there is
always someone who leaves before the bill arrives.They'll throw down cash, half of what they owe, and
then people like me, who don't drink,end up paying even more.But if I try to use the same trick,the
hostess will shout:"Where are you going?"And it's not like I can say I have somewhere to go:everyone
knows I have nowhere to go.
     But in London, dinner parties are in people's homes.Not only that, the guests are an interesting mix.
The last time I went to one, the guests were from France, India, Denmark and Nigeria; it was like a
gathering at the United Nations.In New York, the mix is less striking.It's like a gathering at Bloomingdale's, a wellknown department store.
      For New Yorkers,talking about other parts of the world means Brooklyn and Queens in New York
.But at Mallery's, when I said that I had been to Myanmar recently, people knew where it was.In New
York people would think it was a usual new club.

1. What does the word "shot" in Paragraph 1 probably mean?

A. Choice.  
B. Try.
C. Style.      
D. Goal.

2. What does the writer dislike most about dinner parties in New York?

A. There is a strange mix of people.
B. The restaurants are expensive.
C. The bill is not fairly shared.
D. People have to pay cash.

3. What does the author think of the parties in London?

A. A bit unusual.            
B. Full of tricks.
C. Less costly.                
D. More interesting.

4. What is the author's opinion of some New Yorkers from her experience?

A. Easygoing.            
B. Selfcentred.
C. Generous.              
D. Conservative.

     The Parthenon in Athens is a building with a long and complex history.Built nearly 2,500 years ago
as a temple celebrating the Greek goddess Athena, it was for thousands of years the church of the
Virgin Mary of the Athenians, then a mosque (清真寺), and finally a ruin.The building was changed
and the sculptures were much damaged over the centuries.By 1800 only about half of the original
sculptural decoration remained.
     Between 1801 and 1805, Lord Elgin, the British ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, which
controlled Athens, acting with the full knowledge and permission of the Ottoman authorities, removed
about half of the remaining sculptures from the fallen ruins and from the building itself.Lord Elgin loved
Greek history and transported the sculptures back to Britain.The arrival of the sculptures in London
had a huge effect on the European public, greatly increasing interest in ancient Greek culture and
influencing contemporary artistic trends.These sculptures were acquired from Lord Elgin by the British
Museum in 1816 and since then they have all been on display to the public, free of charge.
     Since the early 1980s, however, the Greek government has argued for the permanent removal to
Athens of all the Parthenon sculptures in the British Museum.They have also challenged the British
Museum Board of Trustees' legal title to the sculptures.
     The British Museum, however, insists that it exists to tell the story of cultural achievement throughout
the world, from the dawn of human history over two million years ago until the present day.The museum
considers itself an important resource for the world: the breadth and depth of its collection allows the world public to reexamine cultural identities and explore the complex network of interconnected world cultures.
     It also says that, within the context of this unparalleled collection, the Parthenon sculptures are an
important representation of ancient Athenian civilization.Each year millions of visitors admire the artistry
of the sculptures and gain insights on how ancient Greece influenced-and was influenced by the other
civilizations that it encountered(遭遇)．

     It's hard to avoid looking like a fool on April Fool's Day.On April 1 each year, people play tricks on
each other.These tricks are usually silly rather than mean.Classmates sometimes tie each other's shoelaces
to their chairs.Teachers might hand out an impossibly difficult surprise test that scares students before they realize it's only a joke.Newspapers announce fake contests (such as "Win an elephant!") and report on
fake stories (like "UFO" lands in New York City).
     Forget gifts, songs and special foods-those are for the other holidays of the year.On April Fool's Day,
the only tradition is to laugh (and maybe to cause a little bit of trouble).
     One April Fool's Day, when I was in high school, a group of students in my class played a very clever
and funny trick on the teachers.They bought some chickens and set them free in our school cafeteria.The
chickens ran all round the school, in and out of classrooms and under our feet. Feathers were flying
everywhere.
    Teachers began running after the chickens, trying to catch them.Finally, they caught four of them.But
the chickens were wearing numbered tags (商標(biāo)) around their necks, and the teachers discovered that
they had only caught chickens No.1, 2, 3, and 5.Where was chicken No.4?
     The teachers looked and looked.They couldn't find another chicken.After a few hours, they realized
that the students had played another joke on them: There were only four chickens in the first place!
They've been tricked by the numbers on the chickens.
     It's been a long time since I was in high school, but that April Fool's Day remains one of my favorite
memories from those years.

1. What can we infer from the first paragraph on April Fool's Day?

A. Everyone is hard to avoid being fooled on April Fool's Day.
B. Students play jokes on teachers on April Fool's Day.
C. Teachers play tricks on students on April Fool's Day.
D. Newspapers often cheat people.

2. Why did students set chickens free?

A. They wanted to let chickens free.
B. They wanted to let chickens run all round the school.
C. They wanted to see feathers flying.
D. They wanted to play a trick on teachers.

3. How many jokes did the students play on teachers?

A. One.  
B. Two.
C. Three.  
D. Four.

4. What's the title of the passage?

A. An unforgettable April Fool's Day
B. April Fool's Day
C. The origin of April Fool's Day
D. What do people do on April Fool's Day?

     Do you know Australia? Australia is the largest island in the world. It is a little smaller than China. It
is in the south of the earth. Australia is big, but its population is not large. The population of Australia is
nearly as large as that of Shanghai.
     The government has made enough laws to fight pollution. The cities in Australia have got little air or
water pollution. The sky is blue and the water is clean. You can clearly see fish swimming in the rivers.
Plants grow very well.
     Last month we visited Perth, the biggest city in Western Australia, and went to a wild flowers'
exhibition. There we saw a large number of wild flowers we had never seen before. We had a wonderful
time. Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers. In spring every year Perth has the wild flowers'
exhibition. After visiting Perth, we spent the day in the countryside. We sat down and had a rest near a
path at the foot of a hill. It was quiet and we enjoyed ourselves. Suddenly we heard bells ringing at the
top of the hill. What we saw made us pick up all our things and run back to the car as quickly as we
could. There were about three hundred sheep coming towards us down the path.
     Australia is famous for its sheep and kangaroos(袋鼠). After a short drive from any town, you will
find yourself in the middle of white sheep. Sheep, sheep, everywhere are sheep.

1. Australia is ________.

A. the largest country in the world
B. as large as Shanghai
C. not as large as China
D. the largest island in the north of the earth

2. The government had made ________.

A. few laws to fight pollution
B. so many laws that it can fight pollution
C. enough laws that it can hardly fight pollution
D. enough laws because the pollution is very serious

3. Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Perth is famous for its beautiful wild flowers.
B. Perth is bigger than any other city in Western Australia.
C. Perth lies in the west of Australia.
D. No other city is larger than Perth in Australia.

4. In Perth you may visit a wild flowers' show in ________.

A. October  
B. January
C. May  
D. July

     American culture is unique because it is formed and developed under certain conditions.The major
factors contributing to the making of this flew nation and the forming of a new culture are the hard
environment, ethnic diversity(多民族) and plural religion, which is quite different from other nations in
the world.What is more, these elements are still influencing the American culture.
     The early immigrants who were English Puritans settled down in northeast part of America. From
1607 to 1892, frontiers were pushed further west.The frontiersmen looked for a land of rich resources
and a land of promise, opportunity and freedom.Actually they looked for a better life.So individualism
(個(gè)人主義), selfreliance, and equality of opportunity have perhaps been the values most closely
associated with the frontier heritage(遺產(chǎn)) of America.
     In history, people from different countries in the world rushed to America three times.They brought
their own culture to America and later on,different cultures were mixed together.Thus the unique
American culture is formed,a common cultural life with commonly shared values.
     The fundamental American belief in individual freedom and the fight of individuals to practice their
own religion is at the center of religious experience in the United States.The great diversity of ethnic
backgrounds has produced religious pluralism; almost all of the religions of the world are now practiced
in the United States.
     Nowadays, we can see the continual influence of the three elements in the current American society.
American family is typically parents and their unmarried children.Middleaged and elderly people generally do not live with their married children.The people in America have a very strong desire to start a new life
in a new place.Quite a number of people change residences every year.The average American moves
fourteen times in his lifetime.

1. American culture is unique because of the following factors EXCEPT________.

A. hard environment  
B. ethnic diversity
C. plural religion  
D. advanced modernization

2. We can learn from this article that________.

A. the frontiersmen left important society values for American culture
B. the early immigrants brought about the unique American culture
C. people in the world once rushed to America because of its unique culture
D. the American family members don't get along well with each other

3. What's the author's attitude towards American culture?

A. He is critical of it.  
B. He admires it very much.
C. He just states the facts.  
D. He looks down upon it.

4. What might be the most suitable title of this article?

A. The Immigrants in America
B. Why American Culture Is Unique
C. The Influence of American Culture
D. Plural Religion and American Culture

     The traditional tent cities at festivals such as Glastonbury may never be the same again.In a victory of
green business that is certain to appeal to environmentallyaware musiclovers, a design student is to receive financial support to produce ecofriendly tents made of cardboard that can be recycled after the bands and the crowds have gone home.
      Major festivals such as Glastonbury throw away some 10,000 abandoned tents at the end of events
each year.For his final year project at the University of the West of England, James Dunlop came up with
a material that can be recycled.And to cope with the British summer, the cardboard has been made
waterproof.
      Taking inspiration from a Japanese architect, who has used cardboard to make big buildings
including churches, Mr.Dunlop used cardboard material for his tents, which he called Myhabs.
     The design won an award at the annual New Designers Exhibition after Mr.Dunlop graduated from
his product design degree and he decided to try to turn it into a business.
     To raise money for the idea, he toured the city's private companies which fund new business and
found a supporter in the finance group Mint.He introduced his idea to four of Mint's directors and won
their support.Mint has committed around ￡500,000 to Myhabs and taken a share of 30 percent in
Mr.Dunlop's business.The first Myhabs should be tested at festivals this summer, before being marketed
fully next year.
     Mr.Dunlop said that the design, which accommodates two people, could have other uses, such as for
disaster relief and housing for the London Olympics.
     For music events, the cardboard houses will be ordered online and put up at the sites by the Myhabs
team before the festivalgoers arrive and removed by the company afterwards.They can be personalized
and the company will offer reductions on the expense if people agree to sell exterior (外部的) advertising
space.
     The biggest festivals attract tens of thousands of participants, with Glastonbury having some 150,000
each year.Altogether there are around 100 annual music festivals where people camp in the UK.The
events are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious.

1.  "Ecofriendly tents" in Paragraph 1 refer to tents ________.

A.  economically desirable
B.  favorable to the environment
C.  for holding music performances
D.  designed for disaster relief

2.  Mr.Dunlop established his business ________.

A.  independently with an interestfree loan from Mint
B.  with the approval of the City's administration
C.  in partnership with a finance group
D.  with the help of a Japanese architect

3.  It is implied in the passage that ________.

A.  the weather in the UK is changeable in summer
B.  most performances at British festivals are given in the open air
C.  the cardboard tents produced by Mr.Dunlop can be usertailored
D.  cardboard tents can be easily put up and removed by users

4.  The tents ________ according to the passage.

A.  have good commercial value
B.  can't resist water
C.  are only for open air festivals
D.  are promoted strongly by the UK government

5.  Which of the following would be the best title for the text?

A.  Don't Use Tents Again
B.  The Advantages of Tents
C.  How to Produce Tents
D.  The Development of Recyclable Tents