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    Now, let’s talk about earthquakes on our planet. Some countries have large numbers of earthquakes. Japan is one of them. Others do not have many. For example, there are few earthquakes in Britain. There is often a great noise during an earthquake. The ground vibrates (震动). Houses fall down. Trains run off the lines. Sometimes, there is a heavy loss of human lives.

Earthquakes often happen near volcanoes, but this is not always true. The centers of some earthquakes are under the sea. The bottom of the sea suddenly moves. The powerful forces inside the earth break the rocks. The coast is shaken and great waves appear. These waves, also known as seismic waves(地震波), or tsunamis(海啸) can travel long distances and rush over the land when they reach it. They are strong enough to break down houses and other buildings. Very often fires follow the most serious earthquakes. In 1906, the numbers of fires were burning in the city. The water pipes were also shaken and broken, so it was not possible to put the fire out. There was no water. The Tokyo Earthquake of 1923 happened just before noon. People were cooking meals on their fires at that time. When the ground shook, the fires shook, too. Hot materials were thrown on the different parts of the houses, some of which were made of wood. Soon 134 fires were burning in the city.

What kind of building stands up best in an earthquake? A building with concrete walls is perhaps the best. A steel frame will make it even stronger. The frame holds the different parts together and the walls so not easily fall. There is less chance of fire because concrete and steel do not burn. Over the years, scientists studied the results of the earthquake in different parts of the world, and they are convinced that this kind of building is the safest.

1.What can we know about earthquake from the first paragraph?

A.Britain has large numbers of earthquake.

B.There is often a great noise during an earthquake.

C.There is a heavy loss of human lives in every earthquake.

D.Trains will not run off the lines during the earthquake.

2.Some of the undersea earthquakes were caused by ______.

A.the breakout of the volcano B.the seismic waves

C.the tsunami D.the powerful forces inside the earth

3.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A.A building with concrete walls and a steel frame stands up best in an earthquake.

B.There is no chance of fire in a building with concrete walls.

C.Scientist studied the causes of the earthquake to get the conclusion.

D.A steel frame has no help in making the house stronger.

4.This text is probably a ______.

A.book review B.popular science report

C.newspaper ad D.fairy tale

    When you say that someone has a good memory, what exactly do you mean? Are you saying that the person has fast recall or that he or she ______ information quickly? Or maybe you just mean that the person remembers a lot about her or his childhood. The truth is that it is ______ to say exactly what memory is. Even scientists who have been studying memory for decades say they are still trying to ______ exactly what it is. But we do know that a particular memory is not just one thing stored somewhere in the brain. ______ , a memory is made up of bits and pieces of information stored all over the brain. Perhaps the best way to ______ memory is to say that it is a process-a process of recording, storing, and getting back information. Practice and repetition can help to ______ the pieces that make up our memory of that information.

Memory can be negatively affected by a number of things. ______  nutrition can affect a person’s ability to store information. Excessive alcohol use can also ______ memory and cause permanent ______ to the brain over the long term. A vision or hearing problem may affect a person’s ability to notice certain things, thus making it ______ to register information in the brain.

When people talk about memory, they often ______ both short-term memory and long-term memory. If you want to call a store or an office that you don’t call often, you look in the telephone book for the number. You dial the number, and then you forget it! You use your short-term memory to remember the number. Your short-term memory lasts about 30 seconds, or half a minute. ______ , you don’t need to look in the telephone book for your best friend’s number, because you already know it. This number is in your long-term memory, which ______ information about things you have learned and experienced through the years.

Why do you forget things sometimes? The major reason for forgetting something is that you did not learn it well enough ______. For example, if you meet some new people and right away forget their names, it is because you did not ______ the names at the first few seconds when you heard them.

1.A.collects B.examines C.publishes D.absorbs

2.A.necessary B.important C.difficult D.convenient

3.A.figure out B.take out C.put out D.give out

4.A.After all B.Instead C.By contrast D.Besides

5.A.recall B.refresh C.describe D.decrease

6.A.lose B.organize C.identify D.strengthen

7.A.Poor B.Adequate C.Special D.Various

8.A.increase B.weaken C.promote D.maintain

9.A.benefit B.offence C.effect D.damage

10.A.easier B.more impressive C.harder D.more convenient

11.A.refer to B.apply for C.come across D.break down

12.A.Furthermore B.However C.Consequently D.Otherwise

13.A.leaks B.transmits C.checks D.stores

14.A.in the middle B.at the end C.in the beginning D.ahead of time

15.A.restore B.record C.replace D.respond

Directions: Read the following two passages. Fill in each blank with one proper word or the proper form of the given word to make the passage coherent. Make sure that your answers are grammatically correct.

The Origin of New Year’s Resolutions

Happy New Year! For many in the UK, if the New Year means anything, it means  1. (turn) over new leaf. And to do this, many of us make New Year’s resolutions-a list of ways 2. we intend to improve ourselves in the year ahead. We reflect on our past mistakes and make up our minds not to do them again. 3. (give) up smoking is ever popular, as is a promise to take up more exercise or spend more time with family.

But have you ever wondered when the idea of a New Year’s resolution comes from? The answer might lie in ancient Babylonia, according to History. com. The Babylonians 4. (believe) to be the first to hold recorded celebrations for the New Year. The 12 day-long celebration, 5. (name) Akitu, allowed them not only 6. (show) their loyalty to the King, but also to appeal to the gods to pay their debts and return the borrowed objects.

The ancient Romans too had similar traditions. New Year’s Day was a time 7. all government officers would take an oath(发誓) that they 8. obey the laws and support the city leader. Incidentally, the month of January is named after the Roman god Janus. He is the god of beginnings, transitions and time, among other things and is described as having two faces-one looking to the past and 9. facing forward to the future.

Whether you’re looking at a quick behavioral change 10. a huge personality checkup, you’re taking part in a tradition that goes back centuries. I wish you all the best sticking to your resolutions. Happy New Year!

—I prefer shutting myself in and listening to music all day on Sunday.

—That is ______ I don’t agree to. You should have a more active life.

A.which B.how C.why D.what

______ the medicine works in human body is a question ______ not everyone can fully understand.

A.How; that B.That; which C.What; which D.How; what