Here is some news of the future.
March 20, 2035
There was a lot of news around the life extension drugs that hit the market a decade ago. They didn't promise that you would like forever, but they gave you a chance to extend your life an extra five to ten years. Even though the life expectancy rate at birth has increased greatly, the life expectancy for seniors hasn't improved that much. Basically, you have a greater chance to become a senior, but you will not have a much longer lifespan, and this is where the anti-aging drugs intend to kick in. So, do the anti-aging drugs work? Well，it is too early to tell. But the sales so far are very good.
April 19, 2035
Of the total US population of 378 million, people over 65 years of age now make up 20% for the first time. The senior ratio of only 4.1% by year 1900, and 12.4% 30 years ago.
The number of people above 65 compared to those of what is considered working ages, between 15 and 64, is currently 33.7%. This is up from 18.5% since year 2005, which means that for every retired person there are now two workers, compared to four workers 30 years ago. The number of people above the age of 80 has grown to 23.8 million, making them 6.3% of the total population compared to 3.6% in 2005.
April 12, 2040
Although introduced in the market only five years ago, 10% of all hydrogen fuel now sold in the US is of the environmentally friendly Re-Hydro label, produced through eletrolysis(电解) based on a source of 100% renewable energy. Several producers have turned to producing Re-Hydro, mainly because of lower tax, which also keeps the price of Re-Hydro on the same level as regular hydrogen. Most analysts believe that Re-Hydro will be the dominating fuel in the future.
1.According to News 1 we know that the life extension drugs ____.
A．were first sold in the year 2025.
B．are made to make people live forever.
C．should be taken when people are young.
D．have greatly increased the life expectancy rate at birth.
2.The sales of the life extension drugs so far clearly show that_____.
A．people have no faith in them
B．people want to give them a try
C．they work very well for seniors
D．they have no effect on people’s health
3.What can we learn from News 2?
A．Many Americans will find it hard to find a job.
B．It’s very hard for seniors to pass the age of 80.
C．The US population has been increasing rapidly since 2005.
D．The US population has been aging rapidly since 2005.
4.We can know from the passage that the fuel of the Re-Hydro label is ______.
A．expensive B．cheap C．green D．dangerous
5.What can we infer from News 3?
A．Re-Hydro will be widely used in the future.
B．The government discourages the production of Re-Hydro.
C．Producers are not interested in producing Re-Hydro.
D．Re-Hydro is more expensive than regular hydrogen.
When I was learning calligraphy (书法), my teacher told me a story.
A calligrapher taught handwriting. One of his students who often practiced handwriting with old sheets of newspaper complained that he made very little progress though he had learned it with the calligrapher for a long time. His teacher said to him, “Try to use the best paper. Maybe you'll write better.”
The student did as he was told. It really worked. He made headway not long afterwards and felt curious. He asked his teacher about the reason. The calligrapher answered，“When you used old newspaper to practice handwriting, you would think you were writing a draft. It didn't matter if you wrote badly as old newspaper was plenty in supply. In that case you wouldn't pay much attention to it. Now you use the best paper and you'll treasure it. Each time you write you feel strongly about the rarity of chances and you'll devote to it with all your heart and soul; you'll do the handwriting much more attentively than practicing. Of course you've made rapid progress.”
Indeed, we spend our ordinary days just as they are worthless “old newspaper”．We don't care if we scrawl and waste it, thinking that it will come endlessly—the “old newspaper” is inexhaustible. In such a mood we may each day pass by opportunities but fail to catch any of them.
Life is not a military exercise but an actual war in which real weapons are used. In everyday life there's no chance for us to draft. That's because what we call “draft” actually is the answer sheet we write that cannot be changed.
Every day of our life is something new. Let us take every day as a sheet of the best paper.
1.The calligrapher in the story told the student to write on the best paper because he thought ________.
A．the student would practice more carefully on the best paper
B．it was comfortable to write on the best paper
C．the student had enough money to buy the best paper
D．the student could write more on the best paper
2.The student didn't make much progress at first because ________.
A．he didn't follow his teacher's advice
B．he was too poor to buy better paper to write on
C．he regarded his writing on old newspaper just as a draft
D．he was not used to the calligrapher's teaching manner
3.We learn from the passage that ________.
A．the student finally gave up
B．the student made rapid progress by practicing more carefully
C．the calligrapher was strict with his students
D．old newspaper is not useful
4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A．What teachers say is always true.
B．Success calls for attentiveness.
C．Handwriting is easy to practice.
D．New things are always better than old ones.
5.The writer wants to tell us that ________.
A．there are some good ways to practice handwriting
B．life is like old newspaper
C．we should learn from the student in the story
D．life will not give us a chance to draw a draft
In the morning, Slim got up and prepared breakfast for his wife as usual. Nicole, his wife was listening to music in the bedroom. __1._, he felt that his body was shaking. Slim had the __2.__ response that there was an earthquake! He __3.__ quickly: “Dear, earthquake! Go to the toilet！” Nicole heard the shouting, 4. the first aid box quickly and ran into the toilet. The house was 5. even more dramatically (剧烈地)．
Bathroom was the next door to the kitchen. Slim picked up a kitchen __6.__ and two pieces of bread outside the kitchen. Slim tried to __7.__ along the wall to help Nicole.__8.__, it got dark suddenly with an explosion. The house __9._____down and many things fell from above. Nicole was quickly buried in 10. .She felt breathing very difficult. She tried to stand up, but 11. .
A few minutes later, the land was __12..Nicole heard the sound of short __13._ and thought it was Slim! She shouted to him but no __14.__！ He probably fainted. Nicole kept saying his name and she finally heard a response, two people encouraged and __15.__ each other. They knew that there must be a way to 16. .
Slim found that they were close and were 17. by the fallen stones and some powder. He started to dig with the kitchen knife. He felt __18.__ from his fingers. Finally, he removed the last piece of larger stones. Slim touched Nicole's one hand, then dug the __19.__ stones of her body. Finally, Nicole had a __20.__ breathing slowly. Two people sat on the ground and hugged together.
21. A．Suddenly B．Actually C．Unfortunately D．Really
22. A．recent B．rapid C．late D．slow
23. A．warned B．howled C．jumped D．shouted
24. A．used up B．found out C．took up D．put away
25. A．burning B．falling C．shaking D．moving
26. A．tool B．cook C．fork D．knife
27. A．walk B．wander C．run D．jump
28. A．However B．Therefore C．Instead D．Besides
29. A．lay B．crashed C．broke D．bent
30. A．ruins B．ashes C．dirt D．pieces
31. A．senseless B．impossible C．impractical D．invaluable
32. A．normal B．usual C．flat D．silent
33. A．steps B．breath C．movements D．pauses
34. A．response B．sign C．hope D．result
35. A．touched B．held C．calmed D．called
36. A．relax B．communicate C．succeed D．escape
37. A．wrapped B．separated C．fastened D．limited
38. A．pain B．cold C．water D．warmth
39. A．sticking B．beating C．surrounding D．spreading
40. A．complete B．constant C．steady D．weak
------What about going to the cinema this weekend?
------ I’d love to, but I have a lot to deal with. Let’s make it _________
A．the other day B．another day C．one day D．some day
Order came that all the army supply ______ to the front before daybreak.
A．be sent B．should send C．were sent D．should have sent
-------Thank you very much.
-------My pleasure. I’m glad to have been _______.
A．of help B．helped C．helped out D．help you
