The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet （彗星）is heading towards the earth. Most of it will miss our planet, but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the earth.
On 17 July, a piece of 4 kilometers wide comet enters the Earth’s atmosphere with a massive explosion（爆炸）. About half of the piece is destroyed, but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the seabed. Huge waves are created and spread outwards form the hole. The wall of water, a kilometer high, rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people are drowned（淹死）.
Before the waves reach South America, the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina. Earthquakes and volcanoes ash set off in the Andes Mountains. The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean. The cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes. Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead, but the north won’t escape for long. Because of the explosions, the sun is hidden by clouds of dust, temperatures around the world fall to almost zero. Crops are ruined. The sun won’t be seen again for many years. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later, no more than 10 million people remain alive.
Could it really happen? In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the earth. The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years. Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared. Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space. The dinosaurs couldn’t live through the cold climate that followed and they died out. Will we meet the same end?
1.What is mainly described in the passage?
A．A historic discovery.
B．An event in imagination.
C．A research on space.
D．A scientific adventure.
2.When the first piece hits the South Atlantic, it causes________.
A．an earthquake B．hunger
C．an Earth explosion D．huge waves
3.Why can’t the northern half of the earth escape for long?
A．Because the land is covered with water.
B．Because the light and heat form the sun cannot reach the earth.
C．Because people there cannot live at the temperature of zero.
D．Because wars break out among countries.
4.By giving the example of dinosaurs, the author tries to prove_________.
A．animals could not live in the cold climate
B．what happened 65 million years ago was an invented story
C．the human beings will die out in 2094
D．the Earth could be hit by other objects in space
A new study of 8,000 young people in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior shows that although love can make adults live healthily and happily, it is a bad thing for young people. Puppy love(早恋) may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression(忧郁症). The study shows that girls become more depressed than boys, and younger girls are the worst of all.
The possible reason for the connection between love and higher risk of depression for girls is “loss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “lose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “loss of self” is much more likely to lead to depression when it happens to girls. Young girls who have romantic relationships usually like hiding their feelings and opinions. They won’t tell that to their parents.
Dr. Marianm Kaufman, an expert on young people problems, says 15% to 20% young people will have depression during their growing. Trying romance often causes the depression.
She advises kids not to jump into romance too early. During growing up, it is important for young people to build strong friendships and a strong sense of self. She also suggests the parents should encourage their kids to keep close to their friends, attend more interesting school activities and spend enough time with family.
Parents should watch for signs of depression---eating or mood changes---and if they see signs from their daughter or son, they need to give help. The good news is that the connection between romance and depression seems to become weak with age. Love will always make us feel young, but only maturity(成熟) gives us a chance to avoid its bad side effects.
1.What’s the main idea of the passage?
A．Puppy love may bring young people depression.
B．Parents should forbid their children’s love lives.
C．Romance is a two-edged sword for adults.
D．Romance is good for young people.
2.Which of the following is more likely to have depression?
A．Young people who have a strong sense of self.
B．Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior.
C．Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions.
D．Careless parents whose children are deep in love.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A．Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly.
B．Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents.
C．Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression.
D．The older a woman is, the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance.
4.What’s the author’s attitude towards puppy love?
A．Confused. B．Disapproving. C．Disinterested. D．Scared.
Although the New Year is already here, the great moments of the past year are still in the memory. Let’s look back at some of them.
United States
One of the world’s largest New Year’s Eve parties was held in Times Square, New York. The festival attracted hundreds of thousands of people to watch a brightly-lit ball drop on a landmark building at the stroke (击、打) of midnight.
A great amount of confetti (五彩纸屑) was released from the sky at zero o’clock.
Britain
Painted in shinning colors, blowing whistles, 50，000 party-goers arrived in London’s Millennium Dome to dance in the New Year. The Millennium Dome came to life at midnight as 50 DJs started up, competing on five separate dance floors to warm the crowd into the party mood.
Russia
New Year is the biggest holiday in Russia. It is traditional to put up a tree for celebrations with family and friends.
On the very last day of last year, Russians with a taste for a very cold swim braved freezing temperatures to plant traditional, festival trees on the bed of the Northern Ocean and at the bottom of Lake Baikal, the world’s deepest lake.
Malaysia
Brave skydivers threw themselves off the world’s tallest building near midnight and floated towards the New Year.
The jump from the 452-metre Petronas Twin Tower was called a real leap from one year to the next since the group took off in the last second of the old year and landed a minute later in the New Year. “That was really cool,” said Roland Simpson, “over crowds of onlookers to the landing spot.”
1.In New York the brightly-lit ball dropped ____________.
A．form the sky onto the Times Square
B．into the hundreds of thousands of watchers
C．to welcome the arrival of Christmas
D．at the point between the old and the New Year
2.Which of the following is NOT traditional to welcome a new year?
A．Sharing the happiness and excitement together.
B．Setting up a tree for celebrations.
C．Planting trees on the bed of a lake.
D．50 DJs’ competing on five separate floors.
3.People jumping from the tallest buildings _________.
A．spent two different years in the air.
B．stayed in the sky for two minutes.
C．landed over people’s heads.
D．floated away to the new land
4.The passage mainly shows that ________.
A．New Year has been the starting point for people to have dreams.
B．people in different countries welcomed New Year in different ways.
C．people’s ways of celebrations are exciting.
D．the New Year is better than the old year.
On Thursday afternoon Mrs. Clarke locked the door and went to the women’s 36 as usual. It was a pleasant way of passing time for an old woman who lived 37 .
When she came home she sensed 38 unusual. Had someone got in? The back door and the 39 were all locked and there was no sign of forced entry ( 进入). Had anything been 40 ? She went from room to room, checking, and found her camera and watch 41 .
The following Thursday she went out at her 42 time, but she didn’t go to the club. 43 , she took a short walk in a park nearby and came home, 44 herself in through the back door. She settled down to wait and see what would 45 .
It was 4 o’clock when the front doorbell rang. Mrs. Clarke was making tea at the time. The bell rang again, and 46 she heard her letter-box being pushed open. 47 the kettle（壶）of boiling water, she moved quietly towards the door. A piece of wire appeared through the letter-box, and then a 48 . The wire turned and caught around the knob (圆型旋包钮) on the door-lock. Mrs. Clarke raised the kettle and 49 _ the water over the hand. 50 __ was heard outside as the 51 fell to the floor and the hand was pulled back, which was 52 by the sound of running feet.
It wasn’t long 53 the police caught the thief. And Mrs. Clarke was greatly 54 at the club for her successful 55 .
1. A．organization B．party C．movement D．club
2. A．lonely B．alone C．away D．busily
3. A．everything B．nothing C．something D．anything
4. A．windows B．rooms C．doors D．gates
5. A．found B．opened C．taken D．broken
6. A．losing B．missing C．leaving D．disappearing
7. A．same B．spare C．special D．usual
8. A．Therefore B．However C．Instead D．Again
9. A．pushing B．letting C．pulling D．leading
10. A．appear B．follow C．happen D．continue
11. A．the next moment B．for a while C．in time D．at once
12. A．Putting down B．Laying aside C．Picking up D．Taking away
13. A．knife B．hand C．letter D．key
14. A．spread B．dropped C．poured D．covered
15. A．A sad voice B．A sharp cry C．A warning shout D．A strange noise
16. A．key B．kettle C．door-lock D．wire
17. A．followed B．caused C．produced D．ended
18. A．before B．since C．until D．when
19. A．surprised B．admired C．inspired D．supported
20. A．self-satisfaction B．self-protection C．self-respect D．self-service
— It will be terrible to see the nuclear war happen between U.S and Iran.
— That’s right. Nuclear science should be developed to benefit the people ___ harm them.
A．more than B．rather than C．other than D．better than
I’m not ill. __________, I ’m very healthy.
A．However B．On the contrary C．Thus D．Instead of
