he Christian Church used to think the earth was the c__________ of the solar system, which is completely wrong.

The whole city are discussing how to make the chemically p____________ river clean.

If there is one thing I’m quite sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we still be reading newspapers. Not those newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of the news from the television or have the radio switched on in the background or in the car. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.

The basic British character won’t change, and one of the characteristics of the British is that we don’t much like talking to each other when we get up. So what better way is there to keep yourself thinking in the morning than to wrap yourself in a newspaper?

Over the past couple of centuries, human beings have developed a close relationship with the newspaper. It has become as natural as breathing or enjoying the sun. And it is not just the British who love newspapers. On suburban trains in Calcutta, for instance, just one person in the whole car will buy a newspaper and read aloud the best bits to his fellow passengers, much to everybody’s enjoyment.

The nature of what is news may change. What essentially (本質(zhì)上) makes news is what affects our lives and the big political stories, the coverage of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though. It’s already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic engineering. In the future I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do, whether it’s love or depression. We develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.

It’s quite possible that in the next century newspaper will be transmitted electronically from the national equivalents of Fleet Street (倫敦的艦隊(duì)街，以報(bào)館集中而著稱) and printed out in our own homes. In fact, I’m pretty sure that that is how it will happen in future. You’ll be probably selecting from a menu, making up your own bespoke newspaper by picking out the things you want to read and say. You might even have an intelligent screening device (裝置) to do the job for you.

I think people have got it wrong when they talk about the competition between the different media. They actually have a relationship, feeding off each other. It was once predicted that television would kill off newspapers, which hasn’t happened. What is read on the printed page is more enduring (持久的) than pictures on a flickering screen or sound lost in the sky. And as for the Internet, it’s never really satisfying to read something just on a screen.

63. The author of the passage is most probably from _______________.

   A. Russia       B. India        C. Britain       D. America

64. According to the passage, the future of newspapers ____________.

   A. will be mainly connected with scientific research

   B. will report more important political activities

   C. will directly cover more on scientific research

   D. will build a bridge between different people

65. The underlined part “bespoke newspaper” of the passage probably refers to _____________.

A. a newspaper which dares to report the truth

B. a newspaper edited to one’s own interest

C. a newspaper edited and published for the public

D. a newspaper which only covers the life of family members

66. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. It was centuries ago that newspapers came into being  .

B. Televisions have taken the place of newspapers .

C. The Internet will gradually take the place of newspapers.

D. The nature of news may remain the same over generations.

What will city life be like in the future? Some people think that life in the cities is going to be horrible. They say that cities will become more and more crowded. As the number of people increases, there will be less space for each person. This overcrowding will cause other problems ― more crime, dirtier streets , and worse problems with traffic than we have now. How will people find enough drinking water, energy (such as gas and electricity ), and housing? Because life will be hard, people who live in cities will worry more, and they may become sick. For these reasons, some say that nobody will want to live in city areas.

How can we deal with such problems as overcrowding, crime, and traffic? In some cities, thousands of people are already sleeping in the streets because there is little suitable housing ― and because houses are too expensive. The crime rate isn’t going down. Instead, it is increasing so fast that many people are afraid to go out at night. Traffic is also getting worse. More and more often, traffic jams are so bad that cars don’t move at all for several streets. These problems have been getting worse, not better, so many people see no hope for the future of the city.

Los Angeles, California, for example, has no subway system and buses are slow. Instead, many commuters (乘、開車上班族) drive many miles from their homes to work. Many of these drivers spend several hours each day on busy freeways. New York, however, has a big transit system ― buses, commuter trains, and subways. Because the public transportation is crowded and dirty, many people drive private cars, and the traffic jams are worse than that in Los Angeles. A taxi driver complains, “I was driving home, but in forty-five minutes I moved only two miles! Finally, I turned off the engine and just sat there. A lot of people left their cars where they were in the middle of the street and went into a bar for a few beers!”

On the other hand, some cities have clean, fast and pleasant public transportation systems. In Paris, France, and Toronto, Canada, for example, anyone can use buses or subways to move quickly from one part of the city to another.

60. What do some people think is the main problem of the future city like?

       A. Poor housing.                          B. Overcrowding.   

C. Environmental pollution.           D. Traffic jams.

61. The best way to work out the traffic problem in Los Angels might be _________________.

    A. cutting down the number of private cars

    B. providing more buses in the freeway

    C. building a subway system

    D. persuading people to live nearer to their workplaces

62. Which of the following sentences is NOT TRUE?

    A. Thousands of people are already sleeping in the streets.

    B. The crime rate isn’t going down.

    C. The traffic jams are so bad that cars don’t move at all for several streets.

    D. Many people have a positive attitude towards the future of the city.

Standing on the side of the highway waiting to catch speeding drivers, a police officer saw a car moving slowly at 18 MPH. He  _36_  to himself, “This driver is just as  _37   as a speeder!” So __38 _ he turned on his lights and pulled the driver over.   39   the car, he noticed that   40   were five old ladies ― two in the front seat and __41__three in the back, their eyes wide and faces white as ghosts. The driver, obviously   42 , said to him, “Officer, I don’t understand. I was  _43__ exactly the speed limit!  _44__ seems to be the problem?” “Ma’am,” the officer replied, “You weren’t  _45__, but you should know that driving  _46__  than the speed limit can also be a(n) __47   to other drivers.” “Slower than the speed limit? No, sir, I was doing the speed limit exactly…Eighteen miles per hour!” The old woman said a bit __48_ . The police officer, trying to  _49_  a laugh, explained to her that “18” was the route number, _ 50_  the speed limit. A bit embarrassed, the old woman smiled and thanked the officer for  _51_  out her error. “But before I let you  _52_ , Ma’am, I have to ask if everyone in this car is all right? These women seem very  _53_  and they didn’t make a single sound the whole time.” The police officer asked. “Oh, they will be all right  _54   a minute, officer. We just  _55__  Route 128.”

 ___________ from the top of the hill, the town looks like a diamond.

   A. Having seen       B. Seeing             C. To see           D. Seen

― Do you know Laura’s address?

― _____________. As a matter of fact, I don’t know any Laura, either.

   A. I think so         B. I’m afraid not        C. I hope so        D. I’d rather not

No sooner had I walked in the door ________ the telephone rang.

   A. when            B. while         C. than             D. once

Only then _____________ the importance of the talk.

   A. realized I         B. I realized      C. did I realize       D. I did realize

 These photos _________ me of many happy memories of my trip in France.

   A. accuse           B. remind        C. cure             D. link