Future studies, also known as futurology (未來(lái)學(xué)) or foresight, involves the study of the past and present to make educated guesses about the future. The data gathered from these studies can be used to predict possible or probable future events or situations. It can also be used to design a way to reach preferable future conditions.

Many people believe that history is cyclical, or that certain circumstances will be seen again and again. This is the principle that future studies are based on. Searching history and present times for patterns can allow future forecasters a way to predict the future. A lot of future studies use cause and effect. For example, if a government is being unjust or is unpopular with the citizens of that country, the current government is either changed or overthrown. This has been hundreds of times throughout history, will probably be a pattern seen a hundred times more.

There are numerous applications for future studies. One possible application is as a way to predict future fashion and design fads (時(shí)尚). The fashion market typically needs to work 18 months in advance, allowing the designers time to design, advertise, and manufacture the future styles. The stock market is another area where futurology is used. Determining which companies are likely to become successful, and which ones are heading for bancruptcy, requires the ability to use future studies correctly.

Some say that future studies can not predict long-term events and trends in the way that it could a decade ago. Global changes in technology, communication, and marketing have resulted in scenarios (情況) that no one could have predicted. Change is happening at a faster pace than ever before in history. It will be difficult to foresee future trends because of these changes. New future studies professionals will need to be able to consider these new trends carefully before creating their predictions.

60. The author starts the article by _____.

A. telling a story                                           B. offering figures 

C. making comparisons                                        D. providing a definition

61. According to the passage, the basis of futurology is _____.

A. cause and effect                                              B. that history is cyclical

C. how people see the past                             D. studying history for patterns

62. What is mainly discussed in Para.3?

A. The practical use of future studies.             B. The development of future studies.

C. How to learn future studies effectively.       D. How to predict future events correctly.

63. According to the last paragraph, some people believe that it is _____.

A. necessary to predict future changes in the world

B. impossible and unnecessary to predict the future

C. now more difficult to predict the future than before

D. wise now to use the old way to predict the future

A young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.

As Graduation Day approached, the young man waited for signs that his father had purchased the car. Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautiful wrapped gift box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely, leather-bound Bible, with the young man's name embossed(飾以浮飾) in gold. Angrily, he raised his voice to his father and said, “With all your money you give me a Bible?” He then stormed out of the house, leaving the Bible.

Many years passed and the young man was very successful in business. He had a beautiful home and a wonderful family, but realizing his father was very old, he thought perhaps he should go to see him. He had not seen him since that graduation day. Before he could make the arrangements, he received a telegram telling him his father had passed away, and willed (遺贈(zèng)) all of his possessions to his son. He needed to come home immediately and take care of things.

When he arrived at his father's house, sudden sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father's important papers and saw the still new Bible, just as he had left it years ago.

With tears, he opened the Bible and began to turn the pages. As he was reading, a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag with the dealer's name, the same dealer who had the sports car he had desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words… “PAID IN FULL”.

56. The young man wanted his father to buy a sports car because _____.

A. his father took pride in his high grades        B. his father was able to pay for it

C. he needed it for his business                             D. he wanted to take part in a car race

57. From the passage, we know that on the morning of the young man’s graduation _____.

A. the father bought a car for his son

B. the young man got the car he had admired for many months

C. the father gave his son nothing but a lovely leather-bound Bible

D. the young man accepted the beautiful wrapped gift box willingly

58. The story tells us that after graduation the young man _____.

A. called on his father with his family once or twice

B. got on very well with his wife and his father

C. succeeded in doing business with his father’s help

D. didn’t go to see his father for many years

59. Why did the young man open the Bible and begin to turn the pages?

A. Because he knew there was a car key in the Bible.

B. Because he wondered if his father had paid for the car in full.

C. Because he felt sorry for what he had done to his father.

D. Because his father wrote a note of the list of his possessions in it.

When people hear that I’m the youngest person to row solo across the Atlantic Ocean, they all have the same question: How did a 22-year old woman row a 19-foot boat for 70 days through high winds and crashing waves? Well, the biggest   36   for me wasn’t physical. By the time I decided to do the   37   row, I had already biked 3,300 miles cross-country, run across the Mojave Desert, and   38   the 325-mile length of the Allegheny River. However, the tough part would be  39 : How would I handle the   40  , the boredom of the vast sea?

I   41   on January 3, 2010. I set my sights on (下決心) getting past the quarter-way

  42  , which would take about 20 days.

Day 20, January 22, was gray and cloudy. I could have done something to   43  , such as   44   myself to a chocolate bar.   45   I didn’t.

I was suffering from terrible loneliness. I hadn’t seen   46   over two weeks. Every day was beginning to feel the same. Eating, rowing, sleeping, watching the sky, watching the ocean.

Then, around sunset, I saw something move on the horizon. They were dolphins! They

  47   my boat. Suddenly I felt so grateful. They had come to help me celebrate, just  48 

I needed them. I rowed at full   49   for the next 20 minutes with the dolphins around. By the time we went our   50   ways, I was no longer lonely. Better yet, I knew I would be okay.

I did make   51  , all 2,817 miles. I hit the coast of Guyana, South America, on March 14, after 70 days and five hours at sea. My ocean row   52   $70,000 for the Blue Planet Run Foundation, which funds drinking water programs around the world. I know some athletes spend the entire journey imagining the end, and that helps them get   53  . But for me, the secret is to focus on the   54  , where you experience the personal growth — those moments of awareness of being connected to the sun, the weather, and the waves. And, on the best day of my life, those dolphins, which freed myself   55   terrible loneliness.

36. A. request        B. challenge                  C. thought                    D. promise

37. A. ocean                 B. river                         C. lake                         D. channel

38. A. measured            B. swum               C. dug                          D. proved

39. A. technical             B. practical                   C. environmental           D. mental

40. A. sickness              B. business                   C. loneliness                 D. weakness

41. A. set off                B. took off                    C. paid off                    D. broke off

42. A. rule                    B. port                         C. mark                        D. level

43. A. settle                  B. cerebrate                  C. bargain             D. interrupt

44. A. devoting              B. adapting                   C. pointing            D. treating

45. A. For                     B. So                           C. But                                 D. Or

46. A. rain                    B. sand                         C. flight                               D. land

47. A. circled         B. bit                            C. left                                 D. sank

48. A. till               B. when                       C. unless                      D. though

49. A. speed                  B. price                        C. size                                 D. length

50. A. separate              B. interesting          C. dangerous                D. useful

51. A. one                     B. it                             C. myself                            D. them

52. A. lacked          B. raised                C. needed                            D. cost

53. A. off                     B. through                    C. in                                   D. away

54. A. moment              B. week                        C. month                      D. year

55. A. below                 B. in                      C. on                                  D. from

— I’m afraid I can only make a small contribution this time.

— _____. We really appreciate your assistance.

A. Every little helps　　　　　 　　　　　　 B. It’s better to give than to receive

C. The more, the better　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. The best things come in small packages

 It has been raining every day so far. I hope tomorrow will _____ fine.

A. turn to                         B. turn up                     C. turn into                   D. turn out

— I’m really surprised that a policeman in his car ______ have hit several common pedestrians, killing one and injuring three.

— Yes. If one ______ ask for trouble, what can we say?

A. would; will B. should; must C. must may D. need; dare

_____, he still cannot make himself understood.

A. So clearly he speaks English　　　　　　　　　　 B. So clearly does he speak English

C. Clearly as he speaks English　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Clearly as he speaks English

 President Hu urged in the G20 Summit in Cannes the world’s major economies to work together to _____ growth and financial stability.

A. postpone               B. promote                   C. provide                    D. possess

— E-shopping, if properly _____, can save us a lot of energy and some money.

— Yes. Before this, we had to search shop after shop, only _____ tired or disappointed.

A. doing; to be B. done; to be C. being done; being　　　　　　 D. doing; being

 The new park will be located in _____ used to be a waste pond and new residential buildings will also be constructed _____ there used to be some old houses a few years ago.

A. where; where        B. what; where             C. what; in which   D. which; where