Once again, rumors are spreading．Judgment Day, this time, is set to happen on December 21st, 2012．The date originated（起源于） from the Mayan calendar, but actually gained popularity through the hit movie, "2012"．

How will the world end? And how do we know the exact date? There are many theories: A meteoroid （流星體）from outer space; a solar storm; a shift（變換） in the earth's poles; bla bla bla．They all supposedly pointed to the date of December 21st, 2012．Unfortunately, none of it is true．

Zhu Jin, director of Beijing Planetarium, said, "For earth itself, the end will be billions of years away from now．And for us humans, there is a very small chance that we may be affected by some astronomical factors．However, we don't have the ability to foresee such events so far．So when someone tells you the world is going to end on an exact date, it must be fake．"

But the truth hasn't stopped people from believing．In the sci-fi movie "2012", the director imagined the end of the world based on the Mayan calendar．The film earned nearly 770 million US dollars worldwide. Ning Hong, Hebei Province, said．"The movie 2012 did get one thing right．There are arks  being made in China, But they're not being built secretly inside the mountains．They are constructed here in the courtyard of a factory．"

In April, Liu Qiyuan quit his furniture business and devoted himself to developing these huge round balls．He doesn't believe the end is near, but he wants to be prepared just in case．

Liu Qiyuan, the "Ark" builder, said, "The concept originated twenty years ago．The Tangshan earthquake had flattened our house, so I wanted to build a shelter that wouldn't fall．Then in 2004, I saw the tsunami in Indonesia that killed so many people．Then I realized it should be something that could withstand（抵擋） the earthquake and float on water．"

Liu is hoping to use his invention as a life boat on the sea．He's planning to test his product on the water next year．

It turns out that rumour, though false, is good for business．Doomsday discounts and products are hot on many online stores．While it's surely attracted attention, many complain that it misleads consumers．

Their purpose is to promote products．If they believe the world is going to end．who would buy things? Money would be useless, too．

67．The purpose of the movie "2012" was                 .

       A．to popularize（普及） scientific knowledge for the viewers

       B．to make a profit from the viewers

       C． to tell the viewers an interesting factual story

       D．to warn the viewers of a disastrous(災(zāi)難性的) event

68．Liu Qiyuan quit his job and built his "ark" because _________．

       A．he believed that the world was going to end on Dec．21,2012

       B．he was tired of making money from his furniture business

       C．he was almost killed in Indonesia in 2004

       D．he wanted to make preparations for destructive natural disasters

69．Which statement is NOT true according to the passage?

       A．Rumors were created by businessmen to promote their products．

       B．The movie "2012" was very popular and a great many people watched it．

       C．One theory said that the earth was to shift its two poles on Dec．21,2012．

       D．Liu Qiyuan's ark was intended to survive earthquakes and terrible floods．

70．We can infer from the passage that _________．

       A．Time and time again people spread rumours about the world's end for one reason or another．

       B．The Maya's prediction about the world's end has failed．

       C．In the movie 2012 big arks were built secretly inside the mountains

       D．Liu Qiyuan was born before 1976 and is at least 36 years old．

Volunteering abroad is a great way to help others, improve your skills and become a more confident, independent person. If you are interested in volunteering abroad, here are some places to go.

Australia

    If you seek a life on the beach, in a great climate with friendly people, Australia might be your best bet. With thousands of volunteers already signing up to leave for Australia during the holidays, it will be a very popular option.

Brazil

    This vast country has some great opportunities on offer and is especially popular this year. A lot of volunteer work is available in Brazil centers on conservation(保護(hù)) and ecological projects. With the world's largest rainforest in Brazil, of which huge part is in danger, there are lots of different jobs you can do.

Kenya

Kenya is the destination for those seeking an African experience. Generally volunteers in Kenya work in orphanages(孤兒院)or with local children living in slums(貧民窟). There is a great demand for volunteers in Africa because many people live in poverty, so if you truly feel like making a difference to a community, Kenya should be at the top of your list.

Costa Rica

Golden sandy beaches, clear coastlines and beautiful cities are what Costa Rica is all about. Because of its small size, you can see a lot of the country in just a short time. You can really make the most of your time as a volunteer. A lot of work is needed with wildlife and ecological work, so if you want to look after turtles on the beach, Costa Rica could be just the place for you

64. If you are interested in protecting the environment, you will probably go to _______.l

  A. Australia                 B. Kenya         C. Brazil                D. Costa Rica

65.1t can be inferred from the passage that volunteers in Kenya mainly work with_____.

  A. animals               B. plants          C. the elderly         D. children 

66. If you choose to go to Costa Rica, you are supposed to ­­­­­__________.

  A. work with animals on the beach    B. surf with children in the water

  C. take care of trees in the forests     D. look after children who have lost their parents

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 (早戀) may bring stress for young people and can lead to depression . 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 “l(fā)oss of self”. According to the study, even though boys would say “l(fā)ose themselves in a romantic relationship”, this “l(fā)oss 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 Marian 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 daughters or sons, 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.

60. Which of the following is more likely to have depression?

A. Young people who have a strong sense of selfishness.

B. Young girls who always hide their feelings and opinions.

C. Young boys whose parents watch for their behavior.

D. Careless parents whose children are deep in love.

61. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. The older a woman is，the less likely she seems to lose herself in romance.

B. Lacking love can lead young people to grow up more quickly.

C. Early love makes young people keep close to their friends and parents.

D. Parents should help their children to be aware of the signs of depression.

62. What’s the author’s attitude towards puppy love?

A. Confused.   B. Disinterested.     C. Scared.      D. Disapproving.(不贊同的) 

63. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. Puppy love may bring young people depression.

B. Parents should forbid their children’s love.

C. Romance is a two ­ edged sword for adults.

D. Romance is good for young people.

It was a warm April day when a big fat envelope came in the mail from the only college I had ever imagined attending. I tore open the packet. My eyes were fixed on the word “congratulations. ”I don’t remember ever smiling so wide.

Then I looked at my financial（財(cái)政的）package.

The cost of Dream School’s tuition（學(xué)費(fèi)）, room and board was around $ 40,000- an impossible sum! How could I afford to attend? What good reasons did I have to go there when three other fine colleges were offering me free tuition? My other choices were good, solid schools even if they weren’t as famous as my first choice.

    In my mind, attending my dream university would be the only way to realize my dream of becoming a world-class writer. My parents understood how I felt. They told me that even though it would be a financial problem, I could go wherever I would be happiest. But as I was always careful with money, I wasn’t sure what to do.

    One of the schools that offered me a full ride had an informational dinner one night in the spring. Considering my parents’ financial difficulties, I decided to drive the 45 minutes and attend. At first, all I had planned to do was smile politely, eat free food, listen quietly. But I surprised myself.

    At dinner the president of the university talked about the wonderful activities on campus （校園）including guest lectures and social gatherings. He also made it perfectly clear that free food would be offered at all future events. He continued with explanations of professors, class sizes, activities, and sporting events on campus. As he spoke, I began to realize that this school, though not as good as my first choice, might be the best one for me. It seemed small yet with many great programs. It seemed challenging yet caring.

As the president ended his speech, we clapped politely and pushed back our chairs. As I walked out that door, a feeling of comfort washed over me. Looking at the campus that night, I realized that I would be spending the next four years right there.

In all honesty, my university is not as well-known as my “dream”university. However, it turned out to be the right choice of schools for me.

56. How did the author feel when he started to read the letter?

A. He was lost in his dream.             B. He was full of joy.

C. He was worried about the money.      D. He was uncertain which school to go to.

57. We can learn from the passage that the parents were _________.

A. honest    B. supportive        C. strict     D. decisive

58. In Paragraph 5, “offered me a full ride”can be replaced by “_______”.

A. would charge me nothing for tuition     B. would pay for transport to the school

C. would show me around the campus      D. would offer free meals at all events

59. What does the author mainly want to say?

A. You should consider comfort in your choice of schools.

B. You should try your best to attend your dream school.

C. Your second-choice college may actually by your best fit.

D. Your choice of schools should be based on their fame.

I am my mother’s third child. When I was born, her doctor gently explained to my mother that my left arm was __36__, below the elbow(肘部). Then he gave her some __37__:“Don’t treat her any __38__ from the other girls. Demand more.” And she __39__!

My mother had to work to __40__ our family. There were five girls in our family and we all had to __41__. Once when I was about seven, I came out of the __42__,“Mom, I can’t peel (削……皮) potatoes. I only have one hand. “You get back to peel those potatoes, and don’t ever use that as a(n) __43__ for anything again!” Of course I could peel potatoes with my good hand, while holding them down with my __44__ arm. There was always a __45__ , and Mom knew it, “If you try hard __46__,” she ‘d say, “you can do anything.”

Once in the second grade, our teacher had each of us race across the monkey bars(高低杠). When it was my turn, I __47__ my head. Some kids __48__ . I went home crying. After work the next afternoon, Mom __49__ me back to the school ground. “ Now, pull__50__  with your right arm”, she advised. She stood by __51__ I practiced, and she __52__ me when I made progress. I’ll never forget the __53__ time I was crossing the bars. The kids were standing there with their mouths open.

It was the way with everything. When I __54__ I can’t handle things, I see Mom’s smile again. She had the heart to __55__ anything. And she taught me I could, too.

36. A. missing        B. broken                   C. diseased                 D. short

37. A. warning               B. medicine          C. help                    D. advice

38. A. badly                 B. differently         C. well                    D. normally

39. A. did                   B. refused           C. cried                    D. was

40. A. care                  B. help              C. support                 D. feed

41. A. pay attention           B. work out          C. carry out               D. help out

42. A. kitchen        B. bedroom          C. house                  D. school

43. A. idea           B. change             C. excuse                  D. explanation

44. A. lost           B. other             C. next                   D. longer

45. A. chance                B. way              C. time                    D. success

46. A. enough        B. too                      C. again                   D. often

47. A. hurt                  B. nodded             C. shook                  D. turned

48. A. cheered               B. whispered         C. joked                   D. laughed

49. A. drove                 B. took                     C. sent                    D. carried

50. A. up              B. off                 C. out                             D. on

51. A. before         B. as                 C. after                    D. until

52. A. helped         B. raised              C. praised                  D. protected

53. A. first                  B. last                C. wonderful              D. next

54. A. admit                 B. fear              C. find                    D. realize

55. A. face                  B. teach             C. learn                   D. solve

  — The film bored me to death. How do you find it?

  — __________. I wish I hadn’t gone to see it.

A. I didn’t get that.               B. I have no idea.

C. I couldn’t agree with you more. D. It’s totally fascinating.

I shall never forget the day _________Shen Zhou V was launched, _________has a great effect on my life.　

A. when; which 　　　 B. that; which　　　 C. which; that D. when; that

 What I want to know is ____ he likes the gift given by us.

A. that   B. if    C. whether   D. 不填

This restaurant wasn’t_________ that other restaurant we went to.

A half as good as   B as half good as  C as good as half  D good as half as

 —I’ve read another book this week.

—Well, maybe _______ is not how much you read but what you read that is important.

A. this            B. that          C. there                 D. it