.Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn't matter where you live--in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village--the chances are that you' 11 be disturbed by jet planes, transistor radios, oil - powered engines, etc. We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they' re working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be a very frightening experience for a human being. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums(耳鼓). The noise level in some discos is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration(專心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration, what really influences their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise which doesn't change too much(music, for example) may even help people to concentrate.
56. According to this passage, the noise pollution __
A. has become the worst in the countryside  B. has become better in big cities
C. has spread from cities to villages      D. has been controlled in modern cities
57. What does background music refer to?
A. Music played while people are working.   
B. Music played in the backyard.
C. Noise that continues while you' re listening to other noises.
D. Music used to help people to concentrate.
58. Some people have their hearing harmed __
A. while listening to pop music            B. in complete silence
C. when speaking loudly                  D. while watching TV
59. Which of the following isn't included among the things causing noise?
A. trucks           B. motorcycles   C. electric engines   D. jet planes
60. Scientists have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating on something is
A. all kinds of noise                   B. great changes in the level of noise
C. background noise                  D. popular music          

When did you last see a polar bear(北極熊）? On a trip to a zoo,perhaps?  If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago,  you would have seen a whole polar bear club.  These "Polar Bears" are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water.  That day, the air temperature was 3℃, and the water temperature was a little higher.  The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60.  Members must satisfy two requirements.  First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club.  Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors don't agree about the medical effects of cold-winter swimming.  Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body's temperature drops so low that finally the heart stops.  Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and water temperature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming.  They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system(循環(huán)系統(tǒng)）because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm.  Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water.  A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and should not try cold-water swimming.
　　The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental.The Polar Bears love to swim all year round;  they find it fun and relaxing.  As one 70-year-old woman says,"When I go into water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away."
【小題1】The members of the Polar Bear Club must meet the following requirements except that_____.

A．they must swim outdoors at least 8 times in the four cold months

B．they must reach the age of 60

C．they should be easy to make friends with

D．they must agree to swim outdoors from November through February

A．Polar Bears are bears swimming in freezing water

B．cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high

C．you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue

D．cold-water swimming causes more heart attacks in summer than in winter

Gmail tmned five years old this week．It's somewhat amazing to think we've only had it since 2004; Gmail changed the webmail game forever by offering features we now take for granted: a streamlined interface （界面]） , powerful search, pioneering use ofAjax and a then-huge 1 GB of mailbox space．“You'll never need to delete another message " was how Google described it at the time．
Back then, I was still making do with Hotmail．But its clumsy interface and tiny amount of storage space made the decision to move on an easy one．Getting an account made all the difference in the world to my email experience．Suddenly I was freed from having to delete emails every few days to make space in my mailbox．And the app（application） was smooth and responsive, like a desktop client （客戶端程序）—and pretty fast in comparison to Hotmail．" Conversation view" and using labels instead of folders took a little getting used to, but in all Gmail felt far more professional and made me much more productive．
Gmail is a favorite app of ours ever on WebWorkerDaily, and with good reason．It's still the best webmail client for web workers as it lets us access our email whenever and wherever we need to, on any device, with minimum effort．And Google hasn't spent the five years sitting on its Gmail success, either, but has introduced improvements to the service that include Gmail Tasks, chat, video chat and voice chat, combined with Google Calendar and Docs, Google Apps for Domains, and, of course, even more storage．We've recently covered the many features found in Gmail Labs: a way to "undo" seat messages, using canned responses for smart autoresponders, offline support using Gears and how to customize the way you．view your mailbox using multiple inboxes．
【小題1】The underlined sentence in the first paragraph implies that_____．

A．we shouldn't take Gmail for granted

B．you can try to write any kind of message

C．Gmail can correct your mistakes of itself

D．you needn't worry about the mailbox space

C
A car needs gas to run as your body needs food to work for you. Eating the right kinds of food is very important. A good eating habit can help your body grow strong if you take care of what you eat.
There are four main food groups altogether. The dairy group has food like milk, cheese and sour milk. The other three groups are the meat and fish group, the fruit and vegetable group, and the bread and rice group. Each meal should have at least one food from all four main groups. With all of these foods together, you will be given enough energy during the day.
It is easy to get into bad eating habits. You may eat your breakfast in a hurry to get to school on time or you may not have time for a good lunch. It may be easier to eat fish and chips for your supper all the time. But you will find yourself tired and you will not be able to think quickly.
Watching what you eat will help keep your body healthy and strong. It is also good to take some exercise. It will help you eat more if you take a walk or play games in the open air. Having good eating habits with some exercise is the key to your health.
69. According to the passage, which of the following diets do you think is the best one?
A. Eggs, tomatoes and chicken.          B. Milk, bread, cabbages and beef.
C. Corn, fish, ice cream and pork.        D. Rice, beancurd, fish and chicken.
70. In this passage the writer mainly tells us that ______.
A. every person needs food to grow well
B. taking exercise can keep your body strong
C. the right kind of food with exercise will keep you healthy
D. enough energy helps people think more quickly

E
Climate has been a major driver of armed conflict in Africa, research shows—and future warming is likely to increase the number of deaths from war. US researchers found that across the continent, conflict was about 50% more likely in unusually warm years.
Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), they suggest conflict arises when the food supply is not enough in warm conditions. Climatic factors have been mentioned as a reason for several recent conflicts. One is the fighting in Darfur in Sudan that has killed 200,000 people and forced two million more from their homes. Previous research has shown an association between lack of rain and conflict, but this is thought to be the first clear evidence of a temperature link.
The researchers used databases of temperatures across sub-Saharan Africa for the period between 1981 and 2002, and looked for connections between above average warmth and civil conflict in the same country that left at least 1,000 people dead. "Studies show that crop output in the region is really sensitive to small shifts in temperature, even of half a degree or so," research leader Marshall Burke, from the University of California at Berkeley, told BBC News.
"Our findings provide strong motivation to increase investments in African adaptation to climate change by such steps as developing crop varieties less sensitive to extreme heat and promoting insurance plans to help protect farmers from negative effects of the hotter climate," said Dr Burke. "If the argument is that the trend towards rising temperatures will increase conflict, then we need to do something around climate change, but more fundamentally we need to resolve the conflicts in the first place."
If the sub-Saharan climate continues to warm and little is done to help its countries better adapt to high temperatures, the human costs are likely to be unimaginable. If temperatures rise across the continent as computer models project, future conflicts are likely to become more common, researchers suggest. Their study shows an increase of about 50% over the next 20 years.
When projections of social trends such as population increase and economic development were included in their model of a future Africa, temperature rise still emerged as a likely major cause of increasing armed conflict. At next month's UN climate summit (峰會) in Copenhagen, governments are due to debate how much money to put into helping African countries prepare for and adapt to negative effects of climate change.
57．According to the passage, which of the following is one of the reasons for the fighting in Darfur in Sudan?
A．Shortage of drinking water.                         B．Racial discrimination.
C．Rising temperature.                                     D．Demand for planting land.
58．What can we know from the research done by the US researchers?
A．There is no close relation between rainfall and conflict.
B．Temperature greatly affects crop production in sub-Saharan Africa.
C．Temperature will rise by about 50% in Africa over the next two decades.
D．With world cooperation, conflicts in Africa will be reduced by half 20 years later.
59．What can be inferred from the passage?
A．Something must be done to help sub-Saharan countries with better adaptation to climate change to avoid disaster.
B．Conflicts in sub-Saharan countries are sure to be on the rise in future.
C．Temperature in sub-Saharan countries will rise at a faster speed.
D．High temperatures will make sub-Saharan countries unfit to live in.
60．What's the best title for this passage?
A．World cooperation against African conflict
B．Africa's sufferings from climate change
C．Food shortages lead to African conflict
D．Climate drives African conflict

D
Since the gene, called DAF-16 in worms, was found in many animals and in humans, the finding could open up new ways to affect aging, immunity(免疫)and resistance in humans, the scientists said.?
“We wanted to find out how normal aging is being governed by genes and what effect these genes have on other traits, such as immunity,” said Robin May of the University of Birmingham, who led the study.?
Populations across the world are aging at a surprising pace, bringing potentially big challenges for health and social care systems. A study by Danish scientists last year found that half of babies born in the rich world today will live to celebrate their 100th birthdays. Scientists are eager to find out how people age to try to develop drugs to help them stay healthier as their lives extend.?
“What we have found is that things like resistance and aging tend to go hand in hand,” May said in an interview.?
May’s team compared longevity, stress resistance and immunity in four related species of worm. They also looked for differences in the activity of DAF-16 in each of the four species, and found that they were all quite distinct.?
May said DAF-16 was active in most cells in the body and was very similar to a group of human genes called FOXO genes, which scientists believe play a role in the aging process.?
“The fact that subtle（微妙的）differences in DAF-16 between species seem to have such an impact on aging and health is very interesting and may explain how differences in lifespan and related traits have arisen during evolution,” May said.?
71. In which section may the text appear in a newspaper? ?
A. Education.              B. Science.          C. Entertainment.         D. Culture.
72. According to May_________,.?
A. resistance has a lot to do with aging?         
B. FOXO genes can be found in worms?
C. genes play the same role in different species?
D. new drugs will change the genes in older people
73. What can we know from the third paragraph??
A. New ways have been found to affect aging. ?
B. Babies in the rich world will all live longer. ?
C. Present social care systems are poorly managed.?
D. Aging populations are causing more challenges.
74. From the text we know that DAF-16.?
A. is a gene that is only found in worms?     B. can make people live longer?
C. has an effect on aging and immunity?     D. has been quite familiar to scientists
75. What can be the best title of the passage?
A. Scientists Find Gene Linked to Aging          B. Population Aging Faster than Expected
C. How to Make People Live Longer             D. Gene Determines How Long We Live

B
The world is not coming to an end on December 21, 2012, the US space agency insisted Monday in a rare campaign to dispel widespread rumors fueled by the Internet and a new Hollywood movie．
The latest big screen offering from Sony Picture, 2012, arrives in theaters on Friday, with a 200-million-dollar production about the end of the world supposedly based on myths backed by the Mayan calendar．It is claimed that the end of time will come as a Planet X---or Nibiru---heads toward or collides with the Earth．
Some websites accuse NASA of hiding the truth on the planet’s existence, but the US space agency condemned such stories as an “Internet hoax”．“There is no factual basis for these claims,” NASA said in a question-and-anwser posting on this website．“If such a collision were real, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye．Obviously, it does not exist．Credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012,” it insisted．“After all, our planet has been getting along just well for more than four billion years,” added NASA．
There is another planet, Eris, floating in space．But the small planet similar to Pluto will remain safely fixed in the outer solar system and it can come no closer than four billion miles to the Earth, according to NASA．
Earlier theories set the disaster for May 2003, but when nothing happened the date was moved forward to the winter in 2012 to coincide with the end of a cycle of the ancient Mayan calendar．
NASA insisted the Mayan calendar in fact does not end on December 21, 2012, as another period begins immediately afterward．
And even if the planets were to line up as some have forecast, the effect on our planet would be “negligible（unimportant）”, NASA said．
“And while comets and asteroids （小行星） have always hit the Earth, big hits are very rare,” NASA noted．The last major impact was believed to be 65 million years ago, resulting in the end of dinosaurs．
“We have already determined that there are no threatening asteroids as large as the one that killed the dinosaurs,” the space agency said．
49．______ played a key role in the spread of the rumors．
A．A new book               B．The Internet and a new Hollywood movie
C．NASA                   D．An Indian calendar
50．We can infer that ______．
A．people didn’t take the rumor seriously
B．Planet X --- or Nibiru does exist
C．a(chǎn)stronomers have been tracking Planet X for over ten years
D．the rumor caused a panic among some people
51．NASA thinks that Eris ______．
A．might have a threat to the Earth     B．doesn’t have any threat to the Earth
C．is too far away to be visible       D．is similar to our planet, where life might exist
52．Which of the following is the best title?
A．New Hollywood movie 2012
B．December 21, 2012, Not the end of the world
C．End of the ancient Mayan calendar
D．How rumors came into being

It was a cold grey day in late November. The weather had changed overnight, when a backing wind brought a pale sky and a muzzling rain with it, and although it was now only a little after two o’clock in the afternoon the gray of a winter evening seemed to have closed upon the hills, surrounding them in mist. It would be dark by four. The leather seats felt damp to the hands, and there must have been a small crack in the roof, because now and again little drips of rain fell softly through, polluting the leather and leaving a dark – blue stain like a spot of ink. The wind came in, at times shaking the coach as it traveled round the bend of the road, and in the exposed places on the high ground it blew with such force that the whole body of the coach trembled and swayed, rocking between the high wheels like a drunken man.
The driver, muffled （裹�。� in a greatcoat to his ears, bent almost double in his seat in a faint endeavor to gain shelter from his own shoulders. The few passengers pressed together for warmth, exclaiming all together when the coach sank into a heavier rut （車轍） than usual, and one old fellow, who had kept up a constant complaint ever since he had joined the coach at Truro, rose from his seat in anger; and, feeling with the window – frame, let the window down with a crash, bringing a shower of rain upon himself and his fellow – passengers. He thrust his head out and shouted up to the driver, scolding him in a angry voice for a rogue and a murderer; that they would all be dead before they reached Bodmin if he persisted in driving at dangerous speed; they had no breath left in their bodies as it was, and he would never travel by coach again.
41．What is the main image the author gives in this description?
A．In terrible weather, a coach was running fast in mud with complaining passengers on it.
B．On a cold and rainy day the coach broke and the driver was repairing it on the road.
C．On a cold night the driver and the passengers felt very cold and struggled in the rain.
D．The bad condition of the road resulted in the bad mood of the passengers.
42．Which of the following is correct according to the text?
A．The windows were tightly closed, so the cold air was kept outside the coach.
B．The spot of ink stained leather, so the seats felt damp to the hands.
C．Most probably the roof of the coach was broken.
D．There was a drunken man swaying constantly on the coach.
43．The expression “muffled in a greatcoat to… his own shoulders” implies         .
A．the driver felt very cold and tried to change his seat
B．the driver felt comfortable by doing in that way
C．The driver felt very cold and tried to gain warmth
D．The driver tried to protect his ears and shoulders
44．We can learn from the text that         .
A．the coach was running slowly due to the bad weather
B．a(chǎn)n old passenger who got on the coach at Truro was angry about the windows
C．one of the passengers on the coach was a murderer
D．the few passengers let out exclamations as the coach moved violently

E
The black robin is one of the world’s rarest birds. It is a small, wild bird, and it lives only on the island of Little Mangere, off the coast of New Zealand. In 1967 there were about fifty black robins; in 1977 there were fewer than ten. These are the only black robins left in the world. The island has many other birds, of different kinds, large and small; these seem to multiply very happily.
Energetic steps are being taken to preserve the black robin. Detailed studies are going on, and a public appeal for money has bee made. The idea is to buy another island nearby as a special home, a “reserve”, for threatened wild life, including black robins. The organizers say that Little Mangere should then be supplied with the robin’s food—it eats only one kind of seed. Thousands of the required plants are at present being cultivated in new Zealand. The public appeal is aimed at the conscience of mankind, so that the wild black robin will not die out and disappear form the earth in our time at least.
Is all this concern a waste of human effort? Is it any business of ours whether the black robin survives or dies out? Are we losing our sense of what is reasonable and what is unreasonable?
In the earth’s long, long past, hundreds, of kinds of creatures have evolved, risen to a degree of success—and died out. In the long, long future, there will be many new and different forms of life. Those creatures that adapt themselves successfully to what the earth offers will survive for a long time. Those that fail to meet the challenges will disappear early. This is nature’s proven method of operation.
The rule of selection—“the survival of the fittest”—is the one by which human beings have themselves arrived on the scene. We, being one of the most adaptable creatures the earth has yet produced, may last longer than most. You may take it as another rule that when, at last, human beings show signs of dying out, no other creature will extend a paw to put off our departure. On the contrary, we will be hurried out. For nature, tough fair, is a hard-hearted mistress. She has no favorites.
Life seems to have grown too tough for black robins. I leave you to judge whether we should try to do something about it.
57．The black robin is dying out mainly because__________.
A．people have been very careless about its survival
B．its only food supply is far from enough on Little Mangere
C．the other birds on the island have destroyed it
D．the appeal for money has come at the wrong time
58．In Paragraph 3, the writer puts forward three questions to__________
A．make a comparison     B．make an argument
C．introduce a topic             D．present his own idea
59．As for selection and survival, the decisive factor seems to be__________.
A．the ability to adapt to changed or changing conditions
B．the number of wild life reserves that are available
C．the concern and generosity of the public
D．the size of the home, or the amount of space one has to live in
60．The writer’s attitude towards the protection of the black robins is__________.
A．a(chǎn)ctive         B．passive         C．unconcerned        D．Optimistic

C
1970 was World Conservation（自然保護(hù)）Year. The United Nations wanted everyone to know that the world is in danger. They hoped that people would act quickly in order to conserve nature（大自然）. Here is one example of the problem. At one time there were 1,300 different plants, trees and flowers in Holland, but now only 866 remain. The others have been destroyed by modern man. It is said that there are tens of thousands of kinds of animals in the world, but now many have died out（絕種）. We are changing the earth, the air and water, and everything that grows and lives . We can't live without these things. If we continue like this, we shall destroy ourselves.
What will happen in the future？Perhaps it is more important to ask“What must we do now？”The people who will be living in the world of tomorrow are the young of today. A lot of them know that conservation is necessary. Many are helping to save our world. They plant trees, build bridges across rivers and so on. In a small town in the United States a large group of girls cleaned the banks of  11 kilometres of their river. Young people may hear about conservation through a record called“No one's going to change our world.”It was made by the Beatles, Cliff Richard and other singers. The money from it will help to conserve wild animals.
65、“No one's going to change our world”was 　　　.
A、an important book published in 1970    
B、an idea that nobody would accept（接受）
C、a record calling on people to conserve nature
D、a newspaper report in 1970
66、What's the most important thing for us to do to save our world？
A、We should know what will happen in the future.
B、We should plant more trees and flowers.
C、We should clean the banks of our rivers.
D、We must do what we must do to save our world.
67、What's the main idea of the passage？
A、1970 was World Conservation Year.
B、The United Nations wanted everyone to know that the world is in danger.
C、Conservation is necessary.
D、Young people are helping to save our world.