Of all living creatures on earth, insects are the most plentiful. Some　 36　 are very useful to man, for example, bees,　 37　 we get honey and wax, and silkworms, which　 38　 us with silk. Other varieties,　 39　 , are extremely harmful, and do a great　 40　 of damage, especially to crops. Locusts （蝗虫） are perhaps the most dangerous of all,　 41　 they will eat almost any green　 42　 , and when millions of them　 43　 on cultivated land（耕地）they soon leave it　 44　 . In some countries they are the farmer’s　 45　 enemy. Another nuisance is the common　 46　 , not only because it　 47　 us indoors and out - of- doors, but because it spreads diseases.

　　Scientists have given much time and　 48　 to the study of insects. It needs the most careful and　 49　 observation. Thanks　 50　 their discoveries we now know almost all　 51　 is to be known about the habits of these hardworking insects, bees and ants, which live in　 52　 better planned in some ways than our　　53　 . But the most valuable work has been done in trying to give　 54　 to men, animals and crops from the　 55　 which insects cause.

　　36．A. members  B. forms  C. qualities  D. varieties

　　37．A. by which  B. from which  C. of which  D. in which

　　38．A. give  B. produce  C. offer  D. supply

　　39．A. however  B. meanwhile C. therefore  D. what's more

　　40．A. majority  B. number  C. amount  D. quantity

　　41．A. and  B. for  C. if  D. when

　　42．A. grass  B. field  C. fruit  D. plant

　　43．A. settle  B. attack  C. pass  D. cross

　　44．A. bare  B. nothing  C. empty  D. untouched

　　45．A. hardest  B. greatest  C. serious  D. wildest

　　46．A. insect  B. creature  C. fly  D. enemy

　　47．A. dislikes  B. bites  C. worries  D. hates

　　48．A. understanding  B. ideas  C. comprehension  D. thought

　　49．A. serious  B. patient  C. curious  D. long

　　50．A. for  B. of  C. to  D. with

　　51．A. that  B. which  C. there  D. what

　　52．A. societies  B. crowds C. teams  D. organizations

　　53．A. world  B. nation  C. selves  D. own

　　54．A. help  B. protection  C. living  D. defense

　　55．A. injury  B. wound  C. sickness  D. ruin

Beauty has always been regarded as something praiseworthy. Almost everyone thinks attractive people are happier and healthier, have better marriages and have more respectable jobs. Personal advisors give them better advice for finding jobs. Even judges are softer on attractive defendants. But in the executive（主管的） circle, beauty can become a liability.

　　While attractiveness is a positive factor for a man on his way up the executive ladder, it is harmful to a woman.

　　Handsome male executives were considered having more honesty than plainer men; effort and ability were thought to lead to their success.

　　Attractive female executives were considered to have less honesty than unattractive ones; their success was connected not with ability but with factors such as luck.

　　All unattractive women executives were thought to have more honesty and to be more capable than the attractive female executives. Interestingly, though, the rise of the unattractive overnight successes was connected more to personal relationships and less to ability than that of the attractive overnight successes.

　　Why are attractive women not thought to be able? An attractive woman is considered to be more feminine has an advantage in traditionally female jobs, but an attractive woman in a traditionally manly position appears to lack the "manly"qualifies required.

　　This is true even in politics, "When the only clue is how he or she looks, people treat men and women differently, " says Anne Bowman, who recently published a study on the effects of attractiveness on political candidates（候选人）. She asked 125 undergraduate students to rank two groups of photographs, one of men and one of women, in order of attractiveness. The students were told the photographs were of candidates for political offices. They were asked to rank them again, in the order they would vote for them.

　　The results showed that attractive males completely defeated unattractive men, but the women who had ranked most attractive unchangeably received the fewest votes.

　　The word "liability" most probably means ________.

　　A. disadvantage　B. advantage　　　C. misfortune　　 D. trouble

　Bowman's experiment shows that when it comes to politics, attractiveness________

　　A. turns out to　be a disadvantage to men

　　B. is more of a disadvantage than an advantage to women

　　C. has as little effect on men as on women

　　D. affects men and women alike

　　It can be inferred from the passage that people's views on beauty are often________.

　　A. practical　　　B. supportive　　 C. old - fashioned　D. one - sided

　　The author writes this passage to ________.

　　A. give advice to job - seekers who are attractive

　　B. discuss the disadvantages of being attractive

　　C. demand equal rights for women

　　D. state the importance of appearance

完形填空，阅读下面短文，从各题所给的四个选项中，选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。

　　When a person is curious about something, it means he is 1 in it and wishes to know more about it. There is 2 wrong with curiosity in itself. Whether it is good or bad depends on what people are curious about.

　　Curiosity is 3 silly or wrong. Some persons with nothing to do are full of curiosity about what their 4 are doing. They are 5 to know what they are eating or drinking, what they are 6 home or taking outside, or 7 they have come so early or late. To be interested in these things is 8 because they are 9 at all. It is none of their 10 to know what their neighbors do or are doing. Such curiosity is 11 not only 12 but also harmful. For most probably, it 13 to small talk which often brings harm, shame of disrespect to others, and thus 14 their feelings.

　　On the other hand, there is a 15 curiosity--the curiosity of wise men, who wonder at all the great things and try to 16 all they can about them. Columbus could never have found America if he had not been 17 . James Watt would not have made the steam engine 18 his curiosity about the raising of the kettle lid. All the discoveries in human history have been made 19 a result of curiosity, 20 , the curiosity is never about unimportant things which have few or nothing to do with the happiness of the public.

　　For years scientists have been worried about the effects of air pollution on the earth’s natural conditions. Some believe the air inside many houses may be more dangerous than the air outside. It may be one hundred times worse.

　　Indoor air pollution can cause a person to feel tired, to suffer eye-pain, headache and other problems. Some pollutants（ 污染 物） can cause breathing disorders, diseases of blood and even cancer, Most scientists agree that every modern house has some kind of indoor pollution. People began to notice the problem in the early 1970s. It is that when builders began making houses and offices they did not waste energy. To do this they built buildings that limited the flow of air between inside and outside. They also began using manmade building materials. These materials are now known to let out harmful gases. As the problem became more serious, scientists began searching for a way to deal with it. They discovered a natural pollution control system for building— green plants. Scientists do not really know how plants control air pollution. They believe that a plant’s leaves absorb or take in the pollutants. In exchange the plant lets out oxygen through its leaves and through its tiny organizations on its roots. Scientists suggest that all buildings should have one large plant or several small plants inside for every nine square metres of space. Studies of different plants show that each absorbs different chemicals. So the most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants. Having green plants inside your house can make it a prettier and more healthy place.

　　Generally speaking, indoor air pollution may be more harmful than the air outside because ________.

　　A. the man - made building materials let out dangerous gases inside houses

　　B. there may be more harmful gases outside houses

　　C. the flow of air indoors is limited

　　D. indoor air pollution can make a person seriously ill

　　The most effective way to clean the air is to use different kinds of plants because________.

　　A. they may let out more oxygen which people need

　　B. they can absorb different kinds of the harmful indoor chemicals

　　C. they can take in all kinds of indoor pollutants

        D. they can make your house prettier and more healthy