For the people living in the Nile Basin, the river is their life:. This 6,825 km waterway, whose watershed（流域） covers three million square kilometers, flows through mountains ,woodlands, lakes and deserts. Its potential for fishing, tourism and shipping is great—but so are its challenges.
Water shortage , already serious in Egypt and Sudan , will soon influence several other countries in the watershed as well. Today, about 160 million people depend on the Nile River for their living. Within the next 25 yeas ,the district's population is expected to double, adding to the demand brought about by growth in industry and agriculture. The frequent drought（干旱）adds to the urgency.
Water quality is also a problem. Precious soil is washed out to sea. Wastes from industry and agriculture create pollution. Higher concentrations of salt influence irrigated soils. Water-borne diseases continue unchecked. In areas where it's hot and damp, water hyacinths choke off lakes, dams and other sections of the river, making it difficult for fishing and other businesses to move forward.
Native people along the narrow area of farmland have watched the sand move closer day by day. They’ve seen the river change course, and their only source（来源） of water thickened with mud. They’re very poor and have few choices.
But a new program, the Nile Basin Initiative （NBI），is offering very practical assistance. The program is more than just a water-management project. It’s a plan for the social and economic development of a vast district: it concentrates on the needs of the poorest of the poor and the environment that supports them.
These are whole ecosystem problems, calling for united solutions（解决办法）. Half the Nile Basin's countries are among the world's poorest nations；yet, somehow, they must find the  resources, skills and political will to overcome these challenges.
68. What are the great challenges the Nile Basin faces？
A. The development of .shipping industry.
B. Overfishing of native people.
C. Water shortage and water quality.
D. Increasing population and tourism.
69. The underlined word “hyacinths”（in Paragraph 3） refer to “          ”.
A. animals                           B. plants                     C. rocks                                D. salts
70. The program NBI is mainly aimed at           .
A. preventing water pollution                             B. changing the river course
C. improving living condition of the poor
D. preventing land from becoming desert
71. What would be the best title of this passage？
A. People's Life in Egypt and Sudan
B. Frequent Drought in Egypt and Sudan
C. The Poorest Countries in the Nile Basin
D. The Ecosystem Problems in the Nile Basin

The car, running along the well-lit road now sank in darkness. I broke the  36  on purpose, 37  that the driver was too tired to drive. “When do you go back home in the evening?”“9 o’clock after this  38 .”“Then when do you come out in the moming?”I  39  another question.“9 o’clock, too-just as if I worked at an office.”His  40  surprised me, because every time I ride a taxi, what I   41   from the driver are only complaints that they have to work from morning till night, it’s hard to earn money they’re often   42  by the police, or that their leaders are seated lazily, 43  the fruits. But this driver told me,“I find it  44   to be a section chief as I was before. I like driving just for  45. It’s fortunate that I hardly drive  46  a passenger. So I earn two or three thousand yuan a month with ease. Yes, I never  47  an empty taxi. If it goes southward, I go northward. If it goes along a  48 , I turn into a narrow street…”

His words showed his  49   with his life and the pride he  50  in his job. Such feelings are so rare among people nowadays as oxygen in high  51 . As an ancient saying goes,“Neither joy in material  52  nor grieve (悲痛) over personal setbacks.”How many people nowadays can show high ideals by  53  living and go far with a calm mind? I couldn’t help feeling  54  when finding such a state of mind in a stranger on a cold  55.

36. A. window          B. stillness        C. silence          D. quietness

37. A. on condition    B. for fear         C. in belief        D. in order

38. A. night           B. trip             C. cycle            D. process

39. A. threw out       B. gave away        C. made up          D. led to

40. A. character       B. confidence       C. attitude         D. easiness

41. A. suffer          B. request          C. benefit          D. hear

42. A. detected        B. ordered          C. fined            D. seized

43. A. keeping         B. tasting          C. enjoying         D. choosing

44. A. exciting        B. disappointing    C. tiring           D. amazing

45. A. freedom         B. pleasure         C. hobby            D. company

46. A. without         B. with             C. behind           D. beside

47. A. foIlow          B. admire           C. envy             D. meet

48. A. route           B. path             C. railway          D. highway

49. A. inteIligence    B. satisfaction     C. competition      D. honesty

50. A. made            B. held             C. caught           D. took

51. A. buildings       B. mountains        C. standard         D. heaven

  52. A. gains           B. concerns          C. supports         D. loss

53. A. special         B. happy            C. simple           D. original

54. A. angry           B. content          C. dangerous        D. curious

55. A. morning         B. night            C. moment           D. Season

C
Recently scientists have worked out a way to judge roughly where a person has lived using strands(缕) of hair, a technique that could help track the movements of criminal suspects or unidentified bodies .
The method depends on measuring how chemical variations in drinking water show up in people’s hair.
While U.S diet is relatively identical, water supplies vary. The differences result from weather patterns. The chemical composition of rainfall changes slightly as clouds move.
Most hydrogen and oxygen atoms in water are stable , but traces of both elements are also present as heavier isotopes (同位素) . The heaviest raid（列阵）falls first. As a result, storms that form over the Pacific deliver heavier water to California than to Utah.
Similar patterns exist throughout the U.S. By measuring the proportion of heavier hydrogen and oxygen isotopes along a strand of hair, scientists can establish a geographic timeline. Each inch of hair corresponds to about two months.
Cerling’s team collected tap water samples from 600 cities and constructed a frame of the regional differences. They checked the accuracy of the map by testing 200 hair samples collected from 65 barber shops. They were able to accurately place the hair samples in broad regions roughly corresponding to the movement of raid systems. 
“It’s not good for pinpointing (精确定位),” he said. “It’s good for ruling out many possibilities.”
64. What can we learn from the passage about the latest discovery?
A. One’s hair growth has to do with the amount of water they drink.
B. A person’s hair may reveal where they have lived.
C. Hair analysis identifies criminal suspects accurately.
D. The chemical composition of hair varies from person to person.
65. What does the underlined word “identical” in paragraph 3 probably mean?
A. similar                        B. fantastic                C. beneficial              D. healthy
66. What is the practical value of Cerling’s research?
A. It helps analyze the quality of water in different regions.
B. It helps the police determine where a crime is committed.
C. It helps the police narrow down possibilities in detective work.
D. It helps identify the drinking habits of the person under investigation.

They say there are three ways to experience the Grand Canyon; on foot, on mules(骡子) or by air. We chose the first. Up early; my husband and I and our three children couldn’t wait to get started. We decided to walk along a lovely path named Bright Angel Trail.
As we set out, I was shocked at how narrow the path was. And I couldn’t help noticing that the other tourists weren’t like us. They had heavy backpacks, water bottles, and hats. But as usual we were dressed, As the sun rose higher, Arizona’s famous heat seemed to roast(烘烤)　us. There was no shade and our legs were aching. We decided to go back, with the girl on my back and the boys far behind. By the time we finally got back, our legs were like jelly.
The next day, after we’d had a long rest and a good breakfast, we were ready for another view of the Canyon – by air. After our last walk, this would be the easiest thing in the world.
We called to each other excitedly as the plane took off and circled around the Canyon. But the smiles on our faces disappeared as the pilot tossed(翻转)　the plane around, pretending he was going to hit the ground. I shouted, “STOP, TAKE US BACK!” When we finally arrived back on land, once again our legs were like jelly. We hardly spoke as we drove back.
As I said, there are three ways to view the Grand Canyon. We never tried the mules, but personally I’d suggest a fourth: buy yourself a good magazine like National Geographic. That way, you can see the Canyon, without fear or tiredness.
【小题1】Which of the following is true according to the second paragraph?

Several hundred strangers received “love letters” from a young man on the street. The letter was written and given out by Yang Yang, a student majoring in human resources at Chongqing University of Science and Technology，who hoped to show his disappointment with job hunting.
Yang’s story has caught media attention perhaps because it is similar to those of millions of recent graduates seeking jobs and struggling for survival in the country’s wealthiest cities. They have diplomas, rather than professional skills，and come to big cities in hopes of better lives, only to find low-paying jobs and poor living conditions.
They are China’s “ant tribe(蚁族)”, a term created by sociologist Lian Si from Peking University in his 2009 book, Ant Tribe. “They’re so similar to ants. They share small and narrow living areas. They’re intelligent and hard-working, yet nameless and underpaid.” The term also speaks to their helplessness in a world governed by the law of the jungle -- only the strongest survive.
A survey in Lian’s another book published this year, Ant Tribe II, found nearly 30 percent of “ants” are graduates of famous universities—almost three times last year’s percentage. Most had degrees in popular majors. In addition, 7.2 percent of "ants" have at least a master’s degree compared to 1.6 percent in 2009.
An “ant’s” average monthly salary is l, 904 yuan, with about 64 percent of them earning less than 2,000 yuan a month.
Another survey in the 2010 Annual Report on the Development of Chinese Talent found more than 1 million “ants” live in big cities.
“Most ants are from rural families or small towns, and their experiences in universities didn’t arm them well enough to fight with competitors in big cities’ employment markets.” Professor Zhang Ming at Renmin University of China said.
The “ant tribe’s” embarrassing living situations have become a serious social problem, and the government should develop smaller cities to attract more graduates from big cities, Zhang
believed.
However, “ants” expect more study and training opportunities in big cities, which keeps them positive despite their situations.
【小题1】Yang’s story is introduced in order to_________.