D

　　In the atmosphere,carbon dioxide actd rather like a one-way mirror or the glass in the roof of a greenhouse which allows the sun's rays to enter but prevents the heat from excaping.

　　According to a weather expert's prediction,the atmosphere will be 3 warmer in the year 2050 than it is today, if man continues to burn luels at the present rate. If this warming up took place,the ice caps in the poles would begin to melt,thus raising sea level several meters and severely flooding coastal cities.Also，the increase in atmospheric temperature would lead to great changes in the climate of the northern hemisphere(半球),psooicbly resulting in an alteration of earth's chief food growing zones.

　　In the past,concern about a man - made warming of the earth has concentrated on the Arctic because the Antarctic is much colder and has a much thicker ice sheet.But the weather experts are now paying more attention to West Antarctic,which may be affected by a warming on the scale that will possibly take place in the next fifty years from on burning of fuels.

　　Satellite pictures showthat large areas of Antarctic ice are already disappearing.The evidence available suggests that a warming has taken place.This fits the theory that carbon dioxide warms the earth.

　　However,most of the fuel is burnt in the northern hemisphere,where temperatures seem to be falling.Scientists conclude,therefore,that up to now natural influences on the weather have exceeded those caused by man.The question is:Which natural cause has most effect on the weather?

　　One possibility is the variable behavior of the sun.Astronomers at one research station have studied the hot spots and cold spots(that is,the relatively less hot spots) on the sun. As the sun rotates(旋转),every 27.5 days,it presents hotter or colder faces to the earth,and different aspects to different parts of the earth.This seems to have a considerable effect on the distribution of the earth's atmospheric pressure,and consequently on wind circulation.The sun is also variable over a long term:its heat output goes up and down in cycles,the latest trend being downward.

　　Scientists are now finding mutual relations between models of solar weather interactions and the actual climate over many thousands of years ,including the last Ice Age.The problem is that the models are predicting that the world should be entering a new Ice Age and it is not.

　　One way of solving this theoretical difficulty is to assume a delay of thousands of years while the solar effects overcome the inertia(不活动，惰性) of the earth's climate.If this is right,the warming effect of carbon dioxide might thus be serving as a useful counter balance to the sun's diminishing heat.

　　68.It can be concluded that a concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would ___.

　　　A.mean a warming - up im the Arctic

　　　B.raise the temperature of the earth's surface

　　　C.prevent the sun's rays from reaching the earth's surface

　　　D.account for great changes in the climate in the northern hemiphere

　　69.Although the fuel consumption is greater in the northern hemisphere,temperatures there seem to be falling.This is _______.

　　　A.mainly because the levels of carbon dioxide are rising

　　　B.partly due to variations in the output of solar energy

　　　C.possibly because the ice caps in the poles are melting

　　　D.exclusively due to the effect of the inertia of the earth's climate

　　70.On the basis of their models,scientists are of the opinion that ________.

　　　A.the climate of the world should be becoming cooler

　　　B.the new Ice Age will be delayed by the greenhouse effect

　　　C.the man - made warming effect helps to increase the solar effects

　　　D.it will take thousands of years for the inertia of the earth's climate to take effect

第三节：完形填空（共20小题，每小题1.5分，满分30分）

   阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项。

The climate will be warm and __21___ with prolonged droughts in most of the world’s grain growing ___22__. Because of the increase in temperature, the ice cap will begin to melt and sea level is predicted to __23___ about ten meters, causing flood in many areas.

  In the atmosphere, a concentration of carbon dioxide acts like the _24__ in the roof of a greenhouse. It allows the sun’s rays to pass _25___ easily on the way to the earth’s _26__, but prevents heat _27__ by the earth from escaping back into space. __28__, as the level of atmospheric carbon dioxide rises,because of the industrial burning of fossil fuels, this greenhouse effect could __29__ the temperature of the earth. The burning of fossil fuels __30__ carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide accumulates(积聚) in the atmosphere, and __31_ the greenhouse effect, the temperature of the earth’s surface could rise. __32__ this warming up took place, the polar ice caps would begin to melt,__33__raising sea level. The __34__ influence that seems to be cooling the earth is the variable behavior of the sun. As the sun rotates(旋转) on its orbit, it presents hotter or colder faces to the earth, and this seems to have a considerable effect __35__ the distribution of the earth’s atmospheric pressure and on the wind circulation. The heat __36__ of the sun also varied, the latest trend being __37__, the heat output appears to be decreasing and the indications are that the earth’s __38_ is entering a cooler cycle. Scientific models that take __39__ account this __40__ behavior of the sun are also predicting that the world should be entering a new Ice Age. 

21. A. wet            B. rainy                C. dry                  D. icy

22. A. farms                B. regions               C. towns               D. villages

23. A. rise             B. appear                  C. move                D. raise

24. A. glass            B. shylight(天窗)     C. chimney         D. attic(顶楼)

25. A. by              B. over                      C. in                    D. through

26. A. ground        B. bottom                 C. floor               D. surface

27. A. taken in      B. sent out                    C. admitted to      D. taken out

28. A. However     B. Yet                      C. Afterwards        D. Therefore

29. A. benefit               B. forbid                   C. raise              D. effect

30. A. leads to      B. gives off               C. results from      D. joins hands

31. A. as to           B. as for                          C. without          D. because of

32. A. Whether      B. Before                    C. If                    D. After

33. A. so              B. instead                    C. thus              D. but

34. A. natural       B. unusual                C. former                     D. ordinary

35. A. in                      B. on                          C. over                 D. at

36. A. input           B. activity                C. output            D. movement

37. A. downward         B. upward                    C. forward           D. onward

38. A. pressure     B. surface                C. climate          D. appearance

39. A. from          B. into                     C. in                    D. on

40. A. unbelievable B. dull                           C. variable          D. hidden

In the atmosphere, carbon dioxide acts rather like a one-way mirror or the glass in the roof of a greenhouse which allows the sun's rays to enter but prevents the heat from escaping.

　　 According to a weather expert' s prediction, the atmosphere will be 3℃ warmer in the year 2050 than it is today, if man continues to burn fuels at the present rate. If this warming up took place, the ice caps in the poles would begin to melt, thus raising sea level several metres and severely flooding coastal cities. Also, the increase in atmospheric temperature would lead to great changes in the climate of the northern hemisphere (北半球), possibly resulting in an alteration of the earth's chief food growing zones.

　　  In the past, concern about a man-made warming of the earth has concentrated on the Arctic because the Antarctic is much colder and has a much thicker ice sheet. But the weather experts are now paying more attention to West Antarctic, which may be affected by only a few degrees of warming, in other words, by a warming on the scale that will possibly take place in the next fifty years from the burning of fuels.

　　  Satellite pictures show that large areas of Antarctic ice are already disappearing. The evidence available suggests that a warming has taken place. This fits the theory that carbon dioxide warms the earth.

　　  However, most of the fuel is burnt in the northern hemisphere, where temperatures seem to be falling. Scientists conclude , therefore, that up to now natural influences on the weather have gone beyond those caused by man. The question is: Which natural cause has most effect on the weather?

　　  One possibility is the variable behavior of the sun. Astronomers at one research station have studied the hot spots and "cold" spots (that is, the relatively less hot spots) on the sun. As the sun rotates (使旋转), every 27. 5 days, it presents hotter or "colder" faces to the earth, and different aspects to different parts of the earth. This seems to have a considerable effect on the distribution of the earth's atmospheric pressure, and consequently on wind circulation. The sun is also changeable over a long term: its heat output goes up and down in cycles, the latest trend being downward.

　　  Scientists are now finding shared relations between models of solar weather interactions and the actual climate over many thousands of years, including the last Ice Age. The problem is that the models are predicting that the world should be entering a new Ice Age and it is not. One way of solving this theoretical difficulty is to assume a delay of thousands of years while the solar effects overcome the inertia (惯性) of the earth's climate. If this is right, the warming effect of carbon dioxide might thus be serving as a useful opposed balance to the sun's fading heat .

66. It can be concluded that a concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would_________.

   A. mean a warming-up in the Antarctic

   B. raise the temperature of the earth' s surface

C. prevent the sun's rays from reaching the earth's surface

D. explain the cause of  great changes in the climate in the northern hemisphere

67.The article was written to explain ___________. 

A. the greenhouse effect

B. the solar effects on the earth

C. the causes affecting weather

D. the models of solar-weather interactions

68. Although the fuel consumption is greater in the northern hemisphere, temperatures there　seem to be falling. This is__________.

 A. mainly because the levels of carbon dioxide are rising

 B. partly due to changes in the output of solar energy

C. possibly because the ice caps in the poles are melting

D. only due to the effect of the inertia of the earth' s climate

69. On the basis of their models, scientists believe the opinion that__________.

A. the climate of the world should be becoming cooler

B. the new Ice Age will be delayed by the greenhouse effect

C. the man-made warming effect helps to increase the solar effects

D. it will take thousands of years for the inertia of the earth's climate to take effect

70. If the assumption about the delay of a new Ice age is correct, ____________.

A. ice would soon cover the northern hemisphere

B. the greenhouse effect could work in favor of the earth

C. the best way to overcome the cooling effect would be to burn more fuels

D. the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could warm up the earth even more quickly

Urban legends are stories that are told and believed in many places．Too many places，in fact．It simply isn’t credible that the same unlikely events take place in so many different towns．For some reason，though，that particular set of events appeals to the imagination and the tale spreads．

A very common North American urban legend concerns a mad man in the woods．A dangerous mad man has escaped from a hospital for the mentally ill．At some point in his life he has lost a hand and it has been replaced by a hook．A boy and a girl are out dating，sitting in a car．They hear on the radio that the area is dangerous，so they drive off．When they arrive home they find a bloodstained hook hanging on the door handle of the car door next to the girl．

Missing kidney(肾)stories are fairly common．Of course，the details are variable．It might be a woman waking up in a strange hotel in Bangkok，or a man finding himself in a cold bath in Toronto．or a young man with faint memories of wild disco party，but they all find a flesh wound，and discover that one of their kidneys has been removed and，probably, sold．

The back seat killer has plenty of drama．A woman gets into her Car late at night．Another Car follows her, speeding，flashing lights and really frightening her．She gets home and keeps on pressing the horn．Her husband runs out．The chasing car stops．The husband demands to know why the driver has been frightening his wife．He says he saw a strange man get into the back of the car as the wife got in，and then hide．They go and look，and there is a dangerous mad man...

1.What is the writer’s attitude towards “urban legends”?

2.What can be inferred from the hook hanging on the Car door?

3.What do we know about the three people mentioned in the third paragraph?

4.Why does the woman driver keep on pressing the horn?

5.How should we describe the second driver in the 4th paragraph?

Sam, an unemployed piano tuner, said it was only the second thing he had ever won in his life. The first thing was an Afghan blanket at a church raffle when he was 25 years old. But this was much bigger: it was $120,000! He had won the Big Cube, a state lottery game. To win, a contestant must first guess which number a spinning cube will stop on. The cube has six numbers on it: 1X, 10X, 50X, 100X, 500X, and 1000X. If he is correct, the contestant must then guess which of two selected variables is going to be greater. So, just guessing which number appears on the cube does not guarantee that you will win any money. Sam correctly guessed 1000X, but he still had to choose between two variables. One variable was the number of cars that would run the stop sign at Hill Street and Lake Avenue in six hours. The other variable was the number of times that a teenage boy would change TV channels in a three-hour period. This was a tough decision.

Finally, Sam flipped a coin. It came up heads, so Sam picked the teenager. He picked right. The stop sign was run only 76 times, but the teen clicked 120 times. Sixty-year-old Sam jumped for joy, for he had just won 1000 times 120, or $120,000. Sam dreamily left the lottery studio. Talking excitedly on his cell phone while crossing the street, he got hit by a little sports car.

Sam is slowly getting better. He was in the hospital for a month. His hospital bill was $110,000. And the insurance company for the little sports car's owner sued Sam for $9,000 worth of repairs. Also, Sam still has to pay federal taxes on his winnings. Sam doesn't play the state lottery any more. He says it's better to be unlucky.

1.When Sam won the second thing that he’d won in his life, he was ______.  

A. 25 years old

B. six years old

C. 76 years old

D. sixty years old

2.To win the game, the contestants had to make ______ guesses.    

A. three           B. two         C. six             D. four

3.Sam won the lottery because ______.

A. he was lucky     B. he was good at math

C. he was smart     D. he was tough

4.Sam’s experience shows that ______

A. everything has its time and that time must be watched.

B. he who risks nothing, gains nothing.

C. everything comes to him who waits.

D. he who laughs on Friday will weep on Sunday.