It is midnight on September 22, 2012. The sky above Manhattan，New York is filled with a curtain of colorful light. New Yorkers are fascinated by the beautiful aurora (极光). However, their fascination is short-lived.
Within a few seconds, electric bulbs dim and flicker (闪烁), then become unusually bright for a few seconds. Then all the lights go out. Within 90 seconds, the entire eastern half of the US is without power.
Besides the US, Europe, Japan and China are also hit by the same terrible event. It is a violent solar flare (太阳耀斑) ,150 million kilometers away on the surface of the sun.
Science fiction? No. A report funded by NASA and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences in January this year says it could happen.
A massive solar flare is most likely on a spring or autumn night in 2012, according to the report.
Solar flares are huge explosions on the surface of the sun. In a matter of just a few minutes they heat material to many millions of degrees and release as much energy as a billion megatons (百万吨) of TNT explosives. Solar flares release a stream of charged high-energy particles (粒子). They are called “solar winds”.
If one solar “wind” should hit the Earth’s magnetic shield (磁场), the result could be terrible for humans.
But there’s no need to run for cover from solar winds. They do not harm life on Earth, they only affect the way we live, especially since we depend so much on modern technology. They can pump extra electricity into power lines and pipelines, causing blackouts and fuel leaks. Solar winds are also known to affect mobile phone operations and may disrupt wireless Internet services.
Moreover, solar winds can prevent normal satellite operations, and disrupt radio communications and navigation systems such as the Global Positioning System.
Auroras are powered by solar wind. This wind blows past the Earth at about 400-700 km per second and creates storms in the Earth’s magnetic environment. In the polar regions these explode into southern or northern polar lights.
The most serious solar storm that hit Earth in history happened in 1859. It caused the failure of telegraph systems in Europe and North America.
So, for humans, the sun is a double-edged sword. Without the sun, there would be no life on Earth. Without the sun, Earth would be a frozen dark ball floating in space. However, on the other hand, the sun can disorder our lives from time to time.
56. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. It introduces to readers the advantages and disadvantages of the sun.
B. It describes a science fiction set in Manhattan on 22 September 2012.
C. It shows readers the way in which solar winds form inside the sun.
D. It explains what solar flares are and their effects on human life.
57. The first two paragraphs are written ____.
A. to show a beautiful scene in a true story
B. to describe the beautiful scenery of Manhattan
C. to describe the power problem around the world
D. to introduce the topic of this passage
58. What can we conclude from the passage?
A. Solar flares will do great harm to those who are using the Internet.
B. Solar flares cannot reach as far as the polar regions.
C. Solar flares are huge explosions that happen inside the sun.
D. But for our reliance on technology, solar flares wouldn’t
affect us so much.
59. Solar winds will likely affect us in the following ways EXCEPT that ____.
A. normal satellite operations will be stopped
B. the lights in the areas affected will go out at the same time
C. people on the streets will be struck to death
D. some navigation systems will be out of order

We considered a list of the best American books. Here are five that may help accurately show the national character. Most from a century or so ago, they still entertain, teach, and inspire:

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

First published in 1851, the adventure stories of Captain Ahab and his monomaniacal(偏执的) pursuit of the white whale draw us into a universe full of fascinating characters and stories.

The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams

Published in 1918, the book was an autobiography. Born in one of America’s most famous political families, Adams provides insight into his family, including his experience as private secretary to his father, minister to England during the American Civil war.

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

When Whitman published Leaves of Grass in 1855, he wanted to accurately describe the American experience and reflect the great changes in the American literary world that had taken place during his lifetime.

Poems by Emily Dickinson

An enthusiastic poet whose works have had considerable influence on modern poetry, Dickson’s frequent use of dashes, occasional capitalization(大写) of nouns, and unconventional metaphors(隐喻) have contributed to her reputation as one of the most inventive poets of the 19^th century American literature. However, most of her poems were not published during her lifetime.

The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

First published in 1855, this is Longfellow’s most popular and most recognized poem, the heroic life and death of a magic American Indian, sent by the Great Spirit to guide the nations in the ways of peace.

1.Walt Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass in order to _______.

A. show his talent and heroic life to us

B. draw us into a fascinating universe

C. provide insight into his family

D. reflect the great changes in the American literary world

2.If you want to read a story about a magic American Indian, you can read _______.

A. Moby-Dick             B. The Song of Hiawatha

C. Poems                 D. Leaves of Grass

3.Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Because the five books are from a century or so ago, they can’t teach and inspire us.

B. Herman Melville was considered as one of the most inventive poets of the 19^th century American literature.

C. The Education of Henry Adams is a non-fiction book.

D. Of the five books, Moby-Dick was published last.

4.Why did the author write the passage?

A. To introduce several best American books to readers.

B. To make an advertisement for a book store.

C. To tell stories of several famous writers.

D. To talk about some knowledge about literature.

第II卷（选择题共35分）

第四部分：写作（共两节，满分35分）

第一节：任务型读写（共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分）

阅读下面短文，根据所读内容在文章后表格中的空格里填入一个最恰当的单词。

注意：表格中的每个空格只填一个单词。请将答案写在答题卡相应题号的横线上。

Some people believe that greed and selfishness has become the basis of modern society, and we should return to the old traditions of family and community then we will have a better life. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the above opinion?

In this fast-paced world, many values are undergoing major changes. While people traditionally prioritize caring, sharing and generosity in life and work, modern people seem to be more self-absorbed and self-concerned.

Modern people act selfishly to survive the harsh competition of life. They say that it is a jungle out there. To survive, you have to fight with whatever means that come handy. Obviously greedy and selfishness go perfectly well with such ideas. In a company, employees do everything they can to get better pay and higher position, even at the cost of colleagues. We are in any way advocating any selfish conduct. It is just that people are pressured to act in a certain way due to outside influences.

In spite of common practice, it is hard to conclude that modern society is built on greed and selfishness, both of which are not newly invented vocabulary. In ancient times people also did greedy and selfish things though such behaviors were more condemned then. But we can not ignore the fact that people in the past lived a relatively more isolated life and faced less pressure compared with their modern counterparts.

Are we happier to share with others and be generous to them? There is no fixed answer either. Some people take great pleasure helping and giving to others while others feel happy doing the opposite. But I personally think that people should not be too selfish. Caring for others can actually encourage the development of a mutually beneficial relationship.

In conclusion, modern people appear to be more self-centered than those in the past due to strong outside pressure. However, we should encourage people to know the importance of being caring and generous and to build a mutually beneficial relationship with others.

Are Modern People Becoming More Selfish?

In the near future, we may be using our eyes to operate our smart-phones and tablets, even when it comes to playing popular games like Fruit Ninja.

The Gaze Group has been developing eye-controlled computer technology for nearly 20 years. But those devices have been firstly designed to help those with disabilities, and are very expensive.

“After a while, we figured out that probably the best way is to go for a mass-market way,” says Gaze’s Sune Alstrup Johansen. “where everybody would have this available."

Johansen and some of his colleagues have formed a new company, the Eye Tribe, which is hoping to develop the technology on a mass commercial level.

The technology works with the help of the computing device toward the user’s face. After making sure of the user’s eye movements, the technology is then able to easily find where a person’s eyes are moving, and then allow the eyes to control a cursor(光标).

“Our software can then determine the location of the eyes and know where you’re looking on the screen to make sure what you’re looking at, ” reads an explanation on the Eye Tribe site.

There has been a gradual change toward hands-free technology in recent years, particularly in the gaming world. Recently Xbox released the Kinect device, which lets users control their Xbox and play certain games using only their hands, legs and voices. But still, most of these devices have been more of a gimmick than a practical way to use one’s hands to control a mobile device. Johansen said a replaceable filter(滤光器)would be a cheap, convenient way for most consumers.

And even as companies like The Eye Tribe work to create such a product for the average user, making the eye-controlled technology more accessible and less expensive will have similar benefits for physically disabled users.

For more articles on modern science，please CLICK here．

1.Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?

A. An introduction of eye-controlling technology

B. An introduction of a new device.

C. An introduction of smart-phones

D. An introduction of a new technology for the disabled.

2.The underlined word “gimmick” probably means ___________.

A. a way                           B. a trick                          C. a lie                             D. a dream

3.According to the passage, we can learn that ___________.

A. the eye-controlling technology was first developed for the blind

B. the present developing of the technology will bring no good

C. the eye-controlling technology is only intended for the disabled people

D. there is no such a phone as we can use only with our eyes at present

4.This passage is probably taken from ___________.

A. an experiment report                               B. a science fiction

C. a science website                                     D. a school textbook

We considered a list of the best American books. Here are five that may help accurately show the national character. Most from a century or so ago, they still entertain, teach, and inspire:

Moby-Dick by Herman Melville

First published in 1851, the adventure stories of Captain Ahab and his monomaniacal(偏执的) pursuit of the white whale draw us into a universe full of fascinating characters and stories.

The Education of Henry Adams by Henry Adams

Published in 1918, the book was an autobiography. Born in one of America’s most famous political families, Adams provides insight into his family, including his experience as private secretary to his father, minister to England during the American Civil war.

Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman

When Whitman published Leaves of Grass in 1855, he wanted to accurately describe the American experience and reflect the great changes in the American literary world that had taken place during his lifetime.

Poems by Emily Dickinson

An enthusiastic poet whose works have had considerable influence on modern poetry, Dickson’s frequent use of dashes, occasional capitalization(大写) of nouns, and unconventional metaphors(隐喻) have contributed to her reputation as one of the most inventive poets of the 19^th century American literature. However, most of her poems were not published during her lifetime.

The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

First published in 1855, this is Longfellow’s most popular and most recognized poem, the heroic life and death of a magic American Indian, sent by the Great Spirit to guide the nations in the ways of peace.

1.Walt Whitman wrote Leaves of Grass in order to _______.

A. show his talent and heroic life to us

B. draw us into a fascinating universe

C. provide insight into his family

D. reflect the great changes in the American literary world

2.If you want to read a story about a magic American Indian, you can read _______.

A. Moby-Dick             B. The Song of Hiawatha

C. Poems                 D. Leaves of Grass

3.Which statement is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Because the five books are from a century or so ago, they can’t teach and inspire us.

B. Herman Melville was considered as one of the most inventive poets of the 19^th century American literature.

C. The Education of Henry Adams is a non-fiction book.

D. Of the five books, Moby-Dick was published last.

4.Why did the author write the passage ?

A. To introduce several best \American books to readers .

B. To make an advertisement for a book store .

C. To tell stories of several famous writers .

D. To talk about some knowledge about literature.