Everyone has heard of the San Andreas fault （断层）, which constantly threatens California and the West Coast with earthquakes. But how many people know about the equally serious New Madrid fault in Missouri?

　　 Between December of 1811 and February of 1812, three major earthquakes occurred, all centered around the town of New Madrid, Missouri, on the Mississippi River. Property damage was severe. Buildings in the area were almost destroyed. Whole forests fell at once, and huge cracks opened in the ground,  releasing some strong smell chemicals.

　　 The Mississippi River itself completely changed character, developing sudden rapids and whirlpools (激流和漩涡). Several times it changed its course, and once, according to some observers, it actually appeared to run backwards. Few people were killed in the New Marid earthquakes, probably simply because few people lived in the area in 1811; but the severity of the earthquakes are shown by the fact that the shock waves rang bells in church towers in Charleston, South Carolina, on the coast. Buildings shook in New York City, and clocks were stopped in Washington, D.C.

Scientists now know that America's two major faults are essentially different. The San Andreas is a horizontal boundary between two major land masses that are slowly moving in opposite directions. California earthquakes result when the two masses make a sudden move.

     The New Madrid fault, on the other hand, is a vertical fault; at some points, possibly hundreds of millions of years ago, rock was pushed up toward the surface, probably by volcanoes under the surface. Suddenly, the volcanoes cooled and the rock collapsed, leaving huge cracks. Even now, the rock continues to settle downwards, and sudden sinking motions cause earthquakes in the region. The fault itself, a large crack in this layer of rock, with dozens of other cracks that split off from it, extends from northeast Arkansas through Missouri and into southern Illinois.

　　 Scientists who have studied the New Madrid fault say there have been numerous smaller quakes in the area since 1811; these smaller quakes indicate that larger ones are probably coming, but the scientists say they have no method of predicting when a large earthquake will occur.

1.This passage is mainly about ___________.

A. current scientific knowledge about faults

B. the San Andreas and the New Madrid faults

C. the causes of faults 　　　　　　　

D. the New Madrid fault in Missouri

2.The New Madrid fault is __________.

A. a vertical fault

B. a horizontal fault

C. a more serious fault than the San Andreas fault

D. responsible for forming the Mississippi River

3.This passage implies that _________.　　　　　　.

A. horizontal faults are more dangerous than vertical faults

B. Vertical faults are more dangerous than horizontal faults

C. The volcanoes that caused the New Madrid fault are still alive

D. A lot of people would die if the 1811 New Madrid earthquakes happened today

完形填空

　　As a teenager, I felt I was always letting people down. I was rebellious （反叛的）on the outside,___1___on the inside I wanted people to ___2____me.

　　Once I left home to hitchhike（搭便车）to California with my friend Penelope. The trip wasn't ____3___, and there were many times I didn't feel safe. One situation in particular ___4____ me grateful to still be alive. When I returned home, I was not so outwardly（表面地）different.

　　I was happy to be home. But then I noticed that Penelope, who was____5____with us, was wearing my clothes. And my ____6____seemed to like her better than me. I wondered if I would be __7___if I weren't there. I told my mom, and she explained that ___8___Penelope was a lovely girl, no one could ___9___me. I pointed out,”She is more patient and is heater than I have ever been.” My mom said these were wonderful ___10____,but I was the only person who could fill my ___11____. She made me realize that even with my____12_____——and they were many ——I was a loved member of the family who couldn't be replaced.

　　I became a searcher,___13___who I was and what made me unique（独特的）. My____14___of myself was changing. I wanted a solid base to start from. I started to resist（抵制）pressure to ___15___in ways that I didn't like any more, and I ___16___who I really was. I came to feel much more ____17___that no one can ever take my place.

　　Each of us ____18____ a unique place in the world. You are special, no matter what others say or what you may think. So ____19___ about being replaced. You ___20___ be.

B
　A new study has found no evidence that sunscreen, commonly used to reduce the risk of skin cancer, actually increases the risk.
　Research from the University of Iowa based their findings on a review of 18 earlier studies that looked at the association between sunscreen use and melanoma (黑素瘤). They said that they found flaws in studies that had reported associations between sunscreen use and higher risk of melanoma.
　Most health experts believe that by protecting the skin from the harmful effects of the sun, sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer, which is increasing in incidence (发生率) faster than any other cancer in the United States.
　But questions have been raised about sunscreen and whether it may have the opposite effect by allowing people to remain exposed to the sun longer without burning.
　The researchers said that among the problems with some earlier studies is that they often failed to take into account that those people most at risk for skin cancer---are more likely to use sunscreen. As a result, it may appear that sunscreen users get cancer more often.
　The studies, which generally relied on volunteers to recall their sunscreen use, were also unable to prove how well the products had been applied, said the new study.
60．The underlined word “flaws” in the 2nd paragraph most probably means _________.
A．evidences         B．facts         C．faults         D．failures
61．People with fair skin and freckles ________.
A．seldom use sunscreen　　　　　　         B．are more in danger of skin cancer
C．can be free from the harm of the sun　　     D．often expose themselves to the sun
62．We can learn from the passage that _________.
A．sunscreen users get skin cancer more often
B．the volunteers have proved the effect of the sunscreen
C．the new study has based on the experiences of volunteers
D．the number of skin cancer patients is increasing in America
63．Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A．Sunscreen to Prevent Skin Cancer　      B．Sunscreen to Increase Skin Cancer
C．Skin Cancer Caused by Sunscreen　      D．Skin Cancer Caused by Freckles

The $11 billion self-help industry is built on the idea that you should turn negative thoughts like “I never do anything right” into positive ones like “I can succeed.” But was positive thinking advocate Norman Vincent Peale right? Is there power in positive thinking?

　　Researchers in Canada just published a study in the journal Psychological Science that says trying to get people to think more positively can actually have the opposite effect: it can simply highlight how unhappy they are.

　　The study’s authors, Joanne Wood and John Lee of the University of Waterloo and Elaine Perunovic of the University of New Brunswick, begin by citing older research showing that when people get feedback which they believe is very positive, they actually feel worse, not better. If you tell your stupid friend that he has the potential of an Einstein, you’re just underlining his faults. In one 1990s experiment, a team including psychologist Joel Cooper of Princeton asked participants to write essays opposing funding for the disabled. When the essayists were later praised for their sympathy, they felt even worse about what they had written.

　　In this experiment, Wood, Lee and Perunovic measured 68 students’ self-esteem. The participants were then asked to write down their thoughts and feelings for four minutes. Every 15 seconds, one group of students heard a bell. When it rang, they were supposed to tell themselves, “I am lovable.”

　　Those with low self-esteem didn’t feel better after the forced self-affirmation. In fact, their moods turned significantly darker than those of members of the control group, who weren’t urged to think positive thoughts.

　　The paper provides support for newer forms of psychotherapy (心理治疗) that urge people to accept their negative thoughts and feelings rather than fight them. In the fighting, we not only often fail but can make things worse. Meditation techniques, in contrast, can teach people to put their shortcomings into a larger, more realistic perspective. Call it the power of negative thinking.

1.What do we learn from the first paragraph about the self-help industry?

　 A. It has produced positive results.

　 B. It is a highly profitable industry.

　 C. It is based on the concept of positive thinking.

　 D. It was established by Norman Vincent Peale.

2. What does the word “underline” mean (Line 4, Para. 3)?

　 A. point out        B. lay emphasis on     C. pay no attention to    D. take for granted

3.Which of the following is TRUE about the Canadian researchers’ study?

　 A. Encouraging positive thinking many do more good than harm.

   B. Self-affirmation can bring a positive change to one’s mood.

   C. There can be no simple therapy for psychological problems.

   D. Forcing a person to think positive thoughts may lower their self-esteem.

4.What do we learn from the last paragraph?

　 A. Meditation may prove to be a good form of psychotherapy.

　 B. People can avoid making mistakes through meditation.

　 C. Different people tend to have different ways of thinking.

　 D. The effects of positive thinking vary from person to person.