What makes it rain? Rain falls from clouds for the same reason anything falls to Earth. The Earth's gravity pulls it. But every cloud is made of water droplets or ice crystal(冰晶). Why doesn't rain or snow fall constantly from all clouds? The droplets or ice crystals in clouds are extremely small. The effect of gravity on them is slight. Air currents move and lift droplets so that the net downward amount of water is zero, even though the droplets are moving constantly.

    It can be seen that droplets and ice crystals behave somewhat like dust in the air in a beam of sunlight. To the casual observer, dust seems to act in a totally random fashion, moving about

without fixed direction. But in fact dust particles（分子） are much larger than water droplets and they finally fall. The average size of a cloud droplet is only 0.0004 inch in diameter（直径）. It is so small that it would take sixteen hours to fall half a mile in perfectly still air, and it doesn't fall out of moving air at all. Only when the droplet grows to a diameter of 0.008 inch or larger can it fall from the cloud. The average raindrop contains a million times as much water as a tiny cloud droplet. The growth of a cloud droplet to a size larger enough to fall out is the cause of rain and other forms of precipitation. This important growth process is called "coalescence".

1. Ice crystals do NOT immediately fall to Earth because            .

A. they are kept up by air currents

B. most of them change into steam

C. they combine with other chemicals in the atmosphere

D. their electrical charges draw them away from the earth

2. The underlined word "random" in line 10 most probably means            .

A. unpredictable     B. strict    C. independent     D. abnormal

3. What can be inferred about drops of water larger than 0.008 inch in diameter?

A. They never occur.

B. They are not affected by the force of gravity.

C. In moving air they would fall to earth.

D.In still air they fall a speed of thirty-two miles per hour.

4. How much bigger is the rain drop than a loud droplet?

A. 200 times bigger

B. 1,000 times bigger

C. 100,000 times bigger

     D. 1,000,000 times bigger

Efforts to reduce the damage from the huge oil spill(漏油)in the Gulf of Mexico are under way . How can you help ?A number of organizations are recruiting(招聘)volunteers.

The Deep Water Horizon response team is looking for help in identifying shoreline and animals affected . Oiled wildlife should not be captured but instead reported at 1-866-557-1401. To report areas with oil ashore or to leave contact information to volunteers in the affected areas , call 1-866-448-5816.

The National Wildlife Federation is looking for volunteers and support to help spot distressed or oiled wildlife , and to assist in the cleanup and restoration efforts along the coast of Louisiana. You can text the word “NWF” to 20222. That’ss donate ＄10 to the National Wildlife Federation through your phone bill.

United Way has launched the Gulf Recovery Fund . which is providing emergency assistance and long-term recovery support for the communities affected by this oil spill . Those who need help or want to volunteer can dial 2-1-1.You can donate to this fund by going to liveunited . org/gulfrecovery.or text the word “United” to 50555 to donate ＄10 from your mobile phone.

The First Response Team of America is working with the National Guard in Southern Louisiana to build dams to hold back the oil from the fragile coastal habitats . Their founder , Tad Agoglia —who was named a CNN Hero in 2008—has made their work on the oil . spill their top Priority(首位)until the disaster is contained.They are looking for volunteers . Call 941-388-3010.

AmenCares is providing medical care and supplies to oilspill victims along the Gulf , and is funding and assisting mental health assessments and counseling needs for the immediate and long-term health and mental health issues affecting children as a result of this disaster . Mental health experts are in great demand . The Children’s Health Fund can be reached at 1-800-535-7418.

1.If you see an oiled bird in the Gulf of Mexico . you are supposed to      .

A.catch it              B.raise it at home

C.call  1-866-557-1401      D.shoot at it

2..If you text the word . “NWF”to 20222 with your cellphone , you will     .

A.donate＄10 to the Nationas Wildlife Federation

B.get a free gift

C.donate＄10 to United Way

D.have a chance of winning a trip to France

3.Which of the following organizations are providing medical care?

A.United Way and AmenCares.

B.The Deep Water Horizon and The National Wildlife Federation.

C.The National Wildlife Federation and The Children’s Health Fund.

D.AmeriCares and The Children’s Health Fund.

4.We can infer that Tad Agoglia     .

A.is a person with the social responsibility

B.is an engineer on dam –building

C.is the founder of AmeriCares

D.should be responsible for the oil spill

5.If you are good at treating mental health problems and willing to volunteer ,you can dial the telephone number     .

A.1-800-486-4357            B.1-800-535-744

C.1-866-448-5816            D.941-388-3010

 As an English teacher, I’ve been lucky enough to travel to many countries all over the world. I’ve seen people celebrate everything from the arrival of new babies to the delivery of new cars. I’ve attended weddings, parties and religious celebrations in countries such as Argentina and Japan, and I’ve noticed that gold---the metal or the colour of it---is always part of cultural events, traditions and celebrations.

It makes me wonder: Why do people love gold?

For some people, gold seems to be a status(地位)symbol. Indian businessman Datta Phuge loves gold so much that he even bought a shirt made of gold at a cost of $250,000. I’m not sure I’d spend so much money on a shirt, would you? But Datta Phuge has his reason .He explains,“ Some people want to own an Audi or a Mercedes. I choose gold.”

For other people, gold is an investment(投资). The price of gold generally increases over time and in European markets, it reached even $1,500 per ounce in 2011.

And for many people, a family heirloom（传家宝）brings together status and investment. My mother has a gold bracelet（手镯）that was given to her by her grandmother who, in turn, inherited it from her own grandmother. It’s quite a heavy piece and probably worth quite a lot of money. But its mental value is greater than its value in dollars. It’s a beautiful object that holds many family memories. When the time comes, my mum will give the bracelet to me, and one day, I’ll pass it on to the younger generation.

Therefore, status and investment are good reasons to value gold. However, I think that the real reason why people love gold is that it can be made into beautiful objects. Think about Tutankhamen’s death mask. Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?

People love gold because it holds their minds, their imaginations and, above all, their hearts.

1.The main idea of the first paragraph is that______.

A. the author has traveled to many countries  

B. people celebrate almost everything

C. there are many ways to use gold               

D. people all over the world love gold

2.Datta Phuge bought a shirt made of gold because________.

A. gold is a status symbol to him           B. he loves this kind of shirt

C. people there love gold so much      D. he is a successful businessman

3.According to the passage, in Europe,gold could be________per ounce in 2010.

A. $1,550            B. $1,500         C. $1,450            D. $1,600

4.The gold bracelet is the heirloom for the author’s family mainly because______.

A. it’s worth a lot of money                B. it brings status and investment

C. it’s a beautiful object                    D. it holds family memories

5.In the author’s opinion, the real reason why people love gold is that________.

A. it is a status symbol to some people         

B. it can be made into beautiful objects

C. it can be passed on to the younger generation

D. it can bring people a lot of money

从对话后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。（共5题；每小题2，满分10分）
A: Excuse me. Where can I get the 8:30 flight to Chicago?
B:  __1 but the 8:30 flight to Chicago has just left.
A:  Oh, no! __ 2_
B : I'm afraid so.
A: I don't believe it. I’ve got to spend the weekend with my wife. When is the next flight to Chicago?
B: _3 It is at 9:45.
A: Not until 9:45? _4
B: Yes. I' m certain. Would you like to get a ticket?
A: _5  Please tell me when that flight arrives.
B :At 11:15 .Will that flight get you to Chicago in time for your weekend?
A: I hope so.

In spite of the uncertainty of the economy, the movie industry has been stricken by a box-office outburst. Suddenly it seems as if everyone is going to the movies, with ticket sales this year up 17.5 percent, to $1.7 billion.

And it is not just because ticket prices are higher. Attendance has also jumped, by nearly 16 percent. If that pace continues through the year, it would amount to the biggest box-office increase in at least two decades.

Americans, for the moment, just want to hide in a very dark place. People want to forget their troubles, and they want to be with other people. Helping feed the outburst is the mix of movies, which have been more audience-friendly in recent months as the studios have tried to adjust after the discouraging sales of more serious films.

As she stood in line at the 18-screen Bridge theater complex here on Thursday to buy weekend tickets for “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience,” Angel Hernandez was not thinking much about escaping reality. Instead, Ms. Hernandez, a Los Angeles parking lot attendant and mother of four young girls, was focused on one very specific reality: her wallet.

“Spending hundreds of dollars to take them to Disneyland is ridiculous right now,” she said. “For $60 and some candy money I can still be a good mom and give them a little fun.”

A lot of parents may have been thinking the same thing Friday, as “Jonas Brothers” sold out more than 800 theaters, and was expected to sell a powerful $25 million or more in tickets.

The film industry appears to have had a hand in its recent good luck. Over the last year or two, studios have released movies that are happier, scarier or just less depressing than what came before. After poor results for a rush of serious dramas built around the Middle East, Hollywood got back to comedies(喜剧).

64．Which of the following is not a reason for the improvement of the movie industry?

A. A growing number of people are going to the cinema.

B. People are richer with the development of economy.

C. More comedies are made than serious films.

D. People have to pay more to watch a movie.

65．Ms. Hernandez purchased the movie tickets because ________.

A. she tried to escape reality                                     B. she was a crazy movie fan

C. she was fond of Disneyland                                  D. she wanted to please her kids

66．According to the text, which of the following number is not used to describe the shooting up of the movie industry?

A.17.5%                      B. $1.7 billion                     C. $60                                 D. $25 million

67．The passage is developed mainly by ________.

A. presenting the effect and analyzing the causes       

B. following the order of time

C. describing problems and drawing a conclusion             

D. making comparison of ideas