You have waited 45 minutes for the valuable 10 minutes’ break between classes. But when the bell for the next class rings, you can’t believe how ___41__ time has passed.

If you are ___42___ with this scene, you’ll know how time flies when you are having fun and __43__ when you are bored. Now scientists have ___44___ a reason why this is the case.

Scans have shown that patterns of activity in the brain ___45___ according to how we focus on a task. When we are ___46___ ,we concentrate more on how time is passing. And ____47___ makes our brains think the clock is ticking more slowly.

In an experiment ____48___ by a French laboratory, 12 volunteers watched an image ___49___ researchers monitored their brain activity.

The volunteers were told to __50____ concentrate on how long an image appeared for, then ____51___ the color of the image, and thirdly, study both duration（持续时间，期间） and color. The results showed that ___52__ was more active when the volunteers paid attention to ___53__ subjects.

It is thought __54____ if the brain is focusing on many aspects of a task, it has to    ___55__ its resources, and pays less attention to the clock. ____56__, time passes without us really __57___it, and seems to go quickly. If the brain is not so active, it concentrates its ___58____ energies on monitoring the passing of time. __59__, time seems to drag.

Next time you feel bored __60___, perhaps you should pay more attention to what the teacher is saying!

41. A. slowly     B. quickly     C. terribly     D. foolishly

42. A. disappointed     B. satisfied     C. familiar       D. similar

43. A. drags       B. stops       C. goes       D. backs

44. A. thought over    B. made up   C. suggested with    D. come up with

45. A. change    B. develop     C. grow     D. slow

46. A. sleepy    B. bored    C. excited    D. active

47. A. which       B. we      C. this    D. what

48. A. produced    B. carried out    C. tried     D. did

49. A. where      B. when      C. while        D. as

50. A. partly        B. quickly       C. how      D. first

51. A. familiar with     B. focus on    C. make out    D. tell apart

52. A. the researchers     B. the experiment      C. the clock      D. the brain

53. A. no             B. less       C. some         D. more

54. A. when           B. which      C. that         D. where

55. A. fix            B. gather     C. reach        D. spread

56. A. However    B. Furthermore     C. Therefore      D. Finally

57. A. recognizing    B. watching    C. noticing     D. counting

58. A. enough      B. full       C. right      D. proper

59. A. In fact     B. As a result    C. For example    D. Instead

60. A. in class    B. with work    C. in mind     D. of lessons

阅读理解

　　In November 1965, New York was blacked out by an electricity failure. The government officials promised that it would not happen again. Pessimists(悲观者) were certain that it would occur again within five years at the lastest. In July 1977, there was a repeat performance which produced different degrees of disorder throughout the city of 8,000,000 people. In 1965, the failure occurred in the cool autumn and at a time of peace and good situation. In 1977, the failure was much more serious because it came when the number of people out of work was large and the city was suffering from one of its worst heat waves.

　　In 1965, there was little stealing during the darkness, and fewer than 100 people were caught by the police. In 1977, hundereds of stores were broken into and stolen. They broke shopwindows and helped themselves to jewellery, clothes or television sets, nearly 400 people were sent to the police but far more disappeared into the darkness of the night. The number of the policemen at hand was far from enough and they were wisely stopped from using their guns against the mobs(暴徒)that were far more than them and that included armed men.

　　Hospitals had to treat hundreds of people cut by glass from shop windows. Banks and most businesses remained closed the next day. The blackout started at 9:33 p. m. when lightning hit and knocked out vital cables(关键的电缆). Many stores were thus caught by surprise.

　　The vast majority of New Yorkers, however, tried to help strangers, handed out candles, and tried to get through the dark world without traffic lights, refrigerators, water and electrical power. For 24 hours, New York realized how helpless it was without electricity.

1．Look at the 1st paragraph, who were right, the government officials or the pessimists?

[　　]

2．In what way was the blackout of 1977 different from that of 1965?

[　　]

A．There was much more disorder.

B．This time the electricity supply failed.

C．It was quite unexpected.

D．It came in the cool autumn.

3．Why did many persons manage to escape the police?

[　　]

A．The police could not see them in the darkness.

B．Many of them carried guns.

C．There were not enough policemen to catch them all.

D．They were hidden inside big buildings.

4．The 1997 New York electricity failure lasted ________.

[　　]

Reading Comprehension

Read the following passages, and choose the best answer that can answer the question.

　　In November 1965, New York was blacked out by an electricity failure. The governmenr officials promised that it would not happen again. Pessimists(悲观者) were certain that would occur again within five years at the latest. In July 1977, there was a repeat performance which produced different degrees of disorder throughout the city of 8,000,000 people. In 1965, the failure occurred in the cool autumn and at a time of peace and good situation. In 1977, the failure was much more serious because it came when the number of people out of work was large and the city was suffering from one of its worst heat waves.

　　In 1965 there was little stealing during the darkness, and fewer were caught by the police. In 1977, hundreds of stores were broken into and stolen. They broke shop windows and helped themselves to jewellery, clothes or television sets, nearly 400 people were sent to the police but far more disappeared into the darkness of the night. The number of policemen at hand was far from enough and they were wisely stopped from using their guns against the mobs(暴徒) that were far more than them and that included arms(有武器的).

　　Hospital had to treat hundreds of people cut by glass from shop windows. Banks and most business remained closed the next day. The blackout started at 9: 33p. m., when lightening hit and knocked out vital cables. Many stores were thus caught by surprise.

　　The vast majority of New Yorkers, however, tried to help strangers, handed out candles, and tried to get electricity power. For 24 hours, New York realized how helpless it was without electricity.

1．Look at the first paragraph. Who were right, the government officials or the pessimists?

[　　]

A．the government officials

B．The pessimists

C．Both

D．Neither

2．In what way was the blackout of 1977 different from that of 1965?

[　　]

A．There was much more disorder.

B．This time the electricity supply failed.

C．It was quite unexpected.

D．It came in the cool autumn.

3．What caused the blackout in July 1977

[　　]

A．The heat waves made people turn on too much electrical equipment.

B．Because many people lost their jobs, some machines, were not in proper working order.

C．During the storm, lightning damaged the supply cables.

D．The passage does not tell us.

4．Why did many persons manage to escape the police ________.

[　　]

A．The police could not see them in the darkness.

B．Many of them carried guns

C．There were not enough policemen to catch them all.

D．They were hidden inside big buildings.

5．The 1977 New York electricity failure lasted ________.

[　　]