The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added -- a communications blackout caused by solar storms.
　　After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.
　　Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.
　　"The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.
　　At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. "A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometres per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is the greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.
　　Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.
　　The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.
　　Professor Richard Harrison, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advanced warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage. What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what's caused the problem," he said.
【小题1】The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to____________ during the 2012 Olympics.

The telephone rang in the police station at Richmond， California， USA. “Police station？ A train for Santa FE collide(碰撞)with a(n)　31　at the McDonald Street Crossing. Please go there at once， with an ambulance too. A man is badly injured，” said a(n)　32　voice of a young woman.

“Just a minute， we’ll come　33　. Please stay there and wait，” answered the policeman.

Within a minute， a police car and an ambulance　34　. Soon they got to the　35　， but only to　36　everything was fine. No collision， no　37　man.

“What a dirty trick！” said the policeman　38　. “We must find out that mischievous(恶作剧的)　39　and. . . ”

They had not been able to say anything about a punishment　40　they heard the whistle of a train： the train was nearing them quickly. All　41　a sudden， a truck appeared. It came fast towards them， too. 　42　it was passing the crossing， it suddenly refused to move on. Right then and there， before the eyes of all the people present， the train collided with the truck heavily and struck it　43　meters away.

When Randolph Bruce， the driver was　44　out of the damaged truck， he was　45　hurt just　46　the young woman had foretold on the phone. As he was taken to the　47　in time， he was saved at last.

Later the policemen did　48　they could to find the woman who had telephoned them， but　49　.

It is　50　that a prophecy(预言)should coincide(巧合)with the fact so exactly.

31. A. ambulance　　　　B. truck　　　　C. car　　　　　D. bus

32. A. anxious         B. sweet             C. gentle            D. low

33. A. fast            B. ahead             C. soon              D. later

34. A. went by        B. set off             C. got there           D. came on

35. A. telephone       B. street             C. station             D. crossing

36. A. feel            B. find              C. have              D. tell

37. A. injured         B. trapped            C. frightened         D. killed

38. A. happily         B. excitedly          C. angrily            D. disappointedly

39. A. man           B. policeman          C. woman           D. boy

40. A. until           B. since              C. while             D. when

41. A. at             B. of                C. by                D. for

42. A. When          B. Where            C. That              D. Which

43. A. dozen          B. dozens            C. dozen of           D. dozens of

44. A. raised          B. helped            C. pushed            D. forced

45. A. slightly         B. clearly            C. hardly            D. badly

46. A. as             B. so                C. before            D. for

47. A. police station    B. market            C. hospital           D. sidewalk

48. A. that            B. which             C. however          D. whatever

49. A. delayed         B. worked           C. stopped            D. failed

50. A. surprised        B. surprising         C. satisfied           D. satisfying

The telephone rang in the police station at Richmond, California, USA. “Police station？ A train for Santa FE collide（碰撞）with a（n）　31　at the McDonald Street Crossing. Please go there at once, with an ambulance too. A man is badly injured，” said a（n）　32　voice of a young woman.

“Just a minute, we’ll come　33　. Please stay there and wait，” answered the policeman.

Within a minute, a police car and an ambulance　34　. Soon they got to the　35　, but only to　36　everything was fine. No collision, no　37　man.

“What a dirty trick！” said the policeman　38　. “We must find out that mischievous（恶作剧的）　39　and.”

They had not been able to say anything about a punishment　40　they heard the whistle of a train: the train was nearing them quickly. All　41　a sudden, a truck appeared. It came fast towards them, too. 　42　it was passing the crossing, it suddenly refused to move on. Right then and there, before the eyes of all the people present, the train collided with the truck heavily and struck it　43　meters away.

When Randolph Bruce, the driver was　44　out of the damaged truck, he was　45　hurt just　46　the young woman had foretold on the phone. As he was taken to the　47　in time, he was saved at last.

Later the policemen did　48　they could to find the woman who had telephoned them, but　49　.

It is　50　that a prophecy（预言）should coincide（巧合）with the fact so exactly.

短文改错

完形填空（共20小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从16-35各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
It was the afternoon before Christmas. As the newest doctor in our office, I had to work. The only thing that___16___ my day was the Christmas tree in our waiting room and beautiful___17___ sent to me by my lover.
When I was cleaning my office, our nurse came, saying___18___was anxious to speak with me. As I stepped out of the room,I___19__a tired-looking woman with a___20___ in her arms. ___21___, she explained that her husband--a prisoner was my next___22__. She told me she wasn’t ___23__to visit him in prison and that he had never seen his son． Her___24___ for me was to let them sit in the waiting room longer.___25__my schedule wasn’t full, I agreed. Hardly had her husband ___26___ when the woman’s tired face lit up. I kept watching them laugh, cry, and share their child outside. After almost an hour, I called__27____in. He seemed like a gentle and modest man. While working, I ___28___what he possibly could have done to be put into prison. I tried to make him as ___29___ as possible.
　　At the end of the appointment, I ___30___ him a Merry Christmas—a difficult thing to say to a man headed back to ___31___. He smiled and thanked me. He also said he felt ___32___ that he hadn’t been able to give his wife anything for Christmas. On hearing this, I was inspired with a wonderful ___33___.
I’ll never forget the look on both their faces as the prisoner gave his wife the beautiful roses. I’m not sure who experienced the most ___34___—the husband in giving, the wife in receiving, or myself in having the ___35___to share in this special moment.