第四部分：任务型阅读(共10小题；每小题1分，满分10分)

请认真阅读下列短文，并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：请将答案写在答题卡上相应题号的横线上。每个空格只填1个单词。

For more than twenty years scientists have been seeking to understand the mystery of the‘‘sixth sense"of direction．By trying out ideas and solving problems one by one，they are now getting closer to one answer．

One funny idea is that animals might have a built-in compass(指南针)．

Our earth itself is a big magnet(磁体)．So a little magnetic needle that swings freely lines

itself with the big earth magnet to point north and south．When people discovered that idea about athousand years ago and invented the compass，it allowed sailors to navigate (航海)on oceanvoyages, even under

cloudy skies.

 Actuallly the idea of the living compass came just from observing animals in nature．

 Many birds migrate twice a year between their summer homes and winter homes．Some of them fly for thousands of kilometers and mostly at night．Experiments have shown that some birds can recognize star patterns．But they can keep on course even under cloudy skies．How can they do that?

A common bird that does not migrate but is great at finding its way home is the homing pigeon．Not all pigeons can find their way home．Those that can are very good at it，and they have been widely studied．

One interesting experiment was to attach little magnets to the birds’ heads to block their

magnetic sense—just as a loud radio can keep you from hearing a call to dinner．On sunny days, that did not fool the pigeons．Evidently they can use the sun to tell which way they are going．But on cloudy days，the pigeons with magnets could not find their way．It was as if the magnets had blocked their magnetic sense．

Similar experiments with the same kind of results were done with honeybees．These insects also seem to have a special sense ot direction．

In spite of the experiments，the idea of an animal compass seemed pretty extraordinary．How

would an animal get the magnetic stuff for a compass.

An answer came from an unexpected source．A scientist was studying bacteria that live in the

mud of ponds and marshes．He found accidentally little rod-like bacteria that all swam together in

one direction—north．

Further study showed that each little bacterium had a chain of dense particles inside，which

proved magnetic．The bacteria had made themselves into little magnets that could line up with the

earth’s magnet．

The big news was that a living thing，even a simple bacterium，can make magnetite．That led

to a search to see whether animals might have it.. By using a special instrument called magnetometer，scientists were able to find magnetite in bees and birds，and even in fish．In each

animal，except for the bee．the magnetic stuff was always in or closer to the brain．

Thus．the idea of a built—in animal compass began to seem reasonable．

Many people have been talking about the way in which the world will come to an end in 2012. Everybody wants to find out if December 21, 2012 is the last day of the earth. The rumor has already been spreading for a very long time. The Mayan’s prediction can account for the rumor. According to the rumor, the earth will experience dramatic changes in 2012 and the changes will be disastrous to all of the living creatures on earth. It is widely assumed that a Planet X will return to orbit the solar system. The return of Planet X will have a destructive effect on the solar system as well as on some planets including the Neptune, the Jupiter and the earth. Planet X will cross into their orbits. There’s a possibility that Jupiter will change into a little sun at this time, so folks will be well placed to see two suns in the sky in 2012.

    The solar flares (耀斑) that occur in a 11-year cycle will reach their highest point in 2012. The powerful solar flares will affect the magnetic field of the earth and cause disasters. On December 21, 2012, the sun and the earth will line up in the same line at the equator(赤道). The winter solstice(冬至) only occurs once every 25,800 years. The events in the universe are signals that the world will come to an end. As a result of the solar flares, lots of disasters will happen that will destroy the face of the whole earth. Scientists are making the guess primarily based on the Mayan Long Count Calendar.

    Many films have been made about the end of the world including End Game by Alex Jones and End Clock: Nostradamus 2012. The former provides insights about the way the world will become one state. After the world government is in place, it’s going to be easy to exterminate 80% of the people in the world. The rest will continue to live with assistance from advanced technology.

    No one knows whether the world will end on December 21, 2012: There is no clear answer until the day arrives. Just as the Mayans claim, it will not be the time for the world to end. Instead, it will be the dawn of a fresh start.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

   A. Information about end-of-the-world predictions.

   B. Different opinions about end-of-the-world predictions.

   C. Some doubts about end-of-the-world predictions.

   D. Destructive effects of the end of the world.

2.Which of the following things will NOT happen if the end of the world really happens?

   A. Humans will see two suns at the same time.

   B. The earth will look completely different.

   C. The earth and the moon will line up in the same line.

   D. The solar flares will become stronger than before.

3.The underlined word “exterminate” in Paragraph 3 probably means “__________”.

   A. save              B. kill             C. help             D. rule

4.What is the author’s attitude to the rumor that the world will end?

   A. Optimistic    .       B. Sad.             C. Unconcerned.     D. Scared.

The small coastal town of Broome, in northwest Australia, is a remote village in the vast countryside.
There are no traffic jams and hardly any roads. There is only the massive Australian wild land, where some houses are 500 miles apart and some driveways are 50 miles long.
There seem to be only two main sources of entertainment out here: the sunset at the beach and Sun Pictures.
Sun Pictures is a very different movie theater：The seats are park benches and deck chairs, but you’re also welcome to sit on the grass.
It is the world’s oldest outdoor movie garden. Sun Pictures was built in 1916 on the other side of the globe from Hollywood. All the big films were shipped here and the lonely country was amazed.
Broome resident Pearl Hamaguchi has never traveled far from home. But in the Sun Pictures chairs, under the deep blue night sky, she has been almost everywhere.
“And we came back excited about Gregory Peck,” she recalled.
This is one of the few places left in the world where you can see two sets of stars at the same time-----one set in the sky, the other in the film.
Each night, dozens of people from around the world line up at the old wooden stand, with no computer in sight, and buy their tickets to the latest films.
Sun Pictures is also a museum, exhibiting projectors(放映机) that date back to the silent films, a portrait gallery of the famous people who never knew about this place---- even though they came here all the time.
Every once in a while, I’m told, you might find a non-ticket holder in your seat. That’s why it’s always a good idea to shake out your chair to make sure there are no spiders or scorpions.
“We’ve only had a couple of scorpion incidents but no one’s been stung yet,” said Aaron Mestemaker, a tourist visiting from Michigan.
Sun Pictures is a holy hall of movie history and a reminder that air conditioning and carpet are no match for grass and fresh air---even when the lizards steal the scene.
【小题1】. The first two paragraphs want to show that__________.

Many people have been talking about the way in which the world will come to an end in 2012. Everybody wants to find out if December 21, 2012 is the last day of the earth. The rumor has already been spreading for a very long time. The Mayan’s prediction can account for the rumor. According to the rumor, the earth will experience dramatic changes in 2012 and the changes will be disastrous to all of the living creatures on earth. It is widely assumed that a Planet X will return to orbit the solar system. The return of Planet X will have a destructive effect on the solar system as well as on some planets including the Neptune, the Jupiter and the earth. Planet X will cross into their orbits. There’s a possibility that Jupiter will change into a little sun at this time, so folks will be well placed to see two suns in the sky in 2012.
The solar flares (耀斑) that occur in a 11-year cycle will reach their highest point in 2012. The powerful solar flares will affect the magnetic field of the earth and cause disasters. On December 21, 2012, the sun and the earth will line up in the same line at the equator(赤道). The winter solstice(冬至) only occurs once every 25,800 years. The events in the universe are signals that the world will come to an end. As a result of the solar flares, lots of disasters will happen that will destroy the face of the whole earth. Scientists are making the guess primarily based on the Mayan Long Count Calendar.
Many films have been made about the end of the world including End Game by Alex Jones and End Clock: Nostradamus 2012. The former provides insights about the way the world will become one state. After the world government is in place, it’s going to be easy to exterminate 80% of the people in the world. The rest will continue to live with assistance from advanced technology.
No one knows whether the world will end on December 21, 2012: There is no clear answer until the day arrives. Just as the Mayans claim, it will not be the time for the world to end. Instead, it will be the dawn of a fresh start.
【小题1】What is the passage mainly about?

For Americans, a mosquito bite is an itchy bother. But for many in Africa, a tiny bite can be deadly. One million people die each year of malaria, a disease spread by infected mosquitoes. Most of these people live in Africa, and are under age 5.

Malaria can be prevented and treated. However, many African nations don't have the funds to fight it. Nothing but Nets (NBN) hopes to change that. The United Nations Foundation created the campaign in 2006. The aim is to prevent malaria by covering sleeping areas with nets. Hanging bed nets treated with insecticide(杀虫剂) is the simplest way to stop mosquitoes from biting at night. The chemicals last four to five years. For $10, anyone can send a net to Africa and help save a life.

So far, NBN has raised $19 million and delivered 700,000 nets to seven countries. Families are taught how to use the nets. Kids also get vaccines (疫苗)and vitamins. "Women line up for miles to get the medicine for their kids," says NBN director Elizabeth McKee Gore. "They understand the importance."

So do kids in this country. "They get so excited thinking of ways to raise money," says NBN spokesperson and basketball star Ruth Riley.

NBN's biggest fund-raiser is Katherine Commale, 7. She's been spreading the information about bed nets for the past two years. To show how they work, she and her brother made a video. "We teach that bed nets can save lives," she said.

Katherine has raised $42,000 for NBN. "She just wants those who need a net to have one," says her mom, Lynda. "It's pretty simple to her." To find out how you can help, visit nothingbutnets.net.

We know from the passage that NBN is in fact _________.

   A. a deadly disease                B. an organization

   C. a piece of equipment            D. a game

The purpose of the passage is most probably ___________.

   A. to list the sufferings of the African people

   B. to introduce new ways to avoid mosquito bites

   C. to call on people to offer their help to Africans

   D. to tell people how to buy nets in Africa

By saying “So do kids in this country” in Paragraph 4,the author means that kids in this country also ___________.

   A. know the importance of the bed nets

   B. know how to protect themselves

   C. lack nets to protect themselves

   D. suffer from malaria

What do we know about Katherine from the passage?

   A. She set up the website nothingbutnets.net.

   B. She is the youngest money-raiser for NBN.

   C. She raised money by making and selling videos.

   D. She started working for NBN at the age of 5.