2．How many things can you see in the night sky？A lot!On a clear night you might see the Moon，some planets，and thousands of sparkling stars．
You can see even more with a telescope．You might see stars where before you only saw dark space．You might see that many stars look larger than others．You might see that some stars that look white are really red or blue．With bigger and bigger telescopes you can see more and more objects in the sky．And you can see those objects in more and more detail．
But scientists believe there are some things in the sky that we will never see．We won't see them with the biggest telescope in the world，on the clearest night of the year．
That's because they're invisible．They're the mysterious dead stars called black holes．
You might find it hard to imagine that stars die．After all，our Sun is a star．Year after year we see it up in the sky，burning brightly，giving us heat and light．The Sun certainly doesn't seem to be getting old or weak．But stars do burn out and die after billions of years．
As a star's gases burn，they give off light and heat．But when the gas runs out，the star stops burning and begins to die．
As the star cools，the outer layers of the star pull in toward the center．The star squashes into a smaller and smaller ball．If the star was very small，the star ends up as a cold，dark ball called a black dwarf．If the star was very big，it keeps squashing inward until it's packed together tighter than anything in the universe．
Imagine if the Earth were crushed until it was the size of a tiny marble．That's how tightly this dead star，a black hole，is packed．What pulls the star in toward its center with such power？It's the same force that pulls you down when you jump-the force called gravity．A black hole is so tightly packed that its gravity sucks in everything-even light．The light from a black hole can never come back to your eyes．That's why you see nothing but blackness．
So the next time you stare up at the night sky，remember：there's more in the sky than meets the eye!Scattered in the silent darkness are black holes-the great mystery of space．
 
66．According to the article，what causes a star to die？D
A．As it gets hotter and hotter，it explodes．
B．It collides with other stars．
C．It can only live for about a million years．
D．As its gases run out，it cools down．
67．Which of the following statements is NOT a fact？B
A．Black holes are dead stars．
B．There is nothing as mysterious as a black hole．
C．Black holes are invisible．
D．Black holes have gravity．
68．Which of the following is NOT a feature of a black dwarf？A
A．It is usually bigger than a white dwarf．
B．It is dark．
C．It is smaller in size than a common star．
D．It is cold．
69．What happens after a star dies？C
A．It burns up all of its gases．
B．It falls to Earth．
C．It becomes invisible．
D．It becomes brighter and easier to see．
70．Why can't you see light when you look at a black hole？D
A．For most black holes are so far away．
B．As the star's gases burn，it stops giving off heat and light．
C．As a star cools，its outer layers pull in toward its center．
D．The gravity of a black hole is so strong that it sucks the light inward．

1．You know the steps to getting a driver's license for an American young person？
In America，every student in his or her second year of high school is required to take a class in driver's education，which is a summer course．
DRIVER'S EDUCATION：CLASS TIME & DRIVING TIME
CLASS TIME：
Students are supposed to learn laws and regulations．They have a text from which they study the basic laws they must know to pass the written driving test that is given to anyone wanting to get a license．
DRIVING TIME：
*Students practice starting steering，backing up，parking，switching lanes，turning corners，and all the other maneuvers required．
*Each student is required to drive a total of six hours．
*The students are divided into groups of four，each time being out for two hours．Thus，each student gets half an hour driving time per outing．
*The instructor and the‘driver'sit in the front seats while the other three students in the back．
DIFFERENCES OF THE DRIVER'S EDUCATION CARS
They have two sets of brakes，one on the driver's side and one on the instructor's side．
On the top of the car is a sign that reads：STUDENT DRIVER，letting nearby drivers use extra caution．
TO GET THE LICENSE
*Firstly，pass the driver's education course．
*Then，reach the appropriate age （this age differs in every state but in most cases the person must be 16years old．）
*Thirdly，take the driver's test，including an eye examination，a written test，and a road test．
***If the person did well in his or her driver's education class，he or she will pass the test with flying colors and get a driver's license．

70．In America，the driver's course mentioned aboveD．
A．is considered as part of the advanced education
B．is given to anyone wanting to get a driver's license
C．is carried on at the same time as other courses
D．is offered to all the students of Grade 2in high schools
71．To prevent accidents，a driver's Education carB．
A．has a sign inside it
B．has two sets of brakes
C．is big enough to hold five persons
D．can't run very fast
72．We can infer that the students are required toA in their whole driving practice．
A．go out driving for twelve times 
B．spend no more than six hours driving
C．drive for two hours 
D．get half an hour driving
73．Which of the following does not agree with the requirements for the students wanting to get their driver's license？D
A．They must be 16years old．
B．They should go to have their driver's test．
C．They must have their eyes examined．
D．They ought to do well in their driver's course．

20．Early one morning，more than a hundred years ago，an American inventor called Elias Howe finally fell asleep．He had been working all night on the design of a sewing machine but he had run into a very difficult problem：It seemed impossible to get the thread to run around the needle without any problems．
Though he was tired，Howe slept badlyHe turned and turned．Then he had a dream．He dreamt that he had been caught by terrible savages whose king wanted to kill him and eat him unless he could build a perfect sewing machine．When he tried to do so，Howe ran into the same problem as before．The thread kept getting caught around the needle．The king flew into the cage and ordered his soldiers to kill Howe．They came up towards him with their spears raised．But suddenly the inventor noticed something．There was a hole in the tip of each spear．The inventor awoke from the dream，realizing that he had just found the answer to the problem．Instead of trying to get the thread to run around the needle，he should make it run through a small hole in the center of the needle．This was the simple idea that finally made Howe design and build the first really practised sewing machine．
Elias Howe was not the only one in finding the answer to his problem in this way．Thomas Edison，the inventor of the electric light，said his best ideas came into him in dreams．So did the great physicist Albert Einstein．Charlotte Brone also drew in her dreams in writing Jane Eyre．
To know the value of dreams，you have to understand what happens when you are asleep．Even then，a part of your mind is still working．This unconscious（无意识的），but still active part understands your experiences and goes to work on the problems you have had during the day．It stores all sorts of information that you may have forgotten or never have really noticed．It is only when you fall asleep that this part of the brain can send messages to the part you use when you are awake．However，the unconscious par acts in a special way．It uses strange images which the conscious part may not understand at first．This is why dreams are sometimes called"secret messages to us"．

21．The problem Howe was trying to solve wasD．
A．what kind of thread to use
B．how to design a needle which would not break
C．where to put the needle
D．how to stop the thread from getting caught around the needle
22．Thomas Edison is spokenof becauseB．
A．he also tried to invent a sewing machine  
B．he got some of his ideas from dreams
C．he was one of Howe's best friends        
D．he also had difficulty in falling asleep
23．Dreams are sometimes called"secret messages to ourselves"becauseA．
A．strange images are used to communicate ideas
B．images which have no meaning are used
C．we can never understand the real meaning
D．only specially trained people can understand them．

19．"The way we choose to respond when others make mistakes can cause them to feel ashamed or can allow them to remember our kindness and share our stories with future generations．"
--Michelle Sedas
When I read the above quote I couldn't help but（41）B Doris．She had been a science teacher by（42）C，but she also was a very（43）A person．All around her room were dolls that she had made．They were the most interesting dolls I'd ever seen；each was very（44）B from the other．
By talking to Doris I learned she'd（45）C a class in doll making．One day while I was in her room she took one of the dolls out of the case to（46）D me．This doll was very（47）D with fine artistic work．I was （48）D that anyone could do such unique work．
As Doris was （49）A the doll carefully in her hand，I could see a slight break in the skirt．I was（50）Cto know what happened．Doris said that on the way to class she（51）D the side of the skirt．She expressed how scared she was and almost didn't go to（52）A at all．When it came her（53）C to show the doll to the teacher，she had to point out the（54）B in the skirt．Doris felt for sure that the doll would be（55）A because of it．Much to her surprise the teacher told her she was just going to （56）B this break and grade the doll on the other good（57）D it had．Doris shared that this remark and（58）C from the teacher changed her life．
This teacher could have mde Doris feel（59）A by her mistake．But （60）B her willingness to ignore the mistake，Doris was sharing her kindness with the next generation．

41．A．give up	B．think of	C．turn down	D．call on
42．A．birth	B．accident	C．profession	D．mistake
43．A．creative	B．generous	C．energetic	D．conservative
44．A．far	B．different	C．free	D．safe
45．A．prepared	B．quitted	Ctaken	D．organized
46．A．flatter	B．upset	C．comfort	D．show
47．A．common	B．cheap	C．expensive	D．unusual
48．A．disappointed	B．annoyed	C．terrified	D．amazed
49．A．turning	B．bending	C．mending	D．shaking
50．A．sorry	B．proud	C．curious	D．content
51．A．burned	B．decorated	C．replaced	D．bumped
52．A．class	B．church	C．hospital	D．work
53．A．honor	B．task	C．turn	D．choice
54．A．spot	B．break	C．hole	D．patch
55．A．rejected	B．appreciated	C．destroyed	D．removed
56．A．value	B．ignore	C．notice	D．assess
57．A．talents	B．quantities	C．varieties	D．qualities
58．A．responsibility	B．habit	C．attitude	D．standard
59．A．ashamed	B．shocked	C．puzzled	D．overjoyed
60．A．as for	B．because of	C．in spite of	D．apart from

18．Old people are easy to feel lonely because their children are busy with their work and have little time to spend with them．Most of them have to be companied by pet dogs．However，it is sometimes impossible for some old people to keep pet dogs because they are too old or ill to take care of pet dogs．
Experts are studying the influence of robotic dogs on old people's depression（忧郁症），physical activity，and life satisfaction．Researchers are placing robotic dogs in the homes of lonely old people to see whether they can improve the quality of life for old people．Alan Beck，an expert in human-animal relationship，said，"Old people should be more active，challenged，excited．The problem is how we promote that，especially for those without friends or help．A robotic dog could be a solution．"
In the study，the robot，called AIBO，is placed for six weeks in the houses of some old people who live alone．These old people will keep a diary to note their feelings and activities before and after AIBO．Researchers will collect basic data for six weeks．Then，the researchers will review the data to decide if there are any changes in the life of its owner．
"I talk to him all the time，and he responds to my voice，"says a 70-year-old lady．"When I'm watching TV，he'll stay in my arms until he wants down．He has a mind of his own．"
The AIBOs respond to certain orders．The researchers say they have some advantages over real dogs，especially for old people．Often the elderly are disabled and cannot care for an animal by walking it or playing with it．A robotic dog needn't any exercise and feeding concerns．
"At the beginning，it was believed that no one would prefer the robotic dog because it was metal and not furry （毛茸茸的），"Beck says．"But it's amazing how quickly we have given up that belief．"
Hopefully，these robotic pets could become a more valuable health helper．They will record their masters'blood pressure，oxygen levels，or heart rhythms．AIBOs may even one day have games that can help exciting older people's minds．
63．From the passage we can learn that old people can easily feel lonely becauseC．
 A．their children don't like to stay with them
B．they don't have pet dogs
C．their children are too busy to stay with them
D．they don't have robotic dogs
64．The underlined word"note"in the third paragraph means"C"．
A．to give notice   B．to pay attention   C．to write down   D．to talk about
65．The author may believe that the future robotic dogs canB．
A．help excit old people's minds   
B．take the place of real dogs
C．cure a lot of serious diseases   
D．change people's beliefs
66．Which is the best title for the passage？B
A．Pet Dogs Need Robotic Dogs   
B．Old People Need Robotic Dogs
C．All People Need Robotic Dogs   
D．Researchers Need Robotic Dogs．

17．When was the last time you wrote a letter？If your answer is"not recently"，you can count  yourself among the many teenagers who don't often write letters．
A recent survey of 1，000 teenagers around the world done by the French stationery（文具）  company BIC found that a third of today's teenagers had never written a letter，half had not  written a thank-you letter，around 83 percent had never written a love letter，and a quarter ha d not even written a birthday or Christmas card．In fact，58 percent of teenagers complained that    handwriting was"too slow"and 17 percent believed it was"outdated"．
These results have caused worries that the art of handwriting may one day die out，even  though many people still think it is a key skill．
"Handwriting is one of the most creative art forms we have and should be given the same  importance as other art forms such as sketching（素描），painting，or photography，"Jonathan  Skyrme，general manager of BIC UK &Ireland，told the Daily Mail．
The New York Times explained that a handwritten letter sends a message in a way that on line messages can never do．"When you get a n e-mail，you can never be sure that you are the only person to have received it-or even that it was written by the person who sent it，"said the newspaper．
As US author Simon Garfield once wrote，"E-mails are a poke（蜻蜒点水），but letters are a loving touch．"
So imagine the powerful message you would send if you actually wrote out your thoughts for another person by hand，bought a stamp，took your note to a mailbox and waited days for your special someone to receive it．Their smile at your thoughtfulness would say it a11．
25．What can we learn from Paragraph 2？C
A．300 teenagers of today's had never written a letter．
B．250 teenagers of today's had not even written a birthday or Christmas card．
C．Most teenagers hadn't written a love letter．
D．Over half teenagers thought handwriting was out of date．
26．The New York Times and the author Simon Garfi eld may both agree thatB．
A．1etters and E-mails have their own advantages
B．1etters are better than E-mails
C．1etters and E-mails send a message in the same way
D．when getting a letter or an E-mail，you're the only person to receive it
27．Which is true according to the last paragraph？B
A．It's a waste of time to write a letter．
B．People would be glad to receive a letter．
C．It is ridiculous to post a letter．
D．It's boring to wait for a letter．

16．Ian Mercer doesn't set an alarm clock．The former Microsoft senior manager doesn't check the weather，either．He doesn't turn on lights，water the yard，or adjust the thermostat（恒温器）．He doesn't open the curtains，answer the phone，or call his children for dinner．There's something unique about Ian's home．He has programmed it to do all these things for him．
Ian doesn't live in a typical home or have a typical lifestyle．He spent over a decade designing the systems that feature in his unique home．He bought a home automation software package and then improved it．
Now there are 79sensors and monitors，and 48light switches in his home．Lights turn on automatically in rooms with people in them．Even being out，Ian can also control his home remotely using voice commands or his phone in any location．That is only the beginning of what this home has been programmed to do．
It connects with online calendars，caller ID，online weather services，online address boos，and email，among other things，to get Ian through his day．For example，if there is a meeting in Ian's calendar，it will wake him up，open his bedroom curtains，start and set his shower to his desired temperature．It also informs Ian about traffic conditions．
There is plenty more this home has been programmed to do．It keeps him updated on his favorite sports teams and scores．It even monitors online activity to check that Ian's children are doing their homework．The"dinner's ready"command stops operation of their computers and TVs．This is easier than asking his children o shut them down．
Ian's home is unique． Most homes are not this smart，but soon more homes will be technologically advanced．
21．What makes Ian's home unique？B
A．Having more furniture than usual
B．Being programmed with smart software
C．Creating a traditional atmosphere for Ian
D．Working automatically without Ian's order
22．What can we learn about Ian？B
A．He invented the home automation software
B．He devoted years to improving the systems
C．He is seeking to control his home remotely
D．He failed to monitor his children's homework
23．What does the underlined sentence imply？A
A．Smart homes are future trends
B．Ian's home is far from satisfaction
C．Technology of smart home is too expensive
D．Homes smarter than Ian's can be found everywhere．

15．There is a small shop about 200meters from where I live that sells groceries，meat and other basic necessities．About 10years ago，there was a beggar who would go into the shop every day and ask the owner for a （36）C．The owner，although he would love to help，simply didn't have any jobs available，so he kept （37）D the man's request．
This situation continued daily for a few months，until the owner （38）A to give the homeless man a job which （39）B sweeping outside the shop．Every single day from 5am，the homeless man was there doing the very best he could for the （40）C，and it did earn him some pennies．（41）D，the owner saw how good a job the man was doing and gave him a job working as a cashier．He was watched closely to make sure that he didn't （42）B any of the money received from the sales．He was still homeless，after all．The homeless man did a/an （43）A job as a cashier for over 2years，and did such a good job that he was promoted to（44）D the finance for the whole shop．
To my knowledge，this was the arrangement up until 2years ago，when the owner （45）C．In his will，he only had one request，to give the whole shop to the now stable，"homeless"man．Now，I could walk into that shop and see him working as hard as ever，with his own business that is still （46）B and active 10years after getting his job as a sweeper．
From this story，we can probably get the inspiration：work hard and give everything your best effort，even if it isn't your （47）A situation，it may turn out to be very good some day in the future．

36．A．coin	B．home	C．job	D．meal
37．A．ignoring	B．considering	C．accepting	D．refusing
38．A．agreed	B．wanted	C．planned	D．expected
39．A．meant	B．involved	C．permitted	D．kept
40．A．family	B．shop	C．owner	D．money
41．A．Normally	B．Accurately	C．Generally	D．Eventually
42．A．lose	B．pocket	C．spend	D．save
43．A．honest	B．practical	C．fantastic	D．kind
44．A．take	B．raise	C．provide	D．manage
45．A．got down	B．grew up	C．passed away	D．gave up
46．A．big	B．popular	C．different	D．new
47．A．ideal	B．current	C．reasonable	D．financial

14．She's in a hopeless situation，___________ we will keep a very close eye on．（　　）

A．

where

B．

when

C．

which

D．

that

13．The Chinese community here are shooting off fireworks in     of the Chinese New Year．（　　）

A．

celebration

B．

honor

C．

memory

D．

consideration