篇章填空：根据短文内容，选择所给词汇（或词组）的适当形式填空，完成短文。

Backpacking, volunteering, discovering the world — taking a “gap year” used to be the dream of every school leaver in the UK. It was a(an) 71.               for school kids to grow up and become better 72.                 for college life.

This year, however, thousands of UK high school graduates have 73.                  their gap year plans in order to go straight to university. Tuition fees are 74.                  next year in England and Wales, with some universities planning 75.                  three times as much as before.

Students can 76.               for a university a year earlier and ask the university to “defer(延期)” or hold their place while they take a gap year. This year however, just 6000 18 year-olds have deferred an

77.                 of a place on a university course 78.                 with 20,000 last years according to university admissions service UCAS.

Stuart Rees Jones, who is the founder of gap year company Camps International, is worried. “If students don't do a gap year, there’s a 79.                 they’ll have little to offer but a string of academic qualifications,” he told UK newspaper the Daily Mail. “What 80.                want are individuals. I have faith that future students will recognize this and want to do volunteer work. ”

    Youth is a kind of wealth. It will gradually disappear with the time passing. We must treasure the time when we are young in order not to waste the most valuable things in our life.

What can we do not to waste our youth? In my opinion, the first thing is to realize our value, our ideas. I believe that everyone has his or her own ideas, maybe he or she wants to be an artist, drawing beautiful pictures; maybe to be a manager, setting up a big company; maybe to be a doctor, saving patients’ lives; maybe to be a singer,      68     . No matter what our ideas are, we must try hard to achieve them. When we are young, we are full of vitality（活力）.We have the best conditions in our lives, good memories, good understanding and so on. We should make full use of these conditions to study more in order to enrich our mind so as not to make our ideas only dreams forever.

For another, we should do as many things as possible we want to do (of course, they must be lawful) to enrich our lives, making it colorful and gathering many different experiences which are worth recalling when we are old.

Then when we are really old, when we can not move any more , we can be proud of our achievements, can recall those things we have experienced and we can say we have no regret in our lives.

So, now, act, for ourselves when we are young.

66What is the best title of this passage? (Please answer within 10 words)

67Which sentence in the passage can be replaced by the following one?

We will be proud and have no regrets when we are old.

68Please fill in the second paragraph with proper words or phrases to complete the sentence.

( Please answer within 10 words )

69According to the passage, which thing do you think is better in not wasting your youth? Why?

( Please answer within 30 words )

70Translate the underlined sentence in the second paragraph into Chinese.

The world is not coming to an end on December 21, 2012, the US space agency insisted on Monday in a rare campaign to dispel widespread rumors fueled by the Internet and a new Hollywood movie.

The latest big screen offering from Sony Picture, 2012, arrives in theaters on Friday, with a 200-million-dollar production about the end of the world supposedly based on myths (虚构的故事) backed by the Mayan calendar. It is claimed that the end of time will come as a Planet X—or Nibiru—heads toward or collides with the Earth.

Some websites accuse NASA of hiding the truth on the planet’ s existence, but the US space agency denounced such stories as an “Internet hoax(恶作剧) ”. “There is no factual basis for these claims,” NASA said in a question-and-answer posting on its website. “If such a collision were real, astronomers would have been tracking it for at least the past decade, and it would be visible by now to the naked eye. Obviously, it does not exist. Credible scientists worldwide know of no threat associated with 2012,” it insisted. “After all, our planet has been getting along just well for more than four billion years.” added NASA.

There is another planet, Eris, floating in space. But the small planet similar to Pluto will remain safely fixed in the outer solar system and it can come no closer than four billion miles to the Earth, according to NASA.

Initial theories set the disaster for May 2003, but when nothing happened the date was moved forward to the winter in 2012 to coincide with the end of a cycle of the ancient Mayan calendar.

NASA insisted the Mayan calendar in fact does not end on December 21, 2012, as another period begins immediately afterward. And even if the planets were to line up as some have forecast, the effect on our planet would be “negligible”, NASA said.

“And while comets and asteroids (小行星) have always hit the Earth, big hits are very rare, ” NASA noted. The last major impact was believed to be 65 million years ago, resulting in the end of dinosaurs.

“We have already determined that there are no threatening asteroids as large as the one that killed the dinosaurs,” the space agency said.

61．_______ played a key role in the spread of the rumors.

A. A new book                                   B. The Internet and a new Hollywood movie

C. NASA                                       D. An Indian calendar

62．The film 2012 is _______.

A. about the end of the world                      B. based on the scientific prediction

C. well accepted in the science field                 D. about a romantic love story

63．We can infer that _______.

A. people didn’t take the rumors seriously              

B. Planet X—or Nibiru does exist

C. astronomers have been tracking Planet X for over ten years

D. the rumors caused a panic among some people

64．NASA thinks that Eris _______.

A. might pose a threat to the Earth                 B. doesn’t pose any threat to the Earth

C. is too far away to be visible                     D. is similar to our planet, where life might exist

65. Which of the following is the best title?

A. New Hollywood movie 2012                     B. December 21, 2012, NOT the end of the world

C. End of the ancient Mayan calendar              D. How rumors came into being

    In old times, there was a story about a young athletic boy hungry for success, for whom winning was everything.

One day, the boy was preparing himself for a running competition in his small native village. He and two other young boys were to compete. A large crowd had gathered to witness the competition and a wise old man, upon hearing of the little boy, had traveled far to bear witness too.

The race started. Sure enough, the boy dug deep and showed his determination, strength and power. He came first. The crowd cheered and waved at the boy. The wise man remained still and calm. The little boy, however, felt proud and important.

A second race was called, and two new young challengers came forward to run with the little boy. The little boy finished first once again. The crowd again cheered and waved at the boy. The wise man expressed no opinion.

   “Another race, another race!” shouted the little boy. The wise old man stepped forward and presented the little boy with two new challengers, a frail old lady and a blind man. “What is this?” asked the little boy. “Race!” said the wise man. The race was started and the boy was the only finisher.

The little boy raised his arms in delight. The crowd, however, was silent showing no happiness. “Why don’t they join in my success?” he asked the wise old man. “Race again, ” replied the wise man. “This time, all three of you, finish together,” continued the wise man. The little boy thought a little, stood in the middle of the blind man and the frail old lady, and then took the two challengers by the hand.

The race began and the little boy walked slowly, ever so slowly, to the finishing line and crossed it. The crowd cheered and waved at the boy. The wise man smiled.

56. According to the passage, the young athletic boy ______ .

A. was crazy about winning competitions        B. considered the blind man foolish

C. was angry with the wise man                D. showed no respect to the young challengers

57. The wise man went to watch the competitions to ______ .

A. teach the boy a lesson                      B. show the crowd his wisdom

C. help the lady and the blind man             D. see whether the boy was powerful

58. Why did the crowd remain silent when the boy beat the lady and the blind man?

A. Because the boy was proud.                 B. Because the boy was impolite.

C. Because the boy was not helpful.             D. Because the boy was overconfident.

59. What is the message conveyed in the story?

A. Small talk is helpful.                       B. Love and kindness are rewarding.

C. Wisdom is more important than strength.     D. Sympathy should be given to the weak.

60. What does the underlined word “frail” probably mean?

A. well-dressed            B. rich            C. weak            D. athletic

In the United States, friendships can be close, constant, intense, generous, and real, yet fade away in a short time if circumstances change. Neither side feels hurt by this. Both may change Christmas greetings for a year or two, perhaps a few letters for a while — then no more. If the same two people meet again by chance, even years later, they pick up the friendship where it left off and are delighted.

In the States, you can feel free to visit people’s homes, share their holidays, enjoy their children and their lives without fear that you are taking on a lasting obligation. Do not hesitate to accept hospitality because you cannot give it in return. No one will expect you to do so for they know you are far from home. Americans will enjoy welcoming you and be pleased if you accept their hospitality easily.

Once you arrive there, the welcome will be full and warm and real. Most visitors find themselves readily invited into many homes there. In some countries it is considered inhospitable to entertain at home, offering what is felt as “merely” home cooked food, not “doing something” for your guest. It is felt that restaurant entertaining shows more respect and welcome. Or for various other reasons, such as crowded space, language difficulties, or family customs, outsiders are not invited into homes.

In the United State s, both methods are used, but it is often considered more friendly to invite a person to one’s home than to a public place, except in purely business relationships. So, if your host or hostess brings you home, do not feel that you are being shown inferior treatment. Don’t feel neglected if you do not find flowers waving to you in your hotel room either. Flowers are very expensive there, and hotel delivery is uncertain that the arrival times are delayed, changed, or canceled—so flowers are not customarily sent as a welcoming touch. Please do not feel unwanted! Outward signs vary in different lands; the inward welcome is what matters, and this will be real.

51. In the United States, you will find friendships ____ if circumstances change.

A. die suddenly          B. pass away  C. disappear gradually    D. last forever

52. Americans ____ their foreign friends to make a return for their hospitality.

A. ask               B. wish          C. never allow               D. don’t expect

53. In some other countries, giving a dinner party at home is considered ____ than in a restaurant.

A. less friendly           B. less hospitable  C. more natural              D. more popular

54. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. Flowers are available at all time.        B. Flowers are expensive.

C. Flowers are signs of outward welcome.   D. Flowers are not necessarily sent to guests.

55. Which of the following is the best title for this passage?

A. American Hospitality       B. American Friendship   C. American Invitation   D. American Welcome

Diane Fossey was a famous American gorilla(大猩猩) expert. She had a completely 31 way to study gorillas — she 32 to be one of them. She 33 their actions and way of 34 — eating plants and getting down on her hands and knees to 35 the way a gorilla does. It was a new relationship and a different way of 36 .

　 Unfortunately, Diane Fossey was 37 in Rwanda in 1985 and her story was made into the popular 38 “Gorillas in the Mist”. It was a long way from the movie “King Kong”, which is about a gorilla as a kind-hearted monster — a frightening animal, and helped to show a new idea: the real monster is 39 , while the gorilla is to be 40 .

　 Today there are thought to be around 48,000 lowland gorillas and maybe 400-450 mountain gorillas in the 41 . From the Congo in West Africa, to Rwanda and Uganda further east, they are 42 by hunting and by the 43 of their forest homes.

　 Some time ago, I found in my letterbox a little magazine from the World Wide Fund for Nature. It had

44 photos side by side. One was of a young gorilla. “This is a 45 of mammal,” said the words below it, “It is being 46 by man. We must 47 it for our own good.” 48 the other photo showed a human baby. The words also 49 , “This is a species of mammal, ” but then went on “It is the most 50 on earth. We must retrain it for its own good.”

31. A. funny　　　　　　　　 B. ridiculous　　　　　　　　 C. new　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. confusing

32. A. pretended　　　　　 B. persuaded　　　　　　　　 C. wanted　　　　　　　　　　 D. asked

33. A. watched　　　　　　 B. made 　　　　　　　　　　 C. took　 　　 　 D. copied

34. A. work　　　　　　　　 B. life　　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. rest 　　　　　　　　　　　 D. playing

35. A. play 　　　　　B. walk 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. jump　　　　　　　　　　　 D. climb

36. A. research　　　　　　 B. nature 　　　　　　　　　　 C. protection　　　　　　　　 D. knowledge

37. A. injured 　　　　　　 B. wounded　　　　　　　　 C. harmed　　　　　　　　　 D. murdered

38. A. film 　　　　　B. book 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. program　　　　　　　　　 D. magazine

39. A. ghost　　　　　　　　 B. man　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. wildlife　　　 　　 　　 D. animal

40. A. hated 　　　　　　　 B. frightened　　　　　　　　 C. worried　　 　　 　　 D. admired

41. A. zoos 　　　　　B. woods　　　　　　　　　　 C. reserves　　　　　　　　　 D. wild

42. A. endangered　　　　 B. disappeared 　 C. shot　 　　 　 D. hurt

43. A. cutting off　 B. cutting out 　 C. cutting down　　 D. cutting up

44. A. five 　　　　　　　　 B. four　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. three　　　　　　　　　　　 D. two

45. A. species 　　　　　　 B. variety　　　　　　　　　　 C. group 　　　 D. sort

46. A. revived 　　　　　　 B. imported　　　　　　　　　 C. destroyed　　　　 D. purchased

47. A. keep　　　　　 B. present　　　 　 C. feed　　　　　 D. save

48. A. so　　　　　　　　　　 B. because　　 　 C. while　　　　 D. as

49. A. read 　　　　　 B. spoke　　　　 　 C. told　　　　　 D. talked

50. A. creative 　　　　　　 B. persuasive 　 C. impressive　　　　 D. destructive

 The little boy sounded       he was going to die of fright after he was caught cheating in the exam.

 A. as if           B. even if                C. like               D. as

 “Carnival” comes from two Latin words,       “no more meat”.

A. mean         B. meaning            C. means             D. meant

 Many things       impossible in the past are common today.

A. to consider        B. being considered       C. considering     D. considered

 He       to go abroad, but he changed his mind after finding a good job at the last moment.

A. had planned       B. is planning  C. has planned       D. would plan