Question: What is more astonishing than a 60-ton whale on a flatbed truck being driven down the street?

Answer: A 60-ton whale on a flatbed truck exploding and raining blubber ( fat of whales) all over the sidewalk.

That’s what happened in Taiwan recently, when a dead sperm whale being shipped to the Halobios Research Center for an autopsy(尸体解剖) developed an extremely bad case of gas and blew up before it reached its destination.

The whale was found alive on a Taiwan beach last weekend, and died shortly after it was discovered. Since the 56-foot whale was the largest whale ever beached on Taiwan’s shores, scientists wanted to study it and perform an autopsy for educational purpose.

Obviously, too much time passed between when the animal died and the time it was set to be moved to the autopsy location, because it had already started to go bad. When things rot, they give off gases as a by-product. In the whale’s case, the gases were trapped in its belly. The pressure inside the rotting creature grew so much that it popped like an over-filled balloon. Unfortunately, it was on a truck in the middle of the city of Taiwan at the time--- cars and shops lining the street were covered with whale bits and juices, much to their owners’ discouragement.

According to the news reports, traffic was tied up for hours while officials tried to clean up the streets.

Newspaper editors worldwide were probably smiling to themselves, since they had a ready-made headline--- several reports about the incident were titled “ There She Blows!” after the famous line from the book Moby Dick.

63. The purpose of the question at the beginning of this news report is to_____.

   A. explain the reason               B. sell newspapers

   C. attract readers                    D. give an immediate answer

64. The whale’s explosion is the result of_____.

   A. pressure from gases building up in the creature as it began to rot

   B. the long transport of the creature from the beach to the center

   C. the extremely busy traffic in the streets it passed by

   D. the quick process of rotting of the animal

65. What is the correct order of the incidents?

   a. The whale was set to a flatbed truck.

   b. The whale was discovered.

   c. The whale exploded.

   d. The whale died.

   A. b; c; a; d     B. d; c; b; a    C. b; d; a; c     D. d; b; a ; c

66. What do we know from the last paragraph?

   A. Some newspaper editors were laughed at.

   B. Moby Dick is the name of a woman writer.

   C. All the newspapers reported the story under the same title.

   D. The rifle “ There She Blows! “ is taken from the book Moby Dick.

Have you ever had the strange feeling that you were being watched? You turned around and ,sure enough, someone was looking right at you!

Parapsychologists(灵学家)say that humans have a natural ability to sense when someone is looking at them. To research whether such a “sixth sense”really exists, Robert Baker, a psychologist(心理学家)at the University of Kentucky, performed two experiments.

In the first one, Baker sat behind unknowing people in public places and stared at the backs of their heads for 5 to 15 minutes. The subjects（受试者）were eating, drinking, readingstudying, watching TV, or working at a computer. Baker made sure that the people could not tell that he was sitting behind them during those periods. Later, when he questioned the subjects, almost  all of them said they had no sense that someone was staring at them.

For the second experiment, Baker told the subjects that they would be stared at from time to time from behind a two way mirror in a laboratory setting. The people had to write down when they felt they were being stared at and when they weren’t. Baker found that the subjects were no better at telling when they were stared at and when they weren’t .Baker found that the subjects were no better at telling when they were started at than if they had just guessed.

Baker concludes that people do not have the ability to sense when they’re being stared at.If people doubt the outcome of his two experiments, said Baker, “I suggest they repeat the experiments and see for themselves.”

68. The purpose of the two experiments is to        .

A. explain when eople can have a sixth sense

B. show how people act while being watched in the lab

C. study whether humans can sense when they are stared at

D. prove why humans have a sixth sense

69.In the first experiment, the subjects       .

A. were not told that they would be stared at

B. lost their sense when they were stared at

C. were not sure when they would be stared at

D. were uncomfortable when they were stared at

70.The underlined word “outcome” in the last paragraph most probably means      .

A. valu                      B. result                  C. performance           D. connection

71. What can be learned from the passage?

A. People are born with a sixth sense.

B. The experiments support parapsychologists’idea.

C. The subjects do not have a sixth sense in the experiments.

D. People have a sixth sence in public places.

第二节完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

　　阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

　　I was about six when I started doing gymnastice.I 36 going into the school's gymnasium full of equipment,with the other kids rushing in ,anxious to 37 ,and the scent in the air.

　　I realized I wanted to get 38 with gymnastics when I watched the Olympics.When I saw those 39 use their bodies to gracefully throw 40 up in the air ,I was filled with admiration:It seemed that they could fly and I 41 myself flying like them.And when I finally tried,the 42 I got for that one 43 in the air was freedom,freedom from everything.It was a 44 ,and it was addicting.

　　I was crazy when I was little.I was the boy parents didn't want their kids 45 for fear that they would 46 what I did and get hurt.Parents thought I was 47 because I would try tricks that others of my 48 wouldn't.Some of my coaches said kids as old as me don't have the courage and ability to achieve the tricks I could. What most people didn't 49 were the hours I put into learning those tricks.I practiced every step 50 until I put them together and my hard work would 51 something great.

　　This hard work once stopped when I 52 ,and started at a new school.Everything there was 53 ,but the giggeset change was a lack of a gymnastics gym.

　　Now I've restarted training in a team I can learn from.As a little kid I could only 54 wide-eyed as the gymnast flew high in the air. 55 I'm older,it's my time to fly.

　　36.A.regret      B.remember      C.considered     D.avoided

　　37.A.enter       B.leave         C.meet          D.learn

　　38.A.serious     B.careful        C.busy          D.interested

　　39.A.dancers     B.fans          C.athletes       D.winners

　　40.A.others      B.themselves     C.everything     D.each other

　　41.A.enjoyed     B.found         C.set           D.imagined

　　42.A.feeling      B.lesson        C.courage       D.instruction

　　43.A.second      B.effort         C.circle        D.stop

　　44.A.bore        B.panic         C.high         D.trouble

　　45.A.around      B.among        C.above        D.away from

　　46.A.study       B.envy          C.notice        D.copy

　　47.A.bad        B.crazy          C.excellent      D.dangerous

　　48.A.place      B.age            C.time          D.size

　　49.A.explain     B.understand     C.realize        D.experience

　　50.A.now and then B.all theh time    C.over and over   D.little by little

　　51.A.go through   B.belong to      C.turn into       D.give way to

　　52.A.moved      B.changed       C.failed         D.finished

　　53.A.all right     B.the same      C.terrible         D.different

　　54.A.practice      B.watch       C.sigh            D.sit

　　55.A.Simply because B.Even though  C.As soon as     D.Now that

第三部分 阅读理解（共25小题；每小题2分，满分50分）

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Brazil sports are out of control! Brazil may be one of the most sport-crazy countries in the world. Whether you are into watching or playing, Brazil sports have a lot to offer everyone.

     Football in Brazil is more than a sport. It’s a way of life. Football is popular in Brazil for several reasons. One reason is that it is fast paced and fun to watch. This is the reason why the World Cup Soccer is the most watched sports event in the world aside from the Summer Olympics. Also, you don't need anything to play soccer except for something to kick, and a big area in which to play. Few will argue if you say that Brazil leads the world in football. No nation has won as many world cups as Brazil.

     Volleyball is a close second in Brazil sports. In the world of international volleyball, Brazil wins many championships of all kinds, including indoor and beach volleyball. Brazil has nearly 5,000 miles coastline. If you go to a beach in Brazil, there will always be a volleyball game going on somewhere, and usually two or three.

     Footvolley was created in Brazil in the 1960s. It is a mix of football and volleyball, where the players must use their feet and head to get the ball over the net and into the opponents’ courts, and is also played in sand. It is one of the most popular beach sports in Brazil.

     Swimming, tennis, rugby, boxing, judo, sailing, golf, surfing, and handball are all greatly popular in Brazil.

41. We can infer that this passage was written to _______________.

A. explain why football is so popular in Brazil

B. encourage us to do sports as people in Brazil do

C. tell us the history of several sports in Brazil

D. introduce several very popular sports in Brazil

42. What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 suggest?

   A. Sports are extremely popular in Brazil.

   B. All kinds of sports are played in Brazil.

   C. Brazil athletes are out of control.

   D. Brazil athlets are not well educated.

43. From Paragraph 2, we learn most people believe that______________.

   A. football is the most ppopular sport in every country

   B. people don’t need anything to play soccer

   C. Brazil has won every World Cup Soccer

   D. Brazil leads the world in football

44. According to the writer, what is the second most popular sport in Brazil?

   A.Football.     B.Volleyball   C. Footvolley   D. Tennis

45. Which of the following statements about footvolley in Brazil is WRONG?

   A. It has a history of more than 100 years.

   B. It is a mix of football and volleyball.

   C. It is a very popular beach sport in Brazil.

   D. Players can touch the ball with their feet.

The first and best of victories is for a man to conquer himself; to be conquered by himself is, of all things, the most shameful, says Plato. Self-control is at the root of all the advantages. Let a man give in to his impulses (冲动) and feelings, and from that moment he gives up his moral freedom.

A single angry word has lost many a friend. When Socrates found in himself any temper or anger, he would check it by speaking low in order to control himself. If you are conscious of being angry, keep your mouth shut so that you can hold back rising anger. Many a person has dropped dead in great anger. Fits of anger bring fits of disease. Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad. Keep cool, says George Herbert, for fierceness (狂怒) makes error a fault.

To be angry with a weak man is to prove that you are not strong yourself. Anger, says Pythagoras, brings with folly(愚蠢) and ends with regret. You must measure the strength of a man by the power of the feelings he conquers, not by the power of those which conquer him.

Self-control is man’s last greatest victory.

If a man lacks self-control he seems to lack everything. Without it he can have no patience, no power to govern himself; he can have no self-confidence, for he will always be controlled by his strongest feeling. If he lacks self-control, the very backbone and nerve of character are lacking also.

What does the reader learn from the first paragraph?

A. The greatest victory for a man is to conquer everything except himself.

B. One’s moral freedom is based on the control of himself.

C. To control oneself is the most difficult in one’s life.

D. If a person is too stubborn, he will feel most shameful.

What is the correct interpretation of “Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad ”in paragraph 2 ?

A. If the gods want to kill you, they make you crazy first.

B. If you always lose your temper, you will soon be finished.

C. If you cannot control yourself, you will become crazy.

D. If you are mad, you will be punished by the gods.

If a man lacks self-control, he lacks all of the following EXCEPT _______.

A. the very backbone and nerve of character

B. the patience and power to control himself

C. strong feelings

D. self-confidence

The author’s main purpose in writing this article is to _______.

A. explain that self-control is the key to success

B. teach people how to control everything in order to make a great success

C. distinguish all kinds of self-control and suggest ways for keeping it

D. advise people not to lose temper so as to make and keep more friends

The passage is mainly developed by _____.

A. analyzing causes        B. making comparisons

C. examining differences           D. listing quotations