52. The underlined phrase “make a breakthrough” in the 4th paragraph means “ 　　　　　”.

A. discover or find something new and important.

B. make a way through using force.

C. (of the sun or moon ) appear from behind (clouds).

D. suddenly change (from a slower to a faster pace)

51. According to Dr Adele Juda, which of the following has the lowest rate of mental illness?

A. Painters. 　　　　　 B. Musicians. 　　　

C. Poets. 　　　　　　　　　　 D. Bus drivers.

50. The country whose situation is similar to that of Tuvalu is　 　　　　　.

A. Australia 　　　　　　　　 B. New Zealand　　

C. the Maldives　　　　　　 D. the United States

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　 E

It seems that great artists and scientists often suffer from mental problems. Both Einstein and Dickens had mental illness. Now scientists have started to look at whether mental illness and genius are linked.

Dr Adele Juda studied 5,000 creative people in Germany. She found there were more people with mental illness in this group than in the general population. Poets had the highest rate of mental illness, followed by musicians, with lower numbers for painters and architects.

Other scientists did research which also showed a strong link between mental problems and creativity. But, it did nothing to explain it.

Dr Ruth Richards of Harvard University made a breakthrough. Instead of studying creative people, she took a group of psychiatric (精神病的) patients and tested them for creativity. The patients got much higher scores than a normal group.

Also, the patients’ close relatives were much more creative than the patients and a normal group. This suggests that the key to the link between creativity and mental illness is in our genes (基因).

But this is a problem. According to Darwinism, harmful genes should be removed. Some scientists believe that evolution (进化) has created a balance, where the madness of a few people leads to the development of the whole human race.

Geniuses may be mad, bad or just difficult to under- stand, but their discoveries have improved the world we live in. It seems that a little creative madness is good for us all.

49. Laupepa was not satisfied with the United States because it did not 　　　　　　.

A. agree to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions

B. sign an agreement with Tuvalu

C. allow Tuvaluans to move to the US

D. believe the problems facing Tuvalu were real

48. According to scientists, the DIRECT cause of more and fiercer storms is 　　　　　　.

A. greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized nations

B. higher surface water temperatures of the sea

C. continuous global warming　　　

D. rising sea levels

47. The text is mainly about 　　　　　　.

A. rapid changes in earth’s temperature

B. bad effects of global warming

C. moving of a country to a new place　

D. reasons for lowland flooding

46. For some people, it may be better 　　　　　　.

A. to wear a seat belt for health reasons

B. not to wear a seat belt for health reasons

C. to get a valid medical certificate before wearing a seat belt

D. to pay a fine rather than wear a seat belt

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　　　　　 D

You might think that “global warming” means nothing more than a rise in the world’s temperature But rising sea levels caused by it have resulted in the first evacuation(撤离) of an island nation-the citizens of Tuvalu will have to leave their homeland.

　　　 During the 20th century, sea level rose 8-12 inches. As a result. Tuvalu has experienced lowland flooding of salt water which has polluted the country’s drinking water.

　　　 Paani Laupepa, a Tuvaluan government official, reported to the Earth Policy Institute that the nation suffered an unusaually high number of fierce storms in the past ten years. Many scientists connect higher surface water temperatures resulting from global warming to greater and more damaging storms.

　　　 Laupepa expressed dissatisfaction with the United States for refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement calling for industrialized nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions(排放), which are a main cause of global warming. “By refusing to sign the agreement, the US has effectively taken away the freedom of future generations of Tuvaluans to live where their forefathers have lived for thousands of years,” Laupepa told the BBC.

　　　 Tuvalu has asked Australia and New Zealand to allow the gradual move of its people to both countries.

　　　 Tuvalu is not the only country that is vulnerable(易受影响的) to rising sea levels. Maumoon Gayoon, president of the Maldives, told the United Nations that global warming has made his country of 311,000 an “endangered nation”.

45. According to the text,　 　　　　　　does not have to wear a seat belt.

A. someone who is backing into a parking space

B. someone who is picking up the children from the local school

C. someone who is delivering invitation letters

D. someone who rides in the back

44. It is the driver’s responsibility to 　　　　　　.

A. make the front seat passengers wear a seat belt

B. make the front seat children under 14 wear a seat belt

C. stop children riding in the front seat

D. wear a seat belt each time he drives

43. Wearing a seat belt in a vehicle 　　　　　　.

A. reduces road accidents by more than half

B. saves lives while driving at speed up to 30 miles per hour

C. reduces the death rate in traffic accidents

D. saves more than 15,000 lives each year