The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added -- a communications blackout caused by solar storms.

　　After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.

　　Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.

　　"The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.

　　At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. "A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometres per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is the greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.

　　Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.

　　The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.

　　Professor Richard Harrison, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advanced warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage. What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what's caused the problem," he said.

1.The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to____________ during the 2012 Olympics.

2.According to the passage, scientists are convinced that __________.

3.What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?

4.According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _________.

5.Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

The UN Environment Programme says that rising temperatures could mean the end for some migrating animals.

Migrating or mobile animals move through several environments as they travel away from the cold of winter to warmer areas. Birds may fly from one part of the world to another, perhaps stopping at feeding grounds on the way. Whales and turtles (海龟) cover vast areas of ocean. The report says that changes in any one of the places which these animals use can cause serious harm. "Obviously these animals have developed their travelling patterns over thousands of years. But climate change is almost certain to be extreme over the next 25 to 50 years and it is extremely unlikely that these animals can change their habits fast enough," said the report author Dr Robert Hepworth.

Hardest hit by rising temperatures are turtles. Scientists have found that at higher temperatures, turtles produce far more female eggs than male ones. In parts of Malaysia, turtle birthing sites are producing only females, the report says. It also provides evidence that some turtles are more likely to develop cancer as the waters get warmer.

With birds, the main problem is climate-related damage to important areas at either end of the travels or at resting places along the way. About one-fifth of migrating birds are now in danger because of climate-related changes including rising sea levels, land loss and more violent storms, the report concludes.

Other animals picked out as particularly in danger include:

· the North Atlantic Right Whale, whose main food (tiny shrimp) is disturbed by the change in ocean flows and

· the White-Nose Dolphin, which is out-competed by other kinds of dolphins in warmer waters.

The report is not all bad news. Even with major climatic changes, protecting the environment can still help mobile animals to recover. "We need governments to start taking action at the national and international lever. “The clock is running.” said Dr Hepworth. And some animals are already adapting, with the report mentioning whales that are changing their feeding behaviour, finding new feeding grounds and new foods to eat.

1.What is the main topic of the text?

2.By saying "the clock is running" in the last paragraph, Dr Hepworth means that “_______”.

3.According to the report, how will global warming affect turtles in the future?

4.Which of the following is mentioned as a consequence of rising temperatures?

5.What can be inferred (推断) about turtles from the text?

FOR many young people, having to attend school with a parent would be their worst nightmare. However, Senior 1 student Li Qinmei is happy taking her father with her as long as she can go to classes. He is disabled and unable to take care of himself.

The 16-year-old country girl in Zhucheng, Shandong Province has experienced one disaster after another in her short life. Li lost her mother at three. Four years later, her father became paralyzed after a tractor accident. At 12, her misfortune returned with the death of her grandma. Since then she has been forced to shoulder all the responsibility for her broken family.

Li learnt to cook and managed to live a life with an allowance of only 24 yuan per month. The most difficult thing she had to deal with was helping her father bathe, dress and use the toilet as he could hardly move.

"I felt embarrassed, and so did my dad. It was really hard at the beginning," she recalled.

During most of her junior school years, Li went to classes only once a month as her father was seriously ill at the time.

"I taught myself at home and asked teachers for help on my school days," she explained.

Li's hard work paid off this fall. She was admitted by Zhucheng No 1 High School, a local key school, based on her good performance in the entrance exams.

The school offered Li and her father a room on campus to live in so she could look after him during breaks.

Once in a while, Li felt sad when she saw her classmates going shopping or hanging out with friends.

"I envy them sometimes because they have both mum and dad to look after them. However, I soon feel relieved as I still have my dad with me," she said.

Li admitted that the difficulties in life had taught her to be strong.

"I believe I will go on and continue my studies at a good university," she said, in a confident tone.

Her teacher Mr. Wang has the same belief. Li made great progress in the recent monthly exams. "She works hard and is always eager to excel (好强的). It's not easy for her never to be late for school, but she has managed to make it work," Wang said.

1.Li Qinmei has to shoulder the family because ________.

2.From the passage we can infer that _________.

3.What’s the meaning of the underlined phrase “hanging out” in the passage?_________.

4.According to the passage, which statement is Not True? __________.

5.What’s the best title of the story?________.

When China’s ancient scientific and technological achievements are mentioned, the nation will generally refer to the Four Great inventions. The four symbolic    26  (create) – compass, papermaking, printing and gunpowder --    27  pride of China’s 5,000-thousand-year-old culture, because of their    28  (recognize) role in the development of human civilization.

29   is therefore no surprise that the recent proposal by a group of scholars  30    (redefine) the Four Great Invention has caused a heated reaction. According to the proposed new version, papermaking and printing   31  (merge) into one entry, and compass and gunpowder are delisted. The three new inclusions are silk, bronze and porcelain,   32    proposers said could more scientifically exhibit the most advanced and most influential scientific contributions of ancient China.

The question of   33   the Four Great Invention should be is of course open to the debate. The   34   (late) redefinition attempt, which is reported based on careful studies of available written records and antiques, can at least help today’s people, the younger generation,  35  particular, know more about the brilliance of ancient Chinese civilization.

Most people believe they don’t have much imagination. They are    11   . Everyone has imagination, but most of us, once we become adults, forget how to   12  it. Creativity isn’t always  13 with great works of art or ideas. People at work and in their free time   14   think of creative ways to solve problems. Maybe you have a goal to achieve, a tricky question to answer or you just want to expand your mind! Here are three techniques to help you.

　　Making connections. This technique involves taking   15  ideas and trying to find links between them. First, think about the problem you have to solve or the job you need to do. Then find an image, word, idea or object, for example, a candle. Write down all the ideas/words  16  with candles: light, fire, matches, wax, night, silence, etc. Think of as many as you can. The next stage is to relate the   17 to the job you have to do. So imagine you want to buy a friend an original   18  ; you could buy him tickets to match or take him out for the night.

　　NO limits! Imagine that normal limitations don’t   19  . You have as much time /space / money, etc. as you want. Think about your goal and the new  20  . If your goal is to learn to ski,    21  , you can now practise skiing every day of your life (because you have the time and the money). Now   22   this to reality. Maybe you can practise skiing every day in December, or every Monday in January.

Be someone else! Look at the situation from a    23  point of view. Good businessmen use this technique in trade, and so do writers. Fiction writers often imagine they are the  24   in their books. They ask questions: What does this character want? Why can’t she get it? What changes must she make to get what she wants? If your goal involves other people, put yourself in their    25 . The best fishermen think like fish!

The murderer was brought in, with his hands ________ behind his back.

With the electricity __________, people use candles instead.

That must be a long way _________ we were.

Carol said the work would be done by October, ___________ personally I doubt very much.

Jenny was _________ to hear the news that their team didn’t win the game.