阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，然后从36—55各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

A recent study shows that gossip(流言蜚语)is more powerful than truth.It suggests people believe what they hear through the grapevine(小道消息)__36__they have evidence to the contrary.

Researchers, __37__students using a computer game, also found gossip played an important role when people __38__ decisions."We show that gossip has a strong __39__, even when people have __40__ to the original information as well as gossip about the same information.Thus, it is __41__ that gossip has a strong controlling potential," said Ralf Sommerfeld, who led the study.

In the study, the researchers __42__ the students money and allowed them to give it to others in a series of rounds.The students also wrote __43__ about how others played the game that everyone could review.Students tended to give __44__ money to people described as “scrooges (吝啬鬼)” and more to those described as “__45__ players”.“People only believed the gossip, not the past decisions," Sommerfeld said in a telephone interview.

The researchers then took the game a step_46_and showed the students the actual decisions people had made.But they also supplied false gossip that contradicted that __47_.In these cases, the students_48_ their decisions to award money on the gossip, __49__ the hard evidence.

“If you know what the people did, you should care, but they still __50__ what others said,” Sommerfeld said.Researchers have __51__ used similar games to study how people cooperate and the __52__ of gossip in groups.Scientists define gossip __53__ social information spread about a person who is not __54__.In evolutionary terms, gossip can be an important tool for people to __55__ information about others' reputations or find the way through social networks at work and in their everyday lives.

36.A.in case  B.for fear that  C.as if  D.even if

37.A.testing  B.checking  C.examining  D.experimenting

38.A.draw  B.make  C.reach  D.conclude

39.A.impression  B.difference  C.influence  D.function

40.A.access  B.entrance  C.charge  D.communication

41.A.curious  B.serious  C.obvious  D.worth

42.A.impressed   B.asked  C.showed  D.gave

43.A.articles  B.notes  C.dairies  D.letters

44.A.less  B.more  C.fewer  D.much

45.A.general  B.mean  C.generous  D.outgoing

46.A.away  B.forward  C.ahead  D.further

47.A.existence  B.evidence  C.confidence  D.dependence

48.A.based  B.put  C.focused  D.passed

49.A.more than  B.less than  C.rather than  D.other than

50.A.referred to  B.listened to  C.turned to  D.stuck to

51.A.soon  B.presently  C.far  D.long

52.A.strength  B.energy  C.effect   D.force

53.A.as  B.for  C.to  D.by

54.A.absent  B.present  C.gone  D.missing

55.A.achieve  B.earn  C.acquire  D.win

第三部分 阅读理解 (共20小题;每小题2分，满分40分)

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。

A

Each year, prizes are presented to adults who accomplish great things in art, writing, science, and economics.So why not give awards to kids?

Harry Leibowitz asked himself that question in 1996.As an answer, he and his wife, Kay, created the World of Children organization and began handing out awards to kids and adults whose work has helped kids all over the world.The awards World of Children presents are nicknamed the "Children's Nobel Prize." On Thursday, World of Children honored six adults and two kids at its 11th Annual Changemakers for Children awards ceremony held at the UNICEF House at United Nations Plaza in New York City.

Talia Leman, from Iowa, was awarded a Founder's Youth Award for Leadership.She is only 13 years old, but she has accomplished a lot.In 2005, she founded "RandomKid." Since then, the nonprofit organization has raised more than $10 million to help kids in 48 states in the U.S.and in 19 other countries develop funding solutions to real-world problems.One place helped by RandomKid was a school built in Cambodia to enable 300 kids to go to school.The organization has also helped fix a school for 200 kids in Slidell, Louisiana, and provided interactive play centers that serve more than 500 kids in hospitals in Iowa.In faraway places like Africa, RandomKid has provided money for the purchase of water pumps.

Talia never thought that the organization she founded would be as successful as it has become."I did a project called TLC, which meant Trick or Treat for the Levy Catastrophe, where kids would trick-or-treat for coins along with getting candy," she told me."My goal was to raise $1 million.That seemed really high, but when you reach a goal, you always wind up reaching higher--and we actually raised $10 million." The money RandomKid raised provided help to the victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

56.The World of Children organization was created to _____.

A.answer questions from chilren   B.match the Adults’ Nobel Prize

C.give awards to chilren in poor areas   D.honour anyone who has helped kids in need

57.Talia Leman was honourd by the World of Children _____.

A.because of her sucessful work in RandomKid

B.because she gave the organization over $10 million

C.because of her solutions to the many world affairs

D.because she was chairman of RandomKid

58.In order to help kids, the organization RandomKid has done all the following EXCEPT _____.

A.building a school in Asia

B.providing play centers for sick children

C.solving the water-drinking problem for African children

D.helping 300 Cambodian kids to go to school in America

59.How did the kids in RandomKid collect money?

A.They got paid by working at a building project at weekends.

B.They called at houses and threatened to play tricks if they receive nothing.

C.They gave performances to passers-by by playing trick-or treat games.

D.They helped a project called TLC sell candy after school.

B

The United States government wants to know what the public thinks about its findings on the safety of cloned animals.

The Food and Drug Administration says meat and milk from clones of adult cattle, pigs and goats are safe to eat.An FDA official called them “as safe to eat as the food we eat every day.” And when those clones reproduce sexually, the agency says, their offspring(后代)are safe to eat as well.But research on cloned sheep is limited.So the FDA proposes that sheep clones not be used for human food.

The United States this year could become the first country to agree to the sale of foods from cloned animals.First, however, the public will have ninety days to comment on three suggested documents.On December 28th the FDA released a long report, called a draft risk assessment, along with two policy documents.

The agency says it must receive comments by April second.The FDA seemed ready to act several years ago, but a committee called for more research.

For now, the government will continue to ask producers to honor a request that they not sell foods from cloned animals.

Clones are still rare.They cost a lot and are difficult to produce.

The FDA says most food from cloning is expected to come not from clones themselves, but from their sexually reproduced offspring.It says clones are expected to be used mostly as breeding animals to spread good qualities.

Public opinion studies show most Americans do not like the idea of food from cloned animals.But this research also shows the public knows little about cloning.

Cloning differs from genetic engineering.A cell taken from a so-called donor animal is grown into an embryo(胚胎) in the laboratory.Next, the embryo is placed into the uterus(子宫) of a female animal.If the process is successful, the pregnancy reaches full term and a genetic copy of the donor animal is born.

60.What’s the main purpose of the passage?

A.To tell a interesting story. B.To give some advice on foods.

C.To give a report.  D.To compare different opinions.

61.Who believe that foods from cloning are safe to eat?__________

A.Most Americans      B.An advisory committee

C.Critics   D.The FDA

62.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that_____.

A.cloning has much in common with genetic

B.not every cell taken from a donor animal can grow into a genetic copy

C.the donor animal should be a female one

D.cloned animals grow faster than normal ones

63.Which of the following is true about foods from cloning?_______________

A.They come from the sexually reproduced offspring of cloned animals.

B.The food from first-generation cloned animals is very expensive.

C.Only FDA has the right to sell the food.

D.They will be sold mixed with those from naturally bred animals.

C

Thanksgiving time came and all the relatives were gathered around the long table, or seated behind TV trays.The television was on and some folks were watching it while visiting with one another.Something on television got their attention and one of the adults said, "Listen at it!" Someone else replied."Well, if that don't beat all."

Simple phrases were spoken by folks whose language was simple and brief.They had several idioms that were just as colorful; Phrases and words that brightened the room and warmed the conversation.

In school we were taught to speak differently.The way our relatives spoke was discouraged.Sometimes our parents would say things we weren't taught in school.They'd often correct themselves, as if getting rid of a mistake.Of course we learned some of their phrases and used them.They were comfortable words to pronounce, familiar.

Our father's side of the family was from Arkansas and Oklahoma and they spoke with the accents native to their birth states.Their voices musical and often high , it was easy to pick up that effect in our own speech and at school my brother and I were often teased for the way we spoke.Our mother's side of the family came from Illinois and they had a tendency to talk fast.They had an accent, too, and my brother and I added that to our own speech, confusing the kids at school all the more.Our father's side of the family loved to laugh and have a good time.Our mother's side of the family was more serious about how they took life in; their joys more silently experienced and enjoyed.It was a rich picture of culture and it gave my brother and me a colorful view in life.

Thanksgiving holiday was always an easy comfortable going day.It was the first real holiday of the season when everyone came together in one place, and a good time was spent happily together by all.

64.From the text we can know that ___________.

A.parents were worried that their relatives might affect their kids’ language

B.parents didn’t allow their children to speak dialects

C.parents tried to avoid affecting their kids with their dialects

D.parents thought the language taught in school was the best

65.It can be inferred from the text that ________.

A.English taught in school is different from that used in daily life

B.his mother’s side of the family spoke in a high voice

C.the language used by his father’s side of the family was fast

D.the writer and brother were laughed at school because of their poor English

66.Why did the writer and his brother puzzle other kids at school by their speeches?

A.They had relatives from different parts of Europe

B.They added some dialects in their speeches

C.There were many mistakes in their language

D.their speeches were lively and colorful

67.What’s the writer’s attitude towards dialects?

A.They were not accepted by others.B.They should be used everywhere.

C.They should be taught in school.D.He liked them very much.

D