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A worldwide poll of more than 100 million people has selected what it calls the new seven wonders of the world．The new wonders are expected to boost ___ 50__ to some popular destinations, but it is also prompting（唤起） some serious rethinking on the responsibility of tourists．
Of the __51 ___ seven wonders of the world, only the Pyramids of Giza are still standing．But the organizers of the New Seven Wonders say there is ___52___ shortage of wonders in the world．
Tia Viering is communications chief for the Zurich-based committee． \have been known to say in the past, is what makes you __53 ___,” says Viering．“It makes you ___54 ___ and it takes your breath away for a second and you think 'Oh wow! Why? How? Who? When?' And it's not just a building that you think, 'Oh, that's sort of a nice building' -- it takes your breath away and it ___55___ touches you．\
Viering says the ___56 __ was choosing only seven from a list of 21 of the world's most awe-inspiring sites．Among them are the ancient temples of Angkor Wat．Some fear rampant（无节制的） tourism is ___57_ __ one of Cambodia's most popular destinations．
Historical preservationist John Stubbs is with the World Monument Fund． \not a minute to ___58 in looking after this precious place because, without a doubt, it could be ruined by some wrong ___59 says Stubbs．
___60 ___ for many years, these monuments built for a 12th century king attract more than two million visitors every year．From just two hotels 10 years ago, today there are more than 100．In what was once jungle, new shopping malls, pizza restaurants and massage parlors ___61 ___ the landscape．
Even tourists have ___62 ___ feelings about the commerce surrounding what were ___63 ___ places of worship．
People had various reactions． \．\says another．“I feel that the importance of this place deserves people to watch it, see it, ___64___it．\50．A．adventure B．tourism C．curiosity D．worship 51．A．imaginary B．newly-elected C．honorable D．original 52．A．a B．such C．no D．another 53．A．wonder B．sigh C．laugh D．agree 54．A．escape B．wander C．stop D．hurry 55．A emotionally B．physically C．critically D．artificially 56．A．conflict B．agreement C．surprise D．difficulty 57．A．destroying B．changing C．overdevelopingD．discovering 58．A．spend B．find C．waste D．spare 59．A．concepts B．decisions C．designs D．findings 60．A．Independent B．Unexpected C．Unknown D．Inaccessible 61．A．use B．equip C．dot D．symbolize 62．A．similar B．mixed C．strong D．changeable 63．A．once B．promisingly C．ever D．eventually 64．A．witness B．love C．improve D．protect
Credit and debit cards are expected to overtake cash this year as Britain's most popular method of payment, according to a new industry report. It will be the first time that card payments have outstripped cash outlay for goods and services. There are 246 plastic card transactions made every second. Total plastic card use is expected to exceed ￡269 billion in 2004, just a whisker ahead of the predicted ￡268 billion for cash payments, said banking industry body the Association for Payment Clearing Services. The group, which represents the major banks, said credit cards had
become “demonized”（魔鬼化） as one of the main causes of ballooning debts, but added: “Without plastic, our society would virtually grind to a halt.”
Last year, the number of plastic cards in use in Britain grew by 13 million, or 9%, to 160 million—the equivalent of 3.5 cards per adult. Two-thirds of card transactions are now made using debit cards.
Plastic accounted for ￡244 billion of spending in 2003. “This year, total plastic card use, if business card usage is included, is expected to top ￡269 billion. In 2005 it is expected that personal plastic card usage alone will overtake cash payments,” said Apacs.
In terms of numbers of transactions, cash will remain much bigger than plastic for some time to come, it added. “Cash will always remain there for low-value payments.”
Meanwhile, 2003 was the year that e-commerce “came of age” in the UK. More than 18 million people bought goods or services online, up 50% on 2002. Credit cards accounted for 69% of the 200m transactions, with debit cards mopping up most of the remainder.
Last year was a landmark year for another reason --- the first reduction in card fraud for eight years. Fraud losses on plastic cards fell by 5% to ￡402 million as measures to combat crooks started to take effect.
A new generation of cards containing computer chips is being introduced, and by the end of this year most people making face-to-face purchases will have to type their four-digit Pin number into keypads at tills and will no longer have to sign receipts.
(Note:Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN EIGHT WORDS.)
81. The phrase “a whisker ahead of” in paragraph one means __________________.
82. Card fraud was reduced last year because ______________________________.
83. According to the passage, what is the benefit brought about by credit cards?
__________________________________________________________. 84. What do people need to do now when they shop with their credit cards? __________________________________________________________.
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(A)
Six consecutive days of spring rain had created a raging river (25) (run) by Nancy Brown?s farm. As she tried to herd her cows to (26) (high) ground, she slipped and hit her head (27)a fallen tree trunk. The fall knocked her out for a moment or two. When she came to, Lizzie, one of her oldest and favorite cows, (28) (lick) her face. The water was rising. Nancy got up and began walking slowly with Lizzie. The water was now waist high. Nancy?s pace got slower and slower. Finally, all she could do was (29) (throw) her arms around Lizzie?s neck and try to hang on. About 20 minutes later, Lizzie managed to pull herself and Nancy out of the raging water and onto a bit of high land, (30) small island now in the middle of acres of white water.
(31) ____ it was about noon, the sky was so dark and the rain and lightning so bad that it took rescuers another two hours to discover Nancy. A helicopter lowered a paramedic，who attached Nancy to a life-support hoist. They raised her into the helicopter and took her to the school gym, (32) the Red Cross had set up an emergency shelter.
When the flood subsided two days later，Nancy immediately went back to the “ island ??. Lizzie was gone. She was one of 19 cows that Nancy lost. “I owe my life to her，” said Nancy sobbingly. .
(B)
Goats are being hired to do the work of men in a neighborhood just outside of San Diego. The fires that occurred in Hillborough four years ago destroyed thirty homes, most of which (33) (rebuild). While contractors were rebuilding the homes, nature was regrowing the grasses, bushes, and shrubs. The area is now so overgrown in brush that it again poses a major fire hazard, which (34) be removed as soon as possible.
The city council asked for bids to remove the brush. However, the problem was (35) the lowest bid they received was $50,000. And that was if the city provided breakfast and lunch for the work crews for the six weeks it would take to clear the overgrown area. The city countered, offering unlimited coffee (black only) and a doughnut a day for each crew member. When that offer was rejected, the city asked for help on its website.
A sheepherder in Montana and a goatherd in San Bernardino read about the city?s plight(困境）while surfing the web on their laptops. (36) both offered to do the job for $ 25 ,000. The council chose the goatherd because he lived closer. When (37) (tell) that the city dump was overflowing，the goatherd said，“ No problem. My goats will eat everything in your dump (38) ____ the automobile engines.” So, for another $5,000，the city killed two birds with one stone. (39) all goes well, they will invite the goatherd and his “family” back every three years. The goatherd said he will probably visit San Diego while his goats are in the dump. “I want to take one of those hang-glider rides. I just hope we don?t crash. My goats would end up (40) (miss) me a lot,” he said.
A. restricted G. given B. raising H. typically C. distinct I. doubt D. various J. superior E. application F. reading K. dramatically Are organic foods more nutritious than conventionally raised ones? Stanford University scientists cast _41 on that concept last year in a widely publicized report. But the secret is that whether your apples and spinach are organic or not, nutrient levels can vary 42 depending on growing
conditions, such as soil type and quality, temperature, and days of sun versus rain. As a consumer, you have no independent way of confirming that you have chosen a 43 batch (批次). But what if you had a handheld scanner that would allow you to check nutrient density? Professor Dan Kittredge, executive director of the Bionutrient Food Association, is 44 the funds to research such a device.
The basic technology has existed for decades. NIR spectroscopy (光谱学) — the modality that Kittredge is currently focusing on — has found 45 in manufacturing, medicine, agriculture and astronomy. NIR works on the principle that different molecules (分子) vibrate in slightly different ways. When infrared light (红外线) is transmitted through or reflected from a 46 sample, certain wavelengths are absorbed more than others. By measuring the fraction of near-infrared light absorbed at each wavelength, scientists can obtain a 47 fingerprint that is characteristic of the sample. The results are precise — and fast.
Until recently, NIR and related forms of vibrational spectroscopy were 48 to the laboratory, where they required large benchtop instruments that only skilled scientists could operate. Now, with miniaturization, they are being packaged in simple handheld devices that a worker without a Ph.D. in chemistry can use in a warehouse or in the field.
Still, NIR has one major limitation as far as a supermarket scanner is concerned, which is that it cannot give an accurate 49 for compounds (化合物) at a concentration of less than 0.1 percent. To solve this problem, Kittredge is now working with others to run thousands of assays on key foods to establish the algorithms (算法) needed to develop a workable scanner since plants develop certain types of compounds in specific ratios (比例) to 50 minerals.
It 的用法
1.正是对化学的兴趣使这位老科学家终身从事于科学研究。（it)
2.小宝宝发脾气是很自然的，你不能责备他（她）而应该找出原因。（it）
3.我们就这个问题进行了一番非常激烈的讨论，然而要说服其他人却不容易。（it）
4.据报道，由于政府采取了有效的措施，现在想自己买房的人已经变得越来越理智了。（it）
5.在他的最后一次讲演中，这名科学家觉得给那些有一点背景知识的人解释这个理论更容易些。（it）
Meanness (being not generous and unkind) is one of human nature?s less attractive personality. But few people are completely, 51 mean. Keith Waterhouse, a journalist, explains why he is thrifty (economical).
I am thrifty, you are careful, he is mean. I am generous. You are extravagant (奢侈的）. He seems to have money to bum. More probably we are each a bit of all these types. I know I am. I am a very generous present-giver. I love buying presents — 52 I hate buying wrapping paper. Whenever my own 53 come in，I collect and save the wrappings and 54 them from one year to the next. The same 55 to stationery. I have never written on both sides of a sheet of paper in my life. I waste writing paper as if it 56 on trees, and I cannot go into a stationer?s without buying up most of their envelopes in five different sizes. 57 ，I will not buy paperclips, rubber bands or ballpoint pens. I assume that 58 numbers of these will appear all by themselves.
Some of my best friends are mean about string. They carefully save every piece that comes into their 59 . I don?t know why, since hardly anyone uses string these days and certainly no one has a need for 150 meters of it, which is what one lady I know has saved up.
There are also people who are much too 60 with their money. They are those who get off the bus a stop early to avoid paying a higher fare，or wander supermarkets looking for special 61 and discounts. This is fine, as long as these economies are not 62 on others. It is when thrift 63 one?s social life that it becomes meanness. The famous American multimillionaire J. Paul Getty 64 billions but is remembered for the pay phone he 65 for the use of his guests. A psychiatrist friend of mine maintains that mean people are insecure. But then he says that about overgenerous people too. Mean people fear that their money will run on them；overgenerous ones that their friends will. 51. A. totally B. deeply C. hardly D. fairly 5ABCanyhow so for D. but 2. . . 5ABCpresents parcels baggage D. wrappings 3. . . 5ABCunfold recycle repeat D. replace 4A. . . acknowledgD. 5BCapplies adapts adopts 5A. . . es BCappeared bore grew D. stroke 6. . As a result C. 5ABWhat?s In that case D. On the other 7. . . more hand 5ABCsufficient efficient scarce D. strange 8. . possession C. 5ABposition potential D. proposal 9. . . 6ABCcrazy careful free D. anxious 0. . . 6ABCoffer gift bargain D. goods 1. . . 6ABCrecorded imposed entitled D. supposed 2. . . enhances D. 6ABCaffects benefits enlarges 3. . . 6ABCgave away gave in gave up D. gave off 4. . . 6ABCborrowed planted installed D. ensured 5. . .
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