The value of the penny has been dropping for years.

It would be______a risk to let the child go to school by himself.

They did not discover until later______the car had been destroyed.

{{B}}Part I Reading Comprehension (30%)Directions: There are three passages in this part. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.{{/B}}

The light from the campfire brightened the darkness, but it could not prevent the damp cold of Dennis's Swamp (沼泽地) creeping into their bones. It was a strange place. Martin and Tom wished that they had not accepted Jack's dare . They liked camping, but not near this swamp. "So, " Martin asked as they sat watching the hot coals. "How did this place get its name? "Are you sure you want to hear it? It's a scary story, " warned Jack. "Of course!" cried out Tom. "If there were anything to be scared of, you wouldn't have chosen this place!" "OK, but don't say I didn't warn you, " said Jack, and he began his tale. " Way back in time, a man called Dennis tried to start a farm here. He built that cottage over there to live in. In those days, the area looked quite different—it was covered with tall trees and the swamp was a crystal-clear river. After three hard years, Dennis had cleared several fields and planted crops. He was so proud of his success that he refused to listen to advice. " " You are clearing too much land, warned one old man. " The land is a living thing. It will hit back at you if you abuse it. " "Silly fool", said Dennis to himself. "If I clear more land, I can grow more crops. I'll become wealthier. He's just jealous!" "Dennis continued to chop down trees. Small animals that relied on them for food and shelter were destroyed. He was so eager to expand his farm that he did not notice, the river flowing slowly towards his door. He did not notice salt seeping to the surface of the land. He did not notice swamp plants choking all the native plants. " "What happened? " Martin asked. It was growing colder. He trembled, twisting his body closer to the fire. "The land hit back—just as the old man warned, " Jack shrugged. "Dennis disappeared. Old folks around here believe that swamp plants moved up from the river and dragged him underwater. His body was never found. " " What a stupid story, " laughed Tom. " Plants can't…" Before he had finished speaking, he screamed and fainted(晕倒). The other two boys jumped up with fright, staring at Tom. Suddenly, they burst out laughing. Some green swamp ivy (常春藤) had covered Tom's face. It was a while before Tom could appreciate the joke.

Sean's strong love for his country is______in his recently published poems.

The train will______ from Platform 2 at 3: 45 qn Tuesday morning.

It was not until it got dark______working.

What a pity! Considering his ability and experience, he______better.

Mr. Smith, together with his wife and children, ______going to the party this weekend.

They will not decide their attitude until they______what the speaker has to say.

At the beginning of last century, medical scientists made an interesting discovery: we are built not just of flesh and blood but also of time. They were【C1】______to show that we all have "a body clock" inside us, which controls the【C2】______and fall of our body energies, making us different from one day to the next. The【C3】______of "a body clock" should not be too surprising since the lives of most living things are controlled【C4】______the 24 hour night-and-day cycle. We feel tired and fall asleep at night and become【C5】______and energetic during the day. If the 24 hour-cycle is disturbed, most people experience unpleasant【C6】______For example, people who are not used to working at night can find that【C7】______of sleep cause them to perform badly at work. 【C8】______the daily cycle of sleeping and waking, we also have other cycles which【C9】______longer than one day. Most of us would agree that we feel good on some days and not so good on【C10】______: sometimes our ideas seem to flow and at other times, they just do not exist.

{{B}}Part II Vocabulary and Structure (30%)Directions: In this part, there are 30 incomplete sentences. For each sentence there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the ONE answer that best completes the sentence. Then mark the corresponding letter on the Answer Sheet with a single line through the center.{{/B}}

The American and the British ______a large number of social customs.

I think______at the train station will surprise aunt Kate.

I told him to______and spend a few days with us if he passed by.

You will almost always find Caroline playing a video game because she enjoys______.

First of all, a teacher should show love for his students on top of his academic knowledge. _____, he is not qualified for his position.

In aerospace devices the weight of the necessary power producing equipment is_____ .

Our series of product______from children's toys to sports equipments.