with the word or phrase that best fits the context. You get an e-mail from your friend. It says Bill Gates will send you cash if you just click on a certain Web page. Your friend swears this is official, and that his friend says it 28 . Will you believe it?
Stories like that are known as urban legends (传说). They are called this 29 they are like old country folk tales, but told in a modern city context.
Why do people tell urban legends? Why do listeners believe them? 30 is true of many legends, there is usually a grain of truth in an urban legend that seems to confirm it. That small seed of truth helps keep the story alive. 31 , many urban legends are meant to serve as warnings to children and teens. This fact could explain why a lot of urban legends are 32 : Do not take candy from strangers, because it might have poison in it.
Some urban legends, however, reflect what people want to believe. After the disastrous Asian tsunami (海啸) of 2004,
for example, one heart-warming tale spread around the world. 33 the story, elephants near a Thai resort sensed that the huge waves were coming. They led people to high ground and went back into the floodwaters 34 other people. The Denver Post was one of many newspapers to 35 this story:
“Elephants became superheroes, raising people with their trunks and pulling them from harm’s way.” There were elephants near the resort, and they did move to higher ground as the waves came ashore—but that is all that 36 be confirmed. The rest is wishful thinking.
With quick access to the Internet today, it is easy to spread urban legends, but it is also easy to fight them. Remember your friend’s e-mail mentioned earlier? 37 to Snopes.com, the Internet headquarters for sorting out truth from fiction, and you will find it is false. Next time you hear what sounds like an urban legend, take some time to stop and think and maybe even do some research. The story may be true, but it might just be an urban legend.
28. A. rises B. works C. survives D. improves
29. A. because B. once C. until D. unless
30. A. What B. That C. It D. As 31. A. Personally B. Suddenly C. Previously D. Actually
32. A. interesting B. boring C. frightening D. confusing
33. A. According to B. In spite of C. Due to D. In case of
34. A. rescued B. to rescue C. having rescued D. to be rescuing
35. A. hold up B. pick up C. give up D. look up
36. A. can B. must C. shall D. need
37. A. Heading B. To head C. Head D.
Headed
III. Reading Comprehension (共30分) Section A (共22分，每小题2分)
Directions: Read the following passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
(A)
Hetty Robinson learnt all about money when very young. As a child, she read the financial pages of the newspaper to her rich father. Her father died when Hetty was 30, and she inherited $1 million. When she herself died in 1916, she left almost $100 million to her two children.
Hetty made her money on the New York stock exchange. She was a financial genius. She made money so easily that people called her the Witch of Wall Street. But although she was one of the richest women in the world, she counted every cent and
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