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What would you think if someone suggested knocking down St Paul’s cathedral to widen the road,or pulling down Big Ben to make way for a car park? It’d be ridiculous,right? But when it comes to devastation(毀滅)of the natural world,we aren’t so easily shocked.But we should be...or we’ll be in a lot of trouble!

Nature is shrinking by the day.Ancient forests are destroyed.Wetlands are becoming dry.Woodland is disappearing,all in the name of progress.This is bad in itself,but it’s devastating for biodiversity.

Biodiversity refers to the variety of plants,animals and other living things which are all inter-connected.The ecological services provided by biodiversity are vital to everyday life.The air we breathe is a product of photosynthesis(光合作用)by green plants.In fact,all life on earth exists thanks to the benefit of biodiversity.More than 90 percent of the calories consumed by people worldwide are produced from 80 plant species.And 30 percent of medicines are developed from plants and animals.Maintaining a wide diversity of species in each ecosystem is necessary to preserve all living things.

The loss of biodiversity could be devastating.“It is wrong to think that biodiversity can be reduced indefinitely without threatening humans,” said Harvard University biologist Edward O Wilson,known as “the father of biodiversity”.He warned,“We are about to reach a critical point beyond which biodiversity loss will be unavoidable.”

But what can we do? The problem is that the concept of biodiversity is so vague.People might care about giant pandas,but it is much harder to excite them about the fate of tiny sea creatures which are being boiled to death in the cooling systems of power stations along coastlines.The Guardian newspaper is trying to help.It has started the Biodiversity 100 campaign to try to convince governments around the world to take action to deal with the widespread concerns about biodiversity.This includes persuading the UK government to create a series of marine reserves to change the decrease in the sea-life caused by industrial fishing,stopping fishing sharks by the Japanese fishermen and banning the killing of dingoes in Australia,among many other things.

There is a lot to do.And we’d better act quickly if we don’t want to end up with a planet that can’t support life!

1.What does the author think of pulling down Big Ben to make way for a car park?

A.Unreasonable. B.Necessary.

C.Difficult. D.Urgent.

2.What does the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2 mean?

A.Nature is badly polluted by humans.

B.Species are becoming fewer and fewer day by day.

C.Rainforests are being cut down every day.

D.Nature is full of mysteries to humans.

3.Edward O Wilson believes that .

A.it doesn’t matter to decrease the biodiversity

B.people have done enough to preserve biodiversity

C.the situation of biodiversity is very serious

D.biodiversity loss has been unavoidable

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A.Plenty of marine reserves have been set up in the world.

B.Fishing sharks is illegal around the world.

C.It’s harmful to catch tiny organisms in the river.

D.The Guardian newspaper has done a lot for biodiversity.

閱讀理解。

Since the first Earth Day in 1970,Americans have gotten a lot “greener” toward the environment.“We didn’t know at that time that there even was an environment,let alone that there was a problem with it,”says Bruce Anderson,president of Earth Day USA.

But what began as nothing important in public affairs has grown into a social movement.Business people,political leaders,university professors,and especially millions of grass-roots Americans are taking part in the movement.“The understanding has increased many,many times,”says Gaylord Nelson,the former governor from Wisconsin,who thought up the first Earth Day.

According to US government reports,emissions(排放)from cars and trucks have dropped from 10.3 million tons a year to 5.5 million tons.The number of cities producing CO beyond the standard has been reduced from 40 to 9.Although serious problems still remain and need to be dealt with,the world is a safer and healthier place.A kind of “green thinking” has become part of practices.

Great improvement has been achieved.In 1988 there were only 600 recycling programs;today in 1995 there are about 6,600.Advanced lights,motors,and building designs have helped save a lot of energy and therefore prevented pollution.

Twenty-five years ago,there were hardly any education programs for environment.Today,it’s hard to find a public school,university,or law school that does not have such a kind of program.“Until we do that,nothing else will change!”says Bruce Anderson.

1.According to Anderson,before 1970,Americans had little idea about .

A.the social movement

B.recycling techniques

C.environmental problems

D.the importance of Earth Day

2.Where does the support for environmental protection mainly come from?

A.The grass-roots level.

B.The business circle.

C.Government officials.

D.University professors.

3.What have Americans achieved in environmental protection?

A.They have cut car emissions to the lowest.

B.They have settled their environmental problems.

C.They have lowered their CO levels in forty cities.

D.They have reduced pollution through effective measures.

4.What is especially important for environmental protection according to the last paragraph?

A.Education. B.Planning.

C.Green living. D.CO reduction.

完形填空

Where do you go when you want to learn something?School?A friend?A tutor?These are all _____ places of learning.But it may well be that the learning you really want _____ somewhere else instead.I had the _____ of seeing this first hand on a _____.

My daughter plays on a recreational soccer team.They did very well this season and so _____ a tournament,which normally was only for more skilled club teams.This led to some _____ experiences on Saturday as they played against teams _____ trained.Through the first two games,her _____ did not get one serious shot on goal.As a parent,I _____ seeing my daughter playing her best, _____ still defeated.

It seemed that something clicked with the _____ between Saturday and Sunday.When they _____ for their Sunday game,they were _____ different.They had begun to integrate(融合)the kinds of play and teamwork they had _____ the day before into their _____.They played aggressively and _____ scored a goal.

It _____ me that playing against the other team was a great _____ moment for all the girls on the team.I think it is a general principle. _____ is the best teacher.The lessons they learned may not be _____ what they would have gotten in school,but are certainly more personal and meaningful,because they had to work them out on their own.

1.A.public B.traditional C.official D.special

2.A.passes B.works C.lies D.ends

3.A.dream B.idea C.habit D.chance

4.A.trip B.holiday C.weekend D.square

5.A.won B.entered C.organized D.watched

6.A.painful B.strange C.common D.practical

7.A.less B.poorly C.newly D.better

8.A.fans B.tutors C.class D.team

9.A.imagined B.hated C.avoided D.missed

10.A.if B.or C.but D.as

11.A.girls B.parents C.coaches D.viewers

12.A.dressed B.showed up C.made up D.planned

13.A.slightly B.hardly C.basically D.completely

14.A.seen B.known C.heard D.read

15.A.styles B.training C.game D.rules

16.A.even B.still C.seldom D.again

17.A.confused B.struck C.reminded D.warned

18.A.touching B.thinking C.encouraging D.learning

19.A.Experience B.Independence C.Curiosity D.Interest

20.A.harmful to B.mixed with C.different from D.applied to

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容,從短文后的選項(xiàng)中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。選項(xiàng)中有兩項(xiàng)為多余選項(xiàng)。

On holidays you’re likely to eat and overeat between family gatherings and office parties. 1. Here are some tips to help you enjoy holiday food without completely changing your diet:

1.Switch to small plates.

Not only do smaller dishes fill up faster,but the same size help look like more food when it’s on a small dish. 2. But whatever the size of your plate,it’s most important to remember to keep it balanced:half for vegetables,a quarter for grains and a quarter for lean meat.

2.Measure out snakes

Your favorite holiday movie is on.Take a minute to check the nutrition label(標(biāo)簽)and measure out a serving to keep calories in check.Take one popular brand of buttered microwave popcorn for example. 3. But the bag contains 2.5 servings.Eat the whole thing on your own,and you’ll have eaten 425 calories.

3.Split an entree(主菜).

Many restaurants serve far more food than one person needs in a single meal. 4. Or pack half your entree to go as soon as it’s served.Or choose a small-size option,if available.

4.Stop eating when you feel satisfied.

You don’t have to feel too full,or force yourself to clean your plate before putting down your fork. 5. When you’re satisfied,save the rest for leftovers.

A.Share a main dish with a friend.

B.It’s important for you to eat more on holidays.

C.Eat slowly and pay attention to feelings of hunger.

D.Studies show we tend to put on a few pounds this time of year.

E.Enjoy an entree slowly by yourself.

F.So you’ll be likely to serve yourself less.

G.One serving is about 4 cups popped with 170 calories.

閱讀下列短文,從每題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)(A、B、C和D)中,選出最佳選項(xiàng)。

Many times when children make a mistake,starting with breaking a window while playing football or skipping classes and ending with stealing something or fighting with another child,parents are always blamed by the society for not having known how to educate their offsprings(后代).The situation is not that easy to explain.

Parents always look for the best interest of their children and many times they are ready to take measures only for their sake.They know their children are suffering when they are forced to stay indoors or when they have no money,but they have to teach them a lesson so that they won’t repeat the same mistakes over and over again.When a child realizes that his father is talking seriously about him not being allowed to do something,he understands the seriousness of his deeds and he knows he will think twice before making the same mistake again.

These are the cases of the responsible parents,who suffer when they see that their children are not happy but who resist the temptation of forgiving them so easily so that they realize the gravity of their actions not only at present but also in the future.

On the other hand there are parents who always find excuses for their children’s behavior,who never consider they make mistakes or if they just do what they call “childish” things.

When you buy your children everything he has ever dreamt of or when you tell him he can wear a necklace even if he is only 13,he will become so spoiled that he won’t take into consideration anything of what you are telling him later on.He will get to the point where he steals from the house or from a shop so that he can afford to buy cigarettes or drugs.

1.What does the author imply in the first paragraph?

A.It is the parents who are to blame when their children make mistakes.

B.Children are easy to make mistakes.

C.It is not always right to blame parents when their children make mistakes.

D.Educating their children is the responsibility of the parents.

2.According to the author,if a child makes a mistake,the parents should .

A.teach the child a lesson

B.understand the child and forgive him or her

C.not make him or her stay indoors

D.not forgive him or her at all

3.We can infer from the passage that .

A.parents’ attitude towards their children’s mistakes affects their children’s behavior greatly

B.parents’ excuses for their children’s behavior make no difference to their children

C.children are hard to educate if they often make mistakes

D.parents who make excuses for their children’s bad deeds are not good parents

4.The purpose of writing this passage is to .

A.tell us it is normal that children make mistakes

B.show parents how to deal with the children who make mistakes

C.make us know why children often make mistakes

D.give some advice on how to forgive the children who make mistakes

閱讀理解。

The story goes that some time ago,a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper.Money was tight and he became infuriated(憤怒的) when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree.Nevertheless,the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said,“This is for you,Daddy.”

The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction,but his anger flared(爆發(fā)) again when he found out the box was empty.He yelled at her,stating,“Don’t you know,when you give someone a present,there is supposed to be something inside?” The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried,“Oh,Daddy,it’s not empty at all.I blew kisses into the box.They are all for you,Daddy.”

The father was crushed.He put his arms around his little girl,and he begged for her forgiveness.

Only a short time later,an accident took the life of the child.It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years,and whenever he was discouraged,he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.

In a very real sense,each one of us,as human beings,has been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children,family members,friends,and God.There is simply no other possession more precious than this.

1.The 3-year-old girl was punished by her father for .

A.wasting gold

B.wasting gold wrapping paper

C.putting the box under the Christmas tree

D.bringing the gift to her father

2.What’s inside the box according to the little girl?

A.Nothing. B.Air.

C.Kisses. D.Gold wrapping paper.

3.The father remembered the love of his daughter by .

A.kissing the gold box

B.putting gold into the box

C.taking out an imaginary kiss from the box

D.keeping the little girl’s gold box by his bed

4.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A.The kisses in the box

B.A girl and her father

C.A love story

D.The box under the Christmas tree

閱讀理解。

I once had a friend that was diagnosed with terminal cancer,and the news that he might only live up to six months was a great shock to him,his family,and his friends.However,in spite of the serious illness,he was initially determined to look into all available treatments that might cure or extend his life.I think that when you find yourself in such situations,you tend to look up every possible way for hope of saving your life.

As months went on and his health grew worse,I noticed an unexpected change in attitude that came over him.He had also been a happy person with a cheerful personality,but rather than give in to discouragement and self-pity,he took comfort in God and humanity.His talks focused on others rather than himself,and he spoke of the afterlife as something he was prepared for,believing that his concerned ancestors,including his mother and father,were there waiting for him.

During the last few months,weeks,and days of his life,he was kindly cared for by friends,his loving wife,who looked after both his physical and emotional needs,and workers from a local hospice(安養(yǎng)院) came to the home to regulate his medication and provide any other needed support.He didn’t complain about his fate,and he willingly allowed others to serve him.

Indeed,one might think why God allows death and suffering in our world,but for me,such experiences taught me to value family more and kindness for others.You can’t often learn these important attributes in the lap of luxury,and perhaps,such an experience is the greatest and final gift the illness can give those left behind.

1.What did the man do after he first learned of his illness?

A.He was operated on immediately.

B.He retired from his job.

C.He researched cancer treatments.

D.He felt sad,doing nothing.

2.What was the man’s main source of comfort after several months with the disease?

A.His family and friends.

B.His belief in humanity.

C.His doctors’ encouragement.

D.The care from others.

3.What did the author learn from his friend’s story?

A.Giving more respect to friends.

B.Extending life as long as possible.

C.Caring for yourself and enjoying luxury.

D.Getting comfort from God.

4.What does the author mainly want to tell?

A.All people will face death,and thus,we must prepare for it spiritually.

B.Our characters can be strengthened by such an unpleasant situation.

C.Families provide the best support system during such a crisis.

D.People should help those who have got serious illness.

閱讀理解。

How to make friends

Choosing friends

Before you make friends,you have to decide who you want to be your friends.Most people like to have friends who like to do the same kind of things as they do.That doesn’t mean you have to be exactly like each other,just that you enjoy some of the same things.Think about your favorite things to do and try to talk to your classmates at lunch or rest about your hobbies.You are sure to find at least one person who’s excited about the same things that excite and interest you,too.

Making friends

●The quickest way to make a friend is to smile.When you smile,people think you are friendly and easy to talk to.It may not be easy at first to smile.But you can practice smiling in front of a mirror.When you look at yourself in the mirror,think if you’d rather talk to your smiling face or your usual scared or angry face.

●One easy way to start a conversation with someone is to say something nice about them.Think about how great you feel when someone says something nice to you.Doesn’t it make you want to talk to him?

●Ask your new friends questions about themselves.It’s the only way to get to know what they’re like and it’s the only way they’ll know that you are interested in them.

●Make sure you have something to add to the conversation,too.When someone asks you a question,do have an answer for them.There is nothing that will stop a conversation quicker than a shrug(聳肩) for an answer.

Activities

After you’ve made a friend who shares the same interests with you,it’s always fun to plan activities together that you’ll both enjoy.Inviting a friend to your house after school is a great way to make your friendship closer.

If you know a game your friend likes to play,you can plan to do that together.When you play a computer game,one person is always left sitting with nothing to do but watch.Not fun.

1.Before you make friends with someone,make sure .

A.both of you are exactly like each other

B.both of you enjoy some of the same interests

C.you have talked to him or her at lunch or rest about your hobbies

D.you have little in common with each other

2.When you want to make friends with someone,you should do all the following except .

A.smiling at him or her before talking

B.starting a conversation first

C.asking some questions about him or her

D.giving a shrug instead of an answer

3.To make your friendship last long,you shouldn’t .

A.do something that interests both of you together

B.invite your friend to your house at weekends

C.be always doing something by yourself with your friend left doing nothing

D.play basketball together in your free time

閱讀下面短文,從短文后各題所給的四個(gè)選項(xiàng)(A、B、C和D)中,選出可以填入空白處的最佳選項(xiàng)。

My husband,Tom,has always been good with animals,but I was still amazed when he befriended a female grouse(松雞).It’s _______ for a grouse to have any contact(接觸) with people.In fact,they’re hard to spot, _______ they usually fly off when they hear humans approaching.

This grouse came into our lives in _______.Tom was working out in the field when he _______ her walking around at the edge of the field.She was _______ unafraid and seemed to be _______ about what he was doing.

Tom saw the _______ bird several times,and she got more comfortable around him.We quickly grew _______ of the bird and decided to call her Mildred.

One day,as Tom was working,Mildred came within a few feet of him to watch.Tom _______ he didn’t see her and kept working to see what she would do next.

Apparently,she didn’t like to be _______.She’d run up and peck(啄) at Tom’s hands,then _______ off to see what he would do.This went on for about 20 minutes,until Mildred became tired of the _______ and left.

As spring went and summer came,Mildred started to _______ more and more often. _______ Mildred felt comfortable enough to jump up on Tom’s leg and stay long enough for me to get a _______ of the two of them together.This friendly grouse soon felt _______ not just with our family,but with anybody who walked or drove by.

When hunting season opened,we put a _______ at the end of our driveway asking _______ not to shoot our pet grouse.My father,who lived down the road, _______ warned people not to shoot her. _______hunters would stop and take pictures,because they had never seen anything like her.

1.A.interesting B.reasonable C.impossible D.unusual

2.A.though B.because C.unless D.until

3.A.spring B.summer C.autumn D.winter

4.A.got B.kept C.noticed D.imagined

5.A.naturally B.certainly C.normally D.surprisingly

6.A.crazy B.curious C.concerned D.cautious

7.A.shy B.awkward C.friendly D.elegant

8.A.careful B.tired C.fond D.sick

9.A.supposed B.realized C.hoped D.pretended

10.A.ignored B.observed C.amazed D.disturbed

11.A.put B.back C.set D.take

12.A.game B.work C.place D.man

13.A.give up B.come out C.turn over D.fly by

14.A.Eventually B.Suddenly C.Constantly D.Presently

15.A.chance B.dream C.picture D.sense

16.A.comfortable B.guilty C.anxious D.familiar

17.A.drivers B.farmers C.hunters D.tourists

18.A.just B.yet C.thus D.also

19.A.In fact B.For long C.On the contrary D.By the way

20.A.lantern B.sign C.gun D.loudspeaker

閱讀理解。

Windmills(風(fēng)車)dot the landscape,producing a renewable energy source.Our pioneer ancestors established windmills as a means of bringing water to the surface.To tell the truth,the history of wind energy is very long.Since early recorded history,people have been harnessing the energy of the wind.Wind energy drove boats along the Nile River as early as 5000 BC.By 200 BC,simple windmills in China were pumping water,while well-designed windmills were grinding(磨)grain in Persia and the Middle East.

New innovations and curiosity helped spread interest in windmills and wind power.Middle Eastern citizens used them for food production by the 11th century.Merchants along trade routes returned to Europe and shared the idea.Windmills caught on,especially in Holland,and the Dutch improved their use.Here,windmills drained lakes and other bodies of water.In France,the windmill pumped irrigation water.Elsewhere in Europe,windmills were used to grind grain.

By the 19th century,settlers in the United States realized the importance of the simple windmill.Pioneers pumped water for livestock(牲畜)and farming.As estimated six million windmills dotted America’s landscape by the end of the 1880s.Charles Brush,the US inventor,invented a windmill capable of producing electricity in 1888.And now the machines are called wind turbines.As late as the 1920s,Americans used small windmills to provide electricity in rural areas without electric service.When power lines began to transport electricity to rural areas in the 1930s,local windmills were used less and less,though they can still be seen on some Western farms.

In the 1970s,oil shortages pushed the development of alternative energy sources,paving the way for the re-entry of the windmill to produce electricity.In the early 1980s,wind energy really took off in California,partly because of State policies that encouraged renewable energy sources.In the 1990s,the push came from a renewed concern for the environment in response to scientific studies indicating potential changes to the global climate if the use of fossil fuels continues to increase.Wind energy is an economical power resource in many areas of the country.

Wind energy isn’t a new phenomenon,but using wind turbines to create and use electricity is a trend that continues to sweep across the globe.

1.The underlined word “harnessing” in Paragraph 1 is the closest in meaning to “ ”.

A.having influence on

B.controlling and using

C.talking about and studying

D.showing interest in

2.As for the application of windmills,Europe .

A.became well-known all over the world first

B.first began food production

C.increased trade activities with other places

D.followed the example of the Middle East

3.According to the passage,Charles Brush .

A.created the first electricity-producing machine in the world

B.first used windmills in the US

C.was a pioneer in producing electricity from wind

D.improved the economic strength in rural areas of the US

4.What is the best title for the passage?

A.The importance of wind power

B.How does wind energy work?

C.The history of wind energy

D.When was wind power first used?