Everywhere man is altering the balance of nature．He is facilitating the spread of plants and animals into new regions, sometimes deliberately, sometimes unconsciously．He is covering huge areas with new kinds of plants, or with houses, factories, slag-heaps and other products of his civilization．He exterminates some species on a large scale, but favours the multiplication of others．In brief, he has done more in five thousand years to alter the biological aspect of the planet than has nature in five million．
Many of these changes which he has brought about have had unforeseen consequences．Who would have thought that the throwing away of a piece of Canadian waterweed would have caused half the waterways of Britain to be blocked for a decade, or that the provision of pot cacti for lonely settlers’ wives would have led to Eastern Australian being overrun with forests of Prickly Pear? Who would have prophesied that the cutting down of forests on the Adriatic coasts, or in parts of Central Africa, could have reduced the land to a semidesert, with the very soil washed away from the bare rock? Who would have thought that improved communications would have changed history by the spreading of disease-sleeping sickness into East Africa, measles into Oceania, very possibly malaria into ancient Greece?
These are spectacular examples; but examples on a smaller scale are everywhere to be found．We make a nature sanctuary for rare birds, prescribing absolute security for all species; and we may find that some common and hardy kind of bird multiplies beyond measure and ousts the rare kinds in which we were particularly interested．We see, owing to some little change brought about by civilization, the starling spread over the English country-side in hordes．We improve the yielding capacities of our cattle; and find that now they exhaust the pastures which sufficed for less exigent stock．The following examples except ________ reflect man altering the balance of nature．
| A．man is covering huge areas with new kinds of plants |
| B．man is facilitating the spread of animals into new regions． |
| C．man is killing some species on a large scale |
| D．man is getting to know the importance of keeping the balance of nature． |
What had a piece of Canadian waterweed cause?
| A．Eastern Australian was overrun with forests． |
| B．Half the waterways of Britain blocked for a decade． |
| C．In parts of central Africa, the land reduced to a semidesert． |
| D．Disease-sleeping has been caused． |
What have spread diseases?
| A．Disease-sleeping sickness． | B．Measles． |
| C．Improved communications． | D．Malaria． |
We make a nature sanctuary for rare birds but __________
| A．some common and hardy kind of bird multiplies |
| B．rare kinds multiply |
| C．all bird multiply |
| D．no bird multiply |
The main idea of the passage is _________．
| A．that man is deliberately destroying the balance of nature |
| B．that man has foreseen the consequences of altering the balance old nature |
| C．that improved communications have changed history |
| D．that man is altering the balance of nature |
E
In many societies, there is often greater acceptance of light skin than dark skin．Light skin may be seen as a mark of beauty, intelligence and success．These beliefs can lead to social pressure even within the same racial group．As a result, more and more people with dark skin are using skin-lightening products, even if they may face health risks．
Many people believe that having whiter skin will improve their lives．They think they will have a better chance of getting a job or marrying into a better family．Or they want to look like what their society generally considers beautiful．
Some beauty care products contain chemicals that make skin lighter．This process is also called bleaching （漂白）．But some of the chemicals are extremely dangerous．One chemical has been linked to kidney （肾） damage and some kinds of cancer．It also causes low birth weight in babies when used by mothers-to-be．
At first, bleaching products make the skin color lighter．But after long-term use they can cause problems．The chemicals in the products block and break down the natural process that gives color to skin．The skin loses its natural barrier to protect against sunlight．Then the skin can become thick and discolored．Usually the person will use more of the product in an effort to correct the problem, but this only makes it worse．
Fatimata Ly treats skin problems in the Senegalese capital, Dakar．Doctor Ly says skin bleaching has become a problem throughout Senegal．She says the chemicals are now more dangerous because they are stronger．Some cases have resulted in blackened fingernails, infections and permanent skin damage．
And these are not the only risks．Experts say some people who change their skin color suffer emotional damage．They feel regret and sadness．They feel that instead of risking their health, they should have learned to love and accept their skin color as it was．
72．Why has skin lightening become popular all over the world?
A．There are many ways to help change skin color．
B．Many people with dark skin have no confidence．
C．Light skin seems to bring more advantages than dark skin．
D．People with dark skin are facing the pressure from their family．
73．According to the passage, people using bleaching products would risk _____
A．thinner skin B．low weight
C．lung cancer D．emotional damage
74．Which of the following is NOT true about bleaching products?
A．Some of them contain dangerous chemicals．
B．They will not make the skin color lighter．
C．They may cause skin damage．
D．They are likely to bring health risks．
75．The writer's attitude toward using bleaching products is ________．
A．supportive B．positive
C．uncertain D．negative
D
Can it be true that Australian men spend more time during the week brushing their teeth than they do alone with their children?
A new study from the University of New South Wales has discovered that during the working week, Aussie fathers only spend an average of just over a minute each day alone with their children．Australian mothers, on the other hand, spend three hours a week looking after their children — a much
greater disparity （悬殊） than in other countries like America, Denmark, Italy and France, where couples divide the child-care more evenly．
These findings will upset those who want to shake off the perhaps unfair image of Australia as a land of old-fashioned male chauvinism （大男子主义）．
According to the study, Australian fathers appear to like the fun aspects of parenthood, but shy away from the drudgery．So while they tend to be happy taking the kids to the park or to sports events, they are unlikely to participate regularly in feeding, bathing, or taking the kids to school．In short, parenting is seen as a woman's job and a man's hobby in Australia．
Many people believe that in Europe the last twenty years have seen the arrival of the so-called "new man" — the man who is willing to share the housework and child-care．The "new man" never misses his children's school plays and he always gets home in time to read their bedtime story．Indeed, a questionnaire conducted in the UK indicated that almost 70 of British women thought that men were as good at raising children as women．
That's something for Aussie men to think about while they are brushing their teeth!
68．The underlined word "drudgery" refers to ______．
A．enjoyable activity B．easy job C．social responsibilityD．boring work
69．In Australian parenting, ______．
A．both fathers and mothers take it as a hobby
B．neither fathers nor mothers spend enough time on child-care
C．parents don't share the same amount of child-care
D．fathers don't like the kids at all
70．The passage says that the "new man" would ______．
A．go home right after work B．spend more time on their work
C．read stories to their children D．do all the housework
71．According to the passage, Australian fathers should
A．spend more time with their kids B．know more about their family
C．learn from their wivesD．stay at home longer
C
Where do you want to travel this year? What are some of your favorite vacation spots? See some places we have picked as the top destinations for 2010．
● Sri Lanka
The island feels like one big tropical zoo: elephants roam freely, water buffaloes （水牛） idle in paddy fields and monkeys swing from trees．And then there's the beautiful coastline．Among the most scenic is Nilaveli Beach in the Tamil north．Vacationers can lie on poolside hammocks （吊床） under palm trees or swim in its crystal-clear waters．Or they can order cocktails at the Nilaveli Beach Hotel．
● Shanghai
Following up on Beijing's successful Olympics, Shanghai is expecting 70 million visitors to its World Expo．From May 1 to Oct．31, more than 200 nations and regions will turn a two-square-mile site by the city's Huangpu River into an architectural playground: Switzerland will be represented by a building shaped like a map of that country, while England is in the celebrated hands of the designer Thomas Heatherwick．However, by contrast, the United States pavilion might be mistaken for a suburban （郊区的） office park．
● Copenhagen
Last year, thousands of environmentalists challenged world leaders in Copenhagen for the climate summit, but the Danish capital has already emerged as one of the world's greenest, and maybe coolest, cities．In Copenhagen, long, flat roads all have bicycle paths where locals cycle around the city．Away from all the modernism and the happy cyclists, cultural thrill-seekers are being attracted to the district of Norrebro, where the city's young crowd the cafes and galleries or dance in local clubs until the early hours．
64．According to the passage, visitors to the place with natural beauty can have ______．
A．a vacation on the palm beach
B．a great time in busy local clubs
C．a feast for the eyes of architectural wonders
D．a chance to see an environmentally friendly city
65．Which of the following statements is TRUE about the 2010 World Expo?
A．Millions of people will visit Shanghai in seven months．
B．Switzerland has built something that looks like a map of the world．
C．The building of England is designed by Thomas Heatherwick．
D．The US pavilion reminds people of downtown New York．
66．This passage is probably printed on the ______ page of a newspaper．
A．real estate B．entertainment C．travelD．weekend
67．Which of the following can be the best title for this passage?
A．A Trip to the World Expo B．The Places to Go in 2010
C．Join the Copenhagen Climate Summit D．The Most Visited Travel Destinations
B
At 3,500 metres, La Paz, Bolivia, is the highest capital in the world．Many roads are in bad condition and accidents are frequent．One road in particular, is considered the most dangerous in the world．On one side there is a sudden drop, which is so great that anyone inside the vehicle is lucky to survive．
But thanks to one man, the death toll （人数） has fallen．Timoteo Apaza is a man who lives in a village near the most dangerous part of the road, known as "the Devil's Bend"．Timoteo has an unusual job — he is a human traffic signal．Every morning he stands on the bend and directs the traffic．When two vehicles approach from opposite directions, they can't see each other, but they can see Timoteo．Actually no one pays him to do the job．Sometimes drivers give him a tip so that he has just enough money to live on．But often they just pass by, taking the human traffic signal for granted．
So why does he do it? Before Timoteo volunteered to direct the traffic, he had been a driver．Then one day he was driving a lorry load of bananas when he came off the road at a bend and fell three hundred metres down the mountain．Somehow he survived, but was in hospital for months．Then, a few years later, he was called out in the night to help pull people out of a bus crashed at the Devil's Bend．This last experience had a profound effect on Timoteo．He realized that he was lucky to be alive himself, and felt that it was his mission in life to help others．So every morning, week in, week out, from dawn to dusk, Timoteo takes up his place on the bend．
60．Where does Timoteo work?
A．In a small mountainous village． B．At the busiest part of a road．
C．On a farm growing bananas． D．At the side of a dangerous road．
61．The road is so dangerous mainly because ______．
A．it is steep and in bad condition B．it is high up in the mountain
C．there is heavy traffic D．it is often very foggy
62．What does Timoteo get for his job?
A．No payment at all．
B．A small salary from the government．
C．A small amount of money from some drivers．
D．An award from the local people．
63．Why does Timeteo voluntarily direct the traffic?
A．He loves to be a traffic policeman．
B．He feels it his duty to help the drivers．
C．He isn't qualified to do anything else．
D．He can't drive the lorry any more．
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、D）中选出最佳选项。
A
The first time I saw Carlos, I had my arms full of books and I was tearing into the classroom when I ran into something solid．It was Carlos．
"My, you're tall," he exclaimed． Of course, the class began to laugh．Annoyed, I walked to my seat without a word．
I glanced back to see if Reed Harrington was laughing with the rest．That would be the last straw．To my relief．Reed was studying and did not seem to be aware of it．I didn't know why I considered Reed my friend．Maybe just because he was a good two inches taller than I．
"Take that seat," Mr．McCarthy told the newcomer, pointing to the only empty one, in the back of the room．
Carlos smiled broadly．"But I need a couple of dictionaries．" Again the class laughed, but now they were laughing with Carlos, not at him．He had been here only 10 minutes and already he had them on his side．
It was the school election that made me think of Carlos again．Reed Harrington was voted president and Carlos vice-president．"How come?" I kept asking myself．"How come this shrimp （虾） who's only been in town for a little over a month gets to be so popular?"
So when I met Carlos this morning, I said to him, "It doesn't seem to bother you — being short, I mean．" He looked up at me．"Of course I mind being short．But there isn't anything I can do about it．When I realized I was going to have to spend my life in this undersized skin, I decided to make the best of it．My motto is — don't be afraid to be yourself．"
56．This passage is mainly about a short boy who ____________．
A．won the school election B．is ashamed of his height
C．has learned to accept his size D．is embarrassed by the class
57．From the story, we can see that Carlos is ________．
A．shy but diligent B．humorous and confident
C．proud and popular D．honest but sensitive
58．Paragraph 4 suggests that the author ______．
A．cared much about Reed's attitude
B．thought Reed was the same as the others
C．couldn't stand Carlos playing tricks on her
D．hoped Reed was laughing with the others
59．According to the passage, what happened after the election?
A．Carlos and the author argued with each other．
B．Carlos and Reed became very good friends．
C．The author changed her attitude toward Carlos．
D．Carlos was elected president of the student committee．