In the atmosphere , carbon dioxide acts rather like a one-way mirror or the glass in the roof of a greenhouse which allows the sun’s rays to enter but prevents the heat from escaping.
According to a weather expert’s prediction, the atmosphere will be 3 ℃ warmer in the year 2050 than it is today, if man continues to burn fuels at the present rate. If this warming up took place, the ice caps in the poles would begin to melt, thus raising sea level several meters and severely flooding coastal cities. Also, the increase in atmospheric temperature would lead to great changes in the climate of the northern hemisphere(半球), possibly resulting in an alteration of the earth
’s chief food growing zones.
In the past, concern about a man-made warming of the earth has concentrated on the Arctic because the Antarctic is much colder and has a much thicker ice sheet. But the weather experts are now paying more attention to West Antarctic, which may be affected by only a few degrees of warming, in other words, by a warming on the scale that will possibly take place in the next fifty years from the burning of fuels.
Satellite pictures show that large areas of Antarctic ice are already disappearing. The evidence available suggests that a warming has taken place. This fits the theory that carbon dioxide warms the earth
However, most of the fuel is burnt in the northern hemisphere, where temperatures seem to be falling. Scientists conclude, therefore, that up to now natural influences on the weather have gone beyond those caused by man. The question is: Which natural cause has most effect on the weather?
One possibility is the variable behavior of the sun. Astronomers at one research station have studied the hot sports and ‘cold” spots( that is, the relatively less hot spots) on the sun. As the sun rotates(使旋转), every 27.5 days, it presents hotter or colder faces to the earth, and different aspects to different parts of the earth. This seems to have a considerable effe
ct on the distribution of the earth’s atmospheric pressure, and consequently on wind circulati
on. The sun is also changeable over a long term: its heat output goes up and down in cycles, the latest trend being downward.
Scientists are now finding shared relations between models of solar weather interactions and the actual climate over many thousands of years, including the last Ice Age. The problem is that the models are predicting that the world should be entering a new Ice Age and it is hot. One way of solving this theoretical difficulty is to assume a delay of thousands of years while the solar effects overcome the inertia(惯性) of the earth’s climate. If this is right, the warming effect of carbon dioxide might thus be serving as a useful opposed balance to the sun’s fading heat.It can be concluded that concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would ____.
| A．mean a warming-up in the Arctic. |
| B．raise the temperature of the earth’s surface. |
| C．prevent the sun’s rays from reaching the earth’ s surface. |
| D．explain the cause of great changes in the climate in the northern hemisphere. |
The article was written to explain____.
| A．the greenhouse effect. | B．the solar effects on the earth. |
| C．the causes affecting weather. | D．the models of solar weather of solar weather interactions. |
Although the fuel consumption is greater in the northern hemisphere, temperature there seems to be falling. This is ____.
| A．mainly because the levels of carbon dioxide are rising |
| B．partly due to changes in the output of solar energy |
| C．possibly because the ice caps in the poles are melting |
| D．only due to the effect of the inertia of the earth’s climate |
On the basis of their models, scientists are of the opinion that .
| A．the climate of the world should be becoming cooler |
| B．the new Ice Age will be delayed by the greenhouse effect |
C．the man-made w arning effect helps to increase the solar effects |
| D．it will take thousands of years for the interia of the earth’s climate to take effect. |
If the assumption about the delay of a new Ice Age is correct, ___.
| A．ice would soon cover the northern hemisphere. |
| B．the greenhouse effect could work in favor of the earth. |
| C．the best way to overcome the cooling effect would be to burn more fuels. |
| D．the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could warm up the earth even more quickly. |
C
If you gaze（凝视）through a telescope at a distant galaxy（星系）, it may glow brightly with the light of hundreds of millions of stars. Despite（尽管，不顾） all that light, most scientists think that at the center of a big galaxy lies something very dark: a black hole. A black hole is a region of space with gravity so strong that nothing can escape, not even light.
Astronomers recently announced they had observed a faraway galaxy that may have at its center two black holes, very close together. Based on their observations, the stargazers suspect one of the black holes has more mass than the other. The more mass something has, the stronger its gravitational force, so a larger black hole has a stronger gravitational attraction. The smaller black hole orbits（作轨道运行） the larger black hole, just as the earth orbits the sun.
The biggest galaxies in the universe form when two smaller galaxies collide（碰撞）. If two galaxies merge（合并）, then all of their stars start orbiting a common center. The black holes at the galaxies’ centers should come together, too. Galaxies are colliding all the time, so we should be able to find lots of black hole pairs. But that’s easier said than done—astronomers rarely find these in deep space.
To find a black hole is complicated. A black hole doesn’t produce any light, so how can you find one in space? Astronomers think when something (like dust) falls into a giant black hole, a jet of radiation, a form of energy, may stream away. If this radiation is strong enough, it forms a quasar（类星体）.
The Arizona astronomers looked at more than 17,000 quasars and finally found a galaxy that may have a double black hole at its heart. Though the finding of their research is still unconfirmed, and they may be mistaken, the truth will be revealed in the future.
63. Which of the following is TRUE about black holes?
A. A black hole is a region in galaxies with nothing in it, even a bunch of light.
B. Black holes are used by astronomers to study how quasars come into being.
C. When different galaxies meet in space, the black holes become bigger and bigger
D. Some scientists think there’s one black hole in a galaxy, but others think there’re two.
64. From the second paragraph we can infer that ________.
A. a larger black hole pushes a smaller black hole away
B. a larger black hole pulls a smaller black hole toward it
C. the places of black holes are fixed, so we can see them clearly
D. a smaller black hole moves around a larger one because of radiation
65. According to the passage, astronomers think that there should be many black hole pairs because____________.
A. a black hole can produce light
B. black holes can attract one another
C. different black hole pairs come into being with the meeting of galaxies.
D. a big black hole can usually be divided into two small black holes
B
As the summer comes, the exhausted consumers start paying attention to the latest cooling devices（仪器）in the market. With the competition rising ,buying an air conditioner (AC) is no longer a big deal; moreover the easy finance schemes make it a device for every life.
Design
Though it carries the standard design for AC, yet it looks elegant(优雅的) when fixed on your wall. As AC is exposed to exterior（外部的）climate, it is bound to get damaged and bring maintenance cost if not taken proper care of. But Haier has solved this problem by providing an anti-corrosion（抗腐蚀的）body to all its AC. It has a remote control which provides you with ultimate flexibility and you can operate it from every corner of your room.
Key Features
It’s proved that this AC steals the show by offering 1tonne cooling capacity at the EER of 9.47. This means it operates at low power and thus helps you save great energy, and consequently it wins popularity with customers. The rotary compressor（旋转式压缩机）is the secret behind its smooth and silent operation, which makes it suitable for public and silent areas.
Core Information
Apart from the above features, it attracts consumers by its unique anti-bacterial filters（过滤器）, which act as a favor to your health by destroying the harmful germs and bacteria and make you breathe very clean air.
Advantages and Disadvantages
The anti-bacterial filters prove to be a favor for our respiratory system（呼吸系统）. When compared to other famous brands such as Samsung, Onida, and LG, it offers great functions at a very friendly price. However, it lacks some additional filters which are seen in other expensive brands like Electrolux EA12SCRLA1.
Conclusion
It’s a masterpiece（杰作） due to its silent operation and uniform（均速的）cooling. Thus, if you desire cool air, then just switch to this AC and feel the magic.
59. It can be inferred from the passage that __________.
A. most customers are not satisfied with the latest AC
B. the price of AC has been lowered due to the fierce competition
C. Haier AC has special functions but no desirable shapes
D. the real secret behind Haier AC’s silent operation hasn’t been published yet
60. The underlined words “steals the show” can be replaced by________.
A. learns key technologies secretly B. puts theories into practice scientifically
C. attracts more attention and praise D. shows some advantages and disadvantages
61. Which of the following plays an important role in guaranteeing our health?
A. The anti-corrosion body. B. The remote control system.
C. The rotary compressor. D. The anti-bacterial filters.
62. Compared with other brands, Haier AC’s biggest advantage lies in ________.
A. the standard design B. the low maintenance cost
C. the best after-sales service D. the great functions at a low price
第三部分：阅读理解（共10小题；每小题2分，满分20分）
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
In meditation（冥想），people sit quietly and focus their attention on their breath. As they breathe in and out, they attend to their feelings. As thoughts go through their minds, they let them go. Breathe. Let go. Breathe. Let go.
According to a recent study at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, three months of training in this kind of meditation causes a marked change in how the brain allocates attention. It appears that the ability to let go thoughts that come into mind frees the brain to attend to more rapidly changing things and events in the outside world. Expert mediators are better than other people at catching such fast-changing stimuli, like facial expressions.
The study provides evidence for changes in the workings of the brain with mental training. People can learn and improve abilities of all sorts with practice, everything from driving to playing the piano. The study has shown that meditation is good for the brain. It appears to reduce pressure and promote a sense of well-being.
In an experiment, 17 volunteers with no meditation experience in the experimental group spent three months meditating 10 to 12 hours a day. A control group also with no meditation experience meditated for 20 minutes a day over the same period. Both groups were then given the tests with two numbers in a group of letters. As both group looked for the numbers, their brain activity was recorded.
Everyone could catch the first number. But the brain recordings showed that the less experienced mediators tended to grasp the first number and hang onto it, so they missed the second number. Those with more experience gave less attention to the first number as if letting it go, which led to an increased ability to grasp the second number. This shows that attention can change with practice.
Just ask Daniel Levision, who meditated for three months as part of the study.” I am a much better listener,” he said. “I do not get lost in my own personal reaction to what people are saying.”
56. The underlined word “them” in Paragraph 1 refers to ________.
A. feelings B. minds C. people D. thoughts
57. Meditations manage their daily tasks better because they ________.
A. are given less pressure B. allocate their attention better
C. have more stimuli for life D. practice them more frequently
58. The study proves that ________.
A. meditation improves one’s health B. brain activity can be recorded
C. human attention can be trainedD. mediators have a good sense of hearing
E
Support for renewable energy technology to figllt global warming is weakening in the face of
worldwide economic problems and the true scale of the carbon reductions required，a survey pub-
lished today has suggested．
Figures presented at the UN climate talks in Poznan，Poland，show that climate experts have
less faitll in alternative energy than they did 12 months ago．
The survey shows less support for wind energy，solar power，biofuels，biomass and hydrogen
energy as technologies with“high potential”to reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere over the next
25 years．
Eric Whan of Globesean，which carried out t}le survey of“climate decision makers”．said．
“As the climate crisis deepens they could be becoming less optimistic that individual technologies
may be able to solve the problem．’’
The survey，supported by groups including the World Bank，the United Nations Environment
Programme and the Pew Center for Global Climate Change，questioned l，000 senior figures across
governments，pressure groups and companies in 1 15 countries over the last few weeks．
Almost three—quarters of the experts agreed in the survey that“equitable(公平的，平等的)e—
eonomic growth and development and significant progress in combating(与…斗争)climate change
Call be achieved at the salne time．’’
Asked to rate the likely Success of low—carbon technologies in the mid—term，they showed
less confidence than a similar survey 12 months ago．Support for offshore wind farms，was down
61％from 65％last year.Solar electricity generation was rated as having high—potential by 66％of respondents，down from 74％．Support for hydrogen power was 32％，down form 36％in 2007．
The respondents also warned that a deep recession(衰退)would make a new global deal on climate harder to achieve．Some 44％agreed that the current economic crisis will significantly delay orcompromise the“achievement of effective climate change agreements．’’
72．Which of the following is NOT the alternative energy? ·
A．Wind energy． B．Solar power． C．Hydrogen energy．D．Conventional energy．
73．Which of the following altemative energy sees the most remarkable reduction in support'?
A．Offshore wind farms． B．Solar electricity．
C．Hydrogen power． D．Natural gas．
Why is support for renewable energy technology to fight dobal warming weakening?
A．The technology has no use at all．
B．People don’t want to use the technology．
C．Nothing can be done to reduce carbon levels in the atmosphere．
D．The current economic crisis iS to blame．
75．What’S the best title of the passage?
A．Experts Lost Faith in Renewable Technology B．Global Environment Is Worsening
C．Who Is to Blame f．0r tIle Environment D．What Can Be Done to Save the Earth
D
As school fl,tats again，there’s SO much mole for an American parent to nag(唠叨)about，like
homework，bedtime and lost hours on the Intemet．But in the age of digital childhood，Jacky Long-well，45，of McLean，Virginia，often text—messages(发短信)what she OnCe told her children bymouth_"Be nice to your brother；walk the dog；remember your reading．
This is the world of the modem family，in which even reminding children to do something has
become electronic．
There are changes in how parents nag and in what they nag about and in the frequency of their
nagging．
With technology，“you nag more，and you are a little bit more：precise with your nagging．’’said
Reginald Black，46，of Woodbridge，Virginia．
For many young people，electronic nagging is part of the experience of growing up．Charles Flowers，17，131．$enior at St．John“College High School in Washington．says his mothel-reminds him about everything from laundry，being Oil time to baseball practice and mowing the lawn by text．
When she uses capitals he knows she is serious：GET HOME!
Some say technology has made nagging less annoying．
Jaeky Longwell thinks texts ale less emotional than spoken messages and less likely to be resisted by teenagers．
It’s not as painful for them to hear it by text．It becomes grouped with the friendly communication，”she said．“They can’t hear the nagging．”
She thinks a good way to do it is to mix friendliness with nagging．A parent Call always start by
saying hello．
Not all parents like the new electronic r,agging．Joyce Bouehard，51，a mother of four in Fairfax，Virginia，texts her 14一year—old son but says that for many things — chores，homework— the
old—fashioned way works better．Nagging by text has risks，she notes：I always think，if you are texting them something and they are with their friends，they ale getting a big laugh out of it．’’
68．We can conclude from the first two paragraphs that————————．
A．American children often stay up late studying
B．Jacky Long'well had a happy aigital childhood
C．American parents pay too much attention to their children’s studies
D．American parents think a lot about their children’s characters
69．The example of Reginald Black is used to show readers————————．
A．that her nagging is thoughtful
B．how the amount and kind of nagging have changed with the arrival of the digital age
C．the kind of skills a parent needs to nag effectively
D．that she likes nagging her children very much
70．We can infer that—————————．
A．It’S better for parents to nag in a friendly,way
B．whether、nagging is e]ectronic or not，it is annoying
C．American parents generally don’t like to nag
D．American parents like to llse capital letters in messages
7 1．The main idea of the article is———————一．
A．the subjects American parents like to nag about
B．the reaSOliS American parents like to nag their children
C．that electronic nagging is becoming commoll in the U．S
D．how American parents began to nag their children by text messages