B
A sunflower is a sunflower. A mobile phone is a mobile phone. But can combine the two to do something for your local environment? As early as next year it may well be possible. When you have finished with your mobile phone you will be able to bury it in a garden or a plant pot and wait for it to flower.
A biodegradable (生物所能分解的) mobile phone was, this month, introduced by scientists. It is hoped that the new type of phone will encourage consumers to recycle.
Scientists have come up with a new material over the last five years. It looks like any other plastic and can be hard or soft, and is able to change shape. Over time it can also break down into the soil without giving out any poisonous chemicals. British researchers used the new material to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed. When this new type of cover turns into wastes, it forms fertilizers. These feed the seed and help the flower grow.
Engineers have designed a small transparent (透明的) window to hold the seed. They have made sure it only grown when the phone is thrown away. “We’ve only put sunflower seeds into the covers so far. But we are working with plant experts to find out which flowers would perform best. Maybe we could put roses in next time.” said one scientist.
As phone technology is developing so quickly, people are constantly throwing their mobiles away. This means manufacturers are under pressure to fine ways of recycling them. Some 650 million mobile phones have been sold this year. Most of them will be thrown away within two years, adding plastic, heavy metal and chemical waste to the environment. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, according to the scientists.
“The seed comes out and the flower grows in the pot so you don’t have to concern yourself with the phone when you have finished using it,” said Kerry Kirwan. She leads the research team, which is based at the University of Warwick in Britain.
61. What is the purpose of this passage?
A. Tell the popularity of biodegradable cell phone.
B. To persuade the reader to buy the biodegradable cell phone.
C. To discuss the development of phone technology.
D. To introduce an environmental-friendly cell phone to readers.
62. People throw away their cell phones most probably because _________.
A. there is something wrong with them B. no sunflowers can grow out of them
C. they are out of fashion D. they are becoming cheaper and cheaper
63. It could be learned from the passage that __________.
A. developing the new type of phone is mainly to protect the environment
B. phone-makers will benefit much more from the new type of phone
C. the new type of phone will certainly be popular with users all over the world
D. the phones that can be recycled are available only in Britain now
64. According to the passage, which of the following statements is right?
A. The new material for the biodegradable phone was found by British scientists.
B. The cover of the new type of mobile can bread down and become fertilizers after it becomes waste.
C. The sunflower seed in the best to be put into the phone cover.
D. The biodegradable cover must be very expensive.
65. What might be the most suitable title for this passage?
A. Sunflower and Phone. B. Plant Your Phone.
C. Protect Our Environment. D. No Worry about Phone.
There is a wonderful story about a young girl who had no family and no one to love her. One day, feeling very sad and lonely, she was walking through a grassland when she noticed a small butterfly caught in a thorn (荆棘) bush. The young girl carefully released the Butterfly. Instead of flying away, the little butterfly changed into a beautiful fairy. The young girl rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
“For your wonderful kindness,” the good fairy said to the girl, “I will give you any wish you would like.” The little girl thought for a moment and then replied, “I want to be happy.” The fairy leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. Then the fairy disappeared.
As the little girl grew up, there was no one in the land as happy as she. Everyone asked her secret of happiness .She would only smile and answer, “The secret of my happiness is that I listened to a good fairy when I was a little girl.”
When she was very old and on her deathbed, the neighbors all gathered around her, that her unbelievable secret of happiness would die with her. “Tell us, please,” they begged, “Tell us what the good fairy said.” The lovely old woman simply smiled and said, “She told me that everyone, no matter how secure they seemed, no matter how old or young, how rich or poor, had need of me.”Noticing the butterfly was caught by the thorn, the orphan girl ______.
| A.helped the butterfly escaped from the thorn |
| B.felt sorrow,but she didn’t go up to help it |
| C.fell down on it too |
| D.failed to help it release from the thorn |
The butterfly ______ after it was saved by the little girl.
| A.flied away | B.still died |
| C.changed into a fairy | D.was more beautiful than before |
The only thing that the little girl wanted was________.
| A.to be rich | B.to have her own parents |
| C.to have a lot of friends | D.happiness |
The neighbors all gathered around the old happy woman when she was dying, because ______.
| A.they loved this woman deeply and they didn‘t wanted her to die |
| B.the woman had lots of money to be shared as soon as she died |
| C.they wanted to know the secret of her lifetime happiness |
| D.they wanted to pray for her after her death |
Cats are very smart. They are one of the smartest animals. The brain of a cat is large. It is highly developed. This may be why cats have good memories. Cats remember kindness and cruelty. It is a good idea to treat a cat well. Cats can “speak” too. They meow for attention. Often they stand by a door. Then they meow. Then they look over their shoulders. They want to see if their owners are coming. Cats make other noises also. They purr(猫发出的咕噜声)when they are happy. They hiss when they are angry.
Cats have a lot of pride. They don’t usually do silly tricks. Almost all cats want to have their own way. They are mostly true to only one person. They don’t switch loyalty easily. Cats were free in the wild. They want to stay that way. They like to be their own masters. When a cat is left alone, it can go back to caring for itself. It can live in the wild again. This is different from dogs. Dogs will switch their loyalty. At one time dogs were loyal to the leaders of their packs. Now, they will transfer allegiance(忠诚)to their owner. They do not like to be alone.
With kindness, a cat can be trained. Cats can learn to do many things. Some cats can learn to open doors. Some can ring doorbells. Some can even turn on water tap. Then they take a drink. Cats are very smart. Before drinking, they put a paw in the water. They test whether the water is hot or cold.What is the best title for this passage?
| A.The Difference Between Dogs and Cats. | B.The Characteristics of Cats. |
| C. Loyal Animals. | D. How to Keep Cats? |
It’s interesting to have cats around ourselves because ________.
A.they always switch their loyaltyB. they like to do silly tricks
C. they will hiss when they are happy D they are smart and have good memoriesThe last paragraph mainly shows that ________.
| A.cats can test whether the water is cold or not |
| B.cats know how to turn on the water tap |
| C.cats are smart |
| D.cats know how to open a door |
Many teenagers feel that the most important people in their lives are their friends. They believe that their family members, and in particular their parents, don’t know them as well as their friends do. In families, it is quite often brothers and sisters to fight with each other and then they can only go to their friends for advice.
It is very important for teenagers to have one good friend or a circle of friends. Even when they are not with their friends, they usually spend a lot of time talking among themselves on the phone. This communication is very important in children’s growing up, because friends can discuss something difficult to say to their family members. However, parents often try to choose their children’s friends for them. Some parents may even stop their children from meeting their good friends. The question of “choice” is an interesting one. Have you ever thought of the following questions?
Who chooses your friends? Do you choose your friends or your friends choose you?Many teenagers think their _____ know them better than their parents do.
| A.friends | B.teachers | C.brothers and sisters | D.family members |
Which of the following is right according to the passage?
| A.Parents should like everything their children enjoy. |
| B.In all families children can choose everything they like. |
| C.Parents should try their best to understand their children better. |
| D.Teenagers can only go to their friends for help. |
Which is the best title for this passage?
| A.Only Parents Can Decide | B.Parents and Children |
| C.Teenagers Need Friends | D.A strange Question |
Jenny went to visit her friends in New York last weekend. Her friends met her at the airport on Friday afternoon and drove her to the hotel. They had dinner at a Chinese restaurant and went to see a film after that.
Jenny and her friends set out early on Saturday morning for a farm and stayed there until Sunday morning. During their stay, they went fishing and swimming in the small river on the farm. They played football in the field and enjoyed a big meal around a camp fire(篝火), singing and dancing till late into the night.
Nobody could get up early on Sunday morning. So when they got back to New York City, it was about three o’clock in the afternoon. They drove right to the airport because Jenny didn’t want to miss her plane back home. Jenny only stayed in New York for two nights but she had a great time with her friends.Jenny went to New York ____________ .
| A.to do some shopping | B.to see her friends |
| C.to spend her summer holiday | D.to find a job |
How did Jenny get to New York?
| A.By train. | B.By bus. | C.By plane. | D.On foot. |
Where did Jenny and her friends go on Saturday?
| A.To the farm. | B.To the Chinese restaurant. |
| C.To the airport. | D.To the railway station. |
When did Jenny go back home?
| A.On Saturday afternoon. | B.On Sunday morning. |
| C.On Saturday evening. | D.On Sunday afternoon. |
How long did Jenny stay in New York?
| A.One night. | B.Two nights. | C.Three nights. | D.Four nights. |
A few months ago, Dr. Ken Duckworth, a psychiatrist(心理医生) in Massachusetts, was swimming in his community's pool, chatting with other swimmers. When he mentioned his career, one man wanted Duckworth’s opinion on his struggles with depression; another asked for advice on a family member's mental illness.
“I was sort of amazed. They were talking openly about their mental disabilities with a stranger in a swimming locker room, ” said Duckworth, “That wouldn't have happened 15 years ago. ”
New research shows that these swimmers aren't the only ones opening up. According to a new study, more American adults than ever are reporting being disabled by the symptoms of depression, anxiety or other emotional problems.
The report, published Thursday in the American Journal of Public Health, found that people who said they couldn’t perform everyday tasks or engage in social and leisure activities because of a mental illness increased from 2 percent in 1999 to 2.7 percent in 2009. That increase amounts to nearly 2 million more people disabled by mental distress (痛苦) in the past decade, the report said.
Although people did not say they felt more mental distressed compared to past years, they reported that their mental health problems had a greater impact on their daily lives.
Dr. Ramin Mojtabai, the study's author, said it's unclear whether the findings tell a sad story of greater mental distress in recent times or point to a victory for public education about the importance of acknowledging and evaluating mental illness.
“It is possible that people are realizing the effects of mental illness more acutely now than before," he said. "People could be becoming more aware. ”
Mojtabai said it's also possible that a number of factors could be taking a toll on the population's mental well-being. High unemployment, economic hardships and a growing sense of isolation could be putting greater stress on Americans.
But Duckworth said there could be a more positive explanation -- like his fellow swimmers, people may be getting more comfortable with talking about their mental distress.
“I wonder if this tells us that American culture is becoming more open and is giving people the ability to speak about it,” he said. “If people have this problem and are willing to acknowledge it, then we're getting closer to dealing with it.”Why was Dr. Ken Duckworth surprised when other swimmers talked about the depression with him?
| A.He hadn’t expected those swimmers had so many questions. |
| B.He didn’t know there would be so many people suffering mental disabilities. |
| C.People wouldn’t talk about their mental disabilities with a stranger in the past. |
| D.It amazed him that people were becoming more and more open-hearted. |
Which of the statements may Dr. Ramin Mojtabai agree?
| A.More and more people are suffering mental distress nowadays. |
| B.People may be more willing to acknowledge their mental illness. |
| C.People are becoming more and more aware of the effects of mental illness. |
| D.The public education about the importance of acknowledging mental illness is successful. |
What does the underline phrase “taking a toll on” in para.8 mean?
| A.making a contribution to |
| B.taking part in |
| C.playing a part in |
| D.doing harm to |
What’s the best title of the text?
| A.How mental illness come about? |
| B.Swimmers with mental illness puzzled psychiatrist. |
| C.Study shows more mental illness. |
| D.You should have an accurate attitude towards mental illness. |