Imagine a mass of floating waste is two times the size of the state of Texas. Texas has a land area of more than 678 000 square kilometers. So it might be difficult to imagine anything twice as big.
All together, this mass of waste flowing in the North Pacific Ocean is known as the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch. It weighs about 3 500 000 tons. The waste includes bags，bottles and containers—plastic products of all kinds.
The eastern part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch is about l 600 kilometers west of California. The western part is west of the Hawaiian Islands and east of Japan. The area has been described as a kind of oceanic desert，with light winds and slow moving water currents. The water moves so slow that garbage from all over the world collects there.
In recent years，there have been growing concerns about the floating garbage and its effect on sea creatures and human health. Scientists say thousands of animals get trapped in the floating waste，resulting in death or injury. Even more die from a lack of food or water after swallowing pieces of plastic. The trash can also make animals feel full，lessening their desire to eat or drink.
The floating garbage also can have harmful effects on people. There is an increased threat of infection of disease from polluted waste，and from eating fish that swallowed waste. Divers can also get trapped in the plastic.
Its existence first gained public attention in l997. That was when racing boat captain and oceanographer Charles Moore and his crew sailed into the garbage while returning from a racing event. Five years earlier，another oceanographer learned of the trash after a shipment of rubber duckies got lost at sea. Many of those toys are now part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.
In August，2009，a team from the University of California，San Diego became the
latest group to travel to it. They were shocked by the amount of waste they saw. They gathered hundreds of sea creatures and water samples to measure the garbage patch’s effect on ocean environment.How did the writer introduce the topic of the passage?
| A．By giving an example. | B．By listing the facts. |
| C．By telling a story. | D．By giving a comparison. |
What do we know about the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
| A．It is made up of various kinds of plastic products. |
| B．It is a solid mass of floating waste materials. |
| C．It lies l60 000 kilometers east of California. |
| D．It is described as a kind of oceanic desert. |
Why do people pay attention to the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
| A．Because it may prevent the flow of ocean water. |
| B．Because the polluted plastic articles will move up the food chain. |
| C．Because it may be from an island in the pacific. |
| D．Because ships may be trapped in the floating waste. |
Which column can you find the passage on a newspaper?
| A．Sports and entertainment. | B．Media and culture. |
| C．Environment and society. | D．Science and technology. |
The purpose of writing this passage is to____________.
| A．warn people of the danger to travel in the pacific |
| B．analyze what caused the waste patch in the pacific |
| C．give advice on how to recycle waste in the ocean |
| D．introduce the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch |
A little under one-third of U.S. families have no Internet access and do not plan to get it, with most of the holdouts seeing little use for it in their lives, according to a survey released on Friday.
Park Associates, a Dallas-based technology market research firm, said 29 percent of U.S. families, or 31 million homes, do not have Internet access and do not intend to subscribe（预订）to an Internet service over the next 12 months. The second annual National Technology Scan conducted by Park found that the main reason why potential customers say they do not subscribe to the Internet is because of the low value to their daily lives rather than concerns over cost.
Forty-four percent of these families say they are not interested in anything on the Internet, versus just 22 percent who say they cannot afford a computer or the cost of Internet service, the survey showed. The answer “I’m not sure how to use the Internet” came from 17 percent of participants who do not subscribe. The response “I do all my e-commerce shopping and YouTube-watching at work” was cited by 14 percent of Internet-access users. Three percent said the Internet doesn’t reach their homes.
The study found U.S. broadband adoption grew to 52 percent over 2006, up from 42 percent in 2005. Roughly half of new subscribers converted（转变）from slower-speed, dial-up Internet access while the other half of families had no prior access.
“The industry continues to chip（击破）away at the core of non-subscribers, but has a long way to go,” said John Barrett, director of research at Parks Associates. “Entertainment applications will be the key. If anything will pull in the holdouts, it’s going to be applications that make the Internet more similar to pay-TV,” he predicted.
41. What does the underlined word “holdouts” in the first paragraph most probably mean?
A. some American families
B. those who hold out one’s opinions
C. those who have been surveyed
D. those who still haven’t access to the Internet currently
42. Many potential customers refuse to subscribe to the Internet mainly because _________.
A. they show too much concern about the cost B. they can find little value of it
C. they do most YouTube-watching at work D. the Internet doesn’t reach their homes
43. From the passage we can infer that ________.
A. It is not an easy job to transform those holdouts into the Internet users
B. people will adopt dial-up Internet access no more
C. many Americans enjoy doing e-commerce shopping at home
D. more than half of the population are using the Internet in 2005
44. According to John Barrett, what is the key to attracting more U.S. families to broadband service?
A. making the Internet look more similar to TV set
B. applying the Internet more to entertainment
C. providing more pay-TV programs
D. chipping away at the core of non-subscribers
45. Which is the best title for the passage?
A. Web develops with technology B. The present situation of web
C. Many Americans see little point to web D. It is urgent to promote web service
There are many thoughts on the origins of civilization. One of the major factors involved was the increase in population. The development of techniques, primarily irrigation and flood control, which permitted agriculture in special areas such as the flood plain of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, made possible the support of large population. Once populations reach a certain number, the older pattern of social organization breaks down and new ones develop. Specifically the older system, whereby each individual participated in food production and maintained a similar standard of living and whereby kinship(家属关系) served as the basic method of social organization, was replaced by the occupational division of labor, political and religious hierarchies(等级制度), public works such as road and public building construction, class systems, codes of law, markets, new forms of warfare, and urban centres. Allied with these important sociological traits are material traits, such as monumental architecture and the development of science and, in many cases, metallurgy(冶金学) and writing sustems.
The earliest civilization, Sumer, developed in the Middle East. This was the Bronze Age of the Old World, during which people first developed the art of metallurgy, civilization also arose in other parts of the Old World, first in Eygpt, China, and India, and later in Europe and Africa. At this time, civilization also developed independently in the New World, in the Mexican area and in Peru and its adjacent(邻近的) areas.
In the Old World the Bronze Age was followed by the Iron Age, which saw the rise and fall of great empires and the shift of power from the Middle East to Greece and Rome and then to Western Europe. In the 1700s the Industrial Age began, leading directly to the modern civilization of today.
46. The author of this passage __________________________________.
A. gives a comparison between ancient civilization and modern civilization
B. suggests that population increase is most important in the development of civilization
C. tries to explain how civilization developed in human history
D. explore the relation between agriculture and industry
47. According to the first paragraph, the increase in population _____________________.
A. resulted in the development of agricultural technology
B. resulted from the breakdown of old social organization
C. caused the occupational division of labor
D. was impossible without the development of agriculture
48. The word “traits” in Paragraph One most likely means ___________________________.
A. main appearances B. great achievements
C. distinguishing features D. outstanding successes
49. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
A. The Bronze Age is one of the earliest civilizations.
B. The Industrial Age started in the Middle East.
C. The Bronze Age developed into the Iron Age.
D. The use of metal instruments started from the Bronze Age.
50. Which of the following is NOT included in the expression “the Old World” used in the passage?
A. American continent. B. Both Western and Eastern Europe.
C. African continent. D. Asian countries.
Moving in with a boyfriend causes women to eat more unhealthily and put on weight. But the opposite is true for men, whose long-term health benefits when they move in with a female partner.
Dieticians at Newcastle University said both partners try to please one another, and so change their dietary habits to suit their other half.
It leads men to eat more light meals, such as salads, fruit and vegetables, while women choose to make creamier, heavier dishes curry or rich pasta sauces, which may please their partner.
Women still have the strongest long-term influence over the couple’s diet and lifestyle, as they still have the traditional role of shopper and cook in most households.
The report, by Newcastle University’s Human Nutrition Research Centre, reviewed the finding of a variety of research projects from the UK, North America and Australia, which looked at the eating and lifestyle habits of couples.
The research shows that women are more likely to put on weight and increase their consumption of foods high in fat and sugar when they move in with their partner.
Women also use food as a comfort when dealing with emotional stress and have been found to gain weight when a relationship ends, while the same finding has not been observed in men.
Many couples reported food as being central to their partnership, and eating together in the evening was particularly important to many.
Report author and registered dietician Dr. Amelia Lake said, “The research has shown that your partner is a strong influence on lifestyle and people who are trying to live healthier lives should take this factor into consideration.”
41. According to the passage, moving in with a girlfriend, men _______.
A. have few changes of their dietary habits
B. have to eat more unhealthy foods
C. don’t like foods high in fat and sugar at all
D. try to eat foods that their girlfriends like
42. The underlined word “light”(in Paragraph 4 ) probably means ________.
A. not very heavy
B. less in fat and sugar
C. gentle
D. not serious or important
43. According to the report by Newcastle University’s Human Nutrition Research Centre, ________.
A. women put on weight only because they want to suit their other half
B. when men are faced with emotional stress, they will change their dietary habits
C. eating together in the evening is a good way to communicate for couples
D. it is wrong to change your dietary habits to suit your partner
44. From the passage, we can infer that _________.
A. women should pay more attention to their partner’s influence on them
B. more men will play roles of shopper and cook in most households
C. couples will not change their dietary habits and lifestyle to please their partner
D. long-term health of men benefits when they move in with a female partner
45. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Don’t be silly any more, women!
B. Which are better dietary habits?
C. Boyfriends make you fat
D. Dr. Amelia Lake and his study
Can people change their skin colour without suffering like pop king Michael Jackson? Perhaps yes. Scientists have found the gene that determines skin colour.
The gene comes in two versions, one of which is found in 99 per cent of Europeans. The other is found in 93 to 100 per cent of Africans, researchers at Pennsylvania State University report in the latest issue of Science.
Scientists have changed the colour of a dark-striped zebrafish to uniform gold by inserting a version of the pigment(色素) gene into a young fish. As with humans, zebrafish skin colour is determined by pigment cells, which contain melanosomes(黑色素). The number, size and darkness of melanosomes per pigment cell determines skin colour.
It appears that, like the golden zebrafish, light-skinned Europeans also have a mutation(变异) in the gene for melanosome production. This results in less pigmented skin.
However, Keith Cheng, leader of the research team, points out that the mutation is different in human and zebrafish genes.
Humans acquired dark skin in Africa about 1.5 million years ago to protect bodies from ultra-violet rays of the sun(太阳光紫外线), which can cause skin cancer.
But when modern humans leave Africa to live in northern latitudes, they need more sunlight on their skin to produce vitamin D. So the related gene changes, according to Cheng.
Asians have the same version of the gene as Africans, so they probably acquired their light skin through the action of some other gene that affects skin colour, said Cheng.
The new discovery could lead to medical treatments for skin cancer. It also could lead to research into ways to change skin colour without damaging it like chemical treatment did on Michael Jackson.
51. The passage mainly tells us that ________.
A. people can not change their skin colour without any pain
B. the new discovery could lead to search into ways to change skin colour safely
C. pop king Michael Jackson often changed his skin colour as he liked
D. scientists have found out that people’s skin colour is determined by the gene
52. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A. nowadays people who want to change their skin colour have to suffer a lot from the damage caused by the chemical treatment
B. Europeans and Africans have the same gene
C. the new discovery could help to find medical treatments for skin cancer
D. there are two kinds of genes
53. Scientists have done an experiment on a dark-striped zebra fish in order to ________.
A. find the different genes of humans’
B. prove the humans’ skin colour is determined by the pigment gene
C. find out the reason why the Africans’ skin colour is dark
D. find out the ways of changing peopl’s skin colour
54. The reason why Europeans are light-skinned is probably that ________.
A. they are born light-skinned people
B. light-skinned Europeans have mutation in the gen for melanosome production
C. they have fewer activities outside
D. they pay much attention to protecting their skin
55. The writer’s attitude towards the discovery is ________.
A. neutral B. negative C. positive D. indifferent
Among various programs, TV talk shows have covered every inch of space on daytime television. And anyone who watches them regularly knows that each one is different in style. But no two shows are more opposite in content, while at the same time standing out above the rest, than the Jerry Springer and Oprah Winfrey shows.
Jerry Springer could easily be considered the king of "rubbish talk". The topics on his show are as surprising as can be. For example, the show takes the ever-common talk show titles of love, sex, cheating, and hate, to a different level. Clearly, the Jerry Springer show is about the dark side of society, yet people are willing to eat up the troubles of other people's lives.
Like Jerry Springer, Oprah Winfrey takes the TV talk show to its top. But Oprah goes in the opposite direction. The show is mainly about the improvement of society and different quality of life. Contents are from teaching your children lessons, managing your work week, to getting to know your neighbors.
Compared to Oprah, the Jerry Springer show looks like poisonous waste being poured into society. Jerry ends every show with a "final word". He makes a small speech about the entire idea of the show. Hopefully, this is the part where most people will learn something very valuable.
Clean as it is, the Oprah show is not for everyone. The show's main audience are middle-class Americans. Most of the people have the time, money and ability to deal with life's tough problems. Jerry Springer, on the other hand, has more of a connection with the young adults of society. These are 18-to 21year-olds whose main troubles in life include love, relationship, sex, money and drug. They are the ones who see some value and lessons to be learned through the show's exploitation.
46. Compared with other TV talk shows, both the Jerry Springer and the Oprah Winfrey shows are ______.
A. more interesting B. unusually poplar C. more detailed D. more formal
47. Though the social problems Jerry Springer talks about appear unpleasant, people who watch the shows ______.
A. show disbelief in them B. are ready to face up to them
C. remain cold to them D. are willing to get away from them
48. Which of the following is likely to be a topic of the Oprah Winfrey show?
A. A new type of robot. B. National hatred.
C. Family income planning. D. Street accident.
49. We can learn from the passage that the two talk shows ____.
A. have become the only ones of its kind B. exploit the weaknesses in human nature
C. appear at different times of the day D. attract different people
50. What is the advantage of the Jerry Springer show?
A. The show exposes the dark sides of society.
B. The show pours poisonous waste into society.
C. Jerry sums up the whole idea of the show.
D. Jerry talks abou the improvement of society.