Australia’s Great Barrier Reef will lose most of its coral cover by 2050 and, at worst, the world’s largest coral system could collapse by 2100 because of global warming, a study recently said.
The study by Queensland University’s Center for Marine Studies, commissioned (委托) by the Worldwide Fund for Nature, said that the destruction of coral on the Great Barrier Reef was unavoidable due to global warming, regar
dless of what actions were taken now. “Under the worst-case scenario, coral populations will collapse by 2100 and the reestablishment of coral reefs will be highly unlikely over the following 200-500 years,” said the report entitled “Implications (可能的影响) of Climate Change for Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.”
The Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living reef formation stretching 2,000 km north to south along Australia’s northeast coast. “Only if global average temperature change is kept to below two degrees Celsius can the Reef have any change of recovering from the predicted damage,” the report said. Coral has a narrow comfort zone and is highly stressed by a temperature rise of less than one degree Celsius. Water temperature rises of less than one degree coincided (同时发生) with the world’s worst recorded coral bleaching (颜色变淡) period in 1988. The warmer water forces out the algae (海藻) that give coral its color and, if all are lost, the coral dies and the reef will die out. In 1988, 16 percent of the world’s coral died, with 46 percent of the Indian Ocean coral destroyed.
Scientists express water temperatures to rise this century by between two and six degrees Celsius. “There is little to no evidence that corals can adapt fast enough to match even the lower temperature rise,” said the report. Over-fishing and pollution from coastal farms were also contributing to the destruction of coral on the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef supports huge fishing and tourism industries. Even under favorable conditions tourists would only be able to experience real corals in reef “theme parks”.The underlined word “scenario” in Paragraph 2 probably means .
| A．imagination | B．intention | C．expectation | D．prediction |
From the passage, we can infer that .
| A．corals have no difficulty in adapting the temperature change |
| B．if we take quick actions we can avoid the destruction of corals |
| C．we can find corals in many areas of the seas or oceans |
| D．the algae help corals to live |
Which of the following is NOT the cause of the destruction of coral on the Great Barrier Reef?
| A．Direct sunshine. | B．Over-fishing. |
| C．Global warming. | D．Pollution. |
By saying “Coral has a narrow comfort zone” (Para. 3), the author means .
| A．coral can only live in a small area |
| B．coral prefers a crowded place |
| C．coral can hardly adapt to the temperature change |
| D．coral grows best in a small area |
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. Some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could have stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning. But I’m here because I want to talk with you about your education and what’s expected of all of you in this new school year.
Every single one of you has something that you’re good at. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That’s the opportunity an education can provide. Maybe you could be a great writer, but you might not know it until you write that English paper that’s assigned to you. Maybe you could be an inventor, but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class.
I know it’s not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork. But the circumstances of your life---what you look like, where you come form, how much money you have---none of these is an excuses for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school.
I know that sometimes you get that sense form TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work---that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star. Chances are you’re not going to be any of those things.
The truth is, being successful is hard. You won’t lose every subject that you study. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right at this minute. And you won’t necessarily succeed in everything the first time you try. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who have had the most failure. J. K. Rowling’s first Harry potter book was rejected 12 times before it was finally published.
So I expect all of you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do.This passage is a speech of _________.
| A．graduation ceremony | B．back-to-school day |
| C．campaign | D．educational reform |
The second paragraph mainly talks about the role that education plays in ____.
| A．getting high scores | B．passing the tests |
| C．discovering one’s own talents | D．getting on well with others |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．All people can become famous overnight. |
| B．You will be a great writer as long as you write English papers. |
| C．Whatever the circumstances, you should focus on study. |
| D．Every homework assignment is related to your life at this moment. |
The author uses the example of J. K. Rowling to show that ________.
| A．sometimes failures are unavoidable on the way to success |
| B．she is good at writing science fiction |
| C．Harry Potter is the best seller in the world |
| D．the publication of Harry Potter went smoothly |
What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?
| A．To tell students to be successful is hard. |
| B．To inspire students to have a proper attitude to education. |
| C．To ask students to do their projects for science class. |
| D．To encourage students to become a reality TV star. |
The world has a fast growing population and people need more land for houses, factories, highways, and so on. The farmland is decreasing with each passing day. How to meet the need of feeding the growing population? One way is to introduce some high-output gene into a crop to enable it to produce more. Biologists over the years have discovered genes which can raise output of the crops, resist pests, improve taste, etc.
However, in many western countries there is widespread concern over the safety of“Genetically Modified”(GM) (转基因) foods, because they think there may be serious problems of environment, health, safety, morality and so on.
As a scientist I must admit GM foods involve great risks to humans. In fact in Europe they’re called “Frankenstein foods” by many. Frankenstein is a character in a novel. He was a very clever scientist. He created a monster（怪物）, which eventually killed him.
Soybeans can be made into many foods. However, it’s hard to trace them. Therefore, it’s very important we have to make sure the soybean, if genetically modified, is free from any poisonous matter harmful to human beings. For this we need very good testing. We do have some testing on some animals, but no completely satisfactory testing has ever been made so far. They’re entirely new, and their problems are entirely unknown. It takes time to develop persuasive tests to know whether they’re harmful to us or not.
We may not be able to tell what may happen if we take GM foods. Some of them may be resistant to antibiotics (抗生素). Then many of the medicines we have today will have no effect on people eating GM foods.
A more likely case is the GM foods may contain genes some people are allergic to.
GM products have already come into our lives but most people even know nothing about it.
At least we have to be clear about what we are eating. The China Consumers Association is calling for labeling (标注) on GM foods so that consumers will know before they buy them.The chief purpose of developing GM foods is to_______.
| A．feed the fast growing population |
| B．make the foods much cheaper |
| C．make the foods much tastier |
| D．kill pests on the crops |
From the passage we can infer that _____.
| A．many Europeans reject GM foods |
| B．GM foods are very popular in Europe |
| C．Frankenstein foods can make people clever |
| D．Frankenstein was a scientist creating GM foods |
The underlined phrase “trace them” in Paragraph 4 probably means“”.
| A．find their market | B．raise their quality |
| C．find their origins | D．enjoy their taste |
Which of the following is TRUE about GM foods?
| A．The testing shows GM soybean foods are free from poisonous matter. |
| B．Sometimes consumers can hardly tell GM soybeans from natural ones. |
| C．GM foods prove to be safe to humans after some testing on animals. |
| D．GM foods problems have been known after testing on animals. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．GM foods make antibiotics fail to function properly. |
| B．People eating GM foods will suffer from food allergies. |
| C．As GM foods are safe at present, they’re certainly safe later on. |
| D．People should be informed of which foods are GM foods. |
So many of us hold on to little complaints that may have come from an argument, a misunderstanding, the way we were raised, or some other painful event. Stubbornly, we wait for someone else to reach out to us—believing this is the only way we can forgive or rekindle a friendship or family relationship.
A friend of mine, recently told me that she hadn’t spoken to her son in almost three years. She said that she and her son had had a disagreement about his wife and that she wouldn’t speak to him again unless he called first. When I suggested that she be the one to reach out, she said, “I can’t do that. He’s the one who should apologize.” After a little gentle encouragement, however, she did decide to be the first one to reach out. To her amazement, her son was grateful for her willingness to call and offered an apology of his own. As is usually the case when someone takes the chance and reaches out, everyone wins.
Whenever we hold on to our anger, we turn “small stuff（问题）” into really “big stuff” in our minds. We start to believe that our positions are more important than our happiness. They are not. If you want to be a more peaceful person you must understand that being right is almost never more important than allowing yourself to be happy. The way to be happy is to let go, and reach out. Let other people be right. This doesn’t mean that you’re wrong. Everything will be fine. You’ll experience the peace of letting go, as well as the joy of letting others be right.
You’ll also notice that, as you reach out and let others be “right,” they will become less defensive and more loving toward you. They might even reach back. But, if for some reason they don’t, that’s okay too. You’ll have the inner satisfaction of knowing that you have done your part to create a more loving world, and certainly you’ll be more peaceful yourself.The underlined word “rekindle” in Paragraph 1 probably means “______”.
| A．recover | B．develop | C．accept | D．replace |
In the author’s opinion, we hold on to our anger often because we think ______.
| A．we can turn small issues into big ones |
| B．our positions are higher than others |
| C．our own opinions matter most |
| D．others will be less defensive |
The best thing to do after a quarrel is to_________.
| A．let go of our own rights |
| B．realize that you are wrong |
| C．expect others to give in |
| D．apologize to others first |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Be Peaceful | B．Reach Out and Give |
| C．Small and Big Stuff | D．Enjoy Your Friendship |
This is the most exciting kayaking expedition（皮划艇探险）possible for beginner kayakers. You can expect to experience a whole range of different conditions and scenery. This expedition is a total of 8.27 km in distance and it actually enters the streams in the North of Ubin and exits in the South.
Three and a half kilometers of pure mangroves（红树林）, makes this the longest pure mangrove kayaking expedition in Singapore. The distance spent inside the mangrove gives you the maximum opportunity to witness wildlife within the mangrove eco-system. Come experience the challenge of operating your kayak through the labyrinth( 迷宫) of waterways and be amazed at the calm and quiet beauty of the wetlands. This last corner of natural wilderness in Singapore is so inaccessible, that very, very few have ever experience it—which makes this a truly special program.
Most Recent Traveler Reviews
Traveler A: Traveled from bottom to top of Singapore in rush hour traffic in order to get to Ubin for a 9:30 start—only to find no guide there. Although, once he arrived, the guide was lovely—offering a very knowledgeable tour and lots of enthusiasm around a beautiful part of the world—our 6-hour kayaking trip was actually over before 2:30 pm , despite only hitting the water at 12 noon.
Traveler B: The guides were nice, however the biggest disappointment was the timing. We thought we were going for a 4-hour kayak but were back in 2 hours and that included the prekayak safety talk. The mangroves are lovely but we were told that a storm was near. We felt that there had never been any intention of going out for longer. 
What is special about the kayaking trip for travelers is that they______.
| A．have a good relaxation by kayaking |
| B．feel the challenge of kayaking |
| C．enjoy the beauty of the wetlands |
| D．experience the wonder of mangroves |
Which of the following information is TRUE about the kayaking expedition?
| A．The time, distance and cost are referred to. |
| B．The kayaking trip starts at 9:30 am and ends at noon. |
| C．The distance spent inside the mangrove is 3.5 kilometres. |
| D．The mangrove wetlands of Ubin lie in the south of Singapore. |
Which is the common point referred to by the two travelers?
| A．The unpleasant weather. |
| B．The shortened distance. |
| C．The lovely wildlife. |
| D．The guide’s service. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．The safety of the kayaking travelers is not well guaranteed. |
| B．The eco-system of Ubin nature reserve is well protected. |
| C．The timing of the kayaking trip is satisfactory on the whole. |
| D．Travelers’ complaints may not be considered by the traveling company. |
Although most weddings follow long-held traditions, there’s still room for American individualism. For example, the usual place for a wedding is in a church. But some people get married outdoors in a scenic spot. A few even have the ceremony while skydiving or riding on horseback! The couple may invite hundreds of people or just a few close friends. They choose their own style of colors, decorations and music during the ceremony. But some things rarely change. The bride usually wears a beautiful long white wedding dress. She traditionally wears “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.” The groom wears a formal suit.
Several close friends participate in the ceremony as attendants, including the best man and the maid of honor.
As the ceremony begins, the groom and his attendants stand with the minister, facing the audience. Music signals the entrance of the bride’s attendants, followed by the beautiful bride. Nervously, the young couple repeats their vows （誓言）. Traditionally, they promise to love each other “for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health.” But sometimes the couple has composed(编写) their own vows. They give each other a gold ring to symbolize their marriage commitment. Finally the minister announces the big moment, “ I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss your bride!”
At the wedding reception, the bride and groom greet their guests. Then they cut the wedding cake and feed each other a bite. Guests talk with each other while enjoying the cake, drinks and other treats. When the reception is over, the newlyweds run to their “decorated” car and speed off. Many couples take a honeymoon, a one- to two-week vacation trip, to celebrate their new marriage. Which of the following best shows American individualism?
| A．Most weddings observe long-held traditions. |
| B．Some people choose their own style of weddings. |
| C．People choose a church as a place for a wedding. |
| D．The bride wears a beautiful long white wedding dress. |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Wedding vows are usually composed by the minister. |
| B．The young couple face the audience throughout the wedding. |
| C．The couple composes their own vows to avoid nervousness. |
| D．The minister is the chief witness at the wedding ceremony |
According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
| A．The best man is the one to marry the maid of honor. |
| B．The wedding reception is a party after the wedding ceremony. |
| C．The newlyweds always take a honeymoon in their own cars. |
| D．Many couples take a vacation trip before the wedding. |