Scientists say the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere has begun to affect plant and animal life a
round the world. Scientists from the University of Hanover in Germany reported their findings in Nature. They say global warming is affecting endangered species, sea life, and the change in seasonal activities of organisms. Global warming is caused by carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.
Studies show that the Earth’s climate has warmed by about six tenths of one degree Celsius during the past one hundred years. Most of the increase has taken place in the last thirty years. German scientists have studied different animal and plant population around the world during the past thirty years. They say some species will disappear because they cannot move to new areas when their home climate gets too warm.
The scientists say one of the biggest signs of climate change has been the worldwide decrease in coral reefs. Rising temperatures in the world’s warm ocean waters have caused coral to lose color and die. In the coldest areas of the world, winter freezing periods are now happening later and ending earlier. Researchers say these changes are having severe effects on animals such as penguins, seals, and polar bears.
Changes in temperature and wetness in the air can also affect the reproduction (繁殖) of some reptiles(爬行动物) and amphibians(两栖动物). For example, the sex of baby turtles is linked to the average temperature in July. Scientists say even small temperature increases can threaten the production of male turtles.
In Europe, scientists say warmer temperatures are affecting the spring and autumn seasons. This is affecting the growth of plants and delaying the flight of birds from one place to another.
Scientists are concerned about invasions of warm weather species into traditionally colder areas. Rising temperature has been linked with the spread of diseases in areas such as Asia, East Africa, and Latin America.
44. The best title for this passage would be __________.
A. Effects of Global Warming B. Temperature and Animals
C. Global Warming and the Environment D. A Study on the Environment
45. According to the passage, global warming is affecting all of the following, EXCEPT _________.
A. endangered species B. sea life
C. activities of
organisms D. the color of turtles
46. We can learn from this passage that _________.
A. the speed of the earth’s warming is faster now than 50 years ago
B. more animal species will soon come into being
C. animals will refuse to move to warm places in the future
D. cold areas have gained more heat than warm places
47. If the temperature in the Arctic Ocean keeps going up, which of the following will be most likely to happen?
A. More and more people will come to live near the Arctic Ocean.
B. More crops will be grown near the Arctic Ocean.
C. Animals from warm areas will come to live in the Arctic Ocean.
D. There will be more and more fish in the Arctic Ocean.
Oprah Winfrey，born in 1954，is all American talk show host，best known for her multiawardwinning talk show. She is also，according to some assessments，the most influential woman in theworld. It's no surprise that her endorsement(认可)can bringovernight sales fortune that defeats most，if not all，marketingcampaigns .The star features about 20 products each year On her“Favorite Things” show.There's even a term for it: the Oprah Effect.
Her television career began unexpectedly. When she was 16 year old，she had the idea of being a journalist to tell other people's stories in a way that made a difference in their lives and the world.She was on television by the time she was 19 years old. And in 1986 she started her own television show with a continuous determination to succeed at first TIME magazine wrote，“People would have doubted Oprah Winfrey's swift rise to host of The most popular talk show on TV .In a field ruled by white males，she is a black female of big size. As interviewers go，she is no match for，say，what she lacks in journalistic toughness.She makes up for in plainspoken curiosity，rich humor and，above all understanding Guests with sad stories to tell tend to bring out a tear in Oprah's eye .They，in turn，often find themselves exposing things they would not imagine telling anyone，much less a national TV audience.”
“I was nervous about the competition and then I became my own competition raising the bar every year，pushing，pushing，pushing myself as hard as I knew. It doesn't matter how far you might rise. At some point you are bound to fall if you're constantly doing what we do, raising the bar. If you're constantly pushing yourself higher，higher the law of averages，you will at some point fall. And when you do I want you to know this，remember this：there is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us in another direction”as Oprah addressed graduates at Harvard on May 30,2013.The Oprah Effect refers to ________.
| A．the effect On a business |
| B．the power of Oprah's opinions |
| C．the impact On talk shows |
| D．the assessment of Oprah's talk show |
What can be inferred about Oprah's television career?
| A．She once gave up on her choice. |
| B．Her swift success has been expected. |
| C．It lives up to her parents' expectation. |
| D．She must have been challenged by white males. |
．The message from Oprah to graduates at Harvard is that ________.
| A．success comes after failure |
| B．failure is nothing to fear |
| C．there is no need to set goals too high |
| D．pushing physical limits makes no sense |
Which of the following best describes Oprah Winfrey?
| A．Dull and pushy. |
| B．Honest but tough. |
| C．Caring and determined. |
| D．Curious but weak. |
Travel Unaccompanied
Now many young people are traveling around the world on their own, not because they have no one to travel with, but because they prefer to go alone.
Kristina Wegscheider from California first traveled alone when she was at college and believes that it is something everyone should do at least once in their life. “It opens up your mind to new things and pushes you out of your comfort zone.” Wegscheider has visited 46 countries covering all seven continents.
In foreign countries, with no one to help you read a map, look after you if you get ill, or lend you money if your wallet is stolen. It is challenging. This is what drives young people to travel alone.It is seen as character building and a chance to prove that they can make it on their own.
Chris Richardson decided to leave his sales job in Australia to go traveling last year.He set up a website, The Aussie Nomad, to document his adventures. He said he wished he had traveled alone earlier. “The people you meet, the places you visit, or the things you do, everything is up to you and it forces you to grow as a person，” said the 30yearold.
Richardson describes traveling alone like “a shot in the arm”， which “makes you a more confident person that was ready to deal with anything”. He said: “The feeling of having conquered something on my own is a major part of what drives me each day when I'm dealing with a difficult task. I walk around with my head up because I know deep down inside that nothing is impossible if you try.”
The great 19th century explorer John Muir once said: “Only by going alone in silence can one truly get into the heart of the wilderness.”Which of the following will Kristina Wegscheider agree with?
| A．Traveling alone is a necessary experience for everyone. |
| B．It is more meaningful to travel in foreign countries. |
| C．It is comfortable to travel around without a friend. |
| D．Traveling abroad helps people to find new things. |
Traveling alone is challenging because ________.
| A．it will finally build your character |
| B．you have to make things on your own |
| C．you depend on yourself whatever happens |
| D．it is hard for you to prove yourself to others |
What can we infer about Chris Richardson?
| A．He started traveling at an early age. |
| B．He was once shot in the arm. |
| C．His website inspires others a lot. |
| D．He used to work as a salesman. |
Three Central Texas men were honored with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Director’s Award in a Tuesday morning ceremony for their heroism in saving the victims of a serious twocar accident.
The accident occurred on March 25 when a vehicle lost control while traveling on rainsoaked State Highway 6 near Baylor Camp Road. It ran into an oncoming vehicle, leaving the occupants trapped inside as both vehicles burst into flames.
Bonge was the first on the scene and heard children screaming. He broke through a back window and pulled Mallory Smith, 10, and her sister, Megan Smith,9, from the wreckage.
The girls’ mother, Beckie Smith, was not with them at the time of the wreck, as they were traveling with their baby sitter, Lisa Bowbin.
Beckie Smith still remembers the sickening feeling she had upon receiving the call informing her of the wreck and the despair as she drove to the scene.
Bozeman and Clemmons arrived shortly after Bonge and helped rescue the other victims and attempted to put out the fires.
“I was nervous,” Bozeman said. “I don’t feel like I’m a hero. I was just doing what anyone should do in that situation. I hope someone would do the same for me.”
Everyone at the accident made it out alive, with the victims suffering from nonlifethreatening injuries. Mallory Smith broke both femurs(股骨), and Megan had neck and back injuries. Bowbin is still recovering from a broken pelvis(骨盆), ankle and foot.
The rescuers also were taken to the hospital and treated for cuts and smoke breathing, Bonge said.
In addition, Bozeman got to meet accident victim Anthony Russo in the hospital after the accident, where Russo presented him with a glass frame inscribed with “Thank you”, Bozeman said. Those involved in that fateful encounter on Highway 6 credited God blessing for bringing them together.
“Whatever the circumstances, Tuesday’s ceremony provided a time to be grateful for those who put their lives on the line for the lives of complete strangers,” Beckie Smith said, “We’re calling it The Miracle on Highway 6.” What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Three persons were awarded for rescuing victims in a car accident. |
| B．Three ordinary people were regarded as great heroes. |
| C．Several victims were carried to safety from the burning cars. |
| D．A car accident occurred on rainsoaked State Highway 6. |
Who saved Megan Smith from the damaged car?
| A．Clemmons. | B．Anthony Russo. |
| C．Bozeman. | D．Bonge. |
Which of the following can be used to describe Bozeman?
| A．Kind. | B．Modest. |
| C．Excited. | D．Smart. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Luckily, no one received too serious injuries in the accident. |
| B．All the victims received slight injuries in the accident. |
| C．The rescuers were taken to the hospital to visit the victims. |
| D．The injured will soon recover from their injuries. |
New findings from Queen’s University biologists show that in the plant world, bigger isn’t necessarily better.
“Until now most of the thinking has suggested that to be a good competitor in the forest, you have to be a big plant,” says Queen’s Biology professor Lonnie Aarssen. “But our research shows it’s virtually the other way around.”
Previous studies showed that larger plant species monopolize(垄断) sunlight, water and other resources, limiting the number of smaller plant species that can exist around them. But the research has proved that this is not generally the case in natural vegetation.
In the Queen’s project, PhD student Laura Keating targeted the largest “host plants” of 16 woody plant species growing in the Okanogan Valley, British Columbia. The research team calculated the number and variety of plants that neighbored each large host plant. They then randomly selected plots without host plants and calculated the plant species there as well. The research showed that the massive trees have no effect on the number of species with which they coexist.
Smaller plants have many advantages over their overbearing neighbors, Professor Aarssen notes. Larger species generate physical space niches under their shelters where smaller species grow well. Smaller plants are much more effective than large trees at using available resources. They also produce seeds at a much younger age and higher rate than their bigger counterparts, and settle down much more quickly—thuscompeting with the newly-born plants of larger species. What’s the main idea of the text?
| A．Smaller plants may have many advantages over their neighbors. |
| B．In the plant world, the bigger is better than the smaller one. |
| C．To be a good competitor in the forest, you have to be a small plant. |
| D．Queen’s University’s students made a new research. |
The underlined word “this” in Para. 3 refers to the view that _____.
| A．large and small plants can grow together in harmony |
| B．larger plant species limit their smaller neighbors’ growth |
| C．small plant species have their own advantages |
| D．large and small plant species can never coexist |
What can we learn according to the text?
| A．Larger plant species limit the number of smaller ones around them. |
| B．Smaller plants can limit the number of plant species around them. |
| C．Smaller plants produce seeds at a higher rate than their bigger counterparts. |
| D．Larger trees are more effective than small plants at using available resources. |
Which is the CORRECT order in the Queen’s project?
a. Randomly selected plots without host plants and-calculated the plant species.
b. Calculated the number and variety of plants that neighbored each large host plant.
c. Selected the largest individuals or "host plants" of 16 woody plant species.
| A．a, b, c | B．c, b, a |
| C．b, c, a | D．a, c, b |
Each new school year brings fresh reminders of what educators call the summer learning gap. Some call it the summer learning setback. Simply speaking, it means the longer kids are out of school, the more they forget. The only thing they might gain is weight.
Most American schools follow a traditional nine-month calendar with winter and spring breaks and about ten weeks of summer vacation. Some schools follow a year-round calendar. They hold classes for about eight weeks at a time, with a few weeks off in between. The National Association for Year-Round Education says there were fewer than 3,000 such schools at last count. They were spread among forty-six of the fifty states.
But many experts point out that the number of class days in a year-round school is generally the same as in a traditional school. Lead researcher Paul von Hippel said, “Year-round schools don’t really solve the problem of the summer learning setback. They simply spread it out across the year.”
Across the country, research shows that students from poor families fall farther behind over the summer than other students. Experts say this can be prevented. They note that many schools and local governments offer programs that can help.
But calling them “summer school” could be a problem. The director of the summer learning center at Johns Hopkins, Ron Fairchild, said research with groups of different parents in Chicago and Baltimore found that almost all strongly disliked the term “summer school”. In American culture, the idea of summer vacation is connected to beliefs about freedom and the joys of childhood. The parents welcomed other terms like “summer camp”, “extra time” and “hands-on learning”. According to the first paragraph, the summer learning gap _____.
| A．helps children to gain weight |
| B．leads children to work harder |
| C．improves children’s memories |
| D．affects children’s regular studies |
Compared to traditional schools, students in the year-round ones _____.
| A．perform better and have more learning gains |
| B．have much less time for relaxation every year |
| C．have generally the same number of class days |
| D．hold more classes with more free weeks off |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．Students from poor families often fall behind after the vocation. |
| B．Year-round schools can solve the problem of the learning gap. |
| C．There are schools in each state following a year-round calendar. |
| D．Nothing can help the students who fall behind after the vocation. |
Why did almost all parents dislike the term “summer school”?
| A．Because they cherish the children’s rights of freedom very much. |
| B．Because they are worried about the quality of the “summer school”. |
| C．Because they want their children to be forced to make up the gap. |
| D．Because they couldn’t afford to the further study during the vacation. |