The African elephant,the largest land animal remaining on earth ,is of great importance to African ecosystem(生态系统).Unlike other animals,the African elephant is to a great degree the builder of its environment.As a big plant-eater,it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna(大草原)surroundings in which it lives,therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat(栖息地).
It is the elephant's great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat.In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day,it kills small trees and underbushes,and pulls branches off big trees.This results in many open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas.In these open spaces are many plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters.
Take the rain forests for example.In their natural state,the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor.By pulling down trees and eating plants,elephants make open spaces,allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor.In such situations,the forests become suitable for large hoofed plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as well.
What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species.If the elephant disappears,scientists say,many other animals will also disappear from large areas of forest and savanna,greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Disappearance of African elephants. |
| B．Forests and savannas as habitats for African elephants. |
| C．The effect of African elephants' search for food. |
| D．The eating habit of African elephants. |
What does the underlined phrase “setting the terms” most probably mean?
| A．Fixing the time. | B．Worsening the state. |
| C．Improving the quality. | D．Deciding the conditions. |
What do we know about the open spaces in the passage?
| A．They result from the destruction of rain forests. |
| B．They provide food mainly for African elephants. |
| C．They are home to many endangered animals. |
| D．They are attractive to plant-eating animals of different kinds. |
The passage is developed mainly by________..
| A．showing the effect and then explaining the causes |
| B．pointing out similarities and differences |
| C．describing the changes in space order |
| D．giving examples |
A man was selling medicine at a fair（集市）．At first he sold bottles of a cure（药剂）for colds（感冒）for just a dollar a bottle．
Many people wanted to buy it and the man's young assistant moved quickly through the crowd collecting money and handing out bottles of the cure．
Then，when he had a big crowd， the man held up a very small bottle．
“And now，ladies and gentlemen，he shouted，“Here is the medicine you have been waiting for．The cure for old age．Drink just one bottle of this and you will live forever．
“And，ladies and gentlemen，the man continued，“I'm not going to charge（向……要价……）you a hundred dollars a bottle for this wonderful medicine．I'm not going to charge you fifty dollars a bottle．I'm not going to charge you twenty-five dollars a bottle．Now，ladies and gentlemen，I'm going to charge you just ten dollars a bottle． Think，my friends，for ten dollars you can live forever．
Most of the people in the crowd did not believe this．
One person shouted，“If it can make you live forever，why don't you drink it？Then another person cried，“Yes， you look as if you're at least sixty years old．
“Thank you，sir，thank you，the man answered，“I'm so glad you said that． My real age is three hundred and twenty-nine．
The crowd laughed at this but there were still some people who wanted to believe the man ．One of them spoke to the man's assistant as she passed by，“Is that true？he asked．“Is he three hundred and twenty-nine？
“Don't ask me，the assistant said，“I've only worked for him for a hundred and fifty years．What did the man sell at first at the fair？
| A．bottles |
| B．a cure for colds |
| C．a cure for old age |
| D．a medicine that made people live forever |
How much did the man charge for the cure for old age？
| A．one dollar a bottle | B．twenty-five dollars a bottle |
| C．fifty dollars a bottle | D．ten dollars a bottle |
What does the word “assistant” mean in this passage？
| A．仆人 | B．朋友 | C．助手 | D．同伴 |
What does this passage really mean？
| A．The man is not honest，and so is his assistant |
| B．The cure for old age is very useful and not so expensive． ． |
| C．The cheaper the medicine is，the more people will buy． |
| D．The two men are very honest，and they would like to help people live forever． |
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days：Mother＇s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father＇s Day, on the third Sunday in June．These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents．They raise their children and educate them to be responsible（有责任感的） citizens．They give love and care．These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers．More mothers now work outside the home．More fathers must help with child care．
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways．On Mother’s Day people wear carnations．A red one symbolizes a living mother．A white one shows that the mother is dead．Many people attend religious services to honor parents．It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery（墓地）．On these days families get together at home, as well as in restaurants．They often have outdoor barbecues for Father＇s Day．These are days of fun and good feelings and memories．
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts．Children make them in school．Many people make their own presents．These are valued more than the ones bought in stores．It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”．Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays．WhichisNOTareasonforchildrentoshowloveandrespectforparents?
| A．Parentsbringchildren |
| B．Parentsgiveloveandcaretochildren |
| C．Parentseducatechildrentobegoodpersons. |
| D．Parentspassawaybeforechildrengrowup |
Whatdoyouknowfromthepassage?
| A．Mother’sDayandFather’sDayarebothinMay. |
| B．Fewerwomenworkedoutsidethehomeinthepast |
| C．Notallthechildrenrespecttheirparents |
| D．Fathersarenotasimportantasmothersathome |
Which do you think is right about “carnation”?
| A．It has only two kinds of colors． |
| B．It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day． |
| C．People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May． |
| D．It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes． |
On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, _______．
| A．everyone goes to visit the cemetery |
| B．people usually have family parties |
| C．children always go to parents’ home |
| D．hand-made cards are the most valuable gifts |
Of all the websites, one that has attracted attention recently is myspace.com. Most of this attention has come from the media and tells every reason why the website should be shut down. The danger of internet predators(窃掠者) is indeed a tough reality, but shutting down the site is not the answer. If myspace.com were shut down, another site would quickly take its place. Therefore, the right way is to teach teens how to use the site safely and educate them about who may be predators and how to avoid them.
The key to staying safe on the Internet is to make sure that your profile(个人资料) is secure. The simplest way is to change the privacy setting on your profile to “private”, which protects your information so that only the people on your friend list can view it. Although this is effective, it is not perfect. Predators can find ways to view your profile if they really want to, whether through hacking(非法侵入) in or figuring out their way onto your friend list. Thus, you should never post too much personal information. Some people actually post their home and school addresses, date of birth, and other personal information, often letting predators know exactly where they will be and when. The safest information is your first name and province. Anything more is basically inviting a predator into your life.
Another big problem is photos. I suggest completely skipping photos and never posting a photo of a friend online without asking permission.
Most importantly, never, under any circumstances, agree to a real-life meeting with anyone you meet online. No matter how well you think you know this person, there are no guarantees that they have told the truth. But you could feel free to chat with people you meet on the site, but just remember that not everyone is who they say they are. Hopefully, the next time you edit your profile, you’ll be more informed about the dangers of Internet predators and take the steps to defend yourself.
Lastly, do not send money to anyone you meet online. A common scam among Internet criminals is to request to pay for “expensive Internet charges” or “unreasonable Internet cafe fees”. While it is indeed true that many countries in Eastern Europe, Asia, Africa and South America do not yet have Internet service readily available in all cities and towns, a sincere friend from one of these countries will be more than happy to pay their own Internet charges. Never, under any circumstances, should you send money to a stranger from another country(or within your own country for that matter) who claims monetary assistance is required to continue their contact with you.Kids can avoid web predators successfully by________.
| A．attracting more public attention |
| B．shutting down the “myspace.com” |
| C．learning different ways to try other sites |
| D．recognizing and getting away from them |
68. We can learn from the text that________.
| A．everybody you meet online isn’t honest and reliable |
| B．it is not acceptable to post a photo of a friend online |
| C．it is not safe to chat with grown-ups on the website |
| D．only you and your friends can view your personal profile |
What does the underlined word “scam” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．A thing that you can have two choices. |
| B．An unpleasant task that tests one’s ability. |
| C．A possibility of something happening. |
| D．An illegal plan for making money. |
What could be the best title of this passage?
| A．Personal Safety. | B．Web Safety for Teens. |
| C．Web Hackers in the past. | D．Predators’ Tricks. |
It is often said that man has become the enemy of our planet. This is no exaggeration(夸张), for reports show that man’s greed has done much to destroy the earth. Man, in his greedy desire for financial growth, has polluted the air, land and water, and has robbed our valuable natural resources. Man’s industrial plants pour out poisonous waste that pollutes the sea and puts life in the sea under the threat of dying out; at the same time, they release alarming amounts of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other pollutants. Small wonder that the air now is much warmer and more impure than ever before.
Of course, this is not just because of man’s greed—it is man’s pressing need as well. For instance, in developing countries, huge financial foreign debts have forced governments to approve the cutting of forests for agriculture or ranching. As a result, forests are cut down just to meet man’s immediate needs.
Perhaps unknowingly，man has changed the make-up of the earth's atmosphere. Scientific studies have shown that CFCs used in refrigerators and industrial cleaners are fast destroying the ozone layer—a protective layer in the atmosphere that protects us against the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (紫外线)rays. In fact, documented reports have shown a terrible fact that there are “holes” in the ozone layer over the Antarctic. And they appear to be expanding.
Faced with these environmental problems, world leaders have shown deep concern. The UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) has arranged international agreements like the Vienna convention of 1985 and the Montreal Protocol of 1989 to preserve the ozone layer by controlling the production, use and trade of destructive chemicals.
There may be some doubt as to how effectual these agreements may be, given that some countries still maintain an “I-don’t-care” attitude. Their attitude is probably due to their failure to grasp the importance of the problem. Then, there is no doubt that environmental education on an international scale（规模）is greatly needed, so that all countries, great and small—the “haves” and the “have nots”—may realize their responsibilities for our planet.
In the meantime, the UNEP seems to have taken steps in the right direction, and it is hoped that in the not so distant future, all nations of the world will join hands in saving mother earth. Which of the following is a reason for the cutting and burning of forests?
| A．To build houses for more population. | B．To have land for agriculture. |
| C．To export trees to other countries. | D．To build industrial plants. |
The holes in the ozone layer are largely due to________.
| A．man’s research activities | B．the greenhouse effect |
| C．the ultraviolent | D．harmful chemicals |
Why don’t some countries care about the problem of the environment?
| A．They don’t want to put their lives in danger. |
| B．They just don’t know how to solve the problem. |
| C．They haven’t realized the seriousness of the problem. |
| D．They don’t want to break their international commitment. |
66. What is the author’s attitude towards the future of the environment?
| A．Hopeful. | B．Unconcerned | C．Doubtful | D．Objective |
New rules will let millions of Americans know where more of their food comes from. The law is known as COOL -- Country of Origin Labeling(标签).
American congress first passed the law in 2002. Stores have had to label seafood by country of origin since 2005. But industry pressure delayed other requirements until last week.
Products that must now be labeled include fresh fruits and vegetables, muscle meats and some kinds of nuts. But the rules are complex, and many foods are not included. For example, organ meats are free to be labeled. So are processed foods, including cooked or smoked foods.
The same food may sometimes have to be labeled and other times not. Fresh or frozen peas, for example, have to be labeled but not canned peas. Foods that are mixed with other foods are also excluded. Mixed nuts, for example, do not need to be labeled. The same is true of a salad mix that contains different things like lettuce and carrots. Or a fruit cup that combines different fruits. Also, the law doesn’t include restaurants and other food service organizations. Department of Agriculture officials say the law is really meant for larger grocery stores.
The United States has imported more and more food in recent years to save money and expand choices. Country-of-origin labeling has become more common lately but has still been limited in many stores.
Food safety is one reason why some shoppers pay close attention to where foods came from. For example, when a large number of people recently got sick from salmonella(沙门菌病), officials blamed peppers from Mexico. Yet the last big food scare involved spinach grown in California. But labeling is also a way for people to know they are getting what they want. Some want to buy local foods or foods from a particular country.
The country-of-origin labeling law gives stores 30 days to correct any violations(违反) that are found. Stores and suppliers that are found to be deliberately violating the law could be fined 1,000 dollars per violation. Federal inspectors are not to take action to enforce the law for six months to give time for an education campaign.
Some food safety activists say they are generally pleased with the law. They call it a good step that will give people more useful information. Why has more and more food been imported to the United States in recent years?
| A．It is economical and provides people with more choices. |
| B．Foreign food is of higher quality than native food. |
| C．Americans need more and more food recently. |
| D．The United States is short of food supply. |
Consumers are more concerned about where foods come from because________.
| A．they are curious about the origin of the food. |
| B．most of them are particular about the tastes |
| C．they are concerned about food safety |
| D．most of them are food safety activists |
The new rules of the country-of-origin labeling law will come into effect________.
| A．right now | B．in a month | C．in three months | D．in half a year |
Which of the following can be inferred from the text?
| A．Store owners are most likely to be the supporters of the law. |
| B．The government of America will possibly forbid importing peppers from Mexico. |
| C．Federal inspectors couldn’t take measures to enforce the law. |
| D．Most Americans prefer imported vegetables to the vegetables grown in local places. |