Ship tourism to Antarctica is on the rise: More than 35,000 tourists are expected to visit Antarctic this summer. In 1992-1993, 6,750 visited Antarctica, according to the Antarctica Treaty. All of this tourism, however, is putting both tourists and the environment in great danger.
Among the tourist ships that visit the continent, the Explorer, a Canadian ship, was one of the first. Put to use in 1969, it was built to carry tourists to Antarctica. Last week, however, it became the first commercial passenger ship to sink beneath the waters. Fortunately, all of the passengers and crew members were rescued from the ship. However, the sunken ship endangered the Antarctic’s fragile(脆弱的) environment. The ship was estimated to be holding 48,000 gallons of fuel.
The accident was not unexpected. Both the US and UK had warned a conference of the Antarctic Treaty member countries in May that the tourism situation in this area was a potential disaster. The US said in a paper, people “should take a hard look at tourism issues now, especially those related to ship safety.” Although the Antarctic seas are relatively(相对地) calm, floating ice causes a potential threat to ships. The owner of the Explorer blamed the sinking on a fist-like hole in the ship created by ice.
Many of the other large ships now visiting Antarctica are not designed especially against thick ice. Such ships generally can only come to the continent in summer. But the tourist rush is pushing ships into dangerous situations. “The increasing number of ships operating in Antarctic means that the ship are under great pressure to get there in time for the key visiting sites,” the British government wrote in a paper at the meeting of member countries.
As a natural frontier, Antarctica is in a messy legal situation. There are no obvious answers as to who is responsible for dealing with the threat that tourist may cause to human life and the environment.
There is no coast guard for Antarctica. Do we want it to become Disneyland, or do we need some controls?Which of the following is true according to this passage?
| A．Antarctica tourism has a history of about 17 years |
| B．The number of tourists to the Antarctic is over 5 times as large as that of 17 years ago. |
| C．The tourism boom has caused holes in the floating ice in the Antarctic. |
| D．The Antarctica Treaty is responsible for the problem. |
The sinking of the Explorer____________.
| A．led to a conference about the tourism situation in the Antarctic. |
| B．was caused by the rough seas |
| C．had been predicted |
| D．did harm to the Antarctic. |
It can be inferred from the passage that_________.
| A．a Disneyland will be built in the Antarctic |
| B．fewer people are visiting the Antarctic because of the warnings given |
| C．not all the ships are suitable to go to the Antarctic |
| D．some ships take risks visiting the Antarctic in other seasons rather than in summer |
In this passage, the writer suggests that___________.
| A．people had better not make a tour of the Antarctic |
| B．ships to the Antarctic should be built strong enough |
| C．there should be legal controls over tourism in the Antarctic |
| D．the Antarctic’s environment is fragile |
What attitude does the writer hold towards Antarctic tourism?
| A．Supportive. | B．Positive. | C．Indifferent. | D．Anxious. |
In 2007, the first solar electric boat crossed the Atlantic Ocean. Now a Swiss group wants to cover that distance and keep going, circling the globe on nothing but the sun’s power for the first time.
The team of engineers and scientists has started the building of its 98-foot long boat, named Planet Solar, in Kiel Germany. The boat’s power will come from the 5,000 square feet of solar panels（电池板）, about the size of two tennis courts, covering its broad deck. When the sun is shining bright above, they will turn 23 percent of the sun’s rays to energy — six percent more than average solar panels.
Even though batteries aboard Planet Solar can store enough energy to power it through up to three days of cloudy weather, the sailors will try to avoid clouds: constant communication with the French meteorological institute, Meteo France, will help the sailors stay with the sunny course.
The $11.5 million project, which is led by Raphael Domjan, should be ready for its first voyage next summer. The solar electric boat will warm up in European waters, and attempt to deal with traveling around the globe in spring 2011. At a maximum speed of 16 mph, Planet Solar will be the fastest solar electric boat. The team expects to finish the first leg of its journey across the Atlantic in about two weeks, compared to the six months the solar boat took back in 2007.
If sailing by sun becomes practical, it would be a return to the green boating methods of the days of Christopher Columbus. Those long-ago voyages relied only on a different type of renewable energy: wind. And, if wind-powered sails could be combined with solar panels, we might really pick up the boating speed.
57. Which of the following is NOT true about Planet Solar?
A. Its deck is covered by solar panels.
B. It will be the fastest solar electric boat.
C. It is 98-foot long and is to be made in Germany.
D. It can turn 17 percent of the sun’s rays into energy.
58. Planet Solar will be likely to __________ in continuous rainy weather.
A. continue traveling forward
B. ask the local weather station for help
C. stop to wait for the weather to clear up
D. turn to Meteo France for help to choose the sunny course
59. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Sailing by solar energy has not been widely used in today’s green boating.
B. Planet Solar will be the first boat to circle the globe using solar energy in 2011.
C. The solar panels in Planet Solar can turn more sunlight to energy than average ones.
D. Batteries aboard Planet Solar can be consumed for at most three days of cloudy weather.
60. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Planet Solar uses solar energy all over the world.
B. Planet Solar aims to be the first to circle the globe.
C. Planet Solar collects a different kind of renewable energy.
D. Planet Solar combines traditional methods with modern technology.
Consult the page adapted from an English dictionary and do Questions 53-56.
Important words to learn: E Essential I Improver A Advanced
shoot [ʃu:t]
▲verb (shot, shot) WEAPON→1 E to fire a bullet or an arrow, or to hit, injure or kill a person or animal by firing a bullet or arrow at them: If he’s not armed, don’t shoot. ⊙The kids were shooting arrows at a target.⊙She was shot three times in the head.⊙He has a license to shoot pheasants on the farmer’s land. ⊙A policeman was shot dead in the city centre last night. ⊙ The troops were told to shoot to kill. SPORT→2 A to try to score points for yourself or your team, in sports involving a ball, by kicking, hitting or throwing the ball towards the goal: He shot from the middle of the field and still managed to score. MOVE QUICKLY→3 A to move in a particular direction very quickly and directly: She shot past me several meters before the finishing line. ⊙ He shot out of the office a minute ago ─ I think he was late for a meeting.⊙They were just shooting off to town so we didn’t stop to speak.
shooter ['ʃu:tə] noun[C]He’s thought to be the best shooter in the league.
▲idioms have shot your bolt UK INFORMAL to have already achieved all that you have the power, ability or strength to do and to be unable to do more: He started off the game well but seemed to have shot his bolt by half-time.
• shoot yourself in the foot to do something without intending to which spoils a situation for yourself
• shoot your mouth off INFORMAL to talk too much in a loud and uncontrolled way: It’s just like Richard to go shooting his mouth off about other people’s affairs.
• shoot for the moon US to ask for the best or the most you could hope for: You might as well shoot for the moon and ask for a promotion as well as a raise.
• shoot questions at sb to ask someone a lot of questions very quickly, one after the other: He shot questions at me so quickly that I didn’t even have time to answer.
• shoot the breeze US INFORMAL to talk with someone or a group of people about things which are not important: We sat out on the porch, just shooting the breeze.
▲ phrasal verbs shoot sth down to destroy an aircraft or make an aircraft, bird, etc. fall to the ground by shooting at it: He was killed during the war when his plane was shot down.
shoot sb down to shoot and usually kill someone, showing no sympathy: I saw Tom shoot him down like a dog in the street.
shoot for/at sth US to try to do something: It’s worth taking chances when you’re shooting at a chance of fame and wealth.
shoot out If opposing groups or people armed with guns shoot it out, they shoot at each other until one of the groups or people is dead or defeated.
shoot through AUSTRALIAN INFORMAL to leave a place very quickly, especially in order to avoid having to do something
shoot up INCREASE→INFORMAL to grow in size, or increase in number or level, very quickly: David has really shot up since I saw him last. ⊙Prices shot up by 25%.
▲ noun PLANT→1[C]the first part of a plant to appear above the ground as it develops from a seed, or any new growth on an already existing plant: Two weeks after we’d planted the seeds, little green shoots started to appear. ⊙FIGURATIVE The first green shoots (="hopeful" signs) of economic recovery have started to appear.
FILM→2[C USUALLY SINGULAR] when photographer take a series of photographs, usually of the same person or people in the same place: We did a fashion shoot on the beach, with the girls modeling swimwear. WEAPON→3[C]an occasion on which a group of people go to an area of the countryside to shoot animals
shooting ['ʃu:tiŋ] noun 1 A [U]when bullets are shot from guns or other weapons: We heard some shooting in the night. 2 A [C]when someone is injured or killed by a bullet shot from a gun: There have been a number of shootings in the capital this week. 3[U]the sport of shooting animals or birds: pleasant/grouse shooting ⊙ He goes shooting most weekends.What does the phrase “green shoots” mean in “You will be bound to see that the green shoots of your English level start to grow.”?
| A．Great efforts. | B．Signs of improving. |
| C．Learning ability. | D．Change in method. |
Fill in the blank in the sentence “When it is achieved, there will be other plans to _________.”
| A．shoot at | B．shoot up | C．shoot down | D．shoot through |
If you are suffering from the consequence of the plan without full consideration, we say you are __________.
| A．shooting the breeze | B．shooting your mouth off |
| C．shooting yourself in the foot | D．shooting questions at somebody |
Choose a word to complete the sentence “__________ is one of the oldest sport events, which is popular with people both at home and abroad.”
| A．Shooter | B．Shoot | C．Shot | D．Shooting |
四、阅读理解（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，然后从49－68各题所给的四个选项A、B、C和D中，选出最佳选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。
Everyone should learn to apologize. Apology languages do work. Have you ever tried to make an apology, only to be refused? It may be that you were offering partial apology in a “language” that was foreign to your listener. The five languages of apology include:
Apology Language 1: “I am sorry.”
List the hurtful effects of your action. NOT “I am sorry if…”, but “I am sorry that…”. You might ask if they want to add any points that you have not recognized.
Apology Language 2: “I was wrong.”
Name your mistake and accept your fault. Note that it is easier to say “You are right. ” than “ I am wrong.”, but the latter carries more weight.
Apology Language 3: “What can I do to make it right?”
How are you now? How shall I make amends for my mistake? How can I RESTORE YOUR CONFIDENCE that I love you even though I was so hurtful to you?
Apology Language 4: “I will try not to do that again.”
Engage in problem-solving. Do not make excuses for yourself such as: “Well, my day has just been so …” Instead, offer what you will change to prevent yourself putting them in the same bad situation again.
Apology Language 5: “Will you please forgive me?”
Be patient in seeking forgiveness. They may need some time or greater clarification of your input from Apology Languages 1-4.
Finally, your apology may not be accepted, but at least you know that you have been faithful in offering a sincere olive branch of peace.
49. According to the 1st paragraph, your apology may be refused mainly because ________.
A. your apology is not made loudly enough
B. your apology is not expressed well enough
C. your listeners can’t hear what you said clearly
D. your listeners can’t understand your language well
50. According to the author, which of the following expressions would be the LEAST acceptable while making an apology?
A. I am wrong. B. I am sorry that I hurt you.
C. I will try not to do that again. D. Well, my day has just been so upsetting.
51. What does the underlined phrase “make amends” (Paragraph 4) refer to?
A. make improvement B. make mistakes
C. make up for wrongdoing D. make up a conversation
52. What is the BEST title of the passage?
A. Tips for effective apologies B. Ways of refusing apologies
C. List of apology expressions D. Importance of apology languages
Talking to plants makes them grow, especially if you ‘re a woman ,according to an experiment by the Ryal Horticultural Society(RHS皇家园艺学会).
Women gardeners’ voices speed up growth of tomato plants much more than men’s, it found.
In an experiment that ran over a month, they found that tomato plants grew up two inches taller if they were serenaded by the sweet tones of a female rather tha a male.
Appropriately the most effective talk came from Sarah Darwin ,whose great-great grandfather was legendary botanist(植物学家)Charles Darwin, one of the founding fathers of the RHS’ Scientific Committee. She read a passage from On the Orgin of Species and beat nine other”voices”.
Her plant grew nearly two inches taller than the best performing male and half an inch higher than her nearest competitor.
The experment began in Apirl,2009 at RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey. A variety of recorded voices were picked to play to 10 taomato plants over a month. Every plant was played a voice through headphones connected to the plant pot, and the conditions for all the plants remained the same throughout the experiment. To ensure the experiment was fair, two control plants were also left to grow in silence.
The results showed that women on average saw their plants rise by an inch on their male competitors. Some men were so bad that their plants actually grew less than a plant that was left completely alone.
Colin Crosbie, the leader at RHS, said:”We’re not sure why the female voice is more effecitive, It could be that they have a greater range of pitch and tone that affects the sound waves that hit the plant. Sound waves are an emvironmental effect just like rain or light.”
67.What is the best title for the passage?
A. Plants can’t grow faster without female voices
B. Women’s voices are more useful than men’s
C. Women’s voices make plants grow faster
D. Voices have positive effects on the growth of plants
68.The underlined word”serenaded” in Paragraph 3 most probably means”________”.
A.sung songs to
B.spoken to
C.talked about
D. played music to
69.According to the passage, ten_________were used in the experiment.
A.tomato plants
B.headphones
C. tape recorders
D.plant pots
70.What can we know about the findings of the experiment from the passage?
A. The women’s voices made the palnts grow faster by half an inch than the men’s.
B.Sarah Darwin’s plant grew 2 inches taller than her neraest competitor’s.
C. The plants which grew in silence did not necessarily grow the slowest
D. The women’s plants grew 2 inches taller than the men’s on average.
In July 2008, Zheng Jie mad her own bit of sporting history for China. At the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in London, Zheng beat Ana Ivanovic, who was then the world number one, on the way to a place in the semifinals. It was the first time that a Chinese player had reached a Grand Slam tournament semifinal(大满贯半决赛).
“After my performance at Wimbledon when I returned to China, I was welcomed by a huge crowd at the airport. I was excited that I could turn so many people’s attention to the tennis,” said Zheng.
Zheng was born in Chengdu, Sichuan in July, 1983 and donated her winning from Wimbeldon to the Sichuan earthquake relief-fund.(救济金)
She followed up her Winbledon performance with a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympic Game.
“To me the Olympic is a wonderful memory of my career path. When I watched the five-starflag rising up in my own country,it’s hard to describe or expressthe feelings of pride with words,” she said. Zheng’s singles displays in 2008 represented new progress in her career and reminded the world of the potential of Chinese tnnis.
Zheng’s parents didn’t play tennis themselves but encouraged her to take up the sport just to stay fit, but Zheng became lost in the game.
In fact, Zheng was often overlooked by her coaches. She said,”Acutally I played really well, but just because I want taller or stronger than others,the coaches didn’t think I was fit for tennis. But I really like playing tennis. If you say I can’t make it ,I’ll prove it to you that I can.”
Now Zheng Jie has become the top fof Asian tennis. She may prove to be the first of many Chinese players to make a great impact in the tennis world in the years to come.
63.According to the first two paragraphs, Zheng Jie____________
A. is the first Chinese player to join in an international tennis competition.
B.got a bronze prize at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships in July 2008
C.is the first Chinese tennis player to reach a Grand Slam tournament semifinal
D. makes more and more Chinese people interested in playing volleyball
64.Zheng Jie’s original purpose of playing tennis was to__________.
A. realize her parents’ dreams
B.win prizes in future cpmpetitions
C. become simmer and more beautiful
D. keep in good health
65.What can we know from the passage?
A. Zheng Jie won her coaches’ attention at the very beginning
B. Zheng Jie’s height affected her performance in the training
C. Zheng Jie didn’t like playingtennis much at the beginning
D. Zheng Jie’s success proved the potential of Chinese tennis
66.The following word can all be used to discribe Zheng Jie EXCEPT________.
A. warm-hearted B. careless C. determined D. self-confident