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A United Nations report says the number of people in the world is expected to reach 6500 million this July. By the middle of the century, the population could reach more than 9000 million. That would be an increase of 40﹪.
These numbers are fresh estimates for a report on world population change from 1950 to 2050. Hania Zlotnik is director of the U.N. Population Division. She says the world has added nearly 500 million people in the last six years.
But, in her words, "the good news is that new estimates show that it will take a little longer" to add the next 500 million. Mizz Zlotnik says this will probably happen by 2013.
The U.N. report says most population growth by 2050 will take place in less developed countries. Their population is expected to increase from 5000 million today to almost 8000 million. The population of more developed nations is expected to stay about the same, at just over 1000 million.
The report says nine countries will be responsible for about half the world population increase by 2050. These include Bangladesh, China, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and India. The others are Nigeria, Pakistan, Uganda and the United States.
Twelve countries are expected to have populations at least three times the size now. These include Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Congo and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and East Timor. The others are Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger and Uganda.
The report says birth rates remain low in forty-four developed countries.
Today, worldwide, there is an average of two-point-six children per woman. This number is expected to fall to just over two children per woman in 2050. But U.N. population experts note that they cannot be sure which way birth rates will go in the future.
The U.N. report also notes that AIDS has increased death rates and slowed population growth in sixty countries. The area most affected by the disease is Southern Africa.
There, how long people live has fallen from an average of sixty-two years in 1995 to forty-eight now. Researchers believe life expectancy will fall to forty-three years by 2015, then begin a slow recovery.
67. Which of the following statements is true?
A. The population growth will slow down in the next few years.
B. Most population growth will take place in developed countries.
C. There is an average of 2.6 children per woman in developed countries.
D. The area most affected by AIDS is Uganda.
68. Which one is the best title of this passage?
A. AIDS slowed population growth.
B. Most population growth will take place in less developed countries.
C. Population growth and death rate.
D. UN world population report.
69．The author believes that the population growth results from_______
A. The birth rate in developed countries is too high.
B. The birth rate in developing countries is too high.
C. AIDS hit only a few countries.
D. A decrease in death rate.
70. Which of the following best describe the author’s attitude towards the rapid population growth?
A. sympathetic B. happy C. optimistic D. critical
It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day. Some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.
This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didn’t last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides(杀虫剂) and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn’t been useless. They had been doing an important job---eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to the sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.From paragraph I we learn that the villagers __________.
| A．worked very hard for centuries |
| B．dreamed of having a better life |
| C．were poor but somewhat content |
| D．lived a different life from their forefathers |
Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?
| A．the frogs were easy money |
| B．They needs money to buy medicine |
| C．they wanted to please the visitors |
| D．the frogs made too much noise |
What might be the cause of the children’s sickness?
| A．the crops didn’t do well |
| B．there were too many insects |
| C．the visits brought in diseases |
| D．the pesticides were overused |
What can we infer from the last sentence of the text?
| A．Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country |
| B．Health is more important than money |
| C．The harmony between man and nature is important |
| D．good old day will never be forgotten |
Some kids start to drink alcohol （酒精） at a young age． They think it is part of becoming an adult．They also think drinking is not that bad because so many people do it．They feel it is not as bad as taking drugs （毒品）． It is easy for kids to get liquor（酒精饮料）by using fake identification （伪造证件）．
Parents may start to notice a change in their child’s behavior if the child starts drinking． Kids who drink sometimes stop doing things they normally liked to do．They may keep telephone calls and meetings a secret and not want anybody to touch their things．They act moody（喜怒无常） and do not have the same eating and sleeping habits．
Parents need to stay involved （牵涉） in their kids’ lives． They should talk to their children about their problems to be aware of any changes．
Parents can be the best protection． Children who get a lot of love can feel good about themselves． It helps them resist（抵抗） doing bad things even when other kids are doing them． Parents can also help set a good example by not drinking and driving． They can have firm rules in the home that everyone follows．
Give the children good ideas on how to say “no” to drinking, even when they are at a party． Try not to overreact or panic （惊慌） if the child tries alcohol． How you handle it can affect their attitude． It may be helpful to talk to other parents about setting up curfews （宵禁令） and rules about parties or other events．Which of the following is NOT the reason why some kids have an early start of drinking?
| A．They want to show their maturity （成熟） by drinking alcohol． |
| B．Drinking alcohol is much cooler than taking drugs． |
| C．They are affected by many other people around them． |
| D．They can get liquor easily． |
According to the passage, what changes may happen to the kids who start drinking?
| A．Nothing serious will happen to them． |
| B．They keep the same eating and sleeping habits． |
| C．They can control their moods quite well． |
| D．Sometimes they act secretly． |
According to the writer, if parents find their children try alcohol, they had better ________．
| A．punish them at once |
| B．ask the police for help |
| C．ask their children’s friends for help |
| D．set up curfews and rules about parties or other events with other parents |
Which is the main subject discussed in the passage?
| A．Teen health． | B．Teen education． |
| C．Teen drinking | D．Parents’ worries． |
T-shirts out; uniforms in
School uniforms（制服） are becoming more and more popular across the U.S.A. That’s no surprise, because they offer many benefits. They immediately end the powerful social sorting and labeling (标记) that come from clothing. If all students are dressed in the same way, they will not pay too much attention to their clothing, and some of them will not be laughed at for wearing the “wrong” clothes.
Some people are against the strict rule of school uniforms, but they do not realize that students already accept a kind of rule — wanting to look just like their friends. The difference is that the clothing students choose for themselves creates social barriers(障碍); school uniforms tear those barriers down.
As in other places, uniforms remind the wearers of their purposes and duties. For example, when a man or woman puts on a police uniform, he or she becomes, for a time, the symbol (象征) of law and order. The uniform means to the wearer his or her special duties and sends the same message to everyone the wearer meets. People with different jobs wear uniforms of one kind or another. For students, the school uniform reminds them that their task for the six or seven hours they are in school is to get an education.
Some parents are unhappy about uniforms, saying that school uniforms will affect their children’s “creativity.” First, the clothes students choose to wear do not necessarily express their individuality (个性). They just copy their classmates. Second, students have the rest of the day to be as creative as they like. While they’re in school, their job is to master reading, writing, and maths; this should take up all the creativity they have. Mastery of those skills will be good for the students to build up their creativity in every way.From the passage we learn that uniforms in general .
| A．prevent the wearers from being laughed at |
| B．help the wearers keep their duties in mind |
| C．are seen as a symbol of power |
| D．help to create social barriers |
Some people are against school uniforms because .
| A．they fail to realize that students have accepted the uniforms |
| B．they believe that uniforms will make students less creative |
| C．they don’t agree that uniforms can remove social barriers |
| D．they think that school uniforms are too popular |
The author would probably agree that .
| A．it makes no difference whether to wear school uniforms or not |
| B．students’ individuality may not come from school education |
| C．students’ creativity is related to the clothes they choose |
| D．school uniforms help to create equality among students |
School uniforms are becoming more and more popular and important because _____
| A．they can stop the powerful social sorting and labeling. |
| B．if all students are dressed in the same way, they will not pay too much attention to their clothing. |
| C．uniforms can remind the wearers of their purposes and duties |
| D．school uniforms will affect their children’s creativity. |
It was a very foggy day in London. The fog was so thick that it was impossible to see more than a foot or so. Buses, cars and taxis were not able to run and were standing by the side of the road. People were trying to find their way about on foot but were losing their way in the fog. Mr. Smith had a very important meeting at the House of Commons and had to get there but no one could take him. He tried to walk there but found he was quite lost. Suddenly he bumped into a stranger. The stranger asked if he could help him. Mr. Smith said he wanted to get to the Houses of Parliament. The stranger told him he would take him there. Mr. Smith thanked him and they started to walk there. The fog was getting thicker every minute but the stranger had no difficulty in finding the way. He went along one street, turned down another, crossed a square and at last after about half an hour’s walk they arrived at the Houses of Parliament. Mr. Smith couldn’t understand how the stranger found his way. “It is wonderful,” he said. “How do you find the way in the fog?”
“It is no trouble at all to me,” said the stranger, “I am blind.”According to the passage, we can infer that “bump into” means _______.
| A．knock off |
| B．meet by chance |
| C．strike |
| D．traffic accident |
Which of the following statements are NOT true?
| A．The stranger has a better sight than Mr. Smith. |
| B．Heavy fog can cause traffic accidents. |
| C．It’s easy to get lost in a foggy day. |
| D．The fog was getting thicker and thicker. |
Why is it no trouble at all to the stranger to find the way in the fog?
| A．Because he is a local inhabitant of London. |
| B．Because he lives next to the Houses of Parliament. |
| C．Because he is familiar with the route. |
| D．Because he finds the way not by sight but by heart. |
This article mainly tells us that ________.
| A．London is a foggy city. |
| B．Mr. Smith works for the government. |
| C．A blind stranger led the way for Mr. Smith in a foggy day. |
| D．Mr. Smith had a very important meeting and lost his way in the fog. |
Pop music is the name for different forms of popular, commercial(商业) music. It had its beginning in the USA and spread throughout the whole world during the 1950s and 1960s. It is widely liked by the young people. The best known early form of pop music was “rock’ n’ roll”; another was “blues”. A more recent development is “folk-rock”. Pop music has taken the place of native music in many parts of the world; it has caused the number of people for jazz to become much smaller than it was in the 1950s and earlier, and it has now begun to rule musical stage productions. It’s a big industry. Much pop music is without artistic value, but the work of some pop singers, e.g. the Beatles, Bob Dylan, the groups like Floyd and Crosby, Stills and Nash, is on a higher musical level. And there is still a great interest in it today. Pop music concerts and festivals are held all over the world.All of the following forms belong to pop music EXCEPT _______________.
| A．blues | B．rock’ n ’roll | C．jazz | D．folk-rock |
According to the article, the number of people for jazz in the 1950s and earlier was ___________ it is today.
| A．much greater than | B．much smaller than | C．as great as | D．as small as |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．No pop music is on a high musical level. |
| B．Much pop music is very artistic. |
| C．Pop music is highly artistic. |
| D．Not all pop music is without artistic value. |