Illegal removal of coral (珊瑚) along Sri Lanka’s coastline increased the amount of destruction on the island by last December’s tsunami, say researchers.
Harindra Fernando, a fluid dynamicist (力学家) at Arizona State University in Tempe, made the connection after a visit to his native Sri Lanka earlier this year. While serving as a scientific expert and translator for a BBC-documentary team, he chatted with locals who said they saw the tsunami turn sideways when it hit coral—which would have made it less powerful than in coral-free areas. Fernando linked this to trucks he had seen last year carrying piles of coral away from the sea.
Using the eyewitness reports, estimates (估算) of wave heights, and a series of divers to check the presence or absence of corals, Fernando and his colleagues produced a map of coral gaps and wave flooding along Sri Lanka’s southwest coast.
The tsunami reached significantly farther inland through the gaps: in one instance, the water traveled 1.5 kilometres long and knocked a passenger train off its tracks, killing 1,700. But only a few kilometers away, where the coral was still undamaged, the wave travelled just 50 metres inland and caused no deaths.
There is a similar phenomenon. In Nicaragua in 1992, a tsunami poured through a break in the coral reef made to let boats through. “Within this passage, water went one kilometre inland,” says Fernando. “But nearby, where the coral was undamaged, there were still beach umbrellas standing.”
In Sri Lanka, coral is illegally mined to provide souvenirs for tourists, or to be used in house paint. Coral harvesters sometimes blow it up with dynamite (炸药) in order to collect fish at the same time. Often, the reefs in the best shape are those in front of hotels, as the hotel owners maintain them for the tourists. Fernando hopes that his findings will encourage the Sri Lankan government to enforce (实施) its laws against coral mining.
57. Harindra Fernando did all the following EXCEPT ________.
A. serving as a translator for a BBC-documentary team
B. helping the Sri Lankan government enforce its laws against coral mining
C. producing a map of coral gaps along Sri Lanka’s southwest coast
D. linking the coral removal with the destruction of Tsunami
58. The main idea of Paragraph 5 is that________.
A. undamaged coral can greatly decrease tsunami damage
B. coral-free area is a danger to passenger trains
C. in general, water travels 30 times farther inland in a coral-free area
D. it is urgent to enforce laws against coral mining
59. Which of the following may NOT be the cause of coral gaps?
A. Boat passages. B. Tourists’ sightseeing.
C. Fish collecting. D. Tourists’ souvenirs.
60. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Harindra Fernando, a Great Environment Protector
B. Stop Using Coral as Souvenirs
C. Coral Cried “Help! Help!”
D. Coral Mining Enhanced (加剧) Tsunami Damage
One woman in nine will develop breast cancer (乳腺癌) over her lifetime. However, a healthy diet can reduce your risk of developing the disease by 40 to 60 percent.
Generally speaking, eating more vegetables can reduce your risk of developing breast cancer by 60 percent. Vegetables like cabbage are rich in fiber (纤维), can lower your risk of developing breast cancer. To get the most from their goodness, it’s recommended that you eat at least three to four cups of these vegetables per week.
It’s the oleic acid (油酸) contained in olive oil. American scientists conducting laboratory research have observed that oleic acid has a beneficial effect on breast cancer cells. Olive oil is the richest source of this acid, so whenever possible, use it in place of butter.
Eating fruit is another excellent way to help prevent the development of breast cancer. In fact, women who do eat fruit are six percent less likely to develop the disease. The American Institute for Cancer Research considers berries (浆果类) (blueberries, strawberries, etc.) to be powerful for breast cancer fighters.
It’s the lycopene (番茄红素), found in great quantities in tomatoes, that can reduce the risk of developing breast cancer. The lycopene found in canned tomatoes is more readily absorbed by the body than that contained in fresh ones, so add tomato juice, paste, and sauce to your diet.
As a result of various studies, the American Institute for Cancer Research has concluded that components (成分) found in green tea can help halt the development of cancerous tumours (瘤) and even prevent them from appearing in the first place. Three cups a day will help you get the benefits of green tea. What does the author mainly tell us?
How to cure breast cancer by eating healthy foods.
Healthy diets help fight against breast cancer.
Proper fruits, vegetables and drinks keep you fit.
Breast cancer is the most terrible killer for women.We learn from the passage that ________.
eating more fruit and vegetables can stop your risk of developing cancer
olive oil can help breast cancer cells develop
women eating tomatoes won’t suffer from breast cancer
components found in green tea can reduce the risk of developing cancerWhat does the underlined word "halt"in the last paragraph mean?
| A. stop |
B. increase |
C. change |
D. pull |
According to the passage, the author may agree that ________.
| A．Ten percent of women suffer from breast cancer |
| B．Berries are the richest source of the oleic acid |
| C．The lycopene found in olive oil has a good effect on breast cancer cells |
| D．Drinking green tea properly can help you keep healthy |
President Obama's plan to improve former president George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind program is an improvement on a good thing. But it doesn't go far enough.
Obama outlined a goal that by 2020, all grade school and high school students are on a path toward college.
However, what we need is a practical plan that not only requires all high school graduates to take at least two years of college but also makes it financially possible for them to do so. We've provided a free public education through the 12th grade. If we're going to keep up—or catch up——with some other countries (like China) in preparing young people for careers, a 12-year education programme no longer is enough.
About 3 million students across the US will graduate from high school this spring. But only 2 million will go on to college, according to a survey by the National Centre for Education Statistics (NCFES). For the more than 1 million who won't go on, money is a main reason. If tuition(学费) were free, about half of them could make up other costs from family or part-time jobs.
Critics (批评家) of free college tuition will say we can't afford it because of the federal deficit (联邦赤字) and other rising costs. Let's see some government spending in detail:
In the last nearly 10 years, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost us $ 1,000 billion. Federal money which was spent on public primary and secondary education in the last year for which figures are available was $ 47 billion. If we end costly and unnecessary wars and nation-building efforts abroad, the federal government could provide more money on public education, for which state and governments now carry most of the burden.What's the program No Child Left Behind about this year?
All children being taken good care of by the government.
All grade school and high school students receiving college education.
No child being left alone at home.
All children having good jobs in the future.The author probably agrees that President Obama's plan ________.
has nothing to do with George W. Bush's program.
will surely succeed in ten years
is about 12-year education for all the children
doesn't contain practical measures(措施) to achieve its goal If tuition were not paid for, about ________ American students could afford college education.
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What can we learn from the passage?
The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were necessary.
The federal government has enough money for the plan.
Critics of free tuition think highly of the plan.
Obama's plan might be difficult to carry out.
Do’s and Don’ts in Whale Watching
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans has developed guidelines for whale watching in Johnstone Strait,where killer whales are found on a daily basis each summer.It is strongly recommended that vessel(船只)operators follow these guidelines for all kinds of whales.
Approach whales from the side,not from the front or the back.
Approach no closer than 100 metres,then stop the boat but keep the engine on.
Keep noise levels down-no horns,whistles or racing of engines.
Start your boat only after the whales are more than 100 metres from your vessel.
Leave the area slowly,gradually moving faster when you are more than 300 metres from the whales.
Approach and leave slowly,avoiding sudden changes in speed or direction.
Avoid disturbing groups of resting whales.
Keep at low speeds and remain in the same direction if travelling side by side with whales.
When whales are travelling close to shore,avoid crowding them near the shore or coming between the whales and the shore.
Limit the time spent with any group of whales to less than 30 minutes at a time when within 100 to 200 metres of whales.
If there is more than one vessel at the same observation spot,be sure to avoid any boat position that would result in surrounding the whales.
Work together by communicating with other vessels,and make sure that all operators are aware of the whale watching guidelines.For whom is this text written?
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When leaving the observation areas, the vessel should ________________.
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When going side by side with whales, the vessel should ________.
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Growing up in Philadelphia, Lieberman started cooking with his stay-at-home dad when he was seven. His food-loving family had two kitchens, and he quickly learned what was the best way to bake his cakes. Lieberman improved his kitchen skills greatly during a year abroad before college, learning from a cook in Italy and studying local specialties(特色菜) in Germany, Spain, and France.
At Yale, he was known for throwing dinner parties, single-handedly frying and baking while mixing drinks for dozens of friends. Just for fun, he and some friends decided to tape a show named campus cuisine about his cooking. Lieberman was a real college student showing his classmates how to do things like making drinks out of dining-hall fruit. That helped the show become very popular among the students. They would stop Lieberman after classes to ask for his advice on cooking. Tapes of the show were passed around, with which his name went beyond the school and finally to the Food Network.
Food Network producer Flay hopes the young cook will find a place on the network television. He says Lieberman’s charisma is key. “Food TV isn’t about food anymore,” says Flay. “It’s about your personality and finding a way to keep people’s eyeballs on your show.”
But Lieberman isn’t putting all his eggs in one basket. After taping the first season of the new show, Lieberman was back in his own small kitchen preparing sandwiches. An airline company was looking for someone to come up with a tasteful, inexpensive and easy- to-make menu to serve on its flights. Lieberman got the job. We can learn from the text that Lieberman’s family_______.
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The Food Network got to know Lieberman_________
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What does the word “charisma” underlined in the text refer to?
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Why did the airline company give Lieberman the job?
| A．He could prepare meals in a small kitchen. |
| B．He was famous for his shows on Food TV. |
| C．He was good at using eggs to make sandwiches. |
| D．He could cook cheap, delicious and simple meals |
Footracing(竞走)is a popular activity in the United States．It is not only seen as a competitive sport，but also as a way to exercise，and to donate(捐赠)moneyto a good cause．Though serious runners may spend months training to compete，other runners and walkers might not train at a11．Those not competing to win might run in an effort to beat their own time，or simply to enjoy the fun and exercise．People of all ages, from those less than one year old to those in their 80s, enter into this sport．The races are held on city streets，on college campuses，through parks，and in suburban areas，and commonly 5 to 1 0 kilometers in length．
The largest footrace in the world is the 1 2-kilometer Bay to Breakers race that is held in San Francisco every spring．This race begins on the east side of the city near San Francisco Bay and ends on the west side at the Pacific Ocean．In 1 993 there were 80，000 people running in this race through the streets and hills of San Francisco．In the front are the serious runners who compete to win，and who might finish in as little as 34 minutes．Behind them are the thousands who take several hours to finish．In the back of the race are those who wear costumes just for fun．In 1 993 there was a group of men all of whom dressed up like Elvis Priestly．There was a group of firefighters who were all tied in a long line and were carrying a fire—hose(水龙带)．One year there was a wedding party in which the bride dressed in a long white gown(长袍)and the groom wore a tuxedo(晚礼服)．They threw flowers to by-standers，and were actually married at some point along the route．The main purpose of this text is to__________．
| A．describe a popular activity |
| B．encourage people to exercise |
| C．make fun of runners in costume |
| D．give reasons for the popularity of footraces |
Which of the following is implied by the author?
| A．Walkers don’t compete for prizes． |
| B．Footraces appeal to a variety of people． |
| C．Entering a race is a way to make friends． |
| D．Running is a good way to strengthen the heart． |
The underlined words “to a good cause” in the first paragraph could best be replaced by ___________.
| A．for a good reason | B．to support a sound principle |
| C．for a good purpose | D．to protect an excellent player |