Starving polar bears are eating one another in the Arctic. Flowers are blooming too soon and die. The ice caps are melting so fast that rising water levels will threaten coastal towns along Florida within several decades. These are just a few examples of the terrible consequences of climate change supported by a new analysis in Nature.
In the past three decades, average global temperatures have risen about 0. 6°C and are projected to jump by about 1. 7°C by the end of the century, says Cynthia Rosenzweig, who leads the Climate Impacts Group at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies at Columbia University in New York. “We’ve already seen that a relatively low amount of warming,” she says, “can lead to a broad range of changes. ”
The unnatural warming caused by man-made greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide produced by cars and coal-powered plants, brings trouble for entire ecosystems. In North America alone, scientists have identified 89 species of plants, such as the American holly that have flowered earlier in the spring. In Spain, apple trees bloom 35 days ahead of schedule in response to the higher temperatures. Other wildlife, like the insects that use certain plants for food and the birds that feed on the insects, must then move forward their seasonal stirrings(萌动) and mating（交配） patterns to survive.
To try to follow this time shift, some birds such as robins, the classic symbol of winter’s thaw(解冻时期), are returning to Colorado from their migrations some two weeks earlier than in years past. All these changes can throw a food chain in disorder. Some bird species that arrive before the insects reappear may starve to death.
“Around the world, plants and animals are waking up to an earlier alarm clock than they used to,” says Terry Root, a biologist from Stanford University. The underlined word “projected”(in Paragraph 2) probably means “____”.
| A．forced | B．presented | C．indicated | D．predicted |
According to the third paragraph, as a result of climate change ____ .
| A．the warm weather wakes animals up earlier |
| B．certain trees bloom a season ahead of time |
| C．the birds need to change patterns of living |
| D．the American holly will flower in late spring |
What can we know about robins according to the passage?
| A．Farmers depend on them to tell the time. |
| B．They used to come back when spring came. |
| C．They used to predict the change of weather. |
| D．They usually migrate when seasons change. |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Man is to blame for global warming |
| B．Great changes take place on Earth |
| C．Bird migration and climate change |
| D．Global warming changing nature’s clock |
Like any good mother, when Karen found out that another baby was on the way, she did what she could do to help her 3-year-old son Michael prepare for it. She and her husband found out that the new baby was going to be a girl. Day after day, night after night, Michael sang to his sister in his mom’s tummy(肚子).
Finally, Michael’s little sister was born. But she was in a very serious condition. The doctor told the parents there was very little hope. They kept the baby girl in the ICU(重症室). Karen was so sad. She decided to say goodbye to the baby. Michael, however, kept asking his parents to let him see his sister. “I want to sing to her,” he would say. Finally Karen decided to take Michael to his sister. This might be the last time he saw her alive.
Michael looked at his baby sister. After a moment, he began to sing. In the lovely voice of a 3-year-old, Michael sang: “You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray.” Suddenly the baby girl seemed to be better. Her heart beat well little by little.
“Keep on singing, Michael,” encouraged Karen with tears in her eyes. “You never know, dear, how much I love you, please don’t take my sunshine away.” As Michael sang to his sister, the baby’s breath(呼吸) became smooth.
After a few days, the little girl was well enough to go home. The doctors called it a miracle(奇迹).What can we learn from the first paragraph?
| A．Michael didn’t like his little sister at all. |
| B．Michael didn’t want to accept his new sister. |
| C．Karen wished that the baby would be a boy. |
| D．Karen helped Michael prepare for the change. |
What happened to Michael’s little sister after she was born?
| A．She was very healthy. |
| B．She was seriously ill. |
| C．She was born to be blind. |
| D．She was crying all the time. |
Why did Karen decide to take Michael to see the newborn baby?
| A．The doctor asked her to do so. |
| B．She thought he might be able to save the baby. |
| C．She wanted to know what Michael would do for his sister. |
| D．She thought it might be his last chance to see his sister. |
The writer tells us the story to show_____.
| A．the power(力量) of science |
| B．the miracle (奇迹) of doctors |
| C．the power of love |
| D．the miracle of a mother |
One day an American called Simon went to London to visit his friend, Rick. Rick told him that his flat was on the first floor. When he arrived, Simon went straight to the first floor of the building. But he was told that there was no Rick on that floor. Do you know why?
In fact, the British call the first floor of a building the ground floor. The floor above the ground floor is the first floor, which Americans would call the second floor.
The story shows that there are a few culture differences between Britain and America, though the British and Americans both speak English.
The British usually hide their feelings. They seldom start a conversation with strangers. For example, on the train the British often spend their time reading newspapers or books. But Americans are quite different. They’re more active and easier to talk with.
The British and Americans may use different terms for many things. The British usually use football, eraser and mail while Americans prefer to use soccer, rubber and post. Simon went to London to ______.
| A．visit his friend | B．spend his holiday |
| C．study English | D．have a meeting |
Which picture shows us where Rick’s flat was? ______.
According to the passage, the British usually spend their time ______ on the train.
| A．playing cards | B．talking loudly |
| C．doing some reading | D．singing and dancing |
What does the underlined word “terms” mean in Chinese in the passage? ______.
| A．成果 | B．学期 | C．会议 | D．用语 |
Dear Alice,
I heard from you three days ago. I’m all right.
Good news! We moved to a new flat yesterday! There are more rooms here than in our old one. You know, I shared a room with my sister in the old flat. But now I have my own bedroom! It is small but it’s my favorite room! I can be alone in it. I can read books, draw pictures, listen to my radio and play CDs. I can also play games on my computer and send e-mails to my friends.
I also love the new bigger kitchen. I love helping my mother with our meals. Mom cooks well. She always teaches me how to make different kinds of dishes. She lived in China when she was young, so she can cook Chinese food. It’s delicious.
Write to me soon and tell me about your home. Please get on the Internet so that we can chat with each other.
All good wishes! Lily and her family moved to a new flat __________.
| A．yesterday | B．last week |
| C．last month | D．three days ago |
Lily is very happy mainly because ________.
| A．she has just heard from Alice |
| B．she has got her own bedroom |
| C．she has a bigger bedroom now |
| D．she shares a room with her sister |
Lily ________on her computer.
| A．reads books and draws pictures |
| B．learns to make different dishes |
| C．plays CDs and listens to the radio |
| D．plays games and sends e-mails |
From the letter we know all the following EXCEPT that ________.
| A．there is a computer in Lily’s room |
| B．Lily often helps her mother cook |
| C．Lily’s mother is good at cooking |
| D．Lily’s mother is Chinese |
It is a very common thing for a person to have a good friend. My good friend is Diana. She is a rich and proud girl. She often thinks that she is too good for anyone, so nobody wants to be her friend.
One day after school, I was waiting for Diana when Vivien came up to me. She gave me a biscuit. I accepted it. We talked and joked, and from then on, I began to spend more time with Vivien than with Diana. I felt a little uneasy.
After a few days, I went to see Diana with some snacks when Vinien came and sat with me. She offered me a sandwich. She also offered one to Diana, but Diana refused it. She walked away. I was angry with Diana for being so rude(无礼的).
“Never mind.” Vivien said, “I’m used to it.”
After school, I tried to catch up with Diana. While walking home, I tried to correct her attitude(态度), but she didn’t listen to me. She said, “Go and join your dear Vivien. I know you make a new friend and forget the old one.”
For the next few weeks, we didn’t talk to each other. Then one day, Diana came to Vivien and me, saying, “I’m really sorry about what I did. Would you please forgive me?” Vivien and I looked at each other and smiled. From then on, Diana, Vivien and I have been best friends.The writer was angry with Diana ___________.
| A．because she was too good for anyone |
| B．when Diana refused Vivien’s sandwich |
| C．though she asked the writer to forgive me |
| D．when she was waiting for Vivien |
Vivien’s words “I’m used to it.”show that __________.
| A．someone refused to give her things |
| B．Vivien used to be rude to others |
| C．she cared a lot about it |
| D．Diana had been rude to her before |
Diana asked Vivien and the writer to forgive her because ___________.
| A．they didn’t spend much time with her |
| B．she realized she was wrong |
| C．Vivien and the writer didn’t talk to her |
| D．she was rich and proud girl |
According to the passage, it is clear that ____________.
| A．Diana, Vivien and the writer became good friends at last |
| B．Diana didn’t like the sandwich |
| C．Vivien didn’t want to make new friends at all |
| D．the writer forgot her old friend after she had a new one |
How important is your mobile phone, better known to Americans as a cellphone? Jack said, “I use my phone all the time. I’m always on my phone.” Ann said, “It’s important to me because it’s like my life saver.” Jenny said, “I need my cellphone. I cannot live without it.”
So far, no studies have proven beyond question that the radio signals from cellphones cause brain cancer or other health problems. But a new study by government scientists in the United States has some people wondering what to think. The scientists have found that holding a cellphone to your ear for more than fifty minutes increases brain cell activity. Even the scientists themselves are not sure about the meaning of their findings.
Dr Nora Volkow led the study. She heads the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health. Dr Volkow says she is not concerned that fifty minutes of cellphone exposure (暴露) would harm anyone. But she says the research does show the need to study whether there are long-lasting effects of repeated exposure over several years.
Her team studied forty-seven healthy volunteers between January and December of 2009. The volunteers had cellphones placed against both ears while the scientists made images of their brain activity. As part of the test, one phone was activated （使激活）for fifty minutes. The other phone was off. After that, the volunteers were tested with both phones turned off. Dr Volkow says the brain scans（扫描） showed increased activity in brain cells closest to the activated phone.
The scans showed how the brain cells used sugar to produce energy, a normal activity. The activity was seven percent higher in areas of the brain closest to the cellphone antenna（天线）.
Dr Giuseppe Esposito is a nuclear medicine expert at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington. He says after many years of studies, better kinds of research are still needed to settle questions about cellphone safety. These studies would take years.What the three people said in Paragraph 1 shows that .
| A．not everyone needs to use a cellphone |
| B．cellphones are the most important thing in our life |
| C．cellphones play an important role in our life |
| D．cellphones have different functions for different people |
According to Paragraph 2, what is still unknown to scientists?
| A．Whether radio signals cause health problems or not. |
| B．Whether using a cellphone for too long can lead to brain cancer. |
| C．Whether cellphones have more advantages than disadvantages. |
| D．Whether people worry about talking on the cellphone for too long. |
The results of the study tell us that .
| A．people use cellphones for too long every day |
| B．using cellphones has an effect on brain cells |
| C．cellphones that are powered off can also affect the brain |
| D．increased activity in brain cells has many causes |
Which statement would Dr Giuseppe Esposito probably agree with?
| A．Cell phone safety is not an important issue. |
| B．It goes without saying that cell phones harm people’s health. |
| C．Few studies have been done on whether cell phones are safe to use. |
| D．There is still a long way to go to find out whether cell phones are safe to use. |