RidingSchool:Youcanstarthorser-优题课

More than 200 scientists have completed a twoyear study to identify the most natural and undeveloped areas on Earth. Their findings are reported in a new book called Wilderness：Earth’s Last Wild Places. The book describes 37 wilderness areas around the world. Each has an area greater than 10,000 square kilometers. The study considered only areas where at least 70% of all plants are native.
North and South America are home to the largest number of wilderness areas. There are 16 such areas, from southern Argentina to Alaska and northern Canada. Africa has 8 wilderness areas, including the thick forests and the grasslands. Australia and New Guinea (几内亚) share 6 areas. Europe has 3 areas and Asia has 2.The Arabian Desert and Antarctica also are considered wilderness areas.
The largest wilderness area is the Boreal Forest (北方森林)．It extends for 16million square kilometers south of the Arctic Circle. The Boreal Forest extends across Alaska, Canada, northern Europe and Russia. The smallest of the 37 wilderness areas is the Sundarbans. It is the world’s largest tidal mangrove forest (红树林)．It covers 10,000 square kilometers of land at the mouth of the Ganges River in India and Bangladesh (孟加拉国)．
The study found that wilderness areas cover about 46% of the Earth’s land surface. However, they are home to less than 2.5% of the world’s population. Nineteen of the wilderness areas have only about one person for each square kilometer. Native people usually live in these areas.
Wilderness areas help to influence the world’s weather systems and rainfall. They are also home to many plants and animals. Population growth and the spread of agriculture and mining operations threaten wilderness areas. But just 7% of all such areas have some form of official protection.
What does the author think of the wilderness areas around the world in the book?

A．Unwanted.

B．Long-lasting.

C．Valuable

D．Perfect.

The writer describes the wilderness areas to show that they ________.

A．are worth the public support	B．can attract readers’ attention
C．need to be stressed as resources	D．are seen on every continent

According to the 4th paragraph, we can draw a conclusion that the 37 wilderness areas are ________.

A．deserted

B．crowded

C．uncontrolled

D．undeveloped

As the result of the effect on nature, the wilderness areas on Earth should be ________.

A．thought more of by the governments	B．explored as natural habitats very soon
C．further made full use of at present	D．discovered for their advantages of nature

The purpose of writing this text is to tell us ________of the wilderness areas around the world.

A．the importance

B．the situation

C．the development

D．the environment

As the first woman Chancellor(总理) in German’s history, Angela Merkel topped Forbes magazine’s list of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.She has even been compared to Margaret Thatcher and many people called her “Iron Lady”．
Merkel was born in Hamburg, West Germany, on July 17, 1954.Six weeks after she was born, her family moved to Templin. As a small child, Merkel quickly learned to speak but took longer to walk. “I was a stupid person when it came to moving？” Merkel said. “A normal person could do something naturally, but I had to think about it in my mind and practice.” As a teenager, she was the top student and graduated from high school with perfect marks. In 1973, Merkel went to the University of Leipzig, where she studied physics. At 32, she got her doctor’s degree in physics.
She stepped_into_politics in 1989.In her first big political job as Minister for the Environment in 1994, her scientific background and strong will proved very useful. In 2005 she became Germany’s Chancellor. She has been reelected to a second term as German Chancellor on September 27, 2009.
Through her political career, Merkel’s persistence (坚持) and patience helped her a lot. “She’s bright and openminded,” said Hubert Markl. “She is the person who wants to know exactly what is going on, and how never giving up will influence our society and future.”
As a small child, Merkel was slow in ________.

A．speaking

B．walking

C．learning

D．thinking

The underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 most probably means “________”．

A．fought the government	B．began her scientific career
C．offered political guidance	D．became a government official

We can infer from the passage that Angela Merkel ________.

A．is a powerful woman with a strong will and determination

B．got her doctor’s degree in politics in University of Leipzig

C．has worked as German Chancellor since Sep.27, 2009

D．showed her best talent as Minister for the Environment

In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express ________.

A．one must be brave in the political career

B．one should be patient when making decisions

C．persistence can help one’s dream come true

D．one can have a strong will when others haven’t

What’s the author’s attitude toward Angela Merkel?

A．Admiring.

B．Thankful.

C．Pitiful .

D．Dull.

Why should mankind explore space? Why should money, time and effort be spent exploring and researching something with so few apparent benefits? Why should resources be spent on space rather than on conditions and people on Earth? These are questions that, understandably, are very often asked．
Perhaps the best answer lies in our genetic makeup（基因构成）as human beings．What drove our ancestors to move from the trees into the plains, and on into all possible areas and environments? The wider the spread of a species, the better its chance of survival．Perhaps the best reason for exploring space is this genetic tendency to expand wherever possible．
Nearly every successful civilization has explored, because by doing so, any dangers in surrounding areas can be identified and prepared for．Without knowledge, we may be completely destroyed by the danger．With knowledge, we can lessen its effects．
Exploration also allows minerals and other potential （潜在的）resources to be found．Even if we have no immediate need of them, they will perhaps be useful later．Resources may be more than physical possessions．Knowledge or techniques have been acquired through exploration．The techniques may have medical applications which can improve the length or quality of our lives．We have already benefited from other spin-offs including improvements in earthquake prediction, in satellites for weather forecasting and in communications systems．Even non-stick pans and mirrored sunglasses are by-products （副产品）of technological developments in the space industry!
While many resources are spent on what seems a small return, the exploration of space allows creative, brave and intelligent members of our species to focus on what may serve to save us．While space may hold many wonders and explanations of how the universe was formed or how it works, it also holds dangers．The danger exists, but knowledge can help human being to survive．Without the ability to reach out across space, the chance to save ourselves might not exist．
While Earth is the only planet known to support life, surely the adaptive ability of humans would allow us to live on other planets．It is true that the lifestyle would be different, but human life and cultures have adapted in the past and surely could in the future．
Why does the author mention the questions in Paragraph1?

A．To express his doubts．	B．To compare different ideas．
C．To introduce points for discussion．	D．To describe the conditions on Earth．

What is the reason for exploring space based on Paragraph2?

A．Humans are nature-born to do so．	B．Humans have the tendency to fight．
C．Humans may find new sources of food．	D．Humans don't like to stay in the same place．

The underlined word "spin-offs" in Paragraph 4 probably refers to______．

A．survival chances

B．potential resources

C．unexpected benefits

D．physical possessions

What makes it possible for humans to live on other planets?

A．Our genetic makeup．	B．Resources on the earth．
C．The adaptive ability of humans．	D．By-products in space exploration．

Which of the statements can best sum up the passage?

A．Space exploration has created many wonders．

B．Space exploration provided the best value for money．

C．Space exploration can benefit science and technology.

D．Space exploration may help us avoid potential problems on Earth.

Growing up, I wanted to be just like my mom. She was kind. People always seemed to feel comfortable in her presence. For years, she was a volunteer in our community. I loved going to the local nursing home with her where she taught a ceramic class.
On one summer day, Mama told me to get changed and meet her at the car.
I had planned to spend the day at the lake with friends. Why did she have to ruin everything? I imagined the cool lake water. Irritated, I climbed into the car and slammed the door shut. We sat in silence. I was too upset to make conversation.
“Tasha, would you like to know where we are going?” Mama asked calmly.
“No,” I said.
“We are going to volunteer at a children’s shelter today. I have been there before and I think it would benefit you,” she explained.
When we reached the shelter, Mama rang the doorbell. Moments later, we were greeted by a woman. She led us to the front room where all of the children were playing. I noticed a baby whose body was scarred with iron marks. I was told it was because she wouldn’t stop crying. The majority of the children had noticeable physical scars. Others hid their emotional wounds.
As I took in my surroundings, I felt a gentle tug on my shirt. I looked down to see a little girl looking up at me. “Hi. You want to play dolls with me?” she asked. I looked over at Mama for reinforcement. She smiled and nodded. I turned back and said, “Sure.” Her tiny hand reached up and held mine, as if to comfort me.
My mom taught me a valuable lesson that summer. I returned to the shelter with her several times. During those visits, some of the children shared their troubled pasts with me and I learned to be grateful for what I had. Today as I strive to instill (逐渐灌输) these values in my own child, I reflect back to that experience. It was a time that I will never forget.
The author admired her mom for ________.

A．her kindness to others	B．her excellent teaching
C．her quality of honesty	D．her positive attitude to life

According to Paragraph 3, when she was asked to go out with her mom, the author was ________.

A．excited

B．angry

C．surprised

D．worried

From the passage we learn most children in the shelter ________.

A．were often punished by staff	B．weren’t allowed to go outside
C．were once treated badly	D．all suffered from mental illness

The underlined word “reinforcement” in the passage is closest in meaning to “________”.

A．truth

B．help

C．comfort

D．support

What lesson did the author learn from her experience?

A．To value what you take for granted.	B．To play with children is fun.
C．To love others is to love yourself.	D．To do as what your parents do.

When I was seven years old my mom was diagnosed(诊断) with cancer. For this type of cancer the survival rate was low. My family was extremely upset and shocked. I was too young to understand. I had no idea that everyday with my mom had to be the absolute best because we didn’t know if it would be our last. I didn’t understand why everyone was suddenly taking time out of their busy lives to come over and sit on our couch.
The doctors told us my mom might survive with surgery(外科手术). But it could also kill her. She agreed to have it. The surgery was scheduled for the day after the Columbus Day. The day before the surgery I had off from school, and my mom planned the best day of my life. The day began with her waking me up saying, “Kate, I have a surprise for you. Come see.” The surprise was a doll I had wanted for the longest time. Throughout the day, she told me everything that she thought I would need to know to grow up and be a good person; she told me to be the best I could be and that I would always make her proud. The day was filled with laughter. For the first time in a long time I could see she was happy. Really happy.
The day passed and the next day, it was time for the surgery. There were no tears; I think I understood that I could lose my mom, because they did tell me she could die. We waited all day for news from the doctor. Everyone jumped when a door opened or anyone walked into the waiting room. Finally the doctor came in, and the news was what we had prayed (祈祷) for.
The experience that my family went through was truly a roller coaster. I will never forget that day together, and how her illness pulled our family closer. I understand now how lucky we were. I truly appreciate life and honor my mom for being so strong.
After the author’s mother fell ill, people _____.

A．took turns to look after the author

B．tried to spend more time on their work

C．spared more time to stay with the mother

D．asked the doctors to operate on the mother at once

It can be inferred that the author’s mother ______.

A．tried to show her love to her daughter before the operation

B．didn’t agree to have the operation

C．had always been happy before the operation

D．was very nervous the day before the operation

What is the third paragraph mainly about?

A．How the doctors operated on the mother.

B．How the family prayed for the mother.

C．How the mother struggled against cancer.

D．How the family waited for the operation result.

What does the author mean by the underlined sentence in the text?

A．Life is always full of hardships.

B．Life is full of both pain and happiness.

C．Life is always filled with pleasure.

D．Life is fair for everyone all the time.