One reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation（砍伐森林） is a blank（茫然的） stare that asks the question, "Since I don't live there, what does it have to do with me?"
The answer is that your way of life, wherever you live in the world, is tied to the tropics in many ways. If you live in a house, wash your hair, eat fruits and vegetables, drink soda, or drive a car, you can be certain that you are affected by the loss of tropical forests.
Biologically, we are losing the richest regions on earth when, each minute, a piece of tropical forest, the size of ten city blocks, disappears. As many as five million species of plants, animals, and insects (40 to 50 percent of all living things) live there, and are being lost faster than they can be found and described. Their loss is immeasurable.
Take rubber for example. For many uses, only natural rubber from trees will do. Synthetics are not good enough. Today over half the world's commercial rubber is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, while the Amazon's rubber industry produces much of the world's four million tons. And rubber is an important material in making gloves, balloons, footwear and many sporting goods. Thousands of other tropical plants are valuable for their industrial use.
Many scientists strongly believe that deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect -- or heating of the earth from increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we destroy forests, we lose their ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Carbon dioxide levels could double within the next half-century, warming the earth by as much as 4.5 degrees. The result? A partial melt-down of polar ice caps, raising sea levels as much as 24 feet; even 15 feet could threaten anyone living within 35 miles of the coast. Unbelievable? Maybe. But scientists warn that by the time we realise the severe effects of tropical deforestation, it will be 20 years too late.
Can tropical deforestation affect our everyday lives? Now, you should have got the answer.The underlined word "synthetics" probably means .
| A．natural rubber | B．tropical materials |
| C．man-made material | D．commercial rubber |
In the last paragraph the author tries to .
| A．tell people how to avoid the tropical deforestation |
| B．persuade people to buy something synthetic |
| C．show us how important it is to protect the tropical forests |
| D．let people realise the effect of tropical deforestation |
According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The forests are losing their function in turning carbon dioxide into oxygen. |
| B．Many of our daily uses are related to the tropical forests. |
| C．Tropical plants can be used to make industrial products. |
| D．High carbon dioxide levels will make the earth warmer. |
The author's attitude towards the tropical deforestation is .
| A．puzzling | B．cold | C．supporting | D．opposed |
Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Tropical Forests | B．Saving the Tropical Forests |
| C．Tropical Forests and Our Life | D．The Greenhouse Effects |
The definition of the standard kilogram is almost entirely wrong. Getting that definition right is a challenge that has tried the patience and intelligence of scientists for decades.
Scientists use just seven basic units to define all the other quantities we use — quantities such as speed or electric power. All of those basic units except the kilogram are themselves defined according to natural properties（属性）that are beyond human control.
For example, the standard second (time) is defined as a specific number of vibration（振动）of a type of radiation sent out by atom
s of a special metal. The standard metre (length), in turn, is defined as the length of the path light travels under certain conditions.
Not so the kilogram. This orphan of the basic unit family is simply the mass of a small platinum-iridium alloy cylinder（铂—铱合金筒）locked away in a
container maintained by the International Bureau of Weights & Measures in Sevres, France, near Paris. Official bodies around the world have copies of the cylinder.
Embarrassingly, the last time the copies were brought to Sevres for a checkup in the 1980s, officials found that some copies had gained about 20 parts per billion in weight compared to the master cylinder since the previous checkup in the 1940s. This implies that the master cylinder itself may be an inconstant standard.
Several efforts in several different countries are under way to redefine the kilogram according to basic physical quantities such as counting the actual number of atoms of a specific substance in a kilogram or the electromagnetic（电磁的）force that balances a kilogram mass against gravity. A project of the latter type at the laboratories in Gaithersburg, Md., hopes eventually to define mass by means of electrical units.
So far, none of these redefinition projects has borne fruit. They require the very accuracy of measurement and control of experimental conditions. The slightest influence — even a tiny change in weather — can ruin results. You’ve got to hand it to scientists who are willing to devote many years to such painstaking — but extremely important — research. Compared with other basic units, the kilogram is ____.
| A．as accurate as other basic units |
| B．not universally accepted in the world |
| C．not defined according to natural properties |
| D．defined in the same way as other basic units |
The author introduced the examination of copies of a platinum-iridium alloy cylinder in the 1980s to indicate that ____.
| A．the causes of weight changes had been found |
| B．such kind of checks had been carried out regularly |
| C．the changes in weight challenged the definition of the kilogram |
| D．the consequences of such changes were great in research |
According to
the passage, to define the weight of mass by means of electrical units ____.
| A．is the only way to redefine the kilogram scientifically |
| B．has been accepted as the only possible redefinition project |
| C．is not as complicated as people understand |
| D．has been considered by some scientists as a better approach |
Which of the following cannot be concluded from the passage?
| A．Scientists will achieve success in redefining the kilogram in the near future |
| B．Some scientists are trying to redefine the kilogram according to basic physical quantities. |
| C．The redefining of the standard kilogram is quite complicated and can be affected by a number of factors. |
| D．A number of experiments are being carried out to redefine the kilogram. |
The following is a recent survey among teenagers:
| Radio Most teenagers nowadays are not regular listeners to radio. They may occasionally tune in, but they do not try to listen to a program specifically. The main reason teenagers listen to the radio is for music, but now with online sites streaming music for free they do not bother, and users can choose the songs they want instead of listening to what the radio presenter/DJ chooses. Television Most teenagers watch television, but usually there are points in the year where they watch more than average. This is due to programs coming on in seasons, so they will watch a particular show at a certain time (as long as it lasts) but then they may watch no television for weeks. Teenagers are also watching less television because of services such as BBC iPlayer, which allows them to watch shows when they want. Whilst watching TV, adverts come on quite regularly (18 minutes of every hour) and teenagers do not want to watch these, so they switch to another channel, or do something else whilst the adverts run. Newspapers No teenager that I know of regularly reads a newspaper, as most do not have the time and cannot be bothered to read pages and pages of text while they could watch the news summarized on the Internet or on TV. Internet Every teenager has some access to the Internet, be it at school or home. Home use is mainly used for fun (such as social networking) whilst school (or library) use is for work. Most teenagers are heavily active on a combination of social networking sites. Facebook is the most common, with nearly everyone with an Internet connection registered and visiting >4 times a week. Facebook is popular as one can interact with friends on a wide scale. For searching the web, Google is the dominant figure, simply because it is well known and easy to use. Some teenagers make purchases on the Internet (on sites like eBay) but this is only used by a small percentage, as a credit card is required and most teenagers do not have credit cards. Many teenagers use YouTube to watch videos (usually anime which cannot be watched anywhere else) and some use it as a music player by having a video with the music they want to listen to playing in the background. Mobile Phones 99pc of teenagers have a mobile phone and most are q  uite capable phones. Usually, teenagers only use their phones for texting, calling. Features such as video messaging or video calling are not used—because they are expensive.Services such as instant messaging are used, but not by everyone. It usually depends whether the phone is Wi-Fi compatible, because otherwise it is very expensive to get Internet off the phone network. As most teenagers’ phones have Bluetooth support, and Bluetooth is free, they utilize this feature often. Mobile email is not used as teenagers have no need; they do not need to be connected to their inbox all the time as they don’t receive important emails. |
The survey carried out recently is mainly concerned with ______.
| A．how teenagers consume media |
| B．what electric devices teenagers favor |
| C．which new trend teenagers are following |
| D．how teenagers contact others and make their social net |
As is mentioned in the survey, the reason why teenagers watch less TV mainly lies in that ______.
| A．teenagers do not watch regular programs |
| B．all the TV programs are on for only a few weeks |
| C．teenagers may turn to other devices to watch their favorite |
| D．the TV adverts coming on every channel are just the same |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the survey?
| A．Radio presenter or DJ used to invite the listeners to choose the songs they want. |
| B．The main source for teenagers to get news is Internet as well as newspapers. |
| C．Google is the most common social networking sites due to its convenience. |
| D．Some features of modern mobile phones are not widely used by teenagers. |
John and Bobby joined a wholesale company together just after graduation from college the same year. Both worked very hard. After several years, however, the boss promoted Bobby to the position of manager but John remained an ordinary employee. John could not take it any more, tendered his resignation to the boss and complained the boss did not know how to delegate and did not value hard-working staff, but only promoted those who flattered him.
The boss knew that John worked very hard for the years. He thought a moment and said, “Thank you for your criticism, but I have a request. I hope you will do one more thing for our company before you leave. Perhaps you will change your decision and take back your resignation.”
John agreed. The boss asked him to go and 
find out anyone selling watermelon in the market. John went and returned soon. He said he had found out a man selling watermelon. The boss asked how much per kg. John shook his head and went back to the market to ask and returned to inform the boss $1.2 per kg.
Boss told John to wait a second, and he called Bobby to come to his office. He asked Bobby to go and find anyone selling watermelon in the market. Bobby went, returned and said, “Boss, only one person selling watermelon. $1.2 per kg, $10 for 10kg, he has inventory (清单) of 340 melons. On the table 58 melons, bought from the South two days ago, they are fresh and red, good quality.”
John was very impressed and realized the difference between himself and Bobby. He decided not to resign but to learn from Bobby.
Chances exist in
the daily details. For the same matter, a more successful person sees more and farther so that he can find out an opportunity and catch it to realize his aim. If a person sees one year ahead, while another sees only tomorrow. Then the difference between a year and a day is 365 times! Why did John decide to hand in his resignation to the boss?
| A．Because he couldn’t stand being an ordinary employee. |
| B．Because Bobby would take John’s former position. |
| C．Because the boss was not flattered by his hard work. |
| D．Because Bobby instead of him was promoted. |
What did the boss ask John to do?
| A．To go to market and find out whether there is someone selling watermelons. |
B．T o make a complete mar keting research on the various prices of watermelons. |
| C．To search for much information about the effective ways to sell watermelons. |
| D．To make a comparison on the prices of different types of watermelons. |
What sort of following information about watermelons was NOT brought by Bobby?
| A．The price. | B．The quality. |
| C．The quantity. | D．The weight. |
From the difference of John and Bobby, we may infer that a more successful person is more _____.
A.alert, sensitive and passionate
B.observant, thoughtful and exploratory
C.considerate, modest and satisfied
confident, noble and tolerant
Some teens believe drugs will help them think better, and be more popular. These days, drugs can be found everywhere. Many teens are tempted(诱惑) by the excitement or escape from reality that drugs seem to offer.
Drugs are chemicals that change the way our bodies work. When you put them into your body, drugs find their way in your blood and are taken to parts of your body, such as your brain.
The effects of drugs can be different depending on the kind of drug taken, how much is taken, how often it is used, how quickly it gets to the brain, and what other drugs or food are taken at the same time. Although drugs can make you feel good at first, they can finally do a lot of harm to the body.
There are many kinds of drugs available, and there are many reasons for trying them regularly. People take drugs just for pleasure they believe they can bring. Often it’s because someone told them that drugs would make them feel good or that they’d have a better time if they took them.
Many teens use drugs because they’re unhappy or think drugs will help them escape their problems. The truth is that drugs don’t solve problems—they simply hide feelings and problems. When a drug wears off, the feelings and problems remain, or became worse. Drugs can ruin every aspect of a person’s life.The main idea of the second paragraph is probably _________.
| A．how drugs work |
| B．what drugs are made of |
| C．that drugs can reduce physical pain |
| D．that drugs dull your senses |
People take drugs regularly _________.
| A．just for good health |
| B．because they can have a better life |
| C．just for pleasure |
| D．because they need them |
__________ cause teens to take drugs.
| A．Physical pain, escaping and fear |
| B．Escaping, excitement and unhappiness |
| C．Curiosity, fear and escaping |
| D．Excitement, unhappiness and their physical pain |
Which of the following is NOT true ?
| A．Drugs may be tempting to teens. |
| B．Drugs do harm to the body. |
| C．Drugs can solve people’s problems. |
| D．Drugs can make people happy. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Drugs: the Killer of People |
| B．Drugs: the Favorite of Teens |
| C．Drugs: What You Should Take |
| D．Drugs: What You Should Know |
Laptop（便携式电脑） computers are popular all over the world. People use them on trains and airplanes, in airports and hotels. These laptops connect people to their workplace. In the United States today, laptops also connect students to their classrooms.
Westlake College in Virginia will start a laptop computer program that allows students to do schoolwork anywhere they want. Within five years, each of the 1500 students at the college will receive a laptop. The laptops are part of a ＄10 million computer program at Westlake, a 110-year-old college. The students with laptops will also have access to the Internet. In addition, they will be able to use e-mail to “speak ” with their teachers, their classmates, and their families. however, the most important part of the laptop program is that students will be able to use computers without going to computer labs. They can work with it at home, in a fast-food restaurant or under the trees----anywhere at all!
Because of the many changes in computer technology, laptop use in higher education, such as colleges and universities, is workable. As laptops become more powerful, they become more similar to desktop computers. In addition, the portable （手提式）computers can connect students to not only the Internet, but also libraries and other resources. State higher-education officials are studying how laptops can help students. State officials are also testing laptop programs at other universities, too.
At Westlake College, more than 60 percent of the staff use computers. The laptops will allow all teachers to use computers in their lessons. As one Westlake teacher said, “Here we are in the middle of Virginia and were giving students a window on the world. They can see everything and do everything. The main purpose of the laptop program is to give each student a laptop to _______.
| A．use for their schoolwork | B．access the Internet |
| C．work at home | D．connect them to libraries |
Why is the word “speak ” in the second paragraph in quotation marks(引号)?
| A．They don’t really talk. | B．They use the computer language. |
| C．Laptops have speakers. | D．None of the above reasons is correct. |
Which of the following is True about Westlake College?
| A．All teachers use computers. | B．1,500 students have laptops. |
| C．It is an old college in America. | D．Students there can do everything. |
“A window on the world” in the last paragraph means that students can _______.
| A．attend lectures on information technology |
| B．travel around the world |
| C．get information from around the world |
| D．have free laptops |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The program is successful. | B．The program is not workable. |
| C．The program is too expensive. | D．We don’t know the result yet. |