Water and its importance to human life are the center of the world’s attention. March 22 is World Water Day, which has the theme “Water and culture ”this year. There are more than one billion people in the world who live without safe drinking water. The United Nations hopes to cut this number in half by 2015.
Solving such a big problem seems like an unreal challenge. But everyone, even teenagers, can do something to help. A teenage girl in the U.S. has set an example to others of her age around the world. Rene Haggerty, 13, was awarded the 2004 Gloria Barron Prize for her work of collecting deserted batteries which pollute water.
In 2003, Haggerty went on a field trip to the Great Lakes Science Centre in Ohio. There, she saw an exhibit about how chemicals in old batteries harm the water of Lake Erie. Haggerty learnt that recycling the batteries was an easy solution. “I think everybody can do it, because everyone uses batteries, and it can make a big difference.” With these words, she began to increase awareness in her area.
She talked to her county government and school board. She got permission to start a recycling programmed in schools as well as the public libraries, hospitals, and churches. With the help from her family, friends and local waste-management officials, she gathered containers, arranged transportation, and made an educational video.
Over the past two years, she collected four tons of batteries and drew the attention of officials, who were in charge of a battery recycling programmed but had made little progress. When asked if she feels like a hero, Haggerty is quite modest(谦虚). “Not really. Well, maybe for the fish I saved!”
Every year the Gloria Barron Prize honors young Americans aged 8 to 18 who have shown leadership and courage in serving the public and the planet. Each year ten winners receive ＄2,000 each, to help with their education costs or their public service work.According to the passage, how many people probably can’t drink safe drinking water in 2015?
| A．About I billion. | B．About 2 billion. |
| C．About 500 million. | D．About 5 million. |
In order to collect used batteries, Rene Haggerty did the following things EXCEPT .
| A．gather some containers | B．arrange the transportation |
| C．make an educational video | D．go on a field trip |
The best title for this passage should be .
| A．A girl awarded the 2004 Gloria Barron Prize |
| B．A girl acts to clean the world’s water |
| C．We should protect our environment |
| D．A girl collecting batteries |
The average British 22 year-old has more than 1,000 online friends on sites like Facebook, compared to those in their fifties who have fewer than 20, according to a new study.
The “Facebookgeneration gap” has been highlighted in a new piece of research which shows that the average 22 year-old claims to have 1,000 or more friends on sites like Facebook.
People in their twenties have more than 50 times as many digital friends as those who are over 50 years old, despite the popularity of sites like Facebook with the older generations, says a study conducted by consumer research group Intersperience.
The news comes during the same week Facebook's second-in command, Sheryl Sandberg, is visiting the UK to deliver a speech at the London School of Economics.
Facebook's chief operating officer is going to speak about how the social web has transformed people's friendships and relationships.
The survey found that there was a clear link between people's age and the number of online friends they have．The researchers found that those aged 13 to 16, have an average of 450 friends on social networks, with girls having slightly more friends that boys．People in their thirties tend to have between 100 and 200 friends, while those in their forties have between 50 and 100.
However, those using sites such as Facebook over the age of 50, tended to have 20 or less friends．The oldest person surveyed was 70 years old.
Paul Hudson, Intersperience's chief executive, said: "Our research underlines fundamental （根本的）changes taking place in British society as a result of finally entering the digital age．Half of the UK population are on Facebook now．In a social media context, a 'friend' means something different to a 20 year old than to a 50 year old."
He added: “Social networking activity is just one example of how different groups are adapting to the digital age at different paces．In this case, age is the determining factor - however in other instances it is not.”Which is the determining factor in social networking activity?
| A．Gender | B．Age |
| C．Relationship | D．Pace |
What can we learn from the survey?
| A．The older a person is, the less online friends he may have |
| B．Girls have remarkably more friends than boys |
| C．People in their thirties tend to have between 50 and 100 friends |
| D．The link between people’s age and the number of online friends they have is not clear |
According to the passage, the following statements are True except.
| A．The oldest people surveyed is 70 |
| B．Paul Hudson will deliver a speech at the London School of Economics |
| C．Different groups are adapting to the digital age at different paces |
| D．Facebook is popular in UK now |
What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Social networking activity |
| B．The digital age |
| C．“Facebook generation gap”—Facebook generation has more than 1,000 friends |
| D．Changes taking place in British society |
Everyone has got two personalities (性格) —the one that is shown to the world and the other that is secret and real. You don’t show your secret personality when you’re awake because you can control yourself, but when you’re asleep, your sleeping position shows the real you. In a normal night, of course, you often change your sleeping positions. The important position that best shows your secret personality is the one that you go to sleep.
If you go to sleep on your back, youre a very open person. You normally trust people and you are easily influenced by new ideas. You dont like to make people unhappy, so you never express your real feelings. Youre quite shy and you arent very confident.
If you sleep on your stomach, you are a person who likes to keep secrets. You worry a lot and youre always easily becoming sad. You never want to change your ideas, but you are satisfied with your life the way it is. You usually live for today not for tomorrow.
If you sleep on curled up (蜷缩), you are probably a very nervous person. You have a low opinion of yourself and often protect yourself from being hurt, so you are very defensive. You’re shy and you don’t usually like meeting people. You like to be on your own.
If you sleep on your side, you have usually got a well-balanced (平衡的) personality. You know your strengths and weaknesses. Youre usually careful. You have a confident personality. You sometimes feel worried, but you dont often get unhappy. You always say what you think, even if it makes people angry.You may find the passage in_____.
| A．a science magazine | B．a guide book |
| C．a sports newspaper | D．a story book |
When does the sleeping position best show your secret personality?
| A．In the daytime. | B．At the beginning of sleep. |
| C．At night. | D．During the deep sleep. |
Tina hardly tells her secrets to her friends. She probably goes to sleep _______.
| A．on curled up | B．on her stomach |
| C．on her back | D．on her side |
What does the word "defensive" mean in the passage?
| A．易怒的 | B．攻击性的 |
| C．外向的 | D．有戒心的 |
What does the passage tell us?
| A．Sleeping on your side is the best way of sleeping. |
| B．Changing positions will cause sleeping problems. |
| C．Sleeping positions show people’s secret personalities. |
| D．Enough sleep makes people look better and healthier. |
A teacher stood in front of his history class of twenty students just before handing out the final exam. His students sat quietly and waited for him to speak.
Its been a pleasure teaching you this term, he said. Youve all worked very hard, so I have a pleasant surprise for you. Everyone who chooses not to take the final exam will get a B for the course.
Most of the students jumped out of their seats. They thanked the teacher happily, and walked out of the classroom. Only a few students stayed. The teacher looked at them. This is your last chance, he said. Does anyone else want to leave?” All the students there stayed in their seats and took out their pencils.
The teacher smiled. “Congratulations (祝贺),” he said. “I’m glad to see you believe in yourselves. You all get A’s.”This story most probably took place ______.
| A．at the beginning of the term |
| B．in the middle of the term |
| C．at the end of the term |
| D．at the beginning of the school year |
Most of the students got Grade ______.
| A．A | B．B | C．C | D．F |
Why did some students stay in their seats?
| A．Because they wanted to take the exam. |
| B．Because the teacher told them to stay in their class. |
| C．Because they were afraid to leave. |
| D．Because they didnt have anything to do. |
The teacher gave the students who stayed in the classroom As because ______.
| A．the teacher liked them |
| B．they were cleverer than the other students |
| C．they believed in themselves |
| D．they studied hard |
The underlined word them in Paragraph 3 refers to ______.
| A．students staying in their seats |
| B．students leaving the classroom |
| C．their seats |
| D．all the students |
One thing we love about is that it’s easy to make and it only needs a few simple ingredients(原料). Here are four of our favourite and simple homemade soups. Enjoy!
1. Chicken Soup
Chicken soup can help to fight a cold. You can prepare your soup with a whole chicken or just thin pieces of chicken. Do either of themalthough a whole chicken is likely to make your soup much tastier. The main ingredients are: chicken, water, onions, carrots, celery(芹菜), salt, pepper and noodles.
2. White Bean Soup
There are many types of beans to choose from. It’s simply a matter of personal taste. Dried beans are more traditional and cost less. However, canned beans also work. The other main ingredients are: onions, tomatoes and carrots. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. French Onion soup
When you get French onion soup in a restaurant, it might look a bit difficult to make. The hardest part is cutting up all those onions—get ready for a good cry! The main ingredients are: six sweet onions, butter, water and salt.
4. Garden Vegetable Soup
In summer, you may find yourself with a lot of vegetables that need using up. Throw in potatoes, rice or even some meat with the vegetables. The best thing about this soup is that you can put in whatever you want. The main ingredients are: onions, carrots, celery, tomatoes and potatoes.How can you make the chicken soup more delicious?
| A．By adding carrots． |
| B．By using chicken pieces． |
| C．By adding onions． |
| D．By using a whole chicken． |
What is the most difficult part when making French onion soup?
| A．Getting good onions． |
| B．Cutting up the onions． |
| C．Making the soup look good |
| D．Buying the ingredients． |
What might be the best soup in summer ?
| A．Chicken soup． | B．White bean soup． |
| C．French onion soup． | D．Garden vegetable soup． |
Which of the following is TRUE?
| A．Chicken soup is good if you catch a cold． |
| B．Canned beans are cheaper than dried beans． |
| C．It's difficult to make French onion soup. |
| D．You cannot put meat in garden vegetable soup． |
Which ingredient is needed in all the soups?
| A．Tomatoes. | B．Onions. |
| C．Butter. | D．Celery. |
Five times in the earth’s history, some three-quarters of all living species disappeared forever-and within a short period of time. Those species losses stand for a major change in the planet’s ecology(生态学). Clues to these changes can be seen in the fossils(化石)and rock layers.
Today, human activities are driving species to die out at a rate never seen before. And this loss of species really does matter, said Anita Narwani. She works at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. That’s because the diversity(多样性)of species in an ecosystem provides people with all types of services we can’t do without.
Trees provide oxygen for us to breathe. At the same time, they remove carbon from the air which is a cause of global warming. Plants help clean air and water. Animals move seeds from one area to another. A broad range of living resources also provides people with food, shelter and medicine.
Narwani wanted to find out how important the diversity of species is for people. So she teamed up with other ecologists to review more than 1,700 studies. They found that more diverse parts of the earth tend to do well in things like removing carbon and providing us with wood and other natural resources. They were also better at keeping fisheries large and healthy so that they could feed many people.
Unfortunately, the diversity of species is in steep drop. It is too soon to say that the earth is undergoing a sixth mass extinction, Narwani said. She said a mass extinction means the loss of 75 percent of species over 2 million years or less. We haven’t lost that many – at least not yet. But according to her, if species losses continue so fast, such a mass extinction could occur in just 300 years.
The new findings highlight the potential for humans to use up many of the resources on which we now depend. As people learn more, however, they can take steps to lessen those risks. People should protect ecosystems so that they can continue to provide us with their services.What’s the writer’s purpose in giving the examples in Paragraph 3?
| A．To tell us how we get our food and resources. |
| B．To show the importance of the diversity of species. |
| C．To tell us the use of each species. |
| D．To show the writer is very learned. |
The underlined word “They ” in Paragraph 4 refers to .
| A．humans |
| B．Narwani and her team |
| C．natural resources |
| D．various species |
Narwani and her team found that .
| A．many people know the importance of protecting wildlife |
| B．many species die out because of human activities |
| C．making good use of natural resources benefits people |
| D．rich diversity of species greatly benefits people |
We can learn from Paragraph 5 that .
| A．the world’s species are dying out in a very fast rate |
| B．we’ll lose 75 percent of species on the earth |
| C．the earth is undergoing a sixth mass extinction |
| D．a mass extinction of species will occur in 300 years |