Whenever human populations have lived in forest areas, they have always cut down trees which they used for a number of purposes, for housing and ships and served as a source of heating fuel and timber. Growth of cities often meant expansion into forest areas, while even more trees were removed to provide space for agriculture. With the growing demand for paper, vast quantities of trees have also been cut down for paper production. These factors, along with many others, have been contributing to a dangerous phenomenon known as deforestation.
In the last 5,000 years, humans have reduced forest from roughly 50 percent of the earth’s land surface to less than 20 percent. Most of this original, or old growth, forest cover is concentrated in three large areas: the Canadian and Alaskan boreal forest, the boreal forest of Russia, and the tropical forest of the northwestern Amazon Basin and the Guyana Shield. These areas comprise almost 70 percent of the world’s remaining original forest cover. In most places, the rate of deforestation is increasing, with the alarming result of 16 million hectares disappearing worldwide every year.
Loss of forest does not just mean the decline of natural resources. There are several other factors that make deforestation seriously harmful to both the human and natural worlds. One of them is changes in the global climate. For example, forest clearance is releasing substantial volumes of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere as vegetation is burnt or decays. It has been suggested that this is a significant factor in global warming. Moreover, about 10 percent of the world’s tree species are in dang
er of extinction as a result of deforestation. Deforestation also threatens biological diversity through the destruction of wildlife habitats, which endangers a number of animal species and leads to their potential disappearance. Species are particularly easy to extinction in tropical rainforests because many species have few individuals per unit area, which makes reproduction more difficult. Finally, since forests play an important role in storing water and stabilizing soil, deforestation and the resulting change in land use cause soil erosion (腐蚀) and other forms of land degradation.The passage discusses all of the following EXCEPT the ________.
| A．causes of deforestation | B．consequences of deforestation |
| C．management of deforestation | D．rate of deforestation |
The word “diversity” in the last paragraph probably means “________”.
| A．variety | B．expansion |
| C．development | D．advantage |
Why does the author mention fuel and timber in Paragraph 1?
| A．To explain the rate of deforestation. |
| B．To compare them with housing and ships. |
| C．To show the dangers of deforestation. |
| D．To illustrate the causes of deforestation. |
Which of the following sentences summarizes Paragraph 3 best?
| A．Deforestation threatens biological diversity. |
| B．Deforestation has many harmful consequences. |
| C．Deforestation causes changes in global climate. |
D．Deforestation should be stopped. |
It was not the first time for Shi Benliang, a senior physics major at Peking University, to feed cats. But the 22-year-old felt sad when he saw the scars and wounds on the bodies of the little creatures.
“I can imagine how they have suffered from being abandoned. They lead a harsh life wandering around,” said the student..Shi is one of a dozen students at the university volunteering to feed the stray cats during the winter break.
Recruited by the Stray Cat Rescue Association at the university through a Bulletin Board System (BBS), he took turns with other students to care for the homeless animals. It is estimated that there are more than 100 stray cats on the campus of Peking University.
Jin Jing, 18, an economics freshman at the university, cared for the cats for two days. “At around 5 pm I cycled to the 22 feeding sites on campus marked on a special map,” she said. “At each site I left some cat food and water.”Jin was excited when the animals rushed to her feet. “Some are shy and timid, and others are more outgoing. Each of them has their own name such as ‘Sweet Orange’ or ‘Karl Marx’,” she said. “By feeding them I learned to respect life.”
Liu Chenhao, a senior electronics and computer science major, who is in charge of the association, said that feeding was just one part of their responsibilities.“Our aim is to keep the stray cats in check and maintain harmony between them and the students on campus,” he said.
The organization also takes cats to the animal hospital to be treated for oral and skin disease. Another of its major tasks is to find new homes for the cats by uploading their photos and information online.
“We’re very careful when selecting owners and ask them lots of questions to ensure that they won’t desert their cat under any circumstances, such as when they move house or get married,” Liu said. But he stressed that their acts of kindness shouldn’t encourage anyone to abandon their cat. “A cat’s normal life expectancy is more than 10 years, but a stray one may survive for only two or three.” (365words)You may read the article from a (an)______________ .
| A．academic journal | B．fashion journal | C．autobiography | D．newspaper |
Which of the following is NOT the task of the Stray Cat Rescue Association ?
| A．To keep students have a harmonious relationship with cats. |
| B．To mourn the stray cats when they die of hunger or illness. |
| C．To choose suitable owners for stray cats deliberately. |
| D．To take stray cats to treat diseases when they were sick. |
We can infer from the passage that____________ .
| A．A married woman is not qualified to adopt the cat. |
| B．A stray cat may live shorter than the ordinary cats. |
| C．Volunteers can feed the stray cats in any place they like. |
| D．There are more than 100 stray cats on the campus. |
TANG Dynasty writer Du Mu once wrote in a poem titled Qingming: "The ceaseless drizzle drips all the dismal day; So broken-hearted fares the traveler on the way.Where can a wine house be found to drown his sadness ?A cowherd points to Almond Flower (Xing Hua) Village in the distance."
Qingming, the traditional tomb-sweeping day on the Chinese lunar calendar, falls on April 4 this year. Qingming Jie was proclaimed a Chinese national holiday in 2008. It is a time for remembering loved ones who have departed (去世). People visit their ancestors’ graves to sweep away the dirt and get rid of any weeds. They also leave offerings (祭品) of food and flowers, and burn incense (香) and paper money. Chinese tombs are usually built in the woods or on mountains, far from the city. It is believed that an area that faces south, with many pine trees, is a proper place for a tomb. People believe such a place will make the ancestors happy, and in return, they will look after the living family.
Nowadays, more and more residents are choosing environmental-friendly ways to spend the holiday such as flower sacrifices and memorial ceremonies on the Internet or at home. As one of the traditional ways to celebrate Tomb-sweeping Day – burning paper or incense – isn't exactly good for air quality.
In contrast to the sadness of the tomb sweepers, people also enjoy hope of Spring on this day. The Qingming Festival is a time when the sun shines brightly, the trees and grass become green and nature is again lively. Since ancient times, people have followed the custom of Spring outings. At this time tourists are everywhere.
Many people fly kites on Tomb Sweeping Day. They are usually made from a bamboo crossbow with coloured paper. The kite vibrates and buzzes as it rises into the sky, counterbalanced by its tail. Large kites can be as broad as three metres across, with a tail of six to ten metres. Most kites have a rectangular shape, and many have patterns of crabs, centipedes, butterflies, dragonflies, or Chinese characters such as "good fortune" or "long life". (361words)What’s the main idea of the second paragraph?
| A．The cultural difference between the east and the west. |
| B．The traditional customs on tomb-sweeping day. |
| C．Various ways to care for the dead in the world. |
| D．Qingming Festival |
All of the following practices are mentioned on tomb-sweeping day EXCEPT_____ .
| A．Weeping over the passed-away. |
| B．Flying kites made from bamboo and paper |
| C．Sending flowers to their ancestors’ graves. |
| D．Burning incense and paper money for the dead. |
Which of the following is correct according to passage?
| A．Du Mu ,the well-known poet in Song Dynasty wrote a poem about Qing Ming. |
| B．Qingming Festival used to be a Chinese national holiday. |
| C．People have the custom of flying kites on Qing Ming. |
| D．Those whose ancestors were buried in proper places will have a bright future. |
The writer write the passage in order to____________ .
| A．enable us to observe traditional tomb-sweeping day. |
| B．show traditional and present ways to spend Qingming Festival . |
| C．educate people to show their respect to the ancestors |
| D．raise people’s awareness of environmental protection. |
I had the meanest mother in the world. While other kids ate candy for breakfast，I had to have cereal，eggs and toast. Others had cokes and candy for lunch，while we had to eat a sandwich. As you can guess，my supper was different than the other kids’. But at least I was not alone in my suffering. My sister and two brothers had the same mean mother as I did.
My mother insisted on knowing where we were at all times. She had to know who our friends were and what we were doing. We had to wear clean clothes every day. Other kids always wore their clothes for days. We reached the height of disgrace because she made our clothes herself，just to save money.
The worst is yet to come. We had to be in bed by 9：00 each night and up at 7：45 the next morning. So while my friends slept，my mother actually had the courage to break Child Labor Law. She made us work. I believed she lay awake all night thinking up mean things to do to us. Through the years，our friends’ report cards had beautiful colors on them, black for passing，red for failing. My mother, however，would merely be content with black marks. None of us was allowed the pleasure of being a dropout.
She forced us to grow up into educated and honest adults. Using this as a background，I’m now trying to bring up my three children. I’m filled with pride when my children think I am mean because now I thank God every day for giving me the meanest mother in the world.From the passage we can learn that the writer’s mother was __________.
| A．not generous at all | B．very strict with her children |
| C．very mean with money matters | D．very cruel to her children |
Which of the following things did the writer hate to do most?
| A．Eating differently from other kids. |
| B．Wearing clean clothes made by mother. |
| C．Going to bed early and getting up early. |
| D．Letting mother know where they were. |
It can be inferred from the passage that____________.
A the writer worked hard and usually got good grades in studies
B. mother was punished for breaking the Labor Law
C. all the other kids studied better than the writer
D. the writer’s family lived a miserable life
London—coffee protects mice from radiation and could get the same way in humans, according to Indian scientists.
Scientist at India’s Bhabha Atomic Research Center discovered that mice injected with caffeine (咖啡因)remained alive after high doses(剂量)of normally lethal radiation.
Although the study was limited to animals, Kachadillilli George, head of the research team, believes the findings could have implications (something suggested ) for humans .
“It does suggest that coffee might have some beneficial effects in protecting against radiation,” he told New Scientist magazine late last month.
George and his team injected 471 mice with caffeine and left them uncovered to 7.5 grays of gamma radiation(伽玛射线),enough to kill most mice. But 25 days later 70 percent of the mice that had received 80 milligrams(毫克)of caffeine per kilogram of body weight were still alive.
On the contrary all 196 mice that had been left uncovered to the same radiation but had not been given any caffeine died.George and his team drew the conclusion from.
| A．the magazine | B．their invention | C．the experiment | D．their experience |
From the news, we knowcan be protected from radiation.
| A．both mice and humans | B．only mice |
| C．only humans | D．neither humans nor mice |
From paragraph 5, we know 30 percent of the mice died 25 days later. The reason was probably that.
| A．these mice had been given only 80 milligrams of caffeine |
| B．these mice hadn’t been injected with caffeine |
| C．these mice were very big and strong |
| D．these mice hadn’t been given enough caffeine |
Which is the best title of the article?
| A．Human and Mice | B．New Radiation Defense—Coffee |
| C．Deadly Radiation—Gamma Radiation | D．Mice Died of Caffeine |
In paragraph 2,the underlined word “ lethal ”means.
| A．causing death | B．lively | C．exciting | D．rich |
Most lives saved from sinking ferryCao Min couldn’t believe she was experiencing exactly what she had seen years ago in the film “Titanic”.
Cao and her two children from Anhui Province were traveling on board the “Liaoludu 7”on February 22.They were among the first people on the ship who were rescued by lifeboats. Cao’s one-year-old son was the youngest passenger on board.
The “Liaoludu 7”was traveling in the Bohai Straits(渤海海峡)from Lushun in Liaoning Province to the port city of Longkou in Shandong Province. It suddenly lost its power at 2:30 pm and tilted(倾斜)on its side. With 81 people on board, the ferry(渡船)began to sink.
“I was so scared that my legs couldn’t move forward. They kept shaking even when I was asked to jump onto a “ lifeboat.” Cao recalled.
Upon receiving the urgent appeal, China Marine Search and Rescue Center(中国海上搜救中心)immediately informed the State Council(国务院).The center sent eight lifeboats to the sinking ship and asked for help form the Ministry of Agriculture, the Navy and nearby fishing boats.
After more than four hours of fighting against strong winds and freezing ocean water, the passengers were recovered. All but four survived. These four died after spending too long in the freezing waters, according to a spokesperson for the Beijing-based center.
(From 21st Century, Mar.3, 2003)How many people survived the disaster?
| A．4 | B．81 | C．85 | D．77 |
Who do you think were the first people rescued?
| A．Women and children | B．Women | C．Children | D．Men |
Which of the following is Not true?
| A．The accident happened from Longkou in Shandong Province to Lushun in Liaoning Province. |
| B．The fighting of the people on board against the strong winds and freezing ocean water lasted several hours. |
| C．Cao and her children fortunately were saved. |
| D．But for the State Council, the passengers and the crew would have lost their lives. |