Today about 70 countries use Daylight Saving Time (DST). Daylight Saving was first introduced during World War I in Australia. During the world wars, DST was used for the late summers beginning January 1917 and 1942, and the full summers beginning September 1942 and 1943.
In 1967, Tasmania experienced a drought（干旱）. The State Government introduced one hour of daylight saving that summer as a way of saving power and water. Tasmanians liked the idea of daylight saving and the Tasmanian Government has declared daylight saving each summer since 1968. Persuaded by the Tasmanian G
overnment, all states except two passed a law in 1971, for a test use of daylight saving. In 1972, New South Wales, South Australia and Vi
ctoria joined Tasmania for regular daylight saving, but Queensland did not do so until 1989.
Tasmania, Queensland and South Australia have had irregular plans, often changing their dates due to politics or festivals（节日）. For example, in 1992, Tasmania extended（延长）daylight saving by an extra month while South Australia began extending daylight saving by two weeks for the Adelaide Festival. Special daylight saving plans were made during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
The differences in daylight saving in Australia continue to cause serious problems in transport and many other social activities. It also reduces the number of hours in the working day that are common to all centers in the country. In particular, time differences along the east coast cause major differences, especially for the broadcasters of national radio and television.. Daylight Saving Time was introduced in Tasmania _______________.
| A．to stop the drought in 1967 | B．to support government officials |
| C．to pass a special law in the state | D．to save water and electricity |
.. What can we learn about DST in some Australian states?
| A．It doesn’t have fixed dates. | B．It is not used in festivals. |
| C．Its plan was changed in 2000. | D．It lasts for two weeks |
.. What do we know about the use of DST from the last paragraph?
| A．There exists some undesirable effects. | B．It helps little to save energy. |
| C．It brings about longer working days. | D．Radio and TV programs become different |
Surrounded by the towns of Davidson, Huntersville and Cornelius, Lake Norman is a man-made lake. It is also the largest lake in the state covering a shoreline of more than 500 miles. State Park on the lake gives a chance for different water activities.
People, both tourists and locals, come to the area on weekends, where during the peak season a large crowd arrives to relax and have fun. A great activity for kids is education except fun. The tour covers aquatic(水生的) life, especially that seen at Lake Norman. Since it is more of an educational one it also covers other important knowledge about water.
Those wanting to go boating are seen off into the lake on canoes and pedal boats which are rented on hourly basis. The charges are $5 per hour increased by $3 for every additional(附加的) hour. The boats can be kept on the lake all day from 10 in the morning till 5 in the evening during the summers. Both canoes and pedal boats can seat 2 to 4 people.
The park also set up a group tent camp, where a site can hold about 25 people. People from all over the country come here to catch some fishing action, obviously hoping to catch some fish as well. The inner park lake is also great for fishing, though it offers a smaller area compared to Lake Norman. Those here for adventure like to go for biking and hiking on the trails inside the park.
Lake Norman is a great place to spend time with family and friends. People come here on vacation or simply to kick back after a week’s work and relax. From the passage we learn that Lake Norman is ______.
| A．the second largest lake in the USA |
| B．surrounded by the town of Davidson |
| C．not a natural one but made by people |
| D．about five hundred metres long |
A large number of people came to the park ______.
| A．to watch the performances here | B．during the peak season |
| C．to have sports games | D．all the year round |
In what way does the park attract children except having fun?
| A．Learning a lot. | B．Catching fish. |
| C．Going hiking. | D．Going cycling. |
How much will you have to pay at least if the five of you want to go boating a day?
| A．28 dollars. | B．36 dollars. | C．23 dollars. | D．46 dollars. |
If you want to save more money you can ______.
| A．stay in the hotel that is near the park |
| B．come to the park in summer or spring |
| C．stay in the tent of the park for the night |
| D．fish in the small lake in the park |
In England, people often talk about the weather because they can experience (经历) four seasons in one day. In the morning the weather is warm just like in spring. An hour later black clouds come and then it rains hard. The weather gets a little cold. In the late afternoon the sky will be sunny, the sun will begin to shine, and it will be summer at this time of a day.
In England, people can also have summer in winter, or have winter in summer. So in winter they can swim sometimes, and in summer sometimes they should take warm clothes.
When you go to England, you will see that some English people usually take an umbrella (伞)or a raincoat with them in the sunny morning, but you should not laugh at them.
If you don't take an umbrella or a raincoat, you will regret (后悔) later in the day.Why do people in England often talk about the weather?
| A．Because they may have four seasons in one day |
| B．Because they often have very good weather |
| C．Because the weather is warm just like in spring |
| D．Because the sky is sunny all day |
From the story we know that when _________come, there is a heavy rain.
| A．sunshine and snow | B．black clouds |
| C．summer and winter | D．spring and autumn |
"People can also have summer in winter." Means "it is sometimes too ______in winter."
| A．warm | B．cool | C．cold | D．rainy |
In the sunny morning some English people usually take a raincoat or an umbrella with them because ________.
| A．their friends ask them to do so | B．it often rains in England |
| C．they are going to sell them | D．they are their favourite things |
The best title (标题)for this passage is ________.
| A．Bad Seasons | B．Summer or Winter |
| C．The Weather in England | D．Strange English People |
When I was young, I had an old neighbor named Dr. Gibbs. He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ever known. He never shouted at us for playing in his yard. I remembered him as a neighbor who was nicer than anyone else in the neighborhood.
When Dr. Gibbs was happy, he was planting trees. And his life’s goal was to make it a forest.
Dr. Gibbs had some interesting theories about planting. He talked about trees that weren’t watered would grow deep roots in search of water. So he never watered his trees. He planted an oak (橡树) and, instead of watering it every morning, he beat it with the rolled-up newspaper. I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree’s attention.
Dr. Gibbs died a couple of years. Every now and again, I walk by his house and look at the trees that he planted twenty-five years ago. They’re very strong now.
I planted a couple of trees a few years later. I watered them regularly and took good care of them. Whenever a cold wind blows, they shake their leaves and branches.
The funny thing about those trees of Dr. Gibbs was that difficulty seemed to help them in ways comfort and ease never could.What was Dr. Gibbs’ life goal?
| A．To build a forest. | B．To save more lives. |
| C．To make a lot of money. | D．To study plants. |
One of Dr. Gibbs’ theories about planting was that ______.
| A．he often talked to the trees | B．he kicked the trees heavily |
| C．he never watered the trees | D．he buried the leaves around the roots |
What does the writer mainly want to tell us?
| A．Trees are not as weak as we think. |
| B．We should listen to others’ advice. |
| C．Difficulty is necessary for growth. |
| D．Planting trees is good for the environment. |
Streit was an experienced safecracker who never used force —either against people or safes (保险箱). He was a real artist of his trade and it took him only 19 minutes to open the most difficult safe he had ever encountered. In about 10 years, helped by his brother Stefan and two friends, he took about $330,000 —from the safes of 28 banks in Austria. On his last job, early in 1999, he left the safe door open and $80,000 behind. With the money ws a note, "We don’t need all that much." A witness (目击者) recognized his car and Streit was caught by the police. Then he was sent to Austria’s Stein Prison to serve a six-year sentence. He boasted (吹嘘) at his trial that he would continue breaking the law, "I am a thief and I shall use every opportunity." Despite the warn-ing, prison officials moved Streit to the prison’s blacksmith (铁匠) shop. One day during the week before Christmas, Streit disappeared. Searchers found all his doors were well locked. Streit had managed to make a set of keys and let himself out. Not to freedom, though. After crossing into Bavaria, Streit attracted the suspicion (怀疑) of German customs police on purpose and got himself arrested. "I want to be in a German prison,"he explained to the surprised police. "As German courts give much milder (温和的) sentences for crimes like mine and will reduce the time I would otherwise have served in Stein Prison." In prison, Streit persuaded his keepers to let him make a Christmas Eve telephone call to his former keeper, Karl Schreiner of Stein Prison. "I’m sorry if I caused trouble. I didn’t want to embarrass anybody by escaping. Conditions weren’t that bad. In fact the food was better than it is here."The underlined word "safecracker" in the first paragraph means "_________".
| A．prisoner | B．criminal | C．stealer | D．Robber |
What’s the correct order of the following events?
a. Streit was caught by German customs police.b. Streit left a note in the bank.c. Streit was sent to Stein Prison.d. Streit worked in a blacksmith shop.e. Streit escaped from prison.
| A．d-b-a-c-e | B．b-a-c-d-e | C．b-c-d-e-a | D．d-b-c-e-a |
What helped Streit escape from prison?
| A．His living alone in prison. |
B．His good relations with the prison officials. |
C．His cooperation with other prisoners. |
D．His working in the blacksmith shop. |
Streit was finally caught because _______.
| A．his car was recognized by someone |
B．he left a note in the bank safe |
C．he was recognized by customs police |
D．he made a phone call to his former keeper |
Streit preferred to serve his time in Germany because _______.
| A．he hated working in the blacksmith shop in the Austrian prison |
B．the life of prisoners in Germany was better than those in Austria’s |
C．he wouldn’t have to stay that long in a German prison |
D．he could escape more easily from a German prison |
Four decades ago a group of college students visited the mountains of Borneo to examine moth (蛾) populations. Now a team of British scientists, including a member of the original trip, has returned to the same sites to repeat the survey. They have found that, due to rising temperatures, the insects now live 68 meters higher.
Global warming is forcing tropical (热带的) species uphill to escape the rising temperatures at a rate of nearly 2 meters a year, the new study from Borneo suggests.
Since this was the only chance to repeat the original survey, the scientist did everything they could to do it exactly the same way, going at the same time of year, in July and August, using photographs to find the exact original sites of the moth traps.
"While this is the first study of insects, a few other studies of tropical species are starting to appear," said Thomas. "If you look across all those studies, you’ll find the same results, and it’s extremely difficult to think of any other explanation for them."
While some species might survive by finding places on the mountains with temperatures similar to those of their original habitats, others may run out of habitat on the rocky peaks, warns the study.
In a paper in the journal Naturein 2004, Thomas and 13 other experts analyzed the habitats of 1,100 species on five continents, and estimated that on average one quarter were at risk of extinction.
Last year a paper published in the Public Library of Science in the US warned that the risk of extinction in the tropics was becoming more and more serious. The authors, Jana and Steven Vamosi, estimated that 20-45% of tropical species were at risk of extinction.
| A．6.8 meters higher | B．19 meters higher |
| C．34 meters higher | D．68 meters higher |
| A．There’ll be too little space. |
| B．The temperature will be much too low. |
| C．They will be at greater risk of extinction. |
| D．They’ll find it hard to adapt to the environment. |
| A．this survey of moths has been carried out many times |
| B．some scientists have put forward other explanations for the results |
| C．scientists tried to repeat the original survey |
| D．20-45% of tropical species were estimated to be at risk of extinction in 2004 |
| A．Climate change forcing moths higher. |
| B．Protecting moths from extinction. |
| C．How to research tropical moths. |
| D．How to study moths living on mountains. |