"The world's oceans are slowly getting more acidic．”say scientists．The researchers from California report that the change is taking place in response to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
The lowering of the waters’pH value is not great at the moment but could cause a serious threat to current ocean life if it continues, they warn. Ken Caldeira and Michael Wickett, from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, report their concerns in the journal Nature.
Increasing use of oil fuels means more carbon dioxide is going into the air, and most of it will eventually be absorbed by seawater. Once in the water, it reacts to form carbonic acid. Scientists believe that the oceans have already become slightly more acidic over the last century.
These researchers have tried to predict what will happen in the future by combining what we know about the history of the oceans with computer models of climate change．"This level of acidity will get much more extreme in the future if we continue releasing COZ into the atmosphere," said Dr Caldeira. "And we predict the amount of future acidity will exceed（超过）anything we have seen over the last several hundred million years, let alone perhaps after rare disastrous events such as asteroid（小1j-%+.'_) impacts．”
However, it is not absolutely clear what that means for ocean life．Most organisms live near the surface, where the greatest pH change would be expected to occur, but deep-ocean life forms may be more sensitive to pH changes．Coral reefs and other organisms whose shells contain calcium carbonate（小行星) may be particularly affected if the water's acidity levels keep going up, the team predict. They could find it much more difficult to build these structures in water with a lower pH.
In recent years some people have suggested storing carbon dioxide from power stations in the deep ocean as a way of dealing with global warming．But Dr Caldeira said that such a strategy should now be re-considered. "Previously, most experts had looked at ocean absorption of carbon dioxide as a good thing一because in releasing CO2 into the atmosphere we warm the planet, and when CO2, is absorbed by the ocean, it reduces the amount of greenhouse warming.”The ocean is becoming more acidic due to＿．
A，the lower water pH value B．the warming atmosphere
C ．the higher level of COZ in the air D．the increasing use of oil fuelsAccording to Dr Caldeira,＿．
| A．ocean absorption of carbon dioxide is a good thing |
| B．more oil fuels will be used in the near future |
| C．scientists may predict climate changes with computer models |
| D．the future situation of the amount of acidity is extremely serious |
If the water's acidity level keeps rising,＿．
| A．ocean life whose structures contain calcium carbonate may be affected |
| B．the waters’pH value will become higher and higher |
| C．organisms living near the surface are more sensitive to pH changes |
| D．some disastrous events will occur more often than before |
Most experts once believed storing carbon dioxide in the ocean would reduce＿．
| A．the COZ absorbed by the ocean |
| B．the amount of greenhouse warming |
| C．the acidity of the ocean |
| D．the gradul release Of CO2 |
The purpose of this passage is to＿．
| A．show people the findings of a research team |
| B．inform people of how acid the ocean is now |
| C．introduce Dr Caldeira and his team's research |
| D．warn people of the higher level of COZ |
A thief who dropped a winning lottery ticket(彩票)at the scene of his crime has been given a lesson in honesty. His victim, who picked up the ticket, then claimed the £25000 prize, managed to trace him, and handed over the cash. The robbery happened when maths professor Vinicio Sabbatucci, 58, was changing a tyre on an Italian motorway. Another motorist, who stopped to “to help”, stole a suitcase from his car and drove off. The professor found the dropped ticket and put it in his pocket before driving home to Ascoli in eastern Italy.
Next day, he saw the lottery results on TV and, taking out the ticket, realized it was a winner. He claimed the 60 million lire(里拉) prize. Then he began a battle with his conscience. Finally, he decided he could not keep the money despite having been robbed. He advertised in newspapers and on radio, saying: “I’m trying to find the man who robbed me. I have 60 million lire for him--- a lottery win. Please meet me. Anonymity(匿名) guaranteed.”
Professor Sabbatucci received hundreds of calls from people hoping to trick him into handing them the cash. But there was one voice he recognized--- and he arranged to meet the man in a park. The robber, a 35-year-old unemployed father of two, gave back the suitcase and burst into tears. He could not believe what was happening. “Why didn’t you keep the money?” he asked. The professor replied: “I couldn’t because it’s not mine.” Then he walked off, spurning the thief’s offer of a reward.
65.The sentence “ Then he began a battle with his conscience.” In paragraph 2 implies all of the following EXCEPT that_______.
A. he knew what he should do as soon as he saw the lottery results
B. he hesitated about keeping the money for some time
C. he thought for a moment of avenging himself on the robber
D. he came to realize that honesty is more important than money
66. Hundreds of people phoned professor Sabbatucci because they ______.
A. wanted to make fun of him B. hoped to get the money
C. knew who the robber was D. lost the lottery ticket
67. The word “spurning” in the last sentence can be replaced by ______.
A. acceptingB. claiming C. rejecting D. canceling
68. If the story appears in a newspaper, the best title might be_____.
A. A Thief’s Lucky Day B. A Popular Maths Professor
C. A Magic Lottery D. A Reward of Honesty
第三部分阅读理解（共20题，每小题2分，满分40分）
Recently, tests have proved that Beethoven died from lead poisoning. Bill Walsh directed the Beethoven Research Project. Mr. Walsh and his team examined pieces of bone belonging to Beethoven. They found a large amount of lead in the bone pieces. They said the lead levels were equal to those found in pieces of his hair in earlier studies of other scientists.
Genetic tests proved the bone pieces and his hair came from Beethoven. The research also examined bone fragments from someone else who lived during the same period. Both were from the top of the skull. The fragments from Beethoven had more lead than those from other person. Their study didn’t find measurable levels of cadmium(镉) or mercury(汞), which scientists used to consider were the causes of his health problems.
Beethoven was sick for much of his life. He experienced strong stomach pains, a sign of lead poisoning, and a change of personality when he was around 20. he also got angry easily, and suffered from depression and hearing loss. His health problems became worse as he grew older.
Walsh said the lead levels found in his skull suggested that the metal might have been present in his body for many years. He said although there had been recognized cases of deafness caused by lead poisoning, there was no strong evidence to suggest that lead poisoning was the cause of his deafness.
Beethoven visited many doctors to find a cure for his health problems, in a letter he wrote to a friend, he urged researchers to examine his body after he died so that other people would not have to suffer as he did.
61. If too much lead is in a person’s body, he will______.
A. suffer hearing loss B. get angry easily
C. suffer serious stomach pains D. lose most of his hair
62. From the passage we can learn that_______.
A. this is the first research into the cause of Beethoven’s death
B. any amount of lead will do great harm to people’s health
C. more lead was found in Beethoven’s bones than in his hair
D. scientists used to think that his death was caused by other metals instead of lead
63. In which section of the newspaper might you read this report?
A. Health. B. Technology. C. Entertainment. D. Culture.
64. What is the best title of the passage?
A. A surprising discovery about Beethoven B. Beethoven died from lead poisoning
C. Lead--- a killer metal for human beings D. New examination of Beethoven’ body
Honesty comes in many forms. First there’s self-honesty. Is what people see the real article or do you appear through smoke and mirrors ? I find that if I try to be something I’m not, I feel unsure of myself and take out a part from my PBA(personal bank account). I love how singer Judy Garland put it, “Always be a first-class version（版本） of yourself, instead of a second-class version of somebody else.”
Then there’s honesty in our actions. Are you honest at school, with your parents, and with your boss? If you’ve ever been dishonest, I think we all have, try being honest, and notice how whole it makes you feel. Remember, you can’t do wrong and feel right. This story by Jeff is a good example of that:
In my second year of study, there were three kids in my math class who didn’t do well. I was really good at it. I would charge them three dollars for each test that I helped them pass. I’d write on a little piece of paper all the right answers, and hand them off.
At first I felt like I was making money, kind of a nice job. I wasn’t thinking about how it could hurt all of us. After a while I realized I shouldn’t do that anymore, because I wasn’t really helping them. They weren’t learning anything, and it would only get harder down the road. Cheating certainly wasn’t helping me.
It takes courage to be honest when people all around you are getting away with cheating on tests, lying to their parents, and stealing at work. But, remember, every act of honesty is a deposit(储蓄)into your PBA and will build strength.
77. The underlined part “appear through smoke and mirrors” in the first paragraph means “__________”.
A. to be honest B .to be unreal
C. to become clear D. to come from an imagined world
78. Which of the following can best explain Judy Garland’s words?
A. Be your true self rather than follow others.
B. Don’t copy others or you can’t be the first class.
C. Make efforts to be the first instead of the second.
D. Don’t learn from others unless they’re excellent.
79 .What does the author expect to show by Jeff’s story?
A. Honesty can be of great help.
B. A bad thing can be turned into a good one.
C. Helping others cheat can do good to nobody.
D .One should realize the wrong in his bad deeds.
80.In the last paragraph the author mainly wants to express _________.
A. one must be brave to be honest
B. it’s difficult to be honest when others are not
C. one should be honest when making a deposit
D. honesty in one’s actions can help him in the future
“Old wives tales” are beliefs passed down from one generation to another, For example, most of us remember our parents’ telling us to eat more of certain foods or not to do certain things. Is there any truth in these teachings? Some of them agree with present medical thinking, but others have not passed the test of time
Did your mother ever tell you to eat your carrots because they are good for your eyes? Scientists now report that eating carrots can help prevent a serious eye disease called macular degeneration. Eating just one carrot a day can reduce the possibility of getting this disease by 40%. Garlic(蒜)is good for you, too. It can kill the type of virus that causes colds.
Unfortunately, not all of Mom’s advice passed the test of medical studies. For example, generations of children have been told not to go swimming within an hour after eating. But research suggests that there is no danger in doing so. Do sweets cause tooth problems? Well, yes and no. Sticky sweets made with grains tend to cause more problems than sweets made with simple sugars.
Even though science can tell us that some of our traditional beliefs don’t hold water, there is still a lot of truth in the old wives’ tales , After all, much of this knowledge has been accumulated (积累) from thousands of years of experience in family health care. We should respect this body of knowledge even as we search for clear scientific support to prove it true or false.
73. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A. Eating garlic is good for our eyes
B. Sticky sweets are damaging to our teeth.
C. Swimming after a meal is dangerous
D. Carrots prevent people from catching colds
74. The author develops the third paragraph mainly_______.
A. by cause and effect B. by order in space
C. by order in timeD. by examples
75. The phrase “ hold water” in the last paragraph most probably means “_______”.
A. to be believable B. to be valuable
C. to be admirable D. to be suitable
76. What is the author’s attitude toward “ old wives’ tale” in the text?
A. Subjective(主观的) B. Objective（客观的） C. Dissatisfied D. Curious
Reading is very important to help you learn English. To learn as much as you can from reading, you need to read different kinds of English. This book provides not only different kinds of English but also a good way to check your reading ability.
There are four parts in the book:
Part 1 is Messages: In this part somebody wants to send information in writing to somebody else. There is a test on timetable and a test on text messages.
Part 2 is People: In this part all the tests are about people. For example, there is an informal letter between friends. There is formal English in biography(传记). There is a job application as a model to help with your writing, as well as testing your reading.
Part 3 is Places: In this part, too, many different kinds of English are shown, some informal and some formal. There is the informal English of a holiday postcard. There is also the formal English in a letter of complaint.
Part 4 is Things: You will find some descriptive writing in this part. There are descriptions of clothes and of a computer.
You can do these tests in any order you like, or you can do all the tests with a formal or informal text. I enjoyed writing this book and I hope you enjoy using it.
69. We can find the introduction to a product in ___________.
A. part 1 B. Part 2 C. Part 3 D. Part 4
70. Which of the following is most probably written in informal English?
A. A letter of complaint. B. A computer handbook.
C. A letter of a friend. D. A story of a president.
71. The passage is most probably written for _________.
A. test designers B. students C. test-takers D. teachers
72. What is the best title of the book?
A. Test Your Reading B. Help with Your Writing
C. Learn Different Kinds of English D. Practise English in Different Ways