With only fish and birds for company, Eric Erden has been rowing across the Pacific Ocean to Australia in his 23-foot-long boat since he left California on July 10, 2009.
This is the first part of Eric’s trip around the world using only his own energy. He will row, bike, and walk without help from any motors at all. His plan includes climbing the tallest mountain on each of the six continents he visits, to honour the memory of a fellow climber.
He says he is doing this to show kids that they can achieve any goal, but he also hopes to have some great adventures along the way.
Storms and huge waves regularly force him in the wrong direction and even threaten to overturn his boat. “Sometimes I really feel scared,” says a somewhat embarrassed Eric. “But that’s part of the journey. I knew this wouldn’t be easy when I started.”
Protein bars give him energy, and he boils water to heat freeze-dried meals on a one-burner stove. A sun-powered machine removes salt from ocean water so he can drink it, but when that fails he sometimes tries to collect rainwater in a bucket.
He’s not bothered by any of the hardships. Eric sees the world as a laboratory where there is much to learn. And when his trip around the world takes him across land, he enjoys meeting people — especially children. He has already visited several schools and shared his story.Why is Eric making this trip?
| A．To encourage children to reach for their goal. |
| B．To learn to overcome various hardships. |
| C．To do experiments all over the world. |
| D．To honour the memory of a fellow climber. |
What does Eric plan to do on each of the six continents he will visit?
| A．Visit schools to share his story. |
| B．Study the culture of the local people. |
| C．Climb the tallest mountain. |
| D．Cycle from one end to the other. |
How does Eric mainly get drinking water?
| A．He boils the seawater on a stove. |
| B．He has brought fresh water with him. |
| C．He collects rain water in a bucket. |
| D．He uses a special machine to make seawater fresh. |
Which of the following words best describes Eric’s character?
| A．Determined. | B．Intelligent. | C．Fearless. | D．Lonely. |
Goldie’s Secret
She turned up at the doorstep of my house in Cornwall. No way could I have sent her away. No way, not me anyway. Maybe someone had kicked her out of their car the night before. “We’re moving house.”; “No space for her any more with the baby coming.” “We never really wanted her, but what could we have done? She was a present.” People find all sorts of excuses for abandoning an animal. And she was one of the most beautiful dogs I had ever seen.
I called her Goldie. If I had known what was going to happen I would have given her a more creative name. She was so unsettled during those first few days. She hardly ate anything and had such an air of sadness about her. There was nothing I could do to make her happy, it seemed. Heaven knows what had happened to her at her previous owner's. But eventually at the end of the first week she calmed down. Always by my side, whether we were out on one of our long walks or sitting by the fire.
That's why it was such a shock when she pulled away from me one day when we were out for a walk. We were a long way from home, when she started barking and getting very restless. Eventually I couldn't hold her any longer and she raced off down the road towards a farmhouse in the distance as fast as she could.
By the time I reached the farm I was very tired and upset with Goldie. But when I saw her licking (舔) the four puppies (幼犬) I started to feel sympathy towards them. “We didn't know what had happened to her,” said the woman at the door. “I took her for a walk one day, soon after the puppies were born, and she just disappeared.” “She must have tried to come back to them and got lost,” added a boy from behind her.
I must admit I do miss Goldie, but I've got Nugget now, and she looks just like her mother. And I’ve learnt a good lesson: not to judge people.How did the author feel about Goldie when Goldie came to the house?
| A．Shocked. | B．Sympathetic. | C．Annoyed. | D．Upset. |
In her first few days at the author's house, Goldie .
| A．felt worried | B．was angry |
| C．ate a little | D．sat by the fire |
Goldie rushed off to a farmhouse one day because she .
| A．saw her puppies |
| B．heard familiar barking |
| C．wanted to leave the author |
| D．found her way to her old home |
The passage is organized in order of .
| A．time | B．effectiveness | C．importance | D．complexity |
American beekeeping operations have been hit hard by what scientists call colony collapse disorder(C.C.D.). Almost half of their worker bees have disappeared during the past season. C.C.D. has also been reported in Israel, Europe and South America. Bees fly away from the hive and never return. Sometimes they are found dead; other times they are never found. Many crops and trees depend on pollination （授粉） by bees to help them grow.
A new report says virus may be at least partly responsible for the disorder in honey bee colonies in the United States. This virus is called Israeli acute paralysis virus. It was first identified in Israel in 2004. Ian Lipkin at Columbia University in New York and a team reported the new findings in Science magazine. Doctor Lipkin says the virus may not be the only cause. He says it may work with other causes to produce the collapse disorder.
The team found the virus in colonies with the help of a map of honey bee genes that was published last year. They examined thirty colonies affected by the disorder. They found evidence of the virus in twenty–five of them, and in one healthy colony. The next step is further testing of healthy hives.
The researchers suggested that the United States may have imported the disorder in bees from Australia. They say the bees may carry the virus but not be affected.
The idea is that unlike many American bees, the ability of Australian bees to fight disease has not been hurt by the varroa mite（全球性的蜂虱）. This insect attacks honey bees, which could make the disorder more likely to affect a hive. Australian bee producers reject these suspicions.
And some researchers suspect that bee production in the United States is down mainly because of the weather. Honey bees gather nectar（花蜜） from flowers and trees. The sweet liquid gives them food and material to make honey. But cold weather this spring in the Midwest reduced the flow of nectar in many flowers. Many bees may have starved. Dry weather in areas of the country could also be playing a part.
Wayne Esaias is a NASA space agency scientist who keeps bees in his free time. He lives in central Maryland, where he has found that flowers are blooming a month earlier than they did in 1970, which may be partly responsible for the disorder. Wayne Esaias is organizing a group of beekeepers to document nectar flow around the country.The researchers found the virus ______.
| A．with the help of colony collapse disorder |
| B．by researching the causes of bee death |
| C．with the help of a map of honey bee genes |
| D．with the help of a scientist of NASA |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．American beekeeping industry has been strongly influenced by the bee disorder. |
| B．Studies are being carried out on the causes of the bee disorder, but questions remain. |
| C．How the causes of the bee disorder in U.S have been found. |
| D．The bee production in U.S is down because of Israeli acute paralysis virus. |
How many possibilities may be involved in the bee disorder according to the passage?
| A．Three. | B．Four. | C．Five. | D．Six. |
We can infer from the passage that ______.
| A．Israeli acute paralysis virus should be responsible for the disorder |
| B．the solution to the bee disorder will be found eventually |
| C．American bees are more likely to defend themselves than Australian bees |
| D．the crop and plant production in U.S may be influenced by the bee disorder |
Nuclear energy has always been controversial. But since the tsunami and nuclear disaster in Fukushima (Japan) last year the issue is back in the headlines. And the world is divided— some countries are planning more nuclear plants, while others have promised to shut theirs down.
After Fukushima, Germany decided to switch off all its nuclear plants by 2022. Switzerland and Italy are also phasing out nuclear power. But France and the United States remain staunch supporters of atomic energy. In fact, almost 80% of France’s electricity comes from nuclear power, the highest percentage in the world. And in the US, the Obama administration said it “continues to support the expansion of nuclear power, despite the crisis in Japan.”
Nuclear supporters claim nuclear power can help the environment. Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear power doesn’t create greenhouse gases. So, pro-nuclear countries argue that nuclear power allows them to generate energy without contributing to climate change. Britain’s chief scientific adviser (John Beddington) supports this view. He recently said that the world doesn’t have the luxury of ignoring nuclear energy.
Nuclear power is also relatively cheap. Renewable energy sources such as solar, hydro and wind power may be clean, but they’re expensive; and right now, they require a lot of investment. This higher cost of using “green energy” is usually passed onto the consumer. So, while many people may prefer their energy to come from a renewable source, not so many are prepared to pay higher energy bills. This is of particular concern while the world economy is in such bad shape.
The main argument against nuclear energy is that it isn’t safe. For a start, nuclear waste is very difficult to dispose of, and remains toxic to humans for thousands of years. And even before Fukushima, there were several high-profile nuclear disasters. The most famous is probably the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, in the Ukraine. The radiation from the meltdown spread all over Europe, affecting thousands.
The nuclear energy issue is very complex. And it doesn’t look like it’ll be resolved anytime soon. As a Japanese commentator recently said, “it’s been a bad year for the ‘nuclear village’, but I don’t think they’re down and out yet.” The battle continues. Which of the following may NOT be the advantage of nuclear energy over other energy sources?
| A．Nuclear energy doesn’t produce any greenhouse gases. |
| B．Nuclear energy can help prevent the climate damage. |
| C．Nuclear energy is more environmental-friendly than other green energy sources. |
| D．Nuclear energy can save the consumers some money, compared to other renewable energies. |
What does the underlined word “this” refer to in paragraph 4?
| A．The fact that many people prefer to use the green energy sources while unwilling to pay higher bill. |
| B．The cost of using renewable sources |
| C．The fact that the nuclear power is cheaper. |
| D．The investment of renewable energy sources |
We can learn from the last paragraph that _______.
| A．the Japanese commentator is positive about the future of nuclear energy |
| B．the nuclear energy issue will be soon settled |
| C．a battle will break out in the future |
| D．Japan is considering to build a nuclear village in the future |
What is the author’s purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To highlight the danger of using nuclear energy. |
| B．To introduce some serious nuclear disasters. |
| C．To show the argument between nuclear supporters and protesters. |
| D．To give some advice on how to use nuclear energy safely. |
Authorities will continue to take a hard line on Internet-based rumors and punish those creating fake information, a senior official said on Thursday.
Authorities have removed more than 210,000 online posts and shut down 42 websites since mid-March in their latest crackdown on online rumors, said Liu Zhengrong, a senior official with the State Internet Information Office.
Fake information or rumors spread through the Internet, especially on micro blogs, have harmed social order and residents’ daily lives, he said at a news briefing in Beijing.
Before the crackdown, six people who allegedly fabricated (伪造) rumors about “military vehicles entering Beijing” had been detained and 16 websites closed for disseminating fake online information, according to police authorities.
“What we’ve done and will do is to make sure residents can know what they want to know, say what they think and supervise our management in a reliable and useful network environment,” Liu said.
Liu disagreed that the Internet can police itself against rumors, and told China Daily that some netizens can’t distinguish truth from fiction, “requiring government departments and website companies to take measures”.
On Monday, the Internet Society of China posted a proposal calling on Internet companies and websites to strengthen self-discipline and prevent the spread of online rumors.
In response, three main Internet companies in the country - Sina, Baidu and Tencent - said they will target fake information with advanced technology and invest in manpower to supervise online information.
Zhao Zhiguo, deputy director of the Telecommunications Administration under the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, said stricter self-management of websites will help banish online rumors.
“Internet companies should take legal responsibility when operating their websites. They should not become a hotbed for rumors and provide opportunities for fake information,” Zhao said, adding they will launch similar crackdowns to close illegal website companies and punish those responsible.
Currently, people who make or spread rumors related to terrorism and securities trading, or information affecting State security and companies’ commercial reputations, will face criminal punishment.
Liu Honghui, a Beijing lawyer specializing in online cases, said he welcomed the government’s action to curb online rumors.
“Residents used online banks to shop or book flights, which needs a safe platform without fake information,” he said.
Yu Guofu, another lawyer from Sheng Feng Law Firm, said the key to reducing rumors is netizens themselves.
“If micro-bloggers think twice before forwarding information, rumors will decrease.”How many websites were shut down before mid-March in the latest crackdown on online rumors?
| A．42 | B．58 | C．16 | D．18 |
What does the underlined word mean in fourth paragraph?
| A．creating | B．spreading | C．providing | D．operating |
According to the passage, which of the following is true?
| A．Not all netizens can distinguish truth from fiction on the Internet. |
| B．People who have harmed social order will face criminal punishment. |
| C．The Internet Society of China called on micro-bloggers to prevent the spread of online rumors. |
| D．Three main Internet companies in the country promised to launch more crackdowns to close illegal websites. |
Who plays an important role in reducing Internet-based rumors?
| A．Authorities | B．Internet companies | C．Micro-bloggers | D．Police |
Cancer is feared by everyone. And there is more and more fear about cancer. Not the disease itself — there is no such thing as a high incidence rates(发病率) of cancer. Except for lung cancer, mostly caused by cigarette smoking, the incidence rates are not on the rise. However, some kinds of cancer are decreasing. But the fear of cancer is catching, and the country stands at risk of an anxiety. The earth itself is coming to seem like a huge carcinogen(致癌物). The ordinary, more or less, scientific statement that something between 80 and 90 percent of all cancers are due to things in the environment is taken to mean that none of us will be safe until the whole environment is “cleaned up.” This is not at all the meaning.
The 80-percent calculation is based on the unthinkable differences in the incidence of cancer in various societies around the world — for example, the high incidence of liver cancer in Africa and the Far East, stomach cancer in Japan, breast cancer in Western Europe and North America, and the relatively low figures for breast cancer in Japan and parts of Africa and for liver cancer in America. These data show there may be specific environmental influences, but largely based on personal life-style, which determines the incidence of various forms of cancer in different communities — that is all the data suggest. The overall incidence of cancer, counting up all the cases, is probable roughly the same everywhere.According to the passage, the incidence of cancer is generally believed _____.
| A．to be based on inactive life style |
| B．to be due to anxiety |
| C．to result from environmental influences |
| D．to be caused by heavy smoking |
It can be inferred from the passage that the writer’s opinion about the relationship between cancer and environment is _____.
| A．positive | B．negative | C．neutral | D．approving |
According to the passage, the writer seems to feel that _____.
| A．the risk of catching cancer is on the rise |
| B．the whole earth is coming to seem like a huge carcinogen |
| C．the risk of catching cancer isn’t so great as people think |
| D．cancer can be cured if the environment is cleaned up |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Cancer and Environment |
| B．The Fear Caused by Cancers |
| C．Data on Cancer Incidence |
| D．Cancer and its Investigation |