Death Valley, one of America’s great national parks, is a place of strange and silent beauty. As beautiful as this place is, its name provides evidence of very real danger. Death Valley is a land of beautiful yet dangerous extremes. There are mountains that reach more than 3,000 meters into the sky. There is a place called Badwater that is the lowest area of land in the Western Hemisphere. If there were water there, it would be 86 meters below the level of the ocean.
Death Valley can be dangerously cold during the winter months. Storms in the mountains can produce sudden flooding on the floor of the Valley. The air temperature during the summer has been as high as 57℃. The sun can heat the ground so that the temperature of the rocks and soil can be as high as 74℃. The extreme heat of Death Valley has killed people in the past. It will continue to kill those who do not honor this extreme climate. Death Valley does not forgive those who are not careful.
Death Valley is a good example of the violence of nature. It contains evidence of several ancient volcanoes that caused huge explosions. Evidence of one of these explosions is called Ubehebe Crater. The explosion left a huge hole in the ground almost a kilometer and a half wide.
In many areas of Death Valley it is easy to see where the ground has been pushed up violently by movement deep in the Earth. This movement has created unusual and beautiful rock formations. Some are red. Others are dark brown, gray, yellow or black. Other areas of rock look as if some huge creature violently broke and twisted the Earth to create unusual, sometimes frightening shapes.
In other parts of Death Valley there are lines in the rock that show clearly that this area was deep under an ocean for many thousands of years. Much of the Valley is flat and extremely dry. In fact, scientists believe it is the driest place in the United States.
Death Valley, part of the Great Mojave Desert, is a huge place. It extends more than 225 kilometers across the southern part of California, and across the border with Nevada.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．The water in Badwater is 86 meters below the level of the ocean. |
| B．The highest air temperature in summer can reach as high as 74℃. |
| C．The ground has been pushed up violently by explosions of volcanoes. |
| D．There might have been marine lives living in Death Valley. |
Why were some people killed by Death Valley?
| A．Because they didn’t respect Death Valley and thus they were punished. |
| B．Because it is extremely hot in summer and dangerously cold in winter. |
| C．Because they were not careful enough to take with them what they needed. |
| D．Because several volcanoes erupted and caused huge explosions. |
The underlined word “twisted” in Paragraph 4 most possibly mean ______.
| A．bent and turned | B．created and developed |
| C．built and shaped | D．changed and ruined |
The purpose of the article is to _______.
| A．encourage people to visit Death Valley, a beautiful national park in America |
| B．warn people not to visit Death Valley because it is quite dangerous there |
| C．introduce to us readers a special national park in America, Death Valley |
| D．raise money for the protection of Death Valley because it is in danger now |
Being green is everywhere these days, whether it is in the school, factory or anywhere on the Internet. This is because our planet is in danger, losing resources, polluting resources and destroying ecosystems(生态系统). Different species are dying because we can’t take care of our home. Now ask yourself why you don’t want a green healthier lifestyle and to save animals. Keep that in mind as you read on.
There are many ways to be green, first of all, everyone should recycle; it’s something easy and helps our planet in many ways. All you’d have to do is put recycling in recycling and garbage in garbage. Another popular thing is to try your best not to drive a car. Sometimes you can just walk, bike, or take a subway. This ensures that our air won’t be polluted, which in turn helps our lungs and everything else on our planet. Next thing is saving energy. We can do this by not using too much heat or air conditioning in summer or winter. It’s not preferable because it’s hard, but you can try and put your washing machine on cold whenever possible and try to keep electronics out of the rubbish. What’s more, remember to stop drinking from plastic bottles because plastic can only be used once and if used many times, it will become unhealthy. So you’d better use a glass or buy a reusable water bottle. The last and most important thing is, spread this news to the world and tell them what’s happening in our world. I’ve only listed a small part of the endless possibilities to save this world. The least you can do is do the simple ones.What does the underlined word “that” in Paragraph 1 refer to?
| A．The importance of being green. |
| B．The question asked in this paragraph. |
| C．The present situation of the Earth. |
| D．The reader’s contribution to the Earth. |
How many ways to be green are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Two. | B．Three. |
| C．Four. | D．Five. |
According to the passage, the most important way to be green is to .
| A．call on others to protect our Earth |
| B．recycle what we have used |
| C．try our best to stop driving cars |
| D．save as much energy as possible |
The passage is intended to .
| A．tell us the importance of protecting our Earth |
| B．Help us to cut down the pollution on our Earth |
| C．teach us some knowledge about our health today |
| D．guide us to some ways of protecting our Earth |
In ninth grade, I thought Jennifer Fever, the dark-haired girl who sat behind me in classroom, was an alien(外星人). Our class organized an activity to raise money for the library, and in one month, Jennifer read 34 books. I couldn’t believe it. Surely, she was from some faraway planet where creature lived and they didn’t own television sets. How could a human being, a 13-year-old girl, read 34 books in one month?
I had read three books. And by “read”, I mean skimmed. I mean opened and placed them on my lap while watching cartoons.
Who had time to read? In addition to my favorite cartoons, I had a basketball that required playing, a baseball that required throwing, and a volleyball that required volleying. And it wasn’t as if my bike could ride itself.
Besides, reading was boring. And if I wanted to be bored, it would be much easier just to pay attention during Mr. Kearly’s social studies class.
After senior high school, my education had become very narrow: computer engineering, mathematics, physics, and not much else.
Years later, I realized something: I had not memory of ever reading a book for pleasure. But there was a world of knowledge outside science and engineering, and I was tired of being ignorant(无知的)of it, so I decided I would become a reader. I dived into book after book. In short, the bookworm within me had awakened.
Today, I carry a book(if not two or three) with me wherever I go. An hour-long waiting for the bus is not trouble; rather, it’s a chance to enjoy a few chapters of Malcolm Gladwell’s latest works. Sometimes, I wish my waiting was longer. From the first paragraph, we learn that Jennifer Fever .
| A．was an alien | B．couldn’t believe me |
| C．organized an activity | D．was my classmate |
What used to make the author bored?
| A．Watching cartoons. |
| B．Reading. |
| C．Playing basketball. |
| D．Riding her bike. |
Which of the following is TURE according to the passage?
| A．My education had become very narrow after high school. |
| B．A 13-year-old girl could also read 34 books in one year. |
| C．I skimmed my three books while reading in the library. |
| D．I was still tired of reading during my study in the university. |
We can infer from the passage that the author .
| A．enjoyed some faraway planet very much |
| B．felt surprised to study computer engineering |
| C．loved reading very much after growing up |
| D．became wise and rich after high school |
Feeling blue about the world? “Cheer up,” says science writer Matt Ridley. “The world has never been a better place to live in, and it will keep on getting better both for humans and for nature.”
Ridley calls himself a rational optimist—rational, because he’s carefully weighed the evidence; optimistic, because that evidence shows human progress to be both unavoidable and good. And this is what he’s set out to prove from a unique point of view in his most recent book, The Rational Optimist . He views mankind as grand enterprise that, on the whole, has done little but progress for 100,000 years. He backs his findings with hard facts gathered through years of research.
Here’s how he explains his views.
1）Shopping fuels invention
It is reported that there are more than ten billion different products for sale in London alone. Even allowing for the many people who still live in poverty, our own generation has access to more nutritious food, more convenient transport, bigger houses, better cars, and, of course, more pounds and dollars than any who lived before us. This will continue as long as we use these things to make other things. The more we specialize and exchange, the better off we’ll be.
2) Brilliant advances
One reason we are richer, healthier, taller, cleverer, longer-lived and freer than ever before is that the four most basic human needs—food, clothing, fuel and shelter—have grown a lot cheaper. Take one example. In 1800 a candle providing one hour’s light cost six hours’ work. In the 1880s the same light from an oil lamp took 15 minutes’ work to pay for. In 1950 it was eight seconds. Today it’s half second.
3) Let’s not kill ourselves for climate change
Mitigating(减轻) climate change could prove just as damaging to human welfare as climate change itself. A child that dies from indoor smoke in a village, where the use of fossil-fuel(化石燃料) electricity is forbidden by well- meaning members of green political movements trying to save the world, is just as great a tragedy as a child that dies in a flood caused by climate change. If climate change proves to be mild, but cutting carbon causes real pain, we may well find that we have stopped a nose-bleed by putting a tourniquet(止血带) around our necks.What is the theme of Ridley’s most recent book?
| A．Weakness of human nature. |
| B．Concern about climate change. |
| C．Importance of practical thinking. |
| D．Optimism about human progress. |
How does Ridley look at shopping?
| A．It encourages the creation of things. |
| B．It results in shortage of goods. |
| C．It demands more fossil fuels. |
| D．It causes a poverty problem. |
The candle and lamp example is used to show that__________.
| A．oil lamps give off more light than candles |
| B．shortening working time brings about a happier life. |
| C．advanced technology helps to produce better candles. |
| D．increased production rate leads to lower cost of goods. |
What does the last sentence of the passage imply?
| A．Cutting carbon is necessary in spite of the huge cost. |
| B．Overreaction to climate change may be dangerous. |
| C．People’s health is closely related to climate change. |
| D．Careless medical treatment may cause great pain. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is True?
| A．Matt Ridley doesn’t think the world is a good place to live in. |
| B．Climate change won’t cause a child’s death. |
| C．Matt Ridley based his unique point of view on his long-term research. |
| D．People will have more freedom for the development of the world. |
As a first –year teacher at a Christian school ,I was expecting my fifth grade students to be prefect , perfect in behavior , in attitude , and I even expected the home-life of each student to be nearly perfect . I found , of course , that these students were not different from the children I taught in public school .These kids had behavior problems , bad attitudes ,and some even had strikingly difficult family lives .
One of my students in particular stands out in my mind .I’ll call him Timothy for safety’s sake. During the first day of class , I noticed that Timothy was different .Not only in physical appearance , but he also spoke strangely , as though a 35-year-old man were trapped inside his tiny , weak body .On many occasions , I heard Timothy speak of hate, how he hated his family .
I observed Timohy for several months and read up on his background and searched for any clue that would lead me closer to understanding this child’s strange behavior .Finally I was directed to Timothy’s older brother’s cheating in an exam and had taken his anger out on Timothy at home .Timothy’s parents , in turn , had contacted the school, blaming them for Timothy’s problems.
I had written a letter to the administration asking that Timothy see a counselor(咨询师). The school was in the process of contacting a counselor when Timothy was transferred to another school. His father hurried around my room collecting Timothy’s things and left. That is the last we have seen or heard from Timothy. I was left with an empty desk and a broken heart. I cried for days afterwards. I felt as though I had done Timothy a disservice …I did not help him when he needed me. I still think about Timothy every day, and pray for him every morning. What was wrong with Timothy?
| A．He seemed to have deep emotional problems. |
| B．He seemed not to be getting along well with his classmates. |
| C．He mainly had behavior problems at school. |
| D．He wanted to transfer to another school. |
What was Timothy like during the first day of class?
| A．He looked old in appearance but lively in spirit. |
| B．He looked common but talked strangely. |
| C．He spoke strangely and looked weak in body. |
| D．He acted as if he were as experienced as a 35-year-old man. |
The reason why Timothy hated his family included that________.
| A．his father treated him differently from his brother. |
| B．his family didn’t care about what he was doing at school. |
| C．his father blamed the teachers for his problems. |
| D．his brother treated him in an unreasonable way. |
The underlined word “disservice” in the last paragraph probably refers to_______.
| A．something meaningless | B．something harmful |
| C．something secret | D．something funny. |
. From the passage we know that____________.
| A．Timothy’s father blamed the author for reading his son’s file. |
| B．The school didn’t approve Timothy’s seeing a counselor. |
| C．The author felt guilty for not helping Timothy in time. |
| D．Students at the Christian school don’t have family problems except Timothy. |
A world-famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created the world’s first long-distance signing device(装置), the LongPen.
After many tiring book-signing tours from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them. She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Here’s how it works: The author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet(手写板) using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams(网络摄像机) and computer screens.
Work on the LongPen began in Atwood’s basement(地下室). At first, they had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions, including one that actually had smoke coming out of it. The investing finally completed, test runs were made in Ottawa, and the LongPen was officially launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here , Atwood conducted two transatlantic book signings of her latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City.
The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in real time. It has several other potential applications. It could increase credit card security and allow people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used.
“It’s really fun”, said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. “Obviously you can’t shake hands with the author, but there are chances for a connection that you don’t get from a regular book signing.”
The response to the invention has not been all favorable. Atwood has received criticism from authors who think she is trying to end book tours. But she said, “It will be possible to go to places that you never got sent to before because the publishers couldn’t afford it.”Why did Atwood decide to invent the LongPen?
| A．To set up her own company. |
| B．To win herself greater popularity. |
| C．To write her books in a new way. |
| D．To make book signings less tiring. |
How does the LongPen work?
| A．It copies the author’s signature and prints it on a book. |
| B．It signs a book while receiving the author’s signature. |
| C．The webcam sends the author’s signature to another city. |
| D．The fan uses it to copy the author’s signature himself. |
What do we know about the invention of the LongPen?
| A．It has been completed but not put into use. |
| B．The basement caught fire by accident. |
| C．Some versions failed before its test run. |
| D．The designers were well-prepared for the difficulty. |
How could the LongPen be used in the future?
| A．To draft legal documents. |
| B．To improve credit card security |
| C．To keep a record of the author’s ideas. |
| D．To allow author and fan to exchange videos |
What could be inferred from Paragraphs 5 and 6?
| A．Atwood doesn’t mean to end book tours. |
| B．Critics think the LongPen is of little use |
| C．Bookstore owners don’t support the LongPen |
| D．Publishers dislike the LongPen for its high cost. |