A rainforest is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely dipping below 16℃.Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate. Without the forest cover, these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere,warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns, potentially causing certain natural disasters all over the world.
In the past hundred years, humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources (资源): land for crops, wood for paper and other products, land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example,a lot of carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit.
There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, when people cut down trees, generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly, cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now, but in the long run it actually reduces the world’ s wood supply.
Rainforests are often called the world’s drug store. More than 25% of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However, fewer than 1% of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in the world’s shrinking rainforests.Why did humans destroy rainforests in the past hundred years?
| A.They tried to get crops and paper |
| B.They needed other products |
| C.They wanted to raise farm animals |
| D.They aimed to get three major resources. |
Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they________.
| A.reflect more heat into the atmosphere |
| B.bring about high rainfall throughout the world |
| C.rarely cause the temperature to drop lower than 16℃ |
| D.reduce the effect of heat from the sun on the earth |
What does the word “this” underlined in the third paragraph refer to?
| A.We will lose much more than we can gain. |
| B.Humans have begun destroying rainforests. |
| C.People have a strong desire for resources. |
| D.Much carbon dioxide comes from burning rainforests. |
It can be inferred from the text that________.
| A.we can get enough resources without rainforests |
| B.there is great medicine potential in rainforests |
| C.we will grow fewer kinds of crops in the gained land |
| D.the level of annual rainfall affects wind patterns |
What might be the best title for the text?
| A.How to Save Rainforests |
| B.How to Protect Nature |
| C.Rainforests and the Environment |
| D.Rainforests and Medical Development |
My grandmother seems to be wrong when she says that good manners will never go out of style.
Several days ago, I tried entering a lift with one of my arms fixed in a bandage(绷带) while carrying a computer bag in the other. Not being fast enough, I was passed by two young people who managed to get into the lift before me. The lift door closed only after I entered. Having already pressed their wanted floor button, the young people waited impatiently for me to press the button for where I was going. If they had decided to help, we could have moved much faster. But they had not. So I did my best and pressed the button with my arm. The two young people looked very angry with me. I was losing heart.
The memory of this incident has stayed with me because it followed shortly after my building’s watchman refused to help me carry a heavy box full of books. His answer was that he could not carry the books a few meters because it was not his job. However, I remembered myself helping people for so many years carrying boxes, shopping bags, or pushing wheelchairs upon the request of a stranger in need or when my conscience(良心) called on me. "Oh, this young generation, they have no manners, ”my grandmother would say. The idea of good manners refers to the considering of other people’s feelings. We need more and more people to have good manners. Good manners should be-come part of our lives. The author believes that ________.
| A.good manners will never go out of style |
| B.her grandmother is right |
| C.good manners are disappearing little by little |
| D.it never rains, but it pours |
How did the two young people feel when the author pressed the button?
| A.Excited. | B.Angry. | C.Sad. | D.Confident. |
The watchman didn’t help the author because ______.
| A.the box was full of books |
| B.the box was too heavy |
| C.the author was a stranger |
| D.he thought it was not his job |
We can infer from the passage that the author ______.
| A.always offers help to people in need |
| B.always has difficulty carrying things |
| C.has a better memory than anyone else |
| D.agreed with her grandmother at first |
Among the many differences between Western and Chinese cultures, table manners are one of the most noticeable(显著的) differences. Westerners often make mistakes at the table in China or in a Chinese home. In order not to have an embarrassing(尴尬的) experience, here are some things to consider next time you are eating with some Chinese.
Step1:
Keep in mind that food is shared. It is one of the biggest differences between Chinese and Western eating habits. In China a few dishes are placed in the center of a table and shared by all. Also, you should offer thanks when a Chinese host takes food from one of the dishes on the table and places it on your plate. Refusing it would not be polite even if you are full.
Step2:
Respect the chopsticks. The chopsticks are the single most important tool at a Chinese table. Use the chopsticks to grab food and never skewer (叉) it. Also make sure to place your chopsticks over your bowl or plate. Don’t lay them on the table or even worse, stick them into the rice bowl.
Step3:
Use communal(共用的)chopsticks. To take food from the center of the table you should use the communal chopsticks or spoons that are placed there for that purpose. If there are no communal tools, use the other ends of your chopsticks to take food, remembering not to use the other end to put food into your mouth.
Step4:
Respect the elders. Table manners in China place extra respect on elders. At the table, pass food to your elders before taking it for yourself. If someone makes a toast, make sure that when you clink glasses with someone older than you, the rim of your glass is lower than the rim of the elder person.How can you use your chopsticks according to the passage?
| A.Use them to grab your own food. |
| B.Put them on the table. |
| C.Use them to skewer the food. |
| D.Stick them into the rice bowl. |
According to the passage, the following are wrong EXCEPT that ________.
| A.you don’t have to accept the food a Chinese host places on your plate |
| B.a skewer is also a commonly used tool at a Chinese table |
| C.one can offer his own chopsticks for communal use when there aren’t any |
| D.when clinking glasses, the rim of the younger person should be lower than that of the older person |
What is the purpose of writing the passage?
| A.To let the world get a full understanding of China. |
| B.To introduce table manners among different cultures. |
| C.To introduce Chinese table manners to Westerners. |
| D.To introduce how Chinese table manners came into being. |
I want to tell you a story that changed my life many years ago. We were living in College Station, Texas and my wife and I were on our way home from Houston, Texas one Saturday morning. We decided to stop at a local restaurant to get something to eat since we had enough time. When we finished, we got back into our car and before I started it, we noticed a homeless man standing in front of the building. His clothes were worn and it looked as though he didn’t have any money. It was cold and I was sure he wanted something warm to drink; however, it was not this that I remember, because that is not what "moved" me. A dog was also walking up to the front of the building. Being a dog owner, I knew that the dog was a mother, and that she had just had some pups (小狗). She was hungry and weak and I felt bad for her. I knew if she didn’t eat soon, she and her pups would not live. People walking by didn’t even notice her. She was not as pretty and clean as most dogs, but she still deserved (值得) better. We still did not do anything, but someone else did. The homeless man, who I thought could not afford anything to eat, went into the store and bought dog food with all the money he had.Where did the story happen?
| A.In front of the local restaurant. |
| B.In front of a building. |
| C.In the car parking lot. |
| D.Near the author’s house. |
What do we know about the dog?
| A.The author wanted to help the dog, but he was un-able to. |
| B.The dog and her pups were in danger of dying from hunger. |
| C.The dog was not cute enough to be loved. |
| D.The author didn’t like dogs. |
Which of the following moved the author?
| A.The homeless man had no money to buy food for himself. |
| B.The homeless man wore worn clothes on cold days. |
| C.The homeless man bought food for a dog with all his money. |
| D.Most people walking by the dog didn’t notice her. |
What can we conclude(得出结论) from the passage?
| A.The author was so hungry that he went into the local restaurant to eat. |
| B.The author didn’t understand what the homeless man did. |
| C.The dog shouldn’t be taken care of carefully because it looked ugly. |
| D.Things are not always what they seem. |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A.My Memory | B.A Poor Dog |
| C.The Homeless Person | D.A Mother Dog |
根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。
Two brightly colored butterflies have just flown by. They seems to be exactly alike, but actually one is a little larger than the other. 1The smaller one has a wingspread of less than three inches and also a black line on its back wings.
At first sight, it is hard to tell them apart. Would you guess from this that they are different-sized butterflies of the same species?2If you said yes to either question, you would be wrong, for these look-alikes belong to quite different families.
The larger insect is the monarch butterfly (黑脉金斑蝶). As a baby insect, the monarch feeds on milkweed, which seems to give the monarch a disagreeable taste and smell. 3Birds that eat butterflies soon recognize the monarch and quickly learn to leave it alone.
4Birds would find this insect tasty, but because it looks like the monarch, birds keep away from it. The viceroy’s similarity to the monarch gives it some protection from its enemies and helps it survive.
There are other pairs of look-alike butterflies, bees and moths. In each case, one either has a disagreeable taste or smell, or can give a painful sting (叮咬). The larger is called the model.5
| A.The smaller insect is the viceroy (副王峡蝶), which feeds on the leaves of trees. |
| B.The larger insect has a wingspread (翼长) of up to four inches. |
| C.The bright coloring of the monarch acts as a warning sign to its enemy. |
| D.Birds protect their babies from eating such dangerous enemies. |
E. The insect that imitates this model for protection is called the mimic(保护色).
F. Or that they are different species of butterflies but close relatives belonging to the same family?
G. Do you like this kind of special species?
Frank Woolworth was born in Rodman, New York., in 1852. His family were very poor farmers, and there was never enough to eat. Frank decided he did not want to be farmer. He took a short business course, and went to work as a salesman in a large city.
Woolworth realized he had a natural skill for showing goods to attract people’s interest, but he soon learned something more important. One day his boss told him to sell some odds and ends (小商品) for as much as he could get. Frank put all these things on one table with a sign which said FIVE CENTS EACH. People fought and pushed to buy the things and the table was soon cleared.
Soon afterwards, Woolworth opened his own store, selling goods at five and ten cents. But he had another lesson to learn before he became successful. That is, if you want to make money by selling low-price goods, you have to buy them in large quantities directly form the factories. Once, for example, Woolworth went to Germany and placed an order for knives. The order was so large that the factory had to keep running 24 hours a day for a whole year. In this way, the price of the knives was cut down by half.
By 1919, Woolworth had over 1000 stores in the US and Canada, and opened his first store in London. He made many millions and his name became famous throughout the world. He always run his business according to strict rules, of which the most important was: “ THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT.”Frank took a short business course in order to ____________.
| A.earn more money for his family |
| B.learn something from a salesman |
| C.get away from the farm |
| D.get enough to eat. |
Frank sold the odds and ends quickly because _____________.
| A.he knew how to get people to buy his goods. |
| B.he cut down the price by half |
| C.he had put the goods on a table in a very nice way. |
| D.the sign he put on the table was well designed. |
The price of the knives was cut down by half because ______________.
| A.the factory workers worked 24 hours a day. |
| B.knives were ordered in large quantities directly from the factory. |
| C.the knives were made in Germany, where labor (劳动力) was cheap. |
| D.the knives were produced in one factory. |
_____________make Woolworth a world-famous man.
| A.His business skills and his wealth. |
| B.The low price of the goods he sold. |
| C.His trip to Germany and his huge order of knives. |
| D.His natural skill for showing things. |
The belief that : “ The customer is always right” suggests that _______________.
| A.whenever there is a quarrel between the customer and shop assistant, the customers are always right. |
| B.If you want to succeed, the rule is the only way. |
| C.stores must always follow the customer’s orders if they want to make more money. |
| D.stores should do their best to meet the customer’s needs if they want to be successful. |