To me, the ocean is our greatest wilderness. I love swimming in it , surfing its waves, watching it from shore and thinking about all the life living unseen under the surface.
When I take my little kids to check out tide pools, we’re overjoyed when we find a sea star or some shellfish. Lately, though, I've noticed a change in my favorite pools: there are more sea grasses and fewer animals with shells.
I can't help feeling these small changes portend something more troubling about our oceans. It matches what scientists are telling us: our oceans are being troubled by carbon dioxide that threatens corals, colorful fish, salmon, sea otters, even whales. Our oceans are facing a major change.
Every hour, a million tons of carbon dioxide from cars, factories and power plants rain down on the world’s oceans. Carbon pollution brings about a chemical reaction that turns sea water more acidic (酸的) and takes away things important for sea animals .
Some of us are already feeling the effects of this growing crisis（危机）. Shellfish farmers in the Pacific Northwest have reported a decrease in natural and farmed oysters(牡蛎). Just this week, a new studyproved the link between the huge reduction in the numbers of oysters and ocean acidification. As polar waters become more acidic, Alaskan fishermen are troubled by the future of smaller fish.
Without action, ocean acidification will have a disastrous influence on the food chain, affecting not only sea life but the people who depend on it for food and their living. Already, our oceans have become 30 percent more acidic since preindustrial times, and it gets worse every day. We can stop this frightening dream, but only if we act now.
That's why the Center for Biological Diversity has started a petition (请愿书) requesting President Obama and the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a plan to deal with ocean acidification. Decisive action can save sea life as we know it.
Now it isn’t too late to save our oceans and sea life. With immediate action to reduce carbon dioxide release we can start taking important steps today to deal with this disastrous situation. Join me in our petition calling for a national plan to save our oceans.The author’s recent visits to the tide pool brought her ___ .
| A．happiness | B．anger | C．concern | D．comfort |
The underlined word “portend” in Paragraph 3 probably means ___ .
| A．predict | B．prevent | C．replace | D．reduce |
What the author worries about most is ____ .
| A．the harm of sea grasses |
| B．carbon pollution in the sea |
| C．that the petition may be turned down |
| D．how fishermen can make a living in the future |
What is the main purpose of the text ?
| A．To inform. | B．To educate. | C．To persuade . | D．To instruct. |
The Channel Islands are a group of British-owned islands lying in the English Channel, 10 to 30 miles off the French coast, and 70 to 90 miles from the English coast. There are ten islands with a total land area of 75 square miles and a total population of 123,000. The three largest islands, Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney, have long been known for the fine breeds (品种) of cattle that are raised on them and named after them.
In earliest known history the islands were considered part of Normandy, which was part of France, but the ruler of Normandy became king of England in 1066, and from then on the islands were looked upon as British land. English control was unbroken until World War II, when the Germans held the islands for five years.
Although people on the islands speak both languages and they are considered English, their customs are more French than English.Which of the following maps gives the right position of the Channel Islands?
Br =" Britain" Fr =" France" Ch =" Channel" Islands
Jersey, Guernsey, and Alderney breeds of cattle are __________.
| A．considered best in England |
| B．named after their birthplaces |
| C．brought to the islands by the Germans |
| D．raised on well-known farms by the French |
The Channel Islands have been continuously under British rule since__________.
| A．earliest known history | B．1066 |
| C．1930s | D．the end of World War II |
Why do people on the Channel Islands follow French way of living?
| A．Their islands used to be part of France. |
| B．Their islands are often visited by the French. |
| C．They came from France. |
| D．They speak French. |
Perhaps you have heard a lot about the Internet, but what is it, do you know? The Internet is a network. It uses the telephone to join millions of computers together around the world.
Maybe that doesn’t sound very interesting. But when you’re joined to the Internet, there are lots and lots of things you can do. You can send E-mails to your friends, and they can get them in a few seconds. You can also do with all kinds of information on the World Wide Web (WWW).
There are many different kinds of computers now. They all can be joined to the Internet. Most of them are small machines sitting on people’s desks at home, but there are still many others in schools, offices or large companies. These computers are owned by people and companies, but no one really owns the Internet itself.
There are lots of places for you to go into the Internet. For example, your school may have the Internet. You can use it during lessons or free time. Libraries often have computers joined to the Internet. You are welcome to use it at any time.
Thanks to the Internet, the world is becoming smaller and smaller. It is possible for you to work at home with a computer in front, getting and sending the information you need. You can buy or sell whatever you want by the Internet. But do you know 98% of the information on the Internet is in English? So what will English be like tomorrow? What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Computers. | B．Information. | C．Internet. | D．E-mails. |
Who’s the owner of the Internet?
| A．No one. | B．The officer. | C．The headmaster. | D．The user. |
What does the writer try to tell us with the last two sentences?
| A．Most of the information is in English. |
| B．The Internet is more and more popular. |
| C．English is important in using the Internet. |
| D．Every computer must have the Internet |
On November 19, 1863, Abraham Lincoln went to Gettysburg to speak at the National Soldiers Cemetery（公墓）. The Civil War was still going on. There was much criticism (批评) of President Lincoln at the time. He had been invited to speak at Gettysburg only out of politeness. The other speaker was to be Edward Everett, a famous statesman (政治家) and speaker of the day. Everett was a handsome man and very popular everywhere.
It is said that Lincoln prepared his speech on the train while going to Gettysburg. Later that night, alone in his hotel room and tired out, he again worked briefly on the speech. The next day Everett spoke first. His speech lasted an hour and 57 minutes and it was a perfect example of the day. Then Lincoln rose. The crowd of 15,000 people at first paid little attention to him. He spoke for only nine minutes. At the end there was little applause（掌声）. Lincoln turned to a friend and said, “I have failed again.”
Some newspapers at first criticized (批评) the speech. But little by little, as people read the speech, they began to like its simplicity（简洁）and its deep meaning. It was a speech which only Abraham Lincoln could have made.
Now everyone thinks of it as one of the greatest speeches ever given in American history. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln was __________________ in Gettysburg.
| A．warmly welcomed | B．unpopular | C．greatly praised | D．very polite |
Lincoln was invited to speak at the National Soldiers Cemetery because he was __________.
| A．a famous speaker of the day | B．very handsome and polite |
| C．President of the United States at the time | D．a popular statesman |
It can be inferred from the text that __________________________________.
| A．Lincoln had prepared his speech very carefully before he went to Gettysburg |
| B．Lincoln was very busy at the time and didn’t have much time to prepare his speech |
| C．Lincoln’s speech seemed to be a failure for the first time |
| D．Lincoln’s speech was a little shorter than Everett’s one |
Lincoln’s speech was __________________.
| A．an immediate success | B．not accepted at all |
| C．a total failure | D．not well-received at first |
Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE?
| A．Lincoln’s speech has deep meaning though it is simple in style. |
| B．Neither Lincoln’s speech nor Everett’s was popular then. |
| C．Lincoln’s speech proved to be a great success later. |
| D．Everett’s speech was thought to be perfect at that time. |
★Money and Happiness★
A Guide to Living the Good Life
Author: Laura Rowley
Publisher: Wiley (March 1, 2008)
Laura Rowley helps us all understand the money-happiness connection in our own lives so that we spend our time and efforts wisely. She offers insights that every reader can use to make smarter decisions that will lead to living a rich life in every possible definition of the term.
★Happiness★
The Science Behind Your Smile
Author: Daniel Nettle
Publisher: Oxford University Press (July 1, 2008)
This is the first book to look thoroughly at what happiness is and how it works. Nettle examines whether people are basically happy or unhappy, whether success can make us happy, why some people are happier than others, and much more.
★The Happiness Makeover★
How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day
Author: M. J. Ryan
Publisher: Broadway (May 10, 2008)
Ryan’s own desire to be happier first led her to study what is known about happiness from brain science, psychology, and the wisdom traditions of the world. The Happiness Makeover draws on this wide-ranging knowledge and presents a plan that will help you:
Clear away happiness problems like worry, fear, envy, and dislikes.
Learn to think confidently.
Find daily ways to truly enjoy, even relish, the moments of your life.
★Health and Happiness★
Hormones and Qualities Llives
Author: Steven F. Hotze
Publisher: Forrest Publishing (April, 2008)
Dr Steven Hotze is leading a wellness revolution that advances a new model of healthcare. Unlike the popular medical way of treating individual symptoms(症状) with the familiar “anti” drugs, Dr Hotze deals with the basic causes of poor health.
In Hormones, Health, and Happiness you are shown how to reach and keep the best body functioning.
Based on a process of biologically the same hormones(荷尔蒙) and other natural treatments, it can help you enjoy a better quality of life. According to the passage, which of the following books was the first to come out?
| A．A Guide to Living the Good Life |
| B．Hormones and Qualities Lives |
| C．How to Teach Yourself to Be Happy and Enjoy Every Day |
| D．The Science Behind Your Smile |
If you want to know more about whether happiness has something to do with success, you should turn to _________________________________.
| A．Money and Happiness | B．Happiness |
| C．The Happiness Makeover | D．Health and Happiness |
Whose model will possibly help readers obtain health and wellness naturally?
| A．Laura Rowley’s. | B．M. J. Ryan’s. | C．Daniel Nettle’s. | D．Steven F. Hotze’s. |
Which is the best title for the passage?
| A．What Is Happiness? | B．Recent Books on Happiness |
| C．Money and Happiness | D．How to Keep Yourself Happy |
Dear Editor,
I’m now busy in preparing for the Postgraduate (研究生) Entrance Exam. A few days ago, I happened to see some new guidebooks for those who want to take next year’s exam. With too many hopes and without taking it into too much consideration, I bought several that were written by some known for helping candidates (应试者) for master’s degrees.
What made me really angry was the starting discovery that the contents of those books were almost exactly the same as some I had bought before. There were only superficial (外表的) changes in their covers, with more attractive new titles and better designs. The contents were the same.
People say that the publishing industry is in a state of chaos (混乱) these days but I used to be doubtful abut that. I was of the opinion that only people of noble character, prestige (威望), and exceptional talent would produce books for higher education. But these editors are caring little about their readers.
I hope that authors and publishing houses will be more responsible for their readers. Don’t destroy the image that you have with your readers.The writer bought some guidebooks in order to ___________________________.
| A．write an essay on guidebooks | B．prepare for the entrance exam |
| C．give his students a lecture | D．send them to his good friends |
The writer was angry because _________________________________________.
| A．there were a lot of printing mistakes in the books that he had bought |
| B．the books were so expensive that he couldn’t afford any of them |
| C．he found the books he had bought were thin but of poor quality |
| D．the books had the same contents as what he had bought before |
In the writer’s opinion, publishers should be _____________________________.
| A．responsible | B．kind-hearted | C．hard-working | D．creative |