Several animal species including gorillas in Rwanda and tigers in Bangladesh could risk extinction if the impact of climate change and extreme weather on their habitats is not addressed, a UN report showed on Sunday.
Launched on the sidelines of global climate negotiations in Durban, the report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization shows how higher temperatures, the rise in sea levels, deforestation and excessive land use have damaged the habitats of certain species, especially in Africa.
“Many ecosystems have already been stressed by increasing population, historical and recent deforestation, unsustainable management practices and even invasive (入侵的) species,” Eduardo Rojas-Briales, assistant director general at the FAO's forestry department, said at the launch of the report.
The most affected areas include mountains, isolated islands and coastal areas, which limit the possibilities for animals to migrate elsewhere and create new habitats.
“The remaining populations become surrounded in very small ecosystems, they have inbreeding (近亲交配) problems ... and at the end these species may disappear,” he added.
Other examples of affected animals included elephants in Mali, lions in the Serengeti and crocodiles in Malawi.
The report said an estimated 20-30 percent of plant and animal species will be at higher risk of extinction due to global warming and a significant proportion of native species may become extinct by 2050 as a consequence.
Other consequences could include the spread of invasive species and infectious diseases, it said.
The report urges more focus on restoration of damaged ecosystems, especially those key to dealing with climate change such as mangroves(红树林), inland waters, forests, savannahs(非洲大草原) and grasslands.
The FAO also called for the creation of migration corridors for animals in areas where their movement was limited.
The organization said while more resources were flowing to biodiversity conservation, more action at the government and policy level was needed.
It also urged local communities to develop projects that mitigate the impact of climate change on wildlife, naming eco-tourism activities as an example.What does the author tell us in Paragraph 2?
| A．The theme of global climate negotiations in Durban. |
| B．The subject of research done by Eduardo Rojas. |
| C．Causes of damage done to ecosystems. |
| D．Harmful effects of damage done to ecosystems. |
Why are animals living in mountains, islands and coastal areas most affected?
| A．They are frequently attacked by invasive species and infectious diseases. |
| B．They have difficulty finding enough food for survival. |
| C．They can hardly find mates to produce their young. |
| D．They have little chance of moving to other places. |
To avoid extinction of some animal species, the UNFAO suggested all the following ways EXCEPT ______.
| A．restoring damaged ecosystems |
| B．limiting world population growth |
| C．creating movement channels for animals |
| D．urging governments and local communities to take action |
What does the underlined word “mitigate” in the last paragraph mean?
| A．increase or further improve something. |
| B．Make full use of something. |
| C．Make something become less serious. |
| D．Move from one place to another. |
What would serve as the best title for the passage?
| A．Animals at risk due to climate change. |
| B．Global warming and its consequences. |
| C．Climate change and ecotourism. |
| D．Solutions to animal distinction. |
Primary schools could be told to remove some traditional subject-based lessons and replace them with “personal development” classes to encourage children to improve their social and practical skill. Parents, teachers and pupils, who took part in the investigation carried out for the biggest ever official review of the primary curriculum, argued that the number of subjects taught to very young people should be reduced.
The review, being conducted by the government’s school’s director Sir Jim Rose, will consider how to redesign the primary school day to handle concerns that too many pupils leave primary school unable to read, write and do maths at the level expected of them. It will also address criticisms that pupils are expected to study so many subjects there is little time for creative learning.
The 60 focus groups brought together 1,500 parents, pupils and school staff and is expected to heavily influence the thinking of the Rose review, which the government is promising to back. Instead of a broad range of subjects, pupils should study in-depth literacy and maths lessons alongside a more creative curriculum that encourages pupils to develop personal, learning and thinking skills, they say. Such lessons might include “healthy lifestyles, sex and relationships education, drugs and alcohol education”.
“Child and personal development as priorities have been shamefully neglected in recent years in the rush to hit targets in the basics.” John Bangs, head of education at the National Union of Teachers, said, “The worst thing would be to evaluate child development through the current high stakes testing system. That would weaken the capacity of teachers to meet children’s unique needs.”
However, the shadow schools minister, Nick Gibb, said, “If lessons on lifestyle are given the same status as traditional subjects, it is the most disadvantaged children who will be worst affected.” “Children are not able to personally develop and succeed in the future if they don’t have a grasp of basic subjects such as maths and English early on in primary school. Removing high requirement from the primary curriculum would increase the inequality gap between less well-off pupils and the rest.” Nick added. A spokeswoman for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) said, “This is a summary of stake holder’s view, not the views of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority or the DCSF, and has been submitted to Sir Jim Rose’s review as evidence to consider.” According to the focus groups, the result of learning too many subjects is most likely to be that __________.
| A．children may not have any freedom |
| B．children may not have enough time for personal interest |
| C．children may not know anything outside the classroom |
| D．children may not have creative ability |
Which of the following is False about the review conducted by Sir Jim Rose?
| A．It will greatly influence the country’s future primary curriculum. |
| B．It will remove high requirement from the primary curriculum. |
| C．It is supported by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority or the DCSF. |
| D．It needs to take fully into account varied views from the society. |
John Bangs’s attitude towards the current high stakes testing system is __________.
| A．negative | B．positive |
| C．uncertain | D．cautious |
According to Nick Gibb, grasp of basic subjects early on in primary school is important for _______.
| A．the primary curriculum reform |
| B．children’s development in the future |
| C．children’s educational equality |
| D．increasing the children’s confidence |
Below are some classified ads from an English newspaper.
| Classified ads FOR DIRECT CLASSIFIED SERVICE CALL 800—0557 10A.M.-4P.M. MONDAY-FRIDAY |
||
| FOR SALE COME to moving sale----Plants, pottery, books, clothes, etc, Sat, Dec. 14#----9a.m.-5p.m.1612 Ferndale, Apt. I.800-4696. USED FUT COATS and JACKETS. GOOD condition. $30-$50. Call 800-0436 after 12 noon. MOVING: Must sell. TV21”, $50; AM/FM radio A/C or battery, $15; cassette tape recorder, $10. Call Jon or Pat, 800-0739 after 5 p.m. or weekends. SHEEPSKIN COAT: man’s, size 42, I year old. $85. After 6 p.m.,. 800-5224. LOST AND FOUND FOUND: Cat, 6 months old, black and white markings. Found near Linden and South U. Steve. 800-4661. LOST: Gold wire rim glasses in brown case. Campus area. Reward, Call Gregg 800-2896. FOUND: Set of keys on Tappan near Hill intersection. Identify key chain. Call 800-9662. FOUND: Nov.8th----A black and white puppy in Packard-Jewett area. 800-5770. |
PERSONAL OVERSEAS JOBS---Australia, Europe, S. America, Africa. Students all professions and occupations, $700 to $3000 monthly. Expenses paid, overtime. Sightseeing, Free information at STUDENTS’UNION. THE INTERNATIONAL CENTER plans to publish a booklet of student travel adventures. If you like to write about your foreign experiences, unusual or just plain interesting. Call us (800-9310) and ask for Mike or Janet. UNSURE WHAT TO DO? Life-Planning Workshop, Dec. 13th -15th, Bob and Margaret Atwood, 800-0046. ROOMMATES FEMALE ROOMMATE WAMTED: Own room near campus. Available December 1st. Rent $300 per month until March 1st. $450 thereafter. Call Jill for details, 800-7839. MEED PERSON to assume lease for own bedroom in apt. near campus, ＄’380/mo. starting Jan. 1st. Call 800-6157 after 5p.m.. |
DOMESTIC SERVICE EARLY HOUR WAKE-UP SERVICE: For prompt, courteous wake-up service, call 800-0760. HELP WANTED BABYSITTER—MY HOME If you are available a few hours during the day, and some evenings to care for 2 school-age children, please call Gayle Moore, days 800-1111, evenings and weekends 800-4964. PERSONS WANTED for delivery work, Own transportation. Good pay. Apply 2311 E. Stadium. Office 101, after 9 a.m. TELEPHONE RECEPTIONIST WAMTED. NO experience necessary. Good pay. Apply 2311 E. Stadium. Office 101, after 9 a.m. WAITRESS WANTED: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Apply in person. 207 S. Main, Curtis Restaurant. HELP WANTED for house cleaning  1／2 day on weekends. When----to be discussed for mutual convenience. Good wages. Sylvan Street. Call 800-2817. |
Where will you post a notice if you need someone to look after your children?
| A．PERSONAL | B．HELP WANTED |
| C．DOMESTIC SERVICE | D．ROOMMATES |
To have your travel notes published, you may contact .
| A．Students’ Union | B．Gayle Moore |
| C．The International Center | D．Life Planning Workshop |
If you want to have someone wake you up in the morning, you may call .
| A．800-5224 | B．800-5770 |
| C．800-7839 | D．800-0760 |
I finished my last evening shift of the week and could hardly wait to get home. I took off my nursing shoes, relaxed and then said goodnight to the rest of the girls and headed out of the door.
It was so cold and I could see the ice crystals in the air. As I approached my car, I saw one of my coworkers standing by the bus stop. I thought it would only take a couple of extra minutes to give her a ride home, and besides, it was too cold to be standing outside on the coldest night in January.
We chatted as I drove and before we knew it, we arrived at her house. As she headed up the steps to her door she turned around. “Do you know how to get to your house from here?” “How hard can it be? I’ll just backtrack the way I came.”
I started driving. Nothing looked familiar, but at first that didn’t bother me since I’d never been to this neighborhood before. I kept driving, and soon I sensed that something was wrong. I recognized nothing, not the neighborhoods, not even the street names. My husband would be worried about me. I looked down at my watch. It was now 2:30. I’d left work at 11:30 pm.
I stopped my car. I thought I’d better take stock of my situation. My gas gauge (汽油表) was slowly going down. In total defeat I put my head down on the steering wheel and asked for help. I lifted my head. I saw a shadow down the road in front of me. It was a car. What was a car doing in the middle of nowhere at 2:30 in the morning?
Hesitantly, I got out of my car and knocked on the window of the other car. An elderly man slowly rolled his window down.
I said, “I’m lost and don’t know how to get back into town.”
In silence, he started driving. I drove behind him.
Finally I recognized a familiar street. As I turned to head home, I lost sight of my guiding angel. When I pulled into my driveway the warning light for my gas tank turned on.Why did the writer stop her car?
| A．To consider and judge the situation. |
| B．To check whether there was gas. |
| C．To prevent the car breaking down. |
| D．To turn to somebody for help. |
When the writer got home, _______.
| A．she thanked the old man very much |
| B．her husband was waiting for her anxiously |
| C．the oil in her car was just going to run out |
| D．she was totally frozen on the cold night |
What might be the suitable title for the passage?
| A．Keep up and you will succeed at last. |
| B．Meeting a friendly old man in trouble. |
| C．Giving a ride to my coworker at night. |
| D．Losing my way on a cold winter night. |
In winter Hammerfest is a thirty-hour ride by bus from Oslo, though why anyone would want to go there in winter is a question worth considering. It is on the edge of the world, the northernmost town in Europe, as far from London as London is from Tunis, a place of dark and cruel winters, where the sun sinks into the Arctic Ocean in November and does not rise again for ten weeks.I wanted to see the Northern Lights. Also, I had long harboured a half-formed urge to experience what life was like in such a remote and forbidding place. Sitting at home in England with a glass of whisky and a book of maps, this had seemed an excellent idea. But now as I picked my way through the grey, late-December slush（融雪） of Oslo I was beginning to have my doubts.
Things had not started well. I had overslept at the hotel, missing breakfast, and had to leap into my clothes. I couldn't find a cab and had to drag my unreasonably overweighted bag eight blocks through slush to the central bus station. I had had huge difficulty persuading the staff at the Kreditkassen Bank on Karl Johans Gate to cash sufficient traveller's cheques to pay the overcharged 1,200-kroner bus fare-they simply could not be made to grasp that the William McGuire Bryson on my passport and the Bill Bryson on my traveller's cheques were both me-and now here I was arriving at the station two minutes before departure, breathless and steaming from the endless uphill exertion（费力）that is my life, and the girl at the ticket counter was telling me that she had no record of my reservation.
"This isn't happening," I said. "I'm still at home in England enjoying Christmas．Pass me a drop more port, will you, darling?" Actually, I said, "There must be some mistake. Please look again." The girl studied the passenger list. "No, Mr Bryson, your name is not here·”
But I could see it, even upside-down. "There it is, second from the bottom二，，
"No," the girl decided, "that says Bemt Bjornson. That's a Norwegian name·”
"It doesn't say Bernt Bjornson. It says Bill Bryson. Look at the loop（圆圈） of the 'y', the two ‘I's. Miss, please." But she wouldn't have it. "If I miss this bus when does the next one go?""Next week at the same time．，，
Oh, splendid.
"Miss, believe me, it says Bill Bryson."
"No, it doesn't."
"Miss, look, I've come from England. I'm carrying some medicine that could save a child's life.”She didn't buy this. "I want to see the manager."
"He's in Stavanger.”
"Listen, I made a reservation by telephone．If I don't get on this bus I’m going to write a letter to your manager that will cast a shadow over your career prospects（前景）for the rest of this century." This clearly did not alarm her. Then it occurred to me. "If this Bemt Bjornson doesn't show up, can I have his seat?"
"Sure.”
Why don't I think of these things in the first place and save myself the suffering? "Thank you,"
I said, and dragged my bag outside. What words can best describe Hammerfest in winter?
| A．Grey and dirty. |
| B．Dark and cold. |
| C．Unfriendly and expensive. |
| D．Wild and forbidden. |
Why did the author mention the Kreditkassen Bank on Karl Johans Gate?
| A．To suggest that people there could be ridiculous and stubborn. |
| B．To introduce the cultural differences in northern Europe and England. |
| C．To give an example of an interesting story during his journey. |
| D．To indicate that the bus fare was very expensive． |
What could be inferred from the passage?
| A．The author booked his bus ticket with a Norwegian name. |
| B．The author paid the bus fare by traveller's cheque. |
| C．The author would hopefully get on the bus． |
| D．The girl at the ticket counter cared about the author's complaints. |
According to the last paragraph, the author probably felt＿at that moment.
| A．embarrassed | B．contented |
| C．regretful | D．grateful |
We can learn from the passage that＿．
| A．the author's journey to the north was not worthwhile |
| B．the Europeans didn't welcome visitors |
| C．the author wrote a letter to the girl's manager |
| D．the author's journey to the north was not smooth |
One of the most important recent medical breakthroughs has been the impact of gut flora（肠道菌群）on overall health. This dynamic mix of bacteria in the digestive tract（消化道）may affect everything from obesity to asthma（哮喘）．
The Gut-Mood Link
Anyone who's ever experienced "butterflies" in his or her stomach knows that the gut and the brain are connected. But until recently, scientists hadn't realized that the trillions of bacteria in our digestive tract may be driving the relationship.
One recent experiment suggests that you can control calm. Canadian researchers gave healthy mice a mixture of antibiotics, which change the makeup of GI-tract（胃肠道）bacteria. Over two weeks, some animals became more anxious and some less, depending on which drugs they received. In another study, when gut bacteria from calm mice were transferred to anxious mice, the jittery（紧张的）creatures seemed less nervous.
UCLA professor Kirsten Tillisch, doctor of medicine, recently had healthy women eat a yogurt
rich in certain types of "good" probiotic（益生菌的）bacteria. Two 'Control groups ate yogurt without such bacteria or ate nothing. Brain scans of the probiotic-yogurt eaters indicated changes in regions that could be associated with a less-anxious response in fearful or stressful situations compared with the control groups.
Scientists are even exploring whether gut microbes（微生物）might treat some brain disorders. A new study in Cell found that mice with features of autism（自ICJ症）given a type of bacteria in healthy human GI tracts exhibited less autism-like behavior. In a recent case report, a Boston ps. chiatrist says a course of certain probiotics and antibiotics helped relieve a patient's compulsive disorder. -We tend to focus on how your mood affects your body from the top down, not the bottom up," says Dr. Tillisch. "Now we know that the gut affects how your brain responds to the environment- it's a remarkable change in thinking.”
How Bacteria Talk to the Brain Scientists aren't sure how gut flora affect brain chemistry. One theory is that the bacteria access pathways along the nerve, the main highway in the nervous system that links the brain to the gut. Another is that the bacteria influence the immune system, releasing chemicals that affect conditions like depression. Finally, researchers believe that bacteria produce or affect the metabolism（新陈代泻'i) of chemicals, which change brain function.
Dr. Tillisch told me that patients always ask which probiotics will lift their mood．Her answer:
"We don't know yet, but we hope to one day." In the future, patients might receive probiotics or transplant（移植） in which bacteria from the gut of a healthy person are transferred to the gut of a sic': one-to prevent or treat mental health issues. But these approaches are years away from primary time．Until then, a diet rich in fruit and veggies helps cultivate（培养）better-balanced microbes than a typical Western diet high in animal and processed products. Avoiding unnecessary antibiotics, particularly in early childhood, may also establish healthier gut bacteria. According to the passage, gut bacteria might help us in many ways EXCEPT＿_．
| A．lightening our mood | B．treating autism |
| C．relieving depression | D．transplanting gut flora |
The missing sentence "Everyday foods may also affect the composition of gut bacteria, and in
turn, brain chemistry." could be put before＿_·
| A．Paragraph 2 | B．Paragraph 3 |
| C．Paragraph 4 | D．Paragraph 5 |
Which of the following can be the best subtitle for the last paragraph?
| A．Cultivating a Happier Gut |
| B．Growing Bacteria in the Future |
| C．Balancing Microbes and Diet |
| D．Living a Happy Healthy Life |