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. |
Abraham Lincoln was born into poverty 200 years ago. At any other time and place, this lowly origin would have dictated his future, but in Lincoln’s case, his self-determination and force of will made it possible for him to secure his seat in his country's history. He has become a role model in the self-made America.
If you want to learn about somebody who didn’t quit, look no further. Abraham Lincoln had two business ventures failed, and the second one made him bankrupt, so he had to spend the next 17 years of his life paying for the debt. He also lost 8 different elections. It seemed that he had never done things right at the first time: the first time he ran for state legislature for Congress, for land officer, for Senate, all of these failed, and the first time he sought the vice-presidential nomination, he got less than 100 votes nationally. But he never found it too shameful to carry on his mission. Then later in 1860, on such a rough road, he made it to the White House. He lived up to his famous saying, “Always bear in mind that your own determination to success is more important than any other.”
He could have quit many times-—-but he didn’t and because he didn’t quit，he became one of the greatest presidents in the history of America. One important way Lincoln influences present society is that we look back on his lifeas a role model for future generations. Lincoln’s high character influences us because we compare present-day politicians to the example Lincoln set. A major influence Lincoln has on the united States today is simply through the good example he set when it came to honesty, persistence and leadership.According to the first paragraph, which of the following statements is true?
| A． Lincoln was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. |
| B． Like Lincoln, a poor origin leads to a bright future. |
| C． America is considered self-made because of Lincoln. |
| D． Self-determination and will contributed to Lincoln’s success. |
What is Paragraph Two mainly about?
| A． How Lincoln made his way to the White House. |
| B． Lincoln suffered various failures. |
| C． Lincoln was a man who never quit. |
| D． Lincoln once lost two business ventures. |
Which is the correct order of what happened to Lincoln?
a. He was paying off his debt. b. He failed in the run for land officer,
c. He got less than 100 votes nationally. d. he stuck to his mission, e. He went bankrupt.
| A．b-c-c-d-a | B．e-a-b-c-d | C．e-c-a-b-d | D．d-c-a-b-c |
What’s the function of Lincoln’s famous saying in Paragraph Two?
| A． To tell us that determination is the most important to success. |
| B． To attract readers1 attention. |
| C． To show why Lincoln was able to carry on in hard times. |
| D． To summarize Lincoln’s story. |
Why does the writer consider Lincoln as one of the greatest presidents in America?
| A． Because he still influences America as a role model. |
| B． Because he set a good example to the present politicians. |
| C． Because of his great personalities. |
| D． Because he went through diverse difficulties. |
Kilimanjaro Climb : a Rite of Passage for Father and Son
Climbing Kilimanjaro is a transformational experience for many people. The things that make the mountain hard are the very things that make it so powerful. In the case of my son Josh and I，the walk up Kilimanjaro proved a powerful symbol ofhis transition into manhood, and a great change in our relationship.
Day three on the mountain, Josh was hit with massive headaches. He told me every step felt like a nail driving into his head. And then, on the night we climbed the crater rim, less than 40 minutes from the summit, Josh fell. I was walking ahead, and did not even see it. He was so exhausted that he could not get up. He recalled our guides, debating whether or not they should take him straight down. Josh snapped out of it. He forced himself to his feet, shook the guides off. He set his face towards the peak and just kept marching. Near the summit he caught up with me and we reached the peak together.
“ I’ve never been in so much pain and so happy at the same time，，，he said, as we sat side by side on the frozen rock and looked down over Africa. “You know, in the past when we’d go on camping and rafting trips, you guided and took care of me through it all. But on Kilimanjaro it was different. From the bottom up, I climbed it. I never feltlike a kid, even when 1 was in pain. You never acted like a parent.”
“That’s not quite true，”I replied. “When you told me that on the summit you fell-and I did not even notice, my first thought was, ‘Oh my God! I’m such an awful parent!’ But then it hit me, ‘He got himself up. He walked to the peak on his own. He didn't need me to help.，”
I realized as I spoke that two people had died that night on Kilimanjaro. A child and a parent. It wasjust two friends who walked down the mountain together.What is NOT mentioned in the first paragraph?
| A． Kilimanjaro is powerful. |
| B． Kilimanjaro is hard to climb. |
| C． Many people, including Josh, have changed after climbing Kilimanjaro. |
| D． The writer has a distant relationship with his son after climbing Kilimanjaro. |
From the second paragraph we know that_____
| A． Josh had a slight headache. |
| B． Josh reached the top of the mountain with the help of the guides. |
| C． Josh overcame various difficulties on his way to the summit. |
| D． Climbing Kilimanjaro was too hard for such a child as Josh. |
What does the underlined phrase in the second paragraph mean?
| A． cheered up | B．gave up | C．burst out | D．ran out |
What can be inferred from the talk between the father and the son?
| A． Josh felt quite good about his independence. |
| B． Josh appreciated his parents ，company and care. |
| C． The father felt guilty all the time. |
| D． The father should have taken good care of Josh as usual. |
Why did the father feel that two people had died?
| A． Because two people had lost their lives while climbing Kilimanjaro. |
| B． Because the father and son had become friends. |
| C． Because they had witnessed an accidence of a father and son. |
| D． Because two friends had misled him. |
A little girl lived in a small, very simple, poor house on a hill and as she grew she would play in the small garden. There, she was able to see over the garden fence and across the valley to a wonderful house high on the hill. This house had golden windows, so golden and shining that the little girl would dream of how magic it would be to grow up and live in a house with golden windows instead of an ordinary house like hers. Although she loved her parents and her family, she yearned to live in such a golden house and dreamed all day about how wonderful and exciting it must feel to live there.
When she got to an age when she gained enough skill and sensibility to go outside her garden fence, she asked her mother if she could go for a bike ride outside the gate and down the lane. After pleading with her, her mother finally allowed her to go, insisting that she should keep close to the house and not wander too far. The day was beautiful and the little girl knew exactly where she was heading! Down the lane and across the valley, she rode her bike until she got to the gate of the golden house across on the other hill.
As she dismounted her bike and leaned it against the gate post, she focused on the path that led to the house and then on the house itself. She was so disappointed as she realized all the windows were plain and rather dirty, reflecting nothing other than the sad neglect of the house that was derelict.
So sad she didn't go any further and turned, and heart broken as she remounted her bike. As she glanced up she saw a sight to amaze her. There across the way on her side of the valley was a little house and its windows glistened golden as the sun shone on her little home.
She realized that she had been living in her golden house and all the love and care she found there was what made her home the 'golden house'. Everything she dreamed was right there in front ofher nose!Why did the girl long for the house on the hill?
| A． Because there was a small garden. | B．Because it’s magic. |
| C． Because it’s ordinary. | D．Because its windows looked golden. |
Which statement is True according to Paragraph 2 and 3?
| A． The girl’s mother finally allowed her to go to the golden house alone. |
| B． The golden house was on the hill where the girl lived. |
| C．What disappointed the little girl was that the house was locked. |
| D．Actually , the windows of the golden house were common and covered with dirt. |
What amazed the girl was that_____
| A． Her home was another golden house |
| B． There was no golden house indeed |
| C． She could see the golden house only when she looked up |
| D． The golden house disappeared when the sun shone on it |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A． The mother thought that she needn’t keep an eye on her daughter. |
| B． The girl was determined to go to the golden house at the beginning. |
| C． The girl had no idea where she was heading after leaving home. |
| D． The girl didn’t love or care for her parents . |
The passage is intended to tell us that_____.
| A． girls often have amazing imagination |
| B．not all dreams will come true |
| C． what we dream of may be just around us |
| D．nothing is impossible to a willing heart |
The fourth round of heavy smog to hit Beijing in four weeks has sent more people to the hospital with respiratory（呼吸的） illnesses and led to calls for laws to control the pollution.
Pan Shiyi, a celebrity real estate developer said he is planning to propose (提案) a Clean Air Act to the local government. As a representative to the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, he started an online survey at 9:20 a.m. Within three hours, more than 25,000 web users, or 99 percent of total respondents（应答者）, welcomed his proposal on Sina Weibo, China's Twitter.
They have good reasons to stand alongside Pan. The latest round of haze（雾霾）reduced visibility to under 500 meters in many parts of the city. The smog has also led to a great increase in respiratory illnesses, particularly among children and the elderly. Anxious parents and doctors almost all blame the smoggy air for the illnesses. Though most schoolchildren are home for the winter holidays, the bad air can easily move indoors. Besides, ordinary medical masks fail to provide adequate protection, so some people have turned to gas masks and respirators（呼吸器）.
The causes of the scary smog are rather mysterious, though experts blame excessive emissions and the mountains around Beijing that trap pollution in winter, unless there is adequate wind to clear it away. Some critics have pointed fingers at China’s top two oil firms, China National Petroleum Corp and China Petrochemical Corporation, saying the companies’ outdated production technologies produce large quantities of substandard, high-polluting gas fuel.
Meanwhile, concerned Beijingers have moved their brainstorming sessions to cyberspace. If Pan’s proposal for a Clean Air Act is adopted, netizens say the new law should include items providing for “car-free days” in times of smog, higher standards for vehicle fuel, stricter restrictions on industrial and exhaust gas emissions, and more effective protection for the public.
Beijing is not the only city that has ever lost the blue sky. Five days of thick fog caused thousands of deaths in Britain in December 1952, urging the government to pass the first Clean Air Act in 1956, which introduced smokeless zones and cleaner fuels to reduce pollution. That may provide some experience for Beijing to refer to.What can we learn from the passage?
| A．People are clear about the causes of the smoggy weather. |
| B．Children staying indoors will not get respiratory illnesses. |
| C．Smog is worse for people with lower resistance to diseases. |
| D．Masks can give people protection against the smoggy weather. |
Britain is mentioned in the last paragraph to ______.
| A．suggest Beijing should learn from other countries |
| B．let people know many places have this problem |
| C．tell people the situation in Britain is worse |
| D．call on the government to pass Britain’s Clean Air Act |
What’s the best title for this passage？
| A．The Use of Gas masks and Respirators |
| B．Beijingers Call for Clean Air Act |
| C．Effective Protection for Blue Sky |
| D．The Mysterious Causes of the Scary Smog |
An Australian researcher is urging parents to load up their teenager’s backpack and make them walk to school.
Professor Leon Straker says students who walk or cycle to school are less likely to have back and neck pain. But the study of 1,202 Western Australian 14yearold found that 72% of students travelled to school by car or bus. Straker says the study suggests walking or cycling while carrying a schoolbag helps improve trunk (躯干) and spinal (脊柱的) muscle strength.
This helps reduce back pain because greater muscle strength improves support for the back during load carrying .Despite advocating that parents get their children moving，Straker warns bag load should not exceed (超过) 15% of body weight.
Straker says the study also stresses that neck pain is as common as back pain among young teenagers. This is an area that has been largely ignored，he says，but can be an important indicator of neck pain into adulthood.
For the study，students were asked a series of questions such as how long they carried their bags for，how they carried their schoolbags，the method of travel，and their perceptions(感觉) about the bag’s weight.
Straker says about half of all participants experienced back and neck pain，with slightly more females reporting neck pain. However，the gender (性别) difference may also be due to the fact that females have lower pain tolerance.
Studies from the 1980s found carrying a bag over one shoulder was most common among teenagers. However in this study 85% of participants carried their bag over both shoulders.
Straker believes the change has been driven partly through education campaigns，but also by increasing fashion status of backpacks and improved design.In the opinion of Leon Straker，parents should________.
| A．reduce the load of their children’s schoolbags |
| B．put more books in their children’s schoolbags |
| C．get their children’s schoolbags ready for school |
| D．ask their children to walk to school carrying schoolbags |
If a child weighs 40 kilograms，the weight of his schoolbag should be________.
| A．no more than 15 kg |
| B．less than 6 kg |
| C．as heavy as 9 kg |
| D．more than 6 kg |
We can learn from the passage that________.
| A．most of the students in Australia walk to school |
| B．neck pain is uncommon among young teenagers |
| C．walking while carrying a backpack helps reduce back pain |
| D．males are more likely to experience back pain than females |
According to the passage，what change has taken place since the 1980s?
| A．How students carry their schoolbags. |
| B．How heavy students’ schoolbags are. |
| C．How students go to school every day. |
| D．How long students carry their schoolbags for. |