When Emily Beardmore first heard that a trip was being planned by the biology class at Windsor High School, she thought about how much fun it would be.
“I thought it would be a really good experience to go with other friends and teachers to another country in an environment other than a vacation environment,” the 10- year-old girl said.
A few months later, Emily got her chance when she and 14 of her classmates, along with biology teacher Tamara Pennington went to Costa Rica for eight days in late May.
“It was not just a tour,” said Pennington, who organized the trip. “You can go to any place in the world on just a tour. This one was practical, really working with the sea turtles and practicing conservation (保护). It just seemed like the perfect science field trip for kids who think they want to get into science to see what it’s really like to be out in the field and enjoy themselves.”
Emily said her time on the turtle project, which was the focus of the trip, was “crazy”. “We were walking on the beach at night and you can’t see anything — just see a big black dot (点),” she said with a laugh. “I was not expecting the turtles to be that big.” The turtles are leatherback turtles, which are becoming extinct because their eggs are used as food.
“When they would move their legs while laying their eggs they were really hard to control because they were a lot more powerful than you would imagine,” Emily said.
Once the eggs were collected, the students took them back to a hatchery (孵化场) and dug holes to copy the hole the mother turtle had made and then buried the eggs for the 60 days needed to hatch.
“It was an amazing experience,” Emily said. “You go to another country to see what their culture is like and learn what their everyday lives are like. It made me really want to help out my mom a lot more than I do, and value what I have.” What did Pennington consider the trip to be?
| A．It was a common tour to a foreign country. |
| B．It was a journey to practice what students learned. |
| C．It was a trip to do practical science activities. |
| D．It was to attract students’ interest in science. |
From what Emily said on her turtle project, we know that _____.
| A．she was afraid of walking on the beach at night |
| B．she didn’t dare to catch the powerful turtles |
| C．she got crazy at the sight of turtles at night |
| D．she had thought turtles were small animals |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Emily thought the trip being planned by the biology class would be fun. |
| B．Totally, 16 people went to Costa Rica for the 8-day trip in May. |
| C．Generally, it takes about 60 days to hatch little turtles. |
| D．The trip mainly aimed to get fun and rest. |
Don’t be surprised if you see a group of people dancing or shouting on the square. They are a flash mob (快闪族). Confused by their name? Actually, a flash mob, organized with the help of the Internet or other digital communications networks, is a group of people who gather suddenly in a public place, do something unusual for a period of time, such as exchanging books, coming together to look at the sky, waving their hands and shouting something at the top of their lungs for 30 seconds, and then quickly disappear before the police can arrive.
Bill Wasik, senior editor of Harper’s Magazine, organized the first flash mob in Manhattan in May 2003 and the first successful flash mob gathered on June 3, 2003 at Macy’s department store involving 100 people gathering on Macy’s Department Store. Following this, about 200 people flooded the lobby of the Hyatt hotel, applauding in one voice for fifteen seconds, and next participants pretending to be tourists on a trip invaded a shoe shop in Soho. A later mob saw hundreds of people in Central Park making bird noises.
Wasik claimed that he created flash mobs as a social experiment designed to tease hipsters (追逐时尚的人), and highlight the cultural atmosphere of agreement and of being part of “the next big thing”. Many web logs, chat rooms and Web groups are devoted to the craze. Though flash mobs were originally regarded as useless, the concept has already developed for the benefit of political and social events. Flash mobbing takes advantage of the efficiency of communicating information on Websites and by email, and protesters can similarly use the “on and off” concept to be involved in political events. Such flash mob gatherings can sometimes shock or frighten people who are not aware of what is taking place. They also have enormous economic potential, such as using flash mobs to advertise a product.
The flash mob is now becoming more and more popular. People use it to do many things. For example, in 2009, hundreds of Michael Jackson’s fans took part in a flash mob to remember him, gathering outside the railway station in Liverpool, singing and dancing Michael’s famous song Beat It together. In another example, some people took part in a flash mob to warn people against negative words. Flash mobs give people from all walks of life an opportunity to come together to create a memory. The writer indicates that the flash mob .
| A．may perform some positive functions |
| B．is always a headache for the police |
| C．is now a social experiment to criticize fashion followers |
| D．helps to improve the efficiency of communication |
A flash mob is most likely to .
| A．give out leaflets of a brand bicycle to the passers-by |
| B．gather in public places performing and leave quickly |
| C．plan to go mountaineering on the first day of Horse Year |
| D．sit for days in front of the city hall for higher wages |
According to the passage, what contribute(s) most to the popularity of the flash mob?
| A．Harper’s Magazine | B．the government |
| C．political events | D．digital networks |
The purpose of the writing is .
| A．to amuse and interest | B．to argue and advise |
| C．to describe and introduce | D．to question and comment |
LONDON－Scientists have found an unusual way to prevent our planet from overheating: move it to a cooler spot. All you have to do is send a few comets (彗星) in the direction of Earth, and its orbit will be changed too. Our world will then be sent spinning into a safer, colder part of the solar system.
This idea for improving our climate comes from a group of U. S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) engineers and American astronomers. They say their plan could add another six billion years to the useful lifetime of our planet－effectively doubling its working life.
The plan put forward by Dr. Laughlin, and his colleagues Don Korycansky and Fred Adams, needs carefully directing a comet or asteroid so that it passes close by our planet and sends some of its gravitational energy to Earth.
“Earth’s orbital speed would increase as a result and we would move to a higher orbit away from the Sun,” Laughlin said.
Engineers would then direct their comet so that it passed close to Jupiter or Saturn. The comet would pick up energy from one of these giant planets. Later its orbit would bring it back to Earth, and the process would be repeated.
In the short term, the plan provides an ideal way to global warming, although the team was actually concerned with a much greater danger. The Sun is certain to heat up in about a billion years and so “seriously compromise” our biosphere (生物圈) －by cooking us.
That’s why the group decided to try to save Earth.
The plan has one or two worrying aspects, however. For a start, space engineers would have to be very careful about how they directed their asteroid or comet towards Earth. The smallest miscalculation (误算) in orbit could fire it straight at Earth--with deadly consequences.
There is also the question of the Moon. As the current issue of Scientific American magazine points out, if Earth was pushed out of its current position, it is “most likely the Moon would be stripped away from Earth”. This would greatly change our planet’s climate.
What makes the scientists plan to move Earth?
| A．A few comets are moving to the direction of Earth. |
| B．Earth’s working life is coming to an end soon. |
| C．Earth will become too hot for mankind to keep alive. |
| D．The moon is moving farther and farther away from Earth. |
If the plan is successful, Earth will have a working life of years.
| A．12 billion | B．6 billion |
| C．18 billion | D．24 billion |
What serious problems might the plan cause according to the passage?
| A．The comet might hit Earth and man might lose the Moon. |
| B．Earth might be moved too far away and man might be frozen to death. |
| C．The comet might hit Jupiter or Saturn and never return to Earth. |
| D．Earth’s working life might be greatly shortened. |
What does the underlined word “compromise” mean?
| A．Provide. | B．Recover |
| C．Share. | D．Endanger. |
Huttopia
Created in Europe, but tailored to perfection in Quebec, Huttopia tents provide convenient, comfortable accommodation in 16 of Quebec’s 23 national parks. Built atop a 4 by 7 meters wooden platform, the walls and roof enclose a roomy space that can sleep up to 5 people. Beds, lighting, heating, a small fridge, dishes, and an outdoor twoburner stove provide comforts. Open summer through fall, Huttopia tents can be booked for as little as $ 99 per night.
Tree Sphere
This creative option takes wilderness camping to a whole new level. Setting up camp in a Free Spirit Sphere you can sleep among the trees and stretch your wings in Qualicum Bay, Vancouver Island. Part tree house, part space capsule, founder Tom Chudleigh’s handcrafted wooden spheres gently dangle in the breeze thanks to a series of ropes tied to the forest’s cover. Suspended at 3.1, 4.3 and 4.6 meters off the ground, each of the three spheres offers comfortable and unique lodging for adults age 16 and over.
Four-Season Tents
Gatineau Park’s Philippe Lake has the perfect winter accommodation for you. Standing above the freezing ground on wooden platforms, two four-season tents are attractive with amenities (便利设施) that will keep you comfortable. With sleeping space for up to four people, the park’s four-season tents feature double-sized beds, a fridge and a stove for cooking meals.
Houseboats
Why limit your camping adventures to dry land? Lakeway Houseboat Vacations in New Brunswick offers grand accommodation in their “cottages on the water”. Choose from three luxurious floating vacation homes with full kitchens, full bathrooms, multiple bedrooms ( one boat sleeps 14!) , TVs, hot tubs, fireplaces and even waterslides. Sail along the St. John River, sunbathe on the upper deck, or stop at picturesque Mactaquac Provincial Park for a round of golf. Do as little or as much as you desire.Which of the following is the most popular in the Province of Quebec?
| A．Huttopia. | B．Tree Sphere. |
| C．Four-Season Tents. | D．Houseboats. |
Which statement is correct about the houseboat?
| A．It has only one type. |
| B．It is large enough for four to live in. |
| C．It is supplied with some baked food. |
| D．By house boat, you can find a place to play golf. |
The underlined word “dangle” in the second paragraph probably means .
| A．move | B．swing |
| C．escape | D．quake |
Which of the following is not the advantage of the Four-Season Tents?
| A．The large wooden platforms. |
| B．Convenient facilities. |
| C．The sense of floating. |
| D．The large sleeping space. |
A food additive (添加剂) is any substance that is added to food. Many people are put off by the idea of “chemicals in food.” The truth is that all food is made up of chemicals. Natural substances like milk, as well as man-made ones like drinks on sale in the market, can be described by chemical formulas. Some chemical substances are indeed harmful, but a person who refused to consume any chemicals would find nothing to eat.
The things we eat can be divided into natural and man-made substances. Some people feel that only natural foods are healthy and that all man-made ingredients are to be avoided. But many natural chemicals, found in plants and animals, are harmful when eaten, and some laboratory-made substances increase the nutritional value of food. Other chemicals have natural and man-made forms that are exactly alike: vitamin C is vitamin C, whether it comes from a test tube or from an orange. Like “chemical”, “man-made” doesn’t necessarily mean “not fit to eat”.
Food additives are used for many reasons. We add sugar and salt and other things to foods we prepare at home to make them taste better. Food producers have developed a range of additives that stabilize, thicken, harden, keep wet, keep firm, or improve the appearance of their products. Additives can make food more convenient or nutritious, give it a longer shelf life, and make it more attractive to the consumer, thus increasing the sales and profits of the producers.
Food additives are presently the centre of a storm of serious argument. Food producers have been known to use additives that have not been proved safe; some substances in common use have been proved unsafe and have been taken off the market. Many people feel there’s a risk of eating food to which anything has been added. But food additives are now regulated by the FDA of the federal government, and new additives will go through strict testing before they can be placed on the market. For most people, the chances of developing serious side effects (副作用) from the long-term use of presently approved (批准) food additives are very small.From the passage we can learn that .
| A．natural foods are much safer than man-made ones |
| B．it is right to refuse chemicals in food |
| C．food additives are harmful to our health |
| D．all foods have chemical substances |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．Food additives can improve the quality of foods in many ways. |
| B．To ensure food safety, the FDA will stop food additives. |
| C．Foods free of additives can keep a much longer shelf life. |
| D．Foods with more additives have higher nutritional value. |
We can infer from the regulation to the food additives by the FDA that .
| A．new additives will be approved more easily than before |
| B．food with common-used additives will be taken off the market |
| C．food additives will be used in a safer and more scientific way |
| D．food producers won’t be allowed to use new food additives |
According to the writer, the food additive is .
| A．worrying | B．acceptable |
| C．poisonous | D．avoidable |
The last five pounds. The vanity(虚荣) pounds. The dream weight. The fantasy weight. The high school weight. Yes, many names are given to the weight – the five pounds – that seems just out of reach no matter how much we exercise and improve our eating habits.
But why is it out of reach? Is it all in our heads? Or is it because the body has a set-point or ideal weight – a weight to which it doesn’t want to give in?
“There is no such thing as ideal body weight,” says James, author of “Weight Loss That Lasts.” “But your body does resist you when you are trying to lose weight. It gets used to a certain weight over a long period of time and then will defend that weight.”
In other words, the body’s “set point” can be lowered – or raised, he says, but it takes time to reset that new weight. That period of time is at least six months. “I often ask patients, ‘What is the lowest stable weight of your adult life?’ to get an idea of what is realistic” in terms of weight loss and maintenance(保持), James says.
He refers to the body’s refusal to change, weight-wise, as an “biological control system that prevents us from going hungry and dying – part of our primitive(原始的) biology.”
Some people might get down to their dream weight for a short period but then can’t keep it long because the calorie limits are too strict once the body starts defending itself against weight loss.
“That’s why it’s important to set realistic goals,” he says. “The idea of the ‘ideal weight’ or ‘dream weight’ is really just a useless exercise.”
But let’s say your goal is realistic and has been set by a nutritionist (营养师)or other weight-loss professionals and you are still plateauing. What could be going on? The reason is that you need fewer calories the less you weigh. So if you want to continue to drop weight, you have to drop calories and increase calorie-burn.
James encourages people to tell the difference between weight loss goals for health reasons and those to do with vanity. “They are different issues,” James says. “One is where important health benefits are seen and the other is about vanity – wanting to look good in a bathing suit.”What might a” set-point weight” refer to?
| A．A weight that the body doesn’t want to change. |
| B．A weight that you have kept for a long time. |
| C．A weight that you are trying to lose. |
| D．A weight that can be raised or lowered. |
People can’t keep their dream weight for a long time because_________.
| A．the body system stops us from hunger |
| B．the calorie limits are extremely strict |
| C．we haven’t turned to nutritionists for advice |
| D．we can’t keep the habits of dieting for six months |
What does it mean by saying “you are still plateauing” ?
| A．Your weight keeps increasing. |
| B．Your weight remains unchanged. |
| C．You are still worrying. |
| D．You are still dreaming. |
According to the passage, what is James’ most possible attitude towards t weight loss for vanity?
| A．Encouraging. | B．Critical(批判的). |
| C．Supportive. | D．Neutral(中立的). |