The United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization created the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 1988. The panel is a committee made up of hundreds of scientists. Last week, an IPCC working group released a report about climatic conditions around the world.
Scientists are surer than ever before that the Earth is warming and that human activity is to blame. That is the message of the new report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. As we hear from Christopher Cruise, the report's findings will help inform policy makers and the public as they consider action to fight climate change.
One-hundred-ten governments approved this scientific agreement:
"It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of observed warming since the mid-20th century."
The head of the World Meteorological Organization, Michael Jarraud, spoke at a press conference about the new report.
"It should serve as yet another wake-up call that our activities today will have a profound impact on society, not only for us, but for many generations to come."
Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have been losing mass and glaciers continue to shrink, the report says. It calls the decrease of Artic sea ice, "unprecedented," meaning nothing like this has been noted before. The report also examines the mean rate of sea level rise. It says that since the middle of the 19th century, the rate is higher than at any time in the past 2000 years.
The working group also examined the connection between extreme weather events and climate. Brenda Ekwurzel is a climate scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists, a non-profit group. She has worked with the scientists who prepared the IPCC report.
"The most we can say is that extreme events dealing with coastal flooding and extreme heat, (we have) very, very high confidence with these events being highly linked to climate change."
She says the report blames human activity for half of the increased warming over the past fifty or so years. One such activity is the burning of fossil fuels in factories, buildings and cars. This produces heat-trapping gasses.
Past IPCC reports have led the way to international agreements like the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. It ended in 2012. The United Nation's top climate official, Christiana Figueres, says the new report will help move new climate talks forward.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is sometimes criticized as appearing to be too conservative in its predictions. But, Ms. Figueres says this report is right on the mark.
"Everything that we thought we knew about climate change has been underestimated, that we will have much faster and much more intense effects from the growing concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. So, it's a very sobering message that calls for a more invigorated and more accelerated policy response to address that."
Government leaders and climate experts will get a chance to do that at the climate negotiations next month. The talks will take place in the Polish capital, Warsaw.505
What does the underlined word “sobering”mean in the last paragraph?
| A．satisfactory |
| B．serious |
| C．disappointing |
| D．unbelievable |
According to the passage, the Earth is warming due to_______.
| A．human activity |
| B．the burning of fossil fuels |
| C．heat-trapping gasses |
| D．the burning of fossil fuels in cars |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage？
| A．Christopher Cruise says that our activities today will have a profound impact on society. |
| B．Ms. Figueres says that climate change calls for a more invigorated and more accelerated policy response to address that. |
| C．Michael Jarraud says that the report blames human activity for half of the increased warming over the past fifty or so years. |
| D．Brenda Ekwurzel says that It is extremely likely that human influence has been the dominant cause of observed warming since the mid-20thcentury. |
A few days ago I asked my sons’ governess（女家庭教师）Julia to come into my study. “Be seated, Julia, ” I said, “Let’s settle our accounts. I guess you most likely need some money, but maybe you’re too polite to mention it. Now then, we agreed on thirty dollars a month...”
“Forty.”
“No, thirty. I made a note of it. I always pay our governess thirty. Well, um, you’ve been here two months, so...”
“Two months and five days.”
“Exactly two months. I made a special note of it. That means you have sixty dollars coming to you. Take off nine Sundays... you know you didn’t work with Tom on Sundays, you only took walks. And three holidays... ”Julia was biting her finger nail nervously, her face red, but - not a word.
“Three holidays, therefore take off twelve dollars. Four days Tom was sick and there were no lessons, as you were occupied only with Dick. Three days you had a toothache and my wife gave you permission not to work after lunch. Twelve and seven - nineteen. Take nineteen off ... that leaves. hmm.... forty one dollars. Correct?”
Julia’s left eye reddened with tears welling up. Her chin trembled; she coughed nervously and blew her nose, but-still not a word.
“Around New Year’s Day you broke a teacup and a saucer; take off two dollars. The cup cost more, it was a treasure of the family, but- forget it. When didn’t I take a loss! Then, due to your neglect（疏忽）, Tom climbed a tree and tore his jacket; take away ten. Also due to your carelessness the maid stole Dick’s shoes. You ought to watch everything! You get paid for it. So, that means five more dollars off. The tenth of January I gave ten dollars.”
“You didn’t. ”sobbed Julia.
“But I made a note of it.”
“Well... if you say so.”
“Take twenty seven from forty one -that leaves fourteen.”
Both her eyes were filled with tears. Beads of sweat stood on the thin pretty little nose. Poor girl!
“Only once was I given any money,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “and that was by your wife. Three dollars, nothing more.”
“Really? You see now, and I didn’t know that! Take three from fourteen.. leaves eleven. Here’s your money, my dear. Three, three, three, one and one. Here it is!”
I handed her eleven dollars. She took them and pocketed them.
“Merci（法语: 谢谢）,” she whispered.
I jumped to my feet and started pacing the room. I was overcome with anger. “For what, this - ‘merci’?” I asked.
“For the money.”
“But you know I’ve cheated you - robbed you! I have actually stolen from you! Why this‘merci’?”
“In my other places they didn’t give me anything at all.”
“They didn’t give you anything? No wonder! I played a little joke on you, a cruel lesson, just to teach you... I m going to give you all the eighty dollars! Here they are in the envelope all ready for you... Is it really possible to be so spineless（懦弱）? Why didn’t you protest? Why were you silent? Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws（爪）-to be such a fool?”
Embarrassed, she smiled. And I could read her expression,“It is possible.”
I asked her pardon for the cruel lesson and, to her great surprise, gave her the eighty dollars. She murmured her little“merci”several times and went out. I looked after her and thought,“How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!”While talking to Julia, the writer expected from her________.
| A．a protest | B．gratitude | C．obedience | D．an explanation |
What shocked the writer was Julia’s ________.
| A．nervousness in front of her boss |
| B．acceptance of injustice |
| C．shyness when talking about money |
| D．unwillingness to express herself |
The writer said, “Is it possible in this world to be without teeth and claws?” He was actually telling the governess ________.
| A．to be more aggressive | B．to be more careful in her work |
| C．to protect her right | D．to live independently |
At the end of the story, the writer said,“ How easy it is to crush the weak in this world!” to show ________.
| A．his understanding of Julia’s anxiety |
| B．his worry about Julia’s future |
| C．his concern on the living condition of working-class people |
| D．his sympathy for the mental state of those exploited |
From the story, we can tell that Julia’s employer was________.
| A．greedy but honest | B．ill-tempered but warm-hearted |
| C．strict but forgiving | D．none of the above |
techniques , but he admitted there would be difficulties in meeting his goal .
“ For example , if you run out of ink while printing on paper , you will throw that paper away . But you cannot throw half-completed buildings away if your material gets stuck , ” he said . Although the printed house is not available to visit , there is a chance for people in Shanghai to see items printed in 3D.
The Belgium-based company Materialise NV held a 3D printing exhibition in Shanghai that started in late 2012 and ended in the middle of 2013 . The company is eager to show Asia what is possible with 3D printing .
“ All the pieces shown here are what cannot be made through traditional techniques . A good example of this customization is hearing aids . More than 10 million people already use 3D printed hearing aids, all made according to the size of their ears , ” said Wim Michiels , executive vice-president at Materialise NV .
“ You can produce anything whenever and wherever you like . You don’t need to set up production lines for pieces that only need a limited amount of products . Setting up a production line is a lot of work . It takes a long time and is very expensive for a limited number of pieces , ” said Michiels .
Kim Francois , managing director of Materialise China , said their European and American clients have already taken the next step toward additive manufacturing with small series production such as hearing aids .What is mainly talked about in the text ?
A. The development of 3D printing .
B. A 3D printing show in Shanghai .
C. Varieties of items printed in 3D .
D. The company Materialise NV .According to Behrokh Khoshnevis , what is the main difficulty in printing buildings ?
| A．Time . | B．Technique . | C．Space . | D．Material . |
The example of 3D printed hearing aids was mentioned to show that ______________ .
| A．these items used to be impossible to make |
| B．3D printing has a large market share |
| C．3D hearing aids help people hear better |
| D．people need different sized hearing aids |
According to the text , 3D printing is suitable for ___________ .
| A．mass production |
| B．making small items |
| C．small series production |
| D．reducing production costs |
I feel it enormous responsibility, as a mother of two little girls, to lead you down a path that is relatively healthy when it comes to beauty and self-image.
In a lot of women’s eyes I’ve probably already failed in that respect due to the amount of pink princess Barbie (芭比娃娃) mess cluttering up (堆满) Vera’s room. But I will say something about Barbie: I played with that stuff for a solid decade when I was growing up and here I am now at a healthy weight with a healthy outlook on my body and image. I have a successful career. If Barbie was really so damaging to my femininity (女性气质) and self-image I highly doubt I could list all of the accomplishments.
But I get it too. It’s hard for women to maintain a healthy self-image. I have girlfriends around whom I have to brace myself to see, because just being around them makes me self-conscious. I look at old pictures of my mother and wonder why I’ve never been able to be as skinny as she was. And then I have friends who are thinner than their mothers ever were. We women go round and round in circles, holding hands and trying to be one another sometimes. Men like to think we dress and style ourselves for them, but why would we when they hardly notice? I’ve never tried so hard to look good when I know I’m about to meet up with a stylish girlfriend. It’s she who will notice my slimmed-down waist or the thinnest, little bracelet on my arm.
And I have no doubt that the two of you, Veronica and Juliette, will endlessly compare yourselves to each other. You will wonder why one of you got longer legs or shinier hair. The thing I’ll tell you is this: not even the prettiest of us feel settled. The girl you think looks the most perfect in the world is probably the girl who wants to change herself more than anyone else.
Don’t take these on. You are not worthless. You are so full of love and light and you should let it shine through your every second. If someone pushes you down for standing tall then just push yourself back up and stand even taller. And know that the reason they push you down in the first place is just because they’re scared.From the second paragraph, we can infer that the author _____.
| A．regrets buying so much Barbie stuff for her daughters |
| B．thinks loving Barbie makes her not confident about her self-image |
| C．owes her beauty and success to playing with Barbie |
| D．thinks playing with Barbie caused no damage to her beauty and success |
In the third paragraph, the author intends to show that _____.
| A．women tend to be proud of their beautiful friends |
| B．she cares much about her appearance |
| C．she feels proud of her mother’s beauty |
| D．women tend to admire others and compare with each other |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．The author is disappointed that few men take notice of her slim figure. |
| B．The author cares more about looking good before her girlfriends. |
| C．Girls should constantly compare themselves with others to improve their beauty. |
| D．Only the prettiest girl can feel confident about her beauty. |
The author advises her daughters that _____.
| A．they should be cautious not to be pushed down by others |
| B．they should care much about their strong points instead of appearances |
| C．they should try to grow taller than others |
| D．they should care more about others’ opinions |
A month went by in this manner , but a month was all I could bear .
The memory of Marguerite accompanied me wherever I went . I had loved that woman --- still loved her --- too much for her suddenly to mean nothing to me . Whatever feelings I might have for her now , I had to see her again . At once .
…
I knew Marguerite . Meeting me so unexpectedly must have thrown her into a state of great confusion . Probably , she had heard of my departure which had set her mind at rest as to the consequences of our sudden parting . But , seeing me back and coming face to face with me , pale as I was , she had sensed that my return had a purpose , and must have wondered what was going to happen .
If , when I saw her again , Marguerite had been unhappy ; if , in taking my revenge （复仇）, there had also been some way of helping her , then I might well have forgiven her , and would certainly never have dreamed of doing her any harm . But when I saw her again , she was happy , at least on the surface . Another man had ensured her the luxury （奢侈）in which I had been unable to keep her . She brought shame both to my pride and my love ; she was going to have to pay for what I had suffered .
I could not remain indifferent （冷漠）to what she did now . It followed that the thing that would hurt her most would be exactly for me to show indifference . Indifference , therefore , was the feeling which I now needed to pretend , not only in her presence but in the eyes of others .
I tried to put a smile on my face , and I went to call on Prudence with whom Marguerite was staying .
Prudence saw me to the door , and I returned to my apartment with tears of anger in my eyes and thirst for revenge in my heart and thought only of finding a way to make the poor creature suffer .This passage is most probably _______________ of a love story .
| A．the beginning | B．the introduction | C．a summary | D．a chapter |
According to the passage , the hero（男主角）wanted to _____________ .
| A．forgive Marguerite because he found her unhappy |
| B．stop the relationship with Marguerite because he couldn’t keep her in the luxury |
| C．make up the relationship with Marguerite because he still loved her |
| D．give Marguerite sufferings because his pride and his love were hurt |
What kind of feelings did the hero most probably have ?
| A．Indifference and love . |
| B．Indifference and hate . |
| C．Love and hate . |
| D．Hate and sadness . |
What would the author most probably write about next ?
| A．Why he changed his mind suddenly . |
| B．How he made up his relationship with Marguerite . |
| C．How he made Marguerite suffer. |
| D．Why he wanted Marguerite to pay for what he had suffered . |
Not long ago, few little girls imagined they could grow up to become astronauts. For years in the United States, on1y men had that opportunity . In 1983, that changed. Sally Ride made history by becoming the first American woman to travel to space.
On Monday, Ride died at the age of 61, ‘‘Sally was a national hero and a powerful role model,”President Barack Obama said in a statement. “She inspired generations of young girls to reach for the stars.”
Ride became interested in space when she was a kid. “If you asked me when I was 12 whether I wanted to be an astronaut ,I’m sure I wou1d have said yes,” she said in a 2010 interview . “ But I didn’t even think about that as a possible career.”
After studying physics in college and graduate school, Ride got her chance. She was accepted into NASA’s astronaut training program in 1978, and then chosen to be the first American female in space. In 1983, she blasted into space aboard the Challenger shuttle.“There is no amusement park ride on the Earth that even comes so close,” she said.
Ride returned to space on the Challenger a second time in1984 . Between the two missions, she spent a total of 343 hours in orbit. After that, she remained involved with the space program and also worked to share her passion for science with kids. She co-authored six science books for children , and started her own science education company.
Ride knew that she he1d a unique place in history . “ I realized how important it was for a woman to break that barrier and open the door for other women to be able to do the same exciting things that the men had been doing,” she said.
Since Ride’s historic trip, more than 40 other American women have traveled to space. They all had Ride to thank for opening the door to the final frontier.Sally Ride was regarded as a national hero because she___________ .
| A．was the first American to travel to space |
| B．opened a door for women to find jobs suitable for them |
| C．became the first American female in space |
| D．was the first to travel on the Challenger |
By saying ‘‘There is no amusement park ride on the Earth that even comes so close”, Ride really meant____________ .
| A．she preferred a ride in an amusement park on the Earth |
| B．the trip to space was like that in an amusement park |
| C．she came close to an amusement park on the Earth |
| D．the trip to space was far more interesting than any ride on the Earth |
The correct order of the following events that happened to Sally Ride is_____________
a. accepted into an astronaut training program
b. spent a total of 343 hours in orbit
c. co-authored six science books for children
d. traveled to space aboard the Challenger
e. studied physics in co11ege and graduate school
| A．e-a-b-c-d | B．a-d-b-c-e | C．e-a-d-b-c | D．e-a-b-d-c |
The passage is most probably taken out of _________________ .
| A．a novel | B．a report | C．a diary | D．an essay |