Have you ever noticed the colour of the water in a river or stream after a heavy rainfall? What do you think caused this change in colour? It is soil that has been washed into the river from the riverbank or from the nearby fields.
Components of Soil
Soil is made up of a number of layers, each having its own distinctive colour and texture. The upper layer is known as the litter. It acts like a blanket，limiting temperature changes and reducing water loss. The topsoil layer is made up of small particles of rock mixed with rotten plant and animal matter called humus (腐殖质), which is black and gives the topsoil its dark colour. This layer is usually rich in nutrients, oxygen, and water. Below the topsoil is the subsoil, a layer that contains more stones mixed with only small amounts of organic matter. This layer is lighter in colour because of the lack of humus. Beneath the soil lies a layer of bedrock.
Soil forms from the bottom up. Over time bedrock is attacked by rain, wind, frost, and snow. It is gradually broken down into smaller particles in a process called weathering. Plants begin to grow，and rotten materials enrich the topsoil. Most of the soil in Eastern Canada ，for example ，was formed from weathered rock that was exposed when the ice disappeared 12,000 years ago.
Water Beneath the Soil
Surface water collects and flows above the ground in lakes ，ponds, and rivers. Once in the soil or rock, it is called groundwater. Gravity pulls groundwater through the soil in a process called percolation(渗透). Eventually the water reaches a layer called the water table. Under this is bedrock through which water cannot percolate.
As water percolates downward, it dissolves organic matter and minerals from the soil and carries them to deeper layers.This causes a serious problem because plants require these nutrients for growth.
Soil pH
Soil can be acidic, neutral, or basic. The pH of the soil is determined by the nature of the rock from which it was formed，and by the nature of the plants that grow and rot in it.
The acidity of rain and snow can lower the pH of the groundwater that enters the soil. By burning fossil fuels such as coal ，oil and gasoline，humans have been contributing to higher levels of acidity in many soils. When fossil fuels are burned，gases are released into the air and then fall back to earth as acid rain. Acid soil increases the problem of carrying nutrients to lower soil levels. As nutrients are removed，soil is less fertile. Plants grow more slowly in acidic soil，and also become easily attacked by diseases.The layer of soil that provides necessary nutrients for plant growth is called________.
| A．litter | B．subsoil | C．humus | D．topsoil |
The underlined word “dissolve” is used to express the idea that organic matter and minerals from soil are________.
| A．rushed away into the river |
| B．mixed with water and become part of it |
| C．destroyed and carried away by water |
| D．cleaned and purified by water |
According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Soil forms from weathered rock on the earth surface. |
| B．Air pollution is partially responsible for acid soil. |
| C．The deeper layer of soil is darker in colour than the surface soil. |
| D．Groundwater tends to carry away nutrients for plant growth. |
We can infer from the passage that the water table lies________.
| A．between the subsoil layer and bedrock |
| B．in the subsoil layer above bedrock |
| C．between the topsoil layer and the subsoil layer |
| D．in the bedrock layer beneath the subsoil |
I came to study in the United States a year ago. Yet, I did not know the real American society until I was injured in a car accident because after the car accident I had to see a doctor---- and go to court(法庭).
After the accident, my roommate called a doctor for me. I was very grateful and determined to repay him one day. But the next day, he asked me to pay him $200 for what he had done. I was astonished. He had good reason to charge me, he said. And if I wanted to collect money from the person who was responsible for my injury. I’d have to have a good lawyer. And only a good doctor can help me get a good lawyer. Now that he had helped me find a good doctor, it was only fair that I should pay him.
But every time I want to see doctor, I had to wait about 50 minutes. He would see two or three patients at the same time, and often stop treating one so as to see another. Yet he charged me $115 each time. The final examination report consisted of ten lines and it cost me $215.
My lawyer was all smiles the first time we met. But after that he avoided seeing me at all. He knew very well the other party was responsible for the accident, yet he hardly did anything. He simply waited to collect his money. He was so irresponsible that I decided to dismiss him. And he made pay him $770.
Now I had to act as my own lawyer. Due to my inexperience, I told the insurance(保险) company the date I was leaving American. Knowing that, they played for time,….. and I left without getting a cent.
My experience taught me two things about America: firstly, in a country like America money is everything. It is more important than friendship, honor or professional morality（职业道德）. Secondly foreigners are still being treated unfairly. So when we talk about America, we should see both its good and bad sides.The author’s roommate offered to help him because ------------.
| A．he felt sorry for the author |
| B．he thought it was a chance to make some money |
| C．he knew the doctor was a very good one |
| D．he wanted the author to have a good lawyer |
The word “charge” in this passage means ----------.
| A．be responsible | B． accuse | C．ask as a price | D．claim |
Both the doctor and the lawyer in the passage are very ----------.
| A．friendly | B．greedy | C．professional | D．busy |
What conclusion can you draw from the story?
| A．Going to court is something very common in America |
| B．One must very careful while driving a car |
| C．There are more bad sides in America than good sides |
| D．Money is more important than other things in America |
Do you like to eat out? Do you like to eat quickly? Do you like inexpensive food? Some people go to fast-food restaurants for these reasons. In the past, people usually went to diners（小餐馆）for these reasons. In fact, many people in the States still go to diners today for the same reasons.
A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. It wasn’t a real diner. It was only a food cart. People on the street walked up to the cart to buy food. These carts served late-night workers who wanted a cup of coffee and a late-night meal. The meal was a sandwich or boiled eggs. In 1887, Samuel Jones built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside. However, they did not sit down. Later, people built diners with counters and stools, and people sat down while they ate.
Before long, many diners stayed open around the clock. In other words, people were able to eat in diner at any time. Diners changed in other ways, too. The original menu of sandwiches and coffee became bigger. It included soup, favorite dishes, and a breakfast menu. In addition, diners soon became permanent buildings. They were no longer carts on wheels.
Diners today look similar to the diners of the early 1900s. They are usually buildings with large windows. Inside, the diners have shining counters with stools, booths, and tables and chairs. People can eat all three meals in a modern diner.
Today, many people eat in fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s and Burger King. However, the diner remains an American tradition, and thousands of people still enjoy eating there. It was popular a century ago, and it is still popular today.A man named Walter Scott had the first “diner” in 1872. Why is the word “diner” in quotation marks(引号)？
| A．Because it is spelled differently from “ dinner” |
| B．Because the first diner was not what it is now |
| C．Because diner was a new word |
| D．Because it is a special kind of restaurant |
According to paragraph 3, diners changed in __________
| A．Two ways | B．three ways | C．four ways | D．five ways |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Diners existed before a fast-food restaurant |
| B．The menu included more food than sandwiches and coffee |
| C．Burger King is a fast-food restaurant |
| D．Sandwiches became bigger |
The main idea of the passage is that ______________.
| A． The diner is a traditional , popular place to eat in the United States |
| B． Samuel Johns built the first diner big enough to allow the customers to come inside |
| C． American diners serve many types of food 24 hours a day to their customers |
| D． Diners are different from fast-food restaurants in many ways |
I hear many parents saying that their teenage children are rebellion（反叛的）. I wish it were so. At your age you ought to be growing away from your parents. You should be learning to stand on your own two feet. But take a good look at the present rebellion. It seems that teenagers are all taking the same way of showing that they degree with their parents. Instead of striking out bravely on their own, most of them are trying to seize at one another’s hands for safety.
They say they want to dress as they please. But they all wear the same clothes. They set off in new directions in music. But somehow reason for thinking or acting in thus-and-such a way is that the crowd is doing it. They have come out of their cocoon(蚕茧) -----into a larger cocoon.
It has become harder and harder for a teenager to stand up against the popularity wave and to go his or her own way. Industry has firmly opened up a teenage market. These days every teenager can learn from newspapers and TV what a teenager should have and be. And many of today’s parents have come to award（奖励） high narks for the popularity of their children. All this adds up to great difficulty for the teenager who wants to find his or her own path.
But the difficulty is worth getting over. The path is worth following. You may want to listen to classical music instead of going to a party. You may want to collect rocks when everyone else is collecting records. You may have some thoughts that you don’t care to share at once with your classmates. Well, go to it. Find yourself. Be yourself. Popularity will come-----with the people who respect you for who you are. That’s the only kind of popularity that really counts.The writer’s purpose in writing this passage is to tell_______.
| A．readers how to be popular in the world |
| B．parents how to control and guide their children |
| C．teenagers how to learn to decide things for themselves |
| D．people how to understand and respect each other |
According to the writer, many teenagers think they are brave enough to act on their own, but, in fact, most of them______.
| A．are not sure of themselves |
| B．have much difficulty in understanding each other |
| C．dare not do things |
| D．are very much afraid of getting lost |
During the teenage years, one should learn to_____.
| A．become different from others in as many ways as possible |
| B．find one’s real self |
| C．get into the right reason and become popular |
| D．rebel against parents |
For over one hundred and fifty years, Americans of all social classes have worn blue jeans．Whether they are worn for work or for fashion today．Strauss' invention continues to be popular not only among Americans but also among people around the world．
Levi Strauss was born in Germany in 1829．He grew up in Kentucky before moving to New York in 1847．Before becoming an American citizen and moving to the West in 1853, Strauss worked in his brother's dry goods business．This gave him a chance to produce his famous invention．After the gold rush of 1949, Strauss decided to move to the West to seek his fortunes．
Strauss did not want to be a person who searched an area for minerals．Instead, he knew he could make a good living by selling supplies to the miners．At first, he planned to sell sewing supplies and cloth．When he heard miners complaining that their clothes were easily broken or they usually tore their pockets during mining, he decided to use a special fabric to make pants for the miners．These pants proved so popular that he quickly ran out of materials to make more．
In 1873, Strauss received a letter from a Jewish tailor named Jacob Davis who had invented a process of connecting pockets with copper rivets（铆钉）．This made the pants last a long time．Because Davis did not have the money to patent his idea, he offered to share it with Strauss if Strauss would agree to pay for the patent．．
The business has been growing ever since and Levi Strauss' company is now one of the largest clothing companies in the world．
By the time Strauss died in 1902, he had made a great contribution to American fashion．
| A．As a young boy, he moved with his family to the United States． |
| B．Nobody knew what kind of material was suitable． |
| C．He did and Levi jeans have been made with metal rivets ever since． |
| D．However, he did not get much business for those products． |
E．He also made a great contribution to America's clothing industry．
F．Since they were invented by Levi Strauss, they have become a symbol of American consumer culture．
G．As the business grew, Strauss got much money from it．
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The Guardian Weekly gives you a global view with articles from four of the world’s most respected newspapers. Read the news from different views and draw your own conclusions on the stories shaping (影响) our world. Try it for 3 months for just £15.55. Plus get a free copy of The Guardian Year 2004.
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The Week is the only weekly summary giving you the best of the British and foreign newspapers in just 35 pages. Designed to be read in just 1 hour, it provides you with everything you need and want to know. Try The Week now with 13 issues for just £13.75. If you decide it’s not for you, just tell us within the first 6 weeks and you can get your money back.Which of the following magazines will probably provide you with articles about music and paintings?
| A．Apollo | B．The Week | C．New Internationalist | D．The Guardian Weekly |
It is possible that most of the readers of the four magazines are ________ .
| A．men | B．women | C．children | D．grown-ups |
Which of the following would you most probably read if you want to get information from the world’s most popular newspapers?
| A．Apollo & The Week |
| B．Apollo & New Internationalist |
| C．The Guardian Weekly & The Week |
| D．The Guardian Weekly & New Internationalist |