Millions of people die of hunger in southern Africa every year, but when Zambia was offered thousands of tons of free maize by the US, the government politely paid no.
“We don’t know whether the food is safe,” said Zambia’s commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Dipak Patel.
His worries are shared by countries around the world that are in two minds about America’s genetically modified（GM，转基因的）crops. Just last week, EU（欧盟）member nations were discussing whether or not to import GM sweet corn from the US.
Ever since people started farming, they have tried to crossbreed（杂交） plants to make them stronger or better tasting. At one time, only related plants could be crossed with each other.
But when GM techniques were developed in the 1970s, scientists were able to put a single gene from a living creature into an unrelated creature.
This means they can make crops more productive and resistant to disease by adding genes from other species. They can also create food with special characteristics, such as “golden rice”, which is enriched with vitamin A. But many people believe GM foods are a health risk.
“If left to me, I would certainly not eat GM foods,” said Scottish scientist Arpad Pusztai. “We are putting new things into food which haven’t been eaten before. The effects on the immune system（免疫系统） are not easy to predict.”
At the moment, the official argument is that GM foods “are not likely to present risks for human health”. But there are still many questions to be answered as the foods are produced in different ways.
Some experts believe the genetic material added to plants can transfer to humans and give damage to our bodies. Further harm could be caused by the genes from GM plants crossbreeding with naturally produced crops. We learn from the passage .
| A．people have discovered that GM foods will do harm to human health |
| B．millions of Zambia people die of eating too much GM foods |
| C．people are still not sure if GM foods will do harm to human health |
| D．genetic material added to plants will damage our bodies sooner or later |
What does “in two minds” in the third paragraph mean?
| A．Unsure |
| B．Worried |
| C．Likely |
| D．Careless |
The following statements is NOT true about GM foods?
| A．It is produced from plants added genes from other species. |
| B．GM foods can have special characteristics. |
| C．GM foods will affect people’s immune system. |
| D．GM foods have been produced since 1970s. |
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Labor force is defined as being the total number of people who are available to work and earn income．This definition includes everyone who is employed or seeking paid employment，so it includes employers and the self-employed．Labor is one of the country's resources which can be combined with other resources to produce the goods and services wanted by the community．
Although the size of the workforce depends a great deal on the size of the total population，there are several other influences which also affect it．The age distribution (分布) of the total population has a very marked effect on the available workforce. If the population has a high proportion of very young people or of those too old to work，then the available workforce would be lower than if there were an balanced spread age distribution．If the population naturally grows rapidly, the number of births greatly exceeds (超出) the number of deaths then as a total population increases proportion of the workforce declines．
Sometimes a population is described as aging which means that the birth rate is either falling or growing very slowly，and as people retire from the workforce there are insufficient numbers of young people entering it to replace those who are leaving it．In that situation the population is top-heavy with older people．So the percentage of the population in the workforce declines when there is either a rapid increase in births or a falling birth rate．
The age distribution of the population has several important effects on the economy．If the population is aging and there is an increase in the number of people retiring without a corresponding increase in the number entering the workforce，this raises the problem of the ability of the economy to provide a reasonable level of social services to the retired group．If the aged are to be cared for in special homes，finance must be available for that purpose．If the size of the workforce is small relative to the total population，then the government tax revenue(税收) is relatively low and either the government has less money available to it or the workforce members have to be taxed more heavily．
72．In the passage “labor force” is defined as ___________.
A．people who are available to work and earn income
B．self-employed people only
C．people who are looking for an employment
D．employers who create job opportunities
73．The conclusion which can be drawn from the second paragraph is that___________.
A．a natural growth of population leads to a balanced workforce
B．a large population does not necessarily mean a higher proportion of workforce
C．the larger the population，the higher the proportion of the workforce
D．the workforce will be lower, if the population has a balanced age distribution，
74．When a population is said to be aging，___________.
A．there are more people retiring than those entering the workforce
B．the birth rate must be growing
C．there should be an oversupply of workforce
D．There are more people entering the workforce than those retiring
75．The population which is top-heavy with older people ___________ of a country.
A．leads to the high rate of unemployment
B．results in low tax on the workforce members
C．affects employees’ incomes
D．places pressure on the economy
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Thinking is something you choose to do as a fish chooses to live in water. To be human is to think. But thinking may come naturally without your knowing how you do it. Thinking about thinking is the key to critical thinking. When you think critically, you take control of your thinking processes. Otherwise, you might be controlled by the ideas of others. Indeed, critical thinking is at the heart of education.
The word “critical” here has a special meaning. It does not mean taking one view against another view, as when someone criticizes another person for doing something wrong. The nature of critical thinking is thinking beyond the easily seen — beyond the picture on TV, the untrue reports in the newspapers, and the faulty reasoning.
Critical thinking is an attitude as much as an activity. If you are curious about life and desire to dig deeper into it, you are a critical thinker. If you find pleasure in deep thinking about different ideas, characters, and facts, you are a critical thinker.
Activities of the mind and higher-order reasoning are processes of deep and careful thinking. They take time, and do not go hand in hand with the fast speed in today’s world: fast food, instant coffee, and self-developing film. If you are among the people who believe that speed is a measure of intelligence, you may learn something new from a story about Albert Einstein. The first time Banesh Hoffman, a scientist, was to discuss his work with Albert Einstein, he was too nervous to speak. But Einstein immediately put Hoffman at ease by saying, “Please go slowly, I don't understand things quickly.”
69. According to the passage, if we don’t think critically, we ___________.
A. may not be able think naturally
B. will be controlled by ideas of other people
C. can control the ideas of others
D. might be fooled by other people
70. A critical thinker will ___________.
A. think deeply about different ideas B. trust the reports in the newspapers
C. take one view against another view D. criticize other people for their mistakes
71. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. The heart of educationB. Understanding critical thinking
C. Thinking fast D. Thinking and intelligence
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Section B
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage you have just read.
“My kids really understand solar and earth-heat energy,” says a second-grade teacher in Saugus, California. “Some of them are building solar collectors for their energy course.” These young scientists are part of City Building Educational Program (CBEP), a particular program for kindergarten through twelfth grade that uses the stages of city planning to teach basic reading, writing and math skills, and more.
The children don't just plan any city. They map and analyze the housing, energy, and transportation requirements of their own district and predict its needs in 100 years. With the aid of an architect who visits the classroom once a week, they invent new ways to meet these needs and build models of their creations. “Designing buildings of the future gives children a lot of freedom,” says the teacher who developed this program. “They are able to use their own rich imagination and inventions without fear of blame, because there are no wrong answers in a future context. In fact, as the class enters the final model-building stage of the program, an elected “official” and “planning group” makes all the design decisions for the model city, and the teacher steps back and becomes an adviser.”
CBEP is a set of activities, games and imitations that teach the basic steps necessary for problem-solving: observing, analyzing, working out possible answers, and judging them based on the children's own standards.
65. The Program is designed to __________.
A. direct kids to build solar collectors
B. train young scientists for city planning
C. develop children's problem-solving abilities
D. train kids to be future architects
66. An architect pays a weekly visit to the classroom to ___________.
A. find out kids' creative ideas B. discuss with the teacher
C. give children lectures D. help kids with their program
67. Who is the designer of the program?
A. An official. B. An architect. C. A teacher. D. A scientist.
68. The children feel free in the program because they _____________.
A. can design future buildings themselves B. have new ideas and rich imagination
C. are given enough time to design models D. need not worry about making mistakes
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Against the supposition that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.
This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.
This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.
Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone（臭氧）levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.
“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth.
72. According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _______.
A. result in a warming climate
B. cause the forest fires to occur more frequently
C. lead to a longer fire season
D. protect the forests and the environment there
73. Earlier studies about northern forest fires _________.
A. analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate
B. indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere
C. suggest that people should take measures to protect environment
D. suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming
74. The underlined phrase “soak up” in the last paragraph most probably means ________.
A. released B. absorbed C. created D. disturbed
75.From the passage we can draw a conclusion that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia may __________.
A. warm the climate as the supposition goes
B. allow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate
C. destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice
D. help to gain more energy rather than release more energy
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OUR KIDS ARE AMAZING－especially compared with everybody else’s (who seem to cry all the time). How do you show your love for your kids this holiday season? With toys that are smooth and colorful, interactive and exciting. And with ones that have educational value－because you are the boss.
| 1. FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET |
Here is a toy that doesn’t need power－and the bike have to put it together themselves. This 50-piece puzzle set is made of soft-edged hardwood and makes a complete hospital, with an X-ray room. It also includes eight patients, a car and a driver. |
$135 |
| 2. TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL |
Sure, it’s cool, but this colorful baby toy also develops problem solving and motor skills. It has a head and legs, a magnetic(磁性的) hand and a tail. Suitable for little ones from 6 to 36 months. |
$19．95 |
| 3. ROBOSAPIEN |
This small, remote-control robot is really powerful. It performs 67 preprogrammed functions, including throwing, kicking, picking up and dancing. You can even program your own function-which, sadly, does not include doing windows. |
$99 |
| 4. MINI PEDAL CAR |
Want a Mini Cooper but can’t fit the family inside? Get one for the kids. They can jump into this Mini car, which comes in hot orange with a single adjustable seat, and ride away. But it could spoil them for that used car they’ll be driving when they turn 16．For ages 3 to 5 |
$189 |
69. Which toy is said to have the special design for children’s safety?
A. ROBOSAPIEN
B. MINI PEDAL CAR
C. FLAX ART HOSPITAL PUZZLE AND PLAY SET
D. TINY LOVE ACTIVITY BALL
70. Which toys are fit for three-year-old kids?
A. 1 and 3. B. 2 and 4. C. I and 2. D. 3 and 4.
71. This passage is written for __________.
A. parents B. children C. the salesman D. the boss