Imagine a mass of floating waste is two times the size of the state of Texas. Texas has a land area of more than 678 000 square kilometers. So it might be difficult to imagine anything twice as big.
All together, this mass of waste flowing in the North Pacific Ocean is known as the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch. It weighs about 3 500 000 tons. The waste includes bags，bottles and containers—plastic products of all kinds.
The eastern part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch is about l 600 kilometers west of California. The western part is west of the Hawaiian Islands and east of Japan. The area has been described as a kind of oceanic desert，with light winds and slow moving water currents. The water moves so slow that garbage from all over the world collects there.
In recent years，there have been growing concerns about the floating garbage and its effect on sea creatures and human health. Scientists say thousands of animals get trapped in the floating waste，resulting in death or injury. Even more die from a lack of food or water after swallowing pieces of plastic. The trash can also make animals feel full，lessening their desire to eat or drink.
The floating garbage also can have harmful effects on people. There is an increased threat of infection of disease from polluted waste，and from eating fish that swallowed waste. Divers can also get trapped in the plastic.
Its existence first gained public attention in l997. That was when racing boat captain and oceanographer Charles Moore and his crew sailed into the garbage while returning from a racing event. Five years earlier，another oceanographer learned of the trash after a shipment of rubber duckies got lost at sea. Many of those toys are now part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.
In August，2009，a team from the University of California，San Diego became the latest group to travel to it. They were shocked by the amount of waste they saw. They gathered hundreds of sea creatures and water samples to measure the garbage patch’s effect on ocean environment.What do we know about the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
| A．It is made up of various kinds of plastic products. |
| B．It is a solid mass of floating waste materials. |
| C．It lies l60 000 kilometers east of California. |
| D．It is described as a kind of oceanic desert. |
Why do people pay attention to the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
| A．Because it may prevent the flow of ocean water. |
| B．Because the polluted plastic articles will move up the food chain. |
| C．Because it may be from an island in the pacific. |
| D．Because ships may be trapped in the floating waste. |
Which column can you find the passage on a newspaper?
| A．Sports and entertainment. | B．Media and culture. |
| C．Environment and society. | D．Science and technology. |
The purpose of writing this passage is to____________.
| A．warn people of the danger to travel in the pacific |
| B．analyze what caused the waste patch in the pacific |
| C．give advice on how to recycle waste in the ocean |
| D．introduce the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch |
US universities are among the best in the world. Since World War Ⅱ, American scientists --- mostly working in universties or colleges --- have won more than half of all Nobel Prizes in physics and medicine. Foreign students rush to the United States by the tens of thousands. Last year they earned more than one quarter of the doctoral degrees awarded in the country. Yet while American universities produce the great research and great graduate program, they sometimes pay little attention to the task that lies at their very core: the teaching of undergraduate students.
With the increase in fees, educators feel obliged to improve undergraduate teaching. In speeches and interviews the nation’s higher educators have rediscovered teaching. Robert Rosenzweig, president of the Association of American Universities, said, “Our organization was never very concerned about teaching. In the last 18 months, we have spent more time on undergraduate education than on any other subject.”
Despite such promising efforts, no one doubts that research still outranks teaching at some of the leading universities, not least because it is a surer and faster way to earn status. Some people don’t think it has to be that way. They argue that the reward system for college faculty can be changed, so that professors will be encouraged to devote more time and effort to teaching. They say that they are beginning to believe that the first ten years of the 21st century may come to be remembered as the decade of the undergraduate.
That would bring it full circle. For more than two centuries after the founding of Harvard College in 1636, the instruction of undergraduate students was an essential condition of American higher education.According to the passage, at some of the leading American universities ________.
| A．research is declining in importance | B．teaching now ranks above research |
| C．teaching is a sure way to gain position | D．research still ranks above teaching |
It is implied in the passage that about 200 years ago undergraduate instruction ________.
| A．began to change all of a sudden |
| B．was already threatened by research work |
| C．was the central part of higher education |
| D．began to be neglected in most universities |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．University education in the US | B．University education challenged |
| C．Teaching and research in universities | D．Undergraduate teaching rediscovered |
A long time ago, before human beings lived on the earth, little coral polyps（水螅）settled around tropical （热带的）coastlines and constructed corals. Over a long period they created lots of reefs. Yet, pollution, climate change and commercial fisheries are limiting the chance of future generations knowing or seeing many of the reefs and sea creatures that exist. Hence, take action to dive now and you can explore the underwater world.
Commercial underwater diving began in ancient Greece. Diving in general means that the whole body is completely in water. On that account there are lots of exciting and quite adventurous ways to dive, like shark cage diving, scuba diving（戴水肺潜水）and reef diving.
There are great coral reefs all over the world, but usually they are situated in warm, clear water such as the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, where they grow best. This is why there are no coral reefs on the west coast of South Africa. However, South Africa’s east coast offers much brightly coloured sea life.
In South Africa more than 100,000 dives a year are made just in coral reefs, which are one of the natural wonders of the world. To see the whole beauty of the reef the right diving gear（设备） is an essential requirement. This means a perfect fitting diving mask and fins, as well as a snorkel（呼吸管）and a friend. Diving alone is dangerous because there may be strong currents you are not aware of, and it’s a lot more fun to share the experience with someone. However, before you can explore the deeper sea, a certificated and checked scuba, a wetsuit and of course a license will be needed. Whether you choose the snorkel or the scuba to spot the colourful underwater world, try to touch as little as possible, be careful with the corals and don’t strike the fishes, because the complex ecosystem is very sensitive.The following factors probably affect coral reefs EXCEPT ________.
| A．sea creatures | B．pollution | C．fishing | D．climate change |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Human beings appeared before corals were created. |
| B．One needs a license to dive into the deeper sea. |
| C．Diving alone has many advantages. |
| D．The origin of diving is in modern Greece. |
There are no coral reefs on the west coast of South Africa probably because of a lack of ________.
| A．large waters and soft sand |
| B．warm currents and delicious food |
| C．friendly creatures and flat seabed |
| D．clear water and suitable temperature |
The last paragraph mainly tells us ________.
| A．diving alone under the sea is rather dangerous |
| B．some matters we need pay attention to when diving |
| C．South Africa is a popular place for diving |
| D．what we should wear when diving |
In a generous display of maturity and sympathy, one Jewish boy made his first deed as a man in his faith a great act of charity.
Joshua Neidorf, a 13-year-old boy from Los Angeles, donated most of his birthday money to Operation Mend, a program that reconstructs the faces of severely burned U. S. veterans（退伍老兵）.
The young man decided to donate his money after getting to know Army Sgt. Louis Dahlman, who was undergoing a series of reconstruction surgeries（手术）at UCLA （University of California at Los Angeles） thanks to Operation Mend. The Neidorfs had signed up to be Dahlman’s “buddy family”, spending time with him whenever he visited Los Angeles for a surgery.
“I just love knowing that it’s going somewhere...to help the people who save our lives and keep us safe every day,” said Neidorf. His mother added, “It makes me feel like our world is going in a good direction with this next generation.”
In all, Neidorf gave $13,000 to Operation Mend. He also encouraged his friends to donate to the cause. He is the organization’s youngest donor so far.
Operation Mend is a privately funded program that works in partnership with the UCLA Medical Center. Ron Katz, a board member at the hospital, started the program in 2006 after seeing a TV programme about Aaron Mankin, a veteran who had gone through dozens of surgeries after a fight in Iraq which completely burned off his face.
Mankin ended up being Operation Mend’s first patient, starting the first of 20 reconstructive facial surgeries at UCLA in Sept. 2007. In a 2011 interview, Katz shared how his experience of helping Mankin made him realize the need to establish a more permanent program.
“My wife and I soon realized that there were dozens of Aarons out there,” Katz said. “They deserve the best that we offer them.”Neidorf decided to help veterans because ________.
| A．he benefited from Operation Mend | B．he was afraid of burned faces |
| C．he thought they deserved help | D．he didn’t know how to spend money |
Operation Mend was founded after ________.
| A．Neidorf donated part of his birthday money |
| B．the Neidorfs signed up to be Dahlman’s “buddy family” |
| C．Ron Katz saw a TV programme about a veteran |
| D．Mankin was successfully operated on at UCLA |
What can we learn from the passage?
A. Neidorf’s mother was opposed to his decision to donate money.
B. Mankin’s face was burned in a fire in America.
C. Mankin went through more than 30 facial surgeries at UCLA.
D. Many facial surgeries are needed to reconstruct a seriously burned face.The last two paragraphs mainly tell us ________.
| A．the process of Mankin’s surgery | B．how Operation Mend was set up |
| C．how Katz became famous | D．veterans are respected by people |
Barack Obama became US President in January, 2009. Since then, the world has been watching him closely to see whether he keeps his promises about the economy(经济), foreign policy and health care.
But at home, he has also been under pressure from his two daughters to keep his promise: to give them a new dog as a gift for helping him with his election campaign(竞选活动).
On Tuesday the nation’s first dog, named Bo, came out. It is a six-month-old water dog which is black with a white chest and white paws(爪).
“Bo’s got star quality,” said President Obama as he and his family took a walk with the dog on the White House lawn(草坪) in front of reporters.
He then joked, “ I finally got a friend. It took some time,” mentioning a famous saying, “If you want a friend in Washington, get a dog.”Barack Obama is ______ President now.
| A．French | B．British | C．Russian | D．American |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The dog is called Bo. | B．The dog is six month old. |
| C．The dog is black and white. | D．The dog is all white. |
The dog is Obama’s gift to ______.
| A．the reporters | B．his wife | C．his daughters | D．his sons |
What might the underlined sentence in the last paragraph mean?
| A．It’s not easy to find a dog in Washington. |
| B．It’s not easy to find a friend in Washington. |
| C．Dogs aren’t friendly to man. |
| D．Man isn’t friendly to dogs. |
| Found An IC card with some keys was found. Come to Room 203 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday or call 6606982. |
Summer Job Do you like to talk with people? Do you like to write stories? And do you want to work for a students’ magazine? Come and work for us as a reporter for two months. Tel: 6676981 |
| Cooking Tour Join Cooking Tour. You can visit Guangzhou, Changsha, Chongqing and three other cities. You can enjoy the most delicious food and learn Chinese cooking. Duration 12 days Cost ￥3,600 Tel: 6657762 |
Painting Competition For all the students from Senior 1 and Senior 2 Paint a picture of an animal Send it to the Painting Club Before 30th June For more information Call 6644451 |
You can call ______ if you have lost your IC card.
| A．6644451 | B．6676981 | C．6657762 | D．6606982 |
You should ______ if you want to find a job as a reporter.
| A．go to the Painting Club | B．go to Room 203 |
| C．join Cooking Tour | D．try Summer Job |
How many Chinese cities can you visit if you join Cooking Tour?
| A．3. | B．6. | C．9. | D．12. |
Chen Wei may paint a picture of ______ if he wants to take part in the competition.
| A．an elephant | B．a river | C．a tree | D．a flower |