Nuclear energy has always been controversial. But since the tsunami and nuclear disaster in Fukushima (Japan) last year the issue is back in the headlines. And the world is divided— some countries are planning more nuclear plants, while others have promised to shut theirs down.
After Fukushima, Germany decided to switch off all its nuclear plants by 2022. Switzerland and Italy are also phasing out nuclear power. But France and the United States remain staunch supporters of atomic energy. In fact, almost 80% of France’s electricity comes from nuclear power, the highest percentage in the world. And in the US, the Obama administration said it “continues to support the expansion of nuclear power, despite the crisis in Japan.”
Nuclear supporters claim nuclear power can help the environment. Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear power doesn’t create greenhouse gases. So, pro-nuclear countries argue that nuclear power allows them to generate energy without contributing to climate change. Britain’s chief scientific adviser (John Beddington) supports this view. He recently said that the world doesn’t have the luxury of ignoring nuclear energy.
Nuclear power is also relatively cheap. Renewable energy sources such as solar, hydro and wind power may be clean, but they’re expensive; and right now, they require a lot of investment. This higher cost of using “green energy” is usually passed onto the consumer. So, while many people may prefer their energy to come from a renewable source, not so many are prepared to pay higher energy bills. This is of particular concern while the world economy is in such bad shape.
The main argument against nuclear energy is that it isn’t safe. For a start, nuclear waste is very difficult to dispose of, and remains toxic to humans for thousands of years. And even before Fukushima, there were several high-profile nuclear disasters. The most famous is probably the 1986 Chernobyl disaster, in the Ukraine. The radiation from the meltdown spread all over Europe, affecting thousands.
The nuclear energy issue is very complex. And it doesn’t look like it’ll be resolved anytime soon. As a Japanese commentator recently said, “it’s been a bad year for the ‘nuclear village’, but I don’t think they’re down and out yet.” The battle continues.Which of the following may NOT be the advantage of nuclear energy over other energy sources?
| A．Nuclear energy doesn’t produce any greenhouse gases. |
| B．Nuclear energy can help prevent the climate damage. |
| C．Nuclear energy is more environmental-friendly than other green energy sources. |
| D．Nuclear energy can save the consumers some money, compared to other renewable energies. |
What does the underlined word “this ” refer to in paragraph 4?
| A．The fact that many people prefer to use the green energy sources while unwilling to pay higher bill. |
| B．The cost of using renewable sources |
| C．The fact that the nuclear power is cheaper. |
| D．The investment of renewable energy sources |
In the 5th paragraph, the author takes the case of Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine to _______.
| A．convince the reader that nuclear waste is difficult to get rid of. |
| B．explain that nuclear waste may remain harmful to humans for thousands of years. |
| C．persuade the world not to use nuclear energy. |
| D．support the idea that nuclear energy is not safe. |
We can learn from the last paragraph that _______.
| A．the Japanese commentator is positive about the future of nuclear energy. |
| B．the nuclear energy issue will be soon settled. |
| C．a battle will break out in the future. |
| D．Japan is considering to build a nuclear village in the future. |
What is the author's purpose of writing the passage?
| A．To highlight the danger of using nuclear energy. |
| B．To introduce some serious nuclear disasters. |
| C．To show the argument between nuclear supporters and protesters. |
| D．To give some advice on how to use nuclear energy safely. |
Some people can stay up all night and still get work done the next day.I'm not one of them.After a night without enough sleep, I feel badtempered.I have trouble remembering things.And all I want to do is to crawl into bed and sleep.
How do you feel after you've stayed up late to finish schoolwork? Or the day after an overnight party? Scientists now say that your answers to these questions may depend on your genes.
New research suggests that a gene called “period 3” affects how well you function without sleep.The “period 3” gene comes in two forms：short and long.Everyone has two copies of the gene.So, you may have two longs, two shorts, or one of each.Your particular combination depends on what your parents passed on to you.
Scientists from the University of Surrey in England studied 24 people who had either two short or two long copies of “period 3”．Study participants had to stay awake 40 hours straight.Then，they took tests that measured how quickly they pushed a button when numbers flashed on screen and how well they could remember lists of numbers.
Results showed that the people with the short form of “period 3” performed much better on these tests than the people with the long form did.In both groups，people performed worst in the early morning.
After the first round of experiments，participants were finally allowed to sleep.People in the group that performed well on the tests (those with the short form of “period 3”) took about 18 minutes to nod off.
People with the long “period 3” gene, by contrast, fell asleep in just 8 minutes.They also spent more time on deep sleep.That suggests that people with the long form of the gene need more and deeper sleep to keep their brains working in top form.
I think I must have the long form of“period 3”．What about you?The purpose of this passage might be________.
| A．to tell us the importance of plenty of sleep |
| B．to tell the result of a research on sleepy gene |
| C．to inform the harm of lacking sleep |
| D．to announce the sleeping rules of humans |
Which of the following decides how well you perform without sleep?
| A．One short form. |
| B．One long copy. |
| C．One short and two long copies. |
| D．Period 3. |
What kind of people need less sleep according to the research?
| A．Those with two long copies of the gene. |
| B．Those with two short copies of the gene. |
| C．Those with one short and one long copy of the gene. |
| D．Those with three short copies of the gene. |
If one lacks enough sleep，one should avoid doing important or dangerous things ________.
| A．at dawn | B．at night |
| C．in the afternoon | D．at noon |
That the Leaning Tower of Pisa no longer leans quite so much after a ￡20 million project to save it has proved to be a great success.The tower, which was on the edge of collapse, has been straightened by 18 inches, returning it to its 1838 position. 
“It has straightened a little bit more than we expected, but very little helps, ”said Prof.John Burland, the only British member of the rescue committee.“The tower is still very slightly moving towards being upright. ”
The tower, which has been leaning almost since building work first began in 1173, was closed to the public in 1990 because of safety fears.The 183foot tower was nearly 15 feet off vertical and its structure was found to have been weakened by centuries of strain(作用力).
Prof.Burland said it could have collapsed “at any moment”．However, it took nine years of quarreling before any work was done.The last attempt at straightening the tower was carried out. Concrete was poured into the foundations, but the result was that the tower sank further into the soil.
The straightening work involved digging out around 70 tonnes of earth from the northern side of the tower, causing it to sink on that side.Before the digging started, the tower was fixed with steel ropes and 600 tonnes of lead weights.
However, halfway through the project, concerns at the ugliness of the weights led to their removal and the tower leaned greatly.The weights were hurriedly reattached. In one night, the tower moved more than it had averaged in an entire year.The tower's stonework has also been restored.
The Italian government stepped in after a tower collapsed in Pavia in 1989, killing four people.Experts suddenly realized that the tower at Pisa, which was similarly built and on the same sort of earth, could do the same.What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．The Building of the Leaning Tower of Pisa |
| B．Saving the Leaning Tower of Pisa |
| C．The Collapse of the Leaning Tower of Pisa |
| D．The History of the Leaning Tower of Pisa |
According to the passage, the Leaning Tower of Pisa_________________.
| A．closed for the straightening work in 1990 |
| B．began to lean more than 800 years ago |
| C．has a history of more than 1, 000 years |
| D．has become vertical |
What drove the Italian government to save the Leaning Tower of Pisa?
| A．The development of new technology. |
| B．The advice of Prof. John Burland. |
| C．The expectation of the rescue committee. |
| D．The collapse of a tower in Pavia. |
What most probably played the most important part in straightening the tower?
| A．The lead weights fixed to the tower. |
| B．Restoring the stonework. |
| C．Pouring concrete into the foundations. |
| D．Digging earth from the southern side of the tower. |
February has long been a month of romance.With the sweet smell of roses in the air, romantic films hit cinemas and love stories fill newspapers and magazines.
On the 14th day, it is a custom for a boy to take his girlfriend out to dinner, buy her flowers and chocolates, write poems, sing to her or even spell out her name with rose petals! This is what you see on Valentine's Day, a day named after Valentine who was a priest in third century Rome.When the emperor decided that single men could become better soldiers than those with wives, he didn't allow marriage.
But Valentine continued to perform marriage ceremonies for young lovers in secret.When his actions were discovered, the emperor had him put to death.While in prison, it is said that Valentine fell in love with the daughter of his prison guard.Before his death, he wrote her a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine”， an expression that is still in use today.Valentine died for what he believed in and so was made a Saint(圣者), as well as becoming one of history's most romantic characters.
Nowadays, Valentine's Day is also popular among Chinese young people.Some students are planning to make Valentine's cards for parents, teachers and friends.Others want to hold parties at which they will exchange small gifts and eat heart－shaped cakes.The idea is to have fun and encourage people to share in the spirit of St.Valentine.The best title should be __________.
| A．Valentine's Day | B．A Brave Priest |
| C．Valentine's Day in China | D．A Romantic Man |
What does the underlined word mean in Para.2?
| A．树叶 | B．枝条 | C．花瓣 | D．花粉 |
Why did the emperor in Rome NOT allow marriage in his country?
| A．Because there were few women in his country at that time. |
| B．Because he thought men without wives could be better soldiers. |
| C．Because there wasn't enough food for so many people. |
| D．Because he wanted to control the birth rate. |
Valentine was put into prison because __________.
| A．he killed one of the soldiers |
| B．he stole a lot of food |
| C．he didn't obey the emperor's order |
| D．he didn't want to be a soldier |
The health of millions could be at risk because medicinal plants are being used up.These plants are used to make traditional medicine，including drugs to fight cancer.“The loss of medicinal plants is a quiet disaster，”says Sara Oldfield，secretary general of the NGO Botanic Gardens Conservation International.
Most people worldwide (including 80 percent of all Africans)rely on herbal medicines(草药)which are got mostly from wild plants.But some 15,000 of the 50,000 medicinal species are under threat of dying out，according to a report from the international conversation group Plantlife.Shortages have been reported in China，India，Kenya，Nepal，Tanzania and Uganda.
Overharvesting does the most harm，though pollution and competition from invasive(侵略性的)species are both responsible.“Businessmen generally harvest medicinal plants，not caring about sustain ability，”the Plantlife report says.“Damage is serious partly because they have no idea of it，but it is mainly because such collection is unorganized.” Medicinal trees at risk include the Himalayan yew and the African cherry，which are used to treat some cancers.
The solution，says the report's author，Alan Hamilton，is to encourage local people to protect these plants.Ten projects studied by Plantlife in India，Pakistan，China，Nepal，Uganda and Kenya showed this method can succeed.In Uganda the project has kept a sustainable supply of lowcost cancer treatments，and in China a public run medicinal plant project has been created for the first time.
“Improving health，earning an income and keeping cultural traditions are important in encouraging people to protect medicinal plants，”says Hamilton.“You have to pay attention to what people are interested in.” Ghillean Prance，the former director of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in London，agrees that medicinal plants are in need of protection.
“Not nearly enough is being done，”he told New Scientist.“We are destroying the very plants that are of most use to us.”What is the passage mainly about?
| A．The function of medicinal plants. |
| B．The importance of traditional medicine. |
| C．More and more people rely on herbal medicines. |
| D．The dangerous situation of medicinal plants and ways of protecting them. |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．About 30% of medicinal species are at risk of dying out. |
| B．Medicinal plants are mainly used to treat cancers. |
| C．80% of African countries are reported to be short of medicinal plants. |
| D．The problem of the loss of medicinal plants appeared suddenly. |
What contributes most to the loss of medicinal plants?
| A．A lack of knowledge of sustainability. |
| B．Invasion by other species. |
| C．Environmental pollution. |
| D．Improper harvesting. |
What is a useful method of protecting medicinal plants?
| A．Improving people's health. |
| B．Letting people earn more. |
| C．Working together with the government. |
| D．Persuading the locals to protect them. |
Herta Müller, the Romanianborn German writer, has won the 2009 Nobel Prize for Literature.The award was announced in Stockholm.
Ms Müller, 56, immigrated to Germany from Romania in 1987.She is the first German writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature since Gunter Grass in 1999 and the 13th winner writing in German since the prize was first given in 1901.She is the 12th woman to get the literature prize.
But unlike Doris Leasing and V．S.Naipaul, Ms Müller is relatively unknown outside literary circles in Germany.“I am very surprised and still cannot believe it，” Ms Müller said in a statement in Germany.“I can't say anything more at the moment.”
She has written about 20 books, but just five have been translated into English, including the novels “The Land of Green Plums” and “The Appointment”．
At a news conference at the German Publishers and Booksellers Association in Berlin, where she lives, Ms Müller, wearing all black and sitting on a big chair, appeared overwhelmed by all the cameras in her face.She spoke of the 30 years she spent under a dictatorship, describing “living with fear in the morning that in the evening one would no longer exist”．
When asked what it meant that her name would now be mentioned at the same moment as German greats like Thomas Mann and Heinrich Bll, Ms Müller remained calm.“I am now nothing better and I'm nothing worse，” she said.“My inner thing is writing.That's what I can persist_in,_and if nothing special happens, I will never give up.”
Earlier in the day, at a news conference in Stockholm, Peter Englund，secretary of the Swedish Academy, said Ms Müller was honored for her “very, very special language” and because “she has really a story to tell about...and growing up as a stranger in your own family.”Which of the following statements about Ms Müller is true?
| A．Most of her works have been translated into English. |
| B．She immigrated to Germany from Romania when she was 35. |
| C．She's the first Romanian writer that has won the Nobel Prize for Literature. |
| D．She is the first German writer to win the Nobel Prize for literature in the 21st |
century.Before getting the Nobel Prize, Ms Müller __________.
| A．was famous for her works |
| B．lived a poor but happy life |
| C．was not wellknown to most people |
| D．had enough confidence in winning it |
The underlined words “persist in” in Paragraph 6 mean __________.
| A．refuse to do | B．continue to do |
| C．stop to do | D．agree to do |
We can learn from the passage that __________.
| A．Ms Müller's special language and experience made her get the Nobel Prize |
| B．most of Ms Müller's novels are unsuccessful works |
| C．Ms Müller felt much better after she won the Nobel Prize |
| D．Ms Müller was honored because of her wonderful description about German's |
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