For the people living in the Nile Basin, the river is their life. This 6, 825 km waterway, whose watershed (流域) covers three million square kilometers, flows through mountains, woodlands, lakes and deserts. Its potential for fishing, tourism and shipping is great—but so are its challenges.
Water shortage, already serious in Egypt andSudan, will soon influence several other countries in the watershed as well. Today, about 160 million people depend on the Nile River for their living. Within the next 25 years, the district's population is expected to double, adding to the demand brought about by growth in industry and agriculture. The frequent drought (干旱) adds to the urgency.
Water quality is also a problem. Precious soil is washed out to sea. Wastes from industry and agriculture create pollution. Higher concentrations of salt influence irrigated soils. Water-borne diseases continue unchecked. In areas where it's hot and damp, water hyacinths choke off lakes, dams and other sections of the river, making it difficult for fishing and other businesses to move forward.
Native people along the narrow area of farmland have watched the sand move closer day by day. They've seen the river change course, and their only source (来源) of water thickened with mud. They're very poor and have few choices.
But a new program, the Nile Basin Initiative (NBI), is offering very practical assistance. The program is more than just a water-management project. It's a plan for the social and economic development of a vast district: it concentrates on the needs of the poorest of the poor and the environment that supports them.
These are whole ecosystem problems, calling for united solutions (解决办法). Half the Nile Basin's countries are among the world's poorest nations; yet, somehow, they must find the resources, skills and political will to overcome these challenges.What are the great challenges the Nile Basin faces?
| A．The development of shipping industry. |
| B．Overfishing of native people. |
| C．Water shortage and water quality. |
| D．Increasing population and tourism. |
The underlined word "hyacinths" in Paragraph 3 refers to "__________"
| A．animals |
| B．plants |
| C．rocks |
| D．salts |
The program NBI is mainly aimed at __________.
| A．preventing water pollution |
| B．changing the river course |
| C．improving living conditions of the poor |
| D．preventing land from becoming desert |
What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．People's Life in Egypt and Sudan |
| B．Frequent Drought in Egypt and Sudan |
| C．The Poorest Countries in the Nile Basin |
| D．The Ecosystem Problems in the Nile Basin |
A baby born in India has been declared the world's seven billionth person by child rights group Plan International. Baby Nargis was born at 07:25 local time (01:55GMT) in Mall village in India's Uttar Pradesh state. Plan International says Nargis has been chosen symbolically as it is not possible to know where exactly the seven billionth baby is born. In addition to baby Nargis in India, Bangladesh, the Philippines and Cambodia have all identified seven billionth babies. The United Nations estimated that on Monday 31 October, the world's population would reach seven billion.
Populations are growing faster than economies in many poor countries in Africa and some in Asia. At the same time, low birth rates in Japan and many European nations have raised concerns about labor shortages.
Population experts at the United Nations estimated that the world reached six billion in October 1999. They predict nine billion by 2050 and ten billion by the end of the century. China's population of one and a third billion is currently the world's largest. India is second at 1.2 billion. But India is expected to pass China and reach one and a half billion people around 2025.
India will also have one of the world's youngest populations. Economists say this is a chance for a so-called demographic dividend. India could gain from the skills of young people in a growing economy at a time when other countries have aging populations. But economists say current rates of growth, although high, may not create enough jobs. Also, the public education system is failing to meet demand and schooling is often of poor quality. Another concern is health care. Nearly half of India's children under the age of five are malnourished(营养不良).
Michal Rutkowski, the director of human development in South Asia at the World Bank, says reaching seven billion people in the world is a good time for a call to action. He says, “I think the bottom line of the story is that the public policy needs to become really, really serious about sex equality and about access to services—to fight against malnutrition, and to provide for access to health services, water and schooling.”What is true about the world's seven billionth person?
| A．Baby Nargis is not the only child chosen as the seven billionth baby. |
| B．Baby Nargis has been chosen carefully so it is exactly the seven billionth baby. |
| C．Three countries have all declared Baby Nargis as the seven billi011th baby. |
| D．The United Nations declared Baby Nargis as the world's seven billionth person. |
Which of the following problems do many European countries worry about?
| A．Labor shortage. | B．Poor health care. |
| C．Not enough jobs. | D．Schooling of poor quality. |
According to population experts, how long will it take for population to grow from six billion to nine billion?
| A．About 12 years. | B．About 40 years. | C．About 50 years. | D．About 110 years. |
What does the underlined phrase “demographic dividend” in the fourth paragraph refer to?
| A．Possibility of lower birth rate. |
| B．Benefit gained by working young people. |
| C．Chances for more employment. |
| D．Disadvantages caused by aging population. |
Which of the following public policies does Michal Rutkowski call on?
| A．To encourage late marriage. | B．To reduce world's population. |
| C．To gain economic equality. | D．To improve health and education. |
"Oh, you must have been a spoiled(宠坏的) kid. You must be really bossy. I wonder what you're going to be like to deal with?" That's often the response Angela Hult gets when people find out she's an only child, she told ABC News, Despite such negative(消极的) remarks, Hult has decided to have only one child herself. And she's not alone.
According to the US' Office for National Statistics, women approaching the end of their childbearing years had an average of l.9 children in 2004, compared with 3.1 for their counterparts in 1976. The percentage of one-child families in Britain had risen from 18 percent in 1972 to 26 percent in 2007.
But even though only children are becoming increasingly common, the traditional view that they're selfish, spoilt and lack social skills holds strong. Even parents of only children, like Hult, are made to feel guilty about having only one child. Worried that they're being selfish and endangering their child's future, they flock to online discussion forums seeking advice. Soon, however, they ask themselves: is this social prejudice really reasonable?
"There have been hundreds and hundreds of research studies that show that only children are no different from their peers(同龄人) ," Susan Newman, a social psychologist at Rutgers University in the US, told ABC News.
This raises another question: why are only children still viewed with such suspicion?
"There is a belief that's been around probably since humans first existed that to have just one child is somehow dangerous, both for you and for the continuation of your race," Toni Falbo, a professor of educational psychology, told the Guardian." In the past a lot of children died, You'd have had to be crazy to only have one. "
Times, of course, have changed and infant mortality(婴儿死亡率) has largely reduced. So what do only children themselves say?
Kayley Kravitz, a blogger for The Huffington Post, grew up as an only child and highly recommends the experience. "Being an only child taught me the most valuable skill of all: the ability to be alone," she said.Which of the following could be the best title for the text?
| A．Are only children lonely? |
| B．Are only children common? |
| C．Are only children dangerous? |
| D．Are only children different? |
What does Susan Newman mean?
| A．Only children are as good as their peers. |
| B．Only children are more selfish and spoiled. |
| C．Parents feel guilty about having only one child. |
| D．Parents will endanger their only child's future. |
What is the common belief since human existed?
| A．The infant death rate always stays high. |
| B．People are crazy to have only one child. |
| C．It's easy for only children to earn their living. |
| D．It's hard to continue the family line with only one child. |
An only child like Kayley _______.
| A．must be difficult to persuade |
| B．can possibly learn to be alone |
| C．should value special skills |
| D．need ignore bad experience |
What's the author's attitude towards having only one child?
| A．Neutral. | B．Negative. | C．Positive. | D．Doubtful. |
In America, Virginia Beach has all the elements of a classic seaside resort: brilliant beaches, a lively boardwalk, plenty of restaurants and nightspots, and amusement rides are sure to appeal to kids. Many believe Virginia Beach is at its best in the off-season, when the town is less crowded but the weather is still mild.
Meanwhile, some safety tips should be followed, enjoying the happiness and excitement the beach offers.
The number l safety tip concerns ocean safety: pay attention to Flag conditions posted on the lifeguard stands. Lifeguards post a red flag to warn when the ocean water is dangerous. Take them seriously! Tourists from land-locked regions are particularly easily attracted by the magic of the waves. However, a calm ocean can become risky without warning. Make sure you swim near a lifeguard. Swimming without lifeguard protection is almost five times as great as drowning at a beach with lifeguards.
Never swim alone. Many drownings involve single swimmers. When you swim with someone else, if one of you has a problem, the other may be able to get help, including signaling for assistance from others.
Don't fight the current. The facts show that some 80% of rescues by lifeguards at ocean beaches are caused by currents. These currents are formed by surf and gravity, because once surf pushes water up the slope of a beach, gravity pulls it back. This can create concentrated rivers of water moving offshore. If you are caught in a rip current, don't fight it by trying to swim directly to shore. Instead, swim parallel to shore until you feel the current relax, then swim to shore. Most rip currents are narrow and a short swim parallel to shore will help bring you to safety.When coming to Virginia Beach, children can enjoy the happiness of.
| A．walking on the road made of wood | B．joining the nightspots |
| C．having interesting rides | D．skiing in the sea |
Many people believe the best time to visit Virginia Beach may be.
| A．after autumn school term beginning | B．in the slimmer vacation |
| C．during the Christmas holiday | D．in the cold winter |
Swimming in the sea you'd better not swim.
| A．with a friend | B．within the sight of the lifeguard |
| C．with the current | D．as far as you like |
From the passage, we can know.
| A．one in five persons swimming in the sea is drowned |
| B．if one with lifeguard were drowning, five persons without lifeguard would be |
| C．some 80% people drowning by the currents are rescued by lifeguards |
| D．some 20% drowning by the currents are rescued by life guards |
The passage mainly tells us.
| A．some safety tips when swimming in the sea |
| B．the happiness and excitement the beach offers |
| C．Virginia Beach has all the elements of a classic seaside resort |
| D．the dangers for tourists from land-locked regions to swim in the sea |
A few degrees can make a big difference when it comes to food storage. Foods can go bad if they get too warm. But for many of the world’s poor, finding a good way to keep food cool is difficult. Refrigerators are costly and they need electricity.
Yet spoiled food not only creates health risks but also economic losses. Farmers lose money when they have to throw away products that they cannot sell quickly.
But in nineteen ninety-five a teacher in northern Nigeria named Mohammed Bah Abba found a solution. He developed the “Pot-in-Pot Preservation/Cooling System.” It uses two round containers made of clay. A smaller pot is placed inside a larger one. The space between the two pots is filled with wet sand. The inner pot can be filled with fruit, vegetables or drinks. A wet cloth covers the whole cooling system.
Food stored in the smaller pot is kept from spoiling through a simple evaporation(蒸发) process. Water in the sand between the two pots evaporates through the surface of the larger pot, where drier outside air is moving.
The evaporation process creates a drop in temperature of several degrees. This cools the inner pot and helps keep food safe from harmful bacteria. Some foods can be kept fresh this way for several weeks.
People throughout Nigeria began using the invention. And it became popular with farmers in other African countries. Mohammed Bah Abba personally financed the first five thousand pot-in-pot systems for his own community and five villages nearby.
In two thousand, the Rolex Watch Company of Switzerland honored him with the Rolex Award for Enterprise. This award recognizes people trying to develop projects aimed at improving human knowledge and well-being. A committee considers projects in science and medicine, technology, exploration and discovery, the environment and cultural history. Winners receive financial assistance to help develop and extend their projects.Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．A Few Degrees can Make a Big Difference for Storage |
| B． A Cool Way to Keep Food from Spoiling |
| C． Spoiled Food Creates Health Risks and Economic Losses |
| D． The Evaporation Process Creates a Drop in Temperature |
What does the third paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．the structure of the invention |
| B．the usage of the invention |
| C．the cost of the invention |
| D．the inspiration of the invention |
What is it that essentially keeps the food in the container from spoiling?
| A．the wet cloth covering the cooling system. |
| B．the moving drier air outside the container |
| C．the wet sand between the containers |
| D．a drop in temperature by evaporation |
According to the passage, where can we possibly see the invention?
| A．rich and advanced families |
| B．scientific experiment laboratory |
| C．poor and underdeveloped area |
| D．supermarket needing to store goods |
We can know from the passage that Mohammed Bah Abba ____________.
| A．invented the controversial cooling system |
| B．financed the systems in all communities |
| C．received financial assistance for his invention |
| D．invented more complicated cooling system later |
When he was just 19, Michael Dell started the company that would dominate the industry.
At the time, IBM personal computers sold in stores for about ＄3,000. After taking them apart and rebuilding them, Dell realized the components (零部件) could be bought for one-fourth the price. Soon he was buying components to reduce the cost. A good business decision, but it meant his room was starting to look like a mechanic’s shop.
“I was quite excited about the possibilities for personal computers and how they could change society. I had this idea to sell the products directly to the users over the phone”, he said. College plans and his parents’ expectations bothered him a lot. But Michael Dell was determined. He drove off to the University of Texas at Austin in August 1983 in a car he’d bought with earnings from selling newspapers. He was surprised that his mother wasn’t suspicious about the three computers in the backseat. By November, news reached his parents that he wasn’t attending classes. On a surprise visit to Austin, they caught their son on spot. Michael Dell told his dad that he wanted to compete with IBM.
Although Michael agreed to focus on his studies, the business chances and the timing couldn’t have been better. The public was becoming more interested in computers, but no one was producing them. In early May, a week before his final exams, Michael started Dell computer Corporation with ＄1,000. He took his exams, and then dropped out of college at the end of his freshman year. It was time to try out his direct-to-customer business model.
“Three years later”, Dell says, “we had already achieved annual sales of about ＄150 million, I was 22 years old then.”What does the underlined word in paragraph 1 mean?
| A．affect | B．develop | C．support | D．lead |
Which of the following is true according to paragraph 2?
| A．Dell discovered a good chance to make money |
| B．Dell could buy a computer at one-fourth the price |
| C．IBM made little money from personal computers |
| D．Dell rebuilt computers in a mechanic’s shop |
When Dell’s parents learned about his absence from class, they .
| A．tried to help with his business |
| B．were too suspicious to accept it |
| C．wanted him to go hack to class |
| D．encouraged him to compete with IBM |
It can be inferred from the article that .
| A．Dell was tired of his college life |
| B．Dell was not devoted to his study at college |
| C．Dell’s college life helped him greatly |
| D．Dell didn’t finish his final exams |
Dell’s experiences show that .
| A．determination and opportunity lead to success |
| B．family support plays an import in one’s success |
| C．there’s no need for all of us to go to college |
| D．we should insist on whatever we are doing |