Visiting the Arctic
Zhou Mingfeng，17，has only stepped out of his birthplace, Qingdao, once to visit the top of the world, the Arctic！
The Senior 2 student from the High School Attached to Ocean University of China joined a two-week journey to the Arctic at the beginning of this month, after he was recommended for the trip. Including his teacher, Wu Jianying, the adventure group consisted of12 students and teachers from China, Spain, Canada, Britain and the US.
" The trip brought the whole subject of geography and climate change to life，" Zhou said.
Before they landed by air on Canada's research icebreaker(破冰船）in the Arctic, Amundsen, the group visited an Inuit(英纽特人的）community. Zhou also got the chance to experience dog-sled-ding for the first time!
He was surprised to find that Inuit people don't live in snow igloos(圆顶建筑）any longer. "They live in modem, warm wooden houses and travel mostly by snowmobile，" he said.
During the time on board Amundsen, everyday was science orientated ( 以……为主）. Zhou and other teenagers were guided by scientists, who work there, to take part in laboratory and field work. Sometimes they went outside to collect ice and snow samples for experiments despite the windy, freezing climate.
As the only Chinese student, Zhou didn't feel very confident due to his English inefficiency.
“Those students soon got close to the on-board scientists and became involved (参与）in their research，“ he recalled in admiration.
However, it didn't prevent Zhou from enjoying the unique and remote life there.
When the wind died and the sun shone on the frozen desert, Zhou and his new friends recorded their days with photo shoots out on the ice beside the Amundsen ！
"The views were breathtaking! Everything around us seemed lifeless, which is shocking，" he said.
But there proved to be something alive, under the ice caps. A seal popped out of the water below the ship and greeted them on the last day of their stay.
“ It was the only animal I saw in the Arctic ！ ” he said，“ But it's a pity that I didn't see a single polar bear in the ‘ capital ’ of the creature. ” According to the passage, the students and teachers visiting Arctic are most likely to __________.
| A．go sightseeing |
| B．take part in some science research |
| C．learn English |
| D．learn about Inuit community |
In the passage, Amundsen is __________.
A. an icebreaker B. an Inuit igloo
C. a place in Arctic D, a dog-drawn sled Which of the followings is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Zhou was surprised to find the Inuit lived in modem, warm wooden houses. |
| B．Zhou visited an Inuit community first. |
| C．Zhou's inefficient English made him unable to enjoy the life in Arctic. |
| D．Zhou took many photos with his new friends. |
The underlined sentence " The trip brought the whole subject of geography and climate change to life，" in Paragraph 3 probably means __________.
| A．the trip made what had been learned in geography lessons more vivid or interesting |
| B．the trip suddenly started working |
| C．the trip completely changed his life |
| D．the trip made animals in Arctic live |
Being the head of a high school for many years, I grew tired of budget meetings, funding cuts, and many other administrative chores(杂务). I started to dream of retirement. Sitting in traffic on a weekday morning, I would find my mind wandering. I would imagine spending time with my grandchildren, quiet evenings with my wife, traveling, or rediscovering some great books. I told myself that I wouldn’t sign myself up for any committees, any classes, or anything requiring a schedule.
My first day of retirement came at last! I cooked a great breakfast for my wife and me, leisurely read the paper, cleaned a bit of the house, and wrote a few letters to friends. On the second day, I cooked breakfast, read the paper… On the third day, … This is retirement? I tried to tell myself that it was just the transition(过渡), that those golden moments were right round the corner, and that I would enjoy them soon enough. But something was missing.
A former colleague asked a favor. A group of students was going to Jamaica to work with children in the poorest neighborhoods. Would I interrupt my newfound “happiness” and return to the students, just this once? One trip. That’s all. My bags were packed and by the door.
The trip was very inspiring. I was moved not only by the poverty I saw but also by the sense of responsibility of the young people on the trip. When I returned home, I offered to work one day a week with a local youth organization. The experience was so positive that I was soon volunteering nearly full-time, working with students across North America to assist them in their voluntary work.
Now, it seems, the tables have turned. Some days I am the teacher, other days I am the student. These young people have reawakened my commitment(责任感) to social justice issues by challenging me to learn more about the situation in the world today, where people are still poor and suffer because of greed, corruption and war. Most important, they have given me the opportunity to continue to participate in helping to find solutions. In return, I help them do their charitable projects overseas. I’ve gone from running one school to helping oversee the construction of schools in twenty-one countries!What did the writer expect to do after he retired?
| A．To write some great books. | B．To stay away from busy schedules. |
| C．To teach his grandchildren. | D．To plan for his future. |
Why did the writer decide to go to Jamaica?
| A．He wasn’t satisfied with his retired life. | B．He couldn’t refuse his colleague’s favor. |
| C．He was concerned about the people there. | D．He missed his students in that country. |
The underlined part “the tables have turned” (Paragraph 5) most probably means that the writer ______.
| A．improved the situation in his school | B．felt happy to work with students again |
| C．changed his attitude toward his retirement | D．became a learner rather than a teacher |
What does the writer think of his retired life now?
| A．Meaningful. | B．Troublesome. | C．Relaxing. | D．Disappointing. |
Life on earth depends on water, and there is no substitute for it. The current assumption is that our basic needs for water — whether for drinking, agriculture, industry or the raising of fish will always have to be met . Given that premise (前提), there are two basic routes we can go: more equal access to water or better engineering solutions.
Looking at the engineering solution first, a lot of my research concentrates on what happens to wetlands when you build dams in river basins, particularly in Africa. The ecology of such areas is almost entirely driven by the seasonal changes of the river — the pulse of the water. And the fact is that if you build a dam, you generally spoil the downstream ecology. In the past, such problems have been hidden by a lack of information. But in the near future, governments will have no excuse for their ignorance.
The engineers’ ability to control water flows has created new kinds of unpredictability, too. Dams in Africa have meant fewer fish, less grazing and less floodplain (洪泛区) agriculture — none of which were expected. And their average economic life is assumed to be thirty years. Dams don’t exist forever, but what will replace them is not clear.
The challenge for the future is to find new means of controlling water. Although GM technology (转基因) will allow us to breed better dry-land crops, there is no market for companies to develop crops suitable for the micro-climates of the Sahel and elsewhere in Africa. Who is going to pay for research on locally appropriate crops in the Third World? What’s the main idea of this passage?
| A．The engineering solutions to water resource and their limitation. |
| B．The challenge for the future. |
| C．The basic means of controlling water. |
| D．The challenge for developing crops. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true for meeting our basic needs for water?
| A．Water resource should be used more reasonably. |
| B．More dams should be built in river basins. |
| C．More wetlands should be protected from destruction. |
| D．More dry-land crops could be developed in Africa. |
The author suggests that governments will have no excuse for their careless ignorance in the future because .
| A．The ecological destruction will be known to the public by researchers |
| B．The ecological destruction will no longer be a problem in the future |
| C．The future is an information age |
| D．Governments will face greater challenge in the future |
The author mentions all the problems caused by dams EXCEPT .
| A．fewer fish | B．less grazing land |
| C．less floodplain agriculture | D．less farming land |
The last sentence probably implies that.
| A．No one will invest in developing locally appropriate crops in Africa |
| B．Researchers have no interest in developing dry-land crops |
| C．Research on locally appropriate crops in the Third World may be profitable |
| D．There is less water resource in the Third World |
While watching the Olympics the other night, I came across an unbelievable sight. It was not a gold medal, or a world record broken, but a show of courage.
The event was swimming and started with only three men on the blocks. For one reason or another, two of them false started, so they were disqualified. That left only one to complete. It would have been difficult enough, not having anyone to race against, even though the time on the clock is important.
I watched the man dive off the block and knew right away that something was wrong. I’m not an expert swimmer, but I can tell a good dive from a poor one, and this was not exactly medal quality. When he resurfaced, it was evident that the man was not out for gold — his arms were waving in an attempt at freestyle. The crowd started to laugh. Clearly this man was not a medal competitor.
I listened to the crowd begin to laugh at this poor man who was clearly having a hard time. Finally he made his turn to start back. It was pitiful. He made a few desperate strokes and you could tell he was worn out.
But in those few awful strokes, the crowd had changed.
No longer were they laughing, but beginning to cheer. Some even began to stand and shout “Come on, you can do it!” and he did.
A clear minute past the average swimmer, this young man finally finished his race. The crowd went wild. You would have thought that he had won the gold, and should have. Even though he recorded one of the slowest times in Olympic history, this man gave more heart than any of the other competitors.
Just a short year ago, he had never even swum, let alone race. His country had been invited to the Olympics.
In a competition where athletes remove their silver medals feeling they have somehow been cheated out of gold, or when they act so proudly in front of their competitors, it is nice to watch an underdog.From the passage we can learn that the young man _______.
| A．made his turn to start back pitifully | B．was skillful in freestyle in the game |
| C．swam faster than the average swimmer | D．was not capable enough to win the medal |
The crowd changed their attitudes because _______.
| A．they felt sorry for the young man | B．they wanted to show their sympathy |
| C．they were moved by the young man | D．they meant to please the young man |
According to the passage, “it is nice to watch an underdog” probably means _______.
| A．it’s amusing to watch a man with awful swimming skills |
| B．it’s amazing to watch an ordinary man challenging himself |
| C．it’s cheerful for athletes to act proudly before their competitors |
| D．it’s brave enough for some athletes to remove the silver medals |
What’s the best title for the passage?
| A．Go for it! | B．Try again！ | C．Compete for Gold! | D．Break a Record! |
Cities alarmed by deaths and injuries of pedestrians are taking efforts to make crosswalks safer for people on foot, especially seniors and children who need more time to cross streets.
A pedestrian is killed in a traffic accident in the USA every 110 minutes; one is injured every nine minutes, according to official data. Crosswalks can be especially dangerous for the elderly. Among people 70 and older, 36% of pedestrian deaths in 2006 occurred in crosswalks, compared with 21% of those younger than 70, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) advises that next year States increase by nearly 15% the amount of time traffic lights provide for pedestrians to cross the street after the flashing orange hand appears.
FHWA spokesman Doug Hecox says reasons for the change include an aging population that needs more time to cross, health conscious Americans walking more, children encouraged to walk to prevent getting overweight and high gas prices pushing people to walk instead of drive.
Pedestrian deaths went down by 12% from 5, 449 in 1996 to 4,784 in 2006,.But among those in 2006,471 were killed in crosswalks, down slightly from 488 ten years earlier, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says. Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．Among 100 pedestrian deaths there were 21 people younger than 70. |
| B．Old people are more likely to meet with accidents in crosswalks. |
| C．Traffic accidents killed more old people than young people. |
| D．About seven traffic accidents happened per hour. |
What is FHWA’s suggestion to States?
| A．Fixing more traffic lights. |
| B．Providing more crosswalks. |
| C．Giving pedestrians more time to cross streets. |
| D．Increasing the time before the orange lights appear. |
What’s the cause of the crosswalk safety problem according to the text?
| A．There’re many cars and buses on the road. | B．Pedestrians are careless. |
| C．Crosswalks are more crowded than before. | D．Drivers don’t give way. |
The report from NHTSA suggests that .
| A．fewer people were injured in crosswalks |
| B．crosswalk safety has greatly improved |
| C．much has been done to reduce traffic accidents |
| D．pedestrian deaths in crosswalks remain a serious problem |
Friend,
The recent success of children’s books has made the general public aware that there’s a huge market out there.
And there’s a growing need for new writers trained to create the $3 billion worth of children’s books bought each year …plus stories and articles needed by over 650 publishers of magazines for children and teenagers.
Who are these needed writers? They’re ordinary folks like you and me.
But am I good enough?
I was once where you might be now，My thoughts of writing had been pushed down by self-doubt, and I didn’t know where to turn for help.
Then, I accepted a free offer from the Institute to test my writing aptitude（潜能），and it turned out to be the inspiration I needed.
The promise that paid off
The Institute made the same promise to me that they will make to you, if you show basic writing ability:
You will complete at least one manuscript（手稿）suitable to hand in to a publisher by the time you finish our course.
I really didn’t expect any publication before I finished the course, but that happened. I sold three stories. And I soon discovered that was not unusual at the Institute.
Since graduation, I have authored 34 nationally published children’s books and over 300 stories and articles.
Free test and brochure
We offer a free aptitude test and will send you a copy of our brochure describing our recognized home-study courses on the basis of one-on-one training.
Realize you writing dream today. There’s nothing sadder than a dream delayed until it fades forever.
Sincerely,
Kristi
Kristi Holl, Instructor
Institute of Children’s LiteratureFrom the first three paragraphs, we learn that .
| A．children’s books are usually bestsellers |
| B．publishers are making $3 billion each year |
| C．magazines for teenagers have drawn public attention |
| D．there is a growing need for writers of children’s books |
When finishing the course, you are promised to .
| A．be a successful publisher | B．become a confident editor |
| C．finish one work suitable for publication | D．get one story or article published |
Kristi Holl mentions her experience mainly to .
| A．prove she is a good instructor | B．promote the writing program |
| C．give advice on course preparation | D．show she sold more stories than articles |