Scientists in the United States have developed a method that may help to predict earthquakes earlier. They say it could give people who live in deadly earthquake areas enough warning to leave before an earthquake hits.
Currently, the most modem systems for predicting earthquakes find them only a short time before the event. Like most strong earthquakes , the one that hit Southwestern China in May was not identified early enough for people to flee the area. That earthquake killed more than 69,000 people, which rated eight point zero in intensity.
But scientists who study earthquakes are reporting that new technology could measure very small changes in the Earth's surface. Their report was published this month in Nature magazine.
Fenglin Niu is a seismologist in Rice University in Houston, Texas. He and his team performed experiments along California's San Andreas Fault, an area famous for its many earthquakes. The team placed highly sensitive electrical devices about one kilometer below ground in two different places. The devices were able to measure even small changes in air pressure on the Earth's surface. The scientist says such changes are caused when rocks push together, forcing air out of small cracks in the rock. When this happens, seismic waves travel faster than usual through the rock.
The experiment was performed near Parkfield，California. Two earthquakes hit the area in late 2005. The first took place on December 25. A smaller earthquake struck five days later. The scientists noted changes in the Earth's surface about ten hours before the first earthquake struck. That earthquake rated three in intensity. They then found similar changes taking place two hours before the other earthquake struck five days later.
If additional tests confirm the changes are linked to earthquakes ，the scientists believe that their equipment could be used for early warning systems. A system that provides a warning signal ten hours before a major earthquake could help move people from the area and save lives.
The scientists now hope they can find earthquakes with even greater intensity by placing their equipment deeper in the ground. What is the best title for the passage?
| A．A new way to help predict earthquakes |
| B．The earthquake in Southwestern China |
| C．A better understanding of earthquakes |
| D．Early warning systems of earthquakes |
If the new way works, ______ .
| A．fewer earthquakes will break out |
| B．rescue workers can save more buried people in ruins |
| C．a warning can be given at least ten days before the major earthquake |
| D．fewer people will be killed in an earthquake |
The devices can predict the earthquake by ______ .
| A．reaching the center of the earthquake |
| B．detecting the temperature changes in the Earth's crust |
| C．measuring changes in air pressure on the Earth's surface |
| D．recording sound waves under the ground |
We can infer that ______ .
| A．the equipment is perfect enough to be used in practice |
| B．it is unknown if greater earthquakes can be predicted by the equipment |
| C．the deeper the equipment is placed, the less accurate the measurement is |
| D．the equipment has helped save many lives in the earthquake in Sichuan in May |
The octopus’s（章鱼）reputation as a human-killer isn’t simply an exaggeration（夸张）—it is a total myth. The octopus can indeed be a deadly hunter, but only of its natural victims. Some shellfish（壳类动物）and an occasional sick or incautious fish have reason to be frightened of this multi-armed hunter, but a person is much too large to interest even the biggest octopus. Even the largest among octopi is much smaller than most people imagine. Far from being large enough to swallow a ship, as monster octopi in movies have been known to do, the largest octopus, found on the Pacific coast, weighs around 110 pounds and grows to no more than ten feet in width.
The hard, parrot-like beak（喙）of an octopus is not used for attacking deep-sea divers, but for cutting open shellfish. Indeed, the octopus possesses such a tiny throat that it cannot swallow large pieces of meat. Instead, it feeds by pouring digestive juices into its victims, and then sucking up the soupy remains. A shellfish that finds itself in the grasp of an octopus has only a short time to live. But human beings are perfectly safe. Still, people rarely care to go close enough to these careful creatures to get a good look at them.This passage is mainly about.
| A．the horrors of the octopus |
| B．the largest octopus in the world |
| C．octopi and their behavior |
| D．the octopus’s deadly hunting method |
It is implied but not stated in the passage that.
| A．people have unreasonable fears about the octopus |
| B．the octopus is not interested in human beings |
| C．the octopus is afraid of human beings |
| D．the octopus is a very cruel sea animal |
What does the underlined part “careful creatures” refer to in the last paragraph?
| A．Octopi. | B．Shellfish. | C．Fish. | D．The victims. |
The hard beak of the octopus is used for.
| A．attacking deep-sea divers | B．cutting up large pieces of meat |
| C．cutting open its victims | D．defending itself |
From the passage, we can conclude that.
| A．the octopus is not dangerous to man |
| B．people often fear creatures that are not dangerous to them |
| C．the octopus only hunts its natural victims |
| D．things described in movies are not to be believed |
One suicide and three attempted ones that left two seriously injured, all by middle school students in Shanghai last week, cast a gloom (忧郁) over an otherwise happy beginning of a new term there. The terrible things took place even as the Ministry of Education and China Central Television organized the first lesson on TV about personal safety for students last Monday, the first day of the new semester. Such things suggest that this first lesson is more than necessary. Not only should kids be taught how to protect themselves in times of emergency, they should also be made aware of the value of tile2 One student was prevented from killing himself from his school building. He said he just could not accept the fact of not being able to go tip to a higher grade with his classmates, and thus considered life meaningless. Another 12-year-old boy who jumped off a building to his death was said to have been a good student, and no one could say why he chose to end his life. Obviously, their inner worlds were seriously affected. But when they chose to take their own lives, their irresponsible choice was clearly the result of a lack of adequate understanding of the value of life.
The ancient sage Confucius (孔子) stressed that one must protect even one's hair and skin from being hurt. He meant that the sense of responsibility for one's parents was important as far as the value of life was concerned. When we talk about the enthusiasm of making contributions to our motherland, we are referring to values that constitute the nobler part of the meaning of life. The value of life should be far beyond the concern for personal interest.
Undoubtedly, those kids who chose to take their own lives were faced only with their own sadness that they could not overcome. If they had a little concern for their parents, for their parents' expectations of them or for their own potential contributions to this world in the future, they would not have gone that far. Difficulties or sufferings are supposed to help kids develop their sense of responsibility and thus help them better understand the value of life.
Too much attention and care from their parents and grandparents have made most of the only children self-centered. Many think it is natural that they deserve to be taken care of by others in whatever way they want. They expect to have their problems solved by their parents or someone else. With such a false sense, they fail to grasp the tough reality of life. They suffer from the illusion (幻觉) that their life should be nothing but plain sailing, Whenever the illusion is broken, they can hardly gather enough courage to face life as it is. So a hotline is indeed necessary to help those kids who find it hard to accept the tough reality of life. But parents and teachers also need to take lessons from the things. They need to know that life should not always be sugar-coated for kids; they should be made to taste the bitter side too as early as possible.From the passage we know that _________.
| A．four students took their lives in Shanghai last week |
| B．being unable to catch up with other classmates led to the 12-year-old boy killing himself |
| C．the importance of life lies in the sense of responsibility for parents |
| D．parents are supposed to tell the kids the bitter side of life as well as the sweet side |
What mainly causes those kids to take their own lives is that _________.
| A．they are worried that they may fall behind others in studies |
| B．they lack the respect for their parents |
| C．they may be physically healthy, but mentally unhealthy |
| D．their parents expect too much from them |
Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
| A．An irresponsible choice. | B．The value of life. |
| C．Weak-minded generation. | D．The reality of life. |
A boy and a girl were a couple of lovers. The girl liked feeling rain, so the boy was always holding the umbrella when it rained and most part of the umbrella was over the girl. Rain showered the boy every time but he said nothing except looked at the gift's face, which was full of silent satisfaction. He felt very happy, so did the girl.
One day they went out for a walk. They were walking hand in hand passing a building which was under construction. The girl jumped with excitement and said something. The boy seldom talked only feeling excited as she felt looking at her silently. When the girl was talking, a not big or small stone fell down from the building toward the girl's head! At that moment the boy took the girl in his arms so suddenly and so strongly that the girl let out a scream. He meant to protect the gift with his body. But the boy turned over to make his own body downward before they dropped on the ground. As a result, only the girl's hand was smashed by the stone and fractured.
The girl came back to earth and cried with pain, tears weeping up. She thought the saying that “The husband and the wife are birds in the same forest essentially, but when serious tragedy comes, they will fly separately” was really not wrong! With this, she straggled and stood up from. the boy's body keeping from the pains and slowly ran away without glancing at the boy.
At the time, the boy was calling the girl's name in a weak voice, his lips were already white. He took out his mobile phone and dialed the girl's number, but the girl didn't answer. He dialed again she didn't answer again. For several times, he gave up. But his fingers pressed something on the mobile. At that time, beside the boy, the blood spread slowly, his hand hung and the mobile phone lay in the blood, he had no strength to press the “SENT” key yet.
The next day, when the girl heard of the news that the boy was being rescued, she ran to the hospital without considering her anger. When she hurried to the hospital, the doctor had already declared his death; the cause of his death was that his lung had lost too much blood.
It was because, when the boy meant to protect the girl with his body he found that there was a steel stick under them, so he turned over to make it inset(="put" into) his own body.
The boy's mother passed the boy's mobile phone on to the gift.
The girl read the message that hadn't been sent: “Honey, I'm sorry, I still couldn't protect you and made you wound... “Upon this, the girl couldn't help crying...
Please treasure the one you love and believe his or her LOVE!The underlined word fractured here probably means ___________.
| A．shaken | B．broken | C．abandoned | D．touched |
The girl didn't want to answer the boy's' call because ____________.
| A．she didn't hear it | B．she was seriously hurt |
| C．she was angry with him | D．she had her phone broken |
Which of the following words may best describe the boy’s behavior?
| A．gentle and devoted | B．brave and handsome |
| C．rough and selfish | D．intelligent but silly |
From this passage we can conclude that .
| A．love is happy and love is pain |
| B．trust is important between lovers |
| C．one should express his love in time |
| D．one should love a person who is brave |
If your idea of a good time is to sleep in a hut, carry your own rubbish, and eat insects and wild animals, then ecotourism may be just for you. But is it also for people who want to fly over a rainforest sky before checking into a comfortable and expensive hotel in the middle of a national park? Whatever ecotourism is, it is hot--perhaps too hot for its own good.
The World Tourism Organization claims that the industry looked after 592 million travelers last year who spent $423 billion, and of all the types of tourism, ecotourism seems to be the fastest growing. By the broadest measure -- a trip with some sort of nature or wilderness element -- ecotourism already accounts for perhaps a third of these travelers. On a stricter definition favored by the Ecotourism Society, it is “responsible travel that preserves natural environments and keeps up the well-being of local people,” which accounts for no more than 5% of tourism.
Ideally, ecotourism helps both people and nature. Before the disastrous civil war, Rwanda’s Mountain Gorilla Project was one such model. Visits to the gorillas were limited, local guides ensured good behavior or on the part of the humans, and the high admission charge - $170 a day -- paid for salaries and presentation of the gorillas’ living areas. As this made the gorillas worth more alive than dead, poaching (偷猎) decreased. As another example, preservation Cooperation, Africa’s largest ecotour operator, uses only local labor, buys products 5om local farmers, and supports building projects: such as clinics and schools. This contribution to social advance is also good business sense. Projects from which local people benefit directly are less likely to be affected by poaching and theft.
Ecotourism’s biggest problem is labeling. Going on an eco-tour is no guarantee of good ecology. So far, only Australia has an official system to grade tour operators and tourist attractions on the basis of their “greenness”. Another issue is how eco-tourists damage the environment. Dolphin-feeding, for instance, is innocent and enjoyable, but after too many free meals, the dolphins forget how to catch their own dinners.
Keeping prices high is one way to limit enthusiasm. But measuring the effect of ecotourism on human environments is trickier. It is common, for villagers to see ecotourism as a source of new income. Hence, the very tourists who venture in search of traditional cultures end up breaking them up. As ecotourism becomes more popular, it will finally threaten the very things that are good for business.According to the passage, ecotourism may _________.
| A．harm its own purpose by becoming too popular |
| B．save the environment by becoming more popular |
| C．harm its own purpose by becoming less popular |
| D．save the environment by becoming less popular |
Within the tourism industry as a whole, ecotourism _____________.
| A．has no single, clear definition that would satisfy everybody |
| B．has expanded less rapidly than other types of tourism |
| C．claims that no comfortable hotels should be used by tourists |
| D．most often has a negative effect on local culture |
Rwanda’s Mountain Gorilla Project is a good example because ___________.
| A．tourists were free to visit the gorillas whenever they wanted to |
| B．local people’s attitudes toward animals were not affected |
| C．the gorillas were protected from both tourists and local people |
| D．the gorillas’ living area was modernized because of the high admission |
_________ most directly benefits the local community.
| A．Rwanda’s Mountain Gorilla Project | B．Preservation Corporation |
| C．Australia’s grading system | D．Dolphin-feeding |
It was the afternoon of December 24, the day before Christmas; and as the newest doctor in our office, I had to work. The only thing that brightened my day was the beautifully decorated Christmas tree in our waiting room and a gift sent to me by a fellow I was dating — a dozen long-stemmed red roses.
As I was cleaning my office, I was told a lady urgently needed to speak with me. As I stepped out, I noticed a young, tired-looking woman with a baby in her arms. Nervously, she explained that her husband — a prisoner in a nearby prison — was my next patient. She told me she wasn’t allowed to visit her husband in prison and that he had never seen his son. Her request was for me to let the boy’s father sit in the waiting room with her as long as possible before I called him for his appointment. Since my schedule wasn’t full, I agreed. After all, it was Christmas Eve.
A short time later, her husband arrived — with chains on his feet and hands, and two armed guards as bodyguards. The woman’s tired face lit up like our little Christmas tree when her husband took a seat beside her. I kept glancing out to watch them laugh, cry and share their child. After almost an hour, I called the prisoner back to my office. The patient seemed like a gentle and modest man. I wondered what he possibly could have done to be held under such conditions. I tried to make him as comfortable as possible.
At the end of the appointment, I wished him a Merry Christmas-a difficult thing to say to a man headed back to prison. He smiled and thanked me. He also said he felt saddened by the fact he hadn’t been able to get his wife anything for Christmas. On hearing this, I was inspired with a wonderful idea.
I’ll never forget the look on both their faces as the prisoner gave his wife the beautiful, long-stemmed roses. I’m not sure who experienced the most joy — the husband in giving, the wife in receiving, or myself in having the opportunity to share in this special moment.What can be inferred from the first paragraph?
| A．The writer was a newcomer to her office. |
| B．A fellow sent her a dozen red roses as Christmas present. |
| C．She was in low spirits because she had to work before Christmas. |
| D．She was at work with a light heart. |
The young woman came to the writer’s office for the purpose of .
| A．having her baby examined |
| B．giving her husband a chance to make his escape |
| C．having her husband examined |
| D．getting a chance for her family to get together |
The underlined part in paragraph 3 most probably means “”
| A．to be sent to hospital | B．to be separated from his family |
| C．to be comfortable | D．to become a prisoner |
What does the writer learn from the story?
| A．The wife experienced the most joy in receiving |
| B．An act of kindness can mean a lot |
| C．The prisoner was treated with mercy |
| D．Whoever breaks the law should be punished |