In 1985, a lionfish was caught off the coast of Florida. Now they can be found not only in the Atlantic Ocean but also in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea. And they are continuing to move south. Lionfish are native to the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. So how did they end up in the Atlantic? Scientists believe some pet owners abandoned their unwanted lionfish and poured them into the sea. Little did they know the trouble their actions would cause.
The Atlantic Ocean turned out to be a comfortable home for lionfish. Their venomous spines (毒刺) protect them from sharks and other fish. Female lionfish can spawn (产卵) every few days, producing as many as 2 million eggs per year. Other big fish would have competed with lionfish for food. Bet overfishing has removed many of these large fish. As a result, the fish have eaten so much that they have grown to be more then three times the size of their cousins in the Pacific and Indian Oceans. “They eat mostly fish,” says Stephanie Green, a scientist at Oregon State University.
All that eating has caused great changes. Scientists have found that when lionfish are present somewhere, many other fish, which are small enough for them to eat, disappear. Some of the fish they eat are greatly missed in their habitats. For example, parrotfish eat certain plants off corals(珊瑚), which allows corals to grow better. But they are now disappearing due to lionfish.
Scientists say lionfish are here to stay. But there are ways to deal with the problem. The key, says Green, is to keep lionfish numbers in check. In Florida, drivers can now go though a special training program and get certified(授予合格证书) to catch lionfish in areas where fishing is not usually allowed. And a number of restaurants have added the fish to the menu. “It’s going to be a long-term battle, but the missing sea species will come back someday,” says Green.What can we learn about lionfish?
| A．Its population is growing very quickly. |
| B．All of them are almost the same size. |
| C．They eat other big fish and even sharks |
| D．Most of them have gathered in the Atlantic. |
Parrotfish were mentioned to show lionfish’s _____.
| A．loneliness | B．carelessness |
| C．weakness | D．harmfulness |
What is Stephanie Green’s attitude to the battle against lionfish?
| A．She doubts it. |
| B．She is hopeful of it. |
| C．She is worried about it. |
| D．She thinks it is against the law. |
The way people hold to the belief that a fun-filled, and pain-free life equals happiness actually reduces their chances of ever attaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equal to happiness then pain must be equal to unhappiness. But in fact, the opposite is true: more often than not things that lead to happiness involve some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very attempts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably(不可避免的) brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment (义务), self - improvement.
Ask a bachelor(单身汉) why he resists marriage even though he finds dating to be less and less satisfying. If he is honest he will tell you that he is afraid of making a commitment. For commitment is in fact quite painful. The single life is filled with fun, adventure, excitement. Marriage has such moments, but they are not its most distinguishing features.
Couples with infant children are lucky to get a whole night’s sleep or a three - day vacation. I don’t know any parent who would choose the word fun to describe raising children. But couples who decide not to have children never know the joys of watching a child grow up or of playing with a grandchild.
Understanding and accepting that true happiness has nothing to do with fun is one of the most liberating realizations. It liberates time: now we can devote more hours to activities that can genuinely increase our happiness. It liberates （解放）money: buying that new car or those fancy clothes that will do nothing to increase our happiness now seems pointless. And it liberates us from envy: we now understand that all those who are always having so much fun actually may not be happy at all.According to the author, a bachelor resists marriage chiefly because _______ .
| A．he is reluctant to take on family responsibilities |
| B．he believes that life will be more cheerful if he remains single |
| C．he finds more fun in dating than in marriage |
| D．he fears it will put an end to all his fun adventure and excitement |
From the last paragraph, we learn that envy sometimes stems from ________ .
| A．hatred | B．misunderstanding | C．prejudice | D．ignorance |
What is the author trying to tell us?
| A．Happiness often goes hand in hand with pain. |
| B．One must know how to attain happiness. |
| C．It is important to make commitments. |
| D．It is pain that leads to happiness. |
When a rare disease ALD threatened to kill the four-year-old boy Lorenzo, his parents refused to give up hope. Doctors explained that there was no cure for ALD, and that he would probably die within three years. But Lorenzo’s parents set out to prove the doctors wrong.
The parents devoted themselves to keeping their son alive and searching for a cure. But doctors and the families of other ALD patients often refused to take them seriously. They thought the efforts to find a cure were a waste of time, and drug companies weren’t interested in supporting research into such a rare disease.
However, the parents still refused to give up and spent every available hour in medical libraries and talking to anyone who would help. Through trial and error, they finally created a cure from ingredients (调料) commonly found in the kitchen. The cure, named "Lorenzo’s Oil", saved the boy’s life. Despite the good results, scientists and doctors remained unconvinced. They said there was no real evidence that the oil worked and that the treatment was just a theory. As a result, some families with ALD children were reluctant to try it.
Finally, the boy’s father organized an international study to test the oil. After ten years of trials, the answer is: the oil keeps ALD children healthy.Doctors said that Lorenzo might die within three years because_____ .
| A．they had never treated the disease before |
| B．Lorenzo was too young to be cured |
| C．no cure had been found for ALD |
| D．ALD was a rare disease |
The families of other ALD patients thought that _____ .
| A．the research for the new cure would cost too much money |
| B．the efforts of Lorenzo’s parents were a waste of time |
| C．Lorenzo’s parents would succeed in finding a cure |
| D．Lorenzo’s oil was a real cure for ALD |
Scientists and doctors believed that Lorenzo’s Oil_____.
| A．was really effective | B．was a success story |
| C．only worked in theory | D．would save the boy’s life |
From the passage we can conclude that_____.
| A．doctors remain doubtful of the effectiveness of the cure |
| B．many ALD patients still refuse to use the oil |
| C．various cures have been found for ALD |
| D．the oil really works as a cure for ALD |
Do you know how to use a mobile phone without being rude to the people around you?
Talking during a performance irritates (激怒) people. If you are expecting an emergency call, sit near the exit doors and set your phone to vibrate (振动). When your mobile phone vibrates, you can leave quietly and let the others enjoy the performance.
Think twice before using mobile phones in elevators, museums, churches or other indoor public places—especially enclosed spaces. Would you want to listen to someone’s conversation in these places? Worse yet, how would you feel if a mobile phone rang suddenly during a funeral! It happens more often than you think. Avoid these embarrassing situations by making sure your mobile phone is switched off.
When eating at a restaurant with friends, don’t place your mobile phone on the table. This conveys the message that your phone calls are more important than those around you.
Mobile phones have sensitive microphones that allow you to speak at the volume you would on a regular phone. This enables you to speak quietly so that others won’t hear the details of your conversations. If you are calling from a noisy area, use your hand to direct your voice into the microphone.
Many people believe that they can’t live without their mobile phone. Owning a mobile phone definitely makes life more convenient, but limit your conversations to urgent ones and save the personal calls until you are at home.What should you do when you need to answer a phone call during a performance?
| A．Call back after the performance. | B．Answer it near the exit door. |
| C．Talk outside the exit door. | D．Speak in a low voice. |
Putting your mobile phone on a restaurant table may make your friends think_____.
| A．you prefer to talk to your friends at the table |
| B．you value your calls more than your friends |
| C．you are enjoying the company of your friends |
| D．you are polite and considerate of your friends |
When you are calling in a noisy area, you are advised to _____.
| A．use a more sensitive microphone |
| B．shout loudly into your microphone |
| C．go away quietly to continue the phone call |
| D．use your hand to help speak into the phone |
The author implies that the use of mobile phones in such places as museums should be_____.
| A．limited | B．expected | C．encouraged | D．recommended |
Advertising gives useful information about which products to buy. But modern advertising does more than gives news about products and services. Today’s advertisements, or ads, try to get consumers to buy certain brands. Writers of advertising are so skillful that they can, sometimes persuade a consumer to wear a certain kind of clothing, eat a special kind of cereal, or see a movie. Consumers might never even want a product if they did not see or hear advertisements for it.
For example, you probab1y do not need the newest cereal in the supermarket. There are probably many cereal brands on your kitchen shelves. You may not have space on a shelf for another. But if you see ads about a new cereal that is your extra-tasty and has a free prize in the box, you may want it.
Advertising must get attention. To be effective, it must be exciting, entertaining, or provide some pleasure. The secret of writing good advertising copy is to offer a good idea as well as a product. The idea is what the ad is really selling. One example is an ad that says eating a certain cereal will make a person do well in sports. That cereal brand may sell better if consumers think it offers strength and energy.What is discussed in this passage?
| A．The content of modern advertising. |
| B．The skills of modern advertising. |
| C．The results of modern advertising. |
| D．The writing of modern advertising. |
According to the passage, a good advertisement should ____________.
| A．be both persuasive and effective |
| B．give people useful information |
| C．show people a product |
| D．show people a new idea of a product |
From the passage, we know that___________________ .
| A．modern advertising has less effect on customers |
| B．once customers see ads about a new cerea1, they are sure to buy it |
| C．cereal can make people strong |
| D．cereal is a kind of food which is popular among people |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Customers can easily be persuaded by advertisements. |
| B．Customers should be persuaded by advertisements. |
| C．It’s impossible for customers to buy a product without advertisements. |
| D．Customers buy products according to their demands rather than the advertisements. |
Many people don't realize the importance of music education in the schools today．A new study showed, however, music education is extremely important．
In college, music education is one of the largest programs．Teachers have to learn general education materials and techniques． They must learn to play every instrument; they must learn music history and music theory; they must learn instrument repair and teaching methods; they must learn conducting and so much more．At the same time, much of our culture and tradition is absorbed in music．
Music plays a very important role in our education．
Music helps with math and science． Students learn to count, and how to multiply and divide．Students also use science to help them discover what sounds good together and what doesn't．Students also need science to understand something called the “overtone series", which is about how music is produced by vibration（颤动）and why．
Students learn a lot about languages through music．Many songs are written in other languages, including ancient ones．Students must learn to translate these works to understand what they are singing about． A song is likely to be a famous short work set to music; so students are exposed to that very often while singing．
Students learn a huge amount of cooperation （协作）of body parts through music, so parts of the body can work better together．Students must use motor（肌肉运动的）skills in order to play an instrument．Singers and wind（管乐器）players must learn breath control and be in good shape to play．
Students learn about art． Some famous pieces were written about important pieces of art, and students learn about the artists and styles as they're playing the music．
Music education also brings higher thinking to our children．It allows them to think about complex patterns．Students have to be aware of what every other musician does at every time．In that way, it develops cooperation, as well．They tend to develop more ability for learning．
As one can see, music is very important to education．According to the passage, learning music in college will be quite．
| A．easy | B．stressful | C．attractive | D．useless |
As to the benefits from music, which of the following is NOT included in the passage?
| A．Calculation． | B．Language study． |
| C．Relaxation． | D．Cooperation of body parts． |
The underlined word "that" in Para．5 refers to“ "．
| A．the music | B．the language |
| C．the culture | D．the work |
What can we know from the passage?
| A．Science and music are extreme poles． |
| B．Only the wisest person can learn music well． |
| C．Music is good to our all-round development． |
| D．All of us know the importance of music clearly． |