Scientists are learning new things about Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth. For example, the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking. A new study found that summer ice loss in parts of Antarctica was at its highest level in 1,000 years. The study showed that Antarctic ice was melting mostly from below ice shelves, where the water is warmer than the ice.
Eric Rignot is an earth system expert at the University of California, Irvine. He also works for the American space agency, NASA. There he serves as senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also in California. He says ice melting from below is responsible for 55 percent of the shelf loss from 2003 to 2008. That is a much higher rate than scientists thought earlier.
Professor Rignot and his team used satellite observations, radar and computer models to measure features above the ice to learn what was going on below.
The measurements show differences from one area to the next around the continent. The major ice shelves are called Ross, Filchner and Ronne. They make up two-thirds of Antarctica’s ice shelves. But they are responsible for only 15 percent of the melting ice.
The professor says even small changes, like changes in ocean flow driven by wind, can make a huge difference in the melting of the ice shelf.
Sixty percent of the Earth’s fresh water is held in the huge Antarctic ice sheet. Professor Rignot says the study will help experts predict how the continent reacts to warmer ocean waters and helps to cause rising sea levels around the world. The study was published in the journal Science.What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking |
| B．the coldest place on earth |
| C．the major Antarctica’s ice shelves |
| D．the Atlantic Ocean are changing |
How did Eric Rignot and his team do the research?
| A．He serves as senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
| B．They used satellite observations, radar and computer models to know the things happening below the ice. |
| C．Small changes, like changes in ocean flow driven by wind, can make a huge difference in the melting of the ice shelf. |
| D．They melted 55% of the Antarctica’s ice to prove their theory is right. |
Which is true of the following statements?
| A．Ice melting from below is responsible for 35 percent of the shelf loss from 2003 to 2008. |
| B．The major ice shelves are called Ross, Filchner and Ronne, which make up one-third of Antarctica’s ice shelves. |
| C．Sixty percent of the Earth’s fresh water is contained in the huge Antarctic ice sheet. |
| D．Summer ice loss in Antarctica was at its highest level in 1,000 years. |
Every autumn, as families across the United States get ready to send their kids to college, the economics of higher education receive renewed attention. College is expensive and becoming more so in the U. S. The situation raises two questions: Why does it cost so much, and how can students and their families afford it?
Several studies published in the past few weeks reflect on these questions. The findings provide comfort to poor families.
First, it appears that only the minority actually pay the "high price". A study by the US Education Department's National Center for Education Statistics found that 55 percent of college students last year received some forms of help--scholarships, loans(贷款)or jobs.
Other factors are also at work. The government has increased the size of its grants (补助金)to lower-income students. Grants, unlike loans, don't have to he repaid and are awarded only to college students who have not earned a bachelor's or professional degree.
At the same time, most colleges are spending more on undergraduate education than they are collecting in tuition fees. A study, which is part of the Williams College Project on the Economics of Higher Education, reaches the conclusion that on average colleges “subsidize (赞助)” their students. The results of these studies, however, leave unanswered the questions of whether educational costs are higher than they need to be. Some experts argue that much of the college cost results from educational competition for fame, students and facilities.
This puts upward pressure on tuition, hut many colleges feel that good fame will enable them to attract students even if they charge them more.
Therefore, until something important changes in the marketplace, costs seem likely to continue rising. And American families will continue to beat down the doors of the high price "college in the end．From the fourth paragraph of the passage we can conclude that _______.
| A．American families earn only a little money every year |
| B．American families pay little attention to education |
| C．American students often have to stop their studies |
| D．American colleges have different ways to help poor students |
In the writer's opinion, for students from lower-income families, the best way is ________.
| A．to find a good job and make money |
| B．to borrow money from the banks |
| C．to ask for grants |
| D．to borrow money from friends |
It can be inferred that in America _______.
| A．famous colleges only accept rich students. |
| B．famous colleges charge their students more money |
| C．the government spends little money on education |
| D．families often break the doors of colleges |
The writer of this passage seems to hold the opinion that _______.
| A．college fees rise too fast for poor families. |
| B．poor people should borrow money from banks |
| C．poor people don’t need to send their children to college |
| D．colleges should get more money to improve themselves |
To Whom It May Concern:
My husband and I got married in 1965 and for the first ten years of our marriage I was very happy to stay home and raise our three children. Then four years ago, our youngest child went to school and I thought I might go back to work.
My husband was very supportive and helped me to make my decision. He emphasized all of the things I can do around the house, and said he thought I could be a great success in business.
After several weeks of job-hunting I found my present job, which is working for a small public relations firm. At first, my husband was very proud of me and would tell his friends , "My clever little wife can run that company she's working for."
But as his joking remark approached reality, my husband stopped talking to me about my job．I have received several promotions and pay increases , and I am now making more money than he is. I can buy my own clothes and a new car. Because of our combined incomes, my husband and I can do many things that we had always dreamed of doing , but we don't do these things because he is very unhappy.
We fight about little things and my husband is very critical of me in front of our friends. For the first time in our marriage, I think there is a possibility that our marriage may come to an end．
I love my husband very much, and I don't want him to feel inferior, but I also love my job．I think I can be a good wife and a working woman, but I don't know how .Can you give me some advice? Will I have to choose one or the other or can I keep both my husband and my new career?
Please help."Distressed"The letter was most probable written ________.
| A．in 1975 | B．around 1980 | C．four years ago | D．in 1965 |
Her husband ________ when she first found her present job．
| A．was very critical of her | B．felt disappointed |
| C．was proud of her | D．was happy but critical |
What does the underlined word "promotion" mean?
| A．scolding | B．criticism | C．prize | D．advancement |
As her income increased, ________.
| A．she found a gap emerged between her and her husband |
| B．she bought more clothes and a house |
| C．she did the many things she and her husband dreamed of |
| D．she felt very proud of herself |
The famous American gorilla(大猩猩) expert Diane Fossey had a completely new way to study gorillas — she pretended to be one of them. She copied their actions and way of life — eating plants and getting down on her hands and knees to walk the way a gorilla does. It was a new relationship.
Diane Fossey was murdered in Rwanda in 1985 and her story was made into the popular film Gorillas in the Mist. It was a long way from King Kong, which is about a gorilla as a monster (a frightening animal), and helped to show a new idea: the real monster is man, while the gorilla is to be admired.
Today there are thought to be around 48,000 lowland gorillas and maybe 400—450 mountain gorillas in the wild. From the Congo in West Africa, to Rwanda and Uganda further east, they are endangered by hunting and by the cutting down of their forest homes.
Some time ago, I found in my letterbox a little magazine from the World Wide Fund for Nature. It had two photos side by side. One was of a young gorilla. “This is a species of mammal(哺乳类动物),” said the words below it. “It is being destroyed by man. We must save it for our own good.” The other photo showed a human baby. The words also read, “This is a species of mammal,” but then went on: “It is the most destructive(破坏性的) on earth. We must retrain it for its own good.”The text mainly talks about _____.
| A．Diane Fossey |
| B．the gorillas in Rwanda |
| C．the protection of the gorillas |
| D．the film Gorillas in the Mist |
We can learn from the text that _____.
| A．Gorillas in the mist was based Fossey’s experiences |
| B．Lowland gorillas live longer than mountain gorillas |
| C．King Kong showed us that a gorilla is admirable |
| D．Diane Fossey was murdered by a gorilla |
What message can we get from the two photos in the magazine?
| A．Gorillas are man’s close friends. |
| B．Both man and the gorilla need to be saved. |
| C．Young gorillas are as lovely as human babies. |
| D．Man should live peacefully with the gorilla. |
Life in 2060
Let us suppose it is now about A.D. 2060. Let’s make believe (假装；虚构) it is about sixty years from now. Of course, things have changed and life is very different.
Voyages to the moon are being made every day. It is as easy to take a holiday on the moon today as it was for the people in 1960 to take a holiday in Europe. At a number of scenic spots on the moon, many hotels have been built. The hotels are air-conditioned, naturally. In order that everyone can enjoy the beautiful scenery on the moon, every room has at least one picture window. Everything imaginable is provided for entertainment (娱乐) of young and old.
What are people eating now? People are still eating food. They haven’t yet started to take on heir (继承) supply of energy directly as electrical current or as nuclear power. They may some day. But many foods now come in pill form, and the food that goes into the pill continues to come mainly from green plants.
Since there are several times as many people in the world today as there were a hundred years ago, most of our planet’s surface has to be filled. The deserts are irrigated with water and crops are no longer destroyed by pests. The harvest is always good.
Farming, of course, is very highly developed. Very few people have to work on the farm. It is possible to run the farm by just pushing a few buttons now and then.
People are now largely vegetarians (素食者). You see, as the number of people increases, the number of animal decreases. Therefore, the people have to be vegetarians and we are healthier both in our bodies and in our minds, and we know the causes and cure of disease and pain, and it is possible to get rid of diseases. No one has to be ill any more.
Such would be our life in 2060.
1. When was the passage written?
A. In about A.D. 2060.
B. In about 1960.
C. In about 2000.
D. In about 2004.
2. According to the passage, what will be on the moon in about A.D. 2060?
A. Many tourists.
B. Many other animals.
C. Many plants.
D. A sea.
3. What will people eat then according to the passage?
A. Biscuits in pill form.
B. Foods in pill form.
C. Foods in water form.
D. Foods in gas form.
4. The passage tells us that in 2060, ____ on the earth than now.
A. there are fewer population
B. there are more pests
C. there is less water
D. the crops are getting better
5. Why are people largely vegetarians in 2060?
A. Because they don’t eat meat.
B. Because doctors advise them not to eat meat.
C. Because the number of animals decreases.
D. Because all the animals have died of diseases.
Michael, a typical (典型的) American, stays home on workdays. He plugs into his personal computer terminal (接线端) in order to connect with the office. After work, he puts on his headphones, watches a movie on his home video recorder, or plays baseball on the computer. On many days, Michael doesn’t talk to any other human beings, and he doesn’t see any people except the ones on television. Michael is imaginary, but his lifestyle is very possible. The inventions of modern technology seem to be cutting us off from contact with our fellow human beings.
The world of business is one area in which technology is isolating (使隔离) us. Experts say, for example, that many people will soon be able to work at home. With access to a large central computer, employees such as office clerks, insurance agents, and accountants could do their jobs at display terminals in their own homes. They would never have to actually see the people they’re dealing with. In addition, the way employees are paid will change. Workers’ salaries will be automatically paid into their bank accounts(账户), making paper checks(支票)unnecessary. No workers will stand in line to receive their pay or cash their checks. Personal banking will change, too. Customers will deal with machines to put in or take out money from their accounts.
Another area that technology is changing is entertainment. Music, for instance, was once a group experience. People listened to music at concert halls or in small social gatherings. For many people now, however, music is an individual experience. Walking along the street or sitting in their living rooms, they wear headphones to build a wall of music around them. Movie entertainment is changing, too. Movies used to be social events. Now, fewer people are going out to see a movie. Many more are choosing to wait for a film to appear on television or are borrowing videotapes to watch at home. Instead of laughing with others, viewers watch movies in their own living rooms.
13. The sentence “Michael is imaginary, but his lifestyle is very possible” means ____ .
A .Michael is a person full of imagination and he can make his dreams come true
B. Michael is not a real person but probably the lifestyle does exist
C. Michael has ambitions but he cant make his dreams come true
D. Michael is a person full of imagination and his lifestyle is common nowadays
14. What will the author most probably discuss after the last paragraph?
A. Games and sports.
B. Personal banking.
C. Music and films.
D. International business.
15. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. We may no longer need to communicate with other human beings.
B. Modern technology seems to be separating human beings.
C. We may no longer need to work in the office.
D. Modern technology makes it possible for us to work and entertain ourselves at home.