A new study warns that about thirty percent of the world's people may not have enough water by the year 2025.
A private American organization called Population Action International did the new study. It says more than three-hundred-thirty-five-million people lack enough water now. The people live in twenty-eight countries. Most of the countries are in Africa or the Middle East.
P-A-I researcher Robert Engelman says by the year 2025, about three-thousand-million people may lack water. At least 18 more countries are expected to have severe water problems. The demand for water keeps increasing. Yet the amount of water on Earth stays the same.
Mr. Engelman says the population in countries that lack water is growing faster than in other parts of the world. He says population growth in these countries will continue to increase.
The report says lack of water in the future may result in several problems. It may increase health problems. Lack of water often means drinking waters not safe. Mr. Engelman says there are problems all over the world because of diseases, such as cholera, which are carried in water. Lack of water may also result in more international conflict. Countries may have to compete for water in the future. Some countries now get sixty percent of their fresh water from other countries. This is true of Egypt, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Syria, Sudan, and Iraq. And the report says lack of water would affect the ability of developing to improve their economies. This is because new industries often need a large amount of water when they are beginning.
The Population Action International study gives several solutions to the water problem. One way, it says, is to find ways to use water for more than one purpose. Another way is to teach people to be careful not to waste water. A third way is to use less water of agriculture.
The report also says long-term solutions to the water problem must include controls on population growth. It says countries cannot provide clean water unless they slow population growth by limiting the number of children people have.
are expected to have severe water problems by the year 2025.
| A．46 countries | B．18 countries |
| C．28 countries | D．No countries |
All the following are true except .
| A．Lack of water may cause conflict between countries |
| B．New industries need a lot of water |
| C．There are solutions to the water problem |
| D．Egypt now has enough fresh water |
.What can be inferred from the passage? .
| A．There is connection between providing clean water and slowing population growth |
| B．Lack of water may also result from international conflict |
| C．The ability of developing has nothing to do with lack of water |
| D．It is not known whether diseases have something to do with lack of water |
The best title of the passage would be .
| A．World Conflict | B．World Water Shortage |
| C．Diseases and Water | D．Population and Water |
A computer virus is a program or piece of code that is loaded onto your computer without your knowledge and runs against your wishes. All computer viruses are manmade. Here are some virus prevention tips.
Do not open any files attached to an e-mail from an unknown, suspicious or untrustworthy source.
Do not open any files attached to an e-mail unless you know what it is, even if it appears to come from a dear friend or someone you know. Some viruses can replicate（复制） themselves and spread through e-mail. Better be safe that sorry and confirm that they really sent it .
Do not open any files attached to an e-mail if the subject line is questionable or unexpected. If the need to do so is there always save the file to your hard drive before doing so.
Delete chain e-mails and junk e-mail. Do not forward（转寄） or reply to any of them. These types of e-mail are considered spam（垃圾邮件）, which contains lots of annoying advertisements and useless information.
Do not download any files from strangers.
Be careful when downloading files from the Internet. Ensure that the source is a legitimate（合法的）and reputable one. Verify（证实）that an anti-virus program checks the files on the download site. If you are uncertain, don’t download the file at all or download the file to a floppy（软盘）and test it with your own anti-virus software.
Update your anti-virus software regularly. Over 500 viruses are discovered each month, so you’ll want to be protected. These updates should be at least the products virus signature files. You may also need to update the product’s scanning engine as well.
Back up（备份） your files on a regular basis. If a virus destroys your files, at least you can replace them with your backup copy. You should store your backup copy in a separate location from your work files, one that is preferably not on your computer.This passage mainly tells us .
| A．What a computer virus is |
| B．how to use e-mail safely |
| C．how to use computers safely |
| D．how to prevent computer viruses |
Which of the following statements about computer virus is TRUE?
| A．A computer virus is a kind of worm |
| B．Not all computer viruses are manmade |
| C．Computer viruses run according to our wishes |
| D．A computer virus is a program or piece of code. |
When we use e-mail, we should .
| A．open all the files we receive |
| B．open any file even if we don’t know what it is |
| C．not open any files if the subject line is questionable |
| D．forward or reply to junk e-mail. |
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
| A．We’d better not down load any files from strangers. |
| B．We’d better download files from a legitimate and reputable source. |
| C．We should update our anti-virus software regularly. |
| D．We should store our backup copy in the same location as our work files. |
The world economy has run into a brick wall. Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need to address a looming（逼近） hunger crisis in poor countries and a looming energy crisis worldwide, world leaders failed to think ahead. The result is a global food crisis. Wheat, corn and rice prices increases combined with soaring energy costs will slow if not stop economic growth in many parts of the world and will even undermine（破坏） political stability, as evidenced by the protest riots that have erupted in places like Haiti, Bangladesh and Burkina Faso. Practical solutions to these growing woes do exist, but we'll have to start thinking ahead and acting globally.
So, what should be done？Here are three steps to ease the current crisis and avert（防止, 避免） the potential for a global disaster. The first is to scale-up（按比例增加,扩大） the dramatic success of Malawi, a famine-prone（遭遇饥荒） country in southern Africa, which three years ago established a special fund to help its farmers get fertilizer and high-yield seeds. Malawi's harvest doubled after just one year. An international fund based on the Malawi model would cost a mere $10 per person annually in the rich world, or $10 billion in all.
Second, the U.S. and Europe should abandon their policies of subsidizing（给补助金） the conversion of food into biofuels（生物燃料）.
Third, we urgently need to weatherproof（使防风雨） the world's crops as soon and as effectively as possible. For a poor farmer, sometimes something as simple as a farm pond--which collects rainwater to be used for emergency irrigation in a dry spell--can make the difference between a bountiful crop and a famine. The world has already committed to establishing a Climate Adaptation Fund to help poor regions climate-proof vital economic activities such as food production and health care but has not yet acted upon the promise.
The food crisis provides not only a warning but also an opportunity. We need to invest vastly more in sustainable development in order to achieve true global security and economic growth.Which of the following is the best title?
| A．How to end the global food shortage |
| B．How to end the global disaster |
| C．How to help the farmers in the poor countries |
| D．How to subsidize the farmers to increase food products |
The word “woes” in paragraph one is most likely to mean .
| A．hunger | B．things | C．matters | D．disasters |
What does the author think of the global food shortage?
| A．people in the world can do nothing. |
| B．The global food crisis will continue. |
| C．The food crisis provides not only a warning but also an opportunity. |
| D．We don’ know. |
What measures should be taken to ease the current crisis and avert the potential for a global disaster?
| A．to scale-up the dramatic success of Malawi |
| B．the U.S. and Europe should abandon their policies of subsidizing the conversion of food into biofuels |
| C．to prevent the world's crops from being destroyed by weather as soon and as effectively as possible. |
| D．All above . |
The story goes that some time ago, a man punished his 3-year-old daughter for wasting a roll of gold wrapping paper. Money was tight and he became infuriated(愤怒的) when the child tried to decorate a box to put under the Christmas tree. Nevertheless, the little girl brought the gift to her father the next morning and said, "This is for you, Daddy."
The man was embarrassed by his earlier overreaction, but his anger flared again when he found out the box was empty. He yelled at her, stating, "Don't you know, when you give someone a present, there is supposed to be something inside? The little girl looked up at him with tears in her eyes and cried, "Oh, Daddy, it's not empty at all. I blew kisses into the box. They're all for you, Daddy."
The father was crushed. He put his arms around his little girl, and he begged for her forgiveness.
Only a short time later, an accident took the life of the child. It is also told that her father kept that gold box by his bed for many years and, whenever he was discouraged, he would take out an imaginary kiss and remember the love of the child who had put it there.
In a very real sense, each one of us, as humans beings, have been given a gold container filled with unconditional love and kisses from our children, family members, friends, and God. There is simply no other possession, anyone could hold, more precious than this. The 3-year-old girl was punished by her father for ________.
| A．wasting gold | B．wasting wrapping paper |
| C．putting the box under the Christmas tree | D．bringing the gift to her father |
What’s inside the box according to the little girl?
| A．nothing | B．air |
| C．kisses | D．gold wrapping paper |
The father remembered the love of his daughter by ________.
| A．kissing the gold box. | B．putting gold into the box. |
| C．taking out an imaginary kiss from the box. | D．keeping the little girl’s ash box by his bed. |
Choose the best title for the passage.
| A．The kisses in the box. | B．A girl and his father |
| C． A love story | D．The box under the Christmas tree. |
Besides entertainment and beautiful lanterns, another important part of the Lantern Festival, or Yuanxiao Festival is eating small dumpling balls made of glutinous rice flour. We call these balls Yuanxiao or Tangyuan. Obviously, they get the name from the festival itself. It is said that the custom of eating Yuanxiao originated during the Eastern Jin Dynasty in the fourth century, then became popular during the Tang and Song periods.
The fillings inside the dumplings or Yuansiao are either sweet or salty. Sweet fillings are made of sugar, Walnuts, sesame（芝麻）, osmanthus flowers(桂花), rose petals, sweetened tangerine（橘子）peel, bean paste, or jujube paste（枣子酱）. A single ingredient or any combination can be used as the filling . The salty variety is filled with minced meat（肉末儿）, vegetables or a mixture.
The way to make Yuanxiao also varies between northern and southern China. The usual method followed in southern provinces is to shape the dough of rice flour into balls, make a hole, insert the filling, then close the hole and smooth out the dumpling by rolling it between your hands. In North China, sweet or nutmeat stuffing is the usual ingredient. The fillings are pressed into hardened cores, dipped lightly in water and rolled in a flat basket containing dry glutinous rice flour. A layer of the flour sticks to the filling, which is then again dipped in water and rolled a second time in the rice flour. And so it goes, like rolling a snowball, until the dumpling is the desired size.
The custom of eating Yuanxiao dumplings remains. This tradition encourages both old and new stores to promote their Yuanxiao products. They all try their best to improve the taste and quality of the dumplings to attract more customers.Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The custom of eating Yuanxiao dates back to the fourth century. |
| B．Sugar, rose petals and minced meat are all fillings of Yuanxiao. |
| C．Sweet Yuanxiao are usually made in southern China. |
| D．People in northern China usually make Yuanxiao by rolling like a snowball. |
Which country does the Lantern Festival come from?
| A．China | B．South Korea | C．Jin Dynasty | D．Tang and Song periods. |
Choose the right order of making Tangyuan in southern provinces.
① make a hole and insert the filling
② roll the dough between your hands
③ shape the dough of rice flour into balls
④ close the hole
⑤ prepare some rice flour
| A．⑤③②①④ | B．③⑤①②④ | C．③①④②⑤ | D．⑤③①④② |
What is the best title of this passage?
| A．The Lantern Festival | B．The ingredients of Yuanxiao |
| C．The difference between Yuanxiao and Tangyuan. | D．China’s traditional food—Yuanxiao. |
Why do we eat Yuanxiao today?
| A．Because it’s a tradition. |
| B．Because it’s a tasty food. |
| C．Because we love our country. |
| D．Because this food can make money. |
China's government has issued a severe weather warning after the heaviest snowfalls in decades. The country is experiencing transport delays and power cuts as millions of people prepare to make long journeys home for the Chinese New Year. This report from Quentin Summerville: China hasn't experienced weather this bad in decades. And as the country prepares for Chinese New Year, the disruption couldn't come at a worse time. Over 100,000 people are stranded(搁浅) in Guangzhou railway station in the south. It may climb to as many as 600,000 as more people arrive to make their journeys home for the Spring Festival. Travellers have been evacuated to nearby sports stadiums and exhibition centres.
Across China around nineteen airports have shut because of the weather. Around half the provinces in the country have had to start rationing power(定量供电), according to the state media. The government has suspended（暂停） coal exports in favour of home consumption. At least a dozen people died over the weekend because of heavy rains and the snowfall.
The Spring Festival is China's most important holiday when people journey home to be with their families. For millions of the country's migrant workers it's their only holiday. Some two billion journeys were made during the festival last year, making it the largest migration of people on the planet. And even without the severe weather, conditions on overcrowded trains and buses are terrible. The holiday stretches China's transport system to its very limitsChoose the best title for this passage.
| A．Heavy snow hits China |
| B．Chinese New Year in snow |
| C．China’s terrible translation system. |
| D．An accident |
Which is not true according to the passage?
| A．The heavy snow is the worst disaster in decades in China. |
| B．No other cities in the world have more travellers in festivals than in China. |
| C．The government doesn’t care for people’s life in disaster areas. |
| D．The country’s migrant workers have more than one holidays to celebrate, according to the passage |