The weather predictions for Asia in 2050 read like a story from a doomsday movie．
Many experts and green groups fear they will come true unless there is a united global effort to hold back greenhouse gas outpouring．In the decades to come, Asia—home to more than half the world's 63 billion people—will change from one climate extreme to another, with tired farmers battling droughts, floods, disease, food shortages and rising sea levels．
"It's not a pretty picture," said Steve Sawyer, climate policy adviser with Greenpeace in Amsterdam．Global warming and changes of weather patterns are already occurring and there is more than enough carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere to drive climate change for decades to come．
Already, changes are being felt in Asia but worse is likely to come．Sawyer and top climate bodies say, and could lead to mass migration and widespread human disasters．According to predictions, icebergs will melt faster, some Pacific and Indian Ocean islands will have to evacuate or build sea defenses, storms will become stronger and insects and water-borne diseases will move into new areas as the world warms．
All this comes on top of rising populations and demand for food, water and other resources．Experts say environmental worsening such as deforestation and pollution will likely enlarge the results of climate change．
In what could be a sign of the future, Japan was hit by a record of 10 typhoons and tropical storms this year, while two - thirds of Bangladesh, parts of Nepal and large areas of northeastern India were flooded, affecting 50 million people, destroying livelihoods and making tens of thousands ill．
The year before, a winter cold strike and a summer heat wave killed more than 2,000 people in India．This passage is mainly about ____ ．
| A．present situation and predictions of environmental problems in Asia. |
| B．the weather predictions for Asia in the future and the reasons |
| C．how to improve our environment |
| D．reasons why the world will no longer be suitable for us to live in |
In the future the Asian farmers will have to face the following except ____ ．
| A．food shortages | B．wars |
| C．droughts | D．floods |
The underlined word "doomsday" in the first paragraph may mean____ ．
| A．the hell | B．the end of the world |
| C．a great world war | D．mystery |
Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Asian climate will change greatly． |
| B．Some islands may be flooded in the future． |
| C．People may meet with some new diseases resulting from water． |
| D．More than 50 million people have been ill in Asia the year before． |
Today’s teens have a knowledge of the Internet that often surpasses that of their parents. Because so many teens are Internet savvy, it is important that they also have an understanding of the dangers that exist online and how to deal with them. Watch teens share their own "Real-Life Stories" about issues affecting them on the Internet such as cyberbullying (网络欺凌), online enticement, and giving out too much personal information. 
The ad is intended for ___________.
| A．kids loving to play games online |
| B．only victims of Internet use |
| C．kids and their parents who want to learn about the safety online |
| D．pre-school students who know little about Internet |
If you visit the website, you can ________.
| A．share your friends "Real-life Stories about issues affecting them on the Internet |
| B．have an understanding of the dangers that exist online and how to deal with them |
| C．say and do terrible things to each other online |
| D．ask for help when you have difficulty with your study |
If you visit www.cybertipline.com, you can __________.
| A．contact your local law enforcement |
| B．search our knowledge base for answers to all of your questions about the online world |
| C．report any incident of Internet use |
| D．help your siblings learn how to avoid the dangers that exist on the Internet. |
Which of the following stories you can share on the Real-Life Stories?
| A．Teen murdered by man she met in chat room. |
| B．Problem of losing weight. |
| C．Left home alone. |
| D．Hurt by second hand smoke in the Internet cafe. |
For a commuter rushing to catch a train, a minute can mean the difference between dinner with the family and leftovers (剩饭) in the microwave. What most passengers don’t realize is that their minute is already there.
Every commuter train that departs from New York City — about 900 a day — leaves a minute later than scheduled. If the timetable says 8:14, the train will actually leave at 8:15. In other words, if you think you have only a minute to get that train — well, relax. You have two.
The courtesy (礼貌) minute, in place for decades and published only in private timetables for employees, is meant as a grace period（宽限期）for those who need the extra time to get off the platform and onto the train.
“If everyone knows they get an extra minute, they’re going to waste time doing unimportant things,” explained Marjorie Anders, a spokeswoman for the Metro-North Railroad. Told of this article, Ms. Anders laughed. “Don’t blow our cover!” she said.
Entirely hidden from the riding public, the secret minute is an odd departure from the railroad culture of down-to-the-second accuracy. The railroad industry helped invent the concept of standard time, and time zones were established in the United States in the 1880s, 35 years before they were written into law. And most commuters know their train by the precise minute it departs. The trains quickly make up the minute: at all other stops, the public timetable prevails. The phantom minute does not exist at commuter railroads in Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, or San Francisco. But in New York, the secret minute dates back decades.
“That’s been done forever, from my knowledge,” said Jack Swanberg, 70, an unofficial historian of Metro-North. “I was the trainmaster starting in 1970 and I’m sure it’s been the case since 1870 for all I know.”The courtesy minute was hidden from the public to _____.
| A．prevent the passengers’ idleness | B．help invent the concept of standard time |
| C．show the railroad company’s consideration | D．follow the ancient tradition of New York City |
The underlined part “Don’t blow our cover” in Para. 4 probably means “_____”.
| A．Don’t publish the timetable | B．Don’t blame commuter trains |
| C．Don’t make it known by the public | D．Don’t forget our chances of catching trains |
What can we conclude from the passage?
| A．The courtesy minute exists in many cities in the US. |
| B．One minute means a lot for most of the commuters. |
| C．The courtesy minute has been in place for about ten years. |
| D．Most railroad staff in New York have no idea of the courtesy minute. |
The passage mainly talks about _____.
| A．the railroads in the US | B．the secret New York minute |
| C．the mistake of the railroad industry | D．the history of New York commuter trains |
The area south of the Thames at Greenwich has a long history. Throughout time different buildings have been constructed on the same site. The Palace of Placentia, an English Royal Palace built in 1447, no longer exists apart from a few remains under the present buildings.
The grand buildings on the South Bank of the Thames at Greenwich were designed by Sir Christopher Wren, most famous for St. Paul’s Cathedral. The buildings were finally completed in 1745, although some parts started to be used as early as 1705. They’re now part of a university — having served as a naval（海军）hospital and a naval college and the setting for several cinemas.
But the buildings stand on a site which has a much longer history, of which now only a part remains that is below the ground. For nearly two hundred years, from around 1450 to 1650, Greenwich was one of the main royal palaces of England. Some of the most famous English rulers, such as Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, not only lived there, but also were born there.
Henry VIII put an armory（兵工厂）there, and there were also gardens, a great fountain (喷泉) and a mass of buildings. The Palace was also in a strategic location, because at the time either side of Greenwich on the Thames were important Royal Dockyards (船厂).
Eventually, though, the Palace fell into disrepair. In 1664, the King at the time, Charles II, decided to replace it with completely new buildings in a modern style. Only a cellar (地窖) from the former Royal Palace now remains, under one of the new buildings. Its red brick, typical of the 16th century, contrasts (对比) sharply with the white stone above it.
Would you like to join us to have a good view of Greenwich?We can learn from the passage that the Palace of Placentia _____.
| A．had served as a university | B．was constructed with white stones |
| C．was designed by Christopher Wren | D．was of particular importance in a war |
The buildings on the South Bank of the Thames at Greenwich now _____.
| A．are in need of repair | B．differ from those in the 16th century |
| C．were designed in the style of Elizabeth I | D．have a history of more than half a century |
According to the passage, when did the Palace of Placentia disappear from the ground?
| A．In the late 1400s. | B．In the early 1600s. |
| C．In the late 1600s. | D．In the early 1700s. |
Where can we most probably read this passage?
| A．In a science report. | B．In a personal diary. |
| C．In a geography textbook. | D．In a travel magazine. |
I recall my mother’s voice which called me to order, and often ended with some strong proverb to express the gravity of the wrong done. It was common practice for my mother to send me off soul-searching with a proverb.
Of the many interactions I had with my mother those many years ago, one stands out with clarity. I remember the occasion when Mother sent me to the main road, about twenty yards away from the farmhouse, to invite a passing group of seasonal work-seekers home for a meal. She instructed me to take a container along and collect dry cow dung (牛粪) for making a fire. I was then to prepare the meal for the group of work-seekers.
The thought of making an open fire outside at midday, cooking in a large three-legged pot in that high heat, was enough to upset even an angel. I did not manage to hide my feelings from my mother, and after serving the group, she called me to the balcony, where she usually sat to attend to her sewing (缝纫).
Looking straight into my eyes, she said, “Tsholofelo, why were you so unhappy when I requested you to prepare a meal for those poor people?” Despite my attempt to deny her allegation (断言), and using the heat of the fire and the sun as an excuse for my alleged behavior, Mother, giving me a firm look, said, “A foot has no nose.” It means, “You can’t detect what trouble may lie ahead of you.” Had I denied the group of people a meal, it may have happened that, in my travels some time in the future, I found myself at the mercy of those very individuals. As if that was not enough to shame me, Mother continued, “A person is a person because of another person.”We learn from the passage that Tsholofelo’s mother often _____.
| A．quoted proverbs when she was talking with others |
| B．asked Tsholofelo to read more proverbs |
| C．collected proverbs in her spare time |
| D．used proverbs to teach Tsholofelo |
What was Tsholofelo’s attitude towards the meal?
| A．Unwilling. | B．Interested. | C．Critical. | D．Unconcerned. |
The atmosphere on the balcony was probably _____.
| A．very strange | B．a bit tense | C．quite lively | D．pretty relaxed |
According to the passage, Tsholofelo’s mother seemed to hope Tsholofelo could be _____.
| A．flexible and creative | B．sincere and honest |
| C．active and confident | D．sympathetic and helpful |
Everybody hates it, but everybody does it. A recent report said that 40％of Americans hate tipping. In America alone, tipping is a $16 billion-a-year industry. Consumers acting politely ought not to pay more than they have to for a given service. Tips should not exist. So why do they? The common opinion in the past was that tips both rewarded the efforts of good service and reduced uncomfortable feelings of inequality. And also, tipping makes for closer relations. It went without saying that the better the service, the bigger the tip.
But according to new research from Cornell University, tips no longer serve any useful function. The paper analyzes numbers they got from 2,547 groups dining at 20 different restaurants. The connection between larger tips and better service was very weak. Only a tiny part of the size of the tip had anything to do with the quality of service.
Tipping is better explained, by culture than by the money people spend. In America, the custom came into being a long time ago. It is regarded as part of the accepted cost of a service. In New York restaurants, failing to tip at least l5％ could well mean dissatisfaction from the customers. Hairdressers can expect to get l5％-20％, and the man who delivers your fast food $2. In Europe, tipping is less common. In many restaurants the amount of tip is decided by a standard service charge. In many Asian countries, tipping has never really caught on at all. Only a few have really taken to tipping.
According to Michael Lynn，the Cornell papers’ author, countries in which people are more social or outgoing tend to tip more. Tipping may reduce anxiety about being served by strangers. And Mr. Lynn says, “In America, where people are expressive and eager to mix up with others, tipping is about social approval. If you tip badly, people think less of you. Tipping well is a chance to show off.”This passage is mainly about________.
| A．different kinds of tipping in different countries |
| B．the relationship between tipping and custom |
| C．the origin and present meaning of tipping |
| D．most American people hate tipping |
Which of the following best explains the underlined phrase “caught on” ?
| A．Been hated． | B．Become popular． |
| C．Been stopped． | D．Been permitted |
Among the following situations, in your opinion, who is likely to tip most?
| A．A Frenchman just quarreled with the barber who did his hair badly in New York. |
| B．A Chinese student enjoyed his meal in a famous fast food restaurant in New York. |
| C．A Japanese businessman asked for a pizza delivery from a Pizza Hut in New York. |
| D．An American just had a wonderful dinner in a well known restaurant in New York. |
We can infer from this passage that________.
| A．tipping is no longer a good way to satisfy some customers themselves |
| B．tipping has something to do with people’s character |
| C．tipping in America can make service better now |
| D．tipping is especially popular in New York |