The easy way out isn't always easiest. I learned that lesson when I decided to treat Doug, my husband of one month, to a special meal. I glanced through my cookbook and chose a menu which included homemade bread. Knowing the bread would take time, I started on it as soon as Doug left for work. As I was not experienced in cooking, I thought if a dozen was good, two dozen would be better, so I doubled everything. As Dong loved oranges, I also opened a can of orange and poured it all into the bowl. Soon there was a sticky dough (面团) covered with ugly yellowish marks. realizing I had been defeated, I put the dough in the rubbish bin outside so I wouldn't have to face Doug laughing at my work, I went on preparing the rest of the meal, and, when Doug got home , we sat down to Cornish chicken with rice . He tried to enjoy the meal but seemed disturbed. Twice he got up and went outside, saying he thought he heard a noise. The third time he left, I went to the windows to see what he was doing. Looking out, I saw Doug standing about three feet from the rubbish bin, holding the lid up with a stick and looking into the container. When I came out of the house, he dropped the stick and explained that there was something alive in out rubbish bin . Picking up the stick again, he held the lid up enough for me to see. I felt cold. But I stepped closer and looked harder. Without doubt it was my work. The hot sun had caused the dough to double in size and the fermenting yeast (酵母)made the surface shake and sigh as though it were breathing. I had to admit what the 'living thing 'was and why it was there. I don't know who was more embarrassed(尴尬)by the whole thing Doug or me. The writer's purpose in writing this story is ___________
A.to tell an interesting experience |
B.to show the easiest way out of a difficulty |
C.to describe the trouble facing a newly married woman |
D.to explain the difficulty of learning to cook from books |
Why did the woman's attempt at making the bread turn out to be unsuccessful?
A.The canned orange had gone bad. |
B.She didn't use the right kind of flour. |
C.The cookbook was hard to understand. |
D.She did not follow the directions closely. |
Why did the woman put the dough in the rubbish bin?
A.She didn't see the use of keeping it |
B.She meant to joke with her husband. |
C.She didn't want her husband to see it. |
D.She hoped it would soon dry in the son. |
What made the dough in the rubbish bin?
A.The rising and falling movement. |
B.The strange-looking marks. |
C.Its shape. |
D.Its size. |
When Doug went out the third time , the woman looked out of the window because she was ______________.
A.surprised at his being interested in the bin |
B.afraid that he would discover her secret |
C.unhappy that he didn't enjoy the meal |
D.curious to know what disturbed him |
About 97% of the world’s water is salty and is found in our oceans and seas. But, as we can’t drink sea water, how can it be important?
Every part of our seas and oceans contains an amazing number of animals and fish that live at different ocean depths. Most of the different species of animals and fish depend on simple plants for their food. These simple plants called algae (海藻) drift near the surface of the ocean and use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into food and oxygen. In fact, algae produce over half of the oxygen people breathe. How important sea water is!
Each plant or animal in our seas and oceans is an important link in a food chain. The algae are eaten in large amounts by microscopic animals, which are in turn consumed by larger animals. These food chains are delicately balanced.
The bad news about the food chains in the oceans is that they are under threat because of man. People once thought that the oceans were so big that it didn’t matter if we dumped rubbish into them or caught huge quantities of fish and whales for food. But we now know this is not true and fish stocks in the oceans have started to drop.
Thankfully, the world is taking steps to protect the future of our oceans by introducing international agreements to protect marine habitats. Most countries have introduced fishing restrictions to protect fish stocks in the oceans and new techniques are being pioneered to cope with pollution. Finally, the importance of protecting oceans is being made known to more people. This is just the beginning of a long process to protect the oceans for our future. We depend on the oceans for fish which are an important part of the human diet. How important sea water is!
46. Which of the following is the proper order of the food chain?
A. small animals→algae→microscopic animals→large animals→man
B. algae→microscopic animals→large animals→larger animals→man
C. small animals→algae→large animals→microscopic animals→man
D. microscopic animals→algae→large animals →larger animals→man
47. People used to think that the rubbish thrown into the sea ________.
A. wouldn’t harm the fish in the sea B. would change the balance of the food chain
C. would be broken down in the sea D. wouldn’t do much harm to the sea
48. From the passage, we learn that _________.
A. most fish and sea animals live at the surface of the seas
B. it is very difficult to break the balance of a food chain
C. excessive fishing has caused the decrease in fish stock
D. it won’t be long before the problems concerning oceans will be solved
49. Which of the following is NOT a way being used to protect oceans?
A. The use of international agreements.
B. Forbidding fishing to protect fish stocks.
C. The use of new techniques.
D. Raising people’s awareness of the need to protect oceans.
50. What would be the best title of the passage?
A. The importance of seawater.
B. Life in the oceans.
C. How to protect food chains.
D. How to deal with seawater pollution.
三、阅读(共两节,满分40分)
第一节:阅读理解(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
There is an English saying, “Laughter is the best medicine.” Until recently, few people took the saying seriously. Now however, doctors have begun to look into laughter and the effects it has on the human body. They have found that laughter really can improve people’s health.
Tests were carried out to study the effects of laughter on the body. People watched funny films while doctors checked their heart, blood pressure, breathing and muscles. It was found that laughter has similar effects to physical exercise. It increases blood pressure, makes the heart beat quicker and makes people breathe deeper; it also works several groups of muscles in the face, the stomach, and even the feet. If laughter exercises the body, it must be beneficial.
Other tests have shown that laughter appears to be able to reduce the effect of pain on the body. In one experiment doctors produced pain in groups of students who listened to different radio programmes. The group that tolerated (忍耐) the pain for the longest time was the group which listened to a funny programme. The reason why laughter can reduce pain seems to be that it helps to produce a kind of chemical in the brain which diminishes both stress and pain.
As a result of these discoveries, some doctors in the United States now hold laughter clinics, in which they help to improve their patients’ condition by encouraging them to laugh. They have found that even if their patients do not really feel like laughing, making them smile is enough to produce beneficial effects similar to those caused by laughter.
41. According to the passage, which of the following statements is WRONG?
A. Laughter is good for health.
B. Laughter can make you become old quickly.
C. Laughter helps to reduce pain.
D. Laughter, just like physical exercise, is good for our body.
42. The underlined word “diminishes” in the third paragraph means “ ”.
A. delays B. prevents C. increases D. reduces
43. Why do doctors hold laughter clinics?
A. Because they want to earn more money.
B. Because they think they will help the patients recover from illnesses.
C. Because they want to improve their patients’ health.
D. Because they want their patients to laugh more.
44. According to the author, we should __________ in our life.
A. laugh as much as possible B. watch more funny films
C. smile all the time D. spend time in the laughter clinics
45. What would be the best title for this passage?
A. Both laughter and physical exercise are good for health.
B. Laughter clinics can help patients improve their condition.
C. Laughter can reduce the effect of pain.
D. Laughter is the best medicine.
China Earthquake Leaves 5,000 Homeless
Beijing- An earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale left 50,000 people homeless, killed at least one person and injured 39 others in southwest China on Thurday, with more accidents expected.
By late Thurday, 4,900 people were declared homeless after the quake destroyed their homes in a mountainous area lying on the border between Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. The dawn quake left one dead and 39 injured, destroyed 268 houses and damaging 1,132 other buildings so seriously that they were considered uninhabitable.
Another 2,400 houses suffered less serious damage. The epicenter( 震中 ) was near scenic Lugu Lake, a tourist site, where the local school was severely damaged. Preliminary (最初的) estimates put economic losses at 180 million yuan ( 22 million dollars ).
Governments in Yanyuan and the neighbouring Yunnan county of Ninglang has joined forces in the rescue effects and tents, clothes and medicine are badly in need of for the earthquake victims.
The mountainous terrain, heavy rain and several aftershocks all prevented rescue effects on Thursday. The rain could cause more badly damaged homes to fall down.
More dead and injured are expected “as rescuers have yet to reach many faraway areas”.It is very hard for rescue workers because most houses are scattered around the mountains, which are inhabited by Yi and other ethnic minority groups (少数民族)
The quake hit the area at 5:10 a.m. Beijing time (2,110 Wednesday GMT ). Earthquake regularly affect the two counties, with two quakes measuring 5.0 and 6.2 on the Richter scale killing at least three people and injuring more than 1,500 in Ninglang in November 1998.
The area is about 100 kilometers from the historic Yunnan town of Lijiang, which was struck in 1996 by an earthquake that killed more than 250 people anf injured 14,000.
( Reports from China Daily, May 25, 2001 )
6. The earthquake took place _______ .
A. in the early morning B. at noon
C.in the afternoonD. at night
7. All of the following things belong to the things that are most needed after the earthquake except _______ .
A. clothes B. food C. medicine D. tents
8. The author’s purpose in writing the passage is to _______ .
A.tell us the earthquake taking place in Yunnan has caused 5,000 homeless
B. warn the people in mountainous areas in Yunnan to take care of earthquake
C.call on more help from the people all over the country
D. analyze why the earthquake took place in this area
9. After reading the passage we know __________ .
A. the biggest earthquake happened in China in Ninglang in 1998
B. there will be no more than 2 persons dead in the earthquake
C. the earthquake took place in the places where minorities live
D. the total losses will add up to no more than 180 million yuan
10. “The two counties” here refers to ________ .
A. Yunnan and Sichuan B. Yanyuan and Ninglang
C. Yanyuan and Yunnan D. Yunnan and Ninglang
七.阅读理解 (20分)
When did you see a polar bear ? On a trip to a zoo, perhaps ? If you had attended a winter activity in New York a few years ago, you would have seen a whole polar bear club. These “Polar Bears” are people who meet frequently in the winter to swim in freezing cold water. That day, the air temperature was 3 degrees. And the water temperature was a little higher. The members of the Polar Bear Club at Coney Island, New York are usually about the age of 60. Members must satisfy two requirements. First, they must get along well with everyone else in the group; this is very important because there are so many different kinds of people in the club. Polar Bears must also agree to swim outdoors at least twice a month from November through February.
Doctors don’t agree about the medical effects of cold-water swimming. Some are worried about the dangers of a condition in which the body’s temperature drops so slow that finally the heart stops. Other doctors, however, point out that there is more danger of a heart attack during summer swimming because the difference between the air temperature and the water tempreature is much greater in summer than in winter.
The Polar Bears themselves are satisfied with the benefits of cold-water swimming. They say that their favorite form of exercise is very good for the circulatory system (循环系统) because it forces the blood to move fast to keep the body warm. Cold-water swimmers usually turn bright red after a few minutes in the water. A person who turns blue probably has a very poor circulatory system and could not try cold-water swimming.
The main benefits of cold-water swimming are probably mental. The Polar Bears love to swim all the year round; they find it fun and relaxing. As one 70-year-old woman says, “When I go into the water, I pour my troubles into the ocean and let them float away.”
1. Doctors _________ .
A. have different ideas about the medical effects of cold-water swimming
B. believe swimming is helpful both in summer and in winter
C. enourage people to take part in cold-water swimming
D. point out the possible danger of blood illness during cold-water swimming
2. According to the passage, some doctors believe it is true that _______ .
A. Polar bears are bears swimming in freezing water
B. cold-water swimming can make the body temperature dangerously high
C. you are healthy if cold-water swimming turns your skin color blue
D. cold-water swimming causes more heart attack in summer than in winter
3. The Polar Bears like to swim year-round, for _______ .
A. it is an easy way to keep the body warm in winter
B. they can stay young
C. they find it enjoyable and interesting
D. they might meet fewer troubles in life
4. Which of the following is TRUE according to the text ?
A.The Polar Bear is a club in which people swim to protect polar bears.
B. The club members are all over 60 years old.
C. There is no woman in the club.
D. None of the above.
5. This passage is mainly about _______ .
A. the requirements of the Polar Bear Club
B. a group of cold-water-swimming lovers
C. the Polar Bears’ life in New York
D. doctors’ ideas about cold-water swimming
Live Earth Announces 2010 Global Event!
This is the web version of the October 15, 2009 Live Earth email to members. Click here to join and receive bi-weekly updates from Live Earth.
Live Earth is pleased to announce the largest worldwide water initiative(倡议)in history to help fight the global water crisis. The Dow Live Earth Run for Water—to take place on April 18, 2010—will consist of a series of 6 km run/walks (the average distance many women and children walk every day to get water) taking place over the course of 24 hours in countries around the world, featuring concerts and water education activities, raising awareness and funds to help solve the water crisis. Jessica Biel, Alexandra Cousteau, Pete Wentz, Angelique Kidjo and Jenny Fletcher will lend their names and their time in support of this global event.
Water shortage is a major issue affecting countries, communities and families all over the world. One in eight people doesn’t have access to safe, clean drinking water. Communities in Africa, Latin America and Asia suffer 1.8 million deaths every year from diarrheal(腹泻)diseases and the death of 5,000 children each day due to inadequate water infrastructure(基础设施). In these areas, women and children are forced to walk 6 km (3.7 miles) each day to get water that is likely unsuitable for drinking. However, the water crisis is not only limited to developing nations. Adding to these existing issues, the effects of climate change are increasingly impacting both supply and quality of available fresh water throughout the world.
In 60% of European cities with populations greater than 100,000, groundwater is being used faster than it can be replenished(补充). By 2025, two-thirds of the world’s population could be living under water-stressed conditions.
You can help solve the water crisis by participating in the April 18th event. Run/walk registration is now officially open! Sign up now at http://liveearth.org/run.Thanks and be sure to visit liveearth.org for the latest on The Dow Live Earth Run for Water, conservation tips, and more!
Follow Live Earth on:
68. Which of the following activities will the Dow Live Earth organize on April 18, 2010?
A. Receiving the latest news from Live Earth.
B. Putting on musical performances.
C. Calling on pop stars to walk 6 km to get water.
D. Lending names and time to support the event.
69. According to the passage, which of the statements is true?
A. You can turn to http://liveearth.org for water protection tips.
B. Jessica Biel can’t take part in the event even if she signs up.
C. The information on Live Earth is updated every month.
D. Every year 1.8 million people in the world die from the disease related to dirty water.
70. We can learn from the passage that ______.
A. by 2010, two-thirds of the world’s population will be short of water
B. we can solve the water crisis by taking part in the April 18th event
C. seven-eighths of the people in Asia can have access to safe, clean drinking water
D. there are different channels for people to get access to Live Earth