【2015·浙江】C
If humans were truly at home under the light of the moon and stars,we would go in darkness happily,the midnight world as visible to us as it is to the vast number of nocturnal(夜间活动的) species on this planet. Instead,we are diurnal creatures, with eyes adapted to living in the sun’s light. This is a basic evolutionary fact, even though most of us don’t think of ourselves as diurnal beings. Yet it’s the only way to explain what we’ve done to the night: We’ve engineered it to receive us by filling itwith light.
The benefits of this kind of engineering come with consequences 一 called light pollution 一 whose effects scientists are only now beginning to study. Light pollution is largely the result of bad lighting design,which allows artificial light to shine outward and upward into the sky.III-designed lighting washes out the darkness of night and completely changes the light levels 一 and light rhythms — to which many forms of life, including, ourselves, have adapted. Wherever human light spills into the natural world, some aspect or life is affected .
In most cities the sky looks as though it has been emptied of stars, leaving behind a vacant haze(霾) that mirrors our fear of the dark. We’ve grown so used to this orange haze that the original glory of an unlit nigh, - dark enough for the planet Venus to throw shadow on Earth, is wholly beyond our experience, beyond memory almost.
We’ve lit up the night as if it were an unoccupied country, when nothing could be further form the truth. Among mammals alone, the number of nocturnal species is astonishing, Light is a powerful biological force, and on many species it acts as a magnet(磁铁). The effect is so powerful that scientists speak of songbirds and seabirds being“captured”by searchlights on land or by the light from gas flares on marine oil platforms. Migrating at night, birds tend to collide with brightly lit tall buildings.
Frogs living near brightly lit highways suffer nocturnal light levels that are as much as a million times righter than normal, throwing nearly every aspect of their behavior out of joint including most other creatures ,we do need darkness .Darkness is as essential to our biological welfare, to our internal clockwork, as light itself.
Living in a glare of our making,we have cut ourselves off from our evolutionary and cultural heritage—the light of the stars and the rhythms of day and night .In a very real sense light pollution causes us to lose sight of our true place in the universe, to forget the scale of our being, which is best measured against the dimensions of a deep night with the Milky Way—the edge of our galaxy arching overhead.
According to the passage, human being .
| A.prefer to live in the darkness |
| B.are used to living in the day light |
| C.were curious about the midnight world |
| D.had to stay at home with the light of the moon |
What does “it”(Paragraph 1) most probably refer to?
| A.The night. | B.The moon |
| C.The sky | D.The planet |
The writer mentions birds and frogs to .
| A.provide examples of animal protection |
| B.show how light pollution affects animals |
| C.compare the living habits of both species |
| D.explain why the number of certain species has declined |
It is implied in the last paragraph that .
| A.light pollution dose harm to the eyesight of animals |
| B.light pollution has destroyed some of the world heritages |
| C.human beings cannot go to the outer space |
| D.human beings should reflect on their position in the universe |
What might be the best title for the passage?
| A.The Magic light. |
| B.The Orange Haze. |
| C.The Disappearing Night. |
| D.The Rhythms of Nature. |

A new study has found no evidence that sunscreen, commonly used to reduce the risk of skin cancer, actually increase the risk.
Researchers from the University of Iowa based their findings on a review of 18 earlier studies that looked at the association between sunscreen use and melanoma (黑素瘤). They said that they found flaws in studies that had reported associations between sunscreen use and higher risk of melanoma
Most health experts believe that by protecting the skin from the harmful effects of the sun, sunscreen helps prevent skin cancer, which is increasing in incidence (发生率) faster than any other cancer in the United States.
But questions has been raised about sunscreen and whether it may has opposite effect, perhaps by allowing people to remain exposed to the sun longer without burning.
The researchers said that among the problems with some earlier studies is that they often failed to take into account that those people most at risk for skin cancer--- people with fair skin and freckles (雀斑), for example--- are more likely to use sunscreen. As a result, it may appear that sunscreen users get cancer more often.
The studies, which generally relied on volunteers to recall their sunscreen use, were also unable to prove how well the products had been applied, said the new study.The underlined word “flaws” in the 2nd paragraph most probably means ______.
| A.evidence | B.facts | C.faults | D.failures |
People with fair skin and freckles .
| A.seldom use sunscreen | B.are more in danger of skin cancer |
| C.can be free from the harm of the sun | D.often expose themselves to the sun |
We can learn from the passage that ______.
| A.sunscreen users get skin cancer more often |
| B.the volunteers have proved the effect of sunscreen |
| C.the new study was based on the experiences of volunteers |
| D.the number of skin cancer patients is increasing in America |
Which of the following can be the title for this passage?
| A.Sunscreen to Prevent Skin Cancer | B.Sunscreen to Increase Skin Cancer |
| C.Skin Cancer Caused by Sunscreen | D.Skin Cancer Caused by Freckles |
Holidays
| Holiday News Vacancies (空位) now and in the school holidays at a country hotel in Devon. This comfortable, friendly home-from-home lies near the beautiful quiet countryside, but just a drive away from the sea. The food is simple but good. Children and pets are welcome. Reduced prices for low season. |
The Snowdonia CenterThe Snowdonia Center for young mountain climbers has a mountain lesson. The beginners’ costs are £57 for a week, including food and rooms. Equipment is included except walking shoes, which can be hired at a low cost.You must be in good health and prepared to go through a period of body exercises. This could be the beginning of a lifetime of lifetime of mountain climbing adventure. |
| The World Sea Trip of a Lifetime Our World Sea Trip of 2008 will be unlike any holiday you have ever been on before. Instead of one hotel after another, with all its packing and unpacking waiting and traveling, you just go to bed in one country and wake up in another. On board the ship, you will be well taken care of. Every meal will be first-class and every cabin like your home. During the trip, you can rest on deck(甲板), enjoy yourself in the games rooms and in the evening dance to our musical team and watch our wonderful play. You will visit all the places most people only dream about – from Acapulco and Hawaii to Tokyo and Hong Kong. For a few thousand pounds, all you’ve ever hoped for can be yours. |
What can you do if you like to go on holidays with pets?
A. Choose the holiday in Devon.
B. Go to the Snowdonia Centre
C Join the World Sea Trip of 2008
D. Visit Acapulco and HawaiiIn what way is the Snowdonia Centre different from the other two holidays?
| A.It provides chances of family gatherings. |
| B.It provides customers with good food. |
| C.It offers a sport lesson. |
| D.It offers comfortable room. |
What is special about the World Sea Trip of 2008?
| A.You can have free meals on deck every day. |
| B.You can sleep on a ship and tour many places. |
| C.You will have chances to watch and act in a play. |
| D.You have to do your own packing and unpacking. |
At the Snowdonia Centre, the beginners’ costs of £57 do not cover .
| A.food | B.rooms | C.body exercises | D.walking shoes |
本文介绍了美国著名的生物学家Edward Wilson 的著作The Future of Life中的一些有关如何开发、利用和保护自然资源的情况。
Edward Wilson is America’s, if not the world’s, leading naturalist. In The Future of Life, he takes us on a tour of the world’s natural resources(资源). How are they used? What has been lost? What remains and is it able to continue with the present speed of use? Wilson also points out the need to understand fully the biodiversity(生物多样性)of our earth.
Wilson begins with an open letter to the pioneer in environment (环境) protection, Henry David Thoreau. He compares today’s Walden Pond with that of Thoreau’s day. Wilson will use such comparisons for the rest of the book. The problem is clear: man has done great damage to his home over the years. Van the earth, with human help, be made to return to biodiversity levels that will be able to support us in the future?
Biodiversity, Wilson argues, is the key to settling many problems the earth faces today. Even our agricultural crops can gain advantages from it. A mere hundred species(物种) are the basis of our food supply, of which but twenty carry the load. Wilson suggests changing this situation by looking into ten thousand species that could be made use of, which will be a way to reduce the clearing of the natural homes of plants and animals to enlarge farming areas.
At the end of the book, Wilson discusses the importance of human values in considering the environment. If you are to continue to live on the earth, you may well read and act on the ideas in this book. We learn from the text that Wilson cares most about ______
| A.the environment for plants |
| B.the biodiversity of our earth |
| C.the wastes of natural resources |
| D.the importance of human values |
How many species are most important to our present food supply?
| A.Twenty. | B.Eighty. | C.One hundred | D.Ten thousand. |
Wilson suggests that one way to keep biodiversity is to _______.
| A.learn how to farm scientifically |
| B.build homes for some dying species |
| C.make it clear what to eat |
| D.use more species for food |
We can infer that the text is _______
| A.a description of natural resources |
| B.a research report |
| C.a book review |
| D.an introduction to a scientist. |
A rainforest is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely dipping below l6℃. Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate. Without the forest cover,these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere,warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns,potentially causing certain natural disasters all over the world.
In the past hundred years,humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources(资源):land for crops,wood for paper and other products,land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example,a lot of carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit.There are two main reasons for this. Firstly,when people cut down trees,generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly,cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now,but in the long run it actually reduces the world's wood supply.
Rainforests are often called the world's drug store. More than 25% of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However,fewer than l%of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in the world's shrinking rainforests.
| 1. |
Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they
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| 2. |
What does the word "this" underlined in the third paragraph refer to?
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| 3. |
It can be inferred from the text that
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| 4. |
What might be the best title for the text?
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Timetable


What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?
| A.What we shall do if the system goes wrong. |
| B.What we shall do if there are no asphalt roads. |
| C.How the system cools the building in summer. |
| D.How the system collects heat in spring and autumn. |
Which of the following is true of the membership card?
| A.Its number is l0865 305305. |
| B.It belongs to Mr. E. M. Driscoll. |
| C.It is valid through the year of 2010. |
| D.It gets the owner a discount when used. |
If one wants to attend a business lunch in London at l2:00,the latest train that he should take at Oxford leaves at .
| A.11:45 | B.11:15 | C.10:35 | D.10:05 |
If you would like to have some vegetable beef, what may be your choice?
| A.French Slam® | B.Chicken-Fried Steak® |
| C.The Super Bird® | D.Sandwich with Salad or Soup® |
The chart shows that from 2005 to 2008, .
| A.the percentage of the Spanish families with a computer rose 35 points |
| B.the percentage of the White families with a computer remained unchanged |
| C.the number of the Black families with a computer was on the decrease |
| D.the number of the Asian families with a computer showed the sharpest increase |