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Starting in 1972，the National Park Service established a policy for forest fires called Natural Burn．It was acknowledged that some forest fires，such as those which were caused by lighthing were necessary for forests to maintain(保持)balanced ecosystems，so the fire should be allowed to burn．However， a big fire in Yellowstone National Park in 1988 caused this policy to be abandbned since the fire was initially（最初）allowed to burn yet soon out of contro1．As a result，the fire of 1988 destroyed much of Yellowstone，which is America’s oldest and most beloved national park．Massive areas of plants were destroyed，and large empty spaces and acres of burned and blackened trees greeted visitors．The rivers and streams were choked with ash，and the ecosystem of the park was changed beyond repair．
In addition，great numbers of animals were killed by the fires that burned out of control. The fires were driven by high winds，moving as many as ten miles a day．Many small animals died in the flames．The fires’rapid advances gave the wildlife little chance to escape．Even today，few of these small forest animals have returned to live in the park. In the years immediately following the fires，the numbers of visitors declined. rapidly．No one was interested in seeing a blackened and treeless park on vacation．Yellowstone had previously been famous for its amazing views and unique geological formations such as the geyser(喷泉) Old Faithful．But now its reputation as America's wonder is damaged permanently．Natural Burn was adopted because some forest fires were ______________
| A．hard to put out |
| B．started by lightning |
| C．good for the balance of nature |
| D．approved by National Park Service |
The big fire in Yellowstone in 1988 _______________．
| A．became out of control at first |
| B．brought the natural burn policy to an end |
| C．was allowed to burn continuously |
| D．destroyed the park completely |
Why were so many animals killed in the big fire?
| A．Because winds were blown from high places． |
| B．Because the animals moved only ten miles a day． |
| C．Because the animals lived in lower places． |
| D． Because strong winds contributed to the fire a lot． |
Yellowstone was famous for its ______________．
| A．rare animals |
| B．unique plants |
| C．beautiful scenery |
| D．1ittle streams |
The text probably comes from _____________．
| A．a geography magazine |
| B．a news report |
| C．a commercial ad |
| D．a science fiction |
When Lady Gaga releases a new, pleasing and easily remembered single, it quickly goes around the world. Now scientists have discovered the same thing happens with the songs of another creature----the humpback whale. The mammals become absorbed by new tunes just like people do, and the most popular original whale songs spread globally like hit singles.
Male humpback whales are famed for the loud, long and complicated songs they make during the mating season. Each song lasts for 10 to 20 minutes and the males can sing nonstop for 24 hours. At any one time, all the males in a population sing the same song.
But a study shows that this song changes over time and spreads around the oceans. Dr. Ellen Garland of Queensland University, said: “Songs move like cultural communication from one population to another, causing all males to change their song to a new version.”
Researchers recorded songs from six neighboring populations of whales in the Pacific over a decade. They found that new versions of the songs appear over time and always spread from west to east. It takes two years for songs that appear in the waters off Australia to be heard in French Polynesia.
Most of the new songs contain material from the previous year mixed with something new. “ It would be like getting an old Beatles song together with U2,” she said. “ Occasionally they completely throw the current song out of the window and start singing a completely new song”.
Dr. Garland believes that a small number of whales may migrate to other populations carrying the new songs with them, or that they are heard by passing whales.
The researchers suspect whales adopt new songs to make themselves distinct. Dr. Garland said: “ we think this male search for new songs is in the hope of being that little bit different and perhaps more attractive to the opposite sex.”What is the main idea of the text?
| A．The humpback whale likes to hear Lady Gaga’s songs. |
| B．The humpback whale’s tunes sound like Lady Gaga. |
| C．Lady Gaga’s new single gained worldwide popularity. |
| D．The songs of humpback whales can spread globally. |
According to the text, we can learn that_______
| A．humpback whales don’t like living in groups. |
| B．new songs contain nothing that is in the old songs. |
| C．humpback whales in the west change their tunes first. |
| D．female humpback whales can sing loud and long songs. |
According to the text, male humpback whales sing new songs to ______
| A．follow the fashion. |
| B．attract female whales. |
| C．communicate with each other. |
| D．get accepted by another population. |
In which part of the website may the text appear?
| A．News | B．Amusement. |
| C．Education. | D．Health |
As we know, Julian Beever is an international well-known sidewalk chalk artist whose drawings have appeared on the streets of London, Buenos Aires, Paris, New York, and countless other cities around the world. Beever creates drawings that look completely three- dimensional when seen from the correct angle.
Now, in his book, Pavement chalk artist: The three-dimensional drawings of Julian Beever, the artist shares some of his most fascinating and humorous pieces, Here are a few examples you’ll find in the book.
●Philadelphia eagle
In Pennsylvania, Beever created “Philadelphia eagle ”a huge drawing with an eagle landing successfully on an American national flag.
●Meeting Mr. Frog
“Meeting Mr. Frog” was created in Salamanca, Spain, and is about a realistic-looking frog sitting on a Lily pad.
●Swimming pool in the high street
My personal favorite is “Swimming pool in the high street” from Brussels, which is about a woman relaxing in a swimming pool-----a swimming pool sunk into the middle of the street, that is!
Along with an introduction about his background, Beever includes a description of the techniques he used and the challenges he overcame with every drawing. He shares information about his time at home in the UK. and abroad; there is a fun story to back up each piece of art.
Beever’s artwork is truly jaw drooping. You’re sure to spend ages turning the leaves back and forth, surprised at how one man can create what looks like a three-dimensional design on a flat surface with just a bit of chalk. From animals to superheroes to famous buildings, the paintings are a wonder to lay eyes on.
＊Payment chalk artist: The three-dimensional drawings of Julian Beever is surely worth a look. And another look. This 112-page hardcover book is available now from Firefly Books at a list price of $ 29.95What do we know about the book mentioned in the text?
| A．It has a paper cover. |
| B．It hasn’t been published. |
| C．It is a biography of Julian Beever. |
| D．It includes some drawing techniques. |
What does the underlined part “ jaw dropping” most probably mean?
| A．Amazing. | B．Romantic. |
| C．Frightening | D．Depressing. |
We can infer that the text is ______.
| A．a book review. |
| B．a description of street art. |
| C．an introduction to an artist. |
| D．an advertisement for a new book |
When I was 11, I threw a glance into Dad’s lunch box and made the unexpected discovery that my mother still showed her love towards my father. The evidence, a napkin resting on top of the sandwiches packed in wax paper, was certain “Love you!” she had written on the napkin. “ Meat loaf for supper!”
Mom penned all kinds of messages to Dad on those paper napkins, and he saved a whole pile of them. What embarrassed me as a kid has become a precious memory of my parents.
It also started my own brand of lunch box notes. When my kids were young, I’d glue little drawings on their lunches. Lots of sketches(素描) of our dog, Max, along with smiling flowers. When they were teenagers, I’d copy words of wisdom from great people, Einstein, for example, or Bruce Springsteen. Then, my kids grew up making their own handwritten notes. And my husband writes me love notes on recycled paper, because he’s all about being green.
Friends who know about my lunch box notes eagerly share stories of their own family traditions. So many focus on food. Maura’s mom always drew hearts on the shells of hard-boiled eggs. Melinda wrote messages on her kids’ bananas.
We’re into the third generation of lunch box notes in our home. Whenever my 3-year-old grandson, Clayton, spends the night, he knows his lunch is going to have a napkin note from Grandma in the morning. Last week, I drew a picture of me, waving widely and shouting his name. He took one look at it and screamed, “ Where’s Grandpa?” I added a man in a clean shirt. “ You forgot his tie,” he said. I quickly drew a line of stripes(条纹) down the front of the shirt. Clayton smiled. “Grandpa,” he whispered, running his fingers across the napkin. “ It’s you!”When the author first saw Dad’s lunch box notes, she felt ______.
| A．moved | B．nervous |
| C．proud | D．awkward |
What did the author put in the lunch boxes when her kids were in their teens?
| A．Words of love. |
| B．Pictures of flowers. |
| C．Famous words of wisdom. |
| D．Drawings of their favorite animals. |
It can be inferred that ________.
| A．the author’s husband is an environmentalist. |
| B．the author’s children dislike making lunch box notes. |
| C．the author’s grandson likes drawing pictures on napkins. |
| D．the author’s friends all had their brand of lunch box notes. |
What’s the best title for the text?
| A．Old generation’s way of expressing love. |
| B．Different brands of lunch box notes. |
| C．Some interesting family traditions. |
| D．Lunches packed with love. |
Downing the last drop of an expensive famous brand H2O as well as remembering to throw the empty bottle in the recycling bin, makes you feel pretty good about yourself, right? It shouldn't. Even when the bottles are recycled，there are all kinds of other consequences of swallowing bottled water，says Melissa Peffers，the air-quality program manager for Environmental Defense.
The containers are often filled in faraway lands，then shipped from abroad，and stored in refrigerators at your local store. Compare that with the influence on environment of turning on your tap，filling a glass，and drinking up！
Anyone who is choosing bottled water for health reasons is misguided，says Peffers，“Most bottled water is just tap water.”And what comes out of your tap is carefully monitored to follow the strict rules. Consider another fact that bottled water is surprisingly expensive, especially when compared with the alternative, which is almost free, and it is astonishing that America's desire for bottled water seems impossible to satisfy, reaching nearly 30 billion bottles a year.
“My parents' generation never had bottled water，”says Isabelle Silverman，an Environmental Defense legal adviser. She has made a commitment to going bottle free.“You don't need to fetch it home from the store，and it's cheaper，” she adds.
Bottled water's role as a status symbol needs to change, Peffers points out. So when a waiter at an expensive restaurant offers“And what's your drink?”that's no reason to forget your conviction(信念).“Don't be afraid to say, ‘I'll have tap.’ Say it loud enough that the other tables nearby can hear you，”Peffers says,“And then spend that money on a dessert.”In the first paragraph, the underlined sentence “It shouldn’t.”suggests that people_____
| A．shouldn’t feel pleased with finishing the water in the bottle |
| B．shouldn’t feel good about drinking an expensive brand H2O |
| C．shouldn’t be content with just recycling empty bottles |
| D．shouldn’t be satisfied with drinking only bottle water |
According to the author，tap water is________
| A．as safe as bottle water |
| B．more likely to be polluted |
| C．healthier than bottle water |
| D．less convenient than bottle water |
The underlined part “going bottle free”(in Para.4)means “________”
| A．making bottled water free |
| B．abandoning bottled water |
| C．recycling used water bottles |
| D．providing free water containers |
Why does Peffers ask people to say “I’ll have tap.”loudly?
| A．To encourage them to set an example for others to follow |
| B．To advise them to save the money for one more dessert |
| C．To remind them to be aware of their social status |
| D．To persuade them to speak confidently in public |
Brian arrived at the San Francisco airport two hours before the flight to Paris. He was wearing three shirts, a jacket, two pairs of socks, a pair of shorts, and two pairs of jeans. He was carrying one small backpack, which was very full, but he didn’t have any other luggage. Brian needed to meet a man named Tony before he checked in for his flight. He found Tony near the Air France counter. Tony gave him a round-trip ticket and a small package.
“Give this package to Jean-Paul at the airport in Paris. He will have a sign with your name on it. I think you can find him easily,” Tony said, ”You don’t have any luggage, right?”
“Only this backpack,” Brian answered. ”You said I could bring one carry-on bag.”
“That’s right. One carry-on bag is fine. Have a good trip.”
“Thanks.”
Is Brian a criminal(罪犯)? Not at all. He is an air-courier. And he paid only $110 for the round-trip ticket to Paris. Air couriers get cheap airline tickets because they take important packages and papers to foreign countries. Businesses sometimes need to get packages and papers to people in foreign countries by the next day. Often, the only way they can do this is to use an air-courier company. It is not cheap for a business to send a package with an air courier, but it is quick.
Every year about 80,000 people worldwide travel as air couriers. The number of tickets for courier travel is growing by about 10 percent a year. However, air-courier travel isn’t for everyone. But if you have very little money, can be flexible(灵活的) about your travel plans, and don’t mind wearing the same clothes for a week, it can be a great way to take a vacation!Why was Brian wearing so many clothes for his travel?
| A．Because they were the uniforms for air couriers. |
| B．Because that made him easier to be recognized. |
| C．Because his backpack had no room his clothes. |
| D．Because he did not have any luggage with him |
An air courier is a person who_________
A .manages a business company in foreign countries
B. organizes international flights for tourists
C. travels around the world with cheap tickets
D delivers papers and packages to foreign countries.Businesses choose the air-courier service because_____.
| A．it costs less | B．it is flexible |
| C．it saves time | D．it grows fast |
One of the disadvantages of traveling as an air courier is that he_____.
A. cannot decide when and where to travel
B. cannot take any luggage with him
C. has to wear two pairs of jeans
D saves little money from the travel