The African elephant, which is the largest land animal remaining on earth, is of great importance to African ecosystem. Unlike other animals, the African elephant is to a great extent the builder of its environment. As a big plant-eater, it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna (大草原) surroundings in which it lives, therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat.
It is the elephant's great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat. In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills small trees and under-bushes, and pulls branches off big trees. This results in numerous open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas. In these open spaces are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters.
Take the rain forests for example. In their natural state, the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor. By pulling down trees and eating plants, elephants make open spaces, allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor. In such situations, the forests become suitable for large hoofed plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as well.
What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species. If the elephant disappears, scientists say, many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of forest and savanna, greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem.What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Disappearance of African elephants. |
| B．The effect of African elephants’ search for food. |
| C．Forests and savannas as habitats for African elephants. |
| D．The eating habit of African elephants. |
What does the underlined phrase “setting the terms” most probably mean?
| A．Fixing the time. |
| B．Deciding the conditions. |
| C．Improving the quality. |
| D．Worsening the state. |
What do we know about the open spaces in the passage?
| A．They result from the destruction of rain forests. |
| B．They provide food mainly for African elephants. |
| C．They are attractive to plant-eating animals of different kinds. |
| D．They are home to many endangered animals. |
The passage is developed mainly by ______.
| A．giving examples |
| B．pointing out similarities and differences |
| C．describing the changes in space order |
| D．showing the effect and then explaining the causes |
AAAGH! The Generation 90s is coming!
Wearing earphones, using complex Net language and constantly text messaging friends, the Gen-90s following the Gen-80s begin to make their world debut （初次登台）．
Each generation or age group has its own symbols and lifestyle．Read on and judge for yourselves if you fit the Gen-90s group．
Earphones
These little devices seem to grow on the heads of the Gen-90s．They might lead to MP3, MP4 or MP101 players, giving these young people a plugged-in, cool and perhaps self-addicted look, of course, life is not always music to the ears．
Martian language
They have created their own code-like online language．It’s a mixture of English, Japanese and Chinese that perhaps only Martians can understand．This is an imaginative generation, though they need to be careful to keep it out of their term papers．
Self-Portrait
Saying “cheese” to their own digital cameras is usual for this generation．A little bit of narcissism （自恋） never hurts anyone．It helps them reflect a little on their own lives．But be aware of the risks of posting private photos online．
Text-messaging
They can type their mobile phones as fast as they can speak．This is a generation that respects efficiency．However, oral communication is important and will never go out of style．According to the text, the writer will choose ______ as a good example to the Gen-90．
| A．Li Hua likes music and always wearing ipod |
| B．Zhang Chao is not only an imaginative boy but do everything efficiently． |
| C．Lily is a shy girl and she doesn’t like making friends． |
| D．Fangfang likes being taken photos and often posting them on line． |
According to this passage, which is FALSE?
| A．Not all teens are cautious about posting photos． |
| B．They type their mobile phones so fast that it can catch the speed of speaking． |
| C．The Gen-90s have a preference for some music players, and even regard them as a necessary part of life． |
| D．They don’t use the cool and complex online language in formal writing． |
The main idea of the passage is about________．
| A．the Gen-90s’ happy life |
| B．the difference between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s |
| C．the Gen-90s’ unique lifestyle and some practical warnings |
| D．the similarities between the Gen-80s and the Gen-90s |
A few years ago, I moved into a new house in Los Angeles. Soon after, a family moved in next door. It wasn’t the best of times for me. I had just divorced(离婚) from my second wife, and I wasn’t working. I’d come home each day and sit by myself in the backyard. One night, I heard someone from the yard next door, “Tom ! How are you, Tom? ”
I couldn’t see anybody through the trees, but I answered, “I’ m good.”
“Good!” said the voice.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Eric.” Then I heard someone say, “Eric, don’t bother him.”
“Okay!” Eric said. “Talk to you tomorrow!”
Months later, on Halloween, we finally met face to face. Eric came to the door dressed like a rap star. We became friends. We’d hang out in our yards, and Eric, who was almost 17 at the time and look liked a 13-year-old, would tell me his ideas and dreams. Eric’s dad, Alec Gores, is a billionaire(亿万富翁), the head of Gores Technology Group.
One day, Alec called me and said, “I know you are an actor. My son’s an actor, too. And he’s very good. I want you to write a movie for him. He wants to do something like True lies.” That’s the movie I made in 1994. His father has given Eric the great gif of confidence. He believes he can do anything he wants. He also offered to fund the movie. And that’s how The Kid & I, which opens in November, began.
Well, I really have to say that opportunity(机会)lies anywhere.What do we learn about the writer when he had just moved into his new house in Los Angele?
| A．He often came back very late. |
| B．He was working in the city at that time. |
| C．He and his second wife had just gotten divorced. |
| D．He often talks with others in the backyard. |
The writer of this passage is a(an) .
| A．teacher | B．actor | C．singer | D．doctor |
What do we learn about Eric from the passage?
| A．He lives alone with his father. | B．He has a very rich father |
| C．He often feels very lonely. | D．He is a rap star. |
The second last paragraph(倒数第二段)mainly tells us .
| A．how The Kid & I began | B．the roles in The Kid & I |
| C．how the writer met Eric’s father | D．what The Kid & I is about |
From his experience in Los Angeles, the writer learnt that.
| A．where there is a will, there is a way. |
| B．one should always learn from the past. |
| C．one can find opportunity anywhere. |
| D．life can always be better. |
Jenny，
I often think if I am as important to you as you are to me.
We had an unhappy time yesterday. I really felt sad after it and almost apologized (道歉) to you. However，you could still laugh and talk with others like nothing had happened. I suddenly realized that I was not that important to you. You didn’t even realize that I was angry and sad. What’s more，you even forgot my birthday this year.
Goodbye，my friend. I have closed my feeling toward you. It is sad to say goodbye，my friend. But it is meaningless for us to be friends any longer.
Lucy
Dear Lucy，
I’m sorry that I hurt you so much yesterday. But here is something I really need to tell you. I never thought the quarrel we had yesterday was as serious as you thought. I just felt tired and didn’t feel like going shopping. Susan and Lily are also my good friends. I couldn’t pretend (假装) not seeing them when they passed by. I also couldn’t let them know I was blue because of the quarrel. I didn’t want them to feel sad just because I was sad. I’m your best friend，but I don’t want to be your only friend. I don’t want to be with you all the time because sometimes I need to have my own time. I want to spend some time with my other friends and my brother. Please try to make more friends. You will feel much happier if you have more friends. And remember，I’m your best friend forever!
JennyWhat’s the purpose of Lucy’s letter?
| A．To tell Jenny that she is really sorry for what happened yesterday. |
| B．To tell Jenny she doesn’t want to be friends with her any longer. |
| C．To ask Jenny not to be friends with Susan or Lily. |
| D．To ask Jenny if she means much to her. |
What’s the cause of the quarrel yesterday?
| A．Jenny laughed and talked with others. |
| B．Jenny didn’t notice that Lucy was sad. |
| C．Jenny didn’t want to go shopping. |
| D．Jenny didn’t remember Lucy’s birthday. |
In the letter，Jenny suggests Lucy should________.
| A．make more friends | B．leave her alone |
| C．make friends with Susan and Lily | D．spend more time with her family |
According to the passage，if we say someone is blue，we mean he/she is________.
| A．angry | B．sad | C．kind | D．happy |
After reading Jenny’s letter，we learn that________.
| A．Jenny and Lucy are both students |
| B．Lucy doesn’t know how to keep a healthy friendship |
| C．A friend in need is a friend indeed |
| D．Lucy is Jenny’s only friend |
Bamboo（竹） is one of the nature’s most surprising plants. Many people call this plant a tree, but it is a kind of grass.
Like other kinds of grass, a bamboo plant may be cut very low to the ground, but it will grow back very quickly. A Japanese scientist recorded one bamboo plant that grew almost 1.5 meters in 24 hours! Bamboo grows almost everywhere in the world except Europe（欧洲）. There are more than 1,000 kinds of bamboo that grow around the world on both mountains and plains.
Not all bamboo looks the same. Some bamboo plants are very thin. They may only grow to be a few centimeters（厘米）wide while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across. This plant also comes in different colors, from yellow to black to green.
Many Asian countries have been using bamboo for hundreds of years. They often use bamboo for building new buildings. As a matter of fact, the cables(绳索) hold up the hanging bridge across the Min River in Sichuan are made of bamboo. The bridge has been in use for more than 1,000 years, and is still holding strong.
In Africa, engineers are teaching poor farmers how to find water using bamboo. These African countries need cheap ways to find water because they have no money, and their fields often die from no rain and no water. It seems that bamboo is one of the best things they can use. Bamboo pipes and drills(钻) can help to make the poor thirsty fields be watered.How is bamboo like grass?
| A．It is thin and easy to cut. |
| B．It grows everywhere. |
| C．It grows quickly after it’s cut short. |
| D．It is short and green. |
The underlined sentence “while others may grow to more than 30 centimeters across.” means “Some other bamboo plants may grow to be very _______.”
| A．short | B．strong | C．thick | D．tall |
From the text we know ______.
| A．All people call bamboo plant trees |
| B．a bamboo plant may grow 4.5 meters in three days |
| C．the bamboo plant changes its colors when it grows |
| D．a bridge held by bamboo cable was built thousands of years ago |
Why did the engineers teach the poor farmers in Africa to make use of bamboo?
| A．Because it is cheap. | B．Because it is colorful. |
| C．Because it drills fast. | D．Because it is used by Asians. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．There are many different kinds of bamboo with different colors. |
| B．Cables made of bamboo can last for over a thousand years. |
| C．Bamboo can be used for buildings, bridges and watering projects(工程). |
| D．Bamboo plants are able to grow well in any part of the world. |
If you do not use your arm or your legs for some time, they become weak; when you start using them again, they slowly become strong again. Everybody knows that. Yet many people do not seem to know that memory works in the same way. When someone says that he has a good memory, he really means that he keeps his memory in practice by using it. When someone else says that his memory（记忆力） is poor, he really means that he does not give it enough chance to become strong. If a friend says that his arms and legs are weak, we know that it is his own fault(过错). But if he tells us that he has a poor memory, many of us think that his parents are to blame(受责备), and few of us know that it is just his own fault. Have you ever found that some people can’t read or write but usually they have better memories? This is because they cannot read or write and they have to remember things they cannot write down in a little notebook. They have to remember days, names, songs and stories; so their memory is the whole time being exercised. So if you want to have a good memory, learn from the people: Practice remembering.The main reason for one’s poor memory is that _______.
| A．his father or mother may have a poor memory |
| B．he does not use his arm or legs for some time |
| C．his memory is not often used |
| D．he can’t read or write |
If you do not use your arms or legs for some time _______.
| A．you can’t use them any more |
| B．they will become stronger |
| C．they become weak and won’t become strong until you use them again. |
| D．they will become neither stronger nor weaker |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．Your memory works in the same way as your arms or legs. |
| B．Your memory, like your arms or legs, becomes weak if you don’t give it enough chance for practice. |
| C．Don’t learn how to read and write if you want to have a better memory. |
| D．A good memory comes from more practice. |
Some people can’t read or write, but they usually have better memories, because _______.
| A．they have save much trouble |
| B．they have saved much time to remember things |
| C．they have to use their memories all the time |
| D．they can’t write everything in a little notebook |
Which is the best title for this passage?
| A．Don’t Stop Using Your Arms or Legs | B．How to Have a Good Memory |
| C．Strong Arms and Good Memories | D．Learn From the People |