More than two thirds of the world's polar bears will be wiped out by 2050，according to a shocking new study. By then，scientists say，global warming will have melted 42 percent of the Arctic sea ice. By 2100，only a very few of these important creatures will be left.
The report has been produced by the US Geological Survey. The scientists have publicized their findings in the hope of influencing US Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne，who has been asked to put polar bears on the US endangered species list.
Polar bears depend on floating sea ice as a platform for hunting seals，which are their main food. Without enough ice，polar bears would be forced to go onto the land，where they are poorly skilled hunters，and would be unlikely to adapt to the life on the land in time. Experts say few little bears would survive and the stress could make many females unable to get pregnant.
The team of American and Canadian scientists spent six months studying bears，on the ground，from spotter planes and in the lab，using computer models.
Some team members fear the result is even worse for the bears than what their report says. They say the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere in the world and much faster than their computer had been forecasting. Satellite observations have showed that the ice has decreased to an all－time low.
However，not everyone in the scientific community believes that global warming is happening on such an alarming scale. Another investigation has found that polar bears are still being hunted by wealthy “sportsmen” who want their skins and heads. At least ten international companies offer bear－hunting trips.What do we know about Dirk Kempthorne according to the passage?
| A．He is an animal scientist. |
| B．He is a protector of animals working for the US government. |
| C．He was asked to put polar bears on the US endangered species list. |
| D．He offered to put polar bears on the endangered species list. |
Why will polar bears die out if there is not enough sea ice?
| A．Because polar bears can't catch enough food without ice. |
| B．Because polar bears eat ice when they feel thirsty. |
| C．Because polar bears will be easily found by hunters without ice. |
| D．Because most female bears are used to giving birth under ice. |
After a six－month study，some scientists fear that ________．
| A．there is something wrong with their computers |
| B．polar bears will disappear even faster than they ever expected |
| C．their computer models are not as accurate as they expected |
| D．global warming will destroy everything in the Arctic |
What does the writer want to tell us in the last paragraph?
| A．The forecast about the future of polar bears is not correct. |
| B．Global warming won't have any effect on hunting trips in the Arctic. |
| C．Polar bears are an endangered species as a result of bear－hunting. |
| D．People don't pay enough attention to the protection of endangered species. |
Dirty language，curse(诅咒) words，swearing. These are all ways of describing words people consider socially unacceptable. But such words are commonly said after a painful injury. So，do they serve a purpose in reducing physical pain？That is what researchers in Britain set out to discover.
Psychologist Richard Stephens wondered if using curse words truly helped people reduce physical pain. To test the theory，he asked more than 60 college students to take part in an experiment.
The students were asked to write down five words they might say after injuring their finger. One of the words was chosen as their swear word. The students were also asked to choose five words they might use to describe another object：a table. These words were their control words.
The students were then asked to hold their hand in freezing water for as long as they could. While holding their hand underwater，they were asked to repeat a swear word. Then they repeated the experiment using their control word instead.
The researchers found a link between swearing and an increased ability to deal with pain. When students repeated a swear word，they were able to hold their hand longer in the cold water. They said they experienced less pain when using swear words.
The experiment showed that swearing caused people's heart rate to increase，which permits the body to experience or ignore pain better. It also found interesting differences between men and women. The heart rate of both men and women increased. Yet swearing had a greater effect on women.
It is unclear to scientists exactly how swearing affects physical reactions to pain. Professor Stephens believes that swearing activates a different part of the brain than normal language. He says more experiments on different kinds of pain are needed to better understand the effect of swearing.
The researchers note that swear words have existed for hundreds of years. Their findings offer one reason why the custom of cursing may have continued for so long. Swear words are said with emotion. For that reason，the more someone swears，the less of an effect the words have.Which of the following can be the best title of the passage?
| A．Using Curse Words Can Reduce Physical Pain |
| B．People Consider Curse Words Socially Unacceptable |
| C．Dirty Language Is Commonly Said After a Painful Injury |
| D．Curse Words Are Spoken by Inexperienced Psychologists |
How did Richard Stephens carry out the experiment?
| A．With a questionnaire. |
| B．Through some examples. |
| C．By comparison. |
| D．With the help of the Internet. |
How many experiments should each college student take part in at least?
| A．One. |
| B．Two. |
| C．Three. |
| D．Four. |
What does the underlined word “activates” mean?
| A．Makes something active. |
| B．Changes something totally. |
| C．Stops something from happening. |
| D．Discovers something new. |
Which of the following is one of the findings from the experiment?
| A．Women use more swearing words than men. |
| B．The more someone swears the greater effect the words have. |
| C．Men's heart beats faster than women's when using dirty language. |
| D．Using swearing words helps women deal with pain better than men. |
“Harry Potter” star Daniel Radcliffe led groups of excited kids dressed in Hogwarts uniforms as the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park officially opened on Friday to long lines and disordered traffic.
Radcliffe，Rupert Grint who plays the boy wizard's best friend Ron Weasley，and other actors from the blockbuster movie，were on hand at Universal Orlando Resort as fans lined up more than eight hours to be among the first visitors.
Before dawn，the backup of Potter fans began to block the main highway through Orlando near the entrances to Universal，forcing the theme park to open its parking garage at 5 am－30 minutes earlier than planned，according to local media.
Visitors said that by 8∶30 am the line to get inside wrapped around the outside of Universal's Islands of Adventure park，of which the Wizarding World is one of six unique sections. And the wait for the Forbidden Journey reached at least 90 minutes at one point.
“It was worth it，just because I'm a Harry Potter fan，”said Kelsey Rigg,18，a British transplant(移居者) to Florida who at 3 am joined a crowd of several hundred people.
Universal Orlando managers did not immediately have information about crowd size.
The 20acre Harry Potter park reportedly cost $250 million to build and recreates the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and other places dreamed up by author J．K. Rowling in her fantasy novels about the boy wizard and his friends.
Attractions include the Dragon Challenge，a highspeed ride based on the Triwizard Tournament，a fictional 13th century contest between students of the three bestknown magical schools of Europe and Flight of the Hippogriff，a roller coaster based on Rowling's magical creature with the head，wings and front legs of a giant eagle and the body，hind legs and tail of a horse.What is the possible reason for the fans going there so early?
| A．To see the new film of Harry Potter in the Hogwarts uniform. |
| B．To block traffic together with the other actors in the movie. |
| C．To be the first visitors of the Harry Potter theme park. |
| D．To host the opening of the Harry Potter theme park. |
Why was the parking garage forced to open ahead of planned time?
| A．Because all the fans came by car. |
| B．Because the main highway was blocked. |
| C．Because there were too many fans lining up outside of the park. |
| D．Because the parking garage was broken through by fans. |
According to the passage，the Harry Potter theme park ________.
| A．was designed by author J．K. Rowling |
| B．was built by Harry Potter crazy fans |
| C．lies in Universal Orlando Resort in Florida |
| D．is managed by Daniel Radcliffe and Rupert Grint |
What can we learn from Kelsey Rigg's words and action?
| A．Harry Potter fans are crazy about the theme park. |
| B．More Harry Potter fans will transplant to Florida. |
| C．Only several hundred Harry Potter fans come to visit the park. |
| D．Only those who transplanted to Florida earlier have the chance to visit the park. |
We can know from the passage that ________.
| A．Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure park covers 20 acres |
| B．some of the visitors to the theme park waited about eight hours |
| C．Universal Orlando didn't mind the number of visitors on the first day |
| D．all of the attractions were imagined and designed by some actors and architects |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项 (A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
Long ago in a small town，there was a place known as the House of 1,000 Mirrors. A happy little dog learned of this place and decided to visit.
When he arrived，he bounced(跳) happily up the stairs to the doorway of the house. He looked through the doorway with his ears lifted high and his tail wagging as fast as it could. To his great surprise，he found himself staring at 1,000 other happy little dogs with their tails wagging just as his. He smiled a great smile，and was answered with 1,000 great smiles just as warm and friendly. As he left the house，he thought to himself，“This is a wonderful place. I will come back and visit often.”
In this same town，another little dog，who was not quite as happy as the first one，decided to visit the house. He slowly climbed the stairs and hung his head low as he looked into the door. When he saw the 1,000 unfriendly looking dogs staring back at him，he growled at them and was horrified to see 1,000 little dogs growling back at him. As he left，he thought to himself，“This is a horrible place，and I will never go back there again.”
All the faces in the world are mirrors. What kind of reflections do you see on the faces of the people you meet?
【选项】 Why was the first dog surprised When he entered the house?
| A．Because he didn't expect to see so many happy dogs. |
| B．Because he didn't know there were 1,000 mirrors in the house. |
| C．Because he was always in a mixed mood. |
| D．Because he saw so many dogs smiling at him. |
Why did the first dog like the house?
| A．Because there were 1,000 mirrors in the house. |
| B．Because he thought he could keep himself warm in the house. |
| C．Because he liked the mirrors. |
| D．Because he felt he was welcome here. |
The underlined word “growled” probably means________.
| A．made an unfriendly noise |
| B．smiled |
| C．said hello |
| D．stared |
Which of the following is the most suitable title for the passage?
| A．A Happy Little Dog |
| B．The House of 1,000 Mirrors |
| C．The Wonderful Place and the Horrible Place |
| D．Two Little Dogs |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
Ever wondered how one person could save the planet from the effects of climate change？A British-made computer game on trial release on Monday creates different ways of doing just that.
“Fate of the World” puts the Earth's future in players' hands，placing them in charge of an international environmental body which could save the world from the effects of rising greenhouse gas emissions(排放) or let it destroyed by more emissions.
Through different scenes，players can explore options such as geoengineering(地球工程) and alternative energy sources to save the planet from rising temperatures，decreasing natural resources and a growing population over the next 200 years.
An improved version of the game will be followed by a three-month feedback period from players，with final release due in February next year.
Created by Oxford-based games developer Red Redemption，the game is different from other mainstream action games mainly by using data from real climate models and advice from scientists and economists.
“Science data is often inaccessible and we are trying to put players in a position of power and connected with the issues，” Gobion Rowlands，Red Redemption's founder and chairman said.
This year，a series of apparent errors in climate science and the failure of UN talks to reach an international deal to cut greenhouse gas emissions appeared to weaken the public's interest in climate change.
However，games centered on sustainability(持续性) and human rights have been growing in popularity and are welcomed by green groups as a way of raising awareness.
Using climate change as inspiration for entertainment shows the issue has affected global culture，which can only be a good thing. Friends of the Earth's head of climate Mike Childs said.“We need creative industries to work with these big issues as the results can be extremely powerful and can help us to understand what a sustainable future looks and feels like，” he added.Fate of the World in the passage refers to ________.
| A．a book on computer games |
| B．a company developing computer games |
| C．a computer game on climate change |
| D．a player in charge of computer games |
What makes the climate computer game different from the other games?
| A．It uses data from real climate models and advice from experts. |
| B．It is the only computer game about climate. |
| C．It can save the planet from the effect of climate change. |
| D．It aims to affect the global culture. |
It can be concluded from the passage that ________.
| A．games on sustainability and human rights are very popular among young players |
| B．the game increases players' awareness of environmental protection |
| C．only computer experts can play the new climate computer game |
| D．after a three-month feedback period from players，the new game is on sale now |
Which of the following can the players not experience while playing the new game?
| A．Challenging the climate change in an unreal world. |
| B．Understanding what a sustainable future looks and feels like. |
| C．Enjoying the power to decide the earth's fate. |
| D．Predicting what will happen in 200 years. |
In which column of a newspaper can you read this article?
| A．Weather & Climate |
| B．Science & Technology |
| C．Life & Entertainment |
| D．Sports & Culture |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中选出最佳选项。
Next time a customer comes to your office，offer him a cup of coffee. And when you're doing your holiday shopping online，make sure you're holding a large glass of iced tea. The physical sensation(感觉) of warmth encourages emotional warmth，while a cold drink in hand prevents you from making unwise decisions－those are the practical lesson being drawn from recent research by psychologist John A. Bargh.
Psychologists have known that one person's perception(感知) of another's “warmth” is a powerful determiner in social relationships. Judging someone to be either “warm” or “cold” is a primary consideration，even trumping evidence that a “cold” person may be more capable. Much of this is rooted in very early childhood experiences，Bargh argues，when babies' conceptual sense of the world around them is shaped by physical sensations，particularly warmth and coldness. Classic studies by Harry Harlow，published in 1958，showed monkeys preferred to stay close to a cloth “mother” rather than one made of wire，even when the wire “mother” carried a food bottle. Harlow's work and later studies have led psychologists to stress the need for warm physical contact from caregivers to help young children grow into healthy adults with normal social skills.
Feelings of “warmth” and “coldness” in social judgments appear to be universal. Although no worldwide study has been done，Bargh says that describing people as “warm” or “cold” is common to many cultures，and studies have found those perceptions influence judgment in dozens of countries.
To test the relationship between physical and psychological warmth，Bargh conducted an experiment which involved 41 college students. A research assistant who was unaware of the study's hypotheses(假设)，handed the students either a hot cup of coffee，or a cold drink，to hold while the researcher filled out a short information form：The drink was then handed back. After that，the students were asked to rate the personality of “Person A” based on a particular description. Those who had briefly held the warm drink regarded Person A as warmer than those who had held the iced drink.
“We are grounded in our physical experiences even when we think abstractly.” says Bargh.According to Paragraph 1，a person's emotion may be affected by ________.
| A．the visitors to his office |
| B．the psychology lessons he has |
| C．his physical feeling of coldness |
| D．the things he has bought online |
The author mentions Harlow's experiment to show that ________.
| A．adults should develop social skills |
| B．babies need warm physical contact |
| C．caregivers should be healthy adults |
| D．monkeys have social relationships |
In Bargh's experiment，the students were asked to ________.
| A．evaluate someone's personality |
| B．write down their hypotheses |
| C．fill out a personal information form |
| D．hold coffee and cold drink alternatively |
We can infer from the passage that ________.
| A．abstract thinking does not come from physical experiences |
| B．feelings of warmth and coldness are studied worldwide |
| C．physical temperature affects how we see others |
| D．capable persons are often cold to others |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Drinking for Better Social Relationships |
| B．Experiments of Personality Evaluation |
| C．Developing Better Drinking Habits |
| D．Physical Sensations and Emotions |