Hundreds of scientists，writers and academics sounded a warning to humanity in an open letter published last December：Policymakers and the rest of us must engage openly with the risk of global collapse．Researchers in many areas have projected the widespread collapse as"a credible scenario（情景） this century"．
A survey of scientists found that extreme weather events，food insecurity，and freshwater shortages might create global collapse．Of course，if you are a non-human species，collapse is well underway．
The call for public engagement with the unthinkable is especially germanein this moment of still-uncontrolled pandemic and economic crises in the world's most technologically advanced nations．Not very long ago，it was also unthinkable that a virus would shut down nations and that safety nets would be proven so disastrously lacking in flexibility．
The international scholars' warning letter doesn't say exactly what collapse will look like or when it might happen．Collapseology，the study of collapse，is more concerned with identifying trends and with them the dangers of everyday civilization．Among the signatories（签署者）of the warning was Bob Johnson，the originator of the"ecological footprint"concept，which measures the total amount of environmental input needed to maintain a given lifestyle．With the current footprint of humanity，"it seems that global collapse is certain to happen in some form，possibly within a decade，certainly within this century，"Johnson said in an email．
Only if we discuss the consequences of our biophysical limits, the December warning letter says，can we have the hope to reduce their "speed，severity and harm"．And yet messengers of the coming disturbance are likely to be ignored．We all want to hope things will turn out fine．As a poet wrote，
Man is a victi m of dope（麻醉品）
In the incurable form of hope ．
The hundreds of scholars who signed the letter are intent（执着） on quieting hope that ignores preparedness．"Let's look directly into the issue of collapse，"hey say，"and deal with the terrible possibilities of what we see there to make the best of a troubling future．"
28. What does the underlined word "germane" in Paragraph 3 probably mean？
| A． |
Scientific． |
B． |
Credible． |
| C． |
Original． |
D． |
Relevant． |
29. As for the public awareness of global collapse，the author is__________．
| A． |
worried |
B． |
puzzled |
| C． |
surprised |
D． |
scared |
30. What can we learn from this passage？
| A． |
The signatories may change the biophysical limits． |
| B． |
The author agrees with the message of the poem． |
| C． |
The issue of collapse is being prioritized． |
| D． |
The global collapse is well underway． |
Scientists are working to develop crop plants that can reduce the amount of water used for agriculture. Almost sixty percent of the world’s freshwater withdrawals from rivers, lakes and other water resources go toward irrigating fields.
Scientists are using biotechnology as well as traditional breeding methods to develop water-saving crops to feed a growing world.
Thomas “Tommy” Carter is a plant scientist in North Carolina. He works for the Agricultural Research Service in the United States Department of Agriculture. He leads Team Drought, a group of researchers at five universities. They have been using conventional breeding methods to develop and test soybeans that can grow well under dry conditions.
Tommy Carter started working on drought-resistant soybeans in 1981. His research has taken him as far as China, where soybeans have been grown for thousands of years.
Farmers in the United States, however, have grown soybeans for only about a century. Tommy Carter says the soybeans they grow are for the most part genetically similar. More differences could better protect crops against climate changes that can reduce production. Those changes include water shortages which could increase from global warming.
The Agriculture Department has a soybean germplasm(胚质) collection, a collection of genetic material passed from one generation to the next. Members of Team Drought studied more than 2,500 examples from the collection.
They looked at ones from the home of soybeans, Asia. They searched for germplasms that could keep plants from weakening and wilting (凋谢)during hot, dry summers in the United States.
Tommy Carter says they found only five. But these slow-wilting lines, he says, produce four to eight bushels（英斗）more than normal soybeans under drought conditions. The yield depends on location and environment.
Scientists are also working on other plants that either use less water or use it better, or both. For example, companies like Monsanto, DuPont and Syngenta have been d
eveloping corn with reduced water needs. Monsanto expects to be ready in a few years to market its first corn seeds genetically engineered to resist drought.
68. According to the passage, scientists try to find out how to _______.
A. grow crops with less water
B. increase crop production
C. feed a growing world
D. save the world’s water resource
69. Why did Tommy Carter come to China?
A. He likes traveling.
B. China has a long history.
C. He’s doing research into soybeans.
D. He works for the Agricultural Research Service.
70. What’s inferred from the passage?
A. Climate changes lead to global warming.
B. Water shortages contribute to global warming.
C. Genetically different soybeans need much water to grow.
D. Genetically different soybeans help to fight against damaging climate changes.
71. What do we know about slow-wilting plants talked about in the passage?
A. They yield big profits.
B. They can grow in almost any climate.
C. They seem to be drought-resistant.
D. They need much water for their growth.
At least 115 Chinese miners have been pulled alive from a flooded coal mine after more than seven days trapped underground.
Rescuer
s cheered and some shed tears as the latest survivors emerged alive Monday after more than a week trapped in a flooded mine in north China's Shanxi Province. Officials were also relieved as their round-the-clock rescue mission prevented one of the country's worst mining disasters.
The head of the province's Work Safety ministry, Luo Lin, was among thousands of relatives waiting desperately for news at the pit entrance after rescuers said they had heard voices deep within the mine shaft over the weekend.
It is a miracle in China's mining rescue history, Luo says. He thanked the rescuers for their effort as he counted the miners leaving the entrance.
By late evening Monday, 115 miners had been pulled out alive, China's state media said. They were led to waiting ambulances with their eyes covered to prevent the glare from lights. All are said to be in a stable condition after being trapped in water for nearly nine days. They were able to breathe during their ordeal thanks to air pockets.
Three-thousand rescuers dug and pumped water for seven days to reach the miners at the Wangjialing Coal Mine, which is considered a modern facility.
The first survivors were brought to the surface shortly after midnight on Monday. Attempts to reach the 38 who remain trapped are continuing.
153 people were believed to be trapped underground. But families say this is an underestimate, claiming many more were working in the mine at the time of the flooding.
A preliminary investigation last week found that officials had ignored reports of water leaks prior to the accident.
China relies heavily on coal to fuel its booming economy. But it has some of the most dangerous mines in the world, with many mine bosses ignoring safety concerns to meet demand and chase profits.
The government has sought to improve safety in recent years by clamping down on illegal mines and this seems to have prevented many deaths.
According to official figures, 2,631 coal miners died in 1,616 mine accidents in China in 2009 – down 18 percent from the previous year.
64. Which is the best title of the passage?
A. The Flooded Coal Mine
B. Miners Trapped were Saved
C. The Worst Coal Mine Accident
D. 115 Miners Rescued, 38 Still Missing
65. The underlined word “round-the-clock” in Para 2 most probably means “_______”.
A. finishing before a particular time
B. changing the time shown by clock
C. all day and all night without stopping
D. from the beginning to the end
66. Which of the following is True according to the passage?
A. Coal plays a decisive role in China’s economy.
B. Mine accidents have been increasing in recent years.
C. 115 miners were working underground when the flooding happened.
D. About 3200 coal miners died in mine accidents in China in 2008.
67. At least 115 coal miners were rescued _______.
A. on the day the accident happened
B. after more than 7 days trapped underground
C. after working underground for 9 days
D. 10 days after the accident happened
It’s almost time to head back to school, and well, it’s never too early to start shopping for those school supplies. If you have some extra cash left over after shopping for backpacks and number two pencils, then treat your kid to some cool electronics you can borrow from them later.
Acer Aspire One: Net books are great for many reasons. Parents will love them because they’re extremely affordable and light compared to the average laptop. They’re also ideal for students who don’t quite need a computer but want one to do research, check email, or just surf the Web. You can find a black or white version for the low
price of $99.
Fuji Fine Pix Z20fd: This sub-$200 digital camera is the perfect thing for any high school student. Available in five eye-catching colors, the Fine Pix Z20fd is a 10-megapixel(兆像素) camera. Media kids will appreciate the camera’s blog and auction mode, as well as the “one touch” movie recording option that allows them to edit movies before sharing them online. This is certainly an affordable camera for photo-lovers of any age.
Mimobot: USB flash drives are all pretty much the same, but if you want to treat your teen to a hip flash drive, check out Momobot.com. Each drive is packed with cool wallpaper, digital magazines, and so on. You can
find them in 1GB, 2GB, 4GB and 8GB capacities(容量) at the price of $35-$100.
Samsung S2: Regardless of what your teen may tell you, there are other music players out there packed with plenty of great features. Samsung’s S2 MP3 player is nice enough to wear around the neck and small enough to take to the gym. It is available in five colors (red, black, white, purple, and green), comes in capacities of 1GB or 2GB, and is available for the low price of $40 or less.
60. Judging from the content, whom is this passage probably written for?
A. Teenagers. B. Teachers. C. Students. D. Parents.
61. According to the second paragraph, which picture is a model of Acer Aspire One?
A. 
B. 
C.
D.
62. Which is the most expensive of the four goods?
A. Acer Aspire One. B. Fuji Fine Pix Z20fd.
C. Mimobot. D. Samsung S2.
63. Which could be the best title for this passage?
A. Cheap Gifts for you
B. Gift Ideas for High School Students
C. Best Goods for your Babies
D. New Products for your Children
第三部分阅读理解（共20 小题；每小题2分，满分40分）
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，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
“Can I see my baby?” asked the happy new mother. The bundle(婴儿包) was placed in her arms and when she moved the fold of cloth to look upon his tiny face, she gasped—the baby had been born without ears. Time, however, proved that the baby’s hearing was perfect except his appearance.
One day when he rushed home from school and threw himself into his mother’s arms, he cried out bitterly, “A boy, a big boy called me—a f-…freak.” She sighed, knowing that his life was to be endless of heartbreaks.
He grew up, handsome for his misfortune. A favorite with his fellow students, he might have been class president, but for that. He developed a gift for literature and music.
The boy’s father had a talk with the family doctor. Could nothing be done? “I believe we could graft(移植) on a pair of outer ears, if they could be donated,” the doctor decided. So the search began for a person who would make such a sacrifice for a young man. Two years went by. “You’re going to the hospital, son. Mother and I have someone who will donate the ears you need. But it’s a secret,” said the father.
The operation was a brilliant success. His talents blossomed into genius. School and college became a series of successes. Later he married and entered the diplomatic(外交) service. “But I must know!” he urged his father. “Who gave so much for me? I could never do enough for him.”
“I do not believe you could,” said the father, “but the agreement was that you are not to know…, not yet.” The years kept the secret, but the day did come… one of the darkest days that ever pass through a son. He stood with his father over his mother’s casket(棺材). Slowly and tenderly, the father stretched forth a hand and raised the thick, reddish-brown hair to let out the secret.
56. The story is mainly about_______.
A. how a boy had new ears through an operation
B. what a devoted parent privately did for the child
C. how a disabled boy turned into a useful person
D. why a donator made a sacrifice to a bright boy
57. The underlined word “freak” in Paragraph 2 probably means “_______”.
A. slow-acting person B. ugly-looking child
C. badly-behaved student D. strangely-shaped creature
58. What can be inferred from the passage?
A. The agreement was between the donator and the family.
B. The boy was so popular that he was made class president.
C. Finally the boy came to know who the donator was.
D. The mother donated her ears to her son after she died.
59. We can learn from the passage that _______.
A. real love sometimes lies in what is done unknown
B. it is up to parents to help their children heart and soul
C. true beauty lies only in the heart not in appearance
D. it’s a virtue for young generations to learn to be grateful
Microsoft founder Bill Gates has recovered his spot at the top of the US money heap, taking the place of Investor Warren Buffett as America's richest person, Forbes magazine's latest list reveals.
With 57 billion dollars net worth Gates again leads the list of 400 richest individuals in the world’s wealthiest country. He displaced Buffett who briefly held the position this year but who has seen his Berkshire Hathaway investment group's shares slip 15 percent since February and is now worth 50 billion.
According to Forbes, whose list was published late Wednesday, the golden 400 have 1.3 billion dollars net worth or more. However, their combined net worth rose only 30 billion dollars, or two percent, to 1.57 trillion dollars.
Forbes said that rising oil and dizzy art prices fuelled the entry of 31 new members into the ultra -rich club and the return of eight previous members.
A notable arrival was Mark Zuckerberg, 24, founder of the social networking site Facebook (脸谱网). Forbes estimates his worth at 1.5 billion dollars.
Meanwhile, turmoil (动荡) on the stock and housing markets saw 33 others drop off the list, including former head of the troubled insurance giant AIG, Maurice Greenberg, and a former head of the online auction site eBay, Margaret Whitman.
Biggest gainers were led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg who took eighth place with 20 billion dollars worth after a transaction (交易) put a new value on his Bloomberg media and financial data network.
The biggest loser was casino (赌场，娱乐场所) tycoon Sheldon Adelson, whose fortune fell 13 billion dollars over 12 months -- the equivalent to 1.5 million dollars an hour -- although he still has 15 billion dollars and occupies 15th place.
About two thirds of the list are self-made billionaires and just over 10 percent are women, led by television star Oprah Winfrey whose fortune rose 200 million dollars to 2.7 billion dollars.
68. According to Forbes, Warren Buffet is worth ________.
A. 57 billion dollars B. 50 billion dollars
C. 1.5 billion dollars D.20 billion dollars
69. 31 new members entered the ultra-rich club as a result of ________.
A. turmoil on the stock and housing market B. media and financial data network
C. rising oil and dizzy art prices D. investment
70. The purpose of the author using the television star Oprah Winfrey as an example is to _________.
A. tell the readers that television stars make money easily
B. prove that a millionaire can become a billionaire
C women can also be billionaires
D. tell the readers that most of the billionaires are self-made
71. What is the best tide of the passage?
A. Bill Gates Leading World's Richest People Again
B. What Made Billionaires
C. Self-Made Billionaires
D. Biggest Gainer and Biggest Loser