2020届二轮复习阅读理解训练（43）

2020届二轮复习阅读理解训练（43）

阅读理解训练（43）‎ Passage 1 Animals and the places where they live are getting pushed aside as households(家庭) decrease in size and increase in number.‎ Smaller numbers of people per household on average use more energy and goods per person. Greater numbers of households require more natural resources for construction. The possible result of the double problems may be that there are not enough natural resources to meet consumers’ demand without endangering habitats important to biodiversity.‎ Personal freedom and social choice may come at a huge environmental cost. Direct costs include visible damage to animal habitats and plant life. Indirect costs include the release of more greenhouse gases.‎ The effects of such“personal freedom and social choice” have already surfaced in southwest China’s Wolong Nature Reserve. In Wolong they found that a reduced average household size was directly tied to an increase in homes, and thus an increase in the amount of firewood used for cooking and heating. The rise in wood fuel use has led to the disappearance of forests and to the loss of habitats for giant pandas.‎ Curious about whether other parts of the world were experiencing a similar situation, they enlisted a team of researchers including Stanford’s Paul Ehrlich, well-known for his population studies, to find out the household dynamics in 141 countries-between 1985 and 2000. Their study proved that the Wolong problem is part of a global trend.‎ In the 76 countries considered biodiversity “hot spots”, such as the United Stated, Brazil, Australia and Kenya, the number of households grew yearly by 3.1%, while the population increased just 1.8%. Meanwhile, the number of people per home dropped from 4.7 to 4.0. The decrease in household size has resulted in 155 million additional households in hot-spot countries, almost always limiting biodiversity.‎ In the 65 non-hot-spot countries-those without high-density areas of animals and plant species-similar results were found, though to a lesser degree. Even in countries experiencing population decrease, such as New Zealand, the number of households still increased because of a reduction in household size.‎ ‎1. What is mainly discussed in the passage?‎ A. Reduction in household size and increase in household numbers is a danger to nature.‎ B. Reduced household size leads to an increase in household numbers.‎ C. Modern homes consume more natural resources.‎ D. How to meet consumers’ demand without endangering animals and their habitats.‎ ‎2. It can be learned from the passage that China’s Wolong Nature Reserve______.‎ A. is a place where giant pandas and their habitats are not affected.‎ B. is a place where animals and their habitats are seriously damaged.‎ C. sets a good example of protecting animals.‎ D. is facing the same threat as many other parts of the world.‎ ‎3. Which of the following is best supported by the last two paragraphs?‎ A. The threat to nature from reduction in household size is a worldwide problem.‎ B. Biodiversity is better kept in countries with smaller populations.‎ C. Biodiversity better kept in hot-spot countries doesn’t face threat.‎ D. Both hot-spot countries and non-hot-spot countries face threat of the same percentage.‎ ‎4. Which of the following can best describe the feeling of the author?‎ A. Disappointed B. Hopeful C. Worried D. Angry 答案 ADAC Passage 2‎ Prices determine how resources are to be used. They are also the means by which products and services that are in limited supply are rationed among buyers. The price system of the United States is a complex network composed of the prices of all the products bought and sold in the economy as well as those of a myriad众多方面的of services, including labor, professional, transportation, and public-utility services. The interrelationships of all these prices make up the “system” of prices. The price of any particular product or service is linked to a broad, complicated system of prices in which everything seems to depend more or less upon everything else. If one were to ask a group of randomly selected individuals to define “price”, many would reply that price is an amount of money paid by the buyer to the seller of a product or service or, in other words that price is the money values of a product or service as agreed upon in a market transaction. This definition is, of course, valid as far as it goes. For a complete understanding of a price in any particular transaction, much more than the amount of money involved must be known. Both the buyer and the seller should be familiar with not only the money amount, but with the amount and quality of the product or service to be exchanged, the time and place at which the exchange will take place and payment will be made, the form of money to be used, the credit terms and discounts that apply to the transaction, guarantees on the product or service, delivery terms, return privileges, and other factors. In other words, both buyer and seller should be fully aware of all the factors that comprise the total “package” being exchanged for the asked-for amount of money in order that they may evaluate a given price. ‎ ‎5. According to the first paragraph, what makes up the price system of the US?‎ ‎ A. Labor, professional, transportation, and public-utility有益 services.‎ B. A complex network composed of the prices of all the products bough and sold in the economy and also those of a myriad of services.‎ C. Any particular product or service.‎ ‎ D. To depend on “how resources are to be used”.‎ ‎6. How many factors are there to define “Price”?‎ ‎ A. more than 7 B. more than ‎8 C. more than 9 D. more than 10‎ ‎7. Which statement is true according to the passage?‎ ‎ A. Price is an amount of money paid by the buyer to the seller of a product.‎ ‎ B. Price is the money value of a product.‎ ‎ C. Price is not only an amount of money paid by the buyer to the seller of a product or service but the amount and quality of the product and other factors. ‎ ‎ D. Price is the asked-for amount of money.‎ ‎8. What’s the best title of the passage?‎ ‎ A. How Resources are to be Used. B. The Price System ‎ C. The Factors of “Price” D. The Definition of “Price”‎ 答案 BDCD Passage 3‎ ‎ "The world's oceans are slowly getting more acidic,”say scientists. The researchers from California report that the change is taking place in response to higher levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.‎ ‎ The lowering of the waters’pH value is not great at the moment but could cause a serious threat to current ocean life if it continues, they warn. Ken Caldeira and Michael Wickett, from the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, report their concerns in the journal Nature.‎ Increasing use of oil fuels means more carbon dioxide is going into the air, and most of it will eventually be absorbed by seawater. Once in the water, it reacts to form carbonic acid. Scientists believe that the oceans have already become slightly more acidic over the last century.‎ ‎ These researchers have tried to predict what will happen in the future by combining what we know about the history of the oceans with computer models of climate change．"This level of acidity will get much more extreme in the future if we continue releasing CO2 into the atmosphere," said Dr Caldeira. "And we predict the amount of future acidity will exceed（超过）anything we have seen over the last several hundred million years, let alone perhaps after rare disastrous events such as asteroid（小行星) impacts．”‎ ‎ However, it is not absolutely clear what that means for ocean life．Most organisms live near the surface, where the greatest pH change would be expected to occur, but deep-ocean life forms may be more sensitive to pH changes．Coral reefs and other organisms whose shells contain calcium carbonate（小行星) may be particularly affected if the water's acidity levels keep going up, the team predict. They could find it much more difficult to build these structures in water with a lower pH.‎ ‎ In recent years some people have suggested storing carbon dioxide from power stations in the deep ocean as a way of dealing with global warming．But Dr Caldeira said that such a strategy should now be re-considered. "Previously, most experts had looked at ocean absorption of carbon dioxide as a good thing-because in releasing CO2 into the atmosphere we warm the planet, and when CO2, is absorbed by the ocean, it reduces the amount of greenhouse warming.”‎ ‎9. According to Dr Caldeira,__________ .‎ ‎ A. ocean absorption of carbon dioxide is a good thing ‎ B. more oil fuels will be used in the near future ‎ C. scientists may predict climate changes with computer models ‎ D. the future situation of the amount of acidity is extremely serious ‎10. If the water's acidity level keeps rising,_________ .‎ ‎ A. ocean life whose structures contain calcium carbonate may be affected ‎ B. the waters’pH value will become higher and higher ‎ C. organisms living near the surface are more sensitive to pH changes ‎ D. some disastrous events will occur more often than before ‎11. Most experts once believed storing carbon dioxide in the ocean would reduce________ .‎ ‎ A. the CO2 absorbed by the ocean B. the amount of greenhouse warming ‎ C. the acidity of the ocean D. the gradual release of CO2‎ ‎12. The purpose of this passage is to_________ .‎ ‎ A. show people the findings of a research team ‎ B. inform people of how acid the ocean is now ‎ C. introduce Dr Caldeira and his team's research ‎ D. warn people of the higher level of CO2‎ 答案 DABD Passage 4‎ Climate change has caused the disappearance of ice in Antarctic. It will not only do harm to wildlife in the area but also cause levels of oceans and seas around the world to rise. The old city of Venice, Italy has long been threatened by rising sea levels. Its old buildings, built on a body of water called a lagoon, are slowly “sinking”. When the city was founded about one thousand six hundred yours ago, the water level was almost two meters lower than it is today. ‎ ‎ Mount Kilimanjaro in northeastern Tanzania is the highest point in Africa, with five vegetation zones and many kinds of animals. The ice glaciers on the mountain are disappearing very quickly. This will have a bad effect on the mountain’s plants and animals and on Tanzania’s travel industry. Also, a valuable record of thousands of years of weather history will also be lost if the ice melts. Scientists study pieces of the glacier to know the weather thousands of years ago. ‎ ‎ In the United States, the ice in the Glacier National Park in Montana may soon completely disappear because of climate change. In 1950, there were about 150 glaciers in the park. However there are only 26 glaciers remaining today. Scientists say that the glaciers will be gone by 2030. Many kinds of plants and animals in this mountain park are also disappearing. ‎ ‎ Rising sea temperatures are greatly harming the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. In some areas, healthy yellow, brown and green reefs have turned white. The coral whitens when it becomes breathless because of high temperatures. Its food also becomes less and less because the water is deepening.‎ ‎ These places are included in the book called “Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them.” It aims to call on the world to protect these places of interest in danger.‎ ‎13.Which of the following can show us the climate many centuries ago?‎ A.Old buildings in ‎Venice B.Mount Kilimanjaro C.The‎ Glacier National park in ‎Montana D.The Great Barrier Reef ‎14.From the third paragraph we can infer______.‎ A.there will be no life in the Glacier National Park in Montana in 2030‎ B.the present plants in the glacier‎ ‎National Park like warm weather C.the weather in America half a century ago was colder than it is todayD.there is no ice existing in the Glacier National Park in Montana now ‎15.What makes the coral of the Great Barrier Reef turn white?‎ A.That the water around gets dirty B.that it attacked by other animals ‎ C.That it cannot get enough food D.that the high temperature doesn’t suit it ‎16.The book “Disappearing Destinations: 37 Places in Peril and What Can Be Done to Help Save Them” is mainly about______.‎ A.the disappearing of wild plants and animals B.the effects of disappearing ice in Antarctic C.the travel places that are in danger now D.the harm tourists do to the places of interest ‎17.What is the main idea of the passage?‎ A.The old city of Venice is disappearing.‎ B.The glaciers in the Glacier National Park in Montana is becoming less and less.‎ C.Why does the coral of the Great Barrier Reef turn white D. Climate change has caused many environmental problems.‎ 答案 BCDCD Passage 5‎ Schools have been blamed for giving kids access to soda in vending machines (自动售货机).But new data suggest that school soft drink sales may not be an important factor in how much soda kids drink.‎ In the current issue of The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, researchers compared soda consumption among nearly 500 students in Maine who attended seven schools over two school years. Four of the schools cut back on soft drink availability at the schools, while three of the schools made no changes.‎ All the students were drinking less soda by the end of the study period, but there were no meaningful differences in overall soft drink consumption among the different schools. The data suggest that limiting soft drink availability at school doesn’t result in meaningful changes in drink consumption patterns. While there were no changes in overall soda consumption, there was a notable shift in diet soda drinking among girls. If the school cut back on soda availability, girls were less likely to drink diet soda, compared to girls in schools that made no changes.‎ The data are the latest to suggest that schools may not play as big of a role in kids’ poor eating habits as widely believed. Last year, The American Journal of Public Health published a provocative (引起争论的) study showing that childhood weight problems often get worse in the summer, when kids are out of school.‎ Data from kindergarteners and first graders found that body mass index (指数) increased two to three times as fast in summer as during the regular school year. Minority children were especially at risk, as were children who were already overweight.‎ Even children who were too thin and needed to gain weight appeared to have better eating habits during the school year. They actually gained more weight while in school and less in the summer.‎ Even so, much of the focus on childhood nutrition and obesity (肥胖) remains in the nation’s schools. Today, The Times reported that even the school bake sale is disappearing as districts impose strict standards on the food served on school grounds.‎ ‎18. What can be learned from The Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior? ‎ ‎ A. Soft drink remains a problem in schools.‎ ‎ B. Girls tend to consume less soda at school.‎ ‎ C. Soft drinks may not be to blame for eating problems.‎ ‎ D. Vending machines are not available in all schools.‎ ‎19. Better eating habits may be best developed ______.‎ ‎ A. during summer B. on schooldays ‎ ‎ C. with less soda availability D. in attempts for weight-gain ‎ ‎20. The writer voices his opinion by ______. ‎ ‎ A. conducting scientific research B. comparing two journals ‎ ‎ C. criticizing wrong beliefs D. referring to ready data ‎21.Which of the following can best summarize the passage? ‎ ‎ A. Schools are to blame for kids’ nutrition problems.‎ ‎ B. Schools have made changes for a better reputation.‎ ‎ C. Kids’ poor eating habit has little to do with schools.‎ ‎ D.A lot has been done regarding kids’ nutrition and obesity.‎ 答案 CBDC Passage 6‎ When your pet meets your infant, it might not be love at first sniff.‎ Baby's Best Friend When Jennifer Merritt brought her baby, Arielle, home from the hospital, her cherished dogs had very different reactions. Her boxer, Sonya, was immediately gentle and protective. But Tiger, the Pomeranian, was less welcoming: "If any diapers（尿布） or toys were on the floor, he peed on them!”says the Greenbrier, Arkansas, mom. Tiger isn't the first dog to feel jealous of a baby. In the eyes of a pet’s, there's a new star in town who's stealing his spotlight. Even the most gentle animal will probably act up if he doesn't get his usual attention. These simple steps will help your pet adjust -- and keep your baby safe.‎ u Introduce Them with Care Your newborn and pet's first encounter can set the tone for their relationship. To make it as smooth as possible, try this trick from Caryn Ruiz, of Raleigh, North Carolina: "Before we left the hospital, my husband took blankets home to our dog, Daisy, so she'd know our newborn Devon's smell." When you get home, have your husband carry the baby so you can greet your pet without worrying about her jumping on you. A cat will likely walk away at first, while a dog will probably want to investigate right away.‎ To introduce your baby, get down on your pet's level and let her have a hello sniff. Don't panic and pull your newborn away unless your pet is barking or hissing, because it'll send the message that the baby is a threat.‎ u Learn the Safety Basics No matter how smoothly the introduction goes, there are certain safety rules you should follow, says Bonnie Beaver, DVM, past president of the American Veterinary Medical Association. Number one: Never leave your baby alone with the pet. Even the gentlest animal can react unpredictably. Your baby's crying could frighten your cat, or your dog could suddenly become territorial. Consider setting up baby gates to limit your pet's access. To keep your cat from jumping into the bassinet（有蓬的摇篮）, try putting mosquito netting over the top. Cats hate sticky paws, so keep the crib（有栏杆的摇篮） and changing table off-limits by lining the edges with sticky strips made for furniture （available in most pet stores）. You can also train your dog to sleep in a crate.‎ ‎22. What is the function of the story told at the beginning of the passage?‎ A. To introduce the terrible pets when a mother gets a baby home.‎ B. To illustrate the possible situation when pet meets the new baby.‎ C. To explain the pets reaction towards the new- born baby.‎ D. To prove how friendly a pet is when it meets the new- born baby.‎ ‎23. Who is Sonya that is mentioned in the 1st paragraph?‎ A. A boxer of Jennifer Merritt. B. Jennifer’s baby.‎ C. A dog in Jennifer’s home. D. An expert on pet.‎ ‎24. What can we learn from the passage?‎ A. Cats are more welcoming than dogs when then meet a baby.‎ B. You must show your baby to your pet dog when it is barking.‎ C. You should never keep a baby together with your pet.‎ D. The first introduction of your baby to your pet is important.‎ ‎25. We can infer that the following part of the passage, Bonnie Beaver will focus on _________.‎ A. how dangerous those pets are. B. other safety basics and rules C. how to make a pet calm down D. other similar examples about pets 答案 BCDB Passage 7‎ The past ages of man have all been carefully labeled (贴标签；被称为) by anthropologists(人类学家). Descriptions like “Palaeolithic Man”, “Neolithic Man”, etc., neatly sum up whole periods. When the time comes for anthropologists to turn their attention to the twentieth century, they will surely choose the label “Legless Man”. Histories of the time will go something like this: “In the twentieth century, people forgot how to use their legs. Men and women moved about in cars, buses and trains from a very early age. There were lifts in all large buildings to prevent people from walking. This situation was forced upon earth dwellers (居住者) of that time because of miles each day. But the surprising thing is that they didn’t use their legs even when they went on holiday. They built cable railways, ski-lifts and roads to the top of every huge mountain. All the beauty spots on earth were destroyed by the presence of large car parks.”‎ The future history books might also record that we were deprived (剥夺) of the use of our eyes. In our hurry to get from one place to another, we failed to see anything on the way. Air travel gives you a bird’s-eye view of the world – or even less if the wing of the aircraft happens to block your way. When you travel by car or train a unclear image of the countryside constantly dirties the windows. Car drivers, in particular, are forever forces to go on and on: they never want to stop. Is it the lure of the great motorways, or what? And as for sea travel, it hardly deserves mention. It is perfectly summed up in the words of the old song: “I joined the navy to see the world, and what did I see? I saw the sea.”The typical twentieth-century traveler is the man who always says “I’ve been there.”You mention the remotest, most attractive place-names in the world like El Dorado, Kabul, Irkutsk and someone is bound to say ‘I’ve been there’ – meaning, ‘I drove through it at 100 miles an hour on the way to somewhere else. ’‎ When you travel at high speeds, the present means nothing: you live mainly in the future because you spend most of your time looking forward to arriving at some other place. But actual arrival, when it is reached, is meaningless. You want to move on again. By traveling like this, you stop all experience; the present is no longer a reality: you might just as well be dead. The traveler ‎ on foot, on the other hand, lives constantly in the present. For him, traveling and arriving are one and the same thing: he arrives somewhere with every step he makes. He experiences the present moment with his eyes, his ears and the whole of his body. At the end of his journey, he feels a delicious physical tiredness. He knows that sound. Pleasant sleep will be his: the reward of all true travellers. ‎ ‎26．Anthropologists label nowadays “Legless Man” because_____.‎ A. people forget how to use his legs.‎ B. people prefer cars, buses and trains.‎ C. lifts prevent people from walking.‎ D. there are a lot of transportation devices.‎ ‎27. What does the underlined sentence “When you travel at high speeds” mean?‎ A. people’s focus on the future.‎ B. a pleasure.‎ C. satisfying drivers’ great thrill.‎ D. a necessity of life.‎ ‎28. Why does the author say “we are deprived of the use of our eyes” in the second paragraph?‎ A. People won’t use their eyes.‎ B. In traveling at high speed, eyes become useless.‎ C. People actually can’t see anything on his way of travel.‎ D. People want to sleep during traveling.‎ ‎29. What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?‎ A. Legs become weaker.‎ B. Modern means of transportation make the world a small place.‎ C. There is no need to use eyes.‎ D. The best way to travel is on foot.‎ 答案 AACD Passage 8‎ Scientists say California's special landscapes are changing gradually as the world gets warmer. Now, with a new generation of computer models, they're trying to make clear what those changes will be: Less snow? More wildfires? Fewer animals?‎ The new computer models allow scientists to divide the state into much smaller regions than ever before------just thirty-six square miles. These regional models give scientists a way of draping climate over California's complex landscape. ‎ Scientists want to understand how warming will affect the state's people, its economy, and the thousands of species that only live in California. The State's Climate Action Team has organized a meeting last month in Los Angeles on the economic effects of these targets.‎ California started the only state-run climate research program three years ago and is spending about$5 million a year on it. The goal of the research is to limit the impact of such changes. ‎ California is part of an internationally recognized "hot spot" of biodiversity that extends north across the Oregon border and south into Baja California. It's home to 4,426 species of plants, nearly half of which are found nowhere else.‎ What happens in California could have broad influence. If California were a nation, it would be the fifth-biggest economy in the world and the 12th-biggest generator of greenhouse gases. ‎ Scientists are also looking beyond the greenhouse effect. For instance, urban development warms climate; cities give off more heat than natural areas. Cities also absorb more heat from the sun. This phenomenon is known as the "urban heat island effect". ‎ ‎30. The writer intends to tell readers .‎ A. studies on the future wildlife in California by computer ‎ B. predicting the future economy of California caused by getting warmer ‎ C. a programme to study the future of California carried by the California government ‎ D. research on the future effect on California caused by getting warmer by high technology ‎31. The underlined word “generator” in the 6th paragraph probably has the same meaning as .‎ A. producer B. destroyer C. sufferer D.supporter ‎32. Which of the following statements about “urban heat island effect” phenomena is wrong? .‎ A. cities absorb more heat from the sun B. cities give off more heat than natural areas C. warming affects plants and animals D. urban development warms climate ‎33. There are more than two thousand species of plants .‎ A. that exist only in this area B. that will be harmed by the changing weather C. that will survive in this area D. that will die out in future 答案 DACA ‎ Passage 9‎ With only about 1, 000 pandas left in the world, China is desperately trying to clone the animal and save the endangered species. That’s a move similar to what a Texas A & M University researchers have been undertaking for the past five years in a project called “Noah’s Ark”. ‎ Noah’s Ark is aimed at collecting eggs, embryos(胚胎), semen and DNA of endangered animals and storing them in liquid nitrogen. If certain species should become extinct(灭绝), Dr. Duane Kraemer, a professor in Texas A & M’s College of Veterinary Medicine, says there would be enough of the basic building blocks to reintroduce the species in the future. ‎ It is estimated that as many as 2, 000 species of mammals, birds and reptiles will become extinct in over 100 years. The panda, native only to China, is in danger of becoming extinct in the next 25 years. ‎ This week, Chinese scientists said they grew an embryo by introducing cells from a dead female panda into the egg cells of a Japanese white rabbit. They are now trying to implant(移植) the embryo into a host animal. ‎ The entire procedure（程序） could take from three to five years to complete. ‎ ‎“The nuclear transfer(核子移植) of one species to another is not easy, and the lack of available panda eggs could be a major problem,” Kraemer believes. “They will probably have to do several hundred transfers to result in one pregnancy (having a baby). It takes a long time and it’s difficult, but this could be groundbreaking science if it works. They are certainly not putting any live pandas at risk, so it is worth the effort,” adds Kraemer, who is one of the leaders of the Project at Texas A & M, the first-ever attempt at cloning a dog. ‎ ‎“They are trying to do something that’s never been done, and this is very similar to our work in Noah’s Ark. We’re both trying to save animals that face extinction. I certainly appreciate their effort and there’s a lot we can learn from what they are attempting to do. It’s a research that is ‎ very much needed.” ‎ ‎34. The aim of “Noah’s Ark” project is to _______.‎ A. make efforts to clone the endangered pandas B. save endangered animals from dying out C. collect DNA of endangered animals to study D. transfer the nuclear of one animal to another ‎35. According to Professor Kraemer, the major problem in cloning pandas would be the lack of _______.‎ A. available panda eggs B. host animals C. qualified researchers D. enough money ‎36. From the passage we know that _______.‎ A. Kraemer and his team have succeeded in cloning a dog ‎     B. scientists try to implant(移植) a panda’s egg into a rabbit ‎     C. Kraemer will work with Chinese scientists in clone researches ‎     D. about two thousand of species will probably die out in a century ‎37. Which of the following should be the best title for the passage?‎ A. China’s Success in Pandas Cloning.     ‎ B. The First Cloned Panda in the World.‎ C. Exploring the Possibility to Clone Pandas. ‎ D. China —the Native Place of Pandas Forever.‎ 答案 BADC ‎ Passage 10‎ Alone in the wilderness. Nothing but jungle. A world of shadow with the rays of light falling like blonde hair from the crowns of the giant trees. Jungle in the midday sun. Everything motionless. Not a sound from sky or earth. Complete silence. Only some coconuts falling, at long intervals, very far away. The world reduced to the soft touch of cool grass along my naked back, and a sweet smell of rich soil and vegetation. Stretched out with closed eyes beside my heavy burden of fruit and firewood, I enjoyed the feeling of fresh blood streaming through every part of my body and fresh jungle air filling every corner of my lungs.‎ ‎ Resting motionless, I could see the sun through my closed eyelids, alone in the sky, as lonely as I, and as motionless and silent as everything else. The earth had surely stopped turning and somewhere on this planet there was supposed to be roaring traffic in busy streets. What a crazy, unbelievable thought!‎ ‎ Another coconut fell, to make the world come to a complete standstill. I had to roll over onto my stomach to feel that at least I could move and make noises. Then I found company. A little brown ant was struggling to find its way with a bit of dry straw through the jungle of leaves and grass below my nose. I wondered if I could give the little fellow a lift with its burden, but it showed not the slightest sign of tiredness and struggled on with all six legs, head first or head last, waving its feelers energetically as if the trip had just started. Who ever saw a tired ant? Tiredness, disagreeable tiredness, is restricted to hunted animals, slaves and modern man. It is as great an effort for an office clerk to walk five blocks with a loaded brief-case as it is for a jungle-dweller to cross a valley with a goat on his back. It is as hard to get up and climb or run when you have been seated for years as it is to get up and walk when you have been in bed for months. The body is ‎ strange. Spare it, and you get really tired for almost nothing; use it, and almost nothing makes you really tired.‎ ‎ I rose to my feet. I had heard a horse neighing down in the valley. Above me, on the open highland plains, there were wild horses. But down in the valley there was never a horse unless there was a man on it. Somebody was making his way up the valley and my wife was alone.‎ ‎38．The author mentions coconuts’ falling to .‎ ‎ A．show his loneliness B．add beauty to the jungle ‎ C．express his love of nature D．stress the absolute silence ‎39．How does the author feel about the ant?‎ ‎ A．He admired its attitude toward work.‎ ‎ B．He was amazed at its tireless efforts.‎ ‎ C．He showed sympathy for the little ant.‎ ‎ D．He was content to have it as a companion.‎ ‎40．It can be inferred from the last paragraph that the author would probably .‎ ‎ A．work harder than before B．talk to the man on the horse ‎ C．make his way home D．stay in the valley ‎41．We can learn from the passage that the author .‎ ‎ A．enjoyed being alone B．experienced a word of quietness ‎ C．missed his busy life in the city D．had an unforgettable adventure 答案 DACB Passage 11‎ Do you want to see the effects of global warming? Then head north. Recent studies indicate that the North Pole could be underwater during the summer in less than 10 years, instead of coated in thick sea ice. But seeing the Arctic terrain （地带） up close isn’t easy, unless you’re handy with a dogsled. Steger is going to take all of us there．‎ Steger, 64, is a great polar explorer. He was the first person to make a dogsled trip to the North Pole, and is also a devoted environmentalist who was early to ring the alarm bell on global warming.‎ Steger is about to lead a team of six young adventurers on a 1, 400-mile, 60-day-long dogsled trip across Ellesmere Island, in the Canadian Arctic. The sea ice in that region should still be frozen. “We want to take our audience to the front lines of global warming, ” says Steger. The team will be uploading videos, stories and photos to the website global warming 101.com as they march along, allowing armchair adventurers and kids in classrooms to follow their progress day to day.‎ Steger’s team will include some already-famous young explorers. Sam Branson, 22-year old, is an experienced Arctic traveler. Also on the journey will be 27-year-old Norwegian Sigrid Ekran. Last year Ekran become only the second woman in history to win Rookie （新秀） of the Year for the Iditarod Sled Dog Race.‎ What they will see may be surprising. Even Steger doesn’t know exactly what to expect. Climate change has already reshaped the geography of the Arctic. “Within a decade or less, it’s going to be impossible to reach the North Pole by dog team, without flotation （漂浮）, ”says Steger.‎ ‎42．We can learn from Paragraph 4 that ．‎ A. climate change happens only in the far north B. the effects of climate change are obvious in the Arctic terrain C. climate change is going to be the biggest issue facing human race D. climate change is the result of pollution ‎43．It can be inferred that the aim of the dogsled trip is to ．‎ A. encourage young people to explore the Arctic ‎ B. present the Arctic terrain to geography classes C. study the cause of climate change in polar region D. raise awareness of the damage that climate change is causing in polar regions ‎44．Which of the following statements about Steger’s team is TRUE?‎ A. Sam Branson, a member, is skilled at travelling in the Arctic.‎ B. Steger, the leader is a great environmental expert.‎ C. Ekran, a member, is the second woman to have reached the North Pole.‎ D. All the members are experienced Arctic explorers.‎ ‎45．Why does Steger NOT know what they will see during their trip?‎ A. Because it will be the first time for him to go that far north.‎ B. Because the sea ice in that region should still be frozen.‎ C. Because the geography there has changed due to warmer temperatures.‎ D. Because they will go there by boat instead of by sledge.‎ 答案 BDAC Passage 12‎ The North and South poles are remote and freezing places that receive lots of animal visitors but few human tourists.‎ But even if you never plan to visit the polar bears in the north or penguins in the south, now is a perfect time to start thinking about them. That’s because 2007 marks the beginning of the International Polar Year (IPY), a two-year-old activity of science projects that aim to show how important the poles are to the health of our planet. During the IPY, which will last until March 2009, thousands of researchers from more than 60 countries will conduct more than 200 projects and expeditions(远征) to both the top and bottom of the world.‎ In recent years, the polar regions have begun to change severely as a result of global warming. Temperatures there are rising faster than anywhere else on Earth. As a result, the ice and snow in these regions are melting（融化） at record-setting rates. One result is that sea levels are rising around the world, putting animals and people at risk.‎ Only by studying the poles, say IPY researchers, can we find ways to protect them and ourselves.‎ Both the Arctic and the Antarctic are cold and remote, but the two regions have important differences. For one thing, the Arctic is an ice-covered ocean surrounded by land. The Antarctic, on the other hand, is a continent of ice-covered land surrounded by water.‎ Most polar studies have focused on the Arctic, and that is where scientists have observed the most remarkable changes in the ice. During a typical year, Arctic ice expands(扩大) in the winter and shrinks(缩小) in the summer. But recently, the amount of ice covering the ocean has been steadily dropping in both seasons.‎ ‎46．Which of the following might be the best tile of the passage?‎ ‎ A．Earth’s Poles Interest Scientists B．The Animals of Earth’s Poles ‎ C．Earth’s Poles in Danger D．The Discoveries of Earth’s Poles ‎47．The goal of the International Polar Year is __________.‎ ‎ A．to make it clear that the poles have much to do with a healthy earth ‎ B．to provide practical theory to further develop this distant area ‎ C．to call on as many scientists as possible to do research on the poles ‎ D．to discover more mysteries unknown to man ‎48．What is the main factor that has caused the changes of the poles?‎ ‎ A．The increasing number of animals. B．The development of the poles.‎ ‎ C．The melting of the poles. D．The rising temperature.‎ ‎49．What unusual phenomenon worries the scientists?‎ ‎ A．In summer the ice of the Arctic loses faster.‎ ‎ B．The ice covering the Arctic shrinks even in winter.‎ ‎ C．The ice of the Arctic increases less than in the past.‎ D．The changes in the Arctic are more serious.‎ 答案 DADB Passage 13‎ So far, scientists have named about 1.8 million living species （物种），and that’s just a small part of what probably exists on Earth．With so many plants，animals，fungi，and other organisms covering the planet，it can be tough to figure out what type of spider is crawling up your leg or what kind of bird just flew by．‎ A soon-to-be-launched Website might help．An international team of researchers has announced the creation of a Web — based Encyclopedia of Life （EOL）．The project aims to catalogue every species on Earth in a single，easy-to-use reference guide．‎ To get the encyclopedia started，the creators will use information from scientific databases that already exist．And eventually，in special sections of the site，nonscientists with specialized knowledge will join．Gardeners，for example，will be able to record the dates that their flowers first bloom each year．Bird-watchers will be able to input which birds they’ve seen and where．The technology for this kind of tool has only recently become available．‎ As the EOL develops, you might find it useful for school projects．The site will have special pages for kids who are studying ecosystems in their neighborhoods．To make sure the encyclopedia is accurate，scientists will review much of the information added to it．People who visit the site will be able to choose to skip pages that haven’t been reviewed．‎ Another convenient characteristic of the EOL is that you’11 be able to pick the level of detail you see to match your interests，age，and current knowledge. If you wanted to learn about polar bears for a science class report，for example，you could use the “novice” setting to get basic information about the animals．On the “expert” setting，on the other hand．you could get much more detailed information about the history，literature，and exploration of polar bears．‎ It now takes years for scientists to collect all the data they need to describe and analyze species．The creators of the Encyclopedia of Life hope that their new tool will speed that process．‎ Keep an eye on www.eol.org．Pages will begin to go up sometime next year，and you might find them useful for your school reports．The EOL team might have the basics for all 1.8 million entries online as early as 2017．Someday，you might add your own notes.‎ ‎50．What is implied in the last sentence of Paragraph 1 ?‎ A．No one can become an expert on spiders and birds． ‎ B．So many spiders have crawled up your leg．‎ C．There are far more than 1.8 million living species． ‎ D．Scientists have named a lot of living species．‎ ‎51．Which of the following statements is TRUE?‎ A．You can find information of all living species online in 5017．‎ B．Nonscientists will be able to add their own notes to the website.‎ C．The kids preparing school reports can not have access to the informat’0 n’‎ D．You are not free to choose the amount of detailed information．‎ ‎55．What does the underlined word “novice” probably mean in Paragraph 5 ?‎ A．Beginner． B．Specialist． C．Scientist． D．Pupil．‎ ‎53．Who are the intended readers of this passage?‎ A．Students． B．Researchers． ‎ C．Bird watchers or Gardeners． D．People in general．‎ ‎54．What is the best title for the passage?‎ A．Exploring Polar Bears． B．Visit Our Website Now．‎ C．How to Do School Projects． D．E-book of Life．‎ 答案 CBAAD ‎ Passage 14‎ Our spiritual intelligence quotient (精神智商)，or SQ, helps us understand ourselves, and live fuller, happier lives.‎ ‎ Though we're all born with SQ, most of us don’t even realize that we have it. Fortunately, you don't have to sign up for classes to learn how to improve your SQ. Here are some simple steps that can lead you to this new level of understanding.‎ ‎ Sit Quietly. The process of developing spiritual intelligence begins with solitude (独处) and silence. To tune in to your spirit, you have to turn down the volume (强度) in your busy, noisy, complicated life and force yourself to do nothing at all. Start small by creating islands for silence in your day. In the car, instead of listening to the music, use the time to think. At work, shut the door to your office between meetings, take a few breaths and let them out very, very slowly. Enjoy the stillness in your home after the kids are finally in bed.‎ ‎ Step Outside. For many people, nature sets their spirit free. Go outside to watch a beautiful sunset. If you are walking with the dog, take the time to admire flower in bloom; follow the light of a bird and watch clouds float overhead.‎ ‎ Ask Questions of Yourself. Ask open-ended questions, such as "What am I feeling? What are my choices? Where am I heading?"‎ ‎ But don't expect an answer to arrive through some supernatural form of e-mail. "Rarely do I get an immediate answer to my question," says Reverend Joan Carter, a Presbyterian minister in Sausalito‎, ‎California. “But later that day I suddenly find myself thinking about a problem in a perspective(角度) I never considered before.”‎ ‎ Trust Your Spirit. While most of us rely on gut(本能的) feeling to realize danger, spiritual intelligence pushes us, not away from, but towards some action that will lead to a greater good.‎ ‎55. The passage is mainly about .‎ ‎ A. what your SQ is and in what way it can benefit our life ‎ B. what your SQ is and in what way it can be improved ‎ C. the relationship between your SQ and your life ‎ D. advantages and disadvantages of SQ ‎56. The underlined phrase "tune in to your spirit" in the third paragraph probably means to _____.‎ ‎ A. get your spirit relaxed B. keep up your spirit ‎ C. keep seated quietly D. change your spirit ‎57. The author mentions the example of Reverend Joan Carter to show that . ‎ ‎ A. there are no immediate answers to your questions ‎ B. e-mails can't keep working out a problem ‎ C. the more questions you ask, the better answers you'll get ‎ D. changing your way of thinking might help you solve a problem ‎58. From the passage, we can know that the most important thing to improve your SQ is .‎ ‎ A. a peaceful mind B. deep thought C. spare time and hobbies D. good spirits 答案 BADA ‎