There has been a dramatic increase in the number of natural disasters over the p
题型：不详难度：来源：
There has been a dramatic increase in the number of natural disasters over the past few years, and it is assumed that global warming and climate change could cause even more disasters in the future. Some of the world’s leading cities are facing disasters like floods and heat waves.
London
London’s flood defences are getting older. Since 1982, the Thames Barrier(水闸)has protected the city from the threat of flooding, but it was only designed to last until 2030 and close once every two or three years. About 26 years later the barrier now closes five or six times a year and according to Environment Agency predictions, by 2050 the barrier will be closed on almost every tide if the problem is not addressed.
There are 26 underground stations, 400 schools, 16 hospitals, an airport and 80 billion worth of property in London’s flood risk area, so large scale flooding would be disastrous.
Paris
Over a six week period in July and August 2003, more than 1 1,400—mainly elderly people—died in France from dehydration(脱水)and extremely high body temperature in a deadly heat wave. Heat waves of similar intensity(强度)are expected every seven years by 2050, so what can be done to make sure such a disaster does not happen again?
One solution is to have air-conditioners installed in elderly care homes. But this is considered a short-term solution, as the increase in demand for electricity also increases carbon emissions(排放).
In Paris the local authorities are encouraging architects to design new types of buildings such as the building “Flower Tower,” which uses a covering of bamboo to act as a natural air-conditioner.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the fastest growing city on Earth. It has a population of 18 million and is only 4 meters above sea level. Sea levels are predicted to rise by 20 cm within the next century.
An estimated 250，000 people move to Shanghai every year in search of work, placing extra demands on energy consumption. China relies heavily on coal—fired power stations, but these emissions increase temperatures and, in turn, warmer seas increase the risk of typhoons.
小题1:What problem should be settled now in London?| A．How to protect the city’s property | | B．Where to build its flood defences | | C．How to use the Thames Barrier to protect the city | | D．How to improve the function of the old flood defences |
小题2:Which of the following measures can’t solve the heat wave disaster in Paris?| A．Putting up new types of buildings with a covering of bamboo | | B．Having air-conditioners installed in elderly care homes | | C．Forbidding the city to build“Flower Tower” | | D．Encouraging architects to design new types of buildings |
小题3:The major threats to Shanghai are ．| A．increasing population and coal-fired power stations | | B．rising sea levels and typhoons | | C．extremely high temperature and rising sea levels | | D．extra demands on energy consumption and typhoons |
小题4:The purpose of the passage is ．| A．to tell us how to protect the big cities | | B．to give advice on how to defend natural disasters | | C．to explain what causes flood and heat waves | | D．to warn us of the increasing natural disasters in big cities |
小题5:Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?| A．Big Cities Facing Big Disasters | | B．Big Disasters in the Future | | C．The Increase of Natural Disasters | | D．Solutions to Natural Disasters |
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答案
小题1:D
小题2:C
小题3:B
小题4:D
小题5:A |
解析
试题分析：全文主要是围绕着三个闻名于世的大城市面临的灾难展开介绍的，目的就是呼吁人们关注全球变暖和气候变化对地球的影响，希望引起人们关注灾害对大城市的破坏。
小题1:细节理解题。在介绍伦敦时，第一句话“London"s flood defences are getting older.”就点明了伦敦的危机暗伏的原因是防洪堤老化。所以解决的方法就是改善防洪堤。选D。
小题2:推理判断题。在介绍巴黎时，说到了解决问题的两种办法，一种是使用空调，但这种办法不是长久之计；另外一种就是在建筑上使用竹子屋顶型的花塔，所以A、B、D三项均正确，而C项forbid正好与文章要表达的意思相反。
小题3:细节理解题。在介绍上海这一城市时，第一段说的是海平面，第二段说的是台风。选B。
小题4:写作意图题。作者写这篇文章的目的就是呼吁人们关注全球变暖和气候变化对地球的影响，就全文来说，是希望引起人们关注灾害对大城市的破坏。选D。
小题5:主旨大意题。抓住关键词，全文主要是围绕着三个闻名于世的大城市面临的灾难展开介绍的，关键词是big city和disasters。选A。 |
举一反三
If the eyes are the romantic’s window into the soul, then the teeth are an anthropologist’s ( 人类学家 ) door to the stomach.
In a study published last month in the journal Science, Peter Ungar of the University of Arkansas and his partner, Matt Sponheimer of the University of Colorado, US, examined the teeth of our early human ancestors to find out what they were really eating.
They already knew that different foods cause different marks on teeth. Some cause scratches, while others cause pits (坑).The carbon left on teeth by different foods is also different. Tropical grasses, for example, leave one kind of carbon, but trees leave another kind because they photosynthesized ( 光合作用 ) differently.
Traditionally, scientists had looked at the size and shape of teeth and skulls ( 头骨 ) to figure out what early humans ate. Big flat teeth were taken to be signs that they ate nuts and seeds, while hard and sharp teeth seemed good for cutting meat and leaves. But this was proven wrong.
The best example was the Paranthropus (傍人), one of our close cousins, some of which lived in eastern Africa. Scientists used to believe Paranthropus ate nuts and seeds because they had big crests(突起)on their skulls, suggesting they had large chewing muscles and big teeth. If this had been true, their teeth should have been covered with pits like the surface of the moon. They would also have had a particular type of carbon on their teeth that typically comes from tree products, such as nuts and seeds.
However, when the two scientists studied the Paranthroupus, it turned out to have none of these characteristics. The teeth had a different kind of carbon, and were covered with scratches, not pits. This suggests they probably ate grass, not nuts and fruit stones. It was the exact opposite of what people had expected to find.
Carbon “foodprints” give us a completely new and different insight into what different species ate and the different environments they lived in. If a certain species had the kind of carbon on its teeth that came from grasses, it probably lived in a tropical grassland, for example.
小题1:The underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 probably means that _____.| A．anthropologists can study the structure of human stomachs by studying their teeth. | | B．anthropologists can study the diet of early humans by studying their teeth | | C．anthropologists can learn whether humans were healthy by looking at their teeth | | D．anthropologists can get the most useful information about humans from their teeth |
小题2:According to Paragraph 3 to 5, which of the following statements is TRUE?| A．Scratches on teeth are caused by eating nuts or seeds. | | B．Pits on teeth are caused by eating grass or leaves. | | C．Early humans with hard and sharp teeth ate meat and leaves. | | D．Different foods leave different marks and carbon on teeth. |
小题3:The example of the Paranthropus was mentioned in the article in order to _____.| A．tell readers that they are one of our close cousins living in eastern Africa | | B．tell readers they had different eating habits from modern humans | | C．prove that size and shape of skulls does not show accurately what early humans ate | | D．tell readers that living environment makes a difference to skull structure |
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While only about 200 astronauts have had the excitement of looking down at Earth and commanding systems on the International Space Station, actually thousands of everyday middleschool students have experienced by Middle School Students, or EarthKAM, a camera system.
EarthKAM is an educational activity and outreach(扩展)investigation that also results in remote Earth sensing and observation. Using the Internet, the students control a special digital camera fixed aboard the space station, enabling them to photograph the Earth"s coastlines, mountain ranges and other geographic items of interest from the unique advantage point of space.
While EarthKAM offers a powerful way for students to investigate Earth from the unique perspective of space, it is also inspiring the next generation of flight controllers for space programs—involving university students to control and operate the camera system and related activities from the ground.
In the interview, Brion Au, one of the investigation developers at NASA"s Johnson Space Centre, said，“EarthKAM is a payload(有效载荷)by students, for students. They are in charge. This system provides a viewpoint that the astronauts have...it"s just aweinspiring！”So far, students have captured more than 40,000 photos of the Earth from the space station as it orbited the Earth once every 90 minutes, traveling at 17,500 miles an hour. The team at EarthKAM posts these photographs online for the public and participating classrooms around the world to view.
Au explains that this education investigation is inspiring students to explore the world by examining Earth, while promoting social studies, art, geography, science, technology, and math, among other important lessons involving research and teamwork. EarthKAM was started by Dr. Sally Ride, originally flying on the shuttles. The camera is located in the window Observational Research Facility, also known as the WORF, one of many the station"s research facilities.
小题1:How have thousands of students experienced similar excitement as astronauts?| A．In the space station. | B．In the spaceship. | | C．Using a camera system. | D．Teaming up with astronauts. |
小题2:What equipment should the students need for the research?| A．Computer. | B．Recorder. | C．Telephone. | D．Radios. |
小题3:What doesn"t belong to the next generation of flight controllers for space programs?| A．University students" controlling the camera system. | | B．University students" operating the camera system. | | C．University students" related activities from the ground. | | D．University students" investigating Earth from space. |
小题4:Who are responsible for EarthKAM?| A．The astronauts. | B．The students. | | C．The investigation developers. | D．The teachers. |
小题5:What"s the main idea of the last paragraph?| A．DR.Sally Ride explains the details of EarthKAM | | B．Why the team at EarthKAM posts these photographs online. | | C．EarthKAM provides a viewpoint that the astronauts have. | | D．Brion Au explains the details of EarthKAM. |
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If you look for a book as a present for a child. You will be spoiled for choice even in a year when there is no new Harry Potter. J.K Rowling’s wizard is not alone: the past decade has been a harvest for good children’s books, which has set off a large quantity of films and in turn led to increased sales of classics such as The Lord of the Rings.
Yet despite that, reading is increasingly unpopular among children. According to statistics, in 1997 23% said they didn’t like reading at all. In 2003, 35% did. And around 6% of children leave primary school each year unable to read properly.
Maybe the decline is caused by the increasing availability of computes games. Maybe the books boom has affected only the top of the educational pile. Either way, Chancellor Gordon Brown plans to change things for the bottom of the class .In his pre-budget report, he announced the national project of Reading Recovery to help the children struggling most.
Reading Recovery is aimed at six-year-olds, who receive four months of individual daily half-hour classes with a specially trained teacher. An evaluation earlier this year reported that children on the scheme made 20 months’ progress in just one year, whereas similarly weak readers without special help made just five months’ progress, and so ended the year even further below the level expected for their age.
International research tends to find that when British children leave primary school they read well, but read less often for fun than those elsewhere. Reading for fun matters because children who are keen on reading can expect lifelong pleasure and loving books is an excellent indicator of future educational success. According to the OECD, being a regular and enthusiastic reader is of great advantage.
小题1:Which of the following is true of Paragraph 1?| A．Many children’s books have been adapted from films. | | B．Many high-quality children’s books have been published. | | C．The sales of classics have led to the popularity of films. | | D．The sales of presents for children have increased. |
小题2:Statistics suggested that . | A．the number of top students increased with the use of computers | | B．a decreasing number of children showed interest in reading | | C．a minority of primary school children read properly | | D．a large percentage of children read regularly |
小题3:What do we know about Reading Recovery? | A．An evaluation of it will be made sometime this year. | | B．Weak readers on the project were the most hardworking. | | C．It aims to train special teachers to help children with reading. | | D．Children on the project showed noticeable progress in reading. |
小题4:Reading for fun is important because book-loving children _________. | A． take greater advantage of the project | | B．show the potential to enjoy a long life | | C．are likely to succeed in their education | | D．would make excellent future researchers |
小题5:The aim of this text would probably be _________. | A．to overcome primary school pupils’ reading difficulty | | B．to encourage the publication of more children’s books | | C．to remind children of the importance of reading for fun | | D．to introduce a way to improve early children reading |
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Robots are smart. With their computer brains, they help people work in dangerous places or do difficult jobs. Some robots do regular jobs. Bobby, the robot mail carrier, brings mail to a large office building in Washington, D.C. He is one of 250 robot mail carriers in the United States. Mr. Leachim, who weights two hundred pounds and is six feet tall, has some advantages as a teacher. One is that he does not forget details. He knows each child’s name, their parents’ names, and what each child knows and needs to know. In addition, he knows each child’s pets and hobbies. Mr. Leachim does not make mistakes. Each child goes and tells him his or her name, then dials an identification (识别) number. His computer brain puts the child’s voice and number together. He identifies the child with no mistakes.
Another advantage is that Mr. Leachim is flexible. If the children need more time to do their lessons they can move switches. In this way they can repeat Mr. Leachim’s lesson over and over again. When the children do a good job, he tells them something interesting about their hobbies. At the end of the lesson the children switch Mr. Leachim off.
小题1:The first paragraph of the passage tells us| A．human beings are not as smart as robots | | B．robots will take the place of man to rule the earth | | C．we can only use robots to do some regular jobs | | D．robots can help people in many different ways |
小题2:What is the most important thing Mr. Leachim can do in his lessons?| A．To meet the needs of each student. | | B．To talk to the students in different languages. | | C．To keep everyone’s interest in his lessons. | | D．To introduce more hobbies to the children. |
小题3:The underlined word “flexible” probably means| A．not strict | B．not hard | | C．suitable | D．changeable |
小题4:Which of the following statements may be TRUE according to the passage?
A. There are 250 robot teachers in the United States.
B. Mr. Leachim is run and controlled by electricity.
C. Bobby works in a large office building in Washington D.C.
D. The lessons taught by Mr. Leachim are given on a TV set. |
Dogs can know the meaning of a human perspective, say researchers.
Dogs are more capable of understanding situations from a human"s point of view than has previously been recognized, according to researchers.
They found dogs were four times more likely to steal food they had been forbidden, when lights were turned off so humans in the room could not see.
This suggested the dogs were able to alter their behavior when they knew their owners" perspective had changed.
The study, published in Animal Cognition, conducted tests on eighty-four dogs.
The experiments had been trying to find whether dogs could make their behavior suitable to react to the changed circumstances of their human owners. It wanted to see if dogs had a "flexible understanding" that could show they understood the viewpoint of a human.
It found that when the lights were turned off, dogs in a room with their human owners were much more likely to disobey and steal forbidden food.
The study says it is "unlikely that the dogs simply forgot that the human was in the room" when there was no light. Instead it seems as though the dogs were able to differentiate between when the human was unable or able to see them.
Juliane Kaminski carried out the research into how dogs are influenced by human circumstances.
Dr Juliane Kaminski, from the University of Portsmouth"s psychology department, said the study was "incredible because it implies dogs understand the human can"t see them, meaning they might understand the human perspective".
Previous studies have suggested that although humans might think that they can recognize different expressions on their dogs" faces, this is often inaccurate and a projection of human emotions.
“Humans constantly attribute(归属) certain qualities and emotions to other living things. We know that our own dog is clever or sensitive, but that"s us thinking, not them,” said Dr Kaminski.
“These results suggest humans might be right, where dogs are concerned, but we still can"t be completely sure if the results mean dogs have a truly flexible understanding of the mind and others" minds. It has always been assumed only humans had this ability.
小题1:According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?| A．The researchers made the test on dogs in eighty-four countries. | | B．Dogs always obey and don’t steal forbidden food. | | C．Dogs may adapt their behavior in response to the changed circumstances. | | D．The research is carried out to find out how dogs are influenced by light. |
小题2:Which of the following can best serve as the title of the passage?| A．Dogs---Our Loyal Companions Understand Us Most. | | B．Dogs Are Our Best Friends. | | C．Dogs Can Understand Us In a Way, Researchers Say. | | D．Dogs Have Certain Qualities and Emotions of Human Beings, Researchers Say. |
小题3:Where can we probably read this kind of articles? | A．Textbooks. | B．Advertisements. | C．Instructions. | D．Magazines. |
小题4:This passage can be classified as .| A．an argumentative writing | B．a feature story | | C．a dog show review | D．a research result |
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