Against the supposition than forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the

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Against the supposition than forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.
This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.
This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.
Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone（臭氧）levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.
“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth.
46. According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _______.
A. result in a warming climate
B. cause the forest fires to occur more frequently
C. lead to a longer fire season
D. protect the forests and the environment there
47. The following are all the immediate effects after a forest fire EXCEPT _________.
A. large amounts of greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere
B. the levels of ozone which is a type of oxygen increase
C. snow on the ground mirrors more sunlight back into space
D. ashes from the fire fall on the ice surface and take in more radiation from the sun
48. Earlier studies about northern forest fires _________.
A. analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate
B. indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere
C. suggest that people should take measures to protect environment
D. suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming
49. The underlined phrase “soak up” in the last paragraph most probably means ________.
A. released B. absorbed C. created D. distributed
50. From the passage we can draw a conclusion that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia may __________.
A. warm the climate as the supposition goes
B. allow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate
C. destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice
D. help to gain more energy rather than release more energy

答案

46—50ACDBB

解析

46. A 根据第二段第一句This finding suggests ……可知
47. C 根据第四段可知
48. D 根据第三段可知
49. B 根据……but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space 可知soak up 与sent back 的意思相反
50. B 根据第一段Against the supposition ……scientists have discovered that……可知

举一反三

Moving in with a boyfriend causes women to eat more unhealthily and put on weight. But the opposite is true for men, whose long-term health benefits when they move in with a female partner.
Dieticians at Newcastle University said both partners try to please one another, and so change their dietary habits to suit their other half.
It leads men to eat more light meals, such as salads, fruit and vegetables, while women choose to make creamier, heavier dishes curry or rich pasta sauces, which may please their partner.
Women still have the strongest long-term influence over the couple’s diet and lifestyle, as they still have the traditional role of shopper and cook in most households.
The report, by Newcastle University’s Human Nutrition Research Centre, reviewed the finding of a variety of research projects from the UK, North America and Australia, which looked at the eating and lifestyle habits of couples.
The research shows that women are more likely to put on weight and increase their consumption of foods high in fat and sugar when they move in with their partner.
Women also use food as a comfort when dealing with emotional stress and have been found to gain weight when a relationship ends, while the same finding has not been observed in men.
Many couples reported food as being central to their partnership, and eating together in the evening was particularly important to many.
Report author and registered dietician Dr. Amelia Lake said, “The research has shown that your partner is a strong influence on lifestyle and people who are trying to live healthier lives should take this factor into consideration.”
41. According to the passage, moving in with a girlfriend, men _______.
A. have few changes of their dietary habits
B. have to eat more unhealthy foods
C. don’t like foods high in fat and sugar at all
D. try to eat foods that their girlfriends like
42. The underlined word “light”(in Paragraph 4 ) probably means ________.
A. not very heavy
B. less in fat and sugar
C. gentle
D. not serious or important
43. According to the report by Newcastle University’s Human Nutrition Research Centre, ________.
A. women put on weight only because they want to suit their other half
B. when men are faced with emotional stress, they will change their dietary habits
C. eating together in the evening is a good way to communicate for couples
D. it is wrong to change your dietary habits to suit your partner
44. From the passage, we can infer that _________.
A. women should pay more attention to their partner’s influence on them
B. more men will play roles of shopper and cook in most households
C. couples will not change their dietary habits and lifestyle to please their partner
D. long-term health of men benefits when they move in with a female partner
45. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Don’t be silly any more, women!
B. Which are better dietary habits?
C. Boyfriends make you fat
D. Dr. Amelia Lake and his study

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Can people change their skin colour without suffering like pop king Michael Jackson? Perhaps yes. Scientists have found the gene that determines skin colour.

The gene comes in two versions, one of which is found in 99 per cent of Europeans. The other is found in 93 to 100 per cent of Africans, researchers at Pennsylvania State University report in the latest issue of Science.

Scientists have changed the colour of a dark-striped zebrafish to uniform gold by inserting a version of the pigment(色素) gene into a young fish. As with humans, zebrafish skin colour is determined by pigment cells, which contain melanosomes(黑色素). The number, size and darkness of melanosomes per pigment cell determines skin colour.

It appears that, like the golden zebrafish, light-skinned Europeans also have a mutation(变异) in the gene for melanosome production. This results in less pigmented skin.
However, Keith Cheng, leader of the research team, points out that the mutation is different in human and zebrafish genes.
Humans acquired dark skin in Africa about 1.5 million years ago to protect bodies from ultra-violet rays of the sun(太阳光紫外线), which can cause skin cancer.
But when modern humans leave Africa to live in northern latitudes, they need more sunlight on their skin to produce vitamin D. So the related gene changes, according to Cheng.
Asians have the same version of the gene as Africans, so they probably acquired their light skin through the action of some other gene that affects skin colour, said Cheng.
The new discovery could lead to medical treatments for skin cancer. It also could lead to research into ways to change skin colour without damaging it like chemical treatment did on Michael Jackson.
51. The passage mainly tells us that ________.
A. people can not change their skin colour without any pain
B. the new discovery could lead to search into ways to change skin colour safely
C. pop king Michael Jackson often changed his skin colour as he liked
D. scientists have found out that people’s skin colour is determined by the gene
52. It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A. nowadays people who want to change their skin colour have to suffer a lot from the damage caused by the chemical treatment
B. Europeans and Africans have the same gene
C. the new discovery could help to find medical treatments for skin cancer
D. there are two kinds of genes
53. Scientists have done an experiment on a dark-striped zebra fish in order to ________.
A. find the different genes of humans’
B. prove the humans’ skin colour is determined by the pigment gene
C. find out the reason why the Africans’ skin colour is dark
D. find out the ways of changing peopl’s skin colour
54. The reason why Europeans are light-skinned is probably that ________.
A. they are born light-skinned people
B. light-skinned Europeans have mutation in the gen for melanosome production
C. they have fewer activities outside
D. they pay much attention to protecting their skin
55. The writer’s attitude towards the discovery is ________.
A. neutral B. negative C. positive D. indifferent

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For some people, the sight of a mouse can be reason to scream. For other mice, the same sight can be reason to sing.
Mice will probably   21  sing their way to any concert, but researchers in the United States have found   22  that mice do,   23 , sing.
Scientists already knew that mice make ultrasonic(超声波) sounds—noises that are too high-pitched(高音的) for people to hear   24  special equipment.
To find out whether mice put such sounds together in song-like   25 , the researchers recorded the sounds of 1 mice. Using computer   26 , they were able to separate the sounds into specific types of syllables(音节), and found the mice produced about 10 syllables per second.
The results showed that nearly all of the mice repeated sequences(顺序) of syllables in different patterns. That’s enough to meet the definition of what scientists   27  song. But not all scientists are   28 _ that what the mice are doing is   29  singing. To prove it, the researchers must show that there’s learning involved. And, they need to __ 30  why the mice sing.
21. A. almost               B. even                C. never               D. usually
22. A. coincidence        B. evidence           C. guidance          D. instance
23. A. at once               B. by means          C. for example             D. in fact
24. A. during               B. inside               C. through            D. without
25. A. fashions             B. instructions        C. patterns            D. styles
26. A. access                B. printer                    C. screen               D. software
27. A. call                   B. hear                 C. sing                 D. write
28. A. accustomed        B. convinced         C. involved           D. qualified
29. A. actually                     B. obviously         C. simply                    D. unlikely
30. A. figure out          B. get about          C. run across         D. talk over

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Lang Lang is a world-class young pianist who grew up in Shenyang. He went to a piano school in Beijing when he was just eight. “You need __21__,” his father said. “But if you don’t work hard, no fortune will come.”
What made him sad was __22__ his piano teacher in Beijing didn’t like him. “You have no talent. You will never be a pianist.” As a nine-year-old boy, Lang Lang was badly __23__. He decided that he didn’t want to be a pianist any more. For the next two weeks, he didn’t touch the piano. Wisely, his father didn’t push, but waited.
Luckily, the day came when his teacher asked him to play some holiday songs. He didn’t want to, but as he placed his fingers on the piano keys, he __24__ that he could show others that he had talent __25__. That day he told his father what he had been waiting to hear—that he wanted to study with a new teacher. From that point on, everything turned around.
He started __26__ competitions. In the 1994 International Young Pianists Competition, when it was __27__ that Lang Lang had won, he was too excited to hold back his tears. Soon __28__ was clear that he couldn’t stay in China forever—he had to play on the world’s big stages. In 1997 Lang Lang moved again, this time to Philadelphia, USA. There he spent two years practicing, and by 1999 he had worked hard enough for fortune to take over. After his __29__ performance at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival, gigs in Lincoln Centre and Carnegie Hall started __30__ in, Lang Lang finally worked to reach the place where fortune spots him, and lets him shine.
21. A. exercise                        B. fortune                     C. knowledge                D. wealth
22. A. whether                           B. why                         C. when                       D. that
23. A. hurt                          B. weakened                 C. ruined                      D. frightened
24. A. seemed                     B. admitted                   C. noticed                     D. realized
25. A. in all                        B. above all                  C. after all                    D. at all
26. A. receiving                  B. accepting                  C. winning                   D. beating
27. A. told                          B. mentioned                C. announced                D. recognized
28. A. this                          B. it                             C. that                          D. what
29. A. successful                 B. cheerful                   C. respectful                 D. meaningful
30. A. pulling                     B. breaking                   C. falling                      D. pouring

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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 there is no new Harry Patten．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 an increased sales of classics such as The lard 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% didn’t．And around 6% of the 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 Cordon 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 this year reported that children on the school 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 text often for fun than those elsewhere ．Reading for fun matters because children who are keen on reading can report 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．

51．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．

52．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 huge percentage of children read regularly

53．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．
54．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
55．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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