Half of the world’s population is affected by Asian monsoons（季风）, but monsoons a
题型：不详难度：来源：
Half of the world’s population is affected by Asian monsoons（季风）, but monsoons are difficult to predict. American researchers have put together a 700-year record of the rainy seasons, which is expected to provide guidance for experts making weather predictions.
Every year, damp air masses，known as monsoon，produce large amounts of rainfall in India, East Asia, Northern Australia and East Africa. All this wet air is pulled in by a high pressure area over the Indian Ocean and a low pressure area to the south.
According to Edward Cook , a weather expert at Columbia University in New York., the complex nature of the climate systems across Asia makes monsoons hard to predict. In addition, climate records for the area are too recent and not detailed enough to be of much use. Therefore, he and a team of researchers spent more than fifteen years traveling across Asia, looking for trees old enough to provide long-term records. They measured the rings, or circles, inside thousands of ancient trees in more than 300 places.
Rainfall has a direct link to the growth and width of rings on some kinds of trees. The researchers developed a document they are calling a Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas. It shows the effect of monsoons over seven centuries, beginning in the 1300s.
Professor Cook says the tree-ring records show periods of wet and dry weather. “If the monsoon basically fails or is a very weak one, the trees affected by monsoons at that location might put on a very narrow ring. But if the monsoon is very strong, the trees affected by that monsoon might put on a wide ring for that year. So, the wide and narrow ring widths of the chronology that we developed in Asia provide us with a measure of monsoon variability.” With all this information, researchers say they can begin to improve computer climate models for predicting the behavior of monsoons.
“There has been widespread famine and starvation and human dying in the past in large droughts. And on the other hand, if the monsoon is particularly heavy, it can cause extensive flooding.” said Eugene Wahl, a scientist with America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “So, to get a sense of what the regional moisture patterns have been, dryness and wetness over such a long period of time in great detail, I would call it a kind of victory for climate science.”
小题1:What’s the passage mainly about？| A．The effects of Asian monsoons. | | B．The necessity of weather forecast. | | C．The achievements of Edward cook. | | D．A breakthrough in monsoon prediction. |
小题2:It is difficult for experts to predict Asian monsoons because _______.| A．it is hard to keep long-term climate records. | | B．they are formed under complex climate systems. | | C．they influence many nations. | | D．there is heavy rainfall in Asia. |
小题3:What can be inferred from the passage?| A．Long and detailed climate records can offer useful information for monsoon research. | | B．The Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas has a monsoon record for about 1,300 years. | | C．The trees affected by monsoon grow fast if the monsoon is weak. | | D．The rainfall might be low although the monsoon is strong in monsoon-affected areas. |
小题4:According to Professor Cook, the rings of the trees _______.| A．determine the regional climate. | | B．have a great influence on the regional climate. | | C．offer people information about the regional climate. | | D．reflect all kinds of regional climate information. |
小题5:Which of the following best describes the tone of this passage?| A．Matter-of –fact | B．Pessimistic | C．Humorous | D．Friendly. |
|
答案
小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:A
小题4:C
小题5:A |
解析
试题分析：
因为亚洲季风是在复杂的气候条件下形成的，所以很难预测。本文介绍了科学家利用树木的年轮了解历史上季风的发生规律，以便更好预测未来季风的发生。
小题1:主旨大意题。文章开头在介绍季风造成的危害后指出季风发生的不确定性导致其难以预测。接下来介绍了科学家通过观察研究树木年轮，极为详细地了解了过去相当长时期内季风的发生规律，应被视为a kind of victory for climate science (气候科学的胜利)。故D项正确。breakthrough: 突破。
小题2: 细节题。由…the complex nature of the climate systems across Asia makes monsoons hard to predict.可知，亚洲复杂的气候系统导致季风难以预测。故答案为B。
小题3:推断题。由最后一段Eugene Wahl的话可以推知。B项数据错误，The Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas对于季风的记录为700年。C、D两项错误明显。雨水不足时，树木生长慢而不是快；季风强劲时，降雨量应该大而不是小。故答案为A。
小题4:细节题。由第五段So, the wide and narrow ring widths of the chronology that we developed in Asia provide us with a measure of monsoon variability.一句可知，树木年轮的宽窄向我们提供了一个衡量季风种类恶尺度。故C项正确。A, B两项颠倒了因果关系；D项犯了扩大化的错误。
小题5:本文可观叙述了亚洲季风的危害、难以预测性以及科学家们的工作和他们的成果，没有作者个人的观点或明显的个人情感。故答案选A. matter-of-fact: 就事论事的、客观的。pessimistic: 悲观的。humorous: 幽默的。friendly: 有好的。 |
举一反三
This site , all-birds. com, is about bird watching. Enjoy your browsing. There is much to learn and see.
Bird Watching Equipment
Some items that might make bird watching more enjoyable are binoculars （ 双目望远镜） , a camera, some kind of system for keeping notes, and maybe a back pack． Birders often keep lists of the birds they see along with notes about the habits． There is some great bird log software that will let you keep records on your computer． For more details on choosing binoculars see our Binocular -Optics page．
Clothes
If you are walking through a wooded area just wear clothes you would wear on any hike or field trip． You are best off wearing clothes with dull colors that mix into the background． Greens, browns, and grays are good． Avoid fabrics that rustle（沙沙响）easily． Depending on the birds you are watching you may want to get rain gear, rubber boots and warm clothing． For birds such as owls that you might look for in the evening a strong flashlight is also handy．
Choosing a Bird Field Guide
Take a good field guide to identify birds． Look for clear color pictures that make it easy to recognize one bird from another． Next to each picture should be detailed descriptions of each bird"s anatomy, habits, and what it eats． The guide should have information about what habitat each species uses． Many guides have maps showing the range of different birds along with their migration patterns．
Where and When to see Birds
Learning the habitats of birds in your area will increase the number of birds you see, and make your birding more enjoyable． If you know that Meadow larks are likely to be in open grassy areas, and dippers are forage along stream beds, you may be looking for them if you are in those types of habitats． Edge areas where different types of habitats meet will likely have more species in them． You are more likely to see specific birds at certain times of the day． For example songbirds are easier to see two to three hours after dawn, or just before sunset． This is when songbirds are most actively feeding． Many small birds will be silent or even hidden during the rest of the day． After sunup is the best time to see eagles and hawks． Visibility is best for hunting at this time, and they can soar on the thermal currents from the warmed air． Birds like owls are more likely to be seen in the evening． Many shorebirds and waders rest at high tide and feed when the water rises or falls．
Photographing Birds
Patience in Bird Photography
Most birds are afraid of people, and all species have their own comfort zone． With a little time you can learn the comfort zone of the birds you are photographing． Once they know that you are not a threat you may be able to get closer．
Type or Style
Your reason for photographing birds may determine your style and the kind of equipment you use． If you are just recording the kinds of birds you see you don"t need to get as close, and you can use less expensive equipment, then you need for high quality prints.
Photographing Birds in Flight
Photographing birds in flight can be fun． Many digital cameras have a tracking function． With these you focus on the bird, and then as you track it the lens will keep focus．
Use Your Yard
Choose an open area where the birds will get direct sunlight, showing off their magnificent colors．
Try using props
Birds will often land on a stick or post near a seed feeder before going to the feeder． The background was just an out of focus fence but you can use anything you want for a background, and then wait for a bird to perch.
小题1:The main purpose of the passage is to _____.| A．attract more people to photograph birds | | B．help birders learn how to identify and understand birds | | C．call on people to set some comfort zones for birds | | D．inform birders of the results of a scientific research on birds |
小题2:Clothes in ______ are highly recommended when you are going bird watching．| A．red | B．yellow | C．brown | D．blue |
小题3:________ are likely to be seen at 7 in the morning．| A．Owls | B．Shorebirds | C．Songbirds | D．Larks |
小题4:Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the passage?| A．A stick in the yard may scares birds off when you are photographing them． | | B．It will be wise for birders to hire a guide for themselves． | | C．Birders have to bring some notebooks to keep records of birds" habits． | | D．A flashlight will come in handy when you look for owls． |
|
What if we could replace oil with a fuel which produced no pollution and which everybody had equal access to? The good news is that we can. In fact, we are swimming in it--- literally.
Hydrogen is one of the building blocks of the universe. Our own sun is basically a big, dense cloud of the stuff. And hydrogen can be used to create electricity for power, heat and light.
The problem is that hydrogen is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It does not exist as a material on its own, but is always part of something else. So it has to be separated before it can be used.
Most commercial hydrogen in use now is created from natural gas. As oil will start to run out in around the year 2030, it makes sense to produce as much hydrogen as possible as soon as we can. But natural gas supplies will also begin to run out soon after. Another source is needed.
Researchers are now using electricity to make water into hydrogen. Companies are working on the problem in their own areas. The first commercial hydrogen “fuel cells” for computers and mobile phones have already come on to the market. Auto companies have also invested over US $2 billion in the production of hydrogen fuelled cars.
The nations of a hydrogen fuelled planet would not fight over energy recourses. There would be a great reduction in pollution. The only by-product of creating hydrogen is pure drinking water--- something that is very scarce in many parts of the world. But that is not where the good news ends. Once the costs of producing hydrogen have been brought down, it will possibly provide power for a third of the Earth’s population that has no electricity.
And electricity creates wealth. In South Africa over the last decade there has been a large programme of electrification. Thanks to the programme, people do not have to spend their days looking firewood to burn for heat. And with electric light, they can work long into the night.
Some scientists see radical changes in the way the human race co-operates. Hydrogen creates electricity, and is also created by it. With dual use fuel cells, everyone who consumes energy could also produce it. Late at night, a man drives home in London and connects his car into the “world-wide hydrogen web,” which it supplies with electricity. A few hours later, a man in Beijing uses that electricity to power the hydrogen cell in his car. Hydrogen could be the first democratic energy source.
Like all dreams of the future, it seems very far away. But the threat of war and terrorism in the Middle East has made governments and businesses more aware of the need to end oil dependency and spend more time and money on hydrogen resource. So maybe the threat of war is not a completely bad thing for the future of the human race.
小题1:What does the underlined word “it” in the last but one paragraph refer to? | A．wealth | B．hydrogen | C．electricity | D．fuel |
小题2:What is the problem with using hydrogen as energy?| A．It has by-products. | | B．It has to be separated from other materials. | | C．It will make energy too cheap. | | D．It is too far away from us. |
小题3:Why does the author give the example in the last but one paragraph ?| A．To tell us that we produce energy while using hydrogen power. | | B．To tell us that hydrogen power does not produce pollution. | | C．To show hydrogen power can stop war. | | D．To show hydrogen power is cheap. |
小题4:What is the author’s attitude about the future?| A．skeptical | B．negative | C．indifferent | D．positive |
小题5:What is the passage mainly about?| A．war and energy | B．the future of hydrogen as an energy resource | | C．the disadvantages of oil | D．How to end war |
|
The UK has a well-respected higher education system and some of the top universities and research institutions in the world. But to those who are new to it all, sometimes it can be confusing.
October is usually the busiest month in the college calendar. Universities have something called Freshers’ Week for their newcomers. It’s a great opportunity to make new friends, join lots of clubs and settle into university life.
However, having just left the comfort of home and all your friends behind, the prospect (前景) of meeting lots of strangers in big halls can be nerve-wracking (令人焦虑不安的). Where do you start? Who should you make friends with? Which clubs should you join?
Luckily, there will be thousands of others in the same boat as you worrying about starting their university social life on the right foot. So just take it all in slowly. Don’t rush into anything that you’ll regret for the next three years.
Here are some top advice from past students on how to survive Freshers’ Week：
● Learn rules. Make sure you know British social etiquette (礼节). Have a few wine glasses and snacks handy for your housemates and friends.
● Be kind. Sometimes cups of tea or even slices of toast can give you a head start in making friends.
● Be sociable. The more active you are, the more likely you’ll be to meet new people than if you’re someone who never leaves his room.
● Bring a doorstop. Keep your door open when you’re in and that sends positive messages to your neighbors that you’re friendly.
So with a bit of clever planning and effort, Freshers’ Week can give you a great start to your university life and soon you’ll be passing on your experience to next year’s freshers.
小题1:We can learn from the passage that ______.| A．Freshers’ Week usually comes in September in UK | | B．all the students are required to join certain clubs in UK | | C．many freshers are worried about how to fit university life | | D．most of the students in the UK spend three years in universities |
小题2:Why does the author suggest having wine glasses and snacks handy?| A．To pass the busy university life. | | B．To help make friends with other freshers. | | C．To show yourself a drinker as others. | | D．To enjoy the time in a happy way. |
小题3:The main purpose of the passage is to _______.| A．tell the newcomers how to make a new start in universities | | B．introduce something about higher education system of the UK | | C．inform the freshers of British social etiquette | | D．advise the freshmen how to behave well in the beginning |
|
One of my China Dialogue colleagues in Beijing recently bought a Philips energy-saving light bulb to replace a standard one．He was happy with his choice．It may have cost 30 yuan （just under US$4．50） - ten times the price of a filament （灯丝） bulb - but he wanted to save energy as part of his low-carbon lifestyle．And according to the shopkeeper, he would save, in the long run, much more than the 30 yuan he was spending．
Yet only one month later, his expensive light bulb blew up, before he had saved even a small part of the purchase price．Will he stick to his high-cost, low-carbon lifestyle?
China"s environmental organizations have started to advocate low-carbon lifestyles and the decrease of carbon footprints to help fight against climate change．But they have overlooked one fact: in China, low-carbon living comes at a high cost．It means buying energy-saving bulbs and appliances, and environmentally friendly building materials and daily goods．Cost can no longer be the only standard for purchases．An energy-saving and environmentally friendly product is more expensive than a standard alternative - whether it"s a simple light bulb or the house it shines．For average consumers, even buying an ordinary bulb is a huge burden．How can we persuade ordinary people to choose an energy-saving residence? This is not a trend they can afford to follow; perhaps this fashion is only for the rich．
Most consumers today do not cause huge carbon dioxide （CO2） emissions．Their responsibility lies not in choosing a low-carbon lifestyle today, but in avoiding a high-carbon life in the future．The principle of "common but differentiated responsibility" - a basis of sustainable development - can be applied here as well．
In China, low-carbon living still is resisted by a lack of social infrastructure（基础设施）. Even if your salary allows you to make that choice, nobody is there to help you accomplish it．
Consider energy-saving homes. You need to find out whether or not the developer has used natural materials wherever possible; how effective the insulation（绝缘物、隔热物） is; and what the green credentials of installed equipment are．You can read up a little, but you"ll still be lucky to avoid being puzzled by the developers" marketing．Many so-called energy-saving buildings are nothing of the sort, and some are even more energy-hungry than the average home - as Li Taige warned in his article "Energy-efficient buildings? Not always", on China Dialogue last August．
小题1: What may probably be the best title of this passage?| A．To purchase a cheap bulb - your wise alternative． | | B．To choose an energy-saving residence - a must of your life | | C．To learn a low-carbon lifestyle - each citizen"s responsibility | | D．To learn a low-carbon lifestyle - a promising but difficult purpose |
小题2:Why does the writer say this fashion is only for the rich in the fourth paragraph?| A．Because the cost is a very important standard for purchases. | | B．Because buying an ordinary bulb is very expensive. | | C．Because energy-saving products are more expensive than the common alternatives. | | D．Because rich people like to follow this trend. |
小题3: What does the writer think of energy-saving homes?| A．Most of them are environmentally friendly. | | B．They are musts of low-carbon lifestyle of Chinese. | | C．They are huge burdens for Chinese people. | | D．Many of them are more in name than in reality. |
小题4:We can infer from the passage that ____．| A．Using energy-saving bulbs and appliances is a fashion． | | B．It"s easy for most Chinese to try to learn a low-carbon lifestyle． | | C．All citizens in China don’t have the same responsibility in living a low-carbon lifestyle． | | D．Most Chinese families cannot afford to purchase an energy-saving residence. |
小题5:What is the writer"s attitude towards the low-carbon lifestyle?| A．informative and entertaining | B．supportive but cautious | | C．negative but wise | D．positive and active |
|
Cast your mind back to the past twenty years and hardly did anyone have their own email account. The Internet had just taken off in 1991 and people were only using office and PCbased email exchanges.
In the mid 1990s external email providers appeared. The most famous of these was Hotmail, the first free email provider and webbased email service. Sabeer Bhatia and Jack Smith launched Hotmail on July 4, 1996. And Microsoft took note of and bought Hotmail for $400 million on December 30, 1997, a nice birthday present for Bhatia who turned 29 that day. It was relaunched as MSN Hotmail and in 2007 was relaunched again as Windows Live Hotmail.
Fast forward the present day and most of us have at least a personal webbased email account. It seems impossible to live without them. One of the biggest advantages of email is the fact that communication has become so much easier, especially with those across different time zones. Email takes seconds to send a message whereas letters, as we used to communicate by, could take weeks. Of course there was the fax, that beeping invention from the 1980s, but it wasn’t as secure as email and you never knew if the person on the other end had picked up your fax or if it had got lost somewhere in the office.
In conclusion, one of the best inventions from the 1990s has to be email. But sometimes people are too closely connected to their email and have a compulsion to check it several times a day. At work, people have become lazy and instead of going to speak to the person sitting next to them, they send an email，causing an in box to pile up with more time spent reading email and responding rather than working. Clearly, an invention that saved time because of its quick and speedy connection can now also cause us to waste a lot of time.
小题1:The earliest web-based email came into being probably _______.| A．in 1991 | B．in 1996 | C．in 1997 | D．in 2007 |
小题2:The author mentions “fax” in the third paragraph in order to tell us that _______.| A．it is exactly as good as email | | B．it is much better than email | | C．it is less convenient than email | | D．it is easier and faster than email |
小题3:The underlined word “compulsion” in Paragraph 4 probably means “_______”.| A．strong desire | B．common sense | C．special curiosity | D．general idea |
小题4:Which is the main idea of the last paragraph?| A．We should check email boxes frequently. | | B．Lazy people like sending an email. | | C．Email brings us great convenience. | | D．Good inventions also cause problems. |
|
最新试题
热门考点