EOne reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation（砍伐森林） is a blank s
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E
One reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation（砍伐森林） is a blank stare that asks the question, "Since I don"t live there, what does it have to do with me?"
The answer is that your way of life, wherever you live in the world, is tied to the tropics in many ways. If you live in a house, wash your hair, eat fruits and vegetables, drink soda, or drive a car, you can be certain that you are affected by the loss of tropical forests.
Biologically, we are losing the richest regions on earth when, each minute, a piece of tropical forest, the size of ten city blocks ,disappears. As many as five million species of plants, animals, and insects (40 to 50 percent of all living things) live there, and are being lost faster than they can be found and described. Their loss is immeasurable.
Take rubber for example. For many uses, only natural rubber from trees will do. Synthetics are not good enough. Today over half the world"s commercial rubber is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, while the Amazon"s rubber industry produces much of the world"s four million tons. And rubber is an important material in making gloves, balloons, footwear and many sporting goods. Thousands of other tropical plants are valuable for their industrial use.
Many scientists strongly believe that deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect -- or heating of the earth from increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we destroy forests, we lose their ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Carbon dioxide levels could double within the next half-century, warming the earth by as much as 4.5 degrees. The result? A partial melt-down of polar ice caps, raising sea levels as much as 24 feet; even 15 feet could threaten anyone living within 35 miles of the coast. Unbelievable? Maybe. But scientists warn that by the time we realize the severe effects of tropical deforestation, it will be 20 years too late.
Can tropical deforestation affect our everyday lives? Now, you should have got the answer.
58．The underlined word "synthetics" probably means a kind of _________.
A．natural rubber B．tropical material C．man-made material D．tropical tree
59．In the last paragraph the author tries to__________.
A．tell people how to avoid the tropical deforestation
B．show us how important it is to protect the tropical forests
C．persuade people to buy something synthetic
D．let people realize the effect of tropical deforestation
60．The author"s attitude towards the tropical deforestation is____________.
A．puzzling B．cold C．supporting D．opposed |
答案
58--60CBD |
解析
| 略 |
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E
There was one thought that air pollution affected only the area immediately around large cities with factories and heavy automobile traffic. At present, we realize that although these are the areas with the worst air pollution, the problem is worldwide. On several occasions over the past decade, a heavy cloud of air pollution has covered the east of the United States and brought health warnings in rural areas away from any major concentration （集中）of manufacturing and automobile traffic. In fact, the very climate of the entire earth may be infected by air pollution.
Some scientists consider that the increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the air resulting from the burning of coal and oil is creating a “greenhouse effect” - raising the world’s average temperature. If this view is correct and the world’s temperature is raised only a few degrees, much of the polar ice will melt and cities such as New York, Boston, Miami, and New Orleans will be in water.
Another view, less widely held, is that increasing particular matter in the atmosphere is preventing sunlight and lowering the earth’s temperature - a result that would be equally disastrous. A drop of just a few degrees could create something close to a new ice age, and would make agriculture difficult or impossible in many of our top farming areas. Today we do not know for sure that either of these conditions will happen though one recent government reports that the greenhouse effect is very possible. Perhaps, if we are lucky enough, the two tendencies will offset（抵消）each other and the world’s temperature will stay about the same as it is now. Driven by economic profits, people don’t think about the damage on our environment caused by the “advanced civilization”. Maybe the air pollution is the price the human beings have to pay for their development. But is it really worth?
72. As pointed out at the beginning of the passage, people used to think that air pollution ________.
A. caused widespread damage in the countryside
B. affected the entire eastern half of the United States
C. had damaged effect on health
D. existed only in urban and industrial areas
73. As to the greenhouse effect, the author ________.
A. shares the same view with the scientists
B. is uncertain of its happening
C. rejects it as being ungrounded
D. thinks it will destroy the world soon
74. It can be concluded from the last paragraph that ________.
A. lowering the world’s temperature only a few degrees would lead major farming areas to disaster
B. raising the world’s temperature only a few degrees would not do much harm to life on earth
C. almost no temperature variations have occurred over the past decade
D. the world’s temperature will remain constant in the years to come
75. This passage is mainly about ________.
A. the greenhouse effect
B. the burning of coal and oil
C. the potential effect of air pollution
D. the likelihood of a new ice age |
（C）
Astronaut Jim Voss has enjoyed many memorable moments in his career，including three space flights and one space walk. But he recalls with special fondness a decidedly earthbound（为地球引力所束缚的）experience in the summer of 1980 when he participated in the NASA ASEE Summer Faculty Fellowship Program. Voss， then a science teacher at West Poin，was assigned to the Marshall Space Flight Center"s propulsion（推进） lab in Alabama to analyze why a hydraulic fuel pump seal （液压燃料泵的密封圈）on the space shuttle（航天飞机） was working so well when previous seals had failed. It was a seemingly tiny problem among the vast complexities of running the space program. Yet it was important to NASA because any crack in the seal could have led to destructive results for the astronauts who relied on them.
“I worked a bit with NASA engineers，” says Voss， “but I did it mostly by an analysis. I used a handheld calculator， not a computer， to do a thermodynamic（热力学的） analysis.” At the end of the summer，he，like the other NASA ASEE fellows working at Marshall，summarized his findings in a formal presentation and detailed paper. It was a valuable moment for Voss because the ASEE program gave him added understanding of NASA，deepened his desire to fly in space，and intensified his application for astronaut status.
It was not an easy process. Voss was actually passed over when he first applied for the astronaut program in 1978. Over the next nine years he reapplied repeatedly，and was finally accepted in 1987. Since then he has participated in three space missions. The 50 year old Army officer，who lives in Houston，is now in training for a four-month mission as a crew member on the International Space Station starting in July 2000.
Voss says the ASEE program is wonderful for all involved. “It brings in people from the academic world and gives NASA a special property for a particular period of time. It brings some fresh eyes and fresh ideas to NASA，and establishes a link with our colleges and universities，” Voss explains. “There"s an exchange of information and an exchange of perspectives that is very important.”
For the academic side，Voss says，the ASEE program also “brings institutions of higher learning more insight into new technology. We give them an opportunity to work on real world problems and take it back to the classroom.”
66. Why was the hydraulic fuel pump seal important for the space shuttle？
A） Because previous seals all failed.
B） Because it was very complex in running the space program.
C） Because great care has to be taken of the hydraulic fuel pump sealing.
D） Because any crack in the seals would cause disastrous results for the astronauts.
67.The great significance of Voss"s findings lies in_________ .
A） strengthening his determination to join in space flights
B） furthering his understanding of NASA
C） consolidating his astronaut status in NASA programs
D） Both A and B
68. How many flights will Voss have finished if his four-month mission starting in July 2000 ends up successfully？
A） Three B） Two C） Four D） Five
69. Which of the following is NOT TRUE according to what Voss said on the ASEE program？
A） Fresh members from the academic world participate in the program.
B） The program brings new outlooks to NASA space programs.
C） It is important for the space scientists to exchange information and perspectives.
D） American colleges and universities are a special property of NASA.
70. What does Voss want to stress in the last paragraph？
A） The technological significance of the program.
B） The educational significance of the program.
C） The philosophical significance of the program.
D） The historical significance of the program. |
Teaching materials for learning Chinese are provided here. There are sites where you may find interesting instructions suitable for you. Here are some sites to begin your surfing.
You may start with these pages from this website — just to get a little taste of it without working too hard.
● A Is For Love Flash cards for learning a few Chinese words
● Listening to the sound of Chinese Play a few words of Chinese on your computer.
● A few Chinese words Each word is enlarged for easy study.
If you are studying Chinese, these tools can help.
● Zhongwen site More than a dictionary!
● Clavis Sinica
Excellent program by Professor David Porter. It displays a whole document in Chinese [GB] or [BIG5], and gives individual word’s definition, pronunciation as well as much more information when you click on that word.
If you are studying Chinese, this is a very useful tool.
● Chinese Character Visual Dictionary
If you like to know more, go to the following sites on the Internet.
● The Chinese Outpost
Pronunciation, Character and Grammer By Mark Andrew Baker. The best. A must-visit site.
● Learn Cantonese / Mandarin Online
● Internet Based Chinese Teaching and Learning
● Rainland Kids discover Chinese — Site is in Germany
If you want to have a better understanding of China, go to this one.
● Wanfang Data
As an affiliate (分支) of Chinese Ministry of Science & Technology, Wanfang Data has been the leading information provider in China since 1950s. With a wide range of database resources and value-added services, Wanfang Data has become a gateway to understanding Chinese culture, medicine, business, science, etc.
66. The underlined lines are probably some ______.
A. book B. websites C. tips for learning Chinese D. dictionaries for learning Chinese
67. This passage is most probably from ______.
A. a TV programme B. a teacher’s lecture C. a newspaper D. the Internet
68. If you want to know each Chinese character’s definition, pronunciation and much more information, you’d better surf ______.
A. Zhongwen site B. A Is For Love C. Clavis Sinica D. A few Chinese words
69. If you want to know China about its culture, medicine, business, science, you’d better surf ______.
A. Learn Mandarin online B. Wanfang Data
C. Rainland kids discover Chinese D. The Chinese Outpost
70. The underlined word “gateway” in the last paragraph probably refers to ______.
A. an opening in a wall that can be closed by a gate
B. a place through which you can go to another place
C. the space when a door is open
D. a means of getting or achieving something |
C
A new study in West Africa shows how farm irrigationsystems powered by the sun can pro-duce more food and money for villagers． The study-in Benin found that solar - powered pumpsare effective in 8upplying water, especially during the long dry season．
Sub - Saharan Africa is the part of the world with the least food security． The United Na-tions Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more"than one biillion of the world" s peo-ple faced hunger last year．Around 265 million of them live"south of the Sahara Desert: Lack of rainfallis one oftheir main causes offood shortages．．
Jennifer Bumey from Stanford University in Califomia led the study．The research team helped build three solar - powered drip irrigation -（滴灌） ,systems in northem Benin． Between 30 and 35 women used each system to pump water from the ground or a stream．Each woman was responsible for farming her own 120 sqrurre meters of land． They also farmed other land collectively．
The solar - powered irrigation systems produced an average of nearly two tons of vegetables per montb． During the first year, the women．kept a monthly average of almost rune kilograms of vegetables for home use．They sold the surplus produce at local markets． The eamings greatly increased their ability to buy food during the dry season which can last six to nine months． Peo- ple in the"two villages with the systems were able to eat three to five more servingsof yegetables per day．But making the surplus available at markets also had a wider effect．
The study compared the villages with two others where women farmed with traditional methods like carrying water in buckets． The amount of vegetables eaten in those villages also increased, though not as much．The researchers note that only four percent of the croplamd in sub - Saharan Africa is irrigated． Using solar power to pump water has higher costs at first． But the study says it can be more economical in the long term than using fuels like gasoline, diesel or kerosene． And solar power is environmentally friendly．
66．Food security in Sub - Saharan Africa is insufficient mainly because of
A．lack of rainfall B．limitation of farmland
C． a small crop variety D．little sunlight
67．From the third paragraph we know that _______．
A．water is wasted by using the system
B． the farmers imgate the land together
C． all farmers use irrigation systems in northem Benin
D． the solar - powered systems take up more manpower
68．The underlined word "surplus" in the 4th paragraph most probably means_______
A．special B．unnecessary C．extra D．abandoned
69．Usinf．solar power to pump water has advantages EXCEPT that
A．solar energy has higher cost at first
B．solar power helps to protect environment
C．solar power helps farmers increase eanungs
D． solar energy can be more economical in the long run
70．What can be the best title for the text?
A．Manpower affects rainfallin Africa
B．Irrigation by carrying water in buckets
C．Solar - powered pumps aid African farmers
D．Vegetable supply increased in African villages |
B
Advice to “sleep on it” could be well founded, scientists say. After a good night’s sleep a problem that couldn’t be solved the night before can often appear more manageable, although the evidence（证据）until now has been personal experience. But researchers at the University of Luebek in Germany have designed an experiment that shows a good night’s sleep can improve insight（洞察力）and problem-solving.
“If you have some newly-got memories in your brain, sleep acts on these memories and rebuild them, so that after sleep the insight into problem which you could not solve before increases,” said Dr Jan Born, a neuroscientist（神经病学专家）at the university. To test the theory, they taught volunteers two simple rules to help them turn some numbers into a new order．There was also a third，hidden rule，which could help them increase their speed in solving the problem．The researchers divided the volunteers into two groups：half were allowed to sleep after the training while the rest were forced to stay awake．Dr Jan Born and his team noticed that the group that had slept after the training were twice as likely to figure out the third rule as the other group．“Sleep helped，”Born said in a telephone interview．“The important thing is that you have to have a memory representation in your brain of the problem you want to solve and then you sleep，so it can act on the problem．”But Born admitted that he and his team don’t know how rebuilding of memories occurs or what governs it．Pierre Maquet and Perrine Ruby of the University of Liege in Belgium said the experimental evidence supports the suggestions that sleep can help develop creative thinking．Although the role of sleep in human creativity will still be a mystery，the research gives people good reason to fully respect their periods of sleep，they added．
60．The underlined phrase“sleep on it”in Paragraph 1 probably means_________．
A．to delay deciding something until the next day
B．to get as much sleep as possible
C．to go on sleeping without being disturbed
D．to sleep till after the time you usually get up in the morning
61．Jan Born and his team carried out the experiment through________．
A．comparison B．interview C．survey D．imagination
62．It can be inferred from the passage that___________．
A．people should sleep so long as they have time
B．sleep is the only way to solve hard problems
C．people have various periods of sleep D．people know how sleep rebuilds memories
63．What would be the best title for the passage?
A．How Sleep Works． B．Sleep Helps Solve Problems．
C．No Evidence，But Well Founded． D．Born’s Discovery on Sleep． |
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