Concern about extinction—the permanent loss of a species—motivates a wide variety of people to take action to protect animal species at risk of dying out. Animal protection and animal rights are familiar themes associated with the field of environmental activism. Certainly, endangered animals suffer no lack of support.1.
Surprisingly, some of the most endangered plants are species that, up until recently, were used by humans as necessary food crops.2.
In order to maximize productivity, farmers have chosen to focus on a handful of highyield crops that can be harvested efficiently. At one time, the number of plant species used by humans to meet their nutritional requirements numbered above 7，000. Now, it is around 150. Some experts even claim that humans actually rely on just twelve species of plants for most of their food.
A single food crop generally contains several species, which may be further divided into hundreds of varieties, but these varieties are quickly disappearing. 3.Eighty percent of the corn varieties grown in Mexico in 1930 have disappeared.Ninety percent of the 10，000 wheat varieties cultivated in China 1949 are no longer used.
4.Crop diversity is a factor that ensures the continuation of certain beneficial natural processes in ecosystems—the cycling of nutrients, management of pests, and maintenance of water quality. 5.Clearly, there is an urgent need to preserve the plant's irreplaceable crop diversity before it is lost completely.
A. You probably want to know the exact approach to protecting endangered plants.
B. Also, crop diversity provides the necessary gene pool to supply crops with a variety of traits(特点).
C. Threatened by current shortsighted farming techniques, crop diversity has shrunk dramatically.
D. However, endangered plants are defended by few.
E. Examples of losses in crop diversity have been recorded worldwide.
F. The permanent loss of plant species represents a huge threat to humanity.
G. Thanks to modern farming techniques, many countries have taken measures to protect them.
The chaparral ecosystem is a plant and animal community that is relatively rare. It is characterized by shrubland and a specific weather pattern. Winters in this ecosystem are mild and wet, and summers tend to be hot and dry. The state of California in the United States has one of the world's largest chaparral ecosystems. They can also be found in parts of northern Mexico, Australia, Chile, and South Africa.
Wildfires occur frequently in this ecosystem. Lots of very flammable plant growth builds up in between fire seasons. Only about 1539 inches of rainfall each year. Shrub plants of the chaparral are most likely to catch fire in the late summer or early fall. That's because the summers are extra dry. The thought of fire is frightening to people with homes or businesses. However, it is far more dangerous not to have wildfires. When there are no fires, the shrubs take over. Small fires once in a while are beneficial. They keep the plant growth under control. They also act in some other surprising ways. There are some plant species in chaparral ecosystems that cannot reproduce unless there has been a fire. The heat, smoke and changes in the soil that follow a burn actually release seeds from some plants.
What causes the frequent fires in this region? Sometimes lightning strikes will catch plants on fire. However, this accounts for only a small portion of the fires. Humans are the cause of many wildfires. A match, cigarette or campfire left carelessly unattended can cause a fire. Hot, dry winds, like the Santa Ana winds in California, make the fire go wild.If it has been a long time since the last fire, plants will fuel the fire. It is often very difficult for firefighters to put out these fires.
People who live in and near chaparral ecosystems have to clear plants from around their homes. This helps to prevent the home from being damaged in a fire. Wildfires are a natural and important part of a healthy chaparral ecosystem.
1.According to the first two paragraphs, the chaparral ecosystem________.
A. can be found throughout northern Mexico
B. has a lot of rainfall in winters
C. can easily catch fire in summers
D. has few plants and animals
2.What can we infer from the passage?
A. Broadleaves plants are less likely to catch fire here.
B. Shrub plants will damage the ecobalance without wildfires.
C. Plants can't reproduce without wildfires.
D. Humans here are threatened to leave by frequent fires.
3.What can people do to prevent accidental fires?
A. They should be careful with matches, cigarettes and campfires.
B. They should prevent lighting striking.
C. They should train wellequipped firefighters.
D. They should clear flammable plants.
4.What is the main idea of the passage?
A. Wildfires are an important part of the chaparral ecosystem.
B. People can take steps to remain safe in the chaparral ecosystem.
C. Wildfires occur frequently in the chaparral ecosystem.
D. The chaparral ecosystem is relatively rare in the global area.
If you find yourself hitting the snooze button(闹钟延时按钮) every morning, don't blame yourself. Your work schedule could be to blame.
Research now shows that, for many of us, our work schedules don't go with our natural body clocks—and experts are urging employers to take notice. Sleep is a “strategic resource” that most companies are ignoring. When work schedules are aligned with people's natural sleep patterns, they produce higher quality and more innovative work because they are more focused, less stressed and generally healthier. The opposite is also true—when employees are not getting enough sleep they are more likely to make major mistakes and suffer from workplace injuries.
But it's not just about the amount of sleep you get. It's important that people recognize every living thing, from primitive bacteria to human beings, has a biologically determined internal body clock. This determines whether you are a night owl(夜猫子), an early bird or somewhere in the middle. We don't have any choice. “It's like feet，” said Till Roenneberg, a professor of chronobiology(生物钟学). “Some people are born with big feet and some with small feet, but most people are somewhere in the middle.”
Many companies start the workday at 8 a.m. or 9 a.m., putting their work schedules in disagreement with their employees' body clock. This mismatch, along with the pressure to be productive and be available to respond to email or take calls at all hours of the day and night, means that many people suffer from what is called “social jet lag” .
1.The underlined word “aligned” in Paragraph 2 means “________”.
A. matched B. cooperated
C. conflicted D. shortened
2.What does Till Roenneberg' s remark mean?
A. The amount of sleep you get counts much.
B. An early bird does better than a night owl.
C. We are born to have a body clock.
D. Most people have neither too big nor too small feet.
3.If people suffer from “social jet lag”， they will ________.
A. not be as clever as other people
B. fail to finish their daily tasks
C. fail to adjust their body clock
D. act as if they were in the wrong time zone
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A. Body clock and good work habits
B. Late for work? Maybe not your fault
C. How to improve your work efficiency
D. Urgent need to change your body clock
NASA's Jet Propulsion(喷气推进) Laboratory (JPL) attracted Marlyse Reeves from an early age. Growing up in Pasadena, California, in JPL's backyard, Reeves developed a love for everything related to outer space, and the lab was a regular destination for school field trips. Even as a child, Reeves, now as an MIT senior, knew she wanted to work in the space industry. Her love of space was cultivated at home, too. At MIT, Reeves quickly found her place in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (航空航天系).
As a junior, Reeves was selected to participate in the GordonMIT Engineering Leadership Program. The program focuses on leadership for engineers—people who may have high technical IQs but who may be not good at expressing themselves. Reeves holds the point that in industry, people have to communicate with other engineers—to explain their ideas and fit into the organizational structure.
In the second year of the program, students become coaches for the new students, which means a team coach observes, and instructs the younger group. So Reeves thinks it's really the secondyear students who are guiding the firstyear students into how they can improve as leaders.
Reeves has been with Women in Aerospace Engineering (WAE) since its beginning in her sophomore year. The group builds a community for women in all aspects of aeronautics. Last month, Reeves helped organize the first WAE Day, an event for 18 high school girls in the Boston area to come to MIT to learn about aerospace engineering. Reeves says events like these are especially important for exposing young women to the possibilities of the field.
Just as she says, “Being a person who has gone into the aerospace industry and has seen the lack of women, there are often times when I am the only female in the room. I think it's important for young women and girls to have role models, and just see that there are women doing it. I have met a lot of strong female role models for myself in industry... A lot of our events are open to men as well. We want to build a community of people who support women in aerospace.”
1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A. Reeves seldom visited JPL at an early age.
B. Reeves became interested in space from childhood.
C. Reeves is now a new student studying at MIT.
D. Reeves would like to study in the Department of Mathematics at MIT.
2.What is the aim of the GordonMIT Engineering Leadership Program?
A. It is aimed at developing engineers' leadership.
B. It focuses on increasing students' technical skills.
C. It tends to improve students' observation abilities.
D. It aims to train excellent engineers for MIT in advance.
3.What is the attitude of Reeves towards women in the aerospace industry?
A. She thinks the industry is prejudiced against women.
B. She thinks women have a higher IQ than men in the field.
C. She believes having role models has a positive effect on women.
D. She feels it is difficult for women to become successful in the field.
4.Why does Reeves attach importance to the WAE Day?
A. Because it's a girl's dream.
B. Because it makes her a leader.
C. Because it helps women experience more about aeronautics.
D. Because it can strengthen the community.
Asia can boast(吹嘘) that it has some of the best beaches in the world. Sihanoukville, Cambodia is a seaside town located 200km or a fourhour bus ride away from the country's capital, Phnom Penh. With several beaches and small offshore islands, it is definitely not a place to miss out if you are intending to visit Angkor Wat, as the beaches there are stunning and still unspoiled by mass tourism.
Serendipity Beach
Serendipity Beach is the most popular beach for the masses, since it is the most accessible beach, being the nearest one from the main town area.There are plenty of bars scattered around the beach, so be prepared for the crazy parties every night.
Ochheuteal Beach
Ochheuteal Beach is located south of Serendipity Beach, and it's a bit of an improvement from Serendipity Beach itself in terms of the people that go there. Over here, there are bars and pubs, but at night, don't expect wild parties like at the Serendipity Beach area.
Otres Beach
All the way down south, near Moat Peam, lies a hidden gem called Otres Beach. This is where you can get your yoga suit on and practice meditation(冥想). This is the quietest beach in Sihanoukville and it is the least crowded, with very few parties. If your idea of a beach holiday is just yourself and the sun, sea and sand, this place is for you.
Koh Rong
Koh Rong is an island off Sihanoukville that is covered with beautiful sandy beaches. True relaxation lies at Long Beach, which is located on the other side of the island. Clear water surrounds the beach, and once you get there, you'll be greeted with fine white sand.
Koh Rong doesn't have any roads, so there are no cars or motorbike rentals — everything is mostly on foot.
1.Why is Serendipity Beach the most popular with tourists?
A. There are a lot of wild parties.
B. It is the nearest beach from the main town area.
C. The food and drink are varied.
D. It has plenty of cheap bars and pubs.
2.Which place may be the best choice for a quiet sun bath?
A. Serendipity Beach. B. Ochheuteal Beach.
C. Otres Beach. D. Long Beach.
3.What is special about the beaches in Cambodia?
A. They are less developed and visited.
B. They are not easily accessible.
C. They are within walking distance to its capital.
D. They offer tasty seafood.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Where can you most probably hear this talk?
A. In a class of the Greek language.
B. In a class of the French language.
C. In a class of the English language.
2.How long does the class last?
A. 11 weeks. B. 13 weeks. C. 15 weeks.
3.What is “the short cut” to learning words according to the speaker?
A. Learning how words are formed.
B. Taking more courses.
C. Reading basic words aloud.
4.Why is the class popular?
A. It's taught by Professor Morris.
B. It helps to master some useful rules.
C. It is not offered each term.
