Some scientists say that animals in the oceans are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings.
The noise that affects sea creatures comes from a number of human activities. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines. Such noises are added to natural sounds. These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves.
Decibels (分贝) measured in water are different from those measured on land. A noise of one hundred and twenty decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decibel level of one hundred and ninety-five would have the same effect.
Some scientists have proposed setting a noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels in oceans. They have observed that noises at that level can frighten and confuse whales.
A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that louder noises can seriously injure some animals. The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing. This seriously affected the whales' ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died. The explosions had caused their ears to bleed and become infected.
Many researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds are against a limit of one hundred and twenty decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research.
Scientists do not know how much and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists suspect that noise is a greater danger than they believed. They want to prevent noises from harming creatures in the ocean.
1.According to the passage, which of the following is increasingly dangerous to sea creatures?
A. The man-made noises. B. The noises made by themselves.
C. The sound of earthquakes. D. The sound of the ice-breaking.
2.Which of the following is discussed in the third paragraph?
A. Different places with different types of noises.
B. The very human ears sensitive to all types of noises.
C. The same noise measured differently on land and in the ocean.
D. The ocean animals' reaction to noises.
3.As to the influence of noises on whales, which of the following statements is true?
A. They are deaf to noises.
B. Noises at a certain level may hurt them.
C. They are easily confused by noises.
D. Noises will limit their ability to reproduce.
4.We can know from the passage that many researchers think that the noise limit of one hundred twenty decibels would _____.
A. prevent them from doing their research work
B. benefit them a lot in their research work
C. do good to their health
D. increase the industrial output
5.According to the passage, what will scientists most probably do in the future?
A. They will try their best to decrease noise.
B. They will work hard to cut down noise pollution.
C. They will study the effect of different noises.
D. They will protect animals from harmful noises.
Planet Hunter
When Geoff Marcy was 14, his parents bought him a telescope. Every night, he would go onto the roof outside his window to see the wonders of the sky.
“What excited me most was whether there were planets（行星）in other solar（太陽的）systems where life might exist, ”he says. “I decided to try to find planets orbiting（沿…軌道運行）other stars like our Sun.”
And he did. “My fellow researcher, Paul Butler, and I found our first planet in 1995, ”Dr. Marcy says. “We worked for ten years without finding anything! But we stuck with it, and our patience paid off. ”
Since then, the two scientists have discovered 65 of the more than 100 planets found orbiting other stars. Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler also spotted the first “family”of three planets. In June 2002 they announced another discovery: a Jupiter-like（像木星一樣的）planet orbiting star 55 Cancri.
At first, the two researchers found only planets that orbit close to stars. Recently, the scientists found planets farther out. The planet orbiting 55 Cancri is a major breakthrough: it is the first sighting of a large gas planet about the same distance from the star as Jupiter is from the Sun.
Why is this important? Scientists think that life on Earth may exist because of two special features（特徵）in our solar system. The first is Jupiter.
“Because it’s so big, Jupiter pulls comets and asteroids（小行星）, or they all come and hit the Earth. ”Dr. Marcy explains. “Without Jupiter, life on Earth would likely have been destroyed. ”
A second feature is that Earth is a rocky planet where liquid water, which is necessary for life, can exist. Unlike gas planets, rocky planets like Earth have surfaces where water can gather in pools and seas, which may support life. A huge space exists between the Jupiter-like planet and two other planets that lie close to 55 Cancri. Is there an Earth-like planet in the space, too small for us to notice? If so, says Dr. Marcy, “We would have two striking similarities to our solar system: a Jupiter-like planet and an Earth-like planet. And there may be life! ”
1.What can we learn about Dr. Marcy from the passage?
A. He is fond of watching Jupiter.
B. He is from a scientist family.
C. He dislikes working with Paul Butler.
D. He is interested in finding life in outer space.
2.Which of the following is true of the recent discovery?
A. The planet is not as protective as Jupiter.
B. The planet is close to star 55 Cancri.
C. The planet proves to be a gas planet.
D. The planet is as large as Jupiter.
3.How many planets orbiting other stars have the two scientists discovered so far?
A. 100 B. 69 C. 66 D. 65
4.Dr. Marcy thinks that life may exist in the 55 Cancri system because ______.
A. he has found the system similar to the solar system
B. he has discovered an Earth-like planet there
C. he has discovered a rocky planet there
D. he has found signs of life in the system
5.“But we stuck with it”（in Paragraph 3）means ______.
A. they felt discouraged
B. they carried on with it
C. they failed in their attempt
D. they made some progress
Everyone has many different relationships. Some relationships are with family members, some are with friends and some are love relationships. Each relationship is different, and all relationships change over time as the people within them grow and develop. Most relationships contain a combination of healthy and unhealthy characteristics.
Healthy relationships have certain characteristics. Each partner feels whole without the other even though the two people enjoy being together. They communicate effectively and honestly. In a healthy relationship, both partners accept the other as he or she is. There are no unrealistic expectations or attempts to control the other person. In healthy relationships, changes on both sides are recognized and appreciated. Both partners have established healthy, comfortable limits based on their own standards. There is a balance between togetherness and separate lives of each partner.
Some relationships may contain unhealthy characteristics. One person may expect his or her partner to fulfill all their needs. One or both partners may be jealous and demand complete devotion. The desire to control others is another unhealthy characteristic. There may be a tendency to dominate the other person and the relationship. Selfishness may be a part of an unhealthy relationship. Those who are selfish only take care of their own comfort, pleasure and interest excessively but without regard for others. The last characteristic that may exist in unhealthy relationships is abuse, which involves emotional and physical mistreatment.
When unhealthy characteristics exist within a relationship, partners may choose to work toward making the relationship healthier. However, both partners must be willing to make efforts to overcome the negative characteristics of the relationship. Counseling services within schools and communities help families and couples strengthen their relationships. When problems within a relationship are not surmounted, one or both partners may decide to end the relationship.
1.From the first paragraph we can conclude that ______.
A. people live among many kinds of relationships
B. some relationships remain the same over time
C. there are various definitions of relationships
D. there are some similarities and differences between different relationships
2.All of the following are the characteristics of healthy relationships EXCEPT _________.
A. a balance between togetherness and separate lives of each partner
B. proper limits based on standards of both partners
C. attempts to control the other person if possible
D. a kind of honest and effective communication
3.The underlined word “surmounted” in the last paragraph probably means “________”.
A. discovered B. caused
C. valued D. overcome
4.From the passage, which of the followings is most likely to make the relationships end?
A Being jealous and selfish
B Demanding complete devotion
C The existence of the unhealthy and unbalanced relationships
D Unwilling to make efforts to overcome the unhealthy relationships
5.The best title for this passage is “________”.
A. How Unhealthy Characteristics Influence Relationships
B. What Healthy Relationships and Unhealthy Relationships Are
C. How People Benefit from Healthy Relationships
D. What Makes a Relationship Healthy
Directions: Complete the following passage by using ONE word that best fits the context.
New studies show how food and its production affect the globe and its climate. The process of making a hamburger, for example, requires loss of energy. A cow has to be fed and raised on farmland. And cow waste is a major source of methane（沼氣）— 1.powerful greenhouse gas. The cow has to be killed. The meat has to be processed and shipped, 2.takes fuel. Most of the cow won’t even be used 3.meat people eat. By the time a hamburger finally lands onto a dinner plate, It has made bad effect 4.the environment.
We can reduce the production of global warming gases by eating less beef. Other kinds of meat like pork and chicken do 5.harm to the environment ---at least in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases released(釋放).However, all kinds of meat are harder on the planet 6.vegetables. 7.we’d change our diet to less meat and more vegetables, in fact it’s an environmentally friendly lifestyle and it’s beneficial 8.the environment.
I tried to grow a gardenia （梔子花）．I had tried everything my mother taught me about caring for houseplants—more light, less water, spraying, even replanting, but _1_ seemed to work．
I _2_ Mom were here now．Mother’s Day was coming up, the second one since her death, and the pain of losing her was still so fresh．There is a Mother’s Day _3_ I follow．One wears a red flower if one’s mother is _4_ and a white one if she is not．I had hoped that planting a white gardenia, Mom’s favorite flower, would help me through the sorrow of her _5．
Mom had a way with all things _6_．My sister and I always joked, “Mom could _7_ a telephone pole grow leaves and bear fruit．”
Why can’t I? I thought．Still, I couldn’t stand throwing the dead plant away．Instead, I placed it into a dark corner of our bathroom．I didn’t even water it．I just left it there _8_ I could deal with it．
My husband asked me if I was going to wear a white flower to church that Mother’s Day．“Yes,” I told him, “but I need a _9_ gardenia．” I added silently．
Sunday morning I woke up early to get dressed and made for the _10_．Still _11_, I walked to the bathroom．Suddenly I was woken up by a pleasant scent （香味）．I pushed the door open and stepped into the bathroom．That morning I knew I would be ready to wear a small white flower for Mom．In that dark corner, _12_ as if it had a light of its own, bloomed a perfect white gardenia!
1.A．everything B．nothing C．anything D．something
2.A．feel B．believe C．wish D．think
3.A．way B．method C．habit D．tradition
4.A．alive B．healthy C．dead D．ill
5.A．passing B．getting C．giving D．dying
6.A．white B．blue C．green D．yellow
7.A．cause B．make C．use D．allow
8.A．when B．until C．while D．if
9.A．red B．plastic C．paper D．fresh
10.A．market B．school C．church D．office
11.A．excited B．angry C．happy D．sleepy
12.A．bright B．dark C．large D．small
— You couldn’t have chosen a better gift for me.
— _________.
A. Oh, that’s all right
B. I’m glad you like it so much
C. Sorry. I’ll give you a better one next time
D. You are joking
