Drawings of human colonies on other planets often picture the entire community under a glass or plastic bubble. The bubble is intended to create an atmosphere with adequate oxygen and other essential elements. But similar bubble-like structures have also been constructed on earth. One of the most famous, and controversial, is a site in the Arizona desert.
Biosphere 2, as it is called, was built not far from Tucson in 1984 and is now run by Columbia University. This huge（7,200,000-cubic-foot）glass and steel construction contains several separate ecosystems, including a desert, a rain forest, and a 900,000-gallon “ocean.” The climatic conditions-humidity, temperature, air quality-are regulated by sensors and can be adjusted as needed or desired. For example, a rainstorm can be created to increase the humidity. The adjustable features of Biosphere 2 make it an ideal location to perform experiments to help determine the effects of such climatic changes as global warming.
The current conditions at Biosphere 2 are vastly different from those in 1993, when eight people who had moved into the environment with great fanfare two years earlier moved out in failure. Though promising to be self-sufficient（自足的）, these “colonists” had so much trouble regulating the environment that they reportedly had food smuggled into them. Oxygen levels became dangerously low; most plants and animals died. In taking over the unsuccessful site, Columbia hopes to erase its notorious past by focusing on small research projects that gradually answer some of Biosphere 1’s — that is, Earth’s most basic environment questions.
1.This passage primarily deals with _________.
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A．conditions of life in Biosphere 2 |
|
B．building controlled environments on other planets |
|
C．why Biosphere 2 failed in the past |
|
D．what makes a good biosphere colonist |
2.Biosphere 2 is now run by _________.
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A．a group of eight colonists |
|
B．Columbia University |
|
C．the city of Tucson |
|
D．scientists who hope to establish Biosphere 3 |
3.The passage suggests that earlier colonists of Biosphere 2 _________.
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A．did not like living in a controlled environment |
|
B．found it very difficult to live in a controlled environment |
|
C．still are involved with Biosphere 2 |
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D．have now left the country in disgrace |
4.The writer helps you understand what Biosphere 2 is like by _________.
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A．comparing its features with those of an outer space biosphere |
|
B．explaining the process by which it was constructed |
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C．referring to an interview with one of former inhabitants |
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D．describing its appearance and conditions |
5.In paragraph 3 the word “notorious” means _________.
|
A．well known for something good |
B．well known for something bad |
|
C．very dangerous |
D．quite interesting |
阅读下列应用文及相关信息，并按照要求匹配信息。
首先请阅读下列英语读物的封面及基本信息:
A．National Geographic Complete Birds of the World
LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Order today and save $5.00!
Was: $35.00
Now: $30.00
Hardcover
384 pages; 900 color photographs and illustrations
B．Visions of Paradise
National Geographic photographers reveal unique wonders of nature.
$35.00
Hardcover
304 pages; 250 photographs
C．National Geographic Adventure Magazine
Join the adventure with National Geographic Adventure Magazine. Please allow 4-6 weeks for the delivery of the first issue within the U.S. and Canada. For outside of the U.S. and Canada, please allow 8-12 weeks for the delivery of the first issue.
$12.00
D．Cesar's Way:
The Natural, Everyday Guide to Understanding and Correcting Common Dog Problems
America's most sought-after expert reveals what dogs truly need to live a happy and fulfilled life.
Was: $24.95
Now: $14.95
Hardcover
243pages
E. National Geographic Ultimate Field Guide Photography, 2nd Edition
Softcover
400 pages; 272 color and black-and-white photographs
Thoroughly updated for 2009, straightforward and entertaining, this is the ultimate source for people seeking real how-to advice from the editors and photographers of National Geographic. It is carefully designed to lead the amateur photographer to better pictures and is comprehensive in scope, explaining the entire process from choosing a camera to taking the pictures to printing, scanning, and archiving the images.
F. New York: Destination Music CD
Innovative artists continue New York's cabaret tradition.
$19.95
It's Showtime!
下面是读者的简要内容。请把相关的内容与它们的书名匹配起来。
1.. Hinny is filled with hope and inspiration to celebrate and protect the world's environments. Looking through the book, he knows that every beautiful sight that meets his eyes is a precious dreamland worth preserving a special place that feels like “Heaven on Earth”.
2. Jumpy is pleased that his newly-bought book is a fascinating colorful guide to all the birds on the planet, their identification, structures and plumages, habitats, behaviors, and ranges.
3. Pope is using a film camera for his part-time photographs by means of his guide photography. Now he is armed with the practical know how-to get great images.
4.Jackson will get a wealth of ideas for making adventure a part of his life with the magazine! He likes every issue of this magazine packed with breathtaking photography and compelling features on topics such as diving, snorkeling, skydiving, hang gliding, kayaking, rafting, sailing, climbing, hiking, and more.
5.Dingy is invited to join an excursion into the rich rhythms and textures of music from the far reaches of the world. He enjoys the diverse mix of memorable music from these special corners of the Earth as he browses through some of the fascinating cultural facts and maps of each region and then sets off for his destination!
The next morning Alex was waiting in the FMA president’s suite when Jerome Patterton arrived. Alex filled him in quickly on the Jax report. Then he said, “I want you to give an order to the trust department to sell every share of Supranational we’re holding.”
“I won’t!” Patterton’s voice rose. “Who do you think you are, giving orders-----“ “I’ll tell you who I am, Jerome. I’m the guy who warned the board against in-depth involvement with SuNatCo. I fought against heavy trust department buying of the stock, but no one-----including you -----would listen. Now Supranational is caving in.” Alex leaned across the desk and slammed a fist down hard. “Don’t you understand? Supranational can bring this bank down with it.”
Patterton was shaken. “But is SuNatCo in real trouble? Are you sure?”
“If I weren’t, do you think I’d be here? I’m giving you a chance to salvage something at least.” He pointed to his wristwatch. “It’s an hour since the New York stock market opened. Jerome, get on the phone and give that order!”
Muscles around the bank president’s mouth twitched nervously. Never decisive, strong influence often swayed him. He hesitated, then picked up the telephone.
“Get me Mitchell in the trust department… Mitch? This is Jerome. Listen carefully. I want you to give a sell order immediately on all the Supranational stock we hold… Yes, sell every share.” Patterton listened, then said impatiently, “Yes, I know what it’ll do to the market. And I know it’s irregular.” His eyes sought Alex’s for reassurance. The hand holding the telephone trembled as he said, “There’s no time to hold meetings. So do it! Yes, I accept responsibility.”
He hung up and reached for a glass of water. “The stock is already down. Our selling will depress it more. We’ll be taking a big beating.”
“It’s our clients-----people who trusted us-----who will take the beating. And they’d have taken a bigger one still, if we’d waited. Even now we’re not out of the woods. A week from now the SEC may disallow those sales. They may rule we had inside knowledge that Supranational was about to be bankrupt, which we should have reported and which would have halted trading in the stock.
1. Alex filled him in quickly on the Jax report. The sentence means:
A. He filled his name on the Jax report quickly.
B. Alex signed his name to the Jax report quickly.
C. He offered the FMA president the Jax report smartly.
D. He prepared the Jax report for Patterton to sign smartly.
2. From the context we can infer that ________.
A. SuNatCo would bring the stock market down if it sold all the Supranational stock they held.
B. The president was stubborn and would never listen to others.
C. Alex will take the place of Patterton in the future.
D. the clients would take a bigger beating than the bank
3. The New York stock market is the place where_____.
A. the old stock can be bought and sold
B. shares can be bought and sold
C. paper stock can be bought and sold
D.some of the stock can be taken without being paid for
4. In the sentence “Even now we’re not out the woods.” The phrase “out of the woods” means _____.
A. free from danger B. short of wood
C. running out of wood D. set free
5. In the writer’s opinion, the president is _____.
A. good leader of the U.S.A B. a good manager of a company
C. headmaster D. banker, an indecisive sort of person
One evening I went out and left my 17-year-old son in charge of his 8-year-old brother and 4-year-old sister. On this occasion, the work was made less troublesome by the presence of his girl friend. I left with complete confidence that the older children would do a wonderful job of babysitting the younger children. Later, I discovered that complete confidence was the last thing I should have left home with.
I had decided to return home earlier than planned so that my son and his girlfriend could go out. I called home with this happy news. But instead of hearing his cheerful, grateful voice on the other end of the line, all I heard was the sound of a telephone ringing.
It was, I should point out, after 10 p.m., when the two younger children should have been in bed. and when the two older children should have been answering the phone. “I’ll give him a lesson,” I said. I decided they must be outside. Why they might be outside at 10∶30 on a winter night I had no idea, but it was the only explanation I could come up with.
Finally, in desperation, I called his girlfriend’s house. After what seemed like countless rings, his girlfriend answered. “Yes,” she said brightly, “He’s right here.”
He came on the phone. I was not my usual calm, rational(理智的)self. After all, one of the rules of survival for modern parents is that you can’t trust modern teenagers. “Where are the children?” I said. He said they were with him. They had done nothing wrong. My son had taken the younger children over to his girlfriend’s house just for ice cream and cake. This was too good to be believed. Well, it turns out that I shouldn’t have believed it. It was only part of the truth.
The following Saturday evening we were at my parents home, celebrating my birthday. My oldest son gave me the children’s gifts. Mounted and framed were a series of lovely color photographs of my children, dressed in their best clothes, and wearing their most wonderful expressions. They are pictures to treasure a lifetime, all taken by the father of my son’s girlfriend.
1. The author went out and left her eldest son in charge of the younger children because________________. .
A. she knew that her eldest son was a good baby-sitter
B. she thought it no hard work to take care of the younger ones
C. she believed he could do well with his girlfriend’s help
D. she could not find a baby-sitter on that winter night
2. When the author called home that evening, she found that _______________.
A. two younger children had already been in bed
B. the children were preparing a birthday gift for her
C. her son was quarrelling with his girlfriend
D. there was no one answering the telephone
3. What can you learn from the underlined sentence in the fifth paragraph?
A. The author didn’t believe what her son had told her.
B. The author had complete confidence in her son.
C. The author believed her son was telling the truth.
D. The author was moved by what her children had done.
4. What might the children do that evening?
A. They had a birthday party.
B. They framed some photographs.
C. They had their pictures taken.
D. They made some beautiful clothes.
5. What does the author intend to tell us by the story?
A. Modem teenagers are not worth trusting.
B. It is no easy job to look after young children.
C. It’s no good to have a girlfriend at an early age.
D. Her children have a caring and tender heart.
Grandparents might be known for spoiling grandchildren, but a new study says they might also be helping the kids improve their social skills and behavior.
Spending time with grandma and grandpa especially appears to help children from single-parent, divorced/separated or stepfamily households, according to the report, published in the February Journal of Family Psychology.
"Grandparents are a positive force for all families but play a significant role in families undergoing difficulties," the study's lead author, Shalhevet Attar-Schwartz, of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said in an American Psychological Association news release. "They can reduce the negative influence of parents separating and be a resource for children who are going through these family changes."
In interviewing 11- to 16-year olds from England and Wales, Attar-Schwartz and her team found that the more conversations the youths had with a grandparent, including asking for advice or even money, the better they got along with their peers and the fewer problems they had, such as hyperactivity and disruptive behavior.
"This was found across all three family structures," she said. "But adolescents in single-parent households and stepfamilies benefited the most. The effect of their grandparents' involvement was stronger compared to children from two biological parent families."
The study did not look at children who lived solely with their grandparents, though.
The findings have great implications for people in the United States, the authors said, because American grandparents are increasingly sharing living space with their grandchildren. A 2004 U.S. Census Bureau survey found that more than 5 million households include a grandparent and a grandchild under 18, up 30 percent since 1990, according to background information in the news release.
1. It is generally believed that a grandmother __________ .
A. can help a child through hard times
B. can help kids develop social skills
C. can spoil a child
D. is a positive force for all families
2. According to the passage, grandparents will be of least benefit to a child __________ .
A. from two biological parent families
B. from a single—parent household
C. from a divorced household
D. from a stepfamily household
3. A child who asks his grandmother for money will __________ .
A. have difficulty in getting along with his peers
B. still get along well with his peers
C. be easier to be spoiled than his peers
D. not be popular with peers
4. We can learn from the last paragraph that ___________ .
A. there are more families in America undergoing difficulties
B. American parents are much busier than those from other countries
C. American grandparents are much better at bringing up their grandchildren
D. American kids like to share more living space with their grandparents
5. The passage implies that __________ .
A. children who live solely with their grandparents may benefit the most
B. grandparents are a source of comfort to children from families undergoing difficulties
C. grandparents play a more positive role than parents in children’s growth
D. all families should leave their children to be brought up by grandparents
One of the requirements of every graduation ceremony speaker is that they offer some advice. Well, get ready, here it comes.
Soon you will be leaving the company of those who think they have all the answers –your professors, instructors and counselors-and going out into what we like to call the real world. In time you will meet up with other people who think they have all the answers. These people are called bosses. My advice is: humor them.
A little later you’ll meet additional people who think they have all the answers.
These are called spouses (配偶) . My advice is: humor them, too.
And of all goes well, in a few years you will meet still another group of people who think they have all the answers. These are called children. Humor them.
Life will go on, your children will grow up, go to school and someday they could be taking part in a graduation ceremony just like this one. And who knows, the speakers responsible for handing out good advice might be you. Halfway through your speech, the graduate sitting next to your daughter will lean over and ask, “Who is that woman up there who thinks she has all the answers?”
Well, thanks to the reasonable advice you are hearing today and that I hope you will all pass on, she will be able to say, “That is my mother. Humor her.”
1.According to the text, at a graduation ceremony you’ll most probably hear ________ given by the speaker.
A. wishes B. proposals
C. warnings D. instructions
2.Among the people mentioned who think they have all the answers, which of the following are not referred to?
A. teaching staff B. company staff members
C. recreational and sports person D. family members
3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the expression “have all the answers”?
A. know a great deal about something through man’s life
B. know all the keys to any test before any graduation
C. be clever enough to do anything well in school
D. be experienced in giving advice on any subject
4. What should you do with those who think they know all the answers according to the writer?
A. Argue with them to keep them angry
B. Keep them happy by accepting their wishes
C. Refuse them to make them complain
D. Turn deaf ears to them
5. What is the best title for the passage?
A. The Requirement Of Speakers B. How to Offer Advice
C. Humour them! D. To Hell with them!
