Tuvalu, north of Fiji, is a tiny country in the Pacific Ocean.
Storms and huge waves are a constant threat and none of Tuvalu's nine little islands is more than five metres above sea level. Salt water is already entering the country's drinking water supply, as well as damaging plants that produce fruit and vegetable. It fears it will be swallowed up by the sea. Without urgent help, the country's days are numbered.
But Tuvalu is not the first place to face sinking into the sea. Venice, a historic city in Italy best known for its canals, has sunk about 24cm over the past 100 years. Experts say that it will have sunk another 20-50cm by 2050.A century ago, St. Mark's Square, the lowest point in the city, flooded about nine time a year. Nowdays it happens more than 100 times.
While Venice is slowly sinking into the mud on which it stands, Tuvalu's rising sea level is caused by global warming.
The average global temperature has increased by almost 0.5 centigrade degree over the past century; scientists expect it to rise by an extra 1-3 degrees over the next 100 years.
Warmer weather makes glaciers（冰川） melt, adding more water to the ocean. The warmer temperatures also make water expand, so it take up more space, causing the sea level to rise. The sea level has risen about 10-25cm in the last 100 years.
People have been increasing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as CO2, through burning coal, oil and gas. This adds to the power of the greenhouse effect, making the planet even warmer.
Many scientists believe that, if the warming is not stopped, there will be huge climate changes. The sea level could rise by one metre this century.
Should this come true, millions of homes would be swallowed up by the sea and the world will be flooded with" climate refugees" looking for somewhere else to live.
1.We can infer from Paragraph 2 that .
A．Tuvalu is in danger of being swallowed up by the sea
B．all Tuvalu islands are about five meters above the sea level
C．drinking water in Tuvalu has been destroyed
D．Tuvalu is often flooded by storms and waves
2.The author uses Tuvalu and Venice as examples in order to explain .
A．it is first places sinking into the sea
B．it is sinking into the mud where they stand
C．it will disappear in the future
D．its trouble is caused by global warming
3.What does the underlined word "refugees" (in the last paragraph)mean?
A．People forced away from their homeland
B．Sudden changes caused by world climate
C．Animals closely connected with weather
D．Bad effect of climate changes
4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?
A．The main cause of global warming is human pollution
B．The average global temperature has risen by 1-3 ℃over the past century.
C．The warmer temperature causes the sea level to rise
D．There will be huge climate changes unless the warming is stopped
In the last years of the Warring States period, the State of Qin attacked the State of Wei on a large scale repeatedly and occupied large areas of land, for the State of Wei was too weak to defend itself. In 273 B.C. ,the Qin army launched a more serious attack upon the State of Wei than ever. The king of the State of Wei gathered his officials, and asked with a worried look if anyone could propose a way to defeat the Qin army. After years of chaos caused by the wars, the officials trembled when fighting was mentioned, and no one dared to speak of resistance.
At the critical moment when a large enemy force was bearing down upon the border, most of the officials persuaded the king to use for peace, at the cost of giving away to the State of Qin the large area of land north of the Huanghe River and south of the Taihang Mountain. However Su Dai, a counselor, did not agree. He hurried up to the king and said:"Your Majesty, they don't think about the interests of the country at all. It is just because they are afraid of death that they ask you to sue for peace by betraying the country. Of course you can temporarily satisfy the ambition of Qin, but it will never stop attacking us until our land is totally given away."
He added." Once there was a man whose house was on fire. People told him to put out the fire with water, but he would not listen. Instead, he carried a faggot to put out the fire, only to make the fire fiercer. Isn't it similar to carrying faggots to put out a fire if you agree to sue for peace at the cost of the land of the State of Wei?"
Though Sue Dai's argument was very convincing, the king accepted the suggestion of those officials and gave away to the State of Qin a large area of the land of the State of Wei. As might be expected, the Qin army attacked the State of Wei in 225 B.C. Again, surrounding the capital city Daliang and flooding it by digging open the dykes(堤防) of the Huanghe River. The State of Wei was finally destroyed.
1.When asked how to defeat the Qin army, most officials .
A．were scared and at a loss what to do
B．were worried and asked Su Dai fir advice
C．decided to ask a force to bear down upon the border
D．trembled and decided to give up fighting back
2.The underlined phrase "sue for" in Paragraph 2 probably means .
A．hope for B．beg for C．search for D．send for
3.Su Dai used the example of "carrying faggots to put out a fire" to show .
A．the ambition of the State of Qin B．the risk of fighting back
C．the serious results of giving in D．the terrible results of defense
4.The story is mainly developed by .
A．time B．logic C．space D．cause and effect
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Museum of the Moving Image(MMI)(Monday Closed) As the best museum in New York City and with a balance of hands-on(实际操作的)activities and information, it’s the rare bird that can entertain and educate people of different ages. It’s a perfect destination for a family trip of a couple hours. Pros—Excellent movie screenings. Easy subway access. Cons—Difficult to reach by Car. |
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New York Hall of Science(NYHS)(Monday Closed) Being New York City’s only hand son science and technology center, it is an interactive science museum focusing on its audience of children. It has the most hands-on exhibits in an NYC museum, and it’s a fun destination for ages 5 and up. Older folks might take great interest in the NASA rockets outside the museum, but don’t bother unless you’ve kids to keep you company. Pros—Cool interactive science exhibits, the rockets. Cons—Hard to reach by public transportation. |
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Queens County Farm Museum(QCFM)(Year-round 7 days a week) It is an actual farm in New York City and home to animals your kids can feed and a yard full of a climbing plant whose fruit can be made into wine. Good chance to meet sheep, goats, pigs, chickens and cows! The animals are mostly readily accessible to visitors. And the museum sells feed for young hands willing to get licked by sheep and goats. Pros—Outdoor fun. Cons—Expensive festivals, long bus ride, no subway. |
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Queens Museum of Art(QMA)(Monday and Tuesday Closed) Opened in 1972 to serve as a cultural center in New York City, it exhibits art by local and international artists. Its best exhibits are on the two World’s Fairs. and of course,the Panorama of New York City, a giant , highly detailed diorama(透景画)of all five New York City boroughs. 行政区) Pros—The Panorama, Great gift shop. Easy subway access. Cons—Not much for kids. |
1.The least likely choice for 5-year-old Jack to make among the museums is______.
A．T MMI B．T NYHS C．QMA D．QCFM
2.According to the text, which of the following is NOT true?
A．All the museums mentioned above lie in New York City.
B．No other museum in New York City is better than MMI.
C．Lucky visitors can see grapes in one of the museums.
D．NYHS has the most hands-on activities in America.
3.We can know from the text that______.
A．visitors can pay a visit to all the museums by subway
B．people can visit only one of the any day
C．there is often a rare bird flying in the sky above MMI
D．the Panorama is, as a matter of fact, a great gift shop
4.In which museum can you enjoy outdoor fun?
A．MMI. B．NYHS. C．QCFM. D．QMA.
It was a hot summer day. My dad and I were getting ready to go out for a ride on the boat with my friend Katie and the dog when the phone call came, the call that made that bright, beautiful day a cold, dark, gloomy one.
I had just put on my suit, shorts, and tank top, and packed my bag with sunscreen and everything else I would need for the day. I ran into my parents' room to find Dad. When I saw him on the phone, he was crying. I'd never seen my dad cry before. My heart sank. What possibly could have happened?
"Max, I'm so sorry," I heard him say. That's when it hit me. I knew that Suzie had died.Max has been my dad's best friend for years. Suzie, his daughter, had a rare disease that mainly affected her body. Her brain was OK. She knew what was going on; she knew that shehad problems and was different from other kids. Once she told her dad that she wished she could die and be born in a different body. Yet although she couldn't live a normal life ，she was still happy.
When Suzie and I were little, we spent quite a bit of time together. As we grew up, we grew apart. She lived in New York, and I lived in the Midwest. When Suzie was ten she had to live ina hospital in Virginia. About eight months before she died, Max gave us her number at the hospital and we talked at least twice a week until the end. Suzie was always so excited to talk to us and wanted to know every detail about my life. She wanted to know everything I did and every thing I ate. In a way, she lived through me.
After we found out about her death, we made our plans to go to New York for the funeral. When she was alive, I sent her a Beanie Baby and she sent one back to me. I had bought her another one but never had the chance to send it to her, so I took it to put in her casket(棺材).
Her funeral was very different from any funeral I'd ever been to. After they lowered her casket, each one of us put a shovelful of dirt over her. I remember crying so hard, I felt weak. My cheeks burned from the tears. My whole body was shaking as I picked up the shovel, but I'm glad I did it.
When Suzie and I first started calling one another, I thought it would be more of a burden on me, but I was completely wrong. I learned so much from her. She gave me more than I could ever give to her. I will never forget her or the talks we had. I now know that I must never take anything for granted especially my health and the gift of life.
1.The author's family cancelled their ride because______.
A．Katie couldn't join them for the ride
B．the weather was too terrible for a ride
C．they couldn't find their dog
D．Max's daughter passed away
2.What does the underlined part “In a wav, she lived through me.” mean?
A．Suzie got to know what life outside hospital was like by sharing my experience.
B．Suzie was financially dependent of me.
C．Suzie managed to pull through her illness with the help of my family.
D．Suzie was too weak to live her own life.
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to the text?
A．Suzie was the only person helping the author with difficulties.
B．The author feared that she might also get the same disease as Suzie.
C．The author benefited a lot from talking on the phone with Suzie.
D．The author didn't understand Suzie was her true friend until Suzie's death.
4.What is the most important lesson the author learned from Suzie's death?
A．Never let go of a friend even if you are apart.
B．Be thankful for what we have in our life.
C．Talking with a friend can cure your illness.
D．We can learn more from our friends than they do from us.
Will Nanfang University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen announce a new beginning for China’s higher education reform? It’s too early to answer.But its presence is challenging the Ministry of Education.Even without the approval of the ministry it seems that the school is determined to move forward and enroll 50 students, so-called child prodigies(奇才), to begin classes on March l, 2011.On graduating in 2015, these students will receive a diploma unauthorized by the Ministry of Education-unlike the students of their age from the state-run universities.
The school is committed to modeling itself on Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, but if the government will not approve the school, the situation could cause a lot of trouble for those 50 students if they want to do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions.Other schools could turn their applications down for their unauthorized diplomas.
The difficulties, however, have not frightened students and their parents away.On Dec.18, 2010 more than 1,000 students and their parents visited Nanfang University of Science and Technology for interviews.
Private investment marks the school out from other higher learning institutions in the nation.Not a penny comes from the government. So the government will have no voice in how the school will be run.
The Ministry of Education has published a comprehensive plan for education reform and development between 2011 and 2020.The goal is to make China’s higher education internationally competitive.To accomplish this goal, the government should have the courage to let the educators who have big ideas try them out.The ministry should have applauded the independence the school in Shenzhen has shown and encouraged more to do likewise.
Education reform in China has reached a new and crucial stage.Nanfang University of Science and Technology has a long way to go to prove itself competitive rather than a diploma mill.
1.Over 1,000 students and parents visited the school because .
A．they believe that the school will have a bright future
B．they believe the government is sure to approve the school
C．the school models itself on Hong Kong University successfully
D．they will never do graduate studies at other higher learning institutions
2.The trouble the students in the school may have is that .
A．the government will have no voice in the school
B．they won’t receive any diploma when graduating from the school
C．other schools are unlikely to accept their diploma from the school
D．they will not learn how to be competitive
3.What does the author think of Nanfang University of Science and Technology?
A．It is another kind of diploma mill.
B．It’s impossible for the school to be competitive.
C．It will never get the approval from the Ministry of Education.
D．Its independence from the government may benefit the education reform.
4.What is the best title of the passage?
A．University of New Style. B．China’s Education Reform.
C．Modeling Hong Kong University. D．Authorized or Not?
We should show respect to everybody, especially our elders because they are ahead of us — in age, in wisdom and maturity, in experience and education．Our 21 have done a lot for us, directly or indirectly and most of us 22 everything to their kindness and love．
When we 23 them respect, whether it is by bowing to them, or 24 them with a smile, or offering them any help they need, it is one way of 25 our own love and gratitude to them． 26, elders have also been through all the years you are 27 and know a little more about the world than you do．
It is 28 that you do not agree with the belief of your elders, but this is nothing new．All younger generations have always 29 with their elders and it is these differences that bring changes in human 30 ．However much you disagree with them, give them credit for their 31．
With changing times and 32 influences, youngsters no longer know what is interpreted as disrespect to elders．Youngsters should 33 express their views and if there are arguments, they should not 34 their voices．
If there is no space on sofas or chairs, children will immediately 35 their places, and sit on the carpet．In buses and trains, youngsters are 36 to give up their places to older people．This is not a 37 of who has more rights．It is simply that those who are younger have the strength to bear 38_, or tolerate unpleasantness, so it is natural to show consideration to those who are older and perhaps at a 39 disadvantage．
When you do simple things as a mark of respect, elders become 40 that youngsters care for them, and they respond with affection and kindness．
1.A．youngsters B．elders C．parents D．juniors
2.A．devote B．owe C．pay D．contribute
3.A．show B．explain C．exhibit D．point
4.A．greeting B．receiving C．declaring D．showing
5.A．expressing B．describing C．sending D．suggesting
6.A．However B．Therefore C．Besides D．Though
7.A．experiencing with B．going through C．suffering from D．worrying out
8.A．maybe B．likely C．possible D．probably
9.A ．quarreled B．dealt C．lived D．disagreed
10.A．community B．organization C．society D．public
11.A．experience B．reality C．emotion D．information
12.A．cultural B．special C．environmental D．position
13.A．quietly B．slightly C．silently D．coldly
14.A．rise B．raise C．support D．force
15.A．give away B．get rid of C．give up D．send out
16.A．expected B．forced C．needed D．reminded
17.A．doubt B．question C．wonder D．challenge
18.A．suffering B．upset C．trouble D．discomfort
19.A．serious B．light C．heavy D．slight
20.A．aware B．alive C．knowing D．sensible
