LONDON: What could possibly be wrong with planting trees? The benefits are obvious; they firm the soil, soak up (摄取) extra water and take carbon dioxide (二氧化碳) out of the atmosphere.
However, it now turns out that planting trees could add to global warming.
Tree roots do a great job of keeping soil firmly on the ground and out of the wind’s power. The problem is that some of those dust clouds play an important part in taking in carbon dioxide.
Huge dust storms blow out over the oceans from dry parts of North Africa and central Asia. Tons of dust are lifted and left as a thin film over the ocean surface. The dust fuels oceanic life.
Dust from China is carried east and left in the Pacific Ocean. If a tree-planting programme there is successful and the dust supply reduced, the final result may be that less carbon dioxide gets locked away in the ocean.
Andy Ridgwell, an environmental scientist from the University of East Anglia, has spent the past few years studying dust and says his work “shows clearly the complexity of the system and the importance of not tinkering(粗劣地修补) with it without understanding the results. For this reason the need is to focus(集中) on cutting carbon dioxide giving off rather than monkeying (瞎弄) about with the land surface.”
An American scientist, Robert Jackson, has shown that when native grassland areas are invaded(侵入) by trees, carbon is lost from the soil. “We are studying why the soil carbon disappears, but one theory is that trees do a lot more of their growing above ground compared to grasses, so less carbon goes directly into the soil from trees, ” says Jackson.
In wet areas of the world, the gain from trees absorbing carbon dioxide above ground seems to be outweighed(超过) by the loss of carbon from the soil below ground. Countries that plan to combat global warming by planting trees may have to think again.
Solutions to environmental problems are often more complex than they first appear, and understanding the Earth’s climate is a very great challenge.
1.People usually hold the opinion that_____________.
A. huge dust storms can destroy carbon dioxide
B. huge dust storms can destroy the oceans on the earth
C. huge dust storms can’t do anything beneficial for man
D. planting trees is the only way to control huge dust storms
2. Andy Ridgwell, the environmental scientist, believes that_____________.
A. dust plays a more important part than trees
B. trees shouldn’t have been planted in dry places
C. carbon dioxide is harmful to everything on the earth
D. environmental problems are more complex than expected
3. Robert Jackson’s experiment proves that_____________.
A. grassland areas should be covered by forests
B. trees hold more carbon than grasses
C. carbon can turn grass into dust
D. less carbon can make trees grow faster
Most schools forbid chewing gum(嚼口香糖), but in a few years they might consider changing that rule. Why? Scientists are finding evidence that gum chewing may be good for your health. It may even help improve your test scores. This exciting research is just beginning. And in the meantime, companies are also experimenting with adding vitamins, minerals, medicines, and other substances that could give gum the power to cure headaches and fight everything from serious diseases to bad breath.
Other researchers are finding that gum might work better than a pill to deliver medicines and other substances into the bloodstream. That’s because the lining (膜) of our cheeks can absorb certain substances more quickly than our stomachs and intestines (肠) can. That discovery could help other researchers develop medicine-containing gums that fight colds, ease headaches, battle nervousness, and
more. Scientists might even create anti-microbial (抗菌的) gums that cure bad breath.
Those projects may take years, but gum scientists have already had at least one recent success: They’ve created a gum that could help us stay awake. Researchers have produced a gum called Stay Alert. Each stick has as much caffeine as a cup of coffee. It can take an hour for the caffeine in coffee to have its full effect, but the caffeine in Stay Alert hits in just a few minutes. The gum is easy to transport and it’s stable in cold and hot climates. Unlike a pill, it doesn’t require water to swallow. Those qualities make it easy for soldiers to use. For now, Stay Alert is available only to the military (军队). The manufacturer may one day offer it for sale to the public. People who work at night, such as truck drivers and medical personnel who ride in ambulances, might benefit from a product like Stay Alert.
1.The passage mainly talks about _____.
A. the rule of forbidding chewing gum in school
B. new research on chewing gum
C. different kinds of chewing gum
D. the relationship between chewing gum and medicine
2.What does the underlined word “hits” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?
A. Touches. B. Attacks. C. Takes effect. D. Affects badly.
3.According to the passage, Stay Alert is a gum which can help people _____.
A. stay awake B. fight colds
C. cure headaches D. overcome nervousness
4.It can be inferred from the passage that _____.
A. stay Alert is not easy to store
B. stay Alert needs water to swallow
C. stay Alert is available to the public now
D. we can’t buy gums which cure bad breath now
One day not too long ago the employees of a large company in St .Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said: “Yesterday the person who has been hindering(阻碍) your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to attend the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym.”
At first everyone was sorry to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while they started getting curious about who this person might be. The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone wondered: “Who is this person that was hindering my progress? Well, at least he’s no longer here! ”One by one the employees got closer to the coffin (棺材) and when they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood over the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul. There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: “There is only one person who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is you.”
You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself. Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when you change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life.
1.The underlined word “funeral” in the first paragraph means ________.
A. an occasion when one admires himself in a mirror
B. a chimney from where smelly smoke comes out
C. a ceremony for burying or burning a dead person
D. an exhibition displaying varieties of treasures
2.Which of the following would be the best title for the text?
A. Last Respects B. A Strange Person
C. A Strange Company D. A Road to Success
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The employees were shocked when they saw the dead person.
B. It is you yourself that can actually change your life.
C. In the mirror you can find how small you are in the world.
D. You can achieve your goal if you set limits to your growth.
4.It seems that the company is ________.
A. encouraging the employees to show respects to the dead
B. providing good working conditions for its employees
C. suffering a heavy loss due to its staff member’s death
D. trying to make its employees aware of their own potential
It was a village in India. The people were poor. However, they were not unhappy. After all, their forefathers had lived in the same way for centuries.
Then one day. Some visitors from the city arrived. They told the villagers there were some people elsewhere who liked to eat frog’s legs. However, they did not have enough frogs of their own, and so they wanted to buy frogs from other places.
This seemed like money for nothing. There were millions of frogs in the fields around, and they were no use to the villagers. All they had to do was catch them. Agreement was reached, and the children were sent into the fields to catch frogs. Every week a truck arrived to collect the catch and hand over the money. For the first time, the people were able to dream of a better future. But the dream didn’t last long.
The change was hardly noticed at first, but it seemed as if the crops were not doing so well. More worrying was that the children fell ill more often, and, there seemed to be more insects around lately.
The villagers decided that they couldn’t just wait to see the crops failing and the children getting weak. They would have to use the money earned to buy pesticides(杀虫剂) and medicines. Soon there was no money left.
Then the people realized what was happening. It was the frog. They hadn’t been useless. They had been doing an important job---eating insects. Now with so many frogs killed, the insects were increasing more rapidly. They were damaging the crops and spreading diseases.
Now, the people are still poor. But in the evenings they sit in the village square and listen to the sounds of insects and frogs. These sounds of the night now have a much deeper meaning.
1.From paragraph I we learn that the villagers __________.
A. worked very hard for centuries
B. dreamed of having a better life
C. were poor but somewhat content
D. lived a different life from their forefathers
2.Why did the villagers agree to sell frogs?
A. the frogs were easy money
B. They needs money to buy medicine
C. they wanted to please the visitors
D. the frogs made too much noise
3. What might be the cause of the children’s sickness?
A. the crops didn’t do well
B. there were too many insects
C. the visits brought in diseases
D. the pesticides were overused
4.What can we infer from the last sentence of the text?
A. Happiness comes from peaceful life in the country
B. Health is more important than money
C. The harmony between man and nature is important
D. good old day will never be forgotten
I grew up poor – living with six brothers, my father and a wonderful mother. We had 36 money and few worldly goods, but plenty of love and attention. I was 37 and energetic. I understood that no matter how poor a person was, they could 38 afford a dream.
My dream was to be a 39 .When I was sixteen, I could crush a baseball, throw a ninety-mile-per-hour fastball. I was also 40 : my high-school coach was Ollie Jarvis, who 41 me the difference between having a dream and showing strong belief. One particular 42 with him changed my life forever.
It was a summer and a friend recommended me for a summer 43 . This meant a chance for my first income—cash for a new bike and new clothes, and the 44 of savings for a house for my mother. The opportunity was attracting, and I wanted to 45 at it.
Then I realized I would have to 46 summer baseball to handle the work schedule, and that meant I would have to tell Coach Jarvis I wouldn’t be playing. I was 47 about this.
When I told Coach Jarvis, he was as 48 as I expected him to be. “You have your whole life to work,” he said. “Your 49 days are limited. You can’t afford to waste them.”
I stood before him with my head 50 , trying to think of how to explain to him why my dream of buying my mom a house and having money in my pocket was worth 51 his disappointment in me.
“How much are you going to make at this job?” he demanded.
“$ 3．25 an hour,” I replied.
“Well, is $ 3.25 an hour the price of a 52 ?” he asked.
That 53 laid bare for me the difference between wanting something right now and having a goal. I devoted myself to 54 that summer, and within the year I was offered a $ 20,000 contract. I signed with the Denver Broncos in 1984 for $ 1.7 million, and bought my mother the 55 of my dreams.
1.A. some B. little C. no D. much
2.A. happy B. lovely C. angry D. noisy
3.A. only B. ever C. still D. almost
4.A. teacher B. coach C. doctor D. sportsman
5.A. lucky B. satisfied C. hopeful D. surprised
6.A. taught B. asked C. told D. trained
7.A. match B. story C. moment D. incident
8.A. job B. camp C. holiday D. course
9.A. cause B. start C. need D. amount
10.A. stand B. call C. look D. jump
11.A. take out B. cut off C. put on D. give up
12.A. excited B. curious C. anxious D. disappointed
13.A. mad B. puzzled C. regretful D. discouraged
14.A. working B. playing C. learning D. shining
15.A. shaking B. hanging C. holding D. nodding
16.A. feeling B. suffering C. facing D. expressing
17.A. dream B. game C. chance D. life
18.A. offer B. price C. question D. order
19.A. study B. sports C. homework D. business
20.A. clothes B. bike C. house D. goods
— I’m more than happy to go out this weekend.
— ____ . We’ve got so much work to do at that time.
A. Don’t worry B. Don’t mention it C. Don’t say so D. Forget it
