Europeans should try to stay indoors if ash from Iceland's volcano starts settling, the World Health Organization warned Friday as small amounts fell in Iceland, Scotland and Norway.
WHO spokesman Daniel Epstein said the microscopic(微小的) ash is potentially dangerous for people when it starts to reach the Earth because inhaled(吸入) particles can enter the lungs and cause respiratory problems. And he also said Europeans who go outside might want to consider wearing a mask.
Other experts, however, weren't convinced the volcanic ash would have a major effect on peoples' health and said WHO's warnings were "hysterical." They said volcanic ash was much less dangerous than cigarette smoke or pollution. Volcanic ash is made of fine particles of fragmented volcanic rock. It is light gray to black and can be as fine as talcum powder. During a volcanic eruption, the ash can be breathed deep into the lungs and cause irritation even in healthy people. But once it falls from a greater distance — like from the cloud currently hovering above Europe — its health effects are often minimal, experts say.
"Not all particles are created equal," said Ken Donaldson, a professor of respiratory toxicology at the University of Edinburgh, "In the great scheme of things, volcanic ash is not all that harmful." And he said most Europeans' exposure to volcanic ash would be negligible and that only those in the near districts of the Icelandic volcano would likely be at risk.
Dr. Stephen Spiro, a professor of respiratory medicine and deputy chair of the British Lung Foundation, said the further the particles travel, the less dangerous they will be. "The cloud has already passed over northern Scotland and we haven't heard of any ill effects there," he said. Spiro said to wear masks or stay indoors to avoid volcanic ash was "over the top" and "a bit hysterical."
1. The text is mainly about .
A. the effect of volcanic ash
B. the health risk of volcanic ash
C. the disadvantages of volcanic ash
D. the opinions on health risk of volcanic ash
2. Which one is true according to Paragraph3?
A. The volcanic ash’s effects on Europeans were little.
B. The ash caused irritation even in healthy people.
C. Other experts thought WTO’S warnings were useful.
D. The volcanic ash was more dangerous than cigarette smoke or pollution.
3. The underlined word “hysterical” in Paragraph4 most probably means .
A. amazing B. practical C. valuable D. overstated
4. What can we learn from the passage?
A. The volcanic ash wouldn’t be harmful to people.
B. All experts thought the volcanic ash did great harm to our health.
C. People close to the volcano would likely be at risk according to some experts.
D. Europeans should stay indoors because Iceland's volcano starts settling.
第三部分 阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
请认真阅读下列短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该项涂黑。
John Davis doesn’t use his GPS system in his car. Instead of guiding the direction, the Delaware farmer uses it to determine where and how much fertilizer to use on the crops on his 4,000-acre family-owned farm. Technological advances like that last year helped Davis and other Ohio farmers set a record for corn product. Ohio's corn crop in 2009 totaled 546 million bushels(蒲式耳), despite a cooler and wetter than normal spring, a dry summer and a delayed, wet harvest. Davis said. “I knew it would be a good crop, but it was much better than we expected.”
A farmer can map his fields on GPS, spotting where soil turned out to be least fertile（肥沃的） and using more fertilizer the next year in those areas where corn didn’t grow as well.
Although Ohio farmers produced more corn, it was grown on less land than in past years. Total area used for corn in Ohio was 3.35 million acres, about the same as in 2008 but down from 3.85 million acres in 2007, said Dwayne Siekman, director of the Ohio Corn Growers Association. “When you look at the total number of acres in Ohio used for corn, it’s clear that farmers are able to do more with less,” he said. “American farmers can grow five times more corn on 20 percent less land than they did in the 1930s, saying that modern farming techniques are necessary for a growing demand in the world today.” That technology includes using improved seeds that can withstand(忍受) greater temperature extremes and pests, Siekman said.
Farmers aren't the only ones who benefit. Consumers(消费者) do, too, as food costs reduce in the face of “enough supplies of corn,” said Fred Yoder, who runs a 1,500-acre corn, soybean and wheat farm in Plain City. “This is the best, highest-producing corn crop that I've raised in 30 years,” he said.
1. Most people usually use the GPS system for ______.
A. driving their cars B. telling the position C. mending the car D. supplying the sunshine
2. The farmers in Ohio use GPS to ______.
A. check if the soil is fertile in some areas B. control the rain of the place
C. water the crops if the weather is dry D. draw the map of all the crops
3. Why did Ohio farmers produce more corn?
A. Because they expanded more land to grow corn
B. Because they turned to technological advances
C. Because they used more and more fertilizer.
D. Because they supplies themselves with more money.
4. From the passage, we can know _____.
A. John Davis hadn’t expected a good harvest.
B. farmers grew less land than in the 1930s
C. improved seeds cost much more money
D. the output of corn in the same field is increased.
第二节 完形填空（共20小题；每小题1分，满分20分）
请认真阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题纸上将该项涂黑。
I met Chandra Rekha Shrestha, a visually damaged girl, on the way to Shanti Nagar. She was walking down the road with her white stick, and I saw she walking into a muddy 36 . Had she continued, she might have 37 into the water. Not wanting this to happen, I stopped my 38 and called out, “There’s a hole in front of you, Chandra. If it’s all right with you, I’ll 39 you to your place.”
She happily 40 . I took her bag so she could climb on my motorbike. We talked about her profession and 41 , and I discovered she was on her way toTinkune for a teacher’s training program.
Chandra had called me a couple of times since our 42 meeting. However, I had been unable to meet her 43 my busy schedules. Finally, 44 at the Kathmandu Mall, she said, "If you hadn’t given me your business card, I wouldn’t have called you." We talked about a range of issues, and I came to 45 that Chandra possessed a deep knowledge which would challenge that of many 46 fit people.
Although she has a mother and three brothers, Chandra has been 47 on her own for the past years. She cooks for herself and washes her own clothes while 48 to teach every morning at Anam Nagar’s Rudramati Primary School. While doing her 49 , she tries to remember people, places, and things in order to manage her daily life. She is a(an) 50 person, telling me that she made the decision to live alone after her 51 said they would take turns to look after her each month. Chandra felt this would 52 her. Chandra’s main source of information is through her 53 , learning about various news as they are broadcast.
Chandra lost her eyesight as a baby and had to learn how to survive at an early age. I really 54 her confidence and the way she carried herself in her life. Thank you, Chandra Rekha. You have reminded me of what truly matter in life but are 55 lacking in our city.
36. A. pavement B. passage C. hole D. freeway
37. A. climbed B. landed C. flown D. fallen
38. A. car B. truck C. motorbike D. bus
39. A. pass B. drop C. take D. fetch
40. A. allowed B. expected C. replied D. accepted
41. A. study B. job C. celebration D. travel
42. A. happy B. unexpected C. sudden D. strange
43. A. due to B. in addition to C. instead of D. in spite of
44. A. resisting B. rescuing C. reuniting D. removing
45. A. discovered B. encouraged C. persuaded D. supposed
46. A. mentally B. inappropriately C. physically D. naturally
47. A. living B. lying C. waiting D. staying
48. A. managing B. recognizing C. allowing D. reducing
49. A. practice B. housework C. effort D. homework
50. A. stubborn B. reliable C. confident D. intelligent
51. A. sisters B. uncles C. brothers D. aunts
52. A. hurt B. weaken C. ruin D. frighten
53. A. TV B. radio C. calculator D. computer
54. A. follow B. show C. notice D. admire
55. A. finally B. recently C. mostly D. simply
. -----Anything else to be done?
-----No. ______________.
A. You’re welcome B. That’s it C. It’s my pleasure. D. Go ahead
------ The head teacher said we had only three days to finish the project.
-------Don’t worry. We have already _________ two thirds of it.
A. taken over B. got through C. made up D. come along
They also ask the students to present their independent ideas instead of _____________ memorizing numbers and facts.
A. totally B. clearly C. merely D. thoroughly
