You might think that “global warming” means nothing more than a rise in the world’s temperature But rising sea levels caused by it have resulted in the first evacuation(撤离)of an island nation—the citizens of Tuvalu will have to leave their homeland.
During the 20th century , sea level rose 8—12 inches. As a result ,Tuvalu has experienced lowland flooding of salt water which has polluted the country’s drinking water.
Paani Laupepa , a Tuvaluan government official ,reported to the Earth Policy Institute that the nation suffered an unusually high number of fierce storms in the past ten years .Many scientists connect higher surface water temperatures resulting from global warming to greater and more damaging storms.
Laupepa expressed dissatisfaction with the United States for refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement calling for industrialized nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions(导致温室效应的气体排放),which are a main cause of global warming . “By refusing to sign the agreement ,the US has effectively taken away the freedom of future generations of Tuvaluans to live where their forefathers have lived for thousands of years,” Laupepa told the BBC.
Tuvalu has asked Australia and New Zealand to allow the gradual move of its people to both countries .
Tuvalu is not the only country that is vulnerable (易受影响的)to rising sea levels .Maumoon Gayoon ,president of the Maldives ,told the United Nations that global warming has made his country of 311,000 an “endangered nation”.
1.The text is mainly about .
A.rapid changes in earth’s temperature
B.bad effects of global warming
C.moving of a country to a new place
D.reasons for lowland flooding
2.According to scientists ,the direct cause of more and fiercer storms is .
A.greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized nations
B.higher surface water temperatures of the sea
C.continuous global warming
D.rising sea levels
3.Laupepa was not satisfied with the United States because it did not .
A.agree to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions
B.sign an agreement with Tuvalu
C.allow Tuvaluans to move to the US
D.believe the problems facing Tuvalu were real
4.The country whose situation is similar to that of Tuvalu is .
A.Australia B.New Zealand C.the Maldives D.the United States
My husband, my four-month-old daughter and I set out on a five-day driving journey from California to Washington. We had to stop frequently because our little child needed to stretch from the car seat.
One of our stops, once we crossed the Oregon border, was at a Black Bear Diner. Walking towards the front door we noticed a gentleman standing at one side. He was clearly untidy, without shoes and wearing worn clothing. We passed right by him and opened the restaurant door. Then something told me to go back.
Holding my daughter, I turned around and said to the gentleman, “Sir. Are you hungry?” He said, “Yes.” I then asked, “May we buy you something to eat?” He responded with, “Sure, I can order something myself.”
My husband opened the door and the gentleman went straight to the counter. I told him to order whatever he wanted. The manager of the restaurant came over quite quickly and looked frightened. I spoke before he had an opportunity to. “This gentleman will have lunch with us today,” I said. “Please add his order to our bill.” The manager said with a frown(皱眉), “Okay.” We turned to our table and the gentleman said, loudly and quickly, “Thank You!” We were seated and upon completing our meal we were handed our bill. I asked my husband what the gentleman had ordered. One fresh orange juice, one coffee, one breakfast combination with a side of hash browns.
When we left the restaurant I looked for the gentleman but didn’t see him, but that very small act just made my day. I hope in some small way we were able to add some joy to his life, even if only for a few minutes.
1.From the appearance of the gentleman, we can guess he was probably a(n) _____.
A.waiter B.actor C.beggar D.worker
2.The manager of the restaurant looked frightened because _____.
A.the man was not friendly
B.he had fired the man before
C.the man had stolen something from the restaurant
D.he was afraid the man wouldn’t afford to pay the food
3.From the passage, we can infer the man _____.
A.was thankful for their kind act
B.felt ashamed and slipped away
C.was hungry and ate a lot of food
D.was too proud to accept their offer
4.The phrase “made my day” in the last paragraph probably means ______.
A.wasted my money B.moved me deeply
C.made me feel sorry D.made me very happy
I'd been travelling for long hours on a lonely country road when I had a flat tire. So I had to stop and get the tools to 36 the problem. It certainly wasn’t 37 doing this with a white shirt and suit on.
Nightfall was approaching. Suddenly a car pulled 38 from behind me. A man got out and offered to 39 me. Seeing his unpleasant appearance and tattoos(纹身)on his arm, I became 40 as thoughts of robberies flashed through my mind. But 41 I could say anything he had already begun to take the tools to change the 42 . While watching him I happened to look back at his car and noticed someone sitting in the passenger seat. This had 43 me.
Then, without 44 , it began to rain. He suggested that I wait in his car because my car was unsafe. As the rain increased, getting us wet within seconds, I 45 agreed. When I settle into the back seat, a woman’s voice came from the front seat. “Are you all right?” She turned around to me. “Yes, I am.’’ I replied with much 46 when seeing an old woman there. It must be his Mom, I thought. To my 47 , the old woman was a neighbor of the man who was helping me. “Jeff insisted on stopping when he saw you 48 with the tire. ”“I am grateful for his help, ” I said. “Me, too!” she said with a smile. He helped drive her to see her husband twice a week in a nursing home. She also said that he 49 at the church and tutored disadvantaged students.
The rain stopped and Jeff and I changed me tire. I tried to offer him money and of course he 50 it. It was shameful that I judged people by the way they 51 . As we shook hands I began to apologize for my 52 . He said, ‘‘I experience that same 53 often. People who look like me don’t do nice things. I 54 thought about changing the way. But then I saw this as a chance to make a 55 . So I’ll leave you with the same question I ask everyone who takes time to know me. If Jesus returned tomorrow and walked among us again, would you recognize Him by what He wore or by what He did?’’
1. A.find B.make C.fix D.avoid
2. A.useful B.easy C.wise D.lucky
3. A.up B.out C.on D.round
4. A.carry B.lift C.drive D.help
5. A.discouraged B.frightened C.disappointed D.astonished
6. A.when B.until C.as D.before
7. A.tire B.suit C.expression D.shirt
8. A.embarrassed B.concerned C.discouraged D.puzzled
9. A.warning B.realizing C.knowing D.waiting
10. A.directly B.happily C.hurriedly D.unwillingly
11. A.fear B.satisfaction C.relief D.excitement
12. A.regret B.amusement C.surprise D.delight
13. A.working B.repairing C.fighting D.struggling
14. A.studied B.performed C.grew D.volunteered
15. A.refused B.kept C.ignored D.left
16. A.behaved B.spoke C.looked D.thought
17. A.selfishness B.stupidity C.weakness D.disability
18. A.life B.incident C.reaction D.change
19. A.hardly B.actually C.finally D.probably
20. A.point B.start C.remark D.comparison
Henry had just given himself for lost ______ he was spotted by a ship.
A.when B.while C.as D.after
—Could I use your bike?
—Yes, surely you ______.
A.might B.will C.can D.should
He couldn’t ______ the fact that the money was found in his house.
A.answer for B.leave for C.account for D.care for