Food production does great harm to our environment.There are many procedures involved in the manufacture of food that result in greenhouse gases and other pollutants.Some procedures require the consumption of large amounts of fossil fuels,such as the transportation and storage of food products.Other factors that cause great damage to our environment include the overuse of fresh water.
The production of beef is more damaging to the environment than that of any other food we consume,Raising large numbers of cattle requires the production of large amounts of food for the animals.It’s estimated that producing one pound of beef requires seven pounds of feed.
Land use is also a problem.If the cattle are free-range cattle,large areas of land are required for them to live on.This has led to disastrous forest cutting and the loss of rare plants and animal species,particularly in tropical rain forests in Central and South America.
Another problem specific to beef production is methane emissions (甲烷排放).Although many people are aware of the damaging effects of carbon dioxide,they don’t realize methane’s global warming potential is 25 times worse,making it a more dire problem.
Unfortunately,beef consumption is growing rapidly.This is the result of simple supply and demand factors.Specifically,there are two main causes of demand that are encouraging the production of more supply.First,the increase in the world population means there are more people to consume meat.The second factor is socioeconomic advancement.As citizens in developing nations become financially stable,they can afford to buy more meat.
Therefore,one way to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions is for people around the world to significantly cut down on the amount of beef they eat.
1.Which of the following is TRUE?
A. Raising free-range cattle is eco-friendly.
B. People cut down trees for animal habitats.
C. Producing beef can damage the environment.
D. Carbon dioxide causes far more harm than methane.
2.The underlined word “dire” in Para.4 means .
A. urgent B. common
C. typical D. avoidable
3.Beef production is growing rapidly because .
A. more people are in demand of beef
B. developing countries raise more cattle
C. more land is available to raise cattle
D. the cost of raising cattle is relatively low
4.The author writes this article to .
A. describe the booming of the beef production
B. emphasize the advantages of beef production
C. condemn the deforestation of the rain forest
D. argue for a decrease in beef consumption
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Why was the Mesa Verde National Park built?
A. To attract more visitors. B. To earn money. C. To protect the culture of ancient Native Americans.
2.What language do the words “Mesa Verde” belong to?
A. English. B. Spanish. C. French.
3.How many ruins were discovered in all?
A. One. B. Two. C. Three.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How has the man been feeling lately?
A. Lonely. B. Unhappy. C. Depressed.
2.What does the woman advise the man to do?
A. To learn English. B. To join a club. C. To do exercise.
3.What can we learn from the conversation?
A. The man is the woman’s elder brother.
B. You don’t feel alone when you have a close friend.
C. The man comes from north America.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Why does the man go to see the doctor?
A. Because he is seriously ill. B. Because he wants to see death. C. Because the doctor wants his money.
2.What does the doctor advise the man to do?
A. Take more medicine. B. Have a holiday. C. Give some of his money to poor people.
3.How do you find the man?
A. He is honest. B. He is careless about his health. C. He cares for his money beyond everything else.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Who are the two speakers?
A. A man and his wife. B. A man and his sister. C. A man and his girlfriend.
2.Why is the man unhappy about their weekends?
A. They seldom invite friends over. B. They seldom go out for a picnic.
C. They seldom spend weekends together.
3.Which aspect of the picnic do the man and woman differ on?
A. Who should get the car ready. B. How many friends they should invite.
C. What food and drink they should prepare.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.How long is it since they met each other?
A. More than one year. B. Less than one year. C. Three months.
2.Where does the man work?
A. In a food factory. B. At a university. C. At the National Bank.
3.Which of the following is true?
A. The woman speaks German better than Spanish.
B. Tom, John’s son, is in Grade Three.
C. The man has two children.
