Most scientists are now certain that global warming is taking place. Gases such as carbon dioxide are creating a warm blanket around the earth. This blanket is trapping heat in the atmosphere, and so raising the temperature of the earth.
In Europe, eight of the last ten years have seen record high temperatures. On the other hand, the countries around the Mediterranean Sea are receiving even less rain than before. In Sub- Saharan Africa the crops are drying out in the fields and people are dying of starvation. In 1999, the southern United States was struck by a serious of destructive(毁灭性的) hurricanes. Scientists expect such trends to continue, and to worsen, if global warming cannot be stopped.
In addition to worrying about rising global temperatures and extreme weather conditions, scientists are closely monitoring sea levels around the world. They are slowly rising, as the northern and southern polar ice caps start to melt. This will have serious consequences for low-lying countries near the sea. Already parts of these places are disappearing under the rising sea water.
According to a new research, one contradictory feature(特征) of global warming is that it will probably lead to a period of much colder weather. Scientists base their theory on what happened the last time the world warmed up, 8,300 years ago. They have discovered that when the ice melted from the northern polar ice cap it became trapped in a lake in northern Canada. As more ice melted, this lake suddenly burst open, pouring millions of tons of freezing fresh water into the North Atlantic. This flood of water prevented the normal flow of water in the Atlantic, which takes warm water from the tropics(热带地区) north to Europe. When this flow of warm water was cut off, temperatures in Europe dropped by between three and eight degrees over the next 200 years. ''That's the concern here,'' says Richard Alley, an American climate expert. ''The climate hasn't varied much in 8, 000 years. But big changes could come back!''
1.What is the overall effect of global warming on Europe?
A.A warmer climate. B.A decline in rainfall.
C.An increase of hurricanes. D.A decrease of crop production.
2.What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?
A.The rising sea level. B.The melting of icebergs.
C.The increase in disasters. D.The cause of global warming.
3.How does the author describe the climate change in Europe 8 ,300 years ago?
A.By offering statistics. B.By giving an example.
C.By making comparisons. D.By analyzing the process.
4.What can we infer from Richard Alley' s words?
A.Global climate change will bring more disasters.
B.Global warming will likely produce a colder climate.
C.Global warming will continue for the next two centuries.
D.Global climate will remain unchangeable in the next 8,000 years.
Working on a farm and taking care of crops can be hot, time-consuming and difficult. Engineers have long wanted to build robots to lighten the load. But it has proved a difficult task. Robots that walk or roll along the ground can step on the easily damaged plants heavily. And they have to stop working when rain turns fields muddy. “Tarzan”, however, could deal with some of those challenges.
Jonathan Rogers is a robotics expert at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. When it comes to a farm environment, he realized robots would face many problems. “Many robots tend to get twisted(弯曲的) together or get stuck,”he says. What's more, he notes, "It's very hard to leave them out for long periods without a human helping them.”
What if the robot could move above the crops? Jonathan Rogers says, “The sloths(树懒)move from tree branch to tree branch to avoid having to walk around the forest floor. "Then his team set out to design a robot that could swing hand to hand along wires hung above the field. He named their invention Tarzan after the jungle-swinging character in a movie.
Tarzan is not the first swinging robot. Mark Spong, a robotics researcher at the University of Texas at Dallas notes that some teams have built robots that do gymnastics or copy mammals. But he says he admires Tarzan for its using swinging movement to save energy and the idea of building a wire structure to move around above crops.
Rogers first predicted that Tarzan could help farmers monitor crops with sensors (传感器) and cameras. But he also said future robots might take water to a particularly thirsty plant or fertilize one that needs nutritional support. And adding a third “hand”could allow such a robot to harvest fruits and vegetables. Finally the robot could move off the farm and into the city, helping deal with the traffic and security.
1.What worried the engineers when they built the farm robots?
A.They took up too much space.
B.They made the farming process slow.
C.They had difficulty exploring in fields.
D.They caused certain damage to crops.
2.What does Jonathan Rogers think about most farm robots?
A.They take much time to make.
B.They get out of date more easily.
C.They depend too much on people.
D.They get used to the environment slowly.
3.What attracts Mark Spong most about Tarzan?
A.Its strong wings. B.Its low cost
C.Its creative design D.Its powerful engine.
4.How did Jonathan Rogers feel about Tarzan’s future?
A.It could be found everywhere.
B.It could be put into more practical uses.
C.It could be used to do all the farm work.
D.It could be popular with working people in cities.
Unless you are fortunate enough to know an NBA player, Ryan Martin is probably the best basketball player you'll ever meet. Unlike those who fly up and down the court (球场),however, Martin is forced to take a different approach; he doesn't have legs.
Martin, a 33-year old man, is a professional wheelchair basketball player. His achievements have taken him halfway around the world to play in Spain for the last seven years. There he made a comfortable living playing basketball and working with some of the greatest athletes in the world.
“A good wheelchair player can make $ 50,000 a year, while a star can make six figures,” said Martin. What's more, he couldn't see his family for months and European cities were unfriendly to the disabled. He also had to learn Spanish. Martin, however, overcame those drawbacks(困难).
He started by playing basketball when he was 12. It didn't take long for him to fall in love with the sport and, after graduating from Somers High, he attended Southwest Minnesota State University on a basketball scholarship. In college, he scored over 1 ,000 points in his career and set several school records.
And he works as hard—if not harder—than any other professional athlete. “He destroys me,” said Gina Navarra, who works out with Martin on occasion. “What he does amazes me.”
Martin also recognizes that, at age 33, he's in the back end of his career. With that in mind, he has been focusing more and more on his foundation.
“I have 12 brothers and sisters. College gave me a true sense of achievement. The foundation is designed to give those with disabilities the opportunity to realize the dreams that I once had,” Martin said.
“I'm not saying that out of a sense of pity,” he said. “I realize how fortunate I am to have achieved what I have. But I want to open doors for people.”
1.What was Ryan Martin's life like in Spain?
A.Free. B.Boring. C.Difficult. D.Bittersweet.
2.How was Ryan Martin's performance in college?
A.He stood out in basketball. B.He failed to make a record.
C.He was weak in his studies. D.He never won a scholarship.
3.Why has Ryan Martin been working for the foundation?
A.To help those in need. B.To finish his basketball career.
C.To earn more money for his family. D.To learn basketball skills from other players.
4.Which of the following words best describe Ryan Martin?
A.Honest and responsible. B.Ambitious and sensitive.
C.Reliable and knowledgeable. D.Determined and warm-hearted.
Moonlight Rainbow Fountain
Location: South Korea
The Moonlight Rainbow Fountain is the world's longest bridge fountain. In order to be eco-friendly, it repeatedly gets water from the Han River below. When water comes out with music, 10, 000 LED lights switch on, and a rainbow effect appears.
The Giant
Location: Austria
The Giant is designed by Austrian artist Andre Heller. It has a huge face with bright eyes and a watering mouth. The outside is covered with green grass. Its inside has a wonderful structure(结构).
Metalmorphosis
Location: USA
It is a fountain, a sculpture and also a performing work of art. The high- tech artistic work attracts people from all over the world. The fountain is made of more than 20 stainless steel plates(不锈钢板). They can form a huge head when turned to a certain angle. Whenever the head appears, it shoots water.
Nacka Fountain
Location: Sweden
Nacka Fountain is designed as a peace monument(纪念碑) for the founding of the United Nations. The main structure of Nacka Fountain is made of bronze. There are two sculptures on it. The fountain shoots water into the sea.
71 Fountain
Location: USA
The great fountain is on Highway 71 in Ohio. It looks like a huge wheel surrounded by a green environment. The major part is a huge ring.
1.Which fountain is built on a bridge?
A.The Giant. B.71 Fountain.
C.Nacka Fountain. D.Moonlight Rainbow Fountain.
2.What do The Giant and Metalmorphosis have in common?
A.They sit in America. B.They are made of bronze.
C.They appear as a big head. D.They are designed by the same artist.
3.What can we infer about 71 Fountain?
A.It is in honor of peace. B.It is surrounded by sea.
C.It is environment-friendly. D.It is named after a highway.
A couple of weeks ago, when some friends and I took a trip to Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, I immediately _______ it. Since we are all living in North Germany which is not very _______,it only took us a few hours on the train _______ we were at the heart of this _______ city. The minute we stepped off the _______, we were surrounded by _______ architecture and weaving canals.
We stayed at a youth hostel( 旅社),which was a typical tall Dutch house with lots of stairs. I _______ staying in youth hostel; it is such a great _______ to meet people from all over the world and _______ your different experiences and ________ We stayed in a room with an Argentinian, who we befriended right away, and we spent a lot of ________ together.
During our stay, we made sure to make the most of what Amsterdam has to ________ We took a boat trip through the ________, which gave us some great ________ of the fantastic architecture and canals. We also made sure to go to the Van Gogh Museum, which is one of the city's most famous tourist attractions, and consists of a ________ collection of his work, along with details of his ________ and the work of other artists that knew him. One of my favourite parts of the trip, though it was rather ________, was our visit to the Anne F rank Museum. She was a Jewish girl who hid with her family for 2 years before the Nazis ________ them and sent them to the death camps. It was a very ________ experience, and certainly worth seeing.
Overall, I think Amsterdam is one of my favourite cities that I have ever been to, and I would love to ________someday!
1.A.remembered B.loved C.recognized D.knew
2.A.hilly B.open C.similar D.far
3.A.before B.when C.unless D.since
4.A.remote B.warm C.beautiful D.industrial
5.A.train B.taxi C.boat D.flight
6.A.strange B.modern C.low D.amazing
7.A.regret B.enjoy C.imagine D.miss
8.A.difference B.pity C.decision D.chance
9.A.protect B.declare C.share D.ignore
10.A.clothes B.cultures C.attitude D.knowledge
11.A.time B.money C.energy D.effort
12.A.create B.teach C.offer D.promise
13.A.city B.country C.field D.bridge
14.A.news B.expectations C.views D.ideas
15.A.recent B.huge C.daily D.growing
16.A.performance B.life C.team D.progress
17.A.interesting B.terrible C.crazy D.sad
18.A.found B.served C.blamed D.misunderstood
19.A.subjective B.common C.direct D.moving
20.A.visit B.travel C.return D.go
根据题目所提出的具体要求，在答题卡写出一篇连贯完整的短文。词数不少于60。
假如你是李华，你的英国朋友Jim计划暑假来北京进行为期三天的旅行，发邮件请你推荐行程安排。请你参考下面提供的信息给他回邮件，介绍行程安排，并给出推荐理由。
邮件的开头和结尾已为你写好，不计入总词数。
• visit Tian’anmen Square and the Palace Museum
• go to the Great Wall
• see pandas in Beijing Zoo
Dear Jim,
I’m so glad you’re coming to Beijing this summer. I’d like to introduce some wonderful places to you.
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Yours,
Li Hua
