Twenty-five years ago if you made a trip to the local library and searched for articles on globing warming, you’d probably come up with a few from the leading magazines in the world. As an Internet search on global warming now shows, the subject has become as rooted in people’s mind as Madonna or microwave cooking.
With the possible exception of another world war, a giant planet, or an incurable disease, global warming may be the largest danger to our planet. For decades human factories and cars have sent billions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the climate has begun to show some signs of warming. If steps are not taken soon to reduce the amount of carbon dioxide sent into the atmosphere, the result could terribly affect human life. We have already seen growing destruction, such as drought and death in Sudan, flooding in Asia, bush fires in Indonesia, and fierce winter storms in central Europe.
The Republic of Maldives is barely above sea level. Its 250, 000 citizens are scattered across 1,200 islands in the Indian Ocean. A strong typhoon could spell the end for the entire country, as sea levels could continue rising. The entire population would have to be moved away as the country disappears under the sea.
The greenhouse effect is a naturally occurring phenomenon that keeps our planet at a comfortable temperature averaging 60°F. Since the mid-nineteenth century, however, carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased nearly 30% because of the increased use of fossil fuels to run cars, heat homes and power factories. Without controlling, the amount of carbon-dioxide by 2100 may increase by 30%-150% and could lift the average global temperature by up to 2.5° F the next 50 years.
小題1:.
With the first paragraph, the author intends to       .

A．scold people for not paying enough attention to global warming

B．draw people’s attention to global warming

C．how to search for the articles on global warming

D．point out the serious effect of global warming

小題2:.
Global warming could affect human life in the following ways EXCEPT       .

A．producing more greenhouse gases	B．causing more floods
C．making winter storms fiercer	D．starting more bush fires

小題3:.
The Republic of Maldives       .

A．has moved away their citizens

B．will be more likely to be destroyed by a strong typhoon than by the rising sea level

C．is mostly likely to be destroyed by the rising sea level

D．will have to move away most of their population

小題4:.
. Why is the Republic of Maldives especially mentioned in the passage?

A．Because smaller countries are easier to be affected by global warming.

B．Because seaside countries are in danger of disappearing.

C．Because it’s necessary to rescue a country before the sea level rises.

D．Because the serious result of global warming could end a whole country.

小題5:.
. From the last paragraph, we can infer that greenhouse effect       .

A．can only affect the earth in an unfavorable way

B．is something easy to control

C．is caused by human act

D．will be good to us if it remains at a proper level

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 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 that 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（導(dǎo)致溫室效應(yīng)的氣體排放）,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 （易受影響的）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”.
小題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

小題2:.. What is the probable meaning of the underlined word in the first paragraph?

A．撤離

B．危險(xiǎn)

C．淹沒(méi)

D．消失

小題3:. According to scientists, the DIRECT cause of more and fiercer storms is_________.

A．greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized nations

B．continuous global warming

C．higher surface water temperatures of the sea

D．rising sea levels

小題4:. Laupepa was not satisfied with the United States because it did not_________.

A．believe the problems facing Tuvalu were real

B．sign an agreement with Tuvalu

C．a(chǎn)llow Tuvaluans to move to the US

D．a(chǎn)gree to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions

小題5:. The country whose situation is similar to that of Tuvalu is_________.

A．Australia

B．New Zealand

C．the United States

D．the Maldives

Many Americans take their summer vacations in August. President Obama and his family are among them. This August the first family visited the Florida Gulf Coast. The president wants to promote tourism in the area after the BP oil spill (漏油). The first family took a ten-day vacation on Martha’s Vineyard, an island off the coast of Massachusetts.
Martha’s Vineyard is known for the sailing, sunsets and its tall cliffs overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The island is about 13 kilometers off the coast and is less than 260 square kilometers. Homes designed like those of earlier times line the streets of Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven. These are the major towns on Martha’s Vineyard.
For most of the year, the population of Martha’s Vineyard is about 15 000. In summer, more than 100 000 people crowd the island. In addition to the Obamas, you might see some Hollywood stars and other rich and famous people. Many visitors return year after year.
During warm weather the Vineyard is a good place for many different activities. People can play golf or catch fish. They can ride in sailboats or motor boats. They can waterski and swim. They can take quiet walks along sandy beaches and among the thick green trees.
One of the popular places for families with children is the Flying Horses Carousel in Oak Bluffs. It is the oldest continually operated merry-go-round ride in the United States. The colorful wood horses that turn in a circle were created in 1876. One of the best places for children to swim is the Joseph A. Sylvia state beach. The water there is warmer and calmer. Families also enjoy the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary where they can observe much of the island wildlife.
Visitors watch the sunsets sitting on the beach and on rocks in the fishing village of Menemsha. As the sun goes down in the sky it paints yellow, red, and other colors on the clouds. Fishing boats rise and fall with the waves. Bells sound to help guide the boats to land as darkness covers the water.
Historians say British mapmaker Bartholomew Gosnold first made a map of the island for the rulers of England in 1602. Gosnold named the island to honor his baby daughter, Martha. The Vineyard part of the name came from the many wild grape vines Gosnold found on the island. Later, King Charles of England gave the island to businessman Thomas Mayhew of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, whose son established the first European settlement on the island in 1642. By the middle of the nineteenth century, ships from the American mainland began bringing visitors to the island. Big hotels were built near the edge of the water. Martha’s Vineyard was on its way to becoming the visitors center that it is today.
小題1:.
We can infer that ______.

A．the BP oil spill has a negative effect on the tourism along the Florida Gulf Coast

B．the BP oil spill has contributed to the tourism along the Florida Gulf Coast

C．President Obama went to the Florida Gulf Coast to deal with the BP oil spill

D．this was the first time that President Obama and his family had taken the vacation on Martha’s Vineyard

小題2:.
Which month is the peak time for tourism in Martha’s Vineyard?

A．January.

B．August.

C．December.

D．March,

小題3:.
If children want to see wild animals, the family should go to ______.

A．the Flying Horses Carousel	B．the Sylvia state beach
C．the fishing village of Menemsha	D．the Felix Neck Wildlife Sanctuary

小題4:.
Bartholomew Gosnold named the island Martha in honor of _______.

A．his mother	B．the king of England
C．his daughter	D．his father

ERATH WEEK---A DIARY OF THE PLANET
Enduring Storms
Several more rounds of severe storms, tornadoes and flash flooding struck many parts of the American Midwest and Northeast as bad weather continued across the US for a second month.   

Monsoon Storms
A south-west monsoon has caused havoc in parts of Sri Lanka. Government meteorologists said that unexpected monsoonal winds blew directly across the country from the Southern Hemisphere at about 100km/h, producing several rounds of stormy weather. Nearly 250 houses in the capital Colombo were damaged.
Mt. Etna Erupts
Sicily’s Mount Etna volcano erupted shortly after midnight on July 1, shooting “bombs” of lava nearly 1.5 meters in diameter on the eastern side of the mountain. The 30-minute eruption could be seen for several miles, but did not threaten any nearby villages.
Hurricane
Hurricane Blas lost strength as it moved over cooler waters in the Pacific Ocean to the west of Mexico. Blas formed off southwest Mexico during the previous week, but squalls on the outer fringes of the storm lashed western Michoacan State, killing four people when their wood and cardboard home collapsed.
Monkey Repellent
After years of unsuccessful attempts to keep crop-eating monkeys out of Japanese fields, a Tokyo research team believes that it may have finally found a way to prevent the damage caused by the monkeys. Animal raids on crops were successfully prevented by shooting chilli powder into the air, irritating the eyes and noses of monkeys that passed in front of carefully-placed warning sensors. “We’ve tried al kinds of preventive measures, but the monkeys are smart enough to outwit the tricks, “said Toshiaki Wada, Director of the Tokyo Forestry Experiment Station in western Tokyo.
小題1:.
. According to the information, which of the following statements is TURE?
A. The eruption of Mt. Etna lasted thirty days.
B. Hurricane Blas was formed off the coast of Italy.
C. The American Midwest had fine weather throughout July 1998.
The eruption of Mt. Etna did not destroy local villages.
小題2:.
. According to the information, the monkeys in the Japanese fields ________.

A．destroy crops	B．kill unsuspecting humans
C．spread eye diseases to humans	D．stop farmers from working

小題3:.
. The information in the “Earth Week” diary _______.

A．predicts future weather patterns

B．gives advice on dealing with monsoons

C．shows that weather can be unpredictable

D．shows the effects that storms have on animals

What do you know about the sea? You may have seen it. Some of us have swum or bathed in it. It looks beautiful on a fine sunny day and it can be very rough when there is a strong wind. What other things do we know about it? Of course, the sea is very large. In the world there is more sea than land. The sea covers three quarters of the earth. The sea is also very deep in some places. It is not deep everywhere, some parts of it are very great. At one spot, near Japan the sea is nearly 11 kilometers deep! Just think of it, the highest mountain in the world is only about 9 kilometers high! If you have swum in the sea, you know that the water is salty. Rivers carry salt from the land into the sea. Some parts of the sea are more salty than other parts. Do you know the Dead Sea in Arabia? It is very salty. Swimmers cannot sink in it! Fish cannot live in the Dead Sea. It is a strange sea. In most parts of the sea, there are a lot of fishes and plants. Some live near the top of the sea. Others live deep down. No sunlight can reach the depth of the sea. So it is completely dark. Strange fishes live there. Some are blind. Some have their own lights. Some have great jaws. With their great jaws, they swallow fish larger than themselves. The sea can be very cold. Deep sea divers know this well. At the top of the water may be warm. Then as the divers go down, the sea becomes colder and colder.
Many scientists are now making a study of animal and plant life in the sea. They hope to find new resources for mankind.
小題1:. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Land covers one fourth of the area of the earth.

B．The depths of the sea are different in different places.

C．The depth of a sea at one spot near Japan is nearly the height of the highest mountain.

D．The salt in the sea mainly comes from the land.

小題2:.. The Dead Sea is lifeless because ___.

A．the water in it is too cold	B．the water in it is too salty for anything to grow
C．the water in it never flows	D．no sunlight can reach the bottom of the lake

小題3:. We can see the underlined word “rough” in this passage means ___.

A．ugly

B．noisy

C．cold

D．not calm

小題4:.. Which of the following statements is true?

A．Some of the fish living in the depth of the sea can not see by themselves.
B．Some fish give out light for themselves.
C．Some fish live on other fish.	D．All of the above

小題5:.. What does the writer intend to tell us in the last paragraph?

A．The necessity of the study of the sea.	B．The purpose of man’s further study of the sea.
C．Man’s limited knowledge of the sea.	D．The importance of new resources for man.

Death Valley is one of the most famous deserts in the United States, covering a wide area with its alkali sand Almost 20 percent of this area is well below sea level, and Badwater, a salt water pool, is about 280 feet below sea level and the lowest point in the United States.
Long ago the Panamint Indians called this place “Tomesha”— the land of fire. Death Valley’s present name dates back to 1849, when a group of miners coming across from Nevada became lost in its unpleasantness and hugeness and their adventure turned out to be a sad story. Today Death Valley has been declared（宣告）a National Monument（紀(jì)念碑）and is crossed by several well-marked roads where good services can be found easily. Luckily the change created by human settlement has hardly ruined the special beauty of this place.
Here nature created a lot of surprise, almost like the sights on the moon, ever-changing as the frequent（頻繁的）wind moves the sand about, showing the most unusual colors. One of the most surprising and variable（多變的）parts of Death Valley is the Devil’ s Golf Course, where it seems hard for one to tell reality from terrible dreams. Sand sculptures（沙雕）stand on a frightening ground, as evening shadows move and lengthen.
小題1:.. _______ is the lowest place in the desert.

A．Tomesha

B．Death Valley

C．Nevada

D．Badwater

小題2:.. The present name of the valley comes from _______.

A．a(chǎn)n Indian name	B．the death of the miners
C．the local people	D．a(chǎn) National Movement

小題3:.. From the passage we can learn that _______.

A．no one had ever known the desert before the miners

B．it’s still not easy to travel across the desert

C．people can find gas-stations, cafes and hotels in the desert

D．people have changed the natural sight of the desert

小題4:. Devil Golf Course is famous for _______.

A．the frequent wind	B．the colors of the sand
C．dream-like sights	D．the sand sculptures

小題5:. From the passage we can see that the writer _______ the Death Valley.

A．a(chǎn)ppreciates

B．is fearful of

C．dislikes

D．is tired of

  If there is one thing I’m sure about, it is that in a hundred years from now we will still be reading newspapers. It is not that newspapers are a necessity. Even now some people get most of their news from television or radio. Many buy a paper only on Saturday or Sunday. But for most people reading a newspaper has become a habit passed down from generation to generation.
The nature of what is news may change. What basically makes news is what affects our lives—the big political stories, the coverage of the wars, earthquakes and other disasters, will continue much the same. I think there will be more coverage of scientific research, though. It’s already happening in areas that may directly affect our lives, like genetic(基因)engineering. In the future, I think there will be more coverage of scientific explanations of why we feel as we do—as we develop a better understanding of how the brain operates and what our feelings really are.
It’s quite possible that in the next century newspapers will be transmitted(傳送)electronically from Fleet Street and printed out in our own home. In fact, I’m pretty sure how it will happen in the future. You will probably be able to choose from a menu, making up your own newspaper by picking out the things you want to read—sports and international news, etc. .
I think people have got it wrong when they talk about competition between the different media. They actually feed off each other. Some people once foresaw that television would kill off newspapers, but that hasn’t happened. What is read on the printed page lasts longer than pictures on a screen or sound lost in the air. And as for the Internet, it’s never really pleasant to read something  just  on  a screen.
小題1:.
. What is the best title for the passage?
A The Best Way to Get News
B The Changes of Media
C  Make Your Own Newspaper
D The Future of Newspaper
小題2:.
In the writer’s opinion, in the future,_____.
A. more big political affairs, wars and disasters will make news
B. newspapers will not be printed in publishing houses any longer
C newspapers will cover more scientific research
D more and more people will watch TV
小題3:.
From the passage, we can infer____.
A newspapers will win the competition among the different media
B newspapers will stay with us together with other media
C television will take the place of newspaper
D the writer believes some media will die out
小題4:.
. The phrase “feed off” in the last paragraph means____.
A depend on       B compete with                   C fight with       D kill off

The biggest safety threat（威脅）facing airlines today may not be a man with a gun ,but the man with portable（便攜式）computer in business class .In the past 15 years ,pilots have reported about over 100 incidents that could have been caused by electro-magnetic interference(電磁干擾) .The source of this interference remain unclear ,but increasingly ,experts are pointing the blame at portable electronic devices（設(shè)備）such as portable computers ,radio and mobile telephones .
RTCA ,an organization which advises the aviation industry ,has suggested that all airlines ban, such devices from being used during “key” stages of flight ,particularly take-off and landing .Some experts have gone further ,calling for a total ban during all flights .Nowadays ,rules on using these devices are left up to airlines. And although some airlines ban passengers from using such equipment during take-off and landing ,most are not willing to exercise a total ban ,if many passengers want to work during flights .
The difficulty is understanding how electromagnetic fields might affect an aircraft’s computers .Experts know that portable devices give off radiation which affects those wave lengths which aircraft uses for communication .But because they have not been able to reproduce these effects in a laboratory ,they have no way of knowing whether the interference might be dangerous or not .
The fact that aircraft may be in trouble because of the interference raises the danger
that some people may use radio systems in order to damage navigation（導(dǎo)航）equipment .As worrying ,though ,is the passenger who can’t hear the instruction to turn off his radio because the music is too loud .
小題1:.
.What is said about over 100 aircraft incidents in the past 15 years ?
A They may have taken place during take-off and landing .
B They have been caused by the damage to the radio systems .
C They were said to have resulted from electro-magnetic interference .
D They were caused by the passengers’ portable computers .
小題2:.
. Few airlines want to refuse a total ban on their passengers because ____ .
A they have other effective safety measures to fall back on
B they don’t believe there is such a danger as radio interference
C the effect of electromagnetic interference is yet to be proved
D most passengers refuse to take a plane which bans the use of radio 
小題3:.
. Why is it difficult to see the effects of electromagnetic fields on computers ?
A Experts lack proper equipment to such research .
B It is dangerous to carry out such research on an airplane .
C It remains a question what wave lengths are to be interfered with .
D Scientists are not able to produce the same effects in laboratory .
小題4:.
It can be inferred from the passage that the author ___ .
A hasn’t formed his own opinion on this problem
B has fully understood the danger of electromagnetic interference
C regards it is as unreasonable to exercise a total ban during flight
D is in favor of banning passengers’ use of electronic devices

Who’s in control of your life? Who’s pulling your strings? For the majority of us，it’s other people—society，colleagues，friends，family or our religious community．We learned this way of operating when we were very young，of course．We were brainwashed．We discovered that feeling important and feeling accepted was a nice experience and so we learned to do everything we could to make other people like us．As Oscar Wilde puts it，“Most people are other people．Their thoughts are someone else’s opinions，their lives a mimicry，their passions a quotation．”
So when people tell us how wonderful we are，it makes us feel good．We long for this good feeling like a drug—we are addicted to it and seek it out wherever we can．Therefore，we are so eager for the approval(贊同)of others that we live unhappy and limited lives，failing to do the things we really want to．Just as drug addicts and alcoholics live worsened lives to keep getting their fix(一劑毒品)，we worsen our own existence to get our own constant fix of approval．
But，just as with any drug，there is a price to pay．The price of the approval drug is freedom—the freedom to be ourselves. The truth is that we cannot control what other people think．People have their own agenda，and they come with their own baggage and，in the end，they’re more
interested in themselves than in you．Furthermore，if we try to live by the opinions of others，we will build our life on sinking sand．Everyone has a different way of thinking，and people change
their opinions all the time．The person who tries to please everyone will only end up getting exhausted and probably pleasing no one in the process．
So how can we take back control? I think there’s only one way—make a conscious decision to stop caring what other people think．We should guide ourselves by means of a set of values—not values imposed from the outside by others，but innate values which come from within．If we are driven by these values and not by the changing opinions and value systems of others，we will live a more authentic，effective，purposeful and happy life．
小題1:．What Oscar Wilde says implies that        ．

A．we have thoughts similar to those of others

B．most people have a variety of thoughts

C．other people’s thoughts are more important

D．most people’s thoughts are controlled by others

小題2:．What does the author try to argue in the third paragraph?

A．Changing opinions may cost us our freedom．

B．We may lose ourselves to please others．

C．We need to pay for what we want to get．

D．The price of taking the drug is freedom．

小題3:．It can be concluded from the passage that         ．

A． it’s better to do what we like

B．we shouldn’t care what others think

C．we shouldn’t change our own opinions

D．it’s important to accept others’ opinions

小題4:．The author tries to persuade the readers to accept his arguments mainly by      

A．a(chǎn)nalyzing causes and effects	B．providing examples and facts
C．discussing questions	D．making suggestions

A few years ago I was on a bicycle trip when I got off my bike for a rest. I sat down on the grass. A few seconds later, I was covered in ants. They were swarming all over me so I got up and brushed them off. It was a strange experience but I soon forgot about it.
A couple of years later, I was living in Jordan. I had just moved into a modern flat and was unpacking plates when I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked over at the kitchen drawer and there was a cockroach(蟑螂)crawling out of it. I screamed. Then I grabbed a can of insecticide and sprayed it on the cockroach. He ran under the nearby bathroom door. It took me three days before I found the courage to open the bathroom door to see if he was still alive. He wasn’t.
Why did I react so violently to one lone insect when a closer encounter with hundreds of ants hardly affected me? The answer is easy: because cockroaches are creepy(令人毛骨悚然的) crawlies and ants aren’t. Creepy crawlies are those little bugs which cause feelings such as anxiety - they make your skin crawl.
Did you know that some people feel such a fear of bugs that it becomes a phobia(恐懼癥)? Psychologists have offered many explanations. Some say we associate them with dirt and disease. Or that these are life forms that are so alien to us, that we find them disgusting for their dissimilarity.
Insects, however, don’t follow our rules - they just do what they want and invade our space. Unfortunately, although insects and bugs have been a successful animal species up to now, many of them, like many other species nowadays, are under threat of dying out. Entomologistswarn that this could upset entire ecosystems and lead to all kinds of disastrous consequences.
So my advice to you is: the next time you feel the urge to stamp on, splatter or spray a creepy crawly, give a thought to the planet and stop.
小題1:.. Why did the author mention the ants in the beginning?

A．Because the experience with the ants presents a sharp contrast to that with the cockroach later.

B．Because the author wants to show her preference to the ants and her dislike for the cockroaches.

C．Because both ants and cockroaches are creepy crawlies that the author dislikes.

D．Because meeting the ants is an unusual experience that the author can hardly forget.

小題2:. The underlined word “insecticide” in Paragraph 2 probably means         .

A．a(chǎn) kind of fruit juice	B．a(chǎn) kitchen knife
C．liquid for killing insects	D．cleanser (洗滌劑)for the bathroom

小題3:. How does the author feel about bugs like cockroaches?

A．The author doesn’t mind the contact with those harmless small creatures.

B．The author prefers cockroaches to ants and feels guilty for killing one.

C．They invade our space and become a threat to humans.

D．They still deserve a place for keeping the balance of the nature.

小題4:. Which of the following statements about bugs is NOT true according to the passage?

A．Some people may be frightened so much by bugs that it leads to a psychological barrier to some degree.

B．The earth will have a better and cleaner environment if more creepy crawlies are killed.

C．Many bugs are in danger of dying out so we should not kill them due to fear or disgust.

D．Some bugs are extremely unpleasant that some people have a strong wish to destroy them.