83. Our cousin who is attending college in New York phones us every Sunday at six, _________ as clockwork.
| A．regular | B．irregular | C．regularly | D．Irregularly |
The dodo is among the most famous extinct creatures, and a poster child for human-caused extinction events. Despite its bad name, and the fact that the species was alive during recorded human history, little is actually known about how this animal lived, looked, and behaved. A new study of the only known complete skeleton(骨架) from a single bird takes advantage of modern 3-D laser scanning(扫描) technology to open a new window into the life of this famous extinct bird.
The study was presented at the 74th Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Estrel, Berlin. Leon Claessens, Associate Professor at the College of the Holy Cross, and lead researcher on the study said that, "the 3-D laser surface scans we made of the fragile dodo skeletons enable us to reconstruct how the dodo walked, moved and lived to a level of detail that has never been possible before. There are so many outstanding questions about the dodo bird that we can answer with this new knowledge."
A complete dodo skeleton, found by an amateur collector and barber, Etienne Thirioux, on the island of Mauritius between 1899 and 1917, has remained unstudied, even though it is the only complete dodo skeleton from a single individual bird known to exist. All other skeletons are incomplete combinations, meaning that they are gathered from more than one individual. In addition, Thirioux constructed a second, partially combined skeleton, which contains many bones that also belong to a single bird. "Being able to examine the skeleton of a single, individual dodo, which is not made up from as many individual birds as there are bones, as is the case in all those other combined skeletons, truly allows us to appreciate the way the dodo looked and see how tall or fat it really was," said Juilan Hume, of the Natural History Museum UK, a co-author on the study.
The scans were performed on site in Durban, South Africa, and allow examination of the biology of this mysterious extinct bird in detail for the first time. Using the newest digital tools and techniques, the scans provide an insight into how the flightless dodo may have developed its giant size, and how it walked and lived in its forest home. According to Kenneth Rijsdijk, a biologist from University of Amsterdam, “the skull of the dodo is so large and its mouth so strong that it is easy to understand that the earliest naturalists thought it was related to sharks and other birds of prey（猛禽）, rather than the pigeon family.”The underlined phrase “a poster child” in Para. 1 is closest in meaning to “ ”.
| A．a typical example |
| B．an endangered animal |
| C．a child who puts up posters on the board |
| D．a child posted in a newspaper as an advertisement |
The researchers study the dodo skeleton to find out .
| A．ways to save the dodo |
| B．the dodo’s living habits |
| C．the bird’s natural habitat |
| D．the cause of the dodo’s extinction |
What is special about the dodo skeleton found by an amateur collector?
| A．It is gathered from more than one individual. |
| B．It reminded unstudied between 1899 and 1917. |
| C．It is the only complete dodo skeleton from a single individual bird. |
| D．It can be examined with 3-D laser scanning technology. |
What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?
| A．To call people’s attention to wildlife protection. |
| B．To criticize humans for the extinction events. |
| C．To introduce a new way of studying the dodo. |
| D．To give tips on how to study extinct creatures. |
It doesn’t look like the heart of a green revolution. The huge chimneys stick up above the line of pine trees and don’t make for the most scenic view as you wander around the clear blue waters of the nearby lake.
But it is this power plant that has helped the small Swedish city of Vaxjo become arguably the greenest place in Europe. On closer observation, the only thing emerging from the chimneys is the faintest mists of steam. And inside it smells more like a sauna(桑拿) than a furnace(炉子). That’s because it is not oil fuelling the plant, but woodchip and other wood waste from the area’s sawmills. And as well as generating electricity, it also supplies 90 per cent of this southern Swedish town with heating and hot water.
The gases produced as the wood burns are changed into liquid form, and are purified before they reach the chimney. And instead of wasting this liquid, the power plant pumps it around town. Some runs out of the town’s public taps; the rest is directed through pipes that run through individual heaters, warming homes and offices.
The pile of wood chippings in the yard towers above head height and takes almost five minutes to walk around. That’s enough to keep Vaxjo warm on the snowiest day in winter, or supply it with hot water for a fortnight in summer, and it’s good way of using the paper industry’s waste. As well as the centuries-- old Swedish policy of planting a new tree for every one felled, the ashes swept out of the furnace each day find their way back to the forest as fertilizer(肥料).
It was this green plant that netted Vaxjo the European Union’s award for sustainable(可持续的)development, making it the greenest city on the continent.
However, it is not just the citizen’s consciences and moral histories to which the town’s current day authorities are appealing. They know how to talk to their wallets too. Oil-generated electricity costs about 16,000 kronor a year(￡1,170) per person, while the new power plant’s electricity comes in at two thirds of the price.
They’ve been planning for over ten years to become a “Fossil Fuel Free City”. But according to Anders Franzen, the head of planning and development department at the city council: “The battle in the energy sector has been won, yes, but the next battleground is transport.”What’s the main reason for “inside it smells more like a sauna than a furnace”?
| A．It is surrounded by pine trees. |
| B．It produces lots of hot water. |
| C．It is fuelled by woodchip and wood waste . |
| D．It sends out the smoke from the chimneys. |
It can be concluded from the passage that the power plant .
| A．promotes tree planting |
| B．makes full use of waste |
| C．relies heavily on paper industry |
| D．mainly supplies hot water and heating |
What impresses the town’s current-- day authorities most?
| A．The citizens’ consciences. |
| B．The town’s moral histories. |
| C．The lower cost of electricity |
| D．The award for sustainable development |
What Anders Franzen said in the last paragraph indicates that .
| A．they will continue their effort in green plan |
| B．they have great difficulty in transport |
| C．they have no room for further development |
| D．they are perfectly content with the achievement |
The Internet has revolutionized our lives to such an extent that for most people, the global network has become more than just a tool but rather an indispensable aid in everyday life. More and more people go online as wireless networks have brought the Internet closer and closer: it's on our mobile phones, in our cars and TV sets, in hospital surgery rooms and in fishing boats that battle the waves of the Atlantic.
And this revolution has brought along with it a new way of shopping. Both big and small, e-commerce websites have literally flooded the Internet by the hundreds of thousands. Anything you can buy from a brick and mortar store(实体店) you can also buy online: from food and clothes to guns and bombs, no matter what you're looking for, you're bound to find the right online store with just a few clicks of the mouse.
This revolution has sent cold trembles down the backbones of brick and mortar business owners. And what was their reaction? They've opened online stores to go hand in hand with their conventional businesses. Nowadays, every "Mom and Pop's" cheesecake store also has a website. In a recent survey, 68% of small business owners have stated that they are scared of being put out of business by the powerful flood that e-commerce has become. So it's no wonder many of them have decided to join the revolution and establish some kind of an online presence even though most of them have stated that they dislike the Internet.
But do the big players have reasons to be afraid? Are we going to start seeing ghostly, deserted Wal-Marts across the country? Probably not in the near future but the day will come when most people will just stop shopping offline anymore. A trip to Wal-Marts wastes time, burns gas and sometimes adds a few extra dots on the stress counter.
The recent advancements in mobile technology and the introduction of mobile phones with improved web capabilities has even made some people order their groceries when they get out from work and have them delivered at their doorstep by the time they get home. And as "Time is money", this practice is lifesaving for people who work two jobs.
Technology will continue to advance and e-commerce will follow closely in its footsteps. Everything will become easier and less time consuming, leaving us more time to enjoy the things that really matter in life: the ones we love, our friends and hobbies.What is Para. 1 mainly about?
| A．The popularity of mobile phones. |
| B．The great impact of the Internet. |
| C．The importance of the Internet. |
| D．The function of the global network. |
In response to the threat of online business, the brick-and-mortar store owners .
| A．have stopped their traditional businesses |
| B．have stated their dislike of the Internet |
| C．have established their own website |
| D．have opened their online stores |
According to Para 5, the greatest benefit of online shopping is .
| A．to save time | B．to follow the fashion |
| C．to release pressure | D．to protect environment |
What would be the best title for the passage?
| A．A New Way of Shopping. |
| B．The Internet Revolution. |
| C．What is the Reaction to Online Shopping? |
| D．Is Online Shopping the Future of E-commerce? |
I no longer run for the mail the way I used to. I remember, prior to the e-mail age, the sense of heightened expectation as the hour of mail delivery approached, wondering what slender(微薄的), handwritten treasures would appear in my box. I once received a letter from a long-lost friend and swelled with such joy that I ran the mail carrier down and shook his hand, as if he had done a heroic deed in conveying the missive to me.
I first learned to love the mail as a young boy. The first thing I ever received that was personally addressed to me was from my friend Duane. We had been the closest of 9-year-old boys. Then he moved away, to Massachusetts. The parting was difficult, but boys didn’t cry.
Within the week, however, there was a letter in my mailbox. It was from Duane, and it read, “I’m OK, but I miss you.” That first conveyance to me of a written word from a great distance had all the significance of the first Morse code message: “What hath God wrought.” It was at that moment that I became a letter writer, quickly discovering that the more letters I wrote, the more I received.
I wrote letters through elementary school, high school, college, and beyond. It got to the point where I could comfortably expect to receive a letter a day. The daily mail delivery was for me, like a beacon at sea – something toward which my thoughts began to move upon waking. What quickened my blood, of course, was the element of surprise: From whom would the letter be today? And what would the news be?
And then, seemingly in the blink of an eye, the earth shifted. E-mail had arrived. Despite being fascinated by the new technology, I promised myself that I would never stop writing letters by hand. However, I had no control over the habits of others, and slowly, inexorably(不可阻拦地), and then with quickened pace, the letters disappeared from my mailbox, having been replaced with electronic “messages” , a totally different beast —in contrast to letters, all e-mails look alike.The author used to run for the mail mainly because .
| A．he took great interest in mail delivery |
| B．he was looking forward to receiving letters |
| C．he tried to keep mail delivery from approaching |
| D．he wanted to thank the mailman for his heroic deed |
What made the author become a letter writer?
| A．A letter from a long –lost friend. |
| B．The desire to receive more letters. |
| C．The joy of reading the first letter from Duane. |
| D．The influence of the first Morse code message. |
By writing the underlined sentence in Para. 4, the author tells us that the daily mail delivery .
| A．meant a lot to him |
| B．wasted much of his time |
| C．quickened his thoughts |
| D．divided his attention |
What’s the author’s opinion about e-mails?
| A．They completely changed the world. |
| B．They brought about new technology. |
| C．They affected human relationship. |
| D．They lost the unique features of letters. |
An estimated eight million people in Britain enjoy walking in the Peak District every year. But what many who enjoy outdoor hobbies don’t know is that their “right to walk” was won by men who sacrificed their own freedom to gain access to the countryside for all.
In 1932 wealthy landowners had private use of large areas of uplands for hunting. Walkers were kept out by guards, until a group of 400 people from Manchester and Yorkshire, led by Benny Rothman, engaged on a mass trespass（侵入）. The campaigner was put into prison with four other men.
The event is supported by many with starting a movement that paved the way for the establishment of national parks. Mr Rothman died in 2002 but he is now being honoured for his contribution with the revealing of a blue plaque(匾额) on his former home in Crofton Avenue, Timperley, Greater Manchester.
Retired professor, Harry, who followed in his father’s footsteps by specialising in environmental issues, says: “He was a very optimistic man and he made the best of it when he went to prison. It did’'t put him off campaigning, he went on campaigning on environmental issues most of his life." Mr Rothman did live to see the Countryside Rights of Way Act passed by Parliament in 2000, ensuring the freedom of the countryside for future generations.
Roly Smith, a friend of Mr Rothman and an author of walking guidebooks, said: “It is because of them that we have got what we have today.”
Councillor Jonathan Coupe, of Trafford Council, said: “The honour of having a blue plaque attributed(归因于) to you means you have really made an impression on society.”
“Mr Rothman contributed to the changing of history and it is because of him that we are able to enjoy the local countryside as often and freely as we can today.”What do we know about people in Britain according to Para. 1?
| A．They value freedom. |
| B．They have wide interests. |
| C．They are fond of hiking. |
| D．They tend to live in the countryside. |
A blue plaque was revealed on Mr. Rothman’s former home .
| A．to support his campaign |
| B．to honor his contribution |
| C．to remind people of the past |
| D．to celebrate the establishment of national parks |
Besides “optimistic”, which of the following best describes Mr. Rothman?
| A．Cautious | B．Determined |
| C．Considerate | D．Ambitious |
From the last three paragraphs we learn that Mr. Rothman .
| A．has served as a councilor |
| B．has made achievements in different fields |
| C．has been highly thought of for his contributions |
| D．has devoted his life to environment protection |
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