Illegal removal of coral (珊瑚) along Sri Lanka’s coastline increased the amount of destruction on the island by last December’s tsunami, say researchers.
Harindra Fernando, a fluid dynamicist (力学家) at Arizona State University in Tempe, made the connection after a visit to his native Sri Lanka earlier this year. While serving as a scientific expert and translator for a BBC-documentary team, he chatted with locals who said they saw the tsunami turn sideways when it hit coral—which would have made it less powerful than in coral-free areas. Fernando linked this to trucks he had seen last year carrying piles of coral away from the sea.
Using the eyewitness reports, estimates (估算) of wave heights, and a series of divers to check the presence or absence of corals, Fernando and his colleagues produced a map of coral gaps and wave flooding along Sri Lanka’s southwest coast.
The tsunami reached significantly farther inland through the gaps: in one instance, the water traveled 1.5 kilometres long and knocked a passenger train off its tracks, killing 1,700. But only a few kilometers away, where the coral was still undamaged, the wave travelled just 50 metres inland and caused no deaths.
There is a similar phenomenon. In Nicaragua in 1992, a tsunami poured through a break in the coral reef made to let boats through. “Within this passage, water went one kilometre inland,” says Fernando. “But nearby, where the coral was undamaged, there were still beach umbrellas standing.”
In Sri Lanka, coral is illegally mined to provide souvenirs for tourists, or to be used in house paint. Coral harvesters sometimes blow it up with dynamite (炸药) in order to collect fish at the same time. Often, the reefs in the best shape are those in front of hotels, as the hotel owners maintain them for the tourists. Fernando hopes that his findings will encourage the Sri Lankan government to enforce (实施) its laws against coral mining.
57. Harindra Fernando did all the following EXCEPT ________.
A. serving as a translator for a BBC-documentary team
B. helping the Sri Lankan government enforce its laws against coral mining
C. producing a map of coral gaps along Sri Lanka’s southwest coast
D. linking the coral removal with the destruction of Tsunami
58. The main idea of Paragraph 5 is that________.
A. undamaged coral can greatly decrease tsunami damage
B. coral-free area is a danger to passenger trains
C. in general, water travels 30 times farther inland in a coral-free area
D. it is urgent to enforce laws against coral mining
59. Which of the following may NOT be the cause of coral gaps?
A. Boat passages. B. Tourists’ sightseeing.
C. Fish collecting. D. Tourists’ souvenirs.
60. Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. Harindra Fernando, a Great Environment Protector
B. Stop Using Coral as Souvenirs
C. Coral Cried “Help! Help!”
D. Coral Mining Enhanced (加剧) Tsunami Damage
Disease, poverty, hate, love－Charles Dickens’ stories opened his readers eyes to the most important themes of his age. Two hundred years on, his stories still speak volumes across the world, proving that Dickens’ legacy（遗产） was far greater that just “great-literature”.
February 7 marks the 200th anniversary of the writer’s birthday. To mark this date, BBC writer Alex Hudson listed six things Dickens gave the modern world. Let’s take a look at two of them.
A White Christmas
Dickens is described as “the man who invented Christmas” － not the religious festival, but the cultural aspects that we associate with the festive season today.
In the early 19th century, Christmas was barely worth mentioning, according to critic and writer Leigh Hunt. The committee which ran the Conservative Party even held ordinary business meetings on Christmas Day－unthinkable in the West nowadays, when everyone but the most necessary workers takes at least three days off.
Many people believe that Dickens’ popular descriptions of the festive period became a blueprint for generations to come. In his classic novel, A Christmas Carol, he not only put forward the idea of snow at Christmas, but also painted a picture of glowing warmth－“home enjoyments, affections and hopes”.
In his biography of Dickens, Peter Ackroyd wrote: “Dickens can be said to have almost single-handedly created the modern idea of Christmas.”
“Dickens” poverty
Dickens was one of the first to take an honest look at the underclass and the poor of Victorian London.
He helped popularize the term “red tape” to describe situations where people in power use needless amounts of bureaucracy(官僚作风) in a way that particularly hurts the weaker and poorer members of society.
“Dickensian” has now become a powerful word for describing an unacceptable level of poverty. In 2009, when the president of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in the UK wanted to talk about poverty in some areas of Britain, she did not use words like “terrible” or “horrific”, but rather described it as “life mirroring the times of Dickens”.The article is mainly about .
| A．a brief introduction to Charles Dickens’ |
| B．Charles Dickens’ impact on the world |
| C．the characters in Charles Dickens’ stories |
| D．Charles Dickens’ achievements in literature |
Why is Dickens’ called “the man who invented Christmas”?
| A．Because he created both religious and culture festival. |
| B．Because his novels have something to do with Christmas. |
| C．Because one of his novels helped to shape Christmas celebrations. |
| D．Because he was the first man to have proposed celebrating Christmas. |
We can learn from the passage that .
| A．Charles Dickens’ novels reflect the true life at his age |
| B．Dickensian is widely used to describe the Christmas |
| C．Every person can take three days off for Christmas |
| D．The theme of Charles Dickens’ stories is about poverty |
According to the passage the phrase “red tape” refers to .
| A．regulations that are required to finish a task |
| B．a situation where poor members of society are hurt |
| C．conflict between people in power and weaker people |
| D．agreements made by the underclass of society |
Here's one very simple yet potentially lifechanging advice I first heard from Brian Tracy. 1 Instead use that hour to read books that could improve your life.
If you're in sales, Google or browse Amazon for what other people think are the best and most useful books on improving your sales.
2 . Maybe you want to improve your health, become a more energetic person with a better looking body. Or maybe you want to improve your productivity, your relations or perhaps do some general personal development.
One hour a day is not much. But if you read for one hour a day on weekdays, that's about 260 hours a year. 3 If applied everyone knows what great things and feelings could come into your life this year.
Also, all that cool information and useful advice will start to open up your mind. You will start to see more possibilities in your everyday life.
4
1. I really don't have the money...
Answer: Visit your local library or search their database if they got a website. Or look for used copies in places like amazon.com or some more local alternative if you're outside of the US.
2. Yeah, ok, but I really don't have the time...
Answer: Buy the books as audio books and listen to them in the car while driving to and from work. Or transfer them to your mp3-player and listen while riding your bike/bus to work or school. Recently selling audio books directly through mp3-downloads have become popular. It's probably something we will see more and more as people and companies discover this easy (and if the technology works) smooth way of shopping.
So start browsing for recommendations on books or ask your friends and colleagues.
5
| A． Now, you might think something like this: |
| B． This of course applies to all fields, not just the work related ones. |
| C． All these possibilities in your everyday life will help solve the following problems: |
| D． And shut of the TV a little earlier and start reading this week. |
E. That's a lot of books and loads of useful advice.
F. Cut down on the TV at night by just one hour.
G. In a word, more recommendations on books will help you find good books.
Cellphones: is there a cancer link?
Could your cellphone give you cancer? Whether it could or not, some people are worrying about the possibility that phones, power lines and wi-fi could be responsible for a range of illnesses, from rashes to brain tumors.
Some say there is evidence to support the growing anxieties. David Carpenter, a professor of environmental health sciences at the university at Albany, in New York, thinks there’s a greater than 95 percent chance that power lines can cause childhood leukemia(白血病). Also there’s a greater than 90 percent chance that cellphones can cause brain tumors. “It’s apparent now that there’s a real risk,” said Carpenter.
But others believe these concerns are unjustified. Dr Martha Linet, the head of radiation epidemiology(流行病学) at the US National Cancer Institute, has looked at the same research as Carpenter but has reached a different conclusion. “I don’t support warning labels for cellphones,” said Linet. “We don’t have the evidence that there’s much danger.”
Studies so far suggest a weak connection between EMFs(电磁场) and illness — so weak that it might not exist at all. A multinational investigation of cellphones and brain cancer, in 13 countries outside the US, has been underway for several years. It’s funded in part by the European Union, in part by a cellphone industry group. The final report should come out later this year, but data so far don’t suggest a strong link between cellphone use and cancer risk.From the passage we can learn that some people are worried because .
| A．they have evidence the use of cellphone can lead to cancer. |
| B．they make a fuss over cellphone use. |
| C．some expert has given a warning. |
| D．cellphones are responsible for brain tumors. |
By saying “I don’t support warning labels for cellphones,” Dr Martha Linet has the idea that .
| A．the worrying is unnecessary. |
| B．cancer-warning labels should be on cellphones. |
| C．there is a link between cellphones and cancer. |
| D．cellphones have nothing to do with cancer. |
The underlined word “underway” is closest in meaning to .
| A．started. | B．kept on. | C．gone on. | D．in progress. |
Which of the following best describes the attitude of the author towards the debate?
| A．Optimistic. | B．Objective. | C．Disapproving. | D．Casual. |
What image does the word “Britain” conjure up（令人想到）in your mind? Big Ben，the frequently changing weather, fish and chips… But have you ever wondered what British people think means “Britain”?
English playwright William Shakespeare and pop group The Beatles are the icons which inspire a sense of national pride in British people, according to a recent survey.
More than 2,000 people were asked what aspect of Britain made them feel most proud. Shakespeare topped the list, followed by the National Trust, a charity which protects places of historical or environmental interest. These beat the British currency, the pound, and the BBC.
Surprisingly, the royal family only made it to seventh on the list. “The royal family, while popular, does not inspire widespread pride,” said a spokesman for Demos, the think tank(智囊团) which carried out the research. “However, it is certainly the case that — through their unique capacity to hold and lead national events — the royal family has a central role to play in developing pride.”
Terence Blacker, a reporter for The Independent, believes the study shows the nature of new patriotism（爱国主义）． “It turns out that modern British patriotism is not really about nationhood at all,” he wrote.
According to the poll, the most impressive symbols of national pride concerned private conduct and character. Volunteering topped the list, followed by politeness and patience. According to the passage, the following statements are British most outstanding symbols except .
| A．patriotism. | B．the Beatles. | C．politeness. | D．Shakespeare. |
Which of the following is close to the right order of the top symbols of Britain?
| A．a ,b, c, d | B．a, d, c, b | C．c, a, b, d | D．a, c, b, d |
The royal family does not top the list because .
| A．the royal family has a central role to play in developing pride |
| B．the royal family owns a lot of wealth. |
| C．the royal family does not attract the public attention. |
| D．the royal family does not influence the public as much as it used to. |
It can be inferred that can make Chinese feel most proud.
| A．volunteering. | B．education. | C．Luxun. | D．Population. |
Energy pod:
It was designed by a US company with NASA technology. It puts the human body in the best sleeping position and blocks outside noise to create an ideal napping experience. Silicon Valley high-tech companies such as Google provide the Pod for employees.
White noise radio:
White noise is a sound signal that contains equal power and frequency. Some radios provide white noise to mask other noises so that people can sleep without disturbance.
High-tech sleepwear:
A US-based company designs a nightgown with special fabric that stimulates blood flow to tired muscles helping one relax in deeper restorative sleep.
Emu pillow:
Inspired by emu that buried its head in sands when it’s scared, a type of pillow has been designed in China for office workers to take a nap, safe and sound. It turns the computer desk into a sleep hub with even two pockets to store the hands.These are designed for those who .
| A．have enough sleep. |
| B．are working for high-tech companies. |
| C．are in poor health. |
| D．are victims of sleeping sickness. |
Which of the following is produced with the help of a kind of bird?
| A．White noise radio. | B．Emu pillow. |
| C．High-tech sleepwear. | D．Energy Pod. |
How do you probably get the information?
| A．From a book. | B．From a radio program. |
| C．From a newspaper. | D．From a text message. |
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