The Maldives faces the threat of extinction from rising sea levels, but the government said it was looking to the future with plans to build homes and a golf course that float.
An increase in sea levels of just 18 to 59 centimeters would make the Maldives－a nation of tiny coral islands in the Indian Ocean－virtually uninhabitable by 2100, the UN’s climate change panel(专门小组) has warned.
President Mohamed Nasheed has vowed a fight for survival, and he signed a deal with a Dutch company to study proposals for a floating structure that could support a convention center, homes and an 18-hole golf course.
The company , Dutch Docklands, is currently building floating developments in the Netherlands and Dubai.
The Maldives began work on an artificial island known as the Hulhumale near the crowded capital island of Male in 1997 and more than 30,000 people have been settled there to ease congestion.
The city, which has a population of 100,000, is already protected from rising sea levels by a 30-million-dollar sea wall, and the government is considering increasingly imaginative ways to combat(对抗) climate change.
Nasheed has even spoken of buying land elsewhere in the world to enable Maldivians to relocate if their homes are submerged. He has also pledged to turn his nation into a model for the rest of the world by becoming "carbon neutral (碳中和)" by 2020.
His plan involves ending fossil fuel use and powering all vehicles and buildings from "green" sources such as burning coconut husks.What do you know about Maldives?
| A．It has a population of 100,000. | B．It has a floating golf course. |
| C．It is a nation of tiny coral islands. | D．It is located in the Pacific Ocean. |
The underlined word "uninhabitable" might mean _________ .
| A．不能居住的 | B．不习惯的 | C．不能改变的 | D．不能忍受的 |
The floating structure will be used as all the following except ________ .
| A．a convention center | B．a sports center |
| C．homes | D．a golf course |
What are the government's ways to combat climate change?
| A．Buy land elsewhere in the world. |
| B．Make the nation "carbon neutral" by 2020. |
| C．Use "green" sources instead of fossil fuel. |
| D．All of the above. |
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1904. He was famous because of the books he wrote for children. They combine funny words, pictures, and social opinion.
Dr Seuss wrote his first book for children in 1937. It is called And to Think I Saw It on Mulberry Street. A number of publishers refused to publish it. They said it was too different. A friend finally published(出版) it. Soon other successful books followed. Over the years, he wrote more than forty children’s books. They were fun to read. Yet his books sometimes dealt with serious subjects.
By the middle 1940s, Dr Seuss had become one of the best-loved and most successful writers of children’s books. He had a strong desire to help children. In 1954, Life magazine published a report about school children who could not read. The report said many children’s books weren’t interesting. Dr Seuss decided to write books that were interesting and easy to read.
In 1957, Dr Seuss wrote The Cat in the Hat. He used less than 225 words to write the book. This was about the number of words a six-year-old should be able to read.
The story is about a cat who tries to entertain two children on a rainy day while their mother is away from home. The cat is not like normal cats. It talks. The book was an immediate success. It was an interesting story and was easy to read. Children loved it. Their parents loved it, too. Today many adults say it is still one of the stories they like best.What’s the best title for this passage?
| A．Some of Dr Seuss’ books for children. |
| B．What are Dr Seuss’s books mainly about? |
| C．Dr Seuss — a famous writer of children’s books. |
| D．Why are Dr Seuss’ books different? |
What do we know about Dr Seuss’s first book for children?
| A．It was Dr Seuss’ worst book. |
| B．It dealt with a very serious subject. |
| C．Neither children nor adults like it. |
| D．Many publishers didn’t take it seriously at first. |
How did Dr Seuss help children according to Paragraph 3&4?
| A．By asking others to help them in magazines. |
| B．By writing interesting and simple books. |
| C．By changing his old books into simpler ones. |
| D．By giving them books for free. |
Adults most probably think that Dr Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat is _________
| A．interesting | B．serious | C．difficult |
D．boring |
What does the underlined word “combine” mean?
| A．like very much | B．fall in love with |
| C．bring something together | D．pay attention to |
The hole in the Earth's ozone layer (臭氧层) has until now protected Antarctica from the worst effects of global warming. But scientists have warned that as the hole closes up in the next few decades, temperatures on the continent could rise by around 3oC on average, with melting ice contributing to a global sea level increase of up to 1.4 metres.
In the past decades the western Antarctic has seen rapid ice loss as the world has warmed, but the other parts of the continent have, paradoxically, been cooling, resulting in a 10% increase in ice in the seas around the region. This is because the hole in the ozone layer has increased cold winds in Antarctica, making much of the continent surface colder than usual.
But now that the gasses that cause the ozone hole have been banned, scientists expect the hole to repair itself within the next 50 to 60 years. By then the cooling effect will have faded out and the Antarctic will face the full impact of global warming. This means an increase in average air temperatures of around 3OC and a reduction in sea ice by around a third.
The biggest threat to the continent comes from warming seas. Robert Johnson, a scientist who monitors Antarctica ice sheets, said, "The ice sheets in Antarctica are hundreds of metres thick. But once warm ocean waters start flowing underneath, the ice will begin thinning and could break up very quickly. "Thinning ice sheets cause ice to break away from the continent and to melt even faster. Escaping ice from western Antarctica has already resulted in a 10% rise in global sea level in recent decades.
Johnson believes that international action to reduce global warming is required immediately or it may be too late. "Everything is connected - Antarctica may be a long way away but it is an important part of the Earth's system," said Johnson. "It contains 90% of the world's ice, 70% of the world's fresh water and that is enough, if it melts completely, to raise sea levels by 63 metres."
Even in a worse-case situation scientists don't expect the ice to entirely disappear, but predict that, because of the melting ice sheets, average sea level rise will be around 1.4 metres higher by the end of the century.The underlined word "paradoxically" (in Paragraph 2) most probably means "_ _".
| A．rapidly | B．approximately | C．contradictorily | D．apparently |
What is the effect of the hole in the ozone layer on Antarctica?
| A．It is making much of the continent colder. |
| B．It is causing the ice to melt faster. |
| C．It is making the effects of global warming in the region worse. |
| D．It is reducing the amount of water in Antarctica. |
What do scientists think is the biggest danger facing Antarctica?
| A．Rising sea levels. | B．Warming sea water temperature. |
| C．Water pollution. | D．Growing ice sheets. |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Antarctica contains most of the world's fresh water. |
| B．The average temperature has increased by 3 degree centigrade in recent decades. |
| C．Antarctica is currently experiencing the full effects of global warming. |
| D．Ten percent of Antarctica's ice has already been lost. |
The best title for the passage is ___ ___ .
| A．Our planet in danger | B．Antarctica melting away |
| C．Action plan to save Antarctica | D．Let's save the ozone layer |
People should be warned against using mobile phones outdoors in stormy weather because they may “be struck by lightning”, according to doctors.
Three experts have described how a teenage girl was struck by lightning while using her phone in a large London park. The girl, aged 15, recovered, but a year later, was still wheelchair-bound and found to be suffering complex physical and emotional problems.
The girl also had a perforate eardrum（打孔耳膜）on the side where she had been holding the mobile phone. She was having general recovery in Northwick Park Hospital, Middlesex.Swinda Esprit, a senior house officer, said that while the brain and muscle damage was similar to that of many lightning victims—who can experience heart attacks on being struck— the ear problems were not.
She said that the damages were particularly relevant for people who might be involved in less serious lightning incidents, who might otherwise recover, but would never get their full hearing back if struck while on the phone.
“We were shocked by the damage, which is why we wanted to draw attention to it,” Dr Esprit said. “A year on and she still was suffering these difficult hearing.”
They added that three other cases had been reported in newspapers in China, South Korea, and Malaysia. In the Malaysian case, a sales executive was killed by lightning while talking on his phone during a thunderstorm near Kuala Lumpur
“All these events resulted in death,” the doctors wrote. “This rare phenomenon is a public health issue, and education is necessary to stress the risk.”
The Australian Lightning Protection Standard recommends that metallic objects, including cordless or mobile phones, should not be carried outdoors during thunderstorms. However, “the United States National Weather Service says on its website that both are safe to use “because there is no direct path between you and the lightening”.
Paul Taylor, of “the Met Office”, said the ear injuries were a consequence of mobile phones being metal, and not related to radio waves.
Mr. Taylor said that mobile phones should be treated as another piece of metal, similar to carrying coins or wearing rings, and people need to be warned against the possible danger.What do we know about the teenage girl?
| A．She was struck by lightning at school. |
| B．She completely recovered from being struck. |
| C．She still suffered from mental problems. |
| D．She had to press her ear all day |
It can be inferred that damage done by lightening while using mobile phones ______.
| A．is mainly in the brain and muscle of the victims |
| B．can be healed quickly except for heart attacks |
| C．is less serious because the victims can usually recover |
| D．is more serious than that when one is not using a mobile phone |
Why did doctors stress the risk about using phones outside in lightening?
| A．Because more people are faced with it. |
| B．Because some deaths have been caused. |
| C．Because lightning is harmful for the brain. |
| D．Because a teenage girl got killed. |
We can infer from the last three paragraphs that ______.
| A．both cordless and mobile phones are safe to use outside in lightning |
| B．there is no direct connection between lightning and ear injuries at all |
| C．opinions differ as to whether it is safe to use mobiles phones in lightning |
| D．ear injuries are the result of carrying coins or wearing rings in lightning |
The purpose in writing this passage is ______.
| A．to draw attention to the risk of using mobile phones in lightening |
| B．to focus on various damages done to lightning victims |
| C．to tell us the news that a teenage girl was struck by lightning |
| D．to stress the danger of making phone calls in lightning |
Traffic jam and cities, it seems, go hand in hand. Everyone complains about being stuck in traffic; but, like the weather, no one seems to do anything about it. In particular, traffic engineers, transportation planners, and public officials responsible for transportation systems in large cities are frequently criticized for failing to solve traffic jam.
But is traffic jam a sign of failure? Long queues at restaurants or theater box offices are seen as signs of success. Should transportation systems be viewed any differently? I think we should recognize that traffic jam is an unpreventable by-product of successful cities, and view the “traffic problem” in a different light.
Cities exist because they promote social interactions and economic transactions.
Traffic jam occurs where there are lots of people but limited spaces. Culturally and economically successful cities have the worst traffic problems, while decaying cities don’t have much traffic. New York and Los Angeles are America’s most crowded cities. But if you want access to major brokerage houses (经纪行), you will find them easier to reach in crowded New York than in any other large cities. And if your firm needs access to post-production film editors or satellite-guidance engineers, you will reach them more quickly through the crowded freeways of LA than through less crowded roads elsewhere.
Despite traffic jam, a larger number and wider variety of social interactions and economic transactions can be made perfect in large, crowded cities than elsewhere. Seen in this light, traffic jam is an unfortunate consequence of prosperity, not a cause of economic decline and urban decay.
So while we can consider traffic jam as increasing costs on the areas of big cities, the costs of inaccessibility (交通不便) in uncrowded places are almost certainly greater.
There is no doubt that traffic jam brings the terrible economic and environmental damage in places like Bangkok, Jakarta, and Lagos. But mobility is far higher and traffic jam levels are far lower here in the US, even in our most crowded cities. That’s why, for now, we don’t see people and capital streaming out of San Francisco and Chicago, heading for cities like California, and Illinois. We can conclude from the first paragraph that_______.
| A．traffic jam and weather are the two factors preventing the development of the big city |
| B．traffic jam seems to be very difficult to deal with |
| C．if traffic engineers try their best, traffic jam can be solved |
| D．public officials are always criticized for misusing their power |
According to the passage, what’s the author’s opinion towards traffic jam？_____
| A．In cities, traffic jam is unavoidable. |
| B．Traffic jam is both a sign of failure and a sign of success. |
| C．Traffic jam is the consequence of successful cities. |
| D．For a successful city, traffic jam is not unpreventable. |
By saying “decaying” (in Para. 4), the writer probably means_______.
| A．declining | B．developing |
| C．rich and successful | D．strong and healthy |
According to this article, which statement about “New York” and “Los Angeles” is true? _____
A. The traffic jam in the two cities has been worsened.
B. New York and Los Angeles are the most successful cities in the USA.
C. It is easier to reach major brokerage houses in the two cities than in other cities.
D. Despite the traffic jam in LA, you’ll find a satellite-guidance engineer more quickly there.What can we learn from the last paragraph? _______
| A．California is as crowded and successful as San Francisco. |
| B．The traffic jam in San Francisco has resulted in the capital becoming empty. |
| C．The traffic jam level in Jakarta is lower than that in the US. |
| D．Traffic jam has caused terrible bad effects in cities such as Bangkok and Lagos. |
It has been more than twenty years since pioneering British computer programmer, Sir Tim Berners Lee, created the World Wide Web. But could he have ever imagined how much the web would change our lives? And would he approve of how some British students are taking advantage of his invention?
Universities and exam boards around the UK are becoming increasingly concerned with the rising number of cases of plagiarism, many of which are facilitated (助长) by the Internet access.
In the UK most school and university students complete coursework throughout the academic year which contributes toward their final mark. In many cases coursework makes up the main part of the qualification. Since coursework is completed in the students’ own time it cannot be monitored by teachers in the same way as an exam.
Derec Stockley, director of examinations in the UK, explains, “Plagiarism affects coursework more than anything else, and in the cases that come to our attention, more and more are linked to the Internet.”
At a university level recent reports suggest that plagiarism has evolved from separate cases of individual cheating to systematic and even commercial operation. Students can now pay for bespoke essays to be written for them by experts.
It is estimated that the market in online plagiarism is now worth 200 million pounds a year. Every month more and more websites offering to write student’s essays for them appear on the Internet.
Barclay Littlewood, owner of Degree Essays UK employs 3,500 specialist writers and charges between 120 pounds and 4,000 pounds per essay. However, Mr. Littlewood refutes the accusation that he is helping students to cheat.What dose the underlined word “plagiarism” in Paragraph 2 mean in the passage?
| A．coursework | B．problems of the Internet |
| C．learning pressure | D．cheating |
Which of the following statements is mentioned by the author?
| A．With the help of online plagiarism, students can write more creative coursework. |
| B．There will be no problem if online plagiarism is a systematic and commercial operation. |
| C．The Internet seems to have contributed much to the problem of online plagiarism. |
| D．Teachers should lay more emphasis on exams than coursework. |
It can be inferred from the text that the author seems to _____ .
| A．blame Sir Tim Berners Lee for having created the World Wide Web |
| B．worry about the quality of students’ coursework influenced by the World Wide Web |
| C．be in favour of Littlewood’s defence against the accusation of him |
| D．have studied the problem of online plagiarism for nearly 20 years |
Who should be blamed for online plagiarism?
| A．Barclay Littlewood. | B．Sir Tim Berners Lee. |
| C．Derec Stockley. | D．Nobody. |
The paragraph following the passage will most probably be about_____ .
| A．the author’s opinions of Mr. Littlewood |
| B．different people’s opinions on plagiarism |
| C．how students use the website of Mr. Littlewood |
| D．Mr. Littlewood’s defence against those who accused him of his website |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号