We produce 500 billion of plastic bags in a year worldwide and they are thrown away pollu
ting oceans, killing wildlife and getting dumped in landfills where they take up to 1,000 years to decompose. Researchers have been unsuccessfully looking for a solution.
The 16-year-old Canadian high school student, Daniel Burd, from Waterloo Collegiate Institute, has-discovered a way to make plastic bags degrade(降解) in as few as 3 months, a finding that won him first prize at the Canada Wide Science Fair, a ＄10,000 prize, a ＄20,000 scholarship, and a chance to revolutionize a major environmental issue.
Burd’s strategy was simple: Since plastic does eventually degrade, it must be eaten by microorganisms (微生物). If those microorganisms could be identified, we could put them to work eating the plastic much faster than under normal conditions.
With this goal in mind, he grounded plastic bags into a powder and concocted(调制) a solution of household chemicals, yeast(酵母) and tap water to encourage microbes growth. Then he added the plastic powder and let the microbes work their magic for 3 months. Finally, he tested the resulting bacterial culture on plastic bags, exposing one plastic sample to dead bacteria as a control. Sure enough, the plastic exposed to the live bacteria was 17% lighter than the control after six weeks.
The inputs are cheap, maintaining the required temperature takes little energy because microbes produce heat as they work, and the only outputs are water and tiny levels of carbon dioxide.
“Almost every week I have to do chores and when I open the closet door, I have piles of plastic bags falling on top of me. One day, I got tired of it and I wanted to know what other people are doing with these plastic bags. The answer: not much. So I decided to do something myself.” Said Daniel Burd.Daniel Burd won first prize at the Canada Wide Science Fair because .
| A．he found a new kind of microorganism |
B．he contributed much to environmental protection |
C．he found a way to degrad e plastics in shorter time |
| D．he could encourage microbe growth in an easier way |
Daniel Burd exposed one plastic sample to dead b
acteria to .
| A．make the live bacteria work better | B．test how effective his method was |
| C．know which bacteria worked faster | D．control the temperature in the process |
Maintaining the required temperature takes little energy because .
| A．plastics can get hot easily | B．microbes can produce heat themselves |
| C．much carbon dioxide is produced | D．the temperature can be controlled |
Daniel Burd got his idea from .
| A．his school textbook | B．the failure of researchers |
| C．his everyday work | D．the practice of other people |
Did you know that women’s brains are smaller than men’s? The average women’s brain weighs 10% less than men’s．Since research has shown that the bigger the brain, the cleverer the animal, men must be more intelligent than women．Right? Wrong．Men and women always score similarly on intelligence tests, despite the difference in brain size．Why? After years of study, researchers have concluded that it’s what’s inside that matters, not just the size of the brain．The brain consists of “grey matter” and “white matter”．While men have more of the latter, the amount of “thinking” brain is almost exactly the same in both sexes．
It has been suggested that smaller brain appears to work faster, perhaps because the two sides of the brain are better connected in women．This means that little girls tend to learn to speak earlier, and that women can understand sorts of information from different sources at the same time．When it comes to talking to the boss on the phone, cooking dinner and keeping an eye on the baby all at the same time, it’s women who come out on top every time．
There are other important differences between two sexes．As white matter is the key to spatial tasks, men know better where things are in relation to other things．“A great footballer always knows where he is in relation to the other players, and he knows where to go,” says one researcher．That may explain one of life’s great mysteries: why men refuse to ask for direction and women often need to!
The differences begin when fetuses（胎儿）are about nine weeks old, which can be seen in the action of children as young as one．A boy would try to climb a barrier before him or push it down while a girl would attract help from others．These brain differences also explain the fact that more men take up jobs that require good spatial skills, while more women speech skills．It may all go back to our ancestors, among whom women needed speech skills to take care of their babies and men needed spatial skills to hunt, according to one research．
If all this disappoints you, it shouldn’t．“The brain changes throughout our lives according to what we do with it．”says a biologist．Which of the following is true according to the first paragraph? ________．
| A．Women’s brain is 10% less than men’s |
| B．Grey matter controls thinking in the brain． |
| C．Grey matter plays the same role as white matter． |
| D．Both sexes have the same amount of white matter． |
What can we infer from the second and third paragraphs? ________．
| A．Men do better dealing with one job at a time． |
| B．Women prefer doing many things at a time． |
| C．Women do not need to tell directions． |
| D．Men have weaker spatial abilities． |
Which of the following do you agree with according to the fourth paragraph? _
| A．More women take up jobs requiring speech skills |
| B．Young boys may be stronger than young girls． |
| C．Women may have stronger feelings than men． |
| D．Our ancestors needed more spatial skills． |
What is the writer’s attitude in writing this passage? ________．
| A．Defensive． | B．Objective． | C．Persuasive． | D．Supportive． |
The world’s biggest Internet search engine, Google, has proven once again to be king of the Web. Users can download “Google Wi-Fi” software and then enjoy free Wi-Fi service available in some US cities since last Tuesday.
Wi-Fi is short for “Wireless Fidelity”(无线上网). It allows laptop computers and personal digital assistants to connect to the Internet at high speed by radio sigal.
A person with a Wi-Fi enabled computer can connect to the Internet when near one of the network’s access points. The place covered by one or several access points is called a hotspot. Google had already set up two “hotspots” in the US city of San Francisco which pr
ovide a free Wi-Fe service.
The Wi- Fi technology even allows users to enjoy a free Internet phone service. Some scientists argue that Wi-Fi may replace mobile phone networks.
Wi-Fi is stioo limited to a few cities, where there are “ hotspots”. But its capability(容量) of sending information has already done better than that of the mobile phone network, even that of 3G (Third Generation telecommunication technology). Some scientists have started to call Wi-Fi 4G.
In addition to a high speed Internet connection, Fi-Fi has other advantages compared to mobile phones. We-Fi is global. The same Wi-Fi system works in different countries around the world. Different from using cell phones, you don’t need to change computers to use Internet phones when you go to other places and most importantly, many Internet phones cost you nothing at all. Wi-Fi is not available in cities without_____.
| A．a computer | B．a radio | C．a hotspot | D．a cell phone |
Which of the following is NOT the advantage of Wi-Fi?
A. The high speed Internet connection. B. Many free Internet phones.
B. Using the same computers for Internet phones when you go to other places. C. Used in all the US cities. Some scientists started to call Wi-Fi 4G, because_____.
| A．it is the product of the Google”s 4th generation. |
| B．it is more capable of sending information than the mobile phone network. |
| C．it has been used by more than four generations. |
| D．Wi-Fi will surely take the place of the mobile phone network. |
. Which of the following is the best title?
A.Third Generation Telecommunication Technology
B. Free Call Service
C.Goo
gle Launches Free Wi-Fi Service
D.Free Wi-Fi Service across the U.S.A.
We are all interested in equality，but while some people try to protect the school and examination system in the name of equality，others，st
ill in the name of equality，want only to destroy it．
Any society which is interested in equality of opportunity and standards of achievement must regularly test its pupils．The standards may be changed—no examination is perfect--but to have no external(外部的)tests or examinations would mean the end of equality and of standards．There are groups of people who oppose this view and who do not believe either in external examinations or in any contr schools or on teachers.This would mean that everything would depend on luck every pupll would depend on the efficiency(效率)，the ideal and the purpose of teacher．
Without external examinations， employers will 1ook for employees from highly respected schools and from families known to them--a form of favoritism will replace equality．At the moment，the bright child from an ill—respected schoo1 can show certificates(证书)to prove he or she is suitable for a job，while the lack of a certificate shows the unsuitability of a dull child attanding a well—respected schoo1.This defence of excellence and opportunity would disappear if external examinations were taken away，and the bright child from a poor family would be a prisoner of his or her school’s fame(名誉)，unable to compete for employment with the child from the favored schoo1．
The opponents(对手)of the examination system suggest that examinations are an evil force because they show differences between pupils．According to these people，there must be no special，different，academic class． They have even suggested that there should be no form of difference in sport or any other area：all jobs or posts should be filled by unsystematic selection．The selection would be made by people who themselves are probably selected by some computer． The word “favoritism” in paragraph 3 is used to decribe the phenomenon that _____.
| A．bright children also need certificates to get satisfying jobs. |
| B．Pooor children with certificates are favored in job markets. |
| C．Children attending ordinary schools achieve great success. |
| D．children from well-respected schools tend to have good jobs. |
What would happen if examinations were taken away according to the author?
| A．Children’s job opportunity would be affected by their school reputation. |
| B．Schools for bright children would lose their reputation |
| C．There would be more opportunities and excellence. |
| D．Children from poor families would be able to change their schools. |
The opponents of the examination sys
tem will agree that _____.
| A．Computers should be selected to take over many jobs. |
| B．Special classed are necessary to keep the school standards. |
| C．Jobs should not be assigned by systematic selection. |
| D．Schools with academic subjects should be abolished. |
The passage mainly focuses on ____.
A. schools and certificates B opportunity and employment
C. examinations and equality D. standards and reputation
Once upon a time there was a great man who married the woman of his dreams. With their love, they created a little girl. She was a bright and cheerful little girl and the great man loved her very much.
When the little girl was growing up, the great man would hug her and tell her, “ I love you, little girl.” The little girl would shout and say, “ I’m not a little girls anymore.” Then the man would laugh and say, “ But to me, you’ll always be my little girl.”
Th
e little girl who- was- not- little- anymore left her home and went into the world. As she learned more about herself, she learned more about the man. She saw that he truly was great and strong, for now she recognized his strengths. One of his strengths was his ability to express his love to his family. It didn’t matter where she went in the world, the man would call her and say, “ I love you, little girl.”
The day came when the little girl who-was- not- little-anymore received a phone call. The great man was damaged. He had had a stroke(中风 ). He couldn’t talk anymore and they weren’t sure that he could understand the words spoken to him.
And so she went to the side of the great man. When she walked into the room and saw him, he looked small and not strong at all. He looked at her and tried to speak, but he could not.
The little girl did the only thing she could do. She climbed up on the bed next to the great man. Tears ran from both of their eyes and she drew her arms around the useless shoulders of her father.
Her head on his chest, she thought of many things. She remembered the wonderful times together and how she has always felt protected. And then she heard from within the man, the beat of his heart. The heart where the musid and the words had always lived. The heart beat on, steadily unconcerned about damage to the rest of the body. And while she rested there, the magic happened. She heard what she needed to hear.
His hear beat ou
t the words that his mouth could no longer say…
I love you
I love you
I love you
Little girl
Little girl
Little girl
And she was comforted. In the 2nd paragraph, the little girl showed her ____ by pouting.
| A．displeasure | B．disappointment | C．agreement | D．excitement |
The following except ____ can be inferred as the consequences of the father’s stoke.
| A．the loss of speaking ability | B．the inability to move around |
| C．that his arms could no longer function properly | D．the beat of his heart |
The girl felt _____ when she returned home and saw her father in bed.
| A．she was protected just as before | B．she could never have left home |
| C．the difficulty of being old and sick | D．the need to show him her love |
Which statement is true according to the story?
| A．The daughter left her home because she had a fight with her father. |
| B．The girl returned home when she got a letter from his father about his illness. |
C．The father recovered as if by magic soo n after the daughter’s return. |
| D．From the father’s example, the daughter learned how to express her love. |
All sorts of items become litter(垃圾) but two of the most common and most dangerous are cigarette butts（烟头) and plastic bags. Litter is a big problem for our environment but it is a problem that individuals can easily do something about. Not littering at all or cleaning up litter, such as cigarette butts and plastic bags, greatly improves the quality of our environment.
Although cigarette butts, are small, they are bad for the environment. Over 1,600 billion cigarette are smoked each year in China and large quantities of the butts are thrown away. Worldwide, about 4. 5 trillion butts are littered every year. Apart from the fact that butts spoil the beauty of the environment, they contain some very toxic chemicals. These find their way into the water supply where they decrease the quality of the water and endanger plants and animals that live there. So, if people have to smoke, they shouldn't throw away the butts but put them in the rubbish bin instead.
Plastic bags are another common form of litter that is a danger to the environment. There areseveral reasons for this. They are made from oil and gas, which are non—renewable resources. If they are not recycled, these resources are lost to us. In China, 2 billion plastic bags are used every day. An enormous number of these become litter. This is a huge problem because they last from 20 to 1,000 years in the environment. They float easily in the air and water and travel long distances. They find their way to rivers, parks, beaches and oceans. Plastic bags kill up to one million seabirds, 100, 000 sea mammals and countless fish each year worldwide. It is up to people not to let plastic bags become litter. It would be better if they used fewer and recycled them.
Cleaning up your cigarette butts and plastic bags would improve the environment. And we would know that we were doing something to look after our planet. However, I believe the best solution would be not to smoke or use plastic bags at all. Which of the following best shows the structure of the passage?
A B. C. D.
( ①=" paragraph" 1; ②=" paragraph" 2; ③=" paragraph" 3; ④a para
graph 4 )The word “toxic” in the paragraph 2 most probably mean “________”
| A．precious | B．extra | C．poisonous | D．useless |
From the text. we know the fact that_________
| A．Chinese smokers litter up to 4. 5 trillion butts every year |
| B．people in the world use 2 billion plastic bags in a single day |
| C．plastic bags cause 1 million deaths of seabirds each year worldwide |
| D．the butts can last 20 to 1,000 years in the environment of China |
What's probably the best title of the passage?. Clean Up Your
| A．Say Goodbye to Smokin | B．Protect the Endangered Sea Animals . | C．Use Paper Bags Now | D．Clean Up Your Butts and Bags |
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