The 9．2一magnitude(震级)earthquake which caused the tsunami in
the Indian Ocean on Boxing Day last year occurred at 7:58 a.m.，95 miles off the west coast of Aceh, Indonesia．
Eighteen minutes later．10-metre high waves crashed the ashore along a 500——mile-long stretch of Aceh．
Two hours later the tsunami hit Thailand and Malaysia and then Burma, Bangladesh, India，the Maldives，Sri Lanka，Kenya and Somalia．The final death toll is thought to be about 280，000，with tens of thousands more listed as missing．More than l.8 million people lost their homes．
●What Is Tsunami?
A tsunami is a chain of fast moving waves caused by a sudden strong quake in the ocean．They can be caused by earthquakes，volcanic eruptions(爆发)，or even the collision of meteorites(陨星)．Tsunamis are also incorrectly known as tidal waves，but unlike tidal waves they are not caused by changes in the tides．
They are also most common around the edge of the Pacific，where more than half of the world’s volcanoes are found．These fast moving waves can attack coastlines，often with little or no warning．Rocks weighing as much as 20 metric tonnes have been pulled from sea walls and carried l 80m inland．
●Wave Power
Atsunami can have a wavelength in excess of(超过)1 00km and there may be an hour between them．They travel at great speeds across an ocean with hardly any energy losses and are barely noticeable out at sea．
Over the deep Pacific Ocean，a tsunami travels at about 800kph．If an earthquake happened in Los Angeles．a tsunami could hit Tokyo quicker than you could fly between the cities by jet．
●Strange Animal Behaviors
Ten days before giant waves slammed into Sri Lanka and India coastlines，wild and domestic(家养的) animals seemed to know what was about to happen and fled(逃跑)to safety．
Elephants screamed and ran for higher ground．
Dogs refused to go outdoors．
Zoo animals rushed into their shelters and could not be enticed(引诱)to come back out．.．What does the first part of the passage mainly tell us?
| A．The great speed of a tsunami． |
| B．The number of deaths caused by a tsunami． |
| C．The countries which were struck by a tsunami． |
| D．The serious destruction caused by the great power of a tsunaml． |
.．All the following can cause a tsunami except
| A．changes of the tides | B．volcanic eruptions |
| C．collision of meteorites | D．earthquakes |
.．Which of the following is a characteristic of a tsunami?
| A．Having a lot of small waves linked together． |
| B．The waves of a tsunami travel extremely fast． |
| C．The waves of a tsunami can be found in the distance． |
| D．The power of the waves becomes stronger and stronger as a tsunami travels． |
On numerous drives throughout my childhood, my mother would suddenly pull over the car to examine a flower by the side of the road or rescue a beetle (甲虫) from certain tragedy while I, in my late teens and early twenties, sat impatiently in the car.
Though Mother’s Day follows Earth Day, for me, they have always been related. My mom has been “green” since she became concerned about the environment. Part of this habit was born of thrift (节俭). Like her mother and her grandmother before her, Mom saves glass jars, empty cheese containers and re-uses her plastic bags.
Mom creates a kind of give-and-take relationship with wildlife in her yard. She knows to pick the apples on her trees a little early to fend off the bears and that if she leaves the bird feeders out at night, it’s likely they’ll be knocked down by a family of raccoons (浣熊). Spiders that make their way into the house are captured (捕获) in a juice glass and set loose in the garden.
I try to teach my children that looking out for the environment starts with being aware of the environment. On busy streets, we look for spent (开败的) dandelions (蒲公英) to parachute; we say hello to neighborhood cats and pick up plastic cups and paper bags. This teaching comes easily, I realize, because I was taught so well by example. Mom didn’t need to lecture; she didn’t need to beat a drum to change the world. She simply slowed down enough to enjoy living in it and with that joy came compassion and an instinct (本能) for preservation.
I am slowing down and it isn’t because of the weight of my nearly forty years on the planet, it is out of my concern for the planet itself. I’ve begun to save glass jars and re-use packing envelopes. I pause in my daily tasks to watch the squirrels race each other through the palm (棕榈树) leaves above my porch (门廊).
Last summer, in the company of my son and daughter, I planted tomatoes in my yard. With the heat of August around me, I ate the first while sitting on my low wall with dirt on my hands. Warm from the sun, it burst on my tongue with a sweetness I immediately wanted to share with my mom.Why does the author say Earth Day is connected with Mother’s Day?
| A．Because Mother’s Day falls shortly after Earth Day. |
| B．To stress that all the older women in her family are environmentalists. |
| C．To stress how much her mother cares about the environment. |
| D．Because on Mother’s Day her mother shows her how to be friend to nature. |
According to the fourth paragraph, which of the following is the author’s mother NOT likely to do?
| A．When she came across a lost dog, she helped it to find its shelter. |
| B．In spring, she spent some time watching the plants growing in the garden. |
| C．She joined in the campaign to encourage the public to contribute actively towards a better environment. |
| D．She walked to a nearby shop which was within ten minutes’ walk rather than drove there. |
What can we conclude from the article?
| A．The author’s mother is very patient with her children. |
| B．The author’s mother knows how to live in harmony with nature. |
| C．The author’s mother always took care of the wildlife that came into her yard. |
| D．The author’s mother used to remind her to slow down to protect the environment. |
We can infer from the article that ______.
| A．the author thinks that too many people now label themselves environmentalists |
| B．the author’s mother knows how to get rid of the wildlife in her yard |
| C．the author believes that only by learning to slow down, can we enjoy life |
| D．the author realizes that she should teach her children by example as well |
What is the main idea of the last three paragraphs?
| A．How the author taught her children to protect the environment. |
| B．How the author’s mother influenced the author. |
| C．What inspired the author to slow down and enjoy life. |
| D．How the author spent her time with her children. |
Sitting on the peaceful coast of Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, watching the sun move quietly into the sea, you shouldn’t forget that Charles Darwin (1809-1882) arrived here in 1835. He stayed on the islands for five weeks, observing various animals. This finally inspired his famous work, On the Origin of Species. You can certainly follow Darwin’s footsteps and enjoy a trip from four to seven days to the islands.
The islands are certainly a paradise (天堂) for wildlife, as there are no natural killers on the islands and the number of boats and visitors is under government control. Though you cannot walk freely as Darwin did about 200 years ago, each day is as impressive as it could be.
The most well-known animals of the Galapagos is the giant tortoise，which can be seen moving slowly around Santa Cruz, the second largest island in the archipelago(群岛). Some of these creatures are so old that they might have been in their youth by Darwin himself.
Despite strict control over activities and timing, your stay on the Galapagos will be remembered as a chain of incomparable pictures; diving with sea lions that swim and play within inches of you; feeling small sharks touch your feet as you swim; and most magically, seeing a whale and her baby surface with a great breath of air.
Travelling between the islands and observing the wildlife that so inspired Darwin, you will feel as though you are getting a special view of an untouched world. At night you will sleep on board the ship, leaving the wildlife in complete occupation of the islands, which are as undisturbed now as they have been since the beginning of time. What do we know about Darwin’s visit to the islands?
| A．He studied different creatures on the islands |
| B．He completed his famous book on the islands |
| C．He was touched by the geography of the islands |
| D．He was attracted by well-known animals of the islands |
Which of the following plays a role in making the islands “a paradise for wildlife”?
| A．Animals on the islands feed on grass. |
| B．Local government forbids killing wildlife. |
| C．People cannot visit the islands as they wish. |
| D．Tourists are not allowed to touch the animals. |
Your stay on the islands will be most impressive mainly because of .
| A．the beautiful sea views | B．Darwin’s inspiring trip |
| C．a closer view of animals | D．various daring activities |
How many kinds of animals are mentioned in this passage?
| A．2 | B．3 | C．4 | D．5 |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage ？
| A．A Unique Attraction for wildlife Lovers |
| B．Calapagos as a Paradise for Adventures |
| C．Charles Darwin as a symbol of Galapagos |
| D．A successful Example of wildlife protection |
What's your dream vacation? Watching wildlife in Kenya? Boating down the Amazon? Sunbathing in Malaysia? New chances are opening up all the time to explore the world. So we visit travel agents, compare packages and prices , and pay our money.
We know what our vacation costs us. But do we know what it might cost someone else? It's true that many poorer countries now depend on tourism for foreign income. Unfortunately, though, tourism often harms the local people more than it helps them.
It might cost their homes and lands. In Myanmar, 5,200 people were forced to leave their homes among the pagodas(佛塔)in Bagan so that tourists could visit the pagodas.
Tourism might also cost the local people their livelihood and dignity. Local workers often find only menial(卑微的)jobs in the tourist industry. And most of the profits do not help the local economy. Instead, profits return to the tour operators in wealthier countries, When the Maasai people in Tanzania were driven from their lands, some moved to city slums. Others now make a little money selling souvenirs or posing for photos.
Problems like these were observed more than 20 years ago. But now some non-government organizations, tour operators and local governments are working together to begin correcting them. Tourists, too, are putting on the pressure.
The result is responsible tourism, or “ethical tourism.” Ethical tourism has people at its heart. New international agreements and codes of conduct can help protect the people's lands, homes, economies and cultures. The beginnings are small, though, and the problems are complex.
But take heart. The good news is that everyone, including us, can play a part to help the local people in the places we visit. Tour operators and companies can help by making sure that local people work in good conditions and earn reasonable wages.
They can make it a point to use only locally owned hotel, restaurants and guide services. They can share profits fairly to help the local economy. And they can involve the local people in planning and managing tourism.
What can tourists do? First, we can ask tour companies to provide information about the conditions of local citizens. We can then make our choices and tell them why. And while we're abroad, we can:
Buy local foods and products, not imported ones.
Pay a fair price for goods and services and not bargain for the cheapest price.
Avoid flaunting wealth.
Ask before taking photographs of people.
They are not just part of the landscape!
Let's enjoy our vacation and make sure others do, too. What is probably the best title for the article?
| A．Tourism Causes Bad Effects. | B．Tourism Calls for Good Behavior. |
| C．Vacations Bring a Lot of Fun. | D．Vacations Cost More Than You Think |
Which of the following is not mentioned?
| A．Local people were well paid to leave their lands. |
| B．Tourists may stay in hotels opened by local people. |
| C．Local people are mainly provided with low-paying work. |
| D．Tourists could bargain with local people for a reasonable price. |
The underlined phrase "take heart" means" ".
| A．pay attention | B．take care | C．cheer up | D．calm down |
According to the passage, the writer thinks .
| A．tourism is not a promising industry |
| B．dream vacations should be spent abroad |
| C．the problems caused by tourism are easy to settle |
| D．tourists should respect local customs and culture |
Never go into a supermarket hungry! This is a good piece of advice. If you go shopping for food before lunchtime, you’ll probably buy more than you plan to. Unfortunately, however, just this advice isn’t enough for consumers these days. Modern shoppers need an education in how and how not to buy things at the store. First, you check the weekly newspaper ads. Find out the items that are on sale and decide if you really need these things. In other words, don’t buy anything just because it’s cheaper than usual! “New and Improved!” or “All Natural” on the front of a package influence you. Instead, read the list of ingredients(contents) on the back. Third, compare prices: that is, you should examine the prices of both different brands and different sizes of the same brand.
Another suggestion for consumers is to buy ordinary items instead of famous brands. Ordinary items in supermarkets come in plain packages. These products are cheaper because producers don’t spend much money on packing or advertising. The quality, however, is usually as good as the quality of well-known name brands. In the same way, in buying clothes, you can often find high quality and low prices in brands that are not famous. Shopping in discount clothing stores can help you save a lot of money. Although these stores aren’t very attractive, and they usually do not have individual dressing rooms, not only are the prices low, but you can often find the same famous brands that you find in high-priced department stores.
Wise consumers read magazine ads and watch TV commercials, but they do this with one advantage: knowledge of the psychology behind the ads. In other words, well-informed consumers watch for information and check for misinformation. They ask themselves questions: Is the advertiser hiding something in small print at the bottom of the page? Is there any real information in the commercial, or is the advertiser simply showing an attractive image? With the answers to these questions, consumers can make a wise choice. All the following statements are true about the phrase “ordinary items” in Paragraph 2 except ____.
| A．ordinary items never say “New and Improved” or “All Natural” |
| B．ordinary products are usually cheaper than famous brands |
| C．producers spend less money on packaging of ordinary items |
| D．the quality of ordinary items is usually as good as that of famous brands |
One of the author’s suggestions to consumers is ____.
| A．not to buy items with words like “New and Improved” or “All Natural” |
| B．to make use of ads |
| C．to buy high quality items such as famous brands after lunch |
| D．to buy any ordinary items instead of famous brands |
The author implies that ____.
| A．going into the supermarket hungry, you may buy more than you plan to |
| B．the quality of ordinary items is usually high and the prices are relatively low |
| C．discount clothing stores are good places to go to |
| D．ads sometimes don’t tell the truth |
Increasingly ,over the past ten years ,people—especially young people—have become aware of the need to change their eating habits ,because much of the food they eat ,particularly processed foods ,is not good for the health .As a result ,there has been a growing interest in natural foods :foods which do not contain chemical fertilizers ,widely used in farming today .
Natural foods ,for example ,are vegetables ,fruit and grain which have been grown in soil that is rich in organic(有机的)matter . In simple terms ,this means that the soil has been nourished by unused vegetable matter ,which provides it with essential vitamins and minerals. This in itself is a natural process compared with the use of chemicals and fertilizers , the main purpose of which is to increase the amount—but not the quality—of food grown in commercial farming areas .
Natural foods also include animals which have been allowed to feed and move freely in healthy grassland for cattle .Compare this with what happens in the mass production of poultry (家禽):there are battery farms ,for example ,where thousands of chickens live crowded together in one building and are fed on food which is little better than rubbish .Chickens kept in this way are not only tasteless as food; they also produce eggs which lack important vitamins .
There are other things of healthy eating which are now receiving increasing attention from experts on diet .Take ,for example ,the question of sugar .This is actually a non-essential food! Although another natural food ,such as honey ,can be used to sweeten food if this is necessary ,we can in fact do without it .It is not that sugar is harmful in itself .But it does seem to be addictive : the quantity we use has grown steadily over the last two centuries and in Britain today each person consumes an average of 200 pounds a year !Yet all it does is provide us with energy ,in the form of calories .There are no vitamins in it ,no minerals ,and no fibre .
It’s very important that nowadays fibre is considered to be an important part of a healthy diet .In white bread ,for example ,the fibre has been removed .But it is present in unrefined flour and of course in vegetables .It is interesting to note that in countries where the national diet contains large quantities of unrefined flour and vegetables ,certain diseases are comparatively not often seen .For this reason ,the importance is placed on the eating of wholemeal(没有去麸的面粉)bread and more vegetables by modern experts on “healthy eating”.People have become more interested in natural foods because .
| A．they want to keep fit |
| B．they want to taste all kinds of foods |
| C．natural foods are more delicious than processed foods |
| D．they want to return to nature |
Chickens raised in poultry farms are all of the following EXCEPT that .
| A．they are fed on food which is little better than garbage |
| B．they live in very crowed condition |
| C．the eggs they produce lack vitamins |
| D．they are allowed to move about and eat freely |
According to the passage,_________.
| A．people need sugar to give them energy |
| B．sugar is bad for the health |
| C．the use of sugar is habit forming |
| D．sugar only sweetens food, but provides us with nothing useful |
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