2010 was the year the Earth struck back.
Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, blizzards(暴风雪), landslides(滑坡)and droughts
killed at least a quarter million people in 2010---the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined.
“It just seemed like it was back-to-back (接二连三) and it came waves,” said C
raig Fugate, who heads the US Federal Emergency Management Agency. It handled a record number of disasters in 2010.
“The term ' 100-year event ' really lost its meaning this year.”
And we have ourselves to blame most of the time, scientists and disaster experts say.
Even though many disasters seem accidental, the hand of man made this a particularly deadly, costly, extreme and strange year for everything from wild weather to earthquakes.
Poor construction and development practices make earthquake more deadly than they need be. More people live in poverty in vulnerable building (危房) in crowded cities. That means that when the ground shakes the river breaches(攻破), or the tropical cyclone (旋风) hits, more people die.
The January earthquake that killed well more than 220000 people in Haita is a perfect example. Port-au-Prince has nearly three times as many people, many of them living in poverty, and more poorly built shanties (棚户区) than it did 25 years ago. So had the same quake hit in 1985 instead of 2010, total deaths would have probably been in the 80 000 range, said Richard Olson, director of disaster risk reduction at Florida International University.
Climate scientists say Earth's climate also is changing thanks to man-made global warning, bringing extreme weather, such as heat waves and flooding.
The excessive (过多的) amount of extreme weather of 2010 is a clear sign of man-made global warning that climate scientists have long warned about. They calculate that the killer Russian heat wave ---setting a national record of 111 degrees --- would happen once every 100000 years without global warning.
Preliminary (之前的) data show that 18 counties broke their records for the hottest day ever.
White House science adviser John Holdren said we should get used to climate disasters or do something about global warning. "The science is clear that we can expect more and more of these kinds of damaging events unless and until society's emissions of heat-trapping (吸热的)gases and particles are sh
arply reduce." What does the second paragraph mainly tell us?
| A．How the Earth struck back in 2010. | B．Why the Earth struck back. |
| C．How terrorism attacks struck. | D．What natural disaster mean to us. |
What does the underlined word "it" refer to in the third paragraph?
| A．Earthquake. | B．The Earth. | C．2010 | D．Natural disaster. |
What do the fifth, sixth and seventh paragraphs mainly tell us?
| A．The reason why there were so mainly disasters in 2010. |
| B．The way that natural disasters happened. |
| C．The way that man built buildings. |
| D．The way that people lived. |
What is the way to cut back on the number of natural disasters?
| A．To build stronger houses. |
| B．To develop less. |
| C．To reduce the emissions of heat-trapping gases and particles greatly. |
| D．To forecast the happening of natural disasters correctly. |
Why did the writer give the example of th
e earthquake that happened in Haiti?
| A．To show more people's living in vulnerable building can cause more people to die in an earthquake. |
B．To sho w Haiti is a poor country. |
| C．To show Port-au-Prince is too crowded. |
| D．To show man's forecast ability of an earthquake reduced. |
In 1997, I found myself in a situation I never thought I'd be in: alone and begging for money in New York. My father had been separated from our family, and my mother had recently died from complications related to AIDS. What I remember most about such nights is lying on the cold marble floor and using my backpack for a pillow.
Even though I had lost my family, I made choices every single day to turn my life around. There was the haven for homeless teenagers called the Door, a non－profit organization that provided me with guidance, medical care and food, all of which kept me going while I completed my homework in train stations and under hallway lights. Perhaps the most surprising help though, I did not seek out﹔it found me. The New York Times told my story. In the weeks that followed, dozens of strangers reached out to me from all across the United States. At my high school, I began receiving handwritten letters of encouragement. Strangers showed up bearing clothes, books, and even hugs. Since the article mentioned I was applying to Harvard, one woman knitted a blanket for me. She attached this note to the box it was posted in: "It gets cold in those dorms. May you warm yourself knowing that people care about you".
With the help of these people, my life today bears no resemblance at all to my life then. I graduated not only from high school but also from Harvard University.
Before these people — some of them nameless— I just didn't realize how good people could be. But now I do, and I can say that the people who helped me have forever changed me. They are the reason behind my decision to join the board at the Door so that I can be part of a small team of people opening a high school for homeless teenagers .They are the reason I dedicate my life to opening pathways for others. And they are the reason I travel around the world helping people transform their own lives.According to the passage, the author______________.
| A．tried to change her life |
| B．often slept m friends’ homes |
| C．felt lonely because of her illness |
| D．felt quite desperate for her father |
What can we learn about the Door?
| A．It helps the homeless teenagers. |
| B．It is an organization seeking profits. |
| C．It provides entertainment for children. |
| D．It reports the stories about the homeless. |
The 3rd paragraph mainly tells about .
| A．how the author applies to Harvard |
| B．how the author struggles for her ideal |
| C．how The New York Times helps the author |
| D．how people help the author in different ways |
Which of the following is the correct order to describe the author's life?
a. The newspaper reported her story.
b. She graduated from Harvard University.
c. She slept on the cold floor at night.
d. She joined the committee at the Door.
e. Her mother died from the illness.
| A．d→e→c→a→b | B．e→c→d→a→b |
| C．e→c→a→b→d | D．b→c→d→e→a |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．Patience is a virtue. |
| B．Love can be passed on. |
| C．Time waits for no man. |
| D．Honesty leads to success. |
Motherhood may make women smarter and may help prevent dementia(痴呆) in old age by bathing the brain in protective hormones(荷尔蒙) , U.S. reseachers reported on Thursday.
Tests on rats show that those who raise two or more litters of pups do considerably better in tests of memory and skills than rats who have no babies, and their brains show changes that suggest they may be protected against diseases such as Alzheimer’s(老年痴呆症). University of Richmond psychology professor Craig Kinsley believes his findings will translate into humans.
“Our research shows that the hormones of pregnancy are protecting the brain, including estrogen(雌激素), which we know has many neuroprotective (保护神经的) effects,” Kinsley said.
“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals,” he added in a telephone interview. “They go through pregnancy and hormonal changes.”
Kinsley said he hoped public health officials and researchers will look to see if having had children protects a woman from Alzheimer’s and other forms of age-related brain decline.
“When people think about pregnancy, they think about what happens to babies and the mother from the neck down,” said Kinsley, who presented his findings to the annual meeting of the Society of Neuroscience in Orlando, Florida.
“They do not realize that hormones are washing on the brain. If you look at female animals who have never gone through pregnancy, they act differently toward young. But if she goes through pregnancy, she will sacrifice her life for her infant—that is a great change in her behavior that showed in genetic alterations(改变) to the brain.”What can protect the brain of a woman according to the passage?( within 4 words)
How do scientists know “Motherhood may make women smarter”?( within 8 words)
“It’s rat data but humans are mammals just like these animals are mammals.” What does the sentence suggest? ( within 13 words)
What’s the main idea of this passage? (within 10 words)
With high pace of modern society, more and more people get stressed and feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for years. Now researchers say there are different types of loneliness.
The first kind of loneliness is temporary. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and doesn’t require any specially attention. The second kind, situational loneliness, is a natural result of a particular situation ―for example, when a family problem appears, the time a loved one dies, or when they move to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year. The third kind of loneliness is the most severe. Unlike the second type, it usually lasts for more than two years and has no specific cause. People in this case have problems socializing and can not become close to others. Unfortunately, many such people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.
Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: They are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between habitual loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease. While temporary and situational loneliness can be normal, healthy part of life, habitual loneliness can be a very sad, and sometimes dangerous condition.
Title: _____________________
| Types |
Causes |
Existing Time |
||
| Temporary |
Not mentioned |
Not mentioned |
Very Short |
Normal and healthy |
| Situational |
● a family problem, ● ● moving to a new place |
● headaches ● sleeplessness |
Not more than a year |
|
| |
No specific cause |
Difficulties ● socializing ● others ● keeping fit |
|
|
We can make mistakes at any age. Some mistakes we make are about money. But most mistakes are about people. “Did Jerry really care when I broke up with Helen?” “When I got that great job, did Jim really feel good about it, as a friend? Or did he envy my luck?” “And Paul-why didn’t pick up that he was friendly just because I had a car?” When we look back, doubts like these can make us feel bad. But when we look back， It’s too late.
Why do we go wrong about our friends – or our enemies? Sometimes what people say hides their real meaning. And if we don’t really listen we miss the feeling behind the words. Suppose someone tells you， “You’re a lucky dog .” that’s being friendly. But “lucky dog”? There’s a bit of envy in those words. Maybe he doesn’t see it himself. But bringing in the “dog” bit puts you down a little. What he may be saying is that he doesn’t think you deserve your luck.
“Just think of all the things you have to be thankful for ” is another noise that says one thing and means another. It could mean that the speaker is trying to get you to see your problem as part of your life as a whole. But is he? Wrapped up in this phrase is the thought that your problem isn’t important. It’s telling you to think of all the starving people in the world when you haven’t got a date for Saturday night.
How can you tell the real meaning behind someone’s words? One way is to take a good look at the person talking. Do his words fit the way he looks? Does what he says agree with the tone of voice? His posture? The look in his eyes? Stop and think. The minute you spend thinking about the real meaning of what people say to you may save another mistake.This passage is mainly about .
| A．how to interpret what people say |
| B．what to do when you listen to others talking |
| C．how to avoid mistakes when you communicate with people |
| D．Why we go wrong with people sometimes |
According to the author，the reason why we go wrong about our friends is that .
| A．We fail to listen carefully when they talk |
| B．People tend to be annoyed when we check what they say |
| C．People usually state one thing but means another |
| D．We tend to doubt what our friends say |
In the sentence “Maybe he doesn’t see it himself” in the second paragraph，the pronoun “it “refers to .
| A．being friendly | B．a bit of envy | C．lucky dog | D．your luck |
When we listen to a person talking, the most important thing for us to do is .
| A．notice the way the person is talking |
| B．take a good look at the person talking |
| C．mind his tone，his posture and the look in his eyes |
| D．examine the real meaning of what he says based on his manner, his tone and his posture |
The author most probably is a .
| A．teacher | B．philosopher | C．psychologist | D．doctor |
Surprisingly, no one knows how many children receive education in English hospitals, still less the content or quality of that education. Proper records are just not kept. We know that more than 850,000 children go through hospital each year, and that every child of school age has a legal right to continue to receive education while in hospital. We also know there is only one hospital teacher to every 1,000 children in hospital.
Little wonder the latest survey concludes that the extent and type of hospital teaching available differ a great deal across the country. It is found that half the hospitals in England which admit children have no teacher. A further quarter have only a part-time teacher. The special children’s hospitals in major cities do best; general hospitals in the country and holiday areas are worst off. From this survey, one can estimate that fewer than one in five children have some contact with a hospital teacher—and that contact may be as little as two hours a day. Most children interviewed were surprised to find a teacher in hospital at all. They had not been prepared for it by parents or their own school. If there was a teacher they were much more likely to read books and do math or number work; without a teacher they would only play games.
Reasons for hospital teaching range from preventing a child falling behind and maintaining the habit of school to keeping a child occupied, and the latter is often all the teacher can do. The position and influence of many teachers was summed up when parents referred to them as “the library lady” or just “the helper”. Children tend to rely on concerned school friends to keep in touch with school work. Several parents spoke of requests for work being ignored or refused by the school. Once back at school children rarely get extra teaching, and are told to catch up as best they can.
Many short-stay child-patients catch up quickly. But schools do very little to ease the anxiety about falling behind expressed by many of the children interviewed.Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Every child in hospital receives some teaching. |
| B．Not enough is known about hospital teaching. |
| C．Hospital teaching is of poor quality. |
| D．The special children's hospitals are worst off. |
It can be inferred from the latest survey that________.
| A．hospital teaching across the country is similar |
| B．each hospital has at least one part-time teacher |
| C．all hospitals surveyed offer education to children |
| D．only one-fourth of the hospital have full-time teacher |
The hospital teachers are found________.
| A．not welcomed by the children and their parents | B．unnecessary |
| C．not quite helpful | D．capable |
In order to catch up with their school work, children in hospital usually turn to________.
| A．hospital teachers | B．schoolmates | C．parents | D．school teachers |
We can conclude from the passage that the author is________.
| A．unfavorable towards children receiving education in hospitals |
| B．in favor of the present state of teaching in hospitals |
| C．unsatisfied with the present state of hospital teaching |
| D．satisfied with the results of the latest survey |
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