In 1620, about half the USA was covered by forests． Today the forests have almost gone． A lot of good land has gone with them, leaving only sand． China doesn’t want to copy the USA’s example． We’re planting more and more trees． We’ve built the " Great Green Wall" of trees across northern part of our country．The Great Green Wall is 7,000 kilometres long, and between 400 and 1,700 kilometres wide． It will stop the wind from blowing the earth away． It will stop the sand from moving towards the rich farmland in the south． More "Great Green Walls" are needed． Trees must be grown all over the world． Great Green Walls will make the world better．In 1620, about ______ the USA was covered by forests．
| A．a third | B．half | C．two thirds | D．a fourth |
A lot of good land has gone with ______．
| A．sand | B．water | C．wind | D．forests |
The Great Green Wall in China is ______ long．
| A．7,000 kilometers | B．1,700 kilometers |
| C．7,000 meters | D．400 kilometers |
Trees must be grown in ______.
| A．China | B．the USA |
| C．some countries | D．every part of the world |
_____ will make the world better．
| A．The Great Wall | B．Tall buildings |
| C．Great Green Walls | D．Flowers and grass |
A
Most children have heard their parents at one time or another yell "sit up straight!" or "don't slouch!"
In the past, this was usually heard at the dinner table as children ate dinner. But these days, it is also heard around another activity-video games.
Ten-year old Owaish Batliwala, from Mumbai, India, admits he spends three to four hours each day playing games on his tablet computer. His mother Mehzabin became concerned when her son started saying that his neck hurt.
She said, "My son started having neck problems around June or July. The pain slowly spread to his hand and his back. He plays for hours on the iPad and mobile phone. This is what has caused the problem."
Sadia Vanjara is a physical therapist. She says the number of young children with chronic pain in their necks, arms and shoulders is on the rise. Dr. Vanjara says the pain is not from aging, accidents or disease. It is from poor posture, or body position, while playing video games.
"They are not aging, they haven't had an accident, their age is like, under 10, they are not complaining, the blood reports are fine, their x-rays are fine, their MRI's are fine, then where is the culprit(罪魁祸首)? And that is the very common thing that is happening amongst all children and that is smart phones and the gadgets(小电器)."
This is a problem in many parts of the world. But there are more smartphone users in India than anywhere else in the world, except China. Networking equipment company Cisco estimates that the number of smartphone users in India will increase from 140 million today to 651 million by 2020.
19-year old student Nida Jameel says she feels pain in the finger which holds the weight of her smartphone most of the day.
She says she uses her smartphone 24/7. This means 24 hours a day, seven days a week, or all the time.
"As I use phone 24/7 (all day) like, so probably yeah, it was because of the phone, continuous usage and Snapchat, Whatsapp, more and more you know social media coming, so like phone is the center of everything."
Dr. Vanjara says the best treatments for the pain are daily exercises.
"And start stretching it in all the possible directions that you can."
Correct posture can help prevent pain. Dr. Vanjara teaches children how to hold their gadgets correctly. She tells a patient to hold the gadget in front of the face. She says that bending the head down to look at the device, strains the neck and creates an unhealthy bend to the back.
Sadia Vanjara predicts we will see not only physical but psychological and emotional problems resulting from overuse of gadgets.
Experts advise taking breaks from using a computer or other device often. Stand up. Stretch your legs, back, shoulders and arms. And when your work or school work is done, unplug and exercise.AccordingtoParagraph2,when will one hear yells like “sit up straight!”_________?
| A．Whenplayingvideogames | B．Whensleeping |
| C．Whenwalking | D．Whendriving |
Whatcaused Owaish Batliwala’s neck to hurt___________?
| A．Studyingtoohard |
| B．Thebadbodyposition |
| C．Playingthe iPad and mobile phone for hours |
| D．Hismother’sconcern |
Accordingto Sadia Vanjara, the pain is from__________?
| A．poor posture |
| B．aging |
| C．accidents |
| D．disease |
What can we learn from the passage_________?
| A．the number of young children with chronic pain in their necks, arms and shoulders is decreasing |
| B．the culprit is smart phones and the gadgets |
| C．there are more smartphone users in India than anywhere else in the world |
| D．the number of smartphone users in India is 651 million |
This passage most probably comes from__________.
| A．an amusement magazine |
| B．a news report |
| C．a travelling booklet |
| D．a health magazine |
Celebrity TV presenter Ju Ping has been a host on China Central Television for 30 years, but her recent experience fronting a charity event was one of the most special moments in her career.
On April 2, World Autism Day, Ju partnered with Xia Junqi, a 17-year-old autistic teenager, to host a charity gala at the Beijing National Aquatics Center, otherwise known as the Water Cube.
The event was organized by One Foundation, which aims to increase public awareness of autistic people and their needs.
Autism is a neural disorder that impairs sufferers’ communication skills and social interactions. Sufferers have restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior. It affects about 1.6 million people in China, with medical studies suggesting autism may affect one in every 166 children.
Autism has no cure. For many years it went largely undiagnosed in China but early intervention and continuous education may help to teach the autistic self-help skills and lessen their disruptive behavior.
The gala featured autistic children singing, dancing and performing, and was greeted with enthusiastic applause from the audience.
Cai Chunzhu, a celebrity playwright, recalled feeling heartbroken when his son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. He says his family struggled to accept the reality but finally made peace with the diagnoses in the past four years. He says the boy lives in his own world and is trained in an intervention facility. Sun Zhongkai, executive director of the Beijing Stars and Rain Institute for Autism, one of the earliest intervention facilities for autistic children in China, shared with audience his deep sorrow for parents who often collapsed with desperation when he told them there was no cure for their autistic children.
Over the years, Chinese society has become more supportive of autistic people and their families, but there are still challenges in terms of getting autistic people employed and looking after them when their parents pass away.
Actor Zhou Xun also called on society to show greater understanding and support toward autistic children and their families.Where did the gala take place?
| A．In a theater in Shanghai. | B．In the Water Cube. |
| C．In a Children’s Palace. | D．In Nanjing. |
What does the underlined word “impairs” mean in the fourth paragraph?
| A．damages sth or makes sth worse. |
| B．improve sth or become sth better. |
| C．feel what they do the saddest. |
| D．increase the interest of knowing sth |
What can we know from the seventh paragraph?
| A．Some parents were in deep sorrow when they heard their children can be cured. |
| B．Cai Chunzhu is executive director of the Beijing Stars and Rain Institute for Autism. |
| C．Sun Zhongkai recalled feeling heartbroken when his son was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. |
| D．Autism is a kind of disease that can not be cured. |
What is the attitude of our society and enthusiastic people?
| A．Some actors like Zhou Xun called on people to do nothing for autistic children. |
| B．Chinese society and people have become more supportive of autistic people and their families. |
| C．Some people want to give up helping autistic people because of many challenges they face. |
| D．Autistic children won’t be looked after when their parents pass away. |
Scientists are learning new things about Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth. For example, the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking. A new study found that summer ice loss in parts of Antarctica was at its highest level in 1,000 years. The study showed that Antarctic ice was melting mostly from below ice shelves, where the water is warmer than the ice.
Eric Rignot is an earth system expert at the University of California, Irvine. He also works for the American space agency, NASA. There he serves as senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also in California. He says ice melting from below is responsible for 55 percent of the shelf loss from 2003 to 2008. That is a much higher rate than scientists thought earlier.
Professor Rignot and his team used satellite observations, radar and computer models to measure features above the ice to learn what was going on below.
The measurements show differences from one area to the next around the continent. The major ice shelves are called Ross, Filchner and Ronne. They make up two-thirds of Antarctica’s ice shelves. But they are responsible for only 15 percent of the melting ice.
The professor says even small changes, like changes in ocean flow driven by wind, can make a huge difference in the melting of the ice shelf.
Sixty percent of the Earth’s fresh water is held in the huge Antarctic ice sheet. Professor Rignot says the study will help experts predict how the continent reacts to warmer ocean waters and helps to cause rising sea levels around the world. The study was published in the journal Science.What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking |
| B．the coldest place on earth |
| C．the major Antarctica’s ice shelves |
| D．the Atlantic Ocean are changing |
How did Eric Rignot and his team do the research?
| A．He serves as senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
| B．They used satellite observations, radar and computer models to know the things happening below the ice. |
| C．Small changes, like changes in ocean flow driven by wind, can make a huge difference in the melting of the ice shelf. |
| D．They melted 55% of the Antarctica’s ice to prove their theory is right. |
Which is true of the following statements?
| A．Ice melting from below is responsible for 35 percent of the shelf loss from 2003 to 2008. |
| B．The major ice shelves are called Ross, Filchner and Ronne, which make up one-third of Antarctica’s ice shelves. |
| C．Sixty percent of the Earth’s fresh water is contained in the huge Antarctic ice sheet. |
| D．Summer ice loss in Antarctica was at its highest level in 1,000 years. |
When will a plant be considered a weed? Experts have a simple answer: when the undesirable qualities outweigh (胜过，强过) the good qualities. Crops generally produce several hundred seeds from each plant. By comparison, each weed plant can produce tens or even hundreds of thousands of seeds. And some buried seeds can survive up to forty years or even longer. Eradicating weeds means that you have to remove all the seeds and roots so the weeds will die completely. But birds or the wind can reintroduce them to the land.
A common way to deal with weeds is to control them enough so that the land can be used for planting. Experts suggest using more methods to deal with weeds. Chemical weed killers or natural treatments like corn gluten (玉米麸) can suppress weed growth. Bill Curran is a professor of weed science. He says the most efficient method for suppressing weeds is dense planting. Dense planting of a crop can also act as a natural control. A dense and competitive crop that quickly shades the soil will help suppress many weeds. The weed seeds need light to grow, so cutting off sunlight will reduce weed growth.
Other controls include turning over the soil, pulling the weeds or covering them with mulch (地膜) made of wood, garden waste or other materials. But even mulch has its limits. Natural resource specialists point out that weeds can be transported in mulch. This is also true of soil, grain, hay and animals. Yet animals like sheep or goats eat weeds, so they can provide a biological control. Insects and other organisms can also act as biological controls.
Preventing the spread of weeds is an important part of weed management. Farm vehicles should be kept out of areas with weeds. If that is not possible, then clean off the equipment and your shoes when leaving. Some people bum weeds or bury them deep. Experts say the economical way is to make organically rich compost (有机堆肥). On the one hand, the process produces heat which can kill many weed seeds. On the other hand, the compost can be added to the soil to help plants grow.Why do people kill all the seeds and roots of weeds?
| A．Because the seeds and roots are bad in quality. |
| B．Because weeds have strong ability to live. |
| C．Because weeds take up too much space. |
| D．Because the seeds and roots will be eaten by birds. |
Which of the following methods of eradicating weeds can work best?
| A．Chemical weed killers. |
| B．Putting the com gluten in the field. |
| C．Dense planting. |
| D．Making use of mulch. |
How does dense planting affect weeds?
| A．The crops grow stronger than weeds. |
| B．The crops grow deeper in the soil. |
| C．The crops block sunlight the weed seeds need. |
| D．The crops compete with weeds for shade. |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．The weeds will surely die under mulch. |
| B．The buried weed seeds can’t come out. |
| C．Farm vehicles should be used to kill weeds. |
| D．People can make good use of weeds properly. |
Though the last book of the spectacular (壮观的) Harry Potter series was released seven years ago in 2007, the young wizard continues to be extremely popular with both kids and adults. Over the years, Harry Potter fans have been able to experience numerous aspects of the young wizard’s life, right down to his favorite drink — butter beer. Now thanks to a British hotel, they can also spend a night in the wizard’s Hogwarts Castle dormitory room.
The four-star Georgian Hotel in Central London, which recently opened its two wizard chambers(房间), is ideally suited to reproducing J.K. Rowling’s school of wizardry (巫术). That’s because the hotel, which is still run by the descendants of the original owners, dates all the way back to 1851. It still remains its original styles inside.
According to the owner of the 163-year-old Georgian Hotel, the idea originated as a way to create a kid-friendly environment in a hotel that is well-known for its Victoria Classic and Belgravia Boutique rooms.
The wizard chambers that have been refinished to resemble the Hogwarts Castle dormitory rooms are furnished with everything a wizard fan could think of — four-poster beds, stone wash basins, potion bottles, cauldrons (汽锅，大锅), spelling books and even study tables. In order to make them appear even more magical, the hotel owners have added their own special touches that include placing a wand in the hand of the Mona Lisa painting that is in one of the chambers.
As you may have guessed, these unique accommodations are not cheap. The rooms, breakfast included, cost about $350 for two people. Kids sharing the same room pay only an additional $40 each. Given that the big wizard chamber can contain up to five people, the overall cost is perfect for families that are all Harry Potter fans. Special packages include a Muggle Walking Tour that takes Harry Potter fans through the areas of the city where parts of the movies were filmed or a visit to Warner Brothers Studio, home of the Harry Potter films’ sets and props (道具).
The hotel is certainly generating a lot of buzz among Harry Potter fans!How long does the Georgian Hotel exist?
| A．It has been existing in London for three hundred years.. |
| B．It has a history of more than 160 years. |
| C．It has been there since 2007. |
| D．It has been visited by the Harry Potter fans since 1851. |
Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?.
| A．The hotel opening two wizard chambers originated as a way to create a kid-friendly environment. |
| B．All of the books of the spectacular (壮观的) Harry Potter series were released seven years ago in 2007. |
| C．As you may have guessed, these unique accommodations are very cheap. |
| D．The wizard chambers aren’t furnished as a wizard fan could think of. |
If Mr Green and his wife with three children want to stay in the hotel for a night, how much should they pay?
| A．$ 350. | B．$ 390. | C．$ 430. | D．$ 470. |
The best title of the passage is _______.
| A．Stay in the magical Harry Potter rooms |
| B．Play with Harry Potter |
| C．A recent Harry Potter Hotel |
| D．A Expensive Hotel |
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