In the summer of 1978 an English farmer was driving his tractor through a field of wheat when he discovered that some of his wheat was lying flat on the ground. The fattened (压平的) wheat formed a circle about six meters across. Around this circle were four smaller circles of flattened wheat. The five circles were in a formation like five dots. During the following years, farmers in England found the strange circles in their fields more and more often.
The circles are called “crop circles” because they appear in the fields of grain - usually wheat or corn. The grain in the circles lies flat on the ground but never broken; it continues to grow, and farmers can later harvest it. Farmers always discover the crop circles in the morning, so the circles probably form at night. They appear only in the months from May to September.
At first, people thought that the circles were a hoax. Probably young people were making them as a joke, or farmers were making them to attract tourists. To prove that the circles were a hoax, people tried to make circles exactly like the ones that farmer had found. They couldn’t do it. They couldn’t enter a field of grain without leaving tracks(痕迹), and they couldn’t flatten the grain without breaking it.
Many people believe that beings from outer space are making the circle to communicate with us from far away and that the crop circles are messages from them.
Scientists who have studied the crop circles suggested several possibilities. Some scientists say that a downward rush of wind leads to the formation of the circles - the same downward rush of air that sometimes causes an airplane to crash. Other scientists say that forces within the earth cause the circles to appear. There is one problem with all these scientific explanations: crop circles often appear in formations, like the five-dot formation. It is hard to believe that any natural force could form those.In the summer of 1978, an English farmer discovered in his field that __________.
| A．some of his wheat had been damaged |
| B．his grain was growing up in circles. |
| C．his grain was moved into several circles |
| D．some of his wheat had fallen onto the ground. |
According to the text, the underlined part “hoax” (in the 3rd paragraph) probably means __________.
| A．an attempt made to fool people |
| B．a special way to plant crops |
| C．a research on the force of winds |
| D．an experiment for the protection of crops. |
Which of the following may prove that the crop circles are not made by man?
| A．The farmer couldn’t step out of the field. |
| B．The farmers couldn’t make the circles round. |
| C．The farmers couldn’t leave without footprints. |
| D．The farmers couldn’t keep the wheat straight up. |
A proper title for this passage is ___________.
| A．An Unsolved Mystery |
| B．Strange Flying Objects |
| C．The Power of Natural Forces |
| D．The discovery of Strange Circles |
Running like the wind, roaring （咆哮） like thunder, tigers have long been feared and respected as a king of the animal world．But last week a report said that there are no more than 30 wild tigers left in south China．
This was the conclusion of a team of scientists from China's State Forestry Administration and the World Nature Fund．
The South China tiger, also known as the Chinese tiger, is native to southern China．In the 1950's, there were over 4000 tigers found in mountain forests in the country．But due to the destruction of their natural habitat （栖息地） and uncontrolled hunting, it has been pushed on to the list of the world's top ten most endangered species．
Sixty-six of the big cats can be found in the cages of a dozen zoos around China．But they are nothing like their wild cousins．They have lost their natural skills such as hunting and killing．If they were set free they could not look after themselves．
"Breeding has damaged the quality of the species", said Pei Enle, deputy director of the Shanghai Zoo．
To reintroduce the species into the wild, the country started a programme to send five to ten young tigers to South Africa．Four of them have already arrived．Progress has been made as two elder tigers have recovered some of their instincts（本能） and can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base．
" South Africans are very experienced in reintroducing big animals to the wild．The country has very good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in", said Lu Jun, office director of the National Wildlife Research and Development Center．" We tried in Fujian Province, but it was not successful as there was not a complete eco-chain（生物链） and there was a lack of space．"
The tigers should return to China in 2007 when the reservations in Fujian are ready．What is the main reason for the South China tiger becoming one of the world's top ten most endangered species?
| A．Because it has lost its natural instincts． |
| B．Because there is not a complete eco-chain． |
| C．Because there is no space for it． |
| D．Because uncontrolled hunting has destroyed its natural living conditions． |
How is the programme of sending several tigers to South Africa getting on?
| A．Its effect still remains to be seen． |
| B．Two tigers can already compete with their wild cousins． |
| C．Some of the tigers are already on the road to recovering their natural skills． |
| D．The tigers should be able to recover their instincts completely by 2007． |
By saying " but they are nothing like their wild cousins", the writer means that ______．
| A．they are no longer feared by other wild animals |
| B．they don't know how to hunt or kill |
| C．a complete change has resulted in the species because of breeding |
| D．to reintroduce them into the wild has become an urgent task |
What is the purpose of sending young tigers to South Africa?
| A．To help the tigers recover their ability to live in the wild． |
| B．To provide them with a better environment． |
| C．To get the tigers to go on a tour． |
| D．To find a complete eco-chain for them． |
Which one is not the reason for South Africa being chosen as the training place?
| A．Because the tigers can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base． |
| B．Because South Africans are skilled at dealing with the tigers． |
| C．Because there is a complete eco-chain and enough space there． |
| D．Because the country has good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in． |
No one knows yet the accurate number of lives which have been lost in this terrible fire .But reports suggest that it is more than one hundred .
A wall of flames fifty feet high and at least one hundred and fifty miles wide is now racing towards the forests and rich farmlands of southern Victoria . Towns less than one hundred miles from Melbourne will be in danger unless the wind changes . People are rushing excitedly into the streets . The police have warned them not to see the fire but many people are doing so .
The cause of the fire is unknown . No rain has fallen in this part of Australia for three months , and the hot , north-west wind from the great central desert is blowing at more than thirty miles an hour .
The firefighters are travelling to the fire by road , rail and air . But it is not easy to get there . Flames and fallen trees have cut off or blocked roads and railway lines . The thick smoke often prevents them from finding the air strips (飞机跑道).
It is said that the fire has brought the greater danger to the country since the Second World War .By the time the article was written , the fire .
| A．had just broken out | B．had been put out |
| C．was spreading violently | D．was coming to an end |
The writer wrote this article mainly to tell people .
| A．the fire was terrible and dangerous |
| B．it was impossible to put out the fire |
| C．more than one hundred people died of the fire |
| D．to join in the fight against the fire |
In the 4th paragraph , the writer suggested that .
| A．the fire would soon be controlled by the firefighters |
| B．it would be very difficult to put out the fire |
| C．the government was paying great attention to the fire |
| D．the fire had caused great losses and the airport was in ganger |
The underlined word “ accurate” in the first sentence has the same meaning as .
| A．recent | B．whole | C．rough | D．exact |
Life on-line can be a much richer experience when you aren’t restricted to just written words and still pictures. Even if you’re new to the Net, you’ve probably heard about multimedia on-line—listening to audio, watching animations and videos, even playing in three-dimensional space. 样一个道理在新西兰留学， tears.Sound and movement make information come alive.
To experience it, you’ll need special pieces of software called plug-ins. The term “plug-in” refers to a small, add-on piece of software which extends the capabilities of your web browser, like Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer, turning your computer into a radio or TV.
When you arrive at a web page which contains a file requiring a plug-in which you don’t have,you will usually receive a message asking if you want to get it by downloading it and installing it into your computer. Most of the time, the installation will be automatic.
Occasionally, you’ll run into a downloaded file which needs to be decompressed or un-zipped before installation. Once installed, plug-ins run automatically, without you having to do anything.
Many multimedia controls still need to be obtained from the developer but are installed automatically.
Shockwave is a good example of this. All you need to do is go to the Macromedia site and click on the link to install the ActiveX control. The rest happens automatically. The next time you go to a “Shocked” website, the Shockwave control loads and plays the movie.
Most plug-ins and controls can be downloaded for free on the Internet, although not all will work with every system. Some of them, for instance, only work with Windows 95.Plug-ins can help us to do all of the following except _________.
| A．listening to music |
| B．watching animations and videos |
| C．playing three-dimensioned games |
| D．searching for information on the net |
The correct explanation about “plug-in” is _________.
| A．a radio or TV connected with a computer |
| B．a small,add-on piece of hardware which improves your web browser |
| C．a small,add-on piece of software which can turn your computer into a radio or TV |
| D．a small,add-on piece of software like Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Explorer |
When we go to a “shocked” website a second time,_________.
| A．we should go to the Macromedia site and click on the link to install the Active X control |
| B．the shockwave control loads itself and plays the movie for us |
| C．we will be asked whether to download the shockwave control or not |
| D．we have to buy the shockwave control and load it |
Most of the time,how can we get a plug-in before automatic installation?
| A．We have to buy it from the developer. |
| B．We have to borrow it from the developer. |
| C．We have to rent it from the developer. |
| D．We can obtain from the developer without paying. |
WASHINGTON—Two-thirds of the world’s polar bear population could be gone by 2050 if predictions of melting sea ice hold true, the US Geological Survey reported on Friday.
The fate of polar bears could be even worse than that estimate, because sea ice in the Arctic might be disappearing faster than the available computer models predict, the geological survey said in a report aimed at determining whether the big white bear should be listed as a threatened species.
“There is a definite link between changes in the sea ice and the welfare of polar bears,” said Steve Amstrup, who led the research team. He says Arctic sea ice is already at the lowest this year and is expected to retreat(退却) farther this month.
That means that polar bears—some 16,000 of them -- will disappear by 2050 from parts of the Arctic where sea ice is melting most rapidly, along the north coasts of Alaska and Russia, researchers said in a telephone briefing(简报).
Other polar bears could survive beyond that date but many of those could be gone by 2100, Amstrup said. By this century’s end, the only polar bears left might live in the Canadian Arctic islands and along the west coast of Greenland.
“It is likely to result in loss of approximately two-thirds of the world’s current polar bear population by the mid 21st century,” the report’s executive summary said.
“Because the observed trajectory(轨迹)of Arctic sea ice decline appears to be underestimated by currently available models, this assessment of future polar bear status may be conservative(保守的).”
In January, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the polar bear as a threatened species, noting polar bears depend on sea ice as a platform to hunt seals, their main food.
Without enough sea ice, polar bears would be forced onto land, but they are poor hunters once they get out of the water and ice, the researchers said. The bears’ disappearance would probably take place as young cubs(幼兽)failed to survive to adulthood and females were unable to reproduce successfully.What was the US Geological Survey intended to do?
| A．To determine whether the polar bear was in danger. |
| B．To measure how fast the sea ice melts in the Arctic. |
| C．To check the predictions of the computer models. |
| D．To find out the exact number of the polar bear. |
What causes the polar bears to disappear by 2050?
| A．The pollution of the Arctic region. | B．The sea ice melting at high speed |
| C．Fewer food sources being left. | D．The temperature getting colder. |
The key to preventing polar bears dying out seems to _______________.
| A．help young polar bears to survive the cold winter |
| B．have large number of seals living in the oceans |
| C．make sure there is enough sea ice in the Arctic |
| D．provide chances for adult polar bears to reproduce |
In order to learn a foreign language well，four things are necessary． First，we must understand the language when we hear it spoken．Secondly, we must be able to speak it ourselves, with confidence and without hesitation（犹豫）． Thirdly，we must do much reading． Finally， we must be able to write it. We must be able to make sentences that are correct in grammar．
There are no shortcuts to success in language learning． A good memory is a great help，but it is not enough only to memorize the rules from a grammar book．It is not much learning by heart long lists of words and their meanings，studying the dictionary and so on．We must learn by using the language．
If we are pleased with a few rules we have memorized，we are not really learning the language．We must “learn through use．” Practice is important．We must practise speaking and writing the language whenever we can．The most important things to learn a foreign language are ＿＿＿＿＿.
| A．understanding and speaking |
| B．listening，speaking，reading and writing |
| C．writing and understanding |
| D．memorizing and listening |
Someone hears and writes English very well， but he speaks it very badly． This is because ＿＿＿＿＿．
| A．he doesn’t understand the language when he hears it spoken |
| B．he doesn’t have a good memory |
| C．he always remembers lists of words and their meanings |
| D．he often hesitates（犹豫）to practise speaking it |
One can never learn a foreign language well by ＿＿＿＿。
| A．doing much practice | B．studying the dictionary |
| C．learning through use | D．using the language |
Which is the most important in learning a foreign language？
| A．good memory | B．Speaking． | C．Practice． | D．Writing |
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