The African elephant, the largest land animal remaining on the earth, is of great importance to African ecosystem(生态系统). Unlike other animals, the African elephant is to a great extent the builder of its environment. As a big plant-eater, it largely shapes the forest-and-savanna(大草原) surroundings in which it lives, therefore setting the terms of existence for millions of other animals that live in its habitat.
It is the elephant’s great desire for food that makes it a disturber of the environment and an important builder of its habitat. In its continuous search for the 300 pounds of plants it must have every day, it kills small trees and underbushes, and pulls branches off big trees. This results in numerous open spaces in both deep tropical forests and in the woodlands that cover part of the African savannas(热带草原). In these open spaces are numerous plants in various stages of growth that attract a variety of other plant-eaters.
Take the rain forests for example. In their natural state, the spreading branches overhead shut out sunlight and prevent the growth of plants on the forest floor. By pulling down trees and eating plants, elephants make open spaces, allowing new plants to grow on the forest floor. In such situations, the forests become suitable for large hoofed plant-eaters to move around and for small plant-eaters to get their food as well.
What worries scientists now is that the African elephant has become an endangered species. If the elephant disappears, scientists say, many other animals will also disappear from vast areas of forest and savanna, greatly changing and worsening the whole ecosystem. What is the passage mainly about?
| A．Disappearance of African elephants. |
| B．Forests and savannas as habitats for African elephants. |
| C．The effect of African elephants’ search for food. |
| D．The eating habit of African elephants. |
What does the underlined phrase “setting the terms” most probably mean?
| A．Fixing the time. | B．Worsening the state. |
| C．Improving the quality. | D．Deciding the conditions. |
According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The African elephant is the largest animal on the earth. |
| B．African elephants have 300 pounds of plants every day, including small trees and underbushes. |
| C．The African elephant is in a way the builder of the environment like other land animals. |
| D．If the African elephant disappears, the whole ecosystem won’t be affected. |
The passage is developed mainly by .
| A．showing the effect and then explaining the causes |
| B．pointing out similarities and differences |
| C．describing the changes in space order |
| D．giving examples |
Picture a library without books? Well, I can’t. Ever since I was little I would go to the library and take out numerous books. From picture books to beginning chapter books to YA books, books have always been a part of my life. Unlike many people today, I don't own a Kindle or a Nook or any type of e-reader. I prefer the old-fashioned book. There is something about holding a book and being able to turn the pages that I find comforting. In today's 21st century, books may become obsolete. For me that's something I find scary.
I am a fan of the old TV science-fiction series Twilight Zone. One episode（一段情节）is about a librarian who has become obsolete. Though this episode aired in 1961, the writer of the series, Rod Serling was exactly on point when it came to predicting the future.
In fact, in San Antonio, Texas the first-ever bookless library in the country opened. The library is full of iMacs, tablets and iPads which cost a huge $2. 3 million. The library offers around 10,000 e-books. So the question is, is this what the future will soon be? Mary Graham, vice president of South Carolina's Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce states, "This is the future…If you're going to be building new library facilities, this is what you need to be doing."
It is our generation that will be the guinea pigs（试验品）of increasing technology like this. Is this a good or bad thing? Well, digital libraries may help the environment by not using paper; however, I feel like something will always be lacking with a digital book. A digital library is just the beginning.
With all of this new technology, people seem to be more absorbed in their own world. One of my biggest complaints is when I am with my friends and they can't seem to get off their smart phone and talk to me. To make plans with a friend and then have them stuck on their phone the whole time is extremely rude. Not only is it disrespectful, but it reflects the direction of where human interactions are heading. Though social media is great, it also is addicting and has negative effects.
Often when I go on Facebook it just makes me feel worse about myself. I'll see many of my 800 Facebook friends showing off their newest accomplishment or acceptance to college. Additionally, our society is becoming increasingly lazy. For instance, instead of doing mental math, people use their phone to solve 89 + 74. It is simple tasks like these that are allowing people to lack important educational and social skills.
It is up to us to find a balance between technology and human values and interactions. With new technology being created every day, we need to learn how to use it alongside our great minds. After all, inventions are supposed to benefit society not harm it. In the day of technology, who knows what's next?The underlined word "obsolete" （Paragraph l）is closest in meaning to .
| A．outdated | B．complex | C．expensive | D．meaningless |
What can we infer from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 2_______?
| A．The episode still enjoys great popularity nowadays. |
| B．Rod Serling liked making predictions about the future. |
| C．The situation of books today is similar to what Rod Serling predicted in the episode. |
| D．The episode airing in 1961 was the most entertaining of the TV science-fiction series. |
What can we learn about the library in San Antonio, Texas?
| A．It is the first-ever library in America. |
| B．It is of no practical use although it costs so much. |
| C．It holds an exhibition of much electronic equipment. |
| D．People can read e-books there with the help of the new facilities. |
Which of the following will the writer probably disagree with_______?
| A．Great as social media is, it does have some negative effects. |
| B．With the increasing use of social media, something will actually be lost. |
| C．Through social media, people can develop educational and social skills around. |
| D．As a result of social media, people may communicate less with the people around. |
The tone of the passage is best described as .
| A．Optimistic | B．Skeptical | C．Supportive | D．Objective |
For years I fought with the bird's nest that sat on top of my head-my Medusa（神话中的蛇发女妖） hair．No matter what I did and how hard I tried, in no way could I make my unruly （乱蓬蓬）hair to my satisfaction．
Growing up in a Russian-Jewish home with parents who thought North American styling products were something illegal such as drugs, I was never allowed to put them in :my hair．¨ Why buy hair gel? Your hair is so beautiful naturally," my mother would say．The teens at school did not agree．From boys 'not wanting to kiss me when we played spin the bottle in Grade 7 to being called the mop, I suffered from my hair．
When I got to university, I believed my hair was a wall that stood between me and everything-finding a part-time job, getting a boyfriend, etc．
If only I could find a way to manage the curls and put it behind bars, I told myself, I would feel secure and sexy．I tried everything: rollers, hairspray, gels and, at one point, an iron．Then, in my second year, a miracle happened．I was asked to be a hair model for Japanese hair straightening, a process by which the molecules（分子）of my curls would be broken and reset in a bone-straight position．I was the perfect candidate, the hairdresser told me． Although they said how hair relaxing could damage the :scalp （头皮）,for the next five years I didn't find them to be true． All of the hairdresser's promises were fulfilled: With my hair straight and smooth, I was no longer the¨ mop"．
However, there was extreme damage done to my wallet． To keep up the straightening cost $ 700 every six months, and that was considered cheap．While some people thought I was crazy, I was willing to do anything to never again feel like that anxious, curly-headed girl in Grade 7．But when I moved out． of my parents" house 'at age 26 and rented an apartment, the upkeep of my new image became too costly．
I couldn't hide from my inner Medusa any longer．It was time to hug her and let her fly．Seeking a choice, I turned to the Internet, Google．After hours of searching, I hit upon a“ curly haired" salon, a place designed for girls like me．I doubted these so-called “Curl Ambassadors" could do anything
without using machine of some sort, and though I bought the service called the “Curly-Doo," I suspected I'd have the same unruly mop at the end of the appointment．
I dragged my feet so hard getting there that I arrived 45 minutes late． I secretly hoped they would turn me away．Instead, my stylist simply said :‘‘You are very late． Let me see your hair" At． that moment, my world and beliefs about myself were turned upside down along with my hair． As my head was in a basin full of freezing-cold water, then covered with a jelly-like jam, I wondered what I had got myself into．
¨ Do you really think this will work?" I asked the stylist, Jones．“ My curls are a disaster．"“No curly hair is hopeless," she replied．“They just haven't found a way to work with it, that's all． "
After the hour was over, Jones had completed her work． She had styled my hair using only her hands, water and a mixture of organic jam． I couldn't believe what I was seeing in the mirror: a naturally curly, Medusa-free me．You could argue that hair is just hair． Yet, it is just such physical features that have such a large influence on how we view ourselves．
According to Jones,75 percent of the population have a wave or curl in their hair and don't know what to do with it． Men cut theirs short． Women flat-iron theirs to death． When I read through a beauty magazine or take the subway to work, it makes me sad to see so many people repressing their natural beauty．
Since then, my world has changed． I have always been outgoing, but these days I seem to be more outspoken and confident than ever． On top of that, friends and co-workers tell me I am looking better than ever, but they don't know the source of the change．
I don't need to tell them* My Medusa hair speaks for herself．What can we learn about the writer's hair in the first place?
| A．Her parents considered it was bird's nest． |
| B．Teens at school laughed at it as Medusa hair． |
| C．She hated it because it couldn't be straightened． |
| D．North American styling products harmed her hair． |
Japanese hair straightening caused a problem for the writer that ．
| A．her wish to feel secure and sexy didn't come true |
| B．her hair was seriously damaged after the straightening |
| C．the cost to keep her hair straight was too high for her |
| D．she was called ¨the mop" with her hair straight and smooth |
The writer was when she went to the “curly haired" salon．
| A．hesitated | B．excited | C．disappointed | D．determined |
What was the reaction of the stylist in the salon when she saw the writer?
| A．She was very angry because the writer was late． |
| B．She thought totally the writer's hair was a disaster． |
| C．She was calm and sure of her work． |
| D．She thought there was no way to fix the writer's hair． |
The writer's world has changed because she ．
| A．has removed her inner Medusa |
| B．has removed her curls on her head |
| C．has found a way to straighten her hair in the stylish salon |
| D．has found the admiration for her from her friends and co-workers |
The best title of the passage can be ．
| A．A Successful Stylist |
| B．My Medusa Hair |
| C．Road to Beauty |
| D．Accept the Way We Are |
Most parents of kids under age 8 don't worry about how much time they spend watching TV or using other media, from computers to smart phones to tablets PCs, according to a new survey that found a child's use of media often reflects how much time parents spend in the similar way．
¨We generally found that media use is not a source of conflict in the home" for families with young children, Ellen Wartella, a researcher from Northwestem University, told USA Today． She led a survey of 2,326 parents who have children 8 and younger．It found that in 80 percent of families, children's media use was not a problem, with 55 percent “not too" or“ not at all" concerned about it． It also showed parents have more positive than negative feelings about how media consumption affects a child's learning and the development of creativity．The exception is video games, which are viewed more negatively than TV, computers or mobile devices．“Parents rated video games as more likely to have a negative effect on children's school performance, attention time, creativity, social skills, behavior and sleep than any other medium," the researchers said in a news conference about the survey．
¨The findings exposes a generational shift （转移） in parental attitudes about technology's role in young children's lives," said Wartella．“Today's parents grew up with technology as a central pact of their lives, so they think about it differently than earlier generations of parents, instead of a battle with kids on one side and parents on the other, the use of media and technology has become a family affair． "
The researchers identified three media environments created by parents: media-centric （39 percent of families） , media-moderate （45%）and media-light （16%）． Children in media-centric families spend at least three hours more each day watching TV or using computers, video games and tablet PCs don't make parenting easier．And 88 percent of parents say they are most likely to turn to toys or activities to keep their children occupied．Slightly fewer turn to books （79%） and TV（78%）．
The survey didn't look at how media affects children． That's a topic that the American Academy of Pediatrics has handled a number of times． The AAP says studies have found too much media use can lead to attention- problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders and being fat． In addition, the Internet and cell phones can provide platforms for illegal and risky behaviors．¨By limiting screen time and offering educational media and non-electronic formats （格式）such as books, newspapers and board games, and watching television with their children, parents can help guide their children's media experience． Putting questionable content into context and teaching kids a700ut advertising contributes to their media literacy （素养） ," it says．
The pediatricians' group says parents should have “screen-free zones" and TV should be turned off during dinner． At most, it recommends children and teens engage with entertainment media for no more than two hours a day and that should be high-quality content． It is important for kids to spend time on outdoor play, reading, hobbies and using their imaginations in free play．“ Kids under 2 should not use television and other entertainment media because their brains are developing quickly and they learn best from direct human interaction," the group says．
An article on screen time by t．he Mayo Clinic also notes problems linked t．o over screen time, including being fat, irregular sleep , behavioral problems , weak school performance , violence and less time for active and creative play．Parents have more negative than positive feelings about media consumption like ．
| A．computers | B．smart phones |
| C．video games | D．tablets PCs |
Most parents don't worry about kid's media use because ．
| A．they can limit the screen time |
| B．they want their children happy |
| C．they also grew up with technology |
| D．they can teach their children themselves |
From the data of the survey, we learn ．
| A．children in media-centric families are smarter than others |
| B．children in media-light families spend one hour watching TV |
| C．more than half of the parents think children's media use was a problem |
| D．media-centric children spend more than three hours each day on media use |
To make parenting easier, most parents probably ．
| A．try to persuade their children to read books |
| B．ask their children questions while watching TV |
| C．allow their children watching TV or using computers |
| D．turn to toys or activities to keep their children occupied |
Which of the following is a suggestion by the researchers?
| A．Media use time for babies under 2 should be limited． |
| B．Entertainment media use should be high-quality content． |
| C．Schools should provide more time for active and creative play． |
| D．Home media use should provide platforms for illegal and risky behaviors． |
Below are pages adapted from, http：//sochi2014．com/en/
Sochi Volunteers
Sochi 2014 Volunteer Training Program was launched on ．
| A．30 May 2013 | B．11 March 2013 | C．16 December 2013 | D．19 September 2013 |
“ White Stick" Music Festival took place in ．
| A．Sochi | B．St． Petersburg |
| C．the United Kingdom | D．Moscow |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．The 25 ,000 volunteers were from Russia． |
| B．Winners of Cultural Program Competition weren't known until 19 September 2013． |
| C．From August,25 to September,8,you were able to enjoy Winter Games in Sochi． |
| D．Few of the cultural activities were intended for creating atmosphere of Sochi Winter Games． |
From the two boxes, you can learn that the activities were listed according to ．
| A．importance | B．place | C．date | D．name |
Henry Ford grew up on an un-electrified farm, and as a young man he followed Edison's career as the inventor became a national role model．Ford took a job at the Edison Illuminating Company working his way up to chief engineer．
In 1896 Ford was thirty-three and, though still working for Edison Co．,he had created his first experimental automobile the Ford Quadricycle2 during his off-time． At an Edison company party in New York, Ford had his first chance to meet his hero Edison and was able to explain his new automobile to the great inventor． Edison was impressed． Edison is said to have slammed his fist downand shouted ¨Young man, that's the thing! You have it! Your car is self-contained and carries its own power plant．" Edison himself had been working on the idea, but had only been considering electricity as the power source, so the idea of a gas engine was a somewhat new one．
The words comforted Ford greatly, who immediately set out building a second car which was to become the Model-T．6．The two men became f'ast friends and would go on camping trips together．When Edison later became limited to a wheelchair, Ford brought an extra one to his house so they could race．At the 50th anniversary of the invention of light-bulb, Ford honored Edison．When Edison spoke, he ended his speech directed at Ford:“ As to Henry Ford, words fail to express my feelings．I can only say that he is my friend．" Therefore it is no surprise that Ford wanted something to remember Edison by after he passed away in 1931．
Once, Ford asked Thomas Edison's son Charles to sit by the dying inventor's bedside and hold a test tube next to his father's mouth to catch his final breath． Ford was a man with many strange behaviors（ as was Edison）including some interest in reanimation and spiritualism（夏活通灵术）and some say that he was attempting to catch Edison's soul as it escaped his body in hopes of later bringing the inventor back to life．
The test tube itself didn't turn up until 1950 when it was listed in the Ford possessions after Clara Ford's passing away, and then lost again until 1978 when it was discovered in an exhibit Entitled “Henry Ford-A Personal History" in the Henry Ford Museum．It would then be discovered that the tube was labeled “Edison's Last Breath"．
There is a further mystery of this “last breath" test tube． It would seem as if Edison had quite a last breath indeed, as the Edison Estate holds a collection of 42 test tubes all supposedly containing Edison's last breath．
Regardless of the excitement over the last breath, the test tube is quite touching in its meaning．Although both men were known for all sorts of poor behavior towards ．their loved ones and mistreatment of employees, between them at least, there was clearly a deep respect and admiration．The passage can be sorted as a ．
| A．science research | B．short story | C．news report | D．self-introduction |
From the underlined sentence in Paragraph2 we can learn that ．
| A．Edison envied what Ford had achieved |
| B．Edison was annoyed that Ford did better him |
| C．Edison was angry because Ford stole his idea |
| D．Edison was extremely amazed at Ford's new idea |
In Paragraph 3,the writer mentions Ford bought an extra wheelchair ．
| A．to remind Edison was Ford's role model |
| B．to suggest Ford was a man of strange behavior |
| C．to tell us the importance of a creative idea then |
| D．to show the close friendship between Henry Ford and Edison |
¨The 61ast breath' test tube" can probably be regarded as ．
| A．a symbol of a friendship and memory |
| B．a witness to a scientific breakthrough |
| C．a failure to bring Edison back to life |
| D．a sign of the two inventors' poor behavior |
It can be learned from the last paragraph that“ ” ．
| A．Great minds think alike |
| B．Nobody is perfect |
| C．Two heads are better than one |
| D．A friend in need is a friend indeed |
粤公网安备 44130202000953号