A rainforest is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely dipping below 16℃.Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate. Without the forest cover, these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere，warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns, potentially causing certain natural disasters all over the world.
In the past hundred years, humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources (资源): land for crops, wood for paper and other products, land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example，a lot of carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit.
There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, when people cut down trees, generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly, cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now, but in the long run it actually reduces the world’ s wood supply.
Rainforests are often called the world’s drug store. More than 25% of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However, fewer than 1% of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in the world’s shrinking rainforests.Why did humans destroy rainforests in the past hundred years?
| A．They tried to get crops and paper |
| B．They needed other products |
| C．They wanted to raise farm animals |
| D．They aimed to get three major resources. |
Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they________.
| A．reflect more heat into the atmosphere |
| B．bring about high rainfall throughout the world |
| C．rarely cause the temperature to drop lower than 16℃ |
| D．reduce the effect of heat from the sun on the earth |
What does the word “this” underlined in the third paragraph refer to?
| A．We will lose much more than we can gain. |
| B．Humans have begun destroying rainforests. |
| C．People have a strong desire for resources. |
| D．Much carbon dioxide comes from burning rainforests. |
It can be inferred from the text that________.
| A．we can get enough resources without rainforests |
| B．there is great medicine potential in rainforests |
| C．we will grow fewer kinds of crops in the gained land |
| D．the level of annual rainfall affects wind patterns |
What might be the best title for the text?
| A．How to Save Rainforests |
| B．How to Protect Nature |
| C．Rainforests and the Environment |
| D．Rainforests and Medical Development |
Few of us haven’t read Cinderella, the story of a young woman living in poverty who meets the prince of her dreams. Some might not want to admit it, but there is a hidden Cinderella in everyone’s heart—we all wish we could achieve recognition or success after a period of obscurity(默默无闻).
Mary Santiago has that secret dream, too. Her story is featured in Another Cinderella Story, a film set in a US high school.
Mary is shy but loves to dance. Compared with other girls, she is invisible. However, her world changes completely when a famous teenager pop singer, Joey Parker, appears.
Joey is everything the rest of the boys in her class are not—kind, handsome and desirable. Mary and Joey’s paths cross at a ball. They meet and fall in love with each other. But when Mary has to rush back home, she leaves behind her MP3 player, which becomes the only clue Joey has to find the girl of his dreams. Of course, there is a wicked(邪恶的) stepmother, who turns out to be Dominique Blatt and she takes in Mary after her dancer mother dies. Dominique treats Mary like a maid and does everything she can to make sure Mary doesn’t get into the top dance school. Her two daughters are equally determined to stop Joey falling for Mary, even if that means embarrassing her.
The story, though it mostly follows Cinderella, does add a few modern day twists to the classic fairy tale. Refreshingly, the film, unlike many high school films, does not focus on looks, although the actors are all beautiful. There is also a lot less materialism in Another Cinderella Story than in many similar movies.
“The movie takes the Cinderella fairytale as its jumping off point,” writes movie critic Amber Wilkinson. “The focus is firmly on following your dream.”The first paragraph is mainly to ____________.
| A．build interest and lead us to Mary’s secret dream |
| B．remind us why Cinderella is popular all the years |
| C．inform us of the main topic of the whole passage |
| D．tell us how interesting the fairy tale Cinderella is |
In the movie, Mary Santiago is the main character who _____________.
| A．is brave in expressing her love |
| B．is attended badly by the stepmother |
| C．has a dream of meeting a prince |
| D．is embarrassed by the pop singer |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．Joey is just like other boys in Mary’s class. |
| B．Mary’s mother influences her a lot in singing. |
| C．Not many people have a dream to be realized. |
| D．The MP3 player helps Joey in finding Mary. |
The passage is mainly about ___________.
| A．an introduction to a film |
| B．a review about a film |
| C．an essay about dreams |
| D．an advertisement of Cinderella |
According to the passage, Another Cinderella Story ________.
| A．follows Cinderella with nothing new |
| B．pays more attention to the looks of the actors |
| C．encourages young people to follow their dreams |
| D．focuses more on materialism than other films |
What will people die of 100 years from now? If you think that is a simple question, you have not been paying attention to the revolution that is taking place in bio-technology(生物技术). With the help of new medicine, the human body will last a very long time. Death will come mainly from accidents, murder and war. Today’s leading killers, such as heart diseases, cancer, and aging itself, will become distant memory.
In discussion of technological changes, the Internet gets most of the attention these days. But the change in medicine can be the real technological event of our times. How long can humans live? Human brains were known to decide the final death. Cells(细胞) are the basic units of all living things, and until recently, scientists were sure that the life of cells could not go much beyond 120 years because the basic materials of cells, such as those of brain cells, would not last forever. But the upper limits will be broken by new medicine. Sometime between 2050 and 2100, medicine will have advanced to the point at which every 10 years or so, people will be able to take medicine to repair their organs(器官). The medicine, made up of the basic building materials of life, will build new brain cells, heart cells, and so on---in much the same way our bodies make new skin cells to take the place of old ones.
It is exciting to imagine that the advance in technology may be changing the most basic conditional human existence, but many technical problems still must be cleared up on the way to this wonderful future.According to the passage, human death is now mainly caused by _______.
| A．diseases and aging | B．accidents and war |
| C．accidents and aging | D．heart diseases and war |
In the author’s opinion, today’s most important advance in technology lies in _____.
| A．medicine | B．the internet | C．brain cells | D．human organs |
Humans may live longer in the future because ______.
| A．heart disease will be far away from us |
| B．human brains can decide the final death |
| C．the basic materials of cells will last forever |
| D．human organs can be repaired by new medicine |
We can learn from the passage that _____.
| A．human life will not last more than 120 years in the future |
| B．human have to take medicine to build new skin cells now |
| C．much needs to be done before humans can have a longer life |
| D．we have already solved the technical problems in building new cells. |
A baby can quickly damage a new mother’s well-laid plans for getting back to pre-pregnancy(孕前的) weight and shape.
The constant demands, together with the exhausting effects of interrupted sleep, can make it hard to find the time and energy to exercise or prepare healthy meals.
Here are some tips for common problems new moms face:
Problem: No time to cook proper meals. When you’re caring for a baby, cooking proper meals seems like a luxury. Instead you rely on convenience meals and processed foods.
Solution: Try to get more support. Friends, family members, and neighbors are often delighted to help, so don’t feel you have to do everything yourself. Use the extra time to prepare some healthy meals. Follow the basic rules of cutting down on fat and increasing fruit and vegetable intake.
Problem: Sugary or high-fat snacks（零食）. Tiredness can leave you feeling sleepy, run-down, and in need of an immediate help from sweets and high-fat snacks.
Solution: Turn snacking to your advantage. Eat high-fiber, low-fat, low-sugar snacks; these will fill you up without adding too many calories. For an energy boost, eat a banana, which is high in potassium -- a mineral essential for muscle and nerve function -- or try a handful of raisins, which are high in iron but low in fat.
Problem: No time or energy to exercise. A baby is a constant demand on your time, so you’re too tired or busy to exercise.
Solution: Increasing activity levels will help you obtain a net calorie loss, while toning exercises will tighten your muscles. Though you may feel too tired to do any exercise, it is worth persevering because in the long run your energy levels will increase. Involve your baby in your postnatal(产后) exercises; start by walking with the child in a carriage or sling. Swimming is another aerobic exercise that you can both enjoy by joining a mother and baby class. Many pools have childcare facilities, so you can swim a few laps on your own.
Problem: Lack of sleep. The new baby interrupts your sleep, depleting your energy and leaving you tense and exhausted.
Solution: Practice some relaxation techniques whenever you have a few free moments. Meditation, visualization, or yoga can help your body recover and give you more energy.
A young woman carrying a three-year-old child got on a bus. The conductor hurried to give her a warm welcome and then kindly asked the other passengers to make more room for the woman and her child. On seeing this, people began to talk. "You know this conductor used to be very rude. Now suddenly he has changed his bad behavior , "said a middle-aged man.
"Yes, he should be praised and we must write a letter to the company," said a second passenger. "That’s right," another lady said, "I wish a newspaper reporter were here so that more people could learn from this conductor. "
Just then a gentleman who looked like a teacher turned to the conductor and said , "Excuse me, but can I know your name, please? Your excellent service must be praised..."
Before he could open his mouth, the three-year-old child sitting on the young woman’s lap interrupted, "I know his name. I call him Dad."One passenger suggested writing a letter to the company to ______ .
| A．make a demand for more buses |
| B．thank the conductor for his good service |
| C．criticize the conductor for his rude behavior |
| D．invite a newspaper reporter to write about the conductor |
What was the gentleman?
| A．A doctor. | B．A newspaper reporter. |
| C．Not known from the story . | D．The conductor’s friend from his company. |
The word "him" in the last paragraph refers to _______.
| A．the gentleman | B．the conductor |
| C．the middle-aged man | D．the three-year-old child |
It is clear from the story that the conductor _______.
| A．has changed his attitude towards his work |
| B．has now been kind and polite to all passengers |
| C．has not changed his rude behavior to passengers |
| D．has now been kind and polite to women with children |
A recent online poll (民意调查) asked kids what they hated most about school. “Classes are boring” came in first. “Too much homework” was a close second. Since all activities remain interesting for only so long, too much homework can lead to ennui. So, why are some kids getting homework overload? Teachers give two reasons. First, they say, the government now requires schools to meet higher-than-ever achievement goals for students. If students don’ t succeed, the school faces punishment. Second, many parents want their children to be able to get into the best colleges and universities. These parents believe homework is a way to ensure that students are learning as much as possible.
People who favor homework argue that it can have many beneficial effects. They claim it can help students develop good study habits. Homework can help students recognize that learning can occur at home as well as at school. It can help develop their independent learning and responsible character traits(性格特征).
But studies show that middle school students doing 60 to 90 minutes of homework a night are doing just as well in school as those doing more than 90 minutes. And homework can have negative effects. Homework can deny students access to leisure(休闲) activities that also teach important skills. For example, sports teams teach cooperation and leadership, in addition to helping kids stay physically active. Another problem with too much homework is that parents can get too involved. They can put too much pressure on their kids.
So what should be done? Good homework assignments in the proper amount will have positive effects. Too much homework, however, will have negative effects. The bottom line: Students in grades three through six should do no more than 30 to 60 minutes of homework each night.The underline word “ennui” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “______” .
| A．relaxation | B．fancy | C．boredom | D．intelligence |
According to Paragraph 1, the kids are given much homework because ________.
| A．schools are evaluated in terms of students’ achievement. |
| B．the government doesn’t take the problem seriously |
| C．it is a good way to improve the students’ ability |
| D．time will be made full use of in this way |
Those who are in favor of homework think that _______.
| A．homework helps students to succeed |
| B．it’s good for kids to help each other in learning |
| C．parents are a great help when kids do homework at home |
| D．homework helps children to learn independently |
Which of the following is NOT a negative effect of too much homework?
| A．Kids have little time to do leisure activities. |
| B．There is a lack of sleeping time. |
| C．The chances of learning other skills are lost. |
| D．Kids are under pressure from their parents. |
The author’s purpose in writing the passage is _______.
| A．to criticize the school teachers |
| B．to attract public attention to kids’ study |
| C．to offer more help to today’s kids |
| D．to call for proper amounts of homework |
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