Agricultural experts met in Ethiopia last week to discuss ways to help sub-Saharan Africa become a major producer of wheat. The area traditionally produced little wheat, while North Africa was the grain basket.
Wheat production fell sharply in sub-Saharan countries during the 1980s. In the 1960s, attempts were made to grow wheat in sub-Saharan Africa, including South Africa and Zimbabwe. But those countries found it was less costly to import wheat from Europe and the United States. Another problem is that Africa's wheat farms were often far from population centers. There also were transportation issues. And some lowlands were not a good place to grow wheat.
Hans Joachim Braun,one of the experts, says now is a good time to increase wheat production. In the last four years we have seen three major price hikes, where the wheat price and other staple process (主食加工）exploded. And that puts a big, big bill on countries which are depending on wheat imports, and Africa is the biggest wheat importer.
He also says demand for wheat in sub-Saharan Africa is growing faster than for any other crop. With higher income people would like to have more diversified(多样化）food. But that is possible not the most important one. The most important one is that there is a tremendous migration(移民）of in particular male labor to the cities. And wheat products are convenient food because you can easily buy it. It's easy to process and you also can store it for a few days, which is different from some of the maize and rice products.
There are three possible challenges for growing more wheat in Africa： climate change, disease and pests, like insects. Mr. Braun says rising temperatures should not have a major effect on wheat. In fact, he says, it could help wheat grow in areas with high rainfall totals. As for fighting disease and pests, experts suggest growing more resistant crops. In addition, railroads and roads would have to be improved so large amounts of wheat could be moved to large markets.What does the word "hikes" in Paragraph 3 probably refer to?
| A．big changes | B．large increases | C．long trips | D．big bills |
Wheat price exploding indicates_____.
| A．sub-Saharan countries need to increase wheat production badly |
| B．sub-Saharan countries have to issue more money |
| C．sub-Saharan countries should grow more Corn |
| D．importing much wheat is urgent |
Why is there a higher demand for wheat in sub-Saharan Africa？
| A．Because the number ofhungry people there is increasing. |
| B．Because higher income people have the diversified need of food. |
| C．Because male labor are crowding into the cities. |
| D．Because the wheat price is lower. |
According to Mr. Braun the main challenges for growing more wheat in Africa are_____.
| A．climate change and disease |
| B．resistant crops and climate change |
| C．rising temperatures and disease and pests |
| D．disease and pests and inconvenient transportation |
People living in the UK take quite a few holidays abroad and in this country each year．Choices made about where to go, how to get there and what to do while there can either benefit or harm the environment．
While on holiday
Many of the things you can do to he greener on holiday will be the same things you can do at home—but there arc also sonic extra things too, like avoiding gifts made from endangered plants and animals．Here are some suggestions:
●Making the most of locally produced food and drink, and local activities and attractions will support people in the area you are visiting and reduce the need for further environmental influence from transport;
●Switching off any air conditioning, heating and lights will help reduce climate change effect;
●Save water—some countries suffer from water shortages and saving water can help avoid damage to our natural habitats （栖息地）.
Endangered species （物种）
Some gifts and foods available in some countries can be made from endangered plants or animals．Check before you buy, but if you doubt, avoid animal and plant gifts．More details of the types of products to avoid and illegal trade hotspots can be found on the Souvenir Alert webpage．
Making a positive contribution to the place you are visiting
There are ways in which your holiday can help support local people and the environment;
●There are many opportunities to volunteer and help with projects that conserve and improve natural habitats;
●When you are away, or if you are looking for somewhere to visit, you can support projects or attractions which protect wildlife, such as nature reserves and conservation projects．According to the passage, we can ____ to help reduce climate change effect.
| A．make good use of water | B．buy local food and drink |
| C．save electricity | D．go around on foot |
We can infer from the passage that ____．
| A．it is not easy for people to travel abroad |
| B．not everyone can tell an illegal souvenir |
| C．green holidays have been accepted by people |
| D．volunteer work is a must for protecting natural habitats |
The passage is mainly about _________
| A．travel dos and don'ts | B．the harm done to the environment |
| C．greener choices for holiday | D．tips on protecting endangered species |
Before I started school, people felt that I was not going to be successful．At the age of four I started speech lessons because basically I could not speak well enough for anyone to understand me．The story goes downhill from here．
The first grade was a struggle．I not only had difficulty speaking, but also felt nervous about the fact that I was expected to learn to read and I just couldn't do it．The second grade was not much better．I still struggled with the inability to read．It was in the third grade that the school district built a new school close to my home．I remember going there with my parents and helping to get the school ready so that we could move to the new one．However, things were still not much better as far as my schooling was concerned and did not get better for the next two years．
It was in the fifth grade．Mrs．Wakefield was my teacher, and if ever there was a teacher that deserved a gold star, it was her．She did not make me feel defeated．On the contrary, she did her best to let me know that I could be whatever I wanted to be．And that is just what I did．
For the past 22 years, I have been a fifth grade teacher．Because of Mrs．Wakefield's influence on my life, I am now encouraging students who have had difficulties in their lives to believe that they can overcome any difficulty and become someone．I have won numerous awards up to now, such as Teacher of the Year．I owe it all to one fifth grade teacher who believed in me and challenged me to be all that I could be．The writer ______ when he was in the third grade．
| A．did better in reading | B．began speech lessons |
| C．went to a new school | D．received a high award |
We can learn from the passage that the writer ______．
A. is a very successful teacher now
B. thinks teaching is a challenging job
C, has solved problems with his own effort
D. works in the same school with Mrs. WakefieldWhat is the writer's purpose in writing the passage?
| A．To express his devotion to his work． |
| B．To show his respect to a special teacher． |
| C．To share his leaching experience with us． |
| D．To tell us his story of overcoming difficulties． |
_____ Scientists and experts have proved the uniqueness of finger-prints and discovered that no exactly similar pattern is passed on from parents to children, though nobody knows why this is the case.
The ridge （隆起） structure on a person's fingers does not change with growth and is not affected by surface injuries. Burns, cuts and other damage to the outer part of the skin will be replaced in time by new one, which bears a reproduction of the original pattern. Some criminals make use of this fact to remove their own finger-prints but this is a dangerous and rare step to take.
Finger-prints can be made very easily with printer's ink. They can be recorded easily.
______ Because of the simplicity and economy of this system, finger-prints have often been used as a method of solving criminal case. A suspected man may deny a charge but this may be in vain. ___
___ .
When a suspect leaves finger-prints behind at the scene of a crime, they are difficult to detect with the naked eye. ______ . Some of the marks found are incomplete but identification is possible if a print of a quarter of an inch square can be obtained.
| A．Special techniques are used to "develop" them. |
| B．A fingerprint is an impression of the friction ridges of all part of the finger. |
| C．It is only when the inner skin is injured that the arrangement will be destroyed. |
| D．With special methods, identification can be achieved successfully within a short time. |
E. A latent(隐约的)print is the chance reproduction of the friction ridges deposited on the surface of an item.
F. His finger-prints can prove who he is even if his appearance has been changed by age or accident.
G. Every human being has a unique arrangement of the skin on his fingers and this arrangement is unchangeable.
Throughout this long, tense election, everyone has focused on the presidential candidates and how they’ll change America. Rightly so, but selfishly, I’m more fascinated by Michelle Obama and what she might be able to do, not just for this country, but for me as an African-American woman. As the potential First Lady, she would have the world’s attention. And that means that for the first time people will have a chance to get up close and personal with the type of African-American woman they so rarely see.
Usually, the lives of black women go largely unexamined. The prevailing(普通的)theory seems to be that we’re all hot-tempered single mothers who can’t keep a man. Even in the world of make-believe, black women still can’t escape the stereotype(陈规)of being eye-rolling, oversexed females raised by our never-married, alcoholic mothers.
These images have helped define the way all women are viewed, including Michelle Obama. Before she ever gets the chance to commit to a cause, charity or foundation as First Lady, her most urgent and perhaps most complicated duty may be simple to be herself.
It won’t be easy. Because few mainstream publications have done in-depth features on regular African-American women, little is known about who we are, what we think and what we face on a regular basis. For better or worse, Michelle will represent us all.
Just as she will have her critics, she will also have millions of fans who usually have little interest in the First Lady. Many African-American blogs have written about what they’d like to see Michelle bring to the White House—mainly showing the world that a black woman can support her man and raise a strong black family. Michelle will have to work to please everyone—an impossible task. But for many African-American women like me, just a little of her poise (沉着), confidence and intelligence will go a long way in changing an image that’s been around for far too long. Why does Michelle Obama hold a strong fascination for the author?
| A．She serves as a role model for African women. |
| B．She possesses many admirable qualities becoming a First Lady. |
| C．She will present to the world a new image of African-American women. |
| D．She will pay closer attention to the interests of African-American women. |
What is the common stereotype of African-American women according to the author?
| A．They are victims of violence. | B．They are of an inferior violence. |
| C．They use quite a lot of body language. | D．They live on charity and social welfare. |
What do many African-Americans write about in their blogs?
| A．Whether Michelle can live up to the high expectations of her fans. |
| B．How Michelle should behave as a public figure. |
| C．How proud they are to have a black woman in the White House. |
| D．What Michelle should do as wife and mother in the White House. |
What do many African-American women hope Michelle Obama will do?
| A．Help change the prevailing view about black women. |
| B．Help her husband in the task of changing America. |
| C．Outshine previous First Lady. |
| D．Fully display her fine qualities. |
There are hundreds of things that your parents controlled for you when you were a child. And it’s a good thing, too — kids need this kind of protection and assistance, because they aren’t mature enough to take care of themselves and make careful decisions on their own.
But eventually, kids grow up and become teens. It’s totally normal for teens to create their own opinions, thoughts, and values about life; it’s what prepares them for adulthood. But as you change and grow into this new person who makes his or her own decisions, your parents may have a difficult time adjusting themselves to it.
In most families, it’s this adjustment that can cause a lot of fighting between teens and parents. Teens get angry because they feel parents don’t respect them and aren’t giving them space to do what they like, and parents get angry because they aren’t used to not being in control or they disagree with the teens’ decisions.
It’s easy for feelings to get very hurt when there are conflicts like these. And more complicated issues can cause even bigger arguments, because your parents will always be intent on protecting you and keeping you safe, no matter how old you are.
The good news about fighting with your parents is that in many families the arguing will lessen as parents get more comfortable with the idea that their teens have a right to certain opinions. It can take several years for parents and teens to adjust to their new roles, though. In the meantime, concentrate on communicating with your parents as best you can.
Sometimes this can feel impossible — like they just don’t see your point of view and never will. But talking and expressing your opinions can help you gain more respect from your parents, and you may be able to reach a compromise that makes everyone happy. Keep in mind, too, that your parents were teens once and that in most cases, they can relate to what you’re going through.Why do parents always want to control their children?
| A．They are afraid to lose their children. |
| B．They want to protect their children. |
| C．They don’t believe the ability of their children. |
| D．They can’t accept their children are growing. |
What does the underlined word “lessen” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?
| A．disappear. | B．increase. |
| C．strengthen. | D．decrease. |
The author suggested that teenagers ____.
| A．fight with their parents bravely for their rights |
| B．obey their parents without any doubt |
| C．communicate with their parents actively |
| D．persuade their parents in as many ways as possible |
It can be inferred from the passage that ____.
| A．most parents will give in while fighting with their children |
| B．the conflict between parents and teenagers can be solved |
| C．the only way for teens to get freedom is to leave home |
| D．only few parents do well in facing the growth of their children |
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