Bissel is a small village of the West Sahara. It lies next to a l.5-square-kilometer oasis（绿洲）, from where three days and nights are generally required to go out of the desert. However, before Ken Levin discovered it in 1926, none of the Bissel villagers had ever walked out of the desert. Reportedly, they were not unwilling to leave this barren land. Many had previously tried but failed, always somehow finding themselves back at the oasis after several days of trying to walk out.
When interviewed by Ken Levin, an expert at the British Royal College of Sciences, the villagers explained that no matter which direction they walked it always brought them back to the village.Why couldn’t the Bissel villagers walk out of the desert? Levin was very puzzled. He had, by himself, managed to walk north from the village and reach the nearest town in three and a half days. He decided to carry out an experiment to solve the mystery. He and a Bissel villager called Argutel, would walk out of the desert together. They prepared enough water for a half-a-month journey and two camels. But this time Ken Levin didn't bring his compass. Levin would follow Argutel.
Ten days later, they had walked for about 500 miles but were still in the desert. On the 11th morning, an oasis came into their view. They were back at Bissel. Levin now understood why the Bissel people couldn’t escape the desert. They had no knowledge of the North Star, which had for centuries provided sailors and other travelers with a point of direction. In the desert, if a person goes forward relying only on their senses, they will not be able to travel in a straight line. Rather they will travel in a very large circle and eventually track back to where they began. Levin explained to Argutel the function of the North Star and said, “As long as you rest in the daytime and walk towards the brightest star at night, you would be able to walk out of the desert.” Argutel did as he was told. Three days later, he came to the edge of the desert.
Now in the West Sahara, Bissel has become a bright pearl, where tens of thousands of tourists come every year. Argutel’s bronze statue stands in the center of the town. On its base are the words: __________________________.Ken Levin asked Argutel to walk to the north in order to ________.
| A．prove that people could walk out of the desert see |
| B．how far away Bissel was to the edge of the desert |
| C．tell people not to walk in circles |
| D．show Argutel was a great person |
According to the passage, Ken Levin ________.
| A．knew Argutel before he came to the village |
| B．came to Bissel to do experiments on behalf of his college |
| C．became the first man to walk out of the desert from Bissel Village |
| D．taught Bissel villagers knowledge of the North Star when he first arrived |
It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
| A．Ken Levin didn’t walk south because it would take more days |
| B．the use of a compass was necessary to walk out of the desert |
| C．tourism in Bissel has been greatly developed and improved |
| D．Argutel became the leader of Bissel after his return |
Which of the following can most probably be found at the base of Argutel’s statue?
| A．A new life starts from the fixed direction. |
| B．Where there is a will , there is a way . |
| C．A long journey starts with the first step . |
| D．Two heads are better than one. |
Inventor, physicist, surveyor, astronomer, biologist, artist… Robert Hooke was all there and more. Some say he was the greatest experimental scientist of the 17th century. In the course of his work, he cooperated with famous men of science like Isaac Newton, and the great architect, Christopher Wren.
Hooke’s early education began at home, under the guidance of his father. He entered Westminster School at the age of 13, and from there went to Oxford, where he came in contact with some of the best scientists in England. Hooke impressed them with his skills at designing experiments and inventing instruments. In 1662, at he age of 28, he was named Curator of Experiments at the newly formed Royal Society of London- meaning that he was responsible for demonstrating(展示) new experiments at the society’s weekly meeting. Hooke accepted the job, even though he knew that the society had no money to pay him!
Watching living things through a microscope was one of his favourite pastimes(消遣). He invented a compound microscope(显微镜) for this purpose. One day while observing a cork(软木塞) under a microscope, he saw honeycomb-like structures. There were cells –the smallest units of life. In fact, it was Hooke who invented the term “cell” as the boxlike cells of the cork reminded him of the cells of a monastery(修道院).
Another achievement of Hooke’s was his book Micrographia, which introduced the enormous potential(潜力) of the microscope. It contains fascinating drawings of the thing he saw under the microscope. The book also includes, among other things, ideas on gravity, light and combustion(燃烧) that may have helped scientists like Newton when they were developing their own theories on these phenomena(现象).
Hooke made valuable contributions to astronomy too. A crater(火山口) on the moon is named after him in honour of his services to this branch of science. We can infer from paragraph 2 that Hooke is ____________.
| A．friendly | B．sociable | C．creative | D．helpful |
Which is the possible reason why Hooke accepted the job as Curator of Experiments?
| A．He liked designing experiments. |
| B．His family needed his support. |
| C．He wanted to please the famous scientists in England. |
| D．His parents couldn’t afford his education. |
The cell got its name because of __________.
| A．its use | B．its shape | C．Hooke’s favourites | D．Hooke’s experiences |
Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．Hooke went to Oxford in 1645. |
| B．Hooke was well paid in the Royal Society of London. |
| C．Hooke made a contribution to medicine. |
| D．Hooke’s book Micrographia may have helped Newton. |
The last paragraph is to prove that _____________.
| A．Hooke was the greatest experimental scientist of the 17th century |
| B．Hooke was good at making discoveries |
| C．Hooke’s contributions were not limited to one field |
| D．Hooke was one of the greatest astronomers |
London has more than nine million visitors every year. They come and visit some of the most famous places in England: Big Ben, the Tower of London and the River Thames.
You can see some of the most interesting places in London by getting on the tour buses. Or you can take a ride on the London Eye. This large wheel slowly takes you 135m above the River Thames.
The River Thames is London’s main waterway. It has shaped the capital’s landscape, history and geography. So one of the best ways of knowing more about the city is to take a trip along the river.
The clock tower of the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, has become one of the main symbols of London. The sound of the bell, which you can hear at the beginning of many television and radio programmes, has become well-known throughout the nation.
No visit to London is complete without a look at the Tower of London, in the eastern part of the city. After Big Ben, the Tower may be London’s most visited tourist spot. Directly south is Tower Bridge, which is more than100 years old.
Along all the palaces in London, Buckingham Palace is the most famous. It has been the main London home of the royal family since Queen Victoria moved there in 1873. You can visit some of the rooms in August and September. And most mornings of the year you can watch the soldiers
outside changing the guard.
About one hour by train out of London is the Tower of Windsor. Here you can visit another of the Queen’s homes-Windsor Castle. There was a fire in 1992 and many of the rooms were badly burned. But now they are full of beautiful pictures, tables and chairs again.
Sightseeing in London is great, but it can get very tiring. So, the best way to start the day is to fill up with an English breakfast.
You can buy an English breakfast in nearly every hotel, and at many restaurants and cafes. An English pub is a good place to stop for lunch and a drink. You can get hot or cold food and try one of England’s many ales(浓啤酒). Fish and chips are also a traditional English meal. So look out for fish and chip shops in cities as well as by the sea.
Or you can sit outside one of the many roadside pubs and cafes in London, and simply watch the busy world go by.We can learn from the text that ____________.
| A．Windsor Castle has been rebuilt |
| B．the Big Ben can be heard everywhere in London |
| C．only some of the hotels in England serve breakfast. |
| D．the London Eye can carry you where you like to go |
Which place may be London’s most visited tourist spot?
| A．Buckingham Palace | B．The Tower of London |
| C．Big Ben | D．The River Thames |
If you go to London in December, you will not be able to ___________
| A．visit Windsor Castle |
| B．tour the Buckingham Palace |
| C．tour the city along the River Thames |
| D．watch the soldiers outside the Buckingham Palace changing guards. |
The underlined word “landscape” (paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to _________.
| A．sights | B．interests | C．characteristics | D．culture |
The whole passage mainly introduces the ________________.
A. tourism in London B. tourists in London
B. history in London D. sightseeing in London
Looking back on my childhood, I am convinced that naturalists are born and not made．Although we were all brought up in the same way, my brothers and sisters soon abandoned their pressed flowers and insects．Unlike them, I had no ear for music and languages．I was not an early reader and I could not do mental arithmetic．
Before World War I we spent our summe
r holidays in Hungary．I have only the dim memory of the house we lived in, of my room and my toys．Nor do I recall clearly the large family of grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins who gathered next door．But I do have a clear memory of the dogs, the farm animals, the local birds, and above all, the insects．
I am a naturalist, not a scientist．I have a strong love of the natural world and my enthusiasm led me into varied investigations．I love discussing my favorite topics and enjoy burning the midnight oil while reading about other people’s observations and discoveries．Then something happens that brings these observations together in my conscious mind．
Suddenly you fancy you see the answer to the riddle, because it all seems to fit together．This has resulted in my publishing 300 papers and books, which some might honor with the title of scientific research．
But curiosity, a keen eye, a good memory and enjoyment of the animal and plant world do not make a scientist: one of the outstanding and essential qualities required is self-discipline, a quality I lack．A scientist requires not only self-discipline, but hard training, determination and a goal．A scientist, up to a certain point, can be made．A naturalist is born．If you can combine the two, you get the best of both worlds．The first paragraph tells us the author _____．
| A．was interested in flowers and insects in his childhood |
| B．lost his hearing when he was a child |
| C．didn’t like his brothers and sisters |
| D．was born to a naturalist’s family |
The author can’t remember his relatives clearly because _____．
| A．he didn’t live very long with them |
| B．the family was extremely large |
| C．he was too young when he lived with them |
| D．he was fully occupied with observing nature |
The author says that he is a naturalist rather than a scientist probably because he thinks he _____．
| A．has a great deal of trouble doing mental arithmetic |
| B．lacks some of the qualities required of a scientist |
| C．just reads about other people’s observations and discoveries |
| D．comes up with solutions in a most natural way |
Sometime early in the next century, human beings will move to Mars．They will live there for about a year, and then will be replaced with another group of pioneers．Building the base on Mars will advance our knowledge of the solar system and aid in our understanding of the earth．
We already know that Mars resembles the earth in many aspects: general size, presence of water, length of day, range of temperatures．These resemblanc
es have caused many people to consider a centuries-long project: to terraform Ma
rs．Terraforming means altering a planet’s surface so that Earth’s life forms can survive there．This concept, previously found only in science fiction is now being seriously considered b
y scientists．
Terraforming Mars is theoretically simple: add nitrogen and oxygen to the atmosphere; pump water to the surface; and add the earth’s plants and animals in the order in which they developed on Earth．But it will take at least 300 years．
Some people think that such a project is too huge for humans to undertake, but there are very good reasons t
o make the attempt．The earth now contains some 6 billion people, and no one has any idea of how many humans the earth can support．Our very existence and numbers are threatening many other species．We also have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: altering the landscape, the atmosphere and the climate．Currently terraforming Earth has become a wiser activity as we try to control global warming, air and water pollution, and preserve some natural living places．
Small as the possibility of such a project is, it is not impossible．Even if earth-bound societies come and go in the next 300 years, the project can continue through the work of the Mars settlers without the need for constant backing from the earth．
The future existence of all the people in our world may very well depend upon our ability to terraform Mars．What would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Terraforming Mars． | B．Saving the Earth． |
| C．Travelling to Mars． | D．A Newly-found Place． |
What does the underlined word “altering” mean in the second paragraph?
| A．Warming． | B．Changing． | C．Planting． | D．Building． |
According to the passage the main purpose of terraforming Mars is to _____．
| A．do some scientific research work |
| B．find out its similarity to Earth |
| C．avoid the dying away of many other species |
| D．find on Mars living place for the increasing human beings |
The main reason for causing many people to consider terraforming Mars is that _____．
| A．there are some resemblances between Earth and Mars |
| B．terraforming Mars is theoretically simple |
| C．we have had some experience with terraforming our own planet: Earth |
| D．the development of science and technology is very rapid |
Climate change, pollution, overuse of water and development are killing some of the world’s most famous rivers including China’s Yangtze, India’s Ganges and Africa’s Nile, WWF said on Tuesday．At the global launch of its report “World’s Top 10 Rivers at Risk”, the group said many rivers could dry out, affecting hundreds of millions of people and killing unique aquatic life．
“If these rivers die, millions will lose their livelihoods, biodiversity will be destroyed on a massive scale, there will be less fresh water and agriculture, resulting in less food security,” said Rayi Singh, secretary-general of WWF-India．The report launched ahead of “World Water Day” today, also cited the Rio Grande in the United States, the Mekong and Indus in Asia, Europe’s Danube, La Plata in South America and Australia’s Murray-Darling as in need of greater protection．
Rivers are the world’s main source of fresh water and WWF says about half of the available supply is already being used up．Dams have destroyed habitats and cut rivers off from their flood plains while climate change could affect the seasonal water flows that feed them, the report said．Fish populations, the top source of protein and overall life support for hundreds of thousands of communities worldwide, are also being threatened, it found… The Yangtze basin is one of the most polluted rivers in the world because of decades of heavy industrialization, damming and huge influxes of sediment from land conversion．
Climate change, including higher temperatures, also means serious consequences for fishery productivity, water supply and political security in Africa’s arid Nile basin．Tributaries flowing into the Ganges are drying up because of irrigation, WWF said．What does the text mainly talk about?
A．Sav ing fresh water in our life． |
B．How to protect our rivers． |
| C．An important discovery． | D．World’s top 10 rivers are at risk． |
We can infer from the text that _____．
| A．rivers’ dying out could affect food security |
| B．there are four Asian rivers mentioned in the passage |
| C．the Yangtze is polluted thanks to the lack of enough tributaries |
| D．higher temperatures couldn’t affect fishery productivity |
The top 10 rivers are fast dying as a result of the following EXCEPT _____．
| A．climate change | B．wasting water |
| C．pollution | D．dams |
WWF is probably a name of _____．
| A．an organization | B．a newspaper | C．a magazine | D．a report |
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