We would like to wish all our readers a wonderful winter break. Our January magazine is now in the shops and available digitally. We’re looking forward to sharing more adventures and discoveries with you in 2014, including:
At a crossroads in the Atlantic
As the population of Ascension Island rises up to mark the 200th anniversary of British rule, Fred Pearce wonders what the future might have in store for this strange part of land.
Photostory: On the road again
A selection of images from an exhibition opening this month at the Royal Geographical Society go hand in hand with M Aurel Stein’s early 20th century photographs of the Silk Road.
Dossier: Going underground
Mark Rowe discusses the role that carbon storage can play in the global effort to reduce carbon dioxide emission (排放).
Net loss
Kit Gillet reports from the Gulf of Thailand, whose fisheries (渔场) have been almost destroyed by the commercialization of the Thai fishing industry.
And don’t forget…
…a round-up of the latest geographical and climate science news; a hot spot focus on Turkey; advice on taking photographs in Antarctica; an interview with Lucien Castaing-Taylor, professor of visual arts at Harvard; plus lots, lots more…
Buy your copy now, click here and save up to 35% or call +44 (0)1635 588 496. Geographical is also available in WHSmith and many independent news agents.Who took photos of the Silk Road?
| A．M Aurel Stein. | B．Fred Pearce. | C．Mark Rowe. | D．Lucien Castaing-Taylor. |
If you want to read something about global warming, you can read .
| A．At a crossroads in the Atlantic |
| B．Photostory: On the road again |
| C．Dossier: Going underground |
| D．Net loss |
Which of the following statements is true?
| A．Ascension Island has a bright future with more population. |
| B．Commercialization contributes to the loss of fishery in Thai. |
| C．The January edition of 2014 is to come out in the winter break. |
| D．The topics of this magazine focus on geography and interviews. |
The passage is written to .
| A．share adventures and discoveries |
| B．give advice on taking photos |
| C．attract readers to buy the magazine |
| D．introduce the content of the magazine |
In only two decades Asian Americans have become the fastestgrowing U. S. minority. As their children began moving up through the nation schools, it became clear that a new class of academic achievers was emerging. Their achievements are reflected in the nation’s best universities, where mathematics, science and engineering departments have taken on a decidedly Asian character. This special liking for mathematics and science is partly explained by the fact that Asian-American students who began their education abroad arrived in the U. S. with a solid grounding in mathematics but little or no knowledge of English. They are also influenced by the promise of a good job after college. Asians feel there will be less unfair treatment in areas like mathematics and science because they will be judged more objectively. And the return on the investment in education is more immediate in something like engineering than with an arts degree.
Most AsianAmerican students owe their success to the influence of parents who are determined that their children take full advantage of what the American educational system has to offer. An effective measure of parental attention is homework. Asian parents spend more time with their children than American parents do, and it helps. Many researchers also believe there is something in Asian culture that breeds success, such as ideals that stress family values and emphasize education.
Both explanations for academic success worry Asian Americans because of fears that they feed a typical racial image. Many can remember when Chinese,Japanese and Filipino immigrants were the victims of social isolation. Indeed, it was not until 1952 that laws were laid down giving all Asian immigrants the right to citizenship.
While making tremendous achievements at college, AsianAmerican students .
| A．feel they are mistreated because of limited knowledge of English |
| B．are afraid that their academic successes bear a strong Asian character |
| C．still worry about unfair treatment in society |
| D．generally feel it a shame to have to depend on their parents |
What are the major factors that determine the success of Asian Americans?
| A．A solid foundation in basic mathematics and Asian culture. |
| B．Hard work and intelligence. |
| C．Parents’ help and a limited knowledge of English. |
| D．Asian culture and the American educational systerm. |
Few Asian American students major in human sciences mainly because .
| A．their English is not good enough |
| B．they are afraid they might meet with unfair judgment in these areas |
| C．there is a wide difference between Asian and Western cultures |
| D．hey know little about American culture and society |
Why do “both explanations” (Para. 3) worry Asian Americans?
| A．They are afraid that they will again be isloated from American society in general. |
| B．People will think that Asian students rely on their parents for success. |
| C．Asian Americans will be a threat to other minorities. |
| D．American academic achievements have taken on too strong an Asian character. |
Don't go to Kauai. Go to any of the other Hawaiian Islands --- Maui, Lanai, the Big Island --- but leave Kauai for us. The weather on Kauai is so unpredictable (不可预测的) that sometimes it rains all day --- in fact, it's the second-wettest spot on the earth. Yes, there are giant double rainbows all the time, and the sunlight through the clouds is magical. But if you are not interested in these, go somewhere else. You just can't control the nature on Kauai, and who wants to surrender (屈服) to the nature when you could be at a fine hotel, lying in a comfortable chair next to a swimming pool, with food served upon request?
So what if Kauai produces surf champions the way Texas produces cowboys？Most of its 300 white-sand beaches are unmarked. Unless you connect with the local people, the hidden spots are hard to find. While Hanalei is the most beautiful town you've ever dreamed of, you can forget about discos and clubs. Worse, it doesn't have one single four-star restaurant. What it does have is the original drive-through places where you pass by a rambutan tree (红毛丹树), and pick a piece of fruit.
Shopping in Kauai? Forget it --- unless you are interested in shell necklaces and beautifully carved wood bowls. Kauai is not about pampering. It's about going natural and finding the nature within you. It's a do-it-yourself place that offers walking along the coast, diving and swimming in the Pacific Ocean, and lying on the beach.
Don't go to Kauai unless you have a lot of time, because there's only one road, which can be slightly dull. It winds through the beautiful scenery of waterfalls, rivers flowing into the ocean, and taro (芋头) fields. You have no choice but to look at everything, because the speed limit is 35 m.p.h.
If you're not interested in color, don't bother with Kauai, because that's what you get --- red roads, blue oceans, and a hundred different shades of green. It's like diving on land. Many people on Kauai believe that this is Lemuria --- a lost island in the Atlantic. Can you imagine? Those Hawaiians, surfers, New Agers, and people who love nature and beauty and want a different quality of life --- what do they know, anyway? Forget about it --- you're not going to like it. Go somewhere else. Leave Kauai for us. After reading the text, we come to know that it is _____.
| A．a piece of shocking news | B．an exciting story |
| C．an interesting introduction | D．a moving advertisement |
It can be learned from the text that _____.
| A．Kauai is an island near the Hawaiian Islands |
| B．Kauai is another name of the Hawaiian Islands |
| C．Kauai is one of the Hawaiian Islands |
| D．Kauai does not belong to the Hawaiian Islands |
In the writer's real opinion, Kauai _____.
| A．is not worth visiting at all | B．is well worth visiting |
| C．is not a beautiful island | D．is a dangerous island |
Who would like to visit Kauai?
| A．Those who love nature. | B．Those who love city life. |
| C．Those who love the comfort in a fine hotel. | D．Those who love going shopping. |
African-American talk show queen Oprah Winfrey is the world’s most powerful celebrity (名人), according to Forbes （福布斯） magazine. It placed Winfrey at the top of the annual ranking of the 100 people with the biggest pull （影响力）.
Winfrey, 51, draw 30 million viewers weekly in the United States. Her talk show reaches 112 countries. She earned US ＄225 million over the past 12 months to rank second in celebrity riches. The annual Forbes list gives most weight to annual earnings. But it also looks at the celebrity’s presence on the Internet and in the media. “After 21 years, her exciting chat show still rules the airwaves,” the magazine said.
Winfrey is most popular with her popular talk show “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. She can always attract the superstars and let them open up to her intimate interviewing style. Winfrey’s approach appears to be simple. She is in a pursuit （追求）of self-improvement and self-empowerment. This has proved to be just what people, especially women, want.
Winfrey often talks about her personal secrets on her show. That pulls in viewers. For example, she made it known that she had been sexually abused as a child, and has spoken freely of her struggle with her weight.
Her success has not just been on the screen. Her media group includes a women’s TV network and websites for women. Her work has extended to social change. In 1991, she did a lot of work for the National Child Protection Act. She testified before the US Senate to establish a national database （数据库）of dangerous child abusers. The then President Bill Clinton later signed the “Oprah Bill” into law.The annual Forbes list selects its celebrities according to ____.
| A．their names | B．their annual earnings |
| C．their presence on the Internet and in the media | |
| D．their annual earnings and presence in the public |
Which of the following statements is WRONG?
| A．Oprah Winfrey was the first of the 100 celebrities according to Forbes magazine. |
| B．Oprah’s success has been only on the screen. |
| C．Oprah can attract superstars and get them to open up to her interview. |
| D．Oprah ranked second in celebrity riches that year. |
The underlined phrase “rules the airwaves” in the passage means ____.
| A．attracts many readers’ attention | B．causes many people to take planes |
| C．has a large number of viewers | D．measures the airwaves |
What’s the best title of the passage?
| A．Oprah Winfrey Conquering the Americans. | B．Oprah Winfrey—the No 1 Celebrity. |
| C．Forbes Ranking First. | D．The Oprah Winfrey Show. |
In some remote Turkish village of Kuskoy, whistling is as important as talking．In fact, whistling is talking because the villagers speak and sing by whistling．Kuskoy parents begin to teach their boys and girls the language of whistling about the time the children learn to talk．It is considered so important that the village school includes it as one of the subjects taught along with the Turkish language.
This art of communication has taken centuries to develop．The village of Kuskoy spreads out across two hillsides that are separated by a deep valley．The villagers had to find an easy way to communicate where their voices couldn’t carry．They developed a high-pitched (高音的) whistle language that could be transmitted as far as five miles through air．As a result, Kuskoy, which means “bird village” in Turkish, has come to be known as a whistler’s paradise (乐园).
Whistling is so much part of everyday life in Kuskoy that men and women speak, argue, and court (求爱) in whistles．The story was recently told of a young couple who ran away secretly．The news was sent over the “mountain telephone” by whistling．The lover’s adventure was quickly known to all the villagers.
It is little wonder, then, that the children of Kuskoy study whistling in school．Wouldn’t it be fun to start the school day with a song—whistled of course!The children of Kuskoy learn to whistle because __ _．
| A．it is fun | B．it is an important way to communicate |
| C．it helps them learn to sing | D．it is like the Turkish language |
In Kuskoy, whistling as a way of talking started __ _．
| A．recently | B．hundreds of years ago |
| C．fifty years ago | D．ten years ago |
Which one of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．The high-pitched whistle can be heard at a distance of 5 km. |
| B．The parents were too ready to allow the young couple to marry each other. |
| C．The villagers found an easy way to communicate where they could be heard. |
| D．The villagers of Kuskoy are often informed of news by whistling. |
Which of the following do you think is the best title for this story?
| A．To Learn Whistle Is Very Important | B．Whistling Is Fun |
| C．Whistling—The Mountain Telephone | D．The Strange Turkish Language |
It came as something of a surprise when Diana, Princess of Wales, made a trip t Angola in 1997, to support the Red Cross’s campaign for a total ban on all anti-personnel landmine landmines(地雷)Within hours of arriving in Angola, television screens around the world were filled with images of her comforting victims injured in explosions caused by landmines. “I knew the statistics,” she said. “But putting a face to those figures brought the reality home to me; like when I met Sandra, a 13-year-old girl who had lost her leg, and people like her.”
The Princess concluded with a simple message: “We must stop landmines”. And she used every opportunity during her visit to repeat this message.
But, back in London, her views were not shared by some members of the British government, which refused to support a ban on these weapons. Angry politicians launched an attack on the Princess in the press. They described her as “very ill-informed” and a “loose cannon”(乱放炮的人).
The Princess responded by brushing aside the criticisms: “This is a distraction(干扰), we do not need. All I’m trying to do is help.”
Opposition parties, the media and the public immediately voiced their support for the Princess. To make matters worse for the government, it soon emerged(显现出来)that the Princess’s trip had been approved by the Foreign Office, and that she was in fact very well-informed about both the situation in Angola and the British government’s policy regarding landmines. The result was a severe embarrassment for the government.
To try and limit the damage, the Foreign Secretary, Malcolm Rifkidnd, claimed that the Princess’s views on landmines were not very different from government policy, and that it was “working towards” a worldwide ban. The Defense Secretary, Michael Portillo, claimed the matter was “a misinterpretation or misunderstanding.”
For the Princess, the trip to this war-torn country was an excellent opportunity to use her popularity to show the world how much destruction and suffering landmines can cause. She said that the experience had also given her the chance to get closer to people an their problems.Princess Diana paid a visit to Angola in 1997
| A．to clarify(澄清)the British government’s stand on landmines |
| B．to establish her image as a friend of landmine victims |
| C．to investigate the sufferings of landmine victims there |
| D．to voice her support for a total ban of landmines |
What did Diana mean when she said “…putting a face to those figures brought the reality home to me”(Line 5, Para. 1)?
| A．Meeting the landmine victims in person made her believe the statistics. |
| B．She just couldn’t bear to meet the landmine victims face to face. |
| C．The actual situation in Angola made her like going back home. |
| D．Seeing the pain of the victims made her realize the seriousness of the situation. |
Some members of the British government criticized Diana because
| A．They were actually opposed to banning landmines. |
| B．She was ill-informed of the government’s policy. |
| C．She had not consulted the government before the visit. |
| D．They believed that she had misinterpreted the situation in Angola. |
How did Diana respond to the criticisms?
| A．She made more appearances on TV. |
| B．She paid no attention to them. |
| C．She rose to argue with her opponents. |
| D．She met the 13-year-old girl as planned. |
What did Princess Diana think of her visit to Angola?
| A．It had caused embarrassment to the British government. |
| B．It had greatly promoted her popularity. |
| C．It had brought her closer to the ordinary people. |
| D．It had affected her relations with the British government. |
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