Energy goes from one plant or animal to another. A food chain shows how this energy moves. Each time an animal gets eaten, its energy is passed onto the animal that eats it. The food chain is very important because it keeps the balance of nature. If one part of the food chain disappears, it can affect all the other plants and animals. Any threat to the food chain is a threat to the environment’s biodiversit(生物多样性). The food chain helps keep animal populations in balance. However, if something happens to increase or decrease one of the links in the food chain, that balance is broken. If one animal becomes endangered, it puts all the animals above it at risk.
Some of the threats are natural, such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornados, floods and so on. But the biggest threats to the food chain come from you and me. These threats include overhunting, overfishing, logging, farming, development, pollution, etc. The food chain is endangered anywhere humans have had an effect on the natural environment.
A recent study shows that the overfishing of large sharks is damaging the food chain along the US Atlantic coast. Canadian and American scientists say sharks are being killed in great numbers for their meat and fins(鳍). Now, not enough sharks are around to eat the cownose(牛鼻) ray. The ray’s population has increased and they have eaten up the shellfish to the point where it has hurt commercial(商业的) fishing.
Many of us disturb the natural environment in our own backyards. It’s up to us to take care of the environment and try not to disrupt the natural food chain. If we don’t act responsibly, animals will start disappearing.What can we learn from Paragraph 1?
| A．The food chain is not easy to be broken. |
| B．The energy of an animal usually disappears when it dies. |
| C．Increasing the links will not break the balance of nature. |
| D．Breaking the food chain is bad for the biodiversity of the environment. |
The study mentioned in Paragraph 3 proves that .
| A．human activities can be a big threat to the food chain |
| B．we are all responsible for the breaking of the food chain |
| C．natural disasters are hard to break the food chain |
| D．hunting large sharks for meat is beneficial |
We can infer that the writer wrote this passage mainly to .
| A．explain what the food chain is |
| B．tell us something interesting about Nature |
| C．suggest that we stop eating meat to save animals |
| D．suggest that we not disrupt the natural food chain |
The differences between men and women's friendships
Betty and Harold have been married for years. But one thing still puzzles (困扰) old Harold. How is it that he can leave Betty and her friend Joan sitting on the sofa, talking, go out to a ballgame, come back three and a half hours later, and they're still sitting on the sofa and talking?
What old Harold cannot understand or explain is the fact that women have so much to share.
Betty shrugs. Talk? We're friends.
Researching this matter called friendship, psychologist Lillian Rubin spent two years interviewing more than two hundred women and men. the results were completely clear: women have more friendships than men. Rubin's study shows that for emotional support a married woman is more likely to turn to a female friend.
"In general," writes Rubin in her new book, "women's friendships with each other lie on shared emotions and support, but men's relationships are marked by shared activities.”
“ Men keep their innermost(内心深处的) feelings to themselves. " Rubin writes, " Whereas(然而) a woman's closest female friend might be the first to tell her to leave a failing marriage. However, a man by society doesn’t complain about his marriage trouble. it wasn't unusual to hear a man say he didn't know his friend's marriage was in serious trouble until he appeared one night asking if he could sleep on the sofa. "What old Harold cannot understand or explain is the fact that ________.
| A．he is treated as an outsider rather than a husband |
| B．women have so much to share. |
| C．women show little interest in ballgames |
| D．he find his wife difficult to talk to |
Rubin's study shows that for emotional support a married woman is more likely to turn to _________.
| A．a male friend | B．a female friend |
| C．her parents | D．her husband |
What do women's friendships with each other lie on in general?
| A．shared emotions | B．support |
| C．shared activities | D．shared emotions and support |
According to the last paragraph, which type of behavior is NOT expected of a man by society?
| A．Ending his marriage without good reason. |
| B．Spending too much time with his friends. |
| C．complaining about his marriage trouble. |
| D．going out to ballgames too often.. |
What is the article about? ________.
| A．happy and successful marriages |
| B．friendships of men and women |
| C．emotional problems in marriage |
| D．interactions between men and women |
In today's world, almost everyone knows that air pollution（污染）and water pollution are harmful to people's health. However, not all the persons know that noise is also a kind of pollution, and that is harmful to human health, too.
People who work and live under noisy conditions usually become deaf（聋）. Today, however, scientists believe that 10 percent of workers in Britain are being deafened by the noise where they work. Many of the workers who print newspapers and books, and who weave（织）cloth become deaf. Quite a few people living near airports also become deaf. Recently it was discovered that many teenagers（几十岁的人）in America could hear no better than 65-year-old persons, for these young people like to listen to pop music and most of pop music is a kind of noise. Besides, noise produced by jet planes or machines will make people's life difficult and unpleasant, or even make people ill or even drive them mad.
It is said that a continuous noise of over 85 decibels（分贝）can make people deaf. Now The governments in many countries have made laws to control noise and make it less than 85 decibels. In China, the government is trying to solve not only air and water pollution problems but also noise pollution problems.The text is mainly about ____________ .
| A．air pollution | B．water pollution | C．noise pollution | D．world pollution |
10 percent of the workers in Britain are being deafened because _________.
| A．they are working in noisy places |
| B．they often listen to pop music |
| C．they live near airports |
| D．they are too busy to listen to others' talk |
About noise produced by jet planes or machines, which is wrong?
| A．It will make people's life difficult |
| B．It will make people's life unpleasant |
| C．It will even make people ill or even drive them mad. |
| D．It will even make people hear better |
According to the text, a continuous noise of _____ decibels can make people deaf.
| A．less than 85 | B．less than 65 | C．about 65 | D．over 85 |
The government of China is trying to solve _______________ .
| A．only air pollution |
| B．only air and water pollution |
| C．only water pollution |
| D．air, water and noise pollution |
There is a lot of misunderstanding about studying. Most students have not been taught the principles behind really effective working. Imagine a graph showing the amount a person learns against the number of hours he works in a day. If he doesn’t do any work, he learns nothing (point 0). If he does an hour’s work he learns a certain amount (point 1). If he does two hours’ work he learns about twice as much (point 2). If he does more work he’ll learn still more (point 3). However, if he tries to do twenty-three and a half hours’ work in a day, he will be so tired that he’ll hardly remember anything: what he learns will be very little (point 4). If he did less work he’d learn more (point 5).
Now whatever the exact shape of the graph’s curve(曲线), made by joining these points, it must have a high point. Point “X” is the very maximum anyone can learn in the day. And this represents the optimum(最适度), the best, amount of work to do. It is the best possible compromise between adequate time at the books and fatigue(劳累). Fatigue is an absolutely real thing; one can’t escape it or ignore it. If you try to ignore it and press yourself to work past the optimum, you will only get on this downward slope and achieve less than the best – and then become very tired and lose your power of concentration.
The skill in being a student consists of getting one’s daily study as near the optimum point as possible. I cannot tell you what the optimum is. It differs with the type of work, it differs from person to person, and even in the same person it varies from week to week. You must try to find your own. Every day you study, bear this principle of the optimum in mind. When you feel yourself getting fatigued, if you find yourself reading the same paragraph over and over again and not taking it in, that’s a pretty good sign you’ve reached your highest point for the day and should stop. Most ordinary students find their optimum at five hours a day. Yours may be a little more or a little less – but if you get in five hours’ good work a day, you will be doing well.
Now, what are you doing with yourself when you aren’t working? Before examinations some students do nothing at all except sit in a chair and worry. Here is another misunderstanding. People often think that the mind works like the body; it does not. If one wanted to save one’s physical energy in order to cut the maximum amount of firewood, one would lie flat on a bed and rest when one wasn’t chopping. But the mind cannot rest. Even in sleep you dream, even if you forget your dreams. The mind is always turning. It gets its relaxation only by variety. That is what makes the mind rest.
When you’ve finished your optimum number of hours you must stop. You must not then sit around in the chair thinking about the work – that only tires without any learning. You must get out and do something. It doesn’t matter what – anything so long as you are actively doing something else but work.According to the passage, _______.
| A．the longer you study every day, the more you will learn |
| B．you’ll achieve better learning results if you work three hours every day |
| C．the less work you do, the better you will learn |
| D．your work efficiency will decrease once you exceed a certain point of work |
Fatigue can result in ________.
| A．loss of memory | B．a need for relaxation |
| C．a lot of anxiety | D．loss of concentration |
The passage tells us that a person’s optimum number of working hours _______.
| A．follows a regular pattern with each individual |
| B．changes regularly from week to week |
| C．can be partly determined by the sort of work he is doing |
| D．should be determined before he gets too tired |
The only way the mind can relax is by ________.
| A．doing a variety of things in turn |
| B．not thinking about anything |
| C．turning continuously |
| D．getting oneself in a state of fatigue |
After you have reached the optimum point of study in a day, you should ________.
| A．lie in bed and rest |
| B．do something else actively |
| C．do some physical labor |
| D．stop thinking about your studies |
The tough economy is bringing new shoppers to the secondhand market. Plato’s Closet in Charlotte, NC is a private company which mainly buys and sells used clothes. While Charlotte has outstanding secondhand stores offering high-end and sophisticated (高雅时尚的) brands for women, most of their stock applies to adults. Plato's Closet targets teens and those in their 20s.Plato's Closet, with stores in Matthews and the university area, sells clothes and accessories (装饰品) that are currently popular at up to 70 percent off retail prices (零售价).
The two hottest brands, for buying and selling, are Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch. Even though the offerings tend to be suitable for young people, there are a variety of shoppers at Plato's Closet of varying ages. Women in their 30s; 40s and older could easily find a purse, jacket or piece of jewelry they like.
Customer Beth Gibbs, 52, who has three teenage daughters, said she used to shop at name-brand stores, but “this year I'm shopping more in secondhand stores”, because of the economy.
If you're selling
Unlike higher-end resale stores which usually work on consignment (寄售), Plato's Closet buys on the spot.
Items can be gently used, but must be in very good condition.
Clothes should be less than two years old and styles should be the same as those still being sold at the shopping center.
There is no negotiation; prices are set company-wide. If what you sell amounts to $30 or less, they'll give you cash. More than that, you'll get a Visa cash card.
Secondhand success
Don't get discouraged if you can't find something on your first trip. Resale shops are always getting new lists of goods and change their styles with each season.
Be sure to check each piece carefully before buying.
Price comparison
Jackets: New York & Company black blazer, $12; retail: $37.
Pants: Express Editor-style pants, $12; retail: $69.90.
Shoes: Nine West black peep-toe pumps, $12; retail: $89.
Jewelry: Necklaces, $3-$5; retail: $18-$30. (365)What is the difference between Plato's Closet and other resale shops?
| A．They offer service for people of different ages. |
| B．The offerings in Plato's Closet are more expensive. |
| C．Plato's Closet only offers high-end brands for women. |
| D．Plato's Closet also sells books to the customers. |
Which of the following about Plato's Closet is NOT true?
| A．Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch are the two hottest brands in Plato's Closet. |
| B．Only young people can buy proper clothes and accessories in Plato's Closet. |
| C．Goods in Plato's Closet are sold at up to 70 percent off retail prices. |
| D．Plato's Closet targets teens and those in their 20s. |
In Plato s Closet, which of the following is not accepted?
| A．Items you sell must be. in very good condition. |
| B．You can bargain with buyers about the prices of goods. |
| C．The clothes you sell should be less than two years old. |
| D．You can sell your goods on the spot instead of on consignment. |
If you buy a pair of Express Editor-style pants in Plato's Closet, you can save_______.
| A．57.9 dollars | B．44 dollars | C．77 dollars | D．25 dollars |
Two friends have an argument that breaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, "In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence". Given that this is the case, why aren't students taught to manage conflict the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive ears, or stay physically fit?
First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult (侮辱). For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn't in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.
Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution (解决) : stay calm. Once the student feels calmer, he or she should choose words that will calm the other person down as well Rude words, name-calling, and accusations only add fuel to the emotional fire. On the other hand, soft words spoken at a normal sound level can put out the fire before it explodes out of control.
After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy (策略) for conflict resolution : listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without interrupting. Afterward, the listener can ask non-threatening questions to clarify the speaker's position. Then the two people should change roles.
Finally, students need to consider what they are hearing. This doesn't mean trying to figure out what's wrong with the other person. It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these: How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid of? As the issue becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller. Even if it doesn't, careful thought helps both sides figure out a mutual solution.
There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn't mean there needs to be violence. After students in Atlanta started a conflict resolution program, according to Educators for Social Responsibility, "64 percent of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75 percent of the teachers reported an increase in student co-operation; and 92 percent of the students felt better about themselves'. Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.From Paragraph 2 we can learn that_______
| A．violence is more likely to occur at lunchtime |
| B．a small conflict can lead to violence |
| C．students tend to lose their temper easily |
| D．the eating habit of a student is often the cause of a fight |
Why do students need to ask themselves the questions stated in Paragraph 5?
| A．To find out who is to blame. |
| B．To get ready to try new things. |
| C．To make clear what the real issue is. |
| D．To figure out how to stop the shouting match. |
After the conflict resolution program was started in Atlanta, it was found that______
| A．there was a decrease in classroom violence |
| B．there was less student cooperation in the classroom |
| C．more teachers felt better about themselves in schools |
| D．the teacher-student relationship greatly improved |
The writer's purpose for writing this article is to_______
| A．complain about problems in school education |
| B．teach students different strategies for school life |
| C．favor teaching conflict management in schools |
| D．inform teachers of the latest studies on school violence |
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