Scientists are learning new things about Antarctica, the coldest place on Earth. For example, the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking. A new study found that summer ice loss in parts of Antarctica was at its highest level in 1,000 years. The study showed that Antarctic ice was melting mostly from below ice shelves, where the water is warmer than the ice.
Eric Rignot is an earth system expert at the University of California, Irvine. He also works for the American space agency, NASA. There he serves as senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, also in California. He says ice melting from below is responsible for 55 percent of the shelf loss from 2003 to 2008. That is a much higher rate than scientists thought earlier.
Professor Rignot and his team used satellite observations, radar and computer models to measure features above the ice to learn what was going on below.
The measurements show differences from one area to the next around the continent. The major ice shelves are called Ross, Filchner and Ronne. They make up two-thirds of Antarctica’s ice shelves. But they are responsible for only 15 percent of the melting ice.
The professor says even small changes, like changes in ocean flow driven by wind, can make a huge difference in the melting of the ice shelf.
Sixty percent of the Earth’s fresh water is held in the huge Antarctic ice sheet. Professor Rignot says the study will help experts predict how the continent reacts to warmer ocean waters and helps to cause rising sea levels around the world. The study was published in the journal Science.What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．the Antarctic ice sheet is shrinking |
| B．the coldest place on earth |
| C．the major Antarctica’s ice shelves |
| D．the Atlantic Ocean are changing |
How did Eric Rignot and his team do the research?
| A．He serves as senior research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. |
| B．They used satellite observations, radar and computer models to know the things happening below the ice. |
| C．Small changes, like changes in ocean flow driven by wind, can make a huge difference in the melting of the ice shelf. |
| D．They melted 55% of the Antarctica’s ice to prove their theory is right. |
Which is true of the following statements?
| A．Ice melting from below is responsible for 35 percent of the shelf loss from 2003 to 2008. |
| B．The major ice shelves are called Ross, Filchner and Ronne, which make up one-third of Antarctica’s ice shelves. |
| C．Sixty percent of the Earth’s fresh water is contained in the huge Antarctic ice sheet. |
| D．Summer ice loss in Antarctica was at its highest level in 1,000 years. |
A
For many parents, raising a teenager is like fighting a long war, but years go by without any clear winner. Like a border conflict between neighboring countries, the parent-teen war is about boundaries: Where is the line between what I control and what you do?
Both sides want peace, but neither feels it has any power to stop the conflict. In part, this is because neither is willing to admit any responsibility for starting it. From the parents’ point of view, the only cause of their fight is their adolescents’ complete unreasonableness. And of course, the teens see it in exactly the same way, except oppositely.
In this article, I’ll describe three no-win situations that commonly arise between teens and parents and then suggest some ways out of the dilemma. The first no-win situation is quarrels over unimportant things. Examples include the color of the teen’s hair, the cleanliness of the bedroom, the preferred style of clothing, the child’s failure to eat a good breakfast before school, or his tendency to sleep until noon on the weekends. Second, blaming. The goal of a blaming battle is to make the other admit that his bad attitude is the reason why everything goes wrong. Third, needing to be right. It doesn’t matter what the topic is — politics, the laws of physics, or the proper way to break an egg — the point of these arguments is to prove that you are right and the other person is wrong, for both wish to be considered an authority — someone who actually knows something — and therefore to command respect. Unfortunately, as long as parents and teens continue to assume that they know more than the other, they’ll continue to fight these battles forever and never make any real progress.Why does the author compare the parent-teen war to a border conflict?
| A．Both can continue for generations. |
| B．Both are about where to draw the line. |
| C．Neither has any clear winner. |
| D．Neither can be put to an end. |
What does the underlined part in Paragraph 2 mean?
| A．The teens blame their parents for starting the conflict. |
| B．The teens agree with their parents on the cause of the conflict. |
| C．The teens accuse their parents of misleading them. |
| D．The teens tend to have a full understanding of their parents. |
Parents and teens want to be right because they want to ________.
| A．give orders to the other | B．know more than the other |
| C．gain respect from the other | D．get the other to behave properly |
What will the author most probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?
| A．Causes for the parent-teen conflicts. |
| B．Examples of the parent-teen war. |
| C．Solutions for the parent-teen problems. |
| D．Future of the parent-teen relationship. |
Where do you think this passage can be found?
| A．In a report. | B．In a letter. |
| C．In a novel. | D．In a textbook. |
首先请阅读下列William J. Bennett家庭教育系列读物的封面及基本信息：
A .Bennett gives this thrilling account of the virtues of America
and the many brave men and women who have made
it the powerful nation it is today. The tale of human struggle
and victory captures what is unique about America.
B．Filled with stories of the heroes and virtues, this book presents stories and poems that show children what it means to be an American, so this book is a national popular one and the best seller of the year.
C．The book intends to inspire children to find heroes in their lives,
such as Jackie Robinson, Abraham Lincoln and this book also includes tales about everyday people, such as a young boy who goes in search of an angel to watch over him, only to find that he has one—his mother.
D．This collection of stories will help children develop their most important quality, character and includes stories from the Bible, and from sources
as diverse as well-known fairy tales, the philosophy of Plato,
the poetry of Robert Frost and Aesop’s fables.
E．This book is a treasury of timeless stories which teach young
people the importance of showing virtues in one’s daily life.
It is a perfect gift for graduation or other special occasions.
Well-known works from Aesop, Dickens and Shakespeare are
presented to teach virtues.
F.This inspiring book offers examples of good and bad, right
and wrong in great works from literature and in stories from
history. Organized by stages along life journey, these stories
serve as reference on moral compass, guiding the readers
through challenges in their life.
以下是购书者对这些书籍的简要评论。请将简要评论与封面及基本信息匹配起来。This great book by Bennett guides the kids to find heroes in their lives through a collection of stories. Also it just tells us stories about common people as heroes, which is very instructive. So it is very popular among the kids.
Drawn from familiar western history as well as a wide selection of tales from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the stories are great, designed to inspire as well as instructive. This book is a good guide that will help family members meet the challenges of life at any age.
Bennett will make you feel terrific about America. The big topic of politics and war reclaim the place they used to enjoy in the old histories. He never misses the chance to tell a good story. He has an eye for the strange and the surprising about America.
This book is well-received for children in America, because it is full of stories and poems to tell our kids how to be a hero and what virtues they should have, which can be their moral compass to their life and that will mean a lot to be American kids.
Bennett selected stories and poems to teach young people the importance of virtues in their daily life, which is really a perfect gift for graduation or other special occasions. This book belongs on every young person’s bookshelf.
D
Life is difficult.
It is a great truth because once we truly understand and accept it, then life is no longer difficult.
Most do not fully see this truth. Instead they complain about their problems and difficulties as if life should be easy. It seems to them that difficulties stand for a special kind of suffering especially forced on them or else on their families, their class, or even their nation.
What makes life difficult is that the process of facing and solving problems is a painful one. Problems, depending on their nature, cause sadness, or loneliness or regret or anger or fear.
These are uncomfortable feelings, often as painful as any kind of physical pain. And since life causes a lot of problems, life is always difficult and is full of pain as well as joy.
Yet, it is in this whole process of solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the serious test that tells us success from failure. When we want to encourage the growth of human spirit, we encourage the human ability to solve problems, just as in school we set problems for our children to solve. It is through the pain of meeting and working out problems that we learn. As Benjamin Franklin said, “Those things that hurt, instruct(指导).” It is for this reason that wise people learn not to fear but to welcome the pain of problems.Which sentence best express the central point of the passage?
| A．Problems and difficulties represent a special kind of suffering. |
| B．We become stronger by facing and solving problems of life. |
| C．Life is difficult because our problems bring us pain. |
| D．People like to complain about their problems. |
The writer probably used just one short sentence in the first paragraph to ___.
| A．save space | B．persuade readers |
| C．make readers laugh | D．get readers’ attention |
The main idea of paragraph 3 is that _________.
| A．most people feel life is easy |
| B．the writer feel life is easy |
| C．the writer likes to complain about his problems |
| D．most people complain about how hard their lives are |
According to the passage, we give school children difficult problems to solve in order to ______.
| A．encourage them to learn |
| B．teach them to fear the pain of solving the problems |
| C．help them learn to deal with pain |
| D．teach them how to respect problems |
The saying from Benjamin Franklin “Those things that hurt, instruct” suggests that ______.
| A．we do not learn from experience |
| B．we do not learn when we are in pain |
| C．pain teaches us important lessons |
| D．pain cannot be avoided |
C
If you have to miss a meal a day, which meal will cause you fewest health problems if you don’t eat it? If you have to make a decision of this type, most people (especially very busy people) will choose to skip breakfast.
However, many experts in the field of health consider breakfast ( the meal which “break” you “fast” ) to be the most important meal of the day. If we eat a good breakfast, they say, we will have the energy and nutrients (营养) we need to begin our working day with vigor(活力) and stay hopeful with good honor. However, many people skip breakfast or substitute a cup of coffee for a well balanced meal. What happens if we ignore the importance of breakfast?
One recent study conducted in the United States tested a large number of people. Participants(参加者) included both males and females who ranged in age from 12 to 83. The results showed that if a person eats an adequate(丰富的) breakfast, he or she will work more efficiently(效率高地) and more productively than if he or she skips breakfast or eats a very poor breakfast. This fact appears to be especially true if a person’s work involves mental(脑力的) activities. The study showed that if school-children eat fruit, eggs, bread and milk before going to school, they will learn more quickly and will be able to concentrate on their lessons for a longer period of time than if their breakfast is inadequate(不丰富).
The study also showed that contrary to what people believe, if you skip breakfast, you will not lose weight. This is because people become so hungry if they skip breakfast that they eat too much for lunch and end up gaining weight instead of losing. So remember, if you want to lose weight, skipping breakfast will not help you. You will likely lose more weight if you decrease your other meals. According to experts, breakfast is the most important meal of the day because _____.
| A．a good breakfast breaks you down fast |
| B．you’ll lose weight quickly if you skip breakfast |
| C．breakfast provides what a person needs to work |
| D．after a long night, you’ll feel very hungry |
The underlined part “substitute a cup of coffee for a well balanced meal”(Para. 2) probably means _______.
| A．to exchange a cup of coffee for a well balanced meal. |
| B．To drink a cup of coffee instead of a well balanced meal. |
| C．To change a cup of coffee into a well balanced meal. |
| D．To regard a cup of coffee as a well balanced meal. |
The example of school-children in para.3 shows that _______.
| A．school-children will be quick and attentive all day if they eat breakfast |
| B．a proper breakfast will make mental workers more efficient |
| C．fruit, eggs, bread and milk are the best breakfast for mental workers |
| D．school-children who have breakfast are much brighter than those who don’t |
Which of the following is NOT true according to Para. 4?
| A．Some people skip breakfast because they want to be slimmer. |
| B．Most people who skip breakfast actually eat more for lunch. |
| C．People put on weight because they eat too much breakfast. |
| D．Skipping breakfast won’t help people who want to lose weight. |
The best title of the passage is _______.
| A．How to Lose Weight | B．What’s a Healthy Diet |
| C．Surprising Results of a Study | D．Breakfast – A Meal That Breaks You Fast |
B
I’ve loved my mother’s desk since I was just tall enough to sit above the top of it. Mother sat writing letters. Standing by her chair, looking at the ink bottle, pens, and white paper, I decided that the act of writing must be a most wonderful thing in the world.
Years later, during her final illness, Mother kept different things for my sister and brother. “But the desk,” she said again, “is for Elizabeth.”
I never saw her angry, never saw her cry. I knew she loved me; she showed in action. But as a young girl. I wanted to have heart-to-heart talks between mother and daughter.
They never happened. And a gulf opened between us. I was “too emotional (易动感情的)”. But she lived “on the surface (表面)”.
As years passed and I had my own family. I loved my mother and thanked her for our happy family. I wrote to her in careful words and asked her to let me know in any way she chose that she did forgive me.
My hope turned to disappointment, then little interest and, finally, peace – it seemed that nothing happened. I couldn’t be sure that the letter had even got to Mother. I only knew that I had written it, and I could stop trying to make her into someone she was not.
But the present of her desk told me, as she’d never been able to, that she was pleased that writing was my chosen work. I cleaned the desk carefully and found some papers inside – a photo of my father and a one-paper letter, folded and refolded many times. It was my letter.
“In any way you choose, Mother, you always chose the act that speaks louder than words.”The writer began to love her mother’s desk________.
| A．after Mother died | B．after she wrote the letter |
| C．when she was a child | D．when Mother gave it to her |
The passage shows that_________.
| A．Mother was cold on the surface but kind in her heart to her daughter |
| B．Mother was too serious about her daughter in words |
| C．Mother wrote to her daughter in careful words |
| D．Mother wrote to her daughter in careless words |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．The author may work as a writer |
| B．The author and her mother love each other, but didn’t say it out |
| C．Neither the author nor her mother had a happy family. |
| D．The author’s mother is a person who prefers act to words. |
What did Mother do with her daughter’s letter asking for forgiveness?
| A．She had never received the letter. |
| B．For years, she often talked about the letter. |
| C．She didn’t forgive her daughter at all in all her life. |
| D．She read the letter again and again till she died. |
What’s best title of the passage?
| A．My letter to Mother | B．Mother and children |
| C．My Mother’s Desk | D．Talks between Mother and me |
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