From July to October every year, about a quarter of the world’s blue whales feed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California. But the whales currently face a major threat in their favorite feeding area. Ships carrying cargo (货物）sail in the same area at the same time. All too often, the whales’ paths and the ships’ travel lines overlap (重叠)，and a ship will hit a whale.
According to a new study, these ship strikes have become a serious threat to the overall population of the world’s blue whales. Only about 10,000 of the creatures still exist worldwide. Blue whales are the largest known animals ever to live on Earth. Even so, if hit by a container ship, a blue whale will likely die from its injuries.
In 2007 alone, large ships killed five blue whales in the waters off San Francisco and Los Angeles, California. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that because there are so few whales already, losing three to five from the California whale population every year is a significant loss. “The estimated population of blue whales in this part of the Pacific is 2,500”, says Sean Hastings, a NOAA analyst. “So every whale counts toward this species moving off the endangered-species list.”
Now, marine scientists must figure out how to protect the whales from the giant container ships. One very simple program is already under way in the Santa Barbara Channel, a waterway that separates mainland California from the nearby Channel Islands.
The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary has asked large container ships passing through the area to voluntarily slow down. Sailing slower will allow the ships’ crew (船员）more time to change course before hitting a whale.
Several of the world’s largest shipping lines are set to participate in the new program. For every ship that passes through the Santa Barbara Channel at or below the reduced speed of 12 knots (海里 / 小时），the company that owns the ship will be paid $2,500.
From Paragraph 1, we can know that_____.
| A．people intend to illegally hunt blue whales for money |
| B．large ships often carrying goods may pollute the sea |
| C．there is fewer fish in blue whales’ favorite feeding area |
| D．the container ships may hit the blue whales frequently |
Why is the death of several whales regarded as significant loss to the world's blue whales?
| A．Because other blue whales will be scared away. |
| B．Because the number of the blue whales is so small. |
| C．Because blue whales are the largest animals in the world. |
| D．Because many blue whales get killed throughout the year. |
According to Sean Hastings，it’s inferred that .
| A．the blue whales are still on the endangered-species list. |
| B．the number of the blue whales is decreasing sharply. |
| C．most of the world’s blue whales live in the Pacific Ocean. |
| D．blue whales are often disturbed by other endangered creatures. |
What are the last three paragraphs mainly about?
| A．The basic responsibility of a sailor. |
| B．The world’s largest shipping lines. |
| C．Measures to protect the blue whales. |
| D．Ways to slow down the speed of the ships. |
When something goes wrong，it can be very satisfying to say，”Well, it’s so-and-so’s fault.” or “I know I’m late，but it’s not my fault；the car broke down.”It is probably not your fault，but once you form the habit of blaming somebody or something else for a bad situation，you are a loser. You have no power and could do nothing that helps change the situation. However, you can have great power over what happens to you if you stop focusing on whom to blame and start focusing on how to remedy the situation. This is the winner’s key to success.
Winners are great at overcoming problems. For example, if you were late because your car broke down, maybe you need to have your car examined more regularly. Or, you might start to carry along with you the useful phone numbers, so you could call for help when in need. For another example, if your colleague causes you problems on the job for lack of responsibility or ability, find ways of dealing with his irresponsibility or inability rather than simply blame the person. Ask to work with a different person, or don’t rely on this person. You should accept that the person is not reliable and find creative ways to work successfully regardless of how your colleague fails to do his job well.
This is what being a winner is all about—creatively using your skills and talents so that you are successful no matter what happens. Winners don’t have fewer problems in their lives; they have just as many difficult situations to face as anybody else. They are just better at seeing those problems as challenges and opportunities to develop their own talents. So, stop focusing on “whose fault it is.” Once you are confident about your power over bad situations, problems are just stepping stone for success.According to the passage, winners .
| A．blame themselves rather that others |
| B．meet with fewer difficulties in their lives |
| C．have responsible and able colleagues |
| D．deal with problems rather than blame others |
The underlined word remedy in Paragraph 1 is closest in meaning to .
| A．improve | B．accept |
| C．avoid | D．consider |
When your colleague brings about a problem, you should .
| A．blame him for his lack of responsibility |
| B．find a better way to handle the problem |
| C．tell him to find the cause of the problem |
| D．ask a more able colleague for help |
When problems occur, winners take them as
| A．excuses for their failures |
| B．barriers to greater power |
| C．chances for self-development |
| D．challenges to their colleagues |
Using too much water or throwing rubbish into our rivers are clear ways that humans can put our water supply in danger, but we also affect our water supply in less obvious ways. You may wonder how paving (铺砌) a road can lead to less useable fresh water. A major part of the water we use every day is groundwater. Groundwater does not come from lakes or rivers. It comes from underground. The more roads and parking lots we pave, the less water can flow into the ground to become groundwater.
Human activity is not responsible for all water shortages (短缺)．Drier climates are of course more likely to have droughts (干旱) than areas with more rainfall, but in any case, good management can help to make sure there is enough water to meet our basic needs.
Thinking about the way we use water every day can make a big difference, too. In the United States, a family of four can use 1.5 tons of water a day! This shows how much we depend on water to live, but there's a lot we can do to lower the number.
You can take steps to save water in your home. To start with, use the same glass for your drinking water all day. Wash it only once a day. Run your dishwasher (洗碗机) only when it is full. Help your parents fix any leaks in your home. You can even help to keep our water supply clean by recycling batteries instead of throwing them away.Which of the following is most likely to lead to less groundwater?
| A．Using river water. | B．Paving parking lots. |
| C．Throwing batteries away. | D．Throwing rubbish into lakes. |
What can be inferred from the text?
| A．It takes a lot of effort to meet our water needs. |
| B．All water shortages are due to human behavior. |
| C．There is much we can do to reduce family size. |
| D．The average family in America makes proper use of water. |
The last paragraph is intended to ________.
| A．show us how to fix leaks at home |
| B．tell us how to run a dishwasher |
| C．suggest what we do to save water at home |
| D．prove what drinking glass is best for us |
The text is mainly about ________.
| A．why paving roads reduces our water |
| B．how human activity affects our water supply |
| C．why droughts occur more in dry climates |
| D．how much we depend on water to live |
Unemployment in the United States is still high at 6．7 percent. But for job seekers，especially those with college educations，researchers say finding a job can be as easy as logging on to a computer．It used to be that looking for a job meant hurrying around，knocking on doors and turning to ads．But that's changing，thanks to the Internet．A new report says，for college graduates，looking for a job is getting easier．More than 80 percent of the jobs are available online．
At the height of the depression(萧条)，when U．S．unemployment peaked at 10 percent，just a little more than two million jobs were being posted each month．But as the recovery takes hold，the job picture looks increasingly bright．
That’s great news for Hamilton．Only once has he ever applied in person for a job at a shopping mall. He said，“I think my generation—the idea of going door to door, out knocking and saying，hey are you hiring? —like that—doesn’t exist anymore…those days are gone, Just go online．’’
Kim Dancy recently graduated with a master's degree in Public Policy．She found her dream job as an education policy researcher．But she says finding the perfect job online takes a lot of perseverance．He said，“It can be really frustrating and it takes a long time，but if you applied for enough positions and really do your homework you will get somewhere．
The report’s findings suggest careers in Science，Technology，Engineering and Math provide the greatest opportunities，with salaries that range between $30 to $45 an hour．But for maximum income and satisfaction，workers must be prepared to move and change jobs at least every five years．The highest unemployment rate in the depression in the U．S．was _____.
| A．7％ | B．6．7％ | C．6％ | D．10％ |
In what way does Hamilton find his jobs in most cases?
| A．Applying in person． | B．Turning to the Internet． |
| C．Searching papers． | D．Going door to door． |
What can we learn from Dancy’s experience?
| A．Job applicants should do much housework. |
| B．Finding a dream job is really exciting． |
| C．Only online can an applicant find a job． |
| D．Online job—hunting calls for perseverance． |
How can you get a high salary according to the text?
| A．By switching jobs regularly． | B．By sticking to your work． |
| C．By surfing the Internet． | D．By hurrying around． |
Many experts say that Billy Wilder changed the history of American movies. He is often called the best movie maker Hollywood has ever had．
He was known for making movies that offered sharp social comment．Wilder was one of the first directors to do this．Between the middle l930s and the l980s，Billy Wilder made almost fifty movies．During that time he received more than twenty nominations(提名)from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences．He won six of the Oscar awards．His movies have been seen by people around the world．
In l944，Billy Wilder made the film Double Indemnity．Some critics said this movie established him as one of the greatest Hollywood directors．Wilder directed The Lost Weekend in 1945．Ray Milland plays the part of an alcoholic writer in the movie．It shows that alcohol rules his life，yet he does not admit it．He hides alcohol in his home and says he is not drinking．
In l950, Wilder made Sunset Boulevard．This movie told of an aging actress in silent movies．She plans to return to movies though facing many problems．In l954，Billy Wilder became an independent producer．The next year，Wilder’s first movie as an independent filmmaker was a huge success．It was The Seven Year Ihch．In this movie，a married man wants to cheat on his wife with some of his friends．In l959，Wilder made a funny movie that was very popular．It was Some Like It Hot．It tells about two jazz musicians being chased by criminals．They decide to wear women’s clothes and join a band in which all the musicians were women．
Wilder died in March，2002．He was ninety—five．A current Hollywood producer said：“Billy Wilder made movies that people will never forget．” The text is mainly about ________
| A．the background of American movies |
| B．Wilder’s achievements in American movies |
| C．Wilder’s attitude to American movies |
| D．the development of American movies |
What was Wilder famous for according to Paragraph 2 ?
| A．Sharp remarks on society in his movies． |
| B．His unique style of making movies． |
| C．More than twenty awards he received. |
| D．Almost fifty movies he produced himself． |
Which of the following made Wilder among the greatest Hollywood directors?
| A．The Lost weekend． | B．Sunset Boulevard． |
| C．Double Indemnity． | D．Some Like It Hot． |
Elizabeth Freeman was born about 1742 to African American parents who were slaves. At the age of six months she was acquired, along with her sister, by John Ashley, a wealthy Massachusetts slaveholders. She became known as “Mumbet” or “Mum Bett.”
For nearly 30 years Mumbet served the Ashley family. One day, Ashley’s wife tried to strike Mumbet’s sister with a spade. Mumbet protected her sister and took the blow instead. Furious, she left the house and refused to come back. When the Ashleys tried to make her return, Mumbet consulted a lawyer, Theodore Sedgewick. With his help, Mumbet sued(起诉) for her freedom.
While serving the Ashleys, Mumbet had listened to many discussions of the new Massachusetts constitution. If the constitution said that all people were free and equal, then she thought it should apply to her. Eventually, Mumbet won her freedom---- the first slave in Massachusetts to do so under the new constitution.
Strangely enough, after the trial, the Ashleys asked Mumbet to come back and work for them as a paid employee. She declined and instead went to work for Segdewick. Mumbet died in 1829, but her legacy lived on in her many descendants(后裔). One of her great-grandchildren was W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the founder of the NAACP, and an important writer and spokesperson for African American civil rights.
Mumbet’s tombstone still stands in the Massachusetts cemetery where she was buried. It reads, in part: “She was born a slave and remained a slave and remained a slave for nearly thirty years. She could neither read nor write, yet in her own sphere she had no superior or equal.” What do we know about Mumbet according to Paragraph 1?
| A．She was born a slave |
| B．She was a slaveholder |
| C．She had a famous sister |
| D．She was born into a rich family |
Why did Mumbet run away from the Ashleys?
| A．She found an employer | B．She wanted to be a lawyer |
| C．She was hit and got angry | D．She had to take care of her sister |
What did Mumbet learn from discussions about the new consititution?
| A．She should always obey her owners’ orders |
| B．She should be as free and equal as whites |
| C．How to be a good servant |
| D．How to apply for a job |
What did Mumbet do after the trial?
| A．She chose to work for a lawyer |
| B．She found the NAACP |
| C．She continued to serve the Ashleys |
| D．She went to live with her grandchildren |
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