Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan sees an epidemic (流行病) sweeping across Americas farmland. It has little to do with the usual challenges, such as flood, rising fuel prices and crop-eating insects. The country's farmers are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place. National agricultural census (普查) figures show that the fastest-growing group of farmers is the part over 65. Merrigan is afraid the average age will be even higher when the 2012 statistics are completed.
Merrigan, a former college professor, is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture. Aside from trying to stop the graying of America's farmers, her work is made tougher by a recent blog posting that put agriculture at No.1 on a list of "useless" college degrees. Top federal agriculture officials are talking about the posting, and it has the attention of agricultural organizations across the country.
“There couldn't be anything that's more incorrect," Merrigan said. "We know that there aren't enough qualified graduates to fill the jobs that are out there in American agriculture.
In addition, a growing world population that some experts predict will require 70% more food production by 2050, she said.
“I truly believe we're at a golden age of agriculture. Global demand is at an all-time record high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows," said Matt Rush, director of the Texas Farm Bureau. "Production costs are going to be valuable enough that younger people are going to have the opportunity to be involved in agriculture”.
The Department of Agriculture has programs aimed at developing more farmers and at increasing interest in locally grown food. The National Young Farmers' Coalition has also been pushing for state and federal policy changes to make it easier for new fermers.
Ryan Best, president of Future Fanners of America, has been living out of a suitcase, traveling the country and visiting with high school students about careers in agriculture. The 21 -year-old Best hopes his message-that this is a new time in agriculture-will motivate the next generation to turn around the statistics.“Never before have we had the innovations (創(chuàng)新）in technology which have led to agriculture in this country being the most efficient it has ever been” he said. “There’s really a place for everybody to fit in”
【小題1】What is the new challenge to American agriculture?
| A．Fewer and older farmers. | B．Higher fuel prices. |
| C．More natural disasters. | D．Lower agricultural output. |
| A．To draw federal agriculture officials' attention |
| B．To select qualified agriculture graduates. |
| C．To clarify a recent blog posting. |
| D．To talk more students into farming careers |
| A．the government will cover production costs |
| B．global food supplies will be even lower |
| C．investment in agriculture will be profitable |
| D．America will increase its food export |
| A．To re-analyze the result of the national census. |
| B．To increase production. |
| C．To bring down the average age of farmers. |
| D．To invest more in agriculture. |
【小題1】A
【小題2】D
【小題3】C
【小題4】C
解析試題分析：文章大意為：主要介紹了美國在農(nóng)業(yè)方面臨農(nóng)民人數(shù)少，年齡偏大的問題，同時還缺少專業(yè)大學(xué)生從事農(nóng)業(yè)生產(chǎn)。該怎么樣解決這個問題。
【小題1】A細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第一段第三句“The country’s farmers are getting older, and there are fewer people standing in line to take their place”可知，A項正確。
【小題2】D細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)第二段第一句中“…is making stops at universities across the country in hopes of encouraging more students to think about careers in agriculture”可知，D項正確。
【小題3】C推理判斷題。根據(jù)第五段中“Global demand is at an all-time record high, and global supplies are at all-time record lows”可推斷Matt Rush認為，全球?qū)r(nóng)業(yè)的需要達到了最高，而全球的供應(yīng)則達到了最低，故在農(nóng)業(yè)上投資肯定會獲利，即C項正確。
【小題4】C 細節(jié)理解題。根據(jù)最后一段第二句中“…this is a new time in agriculture —will motivate the next generation…”可推斷此處表示的是“農(nóng)業(yè)的新時機將會激勵下一代來參與，即農(nóng)民的平均年齡將會年輕化”，故C項正確。
考點：科技類短文閱讀。
閱讀快車系列答案科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
When Geoff Marcy was 14, his parents bought him a telescope. Every night, he would go onto the roof outside his window to see the wonders of the sky.
“What excited me most was whether there were planets in other solar systems where life might exist,” he says. “I decided to try to find planets orbiting other stars like our Sun.”
And he did. “My fellow researcher, Paul Butler, and I found our first planet in 1995,” Dr. Marcy says. “We worked for ten years without finding anything! But we stuck with it and our patience paid off.”
Since then, the two scientists have discovered 65 of the more than 100 planets found orbiting other stars. Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler also spotted the first “family” of three planets. In June 2002 they announced another discovery: a Jupiter-like planet orbiting star 55Cancri.
At first, the two researchers found only planets that orbit close to stars. Recently, the scientists found planets farther out. The planet orbiting 55Cancri is a major breakthrough: it is the first sighting of a large gas planet about same distance from the star as Jupiter is from the Sun.
Why is this important ? Scientists think that life on Earth may exist because of two special features in our solar system. The first is Jupiter.
“Because it’s so big, Jupiter pulls comets and asteroids(小行星), or they all come and hit the Earth.” Dr. Marcy explains. “Without Jupiter , life on Earth would likely have been destroyed.”
A second feature is that Earth is a rocky planet where liquid water, which is necessary for life , can exist. Unlike gas planets, rocky planets like Earth have surfaces where water can gather in pools and seas, which may support life. A huge space exists between the Jupiter-like planet and two other planets that lie close to 55Cancri. Is there an Earth-like planet in the space, too small for us to notice? If so, says Dr. Marcy, “We would have two striking similarities to our solar system: a Jupiter-like planet and an Earth-like planet. And there may be life!”
【小題1】What can we learn about Dr. Marcy from the passage?
| A．He is fond of watching Jupiter. |
| B．He is from a scientist family. |
| C．He dislikes working with Paul Butler. |
| D．He is interested in finding life in outer space. |
| A．The planet is not as protective as Jupiter. |
| B．The planet is close to star 55Cancri. |
| C．The planet proves to be a gas planet. |
| D．The planet is as large as Jupiter. |
| A．1995 | B．1985 | C．2002 | D．1981 |
| A．he has found the system similar to the solar system. |
| B．he has discovered an Earth-like planet there. |
| C．he has discovered a rocky planet there. |
| D．he has found signs of life in the system |
| A．they felt discouraged | B．they carried on with it |
| C．they failed in their attempt | D．they made some progress |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
In the near future，we may be using our eyes to operate our smart-phones and tablets，even when it comes to playing popular games like Fruit Ninja．
The Gaze Group has been developing eye-controlled computer technology for nearly 20 years．But those devices have been firstly designed to help those with disabilities，and are very expensive．
“After a while，we figured out that probably the best way is to go for a mass-market way，” says Gaze’s Sune Alstrup Johansen．“where everybody would have this available．"
Johansen and some of his colleagues have formed a new company，the Eye Tribe，which is hoping to develop the technology on a mass commercial level．
The technology works with the help of the computing device toward the user’s face． After making sure of the user’s eye movements，the technology is then able to easily find where a person’s eyes are moving，and then allow the eyes to control a cursor（光標）．
“Our software can then determine the location of the eyes and know where you’re looking on the screen to make sure what you’re looking at，“reads an explanation on the Eye Tribe site．
There has been a gradual change toward hands-free technology in recent years， particularly in the gaming world．Recently Xbox released the Kinect device，which lets users control their Xbox and play certain games using only their hands，legs and voices． But still，most of these devices have been more of a gimmick than a practical way to use one’s hands to control a mobile device．Johansen said a replaceable filter（濾光器）would be a cheap，convenient way for most consumers．
And even as companies like The Eye Tribe work to create such a product for the average user, making the eye-controlled technology more accessible and less expensive will have similar benefits for physically disabled users.
For more articles on modern science，please CLICK here．
【小題1】Which of the following is the main idea of the passage?
| A．An introduction of a new device． |
| B．An introduction of smart-phones． |
| C．An introduction of eye-controlling technology． |
| D．An introduction of a new technology for the disabled． |
| A．a(chǎn) trick | B．a(chǎn) way | C．a(chǎn) lie | D．a(chǎn) dream |
| A．the eye-controlling technology was first developed for the blind |
| B．the present developing 0f the technology will bring no good |
| C．there is no such a phone as we can use only with our eyes at present |
| D．the eye-controlling technology is only intended for the disabled people |
| A．a(chǎn)n experiment report | B．a(chǎn) science fiction |
| C．a(chǎn) school textbook | D．a(chǎn) science website |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Batteries can power anything from small sensors to large systems．While scientists are finding ways to make them smaller but even more powerful, problems can arise when these batteries are much larger and heavier than the devices themselves．University of Missouri（MU） researchers are developing a nuclear energy source that is smaller, lighter and more efficient．
“To provide enough power, we need certain methods with high energy density（密度）”，said Jae Kwon, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering at MU．“The radioisotope（放射性同位素） battery can provide power density that is much higher than chemical batteries．”
Kwon and his research team have been working on building a small nuclear battery, presently the size and thickness of a penny, intended to power various micro / nanoelectromechanical systems （M/NEMS）．Although nuclear batteries can cause concerns, Kwon said they are safe．
“People hear the word ‘nuclear’ and think of something very dangerous,” he said, “However, nuclear power sources have already been safely powering a variety of devices, such as pace-makers, space satellites and underwater systems．”
His new idea is not only in the battery’s size, but also in its semiconductor（半導(dǎo)體）．Kwon’s battery uses a liquid semiconductor rather than a solid semiconductor．
“The key part of using a radioactive battery is that when you harvest the energy, part of the radiation energy can damage the lattice structure（晶體結(jié)構(gòu)） of the solid semiconductor,” Kwon said, “By using a liquid semiconductor, we believe we can minimize that problem．”
Together with J．David Robertson, chemistry professor and associate director of the MU Research Reactor, Kwon is working to build and test the battery．In the future, they hope to increase the battery’s power, shrink its size and try with various other materials．Kwon said that battery could be thinner than the thickness of human hair
【小題1】The text is most probably a ________．
| A．science news report | B．book review |
| C．newspaper ad | D．science fiction |
| A．get rid of the radioactive waste |
| B．test the power of nuclear batteries |
| C．decrease the size of nuclear batteries |
| D．reduce the damage to lattice structure |
| A．uses a solid semiconductor | B．will soon replace the present ones |
| C．could be extremely thin | D．has passed the final test |
| A．to show chemical batteries are widely applied |
| B．to introduce nuclear batteries can be safely used |
| C．to describe a nuclear-powered system |
| D．to introduce various energy sources |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Poor Oral Health Leads to Social and Emotional Problems
A new report says nearly four-billion people have major tooth decay, or cavities. That number represents more than half of the world's population. Health officials are warning that failure to repair cavities can lead to social and emotional problems.
Wagner Marcenes is with the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London. He led a team of researchers as part of the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. About 500 researchers attempt to collect and examine studies about all major diseases. They used the information to estimate rates of the infection.
The report says untreated tooth decay is the most common of all 291 major diseases and injuries. Professor Marcenes says cavities or holes in permanent teeth are also known as caries.
"Caries is a chronic disease that shares the same risk factors as cancer, cardiovascular disease. What we're having now is an increase in disease from highly developed countries happening in sub-Saharan Africa and probably it will be in other areas of Africa, too."
He says an increase in tooth decay in Africa could be a result of developing countries becoming more like Western nations.
"It is likely to be related to a change in diet. Our industrialized diet leads to chronic disease, which includes caries. And that may be the main explanation."
Western diets are rich in sugar, a leading cause of health problems in the mouth. Wagner Marcenes says oral health problems can have a major effect on a person's quality of life. First, cavities make eating difficult. Second, people may change what they eat. They may eat softer foods that are not hard to chew. However, softer foods are often fattier foods.
But professor Marcenes says the biggest issue in tooth decay is both social and mental. He says the researchers found strong evidence that the mouth has a big influence on socialization. He says many people want to hide bad teeth. They smile less and communicate less.
Wagner Marcenes is calling for an "urgent, organized, social response" to the widespread lack of oral health. He believes in a natural method to fight tooth decay by having a healthier diet. He is also calling for the development of new and less costly dental materials and treatments.
【小題1】From the passage, we know that Wagner Marcenes ______.
| A．works as the leader of the Institute of Dentistry at Queen Mary, University of London. |
| B．a(chǎn)nd his researchers accumulate some studies to find out some ways to cure all major disease. |
| C．is in charge of the activity to estimate the infection rate with the collected and examined studies about all major studies. |
| D．thinks that the most serious problem caused by tooth decay is cancer that will last for a long time. |
| A．is listed in the most common of all 291 major diseases and injuries which will last for a long time.. |
| B．is closely related to industrialized diet which calls for people to eat slowly. |
| C．increases in Africa now because developing countries are becoming developed countries. |
| D．will cause phychological disorder which will affect people’s communication. |
| A．a(chǎn)rouse people’s concern about caries and take measures to deal with it. |
| B．tell the result of the Global Burden of Disease 2010 study. |
| C．warn people in Africa to adjust their diet to prevent caries. |
| D．tell doctors that caries affects a person’s quality of life. |
| A．indifferent | B．concerned | C．a(chǎn)ngry | D．negative |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Legends about the development of coffee are varied and interesting, involving chance occurrences, political tricks, and the pursuit of wealth and power.
According to one story, a sheepherder named Kaldi, as he tended his sheep, noticed the effect of coffee beans. He noticed that the sheep became excited after eating the red “cherries" from a certain plant when they changed pastures (牧場). He tried it himself, and was soon as overactive as his sheep. Another story relates that a monk happened to discover that this fruit from the shiny green plant could help him stay awake.
Another legend gives us the name for coffee, “mocha”. Omar, an Arabian was thrown to the desert with his followers to die of starvation. In desperation, Omar had his friends boil and eat the fruit from an unknown plant. Not only did the soup save the group, but the residents of the nearest town, Mocha, took their survival as a religious sign. The plant and its beverage (飲料) were named Mocha to honor this event.
Coffee was introduced much later to countries beyond Arabia, whose inhabitants believed it to be a tasty thing and guarded its secret as if they were top secret military plans. The government forbade transportation of the plant out of the Moslem nations. The actual spread of coffee was started illegally. One Arab named Baba Budan smuggled (走私) beans to some mountains near Mysore, India, and started a farm there. Early in this century, some of those original plants were found still growing fruitfully in the region.
Coffee today is grown and enjoyed worldwide, and is one of the few crops that small farmers in third-world countries can profitably export.
【小題1】What does the second paragraph mainly talk about?
| A．A sheepherder used coffee beans to keep sheep excited. |
| B．Coffee was a special kind of red cherry from a certain plant. |
| C．A sheepherder and a monk accidently discovered coffee’s effect. |
| D．Sheep ate a lot of coffee beans while they changed pastures. |
| A．Kaldi’s story. | B．The monk’s story. |
| C．Omar’s story. | D．Baba Budan’s story. |
| A．a(chǎn) town | B．a(chǎn)n Arabian | C．a(chǎn) kind of coffee | D．a(chǎn) sheepherder |
| A．The Secret of Coffee | B．The Tales of Coffee |
| C．People’s Love for Coffee | D．The Function of Coffee |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Can a fish hear fishermen moving along the stream? What are the facts about the ability of a fish to see? Can they tell the difference between colors?
The sharp hearing of a fish has been proved by two scientists, who trained a fish to expect its food when it heard the sound of a whistle. And a slight sound two hundred feet away could drive fishes away. That should make fishermen start thinking.
One scientist had made experiments to prove fish can recognize different colors such as red, brown, yellow and green.
Fish also have an eye for different shapes. One scientist proved this by teaching fish to connect certain patterns with food. He used a small circle and a square. If the fish swam towards the circle, they received food as a reward. If they swam towards the square, they received nothing. The fish learned in time to go to the circle but not to the square. Does this mean that in time fish might learn to leave alone all food on hooks that they have seen often before? Here is something for all fishermen to think about!
These facts help to make more believable some of the “believe it or not” stories that have been told about fish. It is clear that fish have sometimes shown their ability to gain knowledge as man does. A good example of what we might call “thinking” by a fish is given by an experience of Dr. Andrew Gage. Fishing over a bridge, he hooked a fish. It struggled and dragged the line two hundred feet away before he stopped it. Then it swam back to the bridge. The clever fish then swam round a pile and, with a sudden push, broke the line. If the story ended there, one could say that the fish had freed itself by chance. However, Gage went on fishing. Below him he could see the fish that had broken loose. After another twenty minutes the fish again seized the food on the hook. This time it did not swim out but swam round one of the piles and again broke the line.
Many stories are told of the fish that get away and the clever “old hand” ones that can’t be caught. The more often a fish is nearly caught, the more difficult it will be to interest it next time.
【小題1】The last two paragraph’s mainly discuss _________.
| A．whether a fish can think as man does |
| B．how a fish could escape from danger |
| C．how to catch a fish more easily |
| D．whether a fish is believable |
| A．Fish can hear and see |
| B．How clever is a fish? |
| C．Fish can play tricks |
| D．How scientists help fishermen. |
| A．it’s difficult to catch fish; |
| B．fish are cleverer sometimes than fishermen |
| C．fish seem to learn by their experience |
| D．fewer people will be interested in fish |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Risk of death is 3.5 t0 5 times greater for obese smokers than it is for people who have never smoked and are at a normal weight, according to a study published in the November, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The study, which began with a self-administered questionnaire taken between 1983 and 1989, asked more than 80,000 radiologic technologists aged 22 t0 92 questions about age, height, weight and smoking behavior.
BMI (body mass index) was calculated, with a BMI of 30 t0 34.9 being considered obese, and 35 and over being very obese. Smoking behavior was analyzed by looking at a person's tobacco consumption level, number of years smoked, and current smoking status. Researchers then followed participants through December of 2002, noting the number of deaths that occurred.
The study involved researchers from the National Cancer Institute, the University of Minnesota and the American Registry of Radiolegic Technologists.
Key Findings:
20 percent of obese adults in the United States smoke.
Obese smokers face a greater risk of death from cancer and circulatory disease.
Current smoking is a greater risk factor for death by cancer than obesity is, generally speaking.
The higher a person's pack-years (number of packs smoked per day times the number of years smoked) are, the greater the risk of death.
Men and women of all ages faced an elevated risk of death due to circulatory disease as BMI increased. And for those who were both obese and currently smoking, risk of circulatory disease increased 6 to 11 times under the age of 65, as compared to their never-smoking, normal weight counterparts.
While it's not surprising that obesity coupled with smoking is a recipe for trouble, it is important to highlight this growing health concern in America today.
Taking Charge of Your Health
Making healthy choices can be difficult when we're constantly bombarded with products that are hazardous to our health, but it's not impossible. With education and some motivation, we all have the ability to make lasting changes for the better. If you're an overweight smoker worried about gaining weight due to quitting, take heart. It's never too late to change your course and even reverse damage to some extent.
【小題1】What is the probably the best title of the text?
A. Obese smoking and death B. Key findings about smoking
C Taking charge of your health D. Obesity and smoking
【小題2】Which of the following is true according to the text?
| A．Obese smokers are less likely to suffer from cancer |
| B．Obese smokers are more likely to suffer from cancer |
| C．Obese smokers .tend to gain fewer body mass index. |
| D．Obese smokers tend to get heavier than those Who never smoke |
| A．easy and possible | B．difficult and impossible |
| C．easy ant worthwhile | D．difficult but worthwhile |
| A．To inform the readers of the findings about obese smoking. |
| B．To warn the readers of the danger of obese smoking. |
| C．To tell us what obese smoking is. |
| D．To call on the obese smolkers to quit smoking. |
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Most people think the first pies were made by early Romans. They may have learned about pie making from the Greeks. These pies were sometimes made in"reeds (蘆葦葉)", which were used for the purpose of holding the filling (餡 ), and were not eaten.
The Romans spread the word about pies around Europe and the word"pie"became a popular word in the 14th century. The first pie recipe (食譜) was also published by the Romans.
Pies first appeared in England as early as the twelfth century. The early pies were mostly meat pies. There was actually more crust(皮)than filling. Often these pies were made from fowl ( 家禽) and the fowl's legs were left to hang over the side of the dish and used as handles. Fruit pies were probably first made in the 1500s. It is said that Queen Elizabeth I made the first cherry pie.
Pie came to America with the first English settlers. The early settlers cooked their pies in long narrow pans. As in the Roman times, the early American pie crusts were often not eaten, but simply used to hold the filling during baking(高@考☆資&源*網(wǎng)烘焙).
Over the years, pie has become what it is today --- "the most traditional American dessert". Pie has become so much a part of American culture that we now often use the phrase "as American as apple pie".
【小題1】Which people might probably first grasp the skill to make pies?
| A．The Romans. | B．The Greeks. |
| C．The Englishmen. | D．The Americans. |
| A．English settlers brought pies to America. |
| B．Early Romans ate not only pies but also the crusts. |
| C．The Romans first published pie recipe. |
| D．The word “pie ” became popular because of the Romans` efforts. |
| A．Americans use long narrow pans to cook pies. |
| B．People use "as American as apple pie" to show something about American characteristics. |
| C．Americans don't eat crusts but use them to hold the filling during baking. |
| D．Pies are the most traditional American dessert. |
| A．The History of Pies | B．Pies, the Delicious Food |
| C．Pies, American Dessert | D．How to Make Pies |
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