It is only during the last few years that man has generally realized that in the world of nature a balance exists between all forms of life. No living thing can exist by itself. It is part of a system in which all forms of life are joined together. If we change one part of the nature order, this will almost certainly bring about changes in some other parts.
　　The cutting of forests reduced the supply of oxygen. The killing of weeds and insects by chemicals led to the wide-spread poisoning of animals and birds. The throwing of waste products into the ocean hurt life in the sea, while waste gases changed the chemical balance of the atmosphere and shut out some of the sun’s necessary life-giving rays.
　　And so we could go on adding more examples until in despair(絕望) we might feel like giving up the struggle to control these harmful human activities. Man is very clever at changing the world around him to satisfy his immediate needs, but he is not so clever at looking far ahead, or at thinking about what the future results of his action might be. Man may well destroy himself because of his silly action.
小題1:The first paragraph tells us that _____.

A．a(chǎn)ll living things in nature depend on each other

B．everything in nature can’t exist without the help of man

C．man has known the importance of the balance of nature for a long time

D．no living thing can live naturally

小題2:In the second paragraph the examples given are used to prove that _____.

A．a(chǎn)ll forms of life belong to a system in which all the parts can be changed for one another

B．it is only during the last few years that man has generally known the balance of nature

C．there are some living things which can exist by themselves without change

D．we can’t change one form of life without destroying the balance of nature

小題3:The last paragraph suggests that in order to get his immediate benefits(利益) _____.

A．man is always anxious to control his activities within limits

B．man is always too eager in planning for distant future

C．man often fails to think about their future results of his action

D．man often feels that he will have to give up in despair

小題4:Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Cutting down woods does little harm to human beings.

B．Man has to pay much more attention to the future results of his present action.

C．Oxygen comes from forests.

D．The passage tells us to try our best to get as much as possible immediately.

All Eskimos live most of their lives close to sea or fresh water. They may follow game inland for several hundred miles, but they always return to the shores of rivers, lakes, or seas. Eskimo land has a bare look. Large rocks, pebbles, and sand cover much of the surface. Plants called lichen (地衣) grow on the rocks, and where there is enough soil, grass, flowers, and even small bushes manage to live. No trees can grow on Eskimo land, so geographers sometimes call it the Arctic plains. There are some animals in Eskimo land, such as rabbits, which eat the plants. Other animals, like the white fox and the gray wolf, eat the rabbits. The Eskimo is a meat-eater, too, and may even eat a wolf when food is scarce.
The Eskimo year has two main parts: a long, cold winter and a short, cool summer. Spring and fall are almost too short to be noticed. Summer is the best time, as food is usually plentiful. But it is also the time when Eskimos are very busy. Winter is never far away, and the men must bring home extra meat for the women to prepare and store, for seldom can enough animals be killed in winter to feed a family.
The Far North is sometimes called the land of the midnight sun. This is true in the middle of summer, for between April 21st and August 21st the sun never sets in Northern Greenland. But in midwinter the Far North is a land with no sunshine at all. Around Oct. 21st the Eskimos of Northern Greenland see the sun set directly south of them, and they don’t see it again until February 22nd. All places on earth get about the same amount of daylight during a year. As a result, if summer is lighter, winter has to be darker.
Winter nights in the Far North are seldom pitch-black. As in the rest of the world, the stars and moon provide a little light. The northern lights also help the Eskimo to see. And with the ground covered with snow, even a little light is reflected back to the Eskimo’s eyes.
小題1:Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Eskimos do not usually eat wolves.

B．Eskimos like to chase one another.

C．Eskimos depend heavily on water.

D．Eskimos are meat-eaters.

小題2:What’s the meaning of the underlined words “pitch-black” in Paragraph 4?

A．Dark with a little light.

B．A little dark.

C．Not dark at all.

D．Extremely dark.

小題3:From the passage, we can infer all of the following EXCEPT that_______.

A．Eskimos are more likely to eat wolves in summer

B．Eskimo women are responsible for housework

C．meat is the main source of food for the Eskimo

D．hunting is an important part of Eskimo life

When most people think of giant pandas, the pictures of the cute, black-and-white bears from China that eat bamboo will immediately jump into their mind. Scientists from Mississippi State University, however, are interested in what they leave behind: their poop(排泄物). At a recent meeting in Denver, Professor Brown at the university presented her research showing how panda poop could inspire a new way to obtain energy from plants, which are a renewable energy source. Usually, plants can be called biomass(有機燃料) when they are used as an energy source.
Burning biomass is one way to capture its energy, but Brown hopes panda poop can teach scientists something about breaking down biomass. Pandas—or at least the bacteria in their stomachs—are very good at getting energy out of bamboo. Unlike cows, which use 4 stomachs to digest large amounts of grass, a panda has only one stomach. Bamboo comes in, and poop goes out.
Every day for 14 months, Brown and her team on this project, counted the bacteria in the poop of the two pandas, YaYa and LeLe living at the Memphis Zoo. Her studies turned up 12 species of bacteria that break down biomass, including one that had never been found in pandas. Brown says that because the poop contains bacteria that break down biomass, it could also be used to break down other types of biomass.
Now the scientists hope to identify the chemicals that help with the process of breaking down biomass and then figure out how the bacteria work. If those chemicals can be made in the lab, they could be used to turn biomass—like grass or other plants—into fuel.
Brown says she doesn’t mind handling panda poop. “It’s probably the most pleasant material to work with,” she says, “My colleagues and I have been working with other poop for a long time, and we can assure you it has a fairly pleasant smell associated with it.”
小題1:The importance of studying panda poop is _______.

A．to create a renewable energy from plants

B．to explore a new way to get energy from plants

C．to learn a lesson of energy from panda poop

D．to figure out how the bacteria work for us mankind

小題2:The process of the panda poop project can be described as ______.

a. Identify the chemicals helpful to break down biomass. b. Find the bacteria in panda poop which break down bamboo. c. Reproduce the chemicals in the lab to turn biomass into energy. d. Analyze how the bacteria in panda poop work in panda’s stomach.

A. a, b, d, c          B. a, d, c, b          C. b, a, d, c          D. b, d, a, c
小題3:What does the author mainly want to express in the 2nd paragraph?

A．Pandas don’t digest bamboo the same way as cows.

B．Pandas are capable of getting energy using stomachs.

C．Pandas can get energy from bamboo more efficiently.

D．Scientists have learnt something new from panda poop.

小題4:What does Professor Brown think of working with panda poop?

A．Sick

B．Challenging

C．Inspiring

D．Enjoyable

For high school leavers starting out in the working world，it is very important to learn particular skills and practice how to behave in an interview or how to find all internship(實習)．In some countries，schools have programs to help students onto the path to work．In the Unites States，however，such programs are still few and far between．
Research shows that if high schools provide career-related courses，students are likely to get higher earnings in later years．The students are more likely to stay in school，graduate and go on to higher education．
In Germany，students as young as 13 and 14 are expected to do internships．German companies work with schools to make sure that young people get the education they need for future employment．
But in America, education reform programs focus on how well students do in exams instead of bringing them into contact with the working world．Harvard Education school professor Robert Schwartz has criticized education reformers for trying to place all graduates directly on the four-year college track．Schwartz argued that this approach leaves the country’s most vulnerable(易受影響的)kids with no jobs and no skills．
Schwartz believed that the best career programs encourage kids to go for higher education while also teaching them valuable practical skills at high school．James Madison High School in New York，for example，encourages students to choose classes on career—based courses．The school then helps them gain on—the-job experience in those fields while they’re still at high school．
However，even for teens whose schools encourage them to connect with work，the job market is daunting．In the US，unemployment rates for 16-to 19-year-olds are above 20 percent for the third summer in a row．
“The risk is that if teenagers miss out on the Summer job experience，they become part of this generation of teens who had trouble in landing a job，”said Michael，a researcher in the US.
小題1:In the author’s opinion, American high school leavers__________.

A．have enough career-related courses

B．need more career advice from their schools

C．perform better in exams than German students

D．can get higher earnings in later years

小題2:According to Robert Schwartz，_________.

A．there is no need for kids to go for higher education in the US

B．students should get contact with the working world at high school

C．education reform should focus on students’ performance in exams

D．teenagers in the US can’t miss out on the summer job experience

小題3:What can be inferred from the text?

A．Unemployment rates for US teenagers remain high at the moment.

B．Students with career—based courses never have problems finding a job.

C．US companies work with schools to prepare young people for future employment.

D．High school leavers with no practical skills can’t find a job absolutely

小題4:What’s the main idea of the text?

A．Arguments about recent US education reform.

B．Tips on finding jobs for high school leavers.

C．The lack of career—based courses in US high schools.

D．Advice for American high school leavers.

小題5:The underlined word “daunting” in Paragraph 6 most probably means___________.

A．discouraging	B．interesting
C．creative	D．unbearable

Most people believe they don’t have much imagination. They are    11   . Everyone has imagination, but most of us, once we become adults, forget how to   12  it. Creativity isn’t always  13 with great works of art or ideas. People at work and in their free time   14   think of creative ways to solve problems. Maybe you have a goal to achieve, a tricky question to answer or you just want to expand your mind! Here are three techniques to help you.
　　Making connections. This technique involves taking   15  ideas and trying to find links between them. First, think about the problem you have to solve or the job you need to do. Then find an image, word, idea or object, for example, a candle. Write down all the ideas/words  16  with candles: light, fire, matches, wax, night, silence, etc. Think of as many as you can. The next stage is to relate the   17 to the job you have to do. So imagine you want to buy a friend an original   18  ; you could buy him tickets to match or take him out for the night.
　　NO limits! Imagine that normal limitations don’t   19  . You have as much time /space / money, etc. as you want. Think about your goal and the new  20  . If your goal is to learn to ski,    21  , you can now practise skiing every day of your life (because you have the time and the money). Now   22   this to reality. Maybe you can practise skiing every day in December, or every Monday in January.
Be someone else! Look at the situation from a    23  point of view. Good businessmen use this technique in trade, and so do writers. Fiction writers often imagine they are the  24   in their books. They ask questions: What does this character want? Why can’t she get it? What changes must she make to get what she wants? If your goal involves other people, put yourself in their    25 . The best fishermen think like fish!

小題1:	A．wrong B．unbelievable C．reasonable D．realistic

小題2:	A．put up with B．catch up with C．make use of D．keep track of

小題3:	A．equipped B．compared C．covered D．connected

小題4:	A．skillfully B．routinely C．vividly D．deeply

小題5:	A．familiar B．unrelated C．creative D．imaginary

小題6:	A．presented B．marked C．lit D．a(chǎn)ssociated

小題7:	A．ideas B．a(chǎn)mbitions C．a(chǎn)chievement D．technique

小題8:	A．experience B．service C．present D．object

小題9:	A．work B．last C．exist D．change

小題10:

A．possibilities B．limitations C．tendency D．practice

小題11:

A．in fact B．in particular C．a(chǎn)s a whole D．for example

小題12:

A．devote B．a(chǎn)dapt C．lead D．keep

小題13:

A．private B．global C．different D．practical

小題14:

A．features B．themes C．creatures D．characters.

小題15:

A．positions B．dreams C．images D．directions

The UN Environment Programme says that rising temperatures could mean the end for some migrating animals.
Migrating or mobile animals move through several environments as they travel away from the cold of winter to warmer areas. Birds may fly from one part of the world to another, perhaps stopping at feeding grounds on the way. Whales and turtles (海龜) cover vast areas of ocean. The report says that changes in any one of the places which these animals use can cause serious harm. "Obviously these animals have developed their travelling patterns over thousands of years. But climate change is almost certain to be extreme over the next 25 to 50 years and it is extremely unlikely that these animals can change their habits fast enough," said the report author Dr Robert Hepworth.
Hardest hit by rising temperatures are turtles. Scientists have found that at higher temperatures, turtles produce far more female eggs than male ones. In parts of Malaysia, turtle birthing sites are producing only females, the report says. It also provides evidence that some turtles are more likely to develop cancer as the waters get warmer.
With birds, the main problem is climate-related damage to important areas at either end of the travels or at resting places along the way. About one-fifth of migrating birds are now in danger because of climate-related changes including rising sea levels, land loss and more violent storms, the report concludes.
Other animals picked out as particularly in danger include:
· the North Atlantic Right Whale, whose main food (tiny shrimp) is disturbed by the change in ocean flows and
· the White-Nose Dolphin, which is out-competed by other kinds of dolphins in warmer waters.
The report is not all bad news. Even with major climatic changes, protecting the environment can still help mobile animals to recover. "We need governments to start taking action at the national and international lever. “The clock is running.” said Dr Hepworth. And some animals are already adapting, with the report mentioning whales that are changing their feeding behaviour, finding new feeding grounds and new foods to eat.
小題1:What is the main topic of the text?

A．The effect of climate change on migrating animals.

B．How animals are adapting to changes in temperature.

C．The actions required to save migrating animals.

D．The need for government policies to prevent global warming.

小題2:By saying "the clock is running" in the last paragraph, Dr Hepworth means that “_______”.

A．it may be too late to save some animals

B．it is time to start protecting the animals

C．there is not much time to solve the problem

D．it takes time to complete the actions

小題3:According to the report, how will global warming affect turtles in the future?

A．They will only produce female babies.

B．Their food supply will gradually disappear.

C．Some will suffer from higher rates of cancer.

D．They will be in greater danger because of more violent storms.

小題4:Which of the following is mentioned as a consequence of rising temperatures?

A．More storms will affect the ability of whales to find their feeding grounds.

B．20 percent of all birds are likely to die out because of land loss.

C．Migrating animals are likely to start adapting to the changes more quickly.

D．Warmer oceans will increase the competition between different kinds of dolphins.

小題5:What can be inferred (推斷) about turtles from the text?

A．They are the only animals besides humans that suffer from cancer.

B．They have traditionally lived longer than other ocean-based animals.

C．Those born nearer a hotter area are more likely to be female.

D．Most kinds of turtles are likely to die out within 50 years.

The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place．Now it is an ecological disaster area．Nauru’s heartbreaking story could have one good consequence — other countries might learn from its mistakes．
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived in the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization．The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798．He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship．He called the island Pleasant Island．
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first．The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol．These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island．A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900．
Nauru’s real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate (磷酸鹽)on the island．In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which was a very important fertilizer for farming．The company began mining the phosphate．
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine．When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer of soil．Then it takes away the material it wants．Strip mining totally destroys the land．Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon．
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world．Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate．
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars．In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses．Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem — their phosphate was running out．Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing．By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined．Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island．This will probably never happen．
小題1:What might be the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To seek help for Nauru’s problems．

B．To tell a heartbreaking story of a war．

C．To show the importance of money

D．To give a warning to other countries

小題2:What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?

A．Rich and powerful	B．Peaceful and attractive
C．Modern and open	D．Greedy and aggressive

小題3:The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from _______．
A．phosphate overmining      B soil pollution
C．farming activity             D．whale hunting
小題4:Which of the following was a cause of Nauru’s financial problem? 

A．Its phosphate mining cost much money

B．It spent too much repairing the island

C．Its leaders misused the money

D．It lost millions of dollars in the civil war．

小題5:What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?

A．The ecological damage is difficult to repair．

B．The leaders will take the experts’ words seriously．

C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans

D．The phosphate mines were destroyed

A Book Review—The Snake-Stone by Berlie Doherty
The setting: Urban England (the cities), but also rural England (the countryside) including remote English villages．
The theme: The main theme is a teenage research of self-discovery, in this case the search for a mother from whom the hero was separated at an early age．Its other concerns are love, getting on with others, being persistent and courageous and trying to deal with doubts, troubles and worries．As the book moves to a close, James’ swimming coach says to him: “You are not like a kid obeying instructions any more．You are diving like a young man who knows where he is going．”
The characters: James is the hero of the story．He is a championship diver, and has a comfortable life with his foster parents (養(yǎng)父母)．Yet he also has the qualities to take him on a long journey to find his birth mother．The other characters in The Snake-Stone, James’ parents, his diving instructor, best friend, the villagers, people he meets on his journey, are pictured realistically．
The turning point: The turning point in the story comes while James’ foster parents are away in London, and he wonders about the identity of his birth mother．The only clue he has is a fossil, “the snake stone” which she left behind along with a note on which she had written: “Take good care of Sammie．It was written on a torn envelope with parts of an address still there．
The journey: Instead of going to London, James decides to find his birth mother．With help from his geography teacher, James sets out for the remote country village where his mother might be found．James has painful, challenging, but also humorous and happy travels．The mother he finally meets, Anne, has a minor yet powerful voice in the novel．He comes to understand why she left him at a stranger’s door fifteen years before．Although the meeting is not long, it leaves him with a feeling of completeness．As a journey of self-discovery The Snake-Stone also provides its readers with a happy ending．Its hero says, on returning to his foster parents, “I was home．”
小題1:What is the main theme of the novel?

A．A journey of self-discovery．

B．Life in the world of diving．

C．Life with foster parents．

D．A travel around the country．

小題2:What do the coach’s words in Paragraph 2 suggest?

A．James is a successful diver．

B．James is an independent young man．

C．James is an outgoing young man．

D．James is a hopeful swimmer．

小題3:The snake stone in the novel is        ．

A．a(chǎn) stone with an address on it

B．a(chǎn) gift from the swimming coach

C．a(chǎn) clue left by the birth mother

D．a(chǎn) fossil left by the foster parents

小題4:Which of the following is true about the novel?

A．The story has a sad ending．

B．The story takes place in the city of London．

C．The characters are vividly described．

D．The turning point comes after the hero meets his birth mother．

小題5:It can be concluded that James’ journey is _________．

A．disappointing

B．boring

C．comfortable

D．worthwhile

Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn’t matter where you live－ in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village the chances that you will be disturbed by jet planes , transistor radios, oil-powered engines, etc, are almost everywhere. We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they are working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be very frightening experience for human beings. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums (耳鼓). The noise level in some disco is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration(專心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration , what really affects their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise, which doesn’t change too much (music, for example ) may even help people to concentrate.
小題1:The best title for this passage is________.

A．Noisy Life

B．Background Noise

C．Disturbed Concentration

D．Changeable Noise

小題2:From this passage, the pollution of noise __________.

A．doesn’t matter much

B．has become better in big cities

C．has become better in villages

D．has become worse everywhere

小題3:Scientists have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating is _________.

A．a(chǎn)ny kind of noise

B．great changes in level of noise

C．background noise

D．various background music

Are your children liked by their teachers? All parents want their children to impress(給...的印象) their teachers and succeed in school. You can get your children to impress their teachers by following these easy steps.
Make sure they’re prepared. Teachers are impressed by children coming to school prepared to learn. Make sure they have everything they need—pencils textbooks, erasers and so on.
Require them to be active in class. Teach them to ask teachers questions when they don’t understand something. Some children think teachers are bothered by questions, but most teachers are impressed when children take the initiative(采取主動) in asking questions. They should take part in class discussions, giving their opinions politely.
Keep your children healthy. If your children are tired and hungry, they won’t be ready to learn. Children need at least 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. Feed your children a solid breakfast and prepare a healthy lunch. Provide them with fruit and other healthy foods—apples or bananas are better for them than cookies.
Make sure that your children do their homework. If they really don’t understand it, discuss it with them patiently. Don’t help them do their homework. Teachers can always tell who it is that does the work.
Teach your children good manners and habits. Children need to arrive at the school punctually, and be polite to their teachers and classmates. Parents need to teach these skills at home. Nothing is sweeter than children who say “please” and “thank you”, and these are children their teachers are certain to love.
小題1:The first paragraph serves as ________.

A．a(chǎn)n explanation

B．a(chǎn)n introduction

C．a(chǎn) background

D．a(chǎn) guidance

小題2:Which of the following statements is NOT true? 

A．Hungry and tired children can’t focus on their study.

B．Children should go to school on time and learn to behave well.

C．Teachers aren’t able to decide if parents do homework for their children.

D．Teachers are impressed when children take an active part in class.

小題3:The passage mainly tells us that being parents, you should ________.

A．help your children to impress their teachers at school

B．a(chǎn)sk your children to get ready for classes before going to school

C．teach your children to be polite to both their teachers and classmates

D．remind your children to observe all the rules when at school