Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are a major cause of climate change, and now a new
study has confirmed that atmospheric CO₂ is also affecting the ocean chemistry and potentially harming
sea life.
     Montana State University scientist Robert Dore has been researching the water in the Pacific Ocean for
almost two decades.
     "We've been going to the same spot in the Pacific Ocean, and we try and characterize long-term change
in the open ocean environment. And one of the key things that we measure is CO₂ levels. And we've been
able to record this increasing quantity of atmospheric CO₂ into the ocean."
     Scientists expected that as atmospheric CO₂ increased, more and more of the carbon dioxide would be
absorbed into the ocean, affecting the chemical balance of the sea water, with a potentially harmful impact
on shellfish and coral in particular.
     "As carbon dioxide dissolves (溶解) in the water or seawater in this case, it forms a weak acid, carbonic
acid," Dore explains. "And therefore, as the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere goes up and that
exchanges with the surface seawater, it drives the pH down, and makes it more acidic."
     The seawater Dore and his colleagues have analyzed confirms what the theory predicts.
     The effect was particularly striking at about 250 meters down, and again at 500 meters. Dore and his
colleagues came up with two possible explanations. It could be that surface water picked up CO₂ and then
moved to those depths. Or there could be a biological explanation.
     "It's important to realize that the oceans are really becoming acidic. And it could have negative impacts
on a whole variety of sea life from fish to coral. It's potentially catastrophic."

1. What can be the best title of the passage?

A. Sea Life Facing Danger
B. Scientist Researching Seawater
C. Oceans Becoming More Acidic
D. Climate Change Affecting Seawater

2. With the increase of atmospheric CO₂, _____.

A. more corals will appear in the sea
B. the surface water is becoming warmer
C. the chemical balance of the seawater is affected
D. the pH of the ocean out here has been increasing

3. Which of the following shows the process of the impact of atmospheric CO₂ on sea life?
    a. Sea life is endangered.
    b. CO₂ goes into the surface water.
    c. The ocean chemistry is affected.
    d. CO₂ decreases the pH and makes the seawater more acidic.
    e. CO₂ levels in the atmosphere go up.

A. a→b→c→d→e
B. e→b→c→d→a
C. a→e→b→c→d
D. e→d→c→b→a

4. Scientist Robert Dore came to the conclusion based on _____.

A. his research and analysis
B. the expectation of other scientists
C. some former theory
D. a major cause of climate change

5. What does the passage want to tell us most?

A. It takes time to make a scientific study.
B. Atmospheric CO₂ is doing harm to sea life.
C. Robert Dore is a committed and serious scientist.
D. Measures should be taken to prevent the potential catastrophe.

     Researchers have shown that music has an important effect on one's body and mind. In fact, there is a
growing field of health care known as Music Therapy, which uses music to treat diseases. Even hospitals
are beginning to use music therapy. This is not surprising, as music affects the body and mind in many
powerful ways.
     Researchers have shown that quick music can make a person feel more alert (警覺的), while slow music
can produce a calm, deep thinking state. Also, researchers have found that music can change brainwave
activity levels. This can help the brain to change speeds more easily on its own as needed, which means that
music can bring lasting benefits to your state of mind, even after you've stopped listening.
     Breathing and heart rate can also be influenced by music. This can mean slower breathing, slower heart
rate, and a relaxing response. This is why music and music therapy can help reduce the damaging effects of
long-term stress, greatly promoting not only relaxation, but health. Music can also be used to bring about a
more positive state of mind, by helping to keep worries away.
     Music has also been found to bring many other benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and reducing
the risk of strokes among others. It is no surprise that so many people are considering music as an important
tool to help the body become or stay healthy.

1. What can we know about music therapy?

A. It is a type of music.
B. It is a research about music.
C. It is a kind of disease affected by music.
D. It is a method of using music to help treat diseases.

2. According to the second paragraph, we can know that _____.

A. music with different speeds has different effects
B. quick music is not good for one's health
C. slow music can help one think more slowly
D. music will have less benefit after one stops listening

3. The reason why music can help deal with stress is that _____.

A. it is used by many hospitals
B. it can help change brainwaves
C. it is beneficial to breathing and heart rate
D. it can bring a more positive state of mind

4. The passage is mainly about _____.

A. the importance of music therapy
B. the benefits music can bring to treat diseases
C. a research on the effect of music
D. the diseases music can help to treat

     The United States has about 475,000 school buses-all painted yellow. Each day they carry more than
25,000,000 children, half of all schoolchildren in the country. But these buses, on average, use four liters of
diesel (柴油) fuel to travel less than sixteen kilometers. When the school year began last fall, diesel averaged
55 cents a liter nationally. The price nearly doubled, to a dollar and 8 cents, by the end of school in June.
     Bob Riley speaks for the American School Bus Council. He says fuel prices for schools are not much
lower than others have to pay. As a result, schools are looking for ways to reduce transportation costs. Bus
routes are being redrawn or, in some cases, canceled (取消). Some areas are buying buses that use natural
gas or other alternative fuels. Other steps include fewer field trips and less travel by sports teams. And some
school districts (地區(qū)) may end any bus service not required by law.
     Studies show that school buses are the safest form of transportation to and from school. The American
School Bus Council says cuts in bus service are bad for children and possibly the environment. It says
removing buses from the road will mean an increase in other vehicles transporting students. Spokesman Bob
Riley says another concern is that reducing bus services might reduce attendance.
     But it could also get more children to walk or bicycle to school. And that would surely make people happy
at the National Center for Safe Routes to School. More kids walking or biking safely to school is the aim of a
three-year-old federal program, part of an international movement. The goal is to increase physical activity and
reduce air pollution. The United States will celebrate Walk to School Day on October eighth this year. But for
some students, high fuel prices could make every day a walk-to-school day.

1. What does this passage mainly tell us?

A. High fuel prices' influences on school buses.
B. New measures to transport school students.
C. The safest form of student transportation.
D. The origin of Walk to School Day.

2. Which of the following information is implied in the first paragraph?

A. There are too many school buses in the United States.
B. There are too many students in the US.
C. Diesel prices are going up too rapidly in the US.
D. School buses consume too much diesel in the US.

3. What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A. Cuts in bus service will have negative results.
B. The US government is encouraging cuts in bus services.
C. The US schools are searching for the safest transportation means.
D. Reducing bus service will do a lot of good to the environment.

4. In order to cut down transportation cost, many schools take the following measures EXCEPT _____.

A. changing some bus routes
B. stopping some bus routes
C. asking parents to drive children to and from school
D. using other types of fuels

5. The National Center for Safe Routes to School encourages more children to walk or bike to school in
    order to _____.

A. save more fuels and diesel for the country
B. keep the children safe on their way to school
C. make the children live a simple life
D. keep the children healthy and the environment clean

     Downing the last drop of an expensive famous brand H2O as well as remembering to throw the empty
bottle in the recycling bin, makes you feel pretty good about yourself, right? It shouldn't. Even when the
bottles are recycled, there are all kinds of other consequences of swallowing bottled water, says Melissa
Perfers, the air-quality program manager for Environmental Defense.
     The containers are often filled in faraway lands, then shipped from abroad, and storedin refrigerators at
your local store. Compare that with the influence on environment of turning on your tap, filling a glass, and
drinking up!
     Anyone who is choosing bottled water for health reasons is misguided, says Peffers, "Most bottled water
is just tap water." And what comes out of your tap is carefully monitored to follow the strict rules. Consider
another fact that bottled water is surprisingly expensive, especially when compared with the alternative,
which is almost free, and it is astonishing that America's desire for bottled water seems impossible to satisfy,
reaching nearly 30 billion bottles a year.
     "My parents' generation never had bottled water," says Isabelle Silverman, an Environmental Defense
legal adviser. She has made a commitment to going bottle free."You don't need to fetch it home from the
store, and it's cheaper," she adds.
     Bottled water's role as a status symbol needs to change, Peffers points out. So when a waiter at an
expensive restaurant offers "And what's your drink?" that's no reason to forget your conviction (信念).
" Don't be afraid to say, 'I'll have tap.' Say it loud enough that the other tables nearby can hear you," Peffers
says. "And then spend that money on a dessert."

1. In the first paragraph, the underlined sentence "It shouldn't." suggest that people _____.

A. shouldn't feel pleased with finishing the water in the bottle
B. shouldn't feel good about drinking an expensive brand H2O
C. shouldn't be content with just recycling empty bottles
D. shouldn't be satisfied with drinking only bottled water

2. According to the author, tap water is _____.

A. as safe as bottled water
B. morel likely to be polluted
C. healthier than bottle water
D. less convenient than bottled water

3. The underlined part "going bottle free" (in Para. 4) means"_____".

A. making bottled water free
B. abandoning bottled water
C. recycling use water bottles
D. providing free water containers

4. Why does Peffers ask people to say "I'll have tap." Loudly?

A. To encourage them to set an example for others to follow.
B. To advise them to save the money for one more dessert.
C. To remind them to be aware of their social status.
D. To persuade them to speak confidently in public.

     The traditional tent cities at festivals such as Glastonbury may never be the same again. In a victory of
green business that is certain to appeal to environmentally-aware music-lovers, a design student is to receive
financial support to produce eco-friendly tents made of cardboard that can be recycled after the bands and
crowds have gone home.
     Major festivals such as Glastonbury throw away some 10,000 abandoned tents at the end of events each
year. For his final year project at the University of the West of England, James Dunlop came up with a
material that can be recycled. And to cope with the British summer, the cardboard has been made waterproof.
     Taking inspiration from a Japanese architect, who has used cardboard to make big buildings including
churches, Mr. Dunlop used cardboard material for his tents, which he called Myhabs.
     The design won an award at the annual New Designers Exhibition after Mr. Dunlop graduated from his
product design degree and he decided to try to turn it into a business.
     To raise money for the idea, he toured the City's private companies which fund new businesses and found
a supporter in the finance group Mint. He introduced his idea to four of Mint's directors and won their support.
Mint has committed around ￡500,000 to MyHab and taken a share of 30 per cent in Mr. Dunlop's business.
The first Myhabs should be tested at festivals this summer, before being marketed fully next year.
     Mr. Dunlop said that the design, which accommodates two people, could have other uses, such as for
disaster relief and housing for the London Olympics.
     For music events, the cardboard houses will be ordered online and put up at the sites by the Myhab team
before the festival-goers arrive and removed by the company afterwards. They can be personalized and the
company will offer reductions on the expense if people agree to sell exterior (外部的) advertising space.
     The biggest festivals attract tens of thousands of participants, with Glastonbury having some 150,000
each year. Altogether there are around 100 annual music festivals where people camp in the UK. The events
are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious.

1. "eco-friendly tents" in paragraph 1 refer to tents _____.

A. economically desirable
B. favorable to the environment
C. for holding music performances
D. designed for disaster relief

2. Mr. Dunlop established his business _____.

A. independently with an interest-free loan from Mint
B. with the approval of the City's administration
C. in partnership with a finance group
D. with the help of a Japanese architect

3. It is implied in the passage that _____.

A. the weather in the UK is changeable in summer
B. most performances at British festivals are given in the open air
C. the cardboard tents produced by Mr. Dunlop can be user-tailored
D. cardboard tents can be easily put up and removed by users.

4. The passage is mainly concerned with _____.

A. an attempt at developing recyclable tents
B. some efforts at making full use of cardboards
C. an unusual success of a graduation project
D. the effects of using cardboard tents on music festivals

     The world economy has run into a brick wall. Despite countless warnings in recent years about the need
to address a potential hunger crisis in poor countries and an energy crisis worldwide, world leaders failed to
think ahead. The result is a global food crisis. Wheat, corn and rice prices have more than doubled in the past
two years. And oil prices have increased more than three times since the start of 2004. These food-price
increases, combined with increasing energy costs, will slow if not stop economic growth in many parts of the
world and will even affect political stability. Practical solutions to these problems do exist, but we'll have to
start thinking ahead and acting globally.
     Here are three steps to ease the current food crisis and avoid the potential for a global crisis. The first is to
promote the dramatic success of Malawi, a country in southern Africa, which three years ago established a
special fund to help its farmers get fertilizer and seeds with high productivity. Malawi's harvest doubled after
just one year. An international fund based on the Malawi model would cost a mere $10 per person annually in
the rich world, or S10 billion altogether.
     Second, the U.S. and Europe should abandon their policies of paying partly for the change of food into
biofuels. The U.S. government gives farmers a taxpayer-financed payment of 51 cents per gallon of ethanol
(乙醇) changed from corn. There may be a case for biofuels produced on lands that do not produce foods-tree
crops, grasses and wood products-but there's no case for the government to pay to put the world's dinner into
the gas tank.
     Third, we urgently need to weather-proof die world's crops as soon and as effectively as possible. For a
poor farmer, sometimes something as simple as a farm pond-which collects rainwater to be used in dry weather-
can make the difference between a good harvest and a bad one. The world has already committed to
establishing a Climate Adaptation hind to help poor regions climate-proof vital economic activities such as food
production and health care but has not yet acted upon the promise.

1. An international fund based on the Malawi model would ______.

A. cost each of the developed countries $10 billion per year
B. aim to double the harvest in southern African countries in a year
C. decrease the food prices as well as the energy prices
D. give poor farmers access to fertilizer and highly productive seeds

2. With the second step, the author expresses the idea that ______.

A. it is not wise to change food crops into gas
B. it is misleading to put tree crops into the gas tank
C. we should get alternative forms of fuel in any way
D. biofuels should be developed on a large scale

3. Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A. A rain-collecting pond is a simple safeguard against dry weal.
B. A Climate Adaptation Fund has been established to help poor.
C. The world has made a serious promise to build farm ponds.
D. It makes a great difference whether we develop wood products or not.

4. In the passage, the author calls on us to ______.

A. slow down but not to stop economic
B. develop tree crops, grasses and wood products
C. achieve economic growth and political stability
D. act now so as to relieve the global food shortage

     本文介紹了美國著名的生物學(xué)家Edward Wilson 的著作The Future of Life中的一些有關(guān)如何開發(fā)、利
用和保護(hù)自然資源的情況.
     Edward Wilson is America's, if not the world's, leading naturalist. In The Future of Life, he takes us on a
tour of the world's natural resources (資源). How are they used? What has been lost? What remains and is it
able to continue with the present speed of use? Wilson also points out the need to understand fully the
biodiversity (生物多樣性)of our earth.
     Wilson begins with an open letter to the pioneer in environment (環(huán)境) protection, Henry David Thoreau.
He compares today's Walden Pond with that of Thoreau's day. Wilson will use such comparisons for the rest
of the book. The problem is clear: man has done great damage to his home over the years. Van the earth, with
human help, be made to return to biodiversity levels that will be able to support us in the future?
     Biodiversity, Wilson argues, is the key to settling many problems the earth faces today. Even our agricultural
crops can gain advantages from it. A mere hundred species (物種) are the basis of our food supply, of which
but twenty carry the load. Wilson suggests changing this situation by looking into ten thousand species that
could be made use of, which will be a way to reduce the clearing of the natural homes of plants and animals to
enlarge farming areas.
     At the end of the book, Wilson discusses the importance of human values in considering the environment.
If you are to continue to live on the earth, you may well read and act on the ideas in this book.

1. We learn from the text that Wilson cares most about ______

A. the environment for plants
B. the biodiversity of our earth
C. the wastes of natural resources
D. the importance of human values

2. How many species are most important to our present food supply?

A. Twenty.
B. Eighty.
C. One hundred
D. Ten thousand.

3. Wilson suggests that one way to keep biodiversity is to _______.

A. learn how to farm scientifically
B. build homes for some dying species
C. make it clear what to eat
D. use more species for food .

4. We can infer that the text is _______

A. a description of natural resources
B. a research report
C. a book review
D. an introduction to a scientist

     The famous American gorilla (大猩猩) expert Diane Fossey had a completely new way to study gorillas-she
pretended to be one of them. She copied their actions and way of life - eating plants and getting down on her
hands and knees to walk the way a gorilla does. It was a new relationship.
     Diane Fossey was murdered in Rwanda in 1985 and her story was made into the popular film Gorillas in
the Mist. It was a long way from King Kong, which is about a gorilla as a monster (a frightening animal), and
helped to show a new idea: the real monster is man, while the gorilla is to be admired.
     Today there are thought to be around 48,000 lowland gorillas and maybe 400-450 mountain gorillas in the
wild. From the Congo in West Africa, to Rwanda and Uganda further east, they are endangered by hunting and
by the cutting down of their forest homes.
     Some time ago, I found in my letterbox a little magazine from the World Wide Fund for Nature. It had two
photos side by side. One was of a young gorilla. "This is a species of mammal (哺乳類動物)," said the words
below it. "It is being destroyed by man. We must save it for our own good." The other photo showed a human
baby. The words also read, "This is a species of mammal," but then went on:"It is the most destructive (破壞性的) on earth. We must retrain it for its own good."

1. The text mainly talks about _____.

A. Diane Fossey
B. the gorillas in Rwanda
C. the protection of the gorillas
D. the film Gorillas in the Mist

2. We can learn from the text that _____.

A. Gorillas in the mist was based Fossey's experiences
B. Lowland gorillas live longer than mountain gorillas
C. King Kong showed us that a gorilla is admirable
D. Diane Fossey was murdered by a gorilla 

3. What message can we get from the two photos in the magazine?

A. Gorillas are man's close friends.
B. Both man and the gorilla need to be saved.
C. Young gorillas are as lovely as human babies.
D. Man should live peacefully with the gorilla.