All too often, a choice that seems sustainable (可持續(xù)的) turns out on closer examination to be problematic.
Probably the best example is the rush to produce ethanol (乙醇) for fuel from corn. Corn is a renewable
resource-you can harvest it and grow more, almost limitlessly. So replacing gas with corn ethanol seems like
a great idea.
     One might get a bit more energy out of the ethanol than that used to make it, which could still make ethanol
more sustainable than gas generally, but that's not the end of the problem. Using corn to make ethanol means
less corn is left to feed animals and people, which drives up the cost of food. That result leads to turning the
fallow land -including, in some cases, rain forest in places such as Brazil-into farmland, which in turn gives
off lots of carbon dioxide (CO) into the air. Finally, over many years, the energy benefit from burning ethanol
would make up for the forest loss. But by then, climate change would have progressed so far that it might not
help.
     You cannot really declare any practice "sustainable" until you have done a complete life-cycle analysis of its
environmental (環(huán)境的) costs. Even then, technology and public keep developing, and that development can
lead to unforeseen and undesired results. The admirable goal of living sustainably requires plenty of thought on
an ongoing basis.

1. What might directly cause the loss of the forest according to the text?

A. The growing demand for energy to make ethanol
B. The increasing carbon dioxide in the air
C. The greater need for farmland
D. The big change in weather.

2. The underlined word "it" in the second paragraph refers to "_____."

A. the energy benefit
B. the forest loss
C. climate change
D. burning ethanol

3. The author thinks that replacing gas with corn ethanol is _____.

A. impractical
B. acceptable
C. admirable
D. useless

4. What does the author mainly discuss in the text?

A. Technology
B. Sustainability
C. Ethanol energy
D. Environmental protection

     Sports can help you keep fit and get in touch with nature .However, whether you are on the mountains,
in the waves, or on the grassland, you should be aware that your sport of choice might have great influence
on the environment.
     Some sports are resource-hungry. Golf, as you may know, eats up not only large areas of countryside,
but also tons of water. Besides, all sorts of chemicals and huge amounts of energy are used to keep its
courses (球場)  in good condition. This causes major environmental effects. For example, in the dry regions
of Portugal and Spain, golf is often held responsible for serious water shortage in some local areas.
     There are many environment-friendly sports. Power walking is one of them that you could take up today.
You don’t need any special equipment except a good pair of shoes; and you don’t have to worry about
resources and your purse. Simple and free, power walking can also keep you fit. If you walk regularly, it
will be good for your heart and bones. Experts say that 20 minutes of power walking daily can make you feel
less anxious, sleep well and have better weight control.
     Whatever sport you take up, you can make it greener by using environment-friendly equipment and buying
products made from recycled materials. But the final goal should be "green gyms". They are better replacements
for traditional health clubs and modern sports centers. Members of green gyms play sports outdoors, in the
countryside or other open spaces. There is no special requirement for you to start your membership. And best
of all, it's free.

1. Which of the following is the author most probably in favor of?

A. Cycling around a lake.
B. Motor racing in the desert.
C. Playing basketball in a gym.
D. Swimming in a sports center.

2. What do we know about golf from the passage?

A. It is popular in Portugal and Spain.
B. It causes water shortages around the world.
C. It pollutes the earth with chemicals and wastes.
D. It needs water and electricity to keep its courses green.

3. The author uses power walking as an example mainly because _____.

A. it is an outdoor sport
B. it improves our health
C. it uses fewer resources
D. it is recommended by experts

4.  The author writes the passage to _____.

A. show us the function of major sports
B. encourage us to go in for green sports
C. discuss the major influence of popular sports
D. introduce different types of environment-friendly sports

     You've probably heard countless times how exercise is "good for you", but do you know that it can
actually help you feel good, too? Getting the right amount of exercise can speed up your energy levels
and even help you to feel better emotionally.
     However, like all good things, it's possible to overdo on exercise. Although exercising is a great way
to maintain a healthy weight, exercising too much to lose weight isn't healthy. The body needs enough
calories to function properly. Remember that you're still growing and will continue to do so throughout
your teen years. You'll need the energy to fuel the growth.
     Exercising too much in an effort to burn calories and lose weight can be a sign of an eating disorder.
If you have any doubts about how much you should be exercising, talk with a school nurse or family
doctor. And if you ever get the feeling that your exercise is in charge of you rather than the other way
around, talk with your doctor, a parent, or another adult you trust.
     Considering the benefits to the heart, muscles, and mind, it's easy to see why exercise is wise. If you
exercise now, keep it up as you become an adult (this is often the biggest exercise challenge for people
as they get busy with college and careers). One of the great things about exercise is that it's never too
late to start. And don't forget that even small things can count as exercise when you're starting out-like
taking a short bike ride or sweeping fallen leaves. Even walking your dog counts as part of your 60 minutes
a day of exercise (and your vet will tell you that animals need workouts just like humans do, so if your
family dog is fat, he'll benefit from your dedication, too).

1. Why should teens not exercise too much?

A. Because it causes their body to work disorderly.
B. Because it gets them to have an unhealthy weight.
C. Because it will make them become too thin.
D. Because it burns the energy they need to grow up.

2. The underlined part in Para.3 means that _____.

A. you are charged for your exercise
B. you manage how much exercise you need
C. you are greatly addicted to exercising
D. you do some exercise free of charge

3. What is the biggest challenge for people who want to exercise?

A. To find enough time to exercise.
B. To continue to exercise the whole life.
C. To own suitable equipment for exercising.
D. To find a person to exercise together.

4. The subject discussed in Paragraphs 2-3 is that _____.

A. it is not good for you to exercise too much
B. it is helpful to lose weight by exercise
C. it is a good thing to exercise every day
D. it is good for your pet to exercise every day

     Residents of Golestan Province in northern Iran have one of the highest rates of esophageal cancer (食道
癌) in the world. They don't drink alcohol or smoke-the two primary risk factors for the disease in the west-
but they do consume tea, nearly 1.2 liters per day, on average. So local researchers set out looking for a
connection.
     They employed 300 esophageal cancer patients who were diagnosed in the eastern part of Golestan and
matched them up with 571 healthy controls who shared their age, gender and place of residence. All but one
of them drank tea, and they gave interviewers information about their tea consumption and brewing habits.
     Teaming up with investigators from the U.S., England, France and Sweden, the researchers calculated
that people who said they drank "hot" tea (149 to 156 degrees Fahrenheit) were more than twice as likely to
develop esophageal cancer as people who said they drank the beverage "warm" or "lukewarm" (less than 140
degrees). Those who said they took their tea"very hot" (at least 158 degrees) were more than eight times as
likely to get esophageal cancer, according to the study, published online Thursday in the British Medical
Journal.
     The scientists have now connected it with esophageal cancer. The problem doesn't appear to be the tea
itself, but the temperature at which it is consumed, their study found.
     The researchers also asked people how long they waited to drink their tea after pouring it. Those who
said they waited two to three minutes were nearly 2.5 times more likely to develop the cancer compared
with people who said they waited at least four minutes. Impatient tea drinkers who waited less than two
minutes were 5.4 times as likely to be diagnosed with esophageal cancer, the study found.
     The study didn't assess the mechanism linking hot tea to esophageal cancer, but the researchers said
the temperature of the liquid was almost certainly to blame rather than the compounds in the tea itself.

1. According to the passage, _____ were thought to be two main causes of esophageal cancer.

A. drinking hot tea and smoking
B. drinking alcohol and smoking
C. working in the kitchen and smoking
D. taking sunbaths and drinking alcohol

2. The underlined word "it" in Paragraph 4 probably refers to _____.

A. the tea they drink
B. the way people drink tea
C. the temperature of the tea
D. the properties of the tea

3. We can infer from the second paragraph that _____.

A. drinking tea causes the cancer
B. few people drink tea in that area
C. 300 out of 571 people got the cancer
D. tea has no direct connection with the cancer

4. Which would be the best title for this passage?

A. Drinking Tea with Patience
B. An Esophageal Cancer Stricken Area
C. Temperature and Esophageal Cancer
D. Various Causes of Cancer

     The kitten was rescued, but didn't make it out of surgery in one piece.
     The veterinarian at Laurel Oaks Animal Hospital in Kingsland, now acting for the kitten, says she sees
animal abuse more often than you might imagine.
     This kitten is playful and affectionate, but he has already seen how cruel a place the world can be.
     Dr. Julie Clark Blount is the veterinarian treating the kitten now, "I think they were actually kicking him
or throwing him or something of that nature," said Blount, "They had damaged the whole bundle of nerves
that are up in the armpit and control the functioning of the entire leg, and it's not something that would get
better over time."
     Blount says they were forced to amputate his front right leg, "It doesn't seem to bother him at all and he
runs and he plays and he loves attention and he's pretty spoiled already, and he's eating like a little pig, and
doing fabulously for us," said Blount.
     Doing well, but Blount says other pets out there never survive abuse.
     "He's one of the lucky one," she said.
     Blount says unless abusers like him are caught and prosecuted, they could go on to bigger and worse
things. 
     "We with there were more strict laws to protect animals because if they're doing this to pets, then what
would then end up doing to people, or kids, or anything else later on down the road?" wonders Blount.

1. From the passage, we can infer that the kitten is probably _____.

A. a male cat
B. a female cat
C. a little boy
D. a little pig

2. From the passage, we can know that _____.

A. the kitten survived abuse
B. the kitten received an operation and recovered very well
C. the kitten's front right leg was amputated because it didn't seem to bother him at all
D. the kitten was damaged slightly

3. Which part of the kitten was damaged?

A.the armpit
B. the entire leg
C. the front right leg
D. the whole bundle of nerves

4. The underlined word "veterinarian" in the second paragraph probably means _____.

A. a scientist
B. a doctor treating animals
C. a doctor treating people
D. a lawyer

5. The passage mainly wants to tell us that _____.

A. the world is a cruel place
B. the kitten was one of the lucky ones
C. the kitten abuse is common
D. it's necessary to make laws to protect animals

     In 2004, the World Health Organization, WHO, warned of a possible outbreak of another serious disease
which may be even more deadly than SARS. The WHO believes that it is likely that bird flu will spread to
human beings in the next few years. If it does, up to seven millions people could die from the disease.
     Diseases like bird flu are caused by viruses, that is, tiny things which change and become more dangerous
over time. When a new type of a common virus changes, it may be able to get past the body's immune system.
If that happens, humans are in great danger until a cure or treatment becomes available.
     There have always been viruses and people always get sick, of course, but as we saw with SARS, the
situation is more difficult today. People travel more than ever before, which means that disease can spread
quickly and across large areas-in fact the whole world.
     Scientists are already working on drugs that will prevent or limit the effect of a new virus, but the process
takes time. It is just as important to make sure that countries, especially poor countries, are prepared to deal
with the disease. New disease usually affect poor areas the most, so we must help develop health care in all
countries.

1. The situation is more serious today because _____.

A. people travel more
B. people don't eat health food
C. there aren't enough hospitals
D. scientists can't find a cure

2. From this passage we know _____.

A. bird flu will surely spread to human beings in the next few years
B. a virus changes and become less dangerous over time
C. SARS is 1ikely to come again in some years
D. poor areas usually suffers more from Dew diseases than rich areas

3. The possible title of this passage is _____.

A. The Work of WHO
B. Scientists Are Working Hard on Drugs for Diseases
C. What Is a Virus
D. Virus Changes and Causes New Diseases Over Time

     If international leaders were as united as the scientific community on climate change, global warming might
be a thing of the past. "The world's scientists have spoken clearly and with one voice," UN Secretary General
Ban Ki Moon said, "I expect the world's policymakers to act the same."
     Unfortunately, the global political community is a long way from speaking with one voice on anything, and
climate change is no exception. We'll know for sure next week,when environment and energy ministers from
around the world meet on the Indonesian island of Bali for the UN's climate change conference. The summit
(首腦會議) has been held nearly every year since 1992, when the UNFCCC (《聯(lián)合國氣候變化框架公約》)-
the document that has since guided international work on global warming-was agreed on. It was at the 1997
conference that the Kyoto Protocol was passed, but since then, there has been little progress.
     This year's talks will be the most important international environmental discussions in over a decade. The
Kyoto Protoco-which requires developed nations who have agreed on the solution to cut their greenhouse gas
emissions (排放) to about 5％ below their 1990 levels by 2012-comes to an end in just five years. The world
needs to begin immediately at Bali the process of preparing another document like Kyoto to be ready by the
end of 2012. Otherwise, we'll be faced with a global vacuum (真空狀態(tài)), just at the very moment when
greenhouse emissions must begin falling in order to avoid dangerous climate change.
     The good news is that, just last week,150 top global corporations approved a request calling for necessary
cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, a business position that was unthinkable just a year ago. Australia-a Kyoto
holdout, like the U.S.-has just elected a new prime minister with a strong environmental record who says he'll
support the protocol. The U.S. Congress and representatives have also stepped in and taken their own steps
on climate change.
     "There is a building sense that enough time has been wasted and that it is time to act," said Jennifer
Haverkamp, international counsel for Environmental Defense.

1. The passage was written to tell us that _____.

A. developed countries should cut their greenhouse gas emissions
B. international leaders should be united to work on climate change
C. greenhouse emissions are beginning to fall to avoid global warming
D. there has been little progress since the Kyoto Protocol was passed

2. This year's talks will be the most important international environmental discussions in over a decade
    because _____.

A. no such summit will be held again before the end of 2012
B. people in the world have been faced with a global vacuum
C. the solution in the Kyoto Protocol isn't practical and it isn't in effect now
D. a new document needs to be prepared before the Kyoto Protocol ends

3. The underlined word "holdout" in paragraph 4 probably means _____. 

A. one supporting to do something
B. one saying something may happen
C. one keeping on doing something
D. one keeping refusing to do something

4. Which is the correct order,according to the events in the passage?
    a. The Kyoto Protocol was passed.
    b. The Kyoto Protoco1 will come to an end.
    c. The first summit was held and the UNFCCC was agreed on.
    d. The UN's climate change conference will be held on the island of Bali.
    e. 150 top global corporations approved a request calling for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.

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

5. What we can infer from the passage is that _____.

A. the ex-prime minister of Australia was against the Kyoto Protocol
B. leaders will soon unite in acting and no time will be wasted in talking
C. Ban Ki Moon expects the world's policymakers to act like scientists
D. international leaders will speak clearly with one voice at the Bali summit

     No one likes germs. You wash your hands often and avoid sick people. But some of the germiest places
are in your own home where you can't avoid them!
     Over 77, 500 bacteria per square centimeter can live in your kitchen sink drain. More bacteria live in and
around the sink itself. To get rid of them, clean the entire sink area with a disinfectant.
     Those wet clothes from your washer are not all that clean, especially if they include underwear. Use hot
water and bleach to wash underwear as it contains E.coli (大腸稈菌). Put wet laundry in the dryer quickly
so the bacteria do not multiply.
     The germs you wash off your body stay in the tub-about 15.500 bacteria per square centimeter! Use a
disinfectant to clean your tub weekly. And dry the tub with a clean towel so more germs won't grow on the
wet surface.
     You'll find plenty of germs outside your home too.
     Lots of germs live on the buttons of your local ATM. According to www.health.corn, Chinese researchers
tested 38 ATMs in downtown Taipei. They found that each button hosted an average of 1,200 germs. Use a
hand sanitizer after using the ATM and after handling paper money too.
     The bottoms of women's purses house tens of thousands if not millions of bacteria. University of Arizona
researchers discovered all kinds of different bacteria on purse bottoms. These included E.coli as well as
bacteria that cause eye and skin infections. Women should wipe their purses every few days with a mild soap
solution.
     All kinds of germs live on shopping cart shopping cart handles. Lots of people touch the handles each day-
and who knows where their hands have been! Carry disinfectant wipes and use them on the handles. That will
kill nearly all germs.

1. How many germy places are mentioned in this passage?

A. two
B. four
C. six
D. eight

2. What does the underlined word disinfectant mean in the second paragraph?

A. a kind of germ
B. a tablecloth
C. a kind of cleaning tool
D. a kind of chemical liquid which can kill germs

3. Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage?

A. Some of the germiest places are outside your home.
B. Use a disinfectant to clean your bathtub weekly.
C. Use a hand sanitizer after using an ATM or handling paper money.
D. Thousands of not millions of bacteria live on the bottoms of women's purses.

     Fish contains lost of omega-3 fatty acids. These fatty acids have been shown to help prevent heart disease,
lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of strokes. Researchers suggest that these benefits of eating fish far
outweigh the risks of getting sick from contaminated fish.
     Ongoing studies find that omega-3 fatty acids work magic on the brain too. Pregnant? Go out and eat fish!
One study tracked a group of expectant women who ate more than 340 grams of fish per week. It turns out
they gave birth to children who, years later, scored really high on IQ tests.
     How can you add fish to your diet? One way to begin is by replacing meat with fish in one meal a week.
Instead of frying, which retains more fat, try boiling your fish in an oven or grilling it outdoors. And don't be
afraid to spice up your fish. Garlic, herbs other spices can add wonderful flavors to fish.
     For lighter meals, keep a few cans of tuna or other fish on hand at all times. They're great for making tasty
sandwiches or fish burgers. If you get hungry in the middle of the morning or afternoon, try tuna on crackers.
It's hard to find a better snack. And parents, be sure to introduce fish to your children. It's important for them
to get used to eating it at a young age.

1. What does the writer discuss in this passage?

A. Chemicals in popular drinks
B. The best way to lose weight
C. Famous fast food restaurants
D. Reasons for having seafood

2. What does the writer point out about the women in the study group?

A. They cooked for their husbands.
B. They were going to have babies.
C. They grew their own vegetables.
D. They lived with elderly parents.

3. What does the author imply about omega-3 fatty acids?

A. They can make kids smarter.
B. They are found in most foods.
C. They last for just a few days.
D. They create significant risks.

4. Why is grilling better than frying?

A. It's fancier.
B. It's quicker.
C. It's cheaper.
D. It's healthier.

5. According to the author,when is a good time to have tuna on crackers?

A. At lunchtime.
B. During a party.
C. Between meals.
D. After midnight.