Rare birds in the UK have been living far better than the more common birds over the last decade due to the efforts of conservation organisations, according to a new assessment.
The research shows almost 60% of the 63 rare birds that live in the UK have increased over the last 10 years.
By contrast, only about one third of common species have increased over the same period. Just 28% of rare birds have decreased over the same period, compared with four out of every 10 common birds. The rare birds described in the assessment with increasing populations include the osprey (鶚) and corncrake (秧雞). All of these birds are subject to conservation action.
The declining common birds include the nightingale, swift (雨燕), house sparrow and red grouse (蘇格蘭雷鳥). These are suffering declines for a variety of reasons, including changes in farming practices.
Dr David Noble, from the British Trust for Ornithology, said: “That some of our rarer birds have responded to targeted conservation action is great news. It shows just what can be achieved. What we need to do now is to continue the good work and use some of the lessons we have learned to help our more common birds.”
Dr Mark Avery, the conservation director of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB), said: “Over the last decade we've enjoyed some great conservation successes, including removing some threatened species from the World Conservation Union's Red List of Thratened Animals and increasing the populations of red kite, osprey, etc. However, these successes are countered (抵消) by continued declines of some widespread species.”
The overview of 210 native birds has been produced by a group of conservation organisations, to mark the publication of The State of the UK's Birds report, which is in its l0th year. The report was published by the RSPB for a group of conservation organisations.
【小題1】 Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．The decline of widespread birds is not worrying for the UK.

B．The UK has got some practical experience of bird conservation.

C．Changes in farming practices contribute to the increase of rare birds.

D．Half of common birds have decreased in the past ten years in the UK.

【小題2】We can learn from the passage that Dr David Noble      .

A．hopes that conservation organisations will change the way they work

B．is quite disappointed with the result of the new assessment

C．is losing confidence in conservation organizations’ action

D．has high hopes for the increase in bird population in Britain

【小題3】 Which of the following can best explain Dr Mark Avery's words?

A．The UK should not be satisfied with what they have achieved.

B．The UK should share their experience with other countries.

C．What conservation organisations do is far from satisfactory.

D．The RSPB is responsible for the decrease of common birds.

【小題4】The passage is most likely to be found in a book about      .

A．popular science	B．historical events
C．nature	D．society

【小題5】 The author's purpose of writing this article is to tell people      .

A．some good ways to protect rare birds

B．the differences between rare birds and common birds

C．the number of rare birds has increased over the last decade

D．some widespread birds in the UK are in great need of help

Domestic (馴養(yǎng)的) horses now pull ploughs, race in the Kentucky Derby, and carry police. But early horses weren’t tame (馴服的) enough to perform these kinds of tasks. Scientists think the first interactions humans had with horses were far different from those today.
Thousands of years ago, people killed the wild horses that lived around them for food. Over time, people began to catch the animals and raise them. This was the first step in domestication.
As people began to tame and ride horses, they chose to keep those animals that had more desirable characteristics. For example, people may have chosen to keep horses that had a gentle personality so they could be ridden more easily. People who used horses to pull heavy loads would have chosen to keep stronger animals. Characteristics like strength are partly controlled by the animals’ genes. So as the domesticated horses reproduced, they passed the characteristics on to their young. Each new generation of horses would show more of these chosen characteristics.
Modern-day horse breeds（種類） come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety didn’t exist in the horse population before domestication. The Shetland horse is one of the smallest breeds— typically reaching only one meter tall. With short, strong legs, the animals were bred to pull coal out of mine shafts (礦井) with low ceilings. Huge horses like the Clydesdale came on the scene around 1700. People bred these heavy, tall horses to pull large vehicles used for carrying heavy loads.
The domestication of horses has had great effects on societies. For example, horses were important tools in the advancement of modern agriculture. Using them to pull ploughs and carry heavy loads allowed people to farm more efficiently. Before they were able to ride horses, humans had to cross land on foot. Riding horses allowed people to travel far greater distance in much less time. That encouraged populations living in different areas to interact with one another. The new form of rapid transportation helped cultures spread around the world.
【小題1】Before domestication horses were ______.

A．caught for sports	B．hunted for food
C．made to pull ploughs	D．used to carry people

【小題2】The author uses the Shetland horse as an example to show ______.

A．it is smaller than the Clydesdale horse

B．horses used to have gentle personalities

C．some horses have better shapes than others

D．horses were of less variety before domestication

【小題3】Horses contributed to the spread of culture by ______.

A．carrying heavy loads	B．changing farming methods
C．serving as a means of transport	D．a(chǎn)dvancing agriculture in different areas

【小題4】The passage is mainly about _______.

A．why humans domesticated horses

B．how humans and horses needed each other

C．why horses came in different shapes and sizes

D．how human societies and horses influenced each other

   Mylonoa Island in autumn and winter is peaceful and beautiful. It is perfect for a relaxing stay or a brief visit. One can see and enjoy the blue skies, the wide beaches, and also have wonderful walks in the hills, perhaps not every day, but usually until the beginning of January. Visitors and winter tourists often come to Mykonos to discover the traditional Greek island. They can escape busy Athens after business, or calm down after a long European tour before traveling on further to Egypt, Israel, or Asia.
Apart from the more usual tourists, you will find various hikers, walkers, readers, writers, bikers, and so on in this island. You can also visit the beautiful Delos, hike through mountains walk on beaches, explore another side of the island life with some monasteries(修道院), horse ride, or take part in local gatherings and meet some friendly Mykonians,
Mykonos’ climate is Mediterranean and mild. Autumn is always blue skied and sunny, where the temperature only drops very gradually. The nice days for beach going and swimming last until early January. The real winter months are also mild. Even in January, the temperature never drops very to be on. The island has a great percentage of humidity because of the south-easterly winds and rainfall between mid-January and each- March; there is also a possibility of storms and colder northerly winds at this period. Snow is rare, perhaps one every ten years. The clear blue sky still exists for most of the winter.
【小題1】Mykonos island lies in _______.

A．Egypt

B．Israel

C．Greek

D．India

【小題2】 What’s the main purpose of this passage?

A．To sum up some situations of many islands.

B．To introduce a beautiful island to people.

C．To compare their climate.

D．To describe the people visiting the island.

【小題3】Which of the following is NOT wrong?

A．Every year, a great number of people go to Mykonos island to tour, hike, walk, read, write and bike.

B．It often snows in Mykonos island.

C．Mykonos’ climate is very awful.

D．From time to time, you can see the blue sky in Mykonos island.

【小題4】 What’s the Chinese meaning of the underlined word “humidity”?

A．溫度

B．濕度

C．紫外線

D．大氣壓

【小題5】 We can infer from the passage ______.

A．Mykonos island is a well-known tour resort

B．Mykonos island is a very big island in Europe

C．there are many rare animals in Mykonos island

D．winter is the best season to travel to Mykonos island.

The world itself is becoming much smaller by using modern traffic and modern communication means. Life today is much easier than it was hundreds of years ago; but it has brought new problems. One of the biggest is pollution. To pollute mean to make things dirty. Pollution comes in many ways. We see it, smell it, drink it and even hear it.
Man has been polluting the earth. The more people, the more pollution. Many years ago, the problem was not so serious because there were not so many people. When the land was used up or the river was dirty in a place, men moved to another place. But this is no longer true. Man is now slowly polluting the whole world.
Air pollution is still the most serious. It’s bad to all living things in the world, but it is not only one kind of pollution. Water pollution kills our fish and pollutes our drinking water. Noise pollution makes us become angry more easily.
Many countries are making rules to fight pollution. They stop the people from burning coal in houses and factories in the city, and from blowing dirty smoke into the air.
The pollution of SO₂ is now the most dangerous problem of air pollution. It is caused by heavy traffic. It is sure that if there are fewer people driving, there will be less air pollution.
The earth is our home. We must take care of it. That means keeping the land, water and air clean. And we must keep careful of the rise in pollution at the same time.
【小題1】Our world is becoming much smaller ___________.

A．because the earth is being polluted day and night.

B．thanks to science developing.

C．because of the rise in pollution

D．because the earth is blown away by the wind every year.

【小題2】Pollution comes in many ways. We can even hear it. Here “it” means ___________.

A．water pollution

B．a(chǎn)ir pollution

C．noise pollution

D．rubbish

【小題3】 Air pollution is the most serious kind of pollution because __________.

A．it’s bad to all living things in the world.

B．it makes us become angry more easily.

C．it has made our rivers and lakes dirty.

D．it makes much noise.

【小題4】Which of the following is not true?

A．The problem of pollution is not so serious because there are not so many people.

B．From now on, maybe people try to go to work by bus or bike instead of car or motorbike. It is helpful to fight against the pollution of SO2.

C．The pollution of the earth grows as fast as the world’s pollution does.

D．Many countries are making rules to fight pollution.

Our sun is a star, and nine worlds move round it. Worlds like these are planets (行星).
But there are other stars, other suns. Not only thousands of them, but millions of them. Do different stars have planets? We can see the planets round our own sun. But we haven’t seen any more. The stars are too far away from us. Stars give out (發(fā)出)light, but the planets don’t have any light of their own. So we can’t see them. They’re too far, and too dark.
Still, we can tell that some stars have planets. While a big planet goes round, it pulls its star to one side. And sometimes we can see this, Then we know that the star has a planet.
For example, Barnard’s Star（巴納德星）is a small red star. And it is the quickest star in the universe. But sometimes it moves slower, and then quicker again. We have know Barnard’s Star for many years, and now we are sure it has a planet.
【小題1】A star is a large body in the universe.it________.

A．moves round our sun	B．has light of its own
C．can also be called a world	D．both B and C

【小題2】Which of the following is not true?

A．The earth is one of sun’s worlds	B．There are millions of suns in the universe.
C．The worlds are very bright.	D．Some stars have planets

【小題3】Barnard’s Star moves more quickly than _______.

A．most stars	B．a(chǎn)ny other star
C．its planet	D．the planets round the sun

【小題4】How can people know that there is a plante round Barnard’s Star?

A．Sometimes they see that the planet pulls the star to one side and makes it move slower .	B．The planet is shining.
C．The planet is next to our earth.
D．The planet is a red one.

You cannot see any object unless light from that object gets into your eyes. Some of the things you see give off light of their own. The sun, the stars, a lighted lamp are examples that can be ssen by their own light. Such things are luminous. Most of the things you see are not giving off light of their own. They are simply reflecting light that falls on them from the sun or some other luminous bodies. Then moon , for example , does not give off any light of its own. It is non-luminous. You see it because sunlight falls on it and some of it reflects in your direction. So moonlight is only secondhand sunlight.
When you look at a book, it sends your eyes some of the light that falls on it, and you see the book. If light could be kept out from where you are so that there would be no light for the book to reflect, then you could not see the book even with your eyes wide open.
Light travels so fast that the time in which it travels from the book you are reading to your eyes is so short as if it took no time at all. Light reaches us form the moon , which is about 380,000 kilometers away, in only a little more than a second.
【小題1】You can see the book because___________.

A．your eyes are close to it .	B．it reflects light
C．it has light of its own	D．your eyes can get to it

【小題2】The word “ reflects”  means____________.

A．throws back	B．takes back
C．gives off	D．sends out

【小題3】    ___________ have light of their won.

A．the sun and the moon	B．The stars and the earth
C．The sun and the stars	D．The moon and the earth

New technology links the world as never before. Our planet has shrunk（收縮）. It’s now a “global village” where countries are only seconds away by fax or phone or satellite link. And, of course, our ability to benefit from this high-tech communication’s equipment is greatly enhanced by foreign language skills.
Deeply involved with this new technology is a breed of modern businesspeople who have a growing respect for the economic value of doing business abroad. In modern markets, success overseas often helps support domestic(國內(nèi)的) business efforts.
Overseas assignments are becoming increasingly important to advancement within executive(行政的) ranks. The executive stationed in another country no longer need fear being “out of sight and out of mind.” He or she can be sure that the overseas effort is central to the company’s plan for success, and that promotions often follow or accompany an assignment abroad. If an employee can succeed in a difficult assignment overseas, superior will have greater confidence in his or her ability to cope back in the United States where cross-cultural considerations and foreign language issues are becoming more and more common.
Thanks to a variety of relatively inexpensive communications devices with business applications, even small businesses in the United States are able to get into international markets.
English is still the international language of business. But there is an ever-growing need for people who can speak another language. A second language isn’t generally required to get a job in business, but having language skills gives a candidate(候選人) the edge when other qualifications appear to be equal.
The employee posted abroad who speaks the country’s principal language has an opportunity to fast-forward certain negotiations, and can have the cultural insight to know when it is better to move more slowly. The employee at the home office who can communicate well with foreign clients(客戶) over the telephone or by fax machine is an obvious asset to the firm.
【小題1】What is the author’s attitude toward high-tech communications equipment?

A．Critical.

B．Indifferent.

C．Negative.

D．Positive.

【小題2】With the increased use of high-tech communications equipment, business people_________.

A．have to get familiar with modern technology

B．a(chǎn)re gaining more economic benefits from domestic operations

C．a(chǎn)re placing more importance on their overseas business

D．a(chǎn)re eager to work overseas

【小題3】 In this passage, “out of sight and out of mind” (Para. 3) probably means _________.

A．being unable to think properly for lack of insight

B．being totally out of touch with business at home

C．missing opportunities for promotion when abroad

D．leaving all care and worry behind

【小題4】According to the passage, what is an important consideration of international corporations in employing people today?

A．Connections with businesses overseas.	B．Ability to speak the client’s language.
C．Technical know-how.	D．Business experience.

What do you know about the sea? We know that it looks very pretty when the sun is shining on it. We also know that it can be very rough when there is a strong wind. What other things do we know about it?
The first thing to remember is that the sea is very big. When you look at the map of the world you will find there is more water than land. The sea covers three quarters of the world.
The sea is also very deep in some places. It is not deep everywhere. Some parts of the sea are very shallow. But in some places the depth of the sea is very great. There is one spot, near Japan, where the sea is nearly 11 kilometers deep! The highest mountain in the world is about 9 kilometers high. If that mountain were put into the sea at that place, there would he 2 kilometers of water above it ! What a deep place !
If you have swum in the sea, you know that it is salty. You can taste the salt. Rivers, which flow into the sea, carry salt from the land into the sea. Some parts of the sea are saltier than other parts. There is one sea, called the Dead Sea, which is very salty. It is so salty that swimmers cannot sink! Fish cannot live in the Dead Sea!
In most parts of the sea, there are plenty of fishes and plants. Some live near the top of the sea. Others live deep down. There are also millions of tiny living things that float in the sea. These floating things are so small that it is hard to see them. Many fish live by eating these.
The sea can be very cold. Divers who go deep down in the sea know this. On the top the water may be warm. When the diver goes downwards, the sea becomes colder and colder. Another thing happens. When the diver goes deeper, the water above presses down on him. It squeezes him. Then the diver has to wear clothes made of metal. But he cannot go very deep. Some people who wanted to go very deep used a very strong diving ship! They went down to the deepest part of the sea in it. They went down to a depth of eleven kilometers !
【小題1】When does the sea look beautiful?  

A．When it is calm.	B．When the weather is fine.
C．When there is a strong wind.	D．When there is a storm.

【小題2】 How much of the earth’s  surface does land cover?  

A．15%.

B．25%.

C．30%.

D．45%.

【小題3】Why does the writer cite（引用） the sea somewhere near Japan? 

A．To show that the sea in some places is very deep.

B．To show that the sea in some places is very shallow.

C．To show that its depth is 9 kilometers greater than the height of the highest mountain.

D．To show that its depth is 11 kilometers greater than the height

of the highest mountain.
【小題4】Which of the following statements about the Dead Sea is NOT true?

A．Swimmers cannot sink.	B．It is a safe place for swimmers.
C．It is extremely salty.	D．Fish can be found in it.

Our surrounding(周圍) is being polluted faster than nature and man’s present efforts can’t prevent it. Time is bringing us more people, and more people will bring us more industry, more cars, larger cities, and the growing use of man-made materials.
What can explain and solve this problem? The fact is that pollution is caused by man—by his desire for a modern way of life. We make “increasing industrialization” our chief aim. So we are always ready to offer everything: clean air, pure water, good food, our health and the future of our children. There is a constant flow of people from countryside to cities, eager for the benefit of our modern society. But as our technological achievements have grown in the last twenty years, pollution has become a serious problem.
Isn’t it time we stopped to ask ourselves where we are going—and why? It makes one think of the story about the airline pilot who told his passengers over the loudspeaker, “I’ve some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we’re making rapid progress at 530 miles per hour. The bad news is that we’re lost and don’t know where we’re going.” The sad fact is that this becomes a true story when spoken of our modern society.
【小題1】Man can’t prevent the world from being polluted mainly because        .

A．many man-made materials

B．more cars, trucks and buses

C．more people and more industry

D．more cities

【小題2】People crowd into the cities because_________.

A．they want very much to find well-paid jobs

B．they eager for the achievement of our modern society

C．they have become tired of their homeland

D．they have a strong wish to become industrial workers

【小題3】The story about the airline pilot tells us that_________.

A．man knows where the society is going

B．people do not welcome the rapid development of modern society

C．man can do little about the problem of pollution

D．the writer is worried about the future of our society

【小題4】What does the writer really want to say in this passage?

A．With the development of technology, pollution has become a serious problem.

B．Lower the speed of development to stop pollution.

C．It’s time we did something to reduce pollution.

D．As industry is growing fast, pollution is the natural result.

How can a creature weighing over 5 tons and normally taking 150 kilograms of food and 120 liters of water per day survive in a desert environment?
In the southwest African country of Namibia, and the Sahara lands of Mali further north, the desert elephant does just that.
Although not regarded as a separate species from the African elephant, the desert cousin differs in many ways. Their bodies are smaller, to absorb less heat, and their feet are larger for easier walking across sandy surfaces, They are taller, to reach higher branches. They have shorter tusks（象牙）, and most importantly, longer trunks to dig for water in riverbeds.
Desert elephants can travel over 70 kilometers in search for feeding grounds and waterholes, and have a larger group of families. They drink only every 3 –4 days, and can store water in a  “bag” at the back of their throat, which is only used when badly needed. Desert elephants are careful feeders – they seldom root up trees and break fewer branches, and thus maintain what little food sources are available. Young elephants may even eat the dung（糞便）of the female leader of a group when facing food shortage.
During drought they are unlikely to give birth to their young but with good rains the birthrate will increase greatly. Desert elephants have sand baths, sometimes adding their own urine（尿液）to make them muddy!
As we continue to overheat our weak planet, it can only be hoped that other animal species will adapt as extraordinarily well to change as the desert elephant.
【小題1】The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means “           ”.

A．remains in the African countries

B．drinks 120 liters of water a day

C．manages to live in desert areas

D．eats 150 kilograms of food daily

【小題2】Desert elephants are called careful feeders because they _________.

A．rarely ruin trees

B．drink only every 3-4 days

C．search for food in large groups

D．protect food sources for their young

【小題3】The author answers the question raised in the first paragraph with __________.

A．stories and explanation

B．facts and descriptions

C．examples and conclusion

D．evidence and argument

【小題4】What can be inferred from the last sentence in the passage?

A．Overheating the earth can be stopped.

B．Not all animal species are so adaptable.

C．The planet will become hotter and hotter.

D．Not all animals are as smart as desert elephants.