A  rainfores（雨林）is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely dipping below 16℃.Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in（吸收） heat from the sun and adjust （調(diào)節(jié)）the climate. Without the forest cover, these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere，warming the rest of the world .Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns, potentially causing certain natural disasters（災(zāi)害） all over the world.
In the past hundred years, humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources (資源): land for crops, wood for paper and other products, land for raising farm animals. This action affects the environment as a whole. For example，a lot of carbon dioxide(二氧化碳)in the air comes from burning the rainforests. People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit（受益）.
There are two main reasons for this. Firstly, when people cut down trees, generally they can only use the land for a year or two. Secondly, cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now, but in the long run （長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)看）it actually reduces the world’ s wood supply.
Rainforests are often called the world’s drug store. More than 25% of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests. However, fewer than 1% of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value. It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in （在于）the world’s shrinking rainforests.
【小題1】.．Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they________.

A．reflect（反射） more heat into the atmosphere

B．bring about high rainfall throughout the world

C．rarely cause the temperature to drop lower than 16℃

D．reduce the effect of heat from the sun on the earth

【小題2】.．What does the word “this” underlined in the third paragraph refer to?

A．We will lose much more than we can gain.

B．Humans have begun destroying rainforests.

C．People have a strong desire for resources.

D．Much carbon dioxide comes from burning rainforests.

【小題3】.What might be the best title for the text?

A．How to Save Rainforests	B．How to Protect Nature
C．Rainforests and the Environment	D．Rainforests and Medical Development

With fears of a possible nuclear meltdown(核反應(yīng)堆堆芯的熔毀) in Japan building up, evidence has come to light that the nation received warnings over the stability of its power plants from an international watchdog more than two years ago.
　　As the Telegraph is reporting, an official from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in December 2008 that safety rules were out of date, and strong earthquakes would cause a “serious problem” for the power stations.
　　A U.S. embassy document, by quoting（引用）an unnamed expert, states: “He (the IAEA official) explained that safety guides for earthquakes have only been updated three times in the last 35 years and that the IAEA is now re-examining them. Also, the presenter noted recent earthquakes in some cases have gone beyond the design basis for some nuclear plants, and that this is a serious problem that is now driving earthquake safety work.”
　　The Telegraph also reports that the government responded to the warnings by building an emergency response center at the Fukushima Daiichi plant designed to resist magnitude-7.0 earthquakes. Friday's earthquake, originally named a magnitude-8.9 shock, has since been upgraded to magnitude-9.0.
　　Other nuclear experts state IAEA officials had willingly ignored lessons from the Chernobyl disaster to protect the nuclear industry's expansion, reports Bloomberg. “After Chernobyl, all the force of the nuclear industry was directed to hide this event, for not creating damage to their reputation,”Russian nuclear accident specialist Iouli Andreyev tells Reuters, before noting that radiation from spent fuel rods（棒）stored close to reactors at Fukushima looked like an example of putting profit before safety. “The Japanese were very greedy, and they used every square inch of the space. But when you have a dense(密集的) placing of spent fuel in the basin, you have a high possibility of fire if the water is removed from the basin.”
【小題1】 From the passage, we know that ____________.

A．people fear that the nuclear meltdown will possibly become more and more serious in Japan

B．people are becoming more and more afraid of a possible nuclear meltdown in Japan

C．Japan made no response to the warnings over the safety of its power plants

D．Iouli Andreyev warned Japan not to store spent fuel rods close to reactors

【小題2】 Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Japan was warned of the stability of its power plants when they were built over 2 years ago.

B．Safety guides for earthquakes should be updated three times in 35 years.

C．The emergency response centre at the Fukushima Daiichi plant can not resist Friday’s earthquake.

D．IAEA officials advised Japan to ignore lessons from the Chernobyl disaster.

【小題3】 IAEA officials were willing to ignore lessons from the Chernobyl disaster because they want ________.

A．to put profit before safety.	B．the nuclear industry to develop
C．to protect the reputation of Japan	D．every inch of land to be made good use of

【小題4】The writer develops this passage mainly by__________.

A．making comments	B．providing facts
C．quoting what experts say	D．a(chǎn)nalysing what happened

The hardworking blacksmith Jones used to work all day in his shop and so hard-working was he that at times he would make the sparks (火星) fly from his hammer.
The son of Mr. Smith, a rich neighbor, used to come to see the blacksmith every day and for hours and hours he would enjoy himself watching how the tradesman worked.
“Young man, why don’t you try your hand to learn to make shoe tacks (釘), even if it is only to pass the time?” said the blacksmith. “Who knows, one day, it may be of use to you.”
The lazy boy began to see what he could do. But after a little practice he found that he was becoming very skilled and soon he was making some of the finest tacks.
Old Mr. Smith died and the son on account of the war lost all his goods. He had to leave home and was forced to live in another country. It so happened that in this village there were many shoemakers who were spending a lot of money buying tacks for their shoes and even at times when they paid high prices they were not always able to get what they wanted, because in that part of the country there was a high demand for soldiers’ shoes.
Our young Mr. Smith, who was finding it difficult to earn his daily bread, remembered that once upon a time he had learned the art of making tacks and had the sudden idea of making a bargain with the shoemakers. He told them that he would make the tacks if they would help to get him settled in the workshop. The shoemakers were only too glad of the offer. And after a while, Mr. Smith found that he was soon making the finest tacks in the village.
“How funny it seems,” he used to say, “even making tacks can make money. My trade is more useful to me than all my former riches.”
【小題1】 The young man learnt to make shoe tacks because ________.

A．his father told him to	B．he wanted to learn a skill
C．Jones encouraged him to	D．he just wanted to pass his time

【小題2】 Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Old Mr. Smith enjoyed making the shoe tacks.

B．The blacksmith had predicted the young man would be in need of the skill.

C．The higher prices they paid, the more tacks the shoemakers would get.

D．The young man earned his living by his skills learnt when he was young.

【小題3】 What can we learn from the story?

A．Practice makes perfect.	B．Skill makes life easy.
C．A good beginning makes a good ending.	D．Every man has his gift.

A new study has found that it may be possible to train people to be more intelligent, increasing the brainpower they had at birth．
Until now，it has been widely assumed that the kind of mental ability that allows us to solve new problems without having any relevant previous experience—what psychologists call fluid intelligence—is innate and cannot be taught（though people can raise their grades on tests of it by practicing）．
But in the new study，researchers describe a method for improving this skill，along with experiments to prove it works．
The key, researchers found, was carefully structured training in working memory—the kind that allows memorization of a telephone number just long enough to dial it．This type of memory is closely related to fluid intelligence，so the researchers reasoned that improving it might lead to improvements in fluid intelligence．
First they measured fluid intelligence of volunteers using standard tests．Then they trained each in a complicated memory task—the child’s card game，in which they had to recall a card they saw and heard．During the course, they needed to ignore irrelevant items, monitor ongoing performance，manage two tasks at the same time and connect related items to one another in space and time．
The four groups experienced a half-hour of training daily for 8, 12, 17 and 19 days, respectively．To make sure they were not just improving their test-taking skills，the researchers compared them with control groups that took the tests without the training．
The results, published Monday in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences，were striking．Improvement in the trained groups was a lot greater．Moreover，the longer they trained, the higher their scores were．All performers，from the weakest to the strongest，showed significant improvement．
“Our results show you can increase your intelligence with proper training．” said Dr Jaeggi, a co-author of the paper．“No one knows how long the gains will last after training stops,” he added, “and the experiment’s design did not allow the researchers to determine whether more training would continue to produce further gains．”
【小題1】.The researchers thought the key to improving the intelligence was ______________．

A．memorizing telephone numbers	B．improving working memory
C．training in concentration	D．recalling a card

【小題2】.The following aspects of the training help increase intelligence EXCEPT___________．

A．ignoring irrelevant items	B．monitoring ongoing performance
C．managing two tasks at the same time	D．using previous experience

【小題3】.When the experiment was conducted, the researchers______________．

A．trained the four groups for the same period of time

B．only made comparisons between the four groups

C．compared the four groups with control groups

D．trained the four groups together

【小題4】.By writing the article，the writer intends to ______________．

A．inform the readers of a new study

B．call on people to be trained to increase intelligence

C．prove one’s born brainpower can be improved

D．tell people the improved intelligence will last forever

Scientists have found what look like caves on Mars, and say they could be protecting life from the planet’s terrible environment.
The first caves appear as seven mysterious black dots （點(diǎn)） on the pictures which were sent back by NASA’s Mars Odyssey orbiter. Each as large as a football field, they may be openings into natural caves below the Martian surface.
“If there is life on Mars, there is a good chance that you’d find it in caves,” said Jut Wynne, one of the researchers who noticed the features (特征) while working on a US Geological Survey Mars Cave Detection Program.
Jonathan Clarke, a geologist with the Mars Society of Australia, yesterday described the discovery as exciting.
One photo taken at night by an infrared imager(紅外線(xiàn)成像器) showed one hole to be unusually warm, suggesting hot air may be flowing out.
“I said: ‘Wow, that’s a cave’” Dr. Clarke said excitedly. “People have been looking for these for a long time; now we have found them.”
He agreed such caves could be perfect places to search for life escaping from the bitterly cold, radiation-soaked(充滿(mǎn)輻射的), dry surface.
“Tiny drops of water could collect inside,” he said. “If there are gases coming out, they could provide energy for a whole range of bacteria (細(xì)菌). A cave is also a protection from radiation; the surface of Mars is exposed to high levels of space radiation.”
The caves probably formed when tube-shaped lava flows(管狀巖漿流) spread across the planet long ago. The outside of the tubes cooled, forming solid walls, while something hotter inside allowed the remaining to flow out, forming caves.
【小題1】 What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．How the caves were formed on Mars.

B．How NASA sent the pictures back to earth

C．Caves on Mars may be full of hot air or a sign（跡象）of life.

D．Scientists have completely recognized the surface of Mars.

【小題2】 We can learn from the passage that __________.

A．water has already been found on Mars

B．the scientists found all the caves at night

C．it is certain that there is life in these caves

D．the surface of Mars is bitterly cold, radiation-soaked and dry

【小題3】 According to the passage, Dr. Clarke was so excited because ________.

A．such caves could provide energy for life

B．they had finally found the caves on Mars

C．such caves would be perfect places to search for life

D．There would be life on Mars.

【小題4】 Necessary conditions for life on Mars mentioned in the passage may include_________.

A．lava and energy	B．water and radiation from space
C．gases and lava	D．water and protection from radiation

【小題5】 what does the underlined word “ the planet” in paragraph 1 refer to?

A．the Mars

B．the earth

C．the caves

D．radiation

A new study has been carried to test the role of story telling in lowering blood pressure. Dr. Thomas Houston, a professor of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, led a group of scientists that researched how pre-recorded videos of hypertension (高血壓) patients' talking about their medical histories helped another group of patients with high blood pressure to control their condition over several months.
Houston was surprised by their studies that suggested that communication can be a powerful tool in medicine. They showed that those who had had similar experiences, when talking to someone with a similar background, could help change their behavior to become healthier. Hypertension is difficult to control, since it is dependent on diet, exercise and mental state. Medical treatments with drugs, and lifestyle therapies(療法) have been relatively ineffective because people find it hard to follow those medical requirements.
In the test, his team carefully chose their story-tellers from 230 members of a patients' community with whom they could most easily relate. Next, they divided their study population into two groups. One received three interactive DVDs containing the tellers' stories of their experiences in living with and treating their hypertension. The other were given educational discs on an unrelated health topic. The study volunteers reported that they had listened to the DVDs, and after three months, those who heard the stories of the hypertensive patients lowered their blood pressure.
While the study did not address how the story-telling influenced the patients' behavior, Houston doubts that watching patients of similar backgrounds who had a similar medical experience helped to motivate them to seek medical help to their hypertension. They found that after six months the difference in blood pressure between those who watched the story-tellers and those who observed the unrelated videos remained, suggesting that the story-telling continued to have an effect.
【小題1】 We can learn from the text that the pre-recorded videos _________.

A．tell medical histories of hypertension patients

B．introduce some medical treatments of hypertension

C．introduce a good lifestyle for hypertensive patients

D．tell scientific discoveries of the scientist group

【小題2】Houston was surprised to find that _______.

A．hypertension is really difficult to control

B．communication has some medical effects

C．medical treatments have no effect at all

D．people don't follow the medical requirements

【小題3】 The underlined word "address" in the last paragraph most probably means _______.

A．persuade

B．observe

C．a(chǎn)ttend

D．a(chǎn)nnounce

【小題4】 Which of the following could be the best title of the text?

A．The stories of some hypertension patients.

B．Medical treatments of blood pressure.

C．Storytelling may help lower blood pressure.

D．Suggestions about how to lower blood pressure.

Bats are the only mammals(哺乳動(dòng)物) which can fly properly. Other flying mammals have wings of thin skin which cover their sides between their front and back legs. They can only fly from tree to tree, but they cannot change direction when they want to.
All bats fly at night and most of them hunt for flying insects(昆蟲(chóng)), such as bees. The common bat finds its food by making a constant noise that the human ear cannot hear. The bat listens for echoes(回聲) of the noise as it bounces(反射) off the insects showing the bat their position.
The Fruit bat feeds on many different kinds of fruit. It does not use echoes but instead has very large, special eyes to see even in low light. The largest Fruit bat has a wing length of 0.75 meters. The Vampire bat drinks the blood of large mammals, and a few bats catch fish, birds and even other bats.
【小題1】 Some flying mammals are not real flyers because _____.

A．they do not have wings	B．their wings are too thin
C．they have skin between their legs	D．they cannot turn around in the air

【小題2】 When common bats hunt for food they _____.

A．use echoes to kill the insects	B．make a noise to draw insects to them
C．produce a sound and listen to the echoes	D．listen noise made by the insects

【小題3】 Unlike other bats, the Fruit bat _____.

A．can see very well	B．eats fruit and fish
C．has very long wings	D．has excellent hearings

【小題4】The word "it" in the second paragraph refers to _____.

A．the bat

B．the echo

C．the noise

D．the insect

A sunflower is a sunflower. A mobile phone is a mobile phone. But can you combine the two to do something for your local environment? As early as next year it may well be possible. When you have finished with your mobile phone you will be able to bury it in the garden or a plant pot and wait for it to flower.
A biodegradable (生物可降解的) mobile phone was, this month, introduced by scientists. It is hoped that the new type of phone will encourage consumers to recycle. Scientists have come up with a new material over the last five years. It looks like any other plastic, but overtime it can break down into the soil without giving out any poisonous chemicals. British researchers used the new material to develop a phone cover that contains a sunflower seed. When this cover turns into waste, it forms nitrates (硝酸鹽). These feed the seed and help the flower grow. “We’ve only put sunflower seeds into the cover so far. But we are working with plant experts to find out which flowers would perform best. Maybe we could put roses in next time.” said one scientist.
As phone technology is developing so quickly people are constantly throwing their mobiles away. This means producers are under pressure to find ways of recycling them. Some 650 million mobile phones have been sold this year. Most of them will be thrown away within two years, adding plastic, heavy metal and chemical waste to the environment. A biodegradable cover can offer some relief for nature, according to the scientists. “The seed is released and the flower grows in the pot so you don’t have to concern yourself with the phone when you have finished using it,” said Kerry Kirwan, the leader of the research team.
【小題1】After you have finished using the new type of mobile phone, _______.

A．the sunflower seed will come out and flower in the pot

B．the phone cover will break down very soon in the soil

C．it will be recycled by the producers

D．it can charge itself with electricity in a green way

【小題2】This type of research is done because ________.

A．the technology of making phones is changing rapidly

B．too many waste mobile phones may lead to environmental problems

C．nobody has ever thought of recycling mobile phones

D．producing mobile phones uses a lot of energy

【小題3】We can infer from the story ________.

A．the new type of mobile phones are already on the market

B．the new type of mobile phones will sell extremely well

C．the material of the new type of phones is harmful

D．other flowers may be used in the new type of mobile phones

【小題4】The best title of this passage is           .

A．Recycling our phones

B．The phones that flower

C．A new material for making phones

D．The harm of thrown-away phones

Satellites are an important part of our ordinary lives．For example, the information for weather forecasts is sent by satellite．Some satellites have cameras which take photographs of the Earth to show how clouds are moving．Satellites are also used to connect our international phone calls．
Computer connections of the World Wide Web and Internet also use satellites. Many of our TV programs come to US through satellites．Airplane pilots also sometimes use a satellite to help them find their exact location．
We use satellites to send television pictures from one part of the world to another．They are usually 35，880 kilometers above the equator．Sometimes we can see a satellite in the sky and it seems to stay in the same place．This is because it is moving around the world at 11，000 kilometers an hour—exactly the same speed that the earth rotates．A satellite must orbit the Earth with its antennae(天線(xiàn))facing the earth．Sometimes, it moves away from its orbit，So there are little rockets on it which are used to put the satellite back in the right position．This usually happens about every five or six days．
Space is not empty! Every week, more and more satellites are sent into space to orbit the Earth．A satellite usually works for about 10-12 years．Satellites which are broken are sometimes repaired by astronauts or sometimes brought back to Earth to be repaired．Often，very old or broken satellites are left in space to orbit the Earth for a very long time．This is very serious because some satellites use nuclear power and they can crash into each other．
【小題1】Which of the following is NOT done by satellites according to the passage?

A．Sending information for weather forecast．

B．Taking photographs of the Earth．

C．Sending TV pictures．

D．Providing food for airplane pilots．

【小題2】What’s the speed the earth rotates at?

A．35,880 kilometers per hour．	B．335,880 kilometers per hour．
C．11,000 kilometers per hour．	D．110,000 kilometers per hour

【小題3】Why does the satellite move around the world at the same speed as the Earth rotates?

A．In order to take photographs．

B．In order to stay in a certain position in the orbit．

C．In order to move away from its orbit．

D．In order to send television pictures．

【小題4】What does the underlined word “This” in the 3^rd paragraph refer to?

A．A satellite．	B．A little rocket．
C．A satellite seems to stay in the same place in the sky．
D．The satellite puts the rockets in the right position．

【小題5】Which is true of satellites?

A．A satellite usually works for about 10-12 years．

B．Every time a satellite gets broken，it is brought back to the Earth to be repaired．

C．A broken satellite is never left in space.

D．They often crash into each other.

Studies show that walking several times a week can lower, or reduce, the danger of many diseases. Walking also can help you lose weight.
Fast walking is good for the heart. It lowers the blood pressure. Researchers say walking can reduce the danger of suffering a heart attack by as much as fifty percent.
Studies have shown that walking for thirty minutes a day can delay and possibly prevent the development of Type Two Diabetes. It can prevent diabetes among people who are overweight and at danger for the disease.
Studies show that women who walk and take calcium reduce their danger of thinning of the bones. Walking also helps lower the pain of arthritis in areas where bones are joined by strengthening the muscles around the bones.
Walking several times a week is a good way to control your weight and even lose body fat. Studies show it also helps lower feelings of sadness.
Experts say walking is one of the safest ways to exercise. There is a low danger of injuries. So it is good for people who are starting an exercise program for the first time and for older people.
A walking program is easy to start. You should wear loose clothes and good shoes. Shoes designed for walking are best.
How fast should you walk?  You should be breathing hard while you are walking. Yet, you should be able to
talk.
Let your arms move back and forward at your sides while you walk.
【小題1】The title of the passage probably is ______.

A．Walking

B．Feelings of Sadness

C．Weight

D．Diseases

【小題2】“Walking is one of the safest ways to exercise” means ______.

A．walking is easy to start	B．there’s a low danger of injuries
C．walking is good for heart	D．walking can prevent the development of diseases

【小題3】Walking helps reduce the following EXCEPT_________.

A．the danger of many diseases

B．weight

C．sad feelings

D．money for shoes

【小題4】According to the passage, walking ________.

A．is the safest way to all of the people	B．is a good way to reduce the danger of many diseases
C．can cure the disease of heart attack	D．can help put on weight