Ask someone what they have done to help the environment recently and they will almost certainly mention recycling. Recycling in the home is very important of course. However, being forced to recycle often means we already have more material than we need. We are dealing with the results of that over-consumption in the greenest way possible, but it would be far better if we did not need to bring so much material home in the first place.
The total amount of packaging increased by 12% between 1999 and 2005. It now makes up a third of a typical household’s waste in the UK. In many supermarkets nowadays food items are packaged twice with plastic and cardboard.
Too much packaging is doing serious damage to the environment. The UK, for example, is running out of it for carrying this unnecessary waste. If such packaging is burnt, it gives off greenhouse gases which go on to cause the greenhouse effect. Recycling helps, but the process itself uses energy. The solution is not to produce such items in the first place. Food waste is a serious problem, too. Too many supermarkets encourage customers to buy more than they need. However, a few of them are coming round to the idea that this cannot continue , encouraging customers to reuse their plastic bags, for example.
But this is not just about supermarkets. It is about all of us. We have learned to associate packaging with quality. We have learned to think that something unpackaged is of poor quality. This is especially true of food. But is also applies to a wide range of consumer products, which often have far more packaging than necessary.
There are signs of hope. As more of us recycle, we are beginning to realise just how much unnecessary material are collecting. We need to face the wastefulness of our consumer culture, but we have a mountain to climb.
【小題1】The author uses figures in Paragraph 2 to show _______.

A．the tendency of cutting household waste

B．the increase of packaging recycling

C．the rapid growth of super markets

D．the fact of packaging overuse

【小題2】What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?

A．Unpackaged products are of bad quality.

B．Supermarkets care more about packaging.

C．It is improper to judge quality by packaging.

D．Other products are better packaged than food.

【小題3】What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Fighting wastefulness is difficult.

B．Needless material is mostly recycled.

C．People like collecting recyclable waste.

D．The author is proud of their consumer culture.

【小題4】According to the text, recycling ______.

A．helps control the greenhouse effect

B．means burning packaging for energy

C．is the solution to gas shortage

D．leads to a waste of land

【小題5】What does the underlined phrase “over-consumption” refer to?

A．Using too much packaging.

B．Recycling too many wastes.

C．Making more products than necessary.

D．Having more material than is needed.

Eating a diet high in processed（經(jīng)過加工的） food increases the risk of depression（抑郁）, research suggests. What's more, people who ate plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish actually had a lower risk of depression, the University College London team found.
Data on diet among 3,500 middle-aged civil servants were compared with their emotional state five years later, a British journal reported. They split the participants（參與者） into two types of diet--those who ate a diet largely based on whole food，which includes lots of fruit, vegetables and fish，and those who ate a mainly processed food diet, such as sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat，refined（精制的） grains and high fat dairy products After accounting for factors such as gender, age, education, physical activity, smoking habits and chronic(慢性的) diseases, they found a significant difference in the future depression risk with the different diets.
Those who ate the most wholefood（全天然食物） had a 26% lower risk of future depression than those who ate the least wholefood. By contrast, people with a diet high in processed food had a 58％ higher risk of depression than those who ate a diet low in processed foods.
Study author Dr. Archana Singh Manoux pointed out there was a chance that the finding could be explained by lifestyle factor they had not accounted for.（解釋原因） He also pointed in a paper that a Mediterranean(地中海) diet was associated（有關(guān)） with a lower risk of depression, but the problem with that is if you live in Britain, the likelihood （可能）of you eating a Mediterranean diet is not very high.
Dr．Andrew McCulloeh, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said, this study adds to an existing body of solid research that shows the strong links between what we eat and our mental health.
He added people's diets were becoming increasingly unhealthy. The UK population is consuming （消費）less nutritious, fresh produce and more saturated（飽和） fats and sugars.
【小題1】The text is mainly about______.

A．the increasingly unhealthy diet of the UK population

B．the link between processed food and depression

C．the relationship between physical and mental health

D．the emotional state of the British People

【小題2】What can we learn from what Dr. Archana Singh Manoux said?

A．It is difficult for most British people to have a Mediterranean diet.

B．The Mediterranean diet is the most healthy in the world.

C．Many studies have been done on the Mediterranean diet before.

D．The Mediterranean diet is not good for depression.

【小題3】Dr. Andrew McCulloch agrees that______.

A．our diets are closely related to our mental health

B．the present study needs more facts and other information

C．the UK population will become ill in the near future

D．more saturated fats and sugars should be taken in

【小題4】Why might the author have written this text?

A．To tell people what a healthy diet actually is.

B．To prove people’s diets are increasingly unhealthy.

C．To encourage people to cut down on processed food.

D．To introduce some experts on the research team.

Without plant, people could not live. We eat plants. We breathe the oxygen（氧氣）that plants produce. And we need plants for another reason: we need them for their beauty.
Imagine a world with no plants. Imagine no flowers with their sweet smells, their beautiful colors and their lovely shapes. Imagine when the wind blows, not being able to hear the leaves in the trees or watch the branches sway（搖擺）from side to side.
Everywhere people need the beauty of plants. That is why we have parks full of trees and flowers. That is why people always try to design houses with room for some grass and a garden.
Do you talk to your plants? Do you give them love and attention?
Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird, writers of a book called THE SECRET LIFE OF PLANTS, tell of an experiment in which two seeds were planted in different places. While the plants were growing, one plant was given love and hopeful ideas. The other plant was given only hopeless ideas. After six months, the loved plant was bigger. Under the earth it had more and longer roots; above the earth, it had a thicker stem (莖) and more leaves.
【小題1】According to the passage, which of the following is right?

A．If there are no flowers, there will be no sweet smells.

B．Without plants, we can’t hear the wind.

C．We plant trees to watch the branches sway from side to side.

D．We need plants not only for food and oxygen but also for their beauty.

【小題2】In the experiment, the plants were________.

A．of different kinds	B．talked to in two different ways
C．both given love and attention	D．grown in the same place

【小題3】At the end of six months,________.

A．one plant had longer roots than the other and had a thicker stem

B．one plant had longer roots while the other had a thicker stem

C．the plants were of the same size

D．one plant had a thicker stem while the other plant had more leaves

【小題4】The experiment has proved（證明） that________-.

A．we should talk to plants and give them love

B．without plants people could not live

C．we should grow as many plants as possible

D．plants need plenty of water, sunshine and attention

根據(jù)短文內(nèi)容，從短文后的選項中選出能填入空白處的最佳選項。選項中有兩項為多余選項。
Do you constantly use the computer, whether for learning or entertainment? Computers give off radiation(輻射) that is bad for your health, but here are some ways to protect yourself from computer radiation.
__1___Green tea can be absorbed by the body easily into a form of vitamin A, which helps reduce radiation.__2__
It is advisable to attach a radiation filter plate(輻射過濾板)in front of your computer’s screen. Make sure to avoid putting any mental substances near your computer as these may have reflected some of the electromagnetic waves that are harmful to your health. __3__ The brighter the screen the higher the radiation there will be and vice versa.
You can also put some radiation-absorbing plants such as several cacti near your computer to prevent radiation.
Make sure you do a skincare protection before sitting in front of the computer .
___4__Wash your face soon after using the computer in order to reduce 70% of the radiation.
__ 5___ Old computer in general, has one to two times more radiation released than the new one within the same distance.

A．And adjust the brightness of your computer screen.

B．Apply a layer of facial mask to protect yourself.

C．And adjust the sound level on your computer.

D．The most efficient way is by drinking some coffee regularly.

E.The simple way is by drinking 2 or 3 cups of green tea every day.
F.If possible, purchase a new computer instead of using an old model computer.
G.It also helps keep our eyes see things clearly in the dark by improving the visual ability.

The idea of light pollution has developed with the increase of lights in cities. In many areas, this light makes it difficult or impossible to observe stars and planets in the night sky.
There are a number of reasons why light pollution is important. One has become clear at the Mount Wilson Observatory near Los Angeles, California. Today, light from Los Angeles makes the night sky above Mount Wilson very bright. It is no longer an important reasearch center because of light pollution.
Light pollution threatens to reduce the scientific value of research telescoples in other important observatories. They include Lick Observatory near San Jose, California and Yerkes Observatory near Chicago, Illionis.
Light pollution is the result of wasted energy. Bright light that shines into the sky is not being used to provide light where it is needed on Earth. Poorly designed lighting causes a great deal of light pollution. Lights that are brighter than necessary also cause light pollution.
Most people in America are surprised to find out that they are able to see our own galaxy(星系)，the Milky Way, with their own eyes. But about three­fourths of Americans cannot see the Miky Way because of man­made light.
Objects in the night sky are resources that provide everyone with wonder. But light pollution threatens to prevent those wonderful sights from being seen.
【小題1】Light pollution usually occurs________.

A．in cities	B．in the country
C．in wild areas	D．in developing countries

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

A．Mount Wilson Observatory is the most important one in America.

B．Light pollution affects observatories only.

C．In the dark night people can observe the sky clearly.

D．Astronomers can observe the stars clearly by the lights of the cities.

【小題3】The victims affected by the light pollution are________.

A．children

B．grown­ups

C．students

D．observatories

Honey(蜂蜜)from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious. Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees' nest(巢)and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper一a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax (蜂蠟) in the beehives (蜂房). The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees’ nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always falls to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.
【小題1】Why is it difficult to find a wild bees' nest?

A．It's small in size.	B．It's hard to recognize.
C．It's covered with wax.	D．It's hidden in trees.

【小題2】What do the words "the follower" in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．A bee.

B．A bird.

C．A beekeeper.

D．A honey seeker.

【小題3】The honey guide is special in the way____________。

A．it gets its food	B．it goes to church
C．it sings in the forest	D．it reaches into bees' nests

【小題4】What can be the best title for the text?

A．Wild Bees	B．Wax and Honey
C．Honey-Lover's Helper	D．Beekeeping in Africa

Some wonderfully creative uses of X-rays have been in the world of art．But the most impressive one is to uncover what has been covered up．Details unfolded by an X-ray of a painting can ' t be seen any other way．For example, in the past, paintings were often repaired if small pieces of paint fell off the canvas （帆布）． These repairs cannot be seen just by looking at the painting．It takes an X-ray to discover where the repairs have been made．
An X-ray of a painting is one of the best ways to tell if it was created by a famous painter or if it is a forgery（贗品）．If there is a question as to whether an old master has painted a certain painting or not, X-rays are made and compared to those of paintings that are known to be original．If the brushstrokes （筆跡） , for example, are shown to be totally different than in other work done by a certain artist, then the painting is proved to be a fake copy．
Since modern paints are usually made from different materials than paints of hundreds of years ago, the image they leave on an X-ray film looks different．This is another way X-rays can be used to spot a forgery．A modem artist will try to make a forgery look hundreds of years old by painting dirty varnish on it or by using artificial means to get the varnish to look cracked．To the naked eye the forgery may look old, but when a careful study of the X-ray image is made, the deception is obvious．
It was common many years ago for an artist to finish a painting, decide it wasn't any good, and paint a completely different picture on top of it．Or artists would paint over others' work —it was their version of recycling．Taking an X-ray is the only way to find out if there is a picture underneath the picture you see with your eyes．Sometimes museums will be more interested in the painting beneath than the one on top, and will restore the older one by having the top layer painstakingly removed．
【小題1】What is the main purpose of the article?

A．To provide information to police who are looking for stolen art．

B．To persuade art dealers to check for fake copies before selling art．

C．To explain how modern technology can be applied in unique ways．

D．To help artists restore damaged artwork to its original appearance．

【小題2】According to the passage，X-rays are used to ______．

A．make repairs on paintings in the past

B．identify the authenticity of an artwork

C．change the materials of a forgery

D．remove the recyclable paints

【小題3】In Paragraph 3, the word "deception" probably means ______．

A．comparison

B．drawback

C．trickery

D．judgement

【小題4】Which is the best title for the passage?

A．X-ray Detectives

B．Creative Uses of Technology

C．Forgery Studies

D．X-ray Painting Techniques

___1____ Maybe you thought that they were just happy. After all, you probably sing or whistle when you are happy.
However, they sing most of the time for a very different reason. ____2___ Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy.
Do you know what a “territory” is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims(聲稱)as its own. ____3___ No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away. If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting(筑巢)season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not.__4__.
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs. You can see that birds have a language all their own. ___5__

A．Only he and his family are welcome there.

B．Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.

C．Have you ever wondered why birds sing?

D．Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.

E. Have you ever wondered why birds sing?
F. Most of the language is widely used.
G. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.

Researchers at San Diego Zoo have been studying what has been described as the “secret language” of elephants. They have been monitoring（監(jiān)測） communications between animals that cannot be heard by human ears.
The elephant’s call will be familiar to most people, but the animals also give out growls (低吼). Their growls, however, are only partly audible (聽得見的); two-thirds of the call is at frequencies that are too low to be picked up by our hearing. To learn more about the inaudible part of the growl, the team attached (附在……上面) a microphone sensitive to these low frequencies and a GPS tracking system to eight of the zoo’s female elephants. The researchers could then relate the noises the animals were making to what they were doing. Matt Anderson, who led the project, told BBC News, “We’re excited to learn how they interact and contact with one another.”
The team has already learned that pregnant females use this low frequency communication to announce to the rest of their long gestation (妊娠期) of over two years, in the last 12 days we see the low part of the growl, which we can’t hear. This we believe is to announce to the rest of the herd that the baby is upcoming,” said Dr Anderson.
The researchers believe that this also warns the elephants to look out for coming danger. “You may think that a baby calf of about 300 pounds would not be as open to predation (捕食) as other species,” he says. “But packs of hyenas (袋狼) are a big threat in the wild.”
Female elephants are only in season for around four days every four years and these calls can be heard by males more than two miles away.
【小題1】Why some elephants’ call is called “secret language”?

A．Because it can’t be heard by human ears.

B．Because it can only be heard by female elephants.

C．Because people don’t know its meanings.

D．Because people haven’t studied it completely.

【小題2】By using a sensitive microphone and a GPS tracking system, the researchers wanted to find out             .

A．where the elephants usually go

B．what the elephants’ growls really mean

C．how mother elephants raise baby calves

D．how elephants protect their babies.

【小題3】A pregnant elephant uses inaudible growls to           .

A．show the location where she is staying

B．a(chǎn)sk for help when she losses her way

C．scare away the enemy

D．let others know she will have a baby

【小題4】What is the passage mainly about?

A．The elephants can speak like people.

B．The wild elephants’ ways to fight against enemies.

C．The “secret language” between elephants.

D．The special life of female elephants.

Like distance runners on a measured course，all of us will move through time in a roughly predictable pattern．
In the first stage of our lives，we develop and grow, reaching toward the top of physical vitality(活力)．
After we grow up，however, the body begins a process of gradually wearing out．
A new awareness of physical fitness may help lengthen our years of health and vitality，yet nothing we do will work to stop the unavoidable force of aging．
Most of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body．The lungs become less able to take in oxygen．Powerful muscles gradually lose their strength．The heart loses power and pumps less blood．Bones grow easier to break．
Finally, we meet a stress，a stress that is greater than our physical resistance．Often，it is only a minor accident or chance infection(a disease caused by virus)，but this time，it brings life to an end．
In 1932，a classic experiment nearly doubled the lifetime of rats，simply by cutting back the calories in their diet The reason for the effect was then unknown．
Today, at the University of California at Berkley, Dr．Paul Seagle has also greatly lengthened the normal lifetime of rats．The result was achieved through a special protein limited diet，which had a great effect on the chemistry of the brain．Seagle showed that within the brain，specific chemicals control many of the signals that influence aging．By changing that chemical balance，the clock of aging can be reset．
For the first time, the mystery of why we age is being seriously challenged．Scientists in many fields are now making striking and far-reaching discoveries．
An average lifetime lasts 75 years，yet in each of us lies a potential for a longer life．If we could keep the vitality and resistance to disease that we have at age twenty, we would live for 800 years．
【小題1】What does the underlined word “it” refer to?

A．Physical vitality．

B．Stress．

C．Aging．

D．Physical resistance．

【小題2】Which of the following is not a change of aging?

A．People gradually lose their muscle strength．

B．Bones tend to break more easily．

C．The heart loses power and pumps less blood．

D．The lungs become unable to take in oxygen．zxxk

【小題3】The author believes the following except that     ．

A．human's life pattern is predictable

B．physical fitness can't stop the force of aging

C．human's lifetime will last longer than 75 years

D．a(chǎn)ll of the changes of aging take place deep inside the body

【小題4】How did Dr．Paul Seagle lengthen the lifetime of rats in his experiment?

A．By keeping their physical fitness．	B．By cutting the calories in their diet．
C．By resetting their clock of aging．	D．By limiting the protein in their diet．

【小題5】What is probably the best title for the article?

A．Two Great Experiments

B．The Mystery of Human Life

C．The Breakthrough in the Study of Aging

D．Ways to lengthen Human Life