Farmers may not be able to prevent natural disasters,but they can at least try their best to reduce losses.

  For example,they can plant crops that are more likely to survive extreme weather. In northcentral Vietnam,people with small farms do not plant rice between September and December. Seasonal rains might destroy the rice. So instead,they plant lotus seeds on raised beds. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says the lotus seeds bring a good price in local markets.

  Farmers in the Philippines are showing new interest in crops like winged beans,string beans,arrowroot and cassava. The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center says traditional crops like these can survive the fierce storms that often strike the islands.

  The United Nations says some African farmers grow bambara groundnuts during long dry periods. The seeds of this droughtresistant plant can be boiled for eating or for making flour.

  In some parts of the world,farmers grow vetiver grass. Researchers in Thailand wrote about vetiver in 2007 in the journal Science Asia. They noted that the grass can absorb and control the spread of harmful waste waters,like those from pig farms.

  Agricultural expert and author William Rivera says vetiver resists difficult conditions. It reduces damage from heavy rains. And vetiver planted on earthen dams may strengthen them against breaks and flooding.

  William Rivera also speaks approvingly of alfalfa. Its deep roots can find and take up groundwater. Those roots also help hold the soil against winds. And alfalfa can be a valuable food source for animals.

The deep and extensive roots of sunflowers make them another good candidate for resisting extreme conditions. The tall plants have brightly colored heads that provide seeds and oil.

  North Dakota grows more hectares of sunflowers than any other American state. But North Dakota is better known as a top wheat producing state.

Hans Kandel works at the North Dakota State University Extension Service in Fargo. He says farmers in some parts of North Dakota plant wheat that is ready to harvest in only about one hundred days. That way it can grow before the hot,dry months of July through September.

(   ) 1. The underlined part "bring a good price in local markets" in the 2nd paragraph implies that lotus seeds         .

   A. can bring the local farmers some profit

   B. will satisfy the needs of the local people

   C. are what the local farmers eat every day

   D. don't sell very well because of their high prices

(   ) 2. Vetiver grass is planted because it can         .

   A. be a valuable food source for animals

   B. survive the fierce storms in summer

   C. provide seeds and oil

   D. be useful in many aspects

(   ) 3. From the last paragraph we can see that the farmers in North Dakota         .

   A. are not hardworking so they are suffering from poverty

   B. are good at taking advantage of the weather conditions

   C. don't have enough knowledge of weather and farming

   D. plant more sunflowers than wheat

(   ) 4. From this passage we may safely conclude that         .

   A. weather conditions are always decisive factors in agriculture

   B. some crops can help farmers to fight against disasters

   C. the species of the world are changing quickly

   D. agriculture is developing fast in the world

 In our home it was natural to fear our father. 1       our mother was afraid of him. As children,my sister and I thought every family was like that,thinking God 2        it that way.

  We were good children,even if daddy couldn't see it. Part of this was because we 3        not do anything. We were 4        especially when daddy was home.

  Then came the day we found something 5        to do. We discovered we could draw pictures with 6        on our front door,and it would rub right off. We could have lots of fun,so we set to work drawing and making lots of pretty 7        all over it. We had a great time. We decided to finish our masterpiece,knowing mama would just love it and 8        us.

  The praise we expected did not come. Instead of 9       the beauty in our work,all mama could see was the time and effort she would need to 10        it off. She was mad. We did not understand why,but we knew we were in big trouble!

Off we ran to find a place to 11        Soon we heard the frightened voices of mom and our neighbors calling out to us. Still we did not 12       . They were afraid we had run away or 13        in the pond nearby.

The sun set and it began to get dark. As we 14        together in the dark,we became aware of yet another voice strangely different,our daddy. In it we heard something we had 15        heard before:fear,pain and despair. Then came his prayers,our daddy with tears running down his face,16       God that he would give his life to him if he would safely return his girls.

Nothing in our lives had prepared us for this kind of shock. We 17       to him like a magnet (磁石) .We don't know yet if we actually took steps or if God somehow 18        us out and into Daddy's arms. What we do remember are those strong,loving arms hugging us like we were precious.

  Things were different after that. We had a new daddy. God had 19        him with another,one who loved us.

  Mama always told us that God was a God of 20.        He changed our whole family with a piece of chalk.

(   ) 1. A. Even   B. Still   C. Also   D. Never

(   ) 2. A. suggested   B. placed   C. planned   D. permitted

(   ) 3. A. could   B. should   C. would   D. dare

(   ) 4. A. quiet   B. annoyed   C. painful   D. happy

(   ) 5. A. absurd   B. new   C. exciting   D. fun

(   ) 6. A. pens   B. chalk   C. brushes   D. sticks

(   ) 7. A. flowers   B. pictures   C. girls   D. animals

(   ) 8. A. respect   B. admire   C. praise   D. envy

(   ) 9. A. seeing   B. treasuring   C. exposing   D. displaying

(   ) 10. A. dry   B. clean   C. clear   D. take

(   ) 11. A. stay   B. escape   C. lie   D. hide

(   ) 12. A. move   B. shout   C. cry   D. return

(   ) 13. A. swam   B. played   C. drowned   D. wandered

(   ) 14. A. hugged   B. hid   C. grabbed   D. held

(   ) 15. A. never   B. ever   C. always   D. often

(   ) 16. A. reminding   B. promising   C. telling   D. mentioning

(   ) 17. A. went   B. ran   C. rushed   D. flew

(   ) 18. A. moved   B. drove   C. forced   D. sent

(   ) 19. A. changed   B. exchange   C. chose   D. replaced

(   ) 20. A. kindness   B. miracles   C. strength   D. love

People just naturally associate kangaroo,koala and fine beaches with Australia. Yes,you can find many fine sand beaches,white or brown,to enjoy the sunshine and seaside breeze. However,in Queensland,the eastern state of Australia,a night beach tour at this time of year may bring you a more exciting sight of the miracle of life:You can watch hatching baby turtles making their first steps in a natural environment.

On Mon Repos beach,about 14 kilometers east of the city of Bundaberg in Queensland,Australia,lies Mon Repos Conservation Park.

By day,Mon Repos beach is a sweeping bay of brown sand,a quiet spot for people to sunbathe,surf and fish.

By night,it's home to the largest concentration of endangered marine turtles on the eastern Australian mainland. And the miracle of egglaying and hatching occurs from around mid October to the end of April every year. 

In order not to disturb the turtles,tourists have to follow the instruction of the guides. But this may make the tour more like an adventure:Tourists are usually told to huddle (crowd) close together,hold hands and walk close to the shoreline in the dark.

At the start of the season (October and November) ,tourists can view turtles laying their eggs. Nature turtles first use all four flippers to dig a body pit in the sand and then lay eggs in it. It's not uncommon for a turtle to lay more than 100 eggs at a time. And her mission isn't done until she uses her flippers to flick sand and cover the nest.

If you go there at the end of the season (March to April) ,you can see groups of hatchings walk down to the water. It is an astonishing sight as the small creatures,barely two minutes old,race instinctively to the sea.

If they survive,the same hatchings will return in 50 years' time to lay eggs on the very beach where they first emerged (出现) .

(   ) 5. The first paragraph is intended to         .

   A. recommend the readers to have a holiday in Australia

   B. give the readers an idea of the different sceneries of Australia

   C. draw the readers' attention to the topic of this article

   D. show that Australia has a variety of animals

(   ) 6. Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

   A. A turtle can usually lay 100 eggs at a time.

   B. If you go to the beach in October,you can see turtles lay eggs.

   C. Turtles usually lay eggs when they are 50 years of age.

   D. It's quite dangerous for the tourists to watch the turtles at night by the seashore.

(   ) 7. Which of the following shows the correct relationship of the three places?

(M = Mon Repos Conservation Park; Q = Queensland;B = Bundaberg)

(   ) 8. Which of the following words may be used to replace the underlined word "flick" in the 6th paragraph?

   A. dig   B. move   C. gather   D. make

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