Despite the high technology and investment in flood defences by the Environment Agency, there is no way to stop all flooding -- sooner or later nature will produce something that will beat even the strongest defences.

Warning people of this danger is very important if we are to prevent the great loss of life seen fifty-three years ago.Indeed if the Flood Warning System that currently exists had been around on that cold, stormy night in January 1953, many lives would have been spareD.

The Environment Agency took over the role of flood warning in 1995 from the police who had to go door to door or sound alarms to get the news out.The service is being constantly improved and a combination of better technology and increased investment following the Easter Floods of 1998 has led to the creation of Floodline and an automatic messaging system that can warn thousands of people in very little time.

Floodline 0845 988 1188 offers information and advice 24 hours a day and if warnings are in place, callers can get information either from local updates or by using a quickdial code for their areA.

The Flood Warning team in Kent has also sent letters to the people living close to the rivers or the sea and invited them to join the AVM (automated voice messaging) system.Anyone choosing to take up this free service will receive a recorded message directly to their home, business or pager telling them of the level of warning, giving them as much time as possible to carry out their flood plan and save items that cannot be replaced if lost or damaged, such as photographs or children’s favorite toys.

1.Choose the correct statements from the following according to the passage.

A. Many people lost their lives in the flood in 1953

B. The Flood Warning system was already in use in 1953

C. Flood defences can stop all flooding

D. The Environment Agency began to warn people of flood in 1995

e.Floodline was created after the Easter Floods of 1998

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

2.What does the underlined word "pager" mean in the passage?

A. A piece of equipment designed to receive and show messages

B. A boy employed to carry luggage in hotels

C. A page of papers written to offer messages

D. A person, invited to write pages of messages

3.People can easily get information and advice about flood any time of the day from____.

A. automatic messaging system

B. automated voice messaging system

C. the Flood Warning team in Kent

D. Floodline 0845 988 1188

4.The best title for this passage may probably be ____.

A. Environment Agency

B. Flood Warning System

C. Technology In Flood Defences

D. Easter Floods

Outdoor air pollution leads to more than 3 million premature deaths each year, and more than two thirds of them occur in China and India, according to new research. The authors estimate that without government intervention, the total number of deaths could double by 2050.

The study, published in the journal Nature, identifies particulate matter(悬浮微粒) as the prime pollutant leading to premature mortality. Particulate matter, a substance formed as a combination of different materials released into the air, is thought to be harmful to human health once it exceeds 2.5 micrometers in diameter. Researchers also identified ozone as a contributor to dangerous air quality.

The causes of air pollution vary dramatically from place to place. In India and China, the study says, emissions from residential heating and cooking drive air pollution by creating unhealthy quantities of smoke. Overall, residential heating emissions cause one third of air pollution-related deaths worldwide.

In highly regulated areas, like the United States, Europe and Japan, emissions from agriculture tend to be primary contributors to air pollution. Fertilizer used in agriculture releases ammonia into the atmosphere, a process that creates harmful particulate matter. Globally, air pollution from agriculture kills more than 600,000 people annually, the study finds.

The findings are consistent with a 2014 report from the World Health Organization that suggested that 7 million deaths occur annually due to both indoor and outdoor air pollution.

The study’s conclusions give a sense of urgency to efforts to reduce air pollution but present challenges because of difficulty regulating heating activity in people’s homes, according to study author Jos Lelieveld. People who live in the most affected areas should be provided with information about less toxic heating methods, he said.

“It’s important to reduce emissions from residential energy use,” Lelieveld said on a conference call for journalists. “You can’t ask people to stop eating and cooking, but you can provide better technologies.”

Air pollution contributes to a variety of ailments that eventually lead to premature mortality like lung cancer, stroke and heart failure, according to the study. Another study published this week in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives reached similar conclusions showing the devastating (毁灭性的) effects of pollution on individual health. Researchers found that chronic exposure to particulate matter increases the chance of early death by 3%. That risk is especially high for heart disease; the chance a person will die of heart disease increases by around 10% with chronic exposure to particulate matter.

Researchers found that the number of deaths is expected to double by 2050 without new government policies. Nearly all of the increase will occur in Asia, according to the report.

1.Which of the following contributes to the air pollution?

A. Particulate matter. B. Ozone.

C. Smoke D. Both A and B.

2.Which of the following is NOT true?

A. Residential heating emissions cause two thirds of air pollution-related deaths worldwide.

B. 7 million deaths occur annually due to air pollution.

C. Air pollution from agriculture kills more than 600,000 people annually.

D. The causes of air pollution vary dramatically from place to place.

3.What might air pollution lead to?

A. Lung cancer. B. Stroke.

C. Heart failure. D. All above.

4.What can be inferred from the article?

A. Residential energy use should be stopped.

B. Chronic exposure to particulate matter increases the chance of early death by 3%.

C. The number of deaths is expected to double by 2050 due to air pollution.

D. It is urgent for the government to take action.

完形填空2

Cancer Cancelled

My name's James and I am an 18-year "Cancer Survivor". When I was 15 years of age, I was at my house one day with my two sisters and when I tried to run up the steps, I blacked out, and _________the stairs very hard. When I came to myself, I remembered my sisters saying “Are you all right?” and I replied “I think so, yeah.” But little did my sisters and I know that was the beginning of this __________. When I began to try to climb the stairs, my whole right leg hurt seriously. I couldn’t move it_________ the assistance of my hands. The __________ was horrible. I finally made my way upstairs and I couldn’t ________ I couldn’t move my leg. As time went on it got ________ so a month later I finally went to hospital. I explained to the doctor what had happened. Then I was asked to go to the rooms __________ they treated me to the X-rays, MRI, and CAT SCANS machines. One week later, my doctor __________ the house and said, “You need to come up here right away!”

My mother and I __________ up there and they had the X-rays results ready for me--My body seemed __________ except my right leg. I was surrounded by doctors and nurses.

I got my __________, but wasn’t clear on what was happening. They __________us back home. Three days later, they __________ an expert from another continent or someplace and he looked at my X-rays one time and said “OH MY GOD, this young man has bone cancer.”

Once all of that got cleared up, they __________ my chemotherapy(化疗) treatments a week later. On October 9, 2014, I had the surgery, the bone replacement surgery. I was told that I couldn’t _________ like a normal person anymore, so ________ was impossible. I couldn’t do this or that, etc. Basically my _________ was over before it even got started. When I got through with my final chemotherapy I was _________40 kg.

I want to share this story with you guys because today I’m 84 kg with 2% body fat. I don’t smoke or drink. I can walk and even run. I’m so __________ to be here and forever to grace life with my presence each day. My dream is to become the “___________” to everybody who ever thought about giving up on life because it’s so hard, or just simply not living it.

1.A. took B. moved C. hit D. climbed

2.A. dream B. terror C. day D. memory

3.A. without B. from C. with D. for

4.A. pain B. change C. danger D. idea

5.A. guess B. notice C. believe D. understand

6.A. Better B. worse C. stranger D. cleaner

7.A. when B. before C. though D. where

8.A. found B. searched C. visited D. called

9.A. came B. rushed C. looked D. stayed

10.A. weak B. terror C. slim D. fine

11.A. treatment B. needs C. results D. recovery

12.A. followed B. carried C. sent D. directed

13.A. flew B. promised C. allowed D. served

14.A. continued B. started C. postponed D. cancelled

15.A. work B. walk C. think D. feel

16.A. playing B. stepping C. running D. learning

17.A. plan B. hope C. career D. life

18.A. only B. even C. ever D. right

19.A. nervous B. relieved C. curious D. grateful

20.A. Inspiration B. Instruction C. Introduction D. Information

Welcome to your future life!

You get up in the morning and look into the mirror. Your face is firm and young-looking. In 2035, medical technology is better than ever. Many people your age could live to be 150, so at 40, you’re not old at all. And your parents just had an anti-aging(抗衰老的) treatment. Now, all three of you look the same age !

You say to your shirt, “Turn red.” It changes from blue to red. In 2035, “smart clothes” contain particles(粒子) much smaller than the cells in your body. The particles can be programmed to change your clothes’ color or pattern.

You walk into the kitchen. You pick up the milk, but a voice says, “You shouldn’t drink that!” Your fridge has read the chip (芯片) that contains information about the milk , and it knows the milk is old . In 2035, every article of food in the grocery store has such a chip.

It’s time to go to work. In 2035, cars drive themselves. Just tell your “smart car” where to go. On the way, you can call a friend using your jacket sleeve(袖子). Such “smart technology” is all around you.

So will all these things come true? “For new technology to succeed,” says scientist Andrew Zolli , “it has to be so much better that it replaces what we have already.” The Internet is one example --what will be the next?

1.We can learn from the text that in the future__________.

A.people will never get old

B. everyone will look the same

C. red will be the most popular color

D. clothes will be able to change their pattern

2.What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?

A. Milk will be harmful to health.

B. More drinks will be available for sale.

C. Food in the grocery store will carry electronic information.

D. Milk in the grocery store will stay fresh much longer.

3.What is the text mainly about?

A. Food and clothing in 2035.

B. Future technology in everyday life.

C. Medical treatments of the future.

D. The reason for the success of new technology.

Imagine what you could do with a machine that could make things disappear.

For inspiration, you could read some books. In the books of J.R.R. Tolkein, Bilbo Baggins finds a ring that can make him disappear. Of course, there’s also poor Harry Potter, who used his invisibility cloak (隐形斗篷) to hide from danger.

Now that you’ve got some ideas, it’s time for the hard part: building the cloak. To do that, you have to give up science fiction and turn to real science. An invisibility cloak has to cheat anything or anyone who might be watching. In order to understand how something can be seen, it’s important to understand how we see.

Human beings can only see objects that reflect (反射) light waves. These waves enter the eye and are then processed by the brain. However, if an object doesn’t reflect light, then the waves don’t enter the eye, and the brain doesn’t process. So building an invisibility cloak is building something that doesn’t reflect light.

Cummer was part of a team of scientists from Duke University, including David Smith and David Schurig, who built the world’s first version (版本) of an invisibility cloak. They had been inspired by the work of a British physicist, John Pendry. He in May said that an invisibility cloak was possible and Pendry was not the only one thinking about a disappearing act. At the same time, a Scottish physicist, UIf Leonhardt published a paper on building invisibility equipment.

“It wasn’t easy,” says Cummer. “As often happens in science and research, it didn’t work very well the first time. That first cloak didn’t work like Harry Potter’s --- the scientists didn’t actually see anything disappear. So the research is still under way. ”

1.The first two paragraphs serve as a (n) ________.

A. introduction B. explanation

C. comment D. summary

2.Cummer and other scientists got the idea of building an invisibility cloak from _________.

A. the film Harry Potter

B. the work of a British physicist

C. a paper published by a Scottish physicist

D. the book of J.R.R. Tolkein

3. From the text we learn that the research on an invisibility cloak __________.

A. was led by Pendry

B. was very successful

C. was used in most popular movies

D. is still in progress

4.What can be the best title for the text?

A. The Science of Disappearing

B. The Hardest Part of Building a Cloak

C. The Invention of an Invisibility Cloak

D. Turn Science Fiction into Real Science

For most of the eight years they have been married, Ryan has never received a hug from his wife, Tracy. He has not even received a “hello” or a smile. Tracy has been since 2008. But this is not a story about the outcome of a young lady. Rather, it is about a man who has stayed to his wife, nursing her night and day, making sure she is as as possible.

Ryan and Tracy in a friend’s home in 2003. “She was beautiful and interesting to talk to,” Ryan says of his first of Tracy. In 2005, they got married and were very happy. However, a call put the couple’s life in a month after their daughter was born. Ryan was at work when a neighbor called to inform him that Tracy had been to the hospital.

, he ran to the hospital. When he got there, he knew his had been treated for fever. However, the fever did not after Tracy received that medical treatment.

Tracy’s breathing became labored and was to speak. The medical examination she developed an infection damaging her nerve system. Tracy went into a coma(昏迷) and a few days later, though she regained consciousness, she could not move her lower legs. “She was admitted to hospital for four months and doctors did all they could, her got worse,” Ryan says. She could no longer her legs, and lost the ability to give voices.

“Those four months are the most time I have ever had. I have never stopped hoping and praying she will regain her ,” Ryan says with a smile, “I miss her laughter, and wonder what kind of a mother she would be to our daughter.”

1.A. happy B. simple C. different D. basic

2.A. weak B. alone C. ill D. cruel

3.A. magic B. exciting C. unexpected D. sad

4.A. true B. strange C. rude D. useful

5.A. comfortable B. special C. safe D. conscious

6.A. married B. stayed C. met D. worked

7.A. impression B. expression C. discussion D. attention

8.A. danger B. trouble C. surprise D. silence

9.A. dashed B. rushed C. pushed D. carried

10.A. Angry B. Confident C. Anxious D. Proud

11.A. daughter B. friend C. neighbor D. wife

12.A. slow down B. go down C. look down D. burn down

13.A. ready B. eager C. unwilling D. unable

14.A. revealed B. repeated C. agreed D. admitted

15.A. even B. instead C. still D. again

16.A. though B. after C. since D. when

17.A. attitude B. examination C. condition D. pain

18.A. clean B. remove C. touch D. move

19.A. wonderful B. difficult C. ridiculous D. important

20.A. position B. power C. confidence D. health

That morning, I stepped into the classroom, ready to share my knowledge and experience with seventy-five students who would be my English Literature class.Having taught in for seventeen years, I had no about my ability to hold their attention and to on them my admiration for the literature of my mother tongue.

I was shocked when the monitor shouted, " !" The entire class rose as I entered the room, and I was somewhat about how to get them to sit down again, but once that awkwardness was over, I quickly my calmness and began what I thought was a fact-packed lecture, sure to gain their respect—perhaps their admiration.I went back to my office with the rosy glow which came from a sense of achievement.

My students diaries.However, as I read them, the rosy glow was gradually 49 by a strong sense of sadness.The first diary said, "Our literature teacher didn’t teach us anything today. her next lecture will be better." Greatly surprised, I read diary after diary, each expressing a theme."Didn’t I teach them anything? I described the entire philosophical framework of Western thought and laid the historical for all the works we’ll study in class," I complained." How they say I didn’t teach them anything?"

It was a long term, and it became clear that my ideas about education were not the same as of my students.I thought a teacher’s job was to raise questions and provide enough background so that students could their own conclusions.My students thought a teacher’s job was to provide information as directly and clearly as possible.What a difference!

, I also learned a lot, and my experience with my Chinese students has made me a American teacher, knowing how to teach in a different culture.

1.A. the UK B. the US C. China D. Australia

2.A. worry B. idea C. doubt D. experience

3.A. impress B. put C. leave D. fix

4.A. Attention B. Look out C. At ease D. Stand up

5.A. puzzled B. sure C. curious D. worried

6.A. found B. returned C. regained D. followed

7.A. more B. even C. yet D. still

8.A. passed B. borrowed C. read D. kept

9.A. replaced B. taken C. caught D. moved

10.A. Naturally B. Perhaps C. Fortunately D. Reasonably

11.A. different B. strong C. similar D. usual

12.A. happenings B. characters C. development D. background

13.A. should B. need C. will D. must

14.A. immediately B. certainly C. simply D. gradually

15.A. that B. what C. those D. ones

16.A. difficult B. interesting C. ordinary D. unusual

17.A. draw B. look C. search D. offer

18.A. strange B. standard C. exact D. serious

19.A. Therefore B. However C. Besides D. Though

20.A. normal B. happy C. good D. better

Jean is a bright young lady who comes from a rich and famous family. She goes to a good university and has everything that money can buy. Well, almost everything. The problem is that the people in Jean's family are so busy that they can hardly find time to be with her. So Jean spends a lot of time on her QQ. She likes being anonymous (匿名), talking to people who do not know about her famous family and her rich life. She uses the name Linda on QQ and has made a lot of friends who she keeps in touch with quite often.

Last year Jean made a very special friend on QQ. His name was David and lived in San Francisco. David was full of stories and jokes. He and Jean had a common interest in rock music and modern dance. So it always took them hours to talk happily on QQ and sometimes they even forgot their time. Of course, they wanted to know more about each other. David sent her a picture of himself: He was a tall, good-looking young man with a big happy smile. As time went by, they became good friends and often sent cards and small things to each other.

When Jean's father told her that he was going on a business trip to San Francisco, she asked him to let her go with him so that she could give David a surprise for his birthday. She would take him the latest DVD of their favorite rock singer. But when she knocked on David's door in San Francisco, she found that her special friend was only a ten-year-old boy named Jim!

1.Jean spends a lot of her time on QQ because she is .

A. rich B. young C. lonely D. talkative

2.The following states are true about Jean EXCEPT that according to the passage.

A. she is a university student

B. she was born in a wealthy family

C. she made a friend named Jim younger than her

D. she uses her family name on her QQ

3.We could believe that Jean was when seeing Jim himself instead of David on QQ at the door.

A. delighted B. disappointed

C. regretful D. confused

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