El Nino, a Spanish term for "the Christ child", was named by South American fisherman who noticed that the global weather pattern, which happens every two to seven years, reduced the amount of fishes caught around Christmas. El Nino sees warm water, collected over several years in the western Pacific, flow back eastwards when winds that normally blow westwards weaken, or sometimes the other way round.

The weather effects, both good and bad, are felt in many places. Rich countries gain more from powerful Nino, on balance, than they lose. A study found that a strong Nino in 1997-98 helped American’s economy grow by $15 billion, partly because of better agricultural harvest, farmers in the Midwest gained from extra rain. The total rise in agricultural in rich countries in growth than the fall in poor ones.

But in Indonesia extremely dry forests are in flames. A multi-year drought(干旱) in south-east Brazil is becoming worse. Though heavy rains brought about by El Nino may relieve the drought in California, they are likely to cause surface flooding and other disasters.

The most recent powerful Nino, in 1997-98, killed around 21,000 people and caused damage worth $36 billion around the globe. But such Ninos come with months of warning, and so much is known about how they happen that governments can prepare. According to the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), however, just 12% of disaster-relief funding in the past two decades has gone on reducing risks in advance, rather than recovery and rebuilding afterwards. This is despite evidence that a dollar spent on risk-reduction saves at least two on reconstruction.

Simple improvements to infrastructure(基础设施) can reduce the spread of disease. Better sewers(下水道) make it less likely that heavy rain is followed by an outbreak of the disease of bad stomach. Stronger bridges mean villages are less likely to be left without food and medicine after floods. According to a paper in 2011 by Mr Hsiang and co-authors, civil conflict is related to El Nino’s harmful effects—and the poorer the country, the stronger the link. Though the relationship may not be causal, helping divided communities to prepare for disasters would at least reduce the risk that those disasters are followed by killing and wounding people. Since the poorest are least likely to make up for their losses from disasters linked to El Nino, reducing their losses needs to be the priority.

1.What can we learn about El Nino in Paragraph 1?

A. It is named after a South American fisherman.

B. It takes place almost every year all over the world.

C. It forces fishermen to stop catching fish around Christmas.

D. It sees the changes of water flow direction in the ocean.

2.What may El Ninos bring about to the countries affected?

A. Agricultural harvests in rich countries fall.

B. Droughts become more harmful than floods.

C. Rich countries’ gains are greater than their losses.

D. Poor countries suffer less from droughts economically.

3.The data provided by ODI in Paragraph 4 suggest that _________.

A. more investment should go to risk reduction

B. governments of poor countries need more aid

C. victims of El Nino deserve more compensation

D. recovery and reconstruction should come first

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A. To introduce El Nino and its origin.

B. To explain the consequences of El Nino.

C. To show ways of fighting against El Nino.

D. To urge people to prepare for El Nino.

阅读下列材料,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题纸上将该选项标号涂黑。

“Did you hear what happened to Adam Last Friday?”Lindsey whispers to Tori.

With her eyes shining,Tori brags, “You bet I did,Sean told me two days ago.”

Who are Lindsey and Tori talking about?It just happened to be yours truly,Adam Freedman.I can tell you that what they are saying is (a) not nice and (b) not even true.Still,Lindsey and Tori aren’t very different from most students here at Linton High School,including me.Many of our conversations are gossip(闲话). I have noticed three effects of gossip:it can hurt people,it can give gossipers a strange kind of satisfaction,and it can cause social pressures in a group.

An important negative effect of gossip is that it can hurt the person being talked about.Usually,gossip spreads information about a topic—breakups,trouble at home,even dropping out—that a person would rather keep secret.The more embarrassing or shameful the secret is,the juicier the gossip it makes.Probably the worst type of gossip is the absolute lie.People often think of gossipers as harmless,but cruel lies can cause pain.

If we know that gossip can be harmful,then why do so many of us do it?Theanswer lies in another effect of gossip:the satisfaction it gives us.Sharing the latest rumor(传言)can make a person feel important because he or she knows something that others don’t.Similarly,hearing the latest rumor can make a person feel like part of the “in group.”In other words,gossip is satisfying because it gives people a sense of belonging or even superiority(优越感).

Gossip also can have a third effect:it strengthens unwritten,unspoken rules about how people should act.Professor David Wilson explains that gossip is important in policing behaviors in a group.Translated into high school terms, this means that if everybody you hang around with is laughing at what John wore or what Jane said,then you can bet that wearing or saying something similar will get you the same kind of negative attention.The do’s and don’ts conveyed through gossip will never show up in any student handbook.

The effects of gossip vary depending on the situation.The next time you feel the urge to spread the latest news,thing about why you want to gossip and what effects your “juicy story”might have.

1.The author uses a conversation at the beginning of the passage to __________.

A.introduce a topic

B.present an argument

C.describe the characters

D.clarify his writing purpose

2.An important negative effect of gossip is that it__________.

A.breaks up relationships

B.embarrasses the listener

C.spreads information around

D.causes unpleasant experiences

3.In the author’s opinion,many people like to gossip because it __________.

A.gives them a feeling of pleasure

B.helps them to make more friends

C.makes them better at telling stories

D.enables them to meet important people

4.Professor David Wilson thinks that gossip can __________.

A.provide students with written rules

B.help people watch their own behaviors

C.force schools to improve student handbooks

D.attract the police’s attention to group behaviors

5.What advice does the author give in the passage?

A.Never become a gossiper

B.Stay away from gossipers

C.Don’t let gossip turn into lies

D.Think twice before you gossip.

A lot of the time celebrities have a team of people telling them what to wear for every different occasion. However, a naturally style savvy (精通时的) celebrity is not unheard of.

Kate Moss

Rising to fame in the mid-1990s, Kate Moss is one of the biggest supermodels ever and a fashion veteran (老手). According to Forbes magazine, Moss has since earned more money than ever before.

Emma Watson

Born in 1990,well-known for starring in the Harry Potter films, Emma Watson is known for her beauty, and flawless style and grace on and off the red carpet. An advocate (倡导者) of eco-friendly fashion, Emma’s worked with Italian designer Alberta Ferretti in 2011 on a collection of organic clothing featuring a series of environmentally friendly dresses.

Victoria Beckham

Well known for being real trendsetter(潮人), It’s not novel that Victoria Beckham is among the list of style savvy (精通时尚的) celebrities . Indeed it was only a matter of time for her to start designing her own collection. The former Spice Girl had her own fashion brand, dvb, in 2007. Her designing works, ranging from clothes to fragrances(香水), have been well received.

Justin Timberlake

A global music superstar, Justin Timberlake also earned the respect of fashion gurus (大师)—not only for being one of the most stylish celebrities but also for being a promising designer. Justin has managed to incorporate (使融入) his sense of style into the clothing line, which is best known for its jeans.

1.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A.Kate Moss is a supermodel as well as a singer in the group---Spice Girl.

B.Emma Watson worked with Italian designer---Alberta Ferretti when she was 21.

C.Justin Timberlake has put his sense of style into the clothing line which is best known for shirts.

D. Victoria Beckham is a real trendsetter but has no designing works yet.

2.Which of the following word can best replace the underline word “novel” in para.4 __________

A.fiction B. normal C.unsual D.common

3.Which might be the best title of the article?

A.Fashion days

B. Learn to be a stylist from some celebrities

C. Fashionable pop singers

D. Some style savvy celebrities

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