I felt gloomy (沮丧的) the other day. The weather had been dark and rainy, and I just didn’t feel so   1  .

    As I was sitting at my desk, I   2   it was the birthday of a dear long-time friend — a single, middle-aged woman who has devoted the past 30 years to nursing and loves her   3  .

Knowing that she doesn’t have family in town, I   4  to give her a call. Sure enough, she was on B-shift,    5    to work late into the evening, and wouldn’t have  6     of a birthday this year. As always,    7   , she sounded cheerful and was happy that I   8   .

    After I hung up, I couldn’t   9   the feeling that she would really appreciate a little attention on her special day.    10    feeling a little gloomy myself, I tried to put it out of my mind, but as the day passed I couldn’t shake the thought. I   11   gave in, and that evening set off to the hospital with a card, a cheese cake, and some balloons. My friend’s grateful smile and joyful surprise   12   me I’d done the right thing and were a generous   13   for the little effort it had taken.

    When I got home, I realized that not only had I cheered up a   14   friend on her birthday, but my own gloomy feelings had also disappeared. Making her day had   15    my own!

Isn’t that the way it is   16   we take the time and make the   17   to do something for someone else? It’s like the little saying, “Loving kindness is twice blessed; it blesses him who gives, and him who   18   .”

    Cheering up people on their birthdays isn’t the only thing we can do to make their day. Life constantly presents us with   19   to take an extra step or do a kind deed that will make a difference to   20   . And the wonderful thing is that as we do, it changes things for the better for us too.

1. A. special           B. positive         C. nervous          D. proud

2. A. explained     B. complained           C. remembered       D. informed

3. A. family            B. training         C. work             D. school

4. A. decided       B. continued            C. agreed               D. refused

5. A. surprised     B. disappointed     C. bored                D. prepared

6. A. much          B. many             C. little               D. few

7. A. though            B. besides          C. therefore            D. otherwise

8. A. admitted      B. called               C. succeeded            D. apologized

9. A. experience        B. imagine          C. shake                D. understand

10. A. Almost           B. Even             C. Never                D. Still

11. A. luckily          B. finally              C. unhappily            D. hardly

12. A. convinced        B. advised          C. promised         D. reminded

13. A. response     B. contribution     C. reward               D. share

14. A. careless     B. lonely               C. weak             D. curious

15. A. troubled     B. taken                C. wasted               D. made

16. A. when         B. where                C. why              D. how

17. A. suggestion       B. friend               C. effort               D. call

18. A. tries            B. receives         C. expects          D. cares

19. A. opportunities    B. dreams           C. choices          D. regrets

20.A. someone       B. something            C. everyone         D. Everything

The average temperature around the world is rising. People living in the US Midwest might find a fact hard to believe, though. The scientists suggest that the change in the Midwest climate may have happened because of farming.

The first study was led by David Changnon, a climatologist(气候学家) at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.Changnon and his team studied temperature records from the sites in the Midwest. They found that since 1970, the average temperature in the region during July and August has gone down—by up to one degree Fahrenheit(华氏度)—from what it was during the years between 1930 and 1969. Their investigation also showed that the average rainfall in those states during those two months has increased. Between 1970 and 2009, about 0.33 inch more rain fell than between 1930 and 1969.These_changes may be connected by humidity(湿度), Changnon says. Humidity is the measure of how much moisture is in the air. Humid air, which contains a lot of moisture,takes longer to heat up than dry air, Changnon notes. And humid air often releases its moisture through rainfall.

So where did the extra moisture in the air come from?Changnon points to farms in the region. As plants grow, they pull moisture from the ground and release it into the air. And among plants, soybeans (大豆) and corn plants release a lot of moisture. Midwestern farms now plant more soybeans and corn than in the past, with 97 percent of farmland today planted with these two crops. In the 1930s, corn and soybeans covered only about 57 percent, Changnon says. He also notes that the plants are planted closer together now than they used to be, so there are more plants per acre than in the past.

The second study, like Changnon's, also found an increase in rainfall in the same area. But it points to another possible source for the increased moisture. Alan Robock at Rutgers University was part of the team that produced the second study and presented the group's findings. The team found that irrigation practices in the Great Plains have changed over the years. The researchers studied a vast area in the region. They found that in 1930, farmers in that region irrigated only about 1.8 million acres of farmland. In 1980, however, farmers irrigated nearly 15 million acres. Plants use the water and then release it into the air.

These results by Changnon and Robock and their colleagues are the first step toward understanding a change in the weather.

20.What does the underlined term “These changes” refer to?

A.Lower temperatures and more rainfall.

B.Higher temperatures and higher humidity.

C.Making a record both in the past and now.

D.The two periods of the 40­year investigation.

21.Which of the following could be the possible sources for the increased moisture in the US Midwest?

A.Scientists' research and farmers' attention.

B.Less farmland and more plants.

C.More plants and irrigation practices.

D.Natural reservoirs and underground rivers.

22.The studies show that in America's Midwest,________.

A.the average temperature is getting higher and higher

B.more and more farmland has been deserted

C.the amount of rain is closely related to the temperature

D.summers are now cooler and wetter than they were in years past

23.According to the passage, irrigating more and more plants means ________.

A.making more space for farms and buildings

B.making more and more water into the air, and thus causing more rain

C.more farms depending on water­saving systems

D.using plants to change the climate  

The King's School, Canterbury is an independent, coeducational secondary school. There are currently 791 pupils on the school roll(名单). The school has a long and distinguished history, and it is also one of the oldest charities in the country, providing scholarships to pupils and organizing a Charity of the Term.

The curriculum(课程) at King's is based on strong academic roots. It emphasizes and relies upon what is best in traditional independent school education: scholarly excellence supported by a caring and tutorial system, and a wide­ranging co­curricular programme. However, it is continually adapting and reacting to the changing demands of modern education: new subjects are added, new teaching techniques are adopted, and there is an increasing awareness of the need to provide programmes of study that match individual needs and skills.

The curriculum is divided into three units: the Lower School(Year 9 ), an introductory year; the Middle School(Years 10 and 11 ), working to GCSEs; and the Sixth Form(Years 12 and 13), taking AS and A levels.

Full details can be found in: Shell Guide and Handbook; Middle School Academic Guide 2009—2011; Middle School Academic Guide 2010—2012; Sixth Form Guide 2009—2011 and Sixth Form Guide 2010—2012.

Formal and structured educational support, for those who need it, is available at all levels. The well­stocked library is open 7 days and 6 evenings per week. ICT facilities (including the Internet) are available for all and the whole school(studies within the houses as well as classrooms) is extensively networked.

Pupils are offered extensive career advice throughout their time at King's. Almost all go to university, either immediately or following a GAP year. The most popular university destinations are Cambridge, Bristol, Nottingham, Durham, Leeds, Oxford, Edinburgh, Manchester, and University College, London.

Director of Studies: Geoff Cocksworth: grc @ kings­school.co.uk

Examinations Officer: Elaine McDowell: eam @ kings­school. co. uk.

Click here for more information.

16.The best title of the passage might be ________.

A.The King's School

B.The Curriculum in Britain

C.New Teaching Techniques

D.British Education System

17.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A.The King's School, Canterbury is a famous high school in Britain.

B.The curriculum at King's is best in traditional and modern education.

C.All pupils of the school go to university immediately after they graduate.

D.Pupils' dormitories as well as classrooms are provided with network.

18.The following can be inferred from the passage EXCEPT that________.

A.the King's School focuses on pupils' individual development

B.pupils in the King's School who pass GCSEs will go to university

C.pupils in the King's School have an easy access to the school library

D.pupils in the King's School receive good education

19.The passage is probably taken from a ________.

A.handbook  B.website

C.magazine  D.newspaper

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