“Why should I care about the environment?” some people ask. There is a very simple reason: We live on the earth, and it is the only place we can live on right now, as we cannot live in space yet. If we treat the earth like a garbage dump, it will become dirty and unlivable. If we treat it well by being eco-conscious, the earth will stay clean and suitable for living, for ourselves and for our children.

What is “being eco-conscious”?

Being eco-conscious means being aware of your actions, and what you do to the environment. For example, you might think, “Using hairspray is great for fixing my hair.” However, if you are eco-conscious, you would ask, “Does this hairspray have CFCs in it? Could I be destroying the earth by using hairspray?”

How can I be eco-conscious?

You can find many simple ways to help the environment in your everyday life.

When you go shopping, bring a bag or a basket with you. Please try not to use plastic bags as much as you can.

You can go to work by bike or on foot if it is not far from your home.

You can put your rubbish into different bags, which makes it convenient for recycling.

You can eat less chewing gum.

You can use your own chopsticks instead of the disposable ones in your company or in restaurants.

You can put batteries in a special box instead of in garbage bins.

You can use the water which has been used for washing vegetables or fruits to clean the floor and the toilet or to water your garden.

You can turn off the decorative lights in your room when watching TV.

You can turn down your air conditioner by one degree, as this will cause a 10% reduction in energy use.

You can use recycled paper. Every ton of recycled office paper saves 380 gallons of oil. You can also use recycled glass instead of glass made from raw materials. This will reduce the related air pollution by 20%, and the related water pollution by 50%.

Please believe that. If you do a little, it will make a big difference.

1.Human beings should care about the environment because _________ .

A．if we make the earth unlivable, we’ll have to live in space

B．it can help our children live better

C．if we don’t, the earth will become a garbage dump

D．it will help to make the world a good living place

2.If your deskmate is an eco-conscious person, he should __________.

A．be aware of the importance of protecting the environment

B．use plastic bags when he buys something

C．know nothing about CFCs

D．turn his air conditioner to a higher degree

3.If you want to help the environment, you should do all the following EXCEPT ________.

A．share a car with your colleagues

B．use paper bags instead of plastic bags

C．use hairspray containing CFCs

D．use recycled glass instead of glass made from raw materials

4.It can be inferred from the passage that _________.

A．it’s very hard for human beings to keep the earth clean and comfortable

B．protecting the environment is the duty of everybody

C．we should protect the environment together, as it’s no use doing it individually

D．it’s very easy to be eco-conscious

5.According to the author, which of the following statements is WRONG?

A．Being eco-conscious means you should know much about the environment.

B．The more we care, the better the environment will be.

C．If each of us just does a little, we can’t make any difference.

D．If we treat the earth badly, we’ll make a lot of trouble for ourselves.

根据短文内容，从短文后的七个选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

Are Societies Ageing Too Fast?

       An ageing society is one in which the population of people over the age of 60 is increasing．The global population at present is about 6 billion with 1 person in every 10 aged 60 or above．_．This will mean that for the first time in human history the population of older persons will be larger than the population of children! What are the causes of this population change?

       _．And another is that birthrates have dropped as people, especially women, are educated．Measures to slow population growth like China’s one-child policy, have also contributed to lowered birthrates．The increase in the aged population is not just an interesting trend, however; it also has severe implications for the future of global economies．

       People traditionally retire at 65 and live on government pensions．_．Another concern is that as medical expenses increase with age, the demands of the growing aged population will eventually cause medical systems to face bankruptcy（破产）．

       _．They suggest that because people are living longer, they ought to work longer, while governments need to establish a sound social security system．They also suggest that individuals start saving as soon as possible to ensure a financially secure retirement．People should also develop good health habits in their youth to ensure an active and productive old age．_．By finding cures for diseases like Alzheimer’s and cancer, medical bills and the need for care would be drastically reduced．

       Finally, an important step to ensure a bright future for all is to do away with negative stereotypes that see valuable members of society only as pensioners or patients．It’s high time we stopped seeing ageing as a disease and started playing our parts in securing the future of our ageing societies．

A. Due to ageing problem, cities are facing more challenges．

B. Experts insist that steps should be taken now to prepare for the future．

C. As people grow older, a huge financial burden will be placed on the government．

D. Biomedical research is another tool we can use to deal with the problems of ageing societies．

E. One reason is that dramatic health advances have added 20 years to the average life-expectancy．

F. The United Nations projects that by 2050, it will be 1 in every 5．

G. As is known to all, good habits lead to good health．

New research shows sheep are clever

People often make jokes about how dull sheep are, but new research shows they may be cleverer than we think. Researchers at the University of Cambridge discovered that Welsh mountain sheep have brainpower that equals rodents (啮齿动物). Tests found that the sheep can map the area they live in, and some may even be able to plan ahead.

Young fish prefer noisy neighbors

A new study has shown that young fish like to live on reefs with noisy neighbors! Researchers from the universities of Auckland and Bristol found that young fish looking for a home choose areas where other noisy fish live. The scientists produced all kinds of sounds which had been recorded in different natural environments. The young fish seemed to prefer the sounds of natural reefs, complete with noisy animals! The scientists compared the choice to a music fan wandering around at a music festival, choosing to set up a tent closest to the music they like best!

Butterflies are disappearing

A new study has shown that 17 species (物种) of butterfly found in Europe have dropped by 70% in the last 20 years. The information collected from 3,000 sites across 15 countries shows it may be caused by the loss (减少) of grasslands covered with flowers. You can encourage butterflies to come into your garden by planting flowers.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

2. According to the first paragraph, we may infer that sheep _____.

3. Which seems to have to do with the number of butterflies?

4.In which part of a newspaper can we most probably read the passage?

Animal moms are great moms. You might be surprised at some of these moms.

Octopuses (章鱼)

The mother octopus lays about 50,000 eggs. For about 300 days, she stays with the eggs, cleans them and protects them. She does not leave to feed. However, this animal mom dies as soon as the eggs are hatched (孵化).

Crocodiles(鳄鱼)

A crocodile mother puts a lot of time and effort into raising her babies. She starts by building a nest (巢), which she guards for over two months! When the eggs are ready to hatch, the young crocs call out to their mother, who digs them out and helps them hatch. She then carries them in her mouth down to the water, where she will guard them for several more weeks or months until they learn to hunt on their own.

Bats （蝙蝠）

Bats become moms by hanging head up in a cave, giving birth. Catching the youngster before it can fall to the ground below, she puts it in a pouch (育儿袋). Bat moms may carry babies with them when feeding for the first few days. As the little bats get bigger and heavier, moms help them hang on the wall of their caves and return often to feed them. It continues for about three weeks, until the babies are grown up and able to fly on their own.

Koalas (考拉)

The animal mom gives birth after a pregnancy (怀孕期) of only 35 days. The hairless baby climbs into its mother’s pouch and lives there for another five months. When the little koala is between five and eight months old, it leaves the pouch for short periods of time but returns for safety. Once it is too big to return to the pouch, it will climb onto its mother’s back and ride there until it is about 12 months old.

1.Which animal moms die when their babies are born?

A．Octopuses.        B．Crocodiles.        C．Bats.             D．Koalas.

2.A crocodile mother usually carries her baby to the water _____.

A．in her mouth       B．on her back        C．in her pouch       D．by her tail

3.A bat mom _____.

A．gives birth by lying in the nest

B．gives birth by hanging in a cave

C．leaves its babies in the pouch for months

D．lets its babies live on their own after birth

4.How long does the bat mom help to feed her babies?

A．About 3 days       B．About 3 weeks      C．About 13 weeks    D．About 3 months

5.How long does a young koala usually stay with its mom?

A．35 days.          B．5 months.         C．8 months.         D．12 months.

Passage one（The only way to travel is on foot）

The past ages of man have all been carefully labeled by anthropologists. Descriptions like ‘ Palaeolithic Man’, ‘Neolithic Man’, etc., neatly sum up whole periods. When the time comes for anthropologists to turn their attention to the twentieth century, they will surely choose the label ‘Legless Man’. Histories of the time will go something like this: ‘in the twentieth century, people forgot how to use their legs. Men and women moved about in cars, buses and trains from a very early age. There were lifts and escalators in all large buildings to prevent people from walking. This situation was forced upon earth dwellers of that time because of miles each day. But the surprising thing is that they didn’t use their legs even when they went on holiday. They built cable railways, ski-lifts and roads to the top of every huge mountain. All the beauty spots on earth were marred by the presence of large car parks. ’

The future history books might also record that we were deprived of the use of our eyes. In our hurry to get from one place to another, we failed to see anything on the way. Air travel gives you a bird’s-eye view of the world – or even less if the wing of the aircraft happens to get in your way. When you travel by car or train a blurred image of the countryside constantly smears the windows. Car drivers, in particular, are forever obsessed with the urge to go on and on: they never want to stop. Is it the lure of the great motorways, or what? And as for sea travel, it hardly deserves mention. It is perfectly summed up in the words of the old song: ‘I joined the navy to see the world, and what did I see? I saw the sea.’ The typical twentieth-century traveler is the man who always says ‘I’ve been there. ’ You mention the remotest, most evocative place-names in the world like El Dorado, Kabul, Irkutsk and someone is bound to say ‘I’ve been there’ – meaning, ‘I drove through it at 100 miles an hour on the way to somewhere else. ’

When you travel at high speeds, the present means nothing: you live mainly in the future because you spend most of your time looking forward to arriving at some other place. But actual arrival, when it is achieved, is meaningless. You want to move on again. By traveling like this, you suspend all experience; the present ceases to be a reality: you might just as well be dead. The traveler on foot, on the other hand, lives constantly in the present. For him traveling and arriving are one and the same thing: he arrives somewhere with every step he makes. He experiences the present moment with his eyes, his ears and the whole of his body. At the end of his journey he feels a delicious physical weariness. He knows that sound. Satisfying sleep will be his: the just reward of all true travellers.

1、Anthorpologists label nowaday’s men ‘Legless’ because

     A   people forget how to use his legs.

     B   people prefer cars, buses and trains.

     C   lifts and escalators prevent people from walking.

     D   there are a lot of transportation devices.

2、Travelling at high speed means

     A   people’s focus on the future.

     B   a pleasure.

     C   satisfying drivers’ great thrill.

     D   a necessity of life.

3、Why does the author say ‘we are deprived of the use of our eyes’ ?

     A   People won’t use their eyes.

     B   In traveling at high speed, eyes become useless.

     C   People can’t see anything on his way of travel.

     D   People want to sleep during travelling.

4、What is the purpose of the author in writing this passage?

     A   Legs become weaker.

     B   Modern means of transportation make the world a small place.

     C   There is no need to use eyes.

     D   The best way to travel is on foot.

5. What does ‘a bird’s-eye view’ mean?

     A   See view with bird’s eyes.

     B   A bird looks at a beautiful view.

     C   It is a general view from a high position looking down.

     D   A scenic place.