摘要: Benin Benin is one of the smallest African states. It lies in West Africa on the Gulf of Guinea, to the south of Burkina Faso and Niger, between Togo on the west and Nigeria on the east. Benin used to be called Dahomey and was controlled and ruled by France from 1893 to 1960, when it became independent . In 1963 the army general Soglo overthrew the first president. Maga. Soglo set up an army government and called himself head of state in 1965, but was overthrown and replaced by a civilian government in 1967. In December 1969 Benin had another change of power with the army again taking over . In May 1970, Maga and two other men set up a new government, with each of them acting as president in turn for two years. However, half a year after Maga turned over power to the second man Ahomadegbe, the three-man government was overthrown by the army once more and General Kerekou became president. In November 1975 Kerekou changed the name of the nation from Dahomey to Benin, Benin being the name of a 17th century kingdom covering the same place. Kerekou also announced that Benin would be a People’s Republic based on Marxism-leninism.

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  A new study in West Africa shows how farm irrigation systems powered by the sun can produce more food and money for villagers.The study in Benin found that solar-powered pumps are effective in supplying water, especially during the long dry season.

  Sub-Saharan Africa is the part of the world with the least food security.The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more than one billion of the world's people faced hunger last year.Around two hundred sixty-five million of them live south of the Sahara Desert.Lack of rainfall is one of their main causes of food shortages.

  Jennifer Burney from Stanford University in California led the study.The research team helped build three solar-powered irrigation systems in northern Benin.

  The solar-powered irrigation systems produced an average of nearly two metric tons of vegetables per month.

  They sold the surplus(过剩的)produce at local markets.The earnings greatly increased their ability to buy food during the dry season which can last six to nine months.

  People in the two villages with the systems were able to eat three to five more serving of vegetables per day.But making the surplus available at markets also had a wider effect.

  The study compared the villages with two others where women farmed with traditional methods like carrying water in buckets.The amount of vegetables eaten in those villages also increased, though not as much.

  The researchers note that only four percent of the cropland in sub-Saharan Africa is irrigated.Using solar power to pump water has higher costs at first.But the study says it can be more economical in the long term than using fuels like gasoline, diesel or kerosene.And solar power is environmentally friendly.

(1)

People living in sub-Saharan Africa are short of food mainly because ________.

[  ]

A.

it seldom rains there throughout the year

B.

there is little farmland in the area

C.

people there lack experience in farming

D.

people know nothing about irrigation techniques

(2)

Which of the following is an advantage of Jennifer's irrigation systems?

[  ]

A.

They are not affected by the weather.

B.

They cost much less than traditional irrigation systems.

C.

They have no bad effects on the environment.

D.

They use less fuel than traditional irrigation systems.

(3)

We can learn from the last paragraph that ________.

[  ]

A.

people in South Africa will soon be provided with enough food

B.

the demand for fuels like gasoline will greatly decrease in Africa

C.

people in sub-Saharan Africa don't take agriculture seriously

D.

it's worthwhile to use the new irrigation systems on the while

(4)

People in the two villages owe all the following to Jennifer's irrigation systems EXCEPT that ________.

[  ]

A.

they could buy more food during the dry season

B.

they could eat more vegetables than usual every day

C.

they could supply local markets with vegetables

D.

they could provide people in other villages with food

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完形填空(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)
阅读下面短文,掌握其大意,然后从下列各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
The human nose is an underestimated tool. Humans are often thought to be  1___ smellers compared with animals, but this is largely because, unlike animals, we stand upright. This means that our noses are  2 to detecting those smells which float through the air,  3  the majority of smells which stick to surfaces. In fact though, we are extremely sensitive to smells, even if we do not generally realize it. Our noses are capable of  4 human smells even when these are  5  to far below one part in one million.
    6    , some people find that they can smell one type of flower but not another, while others are sensitive to the smells of both flowers. This may be because some people do not have the genes necessary to generate  7    smell receptors in the nose. These receptors are the cells which sense smells and send  8   to the brain. However, it has been found that even people insensitive to a certain smell at first can suddenly become sensitive to it when  9    to it often enough.
  The  10  for insensitivity to smell seems to be that brain finds it  11   to keep all smell receptors working all the time but can  12  new receptors if necessary. This may also explain why we are not usually sensitive to our own smells we simply do not need to be. We are not  13    of the usual smell of our own house but we  14    new smells when we visit someone else's. The brain finds it best to keep smell receptors _ 15   for unfamiliar and emergency signals such as the smell of smoke, which might indicate the danger of fire.

1. A. sensitive
B. outstanding
C. insensitive
D. awkward
2. A. limited
B. committed
C. devoted
D. conducted
3. A. catching
B. ignoring
C. missing
D. tracking
4. A. distinguishing
B. discovering
C. determining
D. detecting
5. A. reduced
B. reserved
C. rescued
D. refused
6. A. Fortunately
B. Strangely
C Happily
D. Amazingly
7. A. unusual
B. particular
C. unique
D. typical
8. A. signs
B. information
C. messages
D. signals
9. A. subjected
B. left
C. drawn
D. exposed
10A. expectation
B. expression
C. extension
D. explanation
11.A convenient
B. competitive
C. inefficient
D. adequate
12.A introduce
B. gather
C. develop
D. produce
13.A sure
B. sick
C. aware
D tired
14.A tolerate
B. resist
C. neglect
D. notice
15.A available
B. reliable
C. valuable
D. suitable
 

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“The pen is more powerful than the sword(剑).” There have been many writers who used their pens to fight things that were wrong. Mrs Harriet Beecher Stowe was one of them. She was born in the U.S.A. in 1811.One of her books not only made her famous but has been described as one that excited the world, and was helpful in causing a civil war and freeing the enslaved race. The civil war was the American Civil War of 1861,in which the Northern States fought the Southern States and finally won.

This book that shook the world was called Uncle Tom’s Cabin. There was a time when every English-speaking man, woman, and child has read this novel that did so much to stop slavery. Not many people read it today, but it is still very interesting. The book has shown us how a warm-hearted writer can arouse(唤起) people’s sympathies. The author herself had neither been to the Southern States nor been a slave. The Southern Americans were very angry at the book, which they said did not at all represent true state of affairs, but the Northern Americans were wildly excited over it and were so inspired by it that they were ready to go to war to set the slaves free.

41.According to the passage______.

    A.every English-speaking person has read Uncle Tom's Cabin

    B.Uncle Tom's Cabin was not very interesting

    C.those who don't speak English cannot have read Uncle Tom's Cabin

    D.the book Uncle Tom's Cabin did a great deal in the American Civil War

42.How old was Mrs Harriet Beecher Stowe when her world famous book was published?

    A.About sixty years old.    B.Over fifty years old.

    C.In her forties.           D.Around twenty years old. 43.What do you learn about Mrs Harriet Beecher Stowe from the passage?        

A.She had been living in the north of America before the American Civil War 

broke out.

    B.She herself encouraged the Northern Americans to go to war to set the slaves free.

    C.She was better as writing as swinging(挥舞)a sword.

    D.She had once been a slave.

44.What can we learn from the passage?  

A.We needn’t use weapons to fight things that are wrong.

B.A writer is more helpful in a war than a soldier.

C.We must understand the importance of literature and art.   

D.No war can be won without such a book as Uncle Tom's Cabin .

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Thomas Alva Edison was awarded more patents on inventions than any other American.When he died in 1931,Americans wondered how they could best show their respect for him.One suggestion was that the nation observe a minute or two of total blackout.All electric power would be shut off in homes,streets,and factories.Perhaps this suggested plan made Americans realize fully what Edison and his inventions mean to them.Electric power was too important to the country.Shutting it off for even a short time would have led to complete confusion.A blackout was out of the question.

  On the day of Edison’s funeral,many people silently dimmed their lights.In this way they honored the man who had done more than anyone else to put the great force of electricity at his countrymen’s fingertips.

1.This selection says that Thomas Edison     .

  A.was the only important American inventor

  B.received the first American patent

  C.received more patents than any other American

  D.was the first American inventor

 

2.People decided to honor Edison when     .

  A.he made the first electric light

  B.electric power was 100 years

  C.the country realized electricity’s importance

  D.he died in 1931

 

3.The suggested plan was to     .

  A.turn off the lights in factories and schools

  B.observe a few minutes of total silence

  C.dim all electric lights

  D.shut off all electricity for a short time

 

4.Americans fully realized what Edison’s inventions meant when they     .

  A.heard of his death

  B.heard of the plan to honor him

  C.first used electric power

  D.tried to carry out the plan

 

5.The plan was never carried out because     .

  A.not everyone wanted to honor Edison

  B.it was too difficult

  C.electric power was too important to the country

  D.it honored only one of Edison’s inventions

 

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Good advice is like medicine for the soul. What kind of 1  have you recently received? Who do you go to got advice? Do you have a mentor(顾问)? A mentor is a  2  adviser.
  Parents, teacher and friends are often great   3 .Sports figures, public officials can also be good  4  of mentors, but a person with whim you are a personal relationship will most likely be able to  5 you the best advice.
  Mentors teach things that seem to be  6  sense. Proverbs are wise old sayings that are common in every language and  7  , and can sometimes be  8 for a nonnative to understand. For example, all that  9  is not gold(some things are not as   10 as they appear ).
  Advice 11 in newspapers and magazines are another way to 12  advice.
  Talk shows on radio and television are also very popular. Americans and Canadians love to    13  themselves. Many people are not  14 to ask for help or  15 about a problem in order to receive advice. People generally will 16  their own experience to 17 their friends. Overcoming a difficult situation is 18  respecter in North America. People love to heat motivational (积极的) stories and 19  . One proverb, a friend in need is a friend indeed, shares the concept that a true friend will help you out in times of   20  .

1. A. success             B. measure          C. position         D. advice

2. A. devoted        B. united           C. trusted           D. expected

3. A. interviewers     B. mentors           C. followers          D. competitors

4. A. examples        B. mentors           C. manners          D. services

5. A. consider        B. exchange           C. adapt           D. offer

6. A. present         B. attractive          C. common          D. particular

7. A. experience         B. difference           C. culture           D. behavior

8. A. simple             B. difficult           C. natural              D. brief

9. A. glitters B. packages C. acts D. forces

10. A. different    B. negative           C. primary           D. valuable

11. A. columns         B. materials           C. wonders          D. add

12. A. reduce        B. add              C. keep              D. get

13. A. enjoy         B. teacher          C. express          D. defeat

14. A. brave         B. afraid              C. honest          D. lucky

15. A. talk              B bring.               C. care               D. look

16. A. remind         B. suggest          C. clone            D. share

17. A. lead to         B. set free          C. help out        D. take over    

18. A. originally   B. highly           C. equally           D. closely   

19. A. encouragementB. sadness           C. movement       D. adventure   

20. A. happiness         B. trouble           C. excitement       D. nature

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