B
One cold morning in winter, when I was a little boy, a smiling man with an ax on his shoulder stopped me, saying: “My pretty boy, has your father a grindstone（砂轮）”
“Yes, sir,” said I．
“You are a fine little fellow!” said the man． “Will you let me grind（磨） my ax?”
Pleased with the flattery, I answered, “Oh, yes, sir． The grindstone is down in the shop．”
Patting me on my head, he said, “Will you get me some hot water?” I ran and brought the hot water．
“How old are you, and what is your name?” he asked without waiting for a reply, “I’m sure you are one of the finest boys I have ever seen． Will you turn the grindstone a few minutes for me?”
Hearing the flattery again, I went to work with a will． It was a new ax, and I worked hard until I was almost tired to death． The school bell rang, but I could not get away, because the ax was not half ground．
At last, however, it was sharpened． Then the man turned to me and said, “Now, you little rascal(小坏蛋), you’ve played truant(逃课)! Run to school, or you’ll be sorry!”
“Alas!” thought I． “It was hard enough to turn a grindstone this old day, but now to be called a rascal is too much．”
The memory of turning the grindstone that winter morning sank into my mind． I have thought of it since． Now, whenever I hear words of flattery, I say to myself． “That man has an ax to grind．”
60．In this passage, the word “flattery” means _____．
A．an order or direction
B．nice words used beyond truth
C．kind words spoken by elder people to children
D．good manners
61．The man asked the boy many questions because _____．
A．he liked the boy very much
B．he wanted to know the boy’s name
C．he wanted to sharpen his ax
D．he wanted to know how old the boy was
62．The man called the boy “rascal” because _____．
A．his ax was damaged by the boy
B．he didn’t like the boy’s play truant
C．he didn’t need the boy any more
D．he thought that boy should go to school on time
63．Today in the writer’s vocabulary “That man has an ax to grind” means _____．
A． that man has some selfish reasons for his actions
B． that man works with an ax
C． that man is very kind and polite to boys
D． that man needs to sharpen his ax

Everywhere man is altering the balance of nature．He is facilitating the spread of plants and animals into new regions, sometimes deliberately, sometimes unconsciously．He is covering huge areas with new kinds of plants, or with houses, factories, slag-heaps and other products of his civilization．He exterminates some species on a large scale, but favours the multiplication of others．In brief, he has done more in five thousand years to alter the biological aspect of the planet than has nature in five million．

        Many of these changes which he has brought about have had unforeseen consequences．Who would have thought that the throwing away of a piece of Canadian waterweed would have caused half the waterways of Britain to be blocked for a decade, or that the provision of pot cacti for lonely settlers’ wives would have led to Eastern Australian being overrun with forests of Prickly Pear? Who would have prophesied that the cutting down of forests on the Adriatic coasts, or in parts of Central Africa, could have reduced the land to a semidesert, with the very soil washed away from the bare rock? Who would have thought that improved communications would have changed history by the spreading of disease-sleeping sickness into East Africa, measles into Oceania, very possibly malaria into ancient Greece?

        These are spectacular examples; but examples on a smaller scale are everywhere to be found．We make a nature sanctuary for rare birds, prescribing absolute security for all species; and we may find that some common and hardy kind of bird multiplies beyond measure and ousts the rare kinds in which we were particularly interested．We see, owing to some little change brought about by civilization, the starling spread over the English country-side in hordes．We improve the yielding capacities of our cattle; and find that now they exhaust the pastures which sufficed for less exigent stock．

The following examples except ________ reflect man altering the balance of nature．

       A．man is covering huge areas with new kinds of plants

       B．man is facilitating the spread of animals into new regions．

       C．man is killing some species on a large scale

       D．man is getting to know the importance of keeping the balance of nature．

What had a piece of Canadian waterweed cause?

       A．Eastern Australian was overrun with forests．

       B．Half the waterways of Britain blocked for a decade．

       C．In parts of central Africa, the land reduced to a semidesert．

       D．Disease-sleeping has been caused．

What have spread diseases?

       A．Disease-sleeping sickness．       B．Measles．

       C．Improved communications．            D．Malaria．

We make a nature sanctuary for rare birds but __________

       A．some common and hardy kind of bird multiplies   

       B．rare kinds multiply

C．all bird multiply                             

D．no bird multiply

The main idea of the passage is _________．

       A．that man is deliberately destroying the balance of nature

B．that man has foreseen the consequences of altering the balance old nature

       C．that improved communications have changed history

D．that man is altering the balance of nature

It is only during the last few years that man has generally realized that in the world of nature a balance exists between all forms of life. No living thing can exist by itself: it is a part of a system (体系) in which all forms of life are joined together. If we change one part of the natural order, this will in its turn almost certainly bring about changes in some other part.

The cutting down of forests reduces the supply of oxygen. The killing of weeds and insects by chemicals leads to the wide spread poisoning of animals and birds. The throwing of waste products into the ocean harm to life in the sea, while waste gases change the chemical balance of the atmosphere.

And so we could go on, adding more examples, until in despair (绝望) we might feel like giving up the struggle to control and keep within limits these harmful human activities. Man is very clever at changing the world around him to satisfy his immediate needs, but not so clever at looking far ahead, or at thinking about what the future results of his action might be.

The first paragraph mainly tells us that __________.

A. everything in nature can’t exist without the help of human beings

B. no living thing can exist naturally

C. all living things in nature depend on each other

D. man has well known the importance of the balance for a long time

The examples given in the second paragraph are used to prove that __________.

A. it is very important to protect forests

B. there are some living things which can exist all by themselves without change

C. all forms of life belong to a system in which all the part can be changed for one another

D. we cannot change one form of life or matter without disturbing (扰乱) the balance of nature

In the second paragraph the underlined word “atmosphere” means __________.

A. the production of chemical factories                      B. the gas in the outer space

C. the mixture of gases that surrounds the earth               D. the health of the human body

The third paragraph suggests that __________.

A. man shouldn’t think only about his immediate needs without enough thought on the future results

B. man is very clever in planning his distant future 

C. man often feels that he has to give up in despair

D. man is always anxious to control and keep his actives within limits

It is often said that man has become the enemy of our planet. This is no exaggeration(夸张), for reports show that man’s greed has done much to destroy the earth. Man, in his greedy desire for financial growth, has polluted the air, land and water, and has robbed our valuable natural resources. Man’s industrial plants pour out poisonous waste that pollutes the sea and puts life in the sea under the threat of dying out; at the same time, they release alarming amounts of carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other pollutants. Small wonder that the air now is much warmer and more impure than ever before.

Of course, this is not just because of man’s greed—it is man’s pressing need as well. For instance, in developing countries, huge financial foreign debts have forced governments to approve the cutting of forests for agriculture or ranching. As a result, forests are cut down just to meet man’s immediate needs.

Perhaps unknowingly，man has changed the make-up of the earth's atmosphere. Scientific studies have shown that CFCs used in refrigerators and industrial cleaners are fast destroying the ozone layer—a protective layer in the atmosphere that protects us against the harmful effects of the sun’s ultraviolet (紫外线)rays. In fact, documented reports have shown a terrible fact that there are “holes” in the ozone layer over the Antarctic. And they appear to be expanding.

Faced with these environmental problems, world leaders have shown deep concern. The UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) has arranged international agreements like the Vienna convention of 1985 and the Montreal Protocol of 1989 to preserve the ozone layer by controlling the production, use and trade of destructive chemicals.

There may be some doubt as to how effectual these agreements may be, given that some countries still maintain an “I-don’t-care” attitude. Their attitude is probably due to their failure to grasp the importance of the problem. Then, there is no doubt that environmental education on an international scale（规模）is greatly needed, so that all countries, great and small—the “haves” and the “have nots”—may realize their responsibilities for our planet.

In the meantime, the UNEP seems to have taken steps in the right direction, and it is hoped that in the not so distant future, all nations of the world will join hands in saving mother earth.

1.Which of the following is a reason for the cutting and burning of forests?

It is only during the last few years that man has generally realized that in the world of nature a balance exists between all forms of life. No living thing can exist by itself: it is a part of a system (体系) in which all forms of life are joined together. If we change one part of the natural order, this will in its turn almost certainly bring about changes in some other part.

The cutting down of forests reduces the supply of oxygen. The killing of weeds and insects by chemicals leads to the wide spread poisoning of animals and birds. The throwing of waste products into the ocean harm to life in the sea, while waste gases change the chemical balance of the atmosphere.

And so we could go on, adding more examples, until in despair (绝望) we might feel like giving up the struggle to control and keep within limits these harmful human activities. Man is very clever at changing the world around him to satisfy his immediate needs, but not so clever at looking far ahead, or at thinking about what the future results of his action might be.

1.The first paragraph mainly tells us that __________.

A. everything in nature can’t exist without the help of human beings

B. no living thing can exist naturally

C. all living things in nature depend on each other

D. man has well known the importance of the balance for a long time

2.The examples given in the second paragraph are used to prove that __________.

A. it is very important to protect forests

B. there are some living things which can exist all by themselves without change

C. all forms of life belong to a system in which all the part can be changed for one another

D. we cannot change one form of life or matter without disturbing (扰乱) the balance of nature

3.In the second paragraph the underlined word “atmosphere” means __________.

A. the production of chemical factories                      B. the gas in the outer space

C. the mixture of gases that surrounds the earth               D. the health of the human body

4.The third paragraph suggests that __________.

A. man shouldn’t think only about his immediate needs without enough thought on the future results

B. man is very clever in planning his distant future 

C. man often feels that he has to give up in despair

D. man is always anxious to control and keep his actives within limits