In the second half of each year, many powerful storms are born in the tropical(热带的)Atlantic and Caribbean seas. Of these, only about half a dozen becomes the strong, circling winds of 75 miles per hour or more that are called hurricanes, and several usually make their way to the coast. There they cause millions of dollars of damage, and bring death to large numbers of people.
The great storms that hit the coast start as soft circling wind hundreds — even thousands — of miles out to sea. As they travel aimlessly over water warmed by the summer sun, they are carried westward by the southeast winds. When conditions are just right, warm, moist(潮湿) air flows in at the bottom of such a wind, moves upward through it and comes out at the top. In the process(过程), the moisture in this warm air produces rain, and with it the heat is changed to energy in the form of strong winds. As the heat increases, the young hurricane begins to move in a counter-clockwise motion(逆时针运动).
The life of a hurricane is only about nine days, but it contains almost more power than we can imagine. The energy in the heat released(释放) by a hurricane’s rainfall in a single day would satisfy the entire electrical needs of the United States for more than six months. Water, not wind, is the main source of death and destruction(毁灭) in a hurricane. A typical hurricane brings 6 to 12 inch downpours, causing sudden floods. Worst of all is the powerful movement of the sea — the mountains of water moving toward the hurricane center. The water level rises as much as 15 feet above normal as it moves toward shore.
【小题1】When is an ordinary tropical storm called a hurricane?

The southwest of Australia has been named as one of 25”hot spots” for future species extinction(灭绝)because of global warming.A new study says global warming will become a top cause of extinction across the world,with thousands of species of plantsand animals likely to be wiped out in the coming decades.

According to the study,global warming ranks among the most serious threats to the planet’s biodiversity and,under some conditions,may be more than that due to deforestation.This study provides even stronger scientific evidence that global warming will result in catastrophic(灾难性的)species losses across the planet.Last month,a UN study said humans were responsible for the worst extinction and urged extra efforts to reach a UN target of slowing the rate of losses by 2010.

Scientists disagree about how far global warming is to blame compared with other human threats such as deforestation,pollution and the introduction of some species to new habitats.But the new study looks at the 25 “hot spots”—?areas? that contain a big concentration of plants and animals—and predicts that 11.6 percent of all species,with a range from 1 to 43 percent,could be driven to extinction if levels of heat trapping gases in the atmosphere were to keep rising in the next 100 years.

The range would mean the loss of thousands of species.The study gave a wide range because of uncertainties, for instance, about the ability of animals or plants to move towards the poles if the climate warmed. Rare plants,tortoises or birds found only on the southern tip of Africa cannot move south because the nearest land is thousands of miles away in Antarctica.

1.According to the passage,which of the following about Australia is TRUE?

A．Australia possesses the richest species in the world.

B．Australia is the country with the highest rate of extinction.

C．The species in the southwest of Australia will be easily affected by global warming.

D．Australia will have the highest temperature in the world.

2.According to the passage,all the 25”hot spots”-------- .

A．are rich in plants and animals

B．are lacking in natural resources

C．lost most of their plants in 2010

D．will be much hotter than the rest of the world

3.We can infer if the climate warms,the animals in Australia will most probably move to the ______ .

A．north            B．east              C．west             D．south

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Australia Named as Extinction”Hot Spot”

B．Global Warming and Species Extinction

C．Global Warming is Number One Killer

D．Australia on the Edge of Extinction

Scientists have long understood the key role that oceans play in controlling the Earth’s climate. Oceans cover 70 per cent of the surface of the globe and store a thousand times more heat than the atmosphere does. What’s newer is the understanding of how this key component(组成部分) of our climate system responds to global warming.
A brake on global warming—for now
One of the oceans’ most important climate functions is absorbing heat and carbon dioxide(CO2), one of the gases that causes global warming. Acting as something absorbing heat, the oceans have absorbed huge amounts of heat and CO2 in the last forty years.
Fujita explains, “the oceans are saving us from faster climate change—they are putting a brake on the climate system.”
“That’s the good news,” he adds. “The bad news is that the oceans only slow the atmospheric warming. Once the oceans come to balance with a greenhouse-gas warmed earth, the extreme heat will remain in the atmosphere and things will get much hotter.” But where and how the oceans release this slowly increased heat is uncertain. And as the ocean stores heat, fragile(脆弱的) underwater ecosystems are struggling.
The most recent scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) also notes with concern that the ocean is acidifying(酸化) because of increased absorption of atmospheric CO2. and thus causing a threat to shell-forming species.  Sharp increase in CO2 levels will cause further acidification of the ocean.
Currents distributing heat
Another important role the oceans play is that of distributor(散布者). Oceans deliver heat and life-sustaining nutrition around the globe. Just as blood tube bring oxygen and nutrition to cells in the human body, the ocean’s currents carry oxygen, nutrients and heat throughout the Earth. The ocean distributes 25 to 50 per cent of energy the planet receives from the sun. For example, the Gulf Stream carries heat across the Atlantic. This warm current gives northwestern European a milder climate that it would normally have so far north. A change to the ocean’s circulation patterns could throw Europe into a colder period, even as the rest of the world is experiencing warmer temperatures.
【小题1】 We can infer from the passage that _______.

1. produce oxygen and nutrients around     
2. absorb 25-50% of the energy from the sun
3. distribute the atmosphere hotter        

Scientists say the warming of the Earth’s atmosphere has begun to affect plant and animal life a
round the world. Scientists from the University of Hanover in Germany reported their findings in Nature. They say global warming is affecting endangered  species, sea life, and the change in seasonal activities of organisms. Global warming is caused by carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.
Studies show that the Earth’s climate has warmed by about six tenths of one degree Celsius during the past one hundred years. Most of the increase has taken place in the last thirty years. German scientists have studied different animal and plant population around the world during the past thirty years. They say some species will disappear because they cannot move to new areas when their home climate gets too warm.
The scientists say one of the biggest signs of climate change has been the worldwide decrease in coral reefs. Rising temperatures in the world’s warm ocean waters have caused coral to lose color and die. In the coldest areas of the world, winter freezing periods are now happening later and ending earlier. Researchers say these changes are having severe effects on animals such as penguins, seals, and polar bears.
Changes in temperature and wetness in the air can also affect the reproduction (繁殖) of some reptiles(爬行动物) and amphibians(两栖动物). For example, the sex of baby turtles is linked to the average temperature in July. Scientists say even small temperature increases can threaten the production of male turtles.
In Europe, scientists say warmer temperatures are affecting the spring and autumn seasons. This is affecting the growth of plants and delaying the flight of birds from one place to another.
Scientists are concerned about invasions of warm weather species into traditionally colder areas. Rising temperature has been linked with the spread of diseases in areas such as Asia, East Africa, and Latin America.
44. The best title for this passage would be __________.
A. Effects of Global Warming   B. Temperature and Animals
C. Global Warming and the Environment D. A Study on the Environment
45. According to the passage, global warming is affecting all of the following, EXCEPT _________.
A. endangered species            B. sea life
C. activities of organisms        D. the color of turtles
46. We can learn from this passage that _________.
A. the speed of the earth’s warming is faster now than 50 years ago
B. more animal species will soon come into being
C. animals will refuse to move to warm places in the future
D. cold areas have gained more heat than warm places
47. If the temperature in the Arctic Ocean keeps going up, which of the following will be most likely to happen?
A. More and more people will come to live near the Arctic Ocean.
B. More crops will be grown near the Arctic Ocean.
C. Animals from warm areas will come to live in the Arctic Ocean.
D. There will be more and more fish in the Arctic Ocean.

It’s difficult for doctors to help a person with a hurt brain.  36  enough blood, the brain can live only three to five minutes. Usually doctors can’t fix the hurt  37  such a short time.

Dr Robert White thinks he knows a  38  of help. He thinks doctors should make the hurt brain  39  to live for 30 minutes without blood. This gives the doctor  40  time to do something for the brain. Dr White experimented his  41  on fifteen monkeys.  42  he taught them to do different jobs. Then he operated on them. He made the monkeys’ blood go  43  a machine. When the brains’  44  was 10℃, he stopped the blood to the brain. After 30 minutes, he turned the blood back on. He  45  the blood again. After their operations, the monkeys were almost  46  before. They were healthy and busy. Each one could still do the job the doctor  47  them.

Dr White’s idea works well on monkeys. He thinks it will work on  48 . He think it will help with heart problems. A person  49  die when his heart stops; doctors can  50  it again. The problem comes: when the brain is without blood for about 5 minutes, it  51 . If doctors start the heart again after 5 minutes, the person has  52  body but a dead brain. Maybe in the future, doctors will  53  Dr White’s idea. When the person’s heart stops the doctor will  54  cool the brain. They will have 30 minutes to start the heart again. Maybe there will be no  55  the brain.