Many businesses today use conferences as a means of discussing new plans of the company. As people are paying more attention to the environment and green problems, more businesses are looking for ways to reduce their negative effect on the environment. Many businesses do this by using web conferencing.

Web conferencing is a technology that allows people to communicate more effectively over the Internet. It is an easy way of hosting and attending conferences without having to leave the office. Each of the people involved in a web conference will be posted an invitation to the conference with the time and date of the Web conference on it. When the conference is ready to begin, all participants (参与者) must sit at their computers and they will be connected over the Internet.

With Web conferencing all participants attend the conference from the comfort of their own desk. Obviously, in doing this no fuel is used in traveling to and from a conference, and less work time is taken up in attending a conference.

Any material to be used during the Web conference is simply e-mailed to all the participants before the conference. Participants can then either choose to print material or read it on screen. This not only saves paper but also greatly reduces mailing cost for the business.

As a conference hall or business center isn’t being used, it means that the only power that is used is the power used by the participants’ personal computers. Similarly conference organizers don’t have to arrange for food or overnight accommodation (住宿) for participants of their conferences. All this means that less energy is used.

Often in business some companies actively choose to do business with other companies that do many things to reduce their negative impact on the environment. And Web conferencing helps you show other businesses that you are willing to work hard for the green cause.

So Web conferencing is much cheaper and greener and more people are willing to host and attend a web conference.

1. What is the passage mainly about?

A. Ways of protecting the environment.

B. B. Green benefits of Web conference.

C. Ways of hosting a Web conference.

D. Impacts of Web conferencing on costs.

2. According to paragraph 1, many companies use Web conferencing because they ________.

A. are interested in using any new technology

B. believe that Web conferencing is more convenient

C. want to do something to protect the environment

D. haven’t enough money to hold a traditional conference

3. The participants of a Web conference_________.

A. will be e-mailed an invitation before the conference

B. are required to sit in the office together

C. will receive many paper materials

D. must have access to the Internet

4. Which of the following words best describes the author’s opinion about a Web conference?

A. Useless.                                                        B. Environmentally friendly.      

C. Inconvenient.                                     D. Money-consuming.

As is known to all, a block of ice will ________ if it is exposed to heat.

One reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation（毁林） is a blank stare that asks the question, "Since I don't live there, what does it have to do with me?"

The answer is that your way of life, wherever you live in the world, is tied to the tropics in many ways. If you live in a house, wash your hair, eat fruits and vegetables, drink soda, or drive a car, you can be certain that you are affected by the loss of tropical forests.

Biologically, we are losing the richest regions on earth when, each minute, a piece of tropical forest, the size of ten city blocks, disappears. As many as five million species of plants, animals, and insects (40 to 50 percent of all living things) live there, and are being lost faster than they can be found and described. Their loss is immeasurable.

Take rubber for example. For many uses, only natural rubber from trees will do. Synthetics are not good enough. Today over half the world's commercial rubber is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, while the Amazon's rubber industry produces much of the world's four million tons. And rubber is an important material in making gloves, balloons, footwear and many sporting goods. Thousands of other tropical plants are valuable for their industrial use.

Many scientists strongly believe that deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect -- or heating of the earth from increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we destroy forests, we lose their ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Carbon dioxide levels could double within the next half-century, warming the earth by as much as 4.5 degrees. The result? A partial melt-down of polar ice caps, raising sea levels as much as 24 feet; even 15 feet could threaten anyone living within 35 miles of the coast. Unbelievable? Maybe. But scientists warn that by the time we realise the severe effects of tropical deforestation, it will be 20 years too late.

Can tropical deforestation affect our everyday lives? Now, you should have got the answer.

1.The underlined word "synthetics" probably means_________.

A. natural rubber                   B. tropical materials

C. man-made material               D. commercial rubber

2.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. The forests are losing their function in turning carbon dioxide into oxygen.

B. Many of our daily uses are related to the tropical forests.

C. Tropical plants can be used to make industrial products.

D. High carbon dioxide levels will make the earth warmer.

3.The author's attitude towards the tropical deforestation is _________ .

A. puzzling        B. cold          C. supporting        D. opposed

4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A. Tropical Forests                 B. The Value of Tropical Forests

C. Tropical Forests and Our Life     D. The Greenhouse Effects

Answering the Community Needs of Our City

The Silver City Council recognizes that citizens have certain needs. To better meet your needs, we have made several changes to community facilities in 2004. This chart shows how we have tried to make your life better.

Transport                                                             ☆Some facilities at Station Street Hospital have been upgraded.

☆Three stations for the suburbs have been added to the western train service.

☆20 new buses for the southern line were purchased in January.

☆50 percent of city bus-stops have been upgraded.

☆Buses to the eastern suburbs will run every 15 minutes.       

                                                                              Education

         ☆Textbooks will be free to all primary students in 2004 !

☆Rental for private schools has been reduced.

☆Teachers report that the 'no hat - no play' rule has been successful.

Communication                                                  Protection and Security

☆Broadband cable is now available to all parts of the city.

☆All of the new Government buildings are ' smart'-wired for better computer service!   ☆Extra police now patrol (巡逻 ) the tourist areas.

☆50 new police officers graduated in July and have taken up duties in the city area.

Medical Facilities                                                Entertainment / Recreation

☆The new state-of-the-art Nightingale Hospital was opened in June.

☆To overcome a shortage of trained medical staff at Dover Hospital, 10 doctors have been   employed from overseas.          ☆The John Street basketball courts have been re-surfaced !

☆The new Central Community Building opened in May.

☆5,000 new fiction books were bought for the Silver City Library.

1.The public notice is from _________.

A. the community               B. the local government

C. the citizens                D. a travel agency

2.The notice is mainly about _________.

A. the work carried out by the people of Silver City

B. the facilities available in Silver City

C. some improvements in Silver City

D. information for interested tourists

3.All the following are true EXCEPT that ___________.

A. both residents and tourists can enjoy more security now

B. Station Street Hospital had out-dated facilities before 2004

C. primary students had to pay for their textbooks in 2003

D. Dover Hospital is still short of trained medical staff

4.Which of the following changes would tourists to Silver City be most happy with?

A. Travel books are provided in the new library.

B. Traveling by train is more convenient in Silver City.

C. Free medical treatment is available at Station Street Hospital.

D. There are more police officers on duty now.

Are you an optimist? Do you look at your glass and see it as half full? Do you believe that every cloud has a silver lining and that generally things turn out for the best? Do you believe that if something is meant to be, it will be? If you reply “yes” to all of these questions, then you are an optimist. You probably are enthusiastic, cheerful and outgoing. You may well be successful atwork and in love.

But you may be misguided because things don’t turn out for the best. You may believe that when one door closes another one opens (for example，you may fail to obtain a new job，another chance will come around soon), Wrong. When one door closes, another door slams in your face. That's bitter reality.

Now a book has been published which confirms what we pessimists(悲观者）have suspected all along. It's called The Positive Power of Defensive Pessimism. Its author argues that defensive pessimism can lead to positive results. Defensive pessimism is a strategy used to manage fear, anxiety and worry. Defensive pessimists prepare for things by setting low outcomes for themselves. They carefully consider everything that may go wrong and plan for ways to handle these problems. And this gives them a sense of control. Lawrence Sanno, a psychology professor, says, “What’s interesting about defensive pessimists is that they tend to be very successful people, so their low opinion of the situation’s outcomes is not realistic. They use it to motivate themselves to perform better. ”

So far, so good. This is not rocket science. Defensive pessimists prepare carefully and consider what might go wrong, whether at work, on a date or even in a sports game. It makes sense to have a back-up plan. There are many sayings in English urging caution. For example, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket,” and “ Don’t count your chickens until they hatch. “ To have a confident and optimistic approach to life’s problems is good. But listen to what Woody Alien，the American comedian says, ”Confidence is what you have before you understand the problem.”

There are pros and cons to being an optimist and a pessimist. Don’t feel bad if you see the glass half empty. You are a realist. But lighten up and hook up with someone who sees the same glass half full.

1.What is the passage mainly about?

A．A book that has recently been published.

B．The dangers of being too optimistic.

C．How to become successful in life.

D．The benefits of defensive pessimism.

2.The underlined sentence “This is not rocket science” in paragraph 4 means     .

A．it is quite simple to understand             B．there is no real proof

C．it’s not a dangerous thing to do            D．the cost is not so high

3.The writer would probably describe himself as          .

A．an optimist        B．a defeatist         C．a realist           D．a scientist

4.Which of the following English expressions would a defensive pessimist believe?

A．“Every cloud has a silver lining.”           B．“Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.”

C．“Whatever will be, will be.”              D．“The glass is half full not half empty.”