I played a racquetball game against my cousin Ed last week. It was one of the most   1   and tiring games I've ever had. When Ed first phoned and   2   we play. I laughed quietly, figuring on an   3   victory all. Ed's idea of   4   has always been nothing more   5   than lifting a fork to his mouth,   6   I can remember, Ed's been the least physically fit member in the family, and   7    proud of himself. His big stomach has always ballooned out between his T-shirt and trousers. Although the family often   8   about that I'd refused to buy a   9   T-shirt or to lose weight. So when Ed  10   for our game not only with the bottom of his shirt gathered inside his trousers but also with a stomach you could hardly  11   , I was so surprised that I was   12   . My cousin must have made an effort to get himself into shape.   13   , at the point in our game when I'd have predicted (预计) the score to be about 9 to 1 in my favor, it was   14   7 to 9 and Ed was  15   . The sudden realization was painful. We   16   to play like two mad men. When the score was 16 up. I was having serious   17   about staying alive until 21 years old, let alone    18   that many points. When the game finally ended, both of us were lying flat on our backs, too tired to   19   . In a way, I think we both won. I the game, but cousin Ed my  20

1. A. encouraging　　　　　　　　 B. hopeless　　　　　　　　   C. surprising　　　　　　　　 D. regular

2. A. declared　　　　　　　　　　   B. mentioned　　　　 C. persuaded　　　　　　　　 D. suggested

3. A. unforgettable　　　　　　    B. unexpected　　　　　　   C. easy　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. early

4. A. exercise  　　　　　　　　　　 B. preparation　　　　　　   C. joy　　　　　　　　　　　　   D. fitness

5. A. time-saving　　　　　　　　  B. comfortable　　　　　　　　　　 C. suitable　　　　　　　　    D. effort-making

6. A. As soon as　　　　　　　　   B. As long as　　　　　　　　 C. When　　　　　　 D. Since

7. A. strangely　　　　　　　　　　  B. personally　　　　　　　　 C. reasonably　　　　　　    D. eagerly

8. A. cared　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. forgot　　　　　　　　　　  C. quarreled　　　　　　　　  D. joked

9. A. clean　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. larger　　　　　　　　　　   C. straight　　　　　　　　    D. darker

10. A. set out　　　　　　　　　　   B. got ready　　　　　　　　  C. arrived　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. returned

11. A. notice　　　　　　　　　　    B. admire　　　　　　　　　　  C. believe　　　　　　　　　　 D. measure

12. A. nervous　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. curious　　　　　　　　　　 C. careless　　　　　　　　    D. speechless

13. A. After all　　　　　　　　　　  B. As a result　　　　　　    C. Above all　　　　　　　　  D. At last

14. A. mistakenly　　　　　　　　  B. then　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. instead　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. naturally

15. A. leading　　　　　　　　　　   B. coming　　　　　　　　　　 C. waiting　　　　　　　　　　 D. counting

16. A. pretended　　　　　　　　   B. stopped　　　　　　　　    C. continued　　　　　　　　 D. decided

17. A. thoughts　　　　　　　　    B. doubts　　　　　　　　　　  C. situations　　　　　　　　  D. problems

18. A. scoring　　　　　　　　　　  B. completing　　　　　　    C. receiving　　　　　　　　  D. keeping

19. A. play　　　　　　　　　　　　   B. start　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. sleep　　　　　　　　　　    D. move

20. A. friendship　　　　　　　　   B. respect　　　　　　　　　　 C. support　　　　    D. favor

The south and east of the Great Lakes is famous for the huge amounts of snow it receives. When the snow starts to fall every year,　people start discussing the phrase “lake-effect snow”.

Lake-effect snow which is influenced by the movement of cold air over the relatively warm water of the Great Lakes often comes in late autumn and early winter. Because of the at least 20 degrees’ difference between the lake water and the overrunning air, it’s easy to form huge amounts of snow.

As the cool air crosses the water of Great Lakes, the lowest levels of the atmosphere begin to warm and pick up moisture. This newly warmed atmosphere is lighter than the cold air above it, so it starts rising. As the changed air continues to climb higher and higher, it finally meets much colder atmosphere which changes the moisture into water drops and ice, forming clouds. After this course repeats a number of times, the clouds become heavier and heavier, and then they are changed into snow and fall down.

The most important point that decides the amount of snowfall is the direction of the wind. If the wind runs perpendicularly（垂直地）across the lake, there won’t be plenty of time for clouds to develop. However, if the wind runs in the opposite direction, clouds will form easily. The longer the cold air travels over the lake, the more moisture it is able to produce, which leads to a greater amount of snow.

The largest amount of the lake-effect snow was found across the U.P. of Michigan, the northwestern Pennsylvania and the far southwestern and northwestern New York, which are all along the south or east of the Great Lakes. It has been over 100 inches of snowfall in a winter season.

1.The level of the snowfall depends on ________.

A．the size of the lake

B．the direction of the wind

C．the temperature of the lake

D．the strength of the wind

2.From the passage, we can learn that ________.

A．clouds are easy to produce with the help of the perpendicular wind

B．cold air always falls down and picks up moisture to form clouds

C．the temperature of the lake water is the same as the overrunning air’s above it

D．the longer journey of the cold atmosphere can make a grater amount of snow

3.The passage is mainly about ________.

A．the influences of the lake-effect snow for local people

B．the weight between moisture and atmosphere

C．how the phrase “lake-effect snow” comes in New York

D．how the lake-effect snow forms around the Great Lakes

Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.

　　To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a mainly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.

　　Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to reducing biodiversity.

　　All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require thorough thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are certainly more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static(稳定的)measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.

　　What is important is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.

1.How do people often measure progress in agriculture?

A. By its impact on the environment             B. By its contribution to economic growth

C. By its productivity                          D. By its sustainability

2.Specialization and the effort to increase yields have resulted in               .

A. Localized pollution                          B. The shrinking of farmland

C. the decrease of biodiversity                 D. competition from overseas3. What does the author think of traditional farming practices?

　　A. They are not necessarily sustainable　　         B. They have not kept pace with population growth

　　C. They have remained the same over the centuries   D. They are environmentally friendly

4.What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?

　　A. It will abandon traditional farming practices　　    B. It will mainly keep traditional farming

　　C. It will go through complete changes 　　     D. It will cause zero damage to the environment

5.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

　　A. To remind people of the need of sustainable development.

　　B. To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is.

　　C. To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress.

　　D. To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production.

Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.
　　To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a mainly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.
　　Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to reducing biodiversity.
　　All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require thorough thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are certainly more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static(稳定的)measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage. Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.
　　What is important is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.
【小题1】How do people often measure progress in agriculture?