A rainforest is an area covered by tall trees with the total high rainfall spreading quite equally through the year and the temperature rarely dipping below l6℃．Rainforests have a great effect on the world environment because they can take in heat from the sun and adjust the climate．Without the forest cover，these areas would reflect more heat into the atmosphere，warming the rest of the world. Losing the rainforests may also influence wind and rainfall patterns，potentially causing certain natural disasters all over the world．

    In the past hundred years，humans have begun destroying rainforests in search of three major resources(资源): land for crops，wood for paper and other products，land for raising farm animals．This action affects the environment as a whole．For example，a lot of carbon dioxide(二氧化碳) in the air comes from burning the rainforests．People obviously have a need for the resources we gain from cutting trees but we will suffer much more than we will benefit.

    There are two main reasons for this．Firstly，when people cut down trees，generally they can only use the land for a year or two．Secondly，cutting large sections of rainforests may provide a good supply of wood right now，but in the long run it actually reduces the world’s wood supply．

    Rainforests are often called the world’s drug store．More than 25％ of the medicines we use today come from plants in rainforests．However，fewer than l％of rainforest plants have been examined for their medical value．It is extremely likely that our best chance to cure diseases lies somewhere in the world’s shrinking rainforests．

Rainforests can help to adjust the climate because they                ．

  A．reflect more heat into the atmosphere

  B．bring about high rainfall throughout the world

  C．rarely cause the temperature to drop lower than l6℃

  D．reduce the effect of heat from the sun on the earth

What does the word “this” underlined in the third paragraph refer to? 

  A．We will lose much more than we can gain．

  B．Humans have begun destroying rainforests．

  C．People have a strong desire for resources．

  D．Much carbon dioxide comes from burning rainforests．

It can be inferred from the text that      . 

  A．we can get enough resources without rainforests

  B．there is great medicine potential in rainforests

  C．we will grow fewer kinds of crops in the gained land

  D．the level of annual rainfall affects wind patterns

What might be the best title for the text? 

   A．How to Save Rainforests                B．How to Protect Nature

   C．Rainforests and the Environment        D．Rainforests and Medical Development

Joy in the journey

If you have ever been discouraged because of failure, please read on. For often, achieving what you set out to do is not the important thing. Let me explain.

    Two brothers decided to dig a deep hole behind their house. As they were working, a couple of older boys stopped by to      . “What are you doing?” asked one of the visitors. “We plan to dig a hole all the way through the      !” one of the brothers volunteered      .

    The older boys began to      , telling the younger ones that digging a hole all the way through the earth was      . After a long silence, one of the         picked up a jar full of spiders, worms and many other kinds of insects. He       the lid and showed the wonderful       to the scoffing（嘲笑的）visitors. Then he said quietly and      , “Even if we don’t dig all the way through the earth, look at what we have found       the way!”

    Their goal was far too ambitious, but it did cause them to dig. And that is       a goal is for — to cause us to move in the       we have chosen, in other words, to keep us      ! But not every goal will be fully      . Not every job will end      . Not every hope will come to pass. Not every love will last. Not every dream will be      . But when you fall       of your aim, perhaps you can say, “Yes, but look at what I found along the way! Look at the wonderful things       my life because I tried to do something!” It is in the digging       life is lived. And I believe it is the joy in the journey, in the end, that truly      .

1.A. rest             B. work        C. watch          D. laugh

2.A. house           B. earth        C. wall          D. road

3.A. calmly          B. patiently      C. excitedly              D. impatiently

4.A. laugh           B. think        C. stare                   D. smile

5.A. important       B. difficult       C. impossible        D. interesting

6.A. passers-by       B. watchers    C. visitors                D. diggers

7.A. moved           B. removed  C. broke          D. pushed

8.A. contents         B. scenes     C. pictures                D. jars

9.A. properly         B. confidently          C. carefully        D. happily

10.A. in               B. along               C. to                 D. out

11.A. what            B. how                    C. where              D. which

12.A. way             B. direction    C. life                D. sight

13.A. thinking         B. moving        C. digging           D. living

14.A. made            B. prepared            C. kicked                D. achieved

15.A. hopelessly        B. pleasantly            C. surprisingly      D. successfully

16.A. come true        B. realized              C. made              D. treasured

17.A. short             B. lost          C. out                D. behind

18.A. breaking into     B. turning to            C. coming into       D. holding to

19.A. when            B. where         C. which                D. that

20.A. matters          B. happens      C. appears           D. exists

A powerful earthquake struck the northeastern coast of Japan at two forty-six p.m. local time on March eleventh.2011. Japan's Meteorological Agency released its first tsunami（海啸） warnings just three minutes later. The country has one of the best earthquake early warning systems in the world.

There are more than four thousand Seismic Intensity Meters in place throughout Japan to measure earthquake activity. These meters provide information within two minutes of an earthquake happening. Information about the strength and the center of the earthquake can be learned within three minutes.

There are also concrete(混凝土) sea walls around much of the Japanese coastline. But these measures proved no match for the powerful earthquake and tsunami.

Costas Synolakis ，a tsunami expert at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles said，"Japan is one of those most well-prepared countries on earth in terms of tsunami warning. They had a warning. I think what went wrong is that they had not expected the size of this event."

He says there are two reasons for this. Japan has not had any event anywhere near as big as this one in the last one hundred fifty years. And scientists had not expected such a large earthquake happening off the coast of Japan.

The nine point zero magnitude earthquake was the fourth most powerful earthquake ever recorded worldwide. It was also the worst earthquake ever to hit Japan. The tsunami waves that followed were reported to have reached as high as thirteen meters in some areas.

Costas Synolakis says Japan's concrete sea walls were not built to handle such high waves.

Experts say early warning systems will continue to be limited by these facts until earthquakes and tsunamis can be predicted

Where can this passage probably be adapted from?

    A．A magazine on science       B．A fairy Tale 

C．A scientific fantasy book     D．A newspaper  

Which of the following statements NOT true ?

    A. A terrible earthquake hit the northeastern coast of Japan

    B. It was also the worst earthquake in Japan

C. The 9.0 earthquake was the fourth most powerful earthquake ever recorded in Japan

D. Japan's concrete sea walls was unable to handle such high waves.

According to Costas Synolakis, why did Japan suffer such a loss?

  A. The country has never experienced any event as big as this one over the past 150 years

B. Japan has the best earthquake early warning systems in the world.

C. There are not concrete sea walls around all of the Japanese coastline

D. The government didn’t announce its first tsunami warnings three minutes earlier.

There are two factors which determine an individual's intelligence. The first is the sort of brain he is born with. Human brains differ considerably, some being more capable than others. But no matter how good a brain he has to begin with, an individual will have a low order of intelligence unless he has opportunities to learn. So the second factor is what happens to the individual—the sort of environment in which he is reared (培养). If an individual is handicapped (妨碍) environmentally, it is likely that his brain will fail to develop and he will never attain the level of intelligence of which he is capable.

The importance of environment in determining an individual's intelligence can be demonstrated by the case history of the identical twins, Peter and Mark X. Being identical, the twins had identical brains at birth, and their growth processes were the same. When the twins were three months old, their parents died, and they were placed in separate foster homes. Peter was reared by parents of low intelligence in an isolated community with poor educational opportunities. Mark was reared in the home of well-to-do parents who had been to college. He was read to as a child, sent to good schools, and given every opportunity to be stimulated intellectually. This environmental difference continued until the twins were in their late teens, when they were given tests to measure their intelligence. Mark's I.Q. was 125, twenty-five points higher than the average and fully forty points higher than his identical brother. Given equal opportunities, the twins, having identical brains, would have tested at roughly the same level.

1.This passage can be best titled_________.

A．Intelligence and Environment

B．Measuring Your Intelligence

C．The Case of Peter and Mark

D．How the brain Influences Intelligence

2.According to the passage, the average I.Q. is _____.

A．85               B．125              C．110              D．100

3.The case history of the twins appears to support the conclusion that _______.

A．individual with identical brains seldom test at same level

B．an individual's intelligence is determined only by his environment

C．changes of environment produce changes in the structure of the brain

D．lack of opportunity blocks the growth of intelligence

4.This passage suggests that an individual's I.Q.______.

A．can be increased by education

B．stays the same throughout his life

C．can be predicted at birth

D．is determined by his childhood

Most people, when they travel to space, would like to stay in orbit for a few days of more. And this stands to reason, if you’re paying $20,000 for your trip to orbit! Strain order for tourism to reach its full potential there’s going to be a need for orbital accommodation---or space hotels. What would a space hotel actually be like to visit? Hotels in orbit will offer the services you expect from a hotel------private rooms, meals, bars. But they’ll also offer two unique experiences: impressive views----of Earth and space---and the endless entertainment of living in zero gravity---including sports and other activities that make use of this.

The hotels themselves will vary greatly----from being quite simple in the early days to huge luxury structure at a later date. It’s actually surprising that as later as 1997, very few designs for space hotels were published. This is mainly because those who might be expected to design them haven’t expected launch costs to come down far enough to make them possible.

    Lots of people who’ve been to space have described vividly what it’s like to live in zero gravity. There are obviously all sort of possibilities for dancing, gymnastics, and zero-G sports. Luckily, you don’t need to sleep much living in zero gravity, so you’ll have plenty of time for relaxing by hanging out in a bar with a window looking down at the turning Earth below.

    Of course all good things have come to an end. Unfortunately, And so after a few days you’ll find yourself heading back enough you’ll be much more expert at exercising in zero gravity than you were when you arrived. You’ll be thinking how soon you can save up enough to get back up again---or maybe you should change jobs to get to work in an orbiting hotel.

When traveling in space, most people would like to stay in orbit for a few days because _______.

A. It is expensive to travel in space 

B. they would find the possible life in other star systems

C. they could enjoy the luxury of space hotels

D. they want to realise the full potential of tourism

Which of the following is a unique experience that space hotels will offer?

A. The gravitational pull                   B. The special views.

C. The relaxation in a bar                  D. The space walk.

Which of the following is not discussed in the passage?

A. When was the space traveling made possible?

B. What are the unique experiences that space hotels will offer?

C. Why were there not many published designs for space hotels?

D. How can the travelers enjoy themselves in space hotels?

This passage is mainly about ________.

A. traveling in space                     B. the ways of living in space hotels

C. zero gravity and space hotels            D. the description of space hotels