59. Before domestication horses were ______.

A. caught for sports 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　B. hunted for food

C. made to pull ploughs　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　 D. used to carry people

61.We learn from the passage that　　　　 .

A.all living things on the Earth depend on the Sun for their food

B.a forest looks dark in winter because it absorbs solar energy

C.only 0.023% of the energy from the Sun is made use of on the Earth

D.greenhouse gases allow heat energy to escape from the Earth’s surface

答案　 59.C　 60.C　 61.A　

Passage 22

(08·北京B篇)

　　　 Domestic (驯养的) horses now pull ploughs, race in the Kentucky Derby, and carry people. But early horses weren’t tame (驯服的) enough to perform these kinds of tasks. Scientists think the first interactions humans had with horses were far different from those today.

Thousands of years ago, people killed the wild horses that lived around them for food. Over time, people began to catch the animals and raise them. This was the first step in domestication.

As people began to tame and ride horses, they chose to keep those animals that had more desirable characteristics. For example, people may have chosen to keep horses that had a gentle personality so they could be ridden more easily. People who used horses to pull heavy loads would have chosen to keep stronger animals. Characteristics like strength are partly controlled by the animals’ genes. So as the domesticated horses reproduced, they passed the characteristics on to their young. Each new generation of horses would show more of these chosen characteristics.

Modern-day horse breeds come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety didn’t exist in the horse population before domestication. The Shetland horse is one of the smallest breeds-typically reaching only one meter tall. With short, strong legs, the animals were bred to pull coal out of mine shafts (矿井) with low ceilings. Huge horses like the Clydesdale came on the scene around 1700. People bred these heavy, tall horses to pull large vehicles used for carrying heavy loads.

The domestication of horses has had great effects on societies. For example, horses were important tools in the advancement of modern agriculture. Using them to pull ploughs and carry heavy loads allowed people to farm more efficiently. Before they were able to ride horses, humans had to cross land on foot. Riding horses allowed people to travel far greater distances in much less time. That encouraged populations living in different areas to interact with one another. The new form of rapid transportation helped cultures spread around the world.

60.Only a small part of the Sun’s energy reaches the Earth’s surface because

most of it is　　　　 .

A.absorbed by the clouds in the lower atmosphere

B.reflected by the gases in the upper atmosphere

C.lost in the upper and lower atmosphere

D.used to evaporate water from the oceans and lakes

59.According to the passage,the root cause for weather changes on the Earth is　　　　 .

A.the atmosphere surrounding the Earth

B.water from oceans and lakes

C.energy from the Sun

D.greenhouse gases in the sky

67．What is the shortest safe distance from the whales?

A．400 metres．　 　　　 B．300 metres．　 　　 C．200 metres．　 　　　 D．100 metres．

答案　 64.C　 65.B　 66.A　 67.D

Passage 21

(08·江苏B篇)

We experience different forms of the Sun’s energy every day.We can see its light and feel its warmth.The Sun is the major source of energy for our planet.It causes the evaporation (蒸发) of water from the oceans and lakes.Sunlight also provides the energy used by green plants to make their own food.These green plants then provide food for all organisms(生物) on the Earth.

Much of the energy that comes from the Sun never reaches the Earth’s surface.It is either reflected or absorbed by the gases in the upper atmosphere.Of the energy that reaches the lower atmosphere,30% is reflected by clouds or the Earth’s surface.The remaining 70% warms the surface of the planet,causes water to evaporate,and provides energy for the water cycle and weather.Only a tiny part,approximately 0.023%,is actually used by green plants to produce food.

Many gases found in the atmosphere actually reflect heat energy escaping from the Earth’s surface back to the Earth.These gases act like the glass of a greenhouse in that they allow energy from the Sun to enter but prevent energy from leaving.They are therefore called greenhouse gases.

When sunlight strikes an object,some of the energy is absorbed and some is reflected.The amount reflected depends on the surface.For example,you’ve probably noticed how bright snow is when sunlight falls on it.Snow reflects most of the energy from the Sun,so it contributes to the low temperatures of winter.Dark-coloured surfaces,such as dark soil or forest,absorb more energy and help warm the surrounding air.

66．When going side by side with whales, the vessel should　　　 ．

A．keep moving in the same direction

B．surround the whales with other boats

C．travel closer and closer to the shore

D．take a good viewing position

65．When leaving the observation areas,the vessel should _____．

A．move close to the beach　　　　　　　　 　　 B．increase speed gradually

C．keep its engine running slowly　　　　　　　 　　 D．remain at the back of the whales

64．For whom is this text written?

A．Tour guides．　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　 　　B．Whale watchers．

C．Vessel operators．　　　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　 D．Government officials．

63．We learn from the last paragraph that Del Monte________．

A．allowed other companies to develop pineapples

B．succeeded in keeping the pineapple for itself

C．tried hard to control the pineapple market

D．planned to help the other companies

答案　 60.D　 61.A　 62.B　 63.C

Passage 20

(08·宁夏、海南C篇)

Do’s and Don’ts in Whale(鲸) Watching

The Department of　 Fisheries and Oceans has developed guidelines for whale watching in Johnstone Strait,where killer whales are found on a daily basis each summer．It is strongly recommended that vessel(船只) operators follow these guidelines for all kinds of whales．

Approach whales from the side,not from the front or the back．

Approach no closer than 100 metres,then stop the boat but keep the engine on．

Keep noise levels down-no horns,whistles or racing of engines．

Start your boat only after the whales are more than 100 metres from your vessel．

Leave the area slowly,gradually moving faster when you are more than 300 metres from the whales．

Approach and leave slowly,avoiding sudden changes in speed or direction．

Avoid disturbing groups of resting whales．

Keep at low speeds and remain in the same direction if travelling side by side with whales．

When whales are travelling close to shore,avoid crowding them near the shore or coming between the whales and the shore．

Limit the time spent with any group of whales to less than 30 minutes at a time when within 100 to 200 metres of whales．

If there is more than one vessel at the same observation spot,be sure to avoid any boat position that would result in surrounding the whales．

Work together by communicating with other vessels,and make sure that all operators are aware of the whale watching guidelines．

62．The underlined word“fixture”in Paragraph 3 probably refers to something________．

A．that people enjoy eating　　　　　　　　 　　　　 B．that is always present

C．that is difficult to get　　　　　　　　　　 　　　　 D．that people use as a gift