52. What’s the main idea of this passage?

A. Ocean warming may threaten king penguins

B. The Crozet Archipelago is the world of king penguins

C. Scientists support the protection of king penguins

D. King penguins’ habitat is in great danger

51. What is the best title for the passage?

A. Three kinds of loneliness　　　　　 B. Loneliness and diseases

C. Loneliness and social contacts　　　 D. Chronic loneliness

D

Raising a baby takes a lot of work, especially when that baby is a king penguin. Now, it looks like climate change will make life even harder for these birds. A new study suggests that warmer waters could make their numbers dwindle.

Most king penguins live on the Crozet Archipelago, a group of islands in the Indian Ocean, about 1,000 miles north of Antarctica. After the penguin chicks are born in November (which is summer in the Southern Hemisphere), both parents spend 4 months collecting fish to feed their children. When the fish move to deeper waters in March, the adults leave their chicks alone for months. They swim hundreds of miles south. There, near the Antarctic ice, they spend the winter eating seafood, such as squid, to add their own energy stores. In October, nearly a year after their chicks are born, the parents return to feed and finish raising them.

Scientists from the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) in Strasbourg, France, have been studying king penguins on the Crozet Archipelago for a decade. Starting in 1998, Yvon Le Maho and other researchers implanted electronic ID tags under the skin of hundreds of penguins. The tags have allowed Le Maho’s team to know the details about them, such as how long they live, whether they return from their winter trips, and if their chicks manage to survive the winter.

Ocean surface temperatures vary from year to year. And former research had shown that fewer squid, fish and other creatures grow when the water is warmer. Le Maho suspected that this drop in the food supply would make it harder for adult penguins to survive the tough times ahead. King penguins can live for up to 30 years. And for now, the population still appears healthy. But a warming trend could cause big trouble for a bird that depends on cold and ice.

50. Loneliness is divided according to _____.

A. the time it lasts　　　　　　　　 B. the places where it appears

C. different people it happens to　　　 D. different seasons when it appears

49. Why do psychologists want to help chronically lonely people?

A. Chronic loneliness can cause family problems

B. Chronic loneliness can cause serious illness

C. Chronic loneliness can not be overcome

D. Chronic loneliness is incurable

48. How would you treat temporary loneliness according to the passage?

A. Talk to friends　　　　　　　　　　 B. Just ignore it

C. Go to see a doctor　　　　　　　　　 D. Ask your teachers for guidance

47. Which is the best title of the passage?

A. British women’s waistlines have grown

B. It is easy for the English to get fat

C. It is easy for the English to suffer from cancer

D. The English have a less healthy lifestyle

C

Most people feel lonely sometimes, but it usually only lasts between a few minutes and a few hours. This kind of loneliness is not serious. In fact, it is quite normal. For some people, though, loneliness can last for years. Now researchers say there are three different types of loneliness.

The first kind of loneliness is temporary. This is the most common type. It usually disappears quickly and does not require any special attention. The second kind is situation, for example, family problem, the death of loved one, or moving to a new place. Although this kind of loneliness can cause physical problems, such as headaches and sleeplessness, it usually does not last for more than a year.

The third kind of loneliness is the most serious. Unlike the second type, chronic (the opposite of “temporary”) usually lasts more than two years and has no specific cause. People who experience habitual loneliness have problems socializing and becoming close to others. Unfortunately, many chronically lonely people think there is little or nothing they can do to improve their condition.

Psychologists(心理学家)agree that one important factor in loneliness is a person’s social contacts, for example, friends, family members, co-workers, etc. We depend on various people for different reasons. For instance, our families give us emotional support, our parents and teachers give us guidance, and our friends share similar interests and activities. However, psychologists have found that, though lonely people may have many social contacts, they sometimes feel they should have more. They question their popularity.

Psychologists are trying to find ways to help habitually lonely people for two reasons: they are unhappy and unable to socialize and there is a connection between chronic loneliness and serious illness such as heart disease, while temporary and situational loneliness can be a sad, and sometimes dangerous condition.

46. Man’s average waistline used to be ______.

A. 31.8 inches　　 B. 33.5 inches　　　 C. 36.6 inches　　　 D. 38 inches

45. How many reasons did the writer mention for British women’s increased waistlines?

A. 1　　　　　　 B. 2　　　　　 C. 3　　　　　 D. 4

44. What is the purpose of the passage?

A. To present a survey　　　　　　　 B. To explain the meaning of love

C. To report a contest　　　　　　　　 D. To show children’s love

B

The average British women’s waistline(腰围) has grown by 2 inches in 10 years, all thanks to the sedentary(久坐的) lifestyle.

A study conducted by Cancer Research UK scientists found that the average waistline of British women has increased from 31.8 inches to 33.5 inches.

Men are also nowhere behind the fairer sex, for the research found that the average man’s waistline has grown by 1.4 inches to 38 inches.

“We know high body weight increases the risk of a number of cancers and it is important we get this message out to as many people as possible,” the Daily Mail quoted Dr Lesley Walker, of Cancer Research UK, as saying.

“A healthy diet with plenty of fiber, fruit and vegetables, as well as regular exercise can help people lose weight and reduce their risk of cancer,” he added.

The trend was found to be obvious in the under 45s, where the proportion of men with a body mass index(指数) over 35, and of women with a BMI of over 40, has grown twice during the decade.

Lead researcher Professor Jane Wardle said it is possible that young people follow a less healthy lifestyle than their elders.

“Snacking habits, takeaway meals high in fat and sedentary lifestyles where many people spend both work and leisure time sitting in front of a computer are all likely to contribute to the results.”

She added that genetics(遗传) also play an important role in the growing rate of getting fat.

43. The children’s answers are mainly based on _____.

A. their own stories　　　　　　　 B. their family stories

C. what happened around them　　　 D. how they viewed people around them