The temperature is rising again in the Arctic. The sea ice area has dropped to one of the lowest levels on record， climate scientists reported last week.

“The new Arctic Report Card tells a story of widespread and continued effects of a warming Arctic，” said Jackie Richter-Menge of the US’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory.

“This isn’t just a climatological (气候学的) effect. It impacts the people that live there，” she added.

Scientists concerned about global warming focus on the Arctic because that is a region where the effects are expected to be felt first， and that has been the case in recent years.

There was a slowdown in Arctic warming in 2009， but in the first half of 2010 warming was near a record pace. The monthly readings were over 4 degrees Celsius above normal in northern Canada， according to the report card. The report card was prepared by 69 researchers in eight countries.

Researchers said last winter’s big snow storms that struck some Northern countries were tied to higher Arctic temperatures.

“Normally the cold air is bottled up in the Arctic，” said Jim Overland of the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “But last December and February， winds that normally blow west to east across the Arctic were instead bringing the colder air south，” he said.

“As we lose more sea ice... warming in the atmosphere can create more of these winter storms，” Overland said.

There is a powerful connection between ice cover and air temperatures， Richter-Menge explained. When temperatures warm， ice melts. When ice melts it shows darker surfaces underneath ， which absorb  more heat. “That， in turn， causes more melting and on the cycle goes，” she said.

In September the Arctic sea ice extent was the third smallest in the last 30 years， added Don Perovich of the US Army Laboratory. He said the three smallest ice covers have occurred in the last four years.

1.Scientists care so much about the warming in the Arctic region because 　　　　.

A .the climate in the Arctic doesn’t change much

B. global warming effects are most serious in the Arctic region

C .there has been a major decrease of Arctic warming in recent years

D. by studying the region they can make predictions about the future impact of global warming

2.. Which of the following shows that the Arctic is getting warmer？ 

A. The surface of the sea ice in Arctic is getting darker and darker.

B. The Arctic sea ice extent has disappeared over the last 30 years.

C. The sea ice extent has increased to one of the highest levels on record.

3. What does the underlined word “cycle” refer to？  

A .Ice giving off heat when it melts.

B. Higher temperatures bringing more storms.

C .The cause and the result of the melting.

D. The life of the people living in the Arctic getting worse.

4. According to researchers what led to big snow storms attacking some Northern countries last winter？                 

A. Higher Arctic temperatures.

B. The melting ice.

C. The cold wind blowing west to east.

D. Cold air bottled up in the Arctic.

5. What is the main point of the article？         

A. Last winter’s big snow-storms.

B. Winds in the Arctic region.

C. Arctic warming and its possible effects.

D. Changes to the life of people living in the Arctic.

FDA proposed the most sweeping food safety rules in decades, requiring farmers and food companies to be more cautious in the wake of deadly outbreaks in peanuts, cantaloupe (瓜），and leafy greens.

The long-overdue regulations are aimed at reducing the estimated 3,000 deaths a year from foodbome illness. Just since last summer, outbreaks of listeria (李氏杆菌）in cheese and salmonella(沙门氏菌）in peanut butter, cantaloupe and mangoes have been linked to more than 400 illnesses and as many as seven deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The actual number of those sickened is likely much higher.

The FDA’s proposed rules would require farmers to take new precautions against contamination (污染）,to include making sure workers5 hands are washed, irrigation (灌溉） water is clean, and that animals stay out of fields. Food manufacturers will have to submit food safety plans to the government to show they are keeping their operations clean.

Many responsible food companies and farmers are already following the steps that the FDA would now require them to take. But officials say the requirements could have saved lives and prevented illnesses in some of the large-scale outbreaks that have hit the country in recent years.

In a 2011 outbreak of listeria in cantaloupe that claimed 33 lives ，for example, FDA inspectors found pools of dirty water on the floor and old, dirty processing equipment at the Colorado farm where the cantaloupes were grown. In a peanut butter outbreak this year linked to 42 salmonella illnesses ，inspectors found samples of salmonella throughout a New Mexico peanut processing plant and multiple obvious safety problems ，such as birds flying over uncovered trucks of peanuts and employees not washing their hands.

Under the new rules, companies would have to lay out plans for preventing those sorts of problems and how they would correct them.

“The rules go very directly to preventing the types of outbreaks we have seen/，said Michael Taylor, FDA’s deputy commissioner for foods.

1.The main task of FDA is probably______

A. to protect and promote the public health

B. to help those sickened recover

C. to research on food safety measures

D. to deal with water pollution

2.According to the passage, the new rules focus on_____.

A. inspecting the whole process of food production

B. improving food processing equipment on farms

C. preventing water pollution in food production

D. urging food companies to lay out plans

3.What does the word “they” in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A. Inspectors.    B. Farmers

C. Manufacturers. D. Workers.

4.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

A. The new regulations should have come into practice earlier.

B. The 2011 outbreak of listeria is the most serious ever.

C. Farmers and food companies are strongly against the new rules.

D. Colorado and New Mexico are worst hit by food pollution.

留意一下我们的周边，可以发现父母在学校附近租房陪读现象已蔚然成风。请你根据以下要点写一篇短文，内容应包括：

1．      简要描述陪读现象；

2．分析父母陪读的原因（2至3个）；

3．发表你对此的看法。 

要求： 1）可根据内容要点适当增加细节，使行文连贯。

2）词数：120字左右。首段已给出，不计入总词数。

Should Our Parents Accompany Us in Studying at School?

In recent years, many parents choose to accompany their children in studying, which has aroused a wide concern.

____________________________________________________________________________

Nowadays, there’s a lot of debate about single sex education since it has begun to regain its popularity recently. According to long term studies of children from around the world, students achieve more and learn better in single sex schools.

An Australian study of 270,000 students found that both boys and girls performed much higher on standardized(标准化) tests when they attended separate schools. During an experiment in Virginia in 1995, 100 eighth graders were separated just for math and science courses. Almost immediately, the girls began to achieve more, become more confident and take part more often in class activities.

In 2001, a British study concluded that nearly every girl regardless of (不论) her ability or socio-economic status performed better in single sex classrooms than co-ed ones. The study of 2,954 high schools and 979 primary schools showed that while boys at the lowest levels in study improved the most in single sex schools, single sex education was particularly beneficial (有益的) to girls. Every one of the top 50 private elementary schools and top 20 private high schools in Britain are single sex schools.

Girls became more confident in themselves as students and earned higher scores on their College Board and Advanced Placement examinations. A quarter of the female members of the US Congress and one-third of all female members of Fortune 100 boards graduated from all-women’s colleges.

While the statistics are not as dramatic for boys, however, boys tend to soften their competitive edge and become more cooperative in a single sex setting. They can just be boys and not worry about what the girls might think.

Single sex education has a pleasant way of encouraging children to be fearless, to be curious, to be enthusiastic --- in short, to just be themselves. Children are subjected (屈从于) to pressures from every quarter to become adults before they are ready to do so. They grow up too quickly. Why not let them be children for a few more years? Single sex education with its gentler, more controlled social atmosphere is just the right answer for many children.

1.With the experiment in Virginia in 1995, the writer wants to show that       .

A．single sex education has become popular in recent years

B．the effect of single sex education on girls is immediate

C．students at separate schools are better prepared for standardized tests

D．both boy and girl students achieve more and learn better in single sex schools

2.According to the article, which of the following statements about single sex education is TRUE?

A．Girls’ performances in single sex classrooms are determined by their ability and socioeconomic status.

B．In all-boys schools boys with the worst academic performances improved the most.

C．Single sex education was particularly helpful for boys.

D．There are more single sex schools than co-ed schools in Britain.

3. In the article, the underlined phrase “soften their competitive edge” probably means        .

A．act in a kindly manner                    B．become less competitive

C．lose interest in something                 D．take advantage of something

4. What is the main point of the article?

A．Ways to reduce pressure and help children grow.

B．The reason why girls perform better than boys at school.

C．The advantage of single sex education.

D．The development of single sex education in different countries.

You maybe surprised to learn that one of the best steps you can take to protect your health is to step outside and spend some time in the grass, dirt and water．

Our ancestors enjoyed the healing power of nature，and now scientists are starting to catch up．According to research in recent years，just having a view of nature has been shown to improve hospital patients' recovery and reduce illness rates among office workers．Also，exposure(曝露) to wildlife，horseback riding，hiking，camping and farms can be helpful for a variety of health conditions in adults and children．

Much of this type of research is focusing on children，and in fact an entire movement has quickly developed to connect kids with the healing power of nature．

Obesity（肥胖）．Rates of childhood obesity have grown sharply in recent years，and this is partly because of reduced outdoor activity time．Increasing the time students spend learning about nature，both in and outside the classroom，would help solve this problem．Such lessons are often more attractive for students and often lead them to become more active outside．

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder（ADHD）（注意力缺失症）．Exposure to ordinary natural settings in the course of common after­school and weekend activities may be effective in reducing attention deficit symptoms in children．Participation in green activities—such as nature walks—helped ADHD patients from a wide range of backgrounds to stay focused and complete tasks．

Stress．Access to nature，even houseplants，can help children cope with stress．

Depression and seasonal emotional disorder．Major depression requires medical treatment，but physical activity，especially outdoors，can help ease symptoms．For your average case of winter blues，experts suggest spending time outside every day and，if possible，taking the family to a sunny vacation spot in mid­winter．

Experts emphasize that you needn't go to wilderness preserves to enjoy nature's benefits—simply walking in a city park or growing in a rooftop garden can make a difference．

1.It can be inferred from the first two paragraphs that       .

    A．ancient people were not familiar with the healing power of nature.

    B．modern people are not familiar with the healing power of nature．

    C．the healing power of nature works better on children．

    D．the healing power of nature works better on office workers．

2.According to Para.4, lessons about nature         .

    A．should engage parents in them

    B．should take place outdoors

    C．are used widely at schools

    D．are liked by students

3.Exposure to green areas in neighborhoods can 　　　　．

    A．improve children's skills at learning

    B．help reduce ADHD symptoms

    C．treat major depression

    D．cure winter blues

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph？

    A．You can only enjoy nature's benefits in the wilderness．

    B．A common natural setting is beneficial to your health．

    C．A city park and a rooftop garden have different benefits．

    D．Too many people in the wilderness will reduce the benefits of nature．