Below are descriptions of six famous states in the U. S.
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is the most populous U.S. state and was admitted as the 31st state on September 9, 1850.California's diverse geography ranges from the Pacific Coast in the west, to the Sierra Nevada mountains in the east. Earthquakes are a common occurrence due to the state's location along the Pacific Ring of Fire: about 37,000 are recorded annually. The California Gold Rush happened in San Francisco and there is also a famous Silicon Valley. Hollywood exists in Los Angeles, making it the center of entertainment. “The Golden State” has long been a popular designation for California and was made the official State Nickname in 1968.
Florida is a state in the southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Miami is the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern United States.The climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. Its economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture, and transportation. Florida is also known for its amusement parks, the production of oranges, and the Kennedy Space Center. Florida has attracted many writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes. It is internationally known for golf, tennis, auto racing, and water sports.
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It became the 45th state admitted to the Union on January 4, 1896. Utah is the most religiously homogeneous state in the Union. Approximately 63% of Utahans are reported to be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or LDS, which greatly influences Utah culture and daily life. The state is a center of transportation, education, information technology and research, government services, mining, and a major tourist destination for outdoor recreation.
Texas is the second most populous and the second-largest of the 50 states in the United States of America. Houston is the largest city in Texas and the fourth-largest in the United States. Texas is nicknamed the Lone Star State to signify Texas as a former independent republic and as a reminder of the state's struggle for independence from Mexico. The "Lone Star" can be found on the Texas state flag and on the Texas state seal today. The term "six flags over Texas" came from the several nations that had ruled over the territory. In 1845 it joined the United States as the 28th state. One Texas industry that thrived after the Civil War was cattle. Due to its long history as a center of the industry, Texas is associated with the image of the cowboy.
Virginia, is a U.S. state located in the South Atlantic region of the United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there. It is unique in how it treats cities and counties equally, manages local roads, and prohibits its governors from serving consecutive terms. Virginia's economy has many sectors: agriculture in the Shenandoah Valley; federal agencies in Northern Virginia, including the headquarters of the Department of Defense and CIA; and military facilities in Hampton Roads, the site of the region's main seaport. Virginia's public schools and many colleges and universities have contributed to growing media and technology sectors. As a result, computer chips have become the state's leading export.
Kentucky, is a state located in the east south-central region of the United States. In 1792 it became the 15th state to join the Union. Kentucky is known as the "Bluegrass State", a nickname based on the bluegrass found in many of its pastures because of the fertile soil. It is a land with diverse environments and abundant resources, including the world's longest cave system, Mammoth Cave National Park, the greatest length of navigable waterways and streams in the contiguous United States, and the two largest man-made lakes east of the Mississippi River.Kentucky is also home to the highest per capita number of deer and turkey in the United States.
【小题1】 Which state is called the “golden state” and why?

A.California, because of the gold rush.
B.Texas, because of the stars there.
C.Virginia, because of a famous mother there.
D.Kentucky, because of the famous “KFC” there.
【小题2】The famous writer of “The Old Man and the Sea” once lived in____.
A.Virginia B.Texas C.California D.Florida
【小题3】 How is the correct time order for different states to join the U.S.?
A.California – Utah—Texas – Kentucky
B.Kentucky–Texas – California – Utah
C.Kentucky–California – Texas —Utah
D.California –Kentucky—Texas –Utah
【小题4】 Which of the following match is WRONG?
A.Cowboys in Texas.
B.Utah and religions.
C.Hollywood in Virginia.
D.Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Plants and animals usually do not live apart, as in many ways they are important to each other. Most green plants can make their own food. The food of other living things, even the food of meat-eating animals, comes directly or indirectly from green plants. For example, some people eat mutton (羊肉); mutton comes from a goat; the goats eat grass. These steps, or links, make up what is called a food chain. Without green plants, all other living things would in time die of starvation.

Plants help animals in other ways too. They furnish homes and shelter for many animals. Many birds, as you know, build their nests in trees. Deer and many other animals use bushes for shel­ter. And even man depends much upon plants for his shelter. Animals repay some of this debt by helping plants. You may be aware that many insects and some birds do important work for plants by pollinating (授粉) them. You must have also learned how animals often help plants by spreading seeds.

What is waste material for one of these kinds of life is often valuable substance for the other. For example, animals give off carbon dioxide gas when they breathe. When plants make food, they absorb this gas from the air, using the carbon and releasing some of the oxygen back into the air. The oxygen that is released, then, is again supplied to animals. Thus the cycle continues, ani­mals helping plants, and plants helping animals.

All plants and animals have their enemies. Insects eat plants; birds eat insects; other animals kill birds. But here too, animals such as birds and bats help the plants by destroying harmful in­sects. Many plants and animals are helpful to some living things but are harmful to others. Then there are other rules in nature that act as checks and balances. For example, if there are more animals in a certain area than there is food to support them, some of the animals must mi­grate or starve. In either case, the number of animals will be reduced until the balance between animals and the available food supply is restored.

These helps and hindrances (障碍) are constantly going on in the plant and animal world to achieve a balance. As long as one living thing is dependent on another, whenever the scales are tipped (使倾斜), nature takes steps to balance the scales again.

 (Note: Answer the questions or complete the statements in NO MORE THAN TEN WORDS.)

1.What does the author mean by saying “Plants and animals usually do not live apart”?

2.Besides providing food and shelter for animals, plants can also ______ to help animals to live.

3.“Checks and balances” refers to ______ in the world of animals and plants.

4.What will be the final result if some animals migrate or starve for lack of food?

 

 

It is reported that conservation groups in North America have been arguing about the benefits and dangers of wolves. Some groups believe wolves should be killed. Other people believe wolves

Must be protected so that they will not disappear from the wilderndss(荒野)

                            For Killing Wolves

  In Alaska,the wolf almost disappeared a few years ago,because hunters were killing hundreds

0f them forsport .However.1aws were established to protect the wolves from sportsmen and people who catch the animals for their fur.So the woIf population has greatly increased. Now there are so many wolves that they are destroying their own food supply.

    A wolf naturally eats animals in the deer family. People in the wilderness also hunt deer for

food.Many of the animals have been destroyed by the very cold winters recently and by changes in the wilderness plant life.When the deer can’t find enough food,they die.

   If the wolves continue to kill large numbers of deer,their prey(猎物)will disappear some

day.And the wolves will.too.So we must change the cycle of life in the wilderness to balance the

ecology.If we killed more wolves,we would save them and their prey from dying out.We’d also

save some farm animals.

    In another northern state,wolves attack cows and chickens for food.Farmers want the

government to send biologists to study the problem.They believe it necessary to kill wolves in some areas and to protect them in places where there is a small woIf population.

                           Against Killing Wolves

  If you had lived long ago,you would have heard many different stories about the dangerous

wolf.According to most stories,hungry wolves often kill people for food.Even today,the stories of the“big bad woIf'"will not disappear.

    But the fact is wolves are afraid of people.and they seldom travel in areas where there is a

human smell.When wolves eat other animals,they usually kill the very young.or the sick and

injured .The strongest survive .No kind of animal would have survived through the centuries if the

weak members had lived.And has always been a law of nature

  Although some people say it is good sense to kill wolves,we say it is nonsense!Researchers

have found wolves and their prey living in balance.The wolves keep the deer population from

becoming too large,and that keeps a balance in the wilderness plant life.

    The real problem is that the areas where wolves can live are being used bv people.Even if

wilderness land is not used directly for human needs.the wolves can’t always find enough food .So they travel to the nearest source,which is often a farm.Then there is danger.The“big bad wolf”has arrived! And everyone knows what happens next.

1.According to the passage,some people in North America favor killing wolves for all the following reasons EXCET that_____________.

    A.there are too many wolves                  B.they kill large numbers deer

    C.they attack cows and chickens for food        D.they destroy the wilderness plant life

2.Some people are against killing wolves because____________.

    A.wolves help to keep the ecological balance in the wildemess

    B.there is too small a wolf population in the wilderness

    C.there are too many deer in the wilderness

    D.wolves are afraid of people and never attack people

3.According to those against killing wolves,when wolves eat other animals,____________.

A.they never eat strong and healthy ones

    B.they always go against the law of nature

    C.they might help this kind of animals survive in nature

    D.they disturb the ecological balance in the wilderness

4.The last sentence“And everyone knows what happens next”implies that in such cases____________.

    A.farm animals will be in danger and have to be shipped away

    B.woIves will kill people and people will in turn kill them

    C.wolves wilI find enough food sources on famls

    D.people will leave the areas where wolves can live

 

Drinking wine in moderation improves the IQ and may boost mental agility in old people,according to Japanese researchers.
A study of the effects of alcohol on the middle aged and elderly found the average IQ of men who drink wine (whether made from grapes or rice) was 3.3 points higher than that of men who do not imbibe.
Similarly,the IQ of women drinkers showed an improvement of 2.5 points over their teetotal sisters.The findings are part of an ongoing study by Japan’s National Institute for Longevity into the links between human intelligence and what we eat and drink.
The tests measured general knowledge,powers of judgment and concentration in drinkers and non-drinkers over 40,all living in Aichi prefecture,central Japan,and sharing the same income level-roughly£50 000 a year—and educational background.All were university graduates.
But while wine-drinkers appeared to be brighter,the same was not true of those who drank deer,shochu (a local gin) and whisky.
“The benefits of wine and sake (rice wine) in raising IQ could be due to substances they contain,such as polyphenol,which are believed to slow the ageing process,” Hiroshi Shimokata,head of epidemiology research,said.
It was premature to conclude,he added,that drinking wine or sake slowed the deterioration of brain functions in the elderly,or warded off senility.The research does,however,suggest that this is one way to stay mentally alert longer.
But there is a sobering caveat:drinking too much may make you dimmer.“People who drink more than 540 milli-litres (a little over a pint) of sake or wine a day had lower intelligence quotients than those who did not drink at all,”Hiroshi Shimokata said.“Moderation is very important.”

  1. 1.

    Which one is the topic of the passage?

    1. A.
      Drinking wine in a large amount improves the IQ of old people.
    2. B.
      Drinking wine in a reasonable amount raises the IQ of old people.
    3. C.
      Drinking wine in moderation does good to any one.
    4. D.
      Drinking wine helps improve the IQ of women.
  2. 2.

    According to the passage,which of the following is NOT wrong?

    1. A.
      Every wine drinker’s IQ is 3.3 points higher than that of men who don’t drink.
    2. B.
      The IQ of women drinker is 2.5 points lower than that of the non-drinking women.
    3. C.
      Drinking beer and whisky cannot improve one’s IQ.
    4. D.
      Drinking wine can only do good to the IQ of rich old people.
  3. 3.

    The reason why wine and sake can improve IQ is that _________.

    1. A.
      wine and sake have special taste
    2. B.
      wine and sake can make us excited
    3. C.
      wine and sake contain substances considered to slow the ageing process
    4. D.
      wine and sake contain something believed to prevent us from ageing
  4. 4.

    From the text,it seems that we can conclude _________.

    1. A.
      the more wine we drink,the brighter we are
    2. B.
      the less wine we drink,the brighter we are
    3. C.
      drinking wine less than 540ml a day,we’ll become dimmer
    4. D.
      drinking wine in moderation,we’ll become brighter

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