Air pollution is damaging 60% of Europe's prime wildlife sites in meadows, forests and bushes, according to a new report.
A team of EU scientists said nitrogen emissions(氮排放)from cars, factories and farming were threatening biodiversity.It's the second report this week warning of the on-going riks and threats linked to nitrogen pollution
Nitrogen in the atmosphere is harmless in its inert(惰性的)state, but the report says reactive forms of nitrogen, largely produced by human activity, can be a menace to the natural world.
Emissions mostly come from vehicle exhausts(排气), factories, artificial fertilizers(肥料)and animal waste from intensive farming.The reactive nitrogen they emit to the air disrupts the environment in two ways:It can make acidic soils too acidic to support their previous mix of species.But primarily, because nitrogen is a fertilizer, it favors wild plants that can maximize the use of nitrogen to help them grow.
In effect, some of the nitrogen spread to fertilize crops is carried in the atmosphere to fertilize weeds, possibly a great distance from where the chemicals were first applied.
The effects of fertilization and acidification favor common aggressive species like grasses, brambles and nettles.They harm more delicate species like mosses(苔藓), and insect-eating sundew plants.
The report said 60% of wildlife sites were now receiving a critical load of reactive nitrogen.The report's lead author, Dr.Kevin Hicks from the University of York's Stockholm Environment Institute(SEI), told BBC News that England's Peak District had a definitely low range of species as a result of the reactive nitrogen that fell on the area.
“Nitrogen creates a rather big problem that seems to me to have been given too little attention,” he said.“Governments are responsible for protecting areas like this, but they are clearly failing.”
He said more research was needed to understand the knock-on effects for creatures from the changes in vegetation accidentally caused by emissions from cars, industry and farms.
At the conference, the representatives agreed “The Edinburgh Declaration on Reactive Nitrogen”.The document highlights the importance of reducing reactive nitrogen emissions to the environment, adding that the benefits of reducing nitrogen outweigh the costs of taking action.
(1)
The underlined word “menace” is used to express that the reactive nitrogen, largely produced by human activity can be _________.
[ ]
A.
frightening
B.
threatening
C.
unique
D.
unusual
(2)
We can infer from the passage that _________.
[ ]
A.
it's harmless to have reactive nitrogen existing in the atmosphere
B.
reactive nitrogen emissions help aggressive species less than crops
C.
the harm to those delicate species has a negative impact on biodiversity
D.
reactive nitrogen can fertilize soils and keep their biodiversity
(3)
The team of EU scientists released the second report of nitrogen emissions this week when _________.
[ ]
A.
no action was taken to stop nitrogen emission
B.
governments were willing to protect areas harmed by nitrogen
C.
“The Edinburgh Declaration on Reactive Nitrogen” was agreed
D.
nitrogen emissions were threatening wildlife sites' biodiversity
(4)
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A few days ago, he was just Colonel(上校)Yang; few people knew his name or recognized his face.But last Thursday, when he came back to the earth after a 21-hour trip to space, Yang Liwei’s smile was seen across the world above the magic words:“China’s first spaceman”.
The 38-year-old astronaut was sent into space at 9 a. m.Last Wednesday by China’s Shenzhou Ⅴ spacecraft, which orbited the earth 14 times.He landed safely at 6∶23 a. m.The next day, making China the third country successfully send a person into space, after the former Soviet Union and the US.
Yang was satisfied with his job.“I have seen many landing scenes before on video, and I think ours was one of the most successful, ”He said on a special plane to Beijing after landing.Born into an ordinary family in Liaoning Province, he became a pilot in the Chinese Air Force in 1987, spending 1350 hours in the air.He joined the Chinese space programme 11 years later.
While in space, Yang recorded everything he saw as well as showing China’s national flag and the United Nations’ flag to the people watching on TV at home.He also ate a meal of diced chicken and fried rice, before taking a 3-hour nap.The whole project went according to plan, but space exploration is not as easy as it seems.
Anyone who saw the destruction of the US space shuttle Columbia in February this year will know that Yang took a great risk.
He experienced extremely high temperatures, while the gravitation(重力)on take-off and landing were strong enough to force tears from his eyes.
He has spent five years training to become a spaceman.
“I eat all of my meals at the space programme’s dinning room and have never been able to take my son to kindergarten, ”he said.“I’ve never met his teachers.”
But becoming China’s first spaceman has made all the effort worthwhile.
“When I boarded the spacecraft for the first time, I couldn’t help feeling excited,” he said.“I decided that I had to fly it.”
To Chinese people, Yang is now a hero.One visitor to a Xinhua news agency online forum(网上论坛)said, “Yang’s trip is a giant leap forward for China.”
Officials say the next Shenzhou will be launched by 2005.China also plans to develop spacewalking and a space lab.
(1)
What is the main idea of the story?
[ ]
A.
China’s first manned flight.
B.
A hero with great courage.
C.
The first Chinese man in space.
D.
How Yang Liwei became China’s first spaceman.
(2)
How long did each of Yang’s orbits take on average?
[ ]
A.
1 hour.
B.
1.5 hours.
C.
6 hours.
D.
The story didn’t mention it.
(3)
Why did the writer mention the gravitation forces on take-off and landing?
[ ]
A.
Because it was the most dangerous part of the space flight.
B.
Because it was a very special experience.
C.
To stress how much training he had to do to prepare for the flight.
D.
To show that Yang is brave.
(4)
Why did the writer use “giant leap” in the title?
[ ]
A.
Because the space flight marked China’s great progress in the field of space exploration.
B.
Because Neil Armstrong said it was a “giant leap” for mankind when he first set foot on the moon.
C.
Because the space flight was a huge success.
D.
Both A and B.
(5)
This passage is most likely to appear in __________.
[ ]
A.
newspaper
B.
textbook
C.
science magazines
D.
biographies(传记)
阅读理解
Many people like the feeling of the gentle wind in spring.Many like to see the falling leaves dancing in the wind in autumn.But sometimes, when the wind becomes a storm, it can be very destructive(毁灭性的).
A series of such storms struck the US last month and caused very serious damage and human pain.
Every year, major storms cause many problems around the world.There is nothing people can do to stop these powerful forces of nature.But new techniques are helping scientists to predict(预测)how, when, and where big storms will happen.The more exact scientists' warnings are, the better people can prepare for the storms.
Predictions are improving.“We've gotten better over the years, especially the last few years,”says Phil Klotzback, a scientist at an American university.How is a storm formed? Even if scientists know where a storm will happen, winds can suddenly change, carrying the storm to a new direction.“For a hurricane to happen, conditions have to be just right,”Klotzback says.
First, the ocean water needs to be warm enough so that it evaporates and rises into the air.As it rises, the vapor(水蒸气)cools and turns back into liquid.This process gives off heat.This produces energy like an engine that causes winds to increase.It drives the formation(形成)of a hurricane.
If wind speeds reach 40 miles per hour, the system is called a“tropical storm”(热带风暴), and it gets a name.At 75 miles per hour, it becomes a hurricane.
Hurricanes that hit the US start when a thunderstorm forms off the coast of Africa.Storms also develop over tropical waters in other parts of the world.
On average, 60 or 70 storms form off Africa every year.About 10 of them get names.There are usually about six hurricanes.Two tend to be very big, with winds of 115 miles per hour or higher.
The hurricane season lasts from June to November.Ninety percent of all hurricanes hit in August, September, and October.
(1)
According to the passage, hurricanes usually ________.
[ ]
A.
form off the coast of Africa and America
B.
travel at 40 miles per hour and get its name
C.
hit parts of the world in summer and autumn
D.
cause sea winds to rise and blow over the sea
(2)
The underlined word“evaporates”(in Paragraph 5)probably means“________”.
[ ]
A.
begins to move
B.
changes into a gas
C.
becomes hot
D.
gets lost
(3)
Which of the following about the information of a hurricane is in the correct order?
a.The ocean water evaporates and goes into the air.
b.Heat creates energy and causes winds to increase.
c.The vapor cools.
d.The ocean water is warm enough.
e.The vapor changes back into liquid.
f.This course gives out heat.
[ ]
A.
a, d, e, b, c, f
B.
a, b, c, f, d, e
C.
d, a, b, c, e, f
D.
d, a, c, e, f, b
(4)
Which of the following statements is NOT true?
[ ]
A.
One out of six or seven storms get names.
B.
Every year at least 60 storms form off Africa.
C.
The speed of the biggest two hurricanes reaches 115miles per hour.
D.
About one third of the hurricanes tend to be very big.
阅读理解
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A.
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B.
telephone calls made by tourists
C.
the service of guides to tourists
D.
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If you don
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[ ]
A.
¥12,000
B.
¥10,000
C.
¥2,000
D.
¥14,000
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