Scientists in the United States say plant life has increased on Earth in the past twenty years and that in every area of plant growth the increase is the result of weather conditions.

       Eight scientists from across the United States did the study. The space agency NASA and the Department of Energy paid for it. The findings were published in the magazine Science.

       The researchers spent one and a half years examining weather satellite information. The information was recorded from 1982 to 1999. That period was one of the warmest on record. Researchers found that rainfall generally increased during that time.

       The satellites measured the number of leaves on plants and the amount of sunlight taken in. The scientists used that information to estimate what is called net primary production. This is total amount of carbon stored in land plants.

       The scientists report a 6% increase in stored carbon since 1982. They say gains were high in equatorial areas, especially around the Amazon River in South America. The area alone had a 1% increase in the net primary production.

Ramakrishna Nemani of the University of Montana in Missoula headed the study. He says reduced cloud cover led to growth in Amazon area. He also says the lack of clouds allowed more sunlight to get through. More sunlight meant increases in photosynthesis(光合作用). That is the process by which plants use energy from sunlight to produce the chemicals they need to grow.

       Northern Canada, the north-central United States and northern Europe were second in increased plant growth. Ramakrishna Nemani says a rise in temperature helped plants there.

       All together, the report says 25% of areas of plant life on Earth experienced increases. But the scientists also note increase in the number of people on Earth and carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere. Ranga Myneni of Boston University in Massachusetts, another study scientist says humans use about half the net primary production on Earth. And he notes that the world population grew by 36% during the period of time studied.

Which of the following is in charge of the study?

       A. The space agency NASA of the US.

       B. The Department of Energy of the US.

       C. Ramakrishna Nemani in Missoula.

       D. Ranga Myneni in Massachusetts.

What’s the main cause of the plant growth put forward by the study?

       A. Growth in population.

       B. Regional features.

       C. Seasonal variation.

       D. Weather conditions

Why do scientists believe that reduced cloud cover has led to the plant growth in       the Amazon area?

       A. Because plants could take in more sunlight.

       B. Because plants could get more rainfall.

       C. Because plants could enjoy cooler air.

       D. Because plants suffer less from natural disasters.

Which of the following descriptions about the years from 1982 to 1999 is TRUE?

       A. It was the warmest on record.

       B. Rainfall decreased little by little.

       C. World population grew by 25%.

       D. Stored carbon increased by 6%.

     Mike had been delivering (送) newspaper for a week, but he was still not quite sure    36    he was going to like his first job. Today he was to    37    the month's money from his customers (顾客). At the first house, Mike walked past the Pierces' barking dog,    38    was tied up in the front yard. When he    39    the door he got up enough    40    to ring the bell. He told the man what he    41    . Mr Pierce didn't smile or say anything , but he handed Mike a bill. Mike    42    counted out the man's change.

     43    the time he got to the    44    house, Mike felt a little more  at ease. Mr Simon was repairing his    45    . He, too, gave Mike a    46    . but he smiled and talked    47    Mike gave him his    48    .

    As Mike walked to the third house, he    49    a bit uneasy, Mr Swenson was just    50     home from the store, and he stopped    51    he saw  Mike. Mr Swenson paid Mike the exact amount in change. They stood    52    in front of the house    53    . This wasn't    54    to be such a difficult job     55     , thought Mike as he continued on his way.

A.what        B.why              C.whether              D.which

A.fetch        B.seize              C.collect               D.select

A.it           B.he                C.which                D.who

A.arrived      B.reached            C.went                 D.got

A.courage      B.money            C.newspaper            D.demand

A.liked        B.believed           C.wanted               D.had

A.hardly       B.lately              C.carefully             D.nearly

A.For         B.In                 C.By                  D.On                         

A.third        B.first               C.second                D.fourth

A.garden      B.dog               C.car                   D.job

A.money      B.pay               C.bill                   D.change

A.so          B.for               C.as                    D.because

A.newspaper   B.help              C.change                D.smile                      

A.hadn't      B.continue           C.wasn't                 D.went

A.at          B.in                C.coming                D.going

A.when       B.thus              C.where                 D.so

A.to talk      B.talking            C.back                  D.by

A.in no time   B.at once            C.for a while             D.by and by

A.true        B.happening         C.going                 D.that

A.by far      B.any longer         C.after all                D.at once

While reading a book in English, every few lines of text, you run across a word or two that you don’t know. You look up every new word in the dictionary. Bad move. All that does slow you down. Even electric or CD –ROM dictionaries can get in the way of your reading progress. A dictionary is like a road map. It can help you if you get lost and point you in the right direction. But if you stop to look at the “map” each time you take a step, you’ll get nowhere fast.

    On your English learning “journey”, a dictionary can be a helpful “travel companion ”--if it is not overused. To help you start thinking in English, use an English-to-English dictionary. Otherwise, you will always depend on your native language and end up translating in your head.

    A good dictionary can help you do more than just find the meaning of a word. It can help you verify (test and check) spelling, check word forms and grammar usage, find example sentence and learn pronunciation. Some dictionaries even provide exercises to teach you how to use their resources (资源) .

    Take time to get to know your dictionary. Learn the pronunciation symbols (符号). Understand what the abbreviations (缩写字) mean. Try to master the important grammar rules. Look for charts, diagrams and lists that might be useful in the future. You will discover how helpful it can be to make friends with your dictionary. And as they say, “A friend in need is a friend indeed.”

Why do we need a good English-to-English dictionary?

A. Because it is a good friend.

B. Because it can help us to find the right direction if we get lost.

C. Without it we’ll always depend on our native language and end up translating in our head.

D. Because it can help us to start thinking in English and in Chinese.

The underlined word “that ” in the last paragraph refers to __________.

A. pronunciation symbols and grammar rules

B. abbreviations and usage for grammar rules

C. the meaning of a word, spelling and grammar usage

D. charts, diagrams and lists

According to the passage , which statement can lead you to believe?

A. The more you use a dictionary, the better you can understand the article.

B. The more you use a dictionary, the faster you may read.

C. The more you use the resources in a dictionary, the more you can benefit (受益) from it.

D. The better a dictionary is, the more expensive it is.

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