When prehistoric man arrived in new parts of the world, something strong happened to the large animals; they suddenly became extinct. Smaller species survived; the large, slow-growing animals were easy game, and were quickly hunted to extinction. 
Now something similar could be happening in the oceans. That the seas are being over-fished has been known for years and researchers such as Ransom Myers and Boris Worm have shown how fast things are changing. They have looked at half a century of data from fisheries around the world. Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass (the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular parts of the ocean, but rather changes in that biomass over time. According to their latest paper published in Nature, the biomass of large predators (animals that kill and eat other animals) inanes fishery is reduced on average by 80% within 15 years of the start of exploitation. In some long-fished areas, it has halved again since then.
Dr. Worm acknowledges that these figures are conservative (保守的). One reason for this is that fishing technology has improved. Today’s vessels can find their prey using satellites and sonar, which were not available 50 years ago. That means a higher proportion of what is in the sea is being caught, so the real difference between present and past is likely to be worse than the one recorded by changes in catch sizes. In the early days, too, longlines would have been more saturated with fish. Some individuals would therefore not have been caught, since baited hooks would have been available to trap them, leading to an underestimate of fish stocks in the past. Furthermore, in the early days of longline fishing, a lot of fish were lost to sharks after they had been hooked. That is no longer a problem, because there are fewer sharks around noise.
Dr. Myers and Dr. Worm argue that their work gives a correct baseline, which future management efforts must take into account. They believe the date support an idea current among marine biologists, that of the “shifting baseline”. The notion is that people have failed to detect the massive changes which have happened in the ocean because they have been looking back only a relatively short time into the past. That matters because theory suggests that the maximum sustainable yield that can be cropped from a fishery comes when the biomass of a target species is about 50% of its original levels. Most fisheries are well below that, which is a bad way to do business.
【小题1】The aim of the extinction of large prehistoric animals is to suggest that _______.

Vegetable gardening is the relaxing art and science of turning a love for growing plants into a worthwhile activity.
Vegetable gardeners agree that many home-grown vegetables picked at their best are superior to those vegetables purchased from markets. From spring through late fall, a well-planned and well-kept garden can prove a supply of fresh vegetables, thus increasing the nutrition of the family diet. Freezers make it possible to keep some of the vegetables to be enjoyed at a later date. Other vegetables can be stored for a few months in a cool area.
Having vegetables in the backyard makes home gardening appealing(吸收人的) for many people. In addition, vegetable gardening provides exercise and fun for both urban and suburban families.
Although the money spent for a garden may be little, one cannot escape the fact that gardening requires hard work and time. Many of the gardening tasks must be performed at times that are most inconvenient. Not doing jobs that should be done on a regular basis may result in failure and a negative feeling toward gardening.
One should not plant a garden that is too large for him to care for. A small, well-kept garden is more enjoyable and profitable than a large neglected one. Vegetables do well in full sunlight and need at least five or six hours of sun during the middle of the day. Too much shading results in poor plants and few vegetables. If possible, the garden should be near the house so the gardener can work in it at odd moments.
Soils for vegetables should be easily broken up and porous(能渗透的) for quick water drainage and good aeration(透气). A deep, fine, sandy good quality soil is best.
Usually the hoe owner has little choice in the soil type he can choose. Fortunately, many vegetables can be grown on poor soils if the soils are properly prepared.
【小题1】Home-grown vegetables ___________.

Vegetable gardening is the relaxing art and science of turning a love for growing plants into a worthwhile activity.

Vegetable gardeners agree that many home-grown vegetables picked at their best are superior to those vegetables purchased from markets. From spring through late fall, a well-planned and well-kept garden can prove a supply of fresh vegetables, thus increasing the nutrition of the family diet. Freezers make it possible to keep some of the vegetables to be enjoyed at a later date. Other vegetables can be stored for a few months in a cool area.

Having vegetables in the backyard makes home gardening appealing(吸收人的) for many people. In addition, vegetable gardening provides exercise and fun for both urban and suburban families.

Although the money spent for a garden may be little, one cannot escape the fact that gardening requires hard work and time. Many of the gardening tasks must be performed at times that are most inconvenient. Not doing jobs that should be done on a regular basis may result in failure and a negative feeling toward gardening.

One should not plant a garden that is too large for him to care for. A small, well-kept garden is more enjoyable and profitable than a large neglected one. Vegetables do well in full sunlight and need at least five or six hours of sun during the middle of the day. Too much shading results in poor plants and few vegetables. If possible, the garden should be near the house so the gardener can work in it at odd moments.

Soils for vegetables should be easily broken up and porous(能渗透的) for quick water drainage and good aeration(透气). A deep, fine, sandy good quality soil is best.

Usually the hoe owner has little choice in the soil type he can choose. Fortunately, many vegetables can be grown on poor soils if the soils are properly prepared.

Home-grown vegetables ___________.

       A．can remain standing for a long time and need not be picked immediately.

       B．have to be eaten as soon as they are picked

       C．sell well in the market because of their good quality

       D．picked at the right moment are more nutritious than those bought from the market.

Vegetables gardening is appealing for many people because ___________.

       A．it requires little money

       B．it is enjoyable and profitable

       C．they can work in the vegetable garden at odd moments

       D．it provides vegetables for the family all the year round.

The author suggests that an ideal vegetable garden ___________.

       A．should be sunny             B．should be within walking distance

       C．should be large-sized       D．should consist of sandy soil

Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?

       A．Vegetable Gardening, an Escape from Boredom

       B．An Ideal Vegetable Garden

       C．Vegetable Gardening, a Worthwhile Activity

       D．The Best Soil for Growing Vegetables

HOW TO QUIT SMOKING

When thinking about quitting…

List all the reasons why you want to quit. Every night before going to bed, repeat one of the reasons 10 times. Decide surely that you want to quit. Try to avoid negative（消极的）thoughts about how difficult it might be. Develop strong personal reasons in addition to your health and duties to others. For example, think all the time you waste taking cigarette breaks, rushing out to buy a pack, hunting a light, etc. Set a date for quitting—perhaps a special day like your birthday, or a holiday. If you smoke heavily at work, quit during your vacation. Make the date seriously, and don’t let anything change it. Begin to prepare yourself physically: start a modest（适度的）exercise, drink more water, get plenty of rest.

Immediately after quitting…

The first few days after you quit, spend as much free time as possible in places where smoking is forbidden, e.g. libraries, museums, theatres, department stores, etc. Drink large quantities of water and fruit juice. Try to avoid wine, coffee, and other drinks, which remind you of cigarette smoking. Start a conversation with someone instead of asking for a match for a cigarette. If you miss the sensation（感觉）of having a cigarette in your hand, play with something else—a pencil, a pen, or a ruler. If you miss having something in your mouth, try toothpicks or a fake（假的）cigarette.

Which of the following statements is best supported by the author?

   A．When you want a cigarette, try to forget it by starting a conversation with someone.

B．Try to drink wine, coffee, and other drinks instead of a cigarette.

C．If you miss the sensation of having a cigarette in your mouth, play with a pen.

D．Every night before going to bed, repeat the reasons 10 times.

From the passage, we know smokers _______.

   A．spend a lot of time breaking the habit of smoking

B．have to stop to smoke from time to time

C．had better quit smoking during their holiday

D．start a modest exercise every day

The author suggests _______ immediately after quitting.

   A．all kinds of drinks be avoided

B．drinking water and fruit juice

C．trying low-tar（低焦油）cigarettes

D．spending as much free time as possible in public places

If the article is in a newspaper, which section is it in?

   A．Sports.                     B．News.                     C．Health.                   D．Culture.

When prehistoric man arrived in new parts of the world, something strong happened to the large animals; they suddenly became extinct. Smaller species survived; the large, slow-growing animals were easy game, and were quickly hunted to extinction. 

Now something similar could be happening in the oceans. That the seas are being over-fished has been known for years and researchers such as Ransom Myers and Boris Worm have shown how fast things are changing. They have looked at half a century of data from fisheries around the world. Their methods do not attempt to estimate the actual biomass (the amount of living biological matter) of fish species in particular parts of the ocean, but rather changes in that biomass over time. According to their latest paper published in Nature, the biomass of large predators (animals that kill and eat other animals) inanes fishery is reduced on average by 80% within 15 years of the start of exploitation. In some long-fished areas, it has halved again since then.

Dr. Worm acknowledges that these figures are conservative (保守的). One reason for this is that fishing technology has improved. Today’s vessels can find their prey using satellites and sonar, which were not available 50 years ago. That means a higher proportion of what is in the sea is being caught, so the real difference between present and past is likely to be worse than the one recorded by changes in catch sizes. In the early days, too, longlines would have been more saturated with fish. Some individuals would therefore not have been caught, since baited hooks would have been available to trap them, leading to an underestimate of fish stocks in the past. Furthermore, in the early days of longline fishing, a lot of fish were lost to sharks after they had been hooked. That is no longer a problem, because there are fewer sharks around noise.

Dr. Myers and Dr. Worm argue that their work gives a correct baseline, which future management efforts must take into account. They believe the date support an idea current among marine biologists, that of the “shifting baseline”. The notion is that people have failed to detect the massive changes which have happened in the ocean because they have been looking back only a relatively short time into the past. That matters because theory suggests that the maximum sustainable yield that can be cropped from a fishery comes when the biomass of a target species is about 50% of its original levels. Most fisheries are well below that, which is a bad way to do business.

1.The aim of the extinction of large prehistoric animals is to suggest that _______.

A．large animal were not easy to survive in the changing environment

B．small species survived as large animals disappeared

C．large sea animals may face the same threat today.

D．Slow-growing fish outlive fast-growing ones

2.We can infer from Dr Myers and Dr. Worm’s paper that _______.

A．the stock of large predators in some old fisheries has reduced by 90%

B．there are only half as many fisheries are there were 15 years ago

C．the catch sizes in new fisheries are only 20% of the original amount

D．the number of larger predators dropped faster in new fisheries than in the old

3.By saying these figures are conservative (line 1, paragraph 3), Dr worm means that_______.

A．fishing technology has improved rapidly

B．then catch-sizes are actually smaller then recorded

C．the marine biomass has suffered a greater loss

D．the date collected so far are out of date.

4.Dr Myers and other researchers hold that _______.

A．people should look for a baseline that can’t work for a longer time

B．fisheries should keep the yield below 50% of the biomass

C．the ocean biomass should restore its original level.

D．people should adjust the fishing baseline to changing situation.

5.The author seems to be mainly concerned with most fisheries’ _______.

A．management efficiency

B．biomass level

C．catch-size limits

D．technological application.