I will tell you the truth about plastic bags－the positive and the negative sides and provide a solution to this problem. Whether it is a shopping bag, a food bag or a trash bag, they are all made of plastic bags. Grocery store owners are very generous in using plastic bags. They place the fruit in one bag and drop the box of milk in another. Ever wonder why?
The positive side of plastic bags
Grocery stores, shopping centres, and restaurants are not thrifty in using and giving out plastic bags because they cost no more than a cent each, while a paper bag costs four cents. Plastic bags are produced so cheaply and massively（大量地）that they are used by 80% of store owners. In addition, they are light and very easy to carry and store.
The production of plastic bags has increased greatly over the last 20 years and producers of plastic bags are making large profits. However, the negative side of plastic bags is becoming well-known. More people are now getting worried that the earth is becoming a victim of the plastic bag success story.
The negative side of plastic bags
While production and consumption（消费）of plastic bags is good for business, it is not so for our Mother Earth. They have resulted in an increase in the amount of litter found floating in water or in the streets where we live.
Plastic storage bags, after usage, usually go to landfills（垃圾填埋地）as trash bags. They make the oceans poison sea animals. They give off toxins（毒素）when burned. They simply pollute the ground, air and water.
That is the true cost of plastic bags, and it looks like it is more than a cent. These are very alarming concerns and proper action needs to be taken.
小题1:According to Paragraph 3, plastic bag producers ________.| A．are now worried that the earth will become a victim of plastic bags | | B．don’t think they have done enough to popularize plastic bags | | C．have not realized the harm of plastic bags | | D．have succeeded in popularizing the use of plastic bags |
小题2:From the last three paragraphs, we learn that .| A．plastic bags harm the earth severely | | B．most plastic bags are not made use of | | C．the prices of plastic bags are reasonable | | D．plastic bags are the leading polluter on the earth |
小题3:What will the writer most probably talk about in the following paragraph?| A．How plastic bags are produced. | | B．How plastic bags are used. | | C．How to popularize the use of paper bags. | | D．How to solve the problems caused by plastic bags. |
|
小题1:D
小题2:A
小题3:D |
试题分析：本文主要讲述的是塑料袋的好处和不利之处。
小题1:D 推理题。根据本段Plastic bags are produced so cheaply and massively（大量地）that they are used by 80% of store owners. In addition, they are light and very easy to carry and store.可知塑料袋生产商已经成功地让塑料袋流行了。故D正确。
小题2:A 细节题。根据文章最后3段，尤其是文章倒数第二段Plastic storage bags, after usage, usually go to landfills（垃圾填埋地）as trash bags. They make the oceans poison sea animals. They give off toxins（毒素）when burned. They simply pollute the ground, air and water.可知塑料袋已经严重地污染了我们的地球。故A正确。
小题3:D 推理题。本文在最后主要讲述了塑料袋的不好的方面，接下来要解释的就是如何来解决这个问题。故D正确。
点评：本文主要讲述的是塑料袋的好处和不利之处。本文主旨鲜明,很容易在文中找到答案。做题时要注意文章的首段和每一段的首句或尾句，因为它们往往就是文章的主题句。阅读中要注意要点之间的关系。然后带着问题，再读全文，找出答题所需要的依据，完成阅读任务。 |
核心考点
试题【I will tell you the truth about plastic bags－the positive and the negative sides】；主要考察你对
题材分类等知识点的理解。
[详细]举一反三
Farmers can produce more by planting several different crops in the same field.But their success depends on which crops they plant together and how they mix (混合) them in the filed.In the past, the only way the farmers could learn which crops grow best together is to plant them and wait for the results.Now, however, a computer can give them answers.A new computer program written by Dr John Vanderwell of Michigan University can tell a farmer which plants grow well together and which do not.It can tell him how to plant the different crops; if he should plant each in a separate row, or mix the crops in the same row.It can tell the farmer how changes in planting each of the crops will affect the production of all of them.And it can tell him which plants can help reduce losses (损失) from diseases.
小题1:Which of the following best gives the main idea of the passage?| A．Computer helps find the best program for mixing plants. | | B．Computer helps produce more crops. | | C．Computer helps protect against insects and diseases. | | D．Computer helps grow different plants. |
小题2:According to the passage, to get the best result, one needs to choose carefully ________.| A．the kinds of crops to be planted together | | B．the way for different crops to be mixed | | C．both A and B | | D．either A or B |
小题3:It seems the new computer program can NOT tell us ________.| A．whether we should grow cotton and tomato together | | B．how we should plant cotton and tomato together | | C．what will happen if we grow potato, instead of tomato, together with cotton | | D．how we can grow rice in the tomato field |
小题4:The new computer program seems most useful in saving us ________.| A．man power | B．seeds | C．time | D．land |
小题5:Which of the following is NOT true?| A．Computers can tell farmers how many plants can grow together. | | B．With the help of computers farmers don"t have to do a lot of work. | | C．With the help of computers farmers can get better results. | | D．The change of one plant may cause a change in production. |
|
Honey from the African forest is not only a kind of natural sugar, it is also delicious.
Most people, and many animals, like eating it. However, the only way for them to get that honey is to find a wild bees" nest and take the honey from it. Often, these nests are high up in trees, and it is difficult to find them. In parts of Africa, though, people and animals looking for honey have a strange and unexpected helper - a little bird called a honey guide.
The honey guide does not actually like honey, but it does like the wax in the beehives (蜂房). The little bird cannot reach this wax, which is deep inside the bees" nest. So, when it finds a suitable nest, it looks for someone to help it. The honey guide gives a loud cry that attracts the attention of both passing animals and people. Once it has their attention, it flies through the forest, waiting from time to time for the curious animal or person as it leads them to the nest. When they finally arrive at the nest, the follower reaches in to get at the delicious honey as the bird patiently waits and watches. Some of the honey, and the wax, always fall to the ground, and this is when the honey guide takes its share.
Scientists do not know why the honey guide likes eating the wax, but it is very determined in its efforts to get it. The birds seem to be able to smell wax from a long distance away. They will quickly arrive whenever a beekeeper is taking honey from his beehives, and will even enter churches when beeswax candles are being lit.
小题1:Why is it difficult to find a wild bees" nest?| A．It"s small in size. | B．It"s hard to recognize. | | C．It"s covered with wax. | D．It"s hidden in trees. |
小题2:What do the words "the follower" in Paragraph 2 refer to?| A．A bee. | B．A honey seeker. | C．A bird. | D．A beekeeper. |
小题3:The honey guide is special in the way ________.| A．it goes to church | B．it gets its food | | C．it sings in the forest | D．it reaches into bees" nests |
小题4:What can be the best title for the text?| A．Wild Bees | B．Wax and Honey | | C．Beekeeping in Africa | D．Honey-Lover"s Helper |
|
It is easy for us to tell our friends from our enemies. But can other animals do the same? Elephants can! They can use their sense of vision and smell to tell the difference between people who pose a threat and those who do not.
In Kenya, researchers found that elephants react differently to clothing worn by men of the Maasai and Kamba ethnic groups. Young Maasai men spear animals and thus pose a threat to elephants; Kamba men are mainly farmers and are not a danger to elephants.
In an experiment conducted by animal scientists, elephants were first presented with clean clothing or clothing that had been worn for five days by either a Maasai or a Kamba man. When the elephants detected(察觉)the smell of clothing worn by a Maasai man, they moved away from the smell faster and took longer to relax than when they detected the smells of either clothing worn by Kamba men or clothing that had not been worn at all.
Clothing color also plays a role, though in a different way. In the same study, when the elephants saw red clothing not worn before, they reacted angrily, as red is typically worn by Maasai men. Rather than running away as they did with the smell, the elephants acted aggressively toward the red clothing.
The researchers believe that the elephants’ emotional reactions are due to their different interpretations of the smells and the sights. Smelling a potential danger means that a threat is nearby and the best thing to do is run away and hide. Seeing a potential threat without its smell means that risk is low. Therefore, instead of showing fear and running away, the elephants express their anger and become aggressive.
小题1:According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE about Kamba and Maasai people? | A．Maasai people are a threat to elephants. | | B．Kamba people raise elephants for farming. | | C．Both Kamba and Maasai people are elephant hunters. | | D．Both Kamba and Maasai people traditionally wear red clothing. |
小题2: How did the elephants react to smell in the study? | A．They attacked a man with the smell of new clothing. | | B．They needed time to relax when smelling something unfamiliar. | | C．They became anxious when they smelled Kamba-scented(有…气味的) clothing. | | D．They were frightened and ran away when they smelled their enemies. |
小题3: What is the main idea of this passage?| A．Elephants use sight and smell to detect danger. | | B．Elephants attack people who wear red clothing. | | C．Scientists are now able to control elephants’ emotions. | | D．Some Kenyan tribes understand elephants’ emotions very well. |
小题4:What can be inferred about the elephants’ behavior from this passage? | A．Elephants learn from their experience. | | B．Elephants have sharper sense of smell than sight. | | C．Elephants are more intelligent than other animals. | | D．Elephants tend to attack rather than escape when in danger. |
|
Mandara seemed to know something big was about to happen. So she let out a yell, caught hold of her 2-year-old daughter Kibibi and climbed up into a tree. She lives at the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.
And on Tuesday, August 23rd, witnesses say she seemed to sense the big earthquake that shook much of the East Coast before any humans knew what was going on. And she’s not the only one. In the moments before the quake, an orangutan (猩猩) let out a loud call and then climbed to the top of her shelter.
“It’s very different from their normal call,” said Brandie Smith, the zookeeper. “The lemurs (monkey-like animals of Madagascar) will sound an alarm call if they see or hear something highly unusual.”
But you can’t see or hear an earthquake 15 minutes before it happens, can you? Maybe you can — if you’re an animal. “Animals can hear above and below our range of hearing,” said Brandie Smith. “That’s part of their special abilities. They’re more sensitive to the environment, which is how they survive.”
Primates weren’t the only animals that seemed to sense the quake before it happened. One of the elephants made a warning sound. And a huge lizard (蜥蜴) ran quickly for cover. The flamingoes (a kind of bird) gathered before the quake and stayed together until the shaking stopped.
So what kind of vibrations were the animals picking up in the moments before the quake? Scientist Susan Hough says earthquakes produce two types of waves — a weak “P” wave and then a much stronger “S” wave. The “P” stands for “primary”. And the “S” stands for “secondary”. She said she thinks the “P” wave might be what set the animals off.
Not all the animals behaved unusually before the quake. For example, Smith says the zoo’s giant pandas didn’t jump up until the shaking actually began. But many of the other animals seemed to know something was coming before it happened. “I’m not surprised at all,” Smith said.
小题1:Why did Mandara act strangely one day?| A．Because it sensed something unusual would happen. | | B．Because its daughter Kibibi was injured. | | C．Because it heard an orangutan let out a loud call. | | D．Because an earthquake had happened. |
小题2:According to Brandie Smith, _____.| A．many animals’ hearing is sharp | | B．earthquakes produce two types of waves | | C．primates usually gather together before a quake | | D．humans can also develop the ability to sense a quake |
小题3:Which word in the passage has a close meaning to the underlined word “cover”?| A．vibration | B．shelter | C．quake | D．range |
小题4:Which animal seems unable to sense a quake?| A．A giant panda. | B．A flamingo. | C．A lemur. | D．A lizard. |
小题5:What is the best title for the passage?| A．How animals survive a quake. | B．How animals differ from humans. | | C．How animals behave before a quake. | D．How animals protect their young in a quake. |
|
New genetic analysis has revealed that many Amazon tree species are likely to survive human-made climate warming in the coming century, contrary to previous findings that temperature increases would cause them to die out. A study, 1 in the latest edition of Ecology and Evolution, reveals the 2 age of some Amazonian tree species -- more than 8 million years -- and 3 shows that they have survived previous periods as warm as many of the global warming imagined periods 4 for the year 2100.
The authors write that, having survived warm periods in the past, the trees will 5 survive future warming, provided there are no other major environmental changes. 6 extreme droughts and forest fires will impact Amazonia as temperatures 7 , the trees will stand the direct impact of higher temperatures. The authors 8 that as well as reducing greenhouse gas emissions to minimize the risk of drought and fire, conservation policy should remain 9 on preventing deforestation（采伐森林）for agriculture and mining.
The study disagrees with other recent researches which predicted tree species’ extinctions 10 relatively small increases in global average air temperatures.
Study co-author Dr Simon Lewis (UCL Geography) said the 11 were good news for Amazon tree species, but warned that drought and over-exploitation of the forest remained major 12 to the Amazon’s future.
Dr Lewis said: “The past cannot be compared directly with the future. while tree species seem likely to 13 higher air temperatures than today, the Amazon forest is being transformed for agriculture and 14 , and what remains is being degraded by logging, and increasingly split up by fields and roads.
“Species will not move as freely in today’s Amazon as they did in previous warm periods, when there was no human 15 . Similarly, today’s climate change is extremely fast, making comparisons with slower changes in the past 16 .”
“With a clearer 17 of the relative risks to the Amazon forest, we 18 that direct human impacts -- such as forest clearances for agriculture or mining -- should remain a key point of conservation policy. We also need more aggressive 19 to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to make minimum the risk of drought and fire impacts and 20 the future of most Amazon tree species.”
| 小题1: | | A．advertised | B．described | C．published | D．presented |
|
| 小题2: | | A．frightening | B．surprising | C．exciting | D．interesting |
|
| 小题3: | | A．still | B．nevertheless | C．however | D．therefore |
|
| 小题4: | | A．assess | B．confirm | C．forecast | D．promise |
|
| 小题5: | | A．particularly | B．probably | C．merely | D．possibly |
|
| 小题6: | | A．Since | B．Although | C．When | D．If |
|
| 小题7: | | A．rise | B．change | C．drop | D．end |
|
| 小题8: | | A．consider | B．decide | C．guarantee | D．recommend |
|
| 小题9: | | A．based | B．built | C．focused | D．made |
|
| 小题10: | | A．in relation to | B．in response to | C．in reply to | D．in reference to |
|
| 小题11: | | A．findings | B．thoughts | C．inventions | D．writings |
|
| 小题12: | | A．threats | B．disadvantages | C．embarrassments | D．instructions |
|
| 小题13: | | A．accept | B．tolerate | C．permit | D．Require |
|
| 小题14: | | A．farming | B．planting | C．catering | D．mining |
|
| 小题15: | | A．power | B．influence | C．desire | D．violence |
|
| 小题16: | | A．difficult | B．clear | C．easy | D．important |
|
| 小题17: | | A．belief | B．direction | C．understanding | D．suggestion |
|
| 小题18: | | A．doubt | B．conclude | C．calculate | D．prefer |
|
| 小题19: | | A．thought | B．guidance | C．protection | D．action |
|
| 小题20: | | A．secure | B．advance | C．sacrifice | D．evaluate |
|
|
