high water that kills their crops. That large amount of waste may soon be a thing of the past: SUBIA, a gene
discovered by researchers which the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the University of
California, allows rice plants carrying the gene to live completely under water for two weeks.
Flood - resistant (抗水浸) rice turned up among the 110,000 types of seed stored at the institute. It
produced disappointingly low yields (产量), but scientists were able to transfer the gene into more bountiful
varieties. These have shown promising results in tests by growers in India and Bangladesh over the past two
years.
This rice success story would not have been possible without the treasure of genetic diversity hidden in
the IRRI"s vault (underground room). As the world faces new agricultural challenge-charging climate, bugs
and diseases that have developed resistance (抵抗力) to old defenses - such genetic resources are likely to
become increasingly valuable. Fortunately, the IRRI is one of more than 1,000 organizations around the world
working to protect crop genes. Most plant species grown for food have an associated bank that stores
thousands of samples; seeds of landraces, wild relatives, and varieties that are rare, old, or adapted to very
specific environments. The banks ensure that it will be possible to develop new varieties in the future.
The need for these botanical libraries has its roots in modern agricultural practices. According to the U. N.
Food and Agriculture Organization, 75 percent of plant diversity has been lost over the last century. Of more
than 30,000 eatable species, humans grow just 200 for food; 60 percent of plant calories in our diet comes
from wheat, rice, and corn.
B. Scientists have developed many more varieties of it.
C. Scientists have managed to improve its output.
D. It can produce more rice than the other 110,000 types at the institute.
B. scientists will not be able to change the fact that rice plants carrying the gene produce low yields
C. the tests by growers in India and Bangladesh were hopeless
D. 110,000 types of seed stored at the Institute are flood - resistant
B. Such genetic resources are likely to become valuable.
C. Scientists set up banks to store thousands of seed samples.
D. We should owe the rice success story to the seed banks.
A. useless
B. unnecessary
C. needful
D. needless
and also watching over their students" social development. Primary teachers come into contact with about
30 students every day, and teach them a variety of subjects. Many hours are spent before and after class on
planning, preparation and correction. One should be a very patient, caring, yet firm person to be able to deal
with the demands of children in the four to twelve-year-old age group. Secondary teachers teach specific
subjects to various groups of students.
Just like primary teachers, they spend an amount of time planning and preparing lessons and correcting
homework-their duties are not restricted to face-to-face teaching. Dealing with twelve to eighteen-year-olds
requires a wide range of skills. If you become a primary teacher, you will need to decide whether to be a
"generalist" (多面手), teaching a wide range of subjects, or a "specialist", teaching only one or two. Most
primary teachers are specialists. Generalist teachers spend the greatest part of their day with one class, which
means that they spend more time with the same children. Specialist teachers have more time away from their
students. It is therefore very important for generalist teachers to develop a strong working relationship with
their students. The unique rapport (和谐) you can develop with a particular set of students is one of teaching"s
greatest pleasures. However, the disadvantage of primary teaching is that if you have a difficult student, you
will be forced to deal with him or her, all day, every day, throughout the school year. Teachers need to work
out strategies to get themselves and their students through such difficulties.
Primary teachers today are generally four-year trained. They usually do a three or four-year undergraduate
degree, and if this degree does not include teacher training, they will have to undertake postgraduate study in
education as well.
B. teach students a variety of subjects
C. deal with the demands of children
D. make planning, preparation and correction
B. The differences between generalist and specialist teaching.
C. How a primary teacher should try his best in the school.
D. The relationship between the primary teachers and students.
B. the disadvantage of primary teaching is having difficult students
C. teacher training is not important for a primary teacher
D. secondary teachers mainly teach children two subjects
B. tell teachers what you should do as a primary teacher
C. let readers know more about primary teachers
D. let readers know how to be a primary teacher
experience. The lecturer speaks for one or two hours, perhaps 1 the talk with slides, writing up important
information on the blackboard, 2 reading material and giving out 3 .The new student sees the other
students continuously writing on notebooks and 4 what to write. Very often the student leaves the lecture
5 notes which do not catch the main points and 6 become hard even for the 7 to understand.
Most institutions provide courses which 8 new students to develop the skills they need to be 9
listeners and note-takers. 10 these are unavailable, there are many useful study-skills guides which 11
learners to practise these skills 12 . In all cases it is important to 13 the problem 14 actually starting your
studies.
It is important to 15 that most students have difficulty in acquiring the language skills 16 in college
study. One way of 17 these difficulties is to attend the language and study-skills classes which most
institutions provide throughout the 18 year. Another basic 19 is to find a study partner 20 it is possible
to identify difficulties, exchange ideas and provide support.
( )1. A. extending ( )2. A. attributing ( )3. A. assignments ( )4. A. suspects ( )5. A. without ( )6. A. what ( )7. A. teachers ( )8. A. prevent ( )9. A. effective ( )10. A. Because ( )11. A. enable ( )12. A. independently ( )13. A. evaluate ( )14. A. before ( )15. A. predict ( )16. A. to require ( )17. A. preventing ( )18. A. average ( )19. A. statement ( )20. A. in that | B. illustrating | C. performing | D. conducting |
阅读理解。 | |||
More teachers are starting off the school year with letters to parents and students to introduce themselves | |||
1. We may learn from the text that ______. | |||
A. most teachers are writing letters to parents and students B. the handbook is used to list supplies and give encouragement C. Peselli believe it important for teachers to exchange information with parents D. Peselli mainly introduces her background and teaching experiences in the letters | |||
2. The underlined word"it" in the fourth paragraph refers to _____. | |||
A. the handbook B. the requirement C. the school D. the letter | |||
3. We can infer from the last paragraph that ______. | |||
A. parents were satisfied with Peselli"s way of working B. Peselli means to surprise parents by writing students C. Peselli seemed to be popular among boy students D. all Peselli"s children are studying in high schools | |||
4. The purpose of the text is to ______. | |||
A. introduce an English teaching method B. give advice on how to teach students C. encourage teachers to keep in touch with parents D. show us how Dorothy Peselli makes teaching plans | |||
阅读理解。 | |||
Believe it or not, optical illusion (错觉) can cut highway crashes. | |||
1. The passage mainly discusses _______. | |||
A. a new way of highway speed control B. a new pattern for painting highways C. a new way of training drivers D. a new type of optical illusion | |||
2. On roads painted with chevrons, drivers tend to feel that _______. | |||
A. they should avoid speed-related hazards B. they are driving in the wrong lane C. they should slow down their speed D. they are coming near to the speed limit | |||
3. The advantage of chevrons over straight, horizontal bars is that the former _______. | |||
A. can keep drivers awake B. can cut road accidents in half C. will look more attractive D. will have a longer effect on drivers | |||
4. The American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety plans to _______. | |||
A. try out the Japanese method in certain areas B. change the road signs across the country C. replace straight, horizontal bars with chevrons D. repeat the Japanese road patterns | |||
阅读理解。 | |||
A new study in West Africa shows how farm irrigation systems powered by the sun can produce more food and money for villagers. The study in Benin found that solar-powered pumps are effective in supplying water, especially during the long dry season. Sub-Saharan Africa is the part of the world with the least food security. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more than one billion of the world"s people faced hunger last year. Around two hundred sixty-five million of them live south of the Sahara Desert. Lack of rainfall is one of their main causes of food shortages. Jennifer Burney from Stanford University in California led the study. The research team helped build three solar-powered irrigation systems in northern Benin.The solar-powered irrigation systems produced an average of nearly two metric tons of vegetables per month.They sold the surplus (过剩的) produce at local markets. The earnings greatly increased their ability to buy food during the dry season which can last six to nine months. People in the two villages with the systems were able to eat three to five more serving of vegetables per day. But making the surplus available at markets also had a wider effect.The study compared the villages with two others where women farmed with traditional methods like carrying water in buckets. The amount of vegetables eaten in those villages also increased, though not as much. The researchers note that only four percent of the cropland in sub-Saharan Africa is irrigated. Using solar power to pump water has higher costs at first. But the study says it can be more economical in the long term than using fuels like gasoline, diesel or kerosene. And solar power is environmentally friendly. | |||
1. People living in sub-Saharan Africa are short of food mainly because ______. | |||
A. it seldom rains there throughout the year B. there is little farmland in the area C.people there lack experience in farming D.people know nothing about irrigation techniques | |||
2. Which of the following is an advantage of Jennifer"s irrigation systems? | |||
A. They are not affected by the weather. B. They cost much less than traditional irrigation systems. C. They have no bad effects on the environment. D. They use less fuel than traditional irrigation systems. | |||
3. We can learn from the last paragraph that ______. | |||
A. people in South Africa will soon be provided with enough food B. the demand for fuels like gasoline will greatly decrease in Africa C. people in sub-Saharan Africa don"t take agriculture seriously D. it"s worthwhile to use the new irrigation systems on the whole | |||
4. People in the two villages owe all the following to Jennifer"s irrigation systems EXCEPT that ______. | |||
A. they could buy more food during the dry season B. they could eat more vegetables than usual every day C. they could supply local markets with vegetables D. they could provide people in other villages with food |