Polar bears live in the coldest environments on Earth-the Arctic. Called "ice bears" in many
European languages, polar bears depend on the ice that surrounds them for their survival. As the
Arctic climate changes and the ice slowly disappears, polar bears face an increasingly uncertain
future.
Polar bears impress us with their incredible size, power and ability to survive in the cold Arctic.
These giants can stand three meters tall and weigh over 500kg, and they spend their lives traveling
throughout the Arctic. Two layers of fur keep them warm. Interestingly,the hairs are hollow in order
to direct the sunlight straight to the skin. Undemeath their fur, polar bears have an
additional l0-cm-layer of fat.
Polar bears hunt ringed seals (环斑海豹), which live under the Arctic ice. They wait patiently
for hours beside holes in the ice pack (浮冰群) for seals to surface and breathe. Using their great
strength , the bears pull the heavy animals up onto the ice. The seals provide much of the fat the
bears need for warmth.
Since 2006 , polar bears have been labeled a vulnerable (脆弱的) species. Most experts feel
the threat to polar bears comes not from hunters or predators(食肉动物),but from the gradual melting
of Arctic ice. Due to global climate change, the Arctic region is getting warmer. Arctic ice is breaking
up earlier in the spring, and its area is decreasing.
Problems polar bears around Canada"s Hudson Bay are facing may indicate what lies ahead for
polar bears elsewhere. Hudson Bay is located at the southern limit of the polar bears" territory(领地) .
Currently,the ice there breaks up three weeks earlier in the spring than it did 20 years ago. Polar
bears on Hudson Bay fast during the summer,waiting for ice to form in the fall to hunt. Every year,the
Summer gets longer, and the bears get skinner. Over the past 25 years, the average weight of the
female bears has dropped 68kg. This loss affects their ability to reproduce, and already the number
of births has dropped 15% . Unless the bears can leam to survive global climate change, the giants
of the ice may one day disappear.
B. The warming climate and melting ice.
C. The reducing number of food resources.
D. The changing weather and new habitats.
B. polar bears" pattern of survival
C. brief information on polar bears
D. the types of polar bears
B. Polar bears feed mainly on ringed seals.
C. In winter polar bears live under water.
D. Polar bears travel beyond the Arctic in summer.
B. winter days are getting much longer
C. they have to give birth to more young
D. they have to wait longer before hunting
B. optimistic
C. hopeful
D. indifferent
People who may not drive every day but still want a car to run errands (差事)or drive on weekends
benefit most from car sharing. Car sharing is usually run by a service like Zipcar, though there are
non-profit (非营利的)and informal car sharing services. Members pay a monthly fee and have
access to an entire fleet of cars when they need one. The cars are parked in fixed spots around the city,
so members only need to make a reservation, and then go to the pickup spot.
Car sharing has major environmental benefits because it reduces the number of cars on the road.
Members don"t drive just because they are in a car. They plan trips, and if they don"t need a car, they
don"t use one. Still, a car is available to them if they need to make a big trip to the grocery store, pick
someone up at the airport or if they want to go to the beach for the day. Members also benefit by
having access to a car without any of the headaches of ownership. They usually don"t have to pay for the
gas, insurance or maintenance (保养), and the monthly membership fee is less than a typical car
payment. So if you really want to go green but aren’t ready to totally give up a car yet, car sharing may
be the way to go.
If you still need to get around, but want to go even greener than sharing a car, share a bus!
B. has become the best way to cut living costs
C. is becoming more and more popular in cities
D. is becoming popular both in urban and rural (乡村的)areas
B. Zipcar, different from other services, aims green driving with no profit
C. Zipcar is a company supplying car sharing service for a monthly payment
D. Zipcar is a company providing formal car sharing free
B. why car sharing benefits the environment
C. why car sharing is cheaper than owning a car
D. why a car is available to members
B. Car sharing can save you the headaches of ownership.
C. Bus sharing is even greener than car sharing.
D. Zipcar is the largest company offering car sharing services.
collection of evidence finds that people who are depressed have a greatly higher risk of developing
heart disease.
In a study of almost 3,000 men and 5,000 women, depressed men were 70 per cent more likely to
develop coronary (心脏的) heart disease than those who weren"t depressed. While depressed women
were just 12 per cent more likely to develop heart disease, those who were severely depressed were
78 per cent more likely. In fact, a 1998 study found that women who are depressed have a risk of dying
from heart disease equal to that of women who smoke or who have high blood pressure.
The link works the other way around, too: While about 1 in 20 American adults experience major
depression in a given year, that number jumps to about one in three among those who have survived a
heart attack.
The more severe the depression, the more dangerous it is to your health. But some studies suggest
that even mild depression, including feelings of hopelessness experienced over many years, may damage
the heart. Other studies suggest depression may affect how well heart disease medications work.
Researchers aren"t sure what the connection between depression and heart disease is, but theories exist.
One is that people who are depressed tend not to take very good care of themselves. They"re more
likely to eat high-fat, high-calorie "comfort" foods, less likely to exercise, and more likely to smoke. But
beyond lifestyle, there is probably also a physiological link between depression and heart disease.
Recent studies found that people with severe, depression tended to have a lack of heart-healthy 0-3
fatty acids. People who are depressed also often have high levels of stress hormones (荷尔蒙). These
keep the body primed for fight or flight, raising blood pressure and causing the heart to beat faster, all
of which put additional stress on coronary arteries (动脉) and prevent the body"s natural healing
mechanisms from working properly.
A whole branch of medicine is devoted to the complex links between mental health, the nervous
system, the hormone system and so on. This science is gradually sorting out how the mind-body
connection affects us, or defenses against heart disease.
Generally, an estimated 10 per cent of American adults experience some form of depression every
year. Although available treatments can ease symptoms in more than 80 per cent of people treated, less
than half of those with depression get the help they need.
B. Heart Disease — Health Killer.
C. Depression — Mental Health Enemy.
D. Heart Disease — Depression Factor.
B. Depression, which is mild, can possibly cause damage to your health.
C. Most people who experience depression get treated as they should be.
D. Depression may have some influence on the function of heart disease medication.
following EXCEPT ______
B. severe heart disease may cause people to feel hopeless and depressed
C. depression may result in the lack of some kind of acids, which probably affects the working of
people"s heart
D. people with depression often have a high level of stress hormones, maybe, which will put extra
pressure on one s heart
B. the percentage of adults with depression is higher than that of depressed adults with heart disease
C. one"s lifestyle has relatively little relationship with one"s mental health
D. those with depression have a higher risk of developing heart disease
B. 症状
C. 处方
D. 患者
consequences of the oil spills(泄露) on people, nature, and the environment.
Millions of dollars have been used in developing special chemicals to help dismiss the spills and to
clean up the animals, beaches, and land spoiled by the oil. Unfortunately, when many of these chemicals
are used, more damage is caused to the environment, especially to lives in the sea.
Of all today"s environmental disasters, an oil spill may actually be one of the least serious. Although oil
is poisonous, it is a natural material. In the end, it breaks down naturally. There are, of course, long-term
effects, but it is usually more serious in the short term.
Nature by itself works better than chemical materials, but when there is a spill, we demand that
governments act immediately with as much hi-tech knowledge as possible. In 1967 the tanker Torrey
Canyon sank off the Scilly Isles near the coast of England and spilled 120,000 tons of oil into the ocean.
If you go there today, you will find it hard to see any sign that it ever happened.
Governments seem to accept the risk of transporting millions of tons of oil by ship every day so that
we can fill up our cars and drive around and cause even more environmental damage. Interestingly, the
biggest companies in the world produce cars, and the next biggest supply the gasoline to make them run.
We should be thinking more about reducing our dependency on oil. Govern
-ments should be encouraging research into new technologies, such as cars run by solar power, electricity, hydrogen, and so on. Much of this research has, in the past, been held back by the oil, gas, and coal.
If the world"s millions of cars were 10% more efficient -and the industry could easily produce cars at
least twice as efficient, we would need many fewer tankers crossing the oceans each year. If this happened, the risks of oil spills would be reduced, and the air we breathe would be cleaner and fresher, too.
1. What is the passage mainly talking about?
A. Oil spills pollution.
B. What oil pollution is.
C. Oil tanker accidents.
D. How to reduce oil pollution.
2. How does the author support the idea that oil spills are not as serious as people believe?
A. By giving a description.
B. By making an argument.
C. By giving an example.
D. By drawing a diagram.
3. What does the underlined word "risk" in Paragraph 5 refer to?
A. Transportation depending more on oil.
B. Poisonous oil breaking down naturally.
C. Millions of tons of oil spilling into the sea.
D. More environmental damage being caused.
4. Which suggestion is made for reducing oil tank accidents according to the passage?
A. We should build safer tankers in the near future.
B. We should develop new technologies to cut oil use.
C. Tankers should not be allowed to sail near the coastlines.
D. Countries should build more oil pipelines under the sea.
but back pain. Back pain affects one in three British adults, cost the country over £5 billion every year
and is obviously difficult to treat.
But now Britain"s National Health Service (NHS) will be offering a new solution: acupuncture .
The ancient Chinese needle therapy has been around in the UK for many years, but for the first time it
has been officially supported by the NHS’ advisory body, the National Institute for Clinic Excellence (NICE).
Traditionally,doctors in the UK have advised back pain sufferers to stay active,do stretching exercises
and take painkillers when necessary. In more serious cases some people are given X-rays treatment or
injections with therapeutic substances.
NICE, however,says there is evidence that acupuncture may be more effective than expensive X-rays
or injections, to patients who have been s uffering for over six weeks should be given acupuncture
treatments.
As an alternative to acupuncture , patients will be able to choose either a course of spinal manipulation (脊柱推拿) or a series of special sessions.
In the UK, acupuncture is classified as a complementary (辅助的) therapy, which is the term given
to a medical procedure which hasn"t been subjected to the strict trials by which scientists prove some
treatment work.
While many experts have welcomed the move to make acupuncture available on the NHS, some are
still skeptical about its effectiveness.
Research from the US earlier this month found that simulated acupuncture using toothpicks which do
not pierce the skin could be as good as using real needles.
So while some are yet to be convinced, back pain sufferers will be hoping that acupuncture helps
them feel healthy and mobile again. Employers, on the other hand, will be hoping it gets them back to
work.
B. The largest cause of sick leave.
C. The ancient Chinese medicine.
D. Different ways to treat back pain.
B. To use the Chinese needle therapy
C. To take X-ray treatment or injections
D. To stay active and do stretching exercises
B. Patients taking acupuncture have to take a course of spinal manipulation.
C. Patients suffering back pain for a long time are more advised to use acupuncture.
D. Acupuncture costs less money and has lower effects than X-rays or injections
B. Some British don"t have trust in it
C. The main British treatment is very effective.
D. Its medical procedure hasn"t been strictly tested scientifically.
Earlier this month, the Obama Administration called for increasing protection of the world"s most
southern continent, Antarctica. Scientists say climate change and human activities have increasingly led
to the melting of massive pieces of Antarctic ice. The disappearance of ice will not only affect wildlife
in the area such as seals and penguins. The melting will also cause oceans and seas around the world
to rise.
This represents a major threat, especially to coastal areas. For example, the ancient city of Venice,
Italy has long been threatened by rising sea levels. The situation is made worse by the fact that its
ancient buildings, built on a body of water called a lagoon(淡水湖), are slowly sinking. When the city
was founded about 1,600 years ago, the level of the Adriatic Sea was almost two meters lower than it
is today.
Rising sea levels are not the only threat. The salty water is also destroying Venice"s famous buildings
and artworks. The Italian government is trying to fix the problem with the construction of a
seven-billion-dollar system of moving flood barriers.
Climate change is also leading to the melting of ice in other areas, such as Mount Kilimanjaro in
northeastern Tanzania. It is the highest point in Africa, measuring almost 6,000 meters. The mountain
supports five vegetation zones and many kinds of animals.
The ice glaciers on the mountain are disappearing very quickly. This will have a bad effect on the
mountain"s ecosystems and on Tanzania"s travel industry. Also, a valuable record of thousands of years
of weather history will also be lost if the ice melts. Scientists study pieces of glaciers to understand
weather patterns from thousands of years ago.
In the United States, the icy masses in Glacier National Park in Montana may soon completely
disappear because of climate change. In 1850, it is estimated that there were 150 glaciers in the more
than 400,000 hectare park.
There are 26 glaciers remaining today. Scientists estimate that the glaciers will be gone by 2030.
Warming temperatures are also threatening the many kinds of plants and animals that live in this mountain
ecosystem.
1. The writer developed the passage mainly by ______.
A. giving examples
B. listing reasons
C. making comparisons
D. using quotations
2. How many glaciers have disappeared since 1850 in Glacier National Park?
A. 150.
B. 26.
C. 400,000.
D. About 124.
3. According to the passage, what has been affected in Italy by rising sea levels?
A. Many kinds of plants and animals died out in Italy.
B. Venice"s famous buildings and artworks are being destroyed completely.
C. The ice glaciers on the mountain are disappearing very quickly.
D. Its ancient buildings could be drowned.
4. What could be the best title for the passage?
A. Climate Change
B. The Melting of Massive Pieces of Antarctic Ice
C. Visiting Endangered Places around the World
D. The disappearing of the Ice Glaciers
- 12011年12月的天空“好戏连台”,刚刚作别红月亮,美丽的流星雨又闪亮登场。对于这些天文奇观,科学家们早已作出了准确的预
- 2(理)已知ABCD是边长为4的正方形,E、F分别是AB、AD的中点,GC垂直于ABCD所在的平面,且GC=2,点B到平面
- 3下图是向MgCl2、AlCl3混合溶液中,先后加入试剂A、B时所得沉淀物质的量y(mol) 与试剂体积V(mL)间的关系
- 4(10分)阅读图文资料,分析回答:材料一:阿克苏冰糖心苹果产于新疆阿克苏温宿县,位于天山南麓,被称为新疆的“水果皇后”,
- 5在一张矩形的床单四周绣上宽度相等的花边,剩下部分面积为1.6m2,已知床单的长是2m,宽是1.4m,求花边的宽度.
- 6He likes challenges and he enjoys ________ new ideas. [
- 7CO2、BF3、CCl4都是非极性分子,NH3、H2S都是极性分子,由此推出ABn型分子是非极性分子的经验规律,正确的是
- 8完形填空。 I was coaching girls’track in Iowa and there was a
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- 10实验室选用下图所示装置,制取二氧化碳气体(混有氯化氢、水蒸气)和进行有关实验,请回答:(1)写出制取二氧化碳反应的化学方
- 1____do homework every day.[ ]A. The most studentsB. Most
- 2He’s fed the dog and the cat, _______?A.doesn’t heB.isn’t he
- 3国家重点工程“西气东输”给我市送来了清洁能源天然气。小明家月均消耗天然气10m3,若这些天然气完全燃烧放出的热量全部被水
- 4如图所示,一水平的浅色长传送带上放置一质量为m的煤块(可视为质点),煤块与传送带之间的动摩擦因数为μ。初始时,传送带与煤
- 5我们都有这样的生活经验,食品放置一段时间后就会腐败变质.这是细菌和真菌在食品中大量繁殖的结果.怎样才能在不影响食品的营养
- 6依次填入下列横线处的句子,与上下文衔接最恰当的一项是( )一眼看见那幅大地的水墨画,我还真有些忘情:________
- 7We have been in China three years. We like it very much.A
- 8乾隆皇帝曾对法国产生浓厚兴趣,打算派外交使团会见路易十六。这一计划最终付诸东流,原因可能是( ) A.法国爆发了大革
- 9我们学过了多种植物类群,将它们由简单到复杂按顺序排列是:______植物、______植物、______植物、_____
- 10He is Tony Brown, his family name is .[ ]A