共用题干
Narrow Escape
We had left the hut too late that morning. When we stepped outside,the sky beyond the mountains to our east was already livid with colour. It meant the day would be a hot one,and the warmth would loosen rocks that were gripped by ice.
As soon as we stepped out on to the face,it became obvious this was going to be an awkward route. The main problem was talus,the debris that collects on mountainsides. Talus is despised by mountaineers for two reasons. First,because it can easily be pushed off on to you by people climbing above. And second,because it makes every step you take insecure.
For about 30 minutes we moved steadily up the face. The rock was in poor condition, shattered horizontally and mazed with cracks. When I tried to haul myself up on a block of it,it would pull out towards me,like a drawer opening. My hands became progressively wetter and colder. Then came a shout.“Cailloux!Cailloux!”I heard yelled from above,in a female voice. The words echoed down towards us. I looked up to see where they had come from.
There were just two rocks at first,leaping and bounding down the face towards us,once cannoning off each other in mid-air. And then the air above suddenly seemed alive with falling rocks,humming through the air and filling it with noise. Crack,went each one as it leapt off the rock face,then hum-hum-hum as it moved through the air,then crack again. The pause between the cracks lengthened each time,as the rocks gained momentum and jumped further and further. I continued to gaze up at the rocks as they fell and skipped towards me. A boy who had been a few years above me at school had taught me never to look up during a rock fall.“Why?Because a rock in your face is far less pleasant than a rock on your helmet,”he told us.“Face in,always face in.”
I heard Toby,my partner on the mountain that day,shouting at me. I looked across. He was safe beneath an overhanging canopy of rock. I could not understand him. Then I felt a thump,and was tugged backwards and round,as though somebody had clamped a heavy hand on my shoulder and turned me to face them. A rock had hit the lid of my rucksack.
I looked up again. A rock was heading down straight towards me. Instinctively,I leant backwards and arched my back out from the rock to try to protect my chest. What about my fingers,though,I thought:they'll be crushed flat if it hits them,and I'll never get down. Then I heard a crack directly in front of me,and a tug at my trousers,and a yell from Toby. “Are you all right?That went straight through you.”The rock had pitched in front of me, and passed through the hoop of my body,between my legs,missing me but snatching at my clothing as it went.
Toby and I had spent the evening talking through the events of the morning:What if the big final stone hadn't leapt sideways,what if I'd been knocked off,would you have held me, would I have pulled you off?A more experienced mountaineer would probably have thought nothing of it.I knew I would not forget it.
What is sarcastic in the words of the boy in paragraph four?
A:He didn't keep his“face in”.
B: Not every climber wears a helmet.
C: It is very difficult not to look up during a rockfall.
D: Being hit by a rock isn't“pleasant”at all.
Narrow Escape
We had left the hut too late that morning. When we stepped outside,the sky beyond the mountains to our east was already livid with colour. It meant the day would be a hot one,and the warmth would loosen rocks that were gripped by ice.
As soon as we stepped out on to the face,it became obvious this was going to be an awkward route. The main problem was talus,the debris that collects on mountainsides. Talus is despised by mountaineers for two reasons. First,because it can easily be pushed off on to you by people climbing above. And second,because it makes every step you take insecure.
For about 30 minutes we moved steadily up the face. The rock was in poor condition, shattered horizontally and mazed with cracks. When I tried to haul myself up on a block of it,it would pull out towards me,like a drawer opening. My hands became progressively wetter and colder. Then came a shout.“Cailloux!Cailloux!”I heard yelled from above,in a female voice. The words echoed down towards us. I looked up to see where they had come from.
There were just two rocks at first,leaping and bounding down the face towards us,once cannoning off each other in mid-air. And then the air above suddenly seemed alive with falling rocks,humming through the air and filling it with noise. Crack,went each one as it leapt off the rock face,then hum-hum-hum as it moved through the air,then crack again. The pause between the cracks lengthened each time,as the rocks gained momentum and jumped further and further. I continued to gaze up at the rocks as they fell and skipped towards me. A boy who had been a few years above me at school had taught me never to look up during a rock fall.“Why?Because a rock in your face is far less pleasant than a rock on your helmet,”he told us.“Face in,always face in.”
I heard Toby,my partner on the mountain that day,shouting at me. I looked across. He was safe beneath an overhanging canopy of rock. I could not understand him. Then I felt a thump,and was tugged backwards and round,as though somebody had clamped a heavy hand on my shoulder and turned me to face them. A rock had hit the lid of my rucksack.
I looked up again. A rock was heading down straight towards me. Instinctively,I leant backwards and arched my back out from the rock to try to protect my chest. What about my fingers,though,I thought:they'll be crushed flat if it hits them,and I'll never get down. Then I heard a crack directly in front of me,and a tug at my trousers,and a yell from Toby. “Are you all right?That went straight through you.”The rock had pitched in front of me, and passed through the hoop of my body,between my legs,missing me but snatching at my clothing as it went.
Toby and I had spent the evening talking through the events of the morning:What if the big final stone hadn't leapt sideways,what if I'd been knocked off,would you have held me, would I have pulled you off?A more experienced mountaineer would probably have thought nothing of it.I knew I would not forget it.
What is sarcastic in the words of the boy in paragraph four?
A:He didn't keep his“face in”.
B: Not every climber wears a helmet.
C: It is very difficult not to look up during a rockfall.
D: Being hit by a rock isn't“pleasant”at all.
共用题干
Mad Scientist Stereotype Outdated
Do people still imagine a physicist as a bearded man in glasses or has the image of the mad scientist changed?The Institute of Physics set out to find out whether the stereotype of a physics boffin （科学家）still exists by conducting a survey on shoppers in London. The people were asked to identify the physicist from a photograph of a line-up of possible suspects.98 percent of those asked got it wrong. The majority of people picked a white male of around 60,wearing glasses and with a white beard.
While this stereotype may have been the image of all average physicist fifty years ago,the reality is now very different. Since 1960 the number of young women entering physics has doubled and the average age of a physicist is now 31.
The stereotype of the absent-minded scientist has lasted a long time because the media and Hollywood help promote the image of men in white lab coats with glasses sitting by blackboards full of equations（等式）or working with fizzing（嘶嘶响）test tubes. These stereotypes are really damaging to society.Very good school children are put off studying science because they don't see people like themselves on television or in magazines doing science.They simply don't relate to the media's image of the mad scientist.
This is one reason why fewer young people are choosing to do science at university. If we want to encourage more young people to study science subjects,we need to change this image of the scientist and make science careers more attractive. But we must also develop children's interest in science.
In an attempt to change this negative image,an increasing number of science festivals are being organized.Thousands of people from secondary schools are also encouraged to take part in the international science competitions of which the most popular are the national science Olympiads.Winning national teams then get the opportunity to take part in the International Science Olympiads which are held in a different country every year. These events are all interesting for the young people who take part but they only involve a small proportion of students who are already interested in science.It seems that there is a long way to go before science becomes attractive as subjects like computer studies or fashion and design.
More children will study science if it becomes more attractive.
A:Right
B:Wrong
C:Not mentioned
Mad Scientist Stereotype Outdated
Do people still imagine a physicist as a bearded man in glasses or has the image of the mad scientist changed?The Institute of Physics set out to find out whether the stereotype of a physics boffin （科学家）still exists by conducting a survey on shoppers in London. The people were asked to identify the physicist from a photograph of a line-up of possible suspects.98 percent of those asked got it wrong. The majority of people picked a white male of around 60,wearing glasses and with a white beard.
While this stereotype may have been the image of all average physicist fifty years ago,the reality is now very different. Since 1960 the number of young women entering physics has doubled and the average age of a physicist is now 31.
The stereotype of the absent-minded scientist has lasted a long time because the media and Hollywood help promote the image of men in white lab coats with glasses sitting by blackboards full of equations（等式）or working with fizzing（嘶嘶响）test tubes. These stereotypes are really damaging to society.Very good school children are put off studying science because they don't see people like themselves on television or in magazines doing science.They simply don't relate to the media's image of the mad scientist.
This is one reason why fewer young people are choosing to do science at university. If we want to encourage more young people to study science subjects,we need to change this image of the scientist and make science careers more attractive. But we must also develop children's interest in science.
In an attempt to change this negative image,an increasing number of science festivals are being organized.Thousands of people from secondary schools are also encouraged to take part in the international science competitions of which the most popular are the national science Olympiads.Winning national teams then get the opportunity to take part in the International Science Olympiads which are held in a different country every year. These events are all interesting for the young people who take part but they only involve a small proportion of students who are already interested in science.It seems that there is a long way to go before science becomes attractive as subjects like computer studies or fashion and design.
More children will study science if it becomes more attractive.
A:Right
B:Wrong
C:Not mentioned
共用题干
What Makes Me the Weight I Am?
There's no easy answer to this question.Your genetic makeup,the physical traits that get passed down to you from your parents,plays a big part in determining your size and weight. ______(46)But if your parents are smaller than average,you may want to rethink that professional basketball career!
The same goes for your body type.Have you ever heard someone say a person is"big boned"?It's a way of saying the person has a large frame,or skeleton.Big bones usually weigh more than small bones. ______(47) Like your height or body type,your genes have a lot to say about what your weight will be.But that's only part of the story.Being overweight can run in someone 's family , but it may not be because of their genes._______ (48 ) And even though some kids gain weight more easily than others , when they eat right and exercise , most kids can be a healthy and happy weight that's right for them.It's true the way you live can change the way you look.
How much you weigh is a balance between the calories you eat and the calories you use. ______(49)If you spend your free time watching TV, your body won' t use as many calories as it would if you played basketball,skated,or went for a walk.If you are in balance,your weight will stay right for you as you grow.But if you eat more and exercise less,you may become overweight.______(50)
______(48)
A:That's why it's possible for two kids with the same height but different weight,to both be the right weight.
B:If you eat more calories than your body needs to use,you will gain too much weight.
C:Poor eating and exercise habits also run in families and this may be the reason the members.of a family are overweight.
D:However , many overweight people have difficulty reaching their healthy body weight.
E:On the other hand, "you eat less and exercise more, you, may lose weight.
F:If both your parents are tall,there is a good chance you＇II be tall.
What Makes Me the Weight I Am?
There's no easy answer to this question.Your genetic makeup,the physical traits that get passed down to you from your parents,plays a big part in determining your size and weight. ______(46)But if your parents are smaller than average,you may want to rethink that professional basketball career!
The same goes for your body type.Have you ever heard someone say a person is"big boned"?It's a way of saying the person has a large frame,or skeleton.Big bones usually weigh more than small bones. ______(47) Like your height or body type,your genes have a lot to say about what your weight will be.But that's only part of the story.Being overweight can run in someone 's family , but it may not be because of their genes._______ (48 ) And even though some kids gain weight more easily than others , when they eat right and exercise , most kids can be a healthy and happy weight that's right for them.It's true the way you live can change the way you look.
How much you weigh is a balance between the calories you eat and the calories you use. ______(49)If you spend your free time watching TV, your body won' t use as many calories as it would if you played basketball,skated,or went for a walk.If you are in balance,your weight will stay right for you as you grow.But if you eat more and exercise less,you may become overweight.______(50)
______(48)
A:That's why it's possible for two kids with the same height but different weight,to both be the right weight.
B:If you eat more calories than your body needs to use,you will gain too much weight.
C:Poor eating and exercise habits also run in families and this may be the reason the members.of a family are overweight.
D:However , many overweight people have difficulty reaching their healthy body weight.
E:On the other hand, "you eat less and exercise more, you, may lose weight.
F:If both your parents are tall,there is a good chance you＇II be tall.
共用题干
Messages From the Media
1.The weather forecast,a story about the candidates in an election,and movie reviews are examples of messages from the media. A communication medium, of which the plural（复数的）form is media,is a means of communicating a message.Examples of media are television,radio,newspapers, books and the telephone.The media that can reach many people at once are called mass media.
2.It is not difficult to think of other messages we receive through the mass media. Every day we get hundreds of them. Think about advertisements,for example,we see and hear these messages almost everywhere we go.Advertisements are important messages,even though they are sometimes annoying. They help us compare and evaluate products.
3.Most of us get more information from the media than from the classroom. Think for a moment,about how you learn about local news and events.Do you depend on other people or the media?What about international news?What is the most important source of information for you? People who are asked this question usually answer,"Television".
4.Think of all the messages you received today.Perhaps you read a newspaper during break-fast,or maybe you read advertisements on billboards（露天广告牌）on your way to school. Did you listen to a weather forecast or the sports news on the radio this morning?Right now you are getting information through a very important medium of mass communication一a book.
5.We use the information we get from radio,television,newspapers,and other media to make decisions and form opinions.That is why the mass media are so important. Editorials and articles in newspapers help us decide how to vote,consumer reports on television help us decide how to spend our money,and international news on the radio makes us think and form opinions about questions of war and peace.
Paragraph 4______
A:Importance of Classroom Learning.
B:Television一A Rich Source of Information.
C:Advertisements as Important Messages from the Mass Media.
D:Various Messages One May Receive Each Day.
E:Media-Means to Communicate Messages.
F: Importance of the Mass Media.
Messages From the Media
1.The weather forecast,a story about the candidates in an election,and movie reviews are examples of messages from the media. A communication medium, of which the plural（复数的）form is media,is a means of communicating a message.Examples of media are television,radio,newspapers, books and the telephone.The media that can reach many people at once are called mass media.
2.It is not difficult to think of other messages we receive through the mass media. Every day we get hundreds of them. Think about advertisements,for example,we see and hear these messages almost everywhere we go.Advertisements are important messages,even though they are sometimes annoying. They help us compare and evaluate products.
3.Most of us get more information from the media than from the classroom. Think for a moment,about how you learn about local news and events.Do you depend on other people or the media?What about international news?What is the most important source of information for you? People who are asked this question usually answer,"Television".
4.Think of all the messages you received today.Perhaps you read a newspaper during break-fast,or maybe you read advertisements on billboards（露天广告牌）on your way to school. Did you listen to a weather forecast or the sports news on the radio this morning?Right now you are getting information through a very important medium of mass communication一a book.
5.We use the information we get from radio,television,newspapers,and other media to make decisions and form opinions.That is why the mass media are so important. Editorials and articles in newspapers help us decide how to vote,consumer reports on television help us decide how to spend our money,and international news on the radio makes us think and form opinions about questions of war and peace.
Paragraph 4______
A:Importance of Classroom Learning.
B:Television一A Rich Source of Information.
C:Advertisements as Important Messages from the Mass Media.
D:Various Messages One May Receive Each Day.
E:Media-Means to Communicate Messages.
F: Importance of the Mass Media.
共用题干
Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as“Ecosystem Engineers”
Research by the University of Exeter has revealed that ants have a big impact on their local environment as a result of their activity as“ecosystem engineers”and predators. The study,published in the Journal of Animal Ecology,found that ants have two distinct effects on their local environment.
Firstly,through moving of soil by nest building activity and by collecting food they af-fect the level of nutrients in the soil. This can indirectly impact the local populations of many animal groups,from decomposers to species much higher up the food chain.
Secondly,they prey on a wide range of other animals,including larger prey which can be attacked by vast numbers of ant workers.
Dirk Sanders,an author of the study from the university's Centre for Ecology and Con-servation,said:“Ants are very effective predators which thrive in huge numbers. They're al-so very territorial and very aggressive,defending their resources and territory against other predators. All of this means they have a strong influence on their surrounding area.”
“In this research,we studied for the first time how big this impact is and the subtleties of it. What we found is that despite being predators,their presence can also lead to an increase in density and diversity of other animal groups. They genuinely play a key role in the local environment,having a big influence on the grassland food web,”Sanders said.
The study,carried out in Germany,studied the impact of the presence of different combinations and densities of black garden ants and common red ants,both species which can be found across Europe,including in the UK.It found that a low density of ants in an area increased the diversity and density of other animals in the local area,particularly the density of herbivores and decomposers. At higher densities ants had no or the opposite effect,showing that predation is counteracting the positive influence.
Dr Frank van Veen,another author on the study,said:“What we find is that the impact of ants on soil nutrient levels has a positive effect on animal groups at low levels,but as the number of ants increases,their predatory impacts have the bigger effect一thereby counteracting the positive influence via ecosystem engineering.”
Ants are important components of ecosystems not only because they constitute a great part of the animal biomass but also because they act as ecosystem engineers. Ant biodiversity is incredibly high and these organisms are highly responsive to human impact,which obviously reduces its richness. However,it is not clear how such disturbance damages the maintenance of ant services to the ecosystem. Ants are important in below ground processes through the alteration of the physical and chemical environment and through their effects on plants,microorganisms,and other soil organisms.
As predators,ants______.
A:prey on small as well as large animals
B: collect nutritious food from the soil
C: collect food as decomposers
D: prey on species much higher up the food chain
Ants Have Big Impact on Environment as“Ecosystem Engineers”
Research by the University of Exeter has revealed that ants have a big impact on their local environment as a result of their activity as“ecosystem engineers”and predators. The study,published in the Journal of Animal Ecology,found that ants have two distinct effects on their local environment.
Firstly,through moving of soil by nest building activity and by collecting food they af-fect the level of nutrients in the soil. This can indirectly impact the local populations of many animal groups,from decomposers to species much higher up the food chain.
Secondly,they prey on a wide range of other animals,including larger prey which can be attacked by vast numbers of ant workers.
Dirk Sanders,an author of the study from the university's Centre for Ecology and Con-servation,said:“Ants are very effective predators which thrive in huge numbers. They're al-so very territorial and very aggressive,defending their resources and territory against other predators. All of this means they have a strong influence on their surrounding area.”
“In this research,we studied for the first time how big this impact is and the subtleties of it. What we found is that despite being predators,their presence can also lead to an increase in density and diversity of other animal groups. They genuinely play a key role in the local environment,having a big influence on the grassland food web,”Sanders said.
The study,carried out in Germany,studied the impact of the presence of different combinations and densities of black garden ants and common red ants,both species which can be found across Europe,including in the UK.It found that a low density of ants in an area increased the diversity and density of other animals in the local area,particularly the density of herbivores and decomposers. At higher densities ants had no or the opposite effect,showing that predation is counteracting the positive influence.
Dr Frank van Veen,another author on the study,said:“What we find is that the impact of ants on soil nutrient levels has a positive effect on animal groups at low levels,but as the number of ants increases,their predatory impacts have the bigger effect一thereby counteracting the positive influence via ecosystem engineering.”
Ants are important components of ecosystems not only because they constitute a great part of the animal biomass but also because they act as ecosystem engineers. Ant biodiversity is incredibly high and these organisms are highly responsive to human impact,which obviously reduces its richness. However,it is not clear how such disturbance damages the maintenance of ant services to the ecosystem. Ants are important in below ground processes through the alteration of the physical and chemical environment and through their effects on plants,microorganisms,and other soil organisms.
As predators,ants______.
A:prey on small as well as large animals
B: collect nutritious food from the soil
C: collect food as decomposers
D: prey on species much higher up the food chain
共用题干
Step Back in Time Do you know that we live a lot longer now than the people who were born before us?One hundred years ago the average woman lived to be 45 .But now,she can live until at least 80. One of the main reasons for people living longer is that we know how to look after ourselves better. We know which foods are good for US and what we have to eat to make sure our bodies get all the healthy things they need.We know why we sometimes get ill and what to do to get better a-gain .And we know how important it is to do lots of exercise to keep our hearts beating healthily. But in order that we don't slip back into bad habits,let's have a look at what life was like 100 years ago. Families had between 15 and 20 children,although many babies didn't live long. Children suffered from lots of diseases, especially rickets (佝偻病）and scurvy（坏血病）,which are both caused by bad diets.This is because many families were very poor and not able to feed their chil-dren well. Really poor families who lived in crowded cities like London and Manchester often slept standing up,bending over a piece of string,because there was no room for them to lie down. People didn't have fridges until the 1920s.They kept fresh food cold by storing it on window-sills（窗台板）,blocks of ice , or even burying it in the garden. Some children had to start work at the age of seven or eight to earn money for their parents. If you had lived 100 years ago, you might well be selling matchsticks（火柴杆）(a job done by many children) or working with your dad by now.
People now enjoy longer lives for unknown reasons.
A: Right
B:Wrong
C: Not mentioned
Step Back in Time Do you know that we live a lot longer now than the people who were born before us?One hundred years ago the average woman lived to be 45 .But now,she can live until at least 80. One of the main reasons for people living longer is that we know how to look after ourselves better. We know which foods are good for US and what we have to eat to make sure our bodies get all the healthy things they need.We know why we sometimes get ill and what to do to get better a-gain .And we know how important it is to do lots of exercise to keep our hearts beating healthily. But in order that we don't slip back into bad habits,let's have a look at what life was like 100 years ago. Families had between 15 and 20 children,although many babies didn't live long. Children suffered from lots of diseases, especially rickets (佝偻病）and scurvy（坏血病）,which are both caused by bad diets.This is because many families were very poor and not able to feed their chil-dren well. Really poor families who lived in crowded cities like London and Manchester often slept standing up,bending over a piece of string,because there was no room for them to lie down. People didn't have fridges until the 1920s.They kept fresh food cold by storing it on window-sills（窗台板）,blocks of ice , or even burying it in the garden. Some children had to start work at the age of seven or eight to earn money for their parents. If you had lived 100 years ago, you might well be selling matchsticks（火柴杆）(a job done by many children) or working with your dad by now.
People now enjoy longer lives for unknown reasons.
A: Right
B:Wrong
C: Not mentioned
He shifted his position a little,in order to alleviate the pain in his leg.
A:control
B:ease
C:experience
D:suffer
A:control
B:ease
C:experience
D:suffer
共用题干
Promising Resnlts from Cancer Study
A new experimental vaccine（疫苗）has shown promising results in the fight against lung cancer.In a small Texas-based study,a vaccine developed by scientists at Baylor University Medical Centre in Dallas,USA,cured lung cancer in some patients and slowed the progress of the disease in others.
Researchers have reported encouraging findings from this small study.Forty一three patients suffering from lung cancer were involved in these trials.Ten of these patients were in the early stages and thirty-three in tho advanced stages of the disease.They were injected with the vaccine every two weeks for three months,and were carefully monitored for three years.In three of the patients in the advanced stages of cancer,the disease disappeared and in the others,it did not spread for five to twenty-four months.However,no great difference was seen in the patients in the early stages of the illness.
This new vaccine uses the patient's own immune system.It is made specifically for each patient and is injected into the arm or leg.It stimulates（刺激）the body's immune system, which then recognizes that the cancer cells are harmful,and attacks and destroys them.
The vaccine could be effective against other forms of cancer.It offers great hope for the treatment of cancer in general,although further studies are needed before such treatment can be widely used.
The vaccine may be useful for treating other cancers.
A:Right
B:Wrong
C:Not mentioned
Promising Resnlts from Cancer Study
A new experimental vaccine（疫苗）has shown promising results in the fight against lung cancer.In a small Texas-based study,a vaccine developed by scientists at Baylor University Medical Centre in Dallas,USA,cured lung cancer in some patients and slowed the progress of the disease in others.
Researchers have reported encouraging findings from this small study.Forty一three patients suffering from lung cancer were involved in these trials.Ten of these patients were in the early stages and thirty-three in tho advanced stages of the disease.They were injected with the vaccine every two weeks for three months,and were carefully monitored for three years.In three of the patients in the advanced stages of cancer,the disease disappeared and in the others,it did not spread for five to twenty-four months.However,no great difference was seen in the patients in the early stages of the illness.
This new vaccine uses the patient's own immune system.It is made specifically for each patient and is injected into the arm or leg.It stimulates（刺激）the body's immune system, which then recognizes that the cancer cells are harmful,and attacks and destroys them.
The vaccine could be effective against other forms of cancer.It offers great hope for the treatment of cancer in general,although further studies are needed before such treatment can be widely used.
The vaccine may be useful for treating other cancers.
A:Right
B:Wrong
C:Not mentioned
We are happy to report that business is booming this year.
A:risky
B:successful
C:failing
D:open
A:risky
B:successful
C:failing
D:open
Many of Carson McCuller's characters are isolated，disappointed people.
A: solitary
B: gloomy
C: feeble
D: frugal
A: solitary
B: gloomy
C: feeble
D: frugal
共用题干
第三篇
Egypt Felled by Famine
Even ancient Egypt's mighty pyramid builders were powerless in the face of the famine that helped
bring down their civilization around 2180 BC. Now evidence gleaned（搜集）from mud deposited by the River
Nile suggests that a shift in climate thousands of kilometers to the south was ultimately to blame一and the
same or worse could happen today.
The ancient Egyptians depended on the Nile's annual floods to irrigate their crops.But any change in
climate that pushed the African monsoons（季风）southwards out of Ethiopia would have diminished these
floods.
Dwindling（逐渐变少；使变少）rains in the Ethiopian highlands would have meant fewer plants to
establish the soil.When rain did fall it would have washed large amounts of soil into the Blue Nile and into
Egypt,along with sediment（沉积；沉积物）from the White Nile.
The Blue Nile mud has a different isotope（同位素；核素）signature from that of the White Nile. So by
analyzing isotope differences in mud deposited in the Nile Delta,Michael Krom of Leeds University worked
out what proportion of sediment came from each branch of the river.
Krom reasons that during periods of drought,the amount of the Blue Nile mud in the river would be
relatively high.He found that one of these periods,from 4,500 to 4,200 years ago,immediately predated the
fall of the Egypt's old Kingdom.
The weakened waters would have been catastrophic for the Egyptians."Changes that affect food supply
don't have to be very large to have a ripple effect in societies,"says Bill Ryan of the Lamont Doherty Earth
Observatory（天文台）in New York.
"Similar events today could be even more devastating,"says team member Daniel Stanley,a
geoarchaeologist（地质考古学家）from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington , D. C. " Anything humans
do to shift the climate belts would have an even worse effect along the Nile system because the populations
have increased dramatically."
Why does the author mention"pyramid builders"?
A:Because they once worked miracles.
B:Because they were well-built.
C:Because they were actually very weak.
D:Because even they were unable to rescue their civilization.
第三篇
Egypt Felled by Famine
Even ancient Egypt's mighty pyramid builders were powerless in the face of the famine that helped
bring down their civilization around 2180 BC. Now evidence gleaned（搜集）from mud deposited by the River
Nile suggests that a shift in climate thousands of kilometers to the south was ultimately to blame一and the
same or worse could happen today.
The ancient Egyptians depended on the Nile's annual floods to irrigate their crops.But any change in
climate that pushed the African monsoons（季风）southwards out of Ethiopia would have diminished these
floods.
Dwindling（逐渐变少；使变少）rains in the Ethiopian highlands would have meant fewer plants to
establish the soil.When rain did fall it would have washed large amounts of soil into the Blue Nile and into
Egypt,along with sediment（沉积；沉积物）from the White Nile.
The Blue Nile mud has a different isotope（同位素；核素）signature from that of the White Nile. So by
analyzing isotope differences in mud deposited in the Nile Delta,Michael Krom of Leeds University worked
out what proportion of sediment came from each branch of the river.
Krom reasons that during periods of drought,the amount of the Blue Nile mud in the river would be
relatively high.He found that one of these periods,from 4,500 to 4,200 years ago,immediately predated the
fall of the Egypt's old Kingdom.
The weakened waters would have been catastrophic for the Egyptians."Changes that affect food supply
don't have to be very large to have a ripple effect in societies,"says Bill Ryan of the Lamont Doherty Earth
Observatory（天文台）in New York.
"Similar events today could be even more devastating,"says team member Daniel Stanley,a
geoarchaeologist（地质考古学家）from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington , D. C. " Anything humans
do to shift the climate belts would have an even worse effect along the Nile system because the populations
have increased dramatically."
Why does the author mention"pyramid builders"?
A:Because they once worked miracles.
B:Because they were well-built.
C:Because they were actually very weak.
D:Because even they were unable to rescue their civilization.
We live for years in a perpetual state of fear.
A: emotional
B: nervous
C: terrible
D: continuous
A: emotional
B: nervous
C: terrible
D: continuous
The drinking water has become contaminated with lead.
A:polluted
B:treated
C:tested
D:corrupted
A:polluted
B:treated
C:tested
D:corrupted
共用题干
Trying to Find a Partner
One of the most striking findings of a recent poii in the UK is that of the people interviewed, one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with.
Why are many finding it increasingly difficult to start and sustain intimate relationships?
Does modern life really make it harder to , fall in love?Or are we making it harder for ourselves?
It is certainly the case today that contemporary couples benefit in different ways from relationships.Women no longer rely upon partners for economic security or status.A man doesn't expect his spouse to be in sole charge of running his household and raising his children.
But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence.
In theory,finding a partner should be much simpler these days.Only a few generations ago, your choice of soulmate（心上人）was constrained by geography , social convention and family tradition .Although it was never explicit,many marriages were essentially arranged.
Now those barriers have been broken down.You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening. When the world is your oyster（牡砺）,you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl.
But it seems that the old conventions have been replaced by an even tighter constraint:the tyranny of choice.
The expectations of partners are inflated to an unmanageable degree:good looks,impressive salary,kind to grandmother,and right socks.There is no room for error in the first impression.
We think that a relationship can be perfect. If it isn't,it is disposable.We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and don't put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship.Of course,this is complicated by realities.The cost of housing and child-rearing creates pressure to have a stable income and career before a life partnership.
Which of the following is NOT true about a contemporary married couple?
A: The wife doesn't have to raise the children all by herself.
B: The husband doesn't have to support the family all by himself.
C: The wife is no longer the only person to manage the household.
D: They will receive a large sum of money from the government.
Trying to Find a Partner
One of the most striking findings of a recent poii in the UK is that of the people interviewed, one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with.
Why are many finding it increasingly difficult to start and sustain intimate relationships?
Does modern life really make it harder to , fall in love?Or are we making it harder for ourselves?
It is certainly the case today that contemporary couples benefit in different ways from relationships.Women no longer rely upon partners for economic security or status.A man doesn't expect his spouse to be in sole charge of running his household and raising his children.
But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence.
In theory,finding a partner should be much simpler these days.Only a few generations ago, your choice of soulmate（心上人）was constrained by geography , social convention and family tradition .Although it was never explicit,many marriages were essentially arranged.
Now those barriers have been broken down.You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening. When the world is your oyster（牡砺）,you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl.
But it seems that the old conventions have been replaced by an even tighter constraint:the tyranny of choice.
The expectations of partners are inflated to an unmanageable degree:good looks,impressive salary,kind to grandmother,and right socks.There is no room for error in the first impression.
We think that a relationship can be perfect. If it isn't,it is disposable.We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and don't put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship.Of course,this is complicated by realities.The cost of housing and child-rearing creates pressure to have a stable income and career before a life partnership.
Which of the following is NOT true about a contemporary married couple?
A: The wife doesn't have to raise the children all by herself.
B: The husband doesn't have to support the family all by himself.
C: The wife is no longer the only person to manage the household.
D: They will receive a large sum of money from the government.
共用题干
Earth's Inner Core
Scientists have long struggled to understand what lies at the planet's center.Direct
observation of its center is impossible,so researchers must_________(1)to other evidence.
In 1889,a German scientist detected a severe earthquake in Japan.Geophysicists
concluded that shock waves_________(2) jolts（晃动）from one side of Earth through
the center to the other side.Then in 1936,Danish geophysicist lnge Lehmann studied the
waves' __________ (3) to determine that within Earth's core of molten（熔化了的）iron
lies a solid inner core一but_________(4) that core was made of eluded（难倒）her.
Other geophysicists quickly determined that Lehmann's inner core was composed mostly
_________(5) iron.Since then,Lehmann's discovery has _________(6)
conventional Earth science.
But now scientists are challenging traditional theory with new and radical_________
(7).For example,Earth's center could actually contain an"inner core within the inner
core."claim lshii and colleague Adam Dziewonski.
Analyzing hundreds of thousands of earthquake wave _________(8),they
maintain that the inner core has at its heart a tiny, even more solid sphere（球体）.This
sphere"may be the oldest fossil_________(9)from the formation of Earth,"says Dziewonski.
Dziewonski and Ishii speculate that shortly _________(10)Earth formed around
4.8 billion years ago,a giant asteroid（小行星）smashed into the young planet and nearly
melted it.But Earth's center didn't quite melt;it_________(11)mass as the planet
cooled. The core within a core may be the kernel（核心）that endured. " Its presence
could change our basic ideas about the_________(12)of the planet,"Dziewonski
says.
Dziewonski's idea is tame（温和的）compared to the_________( 13 ) theories of
independent geophysicist J. Marvin Herndon.Earth's inner core is made not of iron,he
claims,but a_________(14)of nickel and silicon.Herndon has a truly revolutionary
notion : Within the nickel silicide（硅化物）inner core is also an "inner" inner core一an
8km-wide ball of the element uranium.Uranium is radioactive.Herndon thinks the uranium
releases heat energy as its atoms_________(15)fission-split and crash into one
another in a chain reaction.In other words,we may live on top of a gigantic, "natural"
nuclear power plant.
_________(4)
A:whether
B:what
C:why
D:how
Earth's Inner Core
Scientists have long struggled to understand what lies at the planet's center.Direct
observation of its center is impossible,so researchers must_________(1)to other evidence.
In 1889,a German scientist detected a severe earthquake in Japan.Geophysicists
concluded that shock waves_________(2) jolts（晃动）from one side of Earth through
the center to the other side.Then in 1936,Danish geophysicist lnge Lehmann studied the
waves' __________ (3) to determine that within Earth's core of molten（熔化了的）iron
lies a solid inner core一but_________(4) that core was made of eluded（难倒）her.
Other geophysicists quickly determined that Lehmann's inner core was composed mostly
_________(5) iron.Since then,Lehmann's discovery has _________(6)
conventional Earth science.
But now scientists are challenging traditional theory with new and radical_________
(7).For example,Earth's center could actually contain an"inner core within the inner
core."claim lshii and colleague Adam Dziewonski.
Analyzing hundreds of thousands of earthquake wave _________(8),they
maintain that the inner core has at its heart a tiny, even more solid sphere（球体）.This
sphere"may be the oldest fossil_________(9)from the formation of Earth,"says Dziewonski.
Dziewonski and Ishii speculate that shortly _________(10)Earth formed around
4.8 billion years ago,a giant asteroid（小行星）smashed into the young planet and nearly
melted it.But Earth's center didn't quite melt;it_________(11)mass as the planet
cooled. The core within a core may be the kernel（核心）that endured. " Its presence
could change our basic ideas about the_________(12)of the planet,"Dziewonski
says.
Dziewonski's idea is tame（温和的）compared to the_________( 13 ) theories of
independent geophysicist J. Marvin Herndon.Earth's inner core is made not of iron,he
claims,but a_________(14)of nickel and silicon.Herndon has a truly revolutionary
notion : Within the nickel silicide（硅化物）inner core is also an "inner" inner core一an
8km-wide ball of the element uranium.Uranium is radioactive.Herndon thinks the uranium
releases heat energy as its atoms_________(15)fission-split and crash into one
another in a chain reaction.In other words,we may live on top of a gigantic, "natural"
nuclear power plant.
_________(4)
A:whether
B:what
C:why
D:how