While nature lovers across the world wish all humans to realize the significance of their natural surroundings ,many Australians are turning caring for the environment into a way of life.
Julie Astonis ,an Australian housewife in Brisbane is one such example, Even though autumn is approaching Australia’s Brisbane in April, one can still watch colorful blooming （盛開(kāi)的）flowers in Julie’s little garden, as she tells that in her community, “Each of us has a beautiful yard, The whole community, from children to elderly people, takes care of the environment as if they are taking care of their own garden.”
“Gardening is the most popular club in our community,”she says, “A lot of retired people don’t just regularly organize gardening lectures, but also personally visit families in the community to provide gardening training , So you can see that flowers continue to bols-som in our gardens throughout the year.”
Talking about her people’s sense of care for the environment, Julie says when people in the community take along their dog, they always carry a garbage bag to deal with the dog’s waste, “In our community ,you will never experience the embarrassment of stepping on the dirty waste while you are walking on the grass,”says Julie with a smile,“Taking care of the dog’s waste can also help to develop children’s sense of responsibility!”
As to protecting water resources , the Australian government has made strict rules for families, Julie says, “We certainly would not use tap water to water the flowers!”She ways almost every family in her community has a huge tank used to store rainwater, which is later used as the resource of all outdoor water use, connect the water tank with their toilets.
小題1:From the first three paragraphs we learn that      .

A．gardening is popular in most part of Australia

B．April is a great time for people to enjoy flowers

C．it’s not easy to keep a garden without proper training

D．Julie’s community has a deep sense of caring for nature

小題2:Which of the following about Julie is true?

A．She takes pride in her community.

B．She once stepped on a dog’s waste.

C．She is quite in favor of raising a dog.

D．She finds it embarrassing to walk on the grass.

小題3:From what Julie says in the last paragraph, we know _________.

A．rainwater is not the best resource

B．her community owns a public tank

C．her community makes full use of resources

D．it is not necessary to water flowers very often

小題4:How many examples are given to show the caring for the environment in Australia?

A．Two

B．Three

C．Four

D．Five

小題5:What would be the best title for the passage?

A．Love nature, the Australian way	B．How Australians save resources
C．How Australians lead their life	D．Protect nature, a must of life

Electrical devices（儀器）could soon use power make by human energy, Scientists say they have developed an experimental device that produces electricity from the physical movement of a person walking , British scientist Max Donelan and other scientists in Canada and the United States developed the device.
The device connects to a person’s knee, As the person walks, the device captures energy each time the person slows down, To do this ,the device helps with the slowing sown movement of the leg, The movements of the walking person push parts of a small machine that produces electricity, Using the device, an adult walking quickly could produce thirteen watts of electricity in just a minute, Donelan says walking at that speed could produce enough power to operate a laptop computer for six minutes.
There are several possible uses for the device ,Developers say it could help people who work in areas without electricity to operate small computers, The deice could also be used in hospitals to operate heart pacemakers（起博器）,It could even be used to assist in the movement of robotic arms and legs.
The experimental version of the device weighs about one and a half kilograms, but it is too costly for most people to buy, But the researchers hope to make a lighter, less costly version.An improved version should be ready in one year.
The developers hope the device will one day help developing countries, Nearly twenty five percent of people around the world live without electric power.
A similar product was invented in 2005 by Larry Rome of the University of Pennsylvania,He created a bag carried on a person’s back that also produces power from walking, The knee device does not produce as much electricity as the bag ,But the bag requires the walker to carry a load of twenty to thirty kilograms.
小題1:The second paragraph mainly talks about       .

A．who developed the device

B．how the device works

C．several possible uses for the devices

D．how much electricity the device can produce

小題2:What is the disadvantage of the experimental version of the device?

A．It is too heavy for the walker to bear

B．It is too complex for people to use

C．It is too expensive for most people to afford

D．It will slow down one’s walking speed.

小題3:Compared with the device designed by Larry Rome ,this new device       .

A．produces power without adding more loads to the walker

B．can produce more power in a much shorter time

C．needs to be equipped with a battery

D．can help the walker walk faster

小題4:From the passage, we can learn that the electrical device can       .

A．help housewives operate the washing machine

B．make it much easier for us to go online

C．produce more electricity than that invented by Larry Rome

D．be applied in medicine to operate heart pacemakers

小題5:What would be the best title for the passage?

A．First device powered by walking will soon be on the market

B．Advanced technology brings in a new way to operate heart pacemakers

C．Device gives new meaning to the idea of power walking

D．Human energy will become a main source of electricity

Conservationists have unveiled plans to preserve and protect the world's most important species of coral, in a response to increasing threats that they say will lead to "functional extinction" within decades．
Led by scientists at the Zoological Society of London, the Edge Coral Reefs project has identified 10 coral species in most urgent risk of becoming extinct．The scientists say that reefs are under pressure from a variety of threats including rising sea temperatures due to climatic instability, increased acidity（酸性）, overfishing and pollution．
The Edge plan, which focuses on the most evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species , will take a regional approach to conservation．This means focusing on the "coral triangle" around the Philippines, the West Indian Ocean around the Mozambique channel, and in the Caribbean channel．
"Coral reefs are threatened with functional extinction in the next 20-50 years, due predominantly to global climatic instability," said Catherine Head, coordinator of the reefs project．"In these regions, we'll be supporting and training in-country conservationists to carry out research and implement targeted conservation actions," she said．"Their projects will last initially for two years．We provide them with a whole host of tools to carry out their projects including funding and intensive training．" She added．
Coral reefs are the planet's most diverse marine ecosystem（生態(tài)系統(tǒng)）, known as the rainforests of the oceans．Despite taking up under 0．2% of the ocean floor, they provide food and shelter for almost a third of all sea life．If we lose the ecosystems, we lose not only the biodiversity （生物多樣性）, but we also lose the capability of people to obtain income and food from coral reefs．
Climatic instability, which leads to rising sea temperatures, causes corals to bleach．Bleaching occurs when sea temperatures rise and this causes the coral tissue to expel their symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae - these are what give the coral their colour．Bleached corals often die if the stress continues．Among the 10 species chosen to start the Edge project are the pearl bubble coral, a food source for the hawksbill（玳瑁）turtle, and the Mushroom coral, which supports at least 15 brightly colored fish．
小題1:What does the first paragraph mean in the passage ?

A．Conservationists planned to preserve and protect some extinct corals years ago．

B．Conservationists have banned plans to protect endangered corals for years．

C．Conservationists are going to protect corals that are dying out in several ten years．

D．Conservationists have made plans to protect corals from being extinct in ten years．

小題2:What will probably happen to coral species with the increasing threats?

A．Decrease．	B．Losing functions
C．Disappearance．	D．Existence

小題3:Which of the following statements about the Edge Plan is TRUE?

A．The Edge Coral Reefs project was carried out by American scientists．

B．The plan concentrates on the channels to protect the endangered species．

C．The Conservationists have carried out the Edge plan for many years to protect the corals．

D．Ten coral species chosen by the project are at the greatest risk of becoming extinct．

小題4:Which of the following will be the consequence of coral extinction in the passage?

A．We will keep the balance of the marine ecosystems．

B．About one third of the marine species can't survive．

C．Man can benefit more from corals．

D．We will lose the rainforests on our earth．

小題5:What is the best title of the passage?

A．Climatic Instability and Coral Extinction

B．Reasons for Coral Functional Extinction．

C．A Plan to Save Coral from Extinction

D．A Research about Endangered Coral Reefs．

When Geoff Marcy was 14, his parents bought him a telescope. Every night, he would go onto the roof outside his window to see the wonders of the sky.
“What excited me most was whether there were planets in other solar systems where life might exist,” he says. “I decided to try to find planets orbiting other stars like our Sun.”
And he did. “My fellow researcher, Paul Butler, and I found our first planet in 1995,” Dr. Marcy says. “We worked for ten years without finding anything! But we stuck with it and our patience paid off.”
Since then, the two scientists have discovered 65 of the more than 100 planets found orbiting other stars. Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler also spotted the first “family” of three planets. In June 2002 they announced another discovery: a Jupiter-like planet orbiting star 55Cancri.
At first, the two researchers found only planets that orbit close to stars. Recently, the scientists found planets farther out. The planet orbiting 55Cancri is a major breakthrough: it is the first sighting of a large gas planet about same distance from the star as Jupiter is from the Sun.
Why is this important ? Scientists think that life on Earth may exist because of two special features in our solar system. The first is Jupiter.
“Because it’s so big, Jupiter pulls comets and asteroids(小行星), or they all come and hit the Earth.” Dr. Marcy explains. “Without Jupiter , life on Earth would likely have been destroyed.”
A second feature is that Earth is a rocky planet where liquid water, which is necessary for life , can exist. Unlike gas planets, rocky planets like Earth have surfaces where water can gather in pools and seas, which may support life. A huge space exists between the Jupiter-like planet and two other planets that lie close to 55Cancri. Is there an Earth-like planet in the space, too small for us to notice? If so, says Dr. Marcy, “We would have two striking similarities to our solar system: a Jupiter-like planet and an Earth-like planet. And there may be life!”
小題1:What can we learn about Dr. Marcy from the passage?

A．He is fond of watching Jupiter.

B．He is from a scientist family.

C．He dislikes working with Paul Butler.

D．He is interested in finding life in outer space.

小題2:Which of the following is true of the recent discovery?

A．The planet is not as protective as Jupiter.

B．The planet is close to star 55Cancri.

C．The planet proves to be a gas planet.

D．The planet is as large as Jupiter.

小題3:Dr. Marcy and Dr. Butler began to find new planets in ____.

A．1995

B．1985

C．2002

D．1981

小題4:Dr. Marcy thinks that life may exist in the 55Cancri system because ____.

A．he has found the system similar to the solar system.

B．he has discovered an Earth-like planet there.

C．he has discovered a rocky planet there.

D．he has found signs of life in the system

小題5:“But we stuck with it”( in Paragraph 3) means ____.

A．they felt discouraged	B．they carried on with it
C．they failed in their attempt	D．they made some progress

Most animals have little connection with animals of a different kind, unless they hunt them for food. Some­times, however, two kinds of animals come together in a partnership(伙伴關(guān)系) which does good to both of them. You may have noticed some birds sitting on the back of sheep. This is not because they want a ride, but because they find easy food in the parasites(寄生蟲(chóng)）on sheep. The sheep allow the birds to do so be­cause they remove the cause of discomfort. So although they can manage without each other, they do better together.
Sometimes an animal has a plant partner. The rela­tionship develops until the two partners cannot do with­out each other. This is so in the corals(珊瑚）of the sea. In their skins they have tiny plants which act as “dustman”, taking some of the waste products from the coral and giving in return oxygen which the animal needs to breathe. If the plants are killed, or are even prevented from light so that they cannot live normally, the corals will die.
小題1:Some birds like to sit on a sheep because _________.

A．they can eat its parasites

B．they consider the sheep as their shelter

C．they enjoy traveling with the sheep

D．they find the position most comfortable

小題2:The underlined word “they” in the first paragraph refers to _______.

A．birds and parasites	B．sheep, birds and parasites
C．parasites and sheep	D．birds and sheep

小題3:It can be learnt from the text that the coral depends on the plants for ________.

A．comfort

B．light

C．oxygen

D．food

小題4:What does the second paragraph mainly discuss?

A．Some plants depend on each other for food.

B．Some animals and plants develop their relationship easily.

C．Some animals and plants depend on each other for existence.

D．Some animals live better together.

Last week, President Barack Obama gave a back- to-school speech to students at the Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Students in schools across the country al­so tuned in to watch the President's speech on TV. He stressed the importance of trying new things, working hard and believing in yourself.
While admitting that times are tough for families across the country, Obama reminded students that hard work now can mean big success later. “Nobody gets to write your destiny(命運(yùn)）but you,” he said. “Your future is in your hands. Your life is what you make of it. And nothing—absolutely nothing—is beyond your reach."
Obama spoke about his own life, and lessons he learned from his mother, who had to remind him to stay focused on his studies. He told students the recipe (訣竅) for success: “Showing up to school on time. Paying attention in class. Doing your homework. Studying for exams. Staying out of trouble. ”
Obama encouraged students to embrace(欣然接受)what makes them different. “We shouldn't be em­barrassed by the things that make us different,” he said. “We should be proud of them.”
He also suggested taking advantage of all of the opportunities at your school, and always being open to trying new things. “Just because you’re not the best at something today doesn't mean you can't be tomorrow,” he said. “Even if you don't think of yourself as a math person or as a science person—you can still excel in those subjects if you're willing to make the effort. And you may find out you have talents you’d never dreamed of.”
小題1:What does Obama mainly want to tell the students in Paragraph 2?

A．Some families are experiencing a hard time.

B．Different people have different destinies.

C．They can create their own future.

D．Those who don't study hard will achieve nothing.

小題2:In Paragraph 3, Obama tried to encourage the students by _______.

A．telling an interesting story

B．sharing the secret to success

C．telling his own life experience

D．referring to some famous people

小題3:Obama suggested the students should    _________ .

A．not study hard for high marks

B．a(chǎn)ccept things that make them different

C．do what they are really interested in

D．not do things which are difficult for them

小題4:The underlined phrase “excel in” in the last para­graph means “_________”.

A．be careful with	B．be attracted to
C．be interested in	D．be good at

Australian scientists are trying to give kangaroo-style stomachs to cattle and sheep in order to cut he greenhouse gases they send out, which are thought to be responsible for global warming.
Thanks to special bacteria in their stomachs, kangaroo flatulence(腸胃氣脹)contains no methane(甲烷)and scientists want to transfer that bacteria to cattle and sheep who produce large quantities of the harmful gas.
While the usual image of greenhouse gas pollution is a billowing smokestack (煙囪) pushing out carbon dioxide, farm animals’ passing wind contribute a sur­prisingly high percentage of total emissions (排放物)in some countries.
“Fourteen percent of emissions from all sources in Australia are from enteric methane from cattle and sheep,” said Athol Kleve, a senior research scientist with the Queensland state government.
“And if you look at another country such as New Zealand, which has got a much higher agricultural base, they're actually up around 50 percent, ” he said.
Researchers say the bacteria also make the diges­tive process much more efficient and could potentially save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.
But it will take researchers at least three years to isolate (分離) the bacteria, before they can even start to develop a way of transferring it to cattle and sheep.
Another group of scientists, meanwhile, has suggested Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos.
The idea is controversial (有爭(zhēng)議的), but about 20 percent of health-conscious Australians are believed to eat the national symbol already.
“It's low in fat, it’s got high protein levels and it's very clean in the sense that basically it's the free-range (放養(yǎng)的) animal,” said Peter Amp of the University of New South Wales's institute of environmental studies.
小題1:Scientists intend to put bacteria into cattle and sheep _________.

A．so that they can make full use of special bacteria

B．to help Australian farmers to earn more money

C．so that they can protect Australian ecosystem

D．to prevent them from sending out harmful gases

小題2:Athol Kleve seems to believe that ________.

A．cattle and sheep produce more carbon dioxide

B．less cattle and sheep are raised in New Zealand

C．farm animals are responsible for greenhouse gases

D．New Zealand has the most animals in the world

小題3:What do the underlined words “the idea” in para­graph 9 refer to?

A．Australians should farm fewer cattle and sheep and just eat more kangaroos.

B．The bacteria could make the digestive process much more efficient.

C．Australians should give kangaroo - style stomachs to cattle and sheep.

D．The bacteria could save millions of dollars in feed costs for farmers.

小題4:Which of the statements is the advantage Peter Amp lists about kangaroo?

A．it is rich in protein	B．it is cheaper than beef
C．it is high in fat	D．it is more delicious than sheep

There has been a dramatic increase in the number of natural disasters over the past few years, and it is assumed that global warming and climate change could cause even more disasters in the future. Some of the world’s leading cities are facing disasters like floods and heat waves.
London
London’s flood defences are getting older. Since 1982, the Thames Barrier(水閘)has protected the city from the threat of flooding, but it was only designed to last until 2030 and close once every two or three years. About 26 years later the barrier now closes five or six times a year and according to Environment Agency predictions, by 2050 the barrier will be closed on almost every tide if the problem is not addressed.
There are 26 underground stations, 400 schools, 16 hospitals, an airport and 80 billion worth of property in London’s flood risk area, so large scale flooding would be disastrous.
Paris
Over a six week period in July and August 2003, more than 1 1,400—mainly elderly people—died in France from dehydration(脫水)and extremely high body temperature in a deadly heat wave. Heat waves of similar intensity(強(qiáng)度)are expected every seven years by 2050, so what can be done to make sure such a disaster does not happen again?
One solution is to have air-conditioners installed in elderly care homes. But this is considered a short-term solution, as the increase in demand for electricity also increases carbon emissions(排放).
In Paris the local authorities are encouraging architects to design new types of buildings such as the building “Flower Tower,” which uses a covering of bamboo to act as a natural air-conditioner.
Shanghai
Shanghai is the fastest growing city on Earth. It has a population of 18 million and is only 4 meters above sea level. Sea levels are predicted to rise by 20 cm within the next century.
An estimated 250，000 people move to Shanghai every year in search of work, placing extra demands on energy consumption. China relies heavily on coal—fired power stations, but these emissions increase temperatures and, in turn, warmer seas increase the risk of typhoons.
小題1:What problem should be settled now in London?

A．How to protect the city’s property

B．Where to build its flood defences

C．How to use the Thames Barrier to protect the city

D．How to improve the function of the old flood defences

小題2:Which of the following measures can’t solve the heat wave disaster in Paris?

A．Putting up new types of buildings with a covering of bamboo

B．Having air-conditioners installed in elderly care homes

C．Forbidding the city to build“Flower Tower”

D．Encouraging architects to design new types of buildings

小題3:The major threats to Shanghai are          ．

A．increasing population and coal-fired power stations

B．rising sea levels and typhoons

C．extremely high temperature and rising sea levels

D．extra demands on energy consumption and typhoons

小題4:The purpose of the passage is      ．

A．to tell us how to protect the big cities

B．to give advice on how to defend natural disasters

C．to explain what causes flood and heat waves

D．to warn us of the increasing natural disasters in big cities

小題5:Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?

A．Big Cities Facing Big Disasters

B．Big Disasters in the Future

C．The Increase of Natural Disasters

D．Solutions to Natural Disasters

If the eyes are the romantic’s window into the soul, then the teeth are an anthropologist’s ( 人類(lèi)學(xué)家 ) door to the stomach.
In a study published last month in the journal Science, Peter Ungar of the University of Arkansas and his partner, Matt Sponheimer of the University of Colorado, US, examined the teeth of our early human ancestors to find out what they were really eating.
They already knew that different foods cause different marks on teeth. Some cause scratches, while others cause pits (坑).The carbon left on teeth by different foods is also different. Tropical grasses, for example, leave one kind of carbon, but trees leave another kind because they photosynthesized ( 光合作用 ) differently.
Traditionally, scientists had looked at the size and shape of teeth and skulls ( 頭骨 ) to figure out what early humans ate. Big flat teeth were taken to be signs that they ate nuts and seeds, while hard and sharp teeth seemed good for cutting meat and leaves. But this was proven wrong.
The best example was the Paranthropus (傍人), one of our close cousins, some of which lived in eastern Africa. Scientists used to believe Paranthropus ate nuts and seeds because they had big crests(突起)on their skulls, suggesting they had large chewing muscles and big teeth. If this had been true, their teeth should have been covered with pits like the surface of the moon. They would also have had a particular type of carbon on their teeth that typically comes from tree products, such as nuts and seeds.
However, when the two scientists studied the Paranthroupus, it turned out to have none of these characteristics. The teeth had a different kind of carbon, and were covered with scratches, not pits. This suggests they probably ate grass, not nuts and fruit stones. It was the exact opposite of what people had expected to find.
Carbon “foodprints” give us a completely new and different insight into what different species ate and the different environments they lived in. If a certain species had the kind of carbon on its teeth that came from grasses, it probably lived in a tropical grassland, for example.
小題1:The underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 probably means that _____.

A．a(chǎn)nthropologists can study the structure of human stomachs by studying their teeth.

B．a(chǎn)nthropologists can study the diet of early humans by studying their teeth

C．a(chǎn)nthropologists can learn whether humans were healthy by looking at their teeth

D．a(chǎn)nthropologists can get the most useful information about humans from their teeth

小題2:According to Paragraph 3 to 5, which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Scratches on teeth are caused by eating nuts or seeds.

B．Pits on teeth are caused by eating grass or leaves.

C．Early humans with hard and sharp teeth ate meat and leaves.

D．Different foods leave different marks and carbon on teeth.

小題3:The example of the Paranthropus was mentioned in the article in order to _____.

A．tell readers that they are one of our close cousins living in eastern Africa

B．tell readers they had different eating habits from modern humans

C．prove that size and shape of skulls does not show accurately what early humans ate

D．tell readers that living environment makes a difference to skull structure

While only about 200 astronauts have had the excitement of looking down at Earth and commanding systems on the International Space Station, actually thousands of everyday middle­school students have experienced by Middle School Students, or EarthKAM, a camera system.
EarthKAM is an educational activity and outreach(擴(kuò)展)investigation that also results in remote Earth sensing and observation. Using the Internet, the students control a special digital camera fixed aboard the space station, enabling them to photograph the Earth's coastlines, mountain ranges and other geographic items of interest from the unique advantage point of space.
While EarthKAM offers a powerful way for students to investigate Earth from the unique perspective of space, it is also inspiring the next generation of flight controllers for space programs—involving university students to control and operate the camera system and related activities from the ground.
In the interview, Brion Au, one of the investigation developers at NASA's Johnson Space Centre, said，“EarthKAM is a payload(有效載荷)by students, for students. They are in charge. This system provides a viewpoint that the astronauts have...it's just awe­inspiring！”So far, students have captured more than 40,000 photos of the Earth from the space station as it orbited the Earth once every 90 minutes, traveling at 17,500 miles an hour. The team at EarthKAM posts these photographs online for the public and participating classrooms around the world to view.
Au explains that this education investigation is inspiring students to explore the world by examining Earth, while promoting social studies, art, geography, science, technology, and math, among other important lessons involving research and teamwork. EarthKAM was started by Dr. Sally Ride, originally flying on the shuttles. The camera is located in the window Observational Research Facility, also known as the WORF, one of many the station's research facilities.
小題1:How have thousands of students experienced similar excitement as astronauts?

A．In the space station.	B．In the spaceship.
C．Using a camera system.	D．Teaming up with astronauts.

小題2:What equipment should the students need for the research?

A．Computer.

B．Recorder.

C．Telephone.

D．Radios.

小題3:What doesn't belong to the next generation of flight controllers for space programs?

A．University students' controlling the camera system.

B．University students' operating the camera system.

C．University students' related activities from the ground.

D．University students' investigating Earth from space.

小題4:Who are responsible for EarthKAM?

A．The astronauts.	B．The students.
C．The investigation developers.	D．The teachers.

小題5:What's the main idea of the last paragraph?

A．DR.Sally Ride explains the details of EarthKAM

B．Why the team at EarthKAM posts these photographs online.

C．EarthKAM provides a viewpoint that the astronauts have.

D．Brion Au explains the details of EarthKAM.