Today, many species of animals and plants are endangered. This means they are in danger of becoming extinct and living on only in the pages of history books. The famous dodo is a classic example of a creature that became extinct. A flightless bird that lived on the island of Mauritius, it was discovered by sailors in 1598 but was hunted to extinction by 1681.

Hunting has caused the Bengal tiger and the African elephant to be endangered today but habitat destruction can also lead to extinction. This is equally true for plants. Animals and plants disappear for other reasons too, but the main cause is often a disruption in the natural food chain, whether due to hunting, habitat destruction, or even the introduction of alien species.

The natural food chain is the cycle that governs the existence of all life on this planet. It is a carefully balanced cycle and any imbalance that occurs can cause knock-on effects that have serious consequences. At the beginning of the natural food chain are plants which turn sunlight into energy and draw nutrients from the earth. Plants are called producers.

After the producers come the consumers. There are three tiers of consumers. First are creatures such as plant-eating animals, fish and insects which feed off the producers. These animals that only eat plants are called herbivores. The second tier of consumers are carnivores - animals that live off other animals. The third tier of consumers eats both other animals and plants. These consumers, including most humans, are called omnivores.

After animals and plants die, they become food for other smaller creatures, such as bacteria and some plants, such as fungi. As they feed, these creatures turn the dead bodies back into gases and minerals which are again food for the producers at the beginning of the food chain. And so the cycle continues.

All of nature is connected and governed by hundreds of these delicate food chains and if a single plant in the chain cannot survive, then the insects that live off the plant start to die and the animals that eat the insects also start to die.

When a food chain is disrupted, the consequences can be extremely serious. One estimate suggests that for each plant species that is lost, up to 30 animals and insects may also die out. One wonders how many species were affected by the extinction of the dodo?

Humans can have disastrous effects on food chains. We've already mentioned hunting but now let's look at travel. When people first started to explore the world they took plant and animal species from their home countries and introduced them wherever they went. They didn't realize that by introducing alien species they were disrupting the natural food chains of the areas they discovered. Although there are strict rules in place today controlling the import and export of alien species, some places are still fighting the effects of aliens introduced hundreds of years ago.

For example, Gough Island in the South Atlantic Ocean is a breeding ground for albatrosses that have been nesting there for centuries. But in the 19th century, mice from passing ships were brought to the island. Being a species alien to the island, they had no natural predators and have now grown to such a size that they are attacking and killing albatross chicks. If they are allowed to continue, they will wipe out the albatross population.

With import laws and people's rising awareness of how humans affect the natural environment, hopefully we can learn to fit better into the natural food chains that govern our world. Otherwise we need to accept that the loss of any more plants and animals could eventually mean our own extinction.

58. What do the first two paragraphs mainly tell us?

A. Hunting and habitat destruction lead to extinction.

B. Many species of animals and plants are endangered.

C. Plants and animals become extinct for the same reasons.

D. The main cause of extinction is often a disruption in the natural food chain.

59. Which of the following sentence is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Strict rules alone can remove the bad effects of alien species.

B. Plants, herbivores and carnivores are the three tiers of consumers.

C. If a bird becomes extinct, the relevant food chain will be disrupted.

D. Animals and plants become extinct because alien species are imported.

60. By mentioning the mice in Gough Island, the author intends to highlight ______.

A. mice worldwide are growing all the time

B. being aliens, they had no natural predators

C. some places are still fighting the effects of aliens

D. traveling can have disastrous effects on food chains

61. What is the best title of the passage?

A. Survival of the fittest.

B. Endangered animals and plants.

C. How to protect the natural environment. 

D. The link between food chains and extinction.

You have probably heard of the Mozart effect. It’s the idea that if children or even babies listen to music composed by Mozart, they will become more intelligent. A quick Internet search reveals plenty of products to assist you in the task. Whatever your age there are CDs and books to help you taste the power of Mozart’s music, but when it comes to scientific evidence that it can make you more clever, the picture is more mixed.

The phrase “the Mozart effect” was made up in 1991, but it was a study described two years later in the journal Nature that sparked（激发）real media and public interest about the idea that listening to classical music somehow improves the brain. It is one of those ideas that sound reasonable. Mozart was undoubtedly a genius himself; his music is complex and there is a hope that if we listen to enough of it ,we’ll become more intelligent.

The idea took off, with thousands of parents playing Mozart to their children, and in 1998 Zell Miller, the Governor of the state of Georgia in the US, even asked for money to be set aside in the state budget so that every newborn baby could be sent a CD of classical music. It was not just babies and children who were exposed to Mozart’s music on purpose, even an Italian farmer proudly explained that the cows were played Mozart three times a day to help them to produce better milk.

I’ll leave the debate on the impact on milk yield to farmers, but what about the evidence that listening to Mozart makes people more intelligent? More research was carried out but an analysis of sixteen different studies confirmed that listening to music does lead to a temporary improvement in the ability to handle shapes mentally, but the benefits are short-lived and it doesn’t make us more intelligent.

13. What can we learn from paragraph 1?

A. Mozart composed many musical pieces for children.

B. Children listening to Mozart will be more intelligent.

C. There are few products on the Internet about Mozart’s music.

D. There is little scientific evidence to support Mozart effect.

14. The underlined sentence in paragraph3 suggests that    ________.

A. people were strongly against the idea

B. the idea was accepted by many people

C. Mozart played an important part in people’s life

D. the US government helped promote the idea

15. What is the author’s attitude towards the Mozart effect?

A. Favorable    B. Objective    C. Doubtful    D. Positive

 In other cultures, looking thin for a husband-to-be is not        a woman desires at all, but looking a little overweight is considered more attractive.

  A. which                 B. whether                  C. that                          D. what

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

“So, what are you doing after graduation?”   71   However, you have to make up your mind as your last high school year begins. Whether your plans include college, heading straight for the workforce, or taking a year off, here are some practical tips to prepare yourself for the journey.

Going to College

Some people know from an early age exactly what they want to be and how they plan to get there.   72   According to a recent survey, 75% of students change their majors after they enter college. After all, school is also not just about careers and getting a high-paying job after graduation — it’s a place for learning about yourself and the world.

Selecting a School

If college is in your future, you need to plan. Start by asking yourself questions about your preferences.   73   Once you’ve narrowed down your choices, ask the schools to send you literature or visit their websites.

Getting a Job

Maybe you’ve decided that college isn’t for you — right now, anyway. If you want to join the workforce, opportunities are out there for people who don’t have degrees. Some products-selling or service industry organizations offer training programs to high school graduates. Search the classified ads in the newspaper and do some Internet research.   74  

Taking Time Off

What if you intend to go to college but just don’t feel ready to start yet, for whatever reason? __75   This practice is common in some countries, like the United Kingdom, where it’s called a “gap year”. Even if you decide not to apply to college, it can be a great idea to take a year to do something you may not have an opportunity to do again. Lots of volunteer organizations would welcome your time and energy and would provide you with a wonderful learning experience.

A. You might want to get a high-paid job first.

B. You might want to take a year off to pause.

C. This is the fact that young people have to take into consideration.

D. Most large companies list their job openings on their websites.

E. Not all of us are so sure of our plans, though, and that’s OK too.

F. Many juniors and seniors get bored answering that question over and over.

G. Ask friends in college about their schools and other schools they’re familiar with.

Our usual walk is to or from the subway, ______ is how we get to work．

    A．which            B．where            C．as                     D．that

I will visit Austria ______ the invitation of my friend this summer vacation．

       A．by              B．for              C．to                     D．at

 It is clear, for example, that the carbon cost of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than ________ of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. 

      A. the one         B. ones            C. that          D. it

Nowadays senior high students are burdened with too many         ，which is making them less and less confident.

A. motivations               B. expectations       C. amusements      D. opportunities

  Many times，the small things in life，which are often ignored，are more important than the ones that we consider far more valuable.

  This  41   is highlighted in Kenny Roger^’s song Buy Me a Rose.

  This song tells the  42  of a wife whose husband loves her very much. However，she thinks that the   43  her husband shows her his love is not   44   .

  According to her husband，the best way of showing his love to his wife is by  45  her with all the wealth and comforts of life.  46  ，he works hard day and night and is thus not able to 47   any of his time to her.

His wife，however，  48  that this is not what she wants. All she wants from him is to show her more   49  by giving her more of his time，caring for her and by   50  his feelings for her. These are the things that she  51  in her life and not the big，flashy things that he has given her.

“Buy me a rose，  52  me from work. Open a door for me，what would it hurt? Show me you love me by the look in you eyes. These are the  53  things I need the most in my life.”

To her，these are all the things that can   54  her great joy and happiness.

Although her husband loves her very much，his way of showing his love for her is creating a

   55    between the two. And as time passes by，it keeps increasing.

 This song leads us to  56  on how we lead our lives and how to make a person  57  .  

  People who are closer to us   58   more sincere expression of our love. Spending time with them  59  spending money on them is a better way of expressing our love. We should learn to express our feelings than to show our through   60   goods.

41. A. theme          B. saying           C. fact            D. rule

42. A. pride               B. joy                  C. story                D. truth

43. A. reason              B. process          C. method               D. way

44. A. unique              B. appropriate     C. common          D. clear

45. A. providing           B. connecting      C. equipping            D. feeding

46. A. Actually            B. Gradually       C. Consequently         D. Eventually

47. A. save                B. waste           C. owe                  D. devote

48. A. lies                B. argues          C. guesses              D. warns

49. A. affection           B. choices         C. chances           D. presents

50. A. changing            B. hiding          C. expressing           D. considering

51. A. puts down           B. longs for            C. worries about        D. picks up

52. A. visit               B. love             C. write                D. call

53. A. little              B. important       C. necessary            D. basic

54. A. pass                B. show             C. bring                D. leave

55. A. difference          B. distance             C. surprise             D. pleasure

56. A. reflect             B. fight                C. move            D. depend

57. A. rich                B. relaxed              C. valuable             D. happy

58. A. need                B. deserve              C. give                 D. gain

59. A. less than           B. more than            C. rather than          D. other than

60. A. material            B. rare                 C. wealthy              D. extra

Six Ways to Improve Reading Comprehension

Help your child improve reading comprehension—a crucial skill, especially as he gets older and needs to gain important information from textbooks.

Have him read aloud.This forces him to go slower, which gives him more time to process what he reads.__1__ Provide the right kinds of books.Make sure your child gets lots of practice reading books that aren't too hard.__2__ Stopping any more often than that to figure out a word makes it tough for him to focus on the overall meaning of the story.

__3__ To gain meaning from text, your child needs to read quickly and smoothly—a skill known as fluency.Rereading familiar, simple books gives your child practice at decoding words quickly so he'll become more fluent.

Talk to the teacher.If your child is struggling hard with comprehension, he may need more help with his reading—for example, building his vocabulary or practicing phonics skills.

Supplement class reading.If his class is studying a particular theme, look for easy­to­read books or magazines on the topic.Some prior knowledge will make his way through tougher classroom texts.

Talk about what he's reading.This “verbal processing” helps him remember and think through the themes of the book.__4__For example：

●Before: “What interests you in this book？What doesn't？”

●During: “__5__Is it turning out the way you thought it would？”

●After: “Can you summarize the book？What do you like about it ？”

A．Reread to build fluency.

B．What's going on in the book?

C．Look up new words in the dictionary.

D．Do you know all the characters in the story?

E．Ask questions before, during, and after a reading session.

F．Plus, he's not only seeing the words, but he's also hearing them.

G．He should recognize at least 90 percent of the words without any help.

The water will be further polluted unless some measures _______.

A. will be taken    B. are taken    C. were taken    D. had been taken

Money is the root of all evil (邪恶) and new study claims there may be some truth behind the saying. Scientists at the University of California Berkeley, US, announced on February 27 that rich people are more likely to do immoral things, such as lie or cheat, than poorer people. The scientists did a series of eight experiments. They published their findings online in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNA《美国国家科学院院刊》).

  They carried out the first two experiments from the sidewalk near Berkeley. They noted that drivers of newer and more expensive cars were more likely to cut off other cars and pedestrians at crosswalks. Nearly 45 percent of people driving expensive cars ignored a pedestrian compared with only 30 percent of people driving more modest cars.

    In another experiment, a group of college students was asked if they would do immoral things in various everyday situations. Examples included taking printer paper from work and not telling a salesperson when he or she gave back more change. Students from higher-class families were more likely to act dishonestly.

    According to the scientists, rich people often think money can get them out of trouble. This makes them less afraid to take risks. It also means they care less about other people's feelings.

    Finally, it just makes them greedier. "Higher wealth status seems to make you want even more, and that increased want leads you to bend the rules or break the rules to serve your self-interest," said Paul Piff, lead scientist of the study.

    Piff pointed out that the findings don't mean that all rich people are untrustworthy or all poor people honest. He said the experiments were to show how people living in different social situations express their instincts (本能) and values in different ways.

12. By saying "money is the root of all evil", the author wants to ________.

A. link wealth with bad behavior

B. draw readers' attention to the research

C. show how the saying proves the findings

D. defend rich people who do immoral things

13. According to the scientists, which is NOT the factor that makes rich people immoral?

A. They welcome risks.

B. They have more desires.

C. They believe money talks.

D. They become more selfish.

14. Why did the scientists do the experiments?

A. To show how social status affects people's morality.

B. To show people's instincts and values in different ways.

C. To test whether the saying "money is the root of all evil" is true.

D. To show the difference between higher-class people and lower-class people.

15. What does the passage really want to show us?

A. The poor are respectable.

B. Money is the root of all evil.

C. All rich people are untrustworthy.

D. The rich are more likely to act badly.

 Oh! A narrow escape! Just now around the corner a car passed me at _____ I thought was a dangerous speed, I mean, I was close to being killed.

    A. what             B. as            C. which           D. that

What will you do if you can’t eat everything bought in the canteen? ___36___.According to a survey , what students waste every year could feed over 10 million people.

___37___. According to Xinhua News Agency, the food wasted by Chinese people is about 50 million tons of grain every year, which could feed 200 million people .

Food waste, which has become a global issue, serves as a mirror that reflects various cultural and social issues in different countries. In the West, for instance, consumerism, the belief that it’s good to use a lot of goods and services, is often to blame for food waste. ___38___. Chinese people are well known for being hospitable and generous. Many even feel that they lose face if their guests have eaten all the food. On campus, a generation of single children is less aware of the food waste issue. Students nowadays are well protected by their families and hardly have any concept of how much toil others go through in order to provide them with the food they eat.

___39___. There are 925 million hungry people in the world. They don’t have enough food to eat . And farmers work very hard to grow the crops . ___40___. It’s also important that everyone thinks about how they can do their bit to reduce food waste. Recently a campaign against food waste launched on line in China might make you think twice about being so wasteful.

A．But canteen waste is merely the tip of the iceberg.

B．So we shouldn’t waste our food.

C．Students can never realize the serious food waste situation.

D．Most of us would simply throw away any leftover food.

E.  Students waste is extremely serious.

F．To reduce food waste is a big task, and it needs time.

G．China, in turn, features its own eating culture.

 —Where’s my driving license? Maybe I left it at home.

—My Goodness! I ______ you would always take it along.

A. was to think     B. thought       C. have thought    D. have been thinking

 ---Don’t you think the new job is a real challenge for Jack?  

   ---Well,       difficulties he meets, I believe he will never lose heart.

    A. whatever         B. however     C. whichever       D. whenever

 --- The diseases she suffers from are not easy to cure.

 --- I know, but is she ______ better?

   A. much          B. any            C. even           D. little