My father was always a good gardener. One of my earliest memories is standing without shoes in the freshly tilled (翻耕的) soil, my hands blackened from digging in the ground.

As a child, I loved following Dad around in the garden. I remember Dad pushing the tiller (耕作机) ahead in perfectly straight lines. Dad loved growing all sorts of things: yellow and green onions, watermelons almost as big as me, rows of yellow com, and our favorite ― red tomatoes.

As I grew into a teenager, I didn’t get so excited about gardening with Dad. Instead of magical land of possibility, it had turned into some kind of prison. As Dad grew older, his love for gardening never disappeared. After all the kids were grown and had started families of their own, Dad turned to gardening like never before. Even when he was diagnosed with cancer, he still took care of his garden.

But then, the cancer, bit by bit, invaded his body. I had to do the things he used to do. What really convinced me that Dad was dying was the state of his garden that year. The rows and rows of multicolored vegetables were gone. Too tired to weed them, he simply let them be. He only planted tomatoes.

For the first few years after he died, I couldn’t even bear to look at anyone's garden without having strong memories pour over me like cold water from a bucket. Three years ago, I decided to plant my own garden and started out with just a few tomatoes. That morning, after breaking up a fair amount of soil, something caught the comer of my eye and I had to smile, It was my eight-year-old son Nathan, happily playing in the freshly tilled soil.

1. Why did the author like the garden when he was a child?

A．The garden was planted with colorful flowers.

B．The garden was just freshly tilled by his father.

C．He loved what his father grew in the garden.

D．He enjoyed being in the garden with his father.

2. When all the kids started their own families, the author’s father            .

A．devoted more to gardening

B．turned to other hobbies

C．stopped his gardening

D．focused on planting tomatoes

3. What happened to the garden when the author’s father was seriously ill?

A．The author’s son took charge of it.

B．No plant grew in the garden at all.

C．The garden was almost deserted.

D．It brought the author a great harvest.

4. We can infer from the last paragraph that            .

A．the author’s son played happily in the garden

B．the author’s son reminded him of his own father

C．the author’s son was very glad to help the author

D．the author’s son will continue gardening as well

Walk through the Amazon rainforest today and you will find it steamy, warm, damp and thick. But if you had been there around 15,000 years ago, during the last ice age, would it have been the same? For more than 30 years, scientists have been arguing about how rainforests might have reacted to the cold, dry climate of the ice ages, but till now, no one has reached a satisfying answer.
Rainforests like the Amazon are important for mopping up CO₂ from the atmosphere and helping to solve global warming. Currently the trees in the Amazon take in around 500 million tons of CO₂ each year: equal to the total amount of CO₂ given off in the UK each year. But how will the Amazon react to the future climate change? If it gets drier, will it survive and continue to draw down CO₂? Scientists hope that they will be able to learn in advance how the rainforest will manage in the future by understanding how rainforests reacted to climate change in the past.
Unfortunately, collecting information is incredibly difficult. To study the past climate, scientists need to look at fossilized pollen（花粉）kept in lake mud, Going back to the last ice age means drilling down into lake sediments（沉淀物）, which requires specialized equipment and heavy machinery. There are very few roads and paths, or places to land helicopters and aeroplanes.   Rivers tend to be the easiest way to enter the forest, but this still leaves vast areas between the rivers completely unsampled（未取样）. So far, only a handful of cores have been drilled that go back to the last ice age and none of them provide enough information to prove how the Amazon forest reacts to climate change.
5. How do scientists study the past climate change?

A．By predicting the climate change in the future.

B．By drilling down deep into land sediments.

C．By analyzing fossilized pollen in lake mud.

D．By taking samples from rivers in the Amazon.

6. Why is it difficult to collect information about the past climate change?

A．Because scientists can't find proper equipment and machinery.

B．Because it is very difficult to obtain complete samples.

C．Because helicopters and aeroplanes have no place to land.

D．Because none of the cores provide any information.

7. Where is the passage most probably taken from?

A．A medical journal.	B．A news report
C．A travel brochure.	D．A science magazine.

8. The best title for the text may be        .

A．Secrets of the Rainforest

B．Climates of the Amazon

C．The History of the Rainforest

D．Changes of the Rainforest

While most of us are happy to take the credit when things go well, few of us are willing to take the blame when things go wrong. Rather than trying to hide our shame or embarrassment, experts found that we are simply less aware when our actions result in a negative outcome.
The research may explain why we often feel it hard to take the blame for our actions.“Our result suggests that people may really experience less responsibility for negative than for positive outcomes,” said Patrick Haggard, leading researcher and professor of the institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London.
In a series of tests, participants were asked to press a key. A sound then followed, either disapproving, neutral or approving, and they were then asked to estimate the time between the action and when they had heard the sound.
Researchers found that individuals experienced different levels of responsibility depending on the outcomes. They also discovered they were significantly slower to recognize if their actions had resulted in a bad consequence, compared to when they had done well.
“Effectively, we have found that we experience a negative outcome differently, not just retell it differently. We make a weaker connection when there is a bad result. And respond much more strongly when something good happens,”said Professor Haggard. When something goes right, everyone wants to take the credit, and when things go wrong, nobody is interested in putting their hands up.
The researchers said our brain is“very much concerned”with reward, as good results are key to survival. Although our own perception(认知) of whether we are guilty of something or not is changed by the outcomes, this does not provide a defense if we have done something wrong.“Our experience of our own responsibilities can be misleading and can be strongly colored by the outcomes of our actions.”said Professor Haggard.“We have to take responsibility for what actually do, not just for how we experience things.”
9. People who don’t take the blame for their actions       .

A．always try to hide their shame or embarrassment.

B．are only willing to take the credit when things go well

C．feel less responsible for negative than for positive outcomes

D．are less aware of what to do when a negative outcome happens

10. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Our level of responsibility can be strongly affected by the outcomes of our actions.

B．When something bad happens, nobody is interested in dealing with the problem.

C．People were quicker to recognize if their actions had resulted in a bad consequence.

D．Participants were asked to count the time between pressing a key and hearing the sound.

11. How is the passage developed?

A．By giving examples.

B．By quoting research findings.

C．By analyzing cause and effect.

D．By providing data.

12. According to the passage, a person who is concerned with reward is       .

A．awkward

B．natural

C．absurd

D．stubborn

The Best of Alaska
Nothing evokes（唤起） Alaska like a whale exploding out of the water or an eagle pulling a silver fish from the river. Combine these images with high mountains, brilliant icebergs and wonderful meal8 and you really do have the Best of Alaska!
Highlights:
JUNEAU: Juneau, the state capital, is rich in culture and scenic beauty. It is here that we start and end our trip.
HAINES: Haines is a small community located along the fords（海湾）. The natural beauty and expansive wilderness found here have made Haines a premier center for adventure in Alaska.
ALASKA INDIAN ARTS: Alaska Indian Arts is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to the preservation and continuation of traditional native craft and culture of the Northwest Native Tribes.
SKAGWAY: Skagway is famous for its role in the Klondike Gold Stampede over 100 years ago. Today, it is a historic yet lively town, which still reflects its gold rush roots and contains colorful shops. In Skagway, we stop by the Klondike Gold Rush National Park Visitor's Center and ride the White Pass Yukon Route Railway.
GUSTAVUS: Gustavus is the gateway to Glacier Bay National Park. We'll stay at a comfortable lodge here for two nights. This will be the base for both the whale-watching excursion and a full day cruise in Glacier Bay.
DATES/PRICES:
May 15, June 17, July 16, August 14.
7 days-$3500, including lodging, all meals, excursions, guides, park fees, sales taxes, and transportation between Juneau, Skagway, Haines, and Gustavus. Not included: Alcohol, personal items, airfare to and from Juneau.
Contact:
E-mail: info@alaskamountainguides.com
Call: 800一766一3396
Write: Alaska Mountain Guides & Climbing School
P. O. Box 1081, Haines AK 99827
13. You can feel the history of the local place at          .

A．Juneau	B．Skagway
C．Haines	D．Gustavus

14. You can watch a whale exploding out of the water at          .

A．the Northwest Native Tribes

B．the Klondike Gold Rush National Park

C．Glacier Bay National Park

D．the White Pass Yukon

15. Which of the following is a participant required to pay additional fees for?

A．Going from Gustavus to Juneau by train.

B．A full day cruise in Glacier Bay.

C．Having the last supper at Juneau.

D．Flying from Juneau to his hometown.