【推荐1】In 1845, a deadly disease struck the farms of Ireland, killing all the Lumper potato plants. In another place or time, the death of a single crop species might not have been so important. But in Ireland, in 1845, people depended almost on the potato for food. The death of one species caused a terrible famine. Now, some scientists are worried that such a famine could happen again.

Over the centuries, farmers have discovered thousands of different species of food crops. Some can be grown in very hot or cold climates. Others are not affected by certain diseases. However, you won’t find many of these species in your local supermarket. To feed the seven billion people on Earth, most farmers today are growing only species of plants that are easy to produce in large numbers. Meanwhile, thousands of other species are becoming extinct.

For example, in the Philippines, there were once thousands of varieties of rice; now fewer than 100 are grown there. Experts believe that over the past century, we have allowed more than half of the world’s food varieties to disappear.

One solution to this problem is to collect and store the seeds (种子) of as many different plant varieties as we can before they disappear. The idea was first suggested by Russian scientist Nikolay Vavilov. In the 1920s and 30s, he collected around 400,000 seeds. More recently, others are continuing the work he began.

In the U.S. state of Iowa, Diane Ott Whealy wanted to protect historic plant varieties. She started a place called Heritage Farm, where people can store and trade seeds.

More importantly, the people at Heritage Farm don’t just store the seeds; they plant them. By doing this, they are reintroducing foods into the marketplace that haven’t been grown for years. These food species are not just special in flavor. They also offer farmers food solutions for the future, from the past.

1. What caused many people to die in Ireland in 1845?

A．Food pollution.

B．Poisonous potatoes.

C．An incurable disease.

D．Lack of enough food.

2. What does the underlined word “Others” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Species of food crops.

B．Potato plants.

C．Farmers.

D．Seeds.

3. Why does the author mention the Philippines?

A．To show many food species have disappeared.

B．To explain how to increase food production.

C．To stress the importance of food diversity.

D．To prove the necessity of growing rice.

4. Which statement would Diane Ott Whealy probably agree with?

A．It’s dangerous to grow new food species.

B．The work started by Nikolay Vavilov was useless.

C．Storing seeds and planting them are both important.

D．Foods grown from older seeds are cheaper but taste bad.

【推荐2】Failure is probably the most exhausting experience a person ever has. There is nothing more tiring than not succeeding.     1    

In the former case, we keep putting off a task because it was either too boring or too difficult. And the longer we delay it, the more tired we feel. Such start-up fatigue is very real, even if not actually physical, not something in our muscles and bones.     2    

Years ago, I was asked to write 102 essays on the great ideas of some famous authors. Applying my own rule, I determined to write them alphabetically, never letting myself leave out a tough idea. And I always started the day's work with the difficult task of essay-writing. The experience proved that the rule works.

    3     Though willing to get started, we cannot seem to do the job right. Its difficulties appear so great that, however hard we work, we fail again and again. In such a situation, I work as hard as I can--then let the unconscious (无意识的) take over.

When planning Encyclopaedia Britannica, I had to create a table of contents based on the topics of its articles.     4    but none of them worked. My fatigue became almost unbearable.

One day, mentally exhausted, I wrote down all the reasons why this problem could not be solved. I tried to convince myself that the trouble was with the problem itself, not with me. Relieved, I sat back in an easy chair and fell asleep.

An hour later, I woke up suddenly with the solution clearly in mind.    5    Though I worked as hard as before, I felt no fatigue. Success was now as exciting as failure had been depressing.

Human beings, I believe must try to succeed. Success, then, means never feeling tired.

A．Performance fatigue is more difficult to handle.

B．We do everything we can to get ourselves out of this gloomy situation.

C．We experience this tiredness in two ways: start-up fatigue and performance fatigue.

D．Nothing like this had ever been done before, and day after day I kept coming up with solutions.

E．The solution is obvious though-perhaps not easy to apply: always handle the most difficult job first.

F．What's more, making use of your unconsciousness wisely also proves effective in tackling difficult tasks.

G．In the weeks that followed, the solution which had come up in my unconscious mind proved correct at every step.

【推荐3】Having roommates can sometimes be challenging.     1     It can be said, though, that nearly all issues are based on one roommate's lack of consideration for another.

Considerate people usually have consideration for others simply because it seems like the best thing to do. On the contrary, inconsiderate people usually don't think of themselves as such.     2     This can consequently cause major upset in the atmosphere of a room.

Not all roommates have the same daily schedule, so a common problem that roommates have to deal with is noise. It can be hard to coordinate a time for noise and a time for quiet. One may want to study and the other may want to play music.     3    

In the shared areas of the room, problems can arise in terms of how much space one or another roommate claims for himself.     4     This kind of space issue is often repeated in the refrigerator and other areas where each roommate needs an equal amount of space.

    5     Although not all problems can be overcome easily, having discussions can sometimes prevent an issue from becoming a major point of tension in the room. For example, sometimes the solution to a problem with space is as simple as a verbal (言语的) exchange of views the problem.

A．There are certain things that roommates may decide not to share.

B．For example, one may take all the shared space for his or her own.

C．This can greatly contribute to the pleasure of living with roommates.

D．And it's hard to explain to these people that they are acting in inconsiderate manners.

E．So it's common that many people experience tough problems when living with others.

F．And one may have friends come over for a talk when the other is sick and trying to rest,

G．Open communication is the best way to come up with a solution to the above problems.

【推荐2】If you think that running marathons will help you live a long and healthy life, new research may come as a shock. According to a recent scientific study, people who do a very strenuous workout are as likely to die as people who do no exercise at all.

Scientists in Denmark have been studying over 1,000 joggers (慢跑者) and non - joggers for 12 years. The death rates from the sample group indicate that people who jog at a proper pace two or three times a week for less than two and a half hours in total are least likely to die. The best speed to jog at was found to be about 5 miles per hour. The research suggests that people who jog more than three times a week or at higher speeds of over 7 mph die at the same rate as non - joggers. The scientists think that this is because strenuous exercise causes structural changes to the heart and arteries(动脉). Over time, this can cause serious effects.

Peter Schnohr, a researcher in Copenhagen, said, “If your goal is to decrease risk of death and improve life expectancy(寿命), jogging a few times a week at a proper pace is a good strategy. Anything more is not just unnecessary, and it may be harmful.”

The implications (暗示) of this are that moderate forms of exercise such as tai chi, yoga and walking may be better for us than “iron man events, triathlons and long - distance running and cycling. According to Jacob Louis Marott, another researcher involved in the study, “You don't actually have to do that much to have a good impact on your health. And perhaps you shouldn’t actually do too much”.

1. Which of the following words can replace “strenuous” in Paragraph 1?

A．regular

B．hard

C．practical

D．limited

2. Why does the author presents the figures (数字) in Paragraph 2 ?

A．To suggest giving up jogging	B．To show risks of doing sports
C．To provide supportive evidence	D．To introduce the research content

3. According to the scientists, why is too much exercise harmful?

A．It may injure the heart and arteries.	B．It can make the body tired out.
C．It will bring much pressure.	D．It consumes too much energy.

4. What can be the best title of the text?

A．No exercise at all is the best choice.	B．More exercise means a healthier life.
C．Marathons runners are least likely to die.	D．Too strenuous exercise is no better than none