【推荐1】Nobody expects a natural disaster to strike. Neither does anyone know the impact it can have on life. The following measures can save your life in an emergency.

Typhoon

Typhoons occur in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, particularly in exposed regions like the Caroline Islands, the Philippines, and Japan. The best place to hide during a typhoon is a secure basement or a bathroom with no windows. A must-have device is a battery-powered weather radio, through which you will hear evacuation orders or in other cases, instructions on how to survive in your shelter and learn about the weather situation.

Flood

Floods occur more often than any other natural disaster and change the landscape dramatically. They are usually caused by intense rainfalls lasting for days. Don’t try to be the bravest person around and stay in your house. Once you hear the evacuation warning, leave for safer higher grounds with your important papers in a waterproof container.

Avalanche

An avalanche can hit when you are enjoying Alpine skiing in a dreamlike location. It is very fast and disastrous, burying everything in its way under tons of snow. When an avalanche starts, try to move to the side of the slope as fast as you can. If you get buried in the snow, dig an air pocket to be able to keep breathing. Wait for the rescue team to find you and don’t waste your energy shouting or digging frantically. Call out when you hear the team approaching.

Wildfire

Wildfires spread at an amazing speed and destroy everything in their way. If you are caught in a wild fire, use a wet cloth to cover your nose and mouth to ensure that you can breathe. Try to stay upwind of the fire at all times and get close to a pond or river. Stay low and cover yourself with wet clothing, a blanket, or soil until the fire passes.

1. Among the four natural disasters, which one requires people to hide indoors?

A．Typhoon.	B．Flood.
C．Avalanche.	D．Wildfire.

2. What should those trapped in typhoons probably do when they hear the evacuation orders?

A．Get to a basement or windowless bathroom.

B．Find something solid to hide under.

C．Leave the place where they are.

D．Get a torch in case of a blackout.

3. What do we know from the text?

A．Typhoons occur only in the exposed regions in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.

B．Floods cause the most frequent damage among the disasters mentioned.

C．Those who meet with avalanches are advised to call out the minute they’re trapped.

D．Getting clean air matters most in the case of wildfires, despite the difficulty.

【推荐2】Floods are one of the most common disasters. Some floods develop slowly. But flash floods(暴洪)can develop quickly, sometimes in just a few minutes and without any signs of rain.     1     It carries rocks and mud and can sweep away most things in its path. 

1.If a flood is likely to happen in your area, you should:

Listen to the radio or the television for information. If there is any possibility of a flash flood, move at once to higher ground.     2    

2.If you have time to prepare, you should:

Make your home safe by bringing in outdoor furniture.     3     Do not touch any electrical equipment if you are wet or standing in water. 

3.If you have to leave your home right away, remember these tips:

Do not walk through moving water.     4     If you have to walk in water, walk where the water is not moving. Use a stick to check the ground in front of you. 

    5     If floodwaters rise around your car, give up the car and move to higher ground if you can do so safely. Otherwise you and the car can be quickly swept away.

A．Do not drive into flooded areas.

B．Do not wait for instructions to move.

C．Turn off all pieces of electrical equipment.

D．20 cm of moving water can make you fall.

E．Floods can cause deaths and loss of property.

F．A flash flood often has a dangerous wall of water.

G．Mud from floodwaters may contain chemicals.

【推荐2】There is an old Chinese proverb that states “One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade,” and this is how it should be with mothers and daughters. The relationship between a mother and a daughter is sometimes confusing. The relationship can be similar to friendship. However, the mother and daughter relationship has unique characteristics that distinguish it from a friendship. These characteristics include a hierarchy (等级) of responsibilities and unconditional love, which preclude mothers and daughters from being best friends.

Marina, 27 years old, said, “I love spending time with my mom, but I wouldn’t consider her my best friend. Best friends don’t pay for your wedding. Best friends don’t remind you how they carried you in their body and gave you life! Best friends don’t tell you how wise they are because they have been alive at least 20 years longer than you.” This doesn’t mean that the mother and daughter relationship can’t be very close and satisfying. This generation of mothers and adult daughters has a lot in common, which increases the likelihood of shared companionship. Mothers and daughters have always shared the common experience of being homemakers, responsible for maintaining and passing on family values and traditions. Today contemporary mothers and daughters also share the experience of work and technology, which may bring them even closer together.

Best friends may or may not continue to be best friends, but for better or worse, the mother and daughter relationship is permanent, even if for some unfortunate reason they aren’t speaking. Sometimes this is not an equal relationship. Daughters don’t always feel responsible for their mother’s emotional well-being. But mothers never stop being mothers, which includes frequently wanting to protect their daughters and often feeling responsible for their happiness. The mother and daughter relationship is a relationship that is not replaceable by any other. Mothers always “trump (胜过)” friends.

1. What does the underlined word “preclude” in paragraph 1 probably mean?

A．differ.	B．benefit.
C．prevent.	D．change.

2. What can we learn from what Marina said?

A．Best friends will not spend money on her wedding.

B．Best friends will not remind her of important issues in life.

C．Her mother is wiser on account of her age.

D．Her mother is anything but her best friend.

3. Why can a mother and a daughter build a closer relationship?

A．Because they share advanced technology with each other.

B．Because they work together to support the whole family.

C．Because they experience the same values and traditions.

D．Because they have common experience in life and work.

4. What do we know from the text?

A．The mother and daughter relationship can be replaced by a best friend.

B．A mother’s love brings her and her daughter a close friendship.

C．Marina has a troubled relationship with her mother.

D．The mother and daughter relationship goes beyond best friendship.

5. What is the text mainly about?

A．How to build a good mother and daughter relationship.

B．A mother-daughter relationship is irreplaceable.

C．Mothers want to be daughters’ friends.

D．A daughter is a mother’s best friend.

【推荐3】Physical activity calorie equivalent(相等的)( PACE) labels could improve on labels that identify only calories and nutrient content, according to a new scientific review.

Under the proposed system, a small bar of chocolate would carry a label informing consumers that it would take 23 minutes of running or 46 minutes of walking to bum off the 230 calories it contains. The large-scale application of PACE labels could, on average, cut calorie consumption by up to 200 calories per person per day, according to researchers.

Amanda Daley, lead researcher from the University of Loughborough, said that PACE labels would present the information in a more accessible way to consumers than the existing calorie and nutrient content labels. She told CNN that the current labeling system “hasn't made a huge difference to obesity in the UK.”

She and her team looked at data from 14 studies that examined the effectiveness of PACE labeling in reducing calorie consumption. Researchers caution that the number of studies included in the review was small, and most took place in controlled environments rather than real-world settings, but still conclude that PACE labeling is worth trying. A reduction of about 100 calories per day, combined with a sustained increase in physical activity, could reduce obesity rates, according to Daley. She called PACE a “really simple and really straightforward” strategy, and suggested it could be used on food and drink packaging, supermarket labels and restaurant menus.

However, Nichola Ludlam-Raine, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association, flagged some issues with PACE labels. Ludlam-Raine said PACE “ could be extremely problematic” for those with eating disorders as it suggests that food needs to be “burnt off”. It also promotes the idea that calories, rather than nutrients, are the main consideration when it comes to food, she added. “Remember, you cannot out-run a bad diet,” said Ludlam-Raine, explaining that exercising doesn't mean you can live off chocolate and fizzy drinks.

1. What does Daley think of the existing labeling system?

A．It contains physical activity calories.

B．It affects calorie consumption greatly.

C．It's not effective enough against obesity.

D．It can be applied to other fields widely.

2. What does the underlined word “flagged” in paragraph 5 mean?

A．Pointed out.	B．Left out.
C．Objected to.	D．Jumped at.

3. What can be inferred from Ludlam-Raine's words?

A．PACE labeling causes eating disorders.

B．Calories matter more than nutrients.

C．Having a good diet is more important.

D．Taking exercise is not necessary at all.

4. Which section of a magazine is the text likely from?

A．Fashion.	B．Health.
C．Sports.	D．Technology.

【推荐2】More than two thirds of the world’s polar bears will be wiped out by 2050, according to a shocking new study. By then, scientists say, global warming will have melted 42 percent of the Arctic sea ice. By 2100, only a very few of these important creatures will be left.

The report has been produced by the US Geological Survey. The scientists have publicized their findings in the hope of influencing US Interior Secretary Dirk Kempthorne, who has been asked to put polar bears on the US endangered species list.

Polar bears depend on floating sea ice as a platform for hunting seals, which are their main food. Without enough ice, polar bears would be forced to go onto the land, where they are poorly skilled hunters, and would be unlikely to adapt to the life on the land in time. Experts say few little bears would survive and the stress could make many females unable to get pregnant.

The team of American and Canadian scientists spent six months studying bears, on the ground, from spotter planes and in the lab, using computer models. Some team members fear the result is even worse for the bears than what their report says. They say the Arctic is warming faster than anywhere in the world and much faster than their computer had been forecasting. Satellite observations have showed that the ice has decreased to an all-­time low.

However, not everyone in the scientific community believes that global warming is happening on such an alarming scale. Another investigation has found that polar bears are still being hunted by wealthy “sportsmen” who want their skins and heads. At least ten international companies offer bear­-hunting trips.

1. What do we know about Dirk Kempthorne according to the passage?

A．He is an animal scientist.

B．He is a protector of animals working for the US government.

C．He was asked to put polar bears on the US endangered species list.

D．He offered to put polar bears on the endangered species list.

2. Why will polar bears die out if there is not enough sea ice?

A．Because polar bears can’t catch enough food without ice.

B．Because polar bears eat ice when they feel thirsty.

C．Because polar bears will be easily found by hunters without ice.

D．Because most female bears are used to giving birth under ice.

3. After a six­-month study, some scientists fear that________．

A．there is something wrong with their computers

B．polar bears will disappear even faster than they ever expected

C．their computer models are not as accurate as they expected

D．global warming will destroy everything in the Arctic

4. What is this passage mainly about?

A．Global warming makes the whole world different.

B．Human beings are responsible for the endangered species.

C．Most of the polar bears will be wiped out by the end of this century.

D．Scientists have found that most animals in the Arctic will die out by the end of this century.

【推荐3】A new study shows that rising levels of planet-warming gasses may reduce important nutrients in food crops.

Other studies have shown that higher temperatures from climate change and weather extremes will reduce food production. But scientists are finding that rising levels of carbon dioxide and other planet-warming gasses threaten food quality.

Researchers studied the effects of one such gas—carbon dioxide—on rice. They grew 18 kinds of rice in fields in China and Japan in a controlled environment. They set carbon dioxide levels to what scientists are predicting for our planet by the end of the century. They found that the resulting rice crops had lower than normal levels of vitamins, minerals and protein.

Rice grown under high carbon dioxide conditions had, on average, 13 to 30 percent lower levels of four B vitamins and 10 percent less protein. The crops also had 8 percent less iron and 5 percent less zinc (锌) than rice grown under normal conditions.

The researchers said the effects of planet-warming gasses would be most severe for the poorest citizens in some of the least developed countries. These people generally eat the most rice and have the least complex diets, they noted. Scientists estimated that almost 150 million people might be at risk of having too little protein or zinc in their diet by 2050.

One scientist, Sam Myers of Harvard University of Massachusetts, US, said that findings like this are an example of the surprises climate change creates. “My concern is, there are many more surprises to come,” he said.

Myers noted that pollution, loss of some species, destruction of forests, and other human activities are likely to produce unexpected problems. He said that you cannot completely change all the natural systems that living organisms have grown to depend on over millions of years without having effects come back to affect our own health.

The new study suggests a way to lower the nutritional harm of climate change—to grow different forms of rice that have shown to be more resistant to higher carbon dioxide levels.

1. According to the latest study, how do higher temperatures affect crops?

A．They remove the nutrition.	B．They worsen the quality.
C．They lower the production.	D．They decrease the species.

2. What can be inferred from the text?

A．Asian crops contain more nutrients.	B．Rice is grown in restricted conditions.
C．Crops grown with lower CO2 are healthier.	D．Poor people suffer a lot from food shortage.

3. What does Sam Myers agree with?

A．Natural systems damage our health.	B．The nutritional harm should be lowered.
C．More effects are caused by climate changes.	D．Human activities result in health problems.

4. What does the writer intend to do?

A．To introduce a study.	B．To clarify a fact.
C．To make a suggestion.	D．To show a concern.