1 . Over a hundred years ago in 1911, something strange was found in the glaciers of Antarctica. Grilffith Taylor—an Australian geologist, had discovered a blood red steam pouring out of the ice cascades（瀑布）of Talor Glacier! Popularly known as the Blood Falls, scientists had not been able to find the reason behind the blood red liquid flowing through the ice---until recently. The mystery of the Blood Falls had finally been solved.
When these falls were first discovered, scientists had believed that the red colour came from a large amount of red algae（海藻）concentrated in the water. Red algae contain a pigment（色素）which reflects red light, making the algae appear red.
This theory made sense, until it was later found that algae do not play a part in the red color of the flowing liquid at all. What really causes Talor Glacier’s waters appear blood red, is the presence of iron oxide in the liquid. The waters of the blood falls are rich in salt and iron content, and when this water comes in contact with the air, it turns red—just like rust! The water in these falls is often referred to as “brine” by scientists because of the high salt content in the water.
This reasoning behind the red colors of the falls was found back in 2003. However, the entire mystery had not yet been solved. How is it then, that the Blood Falls are not frozen?
Researchers at the University of Colorado and University of Alaska found that inside the glacier, there was a network of channels and reservoirs that move the water around. Salt water has a lower freezing temperature. In addition, when any substance undergoes a change in state, it gives off heat. Therefore, the brine actually warm itself up while it’s freezing! How this works, is that when the brine is flowing through the Talor Glacier, some of it does freeze. As a result of changing state from liquid to ice, the brine gives off heat. This heat is enough to keep the rest of the rest of the brine in liquid form, which is why it flows out of the glacier.
Incredible new chemistry facts found, any mystery solved!
1. According to the text, the red algae theory was once considered ________.| A．ridiculous | B．reasonable |
| C．impractical | D．complex |
| A．Because there is too much salt and iron in its water. |
| B．Because its liquid is rich in red algae. |
| C．Because the following liquid reflects and sunlight |
| D．Because the air is thin and rare in Antarctica. |
| A．The water continued flowing constantly. |
| B．There is too much salt in the water. |
| C．The brine gives off heat while freezing |
| D．Temperatures aren’t high enough for flowing water. |
| A．The discovery of the blood glacier. |
| B．The birth of the Talor Glacier. |
| C．The flowing red water in Antarctica. |
| D．The mystery of the Blood Falls. |
2 . A young man returns to his hometown of Aractataca, Colombia. He visits the house where he lived as a child. Here, he remembers the most important memories of his childhood. Standing in front of his old house, the young man makes an important decision. He says to himself, “I will start my life over again. I will become a writer.”
This man is the world famous writer, Gabriel Garcia Marquez.
Gabriel Garcia Marquez was born on March 6, 1928. During his early life, Garcia Marquez’s grandmother and grandfather told him many stories. His grandmother would tell him legends as if they were real. Garcia Marquez says that his grandmother’s way of storytelling later influenced his own methods.
When Garcia Marquez was about 20 years old, he left Aractataca and attended university in Bogota. He began studying law because this was what his father wanted him to study. However, Garcia Marquez was not happy.
During this time Garcia Marquez returned to Aractataca. It was on this visit that he realized he must stop studying law. And he recognized that he must return to the dream of his childhood-writing. For the next few years, Garcia Marquez wrote for many different newspapers. And in 1955, he published his first book called “Leaf Storm”.
For many years, Garcia Marquez knew he wanted to write about his grandfather’s house in Aractataca. To write this book, Garcia Marquez and his wife had to sell almost all of their possessions to survive. But their act was worth it. The book, “One Hundred Years of Solitude” was immediately successful. And this book created a path for Garcia Marquez’s future success.
In 1982, Gabriel Garcia Marquez was given the Nobel Prize in Literature for his book “One Hundred Years of Solitude”, making him the first Colombian and the fourth Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature.
1. Who influenced Garcia Marquez’s writing style?| A．His grandfather. | B．His father. |
| C．His grandmother. | D．His wife. |
| A．when he worked for a newspaper | B．under the influence of his family |
| C．when he graduated from college | D．after a visit to his hometown |
| A．was written in the 1950s | B．enjoyed a quick success |
| C．helped Garcia lead a better life | D．was about Garcia’s grandfather |
| A．He is the first Latin American to win a Nobel Prize in Literature. |
| B．He wrote for newspapers before publishing his own books. |
| C．His book “Leaf Storm” marked his great success in literature. |
| D．He followed his father’s wish to become a writer. |
Like kids，many animals experience fear and they respond to the feeling in variety of ways．A frightened turtle pulls its head and legs inside its shell．A small fish will swim away when a big，hungry fish approaches．
Some animals respond to fear in ways you might not expect．The first example is that the fear of being eaten can scare some frogs right out of their eggs. Warkentin made the surprising discovery while studying red—eyed tree frogs in Costa Rica.
In this species，female frogs attach jellylike clumps（果冻一样的块状物）of their eggs to the undersides of leaves．The leaves hang on branches that dangle（悬挂）over ponds．After they hatch from the eggs，the tadpoles（蝌蚪）then fall into the water，where they eventually grow into adult frogs.
Tree frog eggs usually grow for 6 days before hatching．If they sense that a hungry snake is about to attack，however，they can hatch up to 2 days ahead of schedule. As the snakes are unable to swim，by falling into the water early，the tadpoles can escape.
If hatching early helps protect red—eyed tree frogs from snakes，you might wonder why their eggs don’t always hatch sooner．It turns out that hatching early brings its own danger．Once tadpoles land in the water，hungry fish and other animals like to eat them too．Staying in their eggs for a full 6 days，then，allows frog embryos（胚胎）to grow big and strong．This extra growth improves their chances of surviving in the water．
1. It can be inferred from the passage that fears .
| A．help animals grow bigger and stronger |
| B．are less common among young animals |
| C．help animals move a lot to fit the environment |
| D．are more or less important in order for animals to survive |
| A．face danger both inside their eggs and in the water |
| B．will grow fast if they fall into the water later |
| C．are surprisingly clever when inside their eggs |
| D．stay in their eggs longer if they are frightened |
| A．They like falling into the water early |
| B．They want to grow into adult frog |
| C．They sense a hungry snake is about to attack |
| D．Frog embryos can grow strong |
| A．What is Fear | B．Why do we feel afraid |
| C．You feel afraid，animals do too | D．Fear is a good thing |
| A．Further explanations as to why tree frogs hatch ahead of schedule． |
| B．How the unborn frogs know when a snake is about to attack them． |
| C．Another example of animals that responds to fear in an unexpected way． |
| D．How tree frogs improve their chances of survival before falling into the water. |
