1 . Today we know Antarctica as an extreme environment containing ice and snow. But new research provides evidence that the area had a rainforest in the past.
The researchers collected a piece of Earth sediment (沉淀物) from under the seafloor off the coast of Antarctica. In the sediment they discovered forest material that was estimated to be about 90 million years old. This would have been in the Cretaceous Period, when dinosaurs were the main land animals. The sediment was removed by scientists on the research icebreaker RV Polarstern in the Amundsen Sea near Pine Island Glacier.
Johann Klages is a geologist with the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research in Germany. He was the lead writer of a study on the findings, published in the journal Nature. He said the sediment was collected from a depth of about 30 meters below the ocean floor. Klages said an examination showed that the material didn’t form in the ocean.
The researchers estimate that the area—about 900 kilometers from the South Pole—had average yearly temperatures of about 12 to 13 degrees Celsius. During the warmest summer months, average temperatures likely reached between 20 and 25 degrees Celsius. The soil included fine dirt particles (颗粒) and hard clay, as well as substances linked to at least 65 different kinds of plants, the study found. Klages added that the plants included trees, ferns and flowering plants. While no animal remains were found, Klages said there were likely dinosaurs, flying reptiles (爬行动物) and many insects in the environment.
The research represents new evidence of the major climate changes Earth has experienced in the past—and is currently undergoing today. The soil in the sediment dates back to the planet’s warmest period of the past 140 million years, with sea level about 170 meters higher than today. The researchers said that the rainforest environment in Antarctica was especially surprising because each year, the area experiences a four-month polar night when there is no sunlight to fuel plant life. Klages said no ice sheets were present during the time, but seasonal snowfall was likely.
1. How did the researchers come to their findings?| A．By collecting data on climate. |
| B．By researching special plants. |
| C．By exploring ice in Antarctica. |
| D．By analyzing the Earth sediment. |
| A．Its material developed in the ocean. |
| B．Its material formed on the land. |
| C．It dates back to cold times in Antarctica |
| D．It contained different animal remains |
| A．There were ice sheets 140 million years ago. |
| B．Seasonal snowfall made the forest disappear. |
| C．Antarctica’s natural environment has changed greatly. |
| D．Polar nights in Antarctica are getting shorter than before. |
| A．Antarctica is getting warmer like before. |
| B．Various wildlife once existed in Antarctica. |
| C．Antarctica had a different history of climate. |
| D．Researchers study the secrets of Antarctica. |
2 . A flock of wild mandarin ducks(鸳鸯) are the biggest draw in the West Lake scenic area in Hangzhou, capital of East China's Zhejiang province, with tourists flocking from around the country to see them. However, some of the tourists have been feeding the ducks, even pulling them by the neck to force-feed them. On Monday, a video claiming that some of the ducks had died from over-feeding went viral on social networking sites.
Although there are prominent signboards warning people against feeding them, tourists just cannot hold back. Some even believe the ducks are underfed and they are doing them a favor, little realizing that their action can be detrimental to the birds' health.
Human food does not always go down well with ducks, particularly potato chips, as the oily snack can damage the health of mandarin ducks. However, tourists can frequently be seen feeding the ducks food that the birds cannot digest. Besides, feeding the ducks could stop them from competing in the wild to find their food. If they become dependent on food provided by humans, they will lose their survival skills. Also, by giving food to them, the tourists are polluting the environment. Especially, food thrown into the water could harm the ecosystem there.
However, the tourists know little about the harm they cause to the environment and there is a need to create awareness about it. Meanwhile, the number of mandarin ducks at West Lake has dropped from 336 last year to 260 this year. Maybe the declining numbers will wake the tourists up to this reality.
1. What is the main reason for the ducks' death in the West Lake according to the passage?| A．The ducks are fed with oily snacks. | B．The tourists fail to see the warning signs. |
| C．The tourists feed the ducks too much food. | D．The tourists kill the ducks by pulling their necks. |
| A．harmful. | B．sensitive. | C．vital. | D．beneficial. |
| A．Human food is not suitable for ducks to digest. |
| B．Food thrown into the water does harm to the ecosystem. |
| C．Tourists' feeding ducks may have a bad effect on ducks and the environment. |
| D．Ducks may lose their survival skills if receiving food from people all the time. |
| A．More mandarin ducks are seen in the West Lake this year than before. |
| B．People have already known the damage they did to the mandarin ducks. |
| C．More mandarin ducks are likely to be introduced to the West Lake in the future. |
| D．It's high time that people should be aware of the harm to ducks caused by overfeeding. |
3 . A boy was dying of terminal leukemia (白血病). His mother took his hand and asked, “Bopsy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be when you grew up?”
“Mommy, I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up.”
Later that day she went to the fire department, where she met Fireman Bob. She explained her son’s final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine. Fireman Bob said, “Look, we can do better than that. We’ll make him an honorary fireman for the whole day. He can come down to the fire station, eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And, we’ll get a real fire uniform made for him.”
Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Bopsy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted (护送) him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Bopsy was in heaven. Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished (慷慨给予) upon him, Bopsy lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.
One night all of his vital signs began to drop and the head nurse called the fire chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Bopsy as he made his transition. The chief replied, “We can do better than that. We’ll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens (警报器) screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that it’s just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time? And will you open the window to his room?”
About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital, extended its ladder up to Bopsy’s third floor open window and 14 firemen and two fire-women climbed up the ladder into Bopsy’s room. They hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him. With his dying breath, Bopsy looked up at the fire chief and said, “Chief, am I really a fireman now?”
With those words, Bopsy smiled and closed his eyes for the last time.
1. Why did Bopsy’s mother go to the fire department?| A．Her son wanted to get a fire uniform. |
| B．Her son wanted to ride on a fire engine. |
| C．She wanted her son to become a real fireman. |
| D．She wanted to help her son to realize his dream. |
| A．The fire engine was nine yards long. |
| B．The whole journey that day was very upsetting. |
| C．Bopsy could experience everything as a fireman. |
| D．All the sirens of the fire engines would scream that day. |
| A．Because Bopsy begged her to do so. |
| B．Because Bopsy saw the firemen as his family members. |
| C．Because she wanted Bopsy to be approved as a real fireman. |
| D．Because she wanted to do something for Bopsy before he died. |
| A．Where there is a will, there is a way. |
| B．Sometimes there are miracles because of love. |
| C．Great things may be done by painstaking efforts. |
| D．A mother understands what a child does not say. |
4 . Everyone needs friends.There is an old saying, "Friends are God’s way of taking care of us." But how do you find real friendship and keep it?
The American writer Sally Seamans tells young students some smart ways to make friends.Sally says finding friendship is just like planting a tree.You plant the seed(种子)and take care of it to make it grow.
First, you should choose a friend.What makes a good friend? It is not because a person has money or good looks.A good friend should be kind and patient(耐心).For example, if you have a bad day, a good friend should listen to your complaints and do his best to help.To make a good friend, you cannot be too shy.You should make each other happy and share your lives.
But things cannot always be happy.Even the best friends have fights.What should you do when you have a fight with your friend? You have to talk to him or her.When there is no one around, have an honest talk.If he or she doesn't want to talk, you could write a letter.
There are three steps to being friends again:
Tell him or her how you are feeling; say what your friend has done wrong, and explain why you did this or that.Remember that friendship is the most important thing in your life.
1. Sally wants to tell students the ways to .| A．make friends | B．plant trees | C．get happy | D．keep fit |
| A．be lovely and cool | B．have good looks |
| C．have lots of money | D．be kind and patient |
| A．buy a present for | B．never say a word to |
| C．write a letter to | D．have dinner with |
| A．Teenagers and friendship. | B．Finding and keeping friendship |
| C．The trouble of growing up. | D．Good friends around you. |
5 . When I was a kid, my siblings (兄弟姐妹) and I used to have ice cream for dessert. Every day, we would choose which ice cream flavor to have, whether to eat it in a cone or a bowl. Then we would happily wolf down our treat (款待) as fast as we could.
Once, though, when I was probably about 10 or 11, our grandpa came to visit us. Grandpa always had a unique view on things. On this particular occasion, my sister and I were making bets as to who could finish our ice cream first. With a smile, Grandpa said, “Why would you want to finish first? If you eat slowly, it will last longer. You should have a competition to see who can finish last.” Even now, I always try to taste my ice cream, but of course this is about more than just dessert.
Too often, kids want to scramble (争夺) for more, whether it’s more ice cream, more toys, or more friends. This habit persists into our adult years, and we end up constantly scrambling for more. We never develop the skill of appreciating what we have. If we learn to recognize this pattern and change it, we can raise our kids a little differently, giving them the tool of tasting their widely known dessert, which could lead to a happier life for them.
What my grandpa taught me that day was really that if you take the opportunity to enjoy what’s in front of you, the pleasure will last longer and be more rewarding than if you rush through life always trying to get the next treat. It’s a lesson that, I think, has made my adult life happier, as well. These days, when I want something, I wait as long as I can before I allow myself to have it. Then, when I finally get it, I make sure to treasure it as long as possible, because I know that, no matter what it is, it will be gone all too soon.
1. The author’s grandfather advised her sister and her to_______.| A．stop eating ice cream | B．learn something from their way of eating |
| C．stop the competition between them | D．eat ice cream as slowly as possible |
| A．Humorous. | B．Wise. | C．Strict. | D．Careful. |
| A．Value what you have. | B．Keep longing for more. |
| C．Have a balanced diet. | D．Save for the future. |
| A．The author benefits a lot from her grandfather’s advice. |
| B．The author doesn’t like ice cream as much as before. |
| C．The author just starts to understand her grandfather. |
| D．The author longs for the days when they ate ice cream. |
6 . The African grey parrot’s ability to talk and mimic sounds makes it a charming companion. African grey owners often report that their greys oftentimes talk in context and can understand their people’s emotions (情感). The African grey parrot is not just a top talker - this bird is also known for its extreme intelligence, which gives them the name “The Einsteins of the Bird World”.
The bird is medium-sized, dusty-looking and almost pigeon-like. It has a bright red tail, intelligent orange eyes, and a stunning scalloped (扇形的) pattern to its feathers. Their diet in the wild consists mostly of nuts, seeds, fruits, and leafy matter.
At home, African greys need plenty of toys that challenge their intelligence, such as food searching and puzzle toys. Nutri-Berries by Lafeber Company are a perfect choice, which, with a balance of grains, seeds and other nutrients in the shape of a berry, encourages African greys to hold, bite off, and even play with, just as they do in the wild.
African greys seem especially affected by stress and disturbing noise in their environment and can be put more at ease by placing one corner of the cage against a wall as opposed to in the middle of a room.
African grey parrots are more likely to suffer from lack of Vitamin-A/beta-carotene, and therefore benefit from eating vegetables high in beta-carotene, such as cooked sweet potato and fresh kale. Lack of Vitamin-D is another concern, especially for greys on a poor diet. Offering a balanced, pill-shaped diet, such as Nutri-Berries, helps prevent vitamin and mineral shortage.
1. Why are African grey parrots called “The Einsteins of the Bird World”?| A．Because of their brain size. | B．On account of their intelligence. |
| C．Owing to their rich emotions. | D．Due to their talking ability. |
| A．A brand of bird food. | B．Puzzle toys for birds. |
| C．A type of round fruit. | D．Wild Intelligence games. |
| A．They may get ill due to lack of Vitamin |
| B．They prefer to stay in the middle of the room. |
| C．They are dusty looking with blue eyes. |
| D．They are smart and love to have fun. |
| A．In a wildlife magazine. | B．In science fiction. |
| C．In a travel guide. | D．On a shopping website. |
