1 . Going green seems to be fad (时尚) for a lot of people these days. Whether that is good or bad, we can’t really say, but for the two of us, going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.

On April 22,2011,we decided to be green every single day for an entire year. This meant doing 365 different things, and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond the easy things. Rather than recycle and reduce our energy, we had to think of 365 different things to do and this was no easy task.

With the idea of going green every single day a year, Our Green Year started. My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all green things that could be done to help the environment. We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.

Over the course of Our Green Year, we completely changed our lifestyles. We now shop at organic (有机的) stores. We consume less meat, choosing green food. We have greatly reduced our buying we don’t need. We have given away half of what we owned through websites. Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice, with no chemical cleaners. We make our own butter, enjoying the smell of home-made fresh bread. In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.

Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year. We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others. We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planets.

1. What might be the best title for the passage?

A．Going Green.	B．Protecting the Planet.
C．Keeping Open-Minded	D．Celebrating Our Green Year.

2. It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because_________.

A．they were expected to follow the green fad

B．they didn’t know how to educate other people

C．they were unwilling to reduce their energy

D．they needed to perform unusual green tasks

3. What did the couple do over the course of Our Green Year?

A．They tried to get out of their ungreen habits.

B．They ignore others’ ungreen behavior.

C．They chose better chemical cleaners.

D．They sold their home-made food.

4. What can we infer form the last paragraph?

A．The government will give support to the green people.

B．The couple may continue their project in the future.

C．Some people disagree with the couple’s green ideas.

D．Our Green Year is becoming a national campaign.

2 . Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth. There are hundreds of kinds of sharks. Most are about two meters long. The dogfish shark, however, is less than twenty centimeters in length. A shark has anextremely good sense of smell. It can find small amounts of substances in water, such as blood, body liquids and chemicals produced by animals.    1    Sharks eat fish, other sharks, and plants that live in the ocean.

Sharks grow slowly. About forty percent of all sharks lay eggs.    2    Some sharks carry their younginside their bodies as humans do. Some sharks are not able to reproduce until they are twenty years old. Most reproduce only every two years. And they give birth to fewer than ten young sharks. For this reason, overfishing of sharks is of special danger to the future of the animal.

Sharks are important for the world's oceans. They eat injured and diseased fish. Their hunting activities mean that the numbers of other fish in ocean waters do not become too great.    3    

People hunt sharks for sport, food, medicine and their skin. Experts say the international market for somekinds of sharks has increased because many parts of a shark are valuable.

Collectors pay thousands of dollars for the jaws of a shark.    4    The skin of a shark can be used like leather.

In Asia, people enjoy a kind of soup made from shark fins. Experts say a fisherman can earn a lot ofmoney for even one kilogram of shark fins. Sharks are among the oldest animals on Earth, but some sharks are in danger of disappearing from Earth.    5    

A．Shark liver oil is a popular source of Vitamin A.

B．This protects the plants and other forms of life that exist in the oceans.

C．Sharks are valuable to us and we can make full use of them.

D．These powerful senses help sharks find their food.

E．If too many sharks in one area are killed, that group of sharks may never return to normal populationlevels.

F．They are a threat to other forms of life in the ocean.

G．The others give birth to live young.

3 . How can a creature weighing over 5 tons and normally taking 150 kilograms of food and 120 liters of water per day survive in a desert environment?
In the southwest African country of Namibia, and the Sahara lands of Mali further north, the desert elephant does just that.
Although not regarded as a separate species from the African elephant, the desert cousin differs in many ways. Their bodies are smaller, to absorb less heat, and their feet are larger for easier walking across sandy surfaces. They are taller, to reach higher branches. They have shorter tusks (象牙), and most importantly, longer trunks to dig for water in riverbeds.
Desert elephants can travel over 70 kilometers in search for feeding grounds and waterholes, and have a larger group of families. They drink only every 3-4 days, and can store water in a “bag” at the back of their throat, which is only used when badly needed. Desert elephants are careful feeders---they seldom root up trees and break fewer branches, and thus maintain what little food sources are available. Young elephants may even eat the dung (粪便) of the female leader of a group when facing food shortage. During drought they are unlikely to give birth to their young but with good rains the birthrate will increase greatly. Desert elephants have sand baths, sometimes adding their own urine (尿液) to make them muddy!
As we continue to overheat our weak planet, it can only be hoped that other animal species will adapt as extraordinarily well to change as the desert elephant.
1. The underlined part in Paragraph 2 means “_____”.

A．remains in the African countries

B．drinks 120 liters of water a day

C．manages to live in desert areas

D．eats 150 kilograms of food daily

2. Desert elephants are called careful feeders because they _____.

A．rarely ruin trees

B．drink only every 3-4 days

C．search for food in large groups

D．protect food sources for their young

3. The author answers the question raised in the first paragraph with _____.

A．stories and explanation

B．facts and descriptions

C．examples and conclusion

D．evidence and argument

4. What can be inferred from the last sentence in the passage?

A．Overheating the earth can be stopped.

B．Not all animal species are so adaptable.

C．The planet will become hotter and hotter.

D．Not all animals are as smart as desert elephants.

4 . Far from the land of Antarctica, a huge shelf of ice meets the ocean. At the underside of the shelf there lives a small fish, the Antarctic cod.

For forty years scientists have been curious about that fish. How does it live where most fish would freeze to death? It must have some secret. The Antarctic is not a comfortable place to work and research has been slow. Now it seems we have an answer.

Research was begun by cutting holes in the ice and catching the fish. Scientists studied the fish’s blood and measured its freezing point.

The fish were taken from seawater that had a temperature of -1.88℃ and many tiny pieces of ice floating in it. The blood of the fish did not begin to freeze until its temperature was lowered to -2.05℃. That small difference is enough for the fish to live at the freezing temperature of the ice-salt mixture.

The scientists’ next research job was clear: Find out what in the fish’s blood kept it from freezing. Their search led to some really strange thing made up of a protein never before seen in the blood of a fish. When it was removed, the blood froze at seawater temperature. When it was put back, the blood again had its antifreeze quality and a lowered freezing point.

Study showed that it is an unusual kind of protein. It has many small sugar molecules held in special positions within each big protein molecule. Because of its sugar content, it is called a glycoprotein. So it has come to be called the antifreeze fish glycoprotein. Or AFGP.

1. What is the text mainly about?

A．The terrible conditions in the Antarctic.

B．A special fish living in freezing waters.

C．The ice shelf around Antarctica.

D．Protection of the Antarctic cod.

2. Why can the Antarctic cod live at the freezing temperature?

A．The seawater has a temperature of -1.88℃.

B．It loves to live in the ice-salt mixture.

C．A special protein keeps it from freezing.

D．Its blood has a temperature lower than -2.05℃.

3. What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．A type of ice-salt mixture.	B．A newly found protein.
C．Fish blood.	D．Sugar molecule.

4. What does “glyco-” in the underlined word “glycoprotein” in the last paragraph mean?

A．sugar	B．ice
C．blood	D．molecule

5 . B
Domestic (驯养的) horses now pull ploughs, race in the Kentucky Derby, and carry police. But early horses weren’t tame (驯服的) enough to perform these kinds of tasks. Scientists think the first interactions humans had with horses were far different from those today.
Thousands of years ago, people killed the wild horses that lived around them for food. Over time, people began to catch the animals and raise them. This was the first step in domestication.
As people began to tame and ride horses, they chose to keep those animals that had more desirable characteristics. For example, people may have chosen to keep horses that had a gentle personality so they could be ridden more easily. People who used horses to pull heavy loads would have chosen to keep stronger animals. Characteristics like strength are partly controlled by the animals’ genes. So as the domesticated horses reproduced, they passed the characteristics on to their young. Each new generation of houses would show more of these chosen characteristics.
Modern day horse breeds come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. This variety didn’t exist in the horse population before domestication. The Shetland horse is one of the smallest breeds—typically reaching only one meter tall. With short, strong legs, the animals were bred to pull coal out of mine shafts (矿井) with low ceilings. Huge horses like the Clydesdale came on the scene around 1700. People bred these heavy, tall horses to pull large vehicles used for carrying heavy loads.
The domestication of horses has had great effects on societies. For example, horse were important tools in the advancement of modern agriculture. Using them to pull ploughs and carry heavy loads allowed people to farm more efficiently. Before they were able to ride horses, humans had to cross land on foot. Riding horses allowed people to travel far greater distance in much less time. That encouraged populations living in different areas to interact with one another. The new from of rapid transportation helped cultures spread around the world.
1. Before domestication horses were ______.

A．caught for sports	B．hunted for food
C．made to pull ploughs	D．used to carry people

2. The author uses the Shetland horse as an example to show ______.

A．it is smaller than the Clydesdale horse	B．horse used to have gentle personalities
C．some horses have better shaped than others	D．horses were of less variety before domestication

3. Horses contributed to the spread of culture by ______.

A．carrying heavy loads	B．changing farming methods
C．serving as a means of transport	D．advancing agriculture in different areas

4. The passage is mainly about _______.

A．why humans domesticated horses	B．how humans and horses needed each other
C．why horses came in different shapes and sizes	D．how human societies and horses influenced each other

6 . There are 132 rooms, 32 bathrooms, and 6 floors to accommodate all the people who live in, work in, and visit the White House. There are also 412 doors, 147 windows, 28 fireplaces, 7 staircases, and 3 lifts.
At various times in history, the White House has been known as the “President’s Palace”, the “President’s House”, and the “Executive Mansion”. President Theodore Roosevelt officially gave the White House its current name in 1901.
The White House receives approximately 6,000 visitors a day.
With five full-time chefs, the White House kitchen is able to serve as many as 140 guests and hors d’oeuvres (开胃菜) to more than 1,000 people.
The White House requires 570 gallons of paint to cover its outside surface.
For recreation, the White House has a variety of facilities available to people who live in, including a tennis court, a jogging track, a swimming pool, a movie theater and a bowling lane.
The first US President to live in the White House was John Adams. Adams and his family moved to the White House in 1800, when the decoration of the building was not finished. And it was not until during Thomas Jefferson’s term (1801-1809) that the decoration was finally completed.
President John Tyler (1841-1845) was the first president to have his photo taken. President Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909) was not only the first president to ride in an automobile, but also the first president to travel outside the country when he visited Panama (巴拿马). President Franklin Roosevelt (1933-1945) was the first president to ride in an airplane.
1. In normal cases, how many people visit the White House per day?

A．1,000.

B．6,000.

C．140.

D．570.

2. Which President was in office when the decoration of the White House was completed?

A．John Adams.	B．John Tyler.
C．Thomas Jefferson.	D．Theodore Roosevelt.

3. According to the passage, when did American President first visit a foreign country?

A．Between 1801 and 1809.	B．Between 1901 and 1909.
C．Between 1841 and 1845.	D．Between 1933 and 1945.

7 . Algae(水藻) are very simple plants. They grow in fresh water or salty water. Seaweed is algae that grow in salty water. Seaweed is red or brown in color. The Japanese people use these plants from the sea in many ways. From it, they make a food called Kombu. Kombu is seaweed that has been dried, cooked and pressed together. Then it is dried again and cut into long pieces. The Japanese eat a lot of Kombu and like it very much.
Japanese farmers often use seaweed as fertilizer. It makes their plants grow better. Many farmers also find seaweed makes a fine food for their animals.
From seaweed the Japanese also get iodine(碘), which they sell to other countries. Iodine is used in many ways all over the world. It is used in making medicine. It is added to the salt we use at the table. Scientists even use one form of iodine to “ seed clouds” when they want rain to fall.
1. Kombu is a kind of ____ according to the text.

A．plant

B．medicine

C．food

D．fertilizer

2. In the last sentence of the text, “seed clouds” means ____.

A．clouds spreading like seeds

B．the seeds like clouds

C．to make rain fall with human power

D．dropping seeds by clouds

3. The main idea of the story is that ____.

A．The Japanese eat seaweed when they want rain to fall.

B．Kombu is made into medicine for farmers.

C．The Japanese use seaweed in many ways.

D．The Japanese eat a lot of Kombu.