Travel in the Everglades is difficult. You cannot walk through shallow water because the sawgrass will cut you. The water is too shallow for regular boats. So, we use an airboat. An airboat is a flat, open boat. Like an airplane, it has a big propeller to move it. The propeller is fixed on the rear of the boat. It makes a tremendous noise, but it does the job. The boat skims along the water’s surface. Although we can still get lost in an airboat, at least we are above the alligators(短吻鳄).
While hundreds of different kinds of animals live in the Everglades, the most famous is surely the alligator. Once endangered, alligators are now protected within Everglades National Park. Visitors are likely to see them both on land and in water.
For a long time, dangers have threatened the Everglades. Around 1900, some people felt this precious wetland should be drained (排干). They said it was just a big swamp and not good for anything. In the 1920s, there was a land boom in Florida. People wanted to build homes everywhere, including in the Everglades. They built canals, levees (防洪堤), and other water systems that stopped the rivers flowing into the Everglades. Factories were built near rivers that flowed into the wetland. These factories dumped poisonous waste that damaged the Everglades ecosystem.
People are now working to preserve the Everglades National Park for the future. Right now, one big problem is the paperbark tree. This tree is an invader from Australia.
Paperbark trees soak up a lot of water. In the early 1900s, people brought them to Florida because they thought they would help drain the Everglades. However, the invaders adapted too well. Paperbark trees have taken over hundreds of thousands of acres of the Everglades and killed other trees. Scientists are cutting down these invaders or spraying them with herbicides (除草剂) to kill them.
1. Which helps to explain why it is difficult to travel in Everglades?
| A．Airboats may make a very big noise. |
| B．You may get lost when passing through. |
| C．Paperbark trees soak up too much water there. |
| D．Many different kinds of animals are to be protected. |
| A．They have big propellers to move them faster than alligators. |
| B．The propeller makes loud noise so as to scare alligators. |
| C．Their flat bottom can skim along the water surface. |
| D．They can watch alligators without hurting them. |
| A．built canals and levees to stop the rivers flowing into Everglades |
| B．built factories near rivers that flowed into the wetland |
| C．brought Paperbark to soak up water in Everglades |
| D．are cutting down these Paperbark trees |
| A．that moves in from another place |
| B．that enters and takes control |
| C．that has been brought in |
| D．that is in danger |
2 . Normally, kids have curiosity(好奇) about everything around them including animals. As a parent you are willing to teach everything to our children because you want to develop their EQ and IQ. But a few people have some troubles in how to introduce animals to their kids. Here I have some advice on how to do that.
1. Visiting a zoo.
This way must be the best choice to choose. If you have free time or maybe on holiday you can take your children to the zoo. Kids usually are excited to see live animals and feed them if possible. It can be an unforgettable moment for your children when they visit so many animals in a place. Parents can describe an animal to their children so they can learn something about that animal.
2. Doing a coloring activity.
If you have not free time or just have a short time, you can choose this. Actually doing animal coloring activity is mostly used by parents and teachers to tell children about an animal. You can download free animal coloring pages through the internet or you can buy your children an animal coloring book.
3. Doing a paper craft.
If it sounds difficult you can skip this method. Just forget it. Generally, the difficulty level depends on your paper craft models. You can find free animal paper crafts on the internet but make sure of the difficulty level. Remember your purpose is not about how beautiful your paper crafts are but to describe an animal to your children.
4. Story telling.
Have you heard about an animal story when you were a child? You still remember it? How about the character of those animals? Yeah! It is still in your mind. You can buy a story book of animals and read it for your children.
There are also many other ways and everything needed here is just the creativity to connect it with the children and make them enjoy and have fun with your activities.
1. What’s the purpose of this passage?| A．To satisfy the curiosity of the kids. |
| B．To develop children’s EQ and IQ. |
| C．To give parents and teachers advice on how to introduce animals to kids. |
| D．To introduce some activities to let parents know more about their kids. |
| A．Visiting a zoo | B．Doing a coloring activity |
| C．Doing a paper craft | D．Telling a story |
| A．Download some beautiful paper crafts on the internet. |
| B．Buy your kid an animal coloring book. |
| C．Give your kid an unforgettable moment to visit many animals in a place. |
| D．Buy your kid a story book. |
| A．fun | B．joy | C．imagination | D．creativity |
3 . David, a French priest (牧师) of thirty-six, was sent to China by the church in 1872. He did well in the natural and social science besides his religious activities (宗教活动).He was also very interested in the rare wild animals and plants in China.
On May 4th, 1879, after searching half a month in the western part of Baoxing, Sichuan the hunters hired (雇用) by David succeeded in bringing him a “black-and-white bear”. “The bear is extremely lovely”, he wrote in his diary excitedly. Meanwhile, he felt it might be a new species (物种) never discovered by scientists.
He then decided to send it to Paris for a further study. Unfortunately the poor “black-and white” bear died of Jolts (颠簸) of the mountain roads and the climatic (气候) change. He had to send its pelt(皮毛) to the National Museum in Paris for display (展览).In fact, the so-called “black-and white” bear was neither a bear nor a cat. After a complete study, Milla Edwards, head of the museum, judged that it was a new species. He gave the “giant panda”.
The discovery made the world excited and Baoxing was also made famous for “home of the giant panda”.
1. From the passage we can see that David mainly came to China to ____.| A．learn Chinese science and history | B．look for a panda for church |
| C．do something on religion (宗教) | D．study the wild animals and plants in China |
| A．very hard to find | B．worth no money |
| C．easy to find | D．running very fast |
| A．by David, a French priest | B．quite by accident |
| C．with a lot of difficulty | D．after the hunters followed it for half a month |
| A．The giant panda died when it was on display. |
| B．David had never seen a giant panda before. |
| C．Milla was sure the animal was neither a bear nor a cat. |
| D．The discovery made the world excited with interest |
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 |
| 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 |
| A．carrying heavy loads | B．changing farming methods |
| C．serving as a means of transport | D．advancing agriculture in different areas |
| 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 |
Animals can help people, too. Dogs can be taught to become the “eyes” for a blind person or “ears” for a deaf people. Scientists have found that pets help people live longer! They make people happier, too. Because of that, animals are brought into hospitals for “visit”.
Americans hold “Be-Kind-to-Animals Week” in the first week of May.
Pets shows are held during the week. Even if you don’t live in America, you, too, can do this. How? First, think about how animals make your life richer. If you have a pet, take more time this week to play with it. Remember to give it delicious food. Also, be sure to keep your pet from those unwanted babies.
If you don’t have a pet, be kind to animals around you. For example, if you see a street dog, don’t kick it or throw things at it. Instead, just leave it alone, or better yet, make friends with it. If others around you do bad things to an animal, try to stop them. As people, we must protect animals who can’t speak for themselves.
1. “A few even leave all their money to their pets when they die!” means that__________
| A．pets have the right to inherit (继承) money. |
| B．money can give pets happiness. |
| C．it’s the best way to spend money. |
| D．some pets are taken as children. |
| A．Because they are ill and need to see doctors. |
| B．Because they can make the patients happier. |
| C．Because they can find out the problems of the patients. |
| D．Because doctors can do experiments on them. |
| A．Holding a pet show in the week. |
| B．Playing with pets the whole week. |
| C．Cooking delicious food for pets. |
| D．Making friends with other people’s pets. |
| A．A lot of people are interested in dogs. |
| B．Dogs can help people do many things. Z+X+X+K] |
| C．Pets are lovely and need care and protection. |
| D．We have done a lot of things for pets. |
| A．the friendship between people. |
| B．the friendship between people and animals. |
| C．the friendship between animals. |
| D．the friendship between men and women |
How to get rid of waste is a great problem for the world today. Waste must be treated
In many countries with
In 1989 an international law was passed to
The
| A．as if | B．so that | C．ever since | D．now that |
| A．Luckily | B．Happily | C．Unfortunately | D．Hopefully |
| A．sick | B．hope | C．rich | D．fun |
| A．raises | B．feeds | C．kills | D．breaks |
| A．pool | B．lake | C．spring | D．sea |
| A．grassland | B．plains | C．sea coasts | D．deserts |
| A．safe | B．useful | C．dirty | D．wrong |
| A．need | B．may | C．can’t | D．needn’t |
| A．So | B．Because | C．Since | D．But |
| A．stop | B．suggest | C．keep | D．find |
| A．school | B．organization | C．factory | D．law |
| A．out of | B．away from | C．into | D．above |
| A．depending on | B．feeding on | C．leading to | D．connecting to |
| A．news | B．method | C．problem | D．disadvantage |
| A．punished | B．set up | C．refused | D．called at |
Some scientists believe that birds do sing some of the time just because they are happy. However they sing most of the time for a very different reason. Their singing is actually a warning to other birds to stay out of their territory.
Do you know what a territory is? A territory is an area that an animal, usually the male, claims as its own. Only he and his family are welcome there. No other families of the same species are welcome. Your yard and house are your territory where only your family and friends are welcome. If a stranger should enter your territory and threaten you, you might shout. Probably this would be enough to frighten him away.
If so, you have actually scared the stranger away without having to fight him. A bird does the same thing. But he expects an outsider almost any time, especially at nesting(筑巢) season. So he is screaming all the time, whether he can see an outsider or not. This screaming is what we call a bird’s song, and it is usually enough to keep an outsider away.
Birds sing loudest in the spring when they are trying to attract a mate and warn others not to enter the territory of theirs.
You can see that birds have a language of their own. Most of it has to do with attracting mates and setting up territories.
1. Some scientists believe that most of the time bird’s singing is actually ________.
| A．an expression of happiness | B．a way of warning |
| C．an expression of anger | D．a way of greeting |
| A．A place where families of other species are not accepted. |
| B．A place where a bird may shout at the top of its voice. |
| C．An area for which birds fight against each other. |
| D．An area which a bird considers to be its own. |
| A．Because they want to invite more friends. |
| B．Because their singing helps frighten outsiders away. |
| C．Because they want to find outsiders around. |
| D．Because their singing helps get rid of their fears. |
| A．By comparing birds with human beings. |
| B．By reporting experiment results. |
| C．By describing birds’ daily life. |
| D．By telling a bird’s story. |
8 . E
City officials are hoping to use the power of dog droppings. San Franciscans already recycle more than 60% of their dogs’ droppings, but in this dog-friendly town, such wastes make up nearly 4% of residential waste, or 6,500 tons a year.
Within the next few months, Norcal Waste, a company that collects San Francisco’s wastes, will begin a trial program under which it uses biodegradable (生物分解的) bags and dog-waste carts to pick up droppings at a popular dog park.
The droppings will be thrown into a machine called a methane digester (沼气处理机), which is basically a tank in which bacteria feed on droppings for weeks to create methane gas.
The methane could then be piped directly to a gas stove, a steam heater, an air turbine or anything else powered by natural gas. It can also be used to produce electricity.
Someone doubts whether this plan is practical. But Norcal Waste spokesman, Robert Reed points to San Francisco’s creative food composting (混合肥料) program, which began 10 years ago. It is a proof that an unusual idea can work in this forward-thinking city. Norcal Waste collects 300 tons of food left over after meals per day from homes and restaurants and changes it into a rich fertilizer sold to grape farms and organic farms.
Methane digesters are nothing new. The technology was introduced in Europe about 20 years ago, and more than 600 farm-based digesters are in operation there. Nine are in use on California cow farms, and chicken and pig farms elsewhere in the United States also use them.
“The main obstacle is probably getting communities around the country the courage to collect dog droppings, to give value to something we’d rather not talk about,” Brinton, a recycling and composting consultant, said. “San Francisco is probably the king of pet cities. This could be an advantage of it, which is very important.”
Some other experts believe energy production from dog droppings must become more attractive economically before it gets popular. Landfill space is relatively cheap, and natural gas and electricity also remain fairly inexpensive. However, Reed said confidently, “Now, the city authorities asked us to look at dog waste specifically.”
1. How many dogs’ droppings can be recycled at present per year in San Francisco?| A．About 6,500 tons. | B．About 169,000 tons. |
| C．About 260 tons. | D．About 3,900 tons. |
| A．there are many pets that are treated well in San Francisco |
| B．Norcal Waste is a company of refuse (垃圾) treatment, which collects dog wastes only |
| C．most of the farms in Europe use Methane digesters |
| D．Brinton doesn’t feel optimistic about the collection of dog droppings in San Francisco |
| A．interest | B．effect | C．difficulty | D．purpose |
| A．San Francisco is a city full of innovation. |
| B．Dog droppings can be changed into methane gas in several days. |
| C．It is the first time to utilize animal waste in San Francisco. |
| D．Utilizing dog droppings presently is more economical than the landfill. |
| A．Animal wastes collection by Norcal Waste |
| B．Changing dog droppings into energy |
| C．Methane digester technology in San Francisco |
| D．A dog droppings composting program |
9 . Melissa Poe was 9 years old when she began a campaign for a cleaner environment by writing a letter to the then President Bush. Through her own efforts, her letter was reproduced on over 250 donated billboards across the country.
The response to her request for help was so huge that Poe established Kids For A Cleaner Environment (Kids F.A.C.E.) in 1989. There are now 300,000 members of Kids FACE worldwide and is the world's largest youth environmental organization.
Poe has also asked the National Park Service to carry out a "Children's Forest" project in every national park. In 1992, she was invited as one of only six children in the world to speak at the Earth Summit in Brazil as part of the Voices of the Future Program. In 1993, she was given a Caring Award for her efforts by the Caring Institute.
Since the organization started, Kids F.A.C.E. members have distributed and planted over 1 million trees! Ongoing tree-planting projects include Kid's Yards – the creation of backyard wildlife habitats (栖息地) and now Kids F.A.C.E. is involved in the exciting Earth Odyssey, which is a great way to start helping.
"Starting the club turned out to be a way to help people get involved with the environment. Club members started doing things like recycling, picking up litter and planting trees as well as inviting other kids to join their club."
"We try to tell kids that it's not OK to be lazy," she explains. "You need to start being a responsible, environmentally friendly person now, right away, before you become a resource-sucking adult."
1. Kids F.A.C.E is _____.| A．a program to help students with writing |
| B．a project of litter recycling |
| C．a campaign launched by President Bush |
| D．a club of environmental protection |
| A．She was awarded a prize in Brazil. |
| B．She donated billboard across the country. |
| C．She got positive responses for her efforts |
| D．She joined the National Park Service. |
| A．established in a national park. |
| B．started to protect wildlife |
| C．a wildlife- raising project |
| D．an entertainment park for kids. |
| A．Adults are resource-sucking people |
| B．Poe sought help from a youth organization |
| C．Kids F.A.C.E members are from the U.S. |
| D．Kids are urged to save natural resources. |
