1 . Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Desertification

Desertification is one of the world’s most alarming processes of environmental degradation(退化). The issue is often unclear, however, by a common misperception: that it’s a “natural” problem of advancing deserts in faraway developing countries. In fact, desertification is about land degradation: the loss of the land’s biological productivity, caused by man-made factors and climate change.

Each year, desertification and drought cause an estimated $42 billion in lost agricultural production. The risks of desertification are sufficient and clear. It contributes to food insecurity, hunger and poverty, and can give rise to social, economic and political tensions that can cause conflicts, further poverty and land degradation. The great urgency of this challenge led the United Nations General Assembly to state 2006 to be the International Year of Deserts and Desertification (IYDD). It is a strong reminder of the urgent need to address the far-reaching implications of this problem. United Nations General Secretary recently summarizes in this way: “I look forward to working with Governments, civil society, the private section, international organizations and others to focus attention on this crucial issue, and to reverse the trend of desertification and set the world on a safer, more sustainable path of development.”

The IYDD also presents a golden opportunity to get the message across strongly and effectively that desertification is a global problem which we ignore at our risk. It is important to recognize that dry-lands are home to some of the most magnificent ecosystems of this world. These unique natural habitats have been home to some of the world’s oldest civilizations. They stand like open-air museums, bearing witness to bygone eras. The Year will therefore also celebrate the delicate beauty and unique inheritance of the world’s deserts.

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2 . Scientists from Austria, Finland and Hungary are using laser scanners to study the day-night rhythm of trees. As it turns out, trees go to sleep too.

Most living organisms adapt their behavior to the rhythm of day and night. Plants are no exception: flowers open in the morning, some tree leaves close during the night. Researchers have been studying the day and night cycle in plants for a long time: Linnaeus observed that flowers in a dark cellar continued to open and close, and Darwin recorded the overnight movement of plant leaves and stalks and called it ''sleep. '' But even to this day, such studies have only been done with small plants grown in pots, and nobody knew whether trees sleep as well. Now, a team of researchers from Austria, Finland and Hungary measured the sleep movement of fully grown trees using a time series of laser scanning point clouds consisting, of millions of points each.

''Our results show that the whole tree droops(下垂)during night which can be seen as position change in leaves and branches, '' says Eetu Puttonen(Finnish Geospatial Research Institute), ''The changes are not too large,only up to 10 cm for trees with a height of about 5 meters,but they were systematic and well within the accuracy of our instruments. ''

To rule out effects of weather and location, the experiment was done twice with two different trees. The first tree was surveyed in Finland and the other in Austria. The leaves and branches were shown to droop gradually,with the lowest position reached a couple of hours before sunrise. In the morning, the trees returned to their original position within a few hours. It is not yet clear whether they were “woken up” by the sun or by their own internal rhythm.

Andras Zlinszky(Centre for Ecological Research,Hungarian Academy of Sciences) explains ''Plant movement is always closely connected with the water balance of individual cells, which is affected by the availability of light through photosynthesis(光合作用). But changes in the shape of the plant are difficult to document even for small herbs as classical photography uses visible light that interferes with the sleep movement. '' With a laser scanner, plant disturbance is minimal. The scanners use infrared light(红外线),which is reflected by the leaves. Individual points on a plant are only illuminated for fractions of a second. With this laser scanning technique, a full-sized tree can be automatically mapped within minutes with sub-centimeter resolution(分辨率).

''We believe that laser scanning point clouds will allow us to develop a deeper understanding of plant sleep patterns and to extend our measurement scope from individual plants to larger areas, like orchards or forest plots, '' says Norbert Pfeifer(TU Wien).

''The next step will be collecting tree point clouds repeatedly and comparing the results to water use measurements during day and night, '' says Eetu Puttonen. ''This will give us a better understanding of the trees' daily tree water use and their influence on the local or regional climate. ''

1. What is the new discovery made by a team of researchers from Austria, Finland and Hungary?

A．Living organisms adapt their behavior to the rhythm of night.

B．Flowers in a dark cellar continued to open and close.

C．Plants grown in pots sleep at night.

D．Fully grown trees droop their branches at night.

2. Which is NOT the reason why researchers used laser scanners to conduct their experiments?

A．They can document changes in the shape of branches and leaves.

B．They can connect plant movement with the water balance of cells.

C．They can use infrared light which is reflected by the leaves.

D．They can make trees automatically mapped with sub-centimeter resolution.

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE?

A．Visible light interferes with the sleep movement of plants.

B．Classical photography allows us to develop a deeper understanding of plant sleep patterns.

C．Researchers compared the results of forest plots to water use measurements.

D．It is clear that trees are woken up by their own internal rhythm.

3 . A new argument has been put forward as to whether penguins are disturbed by the presence of tourists in Antarctica.   
Previous research by scientists from Keil University in Germany monitored Adelie penguins and noted that the birds’ heart rates increased dramatically at the sight of a human as far as 30 meters away. But new research using an artificial egg, which is equipped to measure heart rates, disputes this. Scientists from the Scott Polar Research Institute at Cambridge say that a slow moving human who does not approach the nest too closely, is not viewed as a threat by penguins.
The earlier findings have been used to partly explain the 20 per cent drop in populations of certain types of penguins near tourist sites. However, tour operators have continued to insist that their activities do not adversely affect wildlife in Antarctica, saying they encourage non-disruptive behavior in tourists, and that the decline in penguin numbers is caused by other factors.
Amanda Nimon of the Scott Polar Research Institute spent three southern hemisphere summers at Cuverville Island in Antarctica studying penguin behavior towards humans. “A nesting penguin will react very differently to a person rapidly and closely approaching the nest,” says Nimon.   “First they exhibit large and prolonged heart rate changes and then they often flee the nest leaving it open for predators (掠夺者) to fly in and remove eggs or chicks.” The artificial egg, specially for the project, monitored both the parent who had been ‘disturbed’ when the egg was placed in the nest and the other parent as they both took it in turns to guard the nest.
However, Boris Culik, who monitored the Adelie penguins, believes that Nimon’s findings do not invalidate his own research. He points out that species behave differently – and Nimon’s work was with Gentoo penguins. Nimon and her colleagues believe that Culik’s research was methodologically flawed because the monitoring of penguins’ responses needed capturing and restraining the birds and fitting them with beart-rate transmitters. Therefore, argues Nimon, it would not be surprising if they became stressed on seeing a human subsequently.
1. According to the passage, what overall message is presented?

A．No firm conclusions are drawn.

B．Neither Culik’s nor Nimon’s findings are of much value.

C．Penguin reduction is closed related to tourist behavior.

D．Tourists are not responsible for the fall in penguin numbers.

2. Which ONE argument of the following is stated in the passage?

A．Penguins are harder to research when they have young.

B．Tour operators should encourage tourists to avoid Antarctica.

C．Not all penguins behave in the same way.

D．Penguins need better protection from tourists.

3. What do you notice about the views presented in the passage?

A．They are groundless.

B．They are factual.

C．They are descriptive.

D．They are conflicting.

4. What does the underlined word (final line) probably mean?

A．later on

B．carmly

C．separately

D．in the same place

4 . Every weekend, after hiking in the Saneum Healing Forest east of Seoul, the firefighters sip tea and enjoy an arm massage. The aim of program is     1    offer) “forest healing”; the firefighters all have certain types of stress disorder. Saneum is one of three official healing forest in South Korea, which offer a range of programs from meditation to woodcraft to camping. Soon there will be 34 more. South Koreans, many of whom suffer from work stress, digital addiction, and intense academic pressures,    2    (welcome) the medicalization of nature with great enthusiasm. In fact, the government is investing a hundred million dollars     3     a healing complex next to Sobaeksan National park.

There is increasing evidence     4     being outside in a pleasant natural environment is good for us. But what is frustrating is that fewer of us actually enjoy nature regularly. According to Lisa Nisbet, a psychology professor at Canada’s Trent University, evidence for the benefits of nature is pouring at a time    5     we are most disconnected from it. The pressures of modern life lead to long hours spent working indoors. Digital addiction and strong academic pressure add to the problem. In America, visits to parks have been declining since the dawn of email, and so    6     visits to the backyard. Research indicates that only about 10 percent of American teens spend time outside every day.

So what are some of the benefits of nature that Nisbet refers to?    7     (surround) by nature has one obvious effect: the more time we spend in nature, the     8     (stressful) we become. This has been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rates, and levels of the stress hormone, as well as reduce feelings of fear or anger. But studies also indicate that spending time in nature can do more than provide an     9     (improve) sense and well-being; it can lower rates of heart disease and diabetes. That is probably     10     we evolved in nature and have been adapted to the natural environment.

5 . Being able to land safely is a critically important skill for all flying animals. Comparatively speaking, ground living animals face no particular challenge when they need to stop running or crawling, while flying animals move at much higher speed, and they must be careful about how they land. Hitting the ground, or even water, at full flight speed would be quite dangerous. Before touching down, they must decrease their speed in order to land safely. Both bats and birds have mastered the skill of landing, but these two types of flyers go about it quite differently.

In the past it was believed that, in terms of flying mechanics, there was little difference between bats and birds. This belief was based only on assumption, however, because for years nobody had actually studied in detail how bats move their wings. In recent years, though, researchers have discovered a number of interesting facts about bat flight. Bats are built differently from birds, and their wings are made up of both their front and hind limbs (肢体). This makes coordinating (协调) their limbs more difficult for bats and, as a result, they are not very good at flying over longer distances. However, they are much better at the ability to adjust themselves: a bat can quickly change its direction of flight or completely reverse it, something a bird cannot easily do.

Another interesting characteristic of bat flight is the way in which bats land-upside down! Unlike birds which touch down on the ground or on tree branches, bats can be observed flying around and then suddenly hanging upside down from an object overhead. One downside to this landing routine is that the bats often land with some force, which probably causes pain. However, not all bats hit their landing spots with the same speed and force; these will vary depending on the area where a bat species makes its home. For example, a cave bat, which regularly lives on a hard stone ceiling, is more careful about its landing preparation than a bat more accustomed to landing in leafy treetops.

1. Which of the following is the topic of the passage?

A．Places where flying animals choose to land.

B．Why scientists have difficulty observing bats.

C．Differences in the eating habits of bats and birds.

D．Ways in which bats move differently from birds.

2. Which of the following is a false assumption about bats that was recently corrected?

A．They cannot hear any sound.	B．They sleep upside down.
C．They fly similarly to birds.	D．They hide in tree branches.

3. The word “it” (in 2^nd paragraph) probably refers to “______”.

A．the distance to the nets	B．the sense of flying height
C．the flying direction	D．the ability to change the speed

4. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．Bats might hurt themselves when landing.

B．Bats can hang upside down like birds.

C．Bats can adjust speed before landing.

D．Bats and birds land in different ways.

9 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

Mentally and Intellectually Harmful

Last month, the Indian Medical Association declared a public health emergency in New Delhi because of high levels of air pollution. Schools were shut and emergency traffic restrictions put in place.

New Delhi is far from alone. Our research into the    1     of air pollution in China shows that, in addition to the more obvious physical price, air pollution can also have serious negative effects on mental health and cognition (认知),    2     reducing a person’s happiness and their scores in verbal and mathematical tests.

Such harmful mental effects have serious negative consequences for livelihoods and human capital development, suggesting that development    3     should go beyond the traditional focus of boosting GDP in the developing world.

India's recent pollution emergency is the most    4     incidence(发生率)of dangerous air pollution, but smoggy skies have been a cause of growing    5     in most developing countries.

Major cities across the developing world---from Thailand to Brazil, to Nigeria---    6     experience pollution at several times the WHO safe limits. In fact, 98% of cities with more than 100.000    7     in low and middle-income countries fail to meet the WHO’s air quality guidelines.

India’s extreme levels of air pollution are well recognized, and examining the effects provides clear warnings for other countries seeking fast growth through rapid industrialization.

We used nationally     8     longitudinal (纵向)surveys on mental health and cognition, matched with daily air quality data for the time and place of interviews, to see what pollution does in a given time to individual happiness and cognitive performance. Because each person in our survey was     9    multiple times, we can control for the effect of individual characteristics on the outcome variables.

We found that worsening air quality led to a decrease in happiness that day    10    to about 10 percent of the reduced happiness one would experience form a negative major life event such as divorce.

10 . Directions: Fill in each blank with a proper word chosen from the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one word more than you need.

Is climate change consuming your favorite foods?

Coffee: Whether or not you try to limit yourself to one cup of coffee a day, the effects of climate change on the world’s coffee-growing regions may leave you little choice.     1     America, Africa, Asia and Hawaii are all being threatened by rising air temperatures and unstable rainfall patterns, which invite disease and     2     species to live on the coffee plant and ripening beans. The result? Significant cuts in coffee yield and less coffee in your cup. It is estimated that, if current climate patterns continue, half of the areas     3     suitable for coffee production won't be by the year 2050.

Tea: When it comes to tea, warmer climates and erratic precipitation aren't only     4     the world's tea-growing regions, they're also messing with its distinct flavor. For example, in India, researchers have already discovered that the Indian Monsoon has brought more intense rainfall, making tea flavor weaker. Recent research coming out of the University of Southampton suggests that tea-producing areas in some places,     5     East Africa, could decline by as much as 55 percent by 2050 as precipitation and temperatures change. Tea pickers are also feeling the     6     of climate change. During harvest season, increased air temperatures are creating an increased risk of heatstroke for field workers.

Seafood: Climate change is affecting the world's aquaculture as much as its agriculture. As air temperatures rise, oceans and waterways absorb some of the heat and     7     warming of their own. The result is a decline in fish population, including in lobsters (who are cold-blooded creatures), and salmon (whose eggs find it hard to survive in higher water temps). Warmer waters also     8     toxic marine bacteria, like Vibrio, to grow and cause illness in humans whenever ingested with raw seafood, like oysters or sashimi.

And that     9     "crack" you get when eating crab and lobster? It could be silenced as shellfish struggle to build their calcium(碳) carbonate shells, a result of ocean acidification (absorb carbon dioxide from the air). According to a study, scientists predicted that if over-fishing and rising temperature trends continued at their present rate, the world's seafood     10     would run out by the year 2050.