3 . A new study establishes that environmental damage caused by corn production results in 4,300 premature deaths annually in the United States, representing cost of $39 billion.

The paper, published in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Sustainability, presents how researchers have estimated for the first time the health damages caused by corn production using detailed information on pollution emissions, pollution transport by wind, and human exposure to increased air pollution levels.

The study also shows how the damage to human health of producing a litre (升) of corn differs from region to region and how, in some areas, the health damages of corn production are greater than its market price.

“The deaths caused per litre in western corn belt states such as Minnesota, Iowa, and Nebraska tend to be lower than in eastern corn belt states such as Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio,” said lead researcher Jason Hill.

It’s important for farmers to have this information so that they can carry out practices that reduce the environmental influence of the crops they grow. Farmers can greatly improve the environmental profile of their corn by using precision agriculture tools and switching to fertilizers that have lower ammonia (氨) emissions. The study’s results also suggest potential benefits from improving nitrogen use efficiency, switching to crops requiring less fertilizer, and changing the location where corn is grown.

Aware that changes in practices can take time and planning, Hill suggests farmers could be offered motivation to switch to crops that demand less applied nitrogen while still offering market and nutritional benefits.

Hill said, “The number of deaths related to corn production could be reduced through these key strategies”.

1. Which of the states has the lowest death rate caused by corn production?

A．Nebraska.	B．Illinois.
C．Indiana.	D．Ohio.

2. Which of the following is not advised to do for farmers to reduce the environmental impact of corn?

A．Improve nitrogen use efficiency.

B．Plant crops with no fertilizer.

C．Change the corn’s location.

D．Using precision agriculture tools.

3. What is Jason Hill’s attitude to preventing deaths caused by corn production?

A．Indifferent.	B．Optimistic.
C．Pessimistic.	D．Neutral.

4. In which part of a website will you find this text?

A．Health and lifestyle.

B．Art and design.

C．Science and environment.

D．Fashion and business.

5 . Even though these monuments are extremely well known, they hold secrets that not many people are aware of.

Empire State Building

On the 103rd floor of the Empire State Building in New York, there is a secret observation deck that not a lot of people know about. To access the balcony, you have to take a series of elevators and then a very steep, narrow staircase. The observation deck isn’t open to the public, but many celebrities have been photographed there.

Eiffel Tower

There is a secret apartment and office at the very top of the Eiffel Tower that has just recently become open to the public. In 1889, Gustave Eiffel, the engineer of this famous Paris landmark, built himself a private apartment and office. It has been restored and has wax models of Gustave, his daughter, and American inventor Thomas Edison on display.

Statue of Liberty

There is actually a room in the torch of the Statue of Liberty that showcases breathtaking views of the city. People used to be able to visit that room until 1916 when German agents blew up a nearby wharf (码头). The explosion sent broken pieces into the raised arm of Lady Liberty, making the staircase up to the hidden room unsafe.

Disneyland

Hardcore Disney fans might think they know all of the secrets of the park, a famous U.S. landmark, but many haven’t heard of Club 33. This exclusive restaurant is hidden behind an unmarked door in Disneyland’s New Orleans Square. If you want to dine here on your next trip to Disneyland, don’t get your hopes up. It costs $25,000 to join the club, plus an annual fee of $12,000.

1. What do the monuments have in common?

A．They are all in Europe.

B．They all have skyscrapers.

C．They are all the best-known.

D．They all hide little-known secrets.

2. Which of the four has the easiest access?

A．Disneyland.	B．Eiffel Tower.
C．Statue of Liberty.	D．Empire State Building.

3. Which can be used to replace the underlined word “exclusive” in the last paragraph?

A．Attractive.	B．Expensive.
C．Wonderful.	D．Beautiful.

8 . 阅读下面材料，根据其内容和所给段落开头语续写两段，使之构成一篇完整的 短文。

My husband Frank and I lived a frugal (节俭的) life, carrying lunch to work, having no vacations, and staying in. But when it came to our fifteenth wedding anniversary, we decided to “splurge (挥霍)” this one time.

At last, we walked into a beautiful Italian restaurant for a nice dinner. We ordered wonderful food and even a glass of wine each. Halfway through our very delicious dinner, Frank and I noticed the two diners next to us seemed to be looking for something under their table and all around. The elegantly dressed woman appeared to be in her late seventies, and her much younger male companion looked like her son. The woman kept touching her ear.

I asked whether she had lost an earring. The woman shook her head and looked worried. “My hearing aid,” she said. “My son finally convinced me to buy it this week, it is so expensive.” She then added that her son’s eyesight was better than hers but he couldn’t find it, either.

No waiters seemed to be helpful, as they were very busy. And the other diners seemed unaware of the woman’s trouble. Frank stood up immediately. “Let me try,” he offered. “Maybe a fresh pair of eyes will find it.” The woman said that it was very small and had the same color as the floor, adding she didn’t want to bother Frank. “That’s okay, I’ll try.” Frank said. Then he bent down and moved a few inches at a time, with his eyes and hands sweeping back and forth.

The woman sat down slowly. Her son kept his eyes focused while Frank’s feet moved back and forth under the table. Meanwhile, I stood by their table, running my hand over the tablecloth, shifting the plates, etc.

“Thanks,” the woman said. “But I’m afraid it’s lost forever. Your dinner’s getting cold. Please don’t worry.” I saw tears forming in her eyes. Soon, her son sank back into his chair, too. But Frank kept looking until one of them thanked him again, and he finally gave up and sat down to eat. Ten minutes later, as we finished our dinner, the mother and son were drinking coffee, silent “I’ll take one more look.” Frank said.

注意：
1.续写词数应为150左右；
2.请按如下格式在答题卡的相应位置作答。
Paragraph 1:

Then, he lowered himself back to the floor.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Paragraph 2:

Her son shook Frank’s hand and said, How can I thank you? ”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

China’s new “sky train”

China has shown its first maglev line built with permanent magnets (永久磁铁), which engineers claim can keep a “sky train“ afloat even without a power supply. The experimental track, known as the Red Rail, is located in Xingguo County, Jiangxi Province. It uses powerful magnets     1     (produce) a force strong enough to lift a train with 88 passengers into the air, according to a report in the South-China Morning Post.

Unlike most existing maglev     2     (line), the rail operates about 33 feet above the ground. There is no physical contact with the rail as the train moves beneath it silently at a speed of up to 50mph.

The use of permanent magnets means that only a small amount of electricity     3     (need) to start the train. Also,     4     (compare) with a underground, the track is     5     (cheap) to build, according to researchers at Jiangxi University of Science and Technology.   

The technological success is possible due to the large quantity of rare earth elements (稀土元素)in China,     6     are needed to make the train’s permanent magnets. Adding rare earth elements to magnets     7     (significant) increases their lifespan. Neodymium, for instance, can reduce the     8     (lose) of magnetism to less than 5 percent in a century. China is home to nearly 40 percent of     9     entire world’s known reserves of rare earth elements.

Local transport authorities are currently testing the Red Rail on the half-mile stretch of track in Xingguo, but they are planning to increase this     10     4.7 miles when initial tests are complete.