Fifty years from now the world’s population will be declining, with no end in sight. Unless people’s values change greatly, several centuries from now there could be fewer people living in the entire world than live in the United States today. The big surprise of the past twenty years is that in not one country did fertility (生育能力) stop falling when it reached the replacement rate（出生率）—2.1 children per woman. In Italy, for example, the rate has fallen to 1.2. In Western Europe as a whole and in Japan it is down to 1.5. The evidence now indicates that within fifty years or so world population will peak at about eight billion before starting a fairly rapid decline.
Because in the past two centuries world population has increased from one billion to nearly six billion, many people still fear that it will keep “exploding” until there are too many people for the earth to support. But that is like fearing that your baby will grow to 1,000 pounds because its weight doubles three times in its first seven years. World population was growing by two percent a year in the 1960s; the rate is now down to one percent a year, and if the patterns of the past century don’t change completely, it will head into negative numbers. This view is coming to be widely accepted among population experts, even as the public continues to focus on the threat of uncontrolled population growth.
As long ago as September of 1974 Scientific American published a special issue on population that described what demographers (人口统计学家) had begun calling the “demographic transition” from traditional high rates of birth and death to the low ones of modern society. The experts believed that birth and death rates would be more or less equal in the future, as they had been in the past, keeping total population stable after a level of 10-12 billion people was reached during the transition.
56. Which of the following statement is NOT true according to the passage?
A. The world’s population in the future will be reducing endlessly.
B. When the earth population reaches 8 billion, it will see a rapid decrease.
C. In modern society the birth and death rates will be more or less equal in the future.
D. The public now pay little attention to the threat of uncontrolled population growth.
57. What’s reason for the sharp increase of world population in the past two centuries?
A. Because people fear that the world will explode.
B. Because the world’s replacement rate keeps falling.
C. Because people’s values has greatly changed.
D. The passage doesn't mention it.
58. The expression “demographic transition” (Paragraph 3) probably means _______.
A. high death rate to the low one
B. high birth rate to the low one
C. high rates of birth and death to the low ones
D. low rates of birth and death to the high ones
59. We can learn from the passage that _______.
A. in the near future there will be a rapid decline of the world population
B. the birth and death rates of modern society will be unequal in the future
C. there would be the same population living in the world than it in the US today
D. in Western Europe the replacement rate has declined to a negative number
快乐小博士巩固与提高系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：051
A Child Who Could Not See, Hear, Or Speak
For the first nineteen months of her life, Helen Keller was like other pretty happy babies in every way. Then a sudden illness destroyed her sight and hearing. Because she could not hear what other people were saying, the child could not learn to speak. For the next seven years, she lived in a world of darkness, without sounds or words.
The person who changed Helen’s world was her teacher, Anne Sullivan, who entered her life on March 3, 1887. Miss Sullivan had accepted a job a blind child who had never learned to act like a human being, because no one had ever been able to guide her in any way. No one could control Helen. She acted like a young animal, rushing wildly around, throwing things, and hitting anyone whom she could reach. Who could believe that such a child could be taught?
But Anne Sullivan was a very special kind of teacher. She had been blind during part of her own childhood and had learned to read Braille, system of writing that uses raised dots which can be felt by the fingers of a blind person. She had learned to see again after several operations, but she had never forgotten the experience of being blind.
Miss Sullivan understood Helen. She loved her and believed she could teach her. Anne Sullivan could not teach Helen Keller to speak until some other important things had been learned. The little girl had to learn to control her actions and feelings. She had to learn that she could not always do what she wished to do. She had always been able to get what she wanted by using force. The teacher had to change such habits without breaking the child’s spirit.
Miss Sullivan’s battle began. Sometimes, there was real fighting between the wild child and the strong young teacher. At last, however, the battle was won by Miss Sullivan, who had succeeded in showing Helen that she loved her and wanted to help her. The child and her teacher became friends. They continued to be friends until the teacher’s death, fifty year later.
The day on which Helen finally accepted Miss Sullivan as her friend and teacher was a great day in Helen’s life. After that, the teacher could begin to teach the child language.
1．Helen Keller acted like a wild animal for she .
A. had never had a teacher
B. could not understand any words
C. had never learned to know the world around
D. could not hear anyone speak
2． , Sullivan believed she could teach Helen.
A. Being a blind person herself
B. Having learned Braille when she was young
C. Having been specially trained to be a teacher
D. Knowing how a blind child feels
3．Helen and so she could neither hear nor learn to speak.
A. lost her hearing at an early age
B. had disease with her ears and tongue
C. lost her ability in hearing and speaking
D. did not know any words
4．The most important thing for Helen was that she should learn .
A. not always to use force
B. to keep her spirit from breaking
C. to tell what was wrong and what was right
D. not to get angry again
5．Sullivan won the battle .
A. because she was stronger than Helen
B. by helping Helen understand why they fought
C. through fighting until she beat Helen
D. through real fighting and beating
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
A
Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the early 1990s. She began singing in church. Soon, her rich deep voice became widely known in the area. Marian Anderson received many honors and awards during her life. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in nineteen sixty—three. Marian Anderson died at the age of ninety—six. Experts say she is remembered not only for the quality of her voice, but also because of the way she carried out her right to be heard.
B
Movie director Robert Altman died in November 2006, in Los Angeles, California. He was eighty—one years old. During his fifty-year career, he made some of the most influential movies of modern times.
C
Ann Richards died in September 2006 at the age of seventy-three. At her funeral service, leaders from around the country gathered to celebrate her life. Former President Bill Clinton spoke at the service. He said Ann Richards helped create a world where young girls could be scientists, engineers and police officers. He said she was a great woman with a big heart and big dreams.
D
Journalist R.W. Apple died in October 2006 at the age of seventy—one. Earlier this month his friends and family gathered in Washington, D.C. for a large memorial service. Famous writers, politicians, and cooks told about his warm personality, sharp intelligence, and extraordinary energy. After the service, guests enjoyed fine foods provided by some of the best cooks in the area.
E
William Styron died in November 2006 at the age of eighty—one. His stories are filled with rich language and complex moral questions. Many of his books try to understand the evil actions of people. Later in life William Styron suffered from severe depression. After recovering, he wrote honestly and bravely about his experience in “Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness.” He received great praise for educating people about the difficulties of mental illness.
F
Ruth Brown was born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1928 and died in October 2004. Brown recorded many rhythm and blues hits in the 1950s. She also fought for musicians rights. In 1988, Atlantic Records agreed to pay her and thirty-five other musicians the money they owed them for using their songs for twenty years.
请阅读下列有关的信息, 然后匹配上面的美国名人。
As a young woman, she worked as a teacher and raised four children. She and her husband were very involved in local politics. Then one day, she decided to run for officer herself—and she won. She served first as country commissioner, then as Texas state treasurer. In nineteen ninety she was elected governor. She fought for equal rights, environmental protection and laws to restrict guns. She created a government in which women, Hispanics, and African-Americans played important roles.
“MASH”, was released in nineteen seventy. It tells about a group of American medical workers in a temporary military hospital in Korea during the Korean War in the 1950s. It questions the rules of the military establishment in a way that was sharply funny and intelligent; “Nashville” came out in nineteen seventy—five. It provides a complex look at changes in the country music industry. Many of his thirty—three films were nominated for Academy Awards, including “The Player” and “Gosford Park”
She learned traditional music at her Christian religious center. But she liked the popular jazz and rock music of the time even more. She left home at a young age to build a career in music. Soon, she became known as “the girl with the tear in her voice” because of her emotional way of singing. Her popular songs helped build the Atlantic Records company and she continued performing for the rest of her life until she died recently at the age of seventy six.
He is known as Johnny, wrote about many subjects, from politics and war to food and drink. During his forty—three years writing for the New York Times newspaper, he enjoyed a rich and eventful career. He was the paper’s chief reporter in cities like London, Moscow, Lagos and Nairobi. He covered events such as the Vietnam War, the Iranian revolution and the Gulf War. He reported on ten presidential elections. And, his opinions on fine foods, travel and the world’s best restaurants were very influential.
He wrote “Lie Down in Darkness” published in nineteen fifty—one when he was only twenty-five. It is about a troubled young woman who kills herself. It established him as a great new voice in American literature; he also wrote “The Confessions of Nat Turner” in nineteen sixty-eight which told about a nineteenth century slave revolt in the southern state of Virginia; and “Sophie’s Choice ” won the American Book Award in nineteen eighty. It is a tragic story about a woman and her children who were sent to a Nazi death camp in Poland during World War Two.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2011年黑龙江省大庆实验中学高二下学期期末考试英语卷 题型：阅读理解
The Barbie doll first appeared at the toy fair in New York in 1959. Its creator was Ruth Handler, an American businesswoman. She and her husband Elliott along with Harold Matt Matson started the toy company Mattel. She based the design of the new doll on a German doll named Bild Lilli and named her after their daughter Barbara.
The first Barbie wore a black and white swimsuit and had her hair in a ponytail(马尾辫). She looked very grown-up. But any concerns that parents would not want to buy it for little girls were soon proved wrong.
Mattel sold 300,000 Barbie dolls in the first year at a pri
ce of three dollars. Today, a fifty-year-old Barbie in good condition might cost more than 27,000 dollars.
Barbie dolls have represented 50 different nationalities and are sold in 150 countries. Mattel says 90% of girls in the United States between the ages of three and ten own at least one Barbie doll. It says girls between the ages of three and six own an average of about 12.
Barbie also faced her share of critics. A well-known example was when women’s education groups objected to a talking Barbie doll that declared, among other things, “Math class is tough!” Mattel agreed to change it. Saudi Arabia has banned Barbie dolls. And a lawmaker in the American state of West Virginia would like to do the same. Last month, he proposed banning sales of Barbie and other dolls that influence girls to put too much importance on physical beauty.
Some people say Barbie is an unhealthy role model for young girls. Robin Gerber disagrees. She wrote a book about Barbie. She points out dolls like scientist Barbie and race car driver Barbie. She says people who criticize Barbie should tell girls the story of the businesswoman who created her. She says Ruth Handler wanted the dolls to help girls think about what they wanted to do with their lives.
【小题1】The first Barbie doll might not be popular among little girls because _______.
| A．her hairstyle was out of fashion |
| B．her appearance looked much too mature |
| C．her way of dressing was against the tradition |
| D．physical beauty wasn’t thought to be important |
| A．is one of the world’s largest toy companies |
| B．is the director of an American toy company |
| C．was the woman who originally created Barbie |
| D．was a salesman who was good at selling Barbie dolls |
| A．pay too much attention to their physical beauty |
| B．neglect their schoolwork and inner beauty |
| C．prefer physical beauty to inner beauty |
| D．waste too much time and money on clothes |
| A．shows Barbie dolls have a negative influence on girls |
| B．praises a successful person who sells Barbie dolls |
| C．expresses her own favorable opinion about Barbie |
| D．argues for banning the sales of Barbie dolls |
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科目：高中英语 来源：全国通用2010届高考英语考点预测：信息匹配 题型：信息匹配
第二节 信息匹配（共5小题；每小题2分，满分10分）
下面是一篇关于2006年美国逝去的五位特别人物的情况报道。请阅读下列关于他们的相关信息，并按照要求把这五个人物的信息进行匹配。请在答题卡上将对应题号的相应选项字母涂黑。首先，请阅读以下六位美国名人的信息，然后与下面的信息进行匹配。
A
Marian Anderson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the early 1990s. She began singing in church. Soon, her rich deep voice became widely known in the area. Marian Anderson received many honors and awards during her life. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in nineteen sixty—three. Marian Anderson died at the age of ninety—six. Experts say she is remembered not only for the quality of her voice, but also because of the way she carried out her right to be heard.
B
Movie director Robert Altman died in November 2006, in Los Angeles, California. He was eighty—one years old. During his fifty-year career, he made some of the most influential movies of modern times.
C
Ann Richards died in September 2006 at the age of seventy-three. At her funeral service, leaders from around the country gathered to celebrate her life. Former President Bill Clinton spoke at the service. He said Ann Richards helped create a world where young girls could be scientists, engineers and police officers. He said she was a great woman with a big heart and big dreams.
D
Journalist R.W. Apple died in October 2006 at the age of seventy—one. Earlier this month his friends and family gathered in Washington, D.C. for a large memorial service. Famous writers, politicians, and cooks told about his warm personality, sharp intelligence, and extraordinary energy. After the service, guests enjoyed fine foods provided by some of the best cooks in the area.
E
William Styron died in November 2006 at the age of eighty—one. His stories are filled with rich language and complex moral questions. Many of his books try to understand the evil actions of people. Later in life William Styron suffered from severe depression. After recovering, he wrote honestly and bravely about his experience in “Darkness Visible: A Memoir of Madness.” He received great praise for educating people about the difficulties of mental illness.
F
Ruth Brown was born in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1928 and died in October 2004. Brown recorded many rhythm and blues hits in the 1950s. She also fought for musicians rights. In 1988, Atlantic Records agreed to pay her and thirty-five other musicians the money they owed them for using their songs for twenty years.
请阅读下列有关的信息：
56．As a young woman, she worked as a teacher and raised four children. She and her husband were very involved in local politics. Then one day, she decided to run for officer herself—and she won. She served first as country commissioner, then as Texas state treasurer. In nineteen ninety she was elected governor. She fought for equal rights, environmental protection and laws to restrict guns. She created a government in which women, Hispanics, and African-Americans played important roles.
57． “MASH”, was released in nineteen seventy. It tells about a group of American medical workers in a temporary military hospital in Korea during the Korean War in the 1950s. It questions the rules of the military establishment in a way that was sharply funny and intelligent; “Nashville” came out in nineteen seventy—five. It provides a complex look at changes in the country music industry. Many of his thirty—three films were nominated for Academy Awards, including “The Player” and “Gosford Park”
58．She learned to traditional music at her Christian religious center. But she liked the popular jazz and rock music of the time even more. She left home at a young age to build a career in music. Soon, she became known as “the girl with the tear in her voice” because of her emotional way of singing. Her popular songs helped build the Atlantic Records company and she continued performing for the rest of her life until she died recently at the age of seventy six.
59．He is known as Johnny, wrote about many subjects, from politics and war to food and drink. During his forty—three years writing for the New York Times newspaper, he enjoyed a rich and eventful career. He was the paper’s chief reporter in cities like London, Moscow, Lagos and Nairobi. He covered events such as the Vietnam War, the Iranian revolution and the Gulf War. He reported on ten presidential elections. And, his opinions on fine foods, travel and the world’s best restaurants were very influential.
60．He wrote “Lie Down in Darkness” published in nineteen fifty—one when he was only twenty-five. It is about a troubled young woman who kills herself. It established him as a great new voice in American literature; he also wrote “The Confessions of Nat Turner” in nineteen sixty-eight which told about a nineteenth century slave revolt in the southern state of Virginia; and “Sophie’s Choice ” won the American Book Award in nineteen eighty. It is a tragic story about a woman and her children who are sent to a Nazi death camp in Poland during World War Two.
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科目：高中英语 来源：2011年黑龙江省高二下学期期末考试英语题 题型：阅读理解
The Barbie doll first appeared at the toy fair in New York in 1959. Its creator was Ruth Handler, an American businesswoman. She and her husband Elliott along with Harold Matt Matson started the toy company Mattel. She based the design of the new doll on a German doll named Bild Lilli and named her after their daughter Barbara.
The first Barbie wore a black and white swimsuit and had her hair in a ponytail(马尾辫). She looked very grown-up. But any concerns that parents would not want to buy it for little girls were soon proved wrong.
Mattel sold 300,000 Barbie dolls in the first year at a price of three dollars. Today, a fifty-year-old Barbie in good condition might cost more than 27,000 dollars.
Barbie dolls have represented 50 different nationalities and are sold in 150 countries. Mattel says 90% of girls in the United States between the ages of three and ten own at least one Barbie doll. It says girls between the ages of three and six own an average of about 12.
Barbie also faced her share of critics. A well-known example was when women’s education groups objected to a talking Barbie doll that declared, among other things, “Math class is tough!” Mattel agreed to change it. Saudi Arabia has banned Barbie dolls. And a lawmaker in the American state of West Virginia would like to do the same. Last month, he proposed banning sales of Barbie and other dolls that influence girls to put too much importance on physical beauty.
Some people say Barbie is an unhealthy role model for young girls. Robin Gerber disagrees. She wrote a book about Barbie. She points out dolls like scientist Barbie and race car driver Barbie. She says people who criticize Barbie should tell girls the story of the businesswoman who created her. She says Ruth Handler wanted the dolls to help girls think about what they wanted to do with their lives.
1.The first Barbie doll might not be popular among little girls because _______.
A.her hairstyle was out of fashion
B.her appearance looked much too mature
C.her way of dressing was against the tradition
D.physical beauty wasn’t thought to be important
2.From the passage we know that Mattel ________.
A. is one of the world’s largest toy companies
B. is the director of an American toy company
C. was the woman who originally created Barbie
D. was a salesman who was good at selling Barbie dolls
3.Barbie dolls are criticized partly because they make girls ________.
A. pay too much attention to their physical beauty
B. neglect their schoolwork and inner beauty
C. prefer physical beauty to inner beauty
D. waste too much time and money on clothes
4.It can be inferred from the last paragraph that in her book Robin Gerber ________.
A. shows Barbie dolls have a negative influence on girls
B. praises a successful person who sells Barbie dolls
C. expresses her own favorable opinion about Barbie
D. argues for banning the sales of Barbie dolls
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