Many of our favorite travel destinations are in danger of being changed badly by increased temperatures and rising seas. The following are some of the places that may be in danger and some that are already experiencing the effects of global warming.
The Everglades, Florida: Perhaps no region of the country is as unprotected to climate change as Florida. Even a slight increase in temperature and water level could devastate popular destinations like the Everglades, Miami Beach and the Keys.
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef: One of the most impressive natural habitats in the world, the Great Barrier Reef could be killed by increased water temperatures and the resulting coral bleaching (漂白法). Australia is particularly easily damaged by global warming because of its large number of fragile (脆弱的) ecosystems, uncertain water sources and a large group of people gathering on the coast.
Dalian, China: Fast-growing China, shown here during a heat wave last year, is opening about one coal factory every day this year. Along with the U.S., China is one of the world's leading contributors to the greenhouse gases , which can lead to the increase in the Earth's temperature.
Venice, Italy: No stranger to flooding, Venice has invested $4.5 billion in a floodgate system that is due to open in 2012. But the frequent changing ocean levels have made people question the floodgates' ability to hold out the rising waters.
London, England: Designed to protect London from storms and extremely high tides, the Thames Barrier was opened in 1984. Some analysts fear that rising oceans will create conditions beyond the capabilities the barrier was designed to meet.
【小题1】The word “devastate” in paragraph 2 means “_____________”.
| A．protect | B．destroy | C．swallow | D．enlarge |
| A．Fragile ecosystem |
| B．Uncertain water sources. |
| C．The large group of people. |
| D．Increased water temperatures and the coral bleaching |
| A．flooding is common in Venice |
| B．everyone is familiar with flooding |
| C．it is strange for Venice to experience flooding |
| D．there is no flooding in Venice |
| A．the dangerous destinations |
| B．the most popular destinations |
| C．the fascinating destinations |
| D．the endangered destinations |
【小题1】B
【小题2】D
【小题3】A
【小题4】D
解析试题分析：文章介绍了几个因为温度上升和海平面上升而面临灭绝的旅游景点。
【小题1】猜词题：从第二段的句子：Even a slight increase in temperature and water level could devastate popular destinations甚至一点点温度和水平面的上升都会对这些景点造成破坏，可知“devastate”的意思是“destroy”，选B
【小题2】细节题：从文章第三段的句子：the Great Barrier Reef could be killed by increased water temperatures and the resulting coral bleaching (漂白法).可知直接破坏大堡礁Great Barrier Reef 水温的增加和珊瑚漂白，选D
【小题3】句意理解题：从第五段的句子：But the frequent changing ocean levels have made people question the floodgates' ability to hold out the rising waters.威尼斯频繁改变的海洋水平使人们怀疑防洪闸的阻挡洪水的能力，说明这句话的意思是洪水在威尼斯是很常见的，选A。
【小题4】主旨题：从第一段的句子：Many of our favorite travel destinations are in danger of being changed badly by increased temperatures and rising seas可知这篇文章讨论的主题是“濒临灭绝的旅游景点”，选D
考点：考查环保类短文
备战中考寒假系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
As we enjoy the summer ocean waves along the beaches, we may think nervously about Steven Spielberg's Jaws and the great fear that sharks inspire in us. Yet we are happy to see global efforts to protect the declining number of sharks. The world has realized that we need the species, like sharks, to keep a balanced ecosystem.
Sharks, in particular, are “in” these days. Thanks to good public policy and famous stars such as Jackie Chan and Ang Lee, killing sharks for fin soup is no longer cool.
The demand for shark fins has been rising for decades, threatening sharks with extinction(灭绝)—up to 100 million sharks are killed each year just for their fins. But we have started to reverse the trend, particularly in many areas of the United States and overseas where restaurants once proudly provided delicious shark fins on the menu.
In California, a ban on the sale and possession of shark fin soup has gone into effect this year through the efforts of Wild Aid and other organizations.
Overseas marketing and public efforts featuring posters on public transportation systems and TV ads have been underway for the past few years. These efforts all show signs of success, on both the supply side and the demand side of trade in shark fins.
Actually, stopping the killing of sharks is part of a broader movement to stop the killing of wild animals and the buying and selling of wildlife products. These products come from hunting elephants, tigers and rhinos, besides killing marine life.
Whether it is shark fin soup or ivory piano keys, killing animals is big business. The hunting of elephants in search of ivory tusks for luxury(奢侈的)goods has become a fullscale war. The decrease of African elephant populations is alarming. Together with international partners, the United States is leading the worldwide effort to reduce demand for highend products that rely on killing animals.
【小题1】The underlined word “reverse” in Paragraph 3 probably means ________.
| A．show | B．keep |
| C．follow | D．change |
| A．Jackie Chan and Ang Lee make fin soup popular |
| B．a lot of wild animals have been killed for products |
| C．Steven Spielberg's Jaws inspires us to protect sharks |
| D．the number of African elephants has been increased |
| A．More animals for highend products will be saved. |
| B．People have kicked the habit of having shark fin soup. |
| C．Shark fins will not be available any more in restaurants. |
| D．Global efforts have succeeded in stopping killing wild animals. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
A recent study, published in last week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, offers a picture of how risky(冒险的) it is to get a lift from a teenage driver. Indeed, a 16-year-old driver with three or more passengers is three times as likely to have a deadly accident as a teenager driving alone, while the risk of death for drivers between 30 and 59 decreases with each additional passenger.
The authors also found that the death rates for teenage drivers increased sharply after 10 p.m., and especially after midnight. With passengers in the car, the driver was even more likely to die in a late-night accident.
Robert Foss, a scientist at the University of North Carolina Highway Safety Research Center, says the higher death rates for teenage drivers have less to do with “really stupid behavior” than with just a lack of driving experience. “The basic issue,” he says, “is that adults who are responsible for issuing licenses fail to recognize how complex and skilled a task driving is.”
Both he and the author of the study believe that the way to mitigate (使……缓解)the problem is to have states set up so-called graduated licensing systems, in which getting a license is a multistage process. A graduated license requires that a teenager first prove himself capable of driving in the presence of an adult, followed by a period of driving with night or passenger limits, before graduating to full driving licenses.
Graduated licensing systems have reduced teenage driver crashes, according to recent studies. About half of the states now have some sort of graduated licensing system in place, but only 10 of those states have limits on passengers. California is the strictest, with a new driver under 20 forbidden to carry any passenger (without the presence of an adult over 25) for the first six months.
【小题1】Which of the following situations can we infer is most dangerous according to the passage?
| A．A teenager driving after midnight with passengers in the car. |
| B．Adults giving a lift to teenagers on the highway after 10 p.m. |
| C．Adults driving with three or more teenage passengers late at night. |
| D．A teenager getting a lift from a stranger on the highway at midnight. |
| A．their frequent driving at night |
| B．their improper ways of driving |
| C．their driving with passengers |
| D．their lack of driving experience |
| A．The licensing departments are partly responsible for teenagers' driving accidents. |
| B．Driving is too complex a skill for teenagers to learn. |
| C．Teenagers should be forbidden to apply to take driving lessons. |
| D．Teenagers should spend more time learning to drive. |
| A．driving in the presence of an adult should be made a rule |
| B．the licensing system should be improved |
| C．they should not be allowed to drive after 10 p.m. |
| D．they should be forbidden to take on passengers |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The earth is the only planet that scientists think has life. Why does the earth have life while the other planets (行星) don't? For one thing, the earth is just the right temperature. As the_third_planet from the sun, the earth seems to be just the right distance away. The planets which are closer to the sun are hot that their surfaces bake (烘烤) in the sun. The farthest planets are cold balls.
When the earth developed — which scientists believe may have happened about 4 billion years ago — many gases covered the earth. The gases caused the earth to be hot. But something wonderful happened. The temperature was just right for thick clouds to form. It rained very hard for a very long time. This gave the earth its oceans. Water made it possible for plants to grow. The plants created oxygen in the atmosphere. Oxygen is the gas that humans and animals breathe.
Only one other planet in the solar system seems to be something like the earth. That planet is Mars (火星). Mars is smaller than the earth, and it is quite a bit cooler. But it is not too cold for humans. On some days, the temperatures are as low as a winter day in the northern United States. If you wore a special space suit, you could walk around on Mars. You would have to bring your own air to breathe, the air on Mars is too thin to breathe.
Mars has the largest volcano (火山) in the solar system. It is sixteen miles high. The highest volcano on the earth is five miles high. The most unexpected (未预测到的) sight on Mars is dried up river beds. Scientists believe that Mars was once much better than it is now. Does this mean there could have been living things on Mars? Scientists are not sure, but there has been no sign so far.
【小题1】Which of the following is NOT the reason that the earth has life?
| A．The earth is just the right temperature. |
| B．The volcanos on earth are lower than those on Mars. |
| C．There is oxygen in the atmosphere of the earth. |
| D．The earth seems to be just the right distance away from the sun. |
| A．the Sun | B．the Moon |
| C．the Earth | D．the Mars |
| A．There could have been living things on Mars. |
| B．Mars has the largest volcano in the solar system. |
| C．There is almost no oxygen in the air on Mars. |
| D．Mars is smaller than the earth, and it is quite a bit cooler. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Farmers, especially in developing countries, are often criticized for cutting down forests. But a new study suggests that many farmers recognize the value of keeping trees.
Researchers using satellite images found at least ten percent tree cover on more than one billion hectares of farmland. That is almost half the farmland in the world. Earlier estimates were much lower but incomplete. The authors of the new study say it may still underestimate the true extent worldwide.
The study found the most tree cover in South America. Next comes Africa south of the Sahara, followed by Southeast Asia. North Africa and West Asia have the least.
The study found that climate conditions alone could not explain the amount of tree cover in different areas. Nor could the size of nearby populations, meaning people and trees can live together. There are areas with few trees but also few people, and areas with many trees and many people. The findings suggest that things like land rights, markets or government policies can influence tree planting and protection.
Dennis Garrity, who heads the World Agroforestry Center, says farmers are acting on their own to protect and plant trees. The problem, he says, is that policy makers and planners have been slow to recognize this and to support such efforts.
The satellite images may not show what the farmers are using the trees for, but trees provide nuts, fruit, wood and other products. They also help prevent soil loss and protect water supplies. Even under drought(干旱)conditions, trees can often provide food and a way to earn money until the next growing season.
Some trees act as natural fertilizers. They take nitrogen(氮气)out of the air and put it in the soil. Scientists at the Center say the use of fertilizer trees can re-duce the need for chemical nitrogen by up to three-fourths. Trees also capture carbon dioxide, a gas linked to climate change.
【小题1】Through the study, the researchers found that .
| A．there are more trees on farmlands than expected |
| B．fewer trees are being cut in developing countries |
| C．most farmers still don’t realize the value of trees |
| D．trees play a key role in preventing climate change |
| A．Southeast Asia | B．West Asia. |
| C．South America. | D．Africa south of the Sahara. |
| A．most farmers care about nothing but their own interests |
| B．there are usually few people living in areas with few trees |
| C．government plays a small role in tree planting and protection |
| D．government should support farmers in planting and protecting trees |
| A．how farmers plant trees |
| B．what products trees can bring |
| C．the importance of trees to farmers |
| D．the environmental value of tree cover |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Can dogs and cats get along well in the same home? People who are thinking about getting a dog as a friend for their cat are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found that if the cat is taken back home before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. In two-thirds of the homes cats and dogs have a good relationship.
However, it wasn’t all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression(侵略，好斗) and fighting were found in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body languages are just different. For example, when a cat turns its head away it means aggression, while a dog doing the same means submission(顺从).
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers found a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other’s language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk “Dog”, and dogs can learn how to talk “Cat”.
What’s interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to become smarter. They can learn to read each other’s body languages, suggesting that the two may have more in common than was expected. Once familiar with each other’s body language, cats and dogs can play together, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa.
The importance of this research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets — to people who don’t get along well, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even countries. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.
【小题1】Some cats and dogs may fight when ________.
| A．they are cold to each other |
| B．they look away from each other |
| C．they misunderstand each other’s body languages |
| D．they are introduced at an early age |
| A．They eat and sleep together. |
| B．They watch each other’s behaviors. |
| C．They learn to speak each other’s language. |
| D．They know something from each other’s voices. |
| A．have common interests |
| B．are less different than was thought |
| C．have a common body language |
| D．are not so smart as was expected |
| A．We should learn to get along well with others. |
| B．We should know more about animals. |
| C．We should live in peace with animals. |
| D．We should learn more body languages. |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
How the Grand Canyon (大峡谷) was created remains one of the geology’s greatest mysteries. Some evidence suggests that the process was a gradual one in which the Colorado River (which runs through the canyon) slowly cut deeper and deeper into the ground over millions of years. But volcanic rock samples taken from the canyon now suggest that the canyon was down-cut instead.
Down-cutting is when a flood of water rushes over a landscape (地形) with enough force to cut deeply into the ground and leaves behind a canyon. Such a flood is usually released when a natural or man-made dam (堤坝) bursts.
Robert Webb, a research geologist, says natural dams seem to have formed and broken across the Colorado River several times during the last million years. The dams were built when lava(熔岩) from the eruptions of nearby volcanoes flowed into the river. The lava hardened into hard rocks and blocked the river, causing it to back up and form a lake. Each time the lake grew so huge that it broke the rock dam, releasing a flash flood that furthered the down-cutting process and deepened the canyon.
Down-cutting is not just an earthly event. Satellite photos sent back from Mars suggest that the process has happened there, too, say many other researchers.
The photos, taken by the Mars Global Surveyor, indicate that an enormous lake existed on Mars 3.5 billion years ago. The lake spilled into a large nearby hole. One edge of the hole broke, releasing a flash flood that quickly carved out a grand canyon.
The existence of down-cutting on Mars is just one more piece of evidence that the cold, dry planet was once warm and wet.
【小题1】In the past, deep canyons were believed to have formed _______.
| A．as a result of a sudden break of volcanoes |
| B．due to river flows over millions of years |
| C．owing to the burst of artificial dams |
| D．thanks to our ancestors’ creative work |
| A．Several volcanoes broke out on Mars directly creating grand canyons. |
| B．Several great lakes existed on the upper parts of the Colorado River. |
| C．People built high dams on the upper parts of the Colorado River. |
| D．The Colorado River crossed the Grand Canyon to form down-cutting. |
| A．there are great lakes on Mars |
| B．there are active volcanoes on Mars |
| C．there might be cities on Mars |
| D．there might be life on Mars |
| A．Lakes on Earth and Mars |
| B．The Cause of Lake Formation |
| C．The Force of Dam Breaking |
| D．Canyons—Results of Flood Cutting |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Are some people born clever, and others born stupid? Or is intelligence developed by our environment and our experience? Strangely enough, the answer to these questions is yes. To some extent our intelligence is given to us at birth, and no amount of education can make a genius out of a child born with low intelligence. On the other hand, a child who lives in a boring environment will develop his intelligence less than one who lives in rich and varied surroundings. Thus the limits of person’s intelligence are fixed at birth, whether or not he reaches those limits will depend on his environment. This view, now held by most experts, can be supported in a number of ways.
It is easy to show that intelligence is to some extent something we are born with. The closer the blood relationship between two people, the closer they are likely to be intelligence. Thus if we take two unrelated people at random from population, it is likely that their degree of intelligence will be completely different. If, on the other hand, we take two identical twins, they will very probably be as intelligent as each other. Relations like brothers and sisters, parents and children, usually have similar intelligence, and this clearly suggests that intelligence depends on birth.
Imagine now that we take two identical twins and put them in different environments. We might send one, for example, to a university and the other to a factory where the work is boring. We would soon find differences in intelligence developing, and this indicates that environment as well as birth plays a part. This conclusion is also suggested by the fact that people who live in close contact with each other, but who are not related at all are likely to have similar degree of intelligence.
【小题1】 The writer is in favor of the view that man’s intelligence is given to him____________.
| A．at birth |
| B．through education |
| C．neither at birth nor through education |
| D．both at birth and through education |
| A．become a genius |
| B．still become a genius if he should be given special education |
| C．reach his intelligence limits in rich surroundings |
| D．not reach his intelligence in his life. |
| A．the importance of their intelligence |
| B．the importance of their positions |
| C．the role of environment on intelligence |
| D．the part that birth plays |
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科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Imagine you’re in a dark room, running your fingers over a smooth surface in search of a single dot the size of this period, How high do you think the dot must be for your finger to feel it?
Scientists have determined that the human finger is so sensitive it can detect a surface bump just one micron（l0－6m）"high． The human eye, by contrast, can't tell anything much smaller than100 microns．No wonder we rely on touch rather than eyesight when faced with a new roll of toilet paper．
Biologically, touch is the mother of all sensory（感觉的） systems．It is an ancient sense in evolution: even the simplest single-celled living things can feel when something brushes up against them and will respond by moving closer or pulling away． It is the first sense aroused during a baby’s development and the last to weaken at life's peak． Patients in a deep coma （昏迷）who seem otherwise lost to the world will show skin reaction when touched by a nurse．
“Touch ,is so central to what we are that we almost cannot imagine ourselves without it,” said Chris Dijkerman．“It's 'not like eyesight, where you close your eyes and you don't see anything． You can't do that with touch．It's always there．"
Long ignored in favor of the sensory heavyweights of eyesight and hearing, the study of touch lately:: has been gaining new concern among scientists．They're exploring the effects of recently reported false touch impressions, of people being made to feel as though they had three arms, for example, with the hope of gaining the true understanding of how the mind works．
Others are turning to touch for more practical purposes: to build better touch screen instruments and robot hands, a more well-rounded virtual life．。“There's a fair amount of research into new ways of offloading information onto our sense of touch," said Lynette Jones． "To have your cell phone buzzing （making a low sound） as opposed to ringing turned out to have a lot of advantages in．some situations．"
Touch is our most active sense, our means of seizing the world and experiencing it 'first hand． Dr．Susan Lederman pointed out that while we can become aware of something by seeing or hear,ing7;-．from a distance and without really trying, if we want to learn about something by means of touch, we must make a move．We must rub the cloth, or pet the cat． Touching is a two-way street, and that's not true for seeing or hearing． If you have a soft object and you squeeze it, you change its shape． The physical world reacts back．"
Our hands are smart and can do many tasks automatically - button a shirt, fit a key in a lock, play the; piano for others．Dr．Lederman and her colleagues have shown that blindfolded subjects can easily recognize a wide range of common -objects placed．in their hands．But on some feeling tasks, touch is all thumbs （very clumsy）． When people are given a raised line drawing of a common object, they're puzzled．“If all we've got is outline information;" Dr．Lederman said,．“no weight, no texture, no temperature information, well, we're very, very bad with that．"
Touch also turns out to be easy to fool, Among the sensory tricks now being investigated is something called the Pinocchio illusion． Researchers have found that if they shake the band of the biceps（二头肌）, many people report feeling that their forearm is getting 'longer, their hand floating ever further from their elbow（肘）． And if they are told to touch the forefinger of the shaken arm to the tip of their nose, they feel as though their nose was lengthening, too．
【小题1】Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?
| A．Our eyes are more sensitive than our fingers． |
| B．Our fingers are more sensitive than our eyes． |
| C．Our eyes are more sensitive than our ears． |
| D．Our noses are less sensitive than our ears． |
| A．sight | B．taste | C．hearing | D．touch |
| A．close your skin | B．close your eyes ' | C．touch anything | D．see anything |
| A．living a well-rounded virtual life |
| B．understanding how the mind works |
| C．favoring eyesight and hearing |
| D．building better 'touch screen objects |
| A．the author | B．Chris Dijkerman |
| C．Lynette Jones | D．Susan Lederman |
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