Life gets noisier every day and very few people can be free from noise of some sort or another. It doesn’t matter where you live－ in the middle of a modern city, or a faraway village the chances that you will be disturbed by jet planes , transistor radios, oil-powered engines, etc, are almost everywhere. We seem to be getting used to noise, too. Some people feel quite lonely without background music while they are working.
Scientific tests have shown that total silence can be very frightening experience for human beings. However, some people enjoy listening to pop music which is very loud, and this can do harm to their eardrums (耳鼓). The noise level in some disco is far above the usual safety level for heavy industrial areas.
One recent report about noise and concentration(专心) suggested that although a lot of people say that any noise disturbs their concentration , what really affects their ability to concentrate is a change in the level of noise. It goes on to say that a background noise, which doesn’t change too much (music, for example ) may even help people to concentrate.
【小题1】The best title for this passage is________.

A．Noisy Life

B．Background Noise

C．Disturbed Concentration

D．Changeable Noise

【小题2】From this passage, the pollution of noise __________.

A．doesn’t matter much

B．has become better in big cities

C．has become better in villages

D．has become worse everywhere

【小题3】Scientists have discovered that what prevents people from concentrating is _________.

A．any kind of noise

B．great changes in level of noise

C．background noise

D．various background music

Decisions, decisions! Our lives are full of them, from the small ones to the life-changing. The right to choose is central to everyone. Yet sometimes we make bad decisions that leave us unhappy or full of regret. Can science help?
Most of us know little about the mental processes that lie behind our decisions. Luckily, what psychologists（心理学家）are finding may help us all make better choices. Here are some of their amazing discoveries to help you make up your mind.
Consider your emotions. You might think that emotions are the enemy of decision making, but in fact they're a part of it. Whenever you make up your mind, your brain’s emotional center is active. University of Southern California scientist, Antonio Damasio, has studied people with damage to only the emotional parts of their brains, and found that they were unable to make basic choices about what to wear or eat. Damasio thinks this may be because our brains store emotional memories of past choices, which we use to help the present decision making.
However, making choices under the influence of an emotion can greatly affect the result. Take anger, for example. A study by Nitika Garg of the University of Mississippi and other scientists found the angry shoppers were more likely to choose the first thing they were offered rather than considering other choices. It seems anger can lead us to make quick decisions without much thinking.
All emotions affect our thinking and motivation（动机）, so it may be best to avoid making important decisions under their influence. Yet strangely there’s one emotion that seems to help us make good choices. The American researchers found that sad people took time to consider the various choices on offer, and ended up making the best choices. In fact many studies show that people who feel unhappy have the most reasonable view of the world.
【小题1】 According to the text, what may help us make better decisions?

A．To think about happy times.

B．To make many decisions at a time.

C．To stop feeling regretful about the past.

D．To learn about the process of decision-making.

【小题2】Damasio’s study suggests that _________.

A．emotions are the enemy of decision making

B．our brain has nothing to do with decision making

C．people with physical damage find it hard to make up their minds

D．our emotional memories of past choices can affect present decisions

【小题3】Why are angry shoppers more likely to choose the first thing they are offered?

A．They often forget their past choices.

B．They make decisions without much thinking.

C．They tend to save time when shopping.

D．They are too angry to bargain.

【小题4】What do we learn from the text?

A．Emotions are a part of decision making.

B．Sad people always make worst choices.

C．No emotion seems to help us make good choices.

D．Only sad feelings affect our thinking and motivation.

The Pacific island nation of Nauru used to be a beautiful place．Now it is an ecological disaster area．Nauru’s heartbreaking story could have one good consequence — other countries might learn from its mistakes．
For thousands of years, Polynesian people lived in the remote island of Nauru, far from western civilization．The first European to arrive was John Fearn in 1798．He was the British captain of the Hunter, a whaling ship．He called the island Pleasant Island．
However, because it was very remote, Nauru had little communication with Europeans at first．The whaling ships and other traders began to visit, bringing guns and alcohol．These elements destroyed the social balance of the twelve family groups on the island．A ten-year civil war started, which reduced the population from 1,400 to 900．
Nauru’s real troubles began in 1899 when a British mining company discovered phosphate (磷酸盐)on the island．In fact, it found that the island of Nauru was nearly all phosphate, which was a very important fertilizer for farming．The company began mining the phosphate．
A phosphate mine is not a hole in the ground; it is a strip mine．When a company strip-mines, it removes the top layer of soil．Then it takes away the material it wants．Strip mining totally destroys the land．Gradually, the lovely island of Nauru started to look like the moon．
In 1968, Nauru became one of the richest countries in the world．Every year the government received millions and millions of dollars for its phosphate．
Unfortunately, the leaders invested the money unwisely and lost millions of dollars．In addition, they used millions more dollars for personal expenses．Soon people realized that they had a terrible problem — their phosphate was running out．Ninety percent of their island was destroyed and they had nothing．By 2000, Nauru was financially ruined．Experts say that it would take approximately $433,600,000 and more than 20 years to repair the island．This will probably never happen．
【小题1】What might be the author’s purpose in writing the text?

A．To seek help for Nauru’s problems．

B．To tell a heartbreaking story of a war．

C．To show the importance of money

D．To give a warning to other countries

【小题2】What was Nauru like before the Europeans came?

A．Rich and powerful	B．Peaceful and attractive
C．Modern and open	D．Greedy and aggressive

【小题3】The ecological disaster in Nauru resulted from _______．
A．phosphate overmining      B soil pollution
C．farming activity             D．whale hunting
【小题4】Which of the following was a cause of Nauru’s financial problem? 

A．Its phosphate mining cost much money

B．It spent too much repairing the island

C．Its leaders misused the money

D．It lost millions of dollars in the civil war．

【小题5】What can we learn about Nauru from the last paragraph?

A．The ecological damage is difficult to repair．

B．The leaders will take the experts’ words seriously．

C．The island was abandoned by the Nauruans

D．The phosphate mines were destroyed

The UN Environment Programme says that rising temperatures could mean the end for some migrating animals.
Migrating or mobile animals move through several environments as they travel away from the cold of winter to warmer areas. Birds may fly from one part of the world to another, perhaps stopping at feeding grounds on the way. Whales and turtles (海龟) cover vast areas of ocean. The report says that changes in any one of the places which these animals use can cause serious harm. "Obviously these animals have developed their travelling patterns over thousands of years. But climate change is almost certain to be extreme over the next 25 to 50 years and it is extremely unlikely that these animals can change their habits fast enough," said the report author Dr Robert Hepworth.
Hardest hit by rising temperatures are turtles. Scientists have found that at higher temperatures, turtles produce far more female eggs than male ones. In parts of Malaysia, turtle birthing sites are producing only females, the report says. It also provides evidence that some turtles are more likely to develop cancer as the waters get warmer.
With birds, the main problem is climate-related damage to important areas at either end of the travels or at resting places along the way. About one-fifth of migrating birds are now in danger because of climate-related changes including rising sea levels, land loss and more violent storms, the report concludes.
Other animals picked out as particularly in danger include:
· the North Atlantic Right Whale, whose main food (tiny shrimp) is disturbed by the change in ocean flows and
· the White-Nose Dolphin, which is out-competed by other kinds of dolphins in warmer waters.
The report is not all bad news. Even with major climatic changes, protecting the environment can still help mobile animals to recover. "We need governments to start taking action at the national and international lever. “The clock is running.” said Dr Hepworth. And some animals are already adapting, with the report mentioning whales that are changing their feeding behaviour, finding new feeding grounds and new foods to eat.
【小题1】What is the main topic of the text?

A．The effect of climate change on migrating animals.

B．How animals are adapting to changes in temperature.

C．The actions required to save migrating animals.

D．The need for government policies to prevent global warming.

【小题2】By saying "the clock is running" in the last paragraph, Dr Hepworth means that “_______”.

A．it may be too late to save some animals

B．it is time to start protecting the animals

C．there is not much time to solve the problem

D．it takes time to complete the actions

【小题3】According to the report, how will global warming affect turtles in the future?

A．They will only produce female babies.

B．Their food supply will gradually disappear.

C．Some will suffer from higher rates of cancer.

D．They will be in greater danger because of more violent storms.

【小题4】Which of the following is mentioned as a consequence of rising temperatures?

A．More storms will affect the ability of whales to find their feeding grounds.

B．20 percent of all birds are likely to die out because of land loss.

C．Migrating animals are likely to start adapting to the changes more quickly.

D．Warmer oceans will increase the competition between different kinds of dolphins.

【小题5】What can be inferred (推断) about turtles from the text?

A．They are the only animals besides humans that suffer from cancer.

B．They have traditionally lived longer than other ocean-based animals.

C．Those born nearer a hotter area are more likely to be female.

D．Most kinds of turtles are likely to die out within 50 years.

When most people think of giant pandas, the pictures of the cute, black-and-white bears from China that eat bamboo will immediately jump into their mind. Scientists from Mississippi State University, however, are interested in what they leave behind: their poop(排泄物). At a recent meeting in Denver, Professor Brown at the university presented her research showing how panda poop could inspire a new way to obtain energy from plants, which are a renewable energy source. Usually, plants can be called biomass(有机燃料) when they are used as an energy source.
Burning biomass is one way to capture its energy, but Brown hopes panda poop can teach scientists something about breaking down biomass. Pandas—or at least the bacteria in their stomachs—are very good at getting energy out of bamboo. Unlike cows, which use 4 stomachs to digest large amounts of grass, a panda has only one stomach. Bamboo comes in, and poop goes out.
Every day for 14 months, Brown and her team on this project, counted the bacteria in the poop of the two pandas, YaYa and LeLe living at the Memphis Zoo. Her studies turned up 12 species of bacteria that break down biomass, including one that had never been found in pandas. Brown says that because the poop contains bacteria that break down biomass, it could also be used to break down other types of biomass.
Now the scientists hope to identify the chemicals that help with the process of breaking down biomass and then figure out how the bacteria work. If those chemicals can be made in the lab, they could be used to turn biomass—like grass or other plants—into fuel.
Brown says she doesn’t mind handling panda poop. “It’s probably the most pleasant material to work with,” she says, “My colleagues and I have been working with other poop for a long time, and we can assure you it has a fairly pleasant smell associated with it.”
【小题1】The importance of studying panda poop is _______.

A．to create a renewable energy from plants

B．to explore a new way to get energy from plants

C．to learn a lesson of energy from panda poop

D．to figure out how the bacteria work for us mankind

【小题2】The process of the panda poop project can be described as ______.

a. Identify the chemicals helpful to break down biomass. b. Find the bacteria in panda poop which break down bamboo. c. Reproduce the chemicals in the lab to turn biomass into energy. d. Analyze how the bacteria in panda poop work in panda’s stomach.

A. a, b, d, c          B. a, d, c, b          C. b, a, d, c          D. b, d, a, c
【小题3】What does the author mainly want to express in the 2nd paragraph?

A．Pandas don’t digest bamboo the same way as cows.

B．Pandas are capable of getting energy using stomachs.

C．Pandas can get energy from bamboo more efficiently.

D．Scientists have learnt something new from panda poop.

【小题4】What does Professor Brown think of working with panda poop?

A．Sick

B．Challenging

C．Inspiring

D．Enjoyable

All Eskimos live most of their lives close to sea or fresh water. They may follow game inland for several hundred miles, but they always return to the shores of rivers, lakes, or seas. Eskimo land has a bare look. Large rocks, pebbles, and sand cover much of the surface. Plants called lichen (地衣) grow on the rocks, and where there is enough soil, grass, flowers, and even small bushes manage to live. No trees can grow on Eskimo land, so geographers sometimes call it the Arctic plains. There are some animals in Eskimo land, such as rabbits, which eat the plants. Other animals, like the white fox and the gray wolf, eat the rabbits. The Eskimo is a meat-eater, too, and may even eat a wolf when food is scarce.
The Eskimo year has two main parts: a long, cold winter and a short, cool summer. Spring and fall are almost too short to be noticed. Summer is the best time, as food is usually plentiful. But it is also the time when Eskimos are very busy. Winter is never far away, and the men must bring home extra meat for the women to prepare and store, for seldom can enough animals be killed in winter to feed a family.
The Far North is sometimes called the land of the midnight sun. This is true in the middle of summer, for between April 21st and August 21st the sun never sets in Northern Greenland. But in midwinter the Far North is a land with no sunshine at all. Around Oct. 21st the Eskimos of Northern Greenland see the sun set directly south of them, and they don’t see it again until February 22nd. All places on earth get about the same amount of daylight during a year. As a result, if summer is lighter, winter has to be darker.
Winter nights in the Far North are seldom pitch-black. As in the rest of the world, the stars and moon provide a little light. The northern lights also help the Eskimo to see. And with the ground covered with snow, even a little light is reflected back to the Eskimo’s eyes.
【小题1】Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A．Eskimos do not usually eat wolves.

B．Eskimos like to chase one another.

C．Eskimos depend heavily on water.

D．Eskimos are meat-eaters.

【小题2】What’s the meaning of the underlined words “pitch-black” in Paragraph 4?

A．Dark with a little light.

B．A little dark.

C．Not dark at all.

D．Extremely dark.

【小题3】From the passage, we can infer all of the following EXCEPT that_______.

A．Eskimos are more likely to eat wolves in summer

B．Eskimo women are responsible for housework

C．meat is the main source of food for the Eskimo

D．hunting is an important part of Eskimo life

While IQ (Intelligence Quotient) tells you how smart you are. EQ (Emotional Quotient) tells you how well you use your smartness. Professor Salovery, the psychologist who created the term, EQ, says that it is IQ that gets you hired but it is EQ that gets you promoted.
Supported by his research, he suggested that when predicting future successes, a person’s brainpower, as measured by IQ tests, might actually matter less than a person’s character, or EQ. Professor Salovery may be correct. For example, have you ever wondered why some of the best and smartest students in your class end up failing exams? Perhaps it is because of their EQ. People often make the mistake of thinking that EQ is the opposite of IQ. It is not. Although it is hoped that people have both high EQs and IQs, there is little doubt that those with low EQs have a hard time surviving in life.
For a long time, researchers discussed if a person’s IQ could be raised. The geneticists said no, while the social scientists said yes. Furthermore, the social scientists said that it was possible to improve a person’s EQ, particularly in terms of “people skills”, such as understanding and communication.
Recently, a professor released the findings of a study on senior high school students. When some normal students were introduced to some disabled students, they found that afterwards they were more willing to help people in difficulties. At the same time, there was a marked change in the disabled students’ attitudes. They became more positive about their disabilities and were more eager to try new things. People with high EQs often have positive attitudes towards life and are open to different ideas, so they tend to be more creative in their thinking. Please remember that having a high IQ is helpful but having a high EQ might even be more helpful.
【小题1】According to Professor Salovery, what factor matters the most in predicting whether a person will be successful or not?

A．How a person tests his / her brainpower.

B．A person’s character.

C．How smart a person is.

D．A person’s IQ.

【小题2】The second paragraph tells us that __________.           

A．people who have a high IQ always have a high EQ

B．EQ is the opposite of IQ

C．people who have a low EQ tend to have a hard life

D．people who have a high EQ always have a high IQ

【小题3】Which of the following is the writer’s attitude toward EQ and IQ?

A．IQ is more helpful to people than EQ.

B．IQ can be raised by understanding and communication.

C．EQ can get people hired.

D．A high EQ is of great benefit in getting people promoted.

【小题4】Which of the following would be the best title of this passage?

A．A person’s brainpower.	B．IQ, EQ and success.
C．IQ and a person’s character.	D．A person’s IQ and EQ.

It is only during the last few years that man has generally realized that in the world of nature a balance exists between all forms of life. No living thing can exist by itself. It is part of a system in which all forms of life are joined together. If we change one part of the nature order, this will almost certainly bring about changes in some other parts.
　　The cutting of forests reduced the supply of oxygen. The killing of weeds and insects by chemicals led to the wide-spread poisoning of animals and birds. The throwing of waste products into the ocean hurt life in the sea, while waste gases changed the chemical balance of the atmosphere and shut out some of the sun’s necessary life-giving rays.
　　And so we could go on adding more examples until in despair(绝望) we might feel like giving up the struggle to control these harmful human activities. Man is very clever at changing the world around him to satisfy his immediate needs, but he is not so clever at looking far ahead, or at thinking about what the future results of his action might be. Man may well destroy himself because of his silly action.
【小题1】The first paragraph tells us that _____.

A．all living things in nature depend on each other

B．everything in nature can’t exist without the help of man

C．man has known the importance of the balance of nature for a long time

D．no living thing can live naturally

【小题2】In the second paragraph the examples given are used to prove that _____.

A．all forms of life belong to a system in which all the parts can be changed for one another

B．it is only during the last few years that man has generally known the balance of nature

C．there are some living things which can exist by themselves without change

D．we can’t change one form of life without destroying the balance of nature

【小题3】The last paragraph suggests that in order to get his immediate benefits(利益) _____.

A．man is always anxious to control his activities within limits

B．man is always too eager in planning for distant future

C．man often fails to think about their future results of his action

D．man often feels that he will have to give up in despair

【小题4】Which of the following is true according to the passage?

A．Cutting down woods does little harm to human beings.

B．Man has to pay much more attention to the future results of his present action.

C．Oxygen comes from forests.

D．The passage tells us to try our best to get as much as possible immediately.

After years of hearing drivers complain about scratches on their cars, Japan's Nissan Motor Company has officially announced the next big thing---a paint that not only resists scratches and scrapes, but actually repairs itself within a few days.
The new material, developed by Nippon Paint Company, contains an elastic rubbery-like resin(弹性树脂) that is able to heal minor marks caused by car wash equipment, parking lot encounters, road debris (石头碎片) or even on-purpose destruction. The automaker admits its results vary depending on the temperature and the depth of the damage, but adds this is the only paint like it in the world, and tests prove it works. Minor scratches, the most common type, are said to slowly fade over about a week. And once they're gone, there is no trace that they were ever there. The special paint is said to last for at least three years after it is first applied, but there is no word yet on whether more can be added after that period.
Nissan claims car washes are the worst offenders for this type of damage, accounting for at least 80 percent of all incidents. But the complete auto-healing won't come without scratching your wallet. The vehicle maker notes the special paint adds about $ 100 U.S. to the price of a car. It plans to use its new chemical mixture only on its X - Trail SUVs in Japan for now, as it looks for a more widespread presentation. And while plans to offer the feature overseas haven't been made yet, if it's a hit there, you can be almost sure market forces will drive it to these shores, as well.
【小题1】From the article, we can find that_______.

A．the paint has already been used on cars by now

B．it beats other products of its kind in its lengthy effect

C．car damage is mainly caused by scratches and scrapes

D．marketing this paint in Europe is not under way

【小题2】The paint used on cars can______.

A．last 3 years before it is re-applied again

B．fade only in a few days

C．help to protect cars from minor paint damage

D．reduce car scrape incidents to 20 percent

【小题3】What can be inferred from the article?

A．The paint was developed by Nissan Motor Company.

B．The paint might work better in summer than in winter.

C．The mark on the car could disappear as soon as the paint is applied.

D．The paint is very popular in Japan.

Researchers at the University of Bedforshire have developed a new technique for powering electronic device（装置）. The system, developed by Professor Ben Allen at the Centre for Wireless Research, uses radio（无线电） waves as power.
Believed to be a world first, the team claims it could eventually eliminate (or get rid of )the need for conventional batteries. The university has now filed a patent application to secure the only rights to the technique.
Professor Allen and his team have created a system to use medium wave frequencies to replace batteries in small everyday devices like clocks and remote controls.
The new technique uses the “waste” energy of radio waves and has been developed as part of the university’s research into “power harvesting”. Professor Allen said that as radio waves have energy―like light waves, sound waves or wind waves―then, in theory, these waves could be used to create power.
“The emerging（新兴的）area of power harvesting technology promises to reduce our reliance on conventional batteries,” he said. “It’s really exciting way of taking power from sources other than what we would normally think of.”
The team is now waiting for the results of the patent application to secure recognition of the technique. Professor Allen said that the team’s achievements had all been done in their “spare time”. “Our next stage is to try and raise some real funds so that we can take this work forward and make a working prototype（模型）and maybe partner up with the right people and take this to a full product in due course,” he said.
“Power harvesting has a really important part in our future, because, just in this country, we dispose of somewhere between 20,000 and 30,000 tonnes of batteries in landfill（垃圾填理）sites every single year－that is toxic chemicals going into the ground.”
He added that development of the product could also be “commercially beneficial”. “The market for this is several billion pounds. We’ve seen market predictions for 2020 which have these kinds of figures, so there’s a lot of commercial potential in this area,” he said.
Pro-Vice Chancellor at the University of Bedfordshire, Professor Carsten Maple, said, “This type of work is a reflection of the university’s growing reputation and experience in conducting innovative（创新的）research.”
【小题1】From the text we know the new technique for powering electronic devices_____.

A．can be applied to all electronic devices.

B．uses radio waves to create power.

C．has replaced conventional batteries.

D．produces many toxic chemicals.

【小题2】According to Professor Allen, power harvesting technology______.

A．makes every use of radio waves.

B．takes power from usual sources.

C．reduces our dependency on conventional batteries.

D．aims at huge commercial benefits.

【小题3】What can we learn about Professor Allen and his team from the text?

A．They have made use of radio waves in their daily life.

B．They have raised a big fund to support their research.

C．They have gained a patent for their new technology.

D．They mainly did their research in their spare time.

【小题4】What is Professor Carsten Maple’s attitude toward the new technique?

A．Critical.

B．Favorable.

C．Conservative.

D．Negative.

【小题5】What is the text mainly about?

A．A new technique to create power.

B．A crisis concerning conventional batteries.

C．Some special sources of power.

D．The development of power harvesting.