Many people in the world live in big cities, which are often dirty and difficult places to live. So, some cities will get bigger. They will also get higher, and lower, because people will begin to live under the ground as well as in tall buildings. Scientists also say that men can begin to live in cities under the sea, when there is not enough space on the land. Of course, these new cities will be very expensive, and difficult to build, but they are not impossible. Already, some countries are building places to live under the ground so their people can go there if there is a new war. There are underground cities in Switzerland（瑞士）and China, built by the government（政府）to help some of the people live during a great war. 
But will people change if they live under the ground for a long time？For example some fish go blind if they live in the dark sea for a long time. People will not go blind, because there will be light underground, but they may change in some way. Scientists say that people who live in cities today are losing their senses of smell, touch and taste. They can’t smell the dirty air, they can’t taste the chemicals（化学制剂）in their food. These senses are not as strong as before, when people lived in the country and grew their own food. The city has changed that. What will the underground city change in everyone？
【小题1】People will live under the ground because _________． 

A．it’s neither hot nor cold there

B．they’ll be afraid of the war

C．there’ll be less space on the ground

D．they’ll make their life comfortable

【小题2】Some countries try to build some places under the ground so that people will be able to live there _____．

A．when summer comes

B．when a war breaks out

C．because they think it’ll be safer for them

D．when they’re fed up with the life on the land

【小题3】_________, so people who will live there won’t go blind． 

A．There’ll be enough light under the ground

B．It’ll be easy to go upstairs

C．Glasses will be sold under the ground

D．Medicine will be supplied for free

【小题4】People will lose some senses under the ground because _______．

A．the world are polluted

B．it’s dark there

C．the air is dirty and there are a lot of chemicals in their food

D．they can’t grow their own food in the sun

BEIJING—As China scrambles to respond to the choking smog that has blanketed Beijing in recent weeks, authorities in several major cities are experimenting with carbon trading platforms. The schemes are one effort to get control over greenhouse gases in an economy still hungry for cheap energy.
It has been a persistent concern in recent years, but the spiking pollution levels in January are sparking a public outcry.
Emissions from coal-fired electricity plants and busy factories are part of the problem that officials hope to get control over through carbon trading platforms. Seven cities are expected to open carbon markets later this year, including Tianjin.
“The government has decided to start with programs because the carbon trading is something new to China,” said David Tang, secretary of the board of the Tianjin Carbon Exchange. “So we want to have a number of programs to explore the use of the market.” said Tang.
China wants to launch a national carbon trading program by 2016. If it is successful, analysts say, the program would be one of the largest in the world and would help the country meet its target of cutting carbon dioxide emissions by 45 percent within seven years.
The platforms allow companies to earn credits for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, which can then be traded. If it works, it would encourage for-profit businesses to invest in green technology.
As public concern builds pressure for the government to find a solution, Wu Changhua, greater China director of the Climate Group, says there is a broad shift under way in how Chinese weigh their quality of life.
China has long put economic growth ahead of environmental concerns, making it the world’s biggest polluter. Carbon trading supporters hope that the markets could be one way to curb pollution and keep the economy growing.
【小题1】Which of the following is TRUE about carbon trading platforms?

A．They are used to trade various resources.

B．They caused the choking smog in China.

C．They have been in existence for many years in China.

D．The choking smog may promote their development.

【小题2】The underlined word in Paragraph 1 means “ ______”.

A．to make blanket

B．to cover something

C．to make something empty

D．to be like a blanket

【小题3】Tang’s attitude towards carbon markets is ______.

A．unknown

B．indifferent

C．optimistic

D．pessimistic

【小题4】What can we infer from the passage?

A．China will have built a national carbon trading program by 2016.

B．Chinese have lived a life of high quality in all aspects.

C．The markets could slow the development of economy.

D．Standards of life will be changed in China.

【小题5】What's the main idea of this passage?

A．The choking smoke in China.	B．The urge for carbon trading platforms.
C．Greenhouse gases.	D．The world’s biggest polluter.

The January fashion show, called Future Fashion, exemplified how far green design has come. Organized by the New York-based nonprofit Earth Pledge, the show inspired many top designers to work with sustainable fabrics for the first time. Several have since made pledges to include organic fabrics in their lines.
The designers who undertake green fashion still face many challenges. Scott Hahn, a cofounder with Gregory of Rogan and Loomstate, which uses all-organic cotton, says high-quality sustainable materials can still be tough to find. “Most designers with existing labels are finding there aren’t comparable materials that can just replace what you’re doing and what your customers are used to,” he says. For example, organic cotton and non-organic cotton are virtually indistinguishable once woven into a dress. But some popular synthetics, like stretch nylon, still have few eco-friendly equivalents(等同物).
Those who do make the switch are finding they have more support. Last year the influential trade show Designers & Agents stopped charging its participation fee for young green entrepreneurs who attend its two springtime shows in Los Angeles and New York and gave special recognition to designers whose collections are at least 25% sustainable. It now counts more than 50 green designers, up from fewer than a dozen two years ago. This week Wal-Mart is set to announce a major initiative aimed at helping cotton farmers go organic: it will buy transitional cotton at higher prices, thus helping to expand the supply of a key sustainable material. “Main-stream is about to occur,” says Hahn.
Some analysts are less sure. Among consumers, only 18% are even aware that eco-fashion exists, up from 6% four years ago. Natalie Hormilla, a fashion writer, is an example of the unconverted consumer. When asked if she owned any sustainable clothes, she replied, “Not that I’m aware of.” Like most consumers, she finds little time to shop, and when she does, she’s on the hunt for “cute stuff that isn’t too expensive.” By her own admission, green just isn’t yet on her mind. But thanks to the combined efforts of designers, retailers and suppliers—one day it will be.
【小题1】What is said about Future Fashion?

A．It inspired leading designers to start going green.

B．It showed that designers using organic fabrics would go far.

C．It served as an example of how fashion shows should be organized.

D．It convinced the public that fashionable clothes should be made durable.

【小题2】According to Scott Hahn, one big challenge to designers who will go organic is that ________.

A．much more time is needed to finish a dress using sustainable materials

B．they have to create new brands for clothes made of organic materials

C．customers have difficulty telling organic from non-organic materials

D．quality organic replacements for synthetics are not readily available

【小题3】We learn from Paragraph 3 that designers who undertake green fashion ________.

A．can attend various trade shows for free

B．are readily recognized by the fashion world

C．can buy organic cotton at favorable prices

D．are gaining more and more support

【小题4】What is Natalie Hormilla’s attitude toward eco-fashion?

A．She doesn’t seem to care about it.

B．She doesn’t think it is sustainable.

C．She is doubtful of its practical value.

D．She is opposed to the idea very much.

【小题5】What does the author think of green fashion?

A．Green products will soon go main stream.

B．It has a very promising future.

C．Consumers have the final say.

D．It will appeal more to young people.

Welcome to your future life!
You get up in the morning and look into the mirror. Your face is firm and young-looking. In 2035, medical technology is better than ever. Many people at your age could live to be 150, so at 40, you’re not old at all. And your parents just had an anti-aging (抗衰老的) treatment. Now, all three of you look the same age!www.zxxk.com
You say to your shirt, “Turn red.” It changes from blue to red. In 2035, “smart clothes” contain particles (粒子) much smaller than the cells in your body. The particles can be programmed to change your clothes’ color or pattern.
You walk into the kitchen. You pick up the milk, but a voice says, “You shouldn’t drink that!” Your fridge has read the chip (芯片) that contains information about the milk, and it knows the milk is old. In 2035, every article of food in the grocery store has such a chip.
It’s time to go to work. In 2025, cars drive themselves. Just tell your “smart car” where to go. On the way, you can call a friend using your jacket sleeve. Such “smart technology” is all around you.
So will all these things come true? “For new technology to succeed,” says scientist Andrew Zolli, “it has to be so much better that it replaces what we have already.” The Internet is one example—what will be the next?
【小题1】We can learn from the text that in the future ________.

A．people will never get old

B．everyone will look the same

C．red will be the most popular color

D．clothes will be able to change their pattern

【小题2】What can be inferred from Paragraph 4?

A．Milk will be harmful to health.

B．More drinks will be available for sale.

C．Food in the grocery store will carry electronic information.

D．Milk in the grocery store will stay fresh much longer.

【小题3】Which of the following is mentioned in the text?

A．Nothing can replace the Internet.

B．Fridges will know what people need.

C．Jacket sleeves can be used as a guide.

D．Cars will be able to drive automatically (自动的).

【小题4】What is the text mainly about?

A．Food and clothing in 2035.

B．Future technology in everyday life.

C．Medical treatments of the future.

D．The reason for the success of new technology.

In Greek mythology(神话), fire is a gift form God, stolen from Zeus(宙斯) by Prometheus and handed over to humans suffering from cold. What could be more natural than sitting around a beautiful fire on a winter night, at a campsite in the Berkshires?
Hard as it may be to believe, the fireplace—long considered a trophy(奖杯), particularly in a city like New York—is acquiring a social shame. Among those who desire to be environmentally responsible, it is joining the ranks of bottled water and big houses.
Sally Treadwell, a 51-year-old public relations executive in Boone, N.C., said nothing makes her happier than building a fire on a cold winter night. But most of the time she doesn’t, because she feels too guilty about the damage it may do to the environment. Every time she builds a fire, it causes “inner conflict,” she said. “It’s a guilty pleasure”.
“The smoke from a fire smells very nice,” said Diane Bailey, a senior scientist with the Natural Resources Defense Council in San Francisco. “But it can cause a lot of harm. The tiny particles(颗粒) can cause illness, and can cross into the bloodstream, causing heart attacks as well as worsening other conditions.”
Growing concerns about the air pollution and health problems caused by smoke from wood fires are urging a number of areas across the country to pass laws regulating them. Idaho offers a tax cut to people who replace uncertified(不合格的)wood stoves with “greener” ones; San Joaquin County in California forbids selling a home unless its wood stove is replaced with an E.P.A. certified one；and Palo Alto and other governments in California forbid wood-burning fireplaces in new construction.
Certainly, many think otherwise. In any case, most fireplaces are used far too infrequently to cause any real damage to the environment, said Stephen Sears, the vice president of the Brick Industry Association, voicing an opinion shared by some.
Perhaps not coincidentally, sales of wood-burning equipment dropped to 235,000 in 2009 from 800,000 in 1999, according to the Brick Industry Association. It also reports that approximately 35,000 fireplaces were installed in the United States in 2009, compared to 80,000 in 2005. Certainly those numbers reflect the economic slowdown, but the may also be affected by growing mixed feelings to wood fries.
【小题1】We can infer from the 2nd paragraph that ________.

A．big houses are not considered environmentally friendly

B．bottle water is a good companion for a fire place

C．a fireplace is viewed as a sign of success

D．people in New York are laughed at for their tradition

【小题2】Sally’s “inner conflict” in the 3rd paragraph resulted from ________.

A．her love for the fireplace

B．the damage to the environment

C．the concern about her health

D．her mixed emotion fro the fireplace

【小题3】 In terms of the regulations about wood fires we can learn from the passage that_______.

A．uncertified fireplaces are forbidden in Idaho

B．some people are against the woodfire controlling regulations

C．only energy-efficient wood stoves can be used in the US

D．all the people support measures taken to control the use of fireplaces

【小题4】What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To urge people to burn less wood

B．To discuss wood-burning’s impact

C．To throw light on the causes of the fireplace’s decline

D．To indicate the cooling love for the fireplace

Everyone has heard of the San Andreas fault （断层）, which constantly threatens California and the West Coast with earthquakes. But how many people know about the equally serious New Madrid fault in Missouri?
　　 Between December of 1811 and February of 1812, three major earthquakes occurred, all centered around the town of New Madrid, Missouri, on the Mississippi River. Property damage was severe. Buildings in the area were almost destroyed. Whole forests fell at once, and huge cracks opened in the ground,  releasing some strong smell chemicals.
　　 The Mississippi River itself completely changed character, developing sudden rapids and whirlpools (激流和漩涡). Several times it changed its course, and once, according to some observers, it actually appeared to run backwards. Few people were killed in the New Marid earthquakes, probably simply because few people lived in the area in 1811; but the severity of the earthquakes are shown by the fact that the shock waves rang bells in church towers in Charleston, South Carolina, on the coast. Buildings shook in New York City, and clocks were stopped in Washington, D.C.
Scientists now know that America's two major faults are essentially different. The San Andreas is a horizontal boundary between two major land masses that are slowly moving in opposite directions. California earthquakes result when the two masses make a sudden move.
The New Madrid fault, on the other hand, is a vertical fault; at some points, possibly hundreds of millions of years ago, rock was pushed up toward the surface, probably by volcanoes under the surface. Suddenly, the volcanoes cooled and the rock collapsed, leaving huge cracks. Even now, the rock continues to settle downwards, and sudden sinking motions cause earthquakes in the region. The fault itself, a large crack in this layer of rock, with dozens of other cracks that split off from it, extends from northeast Arkansas through Missouri and into southern Illinois.
　　 Scientists who have studied the New Madrid fault say there have been numerous smaller quakes in the area since 1811; these smaller quakes indicate that larger ones are probably coming, but the scientists say they have no method of predicting when a large earthquake will occur.
【小题1】This passage is mainly about ___________.

A．current scientific knowledge about faults

B．the San Andreas and the New Madrid faults

C．the causes of faults

D．the New Madrid fault in Missouri

【小题2】The New Madrid fault is __________.

A．a vertical fault

B．a horizontal fault

C．a more serious fault than the San Andreas fault

D．responsible for forming the Mississippi River

【小题3】This passage implies that _________.　　　　　　.

A．horizontal faults are more dangerous than vertical faults

B．Vertical faults are more dangerous than horizontal faults

C．The volcanoes that caused the New Madrid fault are still alive

D．A lot of people would die if the 1811 New Madrid earthquakes happened today

For medical students, real experience begins not in a classroom but at a teaching hospital. These doctors in training are guided. But sometimes accidents happen and the students get injured.
For example, they might stick themselves with a needle while treating patients. Such needle sticks are common. But a recent study found that medical students often fail to report them. Failing to report an injury like this can be dangerous if a patient, or a medical worker, has an infectious disease.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland, did the study, which involved a survey answered by almost 700 surgeons in training in the United States.
Almost 60% said they had suffered needle stick injuries when they were in medical school. Many said they were stuck more than once. Yet nearly half of those whose most recent incident happened in school did not report it to a health office. If they had, they would have been tested to see if they needed treatment to prevent an infection like HIV or hepatitis.
Most known cases of HIV or hepatitis are reported, but other possible infections often are not. Martin Makary, the lead author of the study, says medical students who are stuck put themselves and others in danger from infectious diseases.
Doctor Makary said, "A needle that goes through the skin needs to be as sharp as possible.” Doctors in training may have to do hundreds of stitches (缝线) in some cases to close the skin after an operation.
Doctor Makary said, “I support using blunt tip needles which are considered safer. This needle is still sharp enough to go through body tissue, but it does have a blunt tip, so that if it accidentally goes into my finger, it's much less likely to hurt me."
How common are needle sticks among health care workers? An estimated 600,000 to 800,000 of these and similar injuries are reported each year in the United States. But Doctor Makary says the real number may be much higher.
The study advises doctors to protect their hands by wearing two sets of gloves. It also urges hospitals to establish a special telephone number for medical workers and students to call if they are injured. The idea is for hospitals to send a clear message that there is no reason not to report this kind of accident.
【小题1】It is dangerous for medical students not to report needle stick injuries because _________.

A．they don’t know how to treat themselves.

B．they may meet more needle sticks

C．it may cause some diseases

D．it may make patients sad.

【小题2】If they report needle stick injuries, medical students will __________.

A．receive treatment	B．be forbidden to use sharp needles
C．spend more time on training	D．receive tests

【小题3】The underlined word “blunt” in Paragraph 7 is the closest in meaning to “__________”.

A．not sharp

B．not safe

C．not long

D．not thick

【小题4】What do we know from the passage?

A．Doctors who don’t report needle stick injuries will be punished.

B．Needle sticks among health care workers will reduce sharply in the future.

C．Most needle stick injuries happen in the United States.

D．Two suggestions are given to protect medical workers and students.

【小题5】Where can this passage most probably be found?

A．In an entertainment magazine	B．In a science magazine
C．In a storybook	D．In science fiction

Some scientists say that animals in the ocean are increasingly threatened by noise pollution caused by human beings. The noise that affect sea creatures comes from a number of human activities. It is caused mainly by industrial underwater explosions, ocean drilling, and ship engines. Such noises are added to natural sounds. These sounds include the breaking of ice fields, underwater earthquakes, and sounds made by animals themselves.
Decibels（分贝）measured in water are different from those measured on land. A noise of one hundred and twenty decibels on land causes pain to human ears. In water, a decibel level of one hundred and ninety-five would have the same effect.
Some scientists have proposed setting a noise limit of one hundred and twenty decibels in oceans. They have observed that noises at that level can frighten and confuse whales.
A team of American and Canadian scientists discovered that loud noises can seriously injure some animals. The research team found that powerful underwater explosions were causing whales in the area to lose their hearing. This seriously affected the whales’ ability to exchange information and find their way. Some of the whales even died. The explosions had caused their ears to bleed and become infected.
Many researchers whose work depends on ocean sounds object to a limit of one hundred and twenty decibels. They say such a limit would mean an end to important industrial and scientific research.
Scientists do not know how much and what kinds of noises are harmful to ocean animals. However, many scientists suspect that noise is a greater danger than they believed. They want to prevent noises from harming creatures in the ocean.
【小题1】According to the passage, which of the following is increasingly dangerous to sea creatures?

A．The man-made noises.

B．The noises made by themselves.

C．The sound of earthquakes.

D．The sound of the ice-breaking.

【小题2】As to the influence of noises on whales, which of the following statements is true?

A．They are deaf to noises.

B．Noises at a certain level may hurt them.

C．They are easily confused by noises.

D．Noises will limit their ability to reproduce.

【小题3】 We can know from the passage that many scientists think that the noise limit of one hundred twenty decibels would______.

A．prevent them from doing their research work

B．benefit them a lot in their research work

C．do good to their health

D．increase the industrial output

【小题4】According to the passage, what will scientists most probably do in the future?

A．They will try their best to decrease noise.

B．They will work hard to cut down noise pollution.

C．They will study the effect of different noises.

D．They will protect animals from harmful noises.

Winter begins in the north on December 22^nd. People and animals have been doing what they always do to prepare for the colder months. Squirrels (松鼠), for example, have been busy gathering nuts from trees. Well, scientists have been busy gathering information about what the squirrels do with the food they collect.
They examined differences between red squirrels and gray squirrels in the American state of Indiana. The scientists wanted to know how these differences could affect the growth of black walnut (黑胡桃) trees. The black walnut is the nut of choice for both kinds of squirrels. The black walnut tree is also a central part of some hardwood forests.
Rob Swihart of Purdue University did the study with Jake Goheen, a former Purdue student now at the University of New Mexico. The two researchers estimate that several times as many walnuts grow when gathered by gray squirrels as compared to red squirrels. Gray squirrels and red squirrels do not store nuts and seeds in the same way. Gray squirrels bury nuts one at a time in a number of places. But they seldom remember where they buried every nut. So some nuts remain in the ground. Conditions are right for them to develop and grow the following spring. Red squirrels, however, store large groups of nuts above ground. Professor Swihart calls “death traps for seeds”.
Gray squirrels are native to Indiana. But Professor Swihart says their numbers began to decrease as more forests were cut for agriculture. Red squirrels began to spread through the state during the past century.
The researchers say red squirrels are native to forests that stay green all year, unlike walnut trees. They say the cleaning of forest land for agriculture has helped red squirrels invade Indiana. Jake Goheen calls them a sign of an environmental problem more than a cause.
【小题1】The study done by Rob Swihart and Jake Goheen is to ________  .

A．find out the living conditions for squirrels

B．do something to get rid of squirrels

C．learn squirrels’ influence on black walnut trees

D．save the forests in the American state of Indiana

【小题2】The difference between gray squirrels and red squirrels mainly lies in ________   .

A．the way they gather the walnut

B．the place they store the walnuts

C．the time they have winter sleep

D．the place they have winter sleep

【小题3】When Professor Swihart says “death traps for seeds”, he actually means that ________    .

A．nuts above the ground will not develop into plants

B．red squirrels eat more nuts than gray squirrels

C．gray squirrels and red squirrels will have severe fights

D．seeds can be traps for other animals in the forest

【小题4】According to the passage, which of the following is true?

A．Gray squirrels do more harm to the forest than red squirrels.

B．Red squirrels and gray squirrels have helped the spread of walnut trees.

C．The cleaning of forest land benefits red squirrels directly.

D．The black walnut is equally attractive to both gray and red squirrels.

Another thing an astronaut has to learn about is eating in space．Food is weightless, just as men are．
Food for space has to be packed in special ways．Some of it goes into tubes that a man can squeeze into his mouth．Bite-sized cookies are packed in plastic．
There is a good reason for covering each bite．The plastic keeps pieces of food from traveling in the spaceship．On the earth very small pieces of food would simply fall to the floor．But gravity doesn’t pull them to the floor when they are out of the plastic in a spaceship．They move here and there and can get into a man’s eyes or into the spaceship’s instruments． If any of the instruments is blocked, the astronauts may have trouble getting safely home．
As astronauts travel on longer space trips, they must take time to sleep． An astronaut can fit himself to his seat with a kind of seat belt. Or, if he wants to, he can sleep in a sleeping bag which is fixed in place under his seat．But be careful he must put his hands under the belt when he goes to sleep．This is because he is really afraid that he might touch one of controls that isn’t supposed to be touched until later．
【小题1】Why would astronauts cover each bite of food in space？____

A．Because small pieces of food would fall down to the floor．

B．Because weightless pieces of food might make trouble when they travel around．

C．Because they haven’t enough food for longer trips．

D．Because astronauts don’t want to waste food．

【小题2】In a spaceship, astronauts can ____．

A．walk just as they do on the earth．

B．not eat anything because it’s dangerous．

C．control the spaceship when they are sleeping．

D．not litter small things or it will make trouble．

【小题3】Why does an astronaut put his hand under his belt when he sleeps？____

A．Because he thinks it is comfortable to sleep in that way in space．

B．Because he doesn’t want to touch any controls when he sleeps．

C．Because the instruments of the spaceship are easily broken．

D．Because he is afraid that the seat will move．

【小题4】The best title of this article is ____．

A．Eating and Sleeping in Space

B．How Astronauts Eat in Space

C．Food for Space

D．How Astronauts Sleep in Space