Easter(复活节    ) is still a great day for worship, randy in baskets and running around the yard finding eggs, but every year it gets quite a bit worse for bunnies.
And no, not because the kids like to pull their ears. The culprit is climate change, and some researchers found that rising temperatures are having harmful effects on at least five species of rabbit in the US.
Take the Lower Keys March rabbit, for instance. An endangered species that lives in the Lower Florida Keys, this species of cottontail is a great swimmer — it lives on the islands! — but it is already severely affected by development and now by rising levels. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, an ocean level rise of only 0. 6 meters will send these guys jumping to higher ground and a 0.9-meter rise would wipe out their habitat (栖息地) completely.
The snowshoe hare, on the other hand, has a color issue. Most of these rabbits change their fur color from white in the wintertime to brown in the summer, each designed to give them better cover from predators（捕食者）.As the number of days with snow decreases all across the country, however, more and more bunnies arc being left in white fur during brown dirt days of both fall and spring, making them an easier mark for predators. Researchers know that the color change is controlled by the number of hours of sunlight, but whether the rabbit will be able to adapt quick enough to survive is a big question. The National Wildlife Federation has reported that hunters have noticed their numbers are already markedly down.
American pikas or rock rabbits, a relative of rabbits and hares, might be the firs' of these species to go extinct due to climate change. About 7-8 inches long, pikas live high in the cool, damp mountains west of the Rocky Mountains. As global temperatures rise, they would naturally migrate (迁徙) to higher ground — but they already occupy the mountaintops. They can't go any higher. The National Wildlife Federation reports that they might not be able to stand the new temperatures as their habitat beats up.
The volcano rabbit has the same problem. These rabbits live on the slopes of volcanoes in Mexico, and recent studies have shown that the lower range of their habitat has already shifted upward about 700 meters, but there are not suitable plants for them to move higher, so they are stuck in the middle. Scientists are concerned about their populations.
Native to the US, pygmy rabbits weigh less than 1 pound and live in the American West. They are believed to be the smallest rabbits in the world. Their habitats have been destroyed by development. Several populations, such as the Columbia Basin pygmy, almost went extinct and were saved by zoo breeding programs. Pygmy rabbits also rely on winter cover by digging tunnels through the snow to escape predators, but lesser snowfall is leaving them exposed.
All of this gives new meaning to dressing up in a giant bunny costume this Easter.
【小题1】The writer mentions Easter at the beginning of the passage in order to_______.

A．show the importance of Easter Day	B．introduce the issue about bunnies
C．remind people of Easter traditions
D．discuss the relationship between Easter and bunnies

【小题2】The word “culprit” ( Paragraph 2) is closest in meaning to______.

A．criminal

B．judge

C．victim

D．producer

【小题3】According to the passage, some rabbits can now be easily discovered by predators because they_______

A．are exposed lo more skillful hunters

B．have moved to habitats with fewer plants

C．haven't adapted themselves to climate change

D．can't change their fur color into white in the fall and the spring

【小题4】The problem faced by volcano rabbets and rock rabbits is that________.
A. both are affected by 1ess snow          
B. both are affected by rising sea levels
C neither can find enough food     
D. neither can migrate to higher places

The volcano is one of the most surprising frightening things of nature. Maybe you have seen pic??tures of these " fireworks " of nature. Sometimes when a volcano erupts, a very large wall of melted rock moves down the side of a mountain. It looks like a " river of fire". Sometimes volcanoes ex??plode, throwing the melted rock and ashes high into the air. But where does this melted rock come from?

The earth is made up of many layers (层). The top layer that we see is called the crust. Under the crust are many layers of hard rock. But far, far beneath the crust the rock is so hot that it is soft. In some places it even melts. The melted rock is called magma. Sometimes the magma breaks out to the surface through cracks (裂缝) in the crust. These cracks are volcanoes.

Most people think of mountains when they think of volcanoes. But not every mountain is a volca??no. A volcano is simply the opening in the earth from which the magma escapes. The hot magma, or lava as it is called, cools and builds up on the surface of the earth. Over thousands of years, this pile of cooled lava can grow to be very, very big. For example, the highest mountain in Africa, Kilimanja??ro, is a volcano. It rises more than 16,000 feet above the ground around it.

8. The underlined word "erupts" means ______.

A. moves down   B. breaks away    C. builds up        D. suddenly throws out lava

9. Which words in the passage have the same meaning as "melted rock"?

A. volcano and crust                  B. crust and hard rock

C. magma and lava                  D. volcano and magma

10. Which is the correct order of the layers of the earth (beginning with the top layer)?

A. crust — hard rock — magma — soft rock

B. crust — hard rock — soft rock — magma

C. agma — soft rock — hard rock — crust

D. volcano — cracks — magma — crust

11. The best title of the passage should be______.

A. The Volcano         B. Kilimanjaro Volcano   C. The Mountains   D. The Melted Rock

 

 -----Is it ______ that the volcano nearby will erupt these days?

   -----No, I don’t think so.

   A. probably                            B. likely                       C. possibly                 D. perhaps

 

For travellers who want to experience some of the history and mystery of the ancient world, here is a list of cool destinations for your next holiday.
Angkor Wat, Cambodia
Built in the 12th century, Angkor Wat (meaning “capital monastery”) was a temple in the ancient Khmer capital city of Angkor. It is Cambodia’s best-known tourist attraction and is famed for its beautiful architecture and reliefs. You’ll need at least three days to fully discover the delights of this magnificent site.
Machu Picchu, Peru
Machu Picchu was built high in the Andes Mountains of South America by the Inca in the 15th century. Although well preserved its exact purpose is unknown. It is famous throughout the world not only for its incredible design but also for the natural beauty that surrounds it. Give yourself a week to explore this magnificent site.
Stonehenge, England
The entire Stonehenge site was constructed over thousands of years. But why and how it was built remains a mystery. As the weather can be pretty bleak in winter and the crowds huge in summer, we suggest autumn should be the best time to visit these monster rocks.
Pompeii, Italy
When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., Pompeii was buried under many layers of ash, preserving the city exactly as it was when the volcano erupted. Because so many objects were preserved, scientists and visitors are able to better understand daily life in the ancient Roman Empire.
【小题1】Why may people want to visit Machu Picchu?

A．To climb the Andes Mountains.	B．To discover how it was built.
C．To explore both history and nature.	D．To learn to speak Spanish.

【小题2】When is the best time to visit Stonehenge according to the passage?

A．Summer.

B．Spring.

C．Winter.

D．Autumn.

【小题3】Which location offers the most direct view into daily life in the ancient world?

A．Pompeii.

B．Stonehenge.

C．Ankor Wat.

D．Machu Picchu.

【小题4】Where would you probably read such an article?

A．In a travel magazine.	B．In a scientific journal.
C．In a history textbook.	D．In an adventure novel.

Wind , water, fire and ice-these powerful natural forces have shaped the land of America in the past. They are still changing it today.

The Colorado River slowly cut down through stone to make the Grand Canyon(大峡谷).

Long ago, ice sheets cut Yosemite Valley and the Great Lakes, and glaciers(冰川) are still on the move in Alaska.

Wind and rain storm hit the land from time to time. Fires sometimes burn down forests and destroy the homes of wild animals. This happened in Yellowstone Park in 1988.

Dead volcanic mountains such as Haleakala on Maui and Carter Lakein Oregon are beautiful to look at. But there are several active volcanoes in the US, especially along the Pacific Coast. There are also many earthquakes in this area. Scientists can do nothing to control earthquakes or volcanoes. This was shown clearly on May 18, 1980. At 8:32 that morning, Mount St Helens in Washington state broke out. The top of the mountain was blown off.

Over 60 people –campers, scientists, journalists, forest workers—were killed. Hundreds of square miles of forests were knocked down. In towns over 100 miles away, day suddenly became night. An ash cloud hid the sun for many hours. Towns and fields in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho were covered with dirty gray ash.

Scientists knew that Mt St Helens might erupt(爆发) soon. But no one could say when. And no one expected the terrible strength of the eruption. Many people were surprised and unready. Harry R. Truman, 84, owned a small hotel in Mt St Helens. Scientists had asked people to move away because the volcano was becoming dangerous.

But Harry Truman would not leave his home. Now it is covered with many feet of dirty ash. A small cross stands above the place where Harry probably died. Perhaps it is better that he did not see the destruction of Mt St Helens, the once beautiful lake, and the forests.

But slowly, life is returning to the dead area around the mountain. Grass and small plants are beginning to grow again. Deer and birds have been seen. The land will never be the same as it once was. Perhaps Mt St Helens will erupt again. But this is all part of nature’s pattern of change, and man has little power to control it.

1.Choose the best title for this passage.

A．Wind, water, fire and ice

B．Volcano’s beauty and danger

C．The power of nature

D．Natural force shape beautiful land of America

2.After the eruption of volcano, what makes the sky turn dark?

A．The smoke

B．The clouds.

C．The fog.

D．The ash.

3.The underlined word “it” means______.

A．The body of old Harry

B．The location of Harry’s home

C．The opening on top of Mt St Helens

D．The place where Harry probably died

4.We can infer from this article that ______.

A．Washington and Oregon are neighboring states

B．Colorado River runs through Yosemite Valley

C．The eruption of Mt St Helens also caused trouble with the Yellowstone Park

D．Scientists never knew Mt St Helens was active