The world is not only hungry, it is also thirsty for water. This may seemstrange to you, since nearly 75％of the earth's surface is covered with water. But about 97％ of this huge amount is seawater, or salt water. Man can only drink and use the other 3％--the fresh water that comes from rivers, lakes, underground, and other sources. And we cannot even use all of that, because some of it is in the form of icebergs and glaciers. Even worse, some of it has been polluted.

　　However, as things stand today, this small amount of fresh water, which is constantly being replaced by rainfall is still enough for us. But our need for water is increasing rapidly almost everyday. Only if we take steps to deal with this problem now can we avoid a severe worldwide water shortage later on. A limited water supply would have a bad effect on agriculture and industry. Let me give you just one small example of how necessary water is to industry. Did you know that to produce a single ton of steel, it takes about 91000 litres of water?

　　We all have to learn how to stop wasting our precious water. One of the first steps we should take is to develop ways of reusing it. Experiments have already been done in this field, but only on small scale. The systems that have been worked out are similar to those used in spacecraft.

(1) “The world...is also thirsty for water.” this means that ________.

[　　]

A．the world has not enough fresh water to meet our future needs

B．people all over the world are thirsty for water now

C．we are now facing a serious problem of world-wide water shortage

D．we cannot make use of all the fresh water on earth

(2) According to the passage, only about ________ of the earth's surface is covered with fresh water that can be used.

[　　]

(3) We may face a severe worldwide water shortage in the future because ________.

[　　]

A．the small amount of fresh water is constantly being replaced by rainfall

B．some of it has been polluted

C．some of it is in the form of icebergs and glaciers

D．our need for fresh water is increasing rapidly

(4) According to the passage, one of the first problems is ________.

[　　]

A．to deal with water problem now

B．to have lectures on the water subject

C．to develop ways of reusing water

D．to work out systems that resemble those used in spacecraft

(5) This passage is mainly about ________.

[　　]

 

The food we eat seems to have profound effects on our health. Although science has made enormous steps in making food more fit to eat, it has, at the same time, made many foods unfit to eat. Some research has shown that perhaps eighty percent of all human illnesses relate to diet and forty percent of cancer relates to the diet as well, especially cancer of the colon. Different cultures are more likely to cause certain different illnesses because of the food that is characteristic in these cultures.

That food is connected with illness is not a new discovery. In 1945, about 35 years ago, government researchers realized that nitrates, commonly used to preserve color in meats, and other food additives, caused cancer. Yet, these carcinogenic  additives remain in our food, and it becomes more difficult all the time to know which things on the packaging labels of processed food are helpful or harmful. The additives which we eat are not all so direct. Farmers often give penicillin to beef and living animals, and because of this, penicillin has been found in the milk of treated cow. Sometimes similar drugs are given to animals not for medical purposes, but for financial reasons. The farmers are simply trying to fatten the animals in order to obtain a higher price on the market. Although the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tried repeatedly to control these procedures, the practices continue.　　

1. What is the best possible title of the passage?

　 A. Drug and Food             　B. Cancer and Health

　C. Food and Health              D. Health and Drug

2. Which of the following statements is NOT true?

　 A. Drugs are always given to animals for medical reasons.

　 B. Some of the additives in our food are added to the food itself and some are

given to the living animals.

　 C. Researchers have known about the potential dangers of food additives for over

thirty-five years.

　 D. Food may cause forty percent of cancer in world.

3. How has science done something harmful to mankind?

　A. Because of science, diseases caused by polluted food haven’t been virtually

eliminated.

　 B. It has caused a lack of information concerning the value of food.

　 C. Because of the application of science, some potentially harmful substances

have been added to food.

　D. The scientists have preserved the color of meat, but not of vegetables.

4. What are nitrates used for?

　 A. They preserve flavor in packaged foods.

　 B. They preserve the color of meats.

　 C. They are the objects of research.

5. The word ‘carcinogenic’ most nearly means ‘_________’.

　 A. trouble-making                 B. color-maintaining

　 C. money-making                 D .cancer-causing

 

　A new study warns that about thirty percent of the world people may not have enough water by the year 2025. A private American organization called Population Action International did the new study. It says more than three hundred and thirty-five million people lack enough water now. The people live in twenty-eight countries. Most of the countries are in Africa or the Middle East.

　　PAI researchers Robert Engel says by the year 2025,about three thousand million people lack water. At least 18 more countries are, expected to have serious water problems. The demand for water keeps increasing. Yet the amount of water on the earth stays the same.

　　Mr. Engel says the population in countries that lack water is growing faster than in other parts of the world. He says population growth in these countries will increase.

　　The report says lack of water in the future may result in several problems. It may increase health problem. Lack of water often means drinking water is not safe. Mr. Engel says there are problems all over the world be cause of diseases such as cholera（霍乱）that is carried in water.

　　Lack of water also results in more international conflict（冲突）. Countries may have to fight for water in the future. Some countries now get sixty percent of their water from other countries. This is true of Egypt, the Netherlands, Cambodia, Syria, Sudan, and Iraq. And the report says lack of water would affect the ability to improve their economics. This is because new in dustries often need large amounts of water when they are beginning.

　　The Population Action International study gives several solutions（解决方法）to the problem, One way, it says. is to find ways to use water for more than one purpose. Another way is to teach people to be careful not to waste water. A third is to use less water for agriculture.

　　The report also says long-term solution to the water problem must in clued controls on population growth.

　　1．According to the report, how many countries will lack water by the year 2025?

　　　　A. 18.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　B. 28.

　　　　C. 46.　　　　　　　　　　　　　　D. At least 46.

　　

　　2．Which of the following is not true according to the passage?

　　　　A. The amount of the water on earth will always stay the same.

　　　　B. The report gives three solutions to the water problem.

　　　　C. Most of the countries that lack water belong to the developing countries.

　　　　D. There's only one long-term solution to solve the water problem.

　　

　　3．Which of the following is not mentioned in the passage?

　　　　A. The polluted water may carry diseases.

　　　　B. Some countries may fight with each other for water.

　　　　C. The developed countries don't lack water now.

　　　　D. Industries need a lot of water.

　　

　　4．What is the main idea of this passage?

　　　　A. Water shortage is quite serious in the world nowadays.

　　　　B. PAI did a lot of study about water shortage.

　　　　C. Controlling pollution is the best way to solve the problem of water shortage.

　　　　D. Water shortage will be a serious problem facing us in the near future.

 

Humanity uses a little less than half the water available worldwide. Yet occurrences of shortages and droughts (干旱) are causing famine and distress in some areas, and industrial and agricultural by-products are polluting water supplies. Since the world's population is expected to double in the next 50 years, many experts think we are on the edge of a widespread water crisis.

　 But that doesn't have to be the outcome. Water shortages do not have to trouble the world---if we start valuing water more than we did in the past. Just as we began to appreciate petroleum more after the 1970s oil crises, today we must start looking at water from a fresh economic perspective. We can no longer afford to consider water a virtually free resource of which we can use as much as we like in any way we want.

　 Instead, for all uses except the domestic demand of the poor, governments should price water to reflect its actual value. This means charging a fee for the water itself as well as for the supply costs.

　 Governments should also protect this resource by providing water in more economically and environmentally sound (健康的) ways. For example, often the cheapest way to provide irrigation water in the dry tropics is through small-scale projects, such as gathering rainfall in depressions (凹地) and pumping it to nearby cropland.

　 No matter what steps governments take to provide water more efficiently, they must change their institutional and legal approaches to water use. Rather than spread control among hundreds or even thousands of local, regional, and national agencies that watch various aspects of water use, countries should set up central authorities to coordinate (调整) water policy.

1.What is the real cause of the potentials water crisis.

　　A. Only half of the world's water can be used.

　　B. The world population is increasing faster and faster.

　　C. Half of the world's water resources have been seriously polluted.

　　D. Humanity has not placed enough value on water resources.

2.As is indicated in the passage, the water problem _________ .

A. is already serious in certain parts of the world.

B. has been exaggerated by some experts in the field

　　C. poses a challenge to the technology of building reservoirs(水库)

　　D. is underestimated by government organizations at different levels

3. According to the author, the water price should _______ .

　　A. be reduced to the minimum        B. stimulate domestic demand

　　C. go with its real value             D. take into account the occurrences of droughts

4.In order to raise the efficiency of the water supply, measures should be taken to ______ .

　　A. guarantee full protection of the environment

　　B. centralize the management of water resources

　　C. increase the sense of responsibility of agencies at all levels

D. encourage local and regional water resources

 

Water and its importance to human life were the centre of the world’s attention last week. March 22 was World Water Day and 　1 the theme “Water for Life”.

There are more than one billion people in the world who live without 　2 drinking water. The United Nations 　3 to cut this number in half by 2015.

Solving such a big problem seems like a(n) 　4 challenge. But everyone, 　5 　 teenagers, can do something to help. A teenage girl in the US has set an example to the 　6 of her age around the world.

Rene Haggerty, 13, was awarded the 2004 Gloria Barron Prize for her work— 　7 　 discarded(废弃的) batteries（电池）which pollute water.

In 2003, Haggerty went on a field trip to the Great Lakes Science Centre in Ohio. There she saw an exhibit about how 　8 in old batteries harm the water of Lake Erie.

Haggerty learnt that 　9 　the batteries was an easy solution. “I think everybody can do it, because everyone 　　10　 batteries, and it can make a big difference.” With these words, she began to 　11　 awareness in her area.

She 　12 　her county government and school board. She got permission to start a recycling programme in schools 　13 the public library, hospital, and churches. With the help from her family, friends and local waste-management 14 , she gathered containers, arranged transportation, and made a(n) 　15 video.

Over the past two years, she collected four tons of batteries and drew the attention of officials, who were in charge of a battery recycling programme but had made 　16 progress.

When asked 　17 she feels like a hero, Haggerty is quite __18 . “Not really. Well, maybe for the fish I saved!”

Every year the Gloria Barron Prize is 　19 to young Americans aged 8 to 18 who have shown leadership and courage in 　20 the public and the planet. Each year ten winners receive US $ 2,000 each, to help with their education costs or their public service work.

1. A. had　　　　　　　　　　 B. gave　　　　　　　　　　　　 C. wrote　　　　　　　　　　　 D. discussed

2. A. enough　　　　 　 　　B. safe 　　　　　　　　　　　 C. much 　　　　　　　　　 D. polluted

3. A. asks　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. orders　　　 　 C. hopes 　　　　　　 　　D. ensures

4. A. good 　　 　　　　　　　　　 B. strong　　　 　 C. important　　　　 　 D. unreal

5. A. especially　　　　　　　　　　 B. sometimes 　 C. even　 　　　　 　　D. seldom

6. A. boys 　　　　 　　　　　 B. others　　　 　 C. students 　　D. grown-ups

7. A. collecting 　　 　　　　　 B. selling　 　 　　　　　 C. buying 　　　　　　　　 D. using

8. A. things　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. chemicals　 　　　　　 C. water　　 　　　 　　D. air

9. A. making　 　　 　　　　　 B. recycling 　　　　　 C. reducing 　　　　　　　　 D. handling

10. A. uses 　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. has　 　　　 　　　　　　 C. throws 　　　　　　　　　 D. needs

11. A. tell 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. increase　　　　　　　　　 C. spread 　　　　　　　　　 D. inform

12. A. talked to 　　　　　　　　　 B. listened to　 　 C. heard from 　　　　　 D. thought about

13. A. and　 　　　 　　B. besides　　　　　　　　　　 C. as well as 　　　　　　 D. as good as

14. A. officials 　　　　　　　　　 B. workers　　　　　　　　　 C. clerks　　 　　　　　 D. experts

15. A. industrial 　　　　　　　　 B. agricultural 　 C. scientific　 　　　　　 D. educational

16. A. much　　　 　　　　　 B. no　　 　　　　　　　　　 C. some　 　　　　　　　　 D. little

17. A. if　　 　　　 　　B. how 　　　　　　 　　C. when 　　　　　　　　　 D. why

18. A. proud 　　　　　　　　　　 B. glad　 　 　　　　　　　 C. modest　　　　　　　　　　 D. worried

19. A. praises　　　　 　 B. helps　 　 　　　　　　　 C. supports　 　　　　　 D. honors

20. A. awarding　　　　　　　　　 B. saving　　　 　 　　　 C. serving　　　　　　　　　　 D. favoring