Tuvalu, north of Fiji, is a tiny country in the Pacific Ocean.

    Storms and huge waves are a constant threat and none of Tuvalu's nine little islands is more than five metres above sea level. Salt water is already entering the country's drinking water supply, as well as damaging plants that produce fruit and vegetable.It fears it will be swallowed up by the sea. Without urgent help, the country's days are numbered.

    But Tuvalu is not the first place to face sinking into the sea. Venice, a historic city in Italy best known for its canals, has sunk about 24cm over the past 100 years. Experts say that it will have sunk another 20-50cm by 2050. A century ago, St. Mark's Square, the lowest point in the city, flooded about nine times a year. Nowadays, it happens more than 100 times.

While Venice is slowly sinking into the mud on which it stands, Tuvalu's rising sea level is caused by global warming.

The average global temperature has increased by almost 0.5 centigrade degree over the past century; scientists expect it to rise by an extra 1-3 degrees over the next 100 years.

Warmer weather makes glaciers melt, adding more water to the ocean. The warmer temperatures also make water expand, so it takes up more space, causing the sea level to rise. The sea level has risen about 10-25cm in the last 100 years.

 People have been increasing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as CO2, through burning coal, oil and gas. This adds to the power of the greenhouse effect, making the planet even warmer.

Many scientists believe that, if the warming is not stopped, there will be huge climate changes. The sea level could rise by one metre this century.

Should this come true, millions of homes would be swallowed up by the sea and the world will be flooded with "climate refugees" looking for somewhere else to live.

1. We can infer from Paragraph 2 that ______.

    A. Tuvalu is in danger of being swallowed up by the sea

    B. all Tuvalu’s islands are about five meters above the sea level

    C. drinking water in Tuvalu has been destroyed

    D. Tuvalu is often flooded by storms and waves

2.The author uses Tuvalu and Venice as examples in order to explain ______.

    A. they are the first places sinking into the sea

    B. they are both sinking into the mud where they stand

    C. they will disappear in the future

    D. their trouble is caused by global warming

3. What does the underlined word “refugees” mean?

    A. People forced away from their homeland.

    B. Sudden changes caused by world climate.

    C. Animals whose lives are closely connected with weather.

    D. Bad effect of climate changes.

4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

    A. The main cause of global warming is human pollution.

    B. The average global temperature has risen by 1-3 centigrade degrees over the past 100 years.

    C. The warmer temperature causes the sea level to rise.

    D. There will be huge climate changes unless the warming is stopped.

5.According to the passage, the root cause of global warming is _______.

A. the burning of coal, oil and gas             B. the position change of the solar system  

C. human pollution                          D. carbon dioxide emission

 

 

Speaking of all the projects they have completed in recent years, we think this is probably the_______ one.

A. well-known     B. better-known    C. best-known     D. most-known

 

David Beckham had a dream: to be the first English player to appear in four World Cups．But now it appears that dream is over after a serious injury to his Achilles tendon （跟腱） which means he could be out of action for around six months．With this year's World Cup in South Africa only three months away, sadly Beckham looks set to miss out．The injury happened while Beckham was playing for AC Milan against AC Chievo in the Italian league．After attempting to kick the ball he fell to the ground and hobbled off the pitch before being stretchered （被担架抬走）away．

It is not yet known whether he has completely severed （切断）his Achilles tendon or only torn it．The player has now flown to Finland for assessment and treatment by a knee specialist．

England manager Fabio Capello fears the worst for Beckham's World Cup chances．

"We have to wait for the results of the scan but it looks like he is out of the World Cup," he said in a statement．"I spoke with him after the game on Sunday night to offer my support．

"David is a great professional and has worked very hard to be ready for the World Cup, so missing it will be a big blow．"

Beckham's former manager at American club LA Galaxy, Alexei Lalas, echoed （共鸣 ）Capello's words of support:

"It is a horrible situation for Beckham．I know how much it meant to him to be in the World Cup and how important he was to the England team．

David Beckham is now 34 and some are asking whether this serious injury could mean his whole career is over．

Whatever happens, as one of football's best-known and popular players, Beckham will have no shortage of encouragement from fans around the world．

Some will remember Beckham's miraculous recovery from an Achilles injury in 2006, when he was back on the pitch after only eight weeks．

If he could repeat the same feat in time for the World Cup it really would be the stuff of fairytales．

So, perhaps all is not lost．Optimists will take heart from Alexei Lalas' words:

"You never want to write off David Beckham as he has shown us his ability to bounce back（恢复原状）．"

1.What is the best title of the passage?

A．Beckham had a dream?

B．Beckham--- a great football player!

C．The end for Beckham?

D．World Cup in South Africa!

2.What does the author mean by saying “missing it will be a big blow” in paragraph 4 ?

A．Missing the world cup will be a big success．

B．Missing Beckham means a great failure ．

C．Missing Beckham means an important opportunity for the American club LA Galaxy．

D．Missing the world cup means a big disappointment for Beckham ．

3.We may infer from the passage that ________ ．

A．Beckham will definitely not be able to play football again

B．Beckham was cured by a great knee specialist he found

C．Beckham has his ability to bounce back

D．Beckham is likely to miss the world Cup

4.What does the underlined words “take heart” probably mean ?

A．get disappointed B．get help C．get encouraged       D．get hurt

 

Jeffery Deaver looks more like a brainy villain （反派人物） in a James Bond movie than a "00" agent in Her Majesty's secret service．Best known for his thrillers starring criminalist （刑事专家） Lincoln Rhyme, Jeffery Deaver has a new mission: Bring Bond into the 21st century in a new 007 novel．

The yet-to-be-named book is cryptically （隐秘地） referred to as "Project X" by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd．, which owns the rights to Fleming's work．Most of the details surrounding Project X, to be published in May, are being kept under wraps, but under gentle coaxing （用好话劝诱） Deaver begins to spill his guts．"The novel," he says, "is set in the present day, in 2011．Bond is a young agent for the British secret service．He's 29 or 30 years old, and he's an Afghan war vet．" That in itself is big news．After all, if Bond were aging in real time — he first appeared on the screen in 1953 — the now doddering （老态龙钟的） 007 would be nearly 90．

But first up: a new stand-alone Deaver novel, Edge （Simon & Schuster, $26．99）, to be published Tuesday．It's about a federal agent who risks his life to protect a Washington police detective from a man hired to extract information from him using any means at his disposal （任由个人支配的）．

Sipping coffee while seated on a leather chair in a sitting room decorated with portraits of his dogs and show ribbons, the mild-mannered author who writes about murderers and serial killers talks about his career and the solid fan base that has allowed him to pursue writing full time since 1990．"I may not sell as many books as John Grisham（although he has sold a cool 20 million）, but I have a very loyal fan base," says Deaver, 60, who wrote some of his novels while working as a Wall Street lawyer．Deaver's initiation into the Bond family — more than 100 million 007 novels have sold worldwide — could significantly raise his profile （知名度）．

Other novelists have written Bond novels since Ian Fleming's death in 1964 — including Kingsley Amis, John Gardner and, most recently, Sebastian Faulks — but they all took place in the original era．Deaver is taking a new approach．"There's no more Cold War to fight," says Deaver, so his new Bond, of the Fleming estate, will fight "post-9/11 evil．" "I want to stay true to the original James Bond, who many people don't know much about," he says, referring to the secret agent Fleming portrayed in 14 novels, and not the movie Bond．"People know Daniel Craig, they know Pierce Brosnan, they know Roger Moore and Sean Connery, all of whom brought a great deal to the stories of 007．But the original Bond was a very dark, edgy （另类的） character．"

1.Which of the following is NOT true about Jeffery Deaver?

A．Jeffery Deaver is a "00" agent in Her Majesty's secret service in a James Bond movie．

B．Jeffery Deaver was working as a lawyer while he wrote some novels about murderers and serial killers．

C．It is the loyal fan base that has allowed Jeffery Deaver to keep on writing since 1990．

D．Jeffery Deaver is best known for his thrillers rather than for 007 novels．

2.Which statement best explains the meaning of “spill his guts” in Paragraph 2?

A．Tell others what he knows about the yet-to-be-named 007 novel．

B．Tell others everything he knows about Ian Fleming Publications Ltd．．

C．Have the courage to talk about the 007 agent James Bond．

D．Have the determination to talk about "Project X"．

3.Who was the author of 007 novels?

A．Jeffery Deaver	B．Ian Fleming
C．John Grisham	D．Kingsley Amis

4.What do you know about the new 007 novel from the passage?

A．The book to be published in May is named "Project X" by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd．．

B．The book is about a federal agent risking his life to protect a Washington police detective．

C．The book features a young James Bond, an Afghan war vet working for the British secret service．

D．The book features a young James Bond who fights Cold War．

 

She was known to millions as the "Queen of Crime" or the "Duchess (女公爵) of death". But surprisingly, she hated violence and blood, and knew nothing of the weapons most often used in murder. "I don't think I dare look at a really horrible and damaged body." Agatha Christie once said.

But her pen dared travel where her eyes would not. In a 50-year writing career, Christie's murder stories made her the world's best-known mystery writer. She is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare.

Her works have been turned into films and TV series, and a line of computer games is to be released over the next six years.

"My grandmother liked to use new ways to reach people who wanted to enjoy her work," said Christie's grandson, Mathew Pritchard. "Turning her stories into PC games allows us to introduce classic mysteries to new audiences."

Born in 1890 in England, Christie was educated at home and began her writing career while working as a nurse during World War I. She went on to produce 79 novels and numerous short stories, dying at the age of 86.

"With her knowledge of murder, Christie could have been a teacher at police academies," said one fan.

By saying "her pen dared travel where her eyes would not", the writer means         

A. she would like to make a trip with her pen rather than other things

B. she couldn't live without her pen

C. she could describe anything with her pen that she would not like to face

D. she made up stories with her pen

By which means can't we learn the works of Christie?

A. Watching TV.   B. Going to the cinema. C. Reading novels.   D. Playing computer games.

Mathew Prichard's words suggest that      _

A. Christie had been trying to write different stories in different styles

B. Christie was fond of changing styles while writing

C. Christie's works are short of audiences

D. People began to lose interest in Christie's works

The fifth paragraph mainly  

A. tells us Christie is a productive writer                 B. gives us a brief introduction of Christie

C. tells us when Christie took up writing                 D. tells us why Christie was popular