One reaction to all the concern about tropical deforestation（毁林） is a blank stare that asks the question, "Since I don't live there, what does it have to do with me?"

The answer is that your way of life, wherever you live in the world, is tied to the tropics in many ways. If you live in a house, wash your hair, eat fruits and vegetables, drink soda, or drive a car, you can be certain that you are affected by the loss of tropical forests.

Biologically, we are losing the richest regions on earth when, each minute, a piece of tropical forest, the size of ten city blocks, disappears. As many as five million species of plants, animals, and insects (40 to 50 percent of all living things) live there, and are being lost faster than they can be found and described. Their loss is immeasurable.

Take rubber for example. For many uses, only natural rubber from trees will do. Synthetics are not good enough. Today over half the world's commercial rubber is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia, while the Amazon's rubber industry produces much of the world's four million tons. And rubber is an important material in making gloves, balloons, footwear and many sporting goods. Thousands of other tropical plants are valuable for their industrial use.

Many scientists strongly believe that deforestation contributes to the greenhouse effect -- or heating of the earth from increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. As we destroy forests, we lose their ability to change carbon dioxide into oxygen.

Carbon dioxide levels could double within the next half-century, warming the earth by as much as 4.5 degrees. The result? A partial melt-down of polar ice caps, raising sea levels as much as 24 feet; even 15 feet could threaten anyone living within 35 miles of the coast. Unbelievable? Maybe. But scientists warn that by the time we realise the severe effects of tropical deforestation, it will be 20 years too late.

Can tropical deforestation affect our everyday lives? Now, you should have got the answer.

1.The underlined word "synthetics" probably means_________.

A. natural rubber                   B. tropical materials

C. man-made material               D. commercial rubber

2.According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. The forests are losing their function in turning carbon dioxide into oxygen.

B. Many of our daily uses are related to the tropical forests.

C. Tropical plants can be used to make industrial products.

D. High carbon dioxide levels will make the earth warmer.

3.The author's attitude towards the tropical deforestation is _________ .

A. puzzling        B. cold          C. supporting        D. opposed

4.Which of the following might be the best title for the passage?

A. Tropical Forests                 B. The Value of Tropical Forests

C. Tropical Forests and Our Life     D. The Greenhouse Effects

I suddenly heard an elephant crying as though frightened Looking down I immediately recognized that something was wrong and ran down to the edge of the near bank There I saw Ma Shwe with her three-month-old calf struggling in the fast-rising water and it was a life-and-death struggle Her calf was floating and screaming with fear Ma Shwe was as near to the far bank as she could get, holding her whole body against the rushing water and keeping the calf pressed against her huge body . Every now and then the rushing water would sweep the calf a way.

There was a sudden rise in the water and the calf was washed clean over the mother’s body and was gone Ma Shwe turned quickly to reach it and pressed the calf with her head and trunk（象鼻）against the rocky bank Then with a huge effort she picked it up in her trunk and tried until she was able to place it on a narrow shelf of rock

Just at this moment she fell back into the river If she were carried down it would be certain death I knew as well as she did ,that there was one spot（地点）where she could get up the bank  but it was on the other side from where she had put her calf

While I was wondering what I could do next I heard the sound of a mother’s love Ma Shwe had crossed the river and got up the bank and was making her way back as fast as she could roaring（吼叫）all the time but to her calf it was music.

1.The moment the author got down to the river bank he saw______.

A．the calf was about to fall into the river

B．Ma Shwe was placing the calf on the rock

C．the calf was washed away by the rising water

D．Ma Shwe was holding the calf against the rushing water

2.How did Ma Shwe manage to save her calf from the fast-flowing water?

A．By putting it on a safe spot

B．By pressing it against her body

C．By taking it away with her

D．By carrying it on her back

3.How did the calf feel about the mother elephant’s roaring?

A．It was a great comfort      B．It was a sign of danger

C．It was a call for help       D．It was a musical note

4.What can be the best title for the text?

A．A Mother’s Love           B．A Brave Act

C．A Deadly River            D．A Matter of Life and Death

I suddenly heard an elephant crying as though frightened. Looking down I immediately recognized that something was wrong and ran down to the edge of the near bank. There I saw Ma Shwe with her three-month-old calf struggling in the fast-rising water and it was a life-and-death struggle. Her calf was floating and screaming with fear. Ma Shwe was as near to the far bank as she could get, holding her whole body against the rushing water and keeping the calf pressed against her huge body. Every now and then the rushing water would sweep the calf away.

There was a sudden rise in the water and the calf was washed clean over the mother’s body and was gone. Ma Shwe turned quickly to reach it and pressed the calf with her head and trunk（象鼻）against the rocky bank .Then with a huge effort she picked it up in her trunk and tried until she was able to place it on a narrow shelf of rock.

Just at this moment she fell back into the river .If she were carried down ,it would be certain death. I knew as well as she did ,that there was one spot（地点）where she could get up the bank  but it was on the other side from where she had put her calf

While I was wondering what I could do next, I heard the sound of a mother’s love. Ma Shwe had crossed the river and got up the bank and was making her way back as fast as she could roaring（吼叫）all the time but to her calf it was music.

56．The moment the author got down to the river bank he saw______.

A．the calf was about to fall into the river

B．Ma Shwe was placing the calf on the rock

C．the calf was washed away by the rising water

D．Ma Shwe was holding the calf against the rushing water

57．How did Ma Shwe manage to save her calf from the fast-flowing water?

A．By putting it on a safe spot

B．By pressing it against her body

C．By taking it away with her

D．By carrying it on her back

58．How did the calf feel about the mother elephant’s roaring?

A．It was a great comfort      B．It was a sign of danger

C．It was a call for help       D．It was a musical note

59．What can be the best title for the text?

A．A Mother’s Love           B．A Brave Act

C．A Deadly River            D．A Matter of Life and Death

任务型阅读

某校正在开展课外阅读小组活动Peter, Helen, Catherine, Elizabeth和Jessica想根据自己小组成员的喜好找一篇英语阅读材料。阅读下面某报纸的文章摘要（A, B, C, D, E, F），选出适合他们的文章，并在答题纸上将相应选项的标号涂黑。选项中有一项是多余选项。

    1．Peter’s group members are fond of an article which can help them to find something that can both challenge their intelligence and provide entertainment．

    2．Helen’s group members are fashionable and fond of advanced technology．They like reading something that can provide them with inspirations in achieving success and changing people’s way of life．

3．Catherine’s group members are athletic and spend a lot of time working out．They are fond of any stories about stars in the sports world．

    4．Elizabeth’s group members want to read some articles which can help them keep pace with the trend of fashion．They hope to find in the article some hints on helping improve their appearances．

    5．Jessica’s group members are keen on becoming volunteers and therefore are looking for some articles that can increase their chances of being chosen．

完形填空（共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分）

In the north of Scotland there is a lake called Loch Ness. It is the biggest   36   in Britain. It is over thirty kilometers 37 and in some places nearly 300 meters deep . It is cold and dark and not many people went there until after 1930. Then a road was made   38   the lake.

     Holiday makers began to use the road, and this was when the   39   began. Someone said that he had seen a monster(怪兽) in the lake. He said it was twelve meters long. It had a long   40  and a small head. Then someone else said he had seen  41  . Others said the same thing and in 1933 a London doctor took a  42  . It  43   like a monster with a long neck and a thick body but the photo was not too   44 . The newspapers printed the picture and   45   it the Loch Ness monster, or "Nessie".

     Then the argument(争论) began.   46 people, however, were certain there was something living in the lake. Others said there was   47  there.

     In 1961, a lot of people joined together to make a real  48   to see and photograph the monster to find   49  there was one! Several times people thought they saw something but after ten years there was  50   no real proof (证据).

     Later underwater television cameras were used, but   51   found any real proof. However, they   52  find something interesting: a huge underwater cave. It was big enough to be   53   of a monster, but of course, this was not a proof.

     In 1975, however, some American scientists  54  a search group. They used an underwater camera. It took pictures every seventy seconds. Some of the pictures seemed to show a red-brown creature. Its body was about four meters long  55   had a very ugly head on the end of a four -meter neck. Many people then began to believe in the monster. But even today we can't be certain.

1. A. river                 B. ocean                C. sea             D. lake

2. A. wide                  B. tall               C. long               D. high

3. A. in                    B. over                 C. around          D. above

4. A. accidents             B. meetings             C. sayings              D. stories

5. A. eye                   B. ear               C. nose                D. neck

6. A. it                    B. one                  C. some                 D. all

7.A. photo              B. map             C. gun                  D. chance

8.A. sounded           B. looked            C. feel                D. would

9. A. clean                 B. clear                C. taken            D. shown

10. A. called               B. believed             C. thought              D. regarded

11.A. Some             B. More                 C. All                  D. No

12. A. nothing              B. anything             C. monsters             D. everything

13. A. effort               B. thing                C. interest             D. trip

14. A. so                   B. but                  C. as                   D. if

15. A. even                 B. still                C. also            D. yet

16. A. someone              B. no one               C. anyone               D. we

17. A. did                  B. really               C. were                 D. actually

18. A. room                 B. house                C. home                 D. ground

19. A. found                B. formed(组成)       C. invited           D. get

20. A. but                  B. or                C. and            D. however