Everyone makes mistakes in life, but for whales and dolphins, the “mistake” of landing on the shore costs the highest price---their lives.

People living along the coast of Australia and New Zealand have been shocked and saddened by the number of whales and dolphins that they have found on their beaches recently. Since November 28^th, 96 whales and dolphins have died in Australia and 53 whales died in New Zealand. Although 20 whales were saved, some of these were not expected to live, as they were too weak to swim with the others back to sea.

Bob Brown, leader of Australia’s Green party, said the mass beaching was caused by the recent “sound bombing” of the ocean floor between the two countries. This is a method of testing for oil and gas reserves (储藏量).

But mass beaching of whales has long puzzled scientists. Typically most members of the stranded (搁浅) group will appear to be perfectly healthy. “Some researchers believe that close relationship within the group causes the problem, if one gets into trouble, the others will not leave” said Shery Gibney, a leading biologist in New Zealand. “Some will come in and try and assist it; if they get trapped on the beach, then more will come.”

Another common theory is that the whales’ navigation (导航) system are thought to break down in some way. It has been said that whales follow electromagnetic (电磁的) patterns in the sea-bed. The whales can get confused because these patterns sometimes change. That would be a bit like a new roundabout (环状交叉路) being built on a road you were used to driving on. You might be confused for a minute when you come to it for the first time, and you might even take a wrong turning before getting back on your route.

A different idea is that when whales chase fish for food they end up in shallow waters because they are not paying attention to where they are going.

And yet, from time to time a group will swim on purpose into shallow waters and end up on the beach, where they die. If returned to the sea, some whales often show great determination in restraining themselves.

________ whales and dolphins would probably die in this mass beaching along the coast of Australia and New Zealand.

A. Less than 100      B. Less than 150     C. More than 150      D. 149

Which of the following can be used to explain the term “sound bombing”?

A. The terrible sound that is caused in the war between two countries.

B. Human activities that aim to explore the ocean floor.

C. The loud sound that whales and dolphins make.

D. The earthquakes that happen on the ocean floor.

Which of the following couldn’t probably lead to the mass beaching of whales?

A. A change in the electromagnetic patterns that whales follow.

B. New roundabout being built on a road.

C. Their full attention to the search for food.

D. Exploiting natural resources in oceans.

The passage is mainly about _______.

A. that whales and dolphins may make mistakes as well as human beings

B. how scientists have found the reasons for the mass beaching of whales

C. how human beings make use of the ocean resources

D. why the mass beaching of whales happens

American Watersports

Tuesday--Saturday

Located on the beach of the Sea Gardens Beach Resort, there are fun things to rent for the whole family. They offer rentals for kayaks, jetskis, and even parasails! Enjoy the water upclose or from a bird's eye view! No matter what activity you're enjoying, be sure to protect yourself and your family from the sun's powerful rays and apply plenty of sun block!

15th Street Boat Company

 Monday --Saturday

15th Street Boat Company offers rental boats of all kinds. They're sure to have what you are looking for, whether it's a small boat for a quick and simple outing or an extravagent boat with comfortable seats with a stereo(立体声) and high tech navigation(导航). You can rent a boat for half a day, a couple days, or even weeks at a time. If you want it, they've got it. It's fun for everyone! 

Coconut's Watersports

9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Sunday

Coconuts Water Sports is open 7 days a week for your convenience and offers tons of water fun for the whole family. Jet ski activities last 30 minutes or 1 hour and can make stops along the way. You must be at least 14 years of age to ride alone and can be as young as 3 to ride along with an adult. Everybody is required to wear a life jacket and a license is required to operate the jet ski. Bathing suits and shorts are recommended. 

Jet Ski Tours of Miami

Thursday-Sunday 10 a.m.-7p.m.

Jet Ski Tours of Miami includes onsite parking, indoor restrooms, lockers, and life jackets for participants. You may choose a one or two hour tour and each jet ski can hold up to 3 people. You must be at least 18 years old in order to ride. As long as you are accompanied by an adult, there is no age limitation for any passenger. There is a restaurant nearby to eat at. The tour visits 6 different islands and passes by Bayside and Hard Rock. You may even catch a glimpse of dolphins playing or a manatee resting in these fabulous Florida waters.

1.What activity is convenient for the visitors to have lunch?

A. Jet Ski Tours of Miami        B. Coconut's Watersports

C.15th Street Boat Company      D. American Watersports

2.To satisfy your son’s curiosity about marine animals, you ___________.

A. will rent a boat to ride with him.

B. prefer an extravagant (奢侈的) boat with comfortable seats with a stereo.

C. would like to prefer American Watersports to Florida waters.

D. can choose the tour to Bayside and Hard Rock.

3. If you like to sail a boat, you can________.

A. go to the Sea Gardens Beach Resort        B. visit 15th Street Boat Company

C. choose Jet Ski Tours of Miami             D. go to Coconut’s Watersports

4.To ride alone in the jet ski activities, _____________.

A. you have to be at least 14 years old.          B. you can choose to wear a life jacket or not.

C. you must be over18 years old.               D. you have to be with parents.

 

It is midnight on September 22，2012．The sky above Manhattan，New York is filled with a curtain of colorful light． New Yorkers are fascinated by the beautiful aurora(极光)．However, their fascination is short-1ived．

 Within a few seconds，electric bulbs dim(变暗)and flicker(闪烁)，then become unusually bright for a few seconds．Then all the lights second  go out．Within 90 seconds，the entire eastern half of the US is without power．

 Besides the US，Europe，Japan and China are also  hit by the same terrible event．It is a violent solar flare(太阳耀斑)，150 million kilometers away on the surface of the sun．

 Science fiction? No．A report funded by NASA and issued by the US National Academy of Sciences in January this year says it could happen．

 A massive solar flare is most likely on a spring or autumn night in 2012，according to the report．

Solar flares are huge explosions on the surface of the sun．In a matter of just a few  minutes they heat material to many millions of degrees and release as much energy as a billion megatons(百万吨)of TNT explosives．Solar flares release a stream of charged high-energy particles(粒子)．They are called“solar winds”

 If one solar‘‘wind’’should hit the Earth's  magnetic shield(磁扬)，the result could be terrible for humans.

But there’s no need to run  for cover from solar winds．  They do not harm 1ife on  Earth，they only affect the way we live，especially since  we depend so much on modern  technology．They can pump extra electricity into power line,  and pipelines，causing blackouts and fuel leaks(泄漏).  Solar winds are also known to affect mobile phone operations, and may disrupt wireless Internet services．

Moreover, solar winds can prevent normal satellite operations，and disrupt radio communications  and navigation systems such as the Global Positioning System．

 Auroras  are  powered  by  solar wind．This wind blows  past the Earth at about 400-700 km per second and creates storms in the Earth’s magnetic environment．In the polar regions these explode into southern or northern polar lights．

 The most serious solar storm that hit Earth in history happened in 1859． It caused the failure of telegraph(电报)systems in Europe and  North America．

 So, for humans，the sun is  a  double-edged sword． Without1 the sun, there would  be no 1ife  on  Earth． Without the sun，   Earth would be a frozen dark   ball floating in space．However,  on the other hand，the sun can  disorder our 1ives from time  to time．    

10．What is the main idea of the passage?

A．It introduces to readers the advantages and disadvantages of the sun．

B．It describes a science fiction set in Manhattan on 22 September 2012．    

C．It shows readers the way in which solar winds form inside the sun．

D．It explains what solar flares are and their effects on human life．

11．The first two paragraphs are written_________.

A．to show a beautiful scene in a true story

B．to describe the beautiful scenery of Manhattan

C．to describe the power problem around the world

D．to introduce the topic of this passage

12．What can we conclude from the passage?

A．Solar flares will do great harm to those who are using the Internet．

B．Solar flares cannot reach as far as the polar regions．

C．Solar flares are huge explosions that happen inside the sun．    

D．1f it weren’t’t for our reliance on technology, solar flares probably wouldn’t affect us．

13．Solar winds will likely affect us in the following ways EXCEPT that    ．

A．normal satellite operations will be stopped

B．the lights in the areas affected will go out at the same time

C．people on the streets will be struck to death

D．some navigation systems will be out of order

Why don’t birds get lost on their long migratory (迁居的) flights? Scientists have puzzled over this question for many years. Now they’re beginning to fill in the blanks.
Not long ago, experiments showed that birds rely on the sun to guide them during daylight hours. But what about birds that fly mainly by night? Tests with artificial stars have proved conclusively that certain night-flying birds are able to follow the stars in their long-distance flights.
One such bird, a warbler(鸣禽) , had spent its lifetime in a cage and had never flown under a natural sky. Yet it showed an inborn ability to use the stars for guidance. The bird’s cage was placed under an artificial star-filled sky at migration time. The bird tried to fly in the same direction as that taken by his outdoor cousins. Any change in the direction of the make-be-live stars caused a change in the direction of his flight. Scientists think that warblers, when flying in daylight, use the sun for guidance. But the stars are apparently their main means of navigation (导航). What do they do when the stars are hidden by clouds? Apparently, they find their way by such landmarks as mountain ranges, coast lines, and river courses. But when it’s too dark to see these, the warblers circle helplessly, unable to get their direction.
【小题1】The reasons why birds don’t get lost on migratory flights__________.

A．have been known to scientists for many years

B．are known by everyone

C．have only recently been discovered

D．will probably remain a mystery

【小题2】Warblers migrate__________.

A．from North America to South America

B．using what is apparently an inborn navigational ability

C．only once during their lifetime

D．when they are freed from their cages

【小题3】When the stars are hidden by clouds, warblers find their way by__________ .

A．an artificial star	B．some landmarks
C．their inborn ability	D．A and B

【小题4】This article is a good example of the way scientists__________ .

A．discover workable answers to universal questions by studying particular cases(特别案例)

B．jump to conclusions

C．find a law and then investigate（调查）

D．are disappointed by the habits of animals

American Watersports Tuesday-Saturday

Located on the beach of the Sea Gardens Beach Resort, there are fun things to

rent for the whole family. They offer rentals for kayaks, jet skis, and even parasail!

Enjoy the water up-close or from a bird’s eye view! No matter what activity you’re

enjoying, be sure to protect yourself and your family from the sun’s powerful rays and  apply plenty of sun block!

15^th Street Boat Company Monday-Saturday

15^th Street Boat Company offers rental boats of all kinds. They’re sure to have what you are looking for, whether it’s a small boat for a quick and simple outing or an extravagant boat with comfortable seats with a stereo and high tech navigation. You can rent a boat for half a day or a couple of days, or even weeks at a time. If you want it, they’ve got it. It’s fun for everyone!

Coconut’s Watersports 9am-5pm Monday-Sunday

Coconut’s Watersports is open 7 days a week and offers tons of water fun for the whole family. Jet Ski activities last 30 minutes or 1 hour and can make stops along the way. You must be at least 14 years of age to ride alone and can be as young as 3 to ride along with an adult. Everybody is required to wear a life jacket and a license is required to operate the Jet Ski. Bathing suits and shorts are recommended.

Jet Ski Tours of Miami 10am-7pm Thursday-Sunday

Jet Ski Tours of Miami includes onsite parking, indoor restrooms, lockers, and life jackets for participants. You may choose a one or two tour and each Jet Ski can hold up to 3 people. You must be at least 18 years old in order to ride. As long as you are accompanied by an adult, there is no age limitation for any passenger. There is a restaurant nearby to eat at. The tour visits 6 different islands and passes by Bayside and Hard Rock. You may even catch sight of dolphins, turtles or a crab resting in these splendid Florida waters.

1.You should especially protect yourself from sun burnt while visiting______.

A．Jet Ski Tours of Miami

B．Coconut’s Watersports

C．15th Street Boat Company

D．American Watersports

2.Which of the following can help you enjoy sailing a boat?

A．Go to the Sea Gardens Beach Resort.

B．Visit 15th Street Boat Company.

C．Choose Jet Ski Tours of Miami.

D．Visit Coconut’s Watersports.

3.What’s a must to ride alone in the Jet Ski activities?

A．One must be at least 14 years old.

B．One must wear bathing suits and shorts.

C．One must apply plenty of sun block.

D．One must be accompanied by parents.

4.What will you do to satisfy your son’s curiosity about sea animals?

A．You would like to rent a boat to ride with him.

B．You need a boat with comfortable seats with a stereo.

C．You’d like to choose American Watersports.

D．You prefer the tour to Bayside and Hard Rock.