In summer, millions of people will head for the beach．And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way．Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity．

       “Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”

       Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．

       Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples （波紋） in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey．”

       When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine （渦輪） ．The turbine can then power an electrical generator （發(fā)電機(jī)） ．

       The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．

       The resource is huge．We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．

       Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．

       Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．

       With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”

       In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

1.Which of the following is NOT true?

       A．Wave power doesn’t cost too much money．

       B．Wave energy is so clean that it doesn’t create the same amount of pollution as other energy sources．

       C．Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic．

       D．Wave power may affect marine animals．

2.We can infer from the passage that ______．

       A．finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy

       B．wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world

       C．wave power is not quite perfect for creating energy around the world

       D．wave power doesn’t create any pollution

3.The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______．

       A．regrets                B．a(chǎn)dventures           C．disadvantages       D．difficulties

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

       A．How to Get Electricity by Waves            

       B．The advantages of Wave Energy

       C．Can Waves Make Electricity?                                              

       D．The Disadvantages of Wave Energy

In summer, millions of people will head for the beach. And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way. Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity.
“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”
Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．
Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples (波紋) in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey．”
When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine (渦輪) ．The turbine can then power an electrical generator (發(fā)電機(jī)) ．
The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．
The resource is huge．We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．
Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．
Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．
With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”
In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!
68．Which of the following is NOT true?
A．Wave power costs too much money．
B．Wave energy creates the same amount of pollution as other energy sources．
C．Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic．
D．Wave power may affect marine animals．
69．We can infer from the passage that ______．
A．finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy
B．wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world
C．wave power is perfect for creating energy around the world
D．wave power doesn’t create any pollution
70．The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______．
A．regrets      B．a(chǎn)dventures       C．disadvantages          D．difficulties
71．What can be the best title for the passage? 
A．How to Get Electricity by Waves．       B．The Advantages of Wave Energy.
C．Can Waves Make Electricity?  D．The Disadvantages of Wave Energy．

In summer, millions of people will head for the beach．And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way．Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity．

       “Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”

       Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．

       Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples （波紋） in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey．”

       When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine （渦輪） ．The turbine can then power an electrical generator （發(fā)電機(jī)） ．

       The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．

       The resource is huge．We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．

       Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．

       Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．

       With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”

       In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

Which of the following is NOT true?

       A．Wave power doesn’t cost too much money．

       B．Wave energy is so clean that it doesn’t create the same amount of pollution as other energy sources．

       C．Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic．

       D．Wave power may affect marine animals．

We can infer from the passage that ______．

       A．finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy

       B．wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world

       C．wave power is not quite perfect for creating energy around the world

       D．wave power doesn’t create any pollution

The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______．

       A．regrets     B．a(chǎn)dventures       C．disadvantages   D．difficulties

What can be the best title for the passage? 

       A．How to Get Electricity by Waves     

       B．The advantages of Wave Energy

       C．Can Waves Make Electricity?        

       D．The Disadvantages of Wave Energy

In summer, millions of people will head for the beach. And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way. Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity.

“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”

Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．

Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples (波紋) in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey．”

When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine (渦輪) ．The turbine can then power an electrical generator (發(fā)電機(jī)) ．

The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．

The resource is huge．We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．

Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．

Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．

With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”

In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

68．Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Wave power costs too much money．

B．Wave energy creates the same amount of pollution as other energy sources．

C．Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic．

D．Wave power may affect marine animals．

69．We can infer from the passage that ______．

A．finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy

B．wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world

C．wave power is perfect for creating energy around the world

D．wave power doesn’t create any pollution

70．The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______．

A．regrets      B．a(chǎn)dventures       C．disadvantages          D．difficulties

71．What can be the best title for the passage? 

A．How to Get Electricity by Waves．       B．The Advantages of Wave Energy.

C．Can Waves Make Electricity?  D．The Disadvantages of Wave Energy．

In summer, millions of people will head for the beach．And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way．Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity．
“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”
Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．
Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples （波紋） in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey．”
When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine （渦輪） ．The turbine can then power an electrical generator （發(fā)電機(jī)） ．
The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．
The resource is huge．We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．
Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．
Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．
With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”
In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!
【小題1】Which of the following is NOT true?

In summer, millions of people will head for the beach．And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way．Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity．

    “Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”

    Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．

    Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples （波紋） in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey．”

    When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine （渦輪） ．The turbine can then power an electrical generator （發(fā)電機(jī)） ．

    The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．

    The resource is huge．We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．

    Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．

    Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．

    With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”

    In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

1.Which of the following is NOT true?

    A．Wave power doesn’t cost too much money．

    B．Wave energy is so clean that it doesn’t create the same amount of pollution as other energy sources．

    C．Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic．

    D．Wave power may affect marine animals．

2.We can infer from the passage that ______．

    A．finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy

    B．wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world

    C．wave power is not quite perfect for creating energy around the world

    D．wave power doesn’t create any pollution

3.The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______．

    A．regrets  B．a(chǎn)dventures   C．disadvantages    D．difficulties

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

    A．How to Get Electricity by Waves     B．The advantages of Wave Energy

    C．Can Waves Make Electricity?          D．The Disadvantages of Wave Energy

Oceanography has been defined as “The application of all sciences to the study of the sea”. Before the nineteenth century, scientists with an interest in the sea were few .

　　 For most people the sea was remote, and with the exception of early intercontinental travelers or others who earned a living from the sea, there was little reason to ask many questions about it, let alone to ask what lay beneath the surface. The first time that the question 'What is at the bottom of the oceans?' had to be answered with any commercial consequence was when the laying of a telegraph cable from Europe to America was proposed. The engineers had to know the depth profile (起伏形狀 ) of the route to estimate the length of cable that had to be manufactured. 

　　 It was to Maury of the US Navy that the Atlantic Telegraph Company turned, in 1853, for information on this matter. In the 1840s, Maury had been responsible for encouraging voyages during which soundings (測(cè)深 ) were taken to investigate the depths of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Later, some of his findings aroused much popular interest in his book The Physical Geography of the Sea. 

　　 The cable was laid, but not until 1866 was the connection made permanent and reliable. At the early attempts, the cable failed and when it was taken out for repairs it was found to be covered in living growths, a fact which defied contemporary scientific opinion that there was no life in the deeper parts of the sea.

　　Within a few years oceanography was under way. In 1872 Thomson led a scientific expedition, which lasted for four years and brought home thousands of samples from the sea. Their classification and analysis occupied scientists for years and led to a five-volume report, the last volume being published in 1895.

　68. The passage implies that the telegraph cable was built mainly _________.

　A) for oceanographic studies

　B) for military purposes

 C) for business considerations

　D) for investigating the depths of the oceans

69. The aim of voyages Maury encouraged in the 1840s was __________.

　A) to make some sound experiments in the oceans

　B) to collect samples of sea plants and animals

　C) to estimate the length of cable that was to be made

　D) to measure the depths of two oceans

70. 'Defied' in the 4th paragraph probably means ________

　A)   doubted        B)  gave proof to

　C)   challenged     D)  agreed to

71. This passage is mainly about _________

　A) the beginnings of oceanography

　B) the laying of the first undersea cable

C) the investigation of ocean depths

　D) the early intercontinental communications

In summer, millions of people will head for the beach. And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way. Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity.

“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”

Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．

Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples (波紋) in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey．”

When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine (渦輪) ．The turbine can then power an electrical generator (發(fā)電機(jī)) ．

The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．

The resource is huge．We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．

Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．

Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．

With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”

In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

1.Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Wave power costs too much money．

B．Wave energy creates the same amount of pollution as other energy sources．

C．Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic．

D．Wave power may affect marine animals．

2.We can infer from the passage that ______．

A．finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy

B．wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world

C．wave power is perfect for creating energy around the world

D．wave power doesn’t create any pollution

3.The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______．

A．regrets        B．a(chǎn)dventures     C．disadvantages    D．difficulties

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

A．How to Get Electricity by Waves．                  B．The Advantages of Wave Energy.

C．Can Waves Make Electricity?      D．The Disadvantages of Wave Energy．

       In summer, millions of people will head for the beach．And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way．Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity．

       “Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”

       Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．

       Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples （波紋） in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey．”

       When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine （渦輪）．The turbine can then power an electrical generator （發(fā)電機(jī)）．

       The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．

       The resource is huge．We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．

       Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．

       Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．

       With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”

       In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

1．Which of the following is NOT true?

       A．Wave power doesn’t cost too much money．

       B．Wave energy is so clean that it doesn’t create the same amount of pollution as other energy sources．

       C．Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic．

       D．Wave power may affect marine animals．

2．We can infer from the passage that ______．

       A．finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy

       B．wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world

       C．wave power is not quite perfect for creating energy around the world

       D．wave power doesn’t create any pollution

3．The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______．

       A．regrets                B．a(chǎn)dventures           C．disadvantages      D．difficulties

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

       A．How to Get Electricity by Waves

       B．The advantages of Wave Energy

       C．Can Waves Make Electricity?

       D．The Disadvantages of Wave Energy

In summer, millions of people will head for the beach. And while the ocean can be a great place to swim and play, it may also be useful in another way. Some scientists think that waves could help make electricity.

“Have you ever been on a surfboard or boat and felt yourself being lifted up by a wave? Or have you jumped in the water and felt the energy as waves crashed over you?” asked Jamie Taylor of the Wave Energy Group at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland．“There is certainly a lot of energy in waves．”

Scientists are working on using that energy to make electricity．

Most waves are created when winds blow across the ocean．“The winds start out by making little ripples (波紋) in the water, but if they keep on blowing , those ripples get bigger and bigger and turn into waves, ”Taylor said．“Waves are one of nature’s ways of picking up energy and then sending it off on a journey．”

When waves come towards the shore, people can set up dams or other barricades to block the water and send it through a large wheel called a turbine (渦輪) ．The turbine can then power an electrical generator (發(fā)電機(jī)) ．

The United States and a few other countries have started doing research on wave energy , and it is already being used in Scotland．

The resource is huge．We will never run out of wave power, besides, wave energy does not create the same pollution as other energy sources, such as oil and coal．

Oceans cover three quarters of the earth’s surface．That would make wave power seem perfect for creating energy around the world．There are some drawbacks, however．

Jamie Taylor said that wave power still cost too much money．He said that its effects on animals in the sea were still unknown．Plus, wave power would get in the way of fishing and boat traffic．

With more research, however, “many of these problems might be overcome,” Taylor said．“Demand for energy to power our TVs and computers, drive our cars, and heat and cool our homes is growing quickly throughout the world．Finding more energy sources is very important, for traditional sources of energy like oil and gas may run out some day．”

In the future, when you turn on a light switch, an ocean wave could be providing the electricity!

68．Which of the following is NOT true?

A．Wave power costs too much money．

B．Wave energy creates the same amount of pollution as other energy sources．

C．Wave power affects fishing and boat traffic．

D．Wave power may affect marine animals．

69．We can infer from the passage that ______．

A．finding more new energy sources is not necessary because of wave energy

B．wave energy is a resource that will never run out and is used all over the world

C．wave power is perfect for creating energy around the world

D．wave power doesn’t create any pollution

70．The underlined word “drawbacks” probably means ______．

A．regrets      B．a(chǎn)dventures       C．disadvantages          D．difficulties

71．What can be the best title for the passage? 

A．How to Get Electricity by Waves．       B．The Advantages of Wave Energy.

C．Can Waves Make Electricity?  D．The Disadvantages of Wave Energy．

The year is 2094. It has been announced that a comet is heading towards the Earth. Most of it will miss our planet, but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth.

On 17 July, a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth’s atmosphere with a massive explosion. About half of the piece is destroyed, but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound. The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the sea bed. Huge waves are created and spread outwards from the hole. The wall of water, a kilometer high, rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour. Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people drowned.

Before the waves reach South America, the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina. Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Mountains. The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean. The cities of Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes. Millions of people in the southern half of the Earth are already dead, but the north won’t escape for long. Because of the explosions, the sun is hidden by clouds of dust, temperatures around the world fall to almost zero. Crops are ruined. The sun won’t be seen again for many years. Wars break out as countries fight for food. A year later, no more than 10 million people remain alive.

Could it really happen? In fact, it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth. The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years. Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared. Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space. The dinosaurs couldn’t live through the cold climate that followed and they died out. Will we meet the same end?

1.What is mainly described in the passage?

A. A historic discovery.           B. An event of imagination.

C. A research on space.           D. A scientific adventure.

2.When the first piece hits the South Atlantic, it causes      .

A. an earthquake                B. damages to cities

C. an Earth explosion            D. huge waves

3.Why can’t the northern half of the earth escape for long?

A. Because the land is covered with water.

B. Because the light and heat from the sun can not reach the Earth.

C. Because people there can not live at the temperature of zero.

D. Because wars break out among countries.

4.By giving the example of dinosaurs, the author tries to prove      .

A. animals could not live in the cold climate

B. what happened 65 million years ago was an invented story

C. the human beings will die out in 2094

D. the Earth could be hit by other objects in space

WASHINGTON—Two-thirds of the world’s polar bear population could be gone by 2050 if predictions of melting sea ice hold true, the US Geological Survey reported on Friday.

The fate of polar bears could be even worse than that estimate, because sea ice in the Arctic might be disappearing faster than the available computer models predict, the geological survey said in a report aimed at determining whether the big white bear should be listed as a threatened species.

“There is a definite link between changes in the sea ice and the welfare of polar bears,” said Steve Amstrup, who led the research team. He says Arctic sea ice is already at the lowest this year and is expected to retreat(退卻) farther this month.

That means that polar bears—some 16,000 of them -- will disappear by 2050 from parts of the Arctic where sea ice is melting most rapidly, along the north coasts of Alaska and Russia, researchers said in a telephone briefing(簡(jiǎn)報(bào)).

Other polar bears could survive beyond that date but many of those could be gone by 2100, Amstrup said. By this century’s end, the only polar bears left might live in the Canadian Arctic islands and along the west coast of Greenland.

“It is likely to result in loss of approximately two-thirds of the world’s current polar bear population by the mid 21st century,” the report’s executive summary said.

“Because the observed trajectory(軌跡)of Arctic sea ice decline appears to be underestimated by currently available models, this assessment of future polar bear status may be conservative(保守的).”

In January, the US Fish and Wildlife Service proposed listing the polar bear as a threatened species, noting polar bears depend on sea ice as a platform to hunt seals, their main food.

Without enough sea ice, polar bears would be forced onto land, but they are poor hunters once they get out of the water and ice, the researchers said. The bears’ disappearance would probably take place as young cubs(幼獸)failed to survive to adulthood and females were unable to reproduce successfully.

1.What was the US Geological Survey intended to do?

A. To determine whether the polar bear was in danger.

B. To measure how fast the sea ice melts in the Arctic.

C. To check the predictions of the computer models.

D. To find out the exact number of the polar bear.

2.What causes the polar bears to disappear by 2050?

A. The pollution of the Arctic region.    B. The sea ice melting at high speed

C. Fewer food sources being left.         D. The temperature getting colder.

3.The key to preventing polar bears dying out seems to _______________.

A. help young polar bears to survive the cold winter

B. have large number of seals living in the oceans

C. make sure there is enough sea ice in the Arctic

D. provide chances for adult polar bears to reproduce

If it looks like a fish and swims like a fish, it usually is a fish. But not the new, lifelike robot fish developed by UK scientists, which have been swimming around the London Aquarium(水族館) as they wait for their release off northern Spain in 2011.

Equipped with tiny chemical sensors(傳感器),the fish will collect data on pollution in the port of Gijón and wirelessly send the information back to the control center.

“It’s a little lab onboard the fish,” said Rory Doyle, a scientist at BMT Group. The robots were designed, and are being built, by professor Huosheng Hu and his team at the University of Essex, UK.

The sensors will search for dangers such as chemical waste and will allow officials to map in real time the sources and effects of pollution, Doyle said. w_w w. k#s5_u.c o*m

He and his colleagues chose a fish design because hundreds of millions of years of evolution(進(jìn)化) has created an energy-efficient creature, he said. “Nature has done it very, very well.” But copying such a successful design comes at a cost: nearly 29,000 u.s. dollars per robot. m

The fish, therefore, will be built “robust” enough to handle any possibilities, Doyle said. They can’t get caught in nets easily, for instance, and the tracking systems inside can help the robot fish avoid crashes with boats and other things in the way.

So far, it also seems unlikely the robot fish will be mistaken: At the London Aquarium, sharks swim away from the fake fish, possibly because they find the robots electromagnetic fields(電磁場(chǎng)) unpleasant, Doyle said. w_w w. k#s5_u.c o*m

At the same time, scientists are working to ensure that the sounds of the robots and other factors don’t disturb the natural environment, he added.

The robot fish was developed in order to_______. w. k#s5_u.c o*m

A．be displayed on a robot exhibition in Spain

B．be sent to London Aquarium as a gift

C．get information of ocean pollution

D．collect data on the fishes in deep sea

According to Doyle, the robot was designed into fish shape in order to_______.

A．cut the cost of the robot

B．make the robot beautiful

C．reduce the sounds of the robot

D．make the robot work better with less energy

We can infer from the passage that the robot fish______. k#s5_u.c o*m

A．would send pictures of sea life back

B．would not be looked on as a real fish by fishes

C．could swim much faster than fishes like sharks

D．could help find new forms of energy in the sea

The underlined word “robust” in Paragraph 6 probably means_____.

A．small and light    B．big and heavy

C．smooth and soft    D．strong and smart

 He was the baby with no name. Found and taken from the north Atlantic 6 days after the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, his tiny body so moved the salvage (救援) workers that they called him “our baby.” In their home port of Halifax, Nova Scotia, people collected money for a headstone in front of the baby's grave (墓), carved with the words: “To the memory of an unknown child.” He has rested there ever since.

But history has a way of uncovering its secrets. On Nov. 5, this year, three members of a family from Finland arrived at Halifax and laid fresh flowers at the grave. “This is our baby,” says Magda Schleifer, 68, a banker. She grew up hearing stories about a great-aunt named Maria Panula, 42, who had sailed on the Titanic for America to be reunited with her husband. According to the information Mrs. Schleifer had gathered, Panula gave up her seat on a lifeboat to search for her five children -- including a 13-month-old boy named Eino from whom she had become separated during the final minutes of the crossing. "We thought they were all lost in the sea," says Schleifer.

    Now, using teeth and bone pieces taken from the baby's grave, scientists have compared the DNA from the Unknown Child with those collected from members of five families who lost relatives on the Titanic and never recovered the bodies. The result of the test points only to one possible person: young Eino. Now, the family sees no need for a new grave. "He belongs to the people of Halifax," says Schleifer, "They've taken care of him for 90 years."

                                Adapted from People, November 25, 2002

1.What is probably the boy's last name?

       A. Schleiferi.       B. Eino.            C. Magda.       D. Panula.

2. Some members of the family went to Halifax and put flowers at the child's grave on Nov. 5, __________.

       A. 1912 B.1954             C. 2002            D. 2004

3.This text is mainly about how _________.

       A. the unknown baby’s body was taken from the north Atlantic

       B. the unknown baby was buried in Halifax, Nova Sotia

       C. people found out who the unknown baby was

       D. people took care of the unknown baby for 90 years

The year is 2094．It has been announced that a comet (彗星) is heading towards the Earth．Most of it will miss our planet , but two pieces will probably hit the southern half of the Earth．

On 17 July , a piece four kilometers wide enters the Earth’s atmosphere (大氣層) with a massive explosion．About half of the piece is destroyed , but the remaining part hits the South Atlantic at 200 times the speed of sound．The sea boils and a huge hole is made in the sea bed．Huge waves are created and spread outwards from the hole．The wall of water , a kilometer high , rushes towards southern Africa at 800 kilometers an hour．Cities on the African coast are totally destroyed and millions of people re drowned．

Before the waves reach South America , the second piece of the comet lands in Argentina．Earthquakes and volcanoes are set off in the Andes Mountains．The shock waves move north into California and all around the Pacific Ocean．The cities of Los Angeles , San Francisco and Tokyo are completely destroyed by earthquakes．Millions of people in the southern half of the earth are already dead, but the north won’t escape for long．Because of the explosions , the sun is hidden by clouds of dust , temperatures around the world fall to almost zero．Crops are ruined．The sun won’t be seen again for many years．Wars break out as countries fight for food．A year later , no more than 10 million people remain alive．

Could it really happen ? In fact , it has already happened more than once in the history of the Earth．The dinosaurs were on the Earth for over 160 million years．Then 65 million years ago they suddenly disappeared．Many scientists believe that the Earth was hit by a piece of object in space．The dinosaurs couldn’t live through the cold climate that followed and they died out．Will we meet the same and ?

72．What is mainly described in the passage ?

         A．A historic discovery．        B．An event of imagination

         C．A research on space．      D．A scientific adventure．

73．When the first piece hits the South Atlantic , it causes          ．

         A．a(chǎn)n earthquake                             B．damages to cities

         C．a(chǎn)n Earth explosion   D．huge waves

74．Why can’t the northern half of the earth escape for long ?

         A．Because the land is covered with water

         B．Because the light and heat from the sun can not reach the earth．

         C．Because people there can not live at the temperature of zero．

         D．Because wars break out among countries．

75．By giving the example of dinosaurs , the author tries to prove        ．

         A．a(chǎn)nimals could not live in the cold climate

         B．what happened 65 million years ago was an invented story

         C．the human beings will die out in 2094

         D．the Earth could be hit by other objects in space

The famous director of a big and expensive movie planned to film a beautiful sunset over the ocean, so that the audiences could see his hero and heroine in front of it at the end of the film as they said goodbye to each other forever. He sent his camera crew out one evening to film the sunset for him.

The next morning he said to the men, “Have you provided me with that sunset?”

“No, sir,” the men answered.

The director was angry. “Why not?”  he asked.

“Well, sir,” one of the men answered, “we’re on the east coast here, and the sun sets in the west. We can get you a sunrise over the sea, if necessary, but not a sunset.”

“But I want a sunset!” the director shouted. “Go to the airport, take the next flight to the west coast, and get one.”

But then a young secretary had an idea. “Why don’t you photograph a sunrise,” she suggested, “and then play it backwards? Then it’ll look like a sunset.”

“That’s a very good idea!” the director said. Then he turned to the camera crew and said, “Tomorrow morning I want you to get me a beautiful sunrise over the sea.”

The camera crew went out early the next morning and filmed a bright sunrise over the beach in the middle of a beautiful bay. Then at nine o’clock they took it to the director. “Here it is, sir,” they said, and gave it to him. He was very pleased.

They all went into the studio. “All right,” the director explained, “now our hero and heroine are going to say goodbye. Run the film backwards so that we can see the ‘sunset’ behind them.”

The “sunset” began, but after a quarter of a minute, the director suddenly put his face in his hands and shouted to the camera crew to stop.

The birds in the film were flying backwards, and the waves on the sea were going away from the beach.

1.One evening, the director sent his camera crew out _________.

  A. to film a scene on the sea        B. to find an actor and an actress

  C. to watch a beautiful sunset       D. to meet the audience

2. Why did the director want to send his crew to the west coast?

  A. Because he changed his mind about getting a sunset.

  B. Because he was angry with his crew.

  C. Because he wanted to get a scene of sunset.

  D. Because it was his secretary’s suggestion.

3. The director wanted to film a sunset over the ocean because ______.

  A. it went well with the separation of the hero and heroine

  B. when they arrived at the beach it was already in the evening

  C. it was more moving than a sunrise

  D. the ocean looked more beautiful at sunset

4. After the “sunset” began, the director suddenly put his face in his hands ______.

  A. because he was moved to tears

  B. as he saw everything in the film moving backwards

  C. as the sunrise did not look as beautiful as he had imagined

  D. because he was disappointed with the performance of the hero and heroine

5. Which of the following is NOT true?

  A. The crew had to follow the secretary’s advice.

  B. If you want to see a sunrise, the east coat is the place to go.

  C. The camera crew wasn’t able to film the scene the first day.

  D. The director ordered his crew to stop filming the “sunset”.