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A victim of climate change
A polar bear's dead body found on the Arctic island of Svalbard, the northernmost part of Norway, has shocked experts who say climate change may be to blame for the death. The starved polar bear in Norway was said to be in good bones by the time a group of explorers came across its body in July．
The bear is thought to have been heading north in a desperate search for sea ice that would allow it to hunt for seals．"From his lying position in death, the bear appears to simply have starved to health in April when the Norwegian Polar Institute examined and labeled it． However, the animal was reduced to skin and bones and died where he dropped," polar bear expert Dr. Ian Stirling, a professor at the University of Alberta said, "He had external suggestion of any remaining fat, having been reduced to little more than skin and bone．"
Stirling believes the bear starved to death as a result of a lack of sea ice which the animals use as a platform for hunting seals． That may also explain why the 16-year-old male bear was found about 155 miles north of where it was seen in April．
Arctic sea ice reached a record low in 2012, according to a report released this week by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that pointed to continued signs of climate change．
The International Union for Conservation of Nature currently classifies polar bears as vulnerable on its Red List of Threatened Species．
1.How did Stirling know the reason for the death of the polar bear?
A．By the food he ate． B．By doing further experiments．
C．By observing other polar bears． D．By his lying position in death．
2.The underlined word "vulnerable" probably means _____．
A．easily hurt B．difficult to hunt
C．dangerous D．amazing
3.What is the author's attitude to the incident?
A．Favorable． B．Uncaring．
C．Doubtful． D．Concerned．
4.Where does this text probably come from?
A．A novel． B． A guidebook．
C．A news report． D．An advertisement．
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Sports News of the Week
Bolt gains 100m title again in Moscow
Last updated: Monday, Aug-12-2013, 08:54
USAIN BOLT of Jamaica won the men's 100 meters final during the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow on Sunday．
Usain Bolt was made to look human by a combination of a Russian rainstorm and a fired-up Justin Gatlin on Sunday but the Jamaican superstar was still good enough to regain his world 100 meters title in a surging 9．77 seconds．
With former world and Olympic champion and twice-banned doper Gatlin leading at halfway, Bolt was forced to race a rival, rather than the clock．
Jason Dufner wins PGA Championship
Last Updated: Monday, August 12, 2013, 10:38
Jason Dufner won his first major title at the 95th PGA Championship, the top U．S． golf competition, seizing an early lead on Sunday at Oak Hill, Texas and holding on for victory despite a bogey-bogey finish．
The 36-year-old American, who squandered a four-shot lead with four holes to play in losing the 2011 PGA Championship, fired a final-round two-under par 68 to finish on 10-under par 270 for 72 holes．
Isinbaeva leads harvest day for host Russia at Moscow worlds
Last updated: Wednesday, August 14, 2013, 10:35
Russia's "pole vault queen" Elena Isinbaeva ignited the Luzhniki stadium as she claimed her third world title on the fourth day of the 2013 IAAF World
Championships here on Tuesday, which saw host Russia harvested two gold and one silver medals in seven finals.
Ireland's Heffernan wins world walk title at 35 Last Updated: Wednesday, August 14,2013,15:15
Ireland's Robert Heffernan won the world championship 50km walk title on Wednesday as the 35-year-old finally tasted glory after 13 years of heartbreak and near-misses．
Heffernan, fourth in the 2012 Olympic 50km and fourth in both walks at last year's European championships, broke clear of Mikhail Ryzhov after 35km to deny Russia a clean sweep of the walks after they took gold in both 20km events earlier in the week．
1.When did Bolt regain the men's 100 meters final?
A． August 11． B． August 12． C． August 13． D． August 14．
2.Where is the PGA held?
A． Jamaica． B． Russia． C． America． D． Ireland．
3.______ won the world championship at last after trying hard for 13 years．
A． Jason B． Bolt C． Isinbaeva D． Heffernan
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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Hong Kong is one of the most densely populated (人口密集的)cities in the world, but with night skies around 1,000 times brighter than globally accepted levels, it gains a bad reputation for its light pollution.
A study by Hong Kong University found that brightness levels in the southern Chinese city's popular shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui were 1,200 times greater than the international dark sky standard.
The crowded city of 7 million residents(居民), full or residential high-rises, towering office blocks and neon(霓虹灯) advertisements, has no laws to control outdoor lightning.
The result is that light pollution is thought to be much worse than in other large cities, including London, Sydney, Tokyo and Shanghai.
“In Hong Kong , you can’t go anywhere outdoor in the evening without your eyes being blinded by this really disturbing outdoor lightning,” the light pollution survey’s head Jason Pum told AFP.
“The fact that we have all this light in the sky means energy is wasted,” he said, adding that too much artificial lightning also affects nightly wildlife.
Research has suggested that light pollution can cause a number of harmful health effects in humans, including sleeplessness and headaches and can also interrupt body clocks and hormones(荷尔蒙).
The university survey, the result of five million measurements taken from points across the city, was released just days before the start of the annual Earth Hour event, organized by the World Wildlife Fund.
People around the world will be encouraged to turn off the lights for an hour on Saturday night to raise awareness of climate change. Last year, a number of Hong Kong’s major buildings along Victoria Harbour went dark to mark Earth Hour.
“Anyway, we should do our best to reduce the amount of lightning and adjust it for the benefit of the environment.”
1.If you walk out at night in Hong Kong, you can see all those things except ______.
A. neon advertisements B. residential buildings
C. a dark sky with twinkling stars D. high office blocks
2..which of the following statements about too much lightning is NOT true?
A. Too much lightning means a waste of energy.
B. It can make the sky and the city more beautiful.
C. It may have a bad effect on nightly wildlife.
D. It can lead to some health problems.
3..We can know from the passage that__________
A. light pollution in Hong Kong is among world’s worst.
B. light pollution is the biggest problem in Hong Kong.
C. Earth Hour is simply organized to reduce pollution.
D. light pollution is the primary causes of sleeplessness.
4..what will the author probably discuss after the last paragraph?
A. Bad effects of light pollution
B. Causes of light pollution
C. Worries about light pollution
D. Ways to reduce light pollution
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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There are two basic ways to see growth: one as a product, the other as a process. People have generally viewed personal growth as an external(外部的) result or product that can easily be identified and measured. The worker who gets a promotion, the student whose grades improve, the foreigner who learns a new language--- all these are examples of people who have measurable results to show for their efforts.
By contrast, the process of personal growth is much more difficult to determine, since by definition it is a journey and not the specific signposts (路标)or landmarks along the way. The process is not the road itself, but rather the attitudes and feelings people have, their caution or courage, as they go through new experiences and unexpected obstacles(阻碍). In this process, the journey never really ends; there are always new ways to experience the world, new ideas to try, new challenges to accept.
In order to grow, to travel new roads, people need to have a willingness to take risks, to be faced with the unknown, and to accept the possibility that they may “fail” at first. How we see ourselves as we try a new way of being is essential(基本的) to our ability to grow.
These feelings of insecurity and self – doubt are both unavoidable and necessary if we are to change and grow. If we do not face and overcome these internal(内部的) fears and doubts, if we protect ourselves too much, then we cease（停止) to grow. We become trapped inside a shell of our own making.
1.．A person is generally believed to achieve personal growth when______..
A．he has given up his smoking habit
B．he has made great efforts in his work
C．he is interested in making anything new
D．he has tried to determine where he is on his journey
2.．In the author’s eyes, one who views personal growth as a process would______.
A．judge his ability to grow from his own achievements
B．succeed in climbing up the social ladder
C．face difficulties and take up challenges
D．aim high and reach his goal each time
3.．When the author says “a new way of being” (para. 3), he is referring to _____.
A．a new way of taking risks
B．a new approach to experiencing the world
C．a new system of adapting to change
D．a new method of finding ourselves
4.．For personal growth, the author may not support __________. .
A．curiosity and more chances
B．being quick in self – adaptation
C．open – minded to new experiences
D．avoidance of internal fears and doubts
难度: 中等查看答案及解析
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What do you want to be when you grow up?
“When I grow up, I want to be...”
Almost all of us have thought about, or been asked to think about, our future careers. Our answers may differ greatly. Even now your aspirations(志向) may have changed from when you were in primary school.
However, it seems career options aren’t only based on personal taste. In a survey carried out by Teens, doctors, lawyers, and bankers were some of the most popular careers that people said they hoped to follow. This is in line with a similar survey carried out in the UK in May 2011 by job website monster. Co.uk, in which medicine was the top choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17.
Medicine and law are two of the oldest and best known professions. Their prestige (威望) may come from the fact that doctors and lawyers are some of the most esteemed members of society, and they make good money. Joining these high-profile professions is often seen as a sign of upward social mobility.
It is equally unsurprising that banking is now one of the most common career choices. Youngsters worldwide think of banking and see the money rolling in. Wealth is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career. British young men list the UK tycoon Alan Sugar, Microsoft founder Bill Gates and Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg as their top role models “for their wealth”. Just as Chinese teenagers see being a banker as a good and fun pathway to “wealth”.
However, not every child has the makings of doctor, lawyer, or banker. They are those who see fulfillment and happiness in other areas, and many teenagers dare to ink more individuality into their career options. As the Teens’ survey discovered, a variety of unconventional jobs---coffee shop owner, gourmet(美食家)，waiter at a fast food restaurant---are among teenagers’ career choices. They can be equally interesting and rewarding jobs.
With every choice comes responsibility and challenge, and all career paths require specific education and training, you have to learn to balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills.
1.What is the passage mainly about?
A. Choosing a good job is very important.
B. The choice of career needs challenge.
C. Teenagers in the UK like doctors.
D. Careers in teenagers’ mind.
2.What is the top career choice among UK teenagers aged between 13 and 17 according to the article?
A. Medicine B. Law C. Bank D. Education
3.According to the article, all of the following are the benefits of being a doctor except_______.
A. respect from others B. the oldest profession C. high pay D. upward social mobility.
4.What do youngsters think is increasingly becoming one of the most important indicators of a successful career?
A. Prestige B. Fulfillment C. Happiness D. Wealth
5.What can we learn from the last paragraph?
A. According to your particular talents and skills, you can choose your favorite career.
B. Specific education and training can help get a good job.
C. Whatever career you choose, you should balance optimism and confidence with being realistic about your particular talents and skills.
D. Responsibility is the most important when you choose a goodjob.
难度: 中等查看答案及解析