Tony Burke, Australia’s environment minister, says he won’t decide until next year whether the koala should be protected as an endangered species. He was expected to make his decision by the end of October. But that decision has been put off. Burke said he needed more time to go over the latest information about the koala’s population.
In September, an Australian Senate committee reported that there was no question the koala’s population is on the decrease. “But they may not yet be eligible (符合条件) for listing as a threatened species,” said Senator Doug Cameron. “To have such a significant Australian icon(偶像) included on the threatened species list would be a national shame.”
The koala is found only in the eucalyptus (桉树) forests of Australia. And its population is reported to have fallen sharply for many reasons, including the cutting down of forests to make way for human beings’ development, their own illness, climate change and killings by other animals such as wild dogs. And every year many koalas are hit by cars as they are trying to cross the busy roads.
Putting off the decision on protection for the koala “is really bad news,” said Debbie Pointing, the president of the Koala Action Group. “We’ve worked tirelessly for many years to gather data on the populations,” Pointing said. “That data should be enough to make a decision.”
However, Burke pointed out that the Australian government had spent at least $6.3 million on koala conservation efforts since 1996. senators listed efforts that are already underway in Queensland – the construction of special koala bridges as well as fences along roads, to keep the animals out of harm’s way.
Some people say that is not enough. “What we’re doing at the moment is likely to drive this species to extinction,” Queensland University zoologist Bill Ellis said.
“Koalas are an iconic Australian animal,” Burke told Australians. “They hold a special place in the hearts of Australians.”
But it is a fact that if more isn’t done to protect the koala, they might soon hold a place only in Australians’ memories.
1.Tony Burke put off announcing the koala as an endangered species because ________.
A.he needed more time to examine latest information |
B.he doubted whether koalas’ number is decreasing |
C.he was thinking about ways to protect koalas |
D.he had more important issues to deal with |
2.What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?
A.The habitat of the koala. |
B.Australia’s traffic problems. |
C.The importance of koalas for Australians. |
D.Reasons for the decrease of the koala population. |
3.According to the text, Debbie Pointing thinks that ________.
A.the construction of special koala bridges is of little use |
B.the government should announce the koala as an endangered species |
C.the government is to blame for the decreasing koala population |
D.koala are becoming less important in Australians’ hearts |
4.It can be learned from the text that Tony Burke ________.
A.decided to construct more fences along roads |
B.called on Australians to take care of the koala |
C.thought the government has done much for koalas |
D.was optimistic about the koalas’ future |
5.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Australia puts off the decision on whether the koala is endangered. |
B.Australia is taking special measures to protect koalas. |
C.The population of koalas is reducing rapidly. |
D.Australians are concerned about koalas. |
高二英语阅读理解困难题
Tony Burke, Australia’s environment minister, says he won’t decide until next year whether the koala should be protected as an endangered species. He was expected to make his decision by the end of October. But that decision has been put off. Burke said he needed more time to go over the latest information about the koala’s population.
In September, an Australian Senate committee reported that there was no question the koala’s population is on the decrease. “But they may not yet be eligible (符合条件) for listing as a threatened species,” said Senator Doug Cameron. “To have such a significant Australian icon(偶像) included on the threatened species list would be a national shame.”
The koala is found only in the eucalyptus (桉树) forests of Australia. And its population is reported to have fallen sharply for many reasons, including the cutting down of forests to make way for human beings’ development, their own illness, climate change and killings by other animals such as wild dogs. And every year many koalas are hit by cars as they are trying to cross the busy roads.
Putting off the decision on protection for the koala “is really bad news,” said Debbie Pointing, the president of the Koala Action Group. “We’ve worked tirelessly for many years to gather data on the populations,” Pointing said. “That data should be enough to make a decision.”
However, Burke pointed out that the Australian government had spent at least $6.3 million on koala conservation efforts since 1996. senators listed efforts that are already underway in Queensland – the construction of special koala bridges as well as fences along roads, to keep the animals out of harm’s way.
Some people say that is not enough. “What we’re doing at the moment is likely to drive this species to extinction,” Queensland University zoologist Bill Ellis said.
“Koalas are an iconic Australian animal,” Burke told Australians. “They hold a special place in the hearts of Australians.”
But it is a fact that if more isn’t done to protect the koala, they might soon hold a place only in Australians’ memories.
1.Tony Burke put off announcing the koala as an endangered species because ________.
A.he needed more time to examine latest information |
B.he doubted whether koalas’ number is decreasing |
C.he was thinking about ways to protect koalas |
D.he had more important issues to deal with |
2.What is Paragraph 3 mainly about?
A.The habitat of the koala. |
B.Australia’s traffic problems. |
C.The importance of koalas for Australians. |
D.Reasons for the decrease of the koala population. |
3.According to the text, Debbie Pointing thinks that ________.
A.the construction of special koala bridges is of little use |
B.the government should announce the koala as an endangered species |
C.the government is to blame for the decreasing koala population |
D.koala are becoming less important in Australians’ hearts |
4.It can be learned from the text that Tony Burke ________.
A.decided to construct more fences along roads |
B.called on Australians to take care of the koala |
C.thought the government has done much for koalas |
D.was optimistic about the koalas’ future |
5.What is the main idea of the text?
A.Australia puts off the decision on whether the koala is endangered. |
B.Australia is taking special measures to protect koalas. |
C.The population of koalas is reducing rapidly. |
D.Australians are concerned about koalas. |
高二英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Cedar, a third-generation beekeeper from the countryside of New South Wales, Australia, says that he was inspired to try and design a simply hive (蜂箱)after his brother was stung (蛰)during one of their honey-gathering tasks.
The young guy knew that there must be a clever way to gather honey without having to wear protective suits, open the hive, and disturb the little bees. After several years. Cedar and his father Stuart finally perfected their invention—the Flow Hive, which can save beekeepers hours of work simply by channeling all of its honey into a tap that can be turned on and off at will.
Four years after their initial success, the Flow Hive has had a big influence on honeybee populations around the world. The father and his son say that they have successfully shipped over 51,000 hives to 150 different countries. Since they introduced the hive in 2015, the number of beekeeper in the US alone has increased by over 10%.
Their success is particularly significant since honeybee populations have been steadily decreasing as a result of habitat loss. That's why now Stuart and Cedar Anderson are donating their hive earnings to international honeybee advocacy groups.
“We’re proud to have donated 100% of profits from the sale of our Flow Pollinator (传粉昆虫)House to nine local pollinator projects in Australia and the US that are at work protecting wild habitats all around the world," said the Anderson in a statement. "Pollinators need large areas of habitat to grow healthily—the more we can do to conserve native habitats, the more opportunities these tiny environmental champions will have to do their important work."
1.What can we learn about Cedar?
A.He is often hurt by honeybees.
B.He knows a lot about beekeeping.
C.He is from a big city in Australia.
D.He dislikes working with his brother
2.Which of the following best describes the Flow Hive?
A.It simplifies the honey-gathering process.
B.h can help bees produce more honey.
C.It can improve the quality of honey.
D.It is friendly to the environment.
3.Why do the Andersons make donations?
A.To build more Flow Hives.
B.To protect bees' habitats.
C.To protect the environment.
D.To help the poor in Australia.
4.What would be the best title for the text?
A.True Facts About Honeybees
B.The Growth of a Beekeeper
C."Honey on Tap'' Beehive
D.The Cost of Beekeeping
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
What does the woman say about John?
A.He won’t wait for her.
B.He won't come home today.
C.He won’t be on time for dinner.
高二英语短对话简单题查看答案及解析
You can ask him again if you like , but it won’t make any ________—he’ll still say no .
A.adjustment | B.difference | C.contribution | D.decision |
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
I fell in love with the minister's son the winter I turned fourteen. He was not Chinese. For Christmas I prayed for the boy, Robert. When I found out that my parents had invited the minister's family over for Christmas Eve dinner, I cried in panic. What would Robert think of our shabby Chinese Christmas? What would he think of our noisy Chinese relatives who lacked proper American manners?
On Christmas Eve, my mother created abundant Chinese food. And then they arrived—the minister's family and all my relatives. Robert greeted hello, and I pretended he was not worthy of existence.
Dinner threw me deeper into disappointment. My relatives licked (舔) the ends of their chopsticks and reached across the table. Robert and his family waited patiently for a large plate to be passed to them. My relatives murmured with pleasure when my mother brought out the whole steamed fish. Robert made a face. Then my father reached his chopsticks just below the fish eye and picked out the soft meat. “Amy, your favorite,” he said, offering me the tender fish cheek. I wanted to disappear.
At the end of the meal, my father leaned back and burped (打嗝) loudly, thanking my mother for her fine cooking. “It's a polite Chinese custom to show you are satisfied,” explained my father to our astonished guests. Robert was looking down at his plate with a reddish face. The minister managed to bring up a quiet burp. I was shocked into silence for the rest of the night.
After everyone had gone, my mother said to me, “You want to be the same as American girls on the outside.” She handed me an early gift. It was a miniskirt. “But inside you must always be Chinese. You must be proud that you are different. Your only shame is to have shame.”
It was not until years later that I was able to fully appreciate her lesson and the purpose behind her particular menu. For Christmas Eve that year, she had chosen excellent Chinese food.
1. When the writer found out the minister's family would come for Christmas Eve dinner, she cried mainly because ________.
A. she worried about their shabby Chinese Christmas
B. she worried about their Chinese relatives lacking American manners
C. she worried about being laughed at
D. she worried about meeting the minister's family
2.What does “he was not worthy of existence” probably mean? It means ________.
A. he should not exist
B. he was worthless
C. the writer was not interested in his existence
D. the writer expected his coming
3. The dinner threw the writer deeper into disappointment mainly because ________.
A. she childishly expected all of them to act in the same way as Americans did at table
B. her father reached his chopsticks to pick fish for her
C. her father leaned back and burped loudly
D. her relatives licked the ends of their chopsticks
4.We can infer from the passage that ________.
A. the writer appreciated her mother's lesson years later
B. the mother prepared to show Chinese different food culture
C. the writer must be proud that she is different
D. the minister's family really enjoyed the food
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
语法填空
Two businessmen 1. (fly) to Australia to play in a weekend golf match. Their team won and they both received green jackets. 2. their last night in Australia, they stayed up late drinking beer. They were still drunk in the morning, 3. they drove their rented car to the airport. The road was empty. Suddenly, something jumped in front of the car. The driver couldn’t stop in time and the car hit it.
The men got out of the car and found a large kangaroo 4. (lie) on the road. The drunken men began to laugh and decided to take some photos with the “dead” kangaroo. One of the men decided to put the jacket on 5. kangaroo. So they dressed the poor kangaroo in a green jacket. Then they posed with it for some photos. Suddenly, something amazing happened. The kangaroo opened 6. eyes. It was not dead. But it was very 7. (anger). The kangaroo hit the two men and knocked them out. Then it ran 8. .In the kangaroo’s new green jacket were the car keys, a passport, and the air tickets.
Later that day, a motorist phoned the police. “You’re 9. going to believe this,” he said, “but a kangaroo in a green golf jacket 10. (run) along the road to the airport!” The police finally found out the whole story, and they punished the two drunken men.
高二英语语法填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
International experts meeting in Australia say global carbon emissions (排放) can be reduced by more than 50 percent through simple energy saving measures. People at a conference in Australia, which increasingly relies on coal for power, say that reducing power consumption is an affordable way to both cut energy costs and reduce pollution.
While many nations turn to cheap and dirty energy sources, such as coal, to meet their increasing energy needs, analysts in Australia say the best way to meet those needs is to improve energy efficiency.
A range of simple solutions include using energy-efficient homes, household appliances and lighting, and driving electric cars. Encouraging homeowners and office workers to switch off their televisions and computers at the end of the day is also seen as an effective way to save electricity.
Grayson Heffner, from the Paris-based International Energy Agency, says reducing consumption could greatly cut global carbon emissions. He calls efficiency strategies (策略) the “soft giant” of clean energy.
“We forecast that energy efficiency will deliver something like three-quarters of the greenhouse gas emissions reductions over the next 20 years. So in the short term energy efficiency is the main way that we reduce greenhouse gas emissions but oftentimes it is not so importantly stressed in the discussions,” said Heffner.
Energy experts working in China say the government is making significant cuts in power usage.
Wan Xingwang, a Beijing-based representative of the Energy Foundation, a U.S. non-government organization, says the results have been impressive.
“In the past five years China achieved about 19.1 percent of energy reduction of its GDP. That translates to something like more than 600 million tons of coal savings,” said Wan Xingwang.
While most nations have some sort of government-sponsored energy efficiency programs, energy analysts say initiatives (主动性) by individuals and companies can also help cut demand.
Steven Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, a non-profit group based in Washington, says other developing nations are recognizing the benefits of cutting power consumption and taking action.
1.To increase their energy supplies, many nations _____________________.
A.turn to new energy B.turn to cheap energy
C.develop solar energy D.introduce clean energy
2.Which of the following cannot help to reduce energy consumption effectively?
A.Using electronic products in small size.
B.Using more electric cars.
C.Turning off computers after work.
D.Building energy-efficient houses.
3.What can we learn from what Grayson Heffner said?
A.75% of the greenhouse gas emissions can easily be cut in the next 20 years.
B.Ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions should be discussed.
C.Using clean energy is the strategy to cut global carbon emissions.
D.The key to reducing greenhouse gases in the short term is to improve energy efficiency.
4.According to the last two paragraphs, which of the following statements is true?
A.The programs reducing energy consumption shouldn’t be sponsored by individuals and companies.
B.All nations have government-sponsored energy efficiency programs.
C.It is time that all nations should combine their efforts to save energy.
D.Some developing nations are taking action to cut power consumption.
高二英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It is said that he was forced to as Transport Minister because of the underground explosion.
A.resign B.retire C.remove D.abolish
高二英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
.
The UN Environment Programme says that rising temperature could mean the end for some
migrating animals.Migrating or mobile animals move through several environments as they travel away from the cold of winter to warmer areas. Birds may fly from one part of the world to another, perhaps stopping at feeding grounds(聚食场) on the way. Whales and turtles cover vast areas of ocean. The report says that changes in any one of the places which these animals use can cause serious harm."Obviously these animals have developed their traveling patterns over thousands of years. But climate change is almost certain to be extreme over the next 25 t0 50 years, and it is extremely
unlikely that these animals can change their habits fast enough," said the report author Dr. Robert Hepworth.
Hardest hit by rising temperatures are turtles. Scientists have found that at higher temperatures,turtles produce far more female eggs than male ones. In parts of Malaysia, turtle birthing sites are producing only females, the report says, It also provides evidence that some turtles are more likely to develop cancer as the waters get warmer.
With birds, the main problem is climate-related damage to important areas at either end of the travels or at resting places along the way. About one-fifth of migrating birds are now in danger because of climate-related changes including rising sea levels, land loss and more violent storms,the report concludes.Other animals picked out as particularly in danger include:
◆the North Atlantic Right Whale, whose main food( tiny shrimp ) is disturbed by the change in ocean flows
◆the White-beaked Dolphin, which is out-competed by other kinds of dolphins in warmer waters.
The report is not all bad news. Even with major climatic changes, protecting the environment can still help mobile animals to recover.
"We need governments to start taking action at the national and international level. The clock is running." said Dr Hepworth. And some animals are already adapting, with the report mentioning whales that are changing their feeding behavior, finding new feeding grounds and new foods to eat.
48. What does the text mainly talk about?
A. The effect of climate change on migrating animals,
B. How animals are adapting to changes in temperature.
C. The importance of saving migrating animals.
D. The need for government policies to prevent global warming.
49. Which of the following is mentioned as a consequence of rising temperatures?
A. More storms will affect the ability of whales to find their feeding grounds.
B. 20% of all birds are likely to die out because of land loss.
C. Migrating animals can adapt to the changes quickly.
D. Warmer oceans will increase the competition between different kinds of dolphins.
高二英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
The visiting Minister expressed his satisfaction with the talks, _______ that he had enjoyed his stay here.
A.having added B.to add C.adding D.added
高二英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析