In the middle of the Pacific Ocean lies the t...

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean lies the tiny island nation of Tuvalu，the fourth smallest country in the world. This group of four islands and five atolls (islands made from coral) is famous for its sandy beaches and turquoise (蓝绿色的) waters and has long been a popular tourist destination for nearby New Zealanders. However, the nation of Tuvalu is at risk of soon no longer existing; not because of war or political change, but because it will be covered by the rising ocean.

Tuvalu is experiencing the harmful effects of global warming. As global temperatures rise, so does the ocean temperature. Due to the scientific law of “thermal expansion,” when water heats it get bigger. 1. Most experts claim that the effects of climate change will make Tuvalu uninhabitable within the next 50 years. Problems are already emerging. As sea levels rise, ocean water containing high levels of salt is travelling further and further inland destroying the little amount of soil Tuvaluans have to grow crops.

Even before Tuvaluans began to suffer from the effects of climate change, lift on Tuvalu was tough. 2. Most of the land on an atoll is rock-hard arid any soil that exists on it is usually thin and poor for growing crops. The nation has always had to import food apart from fish.

More serious than Tuvalu’s lack of home-grown food has been its lack of drinking water.3. Therefore, Tuvaluans depend almost entirely on rainwater for their water needs. Unfortunately, due to a geographical phenomenon known as La Nina, Tuvalu often suffers from long periods of drought. In autumn 2010, after seven months of no rain, the Prime Minister had to declare a state of emergency riot only because of a lack of drinking water, but also because the water left was polluted with cholera (霍乱) 4.

Tuvalu’s problems have led some of its 11, 000 inhabitants to consider migrating to Australia or New Zealand.5. They know they’ll have to someday, but for as long as possible, they want to remain and make the world aware of what is happening to their homeland due to chimate change.

A. It was a desperate situation and, but for emergency shipments from New Zealand and Australia, many Tuvaluans would have died.

B.This is largely due to the geological makeup of atolls.

C. Unlike normal islands, atolls have no rivers or streams, which means that most of Tuvalu has no groundwater to use for drinking.

D. Tuvalu’s representatives demanded that nations should take a more responsible rote in reducing gas emissions.

E. Therefore, sea levels are rising and for low-lying Tuvalu, this spells disaster.

F. However, they ate not willing to abandon the land of their forefathers so easily.

G.And as a member of the United Nations, they are doing just that.

高三英语七选五困难题查看答案及解析

Tuvalu, north of Fiji, is a tiny country in the Pacific Ocean.

Storms and huge waves are a constant threat and none of Tuvalu's nine little islands is more than five metres above sea level. Salt water is already entering the country's drinking water supply, as well as damaging plants that produce fruit and vegetable. It fears it will be swallowed up by the sea. Without urgent help, the country's days are numbered.

But Tuvalu is not the first place to face sinking into the sea. Venice, a historic city in Italy best known for its canals, has sunk about 24cm over the past 100 years. Experts say that it will have sunk another 20-50cm by 2050.A century ago, St. Mark's Square, the lowest point in the city, flooded about nine time a year. Nowdays it happens more than 100 times.

While Venice is slowly sinking into the mud on which it stands, Tuvalu's rising sea level is caused by global warming.

The average global temperature has increased by almost 0.5 centigrade degree over the past century; scientists expect it to rise by an extra 1-3 degrees over the next 100 years.

Warmer weather makes glaciers（冰川） melt, adding more water to the ocean. The warmer temperatures also make water expand, so it take up more space, causing the sea level to rise. The sea level has risen about 10-25cm in the last 100 years.

People have been increasing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as CO2, through burning coal, oil and gas. This adds to the power of the greenhouse effect, making the planet even warmer.

Many scientists believe that, if the warming is not stopped, there will be huge climate changes. The sea level could rise by one metre this century.

Should this come true, millions of homes would be swallowed up by the sea and the world will be flooded with" climate refugees" looking for somewhere else to live.

1.We can infer from Paragraph 2 that ________.

A．Tuvalu is in danger of being swallowed up by the sea

B．all Tuvalu islands are about five meters above the sea level

C．drinking water in Tuvalu has been destroyed

D．Tuvalu is often flooded by storms and waves

2.The author uses Tuvalu and Venice as examples in order to explain.

A．it is  first places sinking into the sea

B．it is sinking into the mud where they stand

C．it will disappear in the future

D．its trouble is caused by global warming

3.What does the underlined word "refugees" (in the last paragraph)mean?

A．People forced away from their homeland

B．Sudden changes caused by world climate

C．Animals closely connected with weather

D．Bad effect of climate changes

4.Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

A．The main cause of global warming is human pollution

B．The average global temperature has risen by 1-3 ℃over the past century.

C．The warmer temperature causes the sea level to rise

D．There will be huge climate changes unless the warming is stopped

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

Tuvalu, north of Fiji, is a tiny country in the Pacific Ocean.

Storms and huge waves are a constant threat and none of Tuvalu's nine little islands is more than five metres above sea level. Salt water is already entering the country's drinking water supply, as well as damaging plants that produce fruit and vegetable.It fears it will be swallowed up by the sea. Without urgent help, the country's days are numbered.

But Tuvalu is not the first place to face sinking into the sea. Venice, a historic city in Italy best known for its canals, has sunk about 24cm over the past 100 years. Experts say that it will have sunk another 20-50cm by 2050. A century ago, St. Mark's Square, the lowest point in the city, flooded about nine times a year. Nowadays, it happens more than 100 times.

While Venice is slowly sinking into the mud on which it stands, Tuvalu's rising sea level is caused by global warming.

The average global temperature has increased by almost 0.5 centigrade degree over the past century; scientists expect it to rise by an extra 1-3 degrees over the next 100 years.

Warmer weather makes glaciers melt, adding more water to the ocean. The warmer temperatures also make water expand, so it takes up more space, causing the sea level to rise. The sea level has risen about 10-25cm in the last 100 years.

People have been increasing the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as CO2, through burning coal, oil and gas. This adds to the power of the greenhouse effect, making the planet even warmer.

Many scientists believe that, if the warming is not stopped, there will be huge climate changes. The sea level could rise by one metre this century.

Should this come true, millions of homes would be swallowed up by the sea and the world will be flooded with "climate refugees" looking for somewhere else to live.

1. We can infer from Paragraph 2 that ______.

A. Tuvalu is in danger of being swallowed up by the sea

B. all Tuvalu’s islands are about five meters above the sea level

C. drinking water in Tuvalu has been destroyed

D. Tuvalu is often flooded by storms and waves

2.The author uses Tuvalu and Venice as examples in order to explain ______.

A. they are the first places sinking into the sea

B. they are both sinking into the mud where they stand

C. they will disappear in the future

D. their trouble is caused by global warming

3. What does the underlined word “refugees” mean?

A. People forced away from their homeland.

B. Sudden changes caused by world climate.

C. Animals whose lives are closely connected with weather.

D. Bad effect of climate changes.

4. Which of the following is NOT true according to the text?

A. The main cause of global warming is human pollution.

B. The average global temperature has risen by 1-3 centigrade degrees over the past 100 years.

C. The warmer temperature causes the sea level to rise.

D. There will be huge climate changes unless the warming is stopped.

5.According to the passage, the root cause of global warming is _______.

A. the burning of coal, oil and gas             B. the position change of the solar system

C. human pollution                          D. carbon dioxide emission

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

25. Australia is an island continent lying between ____ .

高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析

The Hawaiian Islands are in the Pacific Ocean almost 4,000, kilometres west of California. Tourism is very important to Hawaii. The tropical weather and beaches bring people from all over the world. But Hawaii is also experiencing problems from the downturn(经济衰退).

Last year was the first year since 2004 that Hawaii has had fewer than seven million visitors. The state had 6,800,000 arrivals in 2008. That was a decrease of 10% from the year before. State officials expect a decrease this year of another 2%. And they expect no growth in the economy through most of the year.

The Hawaiian Islands were formed millions of years ago by hot liquid rock flowing from undersea volcanoes. Visitors can still watch the process take place on the largest island, which like the state is named Hawaii. People usually just call it the Big Island.

Experts say Polynesian people first sailed to Hawaii about 2,000 years ago. A king ruled the islands when the 18th century British explorer James Cook arrived. At first, Hawaiians treated Captain Cook like a god. But in the end, he was killed on the Big Island in 1779.

Britain gave the islands their independence in 1843. Then, fifty years later, a group of American businessmen ousted the ruler and founded the Republic of Hawaii. It became an American territory in 1900.

That was three years after the United States set up a naval base at Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, which served as the command base for American operations in the Pacific during World War Two.

After the war, most Hawaiians required that Hawaii should be an independent state. In Congress(国会), though, there was resistance from southern states because of Hawaii’s non-white native population. But Congress passed the Hawaii Statehood Bill in 1959. Hawaiians accepted it, and on August 21st, President Eisenhower declared Hawaii the fiftieth state.

1..The number of visitors to Hawaii in 2009 is expected to be about _________.

A. 5,984,000           B. 6,664,000       C. 6,800,000       D. 6,936,000

2..When did the US set up a naval base at Pearl Harbor?

A. In 1893.            B. In 1897.        C. In 1900.        D. In 1959.

3..What does the underlined word “ousted” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A. Forced out.         B. Picked out.     C. Elected.        D. Became.

4..Which of the following is the correct order in the history of Hawaii?

a. It was ruled by a Polynesian king.   b. It became an American territory.

c. The Republic of Hawaii was founded.  d. It was under the rule of the British.

e. It became independent in 1843.       f. It joined the United States.

A. a, b, d, c, e, f  B. a, e, d, c, b, f   C. a, d, e, c, b, f            D. a, e, e, d, b, f

高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析

The Republic of Vanuatu is an island nation located in the South Pacific Ocean. It was one of the poorest nations in the region. Within the last five years, however, it has become a hot spot for adventure travelers. In 2006 it was voted the happiest place on Earth. The reason is not that Vanuatu are the richest but that Vanuatu has white-sand islands, clear waters, the world’s most accessible live volcano, great diving and food that grows faster than it can be picked.

With a population of about 221,000, Vanuatu has 113 languages, which is a result of 3,000 years of immigration from many Pacific countries. There are three official languages: English, French, and Bislama. Bislama developed from South Pacific English, a simplified language that traders and other foreigners used it to communicate with speakers of the many local languages.

Most of the islands are mountainous and of volcanic origin. There are several active volcanoes in Vanuatu, including Yasur on the island of Tanna, one of the world’s most accessible volcanoes. If you’ve ever fancied getting close to a volcano, here’s your chance.

Vanuatu Post’s Underwater Post Office has quickly become one of the busiest post offices for postcards in the world! Visitors from around the world want to experience the world’s first underwater post office. The Post Office is only 50 meters offshore and at just three meters below the surface, very appealing to the young and young at heart. Since opening in 2003, the underwater post office has received about 100,000 visitors. They have posted one of the waterproof（防水的）postcards available in Vanuatu; these cards are collected regularly by one of Vanuatu Post’s four trained divers. The underwater branch is manned daily for usually about an hour, longer with demand.

1.Vanuatu was voted the happiest place on Earth because _______.

A．it’s the poorest nation in the region

B．it’s Vanuatu that are the richest

C．it’s a favorite place for adventurers

D．it’s blessed with abundant nature

2. From the text, _______ led to over one hundred languages spoken in Vanuatu.

A．immigration        B．location           C．dialects           D．foreigners

3.Which of the following is true about Vanuatu?

A．Bislama developed from local Pacific French.

B．Yasur is one of the live volcanoes in Vanuatu.

C．Vanuatu has more than 113 official languages.

D．Underwater Post Office has opened for 5 years.

4.Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?

A．Working at the underwater branch          B．Great diving in amazing Vanuatu

C．A hot spot for adventure travelers          D．The busiest post office on Earth

5.What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?

A．Various languages.                       B．Underwater diving.

C．Food in Vanuatu.                        D．History of Vanuatu.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

A strange army of giants stands around the edges of a remote island in the Pacific Ocean. Or at least that's how it might appear. The figures lining Easter Island are actually huge stones carved to look like hulking(笨重的) human figures. The statues have “guarded” these coasts for centuries. But not even the islanders are sure how they got there. Join scientific detectives as they investigate this historical mystery.

The Mystery

Nearly a thousand giant stone figures stand side by side on Easter Island, now a part of Chile. Called moai (MOH-eye) by the locals, the statues can weigh more than 80 tons—about as much as ten whales—and some stand as tall as a three-story building.

Scientists think islanders began creating the moai some 800 years ago to honor their ancestors. In land, scientists found a volcanic crater and dug out ancient tools there used to carve figures from the volcanic rock. But the crater(火山口) is far from where most of the statues now stand. And scientists know the people didn't have wheels or animals to move the rock giants.

So how did the stone figures travel as far as 11 miles from the crater to the island's coasts? Some ideas are pretty wild—people have suggested that the moai walked by themselves, or even that space aliens beamed down to lend a hand. Scientists struggled to Easter Island to find out the truth.

The Detectives

"Heave-ho!" cry a group of scientists as they pull on ropes tied to a huge statue. The investigators are seeking clues about the moai in one of Easter Island's green valleys. Wondering if the islanders could have transported the statues upright with just rope and muscle power, they wrapped three strong ropes around the forehead of a ten-foot-tall moai copy. With several people pulling each rope, they're able to rock the 10,000-pound figure side to side, moving it forward with every tug(拖拽). "The statue's shape makes this movement fairly easy," team leader Carl Lipo says.

In the past, researchers have tried other moving methods. One group tied rope to the top and base of an actual moai and attempted to drag it forward with twisting motions. Another team laid a real 13-foot moai onto a giant log and pulled the log forward. All the experiments shared one result: The investigators got serious pain!

The Evidence

Although various scientific sleuths (侦查) found ways to move the moai, researchers still don't agree on what really happened. Some of these techniques might have only worked over short distances and on flat land. Others would have damaged the moai.

Many people think the statues were laid horizontally on wooden sleds which were dragged with rope across log tracks. "This would have been the safest way to move the moai," archaeologist Jo Anne Van Tilburg says. "It explains why hardly any are damaged."

But the truth may never be revealed.(Experts are pretty sure, though, that aliens weren't involved.)After all, the islanders stopped making the statues at least 300 years ago, later hundreds of islanders left the island or caught deadly diseases brought by explorers. Many of the moai's secrets disappeared with them. Today the only remaining witnesses to the events are the moai themselves. And the lips of these stone-faced giants are sealed.

1.How many possible ways of moving the rock giants are mentioned in the passage?

A. Three.            B. Four.            C. Five.            D. Six.

2.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A.The moai was created by the islanders 800 years ago to wish for good luck.

B.Some of the rock giants were damaged while being moved to where they are now.

C.All the witnesses to the secrets of the moai were infected with deadly diseases and died.

D.The statues were made of volcanic rocks with some handmade tools by the locals.

3.The underlined word "horizontally" in the last but one paragraph probably means ________.

A. temporarily on the ground

B. parallel to the ground

C. steadily on the ground

D. vertical to the ground

4.What is the best title of this passage?

A.Investigation Under Way.

B.Mystery of the Stone Giants.

C.Ways of Moving the Stone Giants.

D.The Unrevealed Truth.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

There is an island called Kitava, way out there in the Pacific Ocean, in the Milne Bay Province of Papua New Guinea. It is one of the four main Trobriand Islands with a total population of 12,000 native residents.　 Rich with culture, surrounded on all sides by clear blue water and abundant rainforest, Kitava is as apealing as it is remote.　 But it has more to offer than good views.

As Byrdie reports, Kitava is also home to a people whose diet and nutritional habits remain healthy, untouched by Western influence.　 A lifetime of not knowing the sweet, sweet sensation of the salt from a potato chip hitting the roof of your mouth has done more than just spare Kitavans from illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular disease; it's also given them a lifetime of smooth, acne(痤疮) - free skin.

In a study of l',200 subjects - including 300 teens and young adults - conducted by a team led by medical doctor and professor Steffan Lindeberg over 843 days, not one breakout was reported. They also found that genetics played little to no role in the results.

In fact, the average Kitavan diet is fairly common. It' s simple, with no " miracle fruit" or " rare nut" to speak of, and Kitavans don' t even exercise much. That diet consists mainly of yams( 山荮) ,　 sweet potatoes,　 and taro (芋头) , local fruits (namely coconut) ,fish, and vegetables.

But if you're already pulling out your suitcases and drafting a resignation letter to your boss, you might want to slow your step.　 For one thing, the closest airport is over 700 miles away from the island, so good luck getting there. And consider this: do you really want to move somewhere where you'll be the only person with acne until the diet kicks in? I don't think so.

1.Which are the contributing factors of attracting visitors to the island?

a. Rich culture .　　 b. Clean white sand　　　 c. Thick rainforest

d. Clear blue water　 e. Romote tribes

A. abc　　 B. acd　　 C. bcd　　 D. ade

2.What accounts for the fact that the Kitavans own good skin?

A. They don't like eating salt. .　　 B. They enjoy varieties of rare fruits.

C. They are sick of exercising.　　 D. They follow simple but healthy diet.

3.What is unlikely to be included in the Kitavans' diet?　　 .

A. Taro　　 B. Fish

C. Potato chips　　 D. Coconut

4.What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A. Think twice before moving to Kitava.

B. Don’t hesitate to quit your job and move there.

C. One can reach Kitava by plane without difficulty.

D. Anyone will own acne - free skin on stepping on Kitava.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

An Oceans Vacuum

There's a collection of plastic trash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean．It's bigger than Texas﹣and growing．The way to clean it up now is to catch it with nets．That is both costly and slow．Instead，the Ocean Cleanup Project proposes 62﹣mile﹣long floating barriers that would use natural currents to trap trash．If next year's trials succeed，a full cleanup operation would aim to start in 2020．It could reduce the trash by 42% over 10 years．

Easy﹣On Shoes

In 2012，Mathew Walzer，a high school student with a disability，sent a note to Nike．"My dream is o go to college，"he wrote，"without having to worry about someone coming to tie my shoes every day．"Nike assigned a design team to the challenge．This year，they came out with their solution：the FlyEase．The basketball shoe can be fastened with one hand．A pair of Nike FlyEase shoes sells for $130．

An Airport for Drones（无人机）

As Amazon，Google，and others get ready for drone delivery service，there is one big question：what kinds of home bases will their drones have？Rwanda，in Africa，may have the answer．There，workers will soon start work on three"drone ports"．The goal is to make it easier to transport food，medical supplies，electronics，and other goods through the hilly countryside．Construction is set to be completed in 2020．

1.What's the advantage of the Oceans Vacuum？

A. It can be a money﹣saver

B. It can grow year by year

C. It can tear plastic into pieces

D. It can be put into wide use soon

2.What do we know about Nike？

A. It offers free shoes to the disabled

B. It is designing new shoes frequently

C. It provides customer﹣friendly services

D. It responded to Matthew's request passively

3.Why is Rwanda setting up"drone ports"？

A. Because road travel there is rough

B. Because there are too many drones

C. Because they're easier to construct than roads

D. Because they are receptive to new technology

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析

An Oceans Vacuum

There’s a collection of plastic trash in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. It’s bigger than Texas-and growing. The way to clean it up now is to catch it with nets. That is both costly and slow. Instead, the Ocean Cleanup Project proposes 62-mile-long floating barriers that would use natural currents to trap trash. If next year’s trials succeed, a full cleanup operation would aim to start in 2020. It could reduce the trash by 42% over 10 years.

Easy-On Shoes

In 2012, Mathew Walzer, a high school student with a disability, sent a note to Nike. “My dream is to go to college,” he wrote, “without having to worry about someone coming to tie my shoes every day.” Nike assigned a design team to the challenge. This year, they came out with their solution: the FlyEase. The basketball shoe can be fastened with one hand. A pair of Nike FlyEase shoes sells for $130.

An Airport for Drones(无人机)

As Amazon, Google, and others get ready for drone delivery service, there is one big question: what kinds of home bases will their drones have? Rwanda, in Africa, may have the answer. There, workers will soon start work on three “drone ports”. The goal is to make it easier to transport food, medical supplies, electronics, and other goods through the hilly countryside. Construction is set to be completed in 2020.

1.What’s the advantage of the Oceans Vacuum?

A. It can be a money-saver.

B. It can grow year by year.

C. It can tear plastic into pieces.

D. It can be put into wide use soon.

2.What do we know about Nike?

A. It offers free shoes to the disabled.

B. It is designing new shoes frequently.

C. It provides customer-friendly services.

D. It responded to Matthew’s request passively.

3.Why is Rwanda setting up “drone ports”?

A. Because road travel there is rough.

B. Because there are too many drones.

C. Because they’re easier to construct than roads.

D. Because they are receptive to new technology.

高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析