高考英语阅读理解科普文(难度较高)
2014年高考英语二轮复习阅读理解拉分题(较难题目)特训:节能环保类1The Goldman Environmental Foundation recently recognized a group of individuals (个体) for their efforts to protect the environment、Each year, the American-based group honors environmental activists from six different areas、The first three winners of the 2012 Goldman Prize are from Kenya, the Philippines and China、The Goldman Environmental Foundation says Ikal Angelei is a hero to those who live around Lake Turkana、The Kenyan woman received the award because of her efforts to stop a dam project on a river in Ethiopia、Critics say the dam will harm the lake and restrict (限制) the flow of water for people who live nearby、The Philippine island of Mindoro is home to those who depend on the area’s natural resources for f ood and jobs、Edwin Gariguez became concerned when a European pany announced plans to mine for nickel (镍) on the island、The Roman Catholic minister said waste materials from the mining project would pollute the water and destroy the forests、So he started a campaign to stop the project、In China, Ma June is working with businesses to clean up their pollution、He formed a group that collects information about pollution, and publishes it on the Internet、The Goldman Prize was also awarded to activists from Argentina, Russia and the United States、Sofia Gatica of Argentina is from a town where farmers monly use pesticide (杀虫剂) products to protect soybean crops from insects、The town also has a high rate of cancer、Sofia Gatica belie ved that pesticide use was responsible for the death of her baby、She worked with other mothers to get government officials to ban the use of chemicals near populated areas、Evgenia Chirikova objects to the plans to build a road through a protected forest just outside Moscow、She has demanded that Russian officials redirect th e road away from the forest、She and her followers have been arrested for their activities、However, their campaign has gained widespread public support、The sixth winner is American Caroline Cannon—a munity leader in Point Hope, Alaska、Miz Cannon is fighting to keep Arctic waters safe from oil and gas exp loration、60、We can know from the passage that ______、A、the dam project has been preventedB、the first three activists are all from AsiaC、a European pany is going to dig for nickelD、Ma June is trying to stop oil and gas exploration61、From the 7th paragraph, we can know that ______、A、pesticide use accounts for a high-rate of cancerB、Sofia managed to ban the use of chemicalsC、the farmers mainly live on unpolluted productsD、the death of the baby was due to delayed treatment62、What do we know about Evgenia Chirikova？A、She plans to build a road to protect the forest、B、She is in charge of a project far away from the road、C、She persuaded the government to set her followers free、D、Her environmental action has been widely acknowledged、63、What would be the best title for the passage?A、Six Advanced Individuals for Hard WorkB、Efforts to Create a Clean and Beautiful WorldC、Six Environmental Activists Win Goldman PrizeD、The Goldman Environmental Foundation Prize2SCS Global Services (SCS) has evaluated a new methodology for measuring the carbon sequestration(封存) ability of soil under the Verified(验证) Carbon Standard (VCS), a leading greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting system、The methodology, developed by The Earth Partners, will allow land managers who sequester GHGs in grasslands and farmlands to produce carbon credits for sale in the voluntary market、Managers of grasslands and farmlands can increase carbon sequestration in soil by practices such as changing grazing(放牧) practices and operating treatments designed to improve the variety and productivity of plant groups、The Earth Partners is presently piloting this methodology with farmers across seven million acres of the Palouse River and Columbia Plateau regions in the Pacific Northwest、“The VCS p rogram has achieved an important milestone in now bining grassland and rangeland carbon offset(抵消,补偿) projects," said Dr、Robert J、Hrubes, Executive Vice President of SCS、"SCS looks forward to approving and verifying agricultural carbon offset projects that use this very powerful new methodology、"The VM0021 Soil Carbon Quantification Methodology is based on decades of soil carbon research and testing conducted by top soil scientists、The methodology was developed by The Earth Partners and verified by Environmental Services, Inc、as well as SCS Global Services、It is the first soil carbon methodology to be approved for use under the VCS、"This widely tested methodology is the first to specially deal with soils in a market," said Steven I、Apfelbaum, Chairman of Applied Ecological Services, Inc、and Director of Science with The Earth Partners、According to Apfelbaum, soils represent the second largest living sink of carbon on the planet、68、The new methodology is assessed according to、A、The Earth PartnersB、the Verified Carbon StandardC、Environmental Services, Inc、D、Applied Ecological Services, Inc、69、Carbon sequestration in soil can be strengthened by、A、selling carbon credits in the voluntary marketB、changing grazing practices and operating treatmentsC、reducing the variety and productivity of plant groupsD、decreasing farmlands in the Pacific Northwest70、Which of the following is true according to the passage?A、The VCS program proves to be successful in carbon offset projects、B、Many soil Carbon Methodologies have already been approved for use、C、The new methodology has been tested in many fields including soil、D、Soils seem to be the largest living sink of carbon on the planet、71、What is the attitude of SCS towards the new methodology?A、Opposed、B、Cautious、C、Doubtful、D、Approving、3Rainforest is home to around two-thirds of all plant and animal species found on land—in addition to millions of people who depend on them for survival—our remaining ancient forests are some of the most diverse ecosystems known to science、They are also vitally important to the health of our planet, especially when it es to regulating the climate、But ancient forests around the world are under attack、Protecting rainforests is on the global agenda (议事日程) in a big way、Governments now recognize the importance of protecting tropical forests in order to avoid dangerous climate change, and there is now much debate、As governments try to thrash out the details of a new international agreement, expected to be signed at the end of 2009, they are discussing how best to include measures to save rainforests, and therefore address one of the major causes of climate change、Worldwide, forest destruction causes more greenhouse gas emissions (排放) each year than do all the trains, planes and cars on the planet、So if we are to deal with global warming, there is an urgent need to find ways to reduce the 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by forest destruction each year, and to keep the remaining forests standing、We need to protect the planet’s remaining forests not only to stop climate change from getting worse, but to ensure that we can stand the impacts of global warming、Healthy forests absorb and store quantities of carbon, helping to regulate temperature and generate rain、When they are destroyed, this carbon is released into the atmosphere、Thus keeping forests standing is both a critical part of regulating climate change and of adapting to a warmer world、To date, most of the talk has focused on how to pay for reducing deforestation (滥伐森林), rather than on how to actually go about doing it、We believe governments need to support local people to protect their environment, as we have been showing for 20 years can be a very effective way of saving rainforests、1、The best title for the passage is、A、Rainforest and Climate ChangeB、Strategies on Protecting RainforestC、Serious Deforestation to RainforestD、Present Situation of Rainforest2、From the first paragraph we can infer that、A、we have little rainforest left until nowB、the ancient forests are being destroyedC、rainforest control the planet in many waysD、Rainforest is home to all plants and animals on earth3、The underlined part “thrash out” in the second paragraph means、A、try to understandB、e up withC、hide awayD、have a thorough discussion4、Greenhouse gas emissions caused by forest destruction、A、are the same amount by transport on earthB、take 20% of global greenhouse gas emissionsC、can be avoided by setting measures onlyD、have nothing to do with climate change5、From the text we can learn that healthy forest、A、can keep us healthy and happyB、can increase the effect from global warmingC、can be helpful in adjusting the temperatureD、can give out large amounts of carbon4Rivers may be a significant source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (一氧化二氮), scientists now find、Their calculation suggests that across the globe the waterways contribute three times the amount of nitrous oxide to the atmosphere as had been estimated by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations scientific body charged with reviewing climate change research、They found that the amount of nitrous oxide produced in streams is related to human activities that release nitrogen (氮) into the environment, such as fertilizer use and sewage discharges、“Human activities, including fossil fuel bustion and intensive agriculture, have increased the availability of nitrogen in the environment,” said Jake Beaulieu of the University of Notre Dame and the U、S、Environmental Protection Agency in Cincinnati, Ohio, and lead author of the paper published this week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences、“Much of this nitrogen is transported into river and stream networks,” Beaulieu said、There, microbes (微生物)convert the nitrogen into nitrous oxide (also called laughing gas) and an inert gas called dinitrogen (二氮)、The finding is important, the researchers say, because nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and destruction of the stratosphere’s ozone layer, which protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (紫外线) radiation、pared with carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide is 300-fold more powerful in terms of its warming potential, though carbon dioxide is a far more mon greenhouse gas、Scientists estimate nitrous oxide accounts for about 6 percent of human-induced climate change、Beaulieu and colleagues measured nitrous oxide production rates in 72 streams、When summed across the globe, the results showed rivers and streams are the source of at least 10 percent of human-caused nitrous oxide emissions to the atmosphere、“Changes in agricultural and land-use practices that result in less nitrogen being delivered to streams would reduce nitrous oxide emissions from river networks,” Beaulieu said、1、From the second paragraph we can learn、A、actually rivers give off much more nitrous oxide than expectedB、scientists’ calculation is totally wrongC、human activities release nitrous oxide in to the riversD、there is no nitrogen in fertilizer2、Which of the following is NOT the source of nitrogen?A、Fertilizer use、B、Sewage discharges、C、Fossil fuel bustion、D、Climate change、3、Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas because、A、it can protect us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiationB、it is to blame for most of human-induced climate changeC、it is a far more mon greenhouse gasD、it has much more warming potential than carbon dioxide4、What does the passage mainly tells us?A、Rivers may be a source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide、B、It’s human activities that release nitrogen into the environment、C、How to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from river networksD What to do with the climate change caused by nitrous oxide、5The Maldives faces the threat of extinction from rising sea levels, but the government said on Thursday it was looking to the future with plans to build homes and a golf course that float、An increase in sea levels of just 18 to 59 centimeters would make the Maldives—a nation of tiny coral islands in the Indian Ocean—virtually uninhabitable by 2100, the UN’s climate change panel has warned、President Mohamed Nasheed has vowed a fight for survival, and last month he signed a deal with a Dutch pany to study proposals for a floating structure that could support a conference centre, homes and an 18-hole golf course、“It is still early stages and we are awaiting a report on the practicality,” a government official who declined to be named said、The pany, Dutch Docklands, is currently building floating developments in the Netherlands and Dubai、There was no immediate ment from the firm but its website said it undertook projects that make “land from water by providing large-scale floating constructions to create similar conditions as on land”、The Maldives began to work on an artificial island known as the Hulhumale near the crowded capital island of Male in 1997 and more than 30,000 people have been settled there to ease congestion、The city, which has a population of 100,000, is already protected from rising sea levels by a 30-million-dollar sea wall, and the government is considering increasingly imaginative ways to bat climate change、Nasheed, who staged the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting in October to highlight his people’s serious and difficult situation, has even spoken of buying land elsewhere in the world to enable Maldivians to relocate if their homes are pleted covered、He has also promised to turn his nation into a model for the rest of the world by being “carbon neutral” by 2020、His plan i nvolves ending fossil fuel use and powering all vehicles and buildings from “green” sources such as burning coconut husks、1、Why do you think Mohamed Nasheed chose Dutch Docklands?A、Because it has experience in building floating structure、B、Because it has a good fame throughout the world、C、Because it charged much less than other panies、D、Because it supports building floating structures in the world、2、The Hulhumale was built with the purpose of、A、attracting more visitorsB、making it a new capitalC、making the capital less crowdedD、fighting against climate change3、According to the last two paragraphs, Nasheed is a person who、A、has succeeded in buying land abroadB、is more than well-knownC、has thought more for his nationD、has stopped using fossil fuel4、The underlined word “vowed” in paragraph 3 can be replaced by、A、endedB、promisedC、failedD、weighed6PLAYA GRANDE, COSTA RICA? This resort town was long known for Leatherback Sea Turtle (棱皮龟) national Park, nightly turtle beach tours and even a sea turtle museum、However, on a beach where dozens of turtles used to nest on a given night, scientists spied only 32 leatherbacks all of last year、With leatherbacks threatened with extinction (灭绝), Playa Grande’s turtle museum was abandoned three years ago and now sits among a sea of weeds、And the beachside ticket office for turtle tours was washed away by a high tide in September、“We do not promote that as a turtle tourism destination any more because w e realize there are far too few turtles to please,” said Alvaro Fonseca, a park ranger (管理员)、Even before scientists found temperatures going up over the past decade, sea turtles were threatened by beach development, drift net fishing and Costa Ricans interest in eating turtle eggs、But climate change may cause the most serious harm to an animal that has lived in the Pacific for 150 million years、Sea turtles are sensitive to numerous effects of warming、They feed on reefs, which are dying in hotter seas、They lay eggs on beaches that are being covered by rising seas and more violent waves、More uniquely their gender (性别) is determined, not by genes but by the egg’s temperature during development、Small rises in beach temperatures can result in ail-female populations, obviously problematic for survival、If the sand around the eggs hits 30 degrees Celsius, the gender balance shits to females: at about 32 degrees they are all female、Above 34, you get boiled eggs、On some nesting beaches, scientists are artificially cooling nests with shade or irrigation and trying to protect broader areas of coastal property from development to ensure that turtles have a place to nest as the seas rise、5、Why does the resort town stop promoting it’s turtle tourism?A、It decides not to disturb the turtles’ normal life、B、Tourists have lost interest in watching turtles、C、There are only very few turtles now、D、The turtle museum was destroyed by a high tide、6、Which of the following is the major factor in the turtles endangerment?A、The locals eating habit、B、Drift net fishing、C、Beach development、D、Global warming、7、We learn from the last paragraph that scientists、A、are doing research on the sea riseB、are moving turtles to new homesC、are protecting turtles’ nestsD、are getting rid of sea weeds8、The passage intends to、A、introduce a special kind of sea turtleB、explain the mystery of turtles’ eggsC、show the dangers a certain kind of turtle is facingD、attract more visitors to a sea turtle museum7Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best、For example, to absorb heat from the sun to heat water, you need large, flat, black surfaces、One way to do that is to build those surfaces specially, on the roofs of buildings、But why go to all that trouble when cities are full of black surfaces already, in the form of asphalt(柏油) roads?Ten years ago, this thought came into the mind of Arian de Bondt, a Dutch engineer、He finally persuaded his boss to follow it up、The result is that their building is now heated in winter and cooled in summer by a systemthat relies on the surface of the road outside、The heat-collector is a system of connected water pipes、Most of them run from one side of the street to the other, just under the asphalt road、Some, however, dive deep into the ground、When the street surface gets hot in summer, water pumped through the pipes picks up this heat and takes it underground through one of the diving pipes、At a depth of 100 metres lies a natural aquifer(蓄水层) into which several heat exchangers(交换器) have been built、The hot water from the street runs through these exchangers, warming the ground-water, before returning to the surface through another pipe、The aquifer is thus used as a heat store、In winter, the working system is changed slightly、Water is pumped through the he at exchangers to pick up the heat stored during summer、This water goes into the building and is used to warm the place up、After performing that task, it is pumped under the asphalt and its remaining heat keeps the road free of snow and ice、1、Which of the following is true according to the first two paragraphs?A、Arian de Bondt got his idea from his boss、B、Large, flat, black surfaces need to be built in cities、C、The Dutch engi neer’s system has been widely used、D、Heat can also be collected from asphalt roads、2、For what purpose are the diving pipes used?A、To absorb heat from the sun、B、To store heat for future use、C、To turn solar energy into heat energy、D、To carry heat down below the surface、3、From the last paragraph we can learn that、A、some pipes have to be re-arranged in winterB、the system can do more than warming up the buildingC、the exchangers will pick up heat from the street surfaceD、less heat may be collected in winter than in summer4、What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?A、What we shall do if the system goes wrong、B、What we shall do if there are no asphalt roads、C、How the system cools the building in summer、D、How the system collects heat in spring and autumn、8We already know the fastest, least expensive way to slow climate change:Use less energy、With a little effort, and not much money, most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets、Not long ago, my wife, PJ, and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change、Scientists have reported recently that the world is heating up even faster than predicted only a few years ago, and that the consequences could be severe if we don’t keep reducing emissions(排放) of carbon dioxide(CO2) and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere、We decided to try an experiment、For one month we recorded our personal emissions of CO2、We wanted to see how much we could cut back, so we went on a strict die t、The average US household(家庭) produces about 150 pounds of CO2 a day by doing mon-place things like turning on air-conditioning or driving cars、That’s more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average, mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses、But how much should we try to reduce?For an answer, I checked with Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers:How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth、In his book, he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emissions to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points, such as the melting(融化) of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica、“To stay below that point, we need to reduce CO2 emissions by 80 percent, “ he said、Good advice, I thought、I’d opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind、We’d gotten so used to keeping our air-conditioning going around the clock、I’d almost forgotten the windows even opened、We should not let this happen again、It’s time for us to change our habits if necessary、1、Why did the author and his wife try a new diet?A、To take special kinds of food、B、To respond to climate change、C、To lose weight、D、To improve their health、2、The underlined words “tipping points” most probably refer to “”、A、freezing pointsB、burning pointsC、melting pointsD、boiling points3、It can be inferred from the passage that、A、it is necessary to keep the air-conditioning on all the timeB、it seems possible for every household to cut emissions of CO2C、the average US household produces about 3, 000 pounds of CO2 a monthD、the average European household produces about 1, 000 pounds of CO2 a month4、Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?A、Saving Energy Starts at HomeB、Changing Our Habits Begins at WorkC、Changing Climate Sounds ReasonableD、Reducing Emissions of CO2 Proves Difficult9The need to feed a growing population is putting much pressure on the world’s supply of water、With 97% of the world’s w ater too salty to be drunk or used in agriculture, the worldwide supply of water needs careful management, especially in agriculture、Although the idea of a water shortage (短缺) seems strange to someone fortunate enough to live in a high rainfall country, many of the world’s agricultural industries experience constant water shortages、Although dams can be built to store water for agricultural use in dry areas and dry seasons, the costs of water redistribution (重新分配) are very high、Not only is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an environmental cost to be considered、Where valleys (山谷) are flooded to create dams, houses are lost and wildlife homes destroyed、Besides, water may flow easily through pipes to fields, but it cannot be transported from one side of the world to the other、Each country must therefore rely on the management of its own water to supply its farming requirements、This is particularly troubling for countries with agricultural industries in areas dependent on irrigation (灌溉)、In Texas, farmers’ overuse of irrgation water has resulted in a 25% reduction of the water stores、In the Central Valley area of southwestern USA, a huge water engineering project provided water for farming in dry valleys, but much of the water use has been poorly managed、Saudi Arabia’s attempts to grow wheat in desert areas have seen the pumping o f huge quantities of irrigation water from underground reserves、Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it is believed that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry、1、From the first two paragraphs we learn that、A、much of the world’s water is available for useB、people in high rainfall countries feel luckyC、the costs of water redistribution should be consideredD、water can be easily carried through pipes across the world2、Which of the following is true?A、The water stores in Texas have been reduced by 75%、B、Most industries in the world suffer from water shortages、C、The underground water in Saudi Arabia might run out in 50 years、D、Good management of water use resulted from the project in the Central Valley、3、What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?A、Steps to improving water use management、B. Ways to reduce the costs of building dams、C、Measures to deal with worldwide water shortages、D、Approaches to handling the pressure on water supply、4、The text is mainly about、A、water supply and increasing populationB、water use management and agricultureC、water redistribution and wildlife protectionD、water shortages and environmental protection10Businesses are witnessing a difficult time, which has in turn produced influence on consumers’ desire to go green、However, shoppers are still laying stress on environmental concerns、Two thirds of customers say that environmental considerations inform their purchases to the same degree as they did a year ago, while more than a quarter say that they are now even better aware of the environmental effect on what they buy、This may help to influence how shops store goods on their shelves、And the panies should still make efforts to beemore environmentally friendly、Two out of three people think it is important to buy from environmentally responsible panies, with about one in seven saying that they had even decided to take their custom elsewhere if they felt a pany’s environmental reputation was not good enough、Harry Morrison, chief executive (主管) of the Carbon Trust, sympathizes:“I understand this situation where survival is very important now、But f rom environmental considerations, the clock is ticking—we don’t have much time、In addition, cutting carbon has an immediate effect as costs drop and a medium-term benefit for the brand、”Larger panies have an extra motivation to look at reducing their carbon footprint, as new rules next year will require businesses to buy carbon allowances to make up for their emissions (排放)、Those that have taken early action will have a head start、More than two thirds of consumers are not clear about which panies are environmentally responsible、This suggests that firms that are able to relay clearly their message to the public will be in a pole position to attract shoppers、The Carbon Trust believes that it can help by informing customers about the good work panies are doing、“When panies are granted (授予) the standard, they can use a logo (标识) in all their marketing which makes it clear that they are working towards cutting emissions,” Mr、Morrison said、1、What’s the main idea of the passage?A、Businesses are finding ways to send their message to the shoppers、B、panies will soon get information about cutting carbon emissions、C、Firms are making efforts to encourage customers to keep goods at home、D、Firms are urged to cut carbon emissions by shoppers’ environmental awareness、2、The underlined word “inform” in Paragraph 2 probably means“”、A、affectB、changeC、disturbD、reject3、According to Harry Morrison, businesses、A、will benefit from cutting carbon emissionsB、should buy carbon allowances for shoppersC、are required to make up for their carbon emissionsD、have encouraged shoppers to take their custom elsewhere4、We can learn from the passage that businesses will、A、have a strong desire to reduce costsB、use the same logo in their marketing。
高考英语阅读理解(科普环保)题20套(带答案)及解析
高考英语阅读理解(科普环保)题20套(带答案)及解析一、高中英语阅读理解科普环保类1．犇犇阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C和D四个选项中，选出最佳选项。
A team of international scientists is due to set off for the world's biggest iceberg in a mission aiming to answer fundamental questions about the impact of climate change in the polar regions. The scientists, led by the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), are trying to reach a newly revealed ecosystem that had been hidden for 120,000 years below the Larsen C ice shelf.Last year, part of the Larsen C ice shelf calved (崩解) away, forming a huge iceberg-A68—which is four times bigger than London, and revealing life beneath for the first time. Now scientists say it is a race against time to explore these new ecosystems before they are transformed to the light. Marine biologist Dr Katrin Linse from the BAS is leading the mission."The calving of A68 provides us with a unique opportunity to study marine life as it responds to a huge environment change," she said. "It is important that we get there quickly before the undersea environment changes as sunlight enters the water."Professor David Vaughan, science director at the BAs, said, "We need to be bold (大胆的) on this one. Larsen C is a long way south and there's lots of sea ice in the area, but this is important science, so we will try our best to get the team where they need to be. He said climate change had already affected the sea around Antarctica and is warming some coastal waters. "Future warming may make some habitats warm. Where these habitats support unique species that are adapted to love the cold and not the warm, those species are going to either move or die."There is growing concern about the possible impact of climate change in the Antarctic. Earlier this month, a report revealed that melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are speeding up the already fast pace of the sea level rise. The research, published by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, said, "At the current rate, the world's ocean will be, on average, at least 60cm higher by the end of the century." However, it found that the process is accelerating, and more than three quarters of the acceleration since 1993 is due to melting ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica, the study shows.（1）Why are the scientists eager to go to the iceberg?A. To study how the iceberg was formed.B. To study a newly discovered ecosystem.C. To explore a new way to prevent climate change.D. To explore the geography of the Larsen C ice shelf.（2）What do the underlined words "this one" in the fourth paragraph refer to?A. The Larsen C ice shelf.B. Climate change in Antarctica.C. The A68 iceberg with the ecosystem beneath it.D. The condition of animal species in Antarctica.（3）What can we learn about the A68 iceberg from the text?A. It is as big as London.B. It is part of an ice shelf in the Arctic.C. It will disappear in a very short time.D. It has uncovered an unknown ecosystem in Antarctica.（4）What can we infer from the last paragraph?A. There is no need to worry about climate change in Antarctica.B. The ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica are melting at a steady rate.C. Many creatures living in deep water will die out due to climate change.D. By 2100, the sea level will have risen to a much higher level than now.【答案】（1）B（2）C（3）D（4）D【解析】【分析】本文是一篇说明文，南极地区的拉森C冰架崩解形成了一座巨大的冰山A68 iceberg。
2020年高考历年英语阅读理解—科普知识类范文
科普知识类第一篇(2011?陕西卷)DEver since they were first put on the market in the early 1990s, gentically mondified (GM, 转基因) foods have been increasingly developed and marketed in many countries in the word,mainly on the basis of their promise to end the worldwide food crisis. But can GM technology solve world hunger problems? Even if it would ,is it the best solutiorr?Despite what it promiises,GM technology actually has not increased the production potential of any corp. In fact Studies show that the most crown GM croo.GM soybeans, has suffered reduced productivity. For instance, a report than analysed nearly two decades of research on mojor GM food crops shows that GM engineering has failed to significantly increase US crop production.Something else, however, has been on the rise, While GM seeds are expensive, GM companics tell farmers that they will make good profits by saving money on pesticides(杀虫剂). On the contrary, US government data show that GM crops in the US have produced an overall increase in pesticide use compared to traditional crops. “ The promise was that you could use less chemicals and boost production. But nether is true,” said Bill Christison, President of the US National Farm Coalition.At the same time, the authors of the book World Hunger: Twelve Myths argue that there actually is more than enough food in the world and that the hunger crisis is not caused by production, but by problems in food distribution and politics. These indeed deserve our efforts and money. Meanwhile, the rise in food prices results from the increased use of crops for fuel rather than food, according to a 2008 World Bank report.As a matter of fact ,scientists see better ways to feed the world. Another World Bank report concluded that GM crops have little to offer to the challenges of worldwide poverty and hunger, because better ways out are available, among which “green”farming is supposed to be the first choice.57.The author develops the second paragraph mainly . 【C】A. by classificationB. by comparisonC. by exampleD. by process58. What does the underlined word “boost ” in the third paragraph probably mean? 【D】A. Control.B. EvaluateC. Obtain.D. Increase.59. GM companies promise farmers that they will benefit from _________. 【B】A. practicing “green” farmingB. use of less chemicalsC. fair distribution of their cropsD. using more crops for fuel60. Which of the following best describes the attitude of the author towards GM technology?【C】A. OptimisticB. DefensiveC. DisapprovingD. Casual科普知识类第二篇(2011?重庆卷)CGetting rid of dirt, in the opinion of most people, is a good thing. However, there is nothing fixed about attitudes to dirt.In the early 16th century, people thought that dirt on the skin was a means to block out disease, as medical opinion had it that washing off dirt with hot water could open up the skin and let ills in. A particular danger was thought to lie in public baths. By 1538, the French king had closed the bath houses in his kingdom. So did the king of England in 1546.Thus began a long time when the rich and the poor in Europe lived with dirt in a friendly way. Henry IV, King of France, was famously dirty. Upon learning that a nobleman had taken a bath, the king ordered that, to avoid the attack of disease, the nobleman should not go out.Though the belief in the merit of dirt was long-lived, dirt has no longer been regarded as a nice neighbor ever since the 18th century. Scientifically speaking, cleaning away dirt is good to health. Clean water supply and hand washing are practical means of preventing disease. Yet, it seems that standards of cleanliness have moved beyond science since World War Ⅱ. Advertisements repeatedly sell the idea: clothes need to be whiter than white, cloths ever softer, surfaces to shine. Has the hate for dirt, however, gone too far?Attitudes to dirt still differ hugely nowadays. Many first-time parents nervously try to warn their children offtouching dirt, which might be responsible for the spread of disease.On the contrary, Mary Ruebush, an American immunologist(免疫学家)，encourages children to play in the dirt to build up a strong immune system. And the latter position is gaining some ground.64. The kings of France and England in the 16th century closed bath houses because .A. they lived healthily in a dirty environment.B. they thought bath houses were too dirty to stay inC. they believed disease could be spread in public bathsD. they considered bathing as the cause of skin disease65.Which of the following best describes Henry IV’s attitude to bathing?A. Afraid.B. Curious.C. Approving.D. Uninterested.66. How does the passage mainly develop?A. By providing examples.B. By making comparisons.C. By following the order of time.D. By following the order of importance.67. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?A. To stress the role of dirt.B. To introduce the history of dirt.C. To call attention to the danger of dirt.D. To present the change of views on dirt.【答案】CA CD科普知识类第三篇(2011?湖南卷)CA recent study of ancient and modern elephants has come up with the unexpected conclusion that the African elephant is divided into two distinct (不同的) speciesThe discovery was made by researchers at York and Harvard universities when they were examining the genetic relationship between the ancient woolly mammoth and mastodon to modern elephants—the Asian elephant, African forest elephant and African savanna elephantOnce they obtained DNA sequences (序列) from two fossils (化石)，mammoths and mastodons the team compared them with DNA from。
高考英语 阅读理解话题练3 阅读理解(科普知识类)+阅读七选五
阅读理解话题练3阅读理解(科普知识类)＋阅读七选五时间：40分钟满分：40分阅读理解A(2017·芜湖三模)体裁：说明文话题：科普知识难度：★★☆☆☆A scientist believes he has discovered a direct link between people's favourite sleeping position and their personality. Professor Chris Idzikowski has described six different positions and what each one says about a person's character. The professor, who did the research for a hotel group, said, “We are all aware of our body language when we are awake but this is the first time we have been able to see what our position says about us when we are asleep.” At the moment, Professor Idzikowski is trying to sleep in a yoga position that involves crossing your legs around your neck. He says there is no perfect position for sleeping.1．THE STARFISH“Starfish” sleep flat on their back with their arms raised. They are good listeners who make friends easily but do not like to be the centre of the attention.2．THE YEARNER“Yearners” sleep on their side with their arms raised. They are doubtful and have a very sensible approach to life.3．THE FOETUSThe most popular position, particularly among women. They sleep curled (蜷缩) up on their side, holding on to the pillow. They appear to be tough but are actually sensitive and shy.4．THE FREEFALLEROnly 6.5% of people prefer to sleep on their front, making this the least popular sleeping position. “Freefallers” seem very confident, although this hides a nervous personality.5．THE LOGThe “log” position is similar to the “yearner” but with arms by thesides. “Logs” are easygoing and sociable, but can be seen as too gullible,_easily to be victims.6．THE SOLDIER“Soldiers”，who sleep on their back with their arms by their sides, are quiet and reserved. They set high standards for themselves and do not like noisy social situations.【语篇解读】文章介绍了不同的睡眠姿势所体现出来的不同性格。
(完整)高考英语阅读理解科普类说明文4篇--较难(有答案)
高考英语说明文4篇1Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can’t makeus tire. It sounds absurd/əb'sɜːd/荒谬的. But a years ago, scientists tried to find out how long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage 阶段of fatigue /fə'tiːg/(疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we tooka drop of blood from a day laborer劳动者, we would find it fullof fatigue toxins /'tɒksɪn/ (毒素) and fatigue products. But if wetook blood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show nofatigue toxins at the end of the day.So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly很快地at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain istotally tireless. So what makes us tired?Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mental and emotional(情绪的) attitudes. One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which we suffer is of mental origin /'ɒrɪdʒɪn/起源. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.”Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction?No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety/æŋ'zaɪətɪ/焦虑, tenseness紧张, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated---those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.1. What surprised the scientists a few years ago?A. Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood.B. Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn after a day’s work.C. The brain could work for many hours without fatigue.D. A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins.2. According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?A. Challenging mental work.B. Unpleasant emotions.C. Endless tasks.D. Physical labo3. What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ idea?A. He agrees with them.B. He doubts them.C. He argues against them.D. He hesitates to accept them.4. We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to ________.A. have some good food.B. enjoy their workC. exercise regularlyD. discover fatigue toxins2They baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quietbut alert /ə'lɜːt/（警觉）. Twenty centimeters厘from her face researchershave placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully.A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other, her gaze（凝视）starts to lose its focus — until a third, with three black spots,is presented. Her gaze returns: she looks at it for twice as long as she did at the previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three, just 24 hours after coming into the world?Or do newborns simply prefer more to fewer? The same experiment, but with three spots shown before two, shows the same return of interest when the number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness 名，新奇? When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects (a comb, a key, an orange and so on), changing the number of objects had an effect separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make, as opposed to three? No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three,or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats than when they heard just two; likewise （同样地）when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots.5. The experiment described in Paragraph 1 is related to the baby’s__.A. sense of hearingB. sense of sightC. sense of touch D sense of smell6. Babies are sensitive to the change in______.A. the size of cardsB. the colour of picturesC. the shape of patternsD. the number of objects7. Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats?A. To reduce the difficulty of the experiment.B. To see howbabies recognize sounds.C. To carry their experiment further.D. To keep the babies’interest.8. Where does this text probably come from?A. Science fiction.B. Children’s literature.C. An advertisement.D.A science report3Last night’s meteor(流星) 英/'miːtɪə/ shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding 苛求的；要求高的；吃力的answers. According to Gabe Rothsclild, Emerald Valley’s mayor市长, people gathered in thesuburbs /'sʌbɜːb/of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brightene by the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead. “My family was so frustrated,” admitted town resident Duane Cosby, “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be a huge disappointments.”Astronomers- /ə'strɒnəmə/n. 天文学家--scientists who study stars and planets---- have beencomplaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fightagainst it.There is yet a population besides professional and amateur /ˈæmətə(r)/美 /'æmə.tʃʊr/n. 爱好者star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating(迁徙的)birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association. “100million birds a year throughout North America die in crashes 撞碎with lighted buildings and towers.”Countless more animals casualties(伤亡）result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings, but some scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase pers on’s chances of getting cancer. Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona/,æri'zəunə/美 /,æri'zəunə/n. 美国亚利桑那州, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory.英 /əb'zɜːvət(ə)rɪ/美 /əb'zɝvətɔri/n. 天文台；气象台；瞭望台Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement isunderway 进行中的to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so thatother creatures can share the night.9.It happened last night thatA. the city’s lights affected the meteor watchingB. the meteors flew past before being noticedC. the city light show attracted many peopleD. the meteor watching ended up a social outing10. What do the astronomers complain about?A. Meteor showers occur less often than beforeB. Their observation equipment is in poor repairC. Light pollution has remained unsolved for yearsD. Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting11. What the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?A. Birds may take other migration pathsB. Animals living habits may changesuddenlyC. Varieties of animals will become sharplyreducedD. Animals’ survival is threatened byoutdoor lighting12. Lighting regulations in Flagstaff, Arizona areput into effect toA. Lessen the chance of getting cancerB. create an ideal observation conditionC. ensure citizens a good sleep at nightD. enable all creatures to live in harmony13.What message does the author most want to give us?A. Saving wildlife is saving ourselvesB. Great efforts should be made to save energyC. Human activities should be environmentally friendlyD. New equipment should be introduced for space study4Almost every machine with moving parts has wheels, yet no one knows exactly when the first wheel was invented or what it was used for. We do know，however，that they existed over 5,500years ago in ancient Asia.The oldest known transport wheel was discovered in 2002 in Slovenia. It is over 5，100 years old. Evidence suggests thatwheels for transport didn't become popular for .while, though . This could be because animals did a perfectly good job of carryingfarming tools and humans around.But it could also be because of a difficult situation. While wheels need to roll on smooth surfaces, roads with smooth surfaces weren't going to be constructed until there was plenty of demand for them. Eventually, road surfaces did become smoother, but this difficult situation appeared again a few centuries later. There had been no important changes in wheel and vehicle design before the arrival of modern road design.In the mid-1700s,a Frenchman came up with a new design of road--a base layer (层)of large stones covered with a thin layer of smaller stones. A Scotsman苏格兰人improved on this design in the 1820s and a strong, lasting road surface became a reality. At around the same time, metal hubs英 /hʌb/美 /hʌb/n. 中心；毂；木片(the central part of a wheel)、came into being, followed by the Wheels were invented in 1967, sixty years after the appearance of tarmacked roads(泊油路). As wheel design took off,vehicles got faster and faster.14. What might explain why transport wheels didn’t become popular for some time?A. Few knew how to use transport wheels.B. Humans carried farming tools just aswell. C. Animals were a good means oftransport.D. The existence of transport wheels was not known.15. What do we know about road design from the passage?A. It was easier than wheel design.B. It improved after big changes in vehicle design.C. It was promoted by fast-moving vehicles.D. It provided conditions for wheel design to develop.16. How is the last paragraph mainly developed?A. By giving examples.B. By making comparisons.C.By following time order.D.By making classifications.17.What is the passage mainly about ?A.The beginning of road deaign.B.The development of transport wheel.C.The history of public transport.D.The invention of fast-moving vehicles.。
高考英语真题分项解析：专题16+科普类说明文
专题十六阅读理解之科普类说明文1.【·湖北卷】DThe oddness of life in space never quite goes away. Here are some examples.First consider something as simple as sleep. Its position presents its own challenges. The main question is whether you want your arms inside or outside the sleeping bag. If you leave your arms out, they float free in zero gravity, often giving a sleeping astronaut the look of a funny balled （芭蕾）dancer. “I’m an inside guy,” Mike Hopkins says, who returned from a six-month tour on the International Space St ation. “I like to be wrapped up.”On the station, the ordinary becomes strange. The exercise bike for the American astronauts has no handlebars. It also has no seat. With no gravity, it’s just as easy to pedal violently. You can watch a movie while you pedal by floating a microcomputer anywhere you want. But station residents have to be careful about staying in one place too long. Without gravity to help circulate air, the carbon dioxide you exhale (呼气) has a tendency to form an invisible （隐形的）cloud around you head. You can end up with what astronauts call a carbon-dioxide headache.Leroy Chiao, 54, an American retired astronaut after four flights, describes what happens even before you float out of your seat,”Your inner ear thinks your’re falling . Meanwhil e your eyes are telling you you’re standing straight. That can be annoying—that’s why some people feel sick.” Within a couple days —truly terrible days for some —astronauts’ brains learn to ignore the panicky signals from the inner ear, and space sickness disappears.Space travel can be so delightful but at the same time invisibly dangerous. For instance, astronauts lose bone mass. That’s why exercise is considered so vital that National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) puts it right on the workday schedule. The focus on fitness is as much about science and the future as it is about keeping any individual astronauts return home, and, more importantly, how to maintain strength and fitness for the two and a half years or more that it would take to make a round-trip to Mars.63.What is the major challenge to astronauts when they sleep in space?A. Deciding on a proper sleep positionB. Choosing a comfortable sleeping bagC. Seeking a way to fall asleep quicklyD. Finding a right time to go to sleep.64.The astronauts will suffer from a carbon-dioxide headache when _____.A. the y circle around on their bikesB. they use microcomputers without a stopC. they exercise in one place for a long timeD. they watch a movie while pedaling65.Some astronauts feel sick on the station during the first few days because _____.A. their senses stop workingB. they have to stand up straightC. they float out of their seats unexpectedlyD. whether they are able to go back to the station66.One of the NASA’s major concerns about astronauts is _____.A. how much exercise they do on the stationB. how they can remain healthy for long in spaceC. whether they can recover after returning homeD. whether they are able to go back to the station【解析】试题分析：这是一篇说明文。
高考英语阅读理解科普文难度较高完整版
高考英语阅读理解科普文难度较高HUA system office room 【HUA16H-TTMS2A-HUAS8Q8-HUAH1688】2014年高考英语二轮复习阅读理解拉分题（较难题目）特训：节能环保类1The Goldman Environmental Foundation recently recognized a group ofindividuals (个体) for their efforts to protect the environment. Each year,the American-based group honors environmental activists from six different areas.The first three winners of the 2012 Goldman Prize are from Kenya, the Philippines and China.The Goldman Environmental Foundation says Ikal Angelei is a hero to those who live around Lake Turkana. The Kenyan woman received the award because of her efforts to stop a dam project on a river in Ethiopia. Critics say the dam will harm the lake and restrict (限制) the flow of water for people who live nearby. The Philippine island of Mindoro is home to those who depend on the area’s natural resources for food and jobs. Edwin Gariguez became concerned when a European company announced plans to mine for nickel (镍) on the island. The Roman Catholic minister said waste materials from the mining project would pollute the water and destroy the forests. So he started a campaign to stopthe project.In China, Ma June is working with businesses to clean up their pollution. He formed a group that collects information about pollution, and publishes it on the Internet.The Goldman Prize was also awarded to activists from Argentina, Russia and the United States.Sofia Gatica of Argentina is from a town where farmers commonly use pesticide (杀虫剂) products to protect soybean crops from insects. The town also has a high rate of cancer. Sofia Gatica belie ved that pesticide use was responsible for the death of her baby. She worked with other mothers to get government officials to ban the use of chemicals near populated areas.Evgenia Chirikova objects to the plans to build a road through a protected forest just outside Moscow. She has demanded that Russian officials redirectth e road away from the forest. She and her followers have been arrested for their activities. However, their campaign has gained widespread public support. The sixth winner is American Caroline Cannon—a community leader in Point Hope, Alaska. Miz Cannon is fighting to keep Arctic waters safe from oil and gasexp loration.60. We can know from the passage that ______.A. the dam project has been preventedB. the first three activists are all from AsiaC. a European company is going to dig for nickelD. Ma June is trying to stop oil and gas exploration61. From the 7th paragraph, we can know that ______.A. pesticide use accounts for a high-rate of cancerB. Sofia managed to ban the use of chemicalsC. the farmers mainly live on unpolluted productsD. the death of the baby was due to delayed treatment62. What do we know about Evgenia ChirikovaA. She plans to build a road to protect the forest.B. She is in charge of a project far away from the road.C. She persuaded the government to set her followers free.D. Her environmental action has been widely acknowledged.63. What would be the best title for the passageA. Six Advanced Individuals for Hard WorkB. Efforts to Create a Clean and Beautiful WorldC. Six Environmental Activists Win Goldman PrizeD. The Goldman Environmental Foundation Prize2SCS Global Services （SCS） has evaluated a new methodology for measuring the carbon sequestration（封存） ability of soil under the Verified（验证） Carbon Standard （VCS）, a leading greenhouse gas （GHG） accounting system. The methodology, developed by The Earth Partners, will allow land managers who sequester GHGs in grasslands and farmlands to produce carbon credits for sale in the voluntary market.Managers of grasslands and farmlands can increase carbon sequestration in soil by practices such as changing grazing（放牧） practices and operating treatments designed to improve the variety and productivity of plant groups. The Earth Partners is presently piloting this methodology with farmers across seven million acres of the Palouse River and Columbia Plateau regions in the Pacific Northwest.“The VCS p rogram has achieved an important milestone in now combining grassland and rangeland carbon offset（抵消，补偿） projects," said Dr. Robert J. Hrubes, Executive Vice President of SCS."SCS looks forward to approving and verifying agricultural carbon offset projects that use this very powerful new methodology."The VM0021 Soil Carbon Quantification Methodology is based on decades of soil carbon research and testing conducted by top soil scientists. The methodology was developed by The Earth Partners and verified by Environmental Services, Inc. as well as SCS Global Services. It is the first soil carbon methodology to be approved for use under the VCS."This widely tested methodology is the first to specially deal with soils in a market," said Steven I. Apfelbaum, Chairman of Applied Ecological Services, Inc. and Director of Science with The Earth Partners. According to Apfelbaum, soils represent the second largest living sink of carbon on the planet.68. The new methodology is assessed according to .A. The Earth PartnersB. the Verified Carbon StandardC. Environmental Services, Inc.D. Applied Ecological Services, Inc.69. Carbon sequestration in soil can be strengthened by .A. selling carbon credits in the voluntary marketB. changing grazing practices and operating treatmentsC. reducing the variety and productivity of plant groupsD. decreasing farmlands in the Pacific Northwest70. Which of the following is true according to the passage?A. The VCS program proves to be successful in carbon offset projects.B. Many soil Carbon Methodologies have already been approved for use.C. The new methodology has been tested in many fields including soil.D. Soils seem to be the largest living sink of carbon on the planet.71. What is the attitude of SCS towards the new methodology?A. Opposed.B. Cautious.C. Doubtful.D. Approving.3Rainforest is home to around two-thirds of all plant and animal species found on land—in addition to millions of people who depend on them for survival—our remaining ancient forests are some of the most diverse ecosystems known to science. They are also vitally important to the health of our planet, especially when it comes to regulating the climate. But ancient forests around the world are under attack.Protecting rainforests is on the global agenda (议事日程) in a big way. Governments now recognize the importance of protecting tropical forests in order to avoid dangerous climate change, and there is now much debate. As governments try to thrash out the details of a new international agreement, expected to be signed at the end of 2009, they are discussing how best to include measures to save rainforests, and therefore address one of the majorcauses of climate change. Worldwide, forest destruction causes more greenhouse gas emissions (排放) each year than do all the trains, planes and cars on the planet. So if we are to deal with global warming, there is an urgent need to find ways to reduce the 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions caused byforest destruction each year, and to keep the remaining forests standing.We need to protect the planet’s remaining forests not only to stop climate change from getting worse, but to ensure that we can stand the impacts ofglobal warming. Healthy forests absorb and store quantities of carbon, helping to regulate temperature and generate rain. When they are destroyed, thiscarbon is released into the atmosphere. Thus keeping forests standing is botha critical part of regulating climate change and of adapting to a warmer world. To date, most of the talk has focused on how to pay for reducing deforestation (滥伐森林), rather than on how to actually go about doing it. We believe governments need to support local people to protect their environment, as we have been showing for 20 years can be a very effective way of saving rainforests.1. The best title for the passage is .A. Rainforest and Climate ChangeB. Strategies on Protecting RainforestC. Serious Deforestation to RainforestD. Present Situation of Rainforest2. From the first paragraph we can infer that .A. we have little rainforest left until nowB. the ancient forests are being destroyedC. rainforest control the planet in many waysD. Rainforest is home to all plants and animals on earth3. The underlined part “thrash out” in the second paragraph means.A. try to understandB. come up withC. hide awayD. havea thorough discussion4. Greenhouse gas emissions caused by forest destruction .A. are the same amount by transport on earthB. take 20% of global greenhouse gas emissionsC. can be avoided by setting measures onlyD. have nothing to do with climate change5. From the text we can learn that healthy forest .A. can keep us healthy and happyB. can increase the effect from global warmingC. can be helpful in adjusting the temperatureD. can give out large amounts of carbon4Rivers may be a significant source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (一氧化二氮), scientists now find.Their calculation suggests that across the globe the waterways contributethree times the amount of nitrous oxide to the atmosphere as had beenestimated by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations scientific body charged with reviewing climate change research. They found that the amount of nitrous oxide produced in streams is related to human activities that release nitrogen (氮) into the environment, such as fertilizer use and sewage discharges.“Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion and intensive agriculture, ha ve increased the availability of nitrogen in the environment,” said Jake Beaulieu of the University of Notre Dame and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Cincinnati, Ohio, and lead author of the paper published this weekin the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.“Much of this nitrogen is transported into river and stream networks,” Beaulieu said. There, microbes (微生物) convert the nitrogen into nitrous oxide (also called laughing gas) and an inert gas called dinitrogen (二氮). The finding is important, the researchers say, because nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributes to climate change and destruction of the stratosphere’s ozone layer, which protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (紫外线) radiation. Compared with carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide is 300-fold more powerful in terms of its warming potential, though carbon dioxide is a far more common greenhouse gas. Scientists estimate nitrous oxide accounts for about 6 percent of human-induced climate change.Beaulieu and colleagues measured nitrous oxide production rates in 72 streams. When summed across the globe, the results showed rivers and streams are the source of at least 10 percent of human-caused nitrous oxide emissions to the atmosphere.“Changes in agricultural and land-use practices that result in less nitrogen being delivered to streams would reduce nitrous oxide emissions from river networks,” Beaulieu said.1. From the second paragraph we can learn .A. actually rivers give off much more nitrous oxide than expectedB. scientists’ calculation is totally wrongC. human activities release nitrous oxide in to the riversD. there is no nitrogen in fertilizer2. Which of the following is NOT the source of nitrogenA. Fertilizer use.B. Sewage discharges.C. Fossil fuel combustion.D. Climate change.3. Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas because .A. it can protect us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiationB. it is to blame for most of human-induced climate changeC. it is a far more common greenhouse gasD. it has much more warming potential than carbon dioxide4. What does the passage mainly tells usA. Rivers may be a source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide.B. It’s human activities that release nitrogen int o the environment.C. How to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from river networksD What to do with the climate change caused by nitrous oxide.5The Maldives faces the threat of extinction from rising sea levels, but the government said on Thursday it was looking to the future with plans to build homes and a golf course that float.An increase in sea levels of just 18 to 59 centimeters would make the Maldives—a nation of tiny coral islands in the Indian Ocean—virtually uninhabitable by 2100, the UN’s cli mate change panel has warned.President Mohamed Nasheed has vowed a fight for survival, and last month he signed a deal with a Dutch company to study proposals for a floating structure that could support a conference centre, homes and an 18-hole golf course.“It is still early stages and we are awaiting a report on the practicality,”a government official who declined to be named said.The company, Dutch Docklands, is currently building floating developments in the Netherlands and Dubai. There was no immediate comment from the firm butits website said it undertook projects that make “land from water by providing large-scale floating constructions to create similar conditions as on land”.The Maldives began to work on an artificial island known as the Hulhumale near the crowded capital island of Male in 1997 and more than 30,000 people havebeen settled there to ease congestion. The city, which has a population of 100,000, is already protected from rising sea levels by a 30-million-dollar sea wall, and the government is considering increasingly imaginative ways to combat climate change.Nasheed, who staged the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting in Octoberto highlight his people’s serious and difficult situation, has even spoken of buying land elsewhere in the world to enable Maldivians to relocate if their homes are completed covered.He has also promised to turn his nation into a model for the rest of the world by becoming “carbon neutral” by 2020. His plan involves ending fossil fuel use and pow ering all vehicles and buildings from “green” sources such as burning coconut husks.1. Why do you think Mohamed Nasheed chose Dutch DocklandsA. Because it has experience in building floating structure.B. Because it has a good fame throughout the world.C. Because it charged much less than other companies.D. Because it supports building floating structures in the world.2. The Hulhumale was built with the purpose of .A. attracting more visitorsB. making it a new capitalC. making the capital less crowdedD. fighting against climate change3. According to the last two paragraphs, Nasheed is a person who .A. has succeeded in buying land abroadB. is more than well-knownC. has thought more for his nationD. has stopped using fossil fuel4. The underlined word “vowed” in paragraph 3 can be replaced by.A. endedB. promisedC. failedD. weighed6PLAYA GRANDE, COSTA RICA This resort town was long known for Leatherback Sea Turtle (棱皮龟) national Park, nightly turtle beach tours and even a seaturtle museum. However, on a beach where dozens of turtles used to nest on a given night, scientists spied only 32 leatherbacks all of last year.With leatherbacks threatened with extinction (灭绝), Playa Grande’s turtle museum was abandoned three years ago and now sits among a sea of weeds. And the beachside ticket office for turtle tours was washed away by a high tide inSeptember. “We do not promote that as a turtle tourism destination any more because we realize there are far too few turtles to please,” said Alvaro Fonseca, a park ranger (管理员).Even before scientists found temperatures going up over the past decade, sea turtles were threatened by beach development, drift net fishing and Costa Ricans interest in eating turtle eggs. But climate change may cause the most serious harm to an animal that has lived in the Pacific for 150 million years. Sea turtles are sensitive to numerous effects of warming. They feed on reefs, which are dying in hotter seas. They lay eggs on beaches that are being covered by rising seas and more violent waves.More uniquely their gender (性别) is determined, not by genes but by theegg’s temperature during development. Small rises in beach temperatures can result in ail-female populations, obviously problematic for survival. If the sand around the eggs hits 30 degrees Celsius, the gender balance shits to females: at about 32 degrees they are all female. Above 34, you get boiled eggs.On some nesting beaches, scientists are artificially cooling nests with shade or irrigation and trying to protect broader areas of coastal property from development to ensure that turtles have a place to nest as the seas rise.5. Why does the resort town stop promoting it’s turtle tourismA. It decides no t to disturb the turtles’ normal life.B. Tourists have lost interest in watching turtles.C. There are only very few turtles now.D. The turtle museum was destroyed by a high tide.6. Which of the following is the major factor in the turtles endangermentA. The locals eating habit.B. Drift net fishing.C. Beach development.D. Global warming.7. We learn from the last paragraph that scientists .A. are doing research on the sea riseB. are moving turtles to new homesC. are protecting turtles’ nestsD. are getting rid of sea weeds8. The passage intends to .A. introduce a special kind of sea turtleB. explain the mystery of turtles’ eggsC. show the dangers a certain kind of turtle is facingD. attract more visitors to a sea turtle museum7Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best. For example, to absorb heat from the sun to heat water, you need large, flat, black surfaces. One way to dothat is to build those surfaces specially, on the roofs of buildings. But why go to all that trouble when cities are full of black surfaces already, in the form of asphalt(柏油) roadsTen years ago, this thought came into the mind of Arian de Bondt, a Dutch engineer. He finally persuaded his boss to follow it up. The result is that their building is now heated in winter and cooled in summer by a system that relies on the surface of the road outside.The heat-collector is a system of connected water pipes. Most of them run from one side of the street to the other, just under the asphalt road. Some, however, dive deep into the ground.When the street surface gets hot in summer, water pumped through the pipes picks up this heat and takes it underground through one of the diving pipes. At a depth of 100 metres lies a natural aquifer(蓄水层) into which several heat exchangers(交换器) have been built. The hot water from the street runs through these exchangers, warming the ground-water, before returning to the surface through another pipe. The aquifer is thus used as a heat store.In winter, the working system is changed slightly. Water is pumped through the he at exchangers to pick up the heat stored during summer. This water goes into the building and is used to warm the place up. After performing that task, it is pumped under the asphalt and its remaining heat keeps the road free of snow and ice.1. Which of the following is true according to the first two paragraphsA. Arian de Bondt got his idea from his boss.B. Large, flat, black surfaces need to be built in cities.C. The Dutch engineer’s system has been widely used.D. Heat can also be collected from asphalt roads.2. For what purpose are the diving pipes usedA. To absorb heat from the sun.B. To store heat for future use.C. To turn solar energy into heat energy.D. To carry heat down below the surface.3. From the last paragraph we can learn that .A. some pipes have to be re-arranged in winterB. the system can do more than warming up the buildingC. the exchangers will pick up heat from the street surfaceD. less heat may be collected in winter than in summer4. What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that followsA. What we shall do if the system goes wrong.B. What we shall do if there are no asphalt roads.C. How the system cools the building in summer.D. How the system collects heat in spring and autumn.8We already know the fastest, least expensive way to slow climate change: Use less energy. With a little effort, and not much money, most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.Not long ago, my wife, PJ, and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change. Scientists have reported recently that the world is heating up even faster than predicted only a few years ago, and that the consequences could be severe if we don’t keep) and other greenhouse gases reducing emissions(排放) of carbon dioxide(CO2that are trapping heat in our atmosphere.We decided to try an experiment. For one month we recorded our personal. We wanted to see how much we could cut back, so we went on a emissions of CO2a strict die t. The average US household(家庭) produces about 150 pounds of CO2 day by doing common-place things like turning on air-conditioning or driving cars. That’s more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average, mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses. But how much should we try to reduceFor an answer, I checked with Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers:How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth. In his book, he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emissions to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points, such as the melting(融化) of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica. “To stay below that point, we need to reduce COemissions by 80 percent, “ he said.2Good advice, I thought. I’d opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind. We’d gotten so used to keeping our air-conditioning going around the clock. I’d almost forgotten the windows even opened. We should not let this happen again. It’s time for us to change our hab its if necessary.1. Why did the author and his wife try a new dietA. To take special kinds of food.B. To respond to climate change.C. To lose weight.D. To improve their health.2. The underlined words “tipping points” most probably refer to “”.A. freezing pointsB. burning pointsC. melting pointsD. boiling points3. It can be inferred from the passage that .A. it is necessary to keep the air-conditioning on all the timeB. it seems possible for every household to cut emissions of CO2a monthC. the average US household produces about 3, 000 pounds of CO2a month D. the average European household produces about 1, 000 pounds of CO24. Which of the following would be the best title for this passageA. Saving Energy Starts at HomeB. Changing Our Habits Begins at WorkC. Changing Climate Sounds ReasonableProves DifficultD. Reducing Emissions of CO29The need to feed a growing population is putting much pressure on the world’s supply of water. With 97% of the world’s w ater too salty to be drunk or used in agriculture, the worldwide supply of water needs careful management, especially in agriculture. Although the idea of a water shortage (短缺) seems strange to someone fortunate enough to live in a high rainfall country, many of the world’s agricultural industries experience constant water shortages. Although dams can be built to store water for agricultural use in dry areas and dry seasons, the costs of water redistribution (重新分配) are very high. Not only is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an environmental cost to be considered. Where valleys (山谷) are flooded to create dams, houses are lost and wildlife homes destroyed. Besides, water may flow easily through pipes to fields, but it cannot be transported from one side of the world to the other. Each country must therefore rely on the management of its own water to supply its farming requirements.This is particularly troubling for countries with agricultural industries in areas dependent on irrigation (灌溉). In Texas, farmers’ overuse of irrgation water has resulted in a 25% reduction of the water stores. In the Central Valley area of southwestern USA, a huge water engineering project provided water for farming in dry valleys, but much of the water use has been poorly managed.Saudi Arabia’s attempts to grow wheat in desert areas have seen the pumpingo f huge quantities of irrigation water from underground reserves. Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it is believed that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry.1. From the first two paragraphs we learn that .A. much of the world’s water is available for useB. people in high rainfall countries feel luckyC. the costs of water redistribution should be consideredD. water can be easily carried through pipes across the world2. Which of the following is trueA. The water stores in Texas have been reduced by 75%.B. Most industries in the world suffer from water shortages.C. The underground water in Saudi Arabia might run out in 50 years.D. Good management of water use resulted from the project in the Central Valley.3. What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that followsA. Steps to improving water use management.B. Ways to reduce the costs of building dams.C. Measures to deal with worldwide water shortages.D. Approaches to handling the pressure on water supply.4. The text is mainly about .A. water supply and increasing populationB. water use management and agricultureC. water redistribution and wildlife protectionD. water shortages and environmental protection10Businesses are witnessing a difficult time, which has in turn produced influence on consumers’ desire to go green. However, shopper s are still laying stress on environmental concerns.Two thirds of customers say that environmental considerations inform their purchases to the same degree as they did a year ago, while more than a quarter say that they are now even better aware of the environmental effect on what they buy.This may help to influence how shops store goods on their shelves. And the companies should still make efforts to become more environmentally friendly. Two out of three people think it is important to buy from environmentally responsible companies, with about one in seven saying that they had even decided to take their custom elsewhere if they felt a company’s environmental reputation was not good enough.Harry Morrison, chief executive (主管) of the Carbon Trust, sympathizes: “I understand this situation where survival is very important now. But f rom environmental considerations, the clock is ticking—we don’t have much time. In addition, cutting carbon has an immediate effect as costs drop and a medium-term benefit for the brand.”Larger companies have an extra motivation to look at reducing their carbon footprint, as new rules next year will require businesses to buy carbon allowances to make up for their emissions (排放). Those that have taken early action will have a head start. More than two thirds of consumers are not clear about which companies are environmentally responsible. This suggests that firms that are able to relay clearly their message to the public will be in a pole position to attract shoppers.。
高考英语阅读理解科普文(难度较高)
2014年高考英语二轮复习阅读理解拉分题（较难题目）特训：节能环保类之答禄夫天创作1The Goldman Environmental Foundation recently recognizeda group of individuals (个体) for their efforts toprotect the environment. Each year, the American-based group honors environmental activists from six different areas.The first three winners of the 2012 Goldman Prize arefrom Kenya, the Philippines and China.The Goldman Environmental Foundation says Ikal Angelei is a hero to those who live around Lake Turkana. The Kenyan woman received the award because of her efforts to stop a dam project on a river in Ethiopia. Critics say the dam will harm the lake and restrict (限制) the flow of water for people who live nearby.The Philippine island of Mindoro is home to those who depend on the area’s natural resources for food and jobs.Edwin Gariguez became concerned when a European company announced plans to mine for nickel (镍) on the island. The Roman Catholic minister said waste materials from the mining project would pollute the water and destroy the forests. So he started a campaign to stop the project.In China, Ma June is working with businesses to clean up their pollution. He formed a group that collects information about pollution, and publishes it on the Internet.The Goldman Prize was also awarded to activists from Argentina, Russia and the United States.Sofia Gatica of Argentina is from a town where farmers commonly use pesticide (杀虫剂) products to protect soybean crops from insects. The town also has a high rate of cancer. Sofia Gatica belie ved that pesticide use was responsible for the death of her baby. She worked with other mothers to get government officials to ban the use of chemicals near populated areas.Evgenia Chirikova objects to the plans to build a road through a protected forest just outside Moscow. She hasdemanded that Russian officials redirect th e road away from the forest. She and her followers have been arrested for their activities. However, their campaign has gained widespread public support.The sixth winner is American Caroline Cannon—a community leader in Point Hope, Alaska. Miz Cannon is fighting to keep Arctic waters safe from oil and gas exp loration.60. We can know from the passage that ______.A. the dam project has been preventedB. the first three activists are all from AsiaC. a European company is going to dig for nickelD. Ma June is trying to stop oil and gas exploration61. From the 7th paragraph, we can know that ______.A. pesticide use accounts for a high-rate of cancerB. Sofia managed to ban the use of chemicalsC. the farmers mainly live on unpolluted productsD. the death of the baby was due to delayed treatment62. What do we know about Evgenia Chirikova？A. She plans to build a road to protect the forest.B. She is in charge of a project far away from the road.C. She persuaded the government to set her followers free.D. Her environmental action has been widely acknowledged.63. What would be the best title for the passage?A. Six Advanced Individuals for Hard WorkB. Efforts to Create a Clean and Beautiful WorldC. Six Environmental Activists Win Goldman PrizeD. The Goldman Environmental Foundation Prize2SCS Global Services （SCS） has evaluated a new methodology for measuring the carbon sequestration（封存） ability of soil under the Verified（验证） Carbon Standard （VCS）, a leading greenhouse gas （GHG）accounting system. The methodology, developed by TheEarth Partners, will allow land managers who sequesterGHGs in grasslands and farmlands to produce carboncredits for sale in the voluntary market.Managers of grasslands and farmlands can increase carbon sequestration in soil by practices such as changing grazing（放牧） practices and operating treatments designed to improve the variety and productivity of plant groups. The Earth Partners is presently piloting this methodology with farmers across seven million acres ofthe Palouse River and Columbia Plateau regions in the Pacific Northwest.“The VCS p rogram has achieved an important milestone in now combining grassland and rangeland carbon offset（抵消, 赔偿） projects," said Dr. Robert J. Hrubes, Executive Vice President of SCS."SCS looks forward to approving and verifying agricultural carbon offset projects that usethis very powerful new methodology."The VM0021 Soil Carbon Quantification Methodology isbased on decades of soil carbon research and testing conducted by top soil scientists. The methodology was developed by The Earth Partners and verified by Environmental Services, Inc. as well as SCS GlobalServices. It is the first soil carbon methodology to be approved for use under the VCS."This widely tested methodology is the first to specially deal with soils in a market," said Steven I. Apfelbaum, Chairman of Applied Ecological Services, Inc. andDirector of Science with The Earth Partners. According to Apfelbaum, soils represent the second largest living sink of carbon on the planet.68. The new methodology is assessed according to.A. The Earth PartnersB. the Verified Carbon StandardC. Environmental Services, Inc.D. Applied Ecological Services, Inc.69. Carbon sequestration in soil can be strengthened by.A. selling carbon credits in the voluntary marketB. changing grazing practices and operating treatmentsC. reducing the variety and productivity of plant groupsD. decreasing farmlands in the Pacific Northwest70. Which of the following is true according to thepassage?A. The VCS program proves to be successful in carbon offset projects.B. Many soil Carbon Methodologies have already been approved for use.C. The new methodology has been tested in many fields including soil.D. Soils seem to be the largest living sink of carbon on the planet.71. What is the attitude of SCS towards the new methodology?A. Opposed.B. Cautious.C. Doubtful.D. Approving.3Rainforest is home to around two-thirds of all plant and animal species found on land—in addition to millions of people who depend on them for survival—our remaining ancient forests are some of the most diverse ecosystems known to science. They are also vitally important to thehealth of our planet, especially when it comes to regulating the climate. But ancient forests around the world are under attack.Protecting rainforests is on the global agenda (议事日程) in a big way. Governments now recognize the importance of protecting tropical forests in order to avoid dangerous climate change, and there is now much debate. As governments try to thrash out the details of a new international agreement, expected to be signed at the end of 2009, they are discussing how best to include measures to save rainforests, and therefore address one of the major causes of climate change. Worldwide, forest destruction causes more greenhouse gas emissions (排放) each year than do all the trains, planes and cars on the planet. So if we are to deal with global warming, thereis an urgent need to find ways to reduce the 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by forest destruction each year, and to keep the remaining forests standing.We need to protect the planet’s remaining forests not only to stop climate change from getting worse, but toensure that we can stand the impacts of global warming. Healthy forests absorb and store quantities of carbon, helping to regulate temperature and generate rain. When they are destroyed, this carbon is released into the atmosphere. Thus keeping forests standing is both a critical part of regulating climate change and of adapting to a warmer world.To date, most of the talk has focused on how to pay for reducing deforestation (滥伐森林), rather than on how to actually go about doing it. We believe governments need to support local people to protect their environment, as we have been showing for 20 years can be a very effective way of saving rainforests.1. The best title for the passage is.A. Rainforest and Climate ChangeB. Strategies on Protecting RainforestC. Serious Deforestation to RainforestD. Present Situation of Rainforest2. From the first paragraph we can infer that.A. we have little rainforest left until nowB. the ancient forests are being destroyedC. rainforest control the planet in many waysD. Rainforest is home to all plants and animals on earth3. The underlined part “thrash out” in the second paragraph means.A. try to understandB. come up withC. hide awayD. have a thorough discussion4. Greenhouse gas emissions caused by forest destruction.A. are the same amount by transport on earthB. take 20% of global greenhouse gas emissionsC. can be avoided by setting measures onlyD. have nothing to do with climate change5. From the text we can learn that healthy forest.A. can keep us healthy and happyB. can increase the effect from global warmingC. can be helpful in adjusting the temperatureD. can give out large amounts of carbon4Rivers may be a significant source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (一氧化二氮), scientists now find.Their calculation suggests that across the globe the waterways contribute three times the amount of nitrous oxide to the atmosphere as had been estimated by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nations scientific body charged with reviewing climate change research. They found that the amount of nitrous oxide produced in streams is related to human activities that release nitrogen (氮) into the environment, such as fertilizer use and sewage discharges.“Human acti vities, including fossil fuel combustion and intensive agriculture, have increased the availability of nitrogen in the environment,” said Jake Beaulieu of the University of Notre Dame and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Cincinnati, Ohio, and lead author of the paper published this week in the journal Proceedingsof the National Academy of Sciences.“Much of this nitrogen is transported into river and stream networks,” Beaulieu said. There, microbes (微生物) convert the nitrogen into nitrous oxide (also called laughing gas) and an inert gas called dinitrogen (二氮). The finding is important, the researchers say, because nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas thatcontributes to climate change and destruction of the stratosphere’s ozone layer, whi ch protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (紫外线) radiation. Compared with carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide is 300-fold more powerful in terms of its warming potential, though carbon dioxide is a far more common greenhouse gas. Scientists estimate nitrous oxide accounts for about 6 percent of human-induced climate change.Beaulieu and colleagues measured nitrous oxide production rates in 72 streams. When summed across the globe, the results showed rivers and streams are the source of at least 10 percent of human-caused nitrous oxide emissionsto the atmosphere.“Changes in agricultural and land-use practices that result in less nitrogen being delivered to streams would reduce nitrous oxide emissions from river networks,” Beaulieu said.1. From the second paragraph we can learn.A. actually rivers give off much more nitrous oxide than expectedB. scientists’ calculation is totally wrongC. human activities release nitrous oxide in to the riversD. there is no nitrogen in fertilizer2. Which of the following is NOT the source of nitrogen?A. Fertilizer use.B. Sewage discharges.C. Fossil fuel combustion.D. Climate change.3. Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas because.A. it can protect us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiationB. it is to blame for most of human-induced climate changeC. it is a far more common greenhouse gasD. it has much more warming potential than carbon dioxide4. What does the passage mainly tells us?A. Rivers may be a source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide.B. It’s human activities that release nitrogen into the environment.C. How to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from river networksD What to do with the climate change caused by nitrous oxide.5The Maldives faces the threat of extinction from rising sea levels, but the government said on Thursday it waslooking to the future with plans to build homes and a golf course that float.An increase in sea levels of just 18 to 59 centimeters would make the Maldives—a nation of tiny coral islandsin the Indian Ocean—virtually uninhabitable by 2100, the UN’s climate change panel has warned.President Mohamed Nasheed has vowed a fight for survival, and last month he signed a deal with a Dutch company to study proposals for a floating structure that could support a conference centre, homes and an 18-hole golf course.“It is still early stages and we are awaiting a report on the practicality,” a government official who declined to be named said.The company, Dutch Docklands, is currently building floating developments in the Netherlands and Dubai. There was no immediate comment from the firm but its website said it undertook projects that make “land from water by providing large-scale floating constructions to create similar conditions as on land”.The Maldives began to work on an artificial island known as the Hulhumale near the crowded capital island of Malein 1997 and more than 30,000 people have been settledthere to ease congestion. The city, which has apopulation of 100,000, is already protected from rising sea levels by a 30-million-dollar sea wall, and the government is considering increasingly imaginative waysto combat climate change.Nasheed, who staged the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting in October to highlight his people’s serious and difficult situation, has even spoken of buying land elsewhere in the world to enable Maldivians to relocateif their homes are completed covered.model for the rest of the world by becoming “carbon neutral” by 2020. His plan involves ending fossil fuel use and powering all vehicles and buildings from “green”sources such as burning coconut husks.1. Why do you think Mohamed Nasheed chose Dutch Docklands?A. Because it has experience in building floatingstructure.B. Because it has a good fame throughout the world.C. Because it charged much less than other companies.D. Because it supports building floating structures in the world.2. The Hulhumale was built with the purpose of.A. attracting more visitorsB. making it a new capitalC. making the capital less crowdedD. fighting against climate change3. According to the last two paragraphs, Nasheed is a person who.A. has succeeded in buying land abroadB. is more than well-knownC. has thought more for his nationD. has stopped using fossil fuel4. The underlined word “vowed” in paragraph 3 can be WordStrd by.A. endedB. promisedC. failedD. weighed6PLAYA GRANDE, COSTA RICA? This resort town was long known for Leatherback Sea Turtle (棱皮龟) national Park,nightly turtle beach tours and even a sea turtle museum. However, on a beach where dozens of turtles used to nest on a given night, scientists spied only 32 leatherbacks all of last year.With leatherbacks threatened with extinction (灭绝), Playa Gra nde’s turtle museum was abandoned three years ago and now sits among a sea of weeds. And the beachside ticket office for turtle tours was washed away by a high tide in September. “We do not promote that as a turtle tourism destination any more because we realize there are far too few turtles to please,” said Alvaro Fonseca, a park ranger (管理员).Even before scientists found temperatures going up over the past decade, sea turtles were threatened by beachdevelopment, drift net fishing and Costa Ricans interest in eating turtle eggs. But climate change may cause the most serious harm to an animal that has lived in the Pacific for 150 million years.Sea turtles are sensitive to numerous effects of warming. They feed on reefs, which are dying in hotter seas. They lay eggs on beaches that are being covered by rising seas and more violent waves.More uniquely their gender (性别) is determined, not by genes but by the egg’s temperature during development. Small rises in beach temperatures can result in ail-female populations, obviously problematic for survival. If the sand around the eggs hits 30 degrees Celsius, the gender balance shits to females: at about 32 degrees they are all female. Above 34, you get boiled eggs.On some nesting beaches, scientists are artificially cooling nests with shade or irrigation and trying to protect broader areas of coastal property from development to ensure that turtles have a place to nest as the seas rise.5. Why does the resort town stop promoting it’s turtle tourism?A. It dec ides not to disturb the turtles’ normal life.B. Tourists have lost interest in watching turtles.C. There are only very few turtles now.D. The turtle museum was destroyed by a high tide.6. Which of the following is the major factor in the turtles endangerment?A. The locals eating habit.B. Drift net fishing.C. Beach development.D. Global warming.7. We learn from the last paragraph that scientists.A. are doing research on the sea riseB. are moving turtles to new homesC. are protecting tur tles’ nestsD. are getting rid of sea weeds8. The passage intends to.A. introduce a special kind of sea turtleB. explain the mystery of turtles’ eggsC. show the dangers a certain kind of turtle is facingD. attract more visitors to a sea turtle museum7Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best. For example,to absorb heat from the sun to heat water, you need large, flat, black surfaces. One way to do that is to buildthose surfaces specially, on the roofs of buildings. But why go to all that trouble when cities are full of black surfaces already, in the form of asphalt(柏油) roads?Ten years ago, this thought came into the mind of Ariande Bondt, a Dutch engineer. He finally persuaded his boss to follow it up. The result is that their building is now heated in winter and cooled in summer by a system that relies on the surface of the road outside.The heat-collector is a system of connected water pipes. Most of them run from one side of the street to the other, just under the asphalt road. Some, however, dive deepinto the ground.When the street surface gets hot in summer, water pumped through the pipes picks up this heat and takes it underground through one of the diving pipes. At a depthof 100 metres lies a natural aquifer(蓄水层) into which several heat exchangers(交换器) have been built. The hot water from the street runs through these exchangers, warming the ground-water, before returning to the surface through another pipe. The aquifer is thus used as a heat store.In winter, the working system is changed slightly. Wateris pumped through the he at exchangers to pick up the heat stored during summer. This water goes into the building and is used to warm the place up. After performing that task, it is pumped under the asphalt and its remaining heat keeps the road free of snow and ice.1. Which of the following is true according to the first two paragraphs?A. Arian de Bondt got his idea from his boss.B. Large, flat, black surfaces need to be built in cities.C. The Dutch engineer’s system has been w idely used.D. Heat can also be collected from asphalt roads.2. For what purpose are the diving pipes used?A. To absorb heat from the sun.B. To store heat for future use.C. To turn solar energy into heat energy.D. To carry heat down below the surface.3. From the last paragraph we can learn that.A. some pipes have to be re-arranged in winterB. the system can do more than warming up the buildingC. the exchangers will pick up heat from the street surfaceD. less heat may be collected in winter than in summer4. What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraphthat follows?A. What we shall do if the system goes wrong.B. What we shall do if there are no asphalt roads.C. How the system cools the building in summer.D. How the system collects heat in spring and autumn.8We already know the fastest, least expensive way to slow climate change:Use less energy. With a little effort, and not much money, most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.Not long ago, my wife, PJ, and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change. Scientists have reported recently that the world is heating up even faster than predicted only a few years ago, and that the consequences could be severe if we don’t keep reducing emissions(排放) of carbon dioxide(CO2) and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere.We decided to try an experiment. For one month we recorded our personal emissions of CO2. We wanted to see how much we could cut back, so we went on a strict die t. The average US household(家庭) produces about 150 pounds of CO2 a day by doing common-place things like turning on air-conditioning or driving cars. That’s more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average, mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses. But how much should we try to reduce?For an answer, I checked with Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers: How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth. In his book, he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emissions to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points, such as the melting(融化) of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica. “To stay below that point, we need to reduce CO2 emissions by 80 percent, “ he said.Good advice, I thought. I’d opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind. We’d gotten so used to keeping our air-conditioning going aro und the clock. I’d almostforgotten the windows even opened. We should not let this happen again. It’s time for us to change our habits if necessary.1. Why did the author and his wife try a new diet?A. To take special kinds of food.B. To respond to climate change.C. To lose weight.D. To improve their health.2. The underlined words “tipping points” most probably refer to “”.A. freezing pointsB. burning pointsC. melting pointsD. boiling points3. It can be inferred from the passage that.A. it is necessary to keep the air-conditioning on all the timeB. it seems possible for every household to cut emissions of CO2C. the average US household produces about 3, 000 pounds of CO2 a monthD. the average European household produces about 1, 000 pounds of CO2 a month4. Which of the following would be the best title forthis passage?A. Saving Energy Starts at HomeB. Changing Our Habits Begins at WorkC. Changing Climate Sounds ReasonableD. Reducing Emissions of CO2 Proves Difficult9The need to feed a growing population is putting much pressure on the world’s supply of water. With 97% of the world’s w ater too salty to be drunk or used in agriculture, the worldwide supply of water needs careful management, especially in agriculture. Although the idea of a water shortage (充足) seems strange to someone fortunate enough to live in a high rainfall country, manyof the world’s agricultural industries experience constant water shortages.Although dams can be built to store water foragricultural use in dry areas and dry seasons, the costs of water redistribution (重新分配) are very high. Not only is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an environmental cost to be considered. Where valleys (山谷) are flooded to create dams, houses are lost and wildlife homes destroyed. Besides, water may flow easily through pipes to fields, but it cannot be transported from one side of the world to the other. Each country must therefore rely on the management of its own water to supply its farming requirements.This is particularly troubling for countries with agricultural industries in areas dependent on irrigation (灌溉). In Texas, farmers’ overuse of irrgation water has resulted in a 25% reduction of the water stores. In the Central Valley area of southwestern USA, a huge water engineering project provided water for farming in dry valleys, but much of the water use has been poorly managed.Saudi Arabia’s attempts to grow wheat in desert areas have seen the pumping o f huge quantities of irrigation water from underground reserves. Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it is believed that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry.1. From the first two paragraphs we learn that.A. much of the world’s water is ava ilable for useB. people in high rainfall countries feel luckyC. the costs of water redistribution should be consideredD. water can be easily carried through pipes across the world2. Which of the following is true?A. The water stores in Texas have been reduced by 75%.B. Most industries in the world suffer from water shortages.C. The underground water in Saudi Arabia might run out in50 years.D. Good management of water use resulted from the project in the Central Valley.3. What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?A. Steps to improving water use management.B. Ways to reduce the costs of building dams.C. Measures to deal with worldwide water shortages.D. Approaches to handling the pressure on water supply.4. The text is mainly about.A. water supply and increasing populationB. water use management and agricultureC. water redistribution and wildlife protectionD. water shortages and environmental protection10Businesses are witnessing a difficult time, which has in turn produced influence on consumers’ desire to go green. However, shoppers are still laying stress onenvironmental concerns.Two thirds of customers say that environmental considerations inform their purchases to the same degree as they did a year ago, while more than a quarter saythat they are now even better aware of the environmental effect on what they buy.This may help to influence how shops store goods on their shelves. And the companies should still make efforts to become more environmentally friendly. Two out of three people think it is important to buy from environmentally responsible companies, with about one in seven sayingthat they had even decided to take their custom elsewhere if they felt a company’s environmental reputation was not good enough.Harry Morrison, chief executive (主管) of the Carbon Trust, sympathizes:“I understand this situation where survival is very important now. But f rom environmental considerations, the clock is ticking—we don’t have much time. In addition, cutting carbon has an immediate effect as costs drop and a medium-term benefit for the brand.”Larger companies have an extra motivation to look at reducing their carbon footprint, as new rules next year will require businesses to buy carbon allowances to make up for their emissions (排放). Those that have taken early action will have a head start. More than two thirds of consumers are not clear about which companies are environmentally responsible. This suggests that firmsthat are able to relay clearly their message to the public will be in a pole position to attract shoppers. The Carbon Trust believes that it can help by informing customers about the good work companies are doing. “When companies are granted (授予) the standard, they can use a logo (标识) in all their marketing which makes it clear that they are working towards cutting emissions,” Mr. Morrison said.1. What’s the main idea of the passage?A. Businesses are finding ways to send their message to the shoppers.B. Companies will soon get information about cutting carbon emissions.。
高考英语 阅读理解 科普类说明文4篇 -- 较难 (有答案)
高考英语说明文4篇1Here is an astonishing and significant fact: Mental work alone can’t makeus tire. It sounds absurd/əb'sɜːd/荒谬的. But a years ago, scientists tried to find outhow long the human brain could labor without reaching a stage 阶段of fatigue /fə'tiːg/(疲劳). To the amazement of these scientists, they discovered that blood passing through the brain, when it is active, shows no fatigue at all! If we tooka drop of blood from a day laborer劳动者, we would find it full offatigue toxins /'tɒksɪn/ (毒素) and fatigue products. But if we tookblood from the brain of an Albert Einstein, it would show no fatiguetoxins at the end of the day.So far as the brain is concerned, it can work as well and swiftly很快地at the end of eight or even twelve hours of effort as at the beginning. The brain is totally tireless. So what makes us tired?Some scientists declare that most of our fatigue comes from our mentaland emotional(情绪的) attitudes. One of England’s most outstanding scientists, J.A. Hadfield, says, “The greater part of the fatigue from which wesuffer is of mental origin /'ɒrɪdʒɪn/起源. In fact, fatigue of purely physical origin is rare.”Dr. Brill, a famous American scientist, goes even further. He declares, “One hundred percent of the fatigue of sitting worker in good health is due to emotional problems.”What kinds of emotions make sitting workers tired? Joy? Satisfaction?No! A feeling of being bored, anger, anxiety/æŋ'zaɪətɪ/焦虑, tenseness紧张, worry, a feeling of not being appreciated---those are the emotions that tire sitting workers. Hard work by itself seldom causes fatigue. We get tired because our emotions produce nervousness in the body.1. What surprised the scientists a few years ago?A. Fatigue toxins could hardly be found in a laborer’s blood.B. Albert Einstein didn’t feel worn after a day’s work.C. The brain could work for many hours without fatigue.D. A mental worker’s blood was filled with fatigue toxins.2. According to the author, which of the following can make sitting workers tired?A. Challenging mental work.B. Unpleasant emotions.C. Endless tasks.D. Physical labo3. What’s the author’s attitude towards the scientists’ idea?A. He agrees with them.B. He doubts them.C. He argues against them.D. He hesitates to accept them.4. We can infer from the passage that in order to stay energetic, sitting workers need to ________.A. have some good food.B. enjoy their workC. exercise regularlyD. discover fatigue toxins2They baby is just one day old and has not yet left hospital. She is quietbut alert /ə'lɜːt/（警觉）. Twenty centimeters厘from her face researchers have placed a white card with two black spots on it. She stares at it carefully.A researcher removes the card and replaces it by another, this time with the spots differently spaced. As the cards change from one to the other, hergaze（凝视）starts to lose its focus — until a third, with three black spots,is presented. Her gaze returns: she looks at it for twice as long as she did atthe previous card. Can she tell that the number two is different from three,just 24 hours after coming into the world?Or do newborns simply prefer more to fewer? The same experiment, butwith three spots shown before two, shows the same return of interest whenthe number of spots changes. Perhaps it is just the newness 名，新奇? When slightly older babies were shown cards with pictures of objects (a comb, a key, an orange and so on), changing the number of objects had an effect separate from changing the objects themselves. Could it be the pattern that two things make, as opposed to three? No again. Babies paid more attention to squares moving randomly on a screen when their number changed from two to three,or three to two. The effect even crosses between senses. Babies who were repeatedly shown two spots became more excited when they then heard three drumbeats than when they heard just two; likewise （同样地）when the researchers started with drumbeats and moved to spots.5. The experiment described in Paragraph 1 is related to the baby’s__.A. sense of hearingB. sense of sightC. sense of touch D sense of smell6. Babies are sensitive to the change in______.A. the size of cardsB. the colour of picturesC. the shape of patternsD. the number of objects7. Why did the researchers test the babies with drumbeats?A. To reduce the difficulty of the experiment.B. To see howbabies recognize sounds.C. To carry their experiment further.D. To keep the babies’interest.8. Where does this text probably come from?A. Science fiction.B. Children’s literature.C. An advertisement.D.A science report3Last night’s meteor(流星) 英/'miːtɪə/ shower left many people in the community dissatisfied and demanding 苛求的；要求高的；吃力的answers. According to Gabe Rothsclild, Emerald Valley’s mayor市长, people gathered in the suburbs /'sʌbɜːb/ of the city, carrying heavy telescopes, expecting to watch the brightly burning meteors passing through the sky. What they found instead was a sky so brighteneby the city’s lights that it darkened the light of the meteors passing overhead.“My family was so frustrated,” admitted town resident Duane Cosby, “We wanted to make this an unforgettable family outing, but it turned out to be ahuge disappointments.”Astronomers- /ə'strɒnəmə/n. 天文学家--scientists who study stars and planets----have beencomplaining about this problem for decades. They say that light pollution prevents them from seeing objects in the sky that they could see quite easily in the past. They call on people and the government to take measures to fight against it.There is yet a population besides professional and amateur /ˈæmətə(r)/美 /'æmə.tʃʊr/n. 爱好者star observers that suffers even more from light pollution. This population consists of birds, bats frogs, snakes, etc. For example, outdoor lighting severely affects migrating(迁徙的)birds. According to the International Dark-Sky Association. “100million birds a year throughoutNorth America die in crashes 撞碎with lighted buildings and towers.”Countless more animals casualties(伤亡）result from the use of artificial lighting. Clearly, people enjoy the benefits of lighting their evenings, butsome scientists think it can be harmful for humans, too. They worry that exposure to light while sleeping can increase pers on’s chances of getting cancer. Emerald Valley is only one community that is becoming aware of the negative effects of light pollution. For years, Flagstaff, Arizona/,æri'zəunə/美 /,æri'zəunə/n. 美国亚利桑那州, has enforced lighting regulations in its city in order to assist astronomers at the Lowell Observatory.英 /əb'zɜːvət(ə)rɪ/美 /əb'zɝvətɔri/n. 天文台；气象台；瞭望台Similar efforts have been made worldwide, and a movement is underway 进行中的to remind us to turn off lights when we are not using them, so that other creatures can share the night.9.It happened last night thatA. the city’s lights affected the meteor watchingB. the meteors flew past before being noticedC. the city light show attracted many peopleD. the meteor watching ended up a social outing10. What do the astronomers complain about?A. Meteor showers occur less often than beforeB. Their observation equipment is in poor repairC. Light pollution has remained unsolved for yearsD. Their eyesight is failing due to artificial lighting11. What the author concerned about according to Paragraph 4?A. Birds may take other migration pathsB. Animals living habits may changesuddenlyC. Varieties of animals will become sharplyreducedD. Animals’ survival is threatened by outdoorlighting12. Lighting regulations in Flagstaff, Arizona areput into effect toA. Lessen the chance of getting cancerB. create an ideal observation conditionC. ensure citizens a good sleep at nightD. enable all creatures to live in harmony13.What message does the author most want to give us?A. Saving wildlife is saving ourselvesB. Great efforts should be made to save energyC. Human activities should be environmentally friendlyD. New equipment should be introduced for space study4Almost every machine with moving parts has wheels, yet no one knows exactly when the first wheel was invented or what it was used for. We do know，however，that they existed over 5,500years ago in ancient Asia.The oldest known transport wheel was discovered in 2002 in Slovenia. It is over 5，100 years old. Evidence suggests thatwheels for transport didn't become popular for .while, though . Thiscould be because animals did a perfectly good job of carryingfarming tools and humans around.But it could also be because of a difficult situation. While wheels need to roll on smooth surfaces, roads with smooth surfacesweren't going to be constructed until there was plenty of demandfor them. Eventually, road surfaces did become smoother, but this difficult situation appeared again a few centuries later. There hadbeen no important changes in wheel and vehicle design before thearrival of modern road design.In the mid-1700s,a Frenchman came up with a new design ofroad--a base layer (层)of large stones covered with a thin layer ofsmaller stones. A Scotsman苏格兰人improved on this design in the 1820s and a strong, lasting road surface became a reality. At around thesame time, metal hubs英 /hʌb/美 /hʌb/n. 中心；毂；木片(the central part of a wheel)、came into being, followed by the Wheels were invented in 1967, sixty years after the appearance of tarmacked roads(泊油路). As wheel design took off, vehicles got faster and faster.14. What might explain why transport wheels didn’t become popular for some time?A. Few knew how to use transport wheels.B. Humans carried farming tools just as well.C. Animals were a good means of transport.D. The existence of transport wheels was not known.15. What do we know about road design from the passage?A. It was easier than wheel design.B. It improved after big changes in vehicle design.C. It was promoted by fast-moving vehicles.D. It provided conditions for wheel design to develop.16. How is the last paragraph mainly developed?A. By giving examples.B. By making comparisons.C.By following time order.D.By making classifications.17.What is the passage mainly about ?A.The beginning of road deaign.B.The development of transport wheel.C.The history of public transport.D.The invention of fast-moving vehicles.。
高中英语科普阅读练习题50题(带答案)
高中英语科普阅读练习题50题(带答案)1. In the rainforest ecosystem, many plants have large leaves. What is the main reason for this?A. To attract more insects for pollinationB. To catch more sunlight for photosynthesisC. To store more water during the rainy seasonD. To protect themselves from strong winds答案：B。
解析：在雨林生态系统中，很多植物有大叶子主要是为了获取更多阳光进行光合作用。
雨林中树木高大，植物需要竞争阳光，大叶子能增加受光面积。
2. Some animals, like the chameleon, can change their body color. This ability mainly helps them _.A. find food more easilyB. communicate with other animalsC. avoid being huntedD. regulate their body temperature答案：C。
解析：变色龙等动物改变体色主要是为了躲避天敌的猎捕，通过与周围环境颜色一致来隐藏自己。
3. Bees are very important in the ecosystem. Which of the following is NOT one of their contributions?A. Pollinating flowersB. Producing honeyC. Controlling the number of small insectsD. Helping in soil formation答案：D。
高考英语阅读理解科普文难度较高
.2014年高考英语二轮复习阅读理解拉分题（较难题目）特训：节能环保类1The Goldman Environmental Foundation recently recognized a group of individuals (个体) for their efforts toprotect the environment. Each year, the American-based group honors environmental activists from six differentareas.The first three winners of the 2012 Goldman Prize are from Kenya, the Philippines and China.The Goldman Environmental Foundation says Ikal Angelei is a hero to those who live around Lake Turkana. TheKenyan woman received the award because of her efforts to stop a dam project on a river in Ethiopia. Critics saythe dam will harm the lake and restrict (限制) the flow of water for people who live nearby.The Philippine island of Mindoro is home to those who depend on the area's natural resources for food and jobs.Edwin Gariguez became concerned when a European company announced plans to mine for nickel (镍) on theisland. The Roman Catholic minister said waste materials from the mining project would pollute the water anddestroy the forests. So he started a campaign to stop the project.In China, Ma June is working with businesses to clean up their pollution. He formed a group that collectsinformation about pollution, and publishes it on the Internet.The Goldman Prize was also awarded to activists from Argentina, Russia and the United States.Sofia Gatica of Argentina is from a town where farmers commonly use pesticide (杀虫剂) products to protectsoybean crops from insects. The town also has a high rate of cancer. Sofia Gatica believed that pesticide use wasresponsible for the death of her baby. She worked with other mothers to get government officials to ban the use ofchemicals near populated areas.Evgenia Chirikova objects to the plans to build a road through a protected forest just outside Moscow. She hasdemanded that Russian officials redirect the road away from the forest. She and her followers have been arrestedfor their activities. However, their campaign has gained widespread public support.The sixth winner is American Caroline Cannon—a community leader in Point Hope, Alaska. Miz Cannon isfighting to keep Arctic waters safe from oil and gas exploration.60. We can know from the passage that ______.A. the dam project has been preventedB. the first three activists are all from AsiaC. a European company is going to dig for nickel..D. Ma June is trying to stop oil and gas exploration61. From the 7th paragraph, we can know that ______.A. pesticide use accounts for a high-rate of cancerB. Sofia managed to ban the use of chemicalsC. the farmers mainly live on unpolluted productsD. the death of the baby was due to delayed treatment62. What do we know about Evgenia Chirikova？A. She plans to build a road to protect the forest.B. She is in charge of a project far away from the road.C. She persuaded the government to set her followers free.D. Her environmental action has been widely acknowledged.63. What would be the best title for the passage?A. Six Advanced Individuals for Hard WorkB. Efforts to Create a Clean and Beautiful WorldC. Six Environmental Activists Win Goldman PrizeD. The Goldman Environmental Foundation Prize2SCS Global Services （SCS）has evaluated a new methodology for measuring the carbon sequestration （封存）ability of soil under the Verified（验证）Carbon Standard （VCS）, a leading greenhouse gas （GHG）accountingsystem. The methodology, developed by The Earth Partners, will allow land managers who sequester GHGs ingrasslands and farmlands to produce carbon credits for sale in the voluntary market.Managers of grasslands and farmlands can increase carbon sequestration in soil by practices such as changinggrazing（放牧）practices and operating treatments designed to improve the variety and productivity of plantgroups. The Earth Partners is presently piloting this methodology with farmers across seven million acres of thePalouse River and Columbia Plateau regions in the Pacific Northwest.“The VCS program has achieved an important milestone in now combining grassland and rangeland carbon offset（抵消，补偿）projects, said Dr. Robert J. Hrubes, Executive Vice President of SCS.SCS looks forward toapproving and verifying agricultural carbon offset projects that use this very powerful new methodology...The VM0021 Soil Carbon Quantification Methodology is based on decades of soil carbon research and testingconducted by top soil scientists. The methodology was developed by The Earth Partners and verified by Environmental Services, Inc. as well as SCS Global Services. It is the first soil carbon methodology to be approvedfor use under the VCS.This widely tested methodology is the first to specially deal with soils in a market, said Steven I. Apfelbaum,Chairman of Applied Ecological Services, Inc. and Director of Science with The Earth Partners. According toApfelbaum, soils represent the second largest living sink of carbon on the planet.68. The new methodology is assessed according to.A. The Earth PartnersB. the Verified Carbon StandardC. Environmental Services, Inc.D. Applied Ecological Services, Inc.69. Carbon sequestration in soil can be strengthened by.A. selling carbon credits in the voluntary marketB. changing grazing practices and operating treatmentsC. reducing the variety and productivity of plant groupsD. decreasing farmlands in the Pacific Northwest70. Which of the following is true according to the passage?A. The VCS program proves to be successful in carbon offset projects.B. Many soil Carbon Methodologies have already been approved for use.C. The new methodology has been tested in many fields including soil.D. Soils seem to be the largest living sink of carbon on the planet.71. What is the attitude of SCS towards the new methodology?A. Opposed.B. Cautious.C. Doubtful.D. Approving.3..in addition to millions of Rainforest is home to around two-thirds of all plant and animal species found on land—our remaining ancient forests are some of the most diverse ecosystems people who depend on them for survival—known to science. They are also vitally important to the health of our planet, especially when it comes to regulatingthe climate. But ancient forests around the world are under attack.) in a big way. Governments now recognize theProtecting rainforests is on the global agenda (议事日程importance of protecting tropical forests in order to avoid dangerous climate change, and there is now much debate.As governments try to thrash out the details of a new international agreement, expected to be signed at the end of2009, they are discussing how best to include measures to save rainforests, and therefore address one of the major) each year causes of climate change. Worldwide, forest destruction causes more greenhouse gas emissions (排放than do all the trains, planes and cars on the planet. So if we are to deal with global warming, there is an urgentneed to find ways to reduce the 20% of global greenhouse gas emissions caused by forest destruction each year,and to keep the remaining forests standing.We need to protect the planet's remaining forests not only to stop climate change from getting worse, but to ensurethat we can stand the impacts of global warming. Healthy forests absorb and store quantities of carbon, helping toregulate temperature and generate rain. When they are destroyed, this carbon is released into the atmosphere. Thuskeeping forests standing is both a critical part of regulating climate change and of adapting to a warmer world.), rather than on how to 滥伐森林To date, most of the talk has focused on how to pay for reducing deforestation (actually go about doing it. We believe governments need to support local people to protect their environment, aswe have been showing for 20 years can be a very effective way of saving rainforests.. 1. The best title for the passage isA. Rainforest and Climate ChangeB. Strategies on Protecting RainforestC. Serious Deforestation to RainforestD. Present Situation of Rainforest. 2. From the first paragraph we can infer thatA. we have little rainforest left until now..B. the ancient forests are being destroyed ]世纪教育网来源:21[C. rainforest control the planet in many waysD. Rainforest is home to all plants and animals on earth3. The underlined part “thrash out”in the second paragraph means.A. try to understandB. come up withC. hide awayD. have a thorough discussion4. Greenhouse gas emissions caused by forest destruction.A. are the same amount by transport on earthB. take 20% of global greenhouse gas emissionsC. can be avoided by setting measures onlyD. have nothing to do with climate change5. From the text we can learn that healthy forest.A. can keep us healthy and happyB. can increase the effect from global warmingC. can be helpful in adjusting the temperatureD. can give out large amounts of carbon4Rivers may be a significant source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (一氧化二氮), scientists now find.Their calculation suggests that across the globe the waterways contribute three times the amount of nitrous oxide tothe atmosphere as had been estimated by the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the United Nationsscientific body charged with reviewing climate change research. They found that the amount of nitrous oxideproduced in streams is related to human activities that release nitrogen (氮) into the environment, such as fertilizeruse and sewage discharges.“Human activities, including fossil fuel combustion and intensive agriculture, have increased the availability ofnitrogen in the environment,”said Jake Beaulieu of the University of Notre Dame and the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency in Cincinnati, Ohio, and lead author of the paper published this week in the journal Proceedingsof the National Academy of Sciences.“Much of this nitrogen is transported into river and stream networks,”Beaulieu said. There, microbes (微生物)convert the nitrogen into nitrous oxide (also called laughing gas) and an inert gas called dinitrogen (二氮)...The finding is important, the researchers say, because nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas that contributesto climate change and destruction of the stratosphere's ozone layer, which protects us from the sun's harmfulultraviolet (紫外线) radiation. Compared with carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide is 300-fold more powerful in terms ofits warming potential, though carbon dioxide is a far more common greenhouse gas. Scientists estimate nitrousoxide accounts for about 6 percent of human-induced climate change.Beaulieu and colleagues measured nitrous oxide production rates in 72 streams. When summed across the globe,the results showed rivers and streams are the source of at least 10 percent of human-caused nitrous oxide emissionsto the atmosphere.“Changes in agricultural and land-use practices that result in less nitrogen being delivered to streams would reducenitrous oxide emissions from river networks,”Beaulieu said.1. From the second paragraph we can learn.A. actually rivers give off much more nitrous oxide than expectedB. scientists' calculation is totally wrongC. human activities release nitrous oxide in to the riversD. there is no nitrogen in fertilizer2. Which of the following is NOT the source of nitrogen?A. Fertilizer use.B. Sewage discharges.C. Fossil fuel combustion.D. Climate change.3. Nitrous oxide is a powerful greenhouse gas because.A. it can protect us from the sun's harmful ultraviolet radiationB. it is to blame for most of human-induced climate changeC. it is a far more common greenhouse gasD. it has much more warming potential than carbon dioxide4. What does the passage mainly tells us?A. Rivers may be a source of the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide.B. It's human activities that release nitrogen into the environment...C. How to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from river networksD What to do with the climate change caused by nitrous oxide.5The Maldives faces the threat of extinction from rising sea levels, but the government said on Thursdayit washomes and a golf course that float. looking to the future with plans to builda nation of tiny coral islands in An increase in sea levels of just 18 to 59 centimeters would make the Maldives—the Indian Ocean—virtually uninhabitable by 2100, the UN's climate change panel has warned.President Mohamed Nasheed has vowed a fight for survival, and last month he signed a deal with a Dutchcompany to study proposals for a floating structure that could support a conference centre, homes and an 18-holegolf course.“It is still early stages and we are awaiting a report on the practicality,” a government official who declined to benamed said.The company, Dutch Docklands, is currently building floating developments in the Netherlands and Dubai. Therewas no immediate comment from the firm but its website said it undertook projects that make “land from water byproviding large-scale floating constructions to create similar conditions as on land”.The Maldives began to work on an artificial island known as the Hulhumale near the crowded capital island ofMale in 1997 and more than 30,000 people have been settled there to ease congestion. The city, which has apopulation of 100,000, is already protected from rising sea levels by a 30-million-dollar sea wall, and thegovernment is considering increasingly imaginative ways to combat climate change.Nasheed, who staged the world's first underwater cabinet meeting in October to highlight his people's serious anddifficult situation, has even spoken of buying land elsewhere in the world to enable Maldivians to relocate if theirhomes are completed covered.He has also promised to turn his nation into a model for the rest of the world by becoming “carbon neutral”by2020. His plan involves ending fossil fuel use and powering all vehicles and buildings from “green”sources suchas burning coconut husks.1. Why do you think Mohamed Nasheed chose Dutch Docklands?A. Because it has experience in building floating structure.B. Because it has a good fame throughout the world.C. Because it charged much less than other companies.D. Because it supports building floating structures in the world.2. The Hulhumale was built with the purpose of..A. attracting more visitorsB. making it a new capitalC. making the capital less crowdedD. fighting against climate change. 3. According to the last two paragraphs, Nasheed is a person whoA. has succeeded in buying land abroadB. is more than well-knownC. has thought more for his nationD. has stopped using fossil fuel. 4. The underlined word “vowed”in paragraph 3 can be replaced byD. weighedC. failed A. ended B. promised6) PLAYA GRANDE, COSTA RICA? This resort town was long known for Leatherback Sea Turtle (棱皮龟national Park, nightly turtle beach tours and even a sea turtle museum. However, on a beach where dozens ofturtles used to nest on a given night, scientists spied only 32 leatherbacks all of last year.), Playa Grande's turtle museum was abandoned three years ago With leatherbacks threatened with extinction (灭绝and now sits among a sea of weeds. And the beachside ticket office for turtle tours was washed away by a high tides a turtle tourism destination any more because we realize there are far too in September. “We do not promote that a ). few turtles to please,”said Alvaro Fonseca, a park ranger (管理员Even before scientists found temperatures going up over the past decade, sea turtles were threatened by beach development, drift net fishing and Costa Ricans interest in eating turtle eggs. But climate change may cause themost serious harm to an animal that has lived in the Pacific for 150 million years.Sea turtles are sensitive to numerous effects of warming. They feed on reefs, which are dying in hotter seas. Theylay eggs on beaches that are being covered by rising seas and more violent waves.) is determined, not by genes but by the egg's temperature during development. 性别More uniquely their gender (Small rises in beach temperatures can result in ail-female populations, obviously problematic for survival. If thesand around the eggs hits 30 degrees Celsius, the gender balance shits to females: at about 32 degrees they are allfemale. Above 34, you get boiled eggs.On some nesting beaches, scientists are artificially cooling nests with shade or irrigation and trying to protect..broader areas of coastal property from development to ensure that turtles have a place to nest as the seas rise. 世纪教育网21 5. Why does the resort town stop promoting it's turtle tourism?A. It decides not to disturb the turtles' normal life.B. Tourists have lost interest in watching turtles.C. There are only very few turtles now.D. The turtle museum was destroyed by a high tide.6. Which of the following is the major factor in the turtles endangerment?A. The locals eating habit.B. Drift net fishing.C. Beach development.世纪教育网[21D. Global warming.. 7. We learn from the last paragraph that scientistsA. are doing research on the sea riseB. are moving turtles to new homesC. are protecting turtles' nestsD. are getting rid of sea weeds8. The passage intends to.A. introduce a special kind of sea turtleB. explain the mystery of turtles' eggsC. show the dangers a certain kind of turtle is facingD. attract more visitors to a sea turtle museum7Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best. For example, to absorb heat from the sun to heat water, you need large,flat, black surfaces. One way to do that is to build those surfaces specially, on the roofs of buildings. But why go toall that trouble when cities are full of black surfaces already, in the form of asphalt(柏油) roads?..Ten years ago, this thought came into the mind of Arian de Bondt, a Dutch engineer. He finally persuaded his bossto follow it up. The result is that their building is now heated in winter and cooled in summer by a system thatrelies on the surface of the road outside.The heat-collector is a system of connected water pipes. Most of them run from one side of the street to the other,just under the asphalt road. Some, however, dive deep into the ground.When the street surface gets hot in summer, water pumped through the pipes picks up this heat and takes it) into which underground through one of the diving pipes. At a depth of 100 metres lies a natural aquifer(蓄水层) have been built. The hot water from the street runs through these exchangers, 交换器several heat exchangers(warming the ground-water, before returning to the surface through another pipe. The aquifer is thus used as a heatstore.at exchangers to pick up the In winter, the working system is changed slightly. Water is pumped through the heheat stored during summer. This water goes into the building and is used to warm the place up. After performingthat task, it is pumped under the asphalt and its remaining heat keeps the road free of snow and ice.1. Which of the following is true according to the first two paragraphs?A. Arian de Bondt got his idea from his boss.B. Large, flat, black surfaces need to be built in cities.C. The Dutch engineer's system has been widely used.D. Heat can also be collected from asphalt roads.2. For what purpose are the diving pipes used?A. To absorb heat from the sun.B. To store heat for future use.C. To turn solar energy into heat energy.D. To carry heat down below the surface.3. From the last paragraph we can learn that.A. some pipes have to be re-arranged in winterB. the system can do more than warming up the buildingC. the exchangers will pick up heat from the street surfaceD. less heat may be collected in winter than in summer4. What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?..A. What we shall do if the system goes wrong.B. What we shall do if there are no asphalt roads.C. How the system cools the building in summer.D. How the system collects heat in spring and autumn.8Use less energy. With a little effort, We already know the fastest, least expensive way to slow climate change:doing the Earth a favor and not much money, most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—while also helping our wallets.not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question —Not long ago, my wife, PJ, and I tried a new dietabout climate change. Scientists have reported recently that the world is heating up even faster than predicted only) of carbon a few years ago, and that the consequences could be severe if we don't keep reducing emissions(排放dioxide(CO) and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere. 2. We wanted to see We decided to try an experiment. For one month we recorded our personal emissions of CO2) produces about 150 家庭how much we could cut back, so we went on a strict diet. The average UShousehold(ditioning or driving cars. That's more a day by doing common-place things like turning onair-conpounds of CO2than twice the European average and almost five times the global average, mostly because Americans drive moreand have bigger houses. But how much should we try to reduce?How Man Is Changing theFor an answer, I checked with Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers:Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth. In his book, he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personalemissions to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points, such as the melting(融化) of the icesheets in Greenland or West Antarctica. “To stay below that point, we need to reduce CO emissions by 80 percent, 2“he said.Good advice, I thought. I'd opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind. We'd gotten so used to keeping ourair-conditioning going around the clock. I'd almost forgotten the windows even opened. We should not let thishappen again. It's time for us to change our habits if necessary.1. Why did the author and his wife try a new diet?A. To take special kinds of food.B. To respond to climate change.C. To lose weight.D. To improve their health.2. The underlined words “tipping points”most probably refer to “”...A. freezing pointsB. burning pointsC. melting pointsD. boiling points3. It can be inferred from the passage that.A. it is necessary to keep the air-conditioning on all the timeB. it seems possible for every household to cut emissions of CO 2C. the average US household produces about 3, 000 pounds of CO a month 2D. the average European household produces about 1, 000 pounds of CO a month 24. Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?A. Saving Energy Starts at HomeB. Changing Our Habits Begins at WorkC. Changing Climate Sounds ReasonableD. Reducing Emissions of CO Proves Difficult29The need to feed a growing population is putting much pressure on the world's supply of water. With 97% of theworld's water too salty to be drunk or used in agriculture, the worldwide supply of water needs careful) seems strange to someone management, especially in agriculture. Although the idea of a water shortage (短缺fortunate enough to live in a high rainfall country, many of the world's agricultural industries experience constantwater shortages.Although dams can be built to store water for agricultural use in dry areas and dry seasons, the costs of water) are very high. Not only is there the cost of the engineering itself, but there is also an redistribution (重新分配) are flooded to create dams, houses are lost and wildlife 山谷environmental cost to be considered. Where valleys (homes destroyed. Besides, water may flow easily through pipes to fields, but it cannot be transported from one sideof the world to the other. Each country must therefore rely on the management of its own water to supply itsfarming requirements.). In This is particularly troubling for countries with agricultural industries in areas dependent on irrigation (灌溉tion of the water stores. In the Central Valley Texas, farmers' overuse of irrgation water has resulted in a 25% reducarea of southwestern USA, a huge water engineering project provided water for farming in dry valleys, but much ofthe water use has been poorly managed.f huge quantities of irrigation water Saudi Arabia's attempts to grow wheat in desert areas have seen the pumping ofrom underground reserves. Because there is no rainfall in these areas, such reserves can only decrease, and it isbelieved that fifty years of pumping will see them run dry...1. From the first two paragraphs we learn that.A. much of the world's water is available for useB. people in high rainfall countries feel luckyC. the costs of water redistribution should be consideredD. water can be easily carried through pipes across the world2. Which of the following is true?A. The water stores in Texas have been reduced by 75%.B. Most industries in the world suffer from water shortages.C. The underground water in Saudi Arabia might run out in 50 years.D. Good management of water use resulted from the project in the Central Valley.3. What is most likely to be discussed in the paragraph that follows?A. Steps to improving water use management.B. Ways to reduce the costs of building dams.C. Measures to deal with worldwide water shortages.D. Approaches to handling the pressure on water supply.4. The text is mainly about.A. water supply and increasing populationB. water use management and agricultureC. water redistribution and wildlife protectionD. water shortages and environmental protection10Businesses are witnessing a difficult time, which has in turn produced influence on consumers' desireto go green.However, shoppers are still laying stress on environmental concerns.Two thirds of customers say that environmental considerations inform their purchases to the same degree as theydid a year ago, while more than a quarter say that they are now even better aware of the environmental effect onwhat they buy...This may help to influence how shops store goods on their shelves. And the companies should still make efforts tobecome more environmentally friendly. Two out of three people think it is important to buy from environmentallyresponsible companies, with about one in seven saying that they had even decided to take their custom elsewhere ifthey felt a company's environmental reputation was not good enough.“I understand this situation where ) of the Carbon Trust, sympathizes:Harry Morrison, chief executive (主管—we don't have much rom environmental considerations, the clock is tickingsurvival is very important now. But fterm benefit for the brand.”time. In addition, cutting carbon has an immediate effect as costs drop and a medium-Larger companies have an extra motivation to look at reducing their carbon footprint, as new rules next year will). Those that have taken early 排放require businesses to buy carbon allowances to make up for their emissions (action will have a head start. More than two thirds of consumers are not clear about which companies areenvironmentally responsible. This suggests that firms that are able to relay clearly their message to the public willbe in a pole position to attract shoppers.The Carbon Trust believes that it can help by informing customers about the good work companies are doing.) in all their marketing which makes it nies are granted (“When compa授予) the standard, they can use a logo (标识clear that they are working towards cutting emissions,”Mr. Morrison said. 1. What's the main idea of the passage?A. Businesses are finding ways to send their message to the shoppers.B. Companies will soon get information about cutting carbon emissions.C. Firms are making efforts to encourage customers to keep goods at home.D. Firms are urged to cut carbon emissions by shoppers' environmental awareness. ”.The underlined word “inform”in Paragraph 2 probably means“2.D. reject C. disturb A. affect B. change.3. According to Harry Morrison, businessesA. will benefit from cutting carbon emissionsB. should buy carbon allowances for shoppersC. are required to make up for their carbon emissionsD. have encouraged shoppers to take their custom elsewhere4. We can learn from the passage that businesses will.。