倒數(shù)第十周星期二

閱讀理解

閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項(A、B、C、D)中，選出最佳選項

A

Several animal species including gorillas in Rwanda and tigers in Bangladesh could risk extinction if the impact of climate change and extreme weather on their habitats is not addressed, a UN report showed on Sunday.

Launched on the sidelines of global climate negotiations in Durban, the report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization shows how higher temperatures, the rise in sea levels, deforestation and excessive land use have damaged the habitats of certain species, especially in Africa.

“Many ecosystems have already been stressed by increasing population, historical and recent deforestation, unsustainable management practices and even invasive (入侵的) species,” Eduardo Rojas-Briales, assistant director general at the FAO's forestry department, said at the launch of the report.

The most affected areas include mountains, isolated islands and coastal areas, which limit the possibilities for animals to migrate elsewhere and create new habitats.

“The remaining populations become surrounded in very small ecosystems, they have inbreeding (近親交配) problems ... and at the end these species may disappear,” he added.

Other examples of affected animals included elephants in Mali, lions in the Serengeti and crocodiles in Malawi.

The report said an estimated 20-30 percent of plant and animal species will be at higher risk of extinction due to global warming and a significant proportion of native species may become extinct by 2050 as a consequence.

Other consequences could include the spread of invasive species and infectious diseases, it said.

The report urges more focus on restoration of damaged ecosystems, especially those key to dealing with climate change such as mangroves(紅樹林), inland waters, forests, savannahs(非洲大草原) and grasslands. 

The FAO also called for the creation of migration corridors for animals in areas where their movement was limited.

The organization said while more resources were flowing to biodiversity conservation, more action at the government and policy level was needed.

It also urged local communities to develop projects that mitigate the impact of climate change on wildlife, naming eco-tourism activities as an example.

1. What does the author tell us in Paragraph 2?

A. The theme of global climate negotiations in Durban.

B. The subject of research done by Eduardo Rojas.

C. Harmful effects of damage done to ecosystems.

D. Causes of damage done to ecosystems.

2. Why are animals living in mountains, islands and coastal areas most affected?

A. They are frequently attacked by invasive species and infectious diseases.

B. They have difficulty finding enough food for survival.

C. They have little chance of moving to other places.

D. They can hardly find mates to produce their young.

3. To avoid extinction of some animal species, the UNFAO suggested all the following ways EXCEPT

______.

A. restoring damaged ecosystems

B. limiting world population growth

C. creating movement channels for animals

D. urging governments and local communities to take action

4. What does the underlined word “mitigate” in the last paragraph mean?

A. Make something become less serious. B. Make full use of something.

C. increase or further improve something C. Move from one place to another.

5. What would serve as the best title for the passage?

A. Climate change and ecotourism

B. Global warming and its consequences

C. Animals at risk due to climate change D. Solutions to animal distinction

B

Here are the comments on CRI given by people from different countries on the Internet.

People

Comments

Yingtian Hu,

Guangzhou,China This is the first time that I participate in CRI. And I like it very much. I hope its website will become the most excellent one with the foreign languages. And I choose the important news which I think has a great influence on our society and our lives. In the end, I hope that more and more persons join in CRI and make it perfect!

Sujan Parajuli,

Select city, Nepal

I am Mr.Sujan Parajuli, aged 27, and I am both a regular listener of CRI and visitor of its wonderful Website. First of all, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to CRI for its great efforts to keep the listeners up-to-date during the year 2008. We, the listeners, are greatly grateful to CRI for its praise-worthy efforts to quench the thirst of its dear listeners. During the Year 2008, I found all of your programs quite interesting, informative and educational. Once again, thanks a lot for offering bonanza of information, news, entertainment and many items which have indeed broaden the horizons of our knowledge and understanding as well.

A.K.M. Nuruzzaman,

Bangladesh I would like to thank CRI for reminding us the most important news which CRI presents us. CRI is the only source to know Chinese domestic news. I always try to listen to it. The most spectacular news this year to me was the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Ibrahim Rustamov

Tajikistan With CRI, I was impressed by China’s rapid development in all spheres. But I felt so sorry to get to know about the snowstorms in China and Wenchuan earthquake. CRI and CCTV play a great role in introducing China to the world! Kudos! My friends and I wish CRI all the best!

Mike Thatcher

London

My family and I are all keen on Chinese Culture, especially the beautiful Chinese folk music. Various interesting programs by CRI just open a window for us foreigners, through which we can know more about China and have a better understanding of the Chinese culture. Best wishes to CRI! Best wishes to China!

6. Based on the comments above, which of the following about CRI is FALSE?

A. CRI has a website with many different foreign languages.

B. CRI offers many radio programs such as news and entertainment.

C. CRI is China’s radio station, which broadcast in one language---Chinese.

D. CRI is a good source to know Chinese news.

7. Which of the following benefits of CRI on its listeners is NOT mentioned above?

A. CRI helps its listeners to better understand China.

B. CRI helps its listeners broaden their knowledge with its rich contents.

C. CRI helps to keep its listeners up-to-date.

D. CRI helps its listeners to practice and improve foreign languages.

8. The underlined phrase “quench the thirst” refers to _____.

A. supply something to drink B. satisfy one’s need

C. take care of

D. keep in touch with

9. What can be concluded from the five comments?

A. CRI has made great efforts to make itself better and gained popularity.

B. Wonderful as CRI is, there are still many weaknesses.

C. CRI plays an important role in introducing the world to China.

D. CRI has a great influence on our society and lives.

C

We all think we know what happiness is. We all seem to be making great efforts towards this goal of happiness but what is it really? It is an agreed fact that all the creatures want happiness and are afraid of pain and sadness. The question, however, is “What is real happiness?” What really is called happiness? The desire for happiness has no meaning without understanding the real nature of happiness.

Some thinkers say, “Happiness does not lie in objections of enjoyment; happiness or unhappiness lies in imagination.” To prove their belief, they give examples like the following one: A man has a two-storey house; on the right is a five-storey building and on the left a cottage. When he sees right, he feels unhappy and when he sees left he feels happy. As such happiness does not lie in possession of sensory objects, but in imagination. They advise people to look towards those who have fewer possessions and be happy. If you look towards people having more wealth, you will always be unhappy.

It is unreasonable to hold this point of view. It is unkind to regard one happy by imagining that one is better than the poor and the unhappy. “If you want to be happy, look towards the poor.” We know that those poor people cannot satisfy even their basic needs. This attitude satisfies the sense of pride of possession, but this can never be called happiness. Unless we really find where happiness lies, we cannot really be happy.

Some ask people to do this and do that and say, “This way your desire will be satisfied. You would get the desired objects and become happy.” People holding these views regard happiness as satisfaction of desires. But it is not possible to satisfy one’s desires because there are countless desires of countless people and the material things are limited. Then new desires arise as soon as the previous ones are satisfied. Therefore, desires, which are changing all the time, can never be satisfied.

Happiness is a characteristic of a good life, that is, a life in which a person fulfills human nature in an excellent way. People have a set of purposes which are typically human: these belong to our nature. Happiness is also a condition that must be prepared for, cultivated, and defended privately by each person. People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their lives and come to being happy. Happiness lies in the distribution of easiness among others. Happiness stands for forgiveness and justice. Happiness is the name of struggle and courage. Happiness may be founded in seeking of true knowledge and rule of wisdom. Happiness may be shared in service and duty. This life is combination of joys and sorrows, and honest efforts should be done to make this life journey full of happiness, love, peace and harmony.

10. What is the purpose of the text?

A. To show how to achieve happiness. B. To encourage people to achieve happiness.

C. To explain the features of happiness. D. To argue how to understand happiness.

11. According to the text, people who think happiness lies in imagination will try to achieve happiness by ______.

A. looking towards those with fewer possessions B. looking towards people having more wealth

C. imagining how rich you will be in the future D. imagining that you have a five-storey building

12. The author doesn’t think that happiness lies in satisfaction of desires because _______.

A. no desires of a person can be satisfied at all B. ever-changing desires can never be satisfied

C. there isn’t enough money to meet people’s needs

D. the desires of a person are limited

13. In the author’s opinion, happiness _______.

A. can be achieved easily by earning money B. must belong to those with rich knowledge

C. can be gained by setting small goals D. can be gained by controlling inner experience

14. According to the last paragraph, who can have happiness?

A. Jack who often struggles with others. B. Tom who enjoys a high standard of living.

C. Mike who always forgives others’ mistakes. D. Tim whose requirements are always met.

D

My grandson, Daniel, and I have always been very close. When Daniel’s father remarried after a divorce, Daniel, who was eleven, and his little sister, Kristie, came to live with us. My husband and I were more than happy to have kids in the house again.

Things were going along just fine until the diabetes (糖尿病) I’ve lived with most of my adult life started affecting my eyes, and then more seriously, my kidneys (腎). Then everything seemed to fall apart.

Three times a week, I had to go to the hospital to be hooked up to a dialysis machine (透析機). I was living, but I couldn’t really call it a life --- it was an existence. I had no energy. I dragged myself through daily chores and slept as much as I could. My sense of humor seemed to disappear.

Daniel, seventeen by then, was really affected by the change in me. He tried as hard as he could to make me laugh, to bring back the grandma who loved to clown around (開玩笑) with him. Even in my sorry state, Daniel could still bring a smile to my face.

But things were not improving. After a year on dialysis, my condition was deteriorating (惡化) and the doctors felt that if I didn’t receive a kidney transplant within six months, I would surely die. No one told Daniel this, but he knew --- he said all he had to do was look after me. To top it off, as my condition worsened, there was a chance that I would become too weak to have the transplant surgery at all, and then there would be nothing they could do for me. So we started the tense and desperate wait for a kidney.

I was adamant (堅決的) that I didn’t want a kidney from anyone I knew. I would wait until an appropriate kidney became available, or I would literally die waiting. But Daniel had other plans. The time that he took me to my dialysis appointments, he did a little secret research on his own. Then he announced his intention to me.

“Grandma, I’m giving you one of my kidneys. I’m young and I’m healthy …” He paused. He could see I wasn’t at all happy with his offer. He continued, almost in whisper, “And most of all, I couldn’t stand it if you weren’t around.” His face wore an expression of appeal mixed with determination. He can be as stubborn as a mule (驢) once he decides on something --- but I’ve been told many times that I can out-stubborn any mule!

We argued. I couldn’t let him do it. We both knew that if he gave up his kidney, he would also give up his life’s dream; to play football. It was all he ever talked about. And he was good, too. Daniel was co-captain and star defensive tackle (防守阻截隊員) of his high school team; he expected to apply for a football scholarship and was looking forward to playing college football. He just loved the sport.

“How can I let you throw away the thing that means the most to you?” I pleaded with him.

“Grandma,” he said softly, “compared to your life, football means nothing to me.”

After that, I couldn’t argue anymore. So we agreed to see if he was a good donor (捐贈者) match, and then we’d discuss it further. When the tests came back, they showed Daniel was a perfect match. That was it. I knew I wasn’t going to win that argument, so we scheduled the transplant.

Both surgeries went smoothly. As soon as I came out of the anesthesia (麻醉) , I could tell things were different. I felt great! The nurses in the intensive care unit had to keep telling me to lie back and be quiet --- I wasn’t supposed to be that lively! I was afraid to go to sleep, for fear I would break the spell (魔法) and wake up the way I had been before. But the good feeling didn’t go away, and I spent the evening joking and laughing with anyone who would listen. It was so wonderful to feel alive again.

The next day they moved me out of ICU and onto the floor where Daniel was recuperating (復(fù)原) three doors away. His grandfather helped him walk down to see me as soon as I was moved into my room. When we saw each other, we did not know what to say. Holding hands, we just sat there and looked at each other for a long time, overwhelmed by the deep feeling of love that connected us.

Finally, he spoke, “Was it worthwhile, grandma?”

I laughed a little ruefully (懊悔). “It was for me! But was it for you??I asked him.

fHe nodded and smiled at me. “I’ve got my grandma back.”

And I have my life back. It still amazes me. Every morning, when I wake up, I thank God --- and Daniel --- for this miracle. A miracle born of the purest love.

15. Grandma’s diabetes brought about all the following EXCEPT that _______.

A. her eyes and her kidneys were affected B. grandma became quite a different person

C. Daniel had to be sent back to his father D. everything was thrown into confusion

16. When grandma was at her lowest, what did Daniel do to bring her back to her usual life?

A. He tried his best to make her laugh. B. He helped her with the daily chores.

C. He gave up his dream of going to college. D. He searched desperately for a good donor match.

17. How did grandma feel when Daniel announced his intention to give her one of his kidneys?