Rachel Carson, born in rural Pennsylvania in 1907, had a great impact on the environment. Carson earned a master’s degree in zoology in 1932. It was as a writer and not as a research scientist, however, that she made her mark, sharing her view that human beings are just one element in a larger natural order.
In the articles on natural history Carson wrote for various publications, she expressed dry facts in poetic and persuasive language. She wrote five books. Two of them, The Sea Around Us and The Edge of the Sea, have been called “biographies of the ocean.”
Carson also made the world aware of how scientific discoveries can harm as well as help living things. In her best-selling book Silent Spring, Carson challenged the profligate use of chemical pesticides by large agricultural and government organizations. She was the first to detail how the pesticide DDT had entered the food chain and damaged populations of bald eagles, falcons, and brown pelicans by causing the shells of their eggs to become so thin that they could not withstand the weight of the parent bird.
Carson died of cancer in 1964. Today, the Rachel Carson Council collects and disseminates (散播) information on pesticide-related issues. In 1970, the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge, a large area of salt marsh and freshwater habitat in Maine, was dedicated to her memory.
1.Which of the following words is closest to the meaning of the underlined word in paragraph 3 ?
A. excessive B. inadequate C. authoritative D. efficient
2.Which of the following inferences is correct ?
A. Carson wrote books that the average person could understand.
B. Dangerous properties of new chemical products may be immediately apparent.
C. If not for Carson, no one would have learned about the dangers of DDT.
D. In 1970, large quantities of salt and freshwater were dedicated to Carson’s memory by the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge
3.Which of the statements below expresses the main idea of the passage ?
A. Writers have played an important role in the battle against pollution.
B. The scientist Rachel Carson taught people about environmental issues through her writing.
C. Carson’s book Silent Spring changed the way some pesticides were used.
D. Many of Carson’s books were about pesticide-related issues.
That cold January night, I was growing sick of my life in San Francisco. There I was, walking home at one in the morning after a tiring at the theatre. With opening night only a week away, I was learning my lines. I was having trouble my part-time job at the bank and my acting at night at the same time. As I walked, I thought seriously giving up both acting and San Francisco. had become too much for me.
As I walked down streets under tall buildings, I felt very and cold. I began running, both to keep warm and to keep away from any possible robbers. Very few people were still out except a few sad-looking homeless people under blankets.
About a block from my apartment, I heard a sound behind me. I turned , half expecting to see someone with a knife or a gun. The street was empty. I saw was a shining streetlight. , the noise had made me nervous, so I started to run fast. Not until I reached my apartment building and unlocked the door did I realize what the noise had been. It had been my wallet falling to the sidewalk.
I wasn’t cold or tired anymore. I ran out of the door and back to I’d heard the noise. I searched the sidewalk anxiously for fifteen minutes, my wallet was nowhere to be found.
Just as I was about the search, I heard the garbage truck pull up to the sidewalk next to me. When a voice from the inside. “Alisa Camacho?” I thought I was dreaming. How could this man know my name? The door opened, and out jumped a small red-haired man with an look in his eyes. “Is this what you’re looking for?” he asked, a small square shape.
It was nearly 3 a. m. by the time I got into bed. I get much sleep that night, but I had gotten my wallet back. I had gotten back some enjoyment of city life. I realized that the city couldn’t be a bad place people were willing to help each other.
1.A. exercise B. work C. practice D. training
2.A. still B. already C. yet D. only
3.A. to deal with B. to handle with C. handling with D. dealing with
4.A. of B. about C. over D. out
5.A. City life B. Country life C. School life D. Modern life
6.A. busy B. crowded C. noisy D. empty
7.A. proud B. confident C. small D. excited
8.A. fast B. immediately C. rapidly D. quickly
9.A. All which B. All C. That D. Which
10.A. Therefore B. Still C. Consequently D. Subsequently
11.A. Suddenly B. Gradually C. Absolutely D. Exactly
12.A. which B. that C. where D. what
13.A. Even if B. Although C. As if D. As though
14.A. to give in B. giving in C. to give up D. giving up
15.A. called B. calling C. was called D. to call
16.A. amusing B. amazing C. amazed D. amused
17.A. to hold up B. holding up C. to hold on D. holding on
18.A. couldn’t B. wouldn’t C. didn’t D. shouldn’t
19.A. still B. already C. also D. certainly
20.A. as far as B. as well as C. as soon as D. as long as
The problem is not _______so easy as you think. It’s far from being settled.
A．hardly B．almost C．nearly D．scarcely
Eric helped to explain some things about community medicine to Barack, and of course his ideas were affected by Barack _____ health care.
A. thought about B. to think about C. think about D. thinking about
In front of the Great Pyramid, Mr Lee stood _____ its great height, and asked many questions.
A. to gaze up at B. to gaze down at C. gazing up at D. gazing down at
Mom believes that those words put to paper two centuries ago really _____ something.
A. mean B. represent C. tell D. say
