Growers around the world are using new methods to grow grapes to make wine. They use natural and organic methods to control harmful insects and weeds instead of using chemicals. Now, a winery in Canada has adopted a natural way to control its grapevines (葡萄藤).The Featherstone Winery is in southern Ontario. The grapevines, like other plants, need to be cut every year.
Cutting grapevines must be done very carefully. Only a targeted area of leaves is removed from the lower part of the vines to help the grapes grow better. But at the Featherstone Winery, no man or machine does the cutting. Instead, the job is done by 40 little wooly lambs.www.zxxk.com
David Johnson owns the vineyard. He says he learned about using lambs while visiting wineries in New Zealand. The young lambs are perfectly designed to do the job. They eat the grape leaves on the lower parts of the vine. But they are not tall enough to reach the grapes. They only weigh about 22 kilograms, so they do not beat down the soil. And their waste makes good organic fertilizer. In addition, using the lambs costs much less than hiring workers to cut the vines for seven weeks in summer. And when the cutting is done in August, the lambs become tasty dishes.
Mr Johnson says he had a difficult time finding enough lambs to do the job. There are about 50 million lambs in New Zealand. But there are not nearly as many in Ontario. Also, some organic pesticides (杀虫剂) are harmful to lambs. And the lambs must be watched to make sure they do not eat too much of the grapevines.
David Johnson says the lambs help him carry out his environmental ideas about farming. They are lovely and peaceful and he likes having them in his vineyard. People visiting the vineyard also enjoy watching the lambs do their job.
1.Farmers who grow grapes with natural and organic methods _____.
A. don't cut grapevines every year
B. don't use chemicals to control harmful insects and weeds
C. don't need to control harmful insects and weeds
D. don't use organic fertilizer
2.In order to help the grapes grow better, growers _____.
A. only have to remove the dead leaves
B. need to remove a specific area of leaves
C. shouldn't remove any part of the plants
D. should let little lambs do the cutting
3.Paragraph 4 is mainly about _____.
A. the future of getting lambs to do the cutting
B. the worries about using organic pesticides
C. the ways to get lambs to do the cutting
D. the problems related to lambs doing the cutting
4.We can infer from the passage that David Johnson______.
A. owns several wineries in Canada
B. buys lambs from New Zealand
C. is concerned about protecting the environment
D. loves keeping lambs instead of farming
In the 18th century, New York was smaller than Philadelphia and Boston. Today it is the largest city in America. How can the change in its size and importance be explained?
To answer this question we must consider certain facts about geography, history, and economics. Together these three will explain the huge growth of America’s most famous city.
The map of the Northeast shows that the four areas with the largest populations in this region are around seaports. At these points materials from across the sea enter the United States, and the products of the land are sent there for export across the sea.
We know that places where transportation lines meet are good places for making raw materials into finished goods. That is why seaports often have cities nearby. But cities like New York needed more than their geographical location in order to become great industrial centers. Their development did not happen simply by chance.www.zxxk.com
About 1815, when many Americans from the east had already moved toward the west, transportation routes from the seaports to the central regions of the country began to be a serious problem. The slow wagons of that time, usually drawn by horses, were too expensive for moving heavy freight (货物) very far. In New York State a canal seemed the best answer to the transportation problem. From the eastern end of Lake Erie all the way across the state to the Hudson River there is a long strip of low land. Here the Erie Canal was built, and after several years of work it was completed in 1825.
The canal produced an immediate effect. Freight costs were cut to about one tenth of what they had been. New York City, which had been smaller than Philadelphia and Boston, quickly became the leading city of the coast. In the years that followed, transportation routes on the Great Lakes were joined to routes on the Mississippi River. Then New York City became the end point of a great inland shipping system that started from the Atlantic Ocean far up the western branches of the Mississippi.
1.Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
A. The Development of Transportation in New York
B. Export and Import of New York
C. How New York Became America's Largest City
D. How New York Exchanged with Europe
2.According to the passage, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. The Erie Canal connected Lake Erie with the Hudson River.
B. Economists are of the opinion that places where farming is done are good for making raw materials into finished goods.
C. Wagons drawn by horses and oxen soon proved to be better and cheaper than canal transportation.
D. The seaports usually have less population but more business.
3.Freight costs were reduced to 10% of what they had been because of ________.
A. cheap and fast wagons B. the new sea routes
C. the construction of the Erie Canal D. the development of industry
Risk of death is 3.5 to 5 times greater for obese (肥胖的) smokers than it is for people who have never smoked and are at a normal weight, according to a study published in the November, 2006 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The study, which began with a self-administered questionnaire taken between 1983 and 1989, asked more than 80,000 radiologic technologists aged 22 to 92 questions about age, height, weight and smoking behavior.
BMI (body mass index) was calculated, with a BMI of 30 to 34.9 being considered obese, and 35 and over being very obese. Smoking behavior was analyzed by looking at a person's tobacco consumption level, number of years smoked, and current smoking status. Researchers then followed participants through December of 2002, noting the number of deaths that occurred.
The study involved researchers from the National Cancer Institute, the University of Minnesota and the American Registry of Radiolegic Technologists.
Key Findings:
20 percent of obese adults in the United States smoke.
Obese smokers face a greater risk of death from cancer and circulatory disease.
Current smoking is a greater risk factor for death by cancer than obesity is, generally speaking.
The higher a person's pack-years (number of packs smoked per day times the number of years smoked) are, the greater the risk of death.www.zxxk.com
Men and women of all ages faced an elevated risk of death due to circulatory disease as BMI increased. And for those who were both obese and currently smoking, risk of circulatory disease increased 6 to 11 times under the age of 65, as compared to their never-smoking, normal weight counterparts.
While it's not surprising that obesity coupled with smoking is a recipe for trouble, it is important to highlight this growing health concern in America today.
Taking Charge of Your Health
Making healthy choices can be difficult when we're constantly exposed to products that are dangerous to our health, but it's not impossible. With education and some motivation, we all have the ability to make lasting changes for the better. If you're an overweight smoker worried about gaining weight due to quitting, take heart. It's never too late to change your course and even reduce damage to some extent.
1.60. What is the American Journal of Preventive Medicine?
A. An medical institute. B. A research center.
C. A medical magazine D. A TV station
2.Which of the following is true according to the text?
A. Obese smokers are less likely to suffer from cancer.
B. Obese smokers are more likely to suffer from cancer.
C. Obese smokers tend to gain fewer body mass index.
D. Obese smokers tend to get heavier than those who never smoke.
3.According to the author, it is ________ to get rid of smoking.
A. easy and possible B. difficult and impossible
C. easy ant worthwhile D. difficult but worthwhile
4.What is the purpose of the text?
A. To inform the readers of the findings about obese smoking.
B. To warn the readers of the danger of obese smoking.
C. To tell us what obese smoking is.
D. To call on the obese smokers to quit smoking.
Twenty years is just a blink in time. But 20 years is also long enough for a man to grow up. It is always painful. For Andrew Agassi, maturing in the spotlight of international tennis competition was even harder.
On September 3, the American tennis player said a tearful goodbye to his 21-year career after a third-round defeat in the US Open. The 36-year-old tried his best, but was unable to keep up with German Benjamin Becker, more than ten years his junior.
"The scoreboard said I lost today, but what the scoreboard doesn't say is what I've found," Agassi said to the fans. "I have found inspiration and you willed me to succeed." It was an emotional speech at the end of a long career.
Agassi hated tennis as a teenager as much as he loves it now. His father made him play when he was a child. He got bored, and became a rebel(叛逆). The strict training that his father pushed upon him got in the way of his wild lifestyle. He grew hair long, wore colorful clothes and spat at a judge. Over the years, he has made bad jokes during news conferences. Asked what he would say to his 17-year-old self, Agassi answered, "I would say, I understand you a lot more than I want to be you."
The turning point in Agassi's career came in 1992 when he unexpectedly won his first Grand Slam (大满贯赛事)at Wimbledon. It was the first time Agassi understood what real champions finally understand: winning is a test of courage and not just power, it's a marathon, not a sprint(短跑).
And what a marathon Agassi was about to begin. He cut his long hair, got fitter and tightened up emotionally. On the court, he ranked No. 1 for almost two years. His lowest point came in 1997 when his ranking dropped to No. 141. He didn't quit though. "I knew that I would try to get the most out of myself every day from that day forward. That was my promise," he said. "That never stopped." www.zxxk.com
1.The underlined phrase "more than ten years his junior" in the second paragraph means _________.
A. having lower ranking than Agassi for more than ten years
B. having higher ranking than Agassi for more than ten years
C. more than ten years older than Agassi
D. more than ten years younger than Agassi
2.How did Agassi feel when he was defeated in the competition?
A. He felt angry with the judge
B. He felt satisfied with the scoreboard
C. He felt regretful but encouraged
D. He felt in great desperation
3.The passage implies ______.
A. after 1997 Agassi began to take up marathon besides tennis
B. Agassi began to play tennis before he was fifteen
C. Agassi hesitated to quit his sports career
D. the reason why Agassi lost his last competition was that he lacked courage and power
4.The score of the match between Agassi and Becker is ______.
A. 0-2 B. 0-3 C. 1-3 D. 2-3
I live in Hollywood. You may think people in such an attractive, fun-filled place are _________ than others. If so, you have some ________ ideas about the nature of happiness.
Many intelligent people still equate(同等看待) happiness with ________. The _______ is that fun and happiness have ______ or nothing in common. Fun is what we experience during an act. Happiness is ________ we experience after an act. It is a deeper, more lasting emotion.www.zxxk.com
Going to an amusement park or ball game, watching a movie or television, are fun ______ that help us relax, ________ forget our problems and maybe even ________. But they do not bring happiness, because their _______ effects end when the fun ______.
I have often thought that ______ Hollywood stars have a role to ________, it is to teach us that happiness has nothing to do with fun. These rich, beautiful individuals have constant _________ to glamorous parties, fancy cars, expensive homes, everything that spells “happiness”.
But celebrities reveal(揭露) the ________hidden beneath all their fun: depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, broken marriages, troubled children and profound loneliness.
The way people stick to the _______ that a fun-filled, pain-free life equates happiness actually _____ their chances of ever obtaining real happiness. If fun and pleasure are equated with happiness, then pain ______ be equated with unhappiness. But, _______, the opposite is true: More times than not, things that lead to happiness _______ some pain.
As a result, many people avoid the very efforts that are the source of true happiness. They fear the pain inevitably brought by such things as marriage, raising children, professional achievement, religious commitment, civic or charitable work, and self-improvement.www.zxxk.com
1.A. luckier B. happier C. richer D. tougher
2.A. mistaken B. right C. desperate D. shallow
3.A. wealth B. fame C. fun D. pleasure
4.A. state B. belief C. tendency D. truth
5.A. a little B. some C. little D. much
6.A. which B. that C. what D. as
7.A. activities B. occasions C. periods D. games
8.A. gradually B. temporarily C. consequently D. thoroughly
9.A. change B. enjoy C. refresh D. laugh
10.A. special B. deep C. strong D. positive
11.A. comes B. ends C. lasts D. returns
12.A. when B. as C. once D. if
13.A. play B. make C. reach D. expect
14.A. signature B. participation C. access D. appearance
15.A. secrets B. unhappiness C. presentation D. disagreement
16.A. prejudice B. sense C. theory D. belief
17.A. reduces B. robs C. consumes D. increases
18.A. may B. must C. can D. will
19.A. as usual B. as a result C. in fact D. in a word
20.A. abuse B. involve C. cause D. equal
—Is he a boring person?
—______. He is a funny guy.
A. Go ahead B. Absolutely not C. Not a little D. Heaven knows
