Sharks have lived in the oceans for over 450 million years. There are now about 360 species of sharks, whose size, behavior, and other characteristics differ widely.
Sharks range in size from the 0.1 meter long dwarf-dog shark to the 18-metre long whale shark — the world’s biggest fish. The whale shark, like two other large shark species — the basking shark and the megamouth shark — are harmless to people because they feed on plants and small aquatic animals.
Sharks have extremely sensitive sense organs. Some sharks can detect the scent(气味) of decaying fish or blood even when it is diluted(稀释) to only one part per million parts of seawater. They can probably hear underwater sounds that originate as far as 3 kilometers away and can tell the direction from which underwater sounds are coming.
Sharks are key predators(肉食动物) in the world’s oceans, helping control the numbers of many other ocean predators. Without sharks, the oceans would be overcrowded with dead and dying fish.
Every year, we catch and kill over 100 million sharks, mostly for food and for their fins. Dried shark fins are used to make shark fin soup, which makes a profit for the sellers. Other sharks are killed for sport and out of fear. Sharks are vulnerable to overfishing because it takes most species 10 to 15 years to begin reproducing and they produce only a few offspring.
Influenced by movies and popular novels, most people see sharks as people-eating monsters. This is far from the truth. Every year, a few types of sharks injure about 100 people worldwide and kill about 25. Most attacks are by great white sharks, which often feed on sea lions and other marine mammals. They sometimes mistake human swimmers for their normal prey, especially if they are wearing black wet suits.
If you are a typical ocean-goer, your chances of being killed by an unprovoked(无缘无故的) attack by a shark are about 1 in 100 million. You are more likely to be killed by a pig than by a shark.
Sharks help save human lives. In addition to providing people with food, they are helping us learn how to fight cancer, bacteria and viruses. Sharks are very healthy and have aging processes similar to ours. Their highly effective immune system allows wounds to heal quickly without becoming infected, and their blood is being studied in connection with AIDS research.
Sharks are among the few animals in the world that almost never get cancer and eye cataracts. Understanding why can help us improve human health. Chemicals extracted from shark cartilage(软骨) have killed cancerous tumors in laboratory animals, and these chemicals may someday help prolong our life.
Sharks are needed in the world’s ocean ecosystems. Although they don’t need us, we need them. We are much more dangerous to sharks than they are to us. For every shark that bites a person, we kill one million sharks.
1.Which statement best expresses the main idea of the article?
A. There are many different species of sharks, but only a few of them are dangerous to humans.
B. Sharks are important to the ocean ecosystem and they are a valuable resource for humans.
C. Although some sharks are dangerous to humans, they can help save human lives.
D. Sharks always eat small fishes and they are an essential part of the world’s oceans.
2.Which question is NOT answered in the article?
A. How long does a shark live?
B. How many people are killed by sharks each year?
C. Why are sharks important in medical research?
D. What do humans kill sharks for?
3.It can be inferred from the passage that ______________.
A. movies have given people the wrong impression of sharks
B. most sharks are dangerous to humans
C. sharks will attack anyone who is wearing black
D. it is very likely that ocean-goers will be killed by a shark
A world-famous Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created the world’s first long-distance signing device, the LongPen.
After many tiring book signings from city to city, Atwood thought there must be a better way to do them. She hired some technical experts and started her own company in 2004. Together they designed the LongPen. Here’s how it works: The author writes a personal message and signature on a computer tablet(手写板) using a special pen. On the receiving end, in another city, a robotic arm fitted with a regular pen signs the book. The author and fan can talk with each other via webcams(网络摄像机) and computer screens.
Work on the LongPen began in Atwood’s basement(地下室). At first, they had no idea it would be as hard as it turned out to be. The device went through several versions, including one that actually had smoke coming out of it. The investing finally completed, test runs were made in Ottawa, and the LongPen was officially launched at the 2006 London Book Fair. From here, Atwood conducted two transatlantic book signings of her latest book for fans in Toronto and New York City.
The LongPen produces a unique signature each time because it copies the movement of the author in real time. It has several other potential applications. It could increase credit card security and allow people to sign contracts from another province. The video exchange between signer and receiver can be recorded on DVD for proof when legal documents are used.
“It’s really fun,” said the owner of a bookstore, who was present for one of the test runs. “Obviously you can’t shake hands with the author, but there are chances for a connection that you don’t get from a regular book signing.”
The response to the invention has not been all favorable. Atwood has received criticism from authors who think she is trying to end book tours. But she said, “It will be possible to go to places that you never got sent to before because the publishers couldn’t afford it.”
1.How does the LongPen work?
A. It copies the author’s signature and prints it on a book.
B. It signs a book while receiving the author’s signature.
C. The fan uses it to copy the author’s signature himself.
D. The webcam sends the author’s signature to another city.
2.What do we know about the invention of the LongPen?
A. The designers were well-prepared for the difficulty.
B. The basement caught fire by accident.
C. Some versions failed before its test run.
D. It has been completed but not put into use.
3.How could the LongPen be used in the future?
A. To allow author and fan to exchange videos
B. To improve credit card security.
C. To keep a record of the author’s ideas.
D. To draft legal documents.
As an old-fashioned explorer, Paul Salopek sets out on foot to circle around the world. He is also a modern-day explorer. On top of a few clothes, a small first-aid kit and notebooks, he is carrying a recorder, a video camera, a small computer and a satellite phone — a telephone that connects to a satellite and can be used in many places where cell-phones don’t work.
The journey is long: 21,000 miles! It will take seven years to complete it.
Salopek was born in California and spent his childhood in Mexico. He says he has always liked to travel and doesn’t like to rush. At the age of fourteen, he climbed Mount Whitney in California and crossed the state’s Sierra Nevada Mountains alone. When he was fifteen years old, he walked the length of Death Valley. He once rode a mule 2,000 miles through mountains in Mexico.
As a longtime reporter, Salopek has reported from Africa, Asia and Mexico. Now 51 years old, he plans to keep writing. As he travels around the world, he is writing stories about the people he meets and the way they live. He looks for how people find local solutions to big problems such as lack of food and water. He also records the sounds he hears and takes photos of the sky and the Earth’s surface.
The long walk started in the Rife Valley in Ethiopia in East Africa. Many consider East Africa to be home to the first humans, who lived 160,000 years ago.
Salopek is retracing the paths our ancestors took as they left Africa and settled in parts of the Middle East, Europe, Asia and the Americas. As Salopek is walking, he is learning more about himself and all of humankind.
1.The underlined phrase “on top of” in the first paragraph can be replaced by ______________.
A. at the top of B. in contrast to
C. in addition to D. on the basis of
2. The author develops the third paragraph mainly by ______________.
A. providing examples
B. making comparisons
C. making a careful analysis
D. following the order of time
3. According to the passage, Paul Salopek is a ______________.
A. doctor who likes carrying the small first-aid kit
B. journalist who likes traveling, exploring, writing and studying
C. writer who likes traveling, exploring and studying
D. photographer who is good at using satellite communication equipment
4.What’s the best title for the passage?
A. Paul Salopek: Following Man’s First Footsteps
B. Paul Salopek: Reflecting People’s Real Lives
C. Paul Salopek: Going for a Seven-year Study
D. Paul Salopek: Looking back upon the Childhood
书面表达
假定你是李华，计划暑假间去英国学习英语，为期六周。下面的广告引起了你的注意，请给该校写封信，询问有关情况（箭头所指内容）
注意：1．词数100左右；
2．可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯。
3．参考词汇：住宿 accommodation
短文改错
Dear Peter,
I’m very glad to receive your e-mail asking for information about the host family we have arranged you to stay with.
Locating in a beautiful and quiet neighborhood, the house was big enough to enable you to have a room of your own. Apart from the convenient public transportation, our private car will make your visits difficult. Because all the family members can speak fluently English and have outgoing personalities, I’m sure you will have no trouble to communicating with them. Above all, they hosted the American student last year, through that they gained lots of experience. In addition, the hostess cooking will guarantee you a wonderful chance of tasting delicious Chinese food.
Hope you enjoy your stay here.
Yours,
Li Hua
语法填空
Do you like travelling? Staying 1. (health) while 2. (travel) can help to ensure your trip is a happy and enjoyable one. 3. you are travelling abroad, here are the tips you need to make your trip much 4. (easy):
Make sure you have got signed passport(护照) and visas. Also, before you go, fill in the emergency information page of your passport! Make two copies of your passport identification page. This will help a lot if your passport 5. (steal). Leave one copy at home with friends or relatives. Carry the other 6. you in a separate place from your passport.
Read the Public Announcements or Travel Warnings for the countries you plan to visit. Get yourself familiar with local laws and customs of the countries to 7. you are travelling.
Leave a copy of your itinerary(旅行日程) with family or friends at home so that you can be contacted in case of an emergency.
Do not accept packages from strangers. Do not carry too much money or 8. (necessary) credit cards. If we make enough 9. (prepare), we will succeed. Have 10. good time!
