The rapid growth of cities worldwide over the next two decades will cause significant risks to people and the global environment, according to analysis.
Researches from Yale and Stanford predict that by 2030 urban areas will expand by 590,000 square miles—nearly the size of Mongolia—to meet the needs of 1.47 billion more people living in urban areas.
“It is likely that these cities are going to be developed in places that are the most biologically diverse,” said Karen Seto, a famous scientist at Yale University. “They are going to be growing and expanding into forests, biological hotspots, savannas(熱帶稀缺大草原), coastlines—sensitive and vulnerable places.”
Urban areas, they found, have been expanding more rapidly along coasts. “Of all the places for cities to grow, coasts are the most sensitive. People and buildings along the coast are at risk of flooding and other environmental disasters,” said Seto.
The study provides the first estimate of how fast urban areas globally are growing and how fast they may grow in the future. “We know a lot about global patterns of urban population growth, but we know significantly less about how urban areas are changing,” she said. “Changes in land cover associated with urbanization lead to many environmental changes, from habitats loss and agricultural land conversion(轉(zhuǎn)化) to changes in local and regional climate.”
The researchers examined studies that used satellite data to map urban growth and found that from 1970 to 2000 the world’s urban footprint had grown by at least 22,400 square miles—half the size of Ohio.
“This number is numerous, but, in actuality, urban land expansion has been far greater than what our analysis shows because we only looked at the published studies that used satellite data,” said Seto. “We found that 48 of the most populated urban areas have been studied using satellite data, with findings in journals. This means that we’re not tracking the physical expansion of more than half of the world’s largest cities.”
Half of urban land expansion in China is driven by a rising middle class, whereas the size of cities in India and Africa is driven primarily by population growth. “Rising incomes translate into rising demand for bigger homes and more land for urban development, which has a great effect on biodiversity conservations, loss of carbon sinks and energy use.”
小題1:According to the passage, the most dangerous place for city expansion is the _____.
A．forestB．desertC．savannasD．coastline
小題2:The underlined word “vulnerable” (in Para. 3) probably means “____”.
A．diverse in plantsB．beautiful in scenery
C．easily damagedD．very productive
小題3:From Para. 5, we can infer that ____.
A．urbanization is a good way to improve people’s standards of living
B．cities develop very fast and more and more people come to live in cities
C．more and more agricultural farmlands are used to make room for local animals
D．in the past, researchers focused their attention on the expanding urban areas
小題4:Cities in Africa become bigger and bigger mainly because of their ____.
A．growing populationB．rising middle class
C．unique living patternsD．economic development

小題1:D
小題2:C
小題3:B
小題4:A

試題分析：本文主要講述的是城市化的迅速發(fā)展導(dǎo)致了很多城市的規(guī)模擴(kuò)大，城市人口變多，對(duì)環(huán)境產(chǎn)生很大的影響和破壞。
小題1:D 細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)文章第三段“Of all the places for cities to grow, coasts are the most sensitive. People and buildings along the coast are at risk of flooding and other environmental disasters,” said Seto.可知最危險(xiǎn)的地方就是海岸線，故D正確。
小題2:C 推理題。根據(jù)本句“They are going to be growing and expanding into forests, biological hotspots, savannas(熱帶稀缺大草原), coastlines—sensitive and vulnerable places.”可知這里的sensitive and vulnerable places就是 指coastlines而這個(gè)地方又是對(duì)環(huán)境破壞很敏感的地方，海岸線的生態(tài)環(huán)境又是特別容易受到影響的地方。故C正確。
小題3:B 推理題。根據(jù)本段1,2行The researchers examined studies that used satellite data to map urban growth and found that from 1970 to 2000 the world’s urban footprint had grown by at least 22,400 square miles—half the size of Ohio.可知現(xiàn)在城市的發(fā)展速度很快，城市的居民的數(shù)量也越來(lái)越多。故B正確。
小題4:A 細(xì)節(jié)題。根據(jù)文章最后一段1,2行Half of urban land expansion in China is driven by a rising middle class, whereas the size of cities in India and Africa is driven primarily by population growth.可知中國(guó)的城市人口變多是因?yàn)橹袊?guó)的中產(chǎn)階級(jí)變多，而非洲則是因?yàn)槿丝诘难杆僭黾�。故A正確。
點(diǎn)評(píng)：本文主要講述的是城市化的迅速發(fā)展導(dǎo)致了很多城市的規(guī)模擴(kuò)大，城市人口變多，對(duì)環(huán)境產(chǎn)生很大的影響和破壞。測(cè)試考生在閱讀基礎(chǔ)上的邏輯推理能力，要求考生根據(jù)文章所述事件的邏輯關(guān)系，對(duì)未說(shuō)明的趨勢(shì)或結(jié)局作出合理的推斷；或根據(jù)作者所闡述的觀點(diǎn)理論，對(duì)文章未涉及的現(xiàn)象、事例給以解釋。考生首先要仔細(xì)閱讀短文，完整了解信息，準(zhǔn)確把握作者觀點(diǎn)。
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

It is easy for us to tell our friends from our enemies. But can other animals do the same? Elephants can! They can use their sense of vision and smell to tell the difference between people who pose a threat and those who do not.
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B．Kamba people raise elephants for farming.
C．Both Kamba and Maasai people are elephant hunters.
D．Both Kamba and Maasai people traditionally wear red clothing.
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B．They needed time to relax when smelling something unfamiliar.
C．They became anxious when they smelled Kamba-scented(有…氣味的) clothing.
D．They were frightened and ran away when they smelled their enemies.
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B．Elephants attack people who wear red clothing.
C．Scientists are now able to control elephants’ emotions.
D．Some Kenyan tribes understand elephants’ emotions very well.
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B．Elephants have sharper sense of smell than sight.
C．Elephants are more intelligent than other animals.
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

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3. If there is a financial component to the application, make sure you get accurate and complete information from all appropriate sources to ensure your eligibility.
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B．a(chǎn)nswer to the point
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

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B．Cats are friendlier to humans than dogs.
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B．We should pay attention to the tip of a cat’s tail.
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D．The key to reducing greenhouse gases in the short term is to improve energy efficiency.
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For several years this group has been trying to get the city government to help bicycle riders. For example. They want the city to draw special lanes for bicycles only on some of the main streets, because when bicycle riders must use the same lanes as cars, there are accidents. Bike for a Better City feels that if there were special lanes, more people would use bikes.
But no bicycle lanes have been drawn. Not everyone thinks it is a good idea-they say it will slow the traffic. Some store owners on the main streets don’t like the idea-they say that if there is less traffic, they will have less business.
The city government has not yet decided what to do. It wants to keep everyone happy. On weekends, Central Park-the largest place of open ground in New York-is closed to cars, and the roads may be used by bicycles only. But Bike for a Better City says that this is not enough and keeps fighting to get bicycle lanes downtown.
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B．have no cars of their own
C．a(chǎn)re complaining there are not enough buses
D．a(chǎn)re trying to settle the problem of air pollution
小題2:The advantage of the special lanes is that ________.
A．they will make cars and buses run slowly
B．they will make it easier for bike riders to go to parks
C．they will make the city more beautiful
D．the lanes will prevent accidents
小題3:The government has not decided whether special lanes should be drawn _______.
A．so that everyone is disappointed
B．because there are different opinions
C．because most people travel by train
D．because Bike for a Better City is not strong enough
小題4:Cars are not permitted to enter Central Park on weekends _________.
A．so that Bike for a Better City is pleased
B．so that everyone is happy
C．a(chǎn)nd bicycle lanes are drawn
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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Here is some news of the future.
March 20, 2035
There was a lot of news around the life extension drugs that hit the market a decade ago. They didn't promise that you would like forever, but they gave you a chance to extend your life an extra five to ten years. Even though the life expectancy rate at birth has increased greatly, the life expectancy for seniors hasn't improved that much. Basically, you have a greater chance to become a senior, but you will not have a much longer lifespan, and this is where the anti-aging drugs intend to kick in. So, do the anti-aging drugs work? Well，it is too early to tell. But the sales so far are very good.
April 19, 2035
Of the total US population of 378 million, people over 65 years of age now make up 20% for the first time. The senior ratio of only 4.1% by year 1900, and 12.4% 30 years ago.
The number of people above 65 compared to those of what is considered working ages, between 15 and 64, is currently 33.7%. This is up from 18.5% since year 2005, which means that for every retired person there are now two workers, compared to four workers 30 years ago. The number of people above the age of 80 has grown to 23.8 million, making them 6.3% of the total population compared to 3.6% in 2005.
April 12, 2040
Although introduced in the market only five years ago, 10% of all hydrogen fuel now sold in the US is of the environmentally friendly Re-Hydro label, produced through eletrolysis(電解) based on a source of 100% renewable energy. Several producers have turned to producing Re-Hydro, mainly because of lower tax, which also keeps the price of Re-Hydro on the same level as regular hydrogen. Most analysts believe that Re-Hydro will be the dominating fuel in the future.
小題1:According to News 1 we know that the life extension drugs ____.
A．were first sold in the year 2025.
B．a(chǎn)re made to make people live forever.
C．should be taken when people are young.
D．have greatly increased the life expectancy rate at birth.
小題2:The sales of the life extension drugs so far clearly show that_____.
A．people have no faith in them
B．people want to give them a try
C．they work very well for seniors
D．they have no effect on people’s health
小題3:What can we learn from News 2?
A．Many Americans will find it hard to find a job.
B．It’s very hard for seniors to pass the age of 80.
C．The US population has been increasing rapidly since 2005.
D．The US population has been aging rapidly since 2005.
小題4:We can know from the passage that the fuel of the Re-Hydro label is ______.
A．expensiveB．cheapC．greenD．dangerous
小題5:What can we infer from News 3?
A．Re-Hydro will be widely used in the future.
B．The government discourages the production of Re-Hydro.
C．Producers are not interested in producing Re-Hydro.
D．Re-Hydro is more expensive than regular hydrogen.

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科目：高中英語(yǔ) 來(lái)源：不詳 題型：閱讀理解

Elaine Yu Yee-nee, 15, Creative Secondary School
Lockers are designed in a way to hide their contents for a reason. Otherwise, they’d have open fronts like cupboards. Searching students’ lockers would be total invasion(侵犯) of privacy. Having a locker is more than having a place to store your stuff. A locker also gives you the freedom to keep certain things hidden. These can include harmless personal items like diaries, letters and photos. Searching lockers could discomfit students and others might make fun of them.
Yes, lockers are school property(財(cái)產(chǎn)). But that doesn’t give schools the right to inspect lockers as they please. While students are using lockers, they have the right to keep their contents private. Teachers could ask for permission to take a look inside a student’s locker and if the student is OK with that, then it would be fine. Searching students’ lockers without their permission would result in the loss of trust.
I doubt that students who have something dangerous to hide, such as weapons or drugs, would put them in their lockers. They would not want to risk being caught so easily.
Giving schools the right to search lockers would not help catch those who commit crimes. But it would certainly create an environment in which students would be embarrassed to have their belongings shown in public for no good reason.
Ronald Ling Pak-ki, 20, University of Hong Kong
Many students see their lockers as personal property. They would never agree that schools should have the right to inspect their lockers. But I think schools have an absolute right to do so.
It is the schools that actually own the lockers. Students just use them to store some of their things safely and conveniently. There are clear rules on what items students can and cannot keep in their lockers. Schools have both the duty and the right to check if students are following the rules.
I don’t think school authorities would decide to search a student’s locker unless they felt the need to do so. They might, for instance, suspect students of hiding drugs. To make sure that the process remains open and fair, only authorized teachers should have the right to search lockers. The search should be carried out in such a way as not to embarrass students in front of others.
小題1:What are .the two students talking about?
A．How to make sure schools are safe.
B．Whether there are crimes in schools.
C．Whether schools can search students’ lockers.
D．How to establish trust between teachers and students.
小題2:The underlined word could be replaced by ___.
A．embarrassB．frightenC．worryD．challenge
小題3:According to Elaine, school lockers ____.
A．a(chǎn)re students’ personal property
B．should be changed into cupboards
C．a(chǎn)re likely to hold some dangerous things
D．can be searched with students’ permission
小題4:Which of the following would Ronald agree with?
A．Students won’t hide drugs in lockers.
B．Students use lockers but don’t own them.
C．Students should not put personal things in lockers.
D．Students may forbid teachers to inspect their lockers.

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