Beijing had its biggest snowfall since 1951. Britain is suffering through its longest cold snap (寒潮) since 1981. And freezing weather is hitting the Deep South, including Florida’s orange groves and beaches.

Whatever happened to global warming?

Such weather doesn’t seem to fit with warnings from scientists that the Earth is warming because of greenhouse gases. But experts say the cold snap doesn’t contradict global warming at all—it’s just a temporary phenomenon in the long-term heating trend. “It’s part of natural variability,” said Gerald Meehl, a senior scientist. With global warming, he said, “we’ll still have record cold temperatures. We’ll just have fewer of them.”

Scientists say man-made climate change does have the potential to cause more frequent and more severe weather extremes. But experts did not connect the current cold snap to climate change.

 So what is going on?

“We basically have seen just a big outbreak of Arctic air over populated areas of the Northern Hemisphere”, Arndt said.

In the atmosphere, large rivers of air travel roughly west to east around the globe between the Arctic and the tropics. This air flow acts like a fence to keep Arctic air restricted. But recently, this air flow has become bent into a zigzag (之字形) pattern, wandering north and south. If you live in a place where it brings air up from the south, you get warm weather. In fact, record highs were reported this week in Washington state and Alaska.

But in the eastern United States, like some other unlucky parts of the globe, Arctic air is coming from the north. And that’s how you get a temperature of 3 degrees in Beijing, a reading of minus-42 in mainland Norway, and 18 inches of snow in parts of Britain. The zigzag pattern arises naturally from time to time, but it is not clear why it’s so strong right now.

What is the best title of the text?

A. Freezing weather is hitting the Deep South.

B. We’ll still have record cold temperatures.

C. The air flow has become a zigzag pattern.

D. Cold snap doesn’t contradict global warming.

With global warming, we will ______.

A. also meet with severe cold snap

B. have more hot temperatures forever

C. never experience cold temperatures

D. have more cold temperatures

According to experts, the current cold snap ______.

A. suggests that the climate has changed greatly

B. is not related to the climate change

C. shows that the climate will turn cold

D. is affected by global warming

Beijing had its biggest snowfall since 1951 because of ______.

A. a fence from the Arctic                   B. a cooling trend in climate

C. a big outbreak of Arctic air              D. its large population

We can conclude that ______.

A. not all the parts of the Northern Hemisphere are cold in face of the cold snap

B. the zigzag pattern arises naturally accidentally

C. Beijing will get cold weather next year

D. Washington state and Alaska will not face cold weather next year

Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road

-- Reported by Sheila Carrick

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.

Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more concerned with how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.

Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads, the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Roadkill.

"Ecopassages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. "These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid human conflicts," said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lion used the passage.

Builders of some ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.

The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass!

The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that_________.

A．wild animals have become more dangerous

B．the driving conditions have improved greatly

C．the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work

D．an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents

From the news story, we know an ecopassage is_________.

A．an underground path for cars        B．a fence built for the safety of the area

C．a bridge for animals to get over a river D．a pass for animals to cross the road

When the writer says that animals seem “to be catching on”, he means_________.

A．animals begin to realize the dangers on the road

B．animals begin to learn to use ecopassages     

C．animals are crossing the road in groups

D．animals are increasing in number

The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because_________.

A．wild animals may attack cars B．wild animals may jam the road

C．they may see wild animals in the park    D．they may see wild animals on ecopassages

On May 27, 1995, our life was suddenly changed. It happened a few minutes past three, ___36___ my husband, Chris, fell from his horse as it ___37___ over a fence. Chris was paralyzed(瘫痪) from the chest down, ___38___ to breathe normally. As he was thrown from his horse, we entered into a life of ___39___ with lots of unexpected challenges(挑战). We went from the “haves” to the “have-nots”. Or so we thought.

___40___ what we discovered later were all the gifts that came out of ___41___ difficulties. We came to learn that something ___42___ could happen in a disaster. All over the world people ___43___ Chris so much that letters and postcards poured in every day. By the end of the third week in a ___44___ center in Virginia, about 35,000 pieces of ___45___ had been received and sorted.

As ___46___, we opened letter after letter. They gave us ___47___ and became a source of strength for us. We used them to ___48___ ourselves. I would go to the pile of letters marked with “Funny” if we needed a ___49___, or to the “Disabled” box to find advice from people in wheelchairs or ___50___ in bed living happily and ___51___.

These letters, we realized, had to be shared. And so ___52___ we offer one of them to you.

Dear Chris,

My husband and I were so sorry to hear of your___53___ accident last week. No doubt your family and your friends are giving you the strength to face this ___54___ challenge. People everywhere are also giving you best wishes every day and we are among those who are keeping you ___55___.

Yours Sincerely,

Nancy Reagan

36.A.since      B. before C. when  D. while

37. A. walked B. climbed      C. pulled D. jumped

38. A. able     B. unable C. suitable      D. unsuitable

39. A. disability     B. possession  C. convenience       D. experience

40. A. So       B. For     C. Or      D. Yet

41. A. sharing B. separating   C. fearing       D. exploiting

42. A. terrible B. similar       C. wonderful  D. practical

43. A. wrote for     B. cared for    C. hoped for   D. sent for

44. A. medical       B. postal  C. experimental      D. mental

45.A. news     B. paper  C. equipment  D. mail

46. A. patients       B. a family     C. nurses D. a group

47. A. effect   B. effort  C. comfort      D. explanation

48. A. encourage    B. express       C. control       D. treat

49. A. cry       B. laugh  C. chat    D. sigh

50. A. much   B. never  C. even   D. seldom

5l. A. bitterly  B. fairly  C. weakly       D. successfully

52. A. here     B. there   C. therefore    D. forward

53. A. driving B. flying C. running      D. riding

54. A. technical      B. different     C. difficult     D. valuable

55. A. nearby  B. close   C. busy   D. alive

Proverbs(谚语) are quite common in spoken English. We do not normally put them in a composition or letter. Sometimes it is helpful if you know what common proverbs mean. Here are a few examples:

Once bitten, twice shy. If a dog bites me, I shall be twice as careful in future when I see it. This proverb is also used to apply to many things and not only to dogs. If you have been cheated at a shop, you will not go to the same shop again. 

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. If I am a hunter, trying to catch birds, it is better to catch one bird than to see two birds in a bush but not be able to catch them. Thus this means that what you have already got is better than the chance of being able to get something bigger in the future.   

Too many cooks spoil the broth(soup). When too many people do something together, they get in each other’s way and cannot do a good job.

To pour oil on troubled waters Is to try to calm things down. Oil is lighter than water. If a ship is in trouble at sea, another ship may come to help it. The second ship can send small boats to rescue people. However, it may first pour oil on the sea to make the sea less rough.

Don't be a dog in a manger(马槽). Means “ Don’t be selfish.” In a stable(马厩), the manger is the place where the horse’s food is put. Sometimes a dog will sleep in the manger and bard when a horse comes to get its food. The dog does not want to eat the hay in the manger but it will not let the horse eat it.

He’s sitting on the fence. Means that somebody will not say whether he is in favour of a plan or against it. He is sitting on a fence between two opposing sides, perhaps waiting to see which side will win.

He who pays the piper calls the tune. A piper is a musician . The man who employs or pays a musician can say what tunes the man will play. Thus this means that if a man provides the money for a plan, he can say how it will be carried out.

You can’t get blood out of a stone means that you can’t get something out of a person who has not got any of the things you want. For example, you cannot get a million dollars from a poor man.

1.Peter had a bicycle which was much too small for him but he did not want to let his younger brother ride on it. His mother was angry and said to him : “______”.

A．You cannot get blood out of a stone	B．Don’t be a dog in a manger
C．The early bird gets the worm	D．Don’t be a horse in the manger

2.Mr Wang paid for a new school. Some people did not like the design of the school but they did not argue with Mr Wang because ________.

A．he was sitting on the fence	B．once bitten, twice shy
C．he who pays the piper calls the tune	D．a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

3.Mrs Chen wanted to buy a new dress. Her husband suggested that she buy it from a shop near their home. Mrs Chen disagreed because she had been cheated by that shop. Then she said: “ I won’t go there again because___.”

A．a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush	B．I am sitting on the fence
C．Once bitten, twice shy	D．too man cooks spoil the broth

4.Mr brown had quite a good job in Hong Kong but he thought that if he went to Singapore he might get a much better job with more money and a large house. His wife did not want him to leave his job in Hong Kong and she warned him that _____.

A．a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush	B．too many cooks spoil the broth
C．you cannot get blood out of a stone	D．he who pays the piper calls the tune

 

Special Bridges Help Animals Cross the Road

----- Reported by Sheila Carrick

Why did the chicken cross the road? To get to the other side.

Most people know this joke. But recently, some people have been much more concerned with how the grizzly bear and mountain lion can cross the road.

Millions of animals die each year on U.S. roads, the Federal Highway Administration reports. In fact, only about 80 ocelots, an endangered wild cat, exist in the U.S. today. The main reason? Road-kill.

"Ecopassages" may help animals cross the road without being hit by cars. They are paths both over and under roads. "These ecopassages can be extremely useful, so that wildlife can avoid human conflicts," said Jodi Hilty of the Wildlife Conservation Society.

But do animals actually use the ecopassages? The answer is yes. Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University found foot marks left by mountain lions on an ecopassage that went under a highway. This showed that the lion used the passage.

Builders of some ecopassages try to make them look like a natural part of an area by planting trees on and around them. Animals seem to be catching on. Animals as different as salamanders and grizzly bears are using the bridges and underpasses.

The next time you visit a park or drive through an area with a lot of wildlife, look around. You might see an animal overpass!

45. The writer uses the example of “ocelots” to show that_________.

A．wild animals have become more dangerous

       B．the driving conditions have improved greatly

       C．the measure for protecting wildlife fails to work

      D．an increasing number of animals are killed in road accidents

46. From the news story, we know an ecopassage is_________.

A．an underground path for cars        B．a fence built for the safety of the area

C．a bridge for animals to get over a river D．a pass for animals to cross the road

47. When the writer says that animals seem “to be catching on”, he means_________.

A．animals begin to realize the dangers on the road

B．animals begin to learn to use ecopassages     

C．animals are crossing the road in groups

D．animals are increasing in number

48. The writer asks visitors and drivers to look around when traveling because_________.

A．wild animals may attack cars B．wild animals may jam the road

C．they may see wild animals in the park    D．they may see wild animals on ecopassages