Farmers may not be able to prevent natural disasters, but they can at least try their best to reduce losses.
For example, they can plant crops that are more likely to survive extreme weather. In north-central Vietnam, people with small farms do not plant rice between September and December. Seasonal rains might destroy the rice. So instead, they plant lotus seeds on raised beds. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says the lotus seeds bring a good price in local markets.  
Farmers in the Philippines are showing new interest in crops like winged beans, string beans, arrowroot and cassava. The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center says traditional crops like these can survive the fierce storms that often strike the islands.
The United Nations says some African farmers grow bambara groundnuts during long dry periods. The seeds of this drought-resistant plant can be boiled for eating or for making flour.
In some parts of the world, farmers grow vetiver grass. Researchers in Thailand wrote about vetiver in 2007 in the journal Science Asia. They noted that the grass can absorb and control the spread of harmful waste waters, like those from pig farms.
Agricultural expert and author William Rivera says vetiver resists difficult conditions. It reduces damage from heavy rains. And vetiver planted on earthen dams may strengthen them against breaks and flooding.
William Rivera also speaks approvingly of alfalfa. Its deep roots can find and take up groundwater. Those roots also help hold the soil against winds. And alfalfa can be a valuable food source for animals.
The deep and extensive roots of sunflowers make them another good candidate for resisting extreme conditions. The tall plants have brightly colored heads that provide seeds and oil.
North Dakota grows more hectares of sunflowers than any other American state. But North Dakota is better known as a top wheat producing state.
Hans Kandel works at the North Dakota State University Extension Service in Fargo. He says farmers in some parts of North Dakota plant wheat that is ready to harvest in only about one hundred days. That way it can grow before the hot, dry months of July through September.
67．The underlined part “bring a good price in local markets” in the 2nd paragraph implies that lotus seeds _______.
A. can bring the local farmers more profit
B. will satisfy the needs of the local people
C. are what the local farmers eat every day
D. don’t sell very well because of their high prices
68．Vetiver grass is planted because it can _______.
A. be a valuable food source for animals             B. survive the fierce storms in summer
C. provide seeds and oil                                    D. be useful in many aspects
69．From the last paragraph we can see that the farmers in North Dakota _______.
A. are not hardworking so they are suffering from poverty                            
B. are good at taking advantage of the weather conditions
C. don’t have enough knowledge of weather and farming
D. plant more sunflowers than wheat
70．From this passage we may safely conclude that _______.
A. weather conditions are always decisive factors in agriculture
B. some crops can help farmers to fight against extreme weather
C. the species of the world are changing quickly
D. agriculture is developing fast in the world

Bushwick is a tough place to grow up. This part of Brooklyn, in New York City, has a lot of crime. More than half of its 100,000 residents rely on aid from the government. Only 50% of students at Bushwick High School graduate in four years.

Some people might say, “We should help these poor kids who have so many challenges.” But Malaak Compton-Rock looks at the teens in Bushwick and says, “ Go to help kids who have even bigger challenges than you do.” She believes that once young people see the power they have to make things better, they can handle their own problems more easily. So her service group, the Angel Rock Project, took 30 Bushwick kids to Soweto, in South Africa, to help poor families there. Soweto is a township outside the city of Johannesburg. The effort, called Journey for Change, aims to show that any kid can change the world.

“Kids in Bushwick face pressure to drop out of school or become involved in gangs and drugs.” Says Compton-Rock. “We want them to live a life of purpose and service.”

In Soweto, many parents have died of AIDS, a deadly disease. When that happens, a grandparent or a child must lead the family. The Bushwick volunteers helped such families. They tended vegetable gardens, cared for babies and bought groceries.

“The saddest thing was when we visited an orphanage (孤儿院) and I helped a little boy who had been abandoned because he had HIV, the virus that causes AIDS,” says Queen Clyde, 12. “It‘s been good to be on this trip. But what’s also important is what we do when it’s finished. That’s what counts.” “ I never appreciated what I had until I saw some people who had nothing,” says Sadara Lewis, 12 “It’s really changed my attitude. I want to make a difference.”

The trip was two weeks long. But the kids, aged 12 to 15, will spend all year speaking about their experience, fund-raising and more.

1.What’s the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．Bushwick is the poorest place in New York City.

B．Bushwick still needs more care from the government.

C．It is children who suffer most in New York City.

D．Children in Bushwick are living in a bad situation.

2.In Compton-Rock’s opinion, the Bushwick kids __________.

A．have few challenges

B．should be kept out of schools

C．can learn to deal with their own problems by helping others

D．are living much better than people in Africa

3.Compared to Bushwick kids, some children in Soweto __________.

A．may have bigger challenges

B．receive no care from the government

C．are much more independent

D．are able to lead the family

4.According to the passage, “Journey for Change” can be best seen as the saying “________”.

A．God helps those who help themselves

B．saying and doing are two things

C．one stone kills two birds

D．a friend in need is a friend indeed

5.From the passage we know that __________.

A．there are few students in Bushwick High School

B．the trip to Soweto will have a long influence in spite of its short time.

C．most children are suffering from AIDS in Soweto

D．kids with HIV will be abandoned in Soweto

Farmers may not be able to prevent natural disasters, but they can at least try their best to reduce losses.

For example, they can plant crops that are more likely to survive extreme weather. In north-central Vietnam, people with small farms do not plant rice between September and December. Seasonal rains might destroy the rice. So instead, they plant lotus seeds on raised beds. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization says the lotus seeds bring a good price in local markets.  

Farmers in the Philippines are showing new interest in crops like winged beans, string beans, arrowroot and cassava. The Asian Disaster Preparedness Center says traditional crops like these can survive the fierce storms that often strike the islands.

The United Nations says some African farmers grow bambara groundnuts during long dry periods. The seeds of this drought-resistant plant can be boiled for eating or for making flour.

In some parts of the world, farmers grow vetiver grass. Researchers in Thailand wrote about vetiver in 2007 in the journal Science Asia. They noted that the grass can absorb and control the spread of harmful waste waters, like those from pig farms.

Agricultural expert and author William Rivera says vetiver resists difficult conditions. It reduces damage from heavy rains. And vetiver planted on earthen dams may strengthen them against breaks and flooding.

William Rivera also speaks approvingly of alfalfa. Its deep roots can find and take up groundwater. Those roots also help hold the soil against winds. And alfalfa can be a valuable food source for animals.

The deep and extensive roots of sunflowers make them another good candidate for resisting extreme conditions. The tall plants have brightly colored heads that provide seeds and oil.

North Dakota grows more hectares of sunflowers than any other American state. But North Dakota is better known as a top wheat producing state.

Hans Kandel works at the North Dakota State University Extension Service in Fargo. He says farmers in some parts of North Dakota plant wheat that is ready to harvest in only about one hundred days. That way it can grow before the hot, dry months of July through September.

67．The underlined part “bring a good price in local markets” in the 2nd paragraph implies that lotus seeds _______.

A. can bring the local farmers more profit

B. will satisfy the needs of the local people

C. are what the local farmers eat every day

D. don’t sell very well because of their high prices

68．Vetiver grass is planted because it can _______.

       A. be a valuable food source for animals             B. survive the fierce storms in summer

       C. provide seeds and oil                                    D. be useful in many aspects

69．From the last paragraph we can see that the farmers in North Dakota _______.

       A. are not hardworking so they are suffering from poverty                            

B. are good at taking advantage of the weather conditions

C. don’t have enough knowledge of weather and farming

D. plant more sunflowers than wheat

70．From this passage we may safely conclude that _______.

       A. weather conditions are always decisive factors in agriculture

    B. some crops can help farmers to fight against extreme weather

       C. the species of the world are changing quickly

       D. agriculture is developing fast in the world

To hitch-hike successfully in any country you must be able to do two things: attract attention and at the same time convince the driver at a glance that you do not intend to rob or murder him．To fulfill the first requirement you must have some mark to distinguish you at once from all other hikers．A serviceman, for instance, should wear his uniform, a student his scarf．In a foreign country an unmistakable indication of your own nationality will also arrest a driver’s attention．

When I hitch-hiked 9,500 miles across the United States and back recently I wore a well-tailored suit, a bowler hat and a trench coat, and carried a pencil-thin rolled black umbrella．My suitcase was decorated with British flags．Having plenty of luggage, moreover, I was not likely to be suspected of being a dangerous lunatic（精神病患者）．I then had to get across to the driver the idea that I was a real traveler, and needed to get somewhere cheaply．

But even with careful preparation, you must not assume（认为） that the task will be easy．You should be prepared to wait a little, for there are drivers who confess to（承认） a fierce prejudice against, （not to say hatred of）, hitch-hikers, and would no more pick up a hiker than march from Aldermaston to London．In America, my average wait was half-an-hour, and my longest two hours, but I have heard of people waiting all day; they probably took less pains to make themselves easy to notice．

Nor must you assume that all the drivers who stop for you are nice, normal people．On one occasion I found myself driving with two boys of about nineteen who turned out to be on the run from the police, and were hoping to use me as an alibi．There are also lesser（较小的） risks: you may find yourself in the car of a Fascist fanatic, a Mormon missionary（传教士）, or just a bad driver．You cannot tell, of course until you are in the car．But you soon learn the art of the quick excuse that gets you out again．

If the hitch-hiker in the U．S．will remember that he is seeking the willingness of drivers to give him a free ride, and is prepared to give in exchange entertainment and company, and not go to sleep, he will come across the remarkable, almost legendary, hospitality of American of the West．It will also help if he can drive—I think that I drove myself about 4,500 of those 9,500 miles I hitch-hiked in the States．

71．A hitch-hiking serviceman should wear his uniform      ．

A．so as not to look too unusual              B．to attract attention

C．to show he is on duty                    D．to put the driver at ease

72．In paragraph 3, we learn that the writer     ．

A．has sometimes failed to hitch a ride

B．has marched from Aldermaston to London

C．has always been successful in hitching a ride

D．has had to wait for long hours for a ridew

73．The main idea of Paragraph 4 is that      ．

A．it is dangerous to be in a car with strangers

B．hitch-hiking may turn out to be risky sometimes

C．a hitch-hiker must also learn the art of quick excuse

D．hitch-hikers might come across bad drivers

74．In the last paragraph, the writer mainly wants to tell us that a hitchhiker should     ．

A．not talk to the driver too much

B．fall asleep to make it a peaceful ride

C．try to make himself pleasant and entertaining

D．seek the willingness of drivers

75．A suitable title for the passage would be     ．

A．“The Art of Hitch-hiking”      B．“An Englishman’s View of the U．S．”

C．“An English Hitch-hiker”        D．“The joys and Dangers of hitch-hiking

         To hitch-hike successfully in any country you must be able to do two things: attract attention and at the same time convince the driver at a glance that you do not intend to rob or murder him．To fulfill the first requirement you must have some mark to distinguish you at once from all other hikers．A serviceman, for instance, should wear his uniform, a student his scarf．In a foreign country an unmistakable indication of your own nationality will also arrest a driver’s attention．

         When I hitch-hiked 9,500 miles across the United States and back recently I wore a well-tailored suit, a bowler hat and a trench coat, and carried a pencil-thin rolled black umbrella．My suitcase was decorated with British flags．Having plenty of luggage, moreover, I was not likely to be suspected of being a dangerous lunatic（精神病患者）．I then had to get across to the driver the idea that I was a real traveler, and needed to get somewhere cheaply．

         But even with careful preparation, you must not assume（认为） that the task will be easy．You should be prepared to wait a little, for there are drivers who confess to（承认） a fierce prejudice against, （not to say hatred of）, hitch-hikers, and would no more pick up a hiker than march from Aldermaston to London．In America, my average wait was half-an-hour, and my longest two hours, but I have heard of people waiting all day; they probably took less pains to make themselves easy to notice．

         Nor must you assume that all the drivers who stop for you are nice, normal people．On one occasion I found myself driving with two boys of about nineteen who turned out to be on the run from the police, and were hoping to use me as an alibi．There are also lesser（较小的） risks: you may find yourself in the car of a Fascist fanatic, a Mormon missionary（传教士）, or just a bad driver．You cannot tell, of course until you are in the car．But you soon learn the art of the quick excuse that gets you out again．

         If the hitch-hiker in the U．S．will remember that he is seeking the willingness of drivers to give him a free ride, and is prepared to give in exchange entertainment and company, and not go to sleep, he will come across the remarkable, almost legendary, hospitality of American of the West．It will also help if he can drive—I think that I drove myself about 4,500 of those 9,500 miles I hitch-hiked in the States．

71．A hitch-hiking serviceman should wear his uniform       ．

         A．so as not to look too unusual               B．to attract attention

         C．to show he is on duty                     D．to put the driver at ease

72．In paragraph 3, we learn that the writer      ．

         A．has sometimes failed to hitch a ride

         B．has marched from Aldermaston to London

         C．has always been successful in hitching a ride

         D．has had to wait for long hours for a ridew

73．The main idea of Paragraph 4 is that       ．

         A．it is dangerous to be in a car with strangers

         B．hitch-hiking may turn out to be risky sometimes

         C．a hitch-hiker must also learn the art of quick excuse

         D．hitch-hikers might come across bad drivers

74．In the last paragraph, the writer mainly wants to tell us that a hitchhiker should      ．

         A．not talk to the driver too much

         B．fall asleep to make it a peaceful ride

         C．try to make himself pleasant and entertaining

         D．seek the willingness of drivers

75．A suitable title for the passage would be      ．

         A．“The Art of Hitch-hiking”       B．“An Englishman’s View of the U．S．”

         C．“An English Hitch-hiker”         D．“The joys and Dangers of hitch-hiking