1、Mega-citiesIn 1950, New York was the only city with more than 10 million inhabitants. There are now 11cities housing over 11 million people each. Tokyo alone has 17 million. In 1995, their combined population totaled 166 million; in 2015 it is forecast to be over 204 million.The worlds urban populat
2、ion, increasing at four times the rate of rural populations, will double in the period 1990-2025, to over five billion. Consequently, two-thirds of the people of the world will live in cities, some of which will be huge. Moreover, about 90% of the growth will be in developing countries. This growth,
3、 adding around 60 million people per year to city population, will be mainly in Southeast Asia and Africa. The consequences are dramatic. This is change on a scale never before experienced, bringing with it considerable challenges and opportunities.Why does this growth happen? Most of it results fro
4、m internal migration rather than the international movement of people, and is caused by a variety of push and pull factors.One push factor is due to pressure on land availability. Improved health brings population growth, causing people to move out of rural areas. Others move because of climate chan
5、ge or poor farming methods which often result in deforestation and flooding. Such changes can alter the social structure, leading people to move. Furthermore, civil war or regional conflicts also cause disruption, driving people out of rural areas.On the other hand, there are the pull factors. Citie
6、s attract people because of the demand for labor in the manufacturing and service industries. As a result, they offer a higher standard of living to the lucky ones. Cities also tend to offer greater personal freedom.The world economy has expanded five-fold since 1950, with the cities driving the exp
7、ansion. Much of this economic expansion has been in the developing countries of Southeast Asia. Therefore, most of the mega-cities of the future will be found there.题目1The combined total population of these 11 cities _.选择一项：a. was 166 million in 1950b. was 17 million in 1995c. is 204 million nowd. w
8、ill be over 204 million in 2015 答案为D。此题可以运用查读技巧。先在找到第一段中找到包含题中关键信息（The combined total population）的句子，即第一段最后一句，于是可以直接得出选项D。而其他选项虽都在文中提到，但都不是与题干相对应的，因此可排除A，B，C三项。题目2The worlds rural population _.选择一项：a. increased at one fourth the rate of urban population b. increased at four times the rate of urban p
9、opulationc. will be four times bigger by 2025d. will double in the period 1990-2025答案为A。此题需要运用查读技巧，并考查计算能力。先找到文中第二段的第一句，“The worlds urban population, increasing at four times the rate of rural populations” 城镇人口正以4倍于农村人口的速度增长着，即农村人口的增长速度的城镇人口的1/4。因此,不要被选项B所迷惑而误选。题目3Which of the following is true acco
10、rding to this passage? _.选择一项：a. There are now 11 cities with a total population of 11 million people.b. The worlds urban population will be four times bigger by 2025c. Various push and pull factors cause people to move 正确d. Two-thirds of the worlds population will live in cities in Southeast Asia a
11、nd Africa.答案为C。此题可以运用查读技巧。找出选项A应为“There are now 11 cities with a population of 11 million people each.”选项B应改为“It will double by 2025.”选项D应将“in Southeast Asia and Africa”改为“all over the world”。因此，正确答案为选项C多种内、外因引起人口流动。题目4People choose to leave rural areas partly because _.选择一项：a. climate change or poo
12、r farming methods result in deforestation and flooding 正确b. the living standards of cities are much lowerc. the population of rural areas increased faster than that of urban areasd. there are not enough space for people to live there答案为A。 此题考查仔细阅读和分析的能力。文章第四段说明了人们纷纷离开农村的一些原因。四个选项中，只有选项A谈到了气候的改变和落后的农
13、业方法使得山林遭到砍伐，洪水泛滥，这是人们选择离开农村的原因之一。而其他选项均不是文中列举出的原因。题目5We can conclude from the last paragraph that_.选择一项：a. the world economy has declined since 1950b. economic expansion leads to mega-cities 正确c. the expansion is mainly taking place in Europed. there isnt any economic expansion in the developing cou
14、ntries答案为B。此题可以运用查读技巧。题干中已道明此题考查的范围，因此直接在最后一段中进行查读。第一句话讲“自1950年以来城市的发展促使世界经济出现了五倍的扩张”，因此选项A经济下降显然不对；第二句接着讲“大部分的经济扩张发生在东南亚这样的发展中国家”，因此,选项C讲经济扩张发生在欧洲也是错误的；选项D讲经济扩张没发生在发展中国家显然也不正确。通过分析可逐一排除选项A、C、D而得出正确答案B。A Case Study: Desertification around the GobiDesertThe ProblemsThe GOBIDesert, in the north of Chi
15、na, is now seven times bigger than Britain. China has large desert areas and much of its agricultural land is being threatened by desertification, which is getting worse. In addition, soil erosion has led to a huge loss of farmland and the drying up of rivers. Consequently, the livelihoods of 35 mil
16、lion people are being threatened. Furthermore it is even affecting cities. The nearest sand dune is less than 100 miles from Beijing, where unpleasant sandstorms are becoming more frequent. The worse the situation, the more pressure there is on the government to take action.The CausesThe reasons for
17、 the changes are complex. It is clear that pollution of the air and water by factories is affecting the environment. Trees and other vegetation die, and so soil is eroded. The more trees that die, the less water is held in the earth. The need for wood for fuel and buildings leads to further deforest
18、ation, which causes further soil erosion. Local farmers find it more and more difficult to make a living. They end up using inefficient farming methods, which again leads to soil erosion.The SolutionsThe Government is carrying out anti-desertification projects, including the creation of a forest bel
19、t around deserts. The tree-planting campaign, known as the Great Green Wall, is meant to protect Beijing from sandstorms. China hopes to control the expansion of desert land by the year 2010 and plans to establish a protected eco-system in desert areas by 2050.题目1According to this passage, the Gobi
20、desert is _.选择一项：a. as big as Britainb. 20% of the size of Britainc. one seventh of the size of Britaind. seven times bigger than Britain 正确答案为D。题目2The total desert area of China is _.选择一项：a. increasing 正确b. decreasingc. remaining constantd. the largest of the world答案为A。题目3_ leads to soil erosion.选择
21、一项：a. The growth of trees and other vegetationb. The deforestation 正确c. The efficient farming methodsd. The pollution of some factories答案为B题目4The Chinese government is planting trees _.选择一项：a. around deserts 正确b. around Beijingc. around the border of Chinad. all over China答案为A。题目5The expansion of de
22、sert land _.选择一项：a. wont be controlled by 2010b. will definitely be controlled by 2010c. should be controlled after 2010d. is expected to be controlled by 2010 正确答案为DThe worlds urban population, (世界城市人口)(1)increasingat four times the rate of rural populations, will double in the period 1990 - 2025,
23、to over five billion. Consequently, (2)two-thirdsof the people of the world will live in cities, some of (3)which will be huge. Moreover, about 90% of the growth will be in developing countries. This growth, adding around 60 million people per year (4) to city populations, will be mainly in Southeas
24、t Asia and Africa. The consequences are dramatic. This is change on a scale never before (5)experienced, bringing with it considerable challenges and opportunities.Why does this growth happen? Most of it results (6) from internal migration rather than the international movement of people, and is cau
25、sed by a variety of push and pull factors.One push factor is due to pressure (7)on land availability. Improved health brings population growth, causing people to move out of rural areas. Others move because of climate change or poor farming methods which often result in deforestation and flooding. S
26、uch changes can alter the social structure, leading people (8)to move. Furthermore, civil war or regional conflicts also cause disruption, driving people out of rural areas.On the other hand, there are the pull factors. Cities attract people because of the demand (9)for labour in the manufacturing a
27、nd service industries. As a result, they offer a higher standard of living (10)to the lucky ones. Cities also tend to offer greater personal freedom.Global Food全球食品“妈妈，我们去麦当劳，好吗？ “Mum, can we go to McDonalds, please?”Some people might ask, “Where would we be today if we did not have fast food?” and
28、Where would parents take their children out to eat?It has been reported that approximately 30% of meals consumed by families in the USA are eaten at one of the big chains like Burger King and Taco Bell, though probably none is more famous than McDonalds. The distinctive “golden arch” can now be see
29、n in most major cities in the world. In 2002, McDonalds had approximately 25,000 restaurants in over 120 countries and served 29 million people a day.Apparently, the secret of their success is a marketing strategy of “think global, act local”. McDonalds learnt that if they adapted their “Mac” meals
30、to different cultures, it was more successful than having a standardized set of products that taste the same everywhere. So now, around 80% of McDonalds restaurants are franchised to local people who serve food with a “local” flavor. For example, in Hong Kong, food called “Shake Shake Fries” and “Re
31、d Bean Sunday” can be found on the menu, while in Switzerland, “Vegi Macs” are served.However, fast food is not popular with everyone. It is often called “junk” food because it is said to be unhealthy and full of fat. Furthermore, many people claim that fast food chains produce enormous amounts of w
32、aste, while millions of people in developing countries go hungry. At the same time, more and more people no longer cook fresh food at home. “Convenience” food is just too convenient! It is so easy for people with busy working lives to call into their local branch of Marks and Spencer, or some other
33、supermarket chain, to buy ready-made meals on their way home from work. It is even easier to buy a “take-away” from a local restaurant or pick up the phone and order a pizza to be delivered to your home.题目1The secret of fast food chains success is _.选择一项：a. franchising to local peopleb. having a sta
34、ndardized set of productsc. the marketing strategy of “think global, act local” 正确d. having a lot of restaurants covering many countries答案为C题目2We can learn from the passage that_.选择一项：a. around one-third of American families eat at one of the big chains 正确b. there were about 25,000 McDonalds Restaur
35、ants in the USA in 2002c. in 2002, McDonalds served 29 million people a day in Europed. the percentage of families eating at McDonalds is higher in the UK than in the USA答案为A。题目3All the following are correct except that _.选择一项：a. most children like going to McDonaldsb. most countries have different
36、kinds of McDonalds mealsc. about 20% of McDonalds restaurants are not franchisedd. the “Shake Shake Fries” can be found both in Hong Kong and in Switzerland 正确答案为D。题目4Which of the following is not the reason for more and more people preferring fast food to cooking at home? _.选择一项：a. Because they are
37、 more convenientb. Its easy for people to buy a “take-away” on their way homec. People can pick up a phone and order what they want to be delivered to their homed. It is cheaper to buy fast food than to cook at home 正确答案为D。题目5People call fast food “junk food” because _.选择一项：a. they are too convenien
38、tb. they are said to be unhealthy and full of fat 正确c. they are popular among childrend. they produce much waste答案为BWhat a Waste!(真是浪费！处理废物是一个巨大的全球性问题。 )Dealing with waste is a huge global problem. Unfortunately, many people dont usually think much about what happens（1） to their old fridge when they
39、 update to the latest model. A few just dump it（2） in the street without another thought.As a result, Britain currently has over a million old fridges（3） rotting in dumps in fields and in warehouses because the country does not have enough equipment to dispose （4）of them. New European Union regulati
40、ons say that from 1 January 2002, all material that depletes the ozone layer, such as CFC coolants, （5）must be removed from fridges before they are put in landfill sites. It is （6）likely to take quite a while to solve the problem.But it is not only fridges （7）that are difficult to get rid of. What a
41、bout old computers, TVs and other hi-tech junk? For example, Guangdong Province, in the southeast of China, has been suffering from problems（8）caused by imported waste electrical goods like computers. Workers there （9）have been breaking up old computers to extract the recyclable parts like chips, an
42、d precious metals （10）like gold and platinum.Unfortunately, unsafe recycling methods have caused health and environmental damage in the area. Therefore the government has banned the import of items like old TV sets, computers, photocopying machines, video cameras and telephones. Some recycling facto
43、ries have also been shut down because they were polluting the air and water with toxic chemicals.People should think twice before they throw away their old fridge or computer. It is more than likely to cause damage to other people or the environment.题目1From the title“What a Waste!” and the first sen
44、tence, we could anticipate which of the following will not be included in the passage?_.选择一项：a. Dealing with waste is a huge global problemb. It is difficult to get rid of hi-tech junkc. Unsafe recycling methods have caused some health and environmental damaged. People should not eat food that hasnt
45、 been dealt with carefully 正确答案为D。题目2_ old fridges rotting in dumps in fields and warehouses because of the lack of equipment to dispose of them.选择一项：a. One millionb. More than one million 正确c. One billiond. More than one billion答案为B。题目3正确When people want to buy a new fridge they usually _.选择一项：a. t
46、hink twice before they get rid of the old oneb. donate the old one to the poorer peoplec. dump the old one in the street without another thought 正确d. just leave the old one in the same place at home答案为C。题目4CFC coolants must be removed from fridges because _.选择一项：a. it is a kind of precious metal lik
47、e gold and platinumb. it would deplete the ozone layer if not removed 正确c. it can be used again when put into new fridgesd. some people collect it as a hobby答案为B。 。题目5What problems hasnt Guangdong Province been suffering from? _.选择一项：a. Some factories exploded in an accident 正确b. Some factories were
48、 polluting the air and water with toxic chemicalsc. It has been suffering from problems caused by imported waste electrical goodsd. Their unsafe recycling methods have caused health and environmental damage答案为A。Greenpeace Launches Renewable Energy Global Tour(绿色和平组织启动可再生能源全球旅游) Wednesday, June 26, Horns Re
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