Just as the world’s most respected scientific bodies have confirmed that the world is getting hotter, they have also stated that there is strong evidence that humans are driving the warming． Countless recent reports from the world’s leading scientific bodies have said the same thing． For example, a 2010 summary of climate science by the Royal Society stated that: “There is strong evidence that the warming of the Earth over the last half-century has been caused largely by human activity．”

The idea that humans could change the planet’s climate may be counter-intuitive（与直觉不符的）, but the basic science is well understood． Each year, human activity causes billions of tons of greenhouse gases to be released（释放）into the atmosphere． As scientists have known for years, these gases hold heat that would otherwise escape to space, wrapping the planet in an invisible blanket．

Of course, the planet’s climate has always been changing thanks to “natural” factors（因素） such as changes in solar or volcanic（火山的）activity, or cycles relating the Earth’s going around the sun． According to the scientific literature, however, the warming recorded to date matches the pattern of warming we would expect from a build-up of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere – not the warming we would expect from other possible causes．

Even if scientists did discover another reasonable explanation for the warming observed so far, that would beg a difficult question． As Robert Henson puts it in The Rough Guide to Climate Change: “If some newly discovered factor can account for the climate change, then why aren’t carbon dioxide（二氧化碳）and the other greenhouse gases producing the warming that basic physics tells us they should be?”

The only way to prove with 100% certainty that humans are responsible for global warming would be to run an experiment with two identical Earths – one with human influence and one without． That obviously isn’t possible, and so most scientists are careful not to state human influence as an absolute certainty．

1.In most scientists’ opinion, the global warming is mainly caused by      ．

    A． solar activity                                   B． volcanic activity

    C． the Earth’s going around the sun                  D． human activity

2.The text is developed by      ．

    A． giving typical examples                           B． following the order of space

    C． analysing a theory and arguing it  D． comparing and finding differences

3.The underline word “identical” means      ．

    A． totally different      B． exactly the same 

    C． extremely important    D． relatively independent

 

下面是美国著名游记作家Bill Bryson的几本作品，首先请阅读它们的封面信息：

A.	A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail	B.	The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America	C.	I’m a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America after 20 Years Away
D.	The Road Less Traveled: 1000 Amazing Places off the Tourist Trail	E.	Neither Here nor There: Travels in Europe	F.	The English Landscape: Its Character and Diversity

下面是对这几本书的简要介绍，请把它们对应的封面信息找出来：

1. In this collection, Bill Bryson is writing from home. We find he assesses life both in New England and in the contemporary United States. With the telescopic perspective(远望视角) of one who has stepped out of the American mainstream and come back after 20 years, Bryson holds the mirror up to U.S. culture and feel strange to his motherland.

2.This book is a guide to the world’s unspoilt sights and experiences. It presents one thousand fresh and fascinating alternatives to hundreds of well-known tourist destinations and sights, including alternatives to the Carnival in Rio and the beaches of Thailand, the most-visited national parks, over-rated restaurants and holiday sites.

3.Returning to the U.S. after 20 years in England, Bill Bryson decided to reconnect with his mother country by hiking the length of the 2100-mile Appalachian Trail. Awed by merely the camping section of his local sporting goods store, he still goes into the wilderness and learns hard lessons about self-reliance.

4. A travelogue by Bill Bryson is as close to a sure thing as funny books get. This book is no exception. Following an urge to rediscover his youth, the author leaves his native Des Moines, Iowa, in a journey that takes him to across 38 states in the country, which is like a small town in his opinion.

5.Born in Iowa, Bryson backpacked through Europe as a young man. While living in England some 20 years later, he revisited many of the same places from arctic Norway’s northern lights to romantic Capri in Italy. Here he jumps back and forth between old memories and new experiences.

 

Discover

A science magazine, designed for wonders of modern science, written for the educated general readers. Published by Disney Magazine Publishing Co., Discover tells many of the same stories professionals (专业人员) read in Scientific American. A truly delightful family science magazine, each issue （每期） brings new topics to make dinner time and water-cooler conversations interesting.

Cover Price: ＄59.88

Price:  ＄19.95(＄1.66/issue)

You Save: ＄39.93(67％)

Issues:12 issues/12months

Self

Published by Conde Nast Publications Inc., Self is a handbook designed for women’s overall physical and mental health. Every issue contains usable articles such as “Style Lab”, in which wearable clothes are mixed and matched on non-modles and the “Eat Night Road Map”, with tips on how to eat properly.

Cover Price: ＄35.86

Price:  ＄15.00(＄2.5/issue)

You Save: ＄20.86(58％)

Issues: 10issues/12months

Instyle

Instyle is a guide to the lives and lifestyle of the world’s famous people. The magazine covers the choices people make about their homes, their clothes and their free time activities. With photos and articles, it opens the door to these people’s homes, families, parties and weddings, offering ideas about beauty, fitness and in general, lifestyles. Publisher: The Time Inc. Magazine Company.

Cover Price: ＄47.88

Price:  ＄23.88(＄2.38/issue)

You Save: ＄24.00(50％)

Issues: 10 issues/12months

Wired

This magazine is designed for leaders in the field of information engineering including top managers and professionals in the computer, business, and education industries. Published by Conde Nast Publications Inc. , Wired often carries articles on how technology changes people’s lives.

Cover Price: ＄59.40

Price:  ＄10.00(＄1.00/issue)

You Save: ＄49.40(83％)

Issues: 10 issues/12months

 

1.Which two magazines are published by the same publisher?

A. Wired and Instyle        B. Discover and Instyle  

C. Self and Discover        D. Self and Wired

2. Which magazine offers the biggest price cut?

A. Instyle            B. Wired               C. Discover         D. Self

3. The “Style Lab” in Self provides readers with articles which _________.

A. offer advice to ordinary women on clothes.

B. show how a woman can become famous

C. introduced places with the best food

D. discuss ways of training models

 

 

 

Word Power

Author(s): Kaplan  $13.95

You’ll never be at a loss for words again．Energize your vocabulary with must-know everyday words that are the essentials of a good vocabulary, engaging lessons to help you use words in text, hot words often found on tests, tips to help you figure out new words, roots, and more.

Grades: 8 & up  Ages: 13 & up 

Word Smart Junior

Author(s): Russell Stauffer  $ 17.95

Now this is the way to add new words to your vocabulary! Word Smart Junior will make you laugh so much．You’ll be amazed that you’ve just learned more than 120 fascinating and very useful words! Parents, teachers, and friends will marvel at your eloquence (口才)!

Grades: 3-5  Ages: 8-10

Grammar Smart Junior

Author(s): Marcia Reynolds  $ 16.85

Do you quake when your teacher says, “Now it’s time for grammar”? Do your verbs agree with your subjects?

Fear no more! A big Hollywood producer and a famous movie star will help you learn all those nasty (讨厌的) elements of grammar．You’ll be amazed at how quickly you learn, and how much fun it can be．You’ll finally know your grammar backwards and forwards, and you’ll never have to worry about it again．

Grades: 7-9 Ages: 12-14

Grammar Smart: An Audio Guide to Perfect Usage

Author(s): Julian Fleisher    $ 12.68

The words you use say a lot about you … but the way you put them together says even more．Your grammar makes an immediate and lasting impression on your teachers, and even your friends．So don’t make the mistake of thinking that grammar is too complicated．We’ve created Grammar Smart to help you write and speak with clarity and confidence.

Grades: 6-8  Ages: 11-13  http:// /

1.If a ten-year-old boy wants himself to be admired because of his speech ability, he may buy _______.

    A．Word Power                      

    B．Word Smart Junior   

    C．Grammar Smart Junior   

    D．Grammar Smart: An Audio Guide to Perfect Usage

2.By saying “You’ll finally know your grammar backwards and forwards”, the writer means “________”．

    A．You will be clearly familiar with grammar   

    B．You will know the history of grammar

    C．You will know the make-up of grammar     

    D．You will learn about the future of grammar

3.The four books are all about _______.

    A．fiction and mysteries    B．parenting and teaching  

    C．literature and arts      D．language study

 

Just as the world’s most respected scientific bodies have confirmed that the world is getting hotter, they have also stated that there is strong evidence that humans are driving the warming. Countless recent reports from the world’s leading scientific bodies have said the same thing. For example, a 2010 summary of climate science by the Royal Society stated that: “There is strong evidence that the warming of the Earth over the last half-century has been caused largely by human activity.”

The idea that humans could change the planet’s climate may be counter-intuitive(与直觉不符的), but the basic science is well understood. Each year, human activity causes billions of tons of greenhouse gases to be released（释放）into the atmosphere. As scientists have known for years, these gases hold heat that would otherwise escape to space, wrapping the planet in an invisible blanket.

Of course, the planet’s climate has always been changing thanks to “natural” factors(因素) such as changes in solar or volcanic（火山的）activity, or cycles relating the Earth’s going around the sun. According to the scientific literature, however, the warming recorded to date matches the pattern of warming we would expect from a build-up of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere – not the warming we would expect from other possible causes.

Even if scientists did discover another reasonable explanation for the warming observed so far, that would beg a difficult question. As Robert Henson puts it in The Rough Guide to Climate Change: “If some newly discovered factor can account for the climate change, then why aren’t carbon dioxide（二氧化碳）and the other greenhouse gases producing the warming that basic physics tells us they should be?”

The only way to prove with 100% certainty that humans are responsible for global warming would be to run an experiment with two identical Earths – one with human influence and one without. That obviously isn’t possible, and so most scientists are careful not to state human influence as an absolute certainty.

1. In most scientists’ opinion, the global warming is mainly caused by ________.

   A. solar activity                       

B. volcanic activity

C. the Earth’s going around the sun    

D. human activity

2.The text is developed by ________.

   A. giving typical examples

   B. following the order of space

   C. analyzing a theory and arguing it

   D. comparing and finding differences

3.The underline word “identical” means ________.

   A. totally different                    

B. exactly the same

   C. extremely important                  

D. relatively independent

4. Which of the following can be the best title?

   A. Are All the Scientists Really Scientific?

   B. Where Is Global Warming Leading Us to?

   C. Are Humans Definitely Causing Global Warming?

   D. What’s Relation of Global Warming and Greenhouse Gases?