12. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A. We will surely get rid of mosquitoes in the near future.

B. It's believed that malaria will accompany human beings forever.

C. Insecticides are always effective in killing mosquitoes.

D. A mosquito can not pass the disease on to another person after it bites one with malaria.

D

The report by 700 scientists estimates (估计) that economic losses from so-called natural disasters rose from US $4 billion per year in the 1950s to US $40 billion in 1999.

One report released last month in Shanghai predicts global temperatures could rise by as much as 5.8 degrees centigrade over the next century. The increase is due to industrial pollution and waste gas from cars.

　　 Scientists have warned of global warming for years.

　　 "The effects are expected to be greatest in developing countries in terms of loss of life and impact(冲击) on investment and the economy," said the report issued Monday, Changing rainfall patterns coupled with population growth will lead to huge pressure on water supplies, it predicts, and that at present 1.7 billion people live in areas where water resources are tight, which will likely increase to 5.4 billion in the next 25 years. "Climate change will be accompanied by an increase in heatwaves, with increased humidity (湿度) and urban (市区) air pollution causing more heat-related deaths and illnesses," it says.

　　 Even more serious will be flooding as a result of rising sea levels in densely populated coastal areas.

　　 "The most widespread direct risk to human settlements is flooding and landslide," it says. "Coastal settlements are particularly at risk but urban flooding will be a problem where storm drains, water supply and waste management systems are not well developed."

11. We could draw the conclusion that the best way of fighting against the spread of malaria is ________.

A. prevention　　　　　　　　　　　 B. treatment

C. seeing a doctor immediately　　　　 D. blood-test

10. Which of the following is the correct order for the spreading of malaria?

a. A mosquito bites the person with malaria.

b. The same mosquito bites another person.

c. A person is infected with malaria.

d. That person may be likely to be, infected, too.

A. a-b-c-d　　　 B. a-c-d-b　　　　　 C. c-a-b-d　　　　　 D. c-a-d-b

9. According to the Guinness Book of Records, which of the following causes most deaths7

A. War.　　　　 B. Accident.　　　　　 C. Malaria.　　　　 D. Mosquitoes.

8. Which of the following is the ,best title of this passage?

　 A. US Struggle to Find Host Families

　 B. Idea of Hosting Students Is Different

　 C. Foreign-exchange Program Is Going On

　 D. Exchange Students Keep Old People Young

C

Mosquitoes(蚊子) are very important in human history. The Guinness Book of Records says that mosquitoes have caused over 50 per cent of all human deaths since the Stone Age, excluding deaths from war and accidents!

Mosquitoes are found all over the world. Female mosquitoes usually feed on the blood of humans and animals. Mosquitoes often carry dangerous disease called malaria, which usually occurs during hot, rainy Season.

If a mosquito feeds on the blood of a person with malaria, it becomes a carder of the disease. It injects the disease into the next person it bites. So, for example, a tourist could be infected with malaria during a visit to Indonesia. The same tourist might then visit Thailand where another mosquito may bite him. This mosquito could then bite another person and spread the disease.

People have used insecticides to kill mosquitoes and their eggs for a long time, but many insects are now resistant to these chemicals. This resistance is a big problem for doctors because it can stop the prevention and treatment of malaria. Also, several of the drugs which doctors use to prevent malaria do not work anymore because mosquitoes are resistant to them. Experts now believe that the world will never be free of malaria, so they tell people to protect themselves from the disease.

If you think that you have malaria, see a doctor immediately. Without treatment, malaria kills over 25 per cent of its victims in a maximum of two weeks. After treatment, mosquitoes that bite you will not pass malaria on to other people. Although doctors can treat malaria victims, you must remember: prevention is better than cure.

7. From the passage we can learn that at the beginning of the exchange programmes, _______.

A. all the families could host foreign students

B. only young couples could host foreign students

C. only those who were retired could host foreign students

　 D. those who were not too old could host foreign students

6. The underlined word "exotic" means _______.

A. difficult　　　 B. wonderful　　　 C. exciting　　　 D. accommodating

5. Vickie Weiner is the person who _______.

A. works for a programme called LEC　　　 B. works for a programme called ASSE

C. is 25 years old　　　　　　　　　　　 D. hosts foreign students

4. The main purpose of the Museum of Childhood is to _________.

A. display toys, dolls, infant and school material

B. reflect Australian childhood experience over time

C. host national touring exhibition

D. tell you the famous "lesson" in the 1920s

B

WASHINGTON- Laura Straub is a very worded woman. Her job is to find families for French teenagers who expect to live with American families in the summer.

It's not easy, even desperate.

"We have many children left to place: 40 out of 75," said Straub, who works for a Paris-based foreign-exchange programme called LEC. When exchange programmes started 50 years ago, family life was more accommodating, For one thing, more mothers stayed home.

But now, increasing numbers of women work outside the home. Exchange-student programmes have struggled in recent years to sign up host families for the 30,000 teenagers who annually come from abroad to spend an academic year in the United States, as well as the thousands more who participate in summer programmes.

School systems in many parts of the US, unhappy about accepting non-taxpaying students, have also strictly limited the number of exchange students they accept. At the same time, the idea of hosting foreign students is becoming less exotic.

In searching for host fantilies, who usually receive no pay', exchange programmes are increasingly broadening their appeals to include everyone from young couples to retirees.

"We are open to many different types of families," said Vickie Weiner, eastern regional director for ASSE, a 25-year-old programme that sends about 30, 000 teen-agers on academic- year exchange programmes worldwide.

For elderly people, exchange students "keep us young -- they really do", said Jean Foster, who is hosting 16-year-old Nina Porst from Denmark.

3. When you come on December 20th, Friday, you will find the Museum _______.

A. closed　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. holding special activities

C. not closed until 4: 00　 　　　　　　D. not closed until 4: 30