A new study shows one of the largest glaciers① in Greenland is becoming smaller and speeding to the sea faster than scientists expected. If it continues, Greenland itself could become much smaller during this century and global seas could rise as much as 3 feet.

The rates② of change that we’re noticing are much higher than expected. If these rates continue, it is not unlikely that Greenland could shrink③ by several tens of percent this century. However, it’s not known how quickly this coastal response of the Greenland ice sheet melting will have an effect on the vast inland ice.

Greenland is the world’s largest island, covering an area more than three times the size of Texas. Some 81 percent of it is covered by ice, and there are many glaciers. Glaciers are like slow-moving rivers of ice. Where a glacier meets the sea, its weight keeps it firmly resting on the bottom. A glacier’s front is the point where the water is deep enough that the glacier floats.

Since the 1970s, the front of Helheim stayed in the same place. Then it began melting rapidly, moving back 4.5 miles from 2001 through this past summer. It has also grown thinner, from top to bottom, by more than 130 feet since 2001. And over these past four years, its trip to the sea has sped up from about 70 feet per day to nearly 110.

The melting is driven by a warmer climate. Temperatures in Greenland have risen more than five degrees Fahrenheit in the last decade. Since most of Greenland’s ice is on land, seas will rise as the ice melts. If all Greenland’s ice sheet melted, oceans would be 15-20 feet higher. Nobody expects that to happen anytime soon.

Notes:

① glacier  n.  冰川

② rate  n.  比率

③ shrink  v.  缩小

1. Which of the following about the glaciers is TRUE?

  A. Glaciers only lie in Greenland.        B. Water in glaciers is more than sea water.

  C. Glaciers sometimes float on the water.  D. Glaciers can increase the water level of lakes.

2. According to the text, we know that Greenland ______.

  A. belongs to Canada                  B. is the largest island in North America

  C. is all covered with glaciers            D. is sinking under the sea level

3. Which of the following may be the result of the disappearing of Greenland glaciers?

  A. the climate of the world will be warmer.

  B. the glaciers in other area will be bigger.

  C. It will be easy for explorers to visit the island.

  D. Some coastal cities may be under the sea.

 

Canada 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m.

Canada is a big country with six time zones. In the west, it is four a.m., and everyone is asleep, but in Halifax on the east coast it is eight o'clock and people are having breakfast. It is a cold Friday morning in November, and the temperature is ten degrees below zero Centigrade.

Argentina 9:00 a.m.

In Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, it is nine a.m. on a warm summer morning, and people are starting work or school. November is a summer month in Argentina because it is in the southern hemisphere（南半球）.

Scotland 12:00 noon

Scotland is part of the United Kingdom. The capital of Scotland is Edinburgh, and the capital of the UK is London. It is twelve noon, or midday, in Edinburgh. Children are having lessons, but they are looking forward to the weekend because there is no school on Saturday and Sunday.

Egypt 2:00 p.m.

Friday is already the weekend in Egypt. Friday is a special day for Muslims, so schools, offices and shops are closed in all Arab countries. So now, at two p.m., most people in Egypt are having lunch with their families.

Japan 9:00 p.m.

Japan is seven hours ahead of Egypt, so it is already Friday evening there. The weekend is beginning. Most people are out with friends or watching television or playing computer games.

New Zealand 12:00 midnight

It is late on Friday night, so most people are asleep. Now Saturday morning is arriving. It is morning in Canada too, but that is Friday morning!

1.In eastern Canada, the time is _____ that in western Canada.

  A. four and a half hours behind       B. four hours ahead of

C. three hours ahead of             D. the same as

2.While Canadian children in Halifax are having breakfast, Argentinean children are _____.

A. sleeping         B. going home      C. at school      D. having supper

3.It’s midday in the capital of _____ when it's 9:00 a.m. in the capital of Argentina.

A. Japan          B. Canada        C. New Zealand     D. Scotland

4.Two p.m. in Egypt is not a good time to telephone people in New Zealand, because in New Zealand _____.

A. it’s midnight and most people are asleep

B. it’s noon and many people are having lunch

C. it’s the morning and many people are working

D. it’s the afternoon and most people are playing computer games

5.What time is it in New Zealand if it's 11:15 p.m. in Japan?

A. 1:15 p.m.       B. 2:15 p.m.       C. 1:15 a.m.         D. 2:15 a.m.

 

To find how the name Canada came about we must go back to the 16th century. At that time, the French dreamed of disclosing and controlling more land, of expanding(扩展)trade beyond(超出)  their borders and of spreading their faith(信仰) across the world .In 1535, Francois I ,King of France, ordered a navigator (航海家) named Jacques Cartier to explore(探险) the New World and search for a passage to India.
Cartier first arrived at the Gulf of the St. Lawrence, which he wanted to explore. He did not know what to expect but he hoped that this Gulf was just an arm of the ocean between two islands. If it was, he would soon be on his way to the Far East. So he sailed upstream along the St. Lawrence River. However, instead or reaching Asia he arrived at Quebec or Stadacona, as the Indians called it. It was at this point that the term “ Canada” entered the country’s history. Apparently the word “Canada” came from an Indian work “Kanata”, which means community or village. Cartier first used it when he referred to Stadacona or Quebec. What a huge “ village” Canada is!
【小题1】In the early sixteenth century , the King of France ordered Cartier to ______

A． find the new world

B． build an entirely new country

C． go and visit the American Indians

D． get more information about America and find a way to Asia

【小题2】Having reached the Gulf of St. Lawrence Cartier thought _____

A． he had already got to India

B． it was a water way to the New World

C． it was a water passage to the East

D． he had sailed into the Atlantic

【小题3】In the early sixteenth century , Quebec was only ____.

A． an Indian village

B． a little town in southern Canada

C． a village at the entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence

D． the place which we call Canada now

【小题4】Pick out the right statements from the following _____

A． Quebec was a village and Stadacona was another

B． Cartier mistook Quebec for Stadacona

C． Stadacona was a village in Quebec

D． Stadacona was what the Indians called Quebec then

【小题5】“Canada” was first used to refer to _____

A． a small town in Stadacona

B． the place called Quebec

C． a long water passage

D． a huge village including Quebec and Stadacona

三. 句型转换 ( 10分)

1. Canada is a country in which many cultures exist together.

Canada is ________ _________ _____________.

2. Rather than take the aeroplane all th way, they decided to fly from China to Vancouver and to take the train from west to east across Canada.

They ______ ______ fly from China to Vancouver and take the train from west to east across Canada in September than take the aeroplane all the way.

3. The school gave an order.  All the classrooms should be cleaned today.

The school gave an order _____ _____ _____ _____ _______ be cleaned today.

4. The fact that ocean ships can go there surprises many people.

Many people ________ _________ ________ the fact that ocean ships can go there.

5. His words made a strong impression on us.

We ________ deeply __________ ____________ his words.

 

阅读理解

　　The United States covers a large part of the North American continent. Its neighbors are Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. Although the United States is a big country, it is not the largest in the world. In 1964, its population was over 185,000,000.

　　When this land first became a nation, after winning its independence(独立)from England, it had thirteen states. Each of the states was represented(代表)on the American flag by a star. All these states were in the eastern part of the continent. As the nation grew towards the west, new states were added and new stars appeared on the flag. For a long time, there were 48 stars. In 1959, however, two more stars were added to the flag, representing the new states of Alaska and Hawaii.

　　Indians were the first people of the land which is in now the United States. There are still many thousands of Indians now living in all parts of the country. Sometimes it is said that the Indians are“the only real Americans”. Most Americans, come from all over the world. Those who came first in greatest numbers to make their homes on the eastern coast of North America were mostly from England. It is for that reason that the language of the United States is English and that its culture and customs are more like those of England than those of any other country in the world.

1．Which of the following is true?

[　　]

A．America is the largest country in the world.

B．The population of America is larger than that of any other country in the North American continent.

C．America covers most part of the North American continent.

D．Mexcio is to the north of Canada.

2．The first thirteen states were in the ________ of the United States.

[　　]

3．The United States didn’t have ________ states until ________.

[　　]

A．thirteen; 1959

B．fifty; 1959

C．fifty; this land first became a nation

D．fifty; 1964

4．Why is English the language of America?

[　　]

A．English is the Indians’ native language.

B．Most Americans come from all over the world.

C．Most of the people who first came to live in America were from England.

D．Canada is America’s nearest neighbor.

5．Which of the following is the best title for the passage?

[　　]

A．The States of America.

B．The Language of America.

C．The United States of America.

D．The Culture and Customs of America.