Climate change is threatening our future as more and more greenhouse gases like CO2 are gathering in the atmosphere and heating up the planet.To fight the problem，both scientists and economists have suggested some good solutions.It turns out that whales，animals we've hunted to near extinction，are excellent at taking away CO2 .
Whales remove CO2 from the air in two ways.First，they move nutrients（營養(yǎng)物）from their feeding areas deep in the ocean back to the surface，where they release them in their waste.Those nutrients aid the growth of phytoplankton（浮游植物），which，like other plants，takes away CO2 from the air.Second，whales themselves collect CO2 in their bodies when they eat other animals.The total amount of the gas adds up to about 33 tons over a whale's lifetime.When whales die，they take away all that CO2 with them down to the ocean floor.
Saving the whales could also be more cost effective than planting trees.Financial experts say that one whale，taking away CO2 and tour value，would be worth about US＄2 million over its lifetime.Compare this to the high costs needed to plant and keep forests for removing CO2，and you'll see why whales might be an effective solution.
At one time，millions of whales swam the world's oceans.Unluckily，commercial whaling between the 1600s and the mid-1900s brought many whale species close to extinction.
Starting in the 1970s，careful management of whaling began.Many species are recovering，but the giant animals still face major threats.One threat is continued hunting despite international regulation.For example，in Japan， "scientific" kills are carried out-often an excuse to get whale meat，which is considered delicious food.Public outcry has pressured many countries to limit or end whaling，and experts believe a new way to make money from whales-whale watching-will also be effective.However，another is more difficult to solve-pollution.Whales are affected by pollution from chemicals，noise，and the huge amounts of plastic and garbage that end up in the oceans.
These giants of the sea are important to the future health of our planet.If whale populations increased to where they were before commercial whaling，whales could remove an estimated 1.7 billion tons of CO2 per year.It might be an impossible dream，but it's one definitely worth fighting for.
（1）Which of the following is NOT true about how whales remove carbon from the air？BB
A．They move nutrients from deep in the ocean to the surface.
B．Many species of whales don't release CO2 .
C．Whales collect CO2 in their bodies through the food they eat.
D．When whales die，the collected CO2 remains in their bodies.
（2）What is the financial value of a whale compared to？CC
A．The commercial hunting of ocean animals.
B．The financial value of ocean tourism.
C．The high costs of tree planting and forest protecting.
D．The ability of phytoplankton to remove CO2 from the air.
（3）According to the passage，what threat is the harder to solve now？AA
A．Pollution.
B．Scientific kills.
C．Whale watching.
D．Continued hutting.
（4）What is the main purpose of the passage？DD
A．To analyse the benefits whales bring.
B．To explain why whales are endangered.
C．To evaluate the effect of commercial whaling.
D．To call on people to save whales so as to protect the world.
【考點】說明文．
【答案】B；C；A；D
【解答】
【點評】
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發(fā)布：2024/4/20 14:35:0組卷：3引用：1難度：0.5
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1．It is widely believed that biodiversity（生物多樣性）is promoted to save species.But in reality species exist only as part of ecosystems and cannot survive unless their ecosystems are protected along with as much as possible of the diversity they contain.
Protecting habitats（棲息地）is important for keeping biodiversity.In 2003，over 102，000 habitats covering nearly 19 million square kilometres，or 11.5% of the world's land surface，were under some form of protection.Though this is a great improvement since 1962，when just 1，000 protected habitats were listed，it is still not considered enough to stop the ecocide that is endangering the world's biodiversity.
For a number of environmentalist，protecting the world's 25 biodiversity hotspots（熱點地區(qū)）is critical to saving habitats and species.But many hotspots are endangered already，having lost up to three-quarters of their original plants.
The poor state of most biodiversity hotspots results directly from population growth and migration（遷移） into these areas.A study found that by the mid-1990s around 1.1 billion people lived in these hotspots.Moreover，the annual population growth rate in these areas was 1.8%，higher than the global average of 1.4%.The PAI report concluded that human-related environmental changes will continue to put pressure on hotspots.Therefore，keeping biodiversity requires paying close attention to population size.
Protecting hotspots is not simply a matter of putting up fences and employing guards.The best results are achieved when local people are educated about the value of wildlife，and actually gain a share of the benefits from eco-tourism.Only then do they have a chance to see the benefits of protecting hotpots.
（1）What can we infer from paragraph 1？
A．The loss of any species can affect humans.
B．Endangered species are paid more attention to by humans.
C．Species can still survive when their ecosystems are destroyed.
D．Ecosystem protection is as important as diversity protection.
（2）What does the underlined word "ecocide" in paragraph 2 mean？
A．Ecosystem protection.
B．Reduction of the number of species.
C．Serious damage to habitats.
D．Habitats protection.
（3）What's the direct cause of the terrible state of the hotspots？
A．Population growth in hotpots.
B．Migration out of these areas.
C．Global warming.
D．The global average population growth rate.
（4）What's the author's opinion on protecting the hotspots？
A．It's simple to carry out.
B．It leads to the increase of tourists.
C．It's closely connected with local people.
D．It suggests that the local people are well educated.發(fā)布：2025/1/6 16:30:6組卷：0引用：1難度：0.5 -
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The government said that the policy speaks for itself and that online coursework is not worth a visa.So far，not any sign of change has been within sight.As students are waiting for the policy to improve，their fall programming and their future remain in limbo.
（1）Why would international students prefer to stay in the US during the pandemic？
A．They couldn't delay the program for a year.
B．They can make full use of the library resource.
C．They wouldn't bring any potential danger to their family.
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（2）What do international students staying in the United States think of the new rule？
A．The new rule treats them as American citizens.
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（3）What is the government's attitude towards the new rule？
A．Favorable.
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C．Unfavorable.
D．Unclear.
（4）What does the underlined phrase "in limbo" in the last paragraph mean？
A．Horrible.
B．Flexible.
C．Uncertain.
D．Unbelievable.發(fā)布：2025/1/6 15:30:8組卷：0引用：1難度：0.5 -
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We need the wild world.It is essential to our wellbeing，our health and our happiness.
（1）According to the author，people enjoyto seek nature.
A．jogging on the street
B．running in the gym
C．shopping in the supermarket
D．sitting in the garden
（2）From the second paragraph，we can see that.
A．Children don't want to approach nature
B．children probably spend less time in nature nowadays
C．climbing trees will certainly do good to the children
D．children tend to be happier as a result of their material satisfaction
（3）In what way do people benefit from their contact with nature？
A．Children with ADHD can be cured.
B．Children's performance at school is greatly improved.
C．Problems with crime and violent behavior will easily be solved.
D．A garden nearby improves the quality of old people's life.
（4）what is the main idea of this passage？
A．Access to nature improves our life.
B．Nature treats children for ADHD.
C．Getting close to nature reduces crime.
D．Man can't live without natural areas.發(fā)布：2025/1/6 16:30:6組卷：0引用：1難度：0.5
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