1、Americas most beautiful states. Enjoy!21. Who is this passage mainly intended for?A. School students. B. Bird lovers.C. Driving learners. D. Trouble makers.22. Where can you enjoy riding on logs?A. At Weir s Beach. B. In your lakeside cottage.C. At ConeysPark. D. AtDryRiverCampground.23. What type o
2、f writing is this text?A. A tour introduction. B. A travel diary.C. An announcement. D. An official report. B As temperatures go up, bison（北美野牛）get smaller. Joseph Craine, research assistant professor in the Division of Biology at Kansas State University, examined how climate change during the next
3、50 years will affect grazing（放牧）animals such as bison and cattle in the Great Plains. “Bison are one of our most important conservation animals and hold a unique role in grasslands in North America,” Craine said. “In addition to their cultural and ecological significance, theyre economically importa
4、nt. There are about half a million bison in the world.” Craine analyzed a data set of 290,000 weights, ages and sexes collected from 22 bison herds（兽群）throughout the U. S. The organizations kept annual records of each animal in the herd and matched the data with the climates of the sites. Based on d
5、ifferences in sizes of bison across herds, Craine found that during the next 50 years, future generations of bison will be smaller in size and weigh less. Climate is likely to reduce the nutritional quality of grasses, causing the animals to grow more slowly. “We know that temperatures are going to
6、go up,” Craine said. “We also know that warmer grasslands have grasses with less protein（蛋白质）, and we now know that warmer grasslands have smaller grazers. It all lines up to suggest that climate change will cause grasses to have less protein and cause grazers to gain less weight in the future.” Cra
7、ine said the results of climate change in coming decades can already be seen by comparing bison in cooler, wetter places with those in warmer, drier places. For example, the average 7-year-old male bison in South Dakota weighed 1, 900 pounds, while an average 7- year-old male bison in Oklahoma a war
8、mer place weighed 1, 300 pounds. “The difference in temperature between those two states is around 20 degrees Fahrenheit, which is about three times the projected increase in temperatures over the next 75 years,” Craine said. “It is a clear indicator that long-term warming will affect bison and is s
9、omething that will happen across the U.S. over the next 50-75 years.”24.Inthenextfiftyyears,researchersSay,bisonwill_.A. become smaller and lighterB.disappearinGreatPlainsC. play a less important partD.adapttodifferentclimatechanges25.Theunderlinedword“grazers”probablyrefersA. the researchers B. the
10、 grassesC. protein26.Whatismainreasonforbecomesmaller?A. The deceasing amount of grass.Therisingtemperature.C. The rising number of bison.lossofweight.27.Paragraph5writtenasanexampleshowA.Crainespredictioncometrue50yearsaresmallerthanpastnaturebalancebeingdestroyedbisonssizelinkedwithclimateCWhen my
11、 mother was alive, she used to tell me again and again about the value of just being nice. “Never underestimate（低估）the power of a smile,” she would say. I fear she would be very disappointed looking at the world today. A lot of people dont smile and when it comes to service today, theyre just not ni
12、ce. Now dont give me wrong, not all service workers but a good many.Iwasonphoneotherdayacomputerhelpdesk.Firstman,thenlater woman, who couldnt havebeenruder.Andthiscustomer,whodidntknowhiswayaroundPC.Butnomatter,couldtelltheythoughtbother,woman,fact,seemedbechewinggumsheunemotionallyclickedoffseries
13、commandsmeperform.heardfromfriendminegotperformancereviewwithoutbossoncelookingupathim.Notonce.Youseeiteverywhere.Gonedayswhenpeoplecaredaboutyou.Itssigntime,suspect.thatmakessadthemandusall.Peoplearenthappy,dontsmile,kid,jokeormakelightevenbadsituations,worsesituation.spreadslikecancer.Someonesrude
14、you,yourefellowyoumeet,on.Smilescontagious（易感染的）butsoannoyances.cantbotheredworkers.celebrityherannoyingfans.know,mymomusedjudgepresidentialcandidatesbyhowsmiled.wouldsay,“Butmom,ifsmilereal.”“Oh,yesdo,”me.“Icanfeelit.”theireyes,say.itssmile .The rest just kind of falls into place.28.Whydidwritermen
15、tioncall?Toprovemotherwrong.manynice.heknowslittlecomputer.sharefunnyexperienceus.29.Whatauthorsattitudetowardsfriend?A. Opposed. B. Doubtful. C.Respectful.Supportive.30.WhensomeoneadvisedA. be rude to the next personnicemeetC. become one just like him or hersituation31.Whatsbesttitlepassage?A. The
16、power of a smileDontpersonlookC. The effect of rudenessFeeleyesDMany Christmas customs are based on the birth of Christ, such as giving presents because of the Wise Men, who brought presents to the baby Jesus（耶稣）Singing Christmas carols is based on the scene of the birth with figures of shepherds, t
17、he Wise Men and animals surrounding the baby Jesus.The origin of Santa Claus begins in the 4th century with St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, an area in the present-day Turkey. By all accounts St. Nicholas was a generous man, particularly devoted to children. After his death around 340 A. D. he was buri
18、ed in Myra, but in 1087 Italian sailors were believed to steal his remains and removed them to Italy, greatly increasing St. Nicholas popularity throughout Europe.His kindness and reputation for generosity gave rise to claims that he could perform miracles and devotion to him increased. St. Nicholas
19、 became the patron（保护神）saint of Russia, where he was known by his red cap, flowing white beard, and bishops mitre. In Greece, he was the patron saint of sailors; in France, he was the patron of lawyers, and in Belgium, the patron of children and travelers. Thousands of churches across Europe were de
20、dicated（供奉的）to him and sometime around the 12th century an official holiday was created in his honor. The Feast of St. Nicholas was celebrated on December 6 and the day was marked by gift-giving and charity.After the Reformation, European followers of St. Nicholas declined, but the legend was kept a
21、live in Holland where the Dutch spelling of his name Sint Nikolass was eventually transformed to Sinterklaas. Dutch children would leave their wooden shoes by the fireplace, and Sinterklaas would reward good children by placing treats in their shoes. Dutch colonists brought this tradition with them
22、to America in the 17th century and here the English name of Santa Claus appeared.32.Why, as is believed, is Santa Claus so popular in Europe?A. Because of his reputation for generosity.B. Because he died in Italy.C. Because of the deed of the Italian sailors.D. Because of his devotion to Italian children.33.What was the Feast of St. Nicholas held for?A. Celebrating Christs birthday.B. Giving thanks to churches.C. Marking a holiday.D. Honoring St. Nicholas.34.What does “Sinterklaas” in
