Monarch without a Kingdom
This November, a hundred million butterflies will drop from the sky over Mexico, like autumn leaves. But for how long? Genetically modified maize (玉米) could mean extinction for this beautiful butterfly, Rafael Ruiz reports.
Although its body is about 3 cm long and it only weighs 1 gin, the Monarch butterfly manages to travel 5,000 km each year. It seems to be so fragile, but its long journeys are proof of its amazing ability to survive. This autumn, the Monarch
butterfly will once more set out on its journey from the US. It will keep going until it reaches Mexico. It travels these huge distances to escape the cold weather in the north.
In November, millions of Monarchs fall like bright, golden rain onto the forests in the mountains of central Mexico. In the silence of these mountains you can hear a strange flapping (拍动) of wings, as the Monarchs arrive at their destination. In the mountains, which reach a height of 3,000 metres, the butterflies are safe.
Before reaching their journey's end they have faced strong winds, rain and snowstorms and they do not all manage to reach their destination. When the winters are really bad, perhaps 70 per cent of them will not survive. Their long journey to Mexico is thought to be one of the most amazing events in the whole of the American continent. When they get there they will stay until the beginning of April, when their internal calendar tells them that it is time to go back. The long journey, with all its dangers, begins again.
These delicate creatures now face danger of another kind - from scientific
progress. In the US, millions of farms grow genetically modified maize which is pure poison for the butterfly. Laboratory experiments have shown that half of the
butterflies which feed on the leaves of genetically modified maize die within 48 hours. Not all experts agree that this variety of maize is responsible for the threat to the Monarchs. In spite of these doubts, the European Union has refused to approve new crops of genetically modified maize until further investigations have been carried out.
Greenpeace is campaigning against genetically modified products (in Spain,
there are already 20,000 hectares of modified maize). The environmental organization recently published a list of 100 species of butterfly in Europe alone which are threatened with extinction.
16 The Monarch butterfly travels 5,000 km each year. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned 17 The Monarch butterfly looks fragile. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned 18 The Mexicans like butterflies very much. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
19 in bad winters, about 70 per cent of the butterflies can stay alive A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
20 In early April, the butterflies leave their winter homes flying back north A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
21 Genetically modified maize isn't poisonous to the butterflies. A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
22 Genetically modified products are not popular in Mexico A Right B Wrong C Not mentioned
参考答案：16 A 17 A 18 C 19 B 20 A 21 B 22 C
Is the Tie a Necessity?
Ties, or neckties, have been a symbol of politeness and elegance in Britain for centuries. But the casual Prime Minister Tony Blair has problems with them. Reports suggest that even the civil servants may stop wearing ties. So, are the famously formal British really going to abandon the neckties?
Maybe. Last week, the UK's Cabinet Secretary Andrew Turnbull openly welcomed a tieless era. He hinted that civil servants would soon be tree of the costliest 12 inches of fabric that most men ever buy in their lives.
In fact, Blair showed this attitude when he had his first guests to a cocktail party. Many of them were celebrities (知名人士) without ties, which would have been unimaginable even in the recent past.
For some more conservative British, the tie is a must for proper appearance. Earlier, Labor leader Jim Callaghan said he would have died rather than have his children seen in public without a tie. For people like Callaghan, the tile was a sign of being complete, of showing respect. Men were supposed to wear a tie when going to church, to work in the office, to a party - almost every social occasion.
But today, people have begun to accept a casual style even for formal occasions. The origin of the tie is tricky. It started as something called simply a \term could mean anything around a man's neck. It appeared in finer ways in the 1630s. Frenchmen showed a love of this particular fashion statement. Their neckwear (颈饰)impressed Charles II, the king of England who was exiled(流放)to France at that time. When he returned to England in 1660, he brought this new fashion item along with him.
It wasn't, however, until the late 18th century that fancy young men introduced a more colorful, flowing piece of cloth that eventually became known as the tie. Then, clubs military institutions and schools began to use colored and patterned ties to
indicate the wearer's membership in the late 19th century. After that, the tie became a necessary item of clothing for British gentlemen.
But now, even gentlemen are getting tired of ties. Anyway, the day feels a bit easier when you wake up without having to decide which tie suits you and your mood. 31 The tie symbolizes all of the following except A respect B elegance C politeness D democracy
32 Why does Blair sometimes show up in a formal event without a tie? A Because he wants to make a show
B Because he wants to attract attention. C Because ties are costly.
D Because he wants to live in a casual way. 33 Which of the following is NOT a social occasion? A Going to church.
B Going to work in the office. C Staying at home. D Going to a party.
34 Who brought the Frenchmen's neckwear to Britain? A Tony Blair. B Charles ll. C Jim Callaghan. D Andrew Turnbull.
35 When did British gentlemen begin to wear ties regularly? A After the late 19th century. B In the 1630s. C In 1660.
D In the late 18th century.
参考答案：31 D 32 D 33 C 34 B 35 A
Where Have All the Frogs Gone?
In the 1980s, scientists around the world began to notice something strange: Frogs were disappearing. More recent research has shown that many kinds of
amphibians (两栖动物) are declining or have become extinct. They have been around for a long time - over 350 million years. Why are they dying out now?
Scientists are seriously concerned about this question. First of all, amphibians are an important source of scientific and medical knowledge. By studying amphibians, scientists have learned about new substances that could be very useful for treating human diseases. Further research could lead to many more discoveries, but that will be impossible if the amphibians disappear.
The most serious aspect of amphibian loss, however, goes beyond the amphibians themselves. Scientists are beginning to think about what amphibian decline means for the planet as a whole. If the earth is becoming unlivable for amphibians, is it also becoming unlivable for other kinds of animals and human beings as well?
Scientists now believe that amphibian decline is due to several environmental factors. One of these factors is the destruction of habitat, the natural area where an animal lives. Amphibians are very sensitive to changes in their habitat. If they cannot find the right conditions, they will not lay their eggs. These days, as wild areas are covered with houses, roads, farms, or factories, many kinds of amphibians are no longer laying eggs. For example, the arroyo toad (蟾蜍) of southern California will only lay its eggs on the sandy bottom of a slow-moving stream. There are very few streams left in southern California, and those streams are often muddy because of building projects. Not surprisingly, the arroyo toad is now in danger of extinction. There are a number of other factors in amphibian decline. Pollution is one of them. In many industrial areas, air pollution has poisoned the rain, which then falls on ponds and kills the frogs and toads that live there. In farming areas, the heavy use of chemicals on crops has also killed off amphibians. Another factor is that air pollution has led to increased levels of ultraviolet (UV) light. This endangers amphibians, which seem to be especially sensitive to UV light. And finally, scientists have discovered a new disease that seems to be killing many species of amphibians in different parts of the world.
All these reasons for the disappearance of amphibians are also good reasons for more general concern. The destruction of land, the pollution of the air and the water, the changes in our atmosphere, the spread of diseases - these factors affect human beings, too. Amphibians are especially sensitive to environmental change. Perhaps they are like the canary (金丝雀) bird that coal miners once used to take down into the mines to detect poisonous gases. When the canary became ill or died, the miners knew that dangerous gases were near and their own lives were in danger. 36 Losing amphibians means losing A knowledge about fatal human diseases. B knowledge about air and water pollution. C a chance to discover new medicines.
D an opportunity to detect poisonous gases. 37 Amphibians lay their eggs A in any stream they can find, B in places without UV light, C only on sand.
D only in the right conditions
38 The arroyo toad is disappearing because A it has been threatened by frogs. B it is losing its habitat.
C a disease has been killing its eggs. D it can't bear the cold of winter.
39 Coal miners once used the canary bird to detect A poisonous gases. B air pollution. C water leakage. D radiation.
40 Scientists think that the decline of amphibians could A cause environmental change.
B cause a decline in other kinds of animals. C be a warning signal for human beings. D be a good sign for human beings.
参考答案：36 C 37 D 38 B 39 A 40 C