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Some economists think these shortages are, at least for now, a regional rather than a national problem. Sun Mingchun, an economist with investment bank Lehman Brothers in Hong Kong, points out that there are still millions of people in China who can not find work. "There are still three to four million people who can't find a job." The average monthly income of rural workers has increased significantly in the past few years, going up 11 -and-a-half percent in 2006 and 20 percent in 2007. Sun and Unger say the main reason why wages have gone up is inflation which means spending power has not risen as much. 54. According to the academy's research, China's rural labor surplus today is_____. A. about 150 million B. about 50 million C. about 200 million D. about 175 million 55. The reason why many more rural people won't leave their farms today is that______. A. the farmers are older than before B. the farmers are lazier than before C. the farmers have much more money D. there are more employment opportunities in rural areas and agricultural prices have gone up 56. Which one of the following statements is TRUE? A. People think China's workforce will come to the top in 2015. B. Now a study shows millions of people can't find work in China. C. The country's population policy isn't a reason for the reduced labor. D. Five years ago, few farmers left their homes to earn money for supporting their families. 57. According to some economists, what is the reason for farmer's wages going up? A. Spending power has risen as much as the economy B. The economy is growing greatly C. The society is greatly developing D. Inflation Part Two (1 point for each question. Total: 16 points ) The Life of a Tree How can a tree go from being the height of a person to the height of a five-story building? Like all living things, trees are made up of cells. Many types of cells work together to make up a tall tree. Just like most other plants, trees have three main parts: the roots, the stem, and the leaves. The roots run deep in the ground to help support the tree. They absorb water and minerals such as nitrogen and calcium from the soil to help the tree grow. The stem helps lift the leaves and flowers to the light. It's important that the leaves reach the sunlight, because the leaves need light to do their job of producing food for the tree. The stem also transports water and food to and from different parts of the tree. The stem of a tree consists of its trunk and branches. The leaves absorb carbon dioxide and solar energy from the atmosphere and combine them with water and minerals to form carbohydrates (碳水化合物). These carbohydrates, which include starch and sugar, provide food for other parts of the plant. Oxygen left over from this process is released into the atmosphere. This process is called photosynthesis. Al¬most every living thing depends on photosynthesis for oxygen so it can breathe. When a tree grows in the spring, a layer of cells called the cambium (形成层)begins di¬viding very quickly. These new cells form on both the inside and the outside of the cambium layer. They add to the overall diameter of the tree. The cells that move to the outside of the cambium layer become part of the phloem. Phloem cells carry food produced in the leaves to the branches, trunk, and roots. Each year some phloem dies and becomes part of the bark. Most of the new cells form on the inside of the cambium layer. These cells become xylem (木质部) cells and make up most of the growth of the diameter of the tree. It's the job of the xyllem cells to carry water and nutrients from the roots to the leaves. Trees continue to grow until old age. Their diameters always increase, but the vertical growth tapers off (逐渐变细) because the trees have difficulty transporting nutrients to bran¬ches that are far from the roots. The top branches eventually dry out. Trees provide more than just shade — they help provide us with the breath of life! Recalling facts 58. Trees are made up of ________. A. sticks. B. bones. C. cells. 59. The _________ carries water and minerals from the roots to the leaves. A. cambium layer B. xylem cells C. phloem cells 60. The most important element needed for leaves to produce food for the tree is ______. A. a low temperature. B. sunlight. C. space. 61. A tree feeds on ________. A. oxygen. B. nitrogen. C. carbohydrates. 62.By what process do the leaves create food? A. photosynthesis B. mineral absorption C. xylem process Understanding ideas 63. When new cells form on both sides of the cambium layer, the diameter of the tree _____ A. decreases. B. increases. C. remains the same. 64. The article suggests that a tree with dry top branches is _________ A. old. B. young. C. dead. 65. If tree A has a diameter of 1 meter and tree B has a diameter of 2 meters, it's most likely that_________ A. tree B is older than tree A. B. tree B is younger than tree A. C. both trees are the same age 66. From the article, you can assume that if there were no trees there would be _______ A. more oxygen. B. no change in the amount of oxy¬gen. C. less oxygen. 67. You can conclude from the article that photosynthesis is important A. only to humans. B. only to trees. C. to trees and humans. Tree Rings: Diary of a Life Trees hold many secrets in their trunks. Tree rings can help us not only determine how old the tree is but also tell the natural history of an area. The science of studying tree rings is called dendrochronology. A tree ring is simply a layer of wood produced during one growing season. The layer is produced in springtime. During a good year with plenty of food and rainfall, a tree will add a thick layer of tissue that shows up as a fat tree ring. In years where he resources are scarce, the tree will produce only a thin ring. Trees also respond to weather patterns. Temperature, rainfall, and other environmental conditions — such as fires — can affect the tree's growth and alter the size of the tree ring. The tree rings can also reflect a year in which there were insect plagues (瘟疫).Though all trees don't respond to environmental changes in the same way, trees can be a valuable source or learning about our past. Scientists can try to determine what natural conditions occurred during times of heavy fires or droughts. The bristlecone pines in the Rocky Mountains are among the oldest living things on Earth. Some are more than 5,000 years old. Scientists studying global weather patterns hope to use these trees to predict future weather patterns and climate changes. The key to our future may well have been written in the past. Making Correct Inferences Two of the statements below are correct inferences, or reasonable guesses. They are based on information in the passage. The other statement is an incorrect, or faulty, inference. Mark the statements A for correct inference and B for faulty infer¬ence. 68. Dendrochronologists are interested in natural history. 69. Tree rings provide information about insect damage. 70. Tree rings provide a record of when tornadoes hit an area Understanding Main Ideas One of the statements below expresses the main idea of the passage. One statement is too general, or too broad. The other ex¬plains only part of the passage; it is too narrow. Mark the statements A for main idea, B for too broad, and C for too nar¬row. (责任编辑：admin) |