Passage One
A few months ago, millions of people in London heard alarms all over the town. Emergency services, the fire department, the police, hospitals and ambulances stood by, ready to go into action. In railway and underground stations, people read notices and maps, which told them where to go and what to do in the emergency. This was Exercise Floodcall to prepare people for a flood emergency. London wasn't flooded yet. But it is possible that it could be。
In 1236 and 1663 London was badly flooded. In 1928 people living in Westminster, the heart of London, drowned in floods. And in 1953, a hundred people living on the eastern edge of the London suburbs were killed – again, in the floods. At last, Greater London Council took action to prevent this disaster from happening again. Though a flood wall was built in the 1980s, Londoners still must be prepared for the possible disaster. If it happens, fifty underground stations will be underwater. Electricity, gas and phone services will be out of action. Roads will be drowned. It will be impossible to cross any of the bridges between North and South London. Imagine – London will look like the famous Italian city, Venice。
But this Exercise Floodcall didn't cause panic among Londoners. Most people knew it was just a warning. One lady said, "It's a flood warning, isn't it? The water doesn't look high to me。”
Questions 26 to 28 are based on the passage you have just heard。
26. What happened in London a few months ago?
27. What measure was taken against floods in London in the 1980s?
28. What can we learn from the lady's comment?
Passage Two
America's national symbol, the bald eagle, almost went extinct 20 years ago. But it has made a comeback. In fact, the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering the possibility of taking it off the endangered-species list。
Once, more than 50,000 pairs of bald eagles nested across the country. But by 1960, that number had fallen below 400.
The chief killer was the widely used DDT. Fish soaked up DDT, died, and were washed up on shores, where bald eagles feasted on them. DDT prevented eagle eggshells from thickening. The shells became so thin that they shattered before the babies hatched。
Fortunately, in 1972, a law was passed to ban DDT, which saved the bald eagle from total wipeout. And since then, wildlife biologists have reintroduced bald eagles from Canada to America. The result was that last year U. S. birdwatchers counted 11, 610 bald eagles in the country。
If it were dropped from the endangered list, the bald eagle would still be a " threatened species。” That means the bird would continue to get the same protection - no hunting allowed, and no disturbing of nests。
But bald eagles still face tough times. The destruction of their natural homes could be the next DDT causing eagle numbers to drop quickly。
Questions 29 to 31 are based on the passage you have just heard。
29. What was the main harmful effect of the pest killer DDT on bald eagles?
30. What measure did the wildlife biologists take to increase the number of bald eagles?
31. According to the speaker, what is the possible danger facing bald eagles?
Passage Three
Why do we cry? Can you imagine life without tears?
Not only do tears keep your eyes lubricated, they also contain a substance that kills certain bacteria so they can't infect your eyes. Give up your tears and you lose this on-the-spot defence。
Nor would you want to give up the flood of extra tears you produce when you get something physical or chemical in your eyes. Tears are very good at washing this irritating stuff out。
Another thing you couldn't do without your tears is cry - from joy, anger, or sadness。
Humans are the only animals that produce tears in response to emotions. And most people say a good cry makes them feel better。
Many scientists, therefore, believe that crying somehow helps us cope with emotional situations. Tear researcher William Frey is trying to figure out how it happens。
One possibility, he says, is that tears discharge certain chemicals from your body, chemicals that build up during stress. "When people talk about 'crying it out,' I think that might actually be what they are doing," he says。
If Frey is right, what do you think will happen to people who restrain their tears? Boys, for example, cry only about a quarter as often as girls once they reach their teenage years. And we all cry a lot less now than we did as babies。
Could it possibly be that we face less stress? Maybe we've found other ways to deal with it. Or maybe we just feel embarrassed。
Questions 32 to 35 are based on the passage you have just heard。
32. What's the topic discussed in this passage?
33. What is William Frey trying to find out?
34. What does the passage say about teenage boys and girls?
35. What's the difference between human beings and other animals when shedding tears?
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