二、阅读理解
A
"If people suddenly disappeared from Earth, the planet could recover and, within 1,000 years, it would look as it did 100,000 years ago. If insects disappeared, nothing on land would survive," said one of the authors of the report Rafael Gonzalez Urdaneta from Mexico.
This shows that humans are not the most important living things in the world. We are just part of the ecosystem (生态系统) and other things may be much more important than us.
Over the course of hundreds of years, human beings have had a big influence on the planet. However, human activities over the past century have raised concerns about the balance between human life and ecosystems.
Each time we pick up a newspaper or turn on the radio, we read or hear that our environment is becoming worse and, therefore, there is a need for action. The reasons are many and include global warming, pollution, droughts.
People are over-using natural resources, which is pushing the Earth's capacity (容量) to its limits.
The UN report on Global Environment Outlook defines three driving forces affecting our global environment—political and economic problems made worse by rapid population growth.
Without the social, economic and political problems caused by humans, the global environment would probably be in much better shape. In order to make the world a better place to live, we should learn about and protect the ecosystem around us.
() 1. According to the report written by Urdaneta, we know that .
A. the Earth would return to normal soon if people disappeared
B. insects would disappear without humans
C. nothing would stay alive if insects died out
D. we humans are more important than other living things
() 2. What does the underlined word "concerns" mean in Paragraph 3?
A. 兴趣
B. 关注
C. 愉悦
D. 了解
() 3. In the writer's opinion, what should we do when our environment is becoming worse?
A. Listen to the news often.
B. List the reasons.
C. Stop using resources.
D. Take action.
() 4. Why does the writer write this article?
A. To tell us to learn about and protect our ecosystem.
B. To tell us to do as the UN report tells us.
C. To tell us to control rapid population growth.
D. To tell us to solve three problems caused by humans.

1. C
2. B
3. D
4. A

1. 细节理解题。根据第一段中"If insects disappeared, nothing on land would survive"可知，如果昆虫消失，陆地上没有生物能存活，对应选项C。A选项中"soon"与原文"within 1,000 years"不符；B选项原文未提及；D选项与原文表达的人类并非最重要的观点相反。
2. 词义猜测题。结合第三段语境，过去一个世纪人类活动引发了对人类生活与生态系统平衡的关注，"concerns"在此处意为“关注”，对应选项B。
3. 细节理解题。根据第四段"our environment is becoming worse and, therefore, there is a need for action"可知，作者认为环境变差时我们应该采取行动，对应选项D。A选项只是获取信息的方式，并非应对措施；B选项列举原因不是解决办法；C选项"Stop using resources"与原文"over-using"不符，原文是反对过度使用而非停止使用。
4. 主旨大意题。根据最后一段"In order to make the world a better place to live, we should learn about and protect the ecosystem around us"可知，作者写这篇文章的目的是告诉我们要了解并保护生态系统，对应选项A。

B
Have you ever wanted to achieve something really amazing in life? Well, Greg Mortenson wanted to climb a mountain, but he ended up helping thousands of people to have a better life.
Greg's story began with failure. In 1993, he set out to climb K2, the world's second highest mountain. But Greg never made it to the top. After five days, he stumbled (踉跄) into the village of Korphe in northern Pakistan, injured (受伤) and hungry. The kind villagers there looked after him for several days.
Greg saw that the villagers were very poor and hungry, and some of them were ill. Also, the village school didn't have a roof (屋顶) and the children wrote on the ground with sticks. Greg knew he wanted to do something to help. "I'll build you a school," he told the villagers. "I promise."
Greg went back home to the USA to raise money for the school. He even lived in the car to save money! Finally he went back to Korphe and built the school. But this was just the beginning of something bigger! Since then, Greg's organization has built around 80 schools and runs many others in Pakistan and other countries, too.
Greg hasn't finished yet. He does many other things to help people in poor countries. He has got many prizes, but it's the smiles of the children he has helped that makes him happy!
Greg has just written a best-selling book about his story called Three Cups of Tea. It's an interesting and exciting book which tells us what ordinary (普通的) people can do with courage and determination (决心)!
() 5. What was wrong with Greg when he got to the village for the first time?
A. He fell ill.
B. He was badly hurt and hungry.
C. He lost his way.
D. He failed in his business.
() 6. How did Greg keep his promise to build a school?
A. He raised and saved money.
B. He did business to make money.
C. He wrote a book to sell for money.
D. He borrowed money from his friends.
() 7. What does the underlined word "this" in Paragraph 4 refer to?
A. Saving money.
B. Living in the car.
C. Raising money.
D. Building the school.
() 8. What's the main idea of this passage?
A. Building schools can help people to have a better life.
B. We have to do something in return to those who help us.
C. Ordinary people can make a difference to people's lives.
D. Climbing mountains is a good start to help poor people.

5. B
6. A
7. D
8. C

5. 根据文章第二段"After five days, he stumbled into the village of Korphe in northern Pakistan, injured and hungry."可知，Greg第一次到达村子时受伤且饥饿，对应选项B。
6. 根据文章第四段"Greg went back home to the USA to raise money for the school. He even lived in the car to save money!"可知，Greg通过筹钱和省钱来兑现建学校的承诺，对应选项A。
7. 根据文章第四段"Finally he went back to Korphe and built the school. But this was just the beginning of something bigger!"可知，"this"指代前文提到的"built the school"，对应选项D。
8. 文章讲述了普通人Greg Mortenson从一次登山失败后开始帮助贫困地区建学校、改善人们生活的故事，结合最后一段"what ordinary people can do with courage and determination"可知，本文主旨是普通人可以对他人的生活产生影响，对应选项C。