Large areas of the Amazon rainforest were grassland until just 2,000 years ago when it has been found. Researchers say the find gives new light on the Amazon's history - and show it was a savannah rather than the high forest it is today. They believe much of the area was grassland until a natural shift to a wetter climate about 2,000 years ago let the rainforests form, according to a study that challenges common belief that the world's biggest tropical forest is far older. The arrival of European diseases after Columbus crossed the Atlantic in 1492 may also have sped up the growth of forests by killing the local people farming the region, the scientists wrote in the US journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). "The dominant ecosystem was more like a savannah than the rainforest we see today," John Carson, lead author at the University of Reading in England, said of the findings about the southern Amazon. The scientists said that a shift toward wetter conditions, perhaps caused by natural shifts in the Earth's orbit around the sun, led to growth of more trees starting about 2,000 years ago. The "findings suggest that rather than being rainforest hunter-gatherers, or large-scale forest clearers, the people of the Amazon from 2,500 to 500 years ago were farmers," the University of Reading said in a statement. Carson said that perhaps a fifth of the Amazon basin, in the south, may have been savannah until the shift, with forests covering the rest. In one lake, Laguna Granja, rainforest plants only took over from grass as the main sources of sediments about 500 years old, suggesting a link to the arrival of Europeans. And understanding the forest could help solve puzzles about climate change. The Amazon rainforest affects climate change because trees soak up heat-trapping carbon dioxide as they grow and release it when they rot or are burnt. Brazil has sharply slowed deforestation rates in recent years. In what way does the study challenge people's traditional belief? A) Understanding of climate change. B) History of the Amazon rainforests. C) Time of the arrival of Europeans. D) Shifts in the earth's orbit around the sun.
B
Our interpersonal skills have a great effect on success in our daily lives. This appears not only in the workplace where we can make more money or enjoy our job more, but also shows itself in marriage, raising a family and the ability to reach goals in almost every area of life. Interpersonal skills come into play when our flight is cancelled and we need to make other arrangements. _ come into play when a marriage is threatened by financial challenges or infidelity . Our communication skills even matter when we are in traffic and we need to make a decision about how to respond to other drivers. Communicating with others becomes inseparable from having a good day, or a bad day not only in how we begin communication, but in how we react to the communications of others who are having a difficult time. It can make a difference in saving a marriage or getting a divorce, celebrating a rise or getting fired, and even having your eggs cooked as the way you like at the local restaurant. Many wise men and women have stressed the importance of dealing with others in a skillful manner. Getting feedback from others can be of great value in improving our interpersonal communication skills. Often, however, others are not skilled at giving feedback. When we get negative results, they rarely include the details we need in order to improve our interpersonal skills. Since life improves so much with greater communication skills, getting feedback and an opportunity to improve would be not only life-saving for pilots, but labor-saving for the rest of us. Contact Alice Aspen March for a free consultation today and see how you might improve your communication skills, or learn more about The Attention Factor. Which of the following can greatly influence our success in our daily life according to the passage? A) The education we receive. B) The skills of making a decision. C) The nationality of our friends. D) Our interpersonal skills.
D
Q: Finding a suitable place to live is not easy for a student who first arrived in a strange place . I was lucky because I had booked a dormitory with the school before I arrived .. I t was a flat with seven independent rooms and a shared bathroom and kitchen . all of my flatmates are all students form Britain . I thought I was lucky to be part of this flat with these energetic young men . However , I found myself unhappy with them only a few days after I stayed there . These young people seemed never to be quiet . Usually they would not come back until late into the night .They even played football in the room whenever they like , whether _ was early morning or late night . Worse still , they always had parties . Those loud music and laughter made me sleepless the whole night . Finally , I had no choice but to ask the authority to move me to another flat where most of the students were international students pursuing their master degrees . They were older in age and hold heavier study burden . So they were quieter . My advice for those who want to study in the UK is to get in touch with the international student accommodation service of your school first and tell them to arrange for you to share a flat with graduates before you come here. The measure the writer took to solve the problem was _ . A) asking some older students for help B) giving the British students heavier study burden C) asking the authority to make the British student burden D) changing a place to live
A: D
(Question)
"It's really cool to have a dad who flies fighter jets,"thought 11-year-old Casey as she was watching him fly overhead. Living on an Air Force base was not as bad as some people might think. Casey rather enjoyed being around friends who had something in common with each other. They had their own school, bowling area, and movie theatre. She especially loved it when her dad would come home each day and greet her with a new joke and tickles. Today was different, though. When her dad walked into the room, he looked sad for some reason. He just kissed her on the forehead and told her mum that he needed to talk to her. Casey knew something was wrong. When her mum and dad came out of the other room, mum was crying. Dad sat down and began to explain that he has been called to go to Iraq to help with the war effort. Casey was so surprised that she couldn't speak for a moment. She began to feel tears in her eyes. How could she live without her dad for a whole year? Soon, the day came. Her dad was leaving. As Casey and her mom watched him climb up the steps to his cockpit, the tears began to flow and it felt like _ would never end. It was hard for Casey to believe that she wouldn't be seeing her dad for so long. They depended on him for so many things. Who would fix the broken window? Who would greet her with jokes and tickles at the end of the day? And then the thought hit her, " What if he doesn't make it home?" Casey began to sob more than ever. According to the story, one thing Casey enjoyed on the base was that _ . A) there was a friendly girl of her age living next door B) she could travel around in her father's jet C) her friends had something in common with her D) her dad was going to fight abroad
(Answer)
C