You may have heard the popular saying, "there are always more fish in the sea". But as many new studies show, fish populations are changing, and not necessarily for the better. Consider the case of big, predatory fish. These giants, like sharks and cod , eat other smaller fish. Big fish are an important part of the marine ecosystem because they keep down the numbers of smaller fish. Without fish that eat other fish, populations of smaller swimmers would increase, eating more plants, and leaving less vegetation for other creatures, including future fish. As fierce as predators can be, they're no match for fishing technology. Many people love to catch predatory fish like sharks, cod and tuna, and new studies suggest that over-fishing is threatening these creatures near the top of the marine food chain. In one study, Villy Christensen and his colleagues looked at 200 past studies of marine life to learn how fish populations have changed over time. Christensen reported that between 1910 and 1970, the numbers of big predators decreased slowly, and that in 1970 their populations really started to drop. Around that time, fishing ships began using new tools that led to more fish being caught. The numbers have been falling quickly ever since. Reg Watson looked at the problem from the perspective of the fishermen. In the middle of the 20thcentury, Watson reported, fishing boats didn't go far from home, and most fish were caught near the shore. That was no longer true by the 1980s. By then, fishing had moved farther from shore, into the open oceans, and was helped by the development of new technologies. But since the 1990s, something has changed. Despite new technologies and more efforts, fishing operations have not continued to develop. Scientists study historical data to understand the present, and this research is needed to forecast the future of fish and fishing. And the forecast doesn't look good: large predator fish are becoming harder to find, and soon may disappear. Why did the number of big predators begin to fall quickly in 1970? A) Fishing ships began using new tools with which they could catch more fish. B) There were fewer smaller fish than before. C) There were more people catching big predators. D) Their environment was being polluted by fishing ships.
A
My wife passed away a few years ago, and I went through the worst time in my life. I even wanted to kill myself. Just for kids, I had to continue to live and work as small-town doctor at my medical clinic in Hawaii. My kids had gone to live on the mainland, and I was alone. Then they asked me to have a family trip. On our trip, we turned on the TV at the motel and saw the second plane crash into the World Trade Center. Seeing it falling down, I said to my kids: "I'm going to Afghanistan". And a few weeks later, international Medical Corps sent me to set up 20 clinics in provinces where people had no health care. In these field clinics surrounded by frightening shoots or deadly bombs, we were eventually serving 27,000 patients a month in a very busy schedule. Tired and nervous, I gradually had a sense of achievement, a sense of purpose, and my depression went away. In the years to follow, I went to Indonesia after the tsunami, Pakistan after the earthquakes, Sudan after the civil warm and Iraq after more and more bombs. Each time after disasters one after another, hundreds of people were killed, wounded and many more had to flee. We once set up movable clinics in an area with 19,000 _ , and it was supposed to hold 13,000 originally. Flu broke out, one of the biggest killers of kids in refugee camps, and it spread like wildfire. Water and food were also serious problems. "Adventures or not?" I often asked myself. When my wife passed away, I thought my life was done. But in reality, it was just getting started. At the end of her life, she went unconscious. I held her head in my hands and told her of all the places we would visit and the exciting adventures we would have. I think about the moment many times during my "adventures". I didn't know how predictive those words would be.But I know that she is still with me. Where has the doctor been in the past few years? A) Some countries where he could set up clinics. B) Some African countries where flu broke out. C) The places where the earthquakes happened. D) The places that the horrible disasters struck.
D
Q: Spring will soon be upon us and a new term is here. All over' the world spring is the season of.new life: flowers bloom, baby animals are born, and the weather becomes warmer.During this time of year, people usually walk around with a spring in their steps and a feeling of fresh beginnings.However, for a fresh beginning it takes more than the bright color1s and fresh air of spring.We need to look at ourselves, set new goals, and decide how to improve ourselves. In England people usually do this on the first day of the year. We look at the past year and think about what we' d like to change or improve in our lives, and we call this a New Year' s resolution.These can be anything from improving one' s health through exercise or cutting out bad habits, to studying harder for better grades or trying to find a good work/life balance. Luckily, we don' t have to wait for the beginning of a new year to try and become better people.We can do this whenever we like.The milestone of a new term is just a good place to start. Sometimes it' s difficult to take the first step in achieving newly set goals, but an old saying is "to begin is to be half-way there." I agree with this because taking on a new task or changing habits can seem _ at first, but once we begin, they get easier.For example, spending less time on QQ or playing video games and more time studying or communicating face-to-face can be difficult habits to change at first.But once we settle into the new routine and start to see the results, it' s difficult not to wonder why we didn't do it sooner. The trick with deciding on a resolution for a new term is not to set unrealistic targets. If we do this, it's easy to lose motivation because the end goal seems so far away. Try to make many small targets you want to reach on the way to your ultimate goal.This way, you can see your progress easily. A New Year's resolution is _ . A) a decision made to improve ourselves B) a ceremony to celebrate New Year C) a promise made to your parents D) a recall of what happened last year
A: A
(Q).
London, April 28---The Man Group, a British hedge fund, is betting that investors will want to read more than the latest how-to- get -rich-quick business book. In a five-year deal worth roughly $3.6 million announced last week, Man has agreed to sponsor the Booker Prize for Fiction, which will be renamed the Man Booker Prize. Since creating the award in 1969, Booker P.L.G., a British food group, in June 2000, executives began considering attracting outside sponsors. Man will be the first of these. Bill Grimsey, the chief of the Big Food Group, saw little business sense in a link between a food supplier and a literary prize, explained Dotti Irving, a spokeswoman for the Booker Prize foundation. Such dissimilarities have not reduced Man's enthusiasm for the prize which is expected to be open for the first time to American authors. David Browne, a spokesman for Man, said most of the firm's investors are high-net-worth individuals who appreciate literature. "The people who buy hedge funds," Mr. Browne said, "also read." Under the new agreement, authors will get more money. The winner of the annual prize, to be awarded in October, will receive $73,000 , up from $30,000 the Australian writer Peter Carey won last year for his novel "True History of the Kelley Gang." The six short-listed authors will each receive $3,600, up from $1,500. Having a hedge fund as a backer apparently has its perks. . The article is mainly about _ . A) the disagreement between two groups B) the Booker Prize Foundation C) the Big Food Group D) The new development of Booker Prize
(A).
B