The Kyoto Protocol is a plan created by the United Nations for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.The plan aims to reduce the amount of industrial gases released into the environment.Some scientists say carbon dioxide and other industrial gases are to blame for climate change around the world.The scientists say such gases build up in the atmosphere and trap heat below.They say this results in increasing temperatures and rising sea levels. The plan is called the Kyoto Protocol because it was negotiated in Kyoto,Japan in December,1997.The goal of the agreement is to reduce the amount of emissions --industrial gases released to below the levels of 1990. Nations responsible for at least 55%of the world's industrial carbon dioxide emissions had to approve the agreement before it could go into effect.The European Union and many other industrial nations quickly approved the Kyoto Protocol.They receive credit for their own emissions if they invest in cleaned technologies in developing nations.Developing nations do not have to meet the emissions requirements of the agreement. The United States produced 36%of the world's carbon dioxide emissions in 1999.But the United States refused to approve the Kyoto Protocol.Before the Protocol was negotiated,the United States Senate voted that any treaty harmful to the economy of the United States could not be signed.President Bush has said that he supports the general idea of the treaty but will not send the treaty to the Senate for approval.Mr. Bush said that the agreement sets unfair differences between industrial and developing nations.He also said that the treaty could cause some Americans to lose their jobs. After the United States rejected the Kyoto Protocol,approval by Russia was necessary for the agreement to come into effect.Russia approved the Protocol in November,2004 and the Kyoto Protocol went into effect on February 16th,2005.157 countries have approved the agreement. How many years was the Kyoto Protocol negotiated before its coming into effect? A) Nearly 1 year. B) Nearly 6 years. C) Nearly 8 years. D) Nearly 15 years.
C
(Question)
Running like the wind, roaring like thunder, tigers have long been feared and respected as a king of the animal world. But last week a report said that there are no more than 30 wild tigers left in south China. This was the conclusion of a team of scientists from China's State Forestry Administration and the World Nature Fund. The South China tiger, also known as the Chinese tiger, is native to southern China. In the 1950s, there were over 4,000 tigers found in mountain forests in the country. But due to the destruction of their natural habitat and uncontrolled hunting, it has been pushed on to the list of the world's top ten most endangered species. Sixty-six of the big cats can be found in the cages of a dozen zoos around China. But they are nothing like their wild cousins. They have lost their natural skills such as hunting and killing. If they were set free they could not look after themselves. "Breeding has damaged the quality of the species," said Pei Enle, deputy director of the Shanghai Zoo. To reintroduce the species into the wild, the country started a programme to send five to ten young tigers to South Africa. Four of them have already arrived. Progress has been made as two elder tigers have recovered some of their instincts and can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base. "South Africans are very experienced in reintroducing big animals to the wild. The country has very good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in," said Lu Jun, office director of the National Wildlife Research and Development Centre. "We tried in Fujian Province, but it was not successful as there was not a complete eco-chain and there was a lack of space." The tigers should return to China in 2009 when the reservations in Fujian are ready. Which one is not the reason for South Africa being chosen as the training place? A) Because the tigers can hunt wild animals by themselves at the African base. B) Because South Africans are skilled at dealing with the tigers. C) Because there is a complete eco-chain and enough space there. D) Because the country has good natural conditions for the tigers to learn in.
(Answer)
A
Ques: Rebecca, who is a 25-year-old woman, has a rare condition. She can remember all the events she has experienced in her life. The events are so vivid, as if they happened just moments ago. But her vivid memories often become a reality. Rebecca said, "When I relive memories, the emotions come back. So if it's something that happened when I was younger, my emotions are about what I felt then. I also re-experience pain. For example, I remember falling over and hurting my left knee when I was three. When talking about it now, I'm getting pain in my left knee." However, there are times when Rebecca's memories prove to be too overwhelming, and she has learnt relaxation and mindfulness techniques to solve. "At school, it is a _ . I'm not very quick at processing things, so there is always so much going through my mind. At night, I have to sleep with the radio on and a soft light. If it's too dark or quiet, my mind just recalls all these memories and I can't sleep," Rebecca said. In addition, Rebecca has no control over whether the memories she recalls will be positive or negative - recalling painful experiences with such vividness that she has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Rebecca said, "Recently, I went back to my old school for my sister's high school graduation. Being in that building again brought all those memories flooding back. I burst into tears and had to leave." Rebecca and her mother Mrs. Barnes got in touch with the University of California in 2011. It was there that Rebecca knew she had Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory (HSAM). It's reported that Rebecca is one of just 80 people worldwide, who have HASM. "Finding out about HASM has been such a positive experience. Now, Rebecca has been more positive and able to do things independently, which has been excellent," Mrs. Barnes said. What's wrong with Rebecca? A) She hardly sleeps well at night. B) She usually gets hurt easily by others. C) She can't distinguish between reality and dreams. D) Her vivid memories lead her to experience sufferings.
Ans: D
Ques: Walking in a farmers' market often brings one to explore new food options, and now more locally-farmed protein choices are available to help bridge the gap between our meals and the farms from which they originated. More and more local small farms are popping up in opposition to factory farms. Today's commercial farms do not fit the image that comes to mind while happily singing along to "Old MacDonald". Instead, most of the nation's food comes from CAFOs, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, where animals are kept in tightly enclosed conditions as they are fattened up and readied to be killed for food. Fortunately, knowing exactly where one's food comes from has led to an increase in the availability of what is known as "grass-fed" beef. Technically, all cattle are grass-fed for at least a limited amount of time, but what makes the meat significant is that it is grass-finished, not force-fed corn, soy or grains. This change in diet makes all the difference since corn is not part of the cow's traditional diet, and therefore causes major health issues for it. To deal with the health issues, antibiotics are used and some of the antibiotics used to treat the cattle are similar to those given to humans, so they can decrease the effectiveness of medicine when a consumer is sick. A healthier diet for the cattle leads the meat to lower in both fat and calories. And when cooking grass-fed beef, you'd better use a slightly lower temperature to make it more delicious. The song "Old MacDonald" describes A) animals raised freely on local farms B) animals kept in tightly enclosed conditions C) commercial farms providing fast food D) commercial farms providing unpopular food
Ans:
A