In the dining room of my grandfather's house stood a massive grandfather clock. Meals in that dining room were a time for four generations to become one. The table was always spread with food containing love as the main ingredient . And that grandfather clock stood like an old family friend, watching over the laughter that was a part of our lives. As a child, the old clock fascinated me. I watched and listened to it during meals. Even more wonderful to me was my grandfather's ritual. He wound that clock with a special key carefully each day. That key was magic to me. It kept our family's magnificent clock ticking and chiming. I remember watching as my grandfather took the key from his pocket and opened the hidden door in the clock. He inserted the key and wound -- not too much, nor too little. He never let that clock wind down and stop. He showed us grandchildren how to open the door and let us each take turns winding the key. I remember the first time I did it I was so excited to be part of this family ritual. After my grandfather died, it was days after the funeral before I remembered the clock! "Mama! The clock! We've let it wind down." The tears flowed freely when I entered the dining room. The clock stood there quiet. It even seemed smaller without my grandfather's special touch. Some time later, my grandmother gave me the clock and the key. The old house was quiet. No laughter over the dinner table, no ticking or chiming of the clock -- all was still. I took the key in my shaking hand and opened the clock door. All of a sudden, I was a child again, watching my grandfather with his silver-white hair and blue eyes. He was there, winking at me, at the secret of the clock's magic, at the key that held so much power. I stood, lost in the moment for a long time. Then slowly and carefully I inserted the key and wound the clock. I sprang to life. Tick -- Tock, tick -- tock, life and chimes were breathed into the dining room, into the house and into my heart. In the movement of the hands of the... The best title for the passage can be _ . A) My Grandfather B) My Family C) Grandfather's Clock D) The Dining Room
C
The hole in the Earth's ozone layer has until now protected Antarctic from the worst effects of global warming, but scientists have warned that as the hole closes up in the next few decades, temperatures on the continent could rise by around 3degC on average, with melting ice contributing to a global sea level increase of up to 1.4 meters. In the past decades the western Antarctic has seen rapid ice loss as the world has warmed, but the other parts of the continent have, , been cooling, resulting in a 10% increase in ice in the seas around the region. This is because the hole in the ozone layer has increased cold winds in Antarctic, making much of the continent surface colder than usual. But now that the gases that cause the ozone hole have been banned, scientists expect the hole to repair itself within the next 50 to 60 years. By then the cooling effect will have faded out and the Antarctic will face the full impact of global warming. This means an increase in average air temperatures of around 3degC and a reduction in sea ice by around a third. The biggest threat to the continent comes from warming seas. Robert Johnson, a scientist who monitors Antarctic ice sheets, said, "The ice sheets in Antarctic are hundreds of meters thick. But once warm ocean waters start flowing underneath, the ice will begin thinning and could break up very quickly." Thinning ice sheets cause ice to break away from the continent and to melt even faster. Escaping ice from western Antarctic has already resulted in a 10% rise in global sea level in recent decades. Johnson believes that international action to reduce global warming is required immediately or it may be too late. "Everything is connected----Antarctic may be a long way away but it is an important part of the Earth's system," said Johnson. "It contains 90% of the world's ice, 70% of the world's fresh water and that is enough, if it melts completely, to raise sea levels by 63 meters." Even in a worse-case situation scientists don't expect the ice to entirely disappear, but... What is the effect of the hole in the ozone layer on Antarctic? A) It is causing the ice to melt faster. B) It is making much of the continent colder. C) It is making the e D) It is reducing the amount of water in Antarctic.
B
Q: No one can believe that the over 6,300-kilometer Great Wall might disappear some day. Believe it or not, the Great Wall is being destroyed by people. Less than 20 percent of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty ,is still perfect, but about 80 percent is in danger. The Great Wall can be called " great " mostly because of its amazing length. But we should realize that the length was made up of one brick at a time. If we do nothing to save the Great Wall,it will become a series of separate wasteland rather than a historic site. The Great Wall is actually a series of walls built and rebuilt by different dynasties over the past 2,000 years. It began in the rule of China's first emperor, Qin Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty (221BC----206BC), and lasted into the Ming Dynasty. The parts built before the Ming Dynasty have nearly disappeared. People are familiar with sections such as Badaling in Beijing and Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu, because they have been open to tourists for many years. But _ have been almost forgotten. Few local people knew the 3--meter--high walls made of earth and stones beside them are parts of the Great Wall. The lack of knowledge is considered as one of the main reasons behind human. The bricks on the Great Wall are carried off by countryside people to build their houses,sheep corrals and pigsties. Some were taken away to build roads. Bricks carved with people's names are put away as remembrances. The rubbish is spread over the battlements. The brick can be sold 15 yuan per tractor load. Those who destroyed and are destroying the Wall know its name, but are not clear about its cultural meaning. It will take a long time to let them know this. The local farmers not only carried off the body of the Wall but also dug out the entire base. It is necessary to protect the Great Wall. First of all, the officials should be aware of the importance of the Great Wall. Young Chinese should know more about the nation's great civilization and learn to love it. Which of the following may be the best title for this passage? A) How to Protect the Great Wall. B) How the Great Wall came into being. C) The Great Wall Being Rebuilt. D) The Great Wall Being in Danger.
A: D