The United States is suffering its worst drought (干旱) in almost sixty years. The National Climatic Data Center also says high temperatures in June added to the warmest twelve-month period on record. Record-keeping began in 1895. The drought map showed that conditions improved in the Southeast in June compared to May. But the drought is expected to continue in large parts of the country. Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack met with President Obama. Mr Vilsack says the drought has seriously influenced some crops, such as corn and soybeans (大豆). And the United States is the world's leading producer. 

    The drought has made prices of com and soybeans increase. Both of them are used in food production and for animal feed. Last week the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported that corn and wheat prices increased by 20% over the past three weeks.

In the United States, farmers may quickly reduce the size of their animals rather than pay higher feed prices to keep them. That increased supply of meat would reduce meat prices in the short term. But those prices could increase in several months.

Mr Vilsack says the effect of the drought is hard to predict(預(yù)測). Some areas are getting rain, and drought-resistant (抗旱的) seeds have helped crops grow well in some areas.

1.We can know the drought record of the USA has been kept for ________years of the USA up to now.

A. 97                                                        B. 207

C. 221                                          D. 117

2.Which of the following American presidents met with Tom Vilsack?

A. George Washington.                 B. Abraham lincon.

C. George Bush.                                  D. Barack Obama.        

3. If the price of a kilo of corn was 3 dollars last December, how much is a kilo of corn now?

A. 2.4 dollars.                                        B. 3 dollars.

C. 3.6 dollars.                                         D. 3.9 dollars.

4.Why is the meat price lower than before?

A. Because there are more and more animals.

B. Because farmers kill them to save their food.

C. Because people don't like eating meat now.

D. Because the government (政府) asks the meat price lower.

5.What is the best title for the passage?

A. US faces the worst drought in almost sixty years.

B. Take action to help the USA.

C. What does the country do in the drought areas?

D. President Obama meets with Agriculture Secretary.

 

【答案】

        

1. D

2. D

3. C

4. B

5. A

【解析】本文主要講述的是美國正遭受60年來最嚴重的干旱,美國是農(nóng)產(chǎn)品種植大國,因為干旱,許多農(nóng)產(chǎn)品價格上漲,因為農(nóng)產(chǎn)品價格上漲,畜牧業(yè)也受到了影響,養(yǎng)殖者們?yōu)榱藴p少飼料成本,也大量消減動物數(shù)量,最終肉類價格也上漲。干旱的影響難以預(yù)測,一些地區(qū)會下雨,一些地區(qū)的抗旱作物長勢很好。

1.細節(jié)理解題。從Record-keeping began in 1895. 得知答案,故選D。

2.細節(jié)理解題。從Last week, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack met with President Obama.得知答案,故選D。

3.推理判斷題。從Last week the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization reported that corn and wheat prices increased by 20% over the past three weeks.得知答案,故選C

4.推理判斷題。從In the United States, farmers may quickly reduce the size of their animals rather than pay higher feed prices to keep them.可知答案選B。

5.標題歸納題。從The United States is suffering its worst drought (干旱) in almost sixty years. 以人及全文得知美國正遭受60年來最嚴重的干旱,故選A。

考點:政治經(jīng)濟文化類短文閱讀。

 

練習(xí)冊系列答案
相關(guān)習(xí)題

科目:初中英語 來源:2012-2013學(xué)年江蘇省宿遷市八年級上學(xué)期期末考試英語試卷(帶解析) 題型:閱讀理解

In northern Scotland there is a deep lake called Loch Ness. It is more than 200 metres deep and it is the deepest lake in the United Kingdom. People say a huge monster (妖怪) lives in the dark, cold water. It weighs more than 1,000 kilos and is at least ten metres long. It has a dark gray colour. Some people say that it looks like a snake. Many people travel to Loch Ness to look for this strange monster, but only a few people say that they saw it. No one knows whether (是否) these people really saw it or not.
The Loch Ness Monster is a famous story. People first told it over 500 years ago, but it became popular only in the twentieth century (世紀). In 1993, a couple reported that they saw a big monster in the middle of the lake. From then on, many people said that they saw a monster in Loch Ness. A few people took photos, but some of them weren’t real photos. During the 1960s, people set up an organization to find out the truth. They took many photos and made movies, but they weren’t able to find a monster.
There is no real evidence (證據(jù)) that there is a monster in Loch Ness, but there is also no evidence that there is not. One thing is true about Loch Ness: there are lots of curious (好奇的) people going there every year.
【小題1】 From the passage, we know Loch Ness is the name of _______.

A.a(chǎn) huge monsterB.a(chǎn) lake
C.a(chǎn) riverD.a(chǎn) country
【小題2】 The second paragraph (段) mainly talks about ______.
A.who first told the story of the Loch Ness Monster
B.when people took photos of the Loch Ness Monster
C.why people set up an organization in the 1960s
D.how the story of the Loch Ness Monster became popular
【小題3】 Which of the following is NOT true?
A.The Loch Ness monster weighs less than 1,000 kilos.
B.People began to tell the story more than five centuries ago.
C.People are not sure whether there is a monster in Loch Ness.
D.Many visitors are interested in the story of the Loch Ness monster.

查看答案和解析>>

科目:初中英語 來源:2013-2014學(xué)年陜西省咸陽學(xué)大教育西安分公司咸陽校區(qū)九年級1月模擬考試英語卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

In today’s fast paced,high stress world people are working longer hours than ever, and often exhaust themselves at day’s end in front of the television to relax enough to begin again in the morning. However, television watching, for most people, does not really lower stress. Studies show that TV viewing more than an hour or so actually creates stress and, especially in women, may lead to the blues. Most individuals are unaware that doing some exercise after work makes them more energetic since it increases energy levels.

??? Wise use of free time does not mean getting an advanced degree, although the mental encouragement gained through education is unbeatable in keeping your mind active. Learning new things nearly always adds a spark to your daily life, especially if it is a favorite topic, such as sport, fashion, or art. Also, look through your bookstore or library to find books on your interests. Try to replace a half hour TV watching with reading.[來源:學(xué)__網(wǎng)Z_X

??? It is reported that in the United States recently, many individuals have as few as two good friends. Long work hours and car commute act to separate people from each other. This separation is deadly. Find ways to meet people at the end of the day and on weekends. Often this call be best done by combining activities, such as by joining a walking group to get both exercise and companionship. Taking a class will lift your spirits and allow you to meet others with similar interests. Hobbies are great for reducing stress and provide another opportunity for social interaction.

Using your free time to aid your health may include these elements and many more, such as going to concerts and spending time with family. Overall, the key is to spend less free time being passive. The best ways to use free time are to be mentally and physically active, spend some time outdoors, and interact with other people on a regular basis.

1.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Watching television may cause women to feel depressed.

B. Finding interests and hobbies in common means taking a class.

C. Going to concerts is the best way to make you mentally active.

D. Getting an advanced degree in education always lights up your life.

2.What does the underlined word “commute” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A. The arrangement to work every day.

B. The journey to work every day.

C. The communication between people.

D. The separation between people.

3.Which would be the best title for the passage?

A. Live a Happy and Healthy Life.

B. Relax Yourself in Various Ways.

C. Spend Your Free Time Wisely.

D. Interact With Others Outdoors.

 

查看答案和解析>>

科目:初中英語 來源:2012-2013學(xué)年江蘇揚州寶應(yīng)縣九年級中考網(wǎng)上閱卷適應(yīng)性調(diào)研英語卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

Computers can help many workers. They can also help thieves.

There was one thief who worked in a bank of the United States. He paid for everything he needed by check (支票). Then he told the computer not to take any money from his account for the checks he wrote. The bank’s computer did what he said. And it did not take any money from his bank account. One day the computer broke down. People had to do the computer’s work. They soon found out what was happening.

Another thief, who worked for a bank saw people filling in deposit forms (存款單). Many of these people did not know their account numbers, so they wrote only their names on the forms. They left empty places for their account numbers. The thief wrote his own account number in this place. When the computer read these forms it looked only at the account numbers. It did not look at the customers’ names. It paid the money on these deposit forms into the thief’s account .                           

Then there was the bank worker who told the bank computer to take ten cents off every customer’s account each month and put it into his own account. For a long time the bank’s customers did not notice that they were losing ten cents every month. But then someone did notice and told the bank. That was the end of that little game!

1.What was the first thief?

A.A computer engineer.                    B.A customer.        C.A bank worker.  D.We don’t know.

2.How did the first thief steal money from the bank?

A.He broke the computer down and stole money from it.

B.He paid for everything by check instead of cash.

C.He took money away from the bank.

D.He told the computer not to take away money from his account.

3.How many kinds of crimes in a bank are mentioned?

A.Two.             B.Three.            C.Four.             D.Five.

4.What can we infer from the passage?

A.None of the thieves has been caught by the police up to now.

B.A lot of money is missing from the bank of the United States each year.

C.The computers in the bank will be changed to prevent money from being stolen.

D.There will be no crimes in the bank any more since so many crimes have been found out.

 

查看答案和解析>>

科目:初中英語 來源:2012-2013學(xué)年湖北省襄陽市谷城縣九年級中考適應(yīng)性考試英語卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

Space travel is nothing new. The first spacecraft with a human was sent up into space in 1961. Since then, people have not only traveled to space, but also many of them have lived there in space stations for some time.

The Soviet Union(前蘇聯(lián)) sent the first space station into space in 1971. This space station was called Salyut 1. Salyut 1 was designed as a place where people could live while they observed space and did experiments. The first group of astronauts lived there for 23 days. The Soviet Union went on to make seven more Salyut space stations. At about the same time, the United States built its own space station, called Skylab.

Astronauts visited and often lived in these space stations for a short time. However, it wasn’t until the late 1980s when The Soviet Union sent the Mir space station that people began to live in space for a longer time. Mir stayed in space from 1989 until 2001, when it was decided that the space station was too old and no longer safe to live in.

Living in space stations seems to be fun, but astronauts face many problems. One of them is food. All the meals on space station are put together on Earth and sent there by space shuttle. Because the food has to last a long time (sometimes up to three months), a lot of it has to be stored in cans. The space station does not have a fridge, but it has a cool room to keep fruit and vegetables fresh. Astronauts also eat many other foods such as dried meat that do not need special care.

Without the help of gravity, sitting down to eat can be tough. Astronauts sometimes have to fix themselves to the wall while eating. They also have to be very careful to that food does not float away.

1.Which of the following has the closest meaning to the underlined word “observed” in Paragraph 2?

A.Discovered        B.Checked          C.Watched          D.Fixed

2. What can we infer(推斷)from the passage?

A.Astronauts can never have a chance to eat fresh food when they live in space station.

B.The Soviet Union sent a total of 9 space stations into space in the 1970s and 1980s.

C.Astronauts could live in the Mir space station for no more than three weeks.

D.Space travel has quite a long history of more than 60 years.

3.What is the best title of this passage?

A.Exploring Space     B.Space Travel       C.Living in Space      D.Space Stations

 

查看答案和解析>>

科目:初中英語 來源:2012-2013學(xué)年四川攀枝花第十二中學(xué)初三上學(xué)期期中考試英語試卷(解析版) 題型:閱讀理解

Is it important to have breakfast every day? A short time ago, a test was given in the United States.People of different ages, from 12 to 83, were asked to have a test.During the test, these people were given all kinds of breakfast, and sometimes they got no breakfast at all.Scientists wanted to see how well their bodies worked after eating different kinds of breakfast.

The results show that if a person eats a right breakfast, he or she will work better than if he or she has no breakfast.If a student has fruit, eggs, bread and milk before going to school, he or she will learn more quickly and listen more carefully in class.Some people think it will help you lose weight if you have no breakfast.But the result is opposite to what they think.This is because people become so hungry at noon that they eat too much for lunch.They will gain weight (增加體重) instead of losing it.

1.What were the people given during the test?

A.No breakfast at all.                      B.Very rich breakfast.

C.Little food for breakfast.                  D.Different foods or sometimes none.

2.What do the results show?

A.They show that breakfast has affected on work and studies.

B.The results show that breakfast has little to do with a person’s work.

C.The results show that a person will work better if he only has fruit and milk.

D.They show that girl students should have less for breakfast.

3.According to the passage, what will happen to you if you don’t have any breakfast?

A.To be healthier.                         B.To work better.

C.To gain weight.                         D.To fail the test.

 

查看答案和解析>>

同步練習(xí)冊答案