B.Save the environment of the Dead Sea.

　　C.Slow shrinking of the Dead Sea.

　　D.Why is the Dead Sea so salty.

　　2.The shrinking of the Dead Sea is mainly caused by ________ according to the passage.

　　A.a severe reduction of the water flowing into the sea

　　B.rapid evaporation of the water in the Dead Sea area

　　C.the increasing quantity of water drawn from the sea

　　D.very low annual rainfall in the Dead Sea Area

　　3.Which of the following is right according to the passage

　　A.With no outlet to any ocean, the Dead Sea has become by evaporation most dense waters on earth.

　　B.Though burdened with the growing population, the neighboring countries haven’t cut off the sources of the Dead Sea.

　　C.All the countries in the area will consider diverting less water from the Jordan River.

　　D.The Red-Dead Project has not only brought water to the Dead Sea, but peace to the area as well.

　　4.Which of the following statements will the author approve of

　　A.If the Dead Sea dried up, great natural disasters would happen in the region.

　　B.The Dead Sea will not survive no matter what people do to save it.

　　C.The five neighboring countries should stop diverting water from the Jordan River.

　　D.Though the Dead Sea is shrinking gradually, it will not die.

　　The global energy crisis is approaching. What can we do Here are some steps you can take.

　　Cooling puts the greatest stress on your summer energy bill and the power grid. Just as a tune-up for your car can improve your gas mileage, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling system can improve efficiency and comfort. Clean or replace filter monthly or as needed.

　　For central air conditioning systems and room air conditioners, look for the ENERGY STAR, the federal government’s symbol for energy efficiency. For central air, purchase the system with the highest possible Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio. (SEER)

　　Use energy efficient ceiling fans either alone or with air conditioning. Ceiling fans do a great job of circulating air. When used with air conditioning, fans allow you to raise the thermostat and cut costs. Ceiling fans cool people, not rooms, so before you leave, turn off the ceiling fan.

　　Let a programmable thermostat “remember for you” to automatically adjust the indoor climate with your daily and weekend patterns to reduce cooling bills by up to 10 percent. You can come home to a comfortable house without wasting energy and creating pollution all day while you are at work.

　　Try to make your home airtight enough to increase your comfort, make your home quieter and cleaner and reduce your cooling costs up to 20 percent.

　　Cut your air conditioning load, and reduce pollution by planting leafy trees around your home and fixing reflective bricks on your roof.

　　Close blinds or shades on south-and west-facing windows during the day, or fix shading equipment to avoid heat build-up.

　　Turn off everything not in use: lights, TVs, computers. And use fluorescent bulbs, which provide bright, warm light while using at least two-thirds less energy, producing 70 percent less heat and lasting up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.

　　Drive the car that gets better gas mileage whenever possible if you own more than one vehicle. If you drive 12,500 miles a year, switching 10 percent of your trips from a car that gets 20 miles per gallon to one that gets 30 mpg will save you more than ￡65 per year.

　　Carpool. The average U.S. commuter could save about ￡260 a year by sharing cars twice a week with two other people in a car that gets 20.1 mpg-assuming the three passengers share the cost of gas.

　　1.According to the passage, the thermostat is used to ________.

　　A.make rooms quieterB.control room temperature

　　C.turn off the air conditionerD.reduce room air pollution

　　2.We can conclude from the passage that the author probably discourages _________.

　　A.planting leafy trees around your home

　　B.turning off the ceiling fan before you leave your house

　　C.keeping your south-facing windows open during the day

　　D.using fluorescent bulbs instead of incandescent bulbs

　　3.According to the passage, you can save fuel by _______.

　　A.using energy-efficient ceiling fans

　　B.sharing cars with others on workdays

　　C.turning off everything not in use

　　D.reducing 10% of your car trips every year

　　Mental illness and disability were family problems for English people living between 1660 and 1800. Most women and men who suffered from mental illness were not institutionalized as this was the period before the extensive building of mental hospitals. Instead, they were housed at home, and cared for by other family members.

　　Now a new study by Cambridge historian Dr. Elizabeth Foyster will reveal the impact on families of caring for mentally ill and disabled relatives.

　　Much has been written about the insane themselves but few studies have considered mental illness from the perspective of the carers. The lifetime burden of caring for those individuals whose mental development did not progress beyond childhood, and who contemporaries labeled as ‘idiots’ or ‘fools’, has been little explored by historians. Foyster’s research, which has been funded by the Leverhulme Trust, will carefully examine the emotional and economic consequences for families at a time when the Poor Law bound them to look after their mentally ill and disabled family members.

　　By asking key questions about the impact of ‘care in the community’ in the 18th century, Foyster hopes that her research will bridge social and medical history. Specifically, she aims to provide an historical perspective for contemporary debates such as how resources can be stretched to provide for children with learning difficulties and an aging population.

　　“The stresses and strains of family were worsened by high infant mortality and low life expectancy, and many individuals were pushed towards mental breakdown,” she explained. “Moreover, inherited conditions, senility(高龄) and what today would be described as ‘special needs’ could put great emotional demands on family members who had primary responsibility for their sick or disabled relatives.”

　　The research will shed light upon how caring for the mentally ill and disabled raised difficult issues for families about the limits of intergenerational responsibility, and whether family ties were weakened or strengthened by the experience. The questions of how far shame was attached to having insanity or idiocy within a family, and at what point families began to seek outside help, will also be addressed.