阅读理解
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Older Volcanic Eruptions
Volcanoes were more destructive in ancient history, not because they were bigger, but because the carbon dioxide they released wiped out life with greater ease.
Paul Wignall from the UniversityofLeedswas investigating the link between volcanic eruptions and mass extinctions. Not all volcanic eruptions killed off large numbers of animals, but all the mass extinctions over the past 300 million years coincided with huge formations of volcanic rock. To his surprise, the older the massive volcanic eruptions were, the more damage they seemed to do. He calculated the "killing efficiency" for these volcanoes by comparing the proportion of life they killed off with the volume of lava that they produced. He found that size for size, older eruptions were at least 10 times as effective at wiping out life as their more recent rivals.
The Permian extinction 1, for example, which happened 250 million years ago, is marked by floods of volcanic rock in Siberia that cover an area roughly the size of western Europe. Those volcanoes are thought to have pumped out about 10 gigatonnes of carbon as carbon dioxide. The global warming that followed wiped out 80 per cent of all marine genera at the time, and it took 5 million years for the planet to recover. Yet 60 million years ago, there was another huge amount of volcanic activity and global warming but no mass extinction. Some animals did disappear but things returned to normal within ten thousands of years. "The most recent ones hardly have an effect at all," Wignall says. He ignored the extinction which wiped out the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, because many scientists believe it was primarily caused by the impact of an asteroid. He thinks that older volcanoes had more killing power because more recent life forms were better adapted to dealing with increased levels of CO2.
Vincent Courtillot, director of the Paris Geophysical Institute inFrance, says that Wignall"s idea is provocative. But he says it is incredibly hard to do these sorts of calculations. He points out that the killing power of volcanic eruptions depends on how long they lasted. And it is impossible to tell whether the huge blasts lasted for thousands or millions of years. He also adds that it is difficult to estimate how much lava prehistoric volcanoes produced, and that lava volume may not necessarily correspond to carbon dioxide emissions.
词汇：
dioxide [daɪˈɒksaɪd] n. 二氧化物
lava ["lɑ:və] n. 熔岩
Permian [ˈpə:miən] adj. 二叠纪
gigaton ["dʒɪgətʌn] n. 十亿吨梯恩梯
genera ["dʒenərə] n. 种类
dinosaurs ["daɪnəsɔ:z] n. 恐龙
asteroid [ˈæstərɔɪd] n. 小行星
注释：
1.The Permian extinction:二叠纪物种灭绝
Why did older volcanic eruptions do more damage than more recent ones？
A:Because they killed off life more easily. B:Because they were brighter. C:Because they were larger. D:Because they were hotter.
Despite the general negative findings, it is important to remember that all children who live through a divorce do not behave in the same way. The specific behavior depends on the child’s individual personality, characteristics, age at the time of divorce, and gender. In terms of personality, when compared to those rated as relaxed and easygoing, children described as temperamental and irritable have more difficulty coping with parental divorce, as indeed they have more difficulty adapting to life change in general. Stress, such as that found in disrupted families, seems to impair the ability of temperamental children to adapt to their surroundings, the greater the amount of stress, the less well they adapt. In contrast, a moderate amount of stress may actually help an easygoing, relaxed child learn to cope with adversity.
There is some relationship between age and children’s characteristic reaction to divorce. As the child grows older, the greater is the likelihood of a free expression of a variety of complex feelings, an understanding of those feelings, and a realization that the decision to divorce cannot be attributed to any one simple cause Self-blame virtually disappears after the age of 6, fear of abandonment diminishes after the age of 8, and the confusion and fear of the young child is replaced in the older child by shame, anger, and self-reflection. Gender of the child is also a factor that predicts the nature of reaction to divorce, The impact of divorce is initially greater on boys than on girls. They are more aggressive, less compliant, have greater difficulties in interpersonal relationships, and exhibit problem behaviors both at home and at school. Furthermore, the adjustment problems of boys are still noticeable even two years after the divorce.
Girls’ adjustment problems are usually internalized rather than acted out, and are often resolved by the second year after the divorce. However, new problems may surface for girls as they enter adolescence and adulthood. How can the relatively greater impact of divorce on boys than on girls be explained The greater male aggression and noncompliance may reflect the fact that such behaviors are tolerated and even encouraged in males in our culture more than they are in females. Furthermore, boys may have a particular need for a strong male model of self-control, as well as for a strong disciplinarian parent. Finally, boys are more likely to be exposed to their parents’ fights than girls are, and after the breakup, boys are less likely than girls to receive sympathy and support from mothers, teachers, or peers.
The following statements are true EXCEPT
A:divorce is usually caused by more than one reason. B:a six-year-old boy may fear being deserted by his parents. C:as the kids grow older, they have a better understanding of divorce. D:a young girl may feel more shameful on parental divorce than an older boy.
In 2007 a French food company wanted to buy a family-owned firm in India. The patriarch was 72, and the French firm wanted to send someone of similar experience to talk to him. But because of its youthful corporate culture-most people are hustled out of the door in their mid 40s-it had no one to send. In the end, through Experconnect, an employment agency in Paris which places retired people, it found a 58-year-old former head of a European consumer-goods firm, and sent him out to Mumbai.
France has a poor record when it comes to keeping older people in the workforce. The retirement age is 60, not 65 as in most developed countries. In 2005 only 37.8% of people aged 55-64 had jobs, versus 56.8% in Britain and 44.9% in Germany. The main reason is that in the 1980s, when there was high unemployment, the government promoted early retirement. That entrenched the idea that older workers were less productive, says Caroline Young, Experconnect’s founder.
Now companies are worried about losing their most skilled workers, especially as the baby boom generation nears retirement. Areva, a nuclear-power group, recently launched a scheme to address the needs of older employees, and plans to use about 100 retired people a year through Experconnect. Because nuclear power was unpopular for decades, Areva stopped training engineers, so that much of its expertise lies with its oldest staff. Now it is taking much more interest in them. "We have to bring about a revolution in opinion," says Jean Cassingena, its human-resources strategist.
Unlike other recruitment agencies, Experconnect keeps its workers on its own books, so they can carry on drawing their pensions. They tend to work part-time on one-off projects. Engineers and people with high levels of technical skill are most in demand in France, says Ms Young, as younger people increasingly choose to go into fields such as marketing. Thales, a defence and aerospace firm, is using a former radar expert, for instance, and Louis Berger France, an engineering firm, often uses retired engineers to manage big infrastructure projects.
Softer industries also make use of Experconnect. Danone, a food firm, hires people for one-off management roles. "Older people have seen it all and they are level-headed," says Thomas Kunz, its head of beverages. The beauty industry is short of toxicologists to determine whether new lotions are safe, and one firm has just taken on a 75-year-old. Two famous French luxury-goods companies plan to use retired workers in their handbag divisions. One wants to safeguard its knowledge of fine leathers and sewing; the other wants to apply expertise from the aerospace industry to make new kinds of materials for handbags.
Despite an impressive handful of high-profile clients, Experconnect has found it difficult to convince French companies that older workers can be valuable. It has 2,700 retired people on its books, and has so far placed just 50 of them on "missions". Old prejudices, as they say, die hard.
What can we infer from Jean Cassingena’s comment that "We have to bring about a revolution in opinion"
A:They should re-recruit older workers back to the company. B:Older workers are still productive, no less than when they were young. C:They should pay attention to training more young staff. D:They will discuss with employment agency about the manpower issue.
Text 3
| In 2007 a French food company wanted to
buy a family-owned firm in India. The patriarch was 72, and the French firm
wanted to send someone of similar experience to talk to him. But because of its
youthful corporate culture-most people are hustled out of the door in their mid
40s-it had no one to send. In the end, through Experconnect, an employment
agency in Paris which places retired people, it found a 58-year-old former head
of a European consumer-goods firm, and sent him out to Mumbai. France has a poor record when it comes to keeping older people in the workforce. The retirement age is 60, not 65 as in most developed countries. In 2005 only 37.8% of people aged 55-64 had jobs, versus 56.8% in Britain and 44.9% in Germany. The main reason is that in the 1980s, when there was high unemployment, the government promoted early retirement. That entrenched the idea that older workers were less productive, says Caroline Young, Experconnect’s founder. Now companies are worried about losing their most skilled workers, especially as the baby boom generation nears retirement. Areva, a nuclear-power group, recently launched a scheme to address the needs of older employees, and plans to use about 100 retired people a year through Experconnect. Because nuclear power was unpopular for decades, Areva stopped training engineers, so that much of its expertise lies with its oldest staff. Now it is taking much more interest in them. "We have to bring about a revolution in opinion," says Jean Cassingena, its human-resources strategist. Unlike other recruitment agencies, Experconnect keeps its workers on its own books, so they can carry on drawing their pensions. They tend to work part-time on one-off projects. Engineers and people with high levels of technical skill are most in demand in France, says Ms Young, as younger people increasingly choose to go into fields such as marketing. Thales, a defence and aerospace firm, is using a former radar expert, for instance, and Louis Berger France, an engineering firm, often uses retired engineers to manage big infrastructure projects. Softer industries also make use of Experconnect. Danone, a food firm, hires people for one-off management roles. "Older people have seen it all and they are level-headed," says Thomas Kunz, its head of beverages. The beauty industry is short of toxicologists to determine whether new lotions are safe, and one firm has just taken on a 75-year-old. Two famous French luxury-goods companies plan to use retired workers in their handbag divisions. One wants to safeguard its knowledge of fine leathers and sewing; the other wants to apply expertise from the aerospace industry to make new kinds of materials for handbags. Despite an impressive handful of high-profile clients, Experconnect has found it difficult to convince French companies that older workers can be valuable. It has 2,700 retired people on its books, and has so far placed just 50 of them on "missions". Old prejudices, as they say, die hard. |
A:They should re-recruit older workers back to the company. B:Older workers are still productive, no less than when they were young. C:They should pay attention to training more young staff. D:They will discuss with employment agency about the manpower issue.
Young adults （ ） older people are more likely to prefer pop songs.
A:Other than B:more than C:less than D:rather than
Young adults ______ older people are more likely to prefer pop songs.
A:other than B:more than C:less than D:rather than
Regeneration of Limbs Most people would agree that it would be wonderful if humans could regenerate limbs. Those who have lost their arms or legs would be complete again. The day is still far off when this might happen. But in the last 10 years, doctors have reported regeneration in smaller parts of the body, most often fingers. Regeneration is not a newly-discovered process. For centuries, scientists have seen it work in some kinds of animals. Break off a lizards (蜥蜴的) tail, for example, and it will grow a new tail. Scientists now are looking for a way to turn on this exciting ability in more highly-developed animals, including humans. Their experiments show that nerves, cell chemistry and the natural electric currents in the body all seem to have a part in this process. The body of every animal contains general purpose cells that change into whatever kind of cells the body needs. Animals such as the lizard or salamander (蝾螈) use these cells to regenerate a new tail or leg when the old one is broken off. These cells collect around the wound. They form a mass called a blastema (胚基). The cells of the blastema begin to change. Some become bone cells, some muscle cells, some skin cells. Slowly, a new part re-grows from the body outward. When completed, the new part is just like the old one. More than 200 years ago, Italian scientist Luigi Spallanzani showed that younger animals have a greater ability to regenerate lost parts than older animals. So do animals lower on the ladder of evolutionary development. The major difference seems to be that less-developed animals have more nerves in their tails and legs than humans do in their arms and legs. Another helpful piece of information was discovered in the late 1800s. Scientists found that when a creature is injured, an electrical current flows around the wound. The strength of the current depends on how severe the wound is and on how much nerve tissue is present. In 1945, American scientist Meryl Rose tested another idea about regeneration. He thought a new limb might grow only from an open wound. Doctor Rose cut off the front legs of some frogs, below the knee. He kept the wounds wet with a strong salty liquid. This prevented skin from growing over the wounds. The results were surprising. Frogs do not regenerate new legs naturally. But these frogs began to grow new limbs. About half of each cut-off leg grew back again. New bones and muscles developed. This research has led doctors to new ways of treating cut-off fingers. Doctors have observed, for example, that many children and some adults will re-grow the top of a finger if the wound is left open. What kind of animal has a greater ability to regenerate a lost part?
A:Younger and more highly-developed ones. B:Older and less-developed ones. C:Younger and less-developed ones. D:Older and more highly-developed ones.
Regeneration of Limbs
Most people would agree that it would be wonderful if humans could regenerate limbs. These who have lost their arms or legs would be complete again. The day is still far off when this might happen. But in the last 10 years, doctors have reported regeneration in smaller parts of the body, most often fingers.
Regeneration is not a newly-discovered process. For centuries, scientists have seen it work in some kinds of animals. Break off a lizard’s (蜥蜴的) tail, for example, and it will grow a new tail. Scientists now are looking for a way to turn on this exciting ability in more highly-developed animals, including humans. Their experiments show that nerves, cell chemistry and the natural electric currents in the body all seem to have a part in this process.
The body of every animal contains general purpose cells that change into whatever kind of cells the body needs. Animals such as the lizard or salamander (蝾螈) use these cells to regenerate a new tail or leg when the old one is broken off. These cells collect around the wound. They form a mass called a blastama (胚基). The cells of the blastema begin to change. Some become bone cells, some muscle cells, some skin cells. Slowly, a new part regrows from the body outward. When completed, the new part is just like the old one.
Mote than 200 years ago, Italian scientist Luigi Spallanzani showed that younger animals have a greater ability to regenerate lost parts than older animals. So do animals lower on the ladder of evolutionary development. The major difference seems to be that less-developed animals have more nerves in their tails and legs than humans do in their arms and legs.
Another helpful piece of information was discovered in the late 1600s. Scientists found that when a creature is injured, an electrical current flows around the wound. The strength of the current depends on how severe the wound is and on how much nerve tissue is present.
In 1945, American scientist Meryl Rose tested another idea about regeneration. He thought a new limb might grow only from an open wound. Doctor Rose cut off the front legs of some frogs, below the knee. He kept the wounds wet with a strong salty liquid. This prevented skin from growing over the wounds. The results were surprising. Frogs do not regenerate new legs naturally. But these frogs began to grow new limbs. About half of each cut-off leg grew back again. New bones and muscles developed.
This research has led doctors to new ways of treating cut-off fingers. Doctors have observed, for example, that many children and some adults will regrow the top of a finger if the wound is left open.
A:Younger and more highly-developed ones. B:Younger and less-developed ones. C:Older and less-developed ones. D:Older and more highly-developed ones.
Regeneration of Limbs Most people would agree that it would be wonderful if humans could regenerate limbs. Those who have lost their arms or legs would be complete again. The day is still far off when this might happen. But in the last 10 years, doctors have reported regeneration in smaller parts of the body, most often fingers. Regeneration is not a newly-discovered process. For centuries, scientists have seen it work in some kinds of animals. Break off a lizards (蜥蜴的) tail, for example, and it will grow a new tail. Scientists now are looking for a way to turn on this exciting ability in more highly-developed animals, including humans. Their experiments show that nerves, cell chemistry and the natural electric currents in the body all seem to have a part in this process. The body of every animal contains general purpose cells that change into whatever kind of cells the body needs. Animals such as the lizard or salamander (蝾螈) use these cells to regenerate a new tail or leg when the old one is broken off. These cells collect around the wound. They form a mass called a blastema (胚基). The cells of the blastema begin to change. Some become bone cells, some muscle cells, some skin cells. Slowly, a new part re-grows from the body outward. When completed, the new part is just like the old one. More than 200 years ago, Italian scientist Luigi Spallanzani showed that younger animals have a greater ability to regenerate lost parts than older animals. So do animals lower on the ladder of evolutionary development. The major difference seems to be that less-developed animals have more nerves in their tails and legs than humans do in their arms and legs. Another helpful piece of information was discovered in the late 1800s. Scientists found that when a creature is injured, an electrical current flows around the wound. The strength of the current depends on how severe the wound is and on how much nerve tissue is present. In 1945, American scientist Meryl Rose tested another idea about regeneration. He thought a new limb might grow only from an open wound. Doctor Rose cut off the front legs of some frogs, below the knee. He kept the wounds wet with a strong salty liquid. This prevented skin from growing over the wounds. The results were surprising. Frogs do not regenerate new legs naturally. But these frogs began to grow new limbs. About half of each cut-off leg grew back again. New bones and muscles developed. This research has led doctors to new ways of treating cut-off fingers. Doctors have observed, for example, that many children and some adults will re-grow the top of a finger if the wound is left open. What kind of animal has a greater ability to regenerate a lost part?
A:Younger and more highly-developed ones. B:Older and less-developed ones. C:Younger and less-developed ones. D:Older and more highly-developed ones.
