江苏省南通市2018届高三上学期第一次调研测试英语试题+Word版含答案KS5U+高考

C. An improved lightbulb. D. An underwater city powered by solar energy.

C

Maj Rundl?f remembers the moment she changed her mind about neonicotinoids—the world's most widely used pesticides(杀虫剂). In December 2013, in her office at Lund University in Sweden, she and postdoctor Georg Andersson were looking at data from their latest study. It was designed to test what would happen to bees if they fed on crops treated with neonicotinoids. “I didn't expect to see any effect at all, to be honest，” says Rundl?f.

Honeybees weren't greatly affected by the chemicals in crops, the study suggested. But the data on bumblebees told a different story. Bumblebee colonies that hadn't fed on the treated crops looked normal: they were packing on weight to survive the winter. But in the colonies exposed to neonicotinoids, the growth chart was a flat line.

When the Swedish study was published in April 2015, it made headlines around the world. It was the first to show that neonicotinoids—known as neonics—could harm bees in a real-world farming situation. Bee populations are declining in many parts of the globe, a worrying sign for the crops and wild plants that rely on these bees for their survival. Parasites(寄生虫), disease and shrinking food resources are all prime suspects. But a link to neonics has become a major flashpoint.

Even before Rundl?f's results were revealed, the European Union had placed heavy restrictions on three most widely used neonics in flowering crops—plants that might be attractive to bees—among rising concerns that the chemicals might harm pollinators(传粉者). But farmers, the agrochemical industry and some scientists pointed out that these were based on limited evidence, gathered mostly from lab tests.

Since Rundl?f's paper, studies showing real-world evidence of harm from pesticides in the field have been mounting—and environmental organizations have demanded wide-ranging bans. Regulatory agencies will soon decide what to do about neonics, which have a global market worth more than US$1.5 billion per year. This month, the EU's European Food Safety Authority is due to complete a re-evaluation of evidence for restricting neonics; the EU will then need to decide what action to take.France has passed a law that would ban neonics in 2018.

But industry groups and some scientists say the evidence still isn't conclusive. The

picture is complicated: some studies show harm to some bees in some circumstances, while others find no harm. The results seem to be affected by many factors, including the species of bee and the kinds of crops involved. Scientists working on the question say any new study is instantly picked at by advocates on both sides. Even the results of the largest study on the matter, funded by the agrochemical industry, failed to produce a consensus. It's likely that political or regulatory decisions will settle the matter before opposing parties agree.

( )61. Maj Rundl?f's study suggests that ________． A. neonicotinoids are linked to bee declines B. bumblebees are threatened with cold winter C. honeybees are at no risk from neonicotinoids D. neonicotinoids are harmful to bees as expected

( )62. Why does the declining of bee populations raise much concern? A. Disease has caused the lack of food resources. B. Flowering crops with neonics are appealing to bees.

C. Bees play a leading role in limiting the number of parasites. D. Bee populations are crucial to the survival of crops and wild plants. ( )63. According to the passage, we know that ________． A. the EU is to further assess the harm of neonicotinoids B. evidence of harm to bees from pesticides is sufficient C. the EU has already banned the use of neonicotinoids D. more and more studies prove pesticides harmful to bees ( )64. The last paragraph is mainly about ________． A. the battle over the widespread use of neonicotinoids B. the debate about the harm by neonicotinoids to bees C. factors of influence on the present situation of bees D. doubts about current political or regulatory systems

D

There are many heartbreaking moments in this beautifully written book, Letter to Louis, by Alison White, but the first comes before it even begins. In the devotion to her son Louis,

author Alison White says how she wanted to write it so that people would understand disability and caring, but also, “to be totally honest, I wanted to write something that would make people consider being Louis's friend”. Beneath that simple plea(恳求) lies the great fear of so many parents who nurse a severely disabled child through to adulthood: “What will happen when I'm gone？” Instead of giving a vivid account of the fear and anxieties that accompany long-term caring, she just tells us what it's like, and it is equally admirable, uplifting, terrifying.

As a society, we are fond of praising short-term heroism: the soldier or firefighter, bravery containable within a single story. The uncomfortable truth that Letter to Louis lays bare is that the heroism of long-term toughness, the daily caring over many years, is neither great nor interesting. At times, with two other children to care for and Louis waking five times a night, still undiagnosed and in constant pain, White feels simple despair. “I picture the cliff. I picture jumping holding you tight in my arms, falling and falling through the air.”

Although there are moments of joy—when Louis first speaks, manages to walk a little—White offers no comforting platitudes(陈词滥调). “My destiny has been decided. The realisation hits me full force in the stomach. I don't want this destiny.” Very soon, you come to admire White's courage not only in raising a child with a disability but in resisting the temptation to hit one or two of the many she encounters along the way: a Clarks shoe shop assistant who refuses to sell Louis, a wheelchair user, a pair of shoes because he can't walk across the room for her to check the fit, and an unhelpful occupational therapist who won't authorise the toileting equipment that he needs, insisting he has to learn to wipe his own bottom, even though it is a physical impossibility for him.

It is shocking to learn that at Louis's most disabled, after a disastrous foot operation, the family are only entitled to two hours' help a month. Temporary care only comes, eventually, when they are close to breakdown. At one point, Louis has five different social workers in eight months—and then, unbelievably, faces the overnight withdrawal of all temporary care when he reaches his 18th birthday.

On the other hand, White explains the difference that the support of family and friends and small acts of kindness from strangers can make. When she takes Louis on a special day

trip to London because he wants to travel on the tube, Transport for London staff take it upon themselves to radio ahead to each other to make sure there is always someone to help them at each station he wants to visit. Once in a while, a therapist or doctor actually listens to White's knowledge and expertise regarding her son's condition.

Eventually, though, the long-term consequences of constant lack of sleep and caring work begin to take effect. A slightly mysterious chapter towards the end of the book sees the author disappearing to Edinburgh to walk and sit in cafes: it's never stated clearly whether this is for work or because she has had a breakdown or a combination of the two. The wonder is only that it has taken so long.

This chapter is just one of the half-told stories in this book: the author is mindful of the need to protect the privacy of her husband, although it is clear their marriage has come close to breaking point many times, as anybody's would, and that of her other two children.

Beneath_it_all_is_a_cold_anger_that_any_decent-minded_reader_will_share_towards_a_society_that_fails_to_understand_that_unless_carers_are_properly_cared_for_by_the_rest_of_us,_it_all_falls_apart．

Above all, this book is a plea for understanding, for the rest of society to pause a while when they encounter someone like Louis or his parents. The huge difference a kindly word or helpful act can make—and the destruction a thoughtless act can cause—cannot be underestimated. This book is an essential read for anyone who has ever complained about their taxes going to pay for disability services: it should be legally required reading for anyone in the medical profession or anyone with the power to decide about cuts to those services. The rest of us should read it for an acute insight into just how lucky we are.

( )65. Alison White wrote Letter to Louis to ________． A. describe the hardships in bringing up her disabled child B. illustrate the sufferings and miseries of her disabled child C. promote acceptance of the disabled and concern for their carers D. express parents' worries about the future of their disabled children ( )66. By comparing two kinds of heroism the author intends to ________． A. applaud the bravery of soldiers and firefighters