The Disappearing Honeybee

Do you run away when you hear a bee buzzing? Many people do. A bee sting hurts and some people are allergic to bee venom(蜂毒). But did you know that bees are very important to humans? Honeybees do more than just make honey. They fly around and pollinate(传授花粉) flowers, plants, and trees. ___11___ One third of America's food supply is pollinated by the honeybee.

Have you seen or heard a honeybee lately? Bees are mysteriously disappearing in many parts of the world. Most people don't know about this problem. It is called Colony Collapse Disorder(CCD). Some North American beekeepers lost 80% of their hives(蜂巢)from 2006-2008.___12___.

The disappearance of the honeybee is a serious problem. Can you imagine never eating another blueberry? What about almonds and cherries? Without honeybees food prices will skyrocket(猛涨).___13___.

This problem affects other foods besides fresh produce. Imagine losing your favorite ice cream! Haagen Daaz is a famous ice cream company. Many of their flavors rely on the hard working honey bee. ___14___ They also created a website called helpthehoneybee.com.

Donating money to research is the most important thing humans can do to save the honeybees. Scientists need money to investigate the causes of Colony Collapse Disorder. Some scientists blame CCD on climate change. Others think pesticides(杀虫剂)are killing the bees.___15___Beekeepers transport their hives from place to place in order to pollinate plants year round.

Not everyone has money to donate regularly. There are other ways to help the honeybee. Spread the word, by telling your friends and family about the problem. Tell your teacher about the disappearing bees too. Maybe your class can write a letter to the government.

A. In 2008 Haagen Daaz began raising money for CCD

B. It is hard to pin down what has been causing honeybees to vanish

C. The poorest people always suffer the worst when there is a lack of food

D. Our fruits, nuts, and vegetables rely on these pollinators.

E. Commercial bee migration may also cause CCD.

F. Bees in Italy and Australia are disappearing too.

Michael Jackson—the Ups and Downs

Michael Jackson, the seventh of nine children, started his musical career with his brothers in 1964. __1__ Michael quickly became the centre of attention.

During the following years the band released hit after hit and became the most successful town group. In 1975 the Jackson Five decided to leave Motown for more money at CBS records.

Young Michael began his solo（独唱）career while he was still with the group. His big breakthrough came in 1982 with the arrival of his biggest selling album, Thriller. The album had seven hit singles and became famous for its video clip.

__2__ In 1984 he set his hair on fire for a commercial in Los Angeles. He was injured and carried out on a stretcher（担架）. This and many other strange stories about Jackson brought him the nickname Wacko Jack(怪人杰克). Nevertheless the sales of his records went up.

Black and White was the biggest hit of the 1991 album Dangerous. During the promotion of his album he invited US talk master Oprah Winfrey to Neverland（梦幻岛）. There he gave the world insights into his private life. __3__ And he also admitted that he had undergone plastic surgery.

In 1993 the King of Pop was accused of harassing （骚扰） children, but a settlement with the 13-year olds parents saved him from prison. __4__ But unluckily, the couple separated a year and a half later.

By the mid 1990s, Jackson's popularity had started to fall. History was a collection of greatest hits plus a few new recordings. The pop star appeared at the Brit Awards to perform his number one single Earth Song, together with a group of children.

A second marriage with Nurse Deborah Rowe produced a son Michael and a daughter Paris.

__5__ It took almost 6 years to finish the album Invincible. But when it was released in 2001,it was only in the charts(排行榜) for six weeks.

In March 2009 Jackson surprised the pop world by announcing were that he would go on stage one last time. A series of ten concerts, definitely his last ones, were planned for July 2009 in the 02Arena in London. But on June 25, 2009, less than a month before he was scheduled to begin a series of comeback concerts, paramedics were called to Michael Jackson's rented home in Holby Hills near Los Angeles where they found him unconscious and not responding. They were unable to revive the “King of Pop,"and Jackson was pronounced dead at the L.A Medical Center.

A. They called themselves the Jackson Five.

B The following year Jackson married Lisa Marie Presley.

C. He said that he was lonely.

D. Michael Jackson was not only a great singer, he also did crazy things.

E. Elizabeth Taylor and Michael Jackson were two peas in one odd pod.

F. Jackson's downturn continued into the new millennium.

Immigration and Problems

Hundreds of thousands of people supporting immigration rights in the US filled streets all over America in early 2006. Many held signs and American flags and asked to be __1__ as citizens rather than criminals. Senator John McCain held the opinion that the country should open a __2__to citizenship to immigrants(移民) who were already in the country illegally, while other politicians__3__ for stricter measures---including rounding up undocumented immigrants and sending them back to their home countries.

Canadian officials say that immigration applications continue to rise. Some want to keep the doors __4__. They need the labor. About 400,000 immigrants were allowed into the country in 2005, according to the Canadian Government statistics. __5__ all this growth means that cities need to adapt. New comers don’t always make a smooth transition into jobs for which they are skilled. So industries are using mentoring(辅导)programs to help new __6__ find proper jobs.

With the large numbers of undocumented African immigrants arriving in the Canary Islands, the Spanish Government has decided to get __7__. There will be no more mass amnesties(特赦)for the illegal immigrants, and anyone coming to Spain without __8__ will be sent back.

France's new immigration and integration law gives the government new powers to encourage high-skilled migration. It takes __9__ in 2007. The new law authorizes the government to help these identified employers find immigrant workers with needed skills or qualifications. The selected foreign employees will be granted"skills and talents"visas(签证). But some people show the concern that it’ll cause brain drain in 40 countries.

A. immigrants  B. However

C developing    D.path

E. open              F. tough

G. effect             H. Therefore

I developed       J. permission

K. treated           L.called

                                                        How to Give a Good Speech

Let us suppose that you have been asked to introduce the main speaker at a meeting. First, find out the most important and interesting things about the speaker. Then, summarize this information in a few words. ___3___ And most importantly, be brief. Remember, you are not the main speaker; you are introducing the main speaker.

A. A successful speech takes your audience on a journey from why to how.

B. Ask yourself the purpose of your speech.

C. Never forget your audience.

D. Then spend plenty of time organizing your materials so that your speech is clear and easy to follow.

E. It is all right to tell a joke if it is in good taste and will not embarrass the speaker.

F. Here are some simple steps to take the pain out of speech-making.