【推荐1】阅读下面短文，按照题目要求用英语回答问题。

A team of scientists has come up with a plan they say could help rebuild the Arctic ice cap. The ice cap is a huge area of sea ice that covers most of the Arctic Ocean all year round.

Usually, the sea ice gets thicker and spreads further each winter, but this hasn’t happened for the past few years. Last month, the ice cap had shrunk to its smallest size since scientists began keeping records of it 38 years ago. The weather in the Arctic has been unusually warm this winter. Some days, temperatures have been 20℃ higher than is normal for this time of year. In March, the temperature was above 0℃at least one day.

The Arctic ice cap is needed to be rebuilt because sea ice reflects heat and light from the sun back into space. With less ice, the ocean would absorb more heat. The Arctic would warm up even more quickly, and more ice would melt. Without sea ice, many animals would lose their natural habitats and could become endangered. It could also affect the weather, with more storms and erosion along the coast.

Dr. Steven Desch and a group of scientists from Arizona State University in the United States think they can help to build up Arctic sea ice again. They want to set up wind-powered pumps on the existing sea ice. During the winter, the pumps would spread water from the ocean over the surface of the ice where it would freeze and form a new layer of ice. The scientists say that in 10 years, this could add an extra metre of ice to the ice cap.

The plan would require about 10 million pumps and it would be very expensive -- about $655 billion. Some other scientists are wondering if the pumps would actually work in severe Arctic conditions. They are also concerned about how the project might affect the environment.

Dr. Desch said his team hoped their proposal would get more people interested in looking for a solution to the problem of melting sea ice. He said the only plan people have right now is to try to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from cars and other man-made sources. He and his team don’t think that will be enough to save the sea ice, so they’re going to work on their plan and hope that it will give everyone a good start on saving the Arctic ice cap.

1. What is the Arctic ice cap?
2. What are the shortcomings of Dr. Steven Desch’s solution?
3. Please decide which part is false in the following statement, then underline it and explain why.
Some scientists were worried about the project and Dr. Desch hoped more people could help improve it.
4. Please briefly present your own solution(s) to the greenhouse gas emission problem in your daily life. (about 40 words)

【推荐2】Soot (煤) pollution is speeding up climate-driven melting in Antarctica, a new study suggests, raising questions about how to protect the delicate continent from the increasing number of humans who want to visit.

“It really makes us question, is our presence really needed?” says Alia Khan, one of the authors of the new study. “We have quite a large black carbon footprint in Antarctica, which is enhancing snow and ice melt.”

Black carbon is the leftover thing from burning plants or fossil fuels. Soot in Antarctica comes primarily from waste gases of cruise ships (游轮), vehicles and airplanes, although some pollution travels on the wind from other parts of the globe. The dark particles (微粒) coat white snow and absorb heat from the sun the way a black T-shirt does on a warm day. The blanket of dark bits speeds up melting that was already happening more quickly because of global warming.

When snow and ice are uncovered, they reflect an enormous amount of sunlight before it can turn into heat. “These are the mirrors on our planet,” says Sonia Nagorski, a scientist at the University of Alaska Southeast. “When those mirrors are covered in a film of dark bits, they don’t send back that much light and heat. That means more heat is trapped on Earth, speeding up melting and contributing to global warming.”

As a scientist who personally visits Antarctica every year, Khan says she is troubled by her own research results. On the one hand, she goes to Antarctica to collect crucial data about how quickly the snow and ice there are disappearing. “But then when we come to conclusions like this it really does make us think twice about how frequently we need to visit the continent,” she says, “and what kind of regulations should be placed on tourism as well.” That could mean requiring that cruise ships and vehicles be electric, for example, or limiting the number of visitors each year.

1. What is Khan’s attitude towards human actions in Antarctica according to paragraph 2?

A．Angry and abusive.	B．Cold and uninterested.
C．Doubtful and anxious.	D．Admiring and delighted.

2. What is the main cause of soot pollution in Antarctica?

A．The quick melting of ice and snow.	B．The emission from virous transport.
C．The remaining parts of burning plants.	D．The floating gases from other continents.

3. What do we know from Nagorski?

A．The covered ice is less reflective.

B．The melting speed of ice is slower than before.

C．The dark blanket serves as a big mirror.

D．The sunlight gets increasingly stronger recently.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．What made our planet so polluted?	B．Who is to blame for air pollution?
C．Can electric vehicles save tourism?	D．Are we welcome to the South Pole?

【推荐3】Edward Davis was a professor who worked on ocean research. However, bored with writing death records of ocean species, he quit his job in 2007. Rather than spend any more of his life recording the dying, Edward decided to try to protect the living creatures in the few re-maining areas of the ocean.

These areas are the last wild places of the sea still undamaged by overfishing, pollution and climate change. “It is necessary for us to go to places that still look like the ocean as it was 500 years ago,” Edward says. “These places are the examples of sustainable(可持续的) development. Maybe we can’t bring all of the ocean back to this state, but these places show us what the potential is.” Beneath the surface of a stormy sea off Palau in the western Pacific lie various lively corals. The tiny island nation has protected 80 percent of its waters as a no-fishing area—the largest percentage of protected ocean area in the world. The remaining 20 percent can be fished only by Palauans.

To protect these places, Edward and his team started a project on ocean protection in 2008. Over the past years, the project has helped create 22 ocean reserves. These make up two-thirds of the world’s fully protected ocean areas. Now Edward and his team have set an even bigger goal—to protect more than a third of the world’s oceans for the purpose of keeping biological diversity.

For Edward, one of the most satisfying aspects of his job is working with local communi-ties in the places he and his team are seeking to protect. The team worked closely with about 50 local people on the island. “We showed them an underwater world they had never seen,” Edward recalls. “Huge schools of fish will surely swim in some of the clearest waters ever measured in the Pacific.”

1. Why did Edward quit his previous job?

A．To record the dying.	B．To increase land species.
C．To write a book on the sea.	D．To protect the sea creatures.

2. What can we learn about Palau from paragraph 2?

A．20 percent of it is covered by the sea.	B．It is an area open to fishermen worldwide.
C．It is an example of sustainable development.	D．The surface of it is destroyed by water pollution.

3. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．Edward’s project.	B．Edward’s team members.
C．The ways of keeping biodiversity.	D．The ways of creating ocean reserves.

4. How does Edward feel about the future of ocean protection?

A．Confused.

B．Stressed.

C．Curious.

D．Positive.

【推荐1】Airport security is there to protect you, but it may also make you feel bad or worse.

To all the places and surfaces we've been warned that are filled with bacteria-your pets, the subway seats, airplane cabins, the A. T. M.- add the airport security tray.

The plastic trays have been found to harbor a variety of germs including the ones responsible for the common cold.

Scientists examined frequently touched surfaces at Helsinki Airport in Finland during and after busy hours in the winter of 2016 and picked up marks o£ the influenza A virus and rhino virus, the source of the common cold. They found traces on half the luggage trays, more than on any of the other surfaces they tested. None of these viruses were found on toilet surfaces at the airport.

The findings could help improve public health strategies in the fight against the spread of infectious diseases worldwide. The study could also help educate people on how the infections we try to avoid each winter spread.

Many of the surfaces we touch on a daily basis harbor and can spread germs. But air travel is known to accelerate the worldwide spread of diseases.

"The presence of bacteria in the environment of an airport has not been investigated previously, '' said Niina Ikonen, who was involved in the study. She added that the results provided new ideas for technical improvements in airport design and refurbishment(翻新).

The results of the study did not prove that the viruses found can cause disease. But previous research had proved that bacteria can survive on various surfaces for several days.

Washing your hands properly and coughing into a handkerchief tissue or sleeve can help minimize the risk of infection. Professor Van-Tam said, ''These simple precautions can help prevent infections and are most important in crowded areas like airports that have a high volume of people traveling to and from many different parts of the world".

1. What's the result of scientists' examination at Helsinki Airport?

A．The influenza A virus and rhino virus existed everywhere.

B．The common cold was caused by Influenza A virus.

C．The luggage trays had the most viruses.

D．The toilet surfaces were the cleanest.

2. What can we know from Niina's study?

A．Virus can survive on airport surfaces for days.

B．Disease is spread mostly by air travel.

C．All the viruses on the surfaces cause diseases.

D．Some surfaces harbor or spread no bacteria.

3. What's Van-Tam's suggestion on preventing infections?

A．Not traveling abroad.

B．Taking care in airports or subways.

C．Not touching anything in the airport.

D．Avoiding crowded areas.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．Ways to spread virus.

B．Prevention of disease.

C．Virus found on the surfaces.

D．A disadvantage of airport security.

【推荐2】It's no secret that parents love to share pictures of their kids on social media. Who can blame them?     1     It's normal to show off their kids. Yet the sharing online car largely affect their children's safety and privacy. After all, what's posted online is public and permanent.

As adults post about the children in their lives, they make personal information about the kids—their birthdays, full names or hometowns—available to Internet users. On a small scale, this might look like a parent sharing photos of their little one on a Facebook page with 300 friends, On a larger scale, this means a mommy blogger shares the details of their child's everyday life with millions of followers online.     2    

There are positives to sharing images and stories of their children on social media.     3     It helps find support from other moms in your area, as well as receive and offer advice from parents far and wide. Plus, by posting updates, you' re keeping distant relatives and friends in the loop on the most important part of your life!

    4    . As a child grows up, they may become embarrassed about what was shared online when they were younger. It can also have serious consequences for the child's physical and emotional well-being. Digital kidnapping happens when someone uses a child's identity illegally on social media. This is a terrifying but very real risk. Even worse, this can put a child at risk of actual kidnapping.

In the digital age, everyone has access to pretty much everything, at any time they want! While social media helps us stay connected, there are concerns to think about to keep children protected.     5     Setting a clear boundary about what to share online is what you have to consider first.

A．Their kids are really cute!

B．Do remember to ask for children's approval before posting.

C．Many moms consider it no effect to share images of their kids online.

D．Do parents really have the right to create a digital footprint for children?

E．But sharenting may hurt the children's self-esteem and put them in danger.

F．It can be a way to share your kids' milestones with people who love them.

G．Then any personal information about their kids is automatically available to others.

【推荐2】The relationship between exercise and cancer has long both intrigued and puzzled oncologists and exercise physiologists.
Exercise is strongly associated with lowered risks for many types of cancer. At the same time, exercise involves biological stress, which typically leads to a short-term increase in inflammation(发炎) which can contribute to higher risks for many cancers.
Now, a new study in mice may offer some clues into the exercise-cancer paradox. It suggests that exercise may change how the immune system deals with cancer by boosting adrenaline（肾上腺素）, certain immune cells and other chemicals that, together, can reduce the severity of cancer or fight it off altogether.
To try to better understand how exercise can both elevate inflammation and simultaneously protect the body against cancer, scientists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark and other institutions decided to closely examine what happens inside mice at high risk for the disease.
So, for the new study, they began by gathering a group of adult lab mice. These animals generally like to run.
The scientists then implanted melanoma (黑素瘤) skin cancer cells into the mice before providing half of them with running wheels in their cages while the other animals remained sedentary. After four weeks, far fewer of the runners had developed full-blown melanoma than the sedentary mice and those that had been diagnosed with the disease showed fewer and smaller lesions.
They drew blood from both the exercising and sedentary animals and cells from any tumors in both groups. As expected, they found much higher levels of the hormone adrenaline in the blood of the exercising animals, especially right after they had been working out on the wheels but also at other times of the day. The body releases adrenaline in response to almost any type of stressful experience, including exercise.
They also found higher levels of interleukin-6 in the blood of the runners. This is a substance that is released by working muscles and is believed to both increase and decrease inflammation in the body, depending on where and how it goes to work.
Perhaps most important, they found much higher numbers in the bloodstreams of runners than in the sedentary mice of a type of immune cell named natural killer cells that are known to be strong cancer fighters.
So the scientists repeated their original experiment multiple times, inducing cancer while allowing some mice to run and others to sit. In some of these follow-up experiments, the scientists injected the runners with a substance that blocked the production of adrenaline and gave sedentary animals large doses of added adrenaline.
What they now found was that when running mice could not produce adrenaline, they developed cancer at the same rate as the sedentary animals, while the sedentary animals that had been injected with extra adrenaline fought off their tumors better than other sitting mice.
More remarkably, the scientists determined that adrenaline seemed to be sending biochemical signals to some of the animals’ IL-6 cells, making them physiologically more alert, so that when a tumor began to develop in the affected animal, those IL-6 cells in turn activated the natural killer cells in the bloodstream and actually directed them to the tumors, like minute guide fish.
With these results, “we show that voluntary wheel running in mice can reduce the growth of tumors, and we have identified an exercise-dependent mobilization of natural killer cells as the underlying cause of this protection,” said Pernille Hojman, a researcher at the University of Copenhagen who oversaw the new study. It perhaps provides one more incentive for us to get up and move.
1. In the first experiment, which one is the most important result the scientists found?

A．Natural killer cells are much more in the bloodstreams of runners than in the sedentary mice.

B．Levels of interleukin-6 are higher in the blood of the runners than in the sedentary mice.

C．Exercise such as running seemed to help the mice fight against the cancer.

D．Adrenaline can reduce the severity of cancer or fight it off.

2. In the follow-up experiments, the scientists found ________.

A．the hormone adrenaline has much higher levels in the blood of the exercising animals

B．how these elements in the runners — their increased adrenaline, IL-6, and natural killer immune cells fight against tumor

C．interleukin-6 can both increase and decrease inflammation in the body, depending on where and how it goes to work

D．what happens inside mice at high risk for the disease

3. According to the study, we can infer the fundamental substance to fight the cancer off is ________.

A．adrenaline	B．interleukin-6
C．natural killer cells	D．genes

【推荐2】During summer vacations, l often went to the Outrigger Canoe Club on Waikiki Beach to swim, because the club was usually empty at that hour. There was one other club member who would turn up early on summer mornings, though.

One morning when I’ d arrived at the club earlier than usual, he walked past me on his way to the water. Then he stopped.“ How would you like to swim against me? Just for fun, I mean.” he asked.“ Now? Against you?” I looked at him in surprise.“ It’ s just about 200 yards.” He pointed in that direction and smiled at me.“ Okay.” I said.

Teenagers are often very competitive, and I was no different. Though I was confident of winning, I started out as fast as I could go. When we reached the beach wall, I was already about three quarters exhausted. But he didn’ t look tired at all. By the end of this game, my legs were in knots. My arms and shoulders were numb. I wanted very badly to quit and walk the rest of the way. But I struggled and made it.

Ten minutes later my friend, Sammy Kauua, arrived. I told him some of what had happened. Sammy laughed.“ Are you kidding? That’ s Duke Kahanamoku. He won gold medals at the Olympics. I guess he’ s pretty good for sure!”

Several days later when I saw Kahanamoku on the beach, I talked to him and asked how an athlete could become good enough to win in the Olympics. He told me he did most of his swimming at the beach and then added,“ I swam because I liked it. It was always fun, and I was pretty good at it. We trained all right, but mostly we just swam. It was natural. I always enjoyed doing it.”

I was disappointed at the time because there was no easy answer there, no secret formula for success as an athlete. Thinking back on it now, though, I find the answer he gave me very appealing.

1. According to the text, Duke Kahanamoku _______.

A．was an Olympic champion

B．did not know how to surf

C．was Sammy Kauua’ s good friend

D．did not spend much time swimming

2. How did the author feel about beating Kahanamoku at first?

A．It was dificult

B．It was easy.

C．It was impossible

D．It was doubtful.

3. According to Kahanamoku, what matters most in winning in the Olympics?

A．Developing an interest.	B．A lot of good training.
C．Swimming at the beach.	D．A natural swimming ability.

4. What can we infer about the author’ s attitude from the last Paragraph?

A．He knew how to beat other athletes.

B．He realized swimming was an easy matter.

C．He understood what Kahanamoku truly meant.

D．He felt disappointed about how to be a successful swimmer.

【推荐3】New York’s best classes for kids include sports classes, performing arts classes, art classes, language programs and baby classes. Make sure your kids are ready for new adventures with these super-cool offerings!

92nd Street Y Classes

At this institution your musician can learn how to play an instrument. After-school classes examine different musical pieces and encourage work in a group setting. At the end of the program, mini Mozarts can impress their family and friends at open-house performances. Plus, when they're not jamming, kids can take advantage of homework help in the Clubhouse, where they are divided up by grade level. Ages 5-15.

The Cliffs at LIC

After a day of fighting the academic obstacle course at school, your favorite achievers can reach new heights on a rock-climbing wall. The Cliffs, offerings allow developing bodies to build muscle strength. For example, introductory sessions teach climbers how to tie safety knots (结) as well as other basics, mastering them with hands-on games and activities. The Cliffs at LIC, Long Island City. Ages 6-18.

Staten Island Skating Pavilion

This large area maintains its year-round frosty temperatures for ice-skating fun. Courses are offered every day for a variety of interests and skill levels, and public and freestyle sessions are available for children who want to spend some afternoons there without instruction. Ages 4 and up.

West Side YMCA

If your child wants to learn how to swim, you'd be pressed to find more options than those offered at the Y. Kids are grouped by age and capability. The courses cover personal safety and stroke techniques. If your offspring prefer dry land, the Y also offers dance, basketball and football. Visit website for class descriptions and detailed price information. Ages 5-18.

1. Who is the passage intended for?

A．Elementary school teachers.	B．Children around school age.
C．Families looking for attraction.	D．Parents with under-age children.

2. Which event will you attend for occasional academic help?

A．The Cliffs at LIC.	B．West Side YMCA.
C．92nd Street Y Classes.	D．Staten Island Skating Pavilion.

3. What does Staten Island Skating Pavilion provide?

A．A mini open-house performance at the end of the program.

B．Cold temperatures all the year round for ice-skating.

C．Teaching of skating in divided groups according to their age.

D．Introductory lessons on how to overcome the learning obstacles.