The Horsetail Fall (瀑布) is one of Yosemite National Park’s most amazing views. Around the second week of February, the setting sun hits the Horsetail Fall at just the right angle (角度) to light the upper parts of the waterfall. And when conditions are right, the Horsetail Fall becomes orange and red at sunset. It is like red-hot lava (熔岩) pouring down from the top of the El Capitan. So, it got the name “firefall”.
The firefall is a perfect match of the weather, the fall, the time and the watching place. It usually appears on dry, warm and cloudless days. There must be enough flowing water to make a firefall too. So there must be enough snow on the mountain top, and it turns into water on warm afternoons.
The sun goes to the best place before the fall in late February. And the best time to watch the fall is 5 to 15 minutes before the sunset. Only at this time can visitors see the firefall. The El Capitan Picnic Area is the best place to watch, because it is close to the fall and is perfect to set up cameras and tents.
Every year in February, thousands of photographers come to watch the firefall. Although the view may appear just minutes before sunset, many of them have to come hours earlier to get a right place to set their cameras in time. “I’m just saying that the Yosemite Firefall is something you don’t want to miss during the winter,” says Kate Moore, a traveller and the lead content creator for ParkedInParadise.com.
1. Paragraph 1 mainly tells us ________.| A．how the firefall got its name | B．why it’s easy to see the firefall |
| C．who was the first to find the firefall | D．on which day we can visit the frefall |
| A．It lasts for half an hour before the sunset. |
| B．It usually appears on wet, warm and cloudy days. |
| C．Rivers provide enough flowing water to make a fall. |
| D．Its best watching place is the El Capitan Picnic Area. |
| A．the firefall is worth seeing | B．it’s dangerous to watch the firefall |
| C．the firefall brings little surprise | D．it’s a waste of time to visit the firefall |
| A．Art. | B．Nature. | C．Technology. | D．History. |
2 . The scientific method is used for simple experiments that students may do in the classroom or very difficult experiments that scientists are doing all over the world. It is a way of thinking that helps you to avoid drawing incorrect conclusions.
There are usually four steps in the scientific method, including observation (观察), hypothesis (假设), experiment, and conclusion. The steps may not always be completed in the same order, but the first step is usually observation and asking a question about your observation. For example, you had a sick stomach, and ate a candy bar. An hour later, you observed that you felt much better. Here, you can ask a question, such as, “What makes a sick stomach feel better?”
The second step is to state a possible answer to the question, or a hypothesis, such as “
” A good hypothesis includes three things: The explanation for the observations, it is able to be tested, and it will usually predict new outcomes or conclusions.
The third step is the experiment, to test the hypothesis. An experiment is a test which will either challenge or support the hypothesis. The hypothesis will then be true or false.
The final step is to think about what happened when you tested the hypothesis and draw a conclusion. The conclusion will either clearly support the hypothesis or it will not. If the results support the hypothesis, a conclusion can be written and you can share it with the rest of the world. If it does not support the hypothesis, you may choose to change the hypothesis or write a new one based on what was learned during the experiment.
1. Which sentence best expresses the main idea of the passage?| A．How do the four basic steps in the scientific method work? |
| B．What makes a good hypothesis based on the observation? |
| C．The conclusion will always clearly support the hypothesis. |
| D．Learning the scientific method may help students succeed in science. |
| A．A candy bar makes a sick stomach feel better. |
| B．It was the medicine you took an hour earlier that made you feel better. |
| C．Eat a candy bar again, and see what happens to your sick stomach. |
| D．Ask people if eating a candy bar has made a sick stomach feel better. |
| A．The hypothesis. | B．The conclusion. |
| C．The question. | D．The observation. |
| A．An experiment is a test to always support the hypothesis. |
| B．An experiment does not have to be part of the scientific method. |
| C．An experiment is a test to either challenge or support a hypothesis. |
| D．An experiment is only used when scientists are trying to prove a hypothesis. |
3 . Wetlands are any land that is flooded with shallow water all or most of the time. They are a natural water holding system.
There are many types of wetlands. Among them, bogs, marshes and swamps are the three main types. The different types of wetlands have different kinds of plants. Only mosses(苔藓)and a few other kinds of plants can grow in bogs. Grassy plants like cattails（香蒲）and reeds(芦苇)are the most common plants in a marsh. A swamp is a forest whose ground is underwater all or most of the time. Unlike bogs or marshes, a swamp is full of trees and bushes. It’s not a good idea to go exploring a swamp without a guide. There are hidden pools of water, thick mud, and sometimes big crocodiles(鳄鱼)looking for their next meal.
Hungry crocodiles aren’t the only animals that make the wetlands their home. Otters, turtles, frogs, snakes and many other animals do too. The water is home to many kinds of fish and crabs. Birds, including ducks, geese and cranes, use wetlands seasonally during their long migrations.
Wetlands are important because they provide habitats for plants and animals. A wetland system can also protect shorelines, make polluted waters clean, prevent floods, and restore underground water supplies.
According to WWF, more than half of the world’s wetlands have disappeared since the beginning of the 20th century. If this continues, countless plant and animal species will surely die out. Without wetlands, cities have to spend more money treating water. Don’t feel helpless. Try to do your part to protect them right now. Here are some ideas.
1. According to Paragraph 2, what can you see in a swamp?| A．Mosses. | B．Cattails. | C．Reeds. | D．Trees. |
| A．Wetlands are a man-made water holding system. |
| B．There are three types of wetlands in the world. |
| C．People can not meet with big crocodiles in wetlands. |
| D．Wetlands can protect shorelines and prevent floods. |
| A．What are the different types of wetlands? |
| B．What will happen if wetlands disappear? |
| C．What actions can people take to protect wetlands? |
| D．What other kinds of plants and animals live in wetlands? |
Nature and culture are often seen as opposite ideas. What belongs to nature cannot be the result of human activities and on the other hand, cultural development is achieved against nature. However, this is not the only opinion on the relationship between nature and culture. Studies in the development of humans suggest that culture, whether taken as an effort against nature or a natural effort, is part of the development of the human species(物种).
Several modern writers saw the process of education as a struggle(斗争) against human nature. We are born with wild natures, such as eating and behaving in a disorganized way or acting selfishly. Education uses culture as a way to get us out of our widest natures; it is thanks to culture that the human species could learn to adapt(适应) , progress and raise itself above and beyond other species.
Over the past century and a half, however, studies in the history of human development have shown that the formation of culture is part of the biological adaptation. Consider, for example, hunting(打猎) . It seems to be an adaptation, which allowed humans to move into new and different areas, opening up the opportunity to change living habits. At the same time, the development of weapons(武器) is related to that adaptation-from rocks and stones to a set of hunting tools, and from hunting tools to rules relating to the proper use of weapons. Hunting also seems to be responsible for a whole set of bodily abilities, such as balancing on one foot. Just think of how this very simple thing is closely related to dance, a key expression of human culture. It is then clear that biological development and cultural development are closely tied.
The transmission of culture seems to be directly related to what’s in our blood. Just as snails carry their shells, so do we bring along our culture. However, culture is also passed on among people of the same time or among people belonging to different populations. We can learn how to make jiaozi even if we were born from Russian parents in Paris just as we can learn how to speak English even if none of our family or friends speak that language.
1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?| A．Culture belongs to human nature. |
| B．Nature teaches humans how to adapt. |
| C．Humans are supposed to be well organized. |
| D．Education pushes the human species to progress. |
| A．To suggest some possible ways of changing living habits. |
| B．To stress the importance of tools in humans’ struggle for life. |
| C．To show how culture develops as humans adapt to the environment. |
| D．To explain why there is a need to call for the proper use of weapons. |
| A．system | B．spread | C．start | D．spirit |
| A．Culture and nature are separate yet balanced. |
| B．Culture depends much on nature to progress. |
| C．Nature and culture are different but connected. |
| D．Nature follows the unwritten rules set by culture. |
5 . Cyclocross is cross-country bicycle racing. Racers spend only part of a race on their bikes because only part of the two-mile race is smooth. Other parts of the race have the challenge of obstacles (障碍). When racers reach them, they can ride over them, or pick up their bikes and run.
To be a top racer, you must dismount without slowing down at all. To do this, swing your right leg over the bike seat. At the same time, move the bike away from your body. This makes room for your right foot to hit the ground next to your left foot. As your right foot nears the ground, take your left foot away from the bike. Put both feet on the ground and start running!
As soon as you are running, you have to decide what to do with your bike. You may shoulder it or lift it. It’s important to practice both skills. Sometimes you need to run fast and jump over some obstacles. As your feet hit the ground, you reach down and catch the bottom of your bike. Lift up carefully and keep the bike on your right shoulder while you run. Sometimes you may lift your bike. You catch the top of your bike. Then you lift the bike high enough to get over the obstacles and carefully put the bike on the ground.
After you have carried your bike across an obstacle, you will need to remount. As soon as your bike is on the ground, push off with your left leg, swing your right leg over the bike seat, and move into riding position. Remounting can be the hardest skill of cyclocross. You can learn by watching someone who remounts well.
Cyclocross is a great way to stay active and have fun. However, it can be dangerous. Make sure that you are well prepared. Then, you will just need to go!
1. What can we learn about cyclocross from the text?| A．It’s a no-obstacle bike race. | B．It’s a cross-city bike race. |
| C．It’s a challenging bike race. | D．It’s a dangerous running race. |
| A．Pick up a bike. | B．Get off a bike. | C．Get back on a bike. | D．Practice riding a bike. |
| A．To jump over obstacles. | B．To take care of the bike. |
| C．To make room for others. | D．To hit the ground harder. |
| A．The skills of cyclocross racing. | B．The history of cyclocross racing. |
| C．The records of cyclocross racing. | D．The popularity of cyclocross racing. |
6 . 
Pet parrots that are allowed to make video calls to other birds show signs of feeling less isolated, according to scientists.
The study, which involved giving the birds a computer that they could use to make video calls, found that they began to engage in more social behaviors including preening, singing and playing. The birds were given a choice of which “friend” to call on a touchscreen computer and the study showed that the parrots that called other birds most often were the most popular choices.
Ilyena Hirskyj-Douglas, of the University of Glasgow and a co-author of the study, said that video calls had helped many people feel less isolated in the last few years. She added, “There are 20 million parrots living in people’s homes in the USA, and we wanted to explore whether those birds might benefit (受益) from video calling too. If we gave them the chance to call other parrots, would they choose to do so, and would the experience benefit the parrots and their caregivers?”
Their study of 18 pet parrots suggested that there were, indeed, benefits for the birds. In the wild, many species of parrots live in large groups, but as pets they are, kept alone or in a small group. Living alone can cause birds, to develop mental problems, which include rocking, walking back and forth, or self-harming behaviors such as feather-plucking.
The parrots first learned to ring a bell and then touch a photo of another bird on the screen of a computer to make a call to that bird, with the help of their owners. In total the birds made 147 calls to each other during the study, while owners took detailed notes on the birds’ behavior and the researchers later reviewed the video footage.
Jennifer Cunha of Northeastern University said that the parrots “seemed to know” that they were communicating with other birds. “All the bird owners in the study said they valued the experience, and would want to continue using the system with their parrots in the future,” she said.
“I was quite surprised at so many different behaviors,” said Hirskyj-Douglas. “Some would sing, some would play around and go upside down, others would want to show another bird their toys.”
1. The main purpose of the study is to find out _________.| A．if parrots can learn to make video calls | B．if parrots can benefit from video calling |
| C．why parrots can have so many benefits | D．why parrots can develop mental problems |
| A．Their way to communicate is singing. | B．Most of them used to live in large groups. |
| C．The most popular ones made most calls. | D．They can make video calls by themselves. |
| A．amazed | B．calm | C．scared | D．lonely |
Video calling could reproduce some of the social benefits of living in a group, according to Rébecca Kleinberger, of Northeastern University and first author of the study.
| A．Paragraph 1 | B．Paragraph 2 | C．Paragraph 3 | D．Paragraph 4 |
7 . All aboard! Let’s take a ride on the world’s highest railway—the Qinghai-Tibet Railway（青藏铁路）. Sit back and enjoy the journey. Get ready for the trip of a lifetime.
We’re leaving Qinghai Station. The scenery along the way is some of the wildest in all of China. Keep your eyes open as we race through this beautiful land. You might see a rare Tibetan antelope（藏羚羊）from your window.
Before we begin our journey, let’s learn about this amazing railway. It’s truly one of the great engineering wonders of the 21st century. When it was completed on July 1, 2006, the Tibet Railway set nine world records, including the world’s highest railway at 5,072 metres above sea level, the world’s highest tunnel（隧道）at 4,905 metres, and the longest tunnel ever built on permafrost（冻土）.
As we travel higher, the air gets thinner and thinner. Soon there will only be 50 to 60 percent of the oxygen which we are used to breathing. But don’t be afraid. Each rail car has two separate oxygen systems. One system spreads oxygen throughout the train at all times. And each passenger can also get a personal oxygen mask just like those used in planes.
Here are a few more things to think about as our train leaves the station. The designers solved three main challenges when building this great railway. First, the high altitude（海拔）made the task difficult because there was no enough oxygen. Second, much of the railway runs across permafrost, a type of ground that keeps changing as the weather warms and cools. Finally, the railway goes through some of the most sensitive ecology（敏感的生态环境）in China. Great care was necessary to make sure of the smallest possible influence on nature.
All three challenges were met, making our trip possible. All aboard! The train to Tibet is leaving in fifteen minutes.
1. Where are the passengers?| A．On a bus. | B．On a train. | C．On a ship. | D．On a plane. |
| A．By telling a story. | B．By using a designer’s words. |
| C．By introducing its world records. | D．By comparing the present with the past. |
| A．One. | B．Two. | C．Three. | D．Four. |
| A．The changing ground. | B．The polluted air. | C．The dangerous animals. | D．The hot weather. |
8 . Recently, China has announced the list of the first five national parks.
Each of them is divided into two parts-the core（核心）protection area and the general control area. In the core protection area, only research and surveillance（监视）in science are allowed. And the general control area is open to the public, allowing travel activities such as camping and hiking. In the future, national parks are expected to be natural classrooms. People can learn about different kinds of animals and plants through eco-friendly（环保的）travel activities.
The national parks can also be helpful to local people. The building of these national parks provides many jobs for local people. People living in or around the parks can work as park rangers（护林员）and guides. They can also sell some eco-friendly things with local colour. So their yearly incomes（收入）will grow a lot.
Then let’s take a look at the five national parks.
 | Three River-Source National Park on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau（青藏高原）, is the largest national park in China. Because it is home to the sources of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers, people call it “China’s water tower”. |
 | Northeast China Tiger and Leopard（豹）National Park is in Heilongjiang and Jilin provinces. It covers an area of 14,100 square kilometres. It is our country’s biggest and only place for wild Siberian tigers and Amur leopards to live in. |
 | Wuyi Mountain National Park in Fujian Province is a UNESCO natural and cultural heritage site（遗址）. The forest makes up over 96 percent of the park. The park is the paradise of birds, kingdom（王国）of snakes and world of insects. You can also see the Danxia landform（地貌）there. |
 | Giant Panda National Park connects panda habitats（栖息地）in Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu provinces. Inside the park are more than 1,600 wild gian1 pandas. They make up over 70 percent of the pandas in China. |
 | Hainan Tropical（热带的）Rainforest National Park is the largest tropical forest in China. There are more than 400 kinds of plants that can only be found in Hainan. The world’s only 35 Hainan gibbons（长臂猿）live there. |
| A．Hunting. | B．Researching. | C．Hiking. | D．Camping. |
| A．Building the national parks only needs rangers and guides. |
| B．Farming makes local people improve their yearly incomes. |
| C．Visitors can buy anything with local color in the national parks. |
| D．Local people can get much advantage from the national parks. |
| A．A perfect place. | B．A happy feeling. | C．A good example. | D．A sweet smile. |
| A．The beautiful scenes of nature | B．The home of animals and plants |
| C．The introduction to the five national parks | D．The relationships among the five national parks |
Erhu is one of the most important Chinese instruments. It has a history of o
10 . What does the word ecology mean? It was
To study a house is to learn how its residents（居民）use it. An ecologist is a scientist who studies the
Ecologists also study the balance of using the environment while protecting it.
An ecologist once asked a boy
The boy said, “You go into the forest and look for somebody who wants to cut down a tree. You take away his axe. You tell him about how
“ Good answer,” said the ecologist, “
“I get it,” the boy said. “We need the forest’s
“Exactly—and school is a good place to learn about ecology,” added the ecologist. “Then you will know how to protect the natural environment.”
1.| A．proved | B．invented | C．marked | D．accepted |
| A．planet | B．building | C．project | D．surface |
| A．feeling | B．relationships | C．distance | D．competitions |
| A．pollute | B．control | C．include | D．reduce |
| A．who | B．whose | C．why | D．what |
| A．wild | B．common | C．wealthy | D．important |
| A．but | B．and | C．so | D．or |
| A．comfortable | B．tiring | C．impossible | D．necessary |
| A．mystery | B．temperature | C．balance | D．symbol |
| A．soil | B．resources | C．landscape | D．wildlife |
