1 . Plastic straws (吸管) have been a major problem in global discussions of environmental damage. Maybe because of their small size, the production cost of straws is low. In many countries, straws are offered freely after buying soft drinks. Therefore, plastic straws are one of the most used plastics and pollutants in the world.
The plastic straw is light and small. Due to their small size, plastic straws are often eaten by sea animals. Environmentalists have shown that the death of many sea animals is caused by eating plastic straws. The other damaging characteristic of plastic straws is that they are made of materials which cannot degrade. That means the materials cannot be changed into small harmless (无害的) ones.
The most effective way of dealing with the environmental pollution caused by plastic straws is the reuse or banning (禁止) the use of plastic straws. Being plastics, the straws can be made new items. Many organizations around the world change used straws into new products. In Africa, local communities collect used plastic straws and use them to make mats and bags. Another way of dealing with environmental pollution caused by plastic straws is placing a ban on their production and use. Experts advise governments to ban using plastic straws to save the environment. A few countries in the world such as Rwanda, Macedonia, China, Kenya have already banned the use of plastic bags and are expected to include plastic straws and bottles. But it will be a long way to do this effectively.
There are few environmentally friendly and biodegradable productions to take the place of plastic straws. These productions include paper straws, bamboo straws. However, such straws are usually expensive as their production cost is high. It’s still a question whether they can entirely take the place of plastic straws.
1. Why can people be free to use plastic straws?| A．They are very cheap. | B．They are light and small. |
| C．They are dangerous. | D．They are easy to use. |
| A．Cut up. | B．Because of. | C．Go on. | D．Break out. |
| A．It’s not difficult to ban using plastic straws. |
| B．Many countries have stopped using plastic straws. |
| C．Experts advise people to stop producing plastic straws. |
| D．Some Africans change plastic straws into new products. |
| A．It is a must to use them. |
| B．It’s not easy to reuse them. |
| C．There are still some problems to be solved. |
| D．There are some other kinds of cheaper straws. |
2 . Just as we take care of our friends and families, our homes and Mother Earth take care of us. Our homes give us a place of shelter that
“Thank you, home, for allowing me to live
You can do so as often as you like and anytime you feel particularly thankful for the many gifts that you have
| A．bend | B．handle | C．react | D．stand |
| A．unselfish | B．skillful | C．cheerful | D．amazing |
| A．animals | B．oceans | C．plants | D．waters |
| A．promote | B．show | C．influence | D．satisfy |
| A．sources | B．memories | C．power | D．strength |
| A．Express | B．Accept | C．Ban | D．Deserve |
| A．attacks | B．attracts | C．appreciates | D．provides |
| A．fond | B．aware | C．informed | D．confident |
| A．accused | B．robbed | C．warned | D．reminded |
| A．road | B．word | C．way | D．place |
| A．safe | B．dull | C．quiet | D．public |
| A．though | B．because | C．unless | D．until |
| A．beside | B．beyond | C．within | D．in |
| A．admitting | B．supporting | C．challenging | D．surviving |
| A．live | B．call | C．focus | D．feed |
| A．examine | B．explain | C．experience | D．describe |
| A．adventure | B．wisdom | C．loss | D．honor |
| A．anger | B．worry | C．joy | D．desire |
| A．brought | B．purchased | C．exchanged | D．received |
| A．shocks | B．monitors | C．protects | D．follows |
3 . My previous home had a stand of woods behind it and many animals in the backyard. That first year, I
That second year, the rabbits
By year three, the rabbits and the groundhog were back. The groundhog
| A．avoided | B．started | C．stopped | D．suggested |
| A．business | B．fun | C．problem | D．right |
| A．help | B．cheat | C．threat | D．exception |
| A．play | B．miss | C．admire | D．trust |
| A．feared | B．discovered | C．touched | D．remembered |
| A．proved | B．decided | C．noticed | D．understood |
| A．extreme | B．increasing | C．additional | D．inspiring |
| A．squirrel | B．rabbit | C．peanut | D．carrot |
| A．before long | B．long ago | C．over and over | D．all over again |
| A．eating | B．playing | C．sitting | D．sleeping |
| A．Next | B．Once | C．Soon | D．Lately |
| A．carefully | B．suddenly | C．violently | D．patiently |
| A．also | B．thus | C．just | D．still |
| A．thought | B．doubted | C．designed | D．realized |
| A．While | B．Or | C．So | D．For |
| A．fixed | B．placed | C．hung | D．kept |
| A．surprise | B．delay | C．move | D．shake |
| A．Even if | B．Ever since | C．As far as | D．So long as |
| A．welcomed | B．minded | C．hated | D．expected |
| A．trade | B．chance | C．task | D．life |
4 . One day, a woman walked into a pet store to buy a bird for her Thanksgiving Day party. The guy said, “We only have one parrot. But I think you do not want it because it can talk…” The woman said happily, “That’s great. I’ve always wanted a talking bird.” So the guy said, “Since you are a nice lady, I’ll give it to you as a gift.”
And the lady went home and put the bird on her bed and walked out of the room. But as soon as she walked into the kitchen, the bird started to speak dirty words as loud as it could. The woman walked back into the room thinking, “I can’t have this at my party!” So she took the bird and put it in the fridge. A few hours later, while the woman was eating, she remembered that her bird was still in the fridge. Quickly, she opened the door and found it was shivering. Then she took out the bird at once. She said to the bird, “I’ll keep you out of there if you don’t use that language again. Do you agree with me?”
The bird nodded and asked, “Can I just ask a quick question?” The lady nodded and said, “Yes, you may.” The bird pointed at the turkey behind him and asked, “What did he do?”
1. The woman went into the pet store because ________.| A．there were lots of nice birds in it |
| B．she wanted to buy a bird to make a big meal |
| C．she wanted to buy a bird for Thanksgiving Day party |
| D．she wanted to buy a bird for his son’s birthday |
| A．发抖 | B．睡觉 | C．生气 | D．跳动 |
| A．how the turkey was put into the fridge. | B．why itself was in the fridge. |
| C．who could be in the fridge. | D．why the turkey was in the fridge. |
| A．she wanted to cook it on Thanksgiving Day | B．the bird spoke dirty words |
| C．the bird liked living in the cold place | D．she thought it’s the best place for it to live in |
5 . China has a lot to offer. Do you want to take a China tour? Here are some of our best sellers.
Tour 1 Wonders of China ( Price: $2,699 )
Beijing—Xi’an—Guilin—Yangshuo—Yangtze River—Shanghai
Suitable for those who love splendid Chinese culture, unique natural scenery and more leisure holiday. Visit Forbidden City, walk up to Great Wall, see amazing Terracotta Warriors, take cruise along Yangtze River and ride bikes along Yangshuo country.
Tour 2 Water Town and Yellow Mountains Tour ( Price: $1,409 )
Shanghai—Suzhou—Huangshan—Hangzhou—Shanghai
Suitable for those who like interesting water town traditions and amazing scenery. See gorgeous Yellow Mountains scenery and the prosperous Shanghai, visit a famous water town - Tongli, explore the classical beauty of Hangzhou and Suzhou.
Tour 3 Authentic Yunnan Discovery ( Price: $1,629 )
Kunming—Dali—Lijiang—Shangri-La
Suitable for those who are interested in minority (少数民族) culture and snow mountain. The Stone Forest, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Tiger Leaping Gorge show you the creativity of the nature and the Lijiang Ancient Townand Shangri-La show you the colorful culture of the minorities there.
Tour 4 Golden Silk Road ( Price: $1,749 )
Xi’an—Dunhuang—Turpan—Urumqi
Suitable for those who are eager to uncover the secret of the Silk Road. Listen to the stories about the ancient Silk Road and see the relics on the channel which connected the eastern and western world.
Tour 5 In Pursuit of Kungfu Tour ( Price:$1,509 )
Shanghai—Xi’an—Luoyang—Dengfeng—Beijing
Suitable for Kungfu fans who want to learn Kungfu in Shaolin Temple. Lighten your trip by learning the most authentic Chinese Kungfu at Shaolin Temple, and the Longmen Grottoesc石窟) in Luoyang help you understand the spirit of Kungfu.
1. If the tourists want to explore the beauty of the snow mountain, they would probably choose ________.| A．In Pursuit of Kungfu Tour | B．Golden Silk Road |
| C．Authentic Yunnan Discovery | D．Wonders of China |
| A．Tongli is famous for the interesting water town traditions. |
| B．Beijing and Shanghai are the two common cities in Tour 1 and Tour 2. |
| C．Tourists can experience the culture of the minorities on the Silk Road. |
| D．Kungfu fans can learn Kungfu in the Longmen Grottoes. |
| A．show visitors the importance of some cities |
| B．supply visitors with the information of some China tours |
| C．offer visitors some trip tips |
| D．tell visitors the splendid Chinese culture |
6 . New technology rules the whole world now. But I still remember when I was a child, I did not have a cell phone or a computer because it was not necessary at all in those days. The internet was not popular, and the touch screen technology was unknown.
At this time here in the US smartphone are really a need, especially for young and business people. There are many applications really useful like maps, dictionaries, e-mails and games.
For me, I use my smartphone to check the weather and to look for something on the internet and of course to keep communicating through calls and texts. Besides, I like music applications, GPS and Facebook.
Many tests have discovered that cell phones cause damages to us because they send out radioactive(具有放射性的) waves to our bodies and this could cause cancer.
Psychologists say that these devices can affect behavior and I believe everyone knows it is harmful to the eyes if we are sitting for a long time in front of computer. However, it seems to be difficult for us to give up, even if we know how bad it is for our health. The use of technology becomes more and more important in our lives.
I think the use of technology has brought us unimaginable things. If we use technology correctly, I am sure it would be possible to decrease the damage to our bodies.
Keep in mind that it is important not to focus only on technology, but to spend time with our families and people close to us.
1. What can we know from the passage?| A．The author is a businessman working for a cell phone company. |
| B．The author has suffered a lot from the use of electrical devices. |
| C．The author knows little about the functions of modern cellphones. |
| D．The author is quite pleased with the various functions of cell phones. |
| A．It’s not necessary to add more applications to the cell phone. |
| B．Cell phones have made our world a boring place to live in. |
| C．New technology has done people more harm than good. |
| D．New technology makes people separated from each other. |
| A．keep | B．cause | C．reduce | D．add |
7 . Scotland is a country in Great Britain, to the north of England. Scotland has nearly 800 islands, but people only live on some of them. About five million people live in Scotland, which is 8.5% of the UK population. Most people live in the south of the country, in and around the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Dundee.
Language
In Scotland, most people speak English and Scots and a minority speak Scottish Gaelic, an old Celtic language which is very different from English. Scots is spoken by young and old people and sometimes people mix Scots and English. Some words in Scots are the same as in English and some are different.
Sport
The most popular sport in Scotland is football and famous teams include Celtic and Rangers, from Glasgow, Scotland’s biggest city. Another popular game, golf, was invented in Scotland in the Middle Ages. You can go skiing in winter at Scotland’s five mountain ski fields and any time of the year at snow sports centers around the country.
Food
When people think of Scottish food, they often think of haggis, a type of sausage made from parts of a sheep. However, Scotland is also known for its variety of seafood and beef.
Symbols
Blue is a colour which is often connected with Scotland. The Scottish flag is blue with a white X-shaped cross called the Saint Andrew’s cross. St Andrew is the Patron Saint(守护神) of Scotland. Everywhere you go in Scotland, you will see tartan(苏格兰格子呢), kilts and bagpipes. Also, look out for the national animal, the unicorn, and the thistle, the national flower of Scotland.
1. What can we learn from the first paragraph?| A．The Scottish live separately on 800 islands. |
| B．Most of the Scottish live in big cities. |
| C．8.5% of the UK population live in Scotland. |
| D．Scotland lies to the north of Great Britain. |
| A．Two. | B．Three. | C．Four. | D．Five. |
| A．Scotland is the birthplace of golf. |
| B．Celtic and Rangers are famous golf clubs. |
| C．The special Scottish food is its seafood. |
| D．The Scottish flag is white with a blue cross. |
8 . When I was young, I lived on an island in the north of Scotland, but I went to school in Edinburgh. It was a music school, and I studied the violin. We practiced for six hours every day. Our school was a boarding school. At the end of the term, we all packed our bags and our instruments to go home for the holidays. Most kids went by train, or bus, or their parents took them home by car. Not me! I went home by ferry (渡船) — 14 hours overnight on the open sea. I loved it!
One summer I packed my suitcase and violin and said goodbye to my friends. I took the train to the ferry station and then got on the ferry. When we started moving away, I remembered a terrible thing! I left my violin on the train! I went to ask one of the crew (船员) what to do, but he said he couldn’t stop the ferry for me.
What should I do? What would my dad say? He’d be really angry! I was worried, and didn’t sleep all night. The next morning I got off the ferry to meet my dad. I didn’t want to look at him. I told him what happened. He laughed. I looked at him and couldn’t believe it. Why was he laughing?
In my violin case, I always have a label with my address and a telephone number. My dad told me, “A cleaner found your violin by the label on the train in London and took it to the police. They called me. They put the violin on a plane and it arrived an hour before you did.” My dad had it in his car! Thanks to those people, my violin was safe home!
1. Where was the writer’s home?| A．On an island. | B．In London. |
| C．In Edinburgh. | D．In the south of Scotland. |
| A．He didn’t sleep all night. | B．He went back home alone. |
| C．His dad would be angry. | D．He left his address on the train. |
| A．模型 | B．标签 | C．绰号 | D．唱片公司 |
| A．His father. | B．The police. | C．A cleaner. | D．A crewman. |
| A．Travelling Violin | B．Boarding School |
| C．Unforgettable Train | D．Missing Suitcase |
9 . Ireland has had a very difficult history. The problems started in the 16th century when English rulers tried to conquer (征服) Ireland. For hundreds of years, the Irish people fought against the English. Finally, in 1921, the British government was forced to give independence to the south of Ireland. The result is that today there are two “Irelands”. Northern Ireland, in the north, is part of the United Kingdom. The Republic of Ireland, in the south, is an independent country.
In the 1840s the main crop, potatoes, was affected by disease and about 750,000 people died of hunger. This, and a shortage (短缺) of work, forced many people to leave Ireland and live in the USA, the UK, Australia and Canada. As a result of these problems, the population fell from 8.2 million in 1841 to 6.6 million in 1851.
For many years, the majority of Irish people earned their living as farmers. Today, many people still work on the land but more and more people are moving to the cities to work in factories and offices. Life in the cities is very different from life in the countryside, where things move at a quieter and slower pace.
The Irish are famous for being warm－hearted and friendly. Oscar Wilde, a famous Irish writer, once said that the Irish were “the greatest talkers since the Greeks”. Since independence, Ireland has revived (复兴) its own culture of music, language, literature and singing. Different areas have different styles of old Irish songs which are sung without instruments. Other kinds of Irish music use many different instruments such as the violin, whistles, etc.
1. What does the author tell us in Paragraph 1?| A．How the Irish fought against the English. |
| B．How Ireland gained independence. |
| C．How English rulers tried to conquer Ireland. |
| D．How two “Irelands” came into being. |
| A．food shortages and a lack of work in the 1840s led to a decline in population |
| B．people are moving to the cities for lack of work in the countryside |
| C．it is harder to make a living as a farmer than as a factory worker |
| D．different kinds of old Irish songs are all sung with instruments |
| A．the Irish character | B．the Irish culture |
| C．Irish musical instruments | D．a famous Irish writer |
| A．Life in Ireland | B．A Very Difficult History |
| C．Ireland, Past and Present | D．The Independence of Ireland |
10 . My wife and I moved into our home two years ago. We had a yard with a lot of
Last summer, I found a tiny little plant in the yard that I could not immediately identify. I knew I didn’t plant it and Denise said she didn’t either.
We decided to let it
Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the
That’s when I
We need to believe in ourselves knowing we have the
| A．flower | B．insects | C．vegetables | D．rocks |
| A．water | B．fertilizer | C．color | D．shape |
| A．stop | B．continue | C．improve | D．escape |
| A．weak | B．strange | C．lonely | D．pretty |
| A．collect | B．tend | C．remove | D．watch |
| A．unusual | B．wonderful | C．terrible | D．valuable |
| A．passed | B．started | C．left | D．died |
| A．air | B．top | C．sun | D．house |
| A．hoped | B．realized | C．doubted | D．regretted |
| A．fill in | B．put in | C．worry about | D．believe in |
| A．forget | B．hate | C．aim | D．wait |
| A．wish | B．plan | C．ability | D．idea |
| A．faith | B．energy | C．virtue | D．courage |
| A．aware | B．afraid | C．proud | D．tired |
| A．forgive | B．support | C．upset | D．affect |
