1 . Pangolins (穿山甲) are the most trafficked (非法交易) mammals in the world and are facing extinction. To draw attention to these scaly (有鳞片的), anteater-like animals, a new wildlife documentary, Eye of the Pangolin, is attempting a unique way to inspire action and conservation. Partnering with the non-profit organization Pangolin. Africa, the documentary was made available on YouTube in May 2019. The intention is to reach communities wherever the Internet is available, especially African communities, who live near the animal’s habitats.

Over two years, the documentary crew traveled to South Africa, Ghana, Central African Republic and Gabon in search of the four unique species of pangolin, which has never been achieved before. Filmmakers Bruce Young and Johan Vermeulen say that they went into the shoot knowing relatively little about pangolins, but grew to respect and appreciate the animals. Getting close to the creatures over two years was a crash course in these secretive creatures. Johan Vermeulen said, "One thing however that might seem unimportant is that they are actually quite fussy eaters. You would think they would eat any type of ant, but they all prefer a specific type ant."

Pangolins are hunted illegally across Africa for their scales, which are used for traditional medicine, and their meat. In April 2019, Singaporean customs officials conducted two separate seizures of 24 tons of pangolin scales, which equals to the death of 69,000 pangolins.

Though the documentary focuses less on the trafficking of pangolins, and more on the animals in their natural habitat, the aim of the documentary is to inspire viewers around the world to call for action to end trafficking and protecting these unique creatures.

Filmed on location in South Africa, Ghana, Central African Republic, and Gabon, this powerful documentary is the story of two men on a mission to get all four species of African pangolin on camera for the very first time.

1. What is the purpose of the documentary?

A．To study the situation of pangolins.

B．To collect fund to protect pangolins.

C．To raise awareness of pangolin protection.

D．To propose setting up pangolin reserves.

2. What is the meaning of the underlined word “fussy” in paragraph 2?

A．Picky.	B．Messy.
C．Showy.	D．Heavy.

3. What’s the documentary mainly about?

A．The illegal trade of pangolins.

B．The medical function of pangolin's scales.

C．The life of pangolins in their natural habitats.

D．The efforts of Pangolin, Africa to save pangolins.

4. Where is the text most likely from?

A．A brochure.	B．A diary.
C．A novel.	D．A magazine.

2 . With around 100 students scheduled to be in that 9:00 am Monday morning lecture, it is no surprise that almost 20 people actually make it to the class and only 10 of them are still awake after the first 15 minutes; it is not even a surprise that most of them are still in their pajama’s(睡衣). Obviously, students are terrible at adjusting their sleep cycles to their daily schedule.

All human beings possess a body clock. Along with other alerting systems, this governs the sleep/wake cycle and is therefore one of the main processes which govern sleep behaviour. Typically, the preferred sleep/wake cycle is delayed in adolescents, which leads to many students not feeling sleepy until much later in the evenings. This typical sleep pattern is usually referred to as the “night owl” schedule of sleep.

This is opposed to the “early bird” schedule, and is a kind of disorder where the individual tends to stay up much past midnight. Such a person has great difficulty in waking up in the mornings. Research suggests that night owls feel most alert and function best in the evenings and at night. Research findings have shown that about 20 percent of people can be classified as “night owls” and only 10 percent can be classified as “early birds” ------ the other 70 percent are in the middle. Although this is clearly not true for all students, for the ones who are true night owls, this gives them an excellent excuse for missing their lectures which unfortunately fall before midday.

1. What does the author stress in Paragraph 1?

A．Many students are absent from class.

B．Students are very tired on Monday mornings.

C．Students do not adjust their sleep patterns well.

D．Students are not well prepared for class on Mondays.

2. Which of the following is true according to Paragraph 2?

A．Most students prefer to get up late in the morning.

B．Students don’t sleep well because of alerting systems.

C．One’s body clock governs the sleep/wake cycle independently.

D．Adolescents’ delayed sleep/wake cycle isn’t the preferred pattern.

3. Which of the following is closest in meaning to the underlined word “classified”?

A．Criticized

B．Grouped

C．Organized

D．Named

4. What does the text mainly talk about?

A．Functions of the body clock.

B．The “night owl” phenomenon.

C．Human beings’ sleep behaviour.

D．The school schedule of “early birds”.

3 . The New South Wales government used planes to drop more than 4,000 pounds of carrots and sweet potatoes, to the forests which are damaged by the recent wildfires. The fires are reported to have killed more than a billion wild animals and destroyed a land of more than 84 thousand square kilometers—about twice the size of Maryland. What is worse, most Australians are worrying about when the wildfires will be fully put out.

“The home of several important wallabies (沙袋鼠) was burnt in the recent fires,” New South Wales Environment Minister Matt Kean said on Sunday. Kean said the drops are what wallabies need. The plan is designed to help wallabies and allow them to recover.

Fire seasons often take place in the country, but this year the fires have been quite devastating. The country experienced one of its hottest and driest years, which made it harder to put out the fires. Besides wild animals, the fires have taken the lives of at least 25 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes.

“I think there’s nothing to compare with the damage that’s going on over such a large area so quickly. It’s a big event in terms of geography and the number of wild animals,” Dickman, an animal protection expert, said in an interview with NPR last week.

“We know that the number of Australian wild animals has been going down over the last several decades, and it’s probably fairly well known that Australia’s got the world’s highest rate of extinction of animals,” he added. “It’s events like this that may increase the speed of extinction of a lot of other animals. So, it’s very sad time. Everyone has to try their best to do something for them.”

1. Why did the Australian government drop potatoes?

A．To feed the animals.	B．To trap the animals.
C．To plant potatoes there.	D．To help the people.

2. What does the underlined word “devastating” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A．Damaging.	B．Interesting.
C．Surprising.	D．Tiring.

3. What can we know about the recent Australian wildfires from the text?

A．They have been under control.

B．The weather is helpful in putting out them.

C．They have killed a small amount of wildlife.

D．They have greatly influenced both people and animals.

4. What does Dickman want to stress in the last paragraph?

A．Australia has a lot of wildlife.

B．Australians have suffered a lot.

C．Australians should protect the wildlife.

D．The government is responsible for the wildfires.

4 . Any foreigner who has tried to learn Chinese can tell how hard it is to master the tones required to speak and understand. And anyone who has tried to learn to play the violin or other instruments can report similar challenges.

Now researchers have found that people with musical training have an easier time learning Chinese. Writing in the online edition of Nature Neuroscience，researchers from Northwestern University say that both skills draw on the same parts of the brain that help people discover changes in pitch(音调).

One of the study's authors，Nina Kraus，said the findings suggested that studying music “actually tunes our sensory system”.This means that schools that want children to do well in languages should hesitate before cutting music programs，Dr. Kraus said. She said music training might also help children with language problems.

Mandarin(普通话)speakers have been shown to have a more complex encoding(编码) of pitch patterns in their brains than English speakers do. This is because in Mandarin and other Asian languages，pitch plays a central role. A single­syllable word can have several meanings depending on how it is intoned.

For this study，the researchers looked at 20 non­Chinese speaking volunteers，half with no musical background and half who have studied an instrument for at least six years.

As they were shown a movie，the volunteers also heard an audio tape of the Mandarin word “mi” in three of its meanings:squint，bewilder and rice. The researchers recorded activities in their brain stems to see how well they were processing the sounds. Those with a music background showed much more brain activities in response to the Chinese sounds.

The lead author of the study，Patrick C.M.Wong，said it might work both ways. It appears that native speakers of tonal languages may do better at learning instruments.

1. When learning Chinese，a foreigner will find ________.

A．he has a difficult time learning music at the same time

B．he has an easier time learning music at the same time

C．it is hard to master the tones required to speak and understand

D．it is easy to use the brain to help him discover changes in pitch

2. Why does Chinese learning have something to do with music training?

A．Because there is the same difficulty in learning Chinese and music.

B．Because skills to learn the two make use of the same parts of the brain.

C．Because music training might help people with language study.

D．Because people who do well in Chinese study do well in music.

3. The underlined word “intoned” in the fourth paragraph can be replaced by the word “____”.

A．created

B．spelled

C．seemed

D．pronounced

4. What would be the best title for this passage?

A．Mandarin Speakers Are Smarter than English Speakers

B．Skilled Ear for Music May Help Language Study

C．Pitch Plays a Central Role in Chinese Learning

D．Schools Need to Develop Music Programs

5 . A large number of people want to grow their own garden, but they simply do not have the room. Do not worry. There is a solution. Consider container gardening.

The great thing about container gardening is that you can use a variety of different containers. You simply have to use your imagination. You could create a beautiful garden with things such as cement blocks, hanging baskets, clay pots, or window boxes. There are so many options when it comes to container gardening; it is only limited by your imagination.

Of course, you will want to take the following into consideration when you are ready to begin container gardening, in order for it to be successful.

First, you should avoid any containers that have been used to store chemicals, as well as treated wood. This could lead to the sudden death of your flowers and lead to the failure of your container gardening.

With any container that you choose, you need to ensure that it allows the water in it to drain when necessary. So it may be important for you to create holes in the container to help this along. You should also make sure the containers are placed on a raised surface, not upon the floor, to ensure the best possible drainage.

Ensure that the containers you choose are appropriate (合适的) in size for the plants you choose. You need to prevent the roots from overgrowing the container.

If you like fresh veggies, you could consider container gardening with vegetables. This requires a process that differs from that of flower gardening. Talk to an employee at a supply store in your area. They can help you choose the right containers for the vegetables you are wishing to grow.

1. Which of the following may be improper materials for container gardening?

A．Cement blocks.	B．Treated wood.
C．Window boxes.	D．Clay pots.

2. What does the underlined word “drain” in Paragraph 5 mean?

A．To pick up.	B．To give up.
C．To flow away.	D．To gain popularity.

3. Compared to flower gardening, what do we know about vegetable gardening?

A．It needs special containers.	B．It requires more time.
C．It demands more water.	D．It seems much easier.

4. Who may be interested in the text?

A．People who have a big yard.

B．Citizens who enjoy gardening.

C．Farmers who are good at gardening.

D．Children who like outdoor activities.

6 . When we were very small, we realized that having friends was important.Some of us even had imaginary (想象中的) friends.The need for friends continued as we grew into our teens.Friends played a big part in forming our personalities.As adults, it is still important for us to have friends.

True friends are people who like us though we made mistakes and who listen to us and tell us the truth.Friends support our decisions and tell us when we're foolish.They laugh with us and share our sadness.They are our partners and share interests with us.They stimulate us when we are feeling down.They are people we aren't afraid of telling our secret wishes to or what is really on our minds.

Friends are our supporters.When you can depend on friends, you feel safe and warm.Friends offer   acceptance and emotional (情感的) support.At   times, they also help with our everyday lives, cooking a meal, doing chores, or giving us a lift when we need one.Friends also are there to offer advice，an ear to listen, or a shoulder to cry on.

Friends also help us reduce stress.Not only do they listen to us when we feel stressed, but they also discuss what is stressing us.Sharing interests and doing activities with friends help us forget about problems at work or at home.For a short time, we can lose ourselves in a pleasant activity and perhaps laugh and breathe more easily.

1. What is the best title for the passage?

A．How to Reduce Stress

B．How to Make New Friends

C．The Importance of Friends

D．The Qualities of Good Friends

2. The underlined word “stimulate” in Paragraph 2 probably means ________.

A．educate	B．encourage
C．surprise	D．dislike

3. We can learn from the passage that ________.

A．people should make friends anytime

B．friends are people who allow you to cry

C．a friend helps you in many ways

D．good friends are always difficult to meet

7 . A new study, published this week in the journal Frontiers in Veterinary Science, reveals that non-human animals' tears are not so different from our own. The chemical similarities are so great, in fact, that the composition of other species' tears—and how they're adapted to their environments-may provide insights into better treatments for human eye disease.

Previously, scientists had studied closely only the tears of a handful of mammals, including humans, dogs, horses, camels, and monkeys. In the new study, Brazilian veterinarians analyzed the tears of reptiles and birds for the first time , focusing on seven species.

Tears, which are released from tear tubes, form a film over the eye that's composed of three ingredients: mucus, waler, and oil. The mucus coats the eyes surface and helps to attach the film to the eye, the water is a natural salty solution containing crucial proteins and minerals, and the oil prevents the eye from drying out.

Humans are the only known species to produce emotional tears; the expression "crocodile tears," which refers to a person's phony display of emotion, comes from the mysterious tendency of crocodiles to release tears as they eat.

But tears play key roles beyond weeping, notes Lionel Sebbag at Iowa State University, who was not involved in the new research. They help with vision by lubricating and clearing the eye. They also protect the eye against infection and provide nutrition to the cornea, the eye's clear outer layer, which lacks blood tubes, he says.

Learning how reptiles and birds' use tears may also inspire new medications for conditions such as dry eye, which occurs when tear tubes don't produce enough oil. The disease, common in cats, dogs, and people, can sometimes lead to blindness.

1. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?

A．The source of tears.	B．The composition of tears.
C．The classification of tears,	D．The definition of tears.

2. What does the underlined word "phony” in paragraph 4 mean?

A．Tricky.

B．Regretful.

C．Cold.

D．False.

3. Which statement does Lionel Sebbag agree with?

A．Weeping contributes to eye disease.	B．The cornea has rich blood tubes.
C．Tears oil and clear the eyes.	D．More tears mean better vision.

4. What might be the best title for the text?

A．Tears, a barrier to eyes	B．A better treatment for eye disease
C．Non-human tears promise new cures	D．Other species’ tears are similar to humans'

9 . Killer whales, or orcas, are known for their severe attacks on sea animals but they have never posed a threat to humans. However, since late July, the normally social animals have been intentionally attacking sailboats off the coasts of Spain and Portugal.

The strange behavior first surfaced on July 29, 2020, when a 46-foot boat was repeatedly attacked for almost an hour by nine orcas, causing the boat to rotate(旋转) 180 degrees and having its engine switched off. Since then, over 30 more similar incidents have been reported. On September 23, 2020, Spain's government banned boats of less than 50 feet in length from sailing in the 60-mile stretch of the Atlantic coastline between Ferrol and the Estaca de Bares Cape, where the attacks have been occurring.

Researchers across the world are trying to explain the orcas' behavior. Some believe it could be a result of the overfishing of the bluefish tuna - the orcas' primary food source -which has left the area's killer whales starving and unable to feed their babies. "I saw them look at boats carrying fish. I think they know humans are somehow related to food shortages, "says Ken Balcomb, senior scientist at the Center for Whale Research in Washington, USA. The environmentalists believe the sudden increase in boat traffic and fishing activities, after months of absence due to restrictions on human activity last spring, could also be contributing to the agitation.

However, Alfredo López, a biology professor in Galicia, Spain, thinks the attacks are defensive measures the orcas adopted to protect themselves against boat injuries. The researcher came to this conclusion after looking at the of the videos of a few incidents and noticing that two of the young killer whales involved had serious injuries. Hopefully, the experts will be able to find a way to restore the harmony between the animals and the humans soon.

1. What do we know about orcas in paragraph 1?

A．They are friendly to humans.	B．They have changed their behavior.
C．They are famous for hunting skills	D．They have met tough living conditions.

2. Who hold(s) the idea that fishing activities caused the incidents?

A．Ken Balcomb.	B．The environmentalists.
C．Alfredo López.	D．Spain's government.

3. What does the underlined word "the agitation" in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．The attacks.

B．Food shortages.

C．The overfishing.

D．Human activities.

4. What might be a suitable title for this text?

A．How do killer whales attack humans?

B．Why Are Killer Whales attacking Boats?

C．How can we live in harmony with animals?

D．Why are boats banned from sailing on the sea?

10 . A 2018 report found that food waste would increase by a third to 2. 1billion tons by 2030. Beyond the cost of the waste itself，thrown-away food generates a gas that contributes to climate change.

Home delivery meal kits(盒)can reduce food waste by more than two-thirds，but suppliers need to switch to reusable packaging to make them environmentally friendly.

Tailor-made meal kits cut waste by providing people with precise amounts of fresh ingredients(烹饪原料)for chosen recipes，meaning leftovers are minimized. But while the   delivery services score well on reducing food waste，buying the same food ingredients from the supermarket almost always saves energy overall simply because meal kits use so much single-use packaging. The good news is that if people have meals that are tailored for consumption，they won’t overbuy and have less food waste. They fine-tune the amount of food to what they will actually eat.

Meal kits can reduce transport emissions(排放)if people go to the supermarket less   frequently. If people only go and buy such goods as soap and toilet paper，they may only have to visit once every couple of months. A delivery truck can carry meals for a lot of people in the neighborhood. So dozens of car trips might be replaced with one truck trip.

However，study found that even if delivery meal kits reduced food waste to zero，they would still use up more energy overall than buying the same food from the supermarket unless the energy used for the meal kit packaging was cut by a fifth. The packaging is a killer if it’s single-use and thrown away，which can make all the environmental benefits lost. But if the packaging can be reused，if it’s glass bottles，like in the old days，we can get some benefits.

1. What can we learn about home delivery meal kits?

A．They can cut down on daily expenses.

B．They will totally solve the problem of food waste.

C．They can keep energy consumption to a minimum.

D．They will benefit the environment with reusable packaging.

2. What does the underlined word“fine-tune”in paragraph 3 mean?

A．Attach.	B．Adjust.
C．Raise.	D．Compare.

3. The author suggests carrying meals with a delivery truck to__________.

A．reduce transport emissions	B．save more food
C．shop only in the supermarket	D．shorten car trip distances

4. What’s the author’s attitude to meal kits?

A．Supportive.	B．Unfavorable.
C．Objective.	D．Indifferent.