1 . When you think of the Himalayas, you may picture tall, rocky, snow-covered peaks. But that’s not true.

The subnival (亚冰雪的) region is the zone between the treeline and the snowline. It is 5 to 5 times as large as the areas of glaciers and permanent snow, which means studying it is vital to understanding the Himalayas as a whole.

The treeline is the edge of an ecosystem where trees are able to grow, and beyond the treeline environmental conditions become too tough to allow tree growth. Meanwhile, snowlines are the boundaries on mountains that separate areas with permanent snow (where snow is present for the majority of the year) from areas with seasonal or no snow.

Researchers used satellite data from 1993 to 2018 to measure plant cover between 4,150 meters and 6,000 meters above sea level. The scientists discovered that the greatest increase in plant cover was between an altitude of 5,000 meters and 5,500 meters. Subnival plants mostly include small shrubs and grasses.

Even areas once completely occupied by glaciers now hold rocks covered with mosses, lichen, and sometimes even flowers. In addition, the snowline seems to be retreating, while the treeline is expanding. This shows that the region is becoming warmer, causing more melting of snow and allowing vegetation to move up in height.

In the past 40 years, 25% of all Himalayan ice has been lost due to global warming. Himalayan glaciers are reducing by about 0.5 meters each year. The rate of glacier melting has doubled in this decade. The melting of glaciers increases water in the region, making it wetter. Receding snow also forces the snowline to move up, providing a greater amount of area for the warm and moist conditions, which are perfect for vegetation growth.

As of now, we do not know whether vegetation will accelerate or slow down the rate of glacier melting.

1. How does the writer develop the third paragraph?

A．By explaining concepts.	B．By providing some examples.
C．By analyzing causes and effects.	D．By listing specific data.

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

A．Disappearing.

B．Lengthening.

C．Withdrawing.

D．Widening.

3. What is the direct effect of global warming on the Himalayas?

A．The snowline moves up.	B．Glaciers are melting faster.
C．The subnival area is wetter.	D．Plants grow much better.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about?

A．The climate of the Himalayas is changing.	B．Icebergs in the Himalayas have disappeared.
C．Plants are diverse in the Himalayas.	D．Plant life spreads in the Himalayas.

3 . The idea of using a public bathroom with see through walls may sound like the stuff of nightmares. But a famous Japanese is hoping to change that view, using new technology to make restrooms in Tokyo parks more inviting.

“There are two things we worry about when entering a public restroom, especially those cated at a park,” according to architect Shigeru Ban’s firm. “The first is cleanliness, and the second is whether anyone is inside.”

The newly-invented transparent walls can turn off both of those worries, Ban says, by showing people what awaits them inside. After users enter the restroom and lock the door, the room’s walls turn a powdery paste) shade and are no longer see-through.

Ban’s are sure to make for great conversation among visitors to the park-and they’ll stand out even more after dark. “At night, the facility lights up the park like a beautiful lantern,” the architect’s website says.

The group is behind the Tokyo Toilet project, world-famous architects to create toilets “like you’ve never seen. The project’s eye catching toilets are part of a plan to put people ar ease when isiting a public bathroom. The project may seem silly, but the 16 architects who are reimagining public toilets are some of the brightest names in Japanese architecture. The list includes four Pritzker Prize winners-Ban, Toyo Ito, Tadao Ando and Fumihiko Maki-along with international stars such as Kengo Kuma and Sou Fujimoto. The fashion designer Nigo is also contributing.

Ban’s colorful public bathrooms opened to the public this month in two parks: Yoyogi Fukamachi Mini Park and Haru-no-Ogawa Community Park. Other bespoke commodes will be opening in coming months.

1. Why are people often worried before entering a public restroom?

A．Its lock is usually useless.

B．It’s usually at a huge distance.

C．It’s not always clean.

D．It’s always occupied.

2. What does the underlined word “transparent” mean in the third paragraph ?

A．Easy to see through.

B．Not easy to see through.

C．Full of bright colors.

D．Thick and strong.

3. What do we know about the project from the last two paragraphs?

A．It’s and silly.

B．It’s rewarding and.

C．It has won the Pritzker Prize.

D．It’s the fruit of colleqtive wisdom

4. Which of the following can be the best title for the text?

A．Should the public restrooms be upgraded?

B．The new high-tech walls of public restrooms are coming.

C．How do we live with see-through public facilities?

D．Some famous architects designed a silly project.

4 . Great Barrier Reef Choking on Pollutants

Attempts to protect the Great Barrier Reef are failing. A report released Monday by the government in Australia says water quality in the Great Barrier Reef is far below what it should be. It showed that pollution have decreased, but not enough to reach environmental targets.

Sediment (沉淀物) and chemicals can weaken coral, hurting its ability to feed and grow. Coral are live animals that take root in the ocean floor, but they are not plants. Reefs are the hard skeletons (骨架) left at the bottom of the sea by small marine creatures called polyps (珊瑚虫). The polyps then form the larger structure of a reef. Corals also are some of the most diverse ecosystems on the entire planet. They can make a home for invertebrates, crustaceans, fish, and sea snakes.

Steve Miles is Queensland’s environment minister. He says the research shows the Reef needs more protection. “Over that five-year period, we did see some progress towards our targets. Sediment is down 12 percent and pesticides (杀虫剂) loads are down 30 percent. But what is most disturbing is that these results are far from our targets. Progress towards these targets flat-lined in the period 2013-2014. If one of my kids came home with a report card like this, I would be a bit disappointed. There is more bad news here than good news. ” said Steve Miles.

The report also found that fewer than one-third of Queensland’s sugar plantations used techniques to reduce the use of pesticides. Only 28 percent of land managers managed their land properly. They had reduced harmful water run off to protect the health of the Reef. The official target is a 90 percent reduction in pesticide use within three years.

Scientists at the University of Queensland and the Australian Institute of Marine Sciences published their findings Wednesday, July 18 in the journal Science Advances. It found between 1992 and 2010, the recovery rate dropped by an average of 84 percent. But there is hope. The study also found some corals can recover quickly if “acute and chronic stressors” are lessened.

Meanwhile, the Australian government released its updated reef protection plan Friday. It clearly states global temperatures must be stopped from rising in order to save the world’s largest living structure.

1. What does the underlined word “They” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A．Diverse ecosystems.	B．Sediment and chemicals.
C．Reefs and corals.	D．Small sea creatures.

2. What can be learned from what Steve Miles said?

A．He is satisfied with the protection of the Reef.

B．He thinks that the Reef needs more protection.

C．He feels angry with what his children did.

D．He is very happy about the Reef progress protection.

3. What does the underlined word “flat-lined” mean in Paragraph 3?

A．Not increase significantly.	B．Disappear.
C．Speed up.	D．Miss the chance.

4. The report found the majority of land managers in Queensland   ________.

A．were tough to deal with	B．failed to manage their land properly
C．reduced the amount of harmful water	D．were eager to quit pesticide soon

5. Where is the passage most likely to have been taken from?

A．A news report.	B．A science fiction.
C．A book review.	D．A guide book.

5 . When Hurricane Florence landed in North Carolina on the morning of September 14, it wasn’t 90-mile-an-hour winds that officials feared most. It was water. The 400-mile-wide-storm brought heavy rain and a 10-foot wave of seawater. Roads were destroyed. Trees fell down. More than 600,000 homes and businesses on the East Coast lost power. And it was just beginning.

By afternoon, the winds had slowed. But as the storm moved west, it brought great amounts of rain to North and South Carolina. By the end of Florence’s second day on land, North Carolina had gotten more than 30 inches of rain, a new record. The National Center said the results would be “catastrophic”.

North Carolina governor Roy Cooper surveyed the situation in his state on September 15. “Floodwater are still spreading,” he said afterwards, “and the risk to life is rising.”

It is hard to tell how many of the 1.7 million people along the East Coast who were ordered to leave actually did, or could. Even when skies cleared, on September 17, people were dying for help. Floodwaters trapped people on rooftops. Federal and state authorities(官方) in the Carolina saved hundreds of people by plane, boat, etc. Others were saved by volunteers.

By September 18, Florence had left at least 32 people dead. There was more trouble on the way. “Wilmington, North Carolina, was cut off by floods. The hardest-hit areas will remain underwater for days to come,” Chris Vaccaro, of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told TIME for Kids. “Rivers that have already flooded areas may continue to rise as more water flows down.”

Brock Long, head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said, “Recovery is always a very hard thing for people when they’ve lost their livelihoods,” he said. “But we’re going to be okay.”

1. What did officials fear most when Hurricane Florence hit the city?

A．Its high traveling speed	B．The area it affected
C．The water it brought	D．Its strong wind

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

A．Extremely bad	B．Totally different
C．Far more common	D．A little disappointing

3. How were things going along the East Coast on September 17?

A．The hurricane grew stronger than ever.

B．Communication was totally cut off.

C．Rivers and streams stopped rising.

D．Most trapped people were saved.

4. How is the text developed?

A．By providing examples

B．By making comparisons

C．By following the order of time

D．By following the order of importance

6 . What makes a human being? Is it our thoughts? Our emotions? Our behavior?

All of these things make us who we are, but at the center of the matter is the genome (基因组) — the genes inside our bodies that may determine everything from our hair colour to our intelligence. But if we could change our genome, what would it mean to us?

In an online video posted on Nov 26, He Jiankui, a biological researcher from Southern University of Science and Technology in China, said that he had helped to make the world’s first genetically edited babies.

These are twin girls, born in November, with genes edited in an attempt to help them fight against possible future infection (感染) with the AIDS virus.

He said that he chose to do this because HIV infections are a big problem in China. “I feel such a strong responsibility that it’s not just to make a first, but also to set an example,” He told the Associated Press(AP).

The announcement has caused an international storm. Some believe that success will benefit the families of HIV patients. Considering that HIV is “a major and growing public health threat,” attempted gene editing for HIV is justifiable, Harvard Medical School genetics professor George Church told AP.

However, others think that gene editing technology is still unsafe to attempt.

“Gene editing itself is experimental and is still associated with unexpected mutations (突变), causing genetic problems early and later in life, including the development of cancer,” Julian Savulescu, a specialist in ethics at the University of Oxford, told BBC News.

Others fear that this could open the door to using gene editing technology to make designer babies. It might give the parents the choices to choose everything from their baby’s eye color to intelligence.

“You could find wealthy parents buying the latest ‘upgrades’ for their children, leading to even greater inequality than we already live with,” Marcy Darnovsky, director of the San Francisco Center for Genetics, told BBC News.

However, Merlin Crossley, a biologist at the University of New South Wales, Australia, believes that’s a long way off. According to him, many genes produce qualities like height and intelligence — not to mention environmental influences.

And he believes the technology will be better controlled in the future.

“It’s hard to get genies (妖怪) back into bottles — but I’m optimistic that this technology, which I think of as ‘genetic surgery’, could be controlled quite effectively in the future,” Crossley told ABC News.

1. Why did He Jiankui make the genetically edited babies?

A．Because he wanted to be a leader in gene editing technology.

B．Because he tried to do his part in fighting against HIV infection.

C．Because he attempted to help the twin girls who were infected with AIDS.

D．Because he wanted to became the first to make the genetically edited babies in the world.

2. For those who are against gene editing technology, their reasons are as follows EXCEPT ________.

A．Gene editing can cause genetic problems sooner or later in life

B．Gene editing may widen the gap between the rich and the poor

C．Gene editing may enable wealthy parents to design their babies

D．Gene editing can determine everything inside a person’s body

3. What does the underlined word “justifiable” in paragraph 6 probably mean?

A．Absurd.

B．Hopeless.

C．Acceptable.

D．Skilful.

4. Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A．Gene editing: the genie in the bottle

B．Gene editing: the way we should go

C．Gene editing: hope or fear for human beings

D．Gene editing: a great success in human history

7 . A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms, though my teacher emphasized the importance again and again. But soon, the importance of English idioms was shown in an amusing experience.

One day, I happened to meet an Englishman on the road, and soon we began to talk. As I was talking about how I was studying English, the foreigner seemed to be astonished, gently shaking his head, shrugging his shoulders, saying, “You don’t say! ” “You don’t say! ” I was puzzled. I thought, “Perhaps this is not an appropriate topic. Well, I’d better change the topic. ” So I said to him, “Well, shall we talk about the Great Wall?   By the way, have you ever been there? ”“Certainly, everyone back home will laugh at me if I leave China without seeing it. It is magnificent. ” He was deep in thought when I began to talk like a tourist guide, “The Great Wall is one of the wonders in the world. We are very proud of it. ” Soon I was interrupted again by his order, “You don’t say! ” I couldn’t help asking. I said, “Didn’t you say you don’t say? ” Hearing this, the Englishman laughed. He explained, “ ‘You don’t say’ actually means ‘Really? ’. It is an expression of surprise. Perhaps you haven’t learned that English idiom. ” Only then did I realize I had made a fool of myself. Since then, I have been more careful with idiomatic expressions.

1. A year ago, I paid no attention to English idioms because ______.

A．English idioms were too difficult to master

B．I had no interest in English learning

C．my teacher didn’t emphasize the importance

D．I cared little about the teacher’s instruction

2. When I first heard “You don’t say! ”I thought ______.

A．the Englishman was only interested in the Great Wall

B．the Englishman was not interested in my English studies

C．I had talked too much

D．I had to stop talking at once

3. The underlined word “amusing” means “______”.

A．terrible	B．important
C．interesting	D．lucky

4. Which of the following is TRUE?

A．The Englishman was leaving China without seeing the Great Wall.

B．The Englishman wanted to see the Great Wall after I talked about it.

C．The Englishman wanted me to act as his guide.

D．The Englishman visited the Great Wall and thought it worth visiting.

8 . Life for miners on the goldfields in Victoria, Australia during the 1850s was quite difficult.The name to a miner at that time was “digger”.Few diggers actually found any gold and even fewer struck it rich.Mostly diggers struggled in poor conditions.They struggled with the weather and living conditions in an often poor environment and they were often ill-equipped.

The worst thing about being a digger was the requirement to pay for a mining licence（许可证）.This licence allowed a miner to search for gold.Without the licence a digger had to pay money as a punishment.The police always went to mining camps to check mining licences.Few miners could afford the money to get a licence and hated the law which they believed was unjust.In June 1854 Governor Hotham announced that the police would carry out mining licence checks twice a week.This made the miners outraged and set them towards armed rebellion（叛乱）against the police.

The rebellion at the Eureka diggings in 1854 is often referred to as the Eureka Stockade.Led by Peter Lalor, the diggers constructed a wall preventing people from going through and burned their unfair licences as a form of rebellion.The miners said, “We stand truly by each other to protect our rights.”

The diggers lost the battle of the Eureka Stockade but they won the legal battle that their rebellion led to.In 1855 the Victorian Government introduced a mining tax（税）, as a tax on gold found, to take the place of the unfair miner’s licence which had to be paid no matter whether the miner found gold or not.In Australia’s history the Eureka Rebellion is the only time armed rebellion has been used to                                 change unfair laws.

1. What is a digger in the next?

A．A gold miner.	B．A citizen in Victoria.
C．A machine for digging.	D．A rebellious Australian.

2. What was the miners’ biggest dissatisfaction?

A．The weather on the goldfields.

B．Having to pay a mining tax.

C．Having to pay for a licence.

D．Poor living conditions.

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

A．Angry.

B．Worried.

C．Doubtful.

D．Ashamed.

4. What was the result of the Eureka Stockade?

A．The miners won.	B．It resulted in a new tax.
C．The wall was brought down.	D．It led to the introduction of new licences.

9 . When talking about being overcome with emotions, both good and bad, we have a somewhat strange expression to describe that situation：to be beside yourself. So, if I say I am beside myself with joy, I am filled with joy! However, I can also be beside myself with sadness, anger, or any other emotions. The expression is useful and simple，but queer. It sounds as if someone has become two people. How can you be next to yourself? Being “beside yourself ” is technically impossible.

In American English，you can simply say “I’m beside myself ” to mean you are very upset. For example，if you have a bad quarrel with a close friend, you might be beside yourself. You might shout, write an angry letter to your friend, or just go somewhere by yourself and cry.

Here’s another situation. A high school student applies to several colleges. If all her applications are refused, she could be beside herself. She might stay up all night worrying about what to do next.

If a person becomes seriously ill, he could start talking in a way that does not make any sense. The patient may also start behaving strangely, walking around the room—back and forth. A doctor might say, “He is beside himself.”

We have another expression that is very similar to “being beside yourself”.We can also be “out of our minds”. We use this expression in the same way we use “beside oneself ”. So we can be out of our minds with fear, with love, with happiness，or with any other emotions. And just like “beside oneself”.we also use this expression on its own without a specific emotion. So, if someone says or does something crazy—like learning how to ride a motorcycle on a dark, rainy night, you can simply say, “She is out of her mind!” You could also say the person is crazy or has lost her mind.

1. What does the underlined word “queer” probably mean?

A．Easy.

B．Difficult.

C．Common.

D．Strange.

2. How will you feel when saying “I’m beside myself ” in US English?

A．Excited.

B．Unhappy.

C．Relaxed.

D．Frightened.

3. How does the author explain the usage of “beside oneself”？

A．By asking some questions.

B．By telling some stories.

C．By giving some examples.

D．By listing some data.

4. What does the last paragraph mainly talk about?

A．The usage of the phrase “out of one’s mind”.

B．The difference between the two expressions.

C．An example about “being beside yourself ”.

D．More expressions about different feelings.

10 . You may not know that up to 40 percent of college students at some schools usually don't get enough to eat. Though some receive assistance through social services and colleges’ food pantries (储藏室）,it often isn’t enough. In fact, almost 600 colleges and universities across the U.S. belong to the College and University Food Bank Alliance(CUFBA) and it is likely that even more have food pantries for their students. Along with community colleges, CUFBA members include private colleges, well-respected state universities and Ivy League schools.

The problem can lead to bad consequences. Like other young adults, these students worry about how they are regarded and know that not having enough money for food results in pity or worse, being looked down on. To be honest I had been judgmental before. I questioned the ability of the other students to manage their resources (财力)and how their parents could ignore the fact that their child was mooching off (乞求）others. I never thought about the money simply not being there. Few will share details of their situation, never mind asking for help. Many of these students finally drop out of school, finding the challenges insurmountable.

One would think that our children would see this need and act correctly, whether by helping personally or starting programs, but teens and young adults rarely see beyond their own experiences. This is not a criticism—it is simply where most are;they haven’t yet had life experiences to show them things can be different. As awareness of this problem has increased, more resources have been made offered, some organized by student groups. But more still needs to be done.

Since awareness of a problem is the first step in solving it, talk to your kids. Ask them to pay more attention to see it, talk to your kids. Ask them to pay more attention to see if they have any classmates in need. Talking openly and non-judgmentally about the problem is important.

1. What does the author want to show in Paragraph 1?

A．Hunger is a serious problem in college.

B．There are few food pantries for students.

C．Many colleges don’t provide enough food.

D．CUFBA failed to help students from private colleges.

2. What did the author use to think was the cause of the problem?

A．Parents’ not having enough money.

B．Parents’ not taking action immediately.

C．Students’ being frightened to ask for help.

D．Students’ inability to use their money wisely.

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

A．Worthy.	B．Undiscovered.
C．Sad to know about.	D．Unable to overcome.

4. What should be done first to solve the problem according to the author?

A．Ask teens to act properly.	B．Be mindful of the problem.
C．Broaden students’ experience.	D．Organize various social groups.