1 . Elephant Sanctuary

Guests are guided in small groups on foot through the sanctuary. Guides will provide in-depth information and insight into African elephants. You will be introduced to our elephants in the forest area, where you will be able to touch and interact with them.

You will experience the special relationship between the elephant handlers and their elephants. Start a short walk with the elephants (trunk-in-hand) and see where the elephants sleep. Guests learn about the inner structure of the elephants and will feed them. On some hot days you may even see the elephants swimming.

Enjoy a drink from the cash bar on the main deck before departure.

Remember to wear flat walking shoes, sun hats and bring your camera.

Departure times

Morning tour: 06:30 and 08:00

Afternoon tour: 12:00 Duration: 6-8 hours

Price: $ 33 (1),$20 (2-3), $ 17 (4-13+people)

Entrance fees, return transport included

Not included: Elephant ride

1. Which of the following is true?

A．Tourists can feed the elephants and swim with them on hot days

B．Before departure, tourists can enjoy some drinks free of charge.

C．The pricing system encourages tourists to bring their babies along.

D．In the forest, visitors can have a close contact with elephants.

2. The word “Sanctuary” probably means“________”.

A．Park

B．Information Center

C．Shelter

D．Refugee

3. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Introduction to the elephants in the wild.

B．Promotion of a giant animal and the living environment.

C．Advertisement of handlers and their elephants.

D．A visit to a scenic spot.

2 . MIT chemistry professor Daniel Nocera led research on the artificial leaf project, says he and his colleagues took their cues from plants, which are literally buzzing with electricity.

“What happens is that sunlight comes in and hits the leaf and then the leaf immediately takes that sunlight and makes a wireless current,”says Nocera.

During photosynthesis, the energy in sunlight splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen joins with carbon dioxide to make sugar, an essential fuel for plant growth. In Nocera’s laboratory, scientists replicated that chemical process using a silicon device about the size and shape of a playing card, only thinner. It's coated with nickel and cobalt catalysts that when exposed to water and ultraviolet light, accelerate a chemical reaction.

“So you can literally just take this bottle of water and we could take the chip, put the chip inside the bottle of water, and go holding it up in the sun and you would start seeing hydrogen and oxygen bubbles coming up.”

The hydrogen is then recombined with the oxygen in a fuel cell to produce electricity. Nocera’s work builds on previous research. John Turner of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory pioneered the concept in 1998 using materials too expensive and unstable for commercialization.

Nocera says his so-called practical artificial leaf uses less expensive materials, is more stable and more efficient than that earlier design. He says the challenge is to collect the gases coming off the silicon and store them until the energy is needed. “That has to be engineered still,” he adds. “We don't know how to do that. It will be something that we will start doing pretty soon. You’ll be storing a fair amount of energy because this system is working at the efficiency more or less of the solar cell.”

In laboratory experiments, Nocera's solar cell prototype operated continuously for 45 hours without a drop in electrical output. Nocera notes that it works in any type of water. “So you can use natural water sources, which for us is a big deal, because if you are in rural parts of the world. especially where they are poor, it is really costly to bring in pure water and so, the fact that you can go over there' to a puddle and pick the water up and begin using it, is something that is very powerful for us."

Nocera believes the artificial leaf could be especially useful as an inexpensive source of electricity for low-income populations in developing countries. The goal, Nocera says, is to make each home its own power station. He predicts a commercial version of the artificial leaf will be on the market within three years.

1. MIT chemistry professor Daniel Norcera's research is different from John Turner's mainly in that________.

A．Norcera's research outcome is too commercialized

B．Norcera has found a cheaper and steadier material

C．Norcera's working system is like the solar cell

D．Norcera's research is original and unprecedented

2. The next step for Nocera's laboratory to do is probably to find out________.

A．an efficient way of storing gases coming off the silicon

B．a feasible system that is as efficient as solar cell

C．a silicon device that can accelerate the chemical reaction

D．how to spread the cheap source of electricity in developing countries

3. The biggest advantage of Nocera's research is that________.

A．It is convenient for every home to own a power station

B．It can change the ordinary water into pure water

C．It has a commercial value for poor populations

D．It can recycle waste water and thus eco-friendly

4. What is probably the best title of the passage?

A．Plants Can Produce Cheap and Steady Electricity

B．Storage of Energy Is a Tough Challenge

C．Artificial Leaf Tuns Sunlight into Electric Power

D．Inexpensive Source of Electricity Is Finally Available

3 . Mr. Everest is no longer an inaccessible giant. More than 4,000 people have stood on the world's highest peak since 1953. Last year alone, more than 650 people made it to the top.

But as the crowds have grown, so too has the list of stories coming from the mountain: long lines over train, and conflict over the value of Sherpas.

For people who want a more drama-free climbing experience, the globe is filled with other peaks worth tackling.

There are literally 13 other mountains over 8,000 meters and some get virtually no attention. They are very challenging mountains that would be an equal feather in someone's hat to climb with many routes still to be discovered, unlike Everest." Mountains taller than 8,000 meters (more than 26,000 feet) are rare and exceptionally challenging to climb, purely for the lack of oxygen at such height. Above 8,000 m, it becomes so difficult to breathers that climbers call it the “death zone."

The Himalayas contain all 14 of the world's 8,000 meter-plus peaks, which are among Nepal, China, India and Pakistan. Among those, Everest is not only the tallest. It's also accessible by hiking for about a week and a half after flying into Lukla.

From there, the mountain is loaded with equipment, including a cell phone tower and Sherpas who fix ropes for Western climbers. That makes the climb far less technical than it otherwise would be.

Why Do People Keep Climbing Mt. Everest? “It's certainly not the easiest climb because of the height, ”said Alan Amette, a mountaineer and Everest blogger in Fort Collins, Colo. I hate the word 'easy' for any 8,000-meter mountain. A better word is achievable. Everest is achievable.”

One emerging alternative to Everest is K2, the world's second tallest mountain -- at 8,611 m(28,251 feet) to Everest's 8,848 m (29,029 feet). But for every four or so people who have summited K2, one person has died trying, Arnette said, for a total of 300 successful climbs and 81 deaths.

On Everest, by comparison, the ratio of successes to deaths is about 24 to one with more than 6,000 summits and about 250 deaths. K2 is a "loose" mountain with lots of rock fall and avalanche(雪崩) activity, Amette said. Its main route also goes up the east side, making climbers get affected by incoming storms.

1. The term “Death Zone" is used to describe an area________.

A．that is 8,000 meters high with the shortage of oxygen

B．where there is the highest rate of death in mountain-climbing

C．where climbers are unable to breathe

D．where breathers are very likely to die due to the height.

2. Which of the following is true of the Himalayas?

A．They cover as many as four countries.

B．They contain ten peaks over 8,000 meters.

C．Everest is its tallest and easiest peak to climb.

D．Everest is its peak with good technical support.

3. K2 is more challenging to climb than Mt Everest in that________.

A．more people died in mountain-climbing.

B．more natural disasters occur due to its loose quality.

C．there are more snow storms happening on average.

D．storms are more unpredictable at the peak.

4. What is the passage mainly about?

A．Introduction to mountain climbing.

B．The challenges of the tallest mountains.

C．Climbing the most challenging mountains in the world.

D．How to overcome difficulties as mountaineers.

4 . Bhutan(不丹)is one of the few places in the world where you can experience unbroken Buddhist(佛教徒的)culture. Spirituality is in daily life here. I came because I wanted to witness firsthand what it might mean to devote your life to________practice as a Buddhist.

Although this is the Himalayas(喜马拉雅山)，you don't come here to climb mountains. Mountains are________in Bhutan, as are rivers and the earth. The relationship between nature, animals and people is ________. The population is small (around 750,000) but the________of the mountains and nature is enormous. This puts humans in their place; we are not________, but a small part of a whole. Respect for nature here is not just lip-service, you see it________every day. If you want to build a house, you have to ask permission of the earth, and the government ________that the country maintain 60% forest coverage. You'll see prayer flags on mountains and on bridges, from where the wind carriers the prayers across the country.

You don't have to tip your head back to look at the sky; you can stare________at it. For me, the finest view in Bhutan is from 3,100 metre   Dochu-la. From this mountain pass I can________the view, look directly at the sky, and see the stairs to my lama's temple. I especially like the way the stability and peace of the mountains________with the clouds moving high above.

Make a ________of meeting monks(僧人) if you go to Bhutan. Visitors tend to emphasize the wow factor of the buildings, and ________the human element. Real Buddhist culture, and what it means in daily life, is in the________.

Make visitors come in autumn or spring, when the views are best and the weather is dry, but come off________for a quieter, more reflective experience. Winter is not depressing and grey; it's all about fresh, clean, sharp air and beautiful blue skies. If you don't like Christmas, consider Bhutan: there 's really no________of it.

1.

A．spiritual

B．widespread

C．actual

D．legal

2.

A．distant

B．holy

C．wild

D．rocky

3.

A．different

B．complex

C．unique

D．emotional

4.

A．damage

B．transformation

C．protection

D．power

5.

A．related

B．perfect

C．tiny

D．dominant

6.

A．in appearance

B．in advance

C．in action

D．in order

7.

A．ensures

B．permits

C．warns

D．opposes

8.

A．blankly

B．straight

C．hard

D．coldly

9.

A．confirm

B．challenge

C．accept

D．admire

10.

A．lives

B．contrasts

C．forms

D．improves

11.

A．list

B．check

C．point

D．difference

12.

A．miss

B．highlight

C．enlarge

D．change

13.

A．visitors

B．people

C．religion

D．value

14.

A．peak

B．business

C．year

D．job

15.

A．flavor

B．sense

C．idea

D．trace

5 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in each blank with a proper word given in the box. Each word can be used only once. Note that there is one more word than you need.

A. association     B. banned        C. linked        D. outlets       E. packaging     F. potentially G. purchased H. uncovered     I. recognized     J. regularly       K. risks

Eating out increases levels of phthalates(酞酸盐)in the body, study finds US research    1    35% increase in levels of chemical linked to disease in those who dined at restaurants the previous day.

Burgers and sandwiches were    2     to higher phthalate levels in the research, but only if     3    at a restaurant or cafe.

Eating at restaurants and fast food chains may increase exposure to    4     harmful chemicals used to increase the flexibility and durability of plastic, a study has found.

Researchers investigating levels of phthalates in the human body, which have been related to breast cancer, asthma, type2 diabetes(哮喘，二型糖尿病)and fertility issues in the past few years, were found to be nearly 35% higher in participants who had eaten out the previous day compared with those who stayed at home. The     5    was especially strong for teenagers, researchers found. Adolescents who frequently ate at fast-food    6    while out with their friends had 55% higher levels of the chemicals than young people eating at home.

Pathalates are building agents frequently used in food    7    as well as a number of other products including flooring, soaps and shampoos, and some forms of the chemical, have been     8    from children's products in the US.

Pathalates are everywhere, and the health     9    are worrying. The feelings suggest that dining out may be an important, and previously under    10    source of exposure to phthalates for the US population.

6 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word;for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blanks.

The first Black Woman in the Congress

Being the first black woman    1    (elect) to Congress has made me some kind of phenomenon. There are nine other blacks in Congress; there are ten other women. I was the first     2    (overcome) both handicaps(障碍)at once. Of the two handicaps,     3    (be)black is much less of a handicap than being female.

If I said that being black is a    4     (great)handicap than being woman, probably no one would question me. Why? Because "we all know" there is prejudice against black people in America. That there is prejudice against women is an idea    5    still strikes nearly all men-and, I am afraid, most women-as strange.

Prejudice against blacks was invisible to most white Americans for many years. When blacks finally started to "mention" it, with sit-ins and freedom rides, Americans could hardly believe it."Who, us?" they asked     6     injured tones. "We     7    (prejudice)?" It was the start of a long, painful reeducation for white America. It will take years for whites-including those     8    think of themselves as liberals-to discover and eliminate the racist attitudes they all actually have.

How much harder will it be to eliminate the prejudice against women? I am sure it will be a longer struggle. Part of the problem is     9    women in America are much more brainwashed and happy with    10    roles as second-class citizens than blacks ever before.

7 . Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct. For the blanks with a given word, fill in each blank with the proper form of the given word; for the other blanks, use one word that best fits each blank.

Ocean exploration changed human history

One of humanity’s greatest achievements has been mastering routes across the world’s oceans. Communities separated by thousands of miles     1    (bring) into contact and religious ideas have spread across the waters, while artistic creativity has been motivated by the experience of seeing the products of different civilizations. Customs have been decisively altered by the movement of ships across the oceans. No one drank tea in medieval Europe, but     2     contact had been made with the tea-drinking Chinese, tea became popular with millions of people from Sweden to the United States.

We tend to hold the view     3     the opening of the oceans was the work of the great explorers, especially the 15th century pioneers who edged their way through uncharted waters to southern Africa, the Indian Ocean and the lands of the Indies. These were sailors     4     Christopher Columbus, who chanced upon unsuspected lands that blocked the expected sea route from Europe to China and Japan. But while these men     5     give the Age of Discovery its name, they didn’t start the exploration of the world’s oceans — and there were also scores of merchants who followed in     6     route, taking full advantage of new knowledge about the open ocean to develop trade links across the world,     7     laid the foundation for modern globalization. These were the people who really mastered the oceans and brought the continents into contact.

Since then, the oceans have only continued     8    (tie) the world together — most dramatically when new routes were literally carved out, with the building of the Sues Canal in the 19th century and the opening of the Panama Canal in 1914. The first goods to pass through the Panama Canal consisted of a cargo of     9    (tin) pineapples from Hawaii. The Pacific and the Atlantic were     10    (closely) tied together than ever before.

8 . For the longest time, the predominant description about renewable energy featured awkward technologies, high costs, and burdensome allowance. In the _______ of strict and far-reaching policy changes, the chances for mass adoption seemed slim. Electric vehicles (EVs) simply couldn’t go the distance, and LED lights were unattractive and _______.

But now that these technologies have come of age, a new story is being written. Around the world, businesses, governments, and households are taking advantage of more cost-effective low-carbon technologies.

_______ advances in information technologies (IT), green solutions can be introduced into business operations successfully. And as public support for these technologies has grown, so have the _______ for scaling up to a fully sustainable energy system.

As in any rapid transition, a full understanding of what is happening has _______ events. Many present energy producers find it hard to believe that their world is undergoing a revolutionary change, so they insist that their heavily polluting technologies will remain _______ and necessary for some time to come. Journalists, too, describe the transition with a degree of _______, because it is their job to be suspicious. And politicians and regulators are cautious to adopt a new perspective, _______ they are already struggling to keep up with the pace of change in the energy industry.

To be sure, _______ doesn’t come without setbacks, as the recent growth in energy-related greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions shows. Yet there is no doubt that the future of energy will be __________ different from the recent past. In fact, the __________ is happening even faster than we think, for example, coal-fired power plants are shutting down faster than ever, and plans for new natural-gas plants are being replaced with more cost-effective wind and solar options. And as the shift toward renewables gains good trends, it will be easier for elected officials to pursue more climate-friendly policies and regulations, thereby creating a(n) __________ circle of change.

As the green transition comes of age, it will offer solutions to all of humanity’s energy needs, placing a clean, prosperous and secure low-carbon future well within reach. Yet even as we hug __________, we must not lose sight of the fact that climate change is speeding up. With GHG emissions __________ to rise, the future of humanity hangs in the balance. One hopes that the shift to __________ energy will tip the scale in our favor.

1.

A．license

B．absence

C．application

D．promotion

2.

A．invisible

B．unbelievable

C．inevitable

D．unaffordable

3.

A．Instead of

B．Owing to

C．In case of

D．According to

4.

A．resources

B．revolutions

C．prospects

D．priorities

5.

A．caught up with

B．compared with

C．taken place of

D．fallen behind

6.

A．relevant

B．inferior

C．synthetic

D．experimental

7.

A．mixture

B．caution

C．conflict

D．approval

8.

A．in case

B．so that

C．even though

D．the moment

9.

A．significance

B．invention

C．happiness

D．progress

10.

A．dramatically

B．economically

C．independently

D．equivalently

11.

A．interaction

B．modernization

C．motivation

D．transformation

12.

A．natural

B．potential

C．positive

D．original

13.

A．influence

B．optimism

C．estimation

D．extension

14.

A．starting

B．failing

C．emerging

D．continuing

15.

A．sustainable

B．traditional

C．available

D．industrial

9 .

The changing population throughout the globalizing world, in particular an increase in the aging population and a decrease in birth rates, is disturbing housing markets.

Since 1970, global average income per person has increased, with a few exceptions as in 2009 and 2015, and inequality has also widened among and within nations. The International Monetary Fund’s Global House Price Index collapsed in 2008 before climbing again to reach pre-crisis levels. Due to these population and financial trends, household structures have changed with increased preference for smaller, shared living quarters and less home ownership worldwide. Analysts increasingly focus on mapping and predicting effects of globalization on housing markets and individual decisions.

Countries at the forefront of globalization, namely the United States and China, as well as rapidly globalizing countries like India, expect their aging populations to double by the year 2050. Coupled with changes to the family structure, especially a childbirth rate nearly halved since 1950 and more two-income households, decisions involving the housing stock are more complex than ever before.

The three countries may share a common challenge: Their governments are not well prepared for rapid growth in their graying populations. Out of the three, the United States could be most affected, as the primary-mode of senior care in China and India is in-home care. If family support remains the top choice for senior care, this could prevent India and China from the possible negative effects of the inadequate public and private planning. In-home care involves family members covering the cost and accommodation of senior members. About 65 percent of US elderly in need of assistance rely on family and friends, and non-family senior care is relatively new for India and China.

1. Which of the following is TRUE according to paragraph 1 and 2?

A．The housing markets are mostly affected by the decrease in birth rates and rise in death rates.

B．Inequality has widened among and within nations due to the rapid globalization of the households.

C．The population and financial trends led to increased preference for smaller, shared accommodations.

D．Analysts think globalization has decisive effects on housing markets and individual decisions.

2. What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs and the illustration?

A．The aging populations of the three countries are expected to decrease by 2050.

B．Non-family senior care probably remains the best choice for the elderly in America.

C．China will probably have the largest percentage of the senior population by 2050.

D．The three giants in terms of population must avoid the challenges from their citizens.

3. The best title for the passage is ______________.

A．The challenge for the aged	B．Shelter for an aging world
C．The rapid growth of population	D．Comparison on globalization

10 . On the night of September 19, 1961, Betty Hill and her husband Barney were driving home through the White Mountains from Niagara Falls. They were travelling on a nearly deserted two-lane highway when Betty noticed a steady light in the sky that was getting bigger and brighter.

She thought it was a planet or a star. Barney, stimulated at her excitement, said it was probably just a wandering aeroplane. Whatever it was, it appeared to be following them.

They stopped their car for a closer look. What they said happened next, changed their lives. The flying object was noiseless. It appeared to be spinning. It was as big as a jet but shaped like a pancake.

So formed the tale of Betty Hill, a New Hampshire social worker who, with Barney, a postal worker, claimed to be kidnapped by aliens, who were from outer space, on a moonlit night about 60 years ago.

After reluctantly going public with her experience, Hill, who died of cancer at her New Hampshire home, aged 85, became a celebrity on the UFO circuit and was known as the “first lady of UFOs”.

Intriguingly, at the time of the incident, the Hills remembered nothing except that they had spied a strange object in the sky. Later, troubled by nightmares and other stress-related pains, the couple underwent hypnosis(催眠) where the full story came out with the aid of Boston psychiatrist Benjamin Simon, an expert in medical hypnosis.

On their night of contact the Hills arrived home at 5 a.m., unable to account for two lost hours. They were also confused by the odd marks on their telescopes, deep signs on the tops of Barney’s best shoes, Betty’s torn dress and strange circular markings on their car that made the needle of a compass jump wildly.

After seeing them for six months, the psychiatrist concluded the Hills’ lost memory about the hours they lost on that night in 1961 “appeared to involve an amazing experience on the part of both of the Hills”. Whether the experience had been fantasy or reality, Simon could not say, but he said he was convinced they had not been lying. He guessed that it had been a kind of shared dream.

Reports of aliens capturing humans and taking them aboard oddly shaped spacecraft were “comparatively rare” before 1975. After a movie, “The UFO Incident”, about the Hills came out, however, such stories increased.

1. When they saw the strange object in the sky, Barney and Betty Hill ______________.

A．were astonished at its strange flight and noise	B．regarded it as just a wandering car following them
C．realized immediately what the danger it might cause	D．showed curiosity in discovering what it really was

2. The word “Intriguingly” in paragraph 6 most probably means “______________”.

A．Ridiculously

B．Temporarily

C．Remarkably

D．Mysteriously

3. The Hills later sought the help of a psychiatrist because ______________.

A．they had lots of secrets in their lives after the strange experience

B．their lives were greatly disturbed by the unexpected experience

C．they wanted to share their unforgettable experience with the expert

D．they hoped to forget completely what had happened to them

4. This article was written in order to ______________.

A．describe an unusual event to the readers	B．convince readers of the existence of UFOs
C．record how people were caught by aliens	D．warn people of the dangers the UFOs cause