1 . In the middle of the Pacific Ocean lies the tiny island nation of Tuvalu, the fourth smallest country in the world. This group of four islands and five atolls (islands made of coral rock) is famous for its sandy beaches and turquoise (青绿色的) waters and has long been a popular tourist destination for nearby New Zealanders. However, the nation of Tuvalu is at the risk of soon no longer existing, not because of war or political change, but because it will be covered by the rising ocean.
Tuvalu is experiencing the harmful effects of global warming. As the global temperature rises, so does the ocean temperature. Due to the scientific law of “thermal expansion”, when water heats, it gets bigger.
Even before Tuvaluans began to suffer from the effects of climate change, the life in Tuvalu was tough.
More serious than Tuvalu’s lack of home-grown food has been its lack of drinking water.
Tuvalu’s problems have led some of its 11,000 inhabitants to consider migrating to Australia or New Zealand.
| A．It was a desperate situation and, but for emergency shipments from New Zealand and Australia, many Tuvaluans would have died. |
| B．This is largely due to the geological makeup of atolls. |
| C．Unlike normal islands, atolls have no rivers or streams, which means that most of Tuvalu has no groundwater to be used for drinking. |
| D．Tuvalu’s representatives demanded that nations should have a more responsible attitude towards emission controls. |
| E．Therefore, the sea level is rising and for low-lying Tuvalu, this spells disasters. |
| F．However, they are not willing to abandon the land of their forefathers so easily. |
| G．And as a member of the United Nations, they are doing just that. |
2 . Turf houses are, quite simply, half underground houses with a grassy roof. They date back over 1,000 years to the 9th Century, when building a turf house was the traditional way in Iceland.
Iceland’s resources then consisted of plenty of wetlands and volcanic stone, but relatively little woodland compared to settlers’ home countries.
Like many traditions, turf houses survived, but developed. In the 14th Century Viking-style longhouses (thin, long, shared spaces) gave way to individual, smaller buildings.
From the turn of the 20th Century, Icelanders increasingly moved into larger city settlements, leaving turf houses behind.
While the number of turf houses in Iceland reduced greatly in the 20th Century, the rapid growth of Iceland’s tourism in the last 20 years or so has encouraged Iceland to reexamine the value of traditional buildings.
| A．Turf houses have great advantages. |
| B．The last residents moved out of their turf-houses around 1966. |
| C．There are two main reasons why turf houses were built in Iceland. |
| D．That’s why early Icelanders faced a shortage of building materials. |
| E．So, using stone and turf was a reasonable choice in building shelter. |
| F．A big step towards protecting this national heritage was made in 2011. |
| G．The late 18th Century saw the arrival of the turf house with wooden ends. |
3 . It is always said that China is the homeland of tea, which has a very long history of tea.
➢Color
➢Flavor(味道)
New tea is extremely clear and transparent with strong aroma(芳香), while old tea is characterized by brown color and weak fragrance. Take green tea and black tea for example, new green tea tastes a little bitter first, and then the fresh sweet taste begins to surface gradually, leaving a long and memorable after taste in mouth.
➢Place of origin
There is great gap of quality among various places of origin.
| A．Every tea leaf has its own shape. |
| B．Some varieties are identified by tightness of the leaves. |
| C．It is always advised to select tea from its main producing areas. |
| D．While you’re selecting tea, you should pay attention to following aspects. |
| E．For foreigners in China, drinking tea may seem like simple refreshment(提神). |
| F．Generally, new tea leaves look fresh and pleasing, with light green or dark green. |
| G．On the contrary, if bitter taste takes the lead and fresh sweet taste subsides(减弱), it is black tea. |
4 . Rainforests are home to a rich variety of medicinal plants, food, birds and animals. Can you believe that a single bush（灌木丛）in the Amazon may have more species of ants than the whole of Britain! About 480 varieties of trees may be found in just one hectare of rainforest.
Rainforests are the lungs of the planet-storing vast quantities of carbon dioxide and producing a significant amount of the world's oxygen. Rainforests have their own perfect system for ensuring their own survival; the tall trees make a canopy（树冠层）of branches and leaves which protect themselves, smaller plants, and the forest animals from heavy rain, intense dry heat from the sun and strong winds.
Amazingly, the trees grow in such a way that their leaves and branches, although close together, never actually touch those of another tree. Scientists think this is the plants' way to prevent the spread of any tree diseases and make life more difficult for leaf-eating insects like caterpillars. To survive in the forest, animals must climb, jump or fly across the gaps. The ground floor of the forest is not all tangled leaves and bushes, like in films, but is actually fairly clear. It is where dead leaves turn into food for the trees and other forest life.
They are not called rainforests for nothing! Rainforests can generate 75%of their own rain. At least 80 inches of rain a year is normal-and in some areas there may be as much as 430 inches of rain annually. This is real rain-your umbrella may protect you in a shower, but it won't keep you dry if there is a full rainstorm. In just two hours, streams can rise ten to twenty feet. The humidity（湿气）of large rainforests contributes to the formation of rainclouds that may travel to other countries in need of rain.
1. What can we learn about rainforests from the first paragraph?| A．They produce oxygen. | B．They cover a vast area. |
| C．They are well managed. | D．They are rich in wildlife. |
| A．Heavy rains | B．Big trees. |
| C．Small plants. | D．Forest animals. |
| A．For more sunlight. | B．For more growing space. |
| C．For self-protection. | D．For the detection of insects. |
| A．Life-Giving Rainforests | B．The Law of the Jungle |
| C．Animals in the Amazon | D．Weather in Rainforests |
Would you believe that the tallest bridge in France reaches higher than the Eiffel Tower?Each of the projects mentioned here has set at least one world record for its height,scale or ingenuity(独创性).Here are four amazing engineering wonders of the modern world.
Venice,Italy:The Venice Tide Barrier Project will be the largest flood prevention project in the world.The project has been debated in one form or another for over 40 years as a way to protect this historical city-on-the-water for future generations.With Venice slowly sinking,and the water around it slowly rising,and floods always a fear,Italians have known for a long time that something needs to be done.Finally,the Prime Minister of Italy approved the second phase of the plan,including 80 hinged barriers(用铰链连接的壁垒),each approximately 6,500 square feet.
Millau,France:The Millau Viaduct(米洛高架桥)is the highest bridge in the world.At 1,125 feet high(slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower,1,063 feet)and over 8,000 feet long,it sometimes sits above the cloud line.The engineered wonder of the bridge itself is nearly as amazing as the view of the valley below.
Zhangjiajie,China:The Bailong Elevator is the world’s largest outside elevator.At about 1,070 feet high,this elevator looms(隐约出现) high midway up a cliff overlooking a valley far below.Moreover,the elevator is mostly made of glass,affording passengers a dizzying view to the depths below.There is some concern,however,about the elevator’s long-term impact on the surrounding natural environment.
Norway to Britain:The Langeled Pipeline extends(延伸)from Nyhamna,Norway,to Easington in the UK.It is about 1,200 km long and before the completion of the Nord Stream pipeline,it was the longest underwater gas pipeline in the world.Gas is exported(出口)from the Ormen Lange field,situated at a depth of 1,000 metres and located 100 km northwest of the Norwegian coast to Nyhamna.From there the Langeled Pipeline runs to Easington in the UK via the Sleipner Riser Platform in the North Sea.It will eventually supply 20% of Britain’s gas needs.
1. In the first paragraph,the author began with a question in order to .
| A．introduce the topic |
| B．amaze readers |
| C．show the height of the Eiffel Tower |
| D．ask readers to answer it |
| A．the project is designed to store water |
| B．all people agree with the project at first |
| C．floods are a fear to Venice |
| D．the hinged barriers are 6,500 square feet in all |
| A．They are in the same country. |
| B．They are both made of glass. |
| C．Both of them are taller than the Eiffel Tower. |
| D．Both of them have a bad effect on the environment. |
| A．Britain | B．Norway |
| C．France | D．Italy |
Hilversum is a medium-sized city between the major cities of Amsterdam and Utrecht in the Gooi area of North Holland, the Netherlands. Unlike most of the Netherlands, Hilversum is actually in a hilly area with the soil mostly consisting of sand. Once called the Garden of Amsterdam, it still attracts travelers to come over to cycle and walk through the surrounding forests. They visit it for a relaxing day off from the urban madness. For Dutch people, Hilversum is all about textile (纺织) and media industries, and modern architecture.
In history, Hilversum was largely an agricultural area. Daily life was marked by farming, sheep raising and wool production. A railway link to Amsterdam in 1874 attracted rich traders from Amsterdam to Hilversum. They build themselves large villas (别墅) in the wooded surroundings of the town. One of the families moving in was the Brenninkmeijers, currently the wealthiest family of the Netherlands. They moved in after big success in the textile industry and aided a substantial textile industry in Hilversum. But the textile boom lasted only several decades. The last factory closed in the 1960s.
The change to a media economy started in 1920, when the Nederlandse Seintoestedllen Fabriek (NSF) established a radio factory in Hiversum. Most radio stations called in the large villas in the leafy areas of the town. Television gave another push to the local economy. Hilversum became the media capital of the Netherlands, and Dutch television stars moved into the leafy neighborhoods surrounding the town.
In the early 1900s, modern architcts W.M. Dudok and J. Duiker placed hundreds of remarkable buildings in Hilversum. These modern architectural masterpieces (杰作) are so many that Hilversum almost feels like an open air museum. Dudok alone shaped most 20th century Hilversum and approximately 75 buildings still bear his unique characters. His masterpiece, Hilversum Town Hall, was built in 1928-1931. It has wide international fame and is included in many architecture textbooks. The building has a remarkable shape and looks like a combination of “blocks”. Actually, one may start his journey of modern architecture by walking or biking the W.M. Dudok Architectural Route in Hilversum.
1. Hilversum is different from most of the Netherlands in that ______.
| A．it has a large population |
| B．it is cut off from big cities |
| C．it has many beautiful gardens |
| D．it is in a hilly area with sandy soil |
| A．Building a railway link to Amsterdam |
| B．Helping its textile industry to develop |
| C．Constructing large villas for the poor |
| D．Assisting its agricultural industry |
| A．a radio factory |
| B．the medial capital |
| C．a radio station |
| D．a TV station |
| A．It consists of approximately 75 buildings |
| B．It looks like an open air museum in the city |
| C．It is a classic example in architecture textbooks |
| D．It has shaped most of 20th century Hilvesum. |
7 . No one can believe that the over 6 300-kilometer long Great Wall might disappear some day. Believe it or not, the Great Wall is being destroyed by people. Less than 20 percent of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty is still perfect, but about 80 percent is in danger. The Great Wall can be called “great” mostly because of its amazing length. But we should realize that the length was made up of one brick at a time. If we do nothing to save the Great Wall, it will become a series of separate wasteland rather than a historic site.
The Great Wall is actually a series of walls built and rebuilt by different dynasties over the past 2 000 years. It began in the rule of China’s first emperor, Qin Shihuang of the Qin Dynasty(221 BC～206 BC), and lasted into the Ming Dynasty. The parts built before the Ming Dynasty have nearly disappeared. People are familiar with sections such as Badaling in Beijing and Jiayuguan Pass in Gansu because they have been open to tourists for many years. But those sections far away from the public eyes have been almost forgotten.
Few local people knew the 3-meter-high walls made of earth and stones beside them are part of the Great Wall. The lack of knowledge is considered as one of the main reasons behind human.
The bricks on the Great Wall are carried off by countryside people to build their houses, sheep corral(畜栏) and pigsties(猪圈). Some were taken away to build roads. Bricks carved with people’s names are put away as remembrance. Rubbish is spread over the battlements(城垛). The bricks can be sold for 15 yuan per tractor load. Those who destroyed and are destroying the Great Wall know its name, but are not clear about its cultural meaning. It will take a long time to let them know this. The local farmers not only carried off the body of the Wall but dug out the entire base.
It is necessary to protect the Great Wall. First of all, the officials should be aware of the importance of the Great Wall. Young Chinese should know more about the nation’s great civilization(文明)and learn to love it.
1. The main reason for which the Great Wall can be called “great” is_________.| A．it is made by brick | B．it is very wide |
| C．it is very long | D．it has a long |
| A．It is useless from now on. |
| B．It will be replaced by a new one. |
| C．Some parts of it are being destroyed. |
| D．It’s too old to be used again. |
| A．that are too difficult to understand |
| B．nobody can watch |
| C．that are too far to been seen |
| D．that are not well known to the public |
| A．The local people are short of culture knowledge. |
| B．The local people need bricks and stones to build houses. |
| C．The local people think that the Great Wall is not important. |
| D．The local people are against the government. |
The Paynes Prairie basin was formed when limestone dissolved and the ground settled. It is covered by marsh(沼泽)and wet prairie vegetation. There are areas of open water. During brief periods it has flooded enough to be considered a lake. Except for that, the basin has changed little through time.
Man has lived on Paynes Prairie a very long time. He lived there as far back as 10,000 B. C. At one time, the Seminoles lived there. The prairie is thought to have been named after King Payne, a Seminole chief. During the late 1600s, the largest cattle ranch in Florida was on Paynes Prairie. Today, Paynes Prairie is preserved land. It is occupied by visitors and Florida Park Service employees.
Willam Bartram visited Paynes Praire. Bartram was the first person who portrayed (described) nature through personal experience as well as scientific observation. He lived 200 years ago. He visited Paynes Prairie in 1774. At that time he described it. He called Paynes Prairie the “great Alachua Savannah.”
Most of the animal life, which Bartram described, is still here. A large number of sandhill cranes, hawks and waterfowl are here in winter. The animal diversity is increased by the presence of pine flatwoods, hammock, swamps and ponds.
The Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park is open year round. The Florida Park Service works hard so that the park will appear as it did in the past. It offers many opportunities for recreation. At the park you can camp and picnic. You can hike and bike. You can boat and fish. You can ride on horse trails. And you can see lots of nature and wildlife. You can see Florida as it was in the early days.
Paynes Prairie is a part of our Florida history. It is an example of our Florida natural resources. It is a place for recreation. Paynes Prairie is an important experience of the Real Florida.
1. How was the Paynes Prairie basin formed?
| A．By the Seminole Indians. |
| B．By the Florida Park Service. |
| C．From dissolved limestone and the ground settling. |
| D．From lots of flooding and wet prairie vegetation. |
| A．variety | B．society | C．population | D．area |
| A．Paynes Prairie has changed little through time |
| B．Paynes Prairie is covered by wet prairie grasses |
| C．there used to be a big cattle farm on Paynes Prairie |
| D．William Bartram was the first person to visit Paynes Prairie |
| A．call on people to protect wildlife |
| B．attract people to this preserved park |
| C．show you the formation of Paynes Prairie |
| D．introduce the recorded history of Paynes Prairie |
