1 . After spending a term in Spain, I have been trying to work out which common impressions on Spain have some truth in them and which don't.    1    

Spain is always warm and sunny. This is not true. The city I stayed in, which is in central Spain, often becomes colder than London in winter. However, the city receives little rain all year round and gets very hot in summer.    2    In Andalusia of southern Spain, for example, temperature can be cool but pleasant in winter, but becomes very high in summer.

The Spanish love to have fun.    3    The Spanish people I meet tend to be very warm and open. Spaniards love to celebrate life through different festivals throughout the year. As well as religious festivals, they celebrate others such as La Tomatina, a festival in Valencia where people throw tomatoes at each other.

    4    This is true. Both locals and tourists enjoy watching Flamenco shows just as much, especially in Andalusia. It is also possible to see them in Madrid and Barcelona, but they tend to be more for tourists. I recommend seeing a Flamenco show in Cadiz or Jerez de la Frontera. The flamenco in Cadiz takes on a more cheerful style. Maybe this is because the people of Cadiz live by the sea and have access to beautiful sandy beaches.

Spain is a fascinating country, in which you are sure to have lots of fun. I find that a lot of the common impressions on Spain hold some truth.    5    Spanish culture is very complex and the traditions and culture, as well as food and weather, can vary between regions.

A．Spain is famous for its Flamenco.

B．Here’s what I have discovered so far.

C．But the country is not limited to them.

D．I have seen a lot of evidence that this is true.

E．The following are correct impressions on Spain.

F．Southern Spain tends to be warmer than northern Spain.

G．Northern Spain is colder in summer and also colder in winter.

2 . 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.

2. Which of the following contributes most to the survival of rainforests?

A．Heavy rains	B．Big trees.
C．Small plants.	D．Forest animals.

3. Why do the leaves and branches of different trees avoid touching each other?

A．For more sunlight.	B．For more growing space.
C．For self-protection.	D．For the detection of insects.

4. What can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Life-Giving Rainforests	B．The Law of the Jungle
C．Animals in the Amazon	D．Weather in Rainforests

3 . If you live in a town or city on the edge of a desert or coastline where sand dunes form, you might understand the threat they can have. It’s, sometimes, a piece of cake for them to cover roads, buildings, farms and other man-made developments with their unpredictable movements. Thus, figuring out how they move is important for preventing some natural disasters.

Now scientists have discovered that dunes have been secretly moving in ways we never knew before. There are different explanations on dune interaction, however, Karol Bacik, first author on the new dune study, and his colleagues have found a new one for dune movement. The researchers employed high-speed cameras to observe how dunes separated by distance can act as if they’re connected.

It turns out, currents flowing over sand dunes can carry “information” to other dunes downstream in the form of swirls(旋涡). For instance, as wind or water flows over the top of a dune, it slightly moves. This can generate “swirls” on the back of a downstream dune and push it in a direction opposite the movement of the front dune.

It’s the first time that researchers were able to provide causal explanations for some of these strange, previously unpredictable movements. The team also hopes to get out of the laboratory and into the real world, to see if their models can be applied to dune movements in complex natural systems. They plan to use satellite images over large deserts to track groups of dunes over long periods.

Perhaps they can start to alter the dune marching orders in the near future. Imagine being able to tell a dune field exactly how you want it to move. That’s the idea that this research might one day make possible.

1. We can learn that the purpose of the study is to _________.

A．stop the sand dunes from moving around

B．figure out the track of sand dune movements

C．prove the interaction of dunes with each other

D．examine a model of sand dunes in the real world

2. What does the underlined word “one” in Para. 2 refer to?

A．A study.

B．An interaction.

C．An explanation.

D．A dune.

3. Which of the following can we know from the passage?

A．A sand dune communicates with another only by currents.

B．Swirls on the back of a dune are the power to move itself.

C．Some strange dune movements have got causally explained before.

D．Researchers think it unnecessary to study further on the dune models.

4 . Ever since the University of Bologna in Haly was founded in 1088 as the first modern university, most people have associated great universities,with major cities.    1    

Colleges and universities in the U.S.,though, have followed a different pattern. To be sure, leading universities such as the University of Chicago and Columbia University in New York City call major urban centers home.    2    In some cases, the university is, for all practical

purposes, the whole town.

    3     Many early colleges and universities were founded by religious (宗教的) groups that sought to educate students far from the distractions of city life. When Harvard University was founded in 1636 by Congregationalist Church ministers, Cambridge, where the university is now located, was quite separate from Boston. Moreover, when the U.S. began building a network of public universities in the 1860s to bring agricultural and technical research and know-how to the westward- spreading frontier, most were located in small towns.     4    

Given the huge diversity of U.S. higher education, the message for international students shopping for a great university is doubled.    5    Don't be put off if you have never heard of the city or town where a school is located. Top-rated colleges and universities located in lesser

known places may amaze you in an unimaginable manner with their high quality and a significant number of their international students.

A．Bloomington is also a great college town.

B．Think the Sorbonne in Paris or Peking University.

C．Set your sights beyond the most well-known schools.

D．One reason: there were no major cities there at the time.

E．There was no better recipe for popularity than small campuses.

F．Part of the explanation for this lies in America's distinctive history.

G．But many are located in cities and towns most people have never heard of.

5 . In many countries of the world, people can confidently tell you the meaning of their town or city, but most people who live in Manchester, Oxford or Birmingham would not be able to explain what the name of their city means. The name of every British town and city, however, has a long history.

Two thousand years ago, most people living in Britain were Celts. Even the word “Britain” is Celtic. Then the Romans arrived and built camps which became cities called “castra”. This is why there are so many place names in England which end in “-chester” or “-caster” – Manchester, for example.

The Romans never reached Wales or Scotland, and many place names there are Celtic (凯尔特语的). For example, Welsh place names that begin with “Llan” come from the Celtic word for church.

After the Romans left Britain, it was attacked by tribes (部落) called the Anglo-Saxons who were from the area of Europe that is now Germany and Holland. Without the Roman army, it was impossible to protect the country from these people. The names of their villages often ended in “-ham” or “-ton”. Some got their name from the leader of the village, so Birmingham, for example, means “Beormund’s village”.

The Anglo-Saxons were farmers and the landscape was very important to them, so we have villages called Upton (“village on a hill” – a good place to build a village) and Moreton (“village by a lake”, where floods could make life tough). Place names that end in “-ford” (a place where you could cross a river) also describe the location of Anglo-Saxon villages.

Twelve hundred years ago, the Vikings came to England from Scandinavia. They traded with the Anglo-Saxons but lived in their own villages. These often ended in “-by” or “-thorpe”. The name “Kirkby” means “a village with a church” and Scunthorpe was the village of a man called Skuma.

Finally, in 1066, England became Norman – the Normans gave us the place name “grange”, which means farm.

And how about London? Experts cannot agree. The Romans called the city Londinium, but they were not the first inhabitants (居民). People once believed that the United Kingdom’s capital city got its name from the castle (城堡) of a King called Lud, but this is very unlikely. Our best guess today is that the name comes from a Celtic word meaning a fastflowing river. Like a number of British place names, its history is lost in time.

1. The origin of British place names is unfamiliar to many local people because of ______.

A．the death of ancient languages	B．their lack of interest in the names
C．the long lost history of the names	D．the frequent changes to the names

2. According to the article, Stratford-upon-Avon is most likely a town built______.

A．beside a river	B．near a castle
C．on a hill	D．with a church

3. Which of the following shows the correct order of the arrival of inhabitants in Britain?

A．The Celts — The Romans — The Vikings — The Normans — The Anglo Saxons

B．The Celts — The Romans — The Anglo Saxons — The Vikings — The Normans

C．The Romans — The Celts — The Vikings — The Anglo Saxons — The Normans

D．The Romans — The Anglo Saxons — The Celts — The Normans — The Vikings

4. According to the text, where did the name for London come from?

A．It is short for Londinium.	B．It’s from the term for a river.
C．It is puzzling and hard to confirm.	D．It comes from the castle of a King.

6 . Ireland’s Achill Island has always been a popular European tourist destination. However, since last April, the small island of just 2,600 residents has gained worldwide fame thanks to the magical reappearance of a beach that was washed away over three decades ago.

The chain of events began in 1984 when residents of Dooagh, one of the five settlements on the island, awoke to a surprising sight: their beautiful sandy beach had been washed away by strong Atlantic storms. There were only rocks and rock pools left. For over 30 years, only small amounts of sand returned to the once unspoiled shores. The area’s tourism industry slowly declined, and the handful of beachside hotels, pubs, and restaurants gradually closed as well.

Then around Easter last year, something magical happened - an unusual ten-day tide blanketed the bare 300-meter long rock beach with hundreds of tons of soft golden sand. Scientists suspect that the sand had been gathering offshore for months and was transported to the beach by the high winds and powerful waves.

The locals are delighted to have their beach back, especially as it is attracting thousands of visitors wishing to witness the power of nature, with their own eyes. However, Sean Molloy, manager of Achill Tourism, cautions against going into the cold waters just yet, saying, “Because of the sand coming in, we don’t know how safe the beach is now because currents ( 洋流 ) could be changed and it’ ll take a little bit of time.” He instead recommends visitors enjoy the soft sand and leave the swimming to the dolphins that frequent the area.

Interestingly, this is not the first time Dooagh Beach has pulled a disappearing and reappearing act. It disappeared in the 1890s, for over 30 years, before returning in 1927. However, the locals are optimistic that this time around, the beautiful sand is here to stay.

1. What has made Achill Island famous worldwide recently?

A．An unusual storm.	B．The decrease in the number of residents.
C．The return of its beach.	D．The building of a new tourist destination.

2. What happened to Dooagh in the past three decades?

A．Tourism went down gradually.	B．Restaurant developed slowly.
C．Storms attacked frequently.	D．Rock pools disappeared completely.

3. What should tourists avoid according to Sean Molloy?

A．Spoiling the shores.	B．Getting into the rock pools.
C．Playing with dolphins.	D．Swimming near the beaches.

7 . The Hope Diamond is one of the world’s most famous jewels. It was in the possession of a series of people: kings, bankers, rich women and thieves, before its arrival 60 years ago at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

As a rare blue diamond, it has a complex social history, to be sure. But, far more so is its geological history, researchers say in a new report. This is the first time anyone has come up with a fact-based study or model for how blue diamonds form.

The group looked at 42 blue diamonds, including one from South Africa that recently sold for $25 million in 2016. Researchers could tell where the stones were formed based on the very small minerals trapped inside.

Diamonds are a hard, clear form of pure carbon called a crystal (结晶). They form under extreme heat and pressure. Blue diamonds crystallize alongside water-bearing minerals that long ago were part of the floor of the sea. But these minerals were pushed deeper underground during the movement of the Earth’s plates.

Scientists already knew these diamonds received their blue color from the element boron (硼). The study says that boron had once been in ocean water but was eventually pushed into the seafloor rock. Over millions of years, the boron continued to move deep underground.

Many diamonds appear colorless. Often, however, they have some yellow color. Still others have a light brown, pink or green color. About 99 percent of all diamonds form somewhere between 150 to 200 kilometers underground, a far shallower birthplace than their blue relations. “These diamonds are among the deepest ever found,” Carnegie Institution for Science geochemist Steven Shirey said of the blue diamonds.

The public can see the Hope Diamond at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.

1. By saying the underlined part in Paragraph 2, the researchers mean the blue diamond ________.

A．was formed in extreme weather

B．has a very complex forming history

C．has a far-reaching influence in society

D．used to be very popular among rich people

2. How could researchers know the blue diamonds’ birthplaces?

A．By observing their colors.

B．By studying their structures.

C．By referring to where they were found.

D．By examining tiny substances in them.

3. What makes the diamonds appear blue?

A．The water.	B．Extreme heat and pressure.
C．A special matter.	D．The seafloor rock.

4. What is special about blue diamonds compared with diamonds of other colors?

A．They contain several colors.

B．They form in much deeper underground.

C．They come into being in a different way.

D．They are found near the earth’s surface.

5. What is the passage mainly about?

A．The social status of the Hope Diamond.

B．The discovery of the Hope Diamond.

C．The formation of the blue diamond.

D．The diversity of diamonds.

8 . Indonesia has said the country would be removing its capital city, in part because it's sinking into the Java Sea. Jakarta is one of the fastest sinking cities in the world, according to the World Economic Forum, due to rising sea levels and the over-extraction of groundwater. But it isn't the only city in trouble. Here's a look at some others that are also at risk.

Houston

Houston has been sinking for decades and, like Jakarta, the over-extraction of groundwater is partly to blame.

The Houston Chronicle reported that parts of Harris County, which contains Houston, have sunk between 10 and 12 feet (about 3 meters), since the 1920s, according to data from the US Geological Survey. Areas have continued to fall as much as 2 inches per year, an amount that can quickly add up.

Lawmakers have tried to address the issue, creating a special purpose district meant to regulate the withdrawal of groundwater in 1975. But the problem has persisted, with privately owned wells and water suppliers continuing to pull from aquifers (蓄水层).

Lagos

The city of Lagos sits on the coast of Nigeria, constructed partly on the mainland, partly on some nearby islands. It's also Africa's most populous city. Its geography makes Lagos especially easily flooded, and the coastline has already been eroding. As sea levels rise due to global warming, the city is increasingly at risk.

One study from 2012 revealed that, because Nigeria's coastline is so low, a sea level rise of just 3 to 9 feet (about 1 to 3 meters) "will have a catastrophic effect on the human activities in these regions."

Washington

Washington is one of the most important cities in the US — and it's also sinking. Research from 2015 showed that America's capital will drop more than 6 inches (15 centimeters) in the next 100 years.

But unlike Jakarta, Washington's sinking has nothing to do with aquifers or rising sea levels — it's actually because of an ice sheet from the last ice age. A mile-high ice sheet pushed land beneath the Chesapeake Bay upward. When the ice sheet melted, thousands of years ago, the land settled back down. The researchers now believe that the area is gradually sinking, a process that could last thousands of years.

1. What is the common reason for the sinking between Houston and Jakarta?

A．the soft land	B．rising sea level
C．the eroding coastline	D．over-extraction of groundwater

2. What does the writer’s attitude towards the result of Huston lawmakers addressing the sinking problems?

A．positive	B．indifferent
C．unknown	D．negative

3. Which of the following sinking cities has a striking different reason with others?

A．Houston	B．Lagos
C．Washington	D．Jakarta

9 . The following are a few places recommended by tourists.

Ka’awaloa Trail

The pathway is steep and continues for about 2 miles each way, so the way there will be a lot easier than the way back. Keep in mind that the loose rocks may present a dangerous situation when slippery, so do carry the appropriate footwear and plenty of water to fight against the intense sun.

Mauna Kea Summit

Most hikers give themselves 8 to 10 hours to finish the journey. Don’t forget to register at the Mauna Kea Visitors Center before setting out, and plan on being back before sunset. The weather here is unpredictable and completely unique to the rest of the island. This area is pure wilderness, and altitude sickness is a definite risk, so researching the hike in advance on the Mauna Kea website is a must.

Waipio Valley Trail

Famed Waipio Valley, the former home of King Kamehameha, shouldn’t be missed by nature lovers. Be sure to catch a glimpse of nearby Hiilawe Falls from here, flowing 1,300 feet at the back of the valley. About 6.5 miles round-trip, this adventure will most likely be too difficult for beginner hikers due to the steep inclines(倾向) and length.

Onomea Bay Trail

Onomea Bay offers two different hikes from the Mamalahoa Highway in Papaikou. The first, the Donkey Trail, follows a stream through the Hawaiian rainforest past a small waterfall and to the ocean. The second, Onomea Trail, goes just to the right of the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden and past the Alakahi stream. Many choose to combine the trails or pair the hike with the botanical garden for added adventure.

1. What should tourists be careful about in Ka’awaloa Trail?

A．Burning.

B．Loose rocks.

C．Dry weather.

D．The steep pathway.

2. Why is the visit to the Mauna Kea website in advance?

A．The journey lasts long.	B．There exist many tourists.
C．There’s a potential danger.	D．The weather is unpredictable.

3. What do the last two items（Waipio Valley Trail and Onomea Bay Trail） have in common?

A．They attract plant lovers.	B．Tourists can see waterfalls.
C．Tourists can hike along a stream.	D．They aren’t suitable for beginner hikers.

10 . An international group of coffee experts has considered Ethiopia’s coffee as the best in the world.Coffee is a top export (出口物) of the country. But at home, it is seen as national pride. Ethiopians feel good about their coffee, and enjoying a drink with friends is a long tradition.

Some people say the climate produces quality beans. Morton Wennersgarrd is a coffee importer. He said, “Ethiopia has different ancient types of coffee. They are planted in places with perfect soil, perfect altitude (海拔), and climates that are really suitable for coffee processing.”

Finding the best quality beans is often an issue of taste. The process is known as   cupping — tasting and comparing coffee from different roasted beans, grading and then pricing them. But before international experts come to taste, coffee beans are studied in small coffee laboratories. Helen Assefa, a lab technician, describes   the process, “When the coffee comes to the lab, we assess (评价) its quality first by recording the details.Then we weigh the moisture (水分) level and we examine the beans for analysis. After that we grind (磨碎) the coffee beans and taste the samples. In the end, we check for defective (有瑕疵的) beans.” Mubarik Abaoli is a lab worker.He says that testing is a very difficult and long process. “We select out the defects by hand. And we select out the defect according to the defect types.”

Ethiopia has got a lot of money by exporting coffee to more than 120 countries. The country has an export revenue (税收) of more than 840 million a year. But not all the best coffee leaves Ethiopia. Forty percent of the coffee grown in the country stays there. It remains an important part of everyday life at work, at home and at ceremonies.

1. Ethiopians’ attitude towards coffee may best be described as        .

A．proud	B．relaxed
C．brave	D．doubtful

2. The third paragraph is mainly about_______.

A．the ways of making coffee

B．the process of assessing the coffee

C．the tips on planting the best coffee

D．the influence of the coffee

3. What can we learn from the last paragraph?

A．More than 120 countries export coffee to Ethiopia.

B．Coffee plays an important role in Ethiopians’ life.

C．40% of the coffee grown in Ethiopia is exported.

D．Ethiopians earn their living by exporting coffee.

4. What is the main purpose of the passage?

A．To advertise the coffee in Ethiopia.

B．To comment on coffee experts’ work.

C．To introduce the best coffee in the world.

D．To recommend tourists activities in Ethiopia.